‘Talon’ at Bristol Old Vic

Photo: Paul Blakemore

One for sorrow, two for joy…

Never has the magpie rhyme seemed more eerie than in the Bristol Old Vic Young Company’s production of the new gothic thriller Talon.

Written by Theo Fraser Steele, Talon follows newlywed couple Mary (Amy Hunter) and James (Samuel Bailey) whose happy marriage starts to feel the strain when Mary fails to fall pregnant after the first few years. The scenes showing the passing of time and attempts to conceive are perfectly directed in a simple but effective dance using a very versatile white sheet.

When James has a regrettable fling with a maid, which produces the much-longed for child, in a fit of rage he puts the infant boy in a wicker basket, and pushes it away down the river… thinking the boy will quietly die, but not realising he will be rescued and raised by a tiding of magpies.

Mary knows nothing about this, but her desperation for a child is driving her mad. Ambitious and unscrupulous Dr Foster (Joseph Langdon) becomes a frequent visitor to the home, prescribing laudanum to both James and Mary in a bid to help their insomnia and depression. But his time with the couple instead leads to him unravelling a terrible secret…

Photo: Paul Blakemore

Directed by Miranda Cromwell, Talon is a wonderfully chilling gothic tale that is compelling from start to finish, with a constantly building air of menace. The magpie chorus that surrounds the stage, and frequently dominates the action, is a wonderful device, and one that produces fantastic sound effects and some truly haunting singing. There is also a nice hint of old-fashioned BBC radio plays, with two cluttered tables at each side of the stage, covered with microphones and props, where various cast members retreat to provide sound effects, which works very well.

Between the German Expressionist lighting, the fantastic creation of imposing shadows, and the framing of all of the action with literal, well, frames, Talon is a cracking example of good theatrical storytelling. The cast are all very strong, and the inclusion of a child actor for the boy (instead of an adult pretending to be a boy) is a brave move that pays off.

Talon is performed at Bristol Old Vic’s Studio until 11 January. Click here for more information. 

'Sue: The Second Coming', at Bristol Old Vic

For a musical comedy drag show to stand out in a crowded genre, it needs something more than for the main character to just wear intentionally frumpy clothes, a deliberately bad fringe and a goofy grin. In Sue: The Second Coming, the ‘something more’ is that Sue (played by Dafydd James) is pregnant with the son of God after a brief encounter in Debenhams.

But since that’s only brought in 30 minutes before the end of this 90 minute production, that’s not really enough to carry it. Instead, we’re led through on likeability, some decent enough tunes and a heavy dose of nostalgia-fuelled humour. There’s the 1970s-style drinks cabinet gags, the Christmas jumper gags, and – inexplicably – an enormous advent calendar behind the doors of which are a succession of former child stars (“Bonnie Langford” seems to be a recurring punchline, but we’re not told what the joke is). A gag that seemingly warrants its own song but has no place in the narrative.

And that’s a problem with Sue: The Second Coming… that there is no narrative. While that doesn’t need to be a problem if the material is strong enough to hold it, a 90-minute show with no strong gags and no direction soon becomes a drag in more ways than one.

The biggest problem, though, was that over the piano we couldn’t hear most of the words in the songs… meaning we missed most of the jokes in this largely musical show. So perhaps if we’d been able to hear the words, we’d have found this a lot more funny and entertaining than we actually did. Because looking online, Sue: The Second Coming not only has a cult following but wins rave reviews, so we’re clearly missing something. But looking around the Bristol Old Vic’s Paintshop, there wasn’t a great deal of laughter from anybody… so perhaps nobody else could hear the jokes either.

But even on the songs without piano, the sound levels were so out of whack that we still struggled to hear many of the lyrics… and the instruments played by Dafydd’s backing trio were also completely inaudible. That aside, Dafydd’s singing as Sue was basically a high-pitched squawk, which made it even harder to try and work out the words. My friend and I couldn’t help but think that if Dafydd had sung in his own voice it would have upped the comedy factor and helped people to actually hear the lyrics.

With 30 minutes lopped off the running time and a really tight soundcheck, Sue: The Second Coming could be a great night out. But as it stands, if it’s festive theatre fun you’re after, I’d recommend you head next door to the Bristol Old Vic’s main theatre for The Little Mermaid – which is an absolute treat of a show.

For more information and to book tickets, click here.

