Every Good Boy Deserves Favour

***
EGBDF – if you’re musical you’ll understand the humour already there. It’s a typically Stoppard witty play but beneath that lies an emotive story. Set within a mental institution in the middle of communist Russia it tells the stories of Alexander, a rigid dissident whose ‘opinions are his symptoms’ and his ward (meaning cell) mate Ivanov who is oblivious to this world because in his head Ivanov thinks he is surrounded by an orchestra.
The SouthBank Sinfonia takes to the stage to perform Andre Previn’s brilliantly emotive score. The music can be somewhat distracting at first, but this puts the audience in Ivanov’s mindset who cannot concentrate since the make believe orchestra is constantly tormenting him. The actors and orchestra work seamlessly together, the orchestra dominating the stage making the space for their cell effectively cramped.
Directors Felix Barrett and Tom Morris have incorporated the cleverest techniques into EGBDF to great effect and a somewhat abstract feel to great effect. The crosscutting shows the worlds in and out of the institution, as well as the difference between living in Ivanov and Alexander’s heads. And there was a somewhat random dance displaying the cruelty of the KGB, actually an innovative contrast of beauty to the subject matter.
Joseph Millson gives a brilliant performance as Alexander, the audience willing him to tell a lie so he can return to his traumatised son Sacha. Dan Stevens, the violin playing Doctor deliver his one liners with great finesse and Toby Jones is flawless in the great challenge of a man with his intriguing illness. He talks about his orchestra with a deadly seriousness and love, yet interspersed with the pain the fantasy is causing him.
Every Good Boy Deserves Favour is a beautifully deep play, lightened but not tainted by Stoppard’s fabulous humour.

Veronica Grubb

Three Days of Rain

****
The audience is plunged into silence with a crack of thunder and driven music accompanying Walker’s (James McAvoy) dramatic entrance. Broody Walker slams open the door of his depressing loft, light spilling on the floor. He shines a torch light into the audience and contagious yet dark laughter rips from his throat. You just know it’s going to be a good show.
Three Days of Rain can be summarised as 2 siblings and their childhood friend discussing their inheritance, followed by showing how their parents met 30 years ago. My preconception was that it was going to be a boring play. Not. A. Chance! Richard Greenberg creates original characters, puts them in an intriguing, revealing story and manipulates the audience with his vivid language from raucous laughter to gasps - an ability echoing Chekov's.
The only thing that trumps the writing is the performances given by the cast. Household name James McAvoy lives up to expectations with his performance as the changeable Walker, then gives a completely contrasting performance as his father Ned, a stuttering mouse of a man besotted with brash southerner Lina (Lyndsey Marshal). Lyndsey is better as Lina than Nan, Walker’s sister, and although it’s understandable that it’s hard to make someone so normal, interesting, it’s a challenge she was given to rise to and frankly, fails. Onstage with McAvoy and Harman she is completely outshone. Nigel Harman as both animated Pip, and his father ambitious Theo, equals McAvoy in his energy and complete believability as the characters, so that the audience can easily comprehend why Nan used to date him (because they want to themselves!)
Soutra Gilmore’s loft looks so dilapidated and neglected it’s hard to believe it’s the same loft when we’re thrown into the warm, swinging 60’s of Act Two. Ben and Max Ringham’s compositions become an essential part of the play, enhancing the atmosphere of the scenes. A particularly good element being the ‘60’s’ music playing throughout the interval to lull the audience into the decade so you’re already there when Act Two begins. Jamie Lloyd’s direction is very good, but he could have brought out even more in the characters (especially Marshall’s). The production feels as if it is lacking something you just can't pinpoint. However, the forever changing mood and pace he creates is exquisite.
With the calibre of the plays I’m seeing, I’m beginning to doubt the boundless praise I gave Ivanov...I'd prefer to think the talent of the West End is boundless.

