The Invisible Man @ Northern Stage

 

A deep dark look into the conflict between societal norms and the human psyche, this is powerful, immersive theatre at its best.

Forget the Ian McCallum, Claude Rains or the recent Elizabeth Moss movies, this version concentrates the viewer towards questioning “can you be invisible in plain sight?” and "if you could be invisible, what would you do?".

With the ever present social media, news broadcasts, agencies and digital surveillance, it is nigh on impossible not to leave a footprint, yet there are many people who are still overlooked to the point of them feeling invisible.  This production tells the story of Griffen ( Daniel Watson) a troubled young man from the North East with violent thoughts and a chequered past who,  following his claims that he can make things invisible, is referred to a local psychiatrist, Dr Kemp (Kate Louise Okello) for evaluation.  Kemp, a media doctor, is intrigued by his claims, and whilst at first she is very sceptical she begins to understand that Griffen’s belief is so absolute that there must be something more than pure fantasy.

Challenged to explore his past and a tragic event for which Griffen blames himself, the audience is drawn deeper into his world.  This is not a sci-fi story, there is no mad professor or spooky lab, instead, and perhaps more frightening, we live for the most part in Griffen’s head as he slowly unravels; caught between wanting to be seen but desperate to disappear.  The similarity of his life with that of Dr Kemp's begins to create a kindred affinity between doctor and patient, slowly blurring the lines.  As she continues to be drawn closer, we find Dr Kemp ending up in front of a medical disciplinary panel.  Has she helped Griffen to finally become invisible, or has, by shining a spotlight in him ha she removed any hope he had of not 'being seen'.

With all other parts being played by Izzy Ions and Jack Fairley (who also provide the soundscape live on stage), this is a totally immersive experience which flew through the 90 minute running time.

A wonderful example of how brilliant writing (Phillip Correia) and really focussed Directing (Anna Girvan) can have a lasting impact on an audience, long after the final scene.

Northern Stage performance details and ticket information can be found here - https://www.northernstage.co.uk/event/the-invisible-man 

Tour information, including details of Durham Gala and Barndard Castle Witham can be found here - https://www.list.co.uk/event/1774299-the-invisible-man/

Friendsical - The Friends Musical Parody

The One with All the Laughing – a 5 star show deserving of a 2 part review. 

Part 1…..

“The One with the set up”

For 10 seasons, 236 episodes and countless cultural spin offs, Friends, the 90’s show penned by David Crane and Marta Kauffman set the standard and blueprint for modern sitcoms.  Its lovable characters gained such followings that a simple change of hairstyle would send thousands to the salons to insist on a ‘Rachel’.  Since its final airing in May 2004, episodes have garnered a new following, mainly from re-runs on Channel 4 and Netflix.  Those who watched it originally were now sat with their teenage children watching it again, lamenting the more simple times it portrayed and even calling out for a reunion (or movie).

“The One with the Stage Show”

Well, fans need fret no more as Friendsical, the Parody Musical written and directed by Miranda Larson is on tour and guarantees a 5 star laugh-in which demands multiple watches just to get all the clever in jokes.  Fresh from a sell out run at the Edinburgh Fringe, Miranda has brilliantly written a story of a show within the show, having the ‘real’ Ross Geller put on a musical depicting his life during the 10 years of the show, his ‘On again, off again’ relationship with Rachel Green and the gang of 6 caffeine addicts.  Often having the cast freezing the scene to break the 4^th wall and engage the audience, Larson lets the viewers feel they are in on Ross’s plans for his show while the others just wonder “where is Bonnie” ?  The genius of the writing means at times the cast are asking each other why the show doesn’t match the TV, even giving each other spoiler alerts based on what their characters should do later in the run.

“The One where the Brilliant Writer and Director picks what to use”

Using instantly recognisable tropes and brilliant observations of episodes, characters and oft-asked questions and fan theories, Miranda presents an whistlestop run through the 10 year’s story arcs, mashing up the timelines and injecting comedy music & dance numbers that give the audience little time to catch breath from laughing.  Monica’s Game Night, Ross’s fashion faux pas, Rachel’s hair, Chandler’s dance, Phoebe’s singing and Joey’s …. well, ‘Joeyisms’ are all there in a magnificent homage, ably supported by Gunter’s unrequited love, Janices’ OMG’s and cameos from other friends.  Major events such as Naked Thursday, the power cut, saying the wrong name at a wedding, a gold bikini and getting ready for a dinosaur convention all feature and are destined to delight friends fans across the country.

