'The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui' Duchess Theatre ****

Bertolt Brecht's work has not been seen in the West End for some time now so the decision to stage his 1941 play 'The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui' is a bold one. The play is about a man, Arturo Ui's rise to power. The story line is a satirical allegory to the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. I found the narrative to be clear and concise throughout the entire performance. The performances by the company were very convincing and brilliantly delivered during the proceedings. I thought that Henry Goodman's portrayal of the lead character Arturo Ui was exceptionally conveyed as he shows a mans desire to become the leader of a cauliflower rack as the only way to make his life seem worth it. Michael Feast's performance as Ui's rival Ernesto Roma was superb as he understands the deceptive nature of the business that both the men are in and the power and persuasion that Ui has over the people. Jonathan Church's direction is marvelous as he brings the political context entwined with the humorous dialogue onto the Duchess Theatre's stage to a array of different age groups.  No wonder this production was a hit at the Chichester Festival Theatre this year. The productions designer Simon Higlett has crafted a gangsters scenario to a brilliant standard of finish and it seems that a lot of time had been taken to ensure a polished design. In addition the attention to detail was amazing here. However in terms of the production as a whole I feel that three hours of Epic Theatre is far too long so some scenes could have been edited to ensure that the audience can engage with the context fully and intently. On the other hand I think that the the performance does make you think about who in the government you can fully beleive in and the manipulation they have to ensure votes. I have to comment of the fight work by Terry King as he seems to have worked with the company to establish belivable confrontations which enhances the professional quality. On the whole a very good production.             

'The Drowned Man' Temple Studios ****

Punchdrrunk's latest devised production is 'The Drowned Man' and it most definately got a lots of highs and some lows. The immersive journey is set in the abandoned Temple Pictures and tells the story of two couples Wendy and Marshall and William and Mary who are both going through the exact same situations and invetibaly ends in utter devestation. The shows design was phenomenal and incredibly immersive where we are given the freedom to touch the objects, which is what you would expect from an immersive theatre piece. So a huge congratuations to the designers Livi Vaughan and Beatrice Minns for using a eclectic array of materials and for using the buildings dimensions so efficiently. Unfortunatrly in terms of immersive acting I was quite disappointed by this as the audience and actor relationship was hardly apparent. and if you do go and see an immersive theatre piece you expect the entire immersive exprience which I didn't obtain sadly. However the acting performances outside of the immersive atmosphere was superb as they convey the unemployed workers of a defunct movie studio to a high professional standard. At certain points I found the prodcution to be quite scary , this was largely due to the sound design by Stephen Doyle. This encapsulates the chilling atmosphere and the lighting design by Mike Gunning was brilliant as again conveys the murderous situations that are exuded throughout the performance.. In my opinion I think that the direction from Punchdrunk's directors Felix Barrett and Maxine Doyle was exceptional as they have been able to to create a world in a large space that depicts a dark and mysterious journey of the abondoned film studios and it seems to convey a high successful level of collaboration that was exhibited throughout all areas of the theatre making process. I think that for Punchdrunk to return to their home country and stage a piece of theatre here was a very good choice and it seems to appeal to quite a broad range of audience so my final words are "well done Punchdrunk".      

'Scenes from a Marriage' St James Theatre ***

The year old St James Theatre has produced some extraordinary productions since its opening but its current play to brace the stage 'Scenes from a Marriage' seems rather disappointing for ones liking. The play is about a well established married couple who seem to be well respected in their fields of work. Marianne a family divorce lawyer and Johan a senior lecturer at a university at the beginning seem like the perfect married couple but as time flows by the marriage is left in absolute tatters. The story by Ingmar Bergman conveys a depressing and negative view of marriage that desensitizes me as the narrative seems to go from a happy harmonious atmosphere to one full of dread and despair. The acting is of an acceptable standard but I must commend Olivia Williams' portrayal of Marianne as she encapsulates a troubled woman who becomes exactly what she fears the most, becoming a divorcee in her mid forties. Her emotions exhibited here were second to none as she identifies with women who are going through this very tough time in a realistic manner and situation. In addition I found Mark Bazeley's performances of the senior lecturer Johan to be well presented as it seems that he has researched the character who is going through a mid life crisis to the best of his capacity and the movements to convey his drunkenness were well executed. I am quite dismayed by Trevor Nunn's direction as it seems that not a vast amount of creative decision making was thought of with this production as it seems very dull and tiring at places. A huge comparison to the productions that he has directed before such as 'Les Miserables' and 'Kiss Me, Kate' which were stunning and uplifting. I thought the set design was rather bland which leads me to question whether enough collaboration was taken to ensure a superb five star standard of performance. At various points throughout the proceedings in particular scene changes I could hear a vast concoction of noise exuding through the backstage areas and this aggravates me immensely as this should not happen under any circumstances. Also when ticket prices are expensive here you should not expect such shoddy showmanship and craftsmanship. In other words this production leaves a lot to be desired. I have seen substantially interesting production than this rubbish.  Hopefully the next play in the season 'In the Next Room or the Vibrator Play' is a much more stylised performance that delivers both panache and quality in all areas.                 