Veronica Grubb

War Horse

*****
How do you Michael Morpurgo's story told through a horses eyes to the stage? Somehow, the national has managed it with flawless succcess.
War Horse tells the journey of 'Joey' from being a foal until he is sold at auction to the Naracott's, simply because Billy Naracott, renowned drunkard wishes to best his brother Arthur. Albert, Billy's son (Kit Harington) is given the task of bringing Joey up and the pair become inseperable friends - until Joey is sold by Arthur's father to go to war. However, on the news that Major Nicholls, the soldier who buys Joey, has died, Albert also joins the war effort in hope of reuniting with Joey who has been taken in by the German Hauptmann Friedrich Muller. This is a heartfelt story full of emotion, telling the tale of the forgotten heroes in the war - the horses. Attaining the audiences unquestionable belief in the animals through dexterous use of puppetry.
Kit Harington shines as the star of the show as Albert in his first stage role since graduating from Central School of Speech and Drama, and Patrick O'Kane as Hauptmann Friedrich Muller is brilliant. Folk musician Tim Van Eyken is also hauntingly good as the Song Man. Rae Smith's stage design (of which the drawings are available in a free exhibition at the National) are to be very highly commended. A streak across the height of the stage acts as the background of the scene, displaying Major Nicholls drawings of Joey or wherever they are, becoming increasingly less detailed as the reach war ground. Equally good are Marianne Elliot and Tom Morris' direction, and Adrian Sutton's music.
But arguably the best performances are given by horse puppeteers and their ability to make them appear real. War Horse is an innovative production not to be missed!

Veronica Grubb

Les Miserables

***
It's been on 23 years and I've fiiinnnalllyy seen it :) I was sat in the upper circle, so couldn't really distinguish the different faces and that doesn't help as Les Mis confused the hell out of me to begin with. Yet understanding isn't everything, it's a very character based story.
Every character is a brilliant one, although not all played so. David Shannon is unimpressive as Valjean (although he has a very good voice) and Javert, Earl Carpenter, equally so (he was also the first person I saw play the Phantom and I looooaatthhed his interpretation). The main problem is it's a sung through show and you can't understand what singing alot of the time. Eponine (Nancy Sullivan) was brilliant, her rendition of On My Own truly moving and capturing the torture of unrequited love, Cosette (Leanne Dobinson) had one of best soprano voices I've ever heard, and their love interest Marius, wins the audience's hearts. However, the person who stood out for me was the understudy Enroljas, Mark Dugdale. I'd join his revolution any day.
The songs make the show, there isn't as much dancing as you'd expect in a musical, but it does use theatrical techniques such as slow motion to great effect (and I plan to steal them for my GCSE).
I can see why it's been running so long, it's a fabulous show - my reviews are becoming lazier aren't they?
Veronica Grubb

Zorro the Musical

****
Now knowing me -who hate's spanish as well as feel good shows - I should hate Zorro. Hell no.
Getting an extension very soon into the beginning of it's run, Zorro managed to break the curse on the Garrick (which strangely started when Derren Brown's run finished there...coincidence?). It's a show that ticks all the boxes. The costumes are fabulous, and although it's a simple set, it works wonders with levels and is perfect for smooth scene changes. You can't get the music out of your head, and the urge to just get up and dance is so hard to resist (until the megamix of tunes in the curtain call where the cast encourage you to). There's no better way to finish a show than with the villain smiling like a cheshire cat and strutting his stuff. You can't fault the the Gipsy Kings somehow successful score of traditional spanish music and music theatre. Nor the choreography, the extremely impressive flamenco essential to the music. It's an unbelievably high energy show.
Zorro (Matt Rawle) delivers hilarious one liners one after the other charming the audience into drooling mode, Luisa (Emma Williams) is very able yet feels like nothing special in comparison with the rest of the cast. Inez (Lesli Margherita) is a feisty temptress with a big voice and even bigger personality, but the star of the show is Ramon (Adam Levy) who gives a powerhouse performance. Of course the appeal of a depressing childhood creating a sexy bad guy that runs about topless for most of the show (how can it take so long to find another shirt? Not that I'm complaining) and in very tight trousers for the rest of the show does help.
The only let down is however much you love the laughs...serious dialogue is an unbeliveable let down, giving the impression that they wrote the jokes first then fit the plot in around it. It's the familiar story we know from the film. Zorro, known to his friends as Diego De La Vega, is sent to university but rebel that he is, he runs away to party with a group of gypsies. His childhood friend Luisa finds him to tell Diego his father is dead, and their friend Ramon is now running things like a tyrant. Cue transformation into Zorro.
Zorro is a phenomenal show, the recipe for an almost perfect musical, and in my opinion, the most original and best show on in the West End.
Veronica Grubb