The Little Mermaid at Bristol Old Vic

The Bristol Old Vic’s Christmas show has rightly earned itself pride of place in the theatre diary – circled on the calendar in silver pen and decorated with shiny stars. In recent years, we’ve seen the magnificent Swallows and Amazon, the mind-blowing Peter Pan, and the far-from-festive but resolutely brilliant Coram Boy. This year, Hans Christian Anderson’s much-loved tale The Little Mermaid got the Bristol Old Vic treatment.

The title role is filled by Katie Moore – who is not only a damn fine actor, but also an incredible singer and fabulous ballerina. As the Little Mermaid, we followed Katie in her underwater world where she lived with her father (played by Old Vic favourite Tristan Sturrock) and sisters… frustrated by the confines of her subterranean life and longing to explore the world up there where the ‘hoo muns’ live.

However, the wicked Sea Witch (a heart-warmingly brilliant Beverly Rudd, in an example of perfect casting) has a firm hold on the underwater world and insists all her citizens stay below the surface, avoid all interactions with the legged ones, and keep singing to ensure the constantly rolling tides.

Needless to say, our adventurous heroine doesn’t follow the rules… and on a trip to the surface, she can’t stop herself from saving the life of a handsome prince (delightfully played by Billy Howle) who is thrown overboard in a storm orchestrated by the Sea Witch. The prince is under a curse where he simply must marry before his looming 18^th birthday… and this is where our above and below the waves stories combine.

Under Simon Godwin’s direction, Joel Horwood’s adaptation of The Little Mermaid is a magical, enchanting and captivating Christmas adventure for Bristolians of every age. The set design throughout is inspired… and the use of a curving metal frame to suggest the rolling waves works extremely well, as does the porthole frame to the whole stage.

As the Sea Witch, Beverly Rudd excels and I found myself missing her when she wasn’t on stage. And her sidekicks (a wise-cracking crab and eel dressed in knitted chainmail) are inspired – the armour-wearing crab quite possibly stole the entire show and had me clapping my claws in child-like glee!

The Little Mermaid is performed at Bristol Old Vic until January 18. Click here for more informationand to book tickets. 

Great Expectations at Bristol Old Vic

Pip and Estella - photo by Mark Douet

“A strange meeting in a churchyard sets in motion a chain of events that will shower a young man with money, break his troubled heart and lead him deep into a labyrinth of deception and discovery. Great Expectations is a story about transformation, loss and - ultimately - forgiveness.”

The team at Bristol Old Vic has pulled out the big guns for this reworking of the famous Charles Dickens tale, Great Expectations. This version is adapted and directed by Neil Bartlett, who graduated from the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in 1981 – and this is his first Bristol production since that time. So there’s no pressure on him, then!

We flit between protagonist Pip as an adult and child – with the differences marked only by a lowly accent and rolled up trousers. But in a production that is marked by minimalist yet effective design (set, lighting, costume) this works well. In fact, the only thing that’s not minimal in this production is the booming sound effects.

Orphaned as so many of Dickens’ protagonists are, Pip is dragged up by his begrudging elder sister, who is married to a henpecked blacksmith. However, between the above-mentioned chance meeting with a man in a churchyard, and a later chance meeting with the bitterly insane Miss Havisham, Pip is set to walk along a bumpy road.

On the whole, I felt Neil Barlett pulled off a big achievement with this Bristol Old Vic production. As Pip, newcomer Tom Canton (who graduated from RADA in 2012) sometimes seems a little out of his depth in such a demanding role, but on the whole he was engaging and convincing, and has an impressive stage presence.

However, it was the supporting cast who really bring this production of Great Expectations to life. As the decaying Miss Havisham, Adoja Andoh was captivating and it was hard to take your eyes off her as she hobbled around the stage, trailing shreds of tatty dress behind her. And Miss Havisham’s protégée Estella (Laura Rees) was almost as entertaining – stomping and stropping around the stage like a possessed Tiny Tears doll.

But the two clear stars of this show are Tim Potters in the role of weasly lawyer Mr Jaggers, and Miltos Yerolemou (last seen here in A Midsummer Night's Dream) in the role of sycophantic Mr Pumblechook (who wins the, ahem, crown for the funniest moment of the play during the Christmas dinner scene). Throw in Yerolemou’s gently hilarious interpretation of Sarah Pocket, and hopefully we have ourselves a new Bristol Old Vic regular cast member. Fingers crossed!

Great Expectations is performed in the main theatre at Bristol Old Vic until 2 November. For further information and to book tickets, please click here.

The Boy Who Cried Wolf!

“I fooled you!”

The recurrent smug smirk of the titular boy to his frustrated mother is the best page marker for this fantastic collection of Aesop’s fables.