“The One where Ross and Rachel are on again (for now)”

Of course, a show like this needs to have a cast that the audience can recognise and boy do they hit that nail square on the head.  The mannerisms of Jamie Lee-Morgan as Ross is uncanny – he looks like David Schwimmer but even more impressive, his dorky, foppish fawning and frustrated attempts to control life is comedy gold.  Fans will instantly see the Ross on tranquilizers, the Ross on prom night, the Ross on a break.  Playing opposite Lee-Morgan is Charlotte Elisabeth York as Rachel Green.  From her manic introduction in rain soaked wedding dress, York takes Jennifer Aniston’s spoilt rich girl persona and gives it both barrels (literally, with her not so subtle nod to her ever growing ‘points of view’).  The two of them create a fabulous lampoon of their ‘On Again, Off Again relationship’ which is one of the hilarious musical numbers.

“The One where Monica and Chandler avoid moustaches”

Obsessive Monica with her megalomania towards order and control is played by Sarah Goggin and she absolutely nails it.  Sarah’s perfection of Monica is wonderfully astute; desperate to be the lynch-pin the group revolve around, she has Monica’s compulsions, psychoses and desires all tied up in a bundle of seven.  Thomas Mitchells plays her beau to be Chandler, the sweater vest wearing data transponster, with aplomb;  always looking for the ‘witty’ one liner, plagued by a previous love, and destined to do his victory dance with Monica, Mitchells gives comedy gold with his fear of Richard’s Moustache.

“The One where Phoebe jumps for joy and Duncan steals the show”

Ally Retberg is ever lovable Phoebe, complete with guitar, kooky life story and triplets.  Ally has Phoebe’s puppy-like excitability off to a tee, jumping for joy as every little victory is celebrated and always looking for the sunshine behind the clouds.  At present, Joey is played by Duncan Burt (standing in for Jordan Fox) and, like the rest of the cast, is brilliant in his portrayal of everyone’s favourite soap doctor.  Whilst there is little evidence of Joey’s Queens’ accent, his innocent misunderstandings and love for sandwiches are immediately recognisable, as his is charisma and charm for the ladies.  Particularly impressive is Duncan’s recollection of all of Joey’s lady friends, a list that rivals the colours of Joseph’s Dream Coat.

Whilst the main cast also play one or two other cameos, the main support comes from Rebecca Withers who pops up as Gunter, Janice, a brilliant Richard and an hilarious Emily, giving the scenes even more comedic richness.

“The One where you go buy tickets”

Friendsical is a 2 hour spectacularly funny, heart warming look back to TV for simpler times before the real world pressures of Brexit, Trump, Global Warming, Recession and without the ‘wokeness’ of current PC correctness dominated the writers room. 

Friendsical is on at the wonderful Northern Stage until Saturday 6th and then on tour – check out the website for dates and tickets - https://britishtheatre.com/friendsical-uk-tour/

Part 2….

A brilliantly funny, clever and witty retelling of the story of Friends.  It’s like going to see your favourite aunt who is now in a nursing home with dementia – she remembers most of what happened but it’s not exactly the same, the timelines get a bit confused but overall you can sit and laugh at the shared memories.

Rain Man @ Northern Stage

A long time favourite 80’s movie gets the stage treatment and is even better than the original.

The story of Charlie Babbitt, wannabe big shot luxury car dealer and his brother Raymond is as classic and timeless as the 80s soundtrack that accompanies this Classic Screen to Stage production.

Charlie (played by Chris Fountain with great frustration, a big ego an even bigger chip on his shoulder) is desperate to raise some cash to head off the loan sharks and save his failing business.  All he cares about is himself, so when his estranged father dies, he expects to inherit the family fortune and all his worries will be gone.  Sadly (for him) the estate is left to a 3^rd person, someone whom Charlie has never known existed yet has been linked to all is life – his brother Raymond.

