Malory Towers, Bristol Old Vic

Darrel, Sally, Alicia, Gwendoline and Irene were, for a long time, some of my favourite book characters. I grew up eagerly reading about these girls and their adventures, so it was with great excitement that I went to watch this on-stage adaptation of 'Malory Towers'. It did not disappoint. From the offset it was a performance full of good-humour and fun, with bouncy musical numbers that left me tapping my feet.

As soon as I stepped through the door of the theatre I was transported into the world of 'Malory Towers'. The passenger shed was magically transformed into a stage, transporting the audience to classrooms, dorm rooms, and hallways where  the importance of friendship, keeping one’s temper and remaining true to oneself were wonderfully displayed. Throughout the evening the cast sought to involve the audience in their production, drawing them effortlessly into the action by consistently breaking down the fourth wall and engaging directly with each age group through their jokes and dialogue. Whilst there were countless moments to entertain the younger members of the audience, there were also plenty of moments that left the adult members' laughing and cheering too.

The music was an aspect of Emma Rice's 'Malory Towers' adaptation that surprised and excited me. Every single one of the cast got a chance to demonstrate their exemplary musical talents singing in a wide variety of styles. To accompany this, they performed a wide variety of dance numbers, including ballet and tap. This constant switching between styles, meant each song or dance could perfectly reflect the mood, creating a performance where there was never a moment of boredom or needless repetition.

Emma Rice effectively delivered a performance that brought to life everyone's favourite school-girl characters, remaining true to Enid Blyton's vision of the girls, whilst adding her own twists and turns. Along with the rest of the production team, and the cast, Emma created a performance that was thought provoking, inspiring and ultimately just a lot of fun! Perfect for all generations, I strongly encourage anyone who can to go along and experience the wonders of 'Malory Towers'.

Summer Rolls, Bristol Old Vic

Often when I go to review performances at the Bristol Old Vic I am unsure what to expect, all I know in advance is the title and occasionally the cast. Other than that, I am left completely in the dark until the lights dim, the curtain rises and the play begins. Sometimes at this point I am greeted by a performance satisfactory but not altogether overwhelming. Rarely am I left disappointed. Occasionally I am presented with a gem of theatrical genius, thought provoking, amusing and emotional all rolled into one. 'Summer Rolls' definitely falls into this later category. 

As soon as the music began for the opening act, I knew that what I was about to watch would remain with me for a long time. Over the next two hours I was held spell-bound as I watched the story of a Vietnamese family living in the UK unfold. The play follows Mai, an intelligent and creative young girl, as she struggles to come to terms with her life as a second generation-immigrant. Additionally, her family guard her from wounds and secrets of a war-torn Vietnam that she is too young to remember, creating divides between Mai and those she loves. Family, relationships, racism, war, generational differences are all themes tackled by this performance, in a way that is sensitive and direct. 'Summer Rolls' effortlessly interweaves these themes with more comical elements, depicting the balance of life and providing a performance both entertaining and thought provoking. 

In addition to the phenomenal plot, it was the cast who truly carried this production and brought it to life. Anna Nguyen, who played Mai, particularly stood out to me as she perfectly depicted a character who began as a young girl and grew into a woman. Through posture, tone and expression she displayed Mai as first the obstinate and inquisitive child, then the independent and creative teen, before finally the more quietly hopeful mature adult who sought to bring reconciliation to those affected by the war by telling their stories. Alongside Anna Nguyen, Linh-Dan Pham portrayed the hurt, strength and courage of a mother seeking to protect and assist her children. Her ability to manipulate the audience, making them laugh one minute and cry the next is statement to her talent as an actress and greatly added to my enjoyment of the performance as a whole. 

If you get the chance 'Summer Rolls' is a performance that I strongly encourage you to go and watch. It begs us to ask the questions we often avoid, and confronts, head on, the power that war and hatred have to mar the beautiful, whilst showing the resilience and determination that can overcome these challenges. 