La Cage Aux Folles

****
Okay as someone recommended to me, La Cage should be the dream show for me, and in it's style it so is, but in it's subtance...not so much.

La Cage Aux Folles, 'Glitz, muscles and tits', the best nightclub in St Tropez, is owned by Georges (Denis Lawson) whose partner is also their leading lady Zaza (Douglas Hodge). Douglas Hodge brings the house down with the assistance of his infamous Cagelles. Men have never looked so good in tights - Cagelles legs are to die for! Not to mention the dresses and shoes, they must be breaking inumerable safety hazards by letting them dance in such high heels. Their choreography showcases the talent of some of the best dancers in the West End, and I have never laughed in a theatre so much as when watching their backstage antics.
At the centre of the story is a big heart. Georges' son is going to get married, but he has to introduce his parents to the soon to be inlaws, everything must go perfectly, and the family must appear...normal. Which is harder than you'd think.
The extravagant set, with it's glamour and silks are as utterly gorgeous as the costumes. The music let's the show down a little with it's lack of drama, although the actors put everything into the lyrics. The acting is unfallible, Douglas Hodge's heartrending rendition of 'I am what I am' hitting hard at the hearts of the audience. However, Stuart Neal steals moments of the show with his youthful charm.
La Cage still remains a landmark production in so many ways as it tackles opinions of homosexuality, as reverent today as when it first opened but this is the time for this show to blossom and be embraced by theatregoers in this second showing in the West End, as they weren't ready to accept it first time round. It was somewhat sickeningly sweet, bordering on cheesey, but a show so made for me I can do nothing but love it. Especially that dominatrix Cagelle...


Veronica Grubb

Woman In Black

***
Everybody tells you that Woman In Black is frightening, so the first act was pretty disappointing, the one moment that I felt a hint of fear was when we see the woman in black walking through the graveyard (that turns out to be her sister's). My intial disappointment soon disappeared as it dawned on me the first act was to lull you into a false sense of security. The second act was terrifying.

I appreciate the writer's ability to recreate a fear in an audience of grown adults, that resembles that of a child in the innocent fear of the dark and not knowing what lurks there. By the end of the play I was curled up in my seat, as if hiding meant the woman in black wouldn't find me, feeling as if there is something lurking in the dark and likely to place it's icy hand on your shoulder. All of this is created by the woman in black's entrance in the stalls and fear she may appear again, the audience feels the same intense fear Kipps (Andrew Jarvis) feels in the deserted house; combined with a curiosity for this mysterious spectre's story, and her relationship with the equally strange old woman whose documents Kipp's is going through as he is a solicitor. Kipps who is so disturbed by what happened, he records the memory of it and wishing to perform the story to his friends and family, seeks the help of an actor (Timothy Watson) who adapts the story for the stage and plays Kipps, while Kipps takes on the numerous roles of the people he encountered in his story.

Stage veteran Andrew Jarvis admirably takes on the challenge of changing his voice and character like a shapeshifter, but Timothy Watson brings a vivacity to the play. The play utilises sound and lighting with unbelievable skill to bring Kipp's story to life in the barren theatre they rehearse in.

Despite my admiration, I still cannot help but feel I wasted an hour in that first act. There is nothing original about the play, but it is displays what traditional theatre is, and that tricks and magic aren't necessary when you just have a good story.

Veronica Grubb