Raymond is a savant, initially ‘held’ in an institution by a doctor who believes that isolation is the only way to protect Raymond from the world.  Adam Lilley plays Raymond and, if Dustin Hoffman received the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, then Adam should equally be feted in acclaim and awards.  His portrayal of Ray is both sensitive and dynamic, immediately exposing the vulnerability of someone for whom the world is a confusing and scary place and yet, throughout, he bestows Ray with a strength of not needing to conform.

Through an attempt to get access to the family fortune by taking Raymond on a road trip, Charlie realises that life has far more purpose when you care about someone other than yourself.

Chris

Backed by some innovative set design, wonderful use of 80’s pop music and great pacing this transfer from screen to stage makes for a brilliant evening.  Northern Stage, with its wide stage, very comfy seats and great hospitality is an ideal venue for a night out.

Rain Man runs until the 13^th April – tickets https://www.northernstage.co.uk/Event/rain-man

The Leftovers @ Northern Stage

A tragi-comedic look into how we perceive other, how they perceive us and how the two can be so drastically different depending on the view point.

The Leftovers, the latest production by Sheep Soup and written by Nic Harvey, is the story of 5 musicians whose lives are inextricably linked by the death of a Jodie; a mutual friend, confident, lover and yet, as we discover, they all seem to have known a completely different person to each other.

Set at a recording studio (wonderful designed by Lizzy Leech) , Yaz (Philippa Hogg) wants to capture her relationship with BFF Jodie in a song.  She has enlisted Jim (Ben Welch) as musician and technician to help her record the song and Hayley Reigns/Rains/Reins (Sarah White), a published songstress to help write it but they are struggling to really capture the mood and style which best represents the person they knew.  Was she the life and soul of the party without a care in the world, or a troubled soul who was constantly putting on an act? Was she a trusted and loyal friend or a stabs-you-in-the-back user who flitted from one good time to another?

As the story progresses we are introduced to two more of Jodie’s past – Russ (Tim Murphy) who is a once hippy traveller who knew Jodie for a year as they explored the far flung reaches and Angie (Wreh-asha Walton) for whom Jodie represented much more than a brief friendship, which sadly  appears to have ended abruptly.  The discovery of a box of writings, diaries and messages, along with some old voicemails, helps to unpick Jodie’s tangled life but for the others they only serve to open old wounds and shatter long held beliefs.

Each of the assembled have their own story to tell and these are done through the guise of improvised song writing in their attempt to produce the one piece that truly captures the impact Jodie had on their lives.  Brilliantly directed by Adam Lenson and with the erudite and enthralling musical direction of Rob Green, The Leftovers unpeels the onion of life and shows that a throwaway comment to one person can be held as lifetime moment to another.  The way that Jodie’s character and her interaction with each person is revealed is as thought provoking as it is entertaining – very much akin to the Netflix smash hit '13 Reasons Why' and Hannah’s tapes that destroy perceptions and expose lies.  That said, there is still a great amount of comedy in the show and of course no end of genuine musical talent.

As always, Northern Stage is THE place in the North East for ground breaking productions, showstopping performances and naturalistic delivery, be sure to check out their webpage for details of forthcoming shows.

Brighton Rock @ Northern Stage

Following on from Playwright Bryony Lavery’s much acclaimed and award nominated Frozen, her adaptation of Graham Greene’s Brighton Rock is a darkly delicious descent into the anguish and turmoil of a young man trying to understand who he is and what is his place in life.  Whilst Greene wrote this story in 1938, the themes and characters are instantly recognisable today, thanks in the main to the brilliant directing of Pilot Theatre’s Esther Richardson, who uses both traditional and contemporary techniques to present the multiple personas constantly in bitter struggles with themselves.

The story focuses on Pinkie, a 17 year old wannabe gang leader who craves respect far greater than his tender age deserves meaning when he doesn’t get it he inevitably turns to violence.  Brilliantly played by Jacob James Beswick, Pinkie is constantly on the edge, the edge of reason, the edge of glory, the edge of sanity – Beswick’s energy is truly scary, never quite knowing whether he is about to smile or scream.  The rest of Pinkies gang are forever tiptoeing round on eggshells, fearful for saying the wrong word, looking the wrong way, and yet magnetised by his charisma and forthright ambition.  Sitting in the 2^nd row I felt myself shrink whenever Pinkie took on a rant and yet, like his gang, felt attached to him with an illogical loyalty.

