Theater

The 58th Annual Drama Desk Awards Ceremony takes place tonight, May 19 at 8:00PM at Town Hall in midtown Manhattan. An organization of theater critics, writers, and editors, Drama Desk honors excell

Happy spring Sunday, Producer’s Perspective readers! On this rainy spring day, we’re going to give away tickets to a deliciously dark musical . . . Murder Ballad! Murder Ballad was a surprise hit earlier this season at Manhattan Theatre Club’s newly re-opened Off Broadway underground space, and now it’s back downtown at the Union Square Theatre for an uber cool commercial run. It’s got a “killer” cast (get it?  Murder Ballad?  Killer?  I made a “punny”) – Will Swenson, Caissie Levy, John Ellison Conlee, Rebecca Naomi Jones.  And they’ve modified the Union Square Theatre to make the show “environmental.” Environmental shows seem to be all the rage these days, with Sleep No More, and more recently, Here Lies Love and Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 amongst others. What is it about environmental productions?  Is it a generational thing?  Has the modern theater reached an age where our audiences (or our creators) are bored with seeing the same shows in such similar spaces that they’ve busted down the fourth wall and created fifth and sixth walls?  Is it even neater if it doesn’t take place in a theater?  Can any show be environmental? While I encourage your comments on all those questions, it’s the last one that is the subject of this Giveaway.  Pick a show, any show, and set it in an environment specific to the production (ex. Little Shop of Horrors in a Flower Shop) and I’ll pick one winner . . . and that winner will get two tickets to Murder Ballad! Good luck!  Happy Murder! (Got a comment? I love ‘em, so comment below! Email Subscribers, click here then scroll down to say what’s on your mind!) _ _ FUN STUFF: - Play our Tony Pool and you can win an iPad.  Click here to enter and win! - Only 49 performances of Macbeth remain!  Get tix.

Strapped for cash? We have the perfect ticket off for you: £5 tickets to see Fox Trotter Theatre Company’s Black-Out. A brand new show and made up of different plays, Black-Out weaves three plays into one. See below for a bit more information and then scroll down to claim the offer. FOX TROTTER THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS: BLACK-OUT Directed by Marta Noguera-Cuevas The Simulacra Studio, Brixton | 6-8, 13-15, 20 & 21 Jun Black-Out is a new show consisting of three short plays: Ink by Martin Malcom, The Voice That Bleeds In by Dan Horrigan and When We Two Parted by Nathan Cross. Black-Out is a mosaic of several interrelated characters in search of happiness, forgiveness, and peace; their stories taking place on the same night in London. These will be woven into the events of the three different plays to create a single show. For more information about Black-out and the writers, please visit  foxtrottertheatre.wix.com @FOXTROTTERTHEAT Claim the offer: To book your £5 tickets, simply e-mail foxtrottertheatre@gmail.com stating the date of the performance that you would like to see. Valid on all performances. Subject to availability. The post Ticket Offer: £5 tickets to see Black-Out at The Simulacra Studio appeared first on A Younger Theatre.

The moody overcast sky and the anniversary of the execution of George Boleyn in 1536 seemed fittingly portentous for the opening night of Fallen in Love in the Tower of London. The Suffolk-based Red Rose Chain are probably best known for their child-friendly summertime Shakespearean romps in the forest, which explode with energy, enthusiasm, and humour. In contrast, this controversial play about the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn, the feisty queen executed by Henry VIII at the age of just 35, is turbulent and dark, almost a gothic prelude to the summer we’re still waiting for. Written by Joanna Carrick, the play is a series of snapshots of crucial moments in Anne’s life, charting her early adulthood, the fateful attentions of the king, and her constant struggle to bear a male heir and to make Henry love her, which ultimately leads to death. There’s a real sense of growing tension as the scenes become shorter and faster, with the contrast of delightful and poignant moments where Anne and her brother George seek escape in regression to childhood, fooling around with silly voices and singing ballads. This brings us to the controversy: Carrick’s play centres not on the relationship between Anne and Henry, but on that between Anne and George. We all know of the vivacious, daring woman who captured the heart of a king and had him turn the country upside down so they could marry. Fallen in Love takes us deeper, presenting Anne and George as physical and emotional personalities with desires and ambitions, and leaving the audience to decide the truth of the charge of incest brought against them. The production feels like a historical novel brought to life on the stage, and it is no coincidence that Tudor historian and author Alison Weir has lent her support. Fallen in Love, like much historical fiction, presents the often ignored side of history: the female version of the story. Carrick makes clear Anne’s purpose as a political tool at a time when women were generally regarded as mere chattels, and the devastating birth of a second princess in a society ruled by men. Anne could only exercise her power through men, and this frustration is skilfully presented by Emma Connell as the leading lady. Connell is particularly convincing as the young favourite of the king, exasperated after six years of holding off Henry’s sexual advances until the legitimation of the affair by marriage. Scott Ellis’s portrayal of George is also thoroughly enjoyable, contrasting the boisterousness of youth and his deep affection for his sister Anne. The play ends with a moving speech from each sibling before their executions. Unfortunately, this tragic atmosphere is spoiled by the final image of Anne and George reunited in heaven as white petals fall from above; it seems Carrick decided she had to add an imaginary happy ending to this sad tale, and it feels rather tacky. This is soon forgotten, though, when you walk out through the Tower and remember that Anne was imprisoned, executed and buried right here. What could be better than a powerful production staged where the action actually happened all those years ago? Fallen in Love is at the Tower of London on selected dates in May and June until June 16. It is also being performed at Gippeswyk Hall in Ipswich. For more information and to book tickets, please visit the Fallen in Love website. The post Review: Fallen in Love: The Secret Heart of Anne Boleyn appeared first on A Younger Theatre.

