Theatre Review: Man and Superman

Until now, my entire knowledge of Bernard Shaw came from two sources: My Fair Lady and the obscure but brilliant Stephen Sondheim musical The Frogs. 

The latter includes a great song about Shaw which espouses his genius whilst wryly noting that he’s “a little short on brevity”. I think that sums up my opinion of the National Theatre’s triumphant revival of Shaw’s Man and Superman (running time: three and a half hours, cut down from an original five and a half) rather neatly. 

Man and Superman tells on one level a very simple story: woman (Ann Whitefield, played with aplomb by Indira Varma) wants man (Jack Tanner, a masterful Ralph Fiennes), man resists, woman persists, woman gets man. But this isn't a play about a story, it’s a play about ideas. Big ideas: the nature of humanity, masculinity, womanhood and class. It’s complicated - and I’d be lying if I said I followed it all completely - it’s long and it’s utterly brilliant.

Perhaps I'm a previously undiagnosed Shavian, because I absolutely loved the intricately crafted dialogue that fills this play and that I’d initially been very nervous of. It’s beautifully constructed, has a rhythm that’s almost musical (set some music behind this and you’d almost have an opera) and, most importantly, very very funny. Properly laugh out loud funny. Laugh until your face aches funny. Shaw just uses language fantastically well and it’s a joy to listen to, even in the occasional passages where you begin to wish he’d get to the fucking point. His construction of satire is as funny, if not funnier, than any that’s come since. There’s a universality and a timelessness to the dialogue, and the humour in particular, that gives it a feeling of relevance that many plays of a similar era no longer enjoy. 

It’s helped along by a sympathetic updating and excellent staging. The show is performed in understated modern dress and designed by Christopher Oram, who did fantastic work on the Michael Grandage West End season and does fantastic work here. Most affecting is the set he creates for the Don Juan in Hell dream sequence, where Jack Tanner becomes the infamous libertine and discusses the ideal nature of man (and woman) with the Devil. It’s a tricky scene - a dream sequence, in Hell, that deals with some very complicated, occasionally almost Nietzschean, ideas, with such scant links to the rest of the plot that many productions opt to omit it entirely - but, for my money, one of the most effective sequences in this production. 

Eschewing the traditional sets of the rest of the show entirely, Oram has created a wall of video panels which change with the dialogue. They glow blindingly white to herald our arrival in Hell, turn red when the Devil is giving his closing argument for his vision of the nature of humanity as the pursuit of pleasure and project ghostly human figures when Jack spells out his competing vision of humanity, evolution and the pursuit of the creation of the Superman. On a set stripped almost bare it’s an incredibly striking, memorable and ‘otherly’ image. Stripping it back completely also really helps focus the attention on the dialogue, which I certainly found the most difficult to follow and frustratingly verbose in the play.

The crowning glory of this production though is its performances. Indira Varma brings a modernity to the cunning, charming, sexy and generally kick ass Ann. Tim McMullan does double duty, bagging all the best lines in the process, as a love lorn Savoy-waiter-turned-Spanish-brigand and the Devil and steals scenes left, right and centre as both. Elliott Barnes-Worrell plays Jack’s street smart chauffeur with an appealing youthfulness that’s a perfect counter for his boss’ cynicism. 

And then there’s Ralph Fiennes. Barely off stage and rarely not speaking for the entire three hours plus runtime, there’s an energy to his performance that makes it mesmerising. As a feat of memory alone this performance would be worthy of mention - he has a mind boggling amount of lines and hits every one with perfect comic timing and a delivery that translates even his most complicated speeches into something understandable. His Jack Tanner, all masculinity and out-thrust crotch, treads the perfect balance between being likeable and a bit of a shit; his Don Juan is passionate and earnest without being boring. Either would be great on their own, to fit both of them into one show and maintain the energy level to do so successfully is remarkable. All of that said, his best moments come when he’s not speaking. Even from the back row of the circle his exasperated twitches and resigned shrugs were so effective. I'm not sure I've ever been as affected by a performance based on the physicality alone. Also, I've never really understood the appeal of the elder Fiennes before (Joseph was always more my bag) but I certainly do now. I would quite happily spend eternity and then some in Hell with this Don Juan, y’know.