On Pinkie’s orders, the gang murder a rival who was masquerading as a newspaper celebratory but find they have left a witness who can link them to the killing, a young waitress, Rose, and so Pinkie must decide whether to kill her too or befriend, and ultimately try and control her.  Rose, played with a heart-breaking mix of wide eyed innocence and adolescent passion by Sarah Middleton, falls for Pinkie, despite (or perhaps because of) his manic obsessions, and agrees to not only keep quiet, but to help him avoid further detection.  Sarah is a wonderful actor and in Rose, she is able to take the audience on an accelerated journey to becoming a woman, yet never loses the childish binary belief of right and wrong.  This is further reinforced as both Pinkie and Rose are from devout Catholic families, brought up on the premise of Heaven and Hell, of mortal sin and of repent and atonement.  When Greene wrote his original story, there were only two dominant paths of fate but you can substitute Catholicism for any religion, faith or belief system making this story as true and relevant to today’s youth as it was for those in the 30’s. 

Following all this action is Ida Arnold, a seeker of truth and justice with more than a passing resemblance (in investigative prowess at least) to sleuths of Agatha Christie.  Ida, played by Gloria Onitiri, pieces together the fragmented detritus left in Pinkie’s wake and begins to see that the police have either missed, or chosen to ignore, vital clues linking several suspicious deaths all back to Pinkie.  When Ida realises that Rose is being drawn into this underworld she vows to protect her, even if it means taking on Pinkie and his gang herself.  Gloria gives Ida some real spunk; at first she seems like a bit of a lush, hanging round the bars, betting at the races, but all too soon displays a steely resolve to go toe to toe with the gangs.

The choreography and scene setting is elaborately simple – movement around the stage is poetic, even the set shifting is done with an artistic flourish meaning the audience never drops its gaze.  The soundscape, an ever present live accompaniment composed by Hannah Peel is possibly the best I’ve ever heard – it is reminiscent of David Lynch’s underscoring of scenes in the TV series Twin Peaks – rhythmic heartbeats, low and metronomic are almost imperceptible until the action, at which point they help drive the audience into the heart of Pinkies psychosis before subtly fading back. 

Definitely recommended, this production leaves you wondering why the story can still be so true today as it was 80 years ago - is it that society has never manged to embrace adolescence or is it hard wired into the DNA of all teenagers that they must go through this rite of passage.

Brighton Rock is on at Northern Stage, Newcastle until 5^th May

The Department Of Distractions @ Northern Stage

Distraction - a thing that prevents someone from concentrating on something else
        extreme agitation of the mind

For centuries many renowned writers have posited that there is an underlying control in the world, a control that decides what is classed as ‘the norm’, what is an exception and even what we should feel about them.  The New World Order, Big Brother, HUAC and even the Royal Family have all been cited in both fiction and fact as having this control, yet in the modern world with near instantaneous sharing of news and views, it would appear that it is the media that has overall and total control.

The Department of Distractions (based on Alex Kelly’s book O Grande Livro dos Pequenos Detalhes) is set in the afore mentioned government department, a department responsible for creating, releasing and managing ‘news’ to ensure the status quo is maintained, though for whom this is to remain is left to the audience’s own appraisal.  ‘News’ in this definition is not only the broadcasted retelling of ‘fact’ but also the everyday events that people witness on the street, the shared gossip at work, the viral memes on social media and the perpetual revisiting of myth and urban legends – all managed to create control.  The audience is given a peek into the working day of the department, how they choose a ‘target’, how they agree which distractions need to be created, which ‘sleight of hand’ techniques to deploy.  To the team, this is as procedural and ordinary as any other office job – albeit one which directly controls what the world believes to be truth.

Alexander Kelly, writer and co-director with Rachel Walton,  has melded the dystopian undercurrents of Aldous Huxley, George Orwell, Ray Bradbury and Isaac Asimov and punched them squarely into the breadbasket of global media giants a la BBC, Sky, Fox (well the Murdochs in general).  What is brilliant is that whilst many would suggest this is science fiction, there is too much recognisable fact not to question whether this show is instead a well-crafted piece of distraction itself.  After all, there’s no better place to hide than in plain sight.  