After the sailaway success of 2011’s outdoor production Treasure Island (directed by Sally Cookson, who is also behind The Boy Who Cried Wolf!), Bristol Old Vic has once again created an outdoor magical land on the cobbles in front of its historic theatre on Bristol’s King Street.

And whereas two years ago we were swept away by a swashbuckling tale aboard a recreated pirate ship, this year we’re immersed in a forestry set that feels like the living embodiment of Enid Blyton’s famous Magic Faraway Tree. The set includes real trees coppiced from West Tanpit Woods, as well as imaginatively painted corrugated iron backdrops, ladders and gangplanks above head height, and a fabulous treehouse for the musicians.

The ancient Greek slave Aesop was responsible for hundreds of moralistic fables, and beloved children’s author Michael Morpurgo whittled these down to just 21 for his edited anthology, and of those a small handful were picked for the Old Vic’s new show. Some are well known (The Hare and The Tortoise, The Boy Who Cried Wolf!, The Goose and the Golden Egg), while others are less familiar (The Sun and The Wind, The Cat Belling, The Miller, His Son and The Donkey). But by the end of the show, all will have become much loved by a new audience.

The three main cast members are Chris Bianchi, Lucy Tuck and Tom Wainwright – all of whom assume a number of roles, and all of whom support each other magnificently with a joyous camaraderie. They are backed up by the musical Bower brothers Benji and Will, who also join the cast in a few supporting roles. Benji’s terrifying brown bear is one of the highlights of the evening – with his rolling eyes and wild hair perfectly supporting the ferocity of his megaphoned roars.

Alongside the title story – which is told in three parts throughout the evening, highlights for me were The Miller, His Son and The Donkey (complete with wonderful donkey sound effects), and The Goose and The Golden Egg (for which the goose is magnificently represented by a shopping bag, feather duster, salad tongs and rubber gloves – pictured above). The subtlety of the goose gently grooming herself as her greedy owner fantasised over the apparently luxurious pages of Clifton Life was a thoughtful little something extra.

The only segment that worked less well was The Sun and The Wind, which failed to hold my attention – and I found myself gazing away from the stage and over the rooftops of King Street.  There was also an over-long song towards the end of the performance, for which the cast was uncharacteristically sedentary, which again lost my attention. But these are small niggles.

However, the music, led by Benji Bower (below), is what really makes The Boy Who Cried Wolf! a magical show. He’s obviously an extremely talented composer who is perfectly placed to score theatrical productions. 

The Boy Who Cried Wolf! is performed on the cobbles of King Street outside Bristol Old Vic until 1 September. Click here for more information and to book your tickets. The first 50 tickets for every show are just £10 each.

Tristan and Yseult

Tristan and Yseult. Yseult and Tristan. Tristan, Tristan, Tristan…

I’ll admit it. I’m totally smitten by actor Tristan Sturrock, who plays the hero of the latest Kneehigh show to reach Bristol Old Vic. And as a leading love interest, Sturrock is more than perfectly cast – sharp cheek bones, nicely toned arms, and a devilishly handsome face. My heart has melted.

I thought it was best we cleared that up from the start, and then moved on with the real review of Kneehigh’s most well loved show, which is touring again to celebrate ten years since Tristan and Yseult first delighted audiences around the globe.

Bristol Old Vic’s press officer and I were chatting about our shared love of Kneehigh before the show. “Nobody ever forgets their first Kneehigh show”, she told me. And I agreed, adding that my first Kneehigh show was The Red Shoes in 2010… peering down from the Old Vic’s nosebleed seats, utterly mesmerised by the fantastic spectacle.

The star of The Red Shoes was Patrycja Kujawska, who tonight returns as Yseult – our love-struck heroine. And with Tristan Sturrock as her lover Tristan, Kneeigh founder Mike Shepherd as her brother King Mark, and the mesmerising Carly Bawden as the leader of the unloved, the casting was as strong as you would demand from a Kneehigh show.

The multi-layered set for Tristan and Yseult resembles a circus ring, with the stepped floor on the stage, acrobatic pulleys, and rising platforms, as well as sails and sheets flying up and down the stage. And as the audience files in, we’re entertained by nightclub singer Whitehands (Bawden) on the stage, and her flock of anorak-bedecked trainspotters popping up in the audience and on the side of the stage – searching through binoculars not for wildlife, but for love.

As the story unfolds, we find Cornish King Mark battling to protect his country from Irish invader Branigan (Craig Johnson). However, he’s quickly slain by elegant Frenchman Tristan (Sturrock), who conveniently happens to be passing (“he’s the prince of hearts and the kings of oceans”, as one character swoons).