So yeah; great play, great writing, great performances and a slamming hottie for a leading man. What more could you want?

Man and Superman plays at the Lyttleton at the National Theatre but is sold out except for day tickets and returns. It’s getting the NTLive treatment on May 14th.

Theatre Review: A View from the Bridge

A square grey wall, an ominous black door and a square white floor. Stark, odd, almost otherworldly. Tense. Something bad is going to happen - but what and when?

Such is the power of Ivo van Hove’s minimalist and utterly superb production of Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge, which tells the tale of Eddie Carbone (Mark Strong) and the tragic consequences of his obsession with his teenage niece Catherine (Phoebe Fox). 

Tension is the lifeblood of this masterclass of a show, which updates Miller’s classic one act drama to the status of nerve-shredding thriller. It’s built up slowly and almost imperceptibly with each passing minute until the devastating denouement rips it apart in a prolonged moment of beautiful horror. 

Every detail is calculated to make the audience uncomfortably aware that the something bad, whatever it is, is on its way and there’s nothing anyone can do to stop it. The use of sound to create this atmosphere of dread is so clever that you don’t at first notice it’s happening. Throughout the play there’s a continuous soundtrack of almost Soviet sounding incidental music, which is anything but incidental. As the tension begins to build, the volume is varied and, at key moments, a single drum bangs out a heartbeat at varying tempos. As the show reaches its climax an achingly beautiful, soaring, hymn-like chorus rings out - reinforcing the inescapable truth that everything has been building to that moment and celebrating the breaking of the crushing tension.

By contrast, the dialogue in the show seems sparse and lengthy silences become almost a character in their own right. Silence in a theatre is tense almost by nature, except in really terrible shows (*cough* Stephen Ward *cough*), and the way the silences are held here is intense. In one scene, where the full cast are on stage having what can best be summarised as an awkward family chat, it was notable how the audience began to fill the silences themselves with increasingly nervous laughter. Anything to break that tension.

As well as the contrast between sound and silence, the production also exploits the contrasts in its bleak colour scheme. The black wall and white floor provide the only backdrop - there are no props - and the palette of costumes is earthy neutrals and muddy greens. There’s a naturalness to this colour scheme which sits very much at odds with the unsettling starkness of the black and white set. Again, this contrast between natural characters and unnatural set adds to the increasingly alarming sense of something awful about to happen. 

The final building block in this wall of tension is the small cast, who are without exception utterly captivating. Special mention must go to Mark Strong, who is extraordinary as Eddie - so sure of his conviction that he’s doing what’s best that you begin to believe him, even though every bone in your body is screaming that he’s wrong, and so still and measured that when he does lash out or lose his cool it’s genuinely shocking (another effective use of contrast). 

The moment where the tension is finally broken is one of the most powerful, striking moments of theatre I’ve ever seen. Instead of showing the climatic fight scene in a traditional way, van Hove has his cast - all of them, because everyone is culpable in this final, inevitable, tragedy - freeze in a rugby scrum-esque pose whilst a torrent of ‘blood’ falls on them from the ceiling. As the final music swells and the bare foot cast struggle to stay upright, the torrent keeps on pouring. And keeps on pouring. And keeps on pouring, until the bright white floor is red and the actors are dripping in blood. It’s beautiful and horrible simultaneously; the release of the tension is a relief but an awful one and the overall effect (on me at least) of yet another jarring contrast was a flood of tears. I don’t cry in the theatre very often, which is odd given I cry all the time otherwise, so this is a big deal! That final image will be seared on my brain for some time to come. 

A View from the Bridge is at the Wyndham’s Theatre until 11th March. Ticket availability is limited so move fast if you want to see it. It’s getting the NT Live treatment on March 26th.

Theatre Review: Assassins

How many guns did you have pointed in your face last Friday evening? I reckon I had eight.