The cast, Umar Ahmed, Nick Chambers, Stacey Sampson and Rachel Walton have a real challenge for they have to deliver on multiple layers at once – not only are they playing the department team, but also they enact and rehearse the characterisation of their Distraction’s cast.  This is done brilliantly, never once creating any confusion whilst still allowing each layer to realise it’s own revelations.  The clever use of projection allows the audience to see 1st hand the research and material used to compile a case – meticulous in detail but quite procedural, giving more substance to the feeling that these Distractions and the untruths they purport are simply tasks on an office to do list.  There is something very unsettling about thinking the world around you and everything you believe could be built on post it notes and Polaroids.

More scary than a horror story, the Department of Distractions leaves the audience with a puzzled and concerned frown – not because you are unable to understand but because this expose rings too many bells, shatters the illusion of Utopia through Ignorance and makes you question every headline, every news feed, every shared opinion.  I have long believed that man is incapable of having a truly original thought, everything is but a reaction and after watching this wonderful production, I spent the train ride home convinced that we could all be just characters in a global sandbox game.  My final thought (at least I think it was MY thought) was of a classic quote - "the finest trick of the devil is to persuade you that he does not exist" - Charles Baudelaire - possibly the greatest Distraction of all ?

Definitely recommended and be prepared to see the world in a very different light afterwards.

★★★★

War of the Worlds @ Northern Stage

No one would have believed…

Ever since the now infamous radio retelling of H G Wells’ science fiction classic, The War of the Worlds has inspired creative interpretation, often using methods and technology of the time and adopting the location to best suit their needs.  Jeff Wayne, with his seminal double album, was my favourite, the Tom Cruise Hollywood gloss version by far my least.  This new imagining, set in the North East and featuring 4 interwoven stories, is by far the best I’ve seen on stage and one which attempts to leave the audience with a more pertinent twang of realisation in keeping with the current environmental challenges.

The premise is that our 4 characters are but mere ghosts, back to recount their experiences as the first wave of Martian invaders descended onto the North East coastline.  Set just before the start of the 20th century, they draw on the undercurrent of change, the feeling that the rich are beginning to get richer and leave the have-nots well behind (something that rings only too clearly in the present day).  The technological advancements seem to best serve the middle and upper classes, leaving the poor and working class adrift and struggling to eek out a place.  Inequality besets every avenue and yet, through this sudden interruption to the social norm, they witness all levels thrown together in a battle to survive.

Laura Lindow, the writer and creator, has managed to remain very true to the essence of Wells’ original without it feeling like a substitution rewrite, indeed there are elements which most certainly serve to enhance the source text of which Wells would have surely approved.  Peppered with colloquialisms and Victorian Geordie, it presents both as a fictional tale and a history lesson rolled into one and is instantly recognisable as Victorian Tyneside. 

Lindow’s treatment of this great story is as much an inward reflection on how small mankind is, how pitiful our supposed achievements are and how the words preached about tolerance and coexistence are just hollow gestures; brilliant insight by Wells in 1898 and perfectly in tune 120 years later.

The cast, Jack Lloyd (Ridley), Luke Maddison (Boots), Charlotte Ryder (Jill) and Lauren Waine (Mo) give an imperious lesson in creating characters through the power of suggestion, and James Pickering’s use of a minimal set only serves to keenly focus the attention on the actors.  Through their wonderful storytelling the small island stage becomes a moor, a chapel, a shipyard, poverty ridden back streets, tunnels and seashore.  The brilliant soundscape of Mariam Rezaei transports you right into the heart of the industrial North yet this familiar aural tapestry is twisted into a threatening and scary horizon, driving the audience towards a precipice of uncertainty and never letting the heart rate drop to a comfortable rest.

Of all the scenes, only the finale felt a little contrived with the cast issuing a warning ultimatum of man’s refusal to protect the planet that protects them -  not quite a Daily Mail headline but perhaps one which could have been more implied, leaving the audience to feed more on their own thoughts than being told to do so.  That said, the feeling one is left with is simple - substitute the Martians for Big Business, despotic rulers, New World order, blatant commercialism or scant disregard for the natural resources and we too could suffer a cataclysmic disaster from which we will not recover.