When King Mark said to Tristan, “I don’t know who you are, but I recognise you”, I wanted to yell out: “He’s Peter Pan!” But I restrained myself. Even when Sturrock was recreating his festive Lost Boy acrobatics on ropes and pulleys.

Believing he is exacting the ultimate revenge on his dead nemesis, King Mark issues Tristan with a quest to hunt down Branigan’s beloved sister Yseult and bring her to Cornwall to be King Mark’s bride.

Well, you can imagine what happens. Tristan and Yseult fall head over heels in passionate love, despite the most hilarious efforts of Yseult’s maid (Johnson again – doing a magnificent impersonation of Tubbs in A League of Gentlemen) to keep them apart.

A little part of me found it hard to feel sorry for King Mark, who is heartbroken to discover Yseult is in love with Tristan. I mean, this is a man who only hunted Yseult down to spite the memory of her beloved brother… whom King Mark had killed. I mean, this is a man who forced a woman to marry a man she had never met, giving her no choice in the matter, and expected her to love him unconditionally. Did he really think that would work out well?!

However, don’t stop to dwell on that sort of thing, and just let yourself be swept up in the ride. Tristan and Yseult has everything – puppetry, mime, fire, blood, balloons, boats and sunglasses. And Tristan Sturrock. If you didn’t already love him, you certainly will now.

Tristan and Yseult made me feel joyful, tearful, and appreciative of my own happy relationship. Just go and see it. (If this was the sort of site that lowered itself to rate things out of 10, Tristan and Yseult would receive 20.)

Tristan and Yseult is at the Bristol Old Vic until July 20. Please do anything you can to grab a ticket. Information on this link. 

Major Tom - Bristol Old Vic

Victoria Melody likes a challenge. And glancing at her website, it's more than clear that this is one woman who has turned her hand to a lot of different things - wreaking havoc in Office Pervert, screaming on hills around the country, and bending the genders of people in her audience... to name three.

In Major Tom, Victoria focuses on the beauty industry and uses her inherent desire to catalogue her day-to-day life to create a compelling and funny account of how she decided to enter her beloved basset hound (Major Tom) into competitive dog shows. What sets this show off a treat is that Major Tom (who Victoria describes, accurately, as looking like a lovable old Tory) is on set at Bristol Old Vic throughout the show, and behaves beautifully when Victoria calls on him to do one or two tricks. 

However, it turns out that Major isn't a winning dog, and when he repeatedly keeps coming last Victoria is stung by a pang of guilt at how she keeps putting him up there to be judged - so decides to be judged herself. Quickly crowned Mrs Brighton, Victoria's next mission is to become Mrs UK and ultimately Mrs International. 

This is where Major Tom takes an interesting twist. Victoria cleverly contrasts dog shows with human beauty pagents to highlight the ridiculous lengths that people go to in order to fulfil the ridiculous and inflexible demands of perfection in the eyes of judges. Ultimately, who is anyone else to judge us? 

At several points, Victoria tells us she's a feminist, and illustrates this with the example of how on her hen night, her friends are shocked to discover she has pubic hair - and Victoria seems surprised that any adult woman wouldn't have pubic hair. 

Beauty pagents, and the business of judging others on their appearance, are clearly thorny issues for feminists. When one of Gok Wan's I-can-make-you-look-better-than-you-currently-do-sister type shows was filming in Bristol a few years ago, his producers seemed surprised that the Bristol feminists declined the invitation to take part or watch the show being filmed. What with it being a decidedly un-sisterly activity. 

However, Victoria's take on beauty pagents (which she says she is now pleased to have left behind her) seems one fuelled more by curiosity and journalistic documentation, than a real desire to become a beauty queen - although she does also come across as very competitive in her desire to win (and I guess if you're going to do something, why not do it to the max?)!

Major Tom is a fun show, and Victoria has an extremely likeable stage presence. The show puts an interesting spin on how we look at ourselves and just how daft the beauty industry is. And did I mention that there's a dog on stage?!


Major Tom is on at Bristol Old Vic until May 4. Click here for more information and to book tickets.

Adolf & Winston

The fabulous Living Spit duo are back at Bristol Old Vic. Howard Coggins and Stu Mcloughlin are regulars in the King Street theatre (in recent years, they’ve been in productions including Peter Pan, Treasure Island, Coram Boy and their own TheSix Wives of Henry VIII), and it’s a pleasure to see them back with one of their self-penned productions.