Many people aren’t aware that there’s more than one musical adaptation of Gaston Leroux’s novel The Phantom of the Opera. Maury Yeston and Arthur Kopit’s musical Phantom was composed and raising funds before Andrew Lloyd Webber’s, but shelved after Phantom of the Opera became a huge success. Dawn Kalani Cowle’s production at Ye Olde Rose and Crown marks the UK premiere of Phantom, and with a bigger budget behind it, could give Lloyd Webber a run for his money. Neither version is extremely faithful to the book, although Yeston and Kopit’s adaptation is the only one to hold the rights to it. So if you’re familiar with either popular versions, Phantom still won’t be everything you expect. Christine (Kira Morsley) is essentially a busker who is recommended to the Opera House for lessons when influential patron Phillippe (Sean Paul Jenkinson) hears her sing. Unfortunately, his friend Carriere (Tom Murphy), the manager of the Opera House has been sacked, and the new proprietors Carlotta (Pippa Winslow) and Cholet (Andrew Rivera) place Christine in the costume department where the Phantom (Kieran Brown) hears her sing and offers her lessons as a masked maestro. By the time she comes to audition for the company, they can’t deny her talent but Carlotta poisons her drink on opening night so that Christine can’t sing. The Phantom rescues her from the stage, taking her down to his lair where Carriere tries to warn her he’s dangerous, however she is determined that she sees good in him. Until she sees his face. The plot begins strongly, playing for laughs in the beginning and tears in the ending at the expense of focus. Although I’ll admit that I shed a few tears, this was more for Christine and the Phantom’s fleeting love story, over the well-acted but arduously written scene between father and son, the Phantom and Carriere. Other than the leads, the characters remain sketchily drawn as plot devices or caricatures which are likeable but mean that the storyline lacks integrity. Furthermore, the Phantom’s ‘underlings’ are strange characters, that have stepped right out of an amateur show. Excusing this, Phantom is a show that’s carried by a stupendous ensemble. It might be unfair to compare Phantom to The Phantom of the Opera, or just plain inevitable, but it really does help to reflect upon the few problems with Yeston’s score that keep it from being quite so popular. Yeston, who has also composed musicals including Nine, Grand Hotel and Titanic, weaves magic with his choral harmonies. The music is the absolute star of this piece, with swirling and intricate melody lines, it’s a challenge to sing and couldn’t be done better. Kieran Brown as the Phantom and Kira Morsley as Christine are absolutely mind blowing talents; Brown has an emotive and commanding voice, that can turn from burdened to biting in a bipolar instant, and Morsley couldn’t sound sweeter if she were an actual songbird. Each song stands alone, but therein lies the problem. Where Lloyd Webber reuses material like he’s run out of ideas, the running motifs through his version of Phantom are what make the music memorable, whereas you don’t come out humming along to Yeston’s score. All Star Productions need to be forgiven a little for the limitations placed upon them by the small space and presumably small budget. The staging is minimal and best when Cowle embraces the over lugging cheap bits of set on and off. Brendan Matthew’s choreography has moments of brilliance, but has a fancy for symmetrically which looks a little basic. Altogether however, this is a quick and simplistic production which is effective because the performances are so heartfelt. Everything surrounding it should make it hard to believe in the production, but the cast and music make it impossible not to invest and that matters more than anything else. Phantom is so good it actually hurts. Phantom is playing at Ye Olde Rose and Crown until 31 May. For more information and tickets, see the All Star Product

