6 Week Theatre Challenge: 11-15

11. What was the fist thing you saw at the theatre?

Besides from pantomimes and the occasional trip to an Agatha Christie play, I'd have to say the first thing I saw at the theatre was Sean Mathias' production of Waiting for Godot - I'd also have to say that it was this production which really inspired me to see more theatre and go more regularly.

12. What is the worst production you have seen?

I am lucky in the respect that I haven't seen many terrible productions, however, there have been one or two which just haven't clicked with me. The Late Middle Classes at the Donmar, although well acted, was a big disappointment and from the start did not grip me. The fact I left at the interval says it all. More recently Zach Braff's All New People left me feeling cold, completely failing to lift one smile from my face.

13. What is the production you're most looking forward to?

I am very excited to see The Globe's Richard III and Twelfth Night later this year (I am seeing them very late in their runs). Mark Rylance, in my opinion, is the best actor you can possibly see on stage and so hopefully these two productions are just as good as everything else he has been in. The rest of the cast also looks intriguing - Johnny Flynn as Lady Anne and Stephen Fry as Malvolio.

14. Who is your favourite theatre director?

Katie Mitchell hands down is my favourite theatre director. The sheer originality of her work really excites me and you never quite know what she will do with a text, classic or modern.

15. Which play would you most like to see?

Although not specific, I would like to see more of Shakespeare's obscure work (Pericles, Titus Andronicus).  If I had to be specific and pick a non-Shakespeare I would like to see Beckett's A Piece of Monologue performed.

6 Week Theatre Challenge: 6 - 10

6. What is the best performance you have seen?

The best performance I have ever seen would have to go to Mark Rylance as Johnny 'Rooster' Byron in Jerusalem. Rylance's performance was visceral, raw and electric, whilst also being deeply touching at the same time. It was truly a humbling experience seeing Rylance in this epic role in a equally epic play.

7. What is the best ballet you have seen?

Giselle at the Royal Opera House was a brilliant ballet to have witnessed. Tamara Rojo as the fragile Giselle and Carlos Acosta as the noble prince highly elevated this production so that it became something of a theatrical event. The atmosphere was almost palpable in the final moments and the rapturous applause proved that Giselle was just as brilliant as I hoped it would be.

8. What is your favourite London theatre.

This question is hard due to me having many favourite theatres in London. I have always found the Harold Pinter theatre quirky and full of character, however the National Theatre has everything you would ever want in a theatre. Not only does it show some really quality productions, it also offers three theatres so that the national can offer different types of works. The staff are always nice and the bookshop is a theatre buff's heaven.

9. Is there a production you wish you had seen?

Definitely. Over the years there have been many productions which I wish I had seen. Recently, I would have like to have seen Constellations at the Royal Court (I hope I can catch it when it transfers to the Duke of York's). I would also have liked to see A Doll's House at the Donmar a few years ago which starred Gillian Anderson, Christopher Eccleston and Tara Fitzgerald.

10. What is the best lighting you have seen in a production?

I really loved Bruno Poet's lighting in Frankenstein. The hundreds of lights of the ceiling of the Olivier were beautiful and the rest of the on stage lighting was brilliant - it really added another dimension to the production.

The Physicists - Donmar Warehouse

When Josie Rourke announced her first season as Artistic Director of the Donmar, Freidrich Durrenmatt's absurdest play The Physicists caught my attention for a number of reasons. Both playwright and play I was unfamiliar with and the premise sounded intriguing - three physicists locked in a sanatorium with a political backdrop of the cold war and a murder. What more could you want from a play (especially when housed in a small theatre like the Donmar)?
The premise is simple enough to start. Without giving too much away, the play opens with a bang as we are greeted with the dead body of a nurse, dressed in all white to match the clinical feel of the set. From here we are introduced to many characters, both sane and insane.
My main problem with Rourke's production was not the play (albeit some lines felt out of place), nor was it any of the technicals, instead my main problem was with John Heffernan as Mobias. As what is arguably the main role I would have expected a more solid performance, one which did not feel strained and out of place like Heffernan's did. In one particular scene in the first act, Heffernan as Mobias goes insane and accordingly frantically falls about the set - his acting in this scene seemed highly forced and awkward, never did I believe that what I was seeing was anything more than just a piece of acting in a play. However, the other performances were truly great such as Sophie Thompson as the frightful Doctor and Justin Salinger as Newton.
The play takes many interesting twists and turns, thus keeping the audience engaged and there are also some very funny moments. The ending is a real visual treat and the play to me felt relevant in light of recent scientific advancement, although it did feel more like a piece of fun theatre than anything else which left me leaving slighly underwhelmed.
The Physicists definitely deservs three stars as it is a good piece of theatre which is well directed, visualised and performed (except Heffernan). Four stars feels like a slight push for something which may slip into the back of my mind soon, although I would reccomend it to those who enjoy a good, solid production.