Following in the footsteps of last year’s Six Wives of Henry VIII (in which Stu played all six wives to Howard’s Henry, to hilarious effect), this time they’ve decided that – based on the fact Howard looks a little bit like Winston Churchill – they will recreate the story of Winston and Adolf Hitler, in a whistlestop 70 minutes of gleefully inaccurate history.

The clear highlight of this is without a doubt the timed 15-minute tour through the entire Second World War – mostly via the medium of song. And the clear highlight of that is Hitler’s rousing rock pomp as he demands respect in an entertainingly weird power ballad.

But there’s plenty to enjoy here – whether it’s Howard’s Winston chilling out in the bath, smoking a cigar and wearing his Union Jack Speedos. Or Stu’s brilliant BBC radio announcement – accompanied by a crackling crisp packet.

Howard and Stu are both true Bristol theatre stars. Quite rightly, they seem to be working constantly and this can only be a good thing for lucky theatre audiences.

Adolf & Winston is performed in Bristol Old Vic’s Basement until May 11 at varying times of day. Click here for information and tickets.

'Mess' at Bristol Old Vic

One of the highlights of last year’s theatre calendar in Bristol was Caroline Horton’s one-woman show You’re Not Like The Other Girls, Chrissy. It was a genuine joy from start to finish: it was uplifting and it was touching, and Caroline herself is clearly a very gifted and imaginative performer.

So when I heard that she was bringing her second show, Mess, to the Bristol Old Vic, I knew I needed to see it. And Caroline didn’t disappoint.

Although a show about her personal experiences of anorexia doesn’t necessarily sound like fun, Mess proves that Caroline has the rare talent of taking a stigmatised and often misunderstood mental illness and turning it into an enjoyable, informative and, shock, entertaining piece.

In Mess, Josephine (Caroline’s character) is supported on stage by Boris (played by Hannah Boyde) and musician Sistahl (played by Seiriol Davies). Both supporting cast members are inspired choices, providing ways to externalise Josephine’s thought processes, and bringing much needed light relief to what would otherwise be a deadly serious topic.

Sistahl, in particular, is a creation of comic genius. With Sideshow Bob hair, and a Liberace costume, Sistahl is positioned behind a bank of keyboards and laptops, and flanked by a mock Roman pillar and a billowing spider plant. In addition to the music, he voices Josephine’s thoughts, he provides sound effects, and he pulls brilliantly funny faces. The absolute highlight is his impersonation of an idiotic and uncomprehending GP: “It’s a lovely day, why don’t you have a strawberry Cornetto. Just a tiny one.” You cannot fail to adore Sistahl.

While the Boris character flits between being cloyingly protective of Josephine, and devastatingly kind towards her, there’s also something a bit irritating about the character. I feel horrible saying it. I don’t know if it’s the bizarre Roy Chubby Brown-style flying hat, or the jolly-hockey-sticks style of speech… or maybe we’re meant to find Boris irritating, in the way that Josephine would have found him irritating in his determination to help her. I don’t know. However, through Boris, Hannah does an excellent job at countering Josephine’s serious nature.

With Mess, Caroline is putting herself on the line by sharing her valuable first-hand experience of an illness that is often so devastating, and of demonstrating how much it affects those around the patient as well. It’s an important work, and one that has been carefully delivered – it’s no surprise to hear that the eating disorders organisation Beat was involved with the production.

Please go to see Mess. Caroline Horton is a name to watch.

Mess is on at Bristol Old Vic until 27 April. Click here for information and to book tickets. For information about other Mess dates around the UK, please click here. 

Ablutions – at Bristol Old Vic

Based on Canadian author Patrick deWitt’s highly regarded 2009 novel, Ablutions is the sorry tale of an unnamed Los Angeles bartender (played by Eoin Slattery) who spends his shifts drinking himself into oblivion, and swallowing pills to “take the edge off”. Everything in his world is crumbling apart – his wife is leaving him, his bar manager is a coke-addicted thief, and he himself is a helpless alcoholic.

But while Ablutions is an important piece about the tragic consequences of alcoholism and how it rips so many lives apart, it’s clear that the stars of this show are not Eoin Slattery, but his supporting cast of Fiona Mikel and Harry Humberstone.

Slattery’s self-pitying, self-destructive, cynical barman is a pretty unlikeable soul who ends up as little more than a narrator for the show-stealing character pieces from Mikel and Humberstone. Ben Osborn provides acoustic musical accompaniment throughout the whole show, which adds another level of depth to Slattery’s barman.