Here at AYT, we are quite excited because we have managed to get a pair of tickets to each night of Iris Theatre’s production Music Impossible at St.Paul’s Church in Covent Garden. With shadow puppetry and an orchestra, as well as the fact that it is in a church, everything about this show looks pretty amazing. You’ve not got long to enter so you better be quick! Gregory Emfietzis and Iris Theatre present: MUSIC IMPOSSIBLE Devised and composed by Gregory Emfietzis 24-26 May | St.Paul’s Church, Covent Garden Based on Myrto Loulaki’s classic fairy tale and performed by the Metapraxis Ensemble, Music Impossible is a shadow puppetry show for all the family where instruments of the orchestra become part of the shadow puppetry world. Join Roger on his mysterious journey, full of thrills and action, as he strives to find a way to destroy the source of evil and bring back music to the city again. Join us as we venture into a… Music Impossible. iristheatre.com Enter the competition: To win a pair of tickets to any performance, simply fill in the form below and submit it by 7.00pm on Wednesday 22 May. A pair of tickets are available for each performance. [contact-form-7] By entering the competition you agree to have your email added to the A Younger Theatre E-Newsletter. AYT never passes your details onto other third parties – we keep them safe! The post Competition: Win tickets to Music Impossible at St.Paul’s Church appeared first on A Younger Theatre.

Marisa Cerveris is fixated on the man in the ribbon tie. She examines his greying hair, receding and combed back off the forehead, a sloping nose, and two delicately poised hands. "It's like seeing a

Set in the ladies’ toilet of a South London nightclub, the audience of No Rhyme are given a snapshot into to life of Lizzie, the toilet attendant. On New Year’s Eve, drama escalates in the cubicles that we soon discover are Lizzie’s home, as both club staff and clubbers take revenge, confront each other and – in one case – even give birth. The show is compelling simply for the double virtue of it being excellently written and well cast. This is the Melanie Pennant’s first piece of writing, having worked for years as a solicitor. No Rhyme is part of the Brockley Jack Theatre’s Write Now Festival, an annual celebration of new writing which has been a feature of the theatre’s programme since 2009. Pennant has a natural flair for dialogue, particularly the colloquial banter between the two clubbers, which bounces backwards and forwards with scattergun rapidity. The audience become completely absorbed in the complicated love lives of these girls, only to be reminded of their petty selfishness under Lizzie’s withering gaze. The drama is given an underscore of mindless club tunes by the sound designer Mark Webber. This background hum forms a constant reminder of the ignorance of the revellers outside about the matters of life and death unfolding inside the toilet. Director Kate Bannister (also the Artistic Director of the Brockley Jack Theatre) has made her cast work extremely hard, as all five of the performers attack the piece with energy and commitment. Susan Lawson-Reynolds gives a performance of slightly frightening its intensity as Lizzie. However, it is Megan Lee Mason (fresh out of Rose Bruford Drama School) who dominates the stage as the streetwise and tough clubber, Nushka. She is a physically intimidating presence, with the perfect swagger, dance moves and foul mouth to match. The designer David Shields and his team have all done a stellar job of turning the tiny black box Brockley Jack Theatre into a fully functioning toilet. There is no miming here as the taps and hand dryer actually work. The extreme realism of the set and the actresses’ performances successfully transports the audience away into this trashy world, making the events of the night even more shocking as they unfold. However, as everything about the production aims for realism, Lizzie’s moments of connection with the divine are somewhat incongruous, as it is not realistic that the other characters would also acknowledge the drums she can hear inside her head. Running at just over an hour, No Rhyme could have easily been half an hour longer and still have sustained the audience’s attention. I felt that the show ended rather quickly, leaving me dissatisfied because many of the character’s problems remained unsolved. However, in the real world, none of these problems have a simple solution anyway, so perhaps this lack of resolve is intended. The entire team of No Rhyme is to be congratulated on an excellent production where their hard work and dedication has paid off. No Rhyme is running at the Brockley Jack Studio Theatre until 25 May 2013. For more information and tickets, see the Brockley Jack Studio Theatre website. The post Review: No Rhyme appeared first on A Younger Theatre.