6 Week Theatre Challenge: 1 - 5

Instead of doing a 30 day theatre challenge and subsequently having it completely take over my blog, I thought I would do 5 days all at once every 5 days, thus making it a 6 week challenge. I couldn't find a list for theatre, therefore I have constructed the questions myself...

1. What is the best production you have seen?

Controversially, I will have to go for Katie Mitchell's production of A Woman Killed with Kindness which was staged at the National Theatre last year. Hated by many, this production really hit a chord with me and to this day it has stayed with me. Being in the audience, I found this production refreshingly original, fast paced and highly enjoyable - I had never seen anything quite like it. I confess I do love a production which splits an audience, however this provocative revival would certainly get a full five stars from me.

2. What is the most frustrating production you have seen?

Michael Grandage's production of King Lear and the Donmar had me musing over it for days and days. Did I love it or did I hate it? Something just wasn't quite right and so I not only found it highly frustrating, but I also found myself eventually loathing the production which in all fairness was really quite good. After a whole year of deliberating I found the weak link to be Derek Jacobi who played Lear. For me, Jacobi's performance was just a bit too camp and safe whilst Greg Hicks' performance of Lear at the RSC really hit the spot.

3. Which play have you seen the most?

I don't tend to get the chance to see multiple productions of plays (except Shakespeare) due to there not being the opportunity too frequently. However, I have seen King Lear three times, once at the RSC and twice at the Donmar (the most frustrating production I have seen).

4. What is the most experimental production you have seen?

I haven't seen that many experimental productions so I would have to go with DV8's Can We Talk About This? Albeit not massively experimental and more controversial, this production really did examine some difficult questions through the medium of physical theatre and dance which was highly thought provoking.

5. Who is your favourite playwright?

My favourite playwright would have to be Samuel Beckett. The mix of absurdism, comedy and tragedy is beautifully handled by Beckett, therefore providing us with some of the best plays every written. There is nothing better than seeing a brilliant production of a Beckett play.

                                                       

Theatre Announcements

As many of you will already know, there have been a fare few exciting theatre announcements as of late. I am going to take you few my picks of the upcoming shows.

Michael Grandage Company

Michael Grandage, ex-artistic director of the Donmar, has announced his first season with his new theatre company which features a whole host of star names and ticket bargains. The season at the Noel Coward Theatre starts with Simon Russell Beale in Privates of Parade, a military themed comedy by Peter Nichols. The second in the season, and for me the most exciting, is John Logan's first play since RED took the Donmar and Broadway by storm. His new play is called Peter and Alice and will star Judi Dench as Alice and Ben Whishaw as Peter Pan. The third and fourth plays in this season are The Cripple of Inishmaan starring Daniel Radcliffe and A Midsummer Night's Dream starring David Walliams and the brilliant Sheridan Smith. The final production will see Jude Law tackle Shakespeare yet again in Henry V. Every show has 200 £10 tickets on sale and is definitely worth the money if you can get your hands of the £10 tickets.

Royal Court

Any new season at the Royal Court is exciting and their most recent announcement did not disappoint. Featuring new plays by Cary Churchill, Jez Butterworth and Martin Crimp this season is not one to miss. Skipping over the Court's controversial decision to not release any tickets for Butterwoth's The River until the day of the performances, this will most probably be the one to see. However, Churchill's new play Love and Information also sounds like it will be an intruiging piece of theatre.

Uncle Vanya

Chekhov's masterpiece seems to be everywhere recently, but this production at the Vaudeville will most definitely be a hit seeing as it stars Anna Friel as Yelena and Ken Scott and Vaya.

Viscera/Infra/Fool's Paradise

Although not a new announcement, I thought I would include it on this list as public booking for it opens in a few days time. A new mixed programme featuring ballet's from Scarlett, McGregor and Wheeldon makes for essential viewing, especially when top price tickets are only £37.50. If you only book for one production in the Royal Ballet's new season, make sure it is this one.

Michael Grandage talk - National Theatre

Yesterday (13/04/12) I went to the Michael Grandage platform at the National Theatre in which he talked about his decade at the Donmar and the book of the same name which will soon come out.
The Michael Grandage talk was my first platform at the National which is surprising as most of the productions I see are there, but anyway it was a very insightful 45 minutes in which we were given a great insight into some of his productions and his overall experience in turning the Donmar into a powerhouse of theatre. Some of the highlights were as follow:

• Frost/Nixon was apparently a difficult experience due to there being a fare few egos involved.
• Jonathan Groff will be taking Eddie Redmayne's place in the LA production of RED - Alfred Molina will be returning.
• Grandage told us that he doesn't do read-throughs due to the actor's being at different places in terms of performance.
• He likes to use more abstract sets due to his upbringing in Cornwall as he continually saw figures against the landscape - he also wittingly added that some actors find this hard as they love props, continuing to tell us that Derek Jacobi loves a good prop.

I really wanted to ask if the reports of him directing Ben Whishaw and Judi Dench is a new John Logan play were true, but felt that it would put him on the spot. Nevertheless, the talk made for a great evening and I would heavily recommend the NT platforms.