BAAL, Bristol Old Vic

Amongst the performances I have had the pleasure of watching at the Bristol Old Vic, there have been a few that have really stood out; Thursday’s performance of BAAL was one of these. Perhaps because I studied Brecht and his unique style of theatre whilst at alevels, I found myself more critical than in previous performances, watching intently to see how Impermanence interpreted the piece. They did well. Combining their dance, with more Brechtian techniques they created a performance full of extreme physicality and raw emotions, depicting the lust, greed and violence which corrupt and drag us down.

 

The physicality used throughout this performance was beautiful, aesthetically pleasing and used in every way possible to reflect the emotions and thoughts of the dialogue and characters. Pain, suffering, greed and anguish were all reflected in the actors’ entire bodies, as they writhed and groaned physically. They incorporated duets and lifts with ease, seamlessly weaving together a thought-provoking adaptation. At the end of the performance it was clear they were all exhausted, a sign that they had put their all into this production.

In-line with Brecht, they used narration rather than dialogue within the performance, distancing the audience from the characters, allowing us to remain emotionally separated and thus appreciate the social commentary they aimed to depict. One thing that was unfortunate however, was that at points the microphone did not work, and words were lost so that it was harder to follow the story-line of Baal, although the feelings were still effectively conveyed physically.

Overall I cannot say that this was one of my favourite performances, or that I would see it again but it was certainly an excellent example of a physical theatre performance.

La Strada, Bristol Old Vic

I walked into the theatre on Tuesday night completely unprepared for the spectacular performance that would greet me. I had never heard of La Strada before so was unsure what to expect, but as the night progressed I became more and more engrossed in the plot and found myself loving every minute. A story about a young girl and her interactions with the bitter and twisted Zampano, and a daring fool, and how these two men influence and change her life as she tries to make her way in the hostile world. Played by Audrey Brisson, Gelsamina visibly grew as a character throughout the performance. Her childlike innocence and naivety are brought into the spotlight through a heartwarming portrayal of the character, and a wonderful ensemble cast.

Humour is magically interwoven throughout the performance, creating connections between characters and audience as they lead us through their lives. Even though there were moments I was moved close to tears, there were far more times that I was moved to laughter. It was a light everyday humour, snuck in amongst the heartbreak and pain of the characters as they each struggled with their pasts, presents and futures. From Zampano, the mysterious and bitter strong man, to the fool, crazy, content and accepting, they all brought a touch of humour to the performance.

The music throughout La Strada also amazed me. In particular the songs sung by Tatiana Santini, and Audrey Brisson, two radiant vocalists who brought passion to their music and to the performance. The ensemble work within the production was also incredible. At moments the cast would all move as a unit in order to create the motion of the sea, or the bustling chaos of a crowd.

Whether you're young or old, optimistic or jaded, full of Gelsamina's innocence or scared by experience, this performance will delight you in every-way. An age old tale that remains relevant today, in part due to it's understanding that it's our nature to cherish those who care for us even when it's not necessarily good for us to do so. But also, in part, thanks to a beautifully constructed cast.

La Strada: What the Audience Thought

The Record

Writing a review has never been so hard. I am not sure how to even begin writing in words, what 'The Record' was like. As I walked out of the theatre I did not even know whether I had enjoyed it or not. I was in shock. Was that one of the best performances I had ever watched, or the worst?

I'd have to admit I spent the first half of the performance waiting for the story line to kick in, and trying desperately to work out what was going on. However, as the performance progressed I began to realise that there wasn't going to be any overarching plot, so instead I began to focus on tiny little moments. Moments of connection between people that had met for the first time on stage. Moments that brought the whole performance together into a vivid reflection of the vibrancy and diversity of life, specifically within Bristol.

One specific instance that stood out to me within 'The Record' was when a whole group of people ran around the edge of the stage. They were all of different ages, different genders, different ethnicity's, and it was as a little old man in a suit jogged past that I realised that this whole performance was full of these heartwarming moments that brought people together. I began to notice the organised chaos as each individual moved exactly as they had been directed, both contrasting and somehow complimenting all the others around them.