But that’s an occupational hazard when you sit in the front row in the teeny tiny Menier Chocolate Factory for a show called Assassins, I guess. It certainly makes you an attentive audience member.

Assassins, currently playing at the Menier Chocolate Factory, is a musical by Stephen Sondheim (who I love completely and unconditionally, just to get my starting bias out there nice and early) that tells the disparate and depressing stories of the men and women who've tried, successfully or otherwise, to assassinate the President of the United States. A cheery and obvious topic for a musical I'm sure you’ll agree. On the surface they have nothing in common - Squeaky Fromme tried to assassinate Gerald Ford to impress lover Charles Manson, Charles Guiteau assassinated James Garfield because he refused to make him Ambassador to France - but dig a little deeper and does that hold true? Sondheim and book author John Weidman say no, and this potentially difficult to love show set out their stall that the one thing they all have in common - with each other and with us - is that they want their ‘right to be happy’ to be fulfilled.

Carly Bawden, Catherine Tate and the company
Image source.

I say this show is difficult to love, but man did I love it. I loved it so much. So so much. So so so- well you get the picture. Assassins is without question the best thing I've seen in the theatre this year and the best non-Macbeth thing I've seen in ages. I loved it, if you didn't get that message.

Where to start on what’s right with it? Let’s go with the cast, which is so impressive it’s sort of not fair. Much like the people they’re playing, the cast are an odd mix of musical veterans (I last saw two of them in Spamalot, which was weird for my brain to process), comedy heavyweights from improv to sketch shows, established ‘serious’ actors and exciting up-and-comers. Every single one of them turns in a performance so good that it seems mean to highlight any of them. But I'm going to: Michael Xavier, who possesses one of the best voices I've ever heard, is a frighteningly suave and rational John Wilkes Booth; Jamie Parker wrings every ounce of sarcastic charm, and then something much darker, out of his Balladeer-turned-Lee Harvey Oswald, displaying a fantastic musicality along the way; and Andy Nyman is pitch perfect as an unnervingly upbeat Charles Guiteau (and his hanging scene is one of the best/worst moments of pure spectacle in a consistently spectacular show).

Onwards to the production itself which, frankly, is fucking terrifying. Set in the sort of abandoned fairground that nightmares are made of, complete with creepy disembodied clown head on the floor, the show exudes menace from every pore (if shows had pores, which they clearly don’t). The lighting is pale and harsh shot through with garish red and neons, which make the faded carnival colours seem even more threatening. The bare concrete floor - and the dynamics of the Menier space more generally - give off a sort of Slaughterhouse 5 vibe. It is hugely affecting and sets a very particular mood which is sustained for the whole (interval-less) show. Especially when you’re sitting on the front row, where you’re pretty much afraid to move or breathe. The overall effect is hypnotic: you can't not look at it.

The music itself is fantastic - a great example of Sondheim’s brand of pithy, dark social commentary combined with jaunty songs. Whilst not the most memorable of his insanely impressive back catalogue, they are all clever, complex and fantastically realised. Personal favourites include Everybody’s Got The Right, an old school Broadway riff on the American Dream which becomes something quite different in the mouths of these particular characters (and I've had stuck in my head all week) and, as an ex-school band member, I adored the appropriation of the ubiquitously patriotic (trans: really fucking annoying) marches of Sousa used in a distinctly unpatriotic way, a small piece of genius for my money and a small piece of personal revenge for all those early morning practices marching around the tennis courts playing Washington Post. But I digress.

The bad news about Assassins? For hopefully obvious reasons, the entire run is completely sold out. I don’t know if the Menier does returns or anything - this was my first visit, but certainly won’t be my last - but if so you should do whatever is necessary to get one. If not, pray for a transfer for this superlative work. Top, top marks to all involved.

Best Dressed at the Oscars

So Oscars 2015 has been and gone. Sadface.

And whilst the very male and very pale voting panel renders the awards themselves increasingly irrelevant - yes, I am still angry on behalf of The Lego Movie - the red carpet is still where it's at when it comes to event dressing.