Mikel in particular is the runaway star of this production. As the lone female in the cast, she is called on to play everything from the drunken barman’s long-suffering nurse wife, to the Sybil Fawlty-esque wife of the bar manager, and even a drunken lush giving a blow job in a bar toilet. She effortlessly flits between these characters, and brings real emotion and depth to Ablutions.

While Humberstone’s wiry form is perfect for providing the comic relief we desperately need in a story as sorry as this. Whether he’s doing hilarious hipster dance moves as an ex-model-turned-bar-manager, or playing a snide desert bartender, Humberstone uses his body for great comic effect. And nowhere better than in the absolutely genius scene where Slattery goes to a health food shop and Humberstone morphs into a simpering, weasely, slithery sales assistant who almost wraps himself around Slattery.

Aside from being a great example of how sad a disease alcoholism is, what Ablutions also confirms is how women are always the ones who drive the narrative – even if relegated to supporting roles. In Ablutions, Mikel’s many characters are the ones who care for our self-indulgent bartender… they’re his wife, his nurse, his boss, the ones he rips off, the ones he uses for sex… But despite these less than appreciated roles, Mikel remains the stand out star of this piece.

Ablutions will be at Bristol Old Vic until April 18, after which it tours the UK. Click here to book tickets to see it at the Old Vic, and here to see where else the show is being performed.

The Bloody Ballad of Mary Maid

Have you ever wondered what Happy Days would be like if it was set in an abattoir? Well, wonder no more because The Bloody Ballad is the show for you.

Bristol Old Vic’s basement Studio space has been transformed into a hick village in 1950s southern America. With a four-piece backing band (aka The Missing Fingers), Mary (played by scriptwriter Lucy Rivers) steps on to the stage in a blood-soaked nightie to tell us all about the terrible weekend she’s just had. She looks like Juliette Lewis in Natural Born Killers, and that’s clearly the inspiration.

Poor Mary has had a crappy start to life. Abused by her father since she was a child (we’re told this via a chirpy country song called What My Daddy Done in A Minor, ouch), her mother hung herself, and sour Mary is left rotting behind the till in her father’s petrol station. When in wanders Connor (Oliver Woods) to sweep her off her feet.

But of course, all is not as it seems. After falling in love with Connor, Mary kills his three brothers in self-defence after they break into her house to rob her. Leading to a helter-skelter situation where Mary goes from a country bumpkin whose never been kissed, to a full blown murderer in two short breaths.

And all of this is delivered in a raucous rockabilly performance, with a backing band (aided by Tom Cottle and Den Messore), fun 1950s costumes and a hell of a lot of theatrical blood.

With strong women a-plenty (Rivers herself, and Hannah McPake as Connor's cunning mother), The Bloody Ballad had every potential of being a strident feminist theatre piece, and indeed some may still say it is. “I won’t be bullied by no man,” cried Mary. But here’s why I say it isn’t…

What troubled me was the casual way that Mary’s childhood abuse was glossed over with a jaunty song. For a girl who’d been repeatedly subjected to sexual abuse by her father since she was tiny, perhaps it’s not so surprising she’d turn out troubled, but then why wasn’t her murderous streak directed at her father (who the script had invested time in telling us about) rather than three strangers? Why wasn’t the revenge motif for her years of rape explored in any way? Hmm. I felt the issue of child abuse was dismissed too lightly and that made me uncomfortable. Even within the light tone of this show, it could have been explored further, which would have had more credibility. But as it stands, the casual attitude appeared disrespectful and sensational. Or worse, that child sex abuse is normal and therefore doesn’t need discussion.

I have to admit, the plausibility of Mary’s character suddenly turning so vicious so quickly left me a little unconvinced, even if I suspended my disbelief. And the actual mechanics and reasoning behind the murders themselves was so convoluted and uninvolved that I was left wondering what happened and why.

The Bloody Ballad was a great fun show, delivered in a blood-slick, high energy way. It’s got enormous potential, but to my mind there are a few big plot holes that need smoothing over first.

The Bloody Ballad is playing at Bristol Old Vic until April 6. Click here for more information and to book tickets.

The 14th Tale

This time last year, poet, writer and performer Inua Ellams was at the Bristol Old Vic with his one-man show Black T-Shirt Collection (reviewed here). And now he’s returned, stepping out of sequence to bring us his very first play, The 14^th Tale (from 2009).

But this disregard for chronology makes perfect sense, as The 14^th Tale is an autobiographical piece about Inua’s teenage years, taking him from his Nigerian birth place to London and then to Dublin. The hour-long piece is bracketed by scenes of Inua in a hospital waiting room, anxious for news… and then we flash back to the scenes that led him to the waiting room.

