Theater

There are certain things that we expect from vampires: they must drink blood, fear light, be immortal and be killed by a stake through the heart. However, new elaborations are gathering like cobwebs as we replace their cloaks with leather jackets and bring them into the modern day. Cuddles, a vampire tale by Joseph Wilde, foregrounds the agonising vulnerability these rules can cause, by making its vampire a 13-year-old girl, unable to leave her windowless room and utterly dependent on her older sister, for blood and love alike. The premise is straight out of the nastier kind of fairytale, narrated like a campfire ghost story by upended torchlight. Eve is the unexpected child who landed in her father’s bed, following her longed and wished for older sister Tabby – her sister is cast as a princess and she as a monster, who must be hidden away in darkness pierced only by the odd ray of guilty affection. The dynamics of this two-hander are never allowed to stay simple, though. Rendah Haywood as the older sister, Tabby, shifts from being a princess to a ball-breaking business woman to a gauche woman making her first forays into dating. She manages to find all the slick, sit-com-style laughs in her monologues of city life, but there’s still a vulnerability to her that leaches out through the cracks in her patent and polyester armour. Carla Langley couldn’t be more convincing as a snarling, feral, blood-soaked child, raised by the Brothers Grimm rather than wolves. With no vampiric glamour, she’s an earthy, filthy thing, trapped like a pale white grub in a cocoon of her sister’s fierce rules, governing even how the pair are allowed to cuddle. Wilde’s writing gives the sisters complex, layered monologues and dialogues that point at the different layers of reality they’re living in, exploiting their vastly different experiences for maximum ironic effect. Eve inhabits a twisted Enid Blyton world of Monopoly, jam sandwiches and fantasy stories that are just as real to her as those that Tabby brings back from the world outside, and the strange middle ground the pair find to talk in is agonising and hilarious in turn. Pablo Baz’s lighting