In a rather low key award season fashion-wise, the Oscars red carpet at last provided something for everyone to get excited about. Monochrome had its moment, neutrals were everywhere if you like that sort of thing and every colour from chartreuse to regal navy blue was on show, even on some of the boys. My one complaint? No major missteps, save perhaps for Lady Gaga's hideous gloves. Where's the fun in that?

Anyway, my top ten (plus bonus man)...

Rosamund Pike in Givenchy Couture

Image source.

Finally! After the least impressive awards season from any actress ever, the beautiful Rosamund hit a home run. And it was a huge one. This stunning embellished number is by far my favourite of the night. The vibrant colour is gorgeous - and perfect for her skin tone - the petal-like detailing is exquisite and the fit, with its exposed corsetry and thigh slit, is exactly the right amount of sexy. Minimal styling and a natural beauty look round out one of my favourite looks of the entire awards season.

Jessica Chastain in Givenchy Couture

Image source.

My clear second favourite of the night and another triumph for Ricardo Tisci. Navy blue on a redhead is always a winner for me, as is sophisticated sparkle, so this beautiful gown was always going to catch my eye. The draping on the bodice is simple yet devastatingly effective and I love how it accentuates her waist. A gorgeous smoky eye and single strand of diamonds provide sophisticated finishing touches.

Anna Kendrick in Thakoon

Image source.

I love this colour so much and against Anna's flawless skin it's just divine. The look is light and airy, fun but sophisticated and she is working it. The detail on the neckline is just the right amount of bling and the cut out is sexy but not try hard. Top marks for someone whose red carpet looks I often find hard to love.

Jennifer Hudson in Romona Keveza

Image source.

I loved Jennifer's simple, sexy Grammys look and this one, playing by the same rulebook, is even better. There's something so fresh about this gorgeous spring colour teamed with the simple cut of the gown, which once again is perfect for her stunning figure. I love the styling too with emerald accented jewellery offsetting the colour of the dress beautifully.

Meryl Streep in Lanvin

Image source.

Meryl + Lanvin = perfection, every time. Never afraid to do something different on the red carpet, I love this simple but striking skirt, blouse and tuxedo combination all pulled together with art deco accessories and jewellery. Age appropriate, sophisticated, sexy. Long live Queen Meryl.

Keira Knightley in Valentino Couture

Image source.

Just dreamy. I haven't been on board with all of Keira's awards season looks but this one I completely love. There's not a lot to say about this other than that it's a stunning gown which fits her boho-luxe style 100%. I only wish she'd pulled the beautiful headband she's wearing a bit further forward so it was easier to appreciate.

Emma Stone in Elie Saab Couture

Image source. 

It's not the Oscars without someone completely nailing an Elie Saab princessy confection and this year it was Emma. Although this isn't as daring as her other awards season looks, the colour is so unusual and works so unexpectedly well with her gorgeous red hair that it still makes a big impact. I am by no means a fan of chartreuse generally speaking, but this is a winner. Love the coral lips too.

Reese Witherspoon in Tom Ford

Image source.

Simple, classic, perfect fit, expert styling, stunning. What more can you say? Reese has aced this awards season and this is a fitting send off. Love the earrings too.  

Zoe Saldana in Atelier Versace

Image source.

This is the body of someone who had twins a few months ago? Ok then. Seriously, the fit of this gown is everything. Fairly tame by Versace standards, it's the masterful draping around the waist that makes it and shows off Zoe's stunning new mum curves to killer effect. I love her sweet, tousled up do and simple, smoky makeup too.

Patricia Arquette in Rosetta Getty

Image source.

I have a thing for simple, striking monochrome at the moment, can you tell? This is such a good look for Patricia, who's been on fantastic form all season. She looks beautiful, effortless and regal with the one shoulder cape setting this look off to a T. Gorgeous.

Bonus best dressed man: David Oyelowo in Dolce and Gabbana

Image source.