The set is minimal – a cloth map hangs along the back wall of the Old Vic’s Basement space, and Inua is equipped with only a simple chair and a torch. His costume is a pair of trousers and a t-shirt, with what appear to be blood stains on them. And these are all the clues we have to go on, all the pieces we have to help us follow Inua on his teenage journey to the hospital waiting room.

What drives the narrative is Inua’s longing for a close relationship with his father, and of Inua’s desire to fit in with his peers in the culture shock of England. While these might not be new topics to uncover, Inua’s background as a poet clearly inspires his beautiful use of language. He expertly delivers lyrical monologues with an effortless but passionate drive, never once slipping up or faltering in his performance.

The 14^th Tale is part of Fuel Fest at Bristol Old Vic, which is a series of three shows running until March 23. Click here for more information. 

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

This is the kind of thing the Bristol Old Vic excels at. The contemporary retelling of a Shakespearean play that combines traditional theatre with modern manners in a seamless way.

Directed by Bristol Old Vic Artistic Director Tom Morris, A Midsummer Night’s Dream fuses puppetry from the Handspring Puppet Company with live performance in an effortless interpretation that perfectly captures the famous comic story’s themes of love, fairy tale, reality, magic and danger.

But in this latest incarnation, puppets are not simply wooden marionettes or creatures operated by string… here they take on a new life, and in turn imbue new life in seemingly inanimate objects. In this case, planks of wood. Whenever a cast member isn’t primarily involved in a scene, they pick up a plank and animate it so that it becomes a fairy in a woodland scene, a musical instrument, the moving wind, and any number of other elements. For me, the music from the planks was particularly impressive.

I’m a recent convert to puppets after having seen Kneehigh’s A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings in Bristol Old Vic’s Studio last month. (A VERY recent convert, you’ll agree!). And the use of puppets between these two plays couldn’t be more contrasting. 

While Kneehigh’s use was fairly traditional, in A Midsummer Night’s Dream the puppets encompass all manner of objects – whether these are the planks mentioned above, or beautiful Grecian masks, or the naughty Puck created from an oilcan, basket and saw (manipulated by three actors simultaneously). As these are interspersed with a healthy dose of human acting, the combined effect is one that keeps the audience on their toes. The wealth of imagination in Morris’ production is staggering, but at times it gets a little overwhelming.

There is some fine human acting in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, too – most notably from Akiya Henry as Hermia, who is the funniest and most endearing character in this entire production. Another highlight is Miltos Yerolemou’s Bottom… which combines puppetry and human acting to create a donkey that quite clearly steals the show. I’m loathe to say too much in case I spoil it for anyone, but all I can say is that when you see Bottom, you will know exactly what I mean.

But for me, the ultimate highlight is the very finale of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, when the giant puppets of Titania and Oberon come to life and dominate the whole stage – and this is a set that makes full use of the revitalised Old Vic’s deep, deep stage. Actors Saskia Portway and David Ricardo Pearce are both excellent in these roles.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is performed at Bristol Old Vic until May 4. Click here for furtherinformation and to book tickets. 

Boy In A Dress

La JohnJoseph is a third-gendered, fallen Catholic, ex-fashion model. And this is her raw and exposed autobiographical story (currently being performed at Bristol Old Vic). Everything you’re about to watch is based on La JohnJoseph’s own life.

And what a life that’s been, despite her relatively young years (she was born in 1982). La JohnJoseph is the eldest of eight children, born to a Liverpudlian mother who’s had more husbands than Elizabeth Taylor, and who grew up in poverty, moving from house to house and school to school.

But arguably that’s not what made her childhood difficult. That had more to do with the fact everyone thought John Joseph (named after the Pope) was a girl. As she admits, as a child she believed that to be a girl was inferior to being a boy, but now she wears her third-gendered identity as a badge of honour.

The idea of gender identity is clearly the dominant theme in Boy In A Dress, and in addition to La JohnJoseph, the stage is also occupied by his female counterpart (Erin Siobhan Hutching) and a mannequin – all of which represent different parts of this third-gendered character. They’re supported by a keyboard player (Ed Jaspers), whose music weaves the story together.

Music plays a key role in Boy In A Dress, with La JohnJoseph performing reinterpretations of classics such as Sweet Child Of Mine (interspersed with the story of when his mum tried to have him taken into care), and All Apologies (interspersed with memories of his school truancy spent in public toilets).