'Chimerica' Harold Pinter Theatre *****

The Almeida Theatre's West End transfer of 'Chimerica' and now officially closed was a really splendid production to have witnessed. The play is set in both America and China and deals with a young American photojournalist Joe on his quest to search for the man who made history by standing infront of an army tank in Tiananmen Square, 1989 and refusing to move. Joe asks himself three vital questions whilst on his journey. Who was he? What happened to him? And could he still be alive? The writyer of this magnificent piece of theatre writing Lucy Kirkwood has captured the themes of China's fight to end its communist movement so tenderly that it did not appear offensive to me whatsoever. The performances by the company were brilliantly represented and delved into its controversial context so delicately. Joe Schofield played by Stephen Campbell Moore conveys the photojournalist on his quest for the infamous man suggests that he is in fact searching for his own sense of fame and by finding him could solve the answer to all of his problems. The portrayal pf Zhang Linwho is portrayed by the splendid Benedict Wong was extraodinary as he enables us to understand the mans desire to denounce communism and for China to move forward as a land of fair democracy.  The meotional engagements form both the two lead performers ensures the comparisson  between the two countires and how they both connect through a kind of friendship. The direction by Lyndsay Turner was fabulous as she has eleoquently worked with a script with quite heavy themes and produces a production that makes us think about how we should collaborate to ensure equality for all. The set designer Es Devlin has beautifully crafted a set that depicts the heartfelt and most importantly the shocking nature of the piece and seting it fully on the stage revolve was an interesting choice but in my opinion it does all to the fluidity of the entre performance.  To those who could not book tickets for this outstanding piece of theatre making should be slightly upset as this was a show to be seen this summer/autumn.   

'Handbagged' Tricycle Theatre ****

The Tricycle Theatre in the hear of Kilburn, London has most definitely chosen a poignant play to brace the stage this Autumn. 'Handbagged' by Moira Buffini takes on a fictional story on the relationship between the Queen and Britain's only female Prime Minister to date Margaret Thatcher. The plays dialogue is particularly funny as it features both younger and older representations of the same character inhabiting in the same scenarios and circumstances. The political context highlights that politics can sound and seem quite comical even though generally it is far from it. Buffini's narrative is incredibly clear as it takes on the journey of the two well spoken women and their dealings with one another. The performances by Marion Bailey as the older and current Queen and Shelia Gonet as the late Iron Lady convey the women superbly through both the comedy and the emotion. I found it quite amusing when they both exclaim their points the other says that what the other has spoken is fundamentally fictitious too save their undying reputations within the United Kingdom and the rest of the world. The younger imitations of the of these powerful greats, Clair Holman as the Queen and Fernella Woolgar as Lady Thatcher were brilliant presented as it shows the attitudes the lady's had towards one other at the start of Margaret Thatcher's control of the British Government. Unfortunately at certain points Holman did seem to not deliver her lines so coherently and unfortunately stumbles, such a shame to see as the majority of her performance is flawless. The Tricycle's Artistic Director Indhu Rabasingham directs the piece and her artistic decision making is nothing but honest and true because she understands the concept of two national and international figures explaining their own perspectives on events throughout such time e.g. the collaboration between the two women and the late American President Ronald Reagan. Richard Kent's design is simplistic but effective as it conveys the sophistication that British is stereotyped as and the manner in which the Queen and Baroness Thatcher speak to each other in both the professional world and the personal world. A most pleasing scene indeed.  This production is a fitting and amusing tribute to the only female British Prime Minister and should be seen by all of you.                