Sweet Jesus I love this tux. I think this is my favourite red carpet look from a man ever, it's certainly in the top five. The contrasting burgundies of the suit and the waistcoat/bow-tie are stunning and I love his man brooch (I hope this becomes a thing). More of this please, menfolk.

Theatre Review: The Hard Problem

The only exam I've ever come close to failing was a multiple choice philosophy exam in my first year at university.

A lot of the content of that course, an introduction to ethics I think it was called, was about understanding what causes humans to act in certain ways, including the infamous Prisoner's Dilemma (Google it, I'm not explaining) which I utterly loathed having to discuss. I did not imagine I would ever voluntarily go and spend my Friday night watching a play that covered the same ground.

The Hard Problem, Tom Stoppard's new play, does exactly that. (Uh oh..). If that wasn't enough to make me sceptical, the initial reviews for the play were not exactly glowing, with a good number of critics complaining that the play was boring and spent too much time musing on big psychological/philosophical debates to which it had no answer. (FFS.) Anyway, the ticket was already paid for so off I went.

Image from my Instagram. Don't knick it. 

The play centres on young psychology researcher Hilary, working at a top brain science institute and grappling with the titular Hard Problem - what is human consciousness? Is it just a function of the brain that can ultimately be explained by physiological hard facts, or is that only part of the answer? Is there a spiritual aspect too? Hilary believes, and Stoppard clearly agrees with her, that there is, which puts her at odds with everyone else at the institute (and in the play). Can she prove that she's right?

There's no getting away from the fact that this is a heavy and involved debate and it is fair to say that occasionally the debate does get in the way of the play. There were a couple of occasions during particularly lengthy arguments between Hilary and one of the other characters when, to be honest, I drifted off. The arguments are interesting, but constantly repeating them at length does become a bit tiresome. To paraphrase Hilary, if the Prisoner's Dilemma had been explained one more time I would've thrown up.

Those few moments apart though, I found The Hard Problem really engaging. Running at a brisk 100 minutes, fashionably sans interval and directed with signature flair by Nicholas Hytner, the play is for one thing very cleverly constructed. As boring as the lengthy, repeated explanations of the Prisoner's Dilemma and its psychological friends tended to be, the way they were practically used in the plot was much more interesting; subtly (for the most part) proving that Hilary's/Stoppard's belief that human consciousness isn't a purely scientific phenomenon is perfectly plausible. There are some fantastic passages of dialogue too, particularly those between Hilary and her utilitarian tutor/occasional boyfriend Spike about the fact that she prays every night, which are more thoughtful than most writing on religion at the moment. Not that that's a particularly high bar, mind. It's also a very funny play in a dry, wry sort of way which really helps cut through the heavy subject matter.

Cast-wise, the National has rather come up trumps, again. The ever excellent Olivia Vinall plays Hilary with a vulnerability that makes her incredibly appealing, and it's a testament to her performance that the trite and predictable ending (no spoilers) which is the play's biggest weakness is even passably plausible. She is ably supported by a fantastic ensemble, including my favourites Damien Molony as the pleasingly rakish - and often pleasingly undressed - Spike and Lucy Robinson as an enjoyably arch fellow scientist. Honourable mention too to Anthony Calf (aka that posh bloke from New Tricks) who has a lot of fun playing the billionaire owner of the brain-science institute in a series of expensive looking, tight jumpers which gave me some confusing feelings despite his decidedly patchy American accent. But that's by the by.

It's fair to say I enjoyed The Hard Problem much more than I was expecting to and judging by the 'that was really good, actually' reactions I heard repeatedly leaving the theatre it seems a lot of people felt the same way. I suppose the lesson here is to ignore reviews and just go and see stuff. But writing that in a review would be pretty stupid.

The Hard Problem is playing at the Dorfman Theatre at the NT until 27th May. It has extremely limited availability so if your interest is piqued book soon.

Best Dressed at the Grammys

It's some years since I've found five looks on the Grammys red carpet that I like enough to blog about. This year, there were at least ten I could've included.

