I was curious, so I looked back at 2024, looking at all the theatre I’ve seen, and all the theatre I’ve reviewed. I saw 76 different productions, most of which I’ve reviewed, and using the average word count of reviews means I’ve written approximately 56,000 words. Which is almost the size of a novel.
I love that I’ve written theatre reviews the size of a novel, but I do wish I’d actually written a novel – as well as all the theatre reviews. So just a mere doubling. I don’t want much.
So far this year I’ve seen a good few productions already and most I’ve reviewed, but Andy and I went to see Elektra at Brighton Theatre Royal in January (no reviewers allowed) and came out asking each other what we’d just watched – it’s not a good sign when the audience have finished clapping and are getting up to leave before the actors leave the stage. The thing is, you have to be someone really rather exceptional to modernise a classic Greek tragedy. This however was as if a pile of creatives had an ideas meeting while drinking heavily, and decided to use every single idea they came up with. Let’s have a rolled up carpet on the stage! Let’s completely cover the actors with smoke while they are having a really interesting emotional discussion! Let’s put a blimp on stage that just hangs there for the whole show! Let’s give the lead a microphone and mixing pedal and tell her to emphasise the word “no” every time she says it, and also get her to spray paint the set while she’s talking!
How about, let’s not.
The thing is, when they announced Brie Larson as the lead I was intrigued to see what she would do with such an iconic role. When they announced Stockard Channing as well, I got straight on line to book tickets. The chance to see Stockard Channing and Brie Larson on stage? I don’t mind if they recite a shopping list. And to be honest they may as well have been reciting shopping lists. In fact I think I would have preferred it. I felt so sorry for all the actors – it wasn’t their fault. They must know they are in an absolute turkey. It’s unforgivable to cast such wonderful actors and then direct them so badly. But at least I got to see them on stage – and their stage presence is something else, even though they seemed dimmed being aware of what they were in.
On the other hand I ran the lights and sound – basically DSM type role – at Brighton Little Theatre for this double bill, and I loved every second watching both shows. After the initial panic and baptism by fire. And various issues. But the shows was what was important – and they were incredible.
The humour in “The Voyage of the Carcass” was exactly my type of humour which doesn’t happen often, as sometimes I like situational, sometimes I like really stupid stuff and sometimes I like really really dark humour, and this was very dark indeed. I was chuckling away in the lighting box at my favourite line in each of the performances – it was never not funny. And I always, always like clever. Clever humour is one of my favourite things. And this had layer upon layer of depth in it that I think some people missed if they just saw the absurd. Which is a shame, because the play had so much to say about isolation, about how we each live in our imaginary little worlds regardless of who is around us (or not). I really truly loved it. An abstract story in a set that looked literal.
Bobby and Amy was a completely different type of play – more of a theatre goer’s type of play in that all the locations were stylised, leaving you to imagine and fill in the gaps. But what stood out about this play was the acting, it’s just two actors, but they play all the different roles in the play (and it’s designed that way). They fill the stage with the whole town of people, so even though a two hander, you could never call it a duologue. Everything was done by movement, by changing their physicality for the different characters which was beautifully done. A stunning achievement. A literal story told in an abstract way.
And then a couple of days ago I was back at the Theatre Royal to review Birdsong. Which I was really looking forward to. And for the first hour I was so disappointed. The second act is sublime – if you get a ticket, feel free to go for a coffee or a meal for the first hour, then watch the next two acts. They are really interesting. Although don’t sit too close to the stage if you are sensitive to cigarette smoke. There is a LOT of it.
My official review on Brighton Source here
On a personal note, there’s lots more going under the water line: like people describe swans with frantic paddling underneath the water while they glide on the surface – but I don’t feel much like a swan, I feel like some sort of cross bred duck whose feathers are all over the place. Things like being ill and taking ages to recover. Things like ongoing issues with dealing with health and council “professionals” over my daughter’s care, from one numpty to the next, from incompetence to slap-dashery, from mistakes to failing in a statutory duty of care and nobody being able to do a dam thing about it. All these things drain me more than attending 3 different rehearsals a week for 3 different productions would. Funny that.
Still, I’m performing on Sunday in The Wedding Party in Eastleigh, that will be enormous fun – if only I can fit into the dress, and at this point I’m seriously doubting it…