'Hysteria' Hampstead Theatre ***

The current production at the Hampstead Theatre at this moment is 'Hysteria' and I must commend that this show is full of history, wonder and mystery. The play is about the ways in which the founder of psychoanalysis Sigmund Freud deals with his patients and friends at his world famous Hampstead home, which is now a museum dedicated to his memory. I found the script written by Terry Johnson to be of a good standard but sometimes the dialogue seemed quite too long winded for ones liking especially in the comedic moments. Apart from this I do feel that the writing does appeal to a wide range of audiences especially eighteen year olds plus. The performances were incredibly well delivered which seems to me that for an Off West End theatre that it can produce productions that highly regarded theatre performers want to brace the threshold and take on these challenges.  The plays central protagonist Sigmund Freud played by the ever faithful Antony Sher was conveyed brilliantly as he has captured the flavour of this influential practitioner in both the emotional moments through to the more obtuse ones e.g the dream sequence in the second act. Adrian Schiller as futurist artist Salvador Dali steals the limelight here as his comedy moments electrified the audience as there were laughs from all corners of the auditorium. His voice work was of a satisfactory nature as it feels far too forced somewhat. The shows director who in fact is the writer of the piece has created a good show that delves into both psychology and artistic themes and the juxtaposition between the two works really well for me. Johnson can both write and direct a production without trouble even for the same show. Lez Brotherston's design was spectacular as he has created Freuds home of 20 Marsefield Gardens onto a small stage without any problems an it's ironic that the theatre is only five minutes away from that location if the performance. On the whole a good production that you should see before it closes.

'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time' Apollo Theatre *****

It is safe to say that 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time' is by far  the best play in the West End at this current time. The production is based on the story of a fifteen year old boy Christopher who has Aspergers Syndrome who tries to solve the case of the viscous murder of his neighbour's dog. The acting is exceptional throughout.  I found the lead played by Mike Nobel was superb throughout the performance and it felt that vast amounts of research had been taken to ensure that he conveyed the right words and actions as to not offend the audience.  Aspergers can be a sensitive issue. The boys parents Judy (Amanda Drew) and Ed (Trevor Fox) allow the audience to understand the immense pressure it is to have a son with this condition and the toll of this sometimes breaks the family apart. This is another outstanding production directed by the marvellous Marianne Elliot as she has been able to direct a production that leaves me with a humongous smile on my face. I found her vision to be one of such wonder that makes me believe that she thoroughly deserved her Olivier 2013 Award for Best Direction. Hopefully her work for 'Port' has such recognition and wins an Olivier in Spring 2014. The design of the set by Bunny Christie and outstanding video design by Central School of Speech and Drama graduate Finn Ross was an extraordinary piece of craftsmanship and it seems that a lot of work has been taken to ensure a phenomenal production  that has wowed audiences time and time again. I was sincerely fulfilled whilst watching this beautiful production. The Movement Directors, Artistic Directors of Frantic Assembly, Steven Hoggett and Scott Graham have incorporated a visionary wave of choreography that enables you to travel on a journey with Christopher and the other characters.This is conveyed through their own experiences and it's great to see such brilliant movements presented by the company. This is the production to be seen so I urge you not miss out on this outstanding play.    

'A Midsummer Night's Dream' Noel Coward Theatre ****

The current production of the opening season of the Michael Grandage Company 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' was a production full of delight. I thought that Michael Grandage has constructed a very successful contextualised  performance of William Shakespeare's comedy. I particularly  found the abandoned and destroyed country house to convey the forest to be a fascinating and highly intriguing concept which seemed that the attention to detail to be of near perfection. The performances by its two lead actors, David Walliams who in my opinion plays the actor turned donkey Bottom to be well presented but I found some of his 'Little Britain' traits to be exuding through the role. Sheridan Smith's portrayal of Titania/Hippolyta was superb as she has understood the balance of playing a straight faced woman in a business suit to a fairy who seems to be under the influence of drugs. What a brilliant interpretation of the role. In addition I found the ensemble work to be of a good standard but I thought the voice projection wasn't so well presented as I had a vast amount of trouble hearing what they were saying.  The director Michael Grandage has understood  the level of detail needed to craft a well established play to appeal to a contemporary audience and it seemed whilst observing the audiences reaction  to it was perceived well. It also seems to me that the time taken to put this production from rehearsal to construction  seemed to be utilized effectively. Another successful play for the Michael Grandage Company.   The shows designer who has designed all of the productions for Michael Grandage, Christopher Oram has designed a parallel world where all the characters are on a sort of 'acid trip' and that the juxtaposition betwwen the hippie world the normal world works particularly well for ones liking. It feels to me that the director and the designer have worked seamlessly together to pull of a good production that audiences seems to admire and love.  It's safe to say that the Michael Grandage Company is starting a trend to the future of up and coming theatre companies . Well done to the Michael Grandage Company for another spectacular performance.