The Grammys is the one carpet where anything goes. Most years this seems to me an endless parade of flesh and tackiness. This year, there was an almost Cannes Festival vibe, dripping in fresh off the runway couture. It was go big or go home, not go nude or go home. Hurrah!

Here's my top five...

Rihanna in Giambattista Valli Couture

Image source. 

File under: moment. I love this look because it's pure couture and pure theatre. But I love it more because Rihanna OWNS it. Yes, the capitals are completely necessary. It's such an unexpected look for her too, but now I've seen her wear it I can't think of it on anyone else.

Gwen Stefani in Aterlier Versace

Image source.

Another hot off the couture runway look and another complete home run. This could've been designed for Gwen with its cool and edgy take on the artistry of couture fashion. The pants are cut to perfection which allows the incredible bodice to totally do its thing. The second jumpsuit - after Emma Stone nailing it in Lanvin at the Globes - that I've been obsessed with this season which is frankly a minor miracle in itself.

Ciara in Alexandre Vaulthier Couture

Image source.

Yet another piece of fashion as art. This is as difficult a dress to wear as Rihanna's sugary confection but pulled off equally well. This is totally fierce, with slick styling to set it off to perfection. Sexy, glamorous and powerful.

Katy Perry in Zuhair Murad Couture

Image source.

Four for four on the couture looks. This is such a great classy Grammys look - see through but sufficiently dripping in crystals to obscure the fact! Beyond that though, this is just such a beautiful dress and an expertly composed overall look. I mean it even compliments her lilac hair!

Jennifer Hudson in Tom Ford

Image source.

The odd one out here: not couture and very understated. This is more proof, as if it were needed, that Tom Ford just knows how to cut a dress to flatter his woman, even if that dress is just a simple white strapless number. I don't think Jennifer has even looked better. Love the styling too, especially the simple double strand choker and the pops of berry via her lips and nails.

Best Dressed at the BAFTAs

UAwards season rolls on and it's the turn of we Brits to roll out our, exceptionally cold, red carpet at the BAFTAs.

Last year's BAFTAs fashion parade was so awesome - Angelina in that suit! Lupita in that green! - that this year's was always going to feel a bit of a let down. There were still some great looks though and the overall aesthetic is very much my scene - clean lines, minimal styling, proper grown up glamour.

Here's my top five...

Lea Seydoux in Prada

Image source.

Remember when Michelle Williams wore that yellow dress, red lipstick combo to the Oscars and everything was suddenly right with the world? Lea Seydoux clearly remembers and her take on it is perfect. Love the subtle flash of flesh, the colour is perfect against her skin and the red lips and nails match/clash with it so well. Top, top stuff. (Fellow Spectre Bond girl Monica Bellucci in Azzedine Alaia looks hot too.)

Reese Witherspoon in Stella McCartney

Image source.

This colour is everything. Reese is on a complete roll this awards season: she's nailed metallic, she's nailed white and now she's nailed colour. The neckline is risqué without being trashy and the simple, sleek cut hugs her in exactly the right way. Bonus points for sensible, weather appropriate sleeves too.

Laura Bailey in Emilia Wickstead

Image source.

I'm trying really hard to think of an Emilia Wickstead look I haven't liked and I'm really struggling. After Diane Kruger at the Golden Globes, this is another home run for the Brit designer. On the ever glam Laura this simple white gown just looks achingly, effortlessly cool. Teamed with a playful Charlotte Olympia clutch, it's a great - and very British - look.

Julianne Moore in Tom Ford

Image source

Turning to her other go to designer, having done magnificent things with Givenchy so far this awards season, the perma-gorgeous Best Actress winner looks stunning in this Tom Ford number. Love the contrasting fabrics (especially the velvet top), love the sleeves, even love the choker, but most of all I love her hair against that vibrant red.

Diana Agron in Lanvin

Image source

My other favourite lady in red tonight. The draping on this classic Lanvin gown is so beautiful. In fact the overall look is so simple, elegant and old school glamorous. I love her shoes and the gorgeous hair and make up too.