Many months ago on my daily commute through Finsbury Park station I noticed the beginnings of a renovation project on a decrepit, old building. The reason why I noticed it was because it had my favourite word on it: theatre. As a diehard local, it excited me no end that a slice of the arts world was coming to my doorstep. I explored my passion for theatre with much support and funding from relatives by joining youth groups across the city, which changed my life. The idea that something similar is being created at such an accessible location, only 15 minutes from the centre of London, is phenomenal. To my knowledge, none of the local schools are private ones and many of these schoolchildren use Finsbury Park Station every day, so we can hope that they too, like me, will be drawn to a world that previously seemed impenetrable. Offering that opportunity to so many others is a commendable project. The play itself, These Shining Lives directed by Loveday Ingram, however, was a little underwhelming. Based on a true story, the tale itself is an inspiration; four young women buck the 1920s stereotype of living to be housewives, to instead get a job.In Chicago, Illinois, Radium Dials is a watch-making company paying these women “easy money” at $8 a day to paint the numbers on the watch faces using radium, so that the displayed time shines in the dark. Charity Wakefield, as our brave heroine Catherine Donahue, takes those first valiant steps into the working world and revels in the enjoyment of her independence and newfound friendships. Many of the problems Donahue incurs upon her foray into what was previously a man’s world are unfortunately no different to today. The threat her loving husband Tom, played by the charming Alec Newman, feels when she gets her first taste of success, the maternal guilt of not being the primary caregiver to her children, office politics and corporate bullying. However, when Donahue and her colleagues slowly discover the effects of radium ingestion, their true colours shine through and their subsequent actions are a testament to the women’s liberation movement. Mainly narrated by Wakefield as Donahue, the play is touching but seems to lack a little reality, I felt more could have been made of the company’s corporate responsibility and the result is too predictable to get completely swept up into. Supporting actress Honeysuckle Weeks was lovely in her rare glimpses of humanity as the otherwise brittle Charlotte. Lighting and backdrop of the stage, however, were incredible. The sky felt alive and the moving lake complete with reflections were enhanced perfectly by the musical choices. The creatives, Victor Craven, Tim Shortall and Rob Casey, truly transported you back to the twenties. I have no doubt that Park Theatre will thrive. I only hope that it’s the first of many more theatres to come. These Shining Lives is playing at Park Theatre until 9 June. For more information and tickets, see The Park Theatre website. The post Review: These Shining Lives appeared first on A Younger Theatre.

It’s turning out to be good year for American playwrights in British theatre. No sooner has the curtain come down on the Royal Court Theatre‘s production of Bruce Norris’s The Low Road, then Ayad Akhtar’s Pulitzer-Prize winning Disgraced is set to open at the Bush. Then, we have David Mamet’s Race at the Hampstead and a new play by Daniel Henry Hwang soon to debut at the Park theatre. While differing largely in both form and content, they nonetheless each share a willing ambition to address some rather meaty subject matter: the roots of modern capitalism, culture and religion in the twentieth century and well, race, respectively. By comparison, Amy Herzog’s 4000 Miles is a curiously subdued affair; a mournful chamber piece occasionally buoyed by flashes of humour. It’s a play peopled with characters attempting to recall the past, but it often lapses into sentimentality. The problem with 4000 Miles is that the issues it sets out to explore are addressed too diffusely. Herzog’s writing demonstrates a tenderness and humanity, but she fails to sustain a dialogue with the wider conflicts she sets out early on in the play. Set in the very recent past, the story begins when 21-year-old Leo (Daniel Boyd) arrives unannounced in the dead of night on his grandmother’s doorstep. Vera (Sara Kestleman) is 91, a dyed-in-the-wool communist and has lived alone in her rent-controlled Manhattan apartment ever since the death of her husband, Jo. Leo is an insouciant pot-smoking hippy returned from a cross-country bike ride gone horribly awry. Over the course of one month, Leo and Vera reminisce and bicker like an old married couple; both feel adrift and unable to pin down their own sense of purpose. They chatter about the past, family, politics and sex, until Leo’s estranged girlfriend Bec (Jenny Hulse) shows up, prompting more conversations about the past, family, politics and sex… etc. 4000 Miles is a play preoccupied with looking back, the clash of generations that is exemplified through Leo and Vera’s relationship should be grounds for great drama, but it’s dissipated by the play’s lack of forward momentum. By the end of the play, I was left wondering whether the vague sense of loss that plagues Leo and Vera had somewhere spilled over into the fabric of the play itself. The acting is strong overall, but particularly praise must go to Kestelman as Vera Joseph; a volatile concoction of compassion and cynicism, she communicates Vera’s frailty with remarkable sensitivity. Boyd is understated as the listless Leo, his naïve, boyish charm serving as a suitable foil for Vera’s world-weary wisdom. Despite the play’s shortcomings, James Dacre’s staging is thoughtful and considered; Simon Kenny’s design is a pleasure to behold – Vera’s apartment has been meticulously researched and communicates a whole interior life through a sophisticated attention to detail. The Print Room’s intimate, end-on staging is perfectly suited to the domestic interiority of the play, having made a very clean transition from the Theatre Royal Bath’s Ustinov Studio. 4,000 Miles is playing at the Print Room until 1 June. For more information and tickets, see the Print Room website. The post Review: 4000 Miles appeared first on A Younger Theatre.