Costume obviously also plays a big part, and La JohnJoseph and Erin share clothes, shoes and appearances seamlessly, as they merge into different parts of the same character. In addition, the centre of the stage is dominated by an enormous wardrobe over which the actors climb and dance, and through which they repeatedly emerge. Whether or not this is a nod to the wardrobe in Mr Ben (“as if by magic…”), the wardrobe in Narnia (which leads to another world), or an unsubtle reference to coming out of the closet… it doesn’t really matter. The wardrobe becomes its own character; it’s drawn on, graffitied, abused and repeatedly recreated right in front of our eyes.

La JohnJoseph is like the child Marc Almond and Lulu never had, and her show also starkly reveals a great deal about La JohnJoseph’s difficult relationship with her real mother. It would be interesting to know if she’s seen the show, and how she feels about it.

As a show about the way society views gender, and the rigidity with which most people see the sexes, Boy In A Dress works brilliantly. La JohnJoseph is a very likeable and fascinating character, she doesn’t invite sympathy or remorse, instead she shares and informs.

Boy In A Dress is performed in Bristol Old Vic’s Studio until March 2. Click here for more information. 

‘Riot’ at Bristol Old Vic

“An ëpic tale of viølence, greed and chëap sofas”

Riot was a sell-out success at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and has since toured all over the UK and US. Now it’s back at the Bristol Old Vic, where it’s creators The Wardrobe Ensemble debuted it in June 2011.

It’s another sterling example of the kind of home-grown talent we’ve come to expect from the excellent Bristol Old Vic and it’s various programmes that encourage and nurture young theatre-makers.

Riot is based on a true story of a flatpack furniture superstore (no prizes for guessing which one) that hopes by opening 24/7 it will meet the demand of bargain-hungry Londoners eager to snap up an amusingly-monikered lamp and a sofa bed.

Directed by Tom Brennan, Riot has a brilliant cast of nine who combine comedy, acting, song, dance and mime to recreate the horror show of the grossly over-crowded Edmonton furniture store, which thought it had followed all the necessary safety guidelines.

All of the cast bring something special to the show, but particular stand-out performances come from Tom England (as the unfortunately named James Blumpt) and Jesse Meadows (in a delightfully understated role as the confused Swedish sales assistant Janna). The absolute highlight for me was the amazingly choreographed fight/dance between Fiona Mikel and another cast member… mind-boggling in its intricacy.

The Wardrobe Ensemble is one to keep an eye on. For sure.

Riot was performed at Bristol Old Vic. 

The Wardrobe Ensemble returns to the Bristol Old Vic with 33 from July 10-13.

A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings

Two Kneehigh productions at the same time in the one theatre? Oh, Bristol Old Vic, you are truly spoiling us.

While Steptoe & Son continues to preside over the main theatre, downstairs in the Studio Bristol audiences are indulged with a second helping from the Cornish theatre company, and this time it’s something completely different. As always with Kneehigh, you must expect the unexpected, and A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings delivers surprises by the bucket load.

Inspired by the work of Colombian novelist Gabriel García Márquez, A Very Old Man… incorporates the theatricalities of Kneehigh with skilled puppetry from Little Angel to create a beautiful and majestic piece of inspired theatre.

Set in an unnamed small fishing town, we meet the inhabitants… who are miserable due to the crabs running riot all over the place, their stagnant lives and the child who is getting sicker and sicker. When out of nowhere, a strange creature flies over and lands in their midst… he is a very old man with enormous wings. And their world changes in an instant.

The crabs vanish, the child gets better… and many more miracles start to take place. So many that the townspeople become convinced that the sad creature they’re keeping cooped up in the chicken pen is in fact an angel.

What unfolds is a tale of morality, greed, desire for celebrity and fortune. As visitors flock from across the world to meet the ‘angel’ for themselves, the once humble townsfolk start to get ideas above their stations… and something needs to change.

A Very Old Man… is an utterly delightful show, performed by four extremely skilled puppeteers (Sarah Wright, Roger Lade, Avye Leventis and Rachel Leonard) who all blend seamlessly into the set design to control the enormous constitution of puppets that have been so carefully constructed. From a priest to a chicken, and a small boy to a cycling aide, all of the many puppets are created with such attention to detail and great charm. With music from Kneehigh regulars Ian Ross and Benji Bower added into the mix, this is truly a show to cherish.

Having never seen a full-length adult puppet show before, I am now a complete convert and will definitely be seeking out more.

For more information and to buy tickets (or to take advantage of one of the several Bristol Old Vic offers surrounding this show), please click here.