Sort of lighthearted humour in the simplicity of the movements and my friend and I, found ourselves reenacting a few of the most iconic movements to our friends at school. I think this was a worthwhile and enjoyable experience, and I would definitely advise people to watch something like this as it certainly opened my eyes to a new element of theatre. However, I would be prepared for the repetitiveness of the sequences, and constantly remind yourself that these people had never met before, as they trust-fell into one another, and got lifted across the stage.

The Snow Queen (Bristol Old Vic)

The story of The Snow Queen, written by Hans Christian Anderson, is a well known classic, beautifully brought to life by director Lee Lyford and company. This production marvellously combines humour and childish innocence, with meaningful messages of friendship and courage.

Kai (Steven Roberts) and Gerda (Emily Burnett) have been best friends and next door neighbours their whole lives. Kai is brave and loving, whilst Gerda struggles with facing up to her fears. As time progresses children from their village begin disappearing until Kai and Gerda are the only children left. After Kai is taken by the evil Snow Queen and her goblins, Gerda sets out on a quest to rescue him, learning important things about herself along the way.

The set captured the playful, magic of the story, effortlessly portraying the enchanted home of the Flower-witch, to the gloomy and haunting prison of the Snow Queen, with large shards of ice jutting across the stage. Each place Gerda visits has it's own delightful personality, echoed in the colours and styles of costume designed by Tom Rogers. Another interesting addition, was the use of projections to portray Gerda falling in a river, and traversing along long halls in the Duke and Duchess' palace. 

Throughout the Snow Queen there were a variety of different songs that made the audience laugh, cry and gasp in admiration of the amazing vocal skills, particularly of Gwyneth Herbert, who played the Snow Queen. The music mirrored the childish innocence of Kai and Gerda, as well as reflecting their friendship which was founded on moments iconic of childhood, such as ice-cream and laughing at farts.

Every performance that I have seen over the last couple of months at the Bristol Old Vic has boosted my excitement and anticipation, and Thursday's production of The Snow Queen was no different. I left energised and excited, fully assured that every member of the audience was laughing hysterically throughout the evening, charmed by the tale of self-discovery and friendship.

946 The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips (Bristol Old Vic)

Sitting down in the audience waiting for 946 The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips to begin, I was totally unprepared for what greeted me. As I chatted with my sister, I noticed a man trying to climb over the edge of the divider that separated the gallary from the pit. He then proceeded to ask those in the back row of the pits to stand up so he could do some last minute cleaning. I initially completely fell for it, and it wasn't until, about 5 minutes later, that I realised that this was, in actual fact, the beginning of the show. These 'cleaners', were part of the performance. As the lights faded, and the actors had all eventually made it to the stage, I prepared myself for a very enjoyable performance.

The story of Adolphus Tips, written by Michael Morpurgo, and adapted by Emma Rice for theatre, is both hilarious and tragic. Following the story of Lily Tregeneza, an energetic girl living in the countryside of England during world war II. From the arrival of the evacuees, to them departing again, the life of Lily Tregeneza is full of ups and downs. Played by Katy Owen, I was amazed by how springy and childlike she acted without coming across as silly or over dramatic. Katy bounded across the stage bringing the character of Lily to life, spreading her huge smile and childlike decisiveness. Sharing her small worries, that seemed enormous, only finally put into context when the horrors of the war touched her personally.

One of the things I loved most about 946 The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips was the incredible singing, in-particular Nandi Bhebhe who played 'Harry', an american soldier and friend of Adi. The music was both haunting and tragic at points, reflecting the turmoil and horrors of a war that robbed so many people, but also the small joys and victories experienced by those who remained at home, as well as the final victory of the war's conclusion.

I think the finale to the play summed the whole experience up for me. The whole cast came on stage, and encouraged the audience to stand before teaching us all a few simple clapping patterns. Then as an entire theatre we stood on our feet and began to sing along and 'dance' with the performers, something that just made me laugh even harder than before. I certainly left the theatre smiling, marvelling at how well the production highlighted emotions of grief, whilst keeping the bouncy perspective of the child who narrates it.