THE GLASS MENAGERIE by TENNESSEE WILLIAMS at the CITIZENS

This quality Family Drama from Tennessee Williams captures the early magic that was to go into his later classics A Streetcar Named Desire ; A Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Night of The Iguana yet also tellingly prefigures the tragedy which was to end the life of Williams as a neglected , forsaken alcoholic ebbing his last lonely days in a Hotel Room in New York.

The opening speech of the play captures the role of the dramatist "Yes, I have tricks in my pocket, I have things up my sleeve. But I am the opposite of a stage magician. He gives you illusion that has the appearance of truth. I give you truth in the pleasant disguise of illusion."

The play was written during the second World War when Williams was contracted to write material for a film studio though it harkens back to his personal family experience in the depression laden 30s.

The pay is produced by the innovative production company Shared Experience who are working on a re-working of a 2005 production of the Famous Bronte Sisters.

This video gives a small taste of the brilliantly directed stage tensions.



Here is a highly illuminating interview with the director Polly Teale , in which she poignantly identifies the play as a Love Letter by Williams to his Sister , who ended up being given a state directed lobotomy in very unenlightened times when such an operation was considered a progressive option , Tennessee had a close loving bond with his Sister and a lot of his personal battles with alcohol and drugs are said to emanate from concern and guilt of her welfare.

THE HABIT OF ART by ALAN BENNETT at GFT

There was a unique opportunity to see one of the years best theatre events at a local venue near your home , which is a good thing seen as the play is completely sold out for the entire first and second extended runs.

Many venues throughout the world gave a live performance of Alan Bennetts new completely sold out highly regarded and critically acclaimed play based on the life of Auden and Britten called The Habit of Art.

I was very vary of how a live theatre event can be broadcast onto a celluloid format without looking a laboured parody of a scintillating three-dimensional electricity you feel when at the Theatre.But this format was absolutely brilliant , you get a view from a front row perspective with the added delight of the cameras honing in and out the action on the stage to capture close up subtle facial expressions.This show was so good i would have no hesitation whatsoever to go and see a version of Hamlet ,which should be due out later in the season.

As for the play itself Critics have been falling over themselves to give it glowing triumphant reviews.Even the usherettes in the cinema were transfixed by the supreme quality of wit and perception showing the Full Majesty's of Alan Bennetts remarkable talent to speak in entirely subconscious subliminal understated manners things that ultimately brand , in a positive way , ones thinking for life.A Master at his Masterful Best.

The best review comes from the Telegraph , which captures the humble panache which is Bennett at his very best

You can get a review from the normally hard to impress Guardian critic and here is one from the Observer which touches on some of the humour element.


What all the reviews fail to mention is how funny the play is , it is like the very best of Blackadder and Fawlty Towers , with a touch of the Producers ( Springtime for Hitler) all rolled into one.

Alan Bennett has that extra special quality to make the audience laugh and be so entertained at the time , that it is only much later they realise they have been imparted a profound philosophical education without even noticing.Bennett is also a Person of Integrity , shunning new years honours from the establishment ,which the Acting Worlds other better members pant after like desperate dogs , twice.His proudest patronage being a lifetime Patron membership of the National Gallery , which allows him to visit the collection out of hours with private Friends.

Here is a small video about the production from one of the cast:




Here is an article by Alan Bennett himself wrote in 2007 when he was working on the play.It shows just how much research goes into a work we , the audience, watch with casual attention.

THE CHERRY ORCHARD by CHEKHOV at EASTWOOD PARK THEATRE

Though i have walked past it on many occasions over the years this was my first visit to the intriguingly located Eastwood Park Theatre.It is set in a complex of newish buildings which also house a large swimming pool as well as the council and administrative offices for the district , all set within the grounds of a attractive park with lush flora with a country like expansive feel.

The play itself was completed in the final year of Chekhovs life , though he had intermittently written it in good periods and bad ones as Russian Society fluctuated between high points and low from the period of the initial emancipation of the Serfs to the period just prior to the great revolution of 1905 , he was weighed down by personal and social strife as well as illness.The plays is a kind of testimonial to characters which have appeared throughout his work , and a commemoration to the era from which the future is uncertain yet a return impossible and not desirable.A tension between realistic reform and the crashing momentum of snowballing change gives the play the effect of comedy laced with deep tragedy which shocked Chekhov when he saw it performed in Moscow as veering far to much towards the latter to be almost unrecognisable from the balance he was trying to capture.

Since then versions have either gone from one to the other , only rarely getting the mixture right.

The cast which performed the play were a good wholesome mixture of young and old and did justice to the work by not going for too much background symbolism , for example the cherry orchard is never seen , and letting the dialogue take the fore.

THE MINISTRY OF FEAR at the CITIZENS THEATRE

This play is based on the wartime novel by Grahame Green.Green was part of a clutch of left of Centre establishment writers who became devout and orthodox Catholics as a result of experiences during the War.It was an odd choice for fairly libertarian spirits in view of the Pope during the War having links to the main players of Fascism.

Here is a fairly accurate though ungenerous review from the Guardian critic.Revisiting a Grahame Green Novel for theatrical inspiration can never be pointless.

JAMES at EDINBURGH CORN EXCHANGE

James are not to be confused with other groups from decades back which are ambling and shuffling like glorified reality tribute bands trading on tired versions of a dated though romantically nostalgic back catalogue.

James are a blistering ; dynamic;active ; current live band with everything to offer and much to deliver in the present and future to add to the already well earned legendary status.

All the band members are highly fit , giving the impression they have never been away nor yet their best days are still not stretched before them with more live well thought out sophisticated musical statements to be made.

The videos on youtube just do not come close to doing justice of the power and energy of a live James performance.

Standouts among many highlights were Lullaby and Destiny Calling.The new material stood admirably up to the test of the classics and only unfamiliarity rather than lack of quality was a giveaway.

The newcomers as well as veterans in the crowd were given a wondrous time and none left disappointed , though all went with a vow to come back when James are anywhere near the vicinity.

The real secret of James lasting appeal is that they do not over-stretch themselves by doing venues which may be a little too big to accommodate a winning combination of quality stadium rock with the intimacy of a old fashioned rock club environment.This means fans young and old get memorable festival heyday gig performances in venues most stadium rockers would not normally consider.That is not to say they cannot handle festival gigs of which they have some planned in the summer.

THREE SISTERS by CHEKHOV at the CITIZENS THEATRE

Chekhov wrote this play at the end turn of the 19th Century , living in Yalta , suffering from Chronic dilapidating ill health and contemplating marriage , though more in the form of acceptance of a sentence than the crowning flowering of a wonderful longterm match.

The theme is loosely based on the experiences of the Bronte Sisters , the eternal yearning to escape the suffocating restricting stultifying provincial air and escape to the Moscow of youth and promise pervades the whole drama.

This mature and understanding article captures the difficult balancing act any current performance of the play has to contend with in order to portray the hopeless constraints felt by the Sisters , yet to also give hope and vision to the audience that a societal wayout is to be found if there is a will to search for it by understanding and active pursuance to better oneself and those around them.

The first half of the performance does not give hope the deadening lead weight of the former criterion can come even close to transcending the difficult brief , but the second half is a masterful triumph with the scenes which feature the Sisters themselves without too many supporting encumbrances being very powerful moments well worth the early suffering.

Here the producers gives an insight into the background of this worthwhile staging:




And in keeping with the talented student theme here is an exquisite Life of Chekhov in less then 4 minutes video from an excellent 8th grade school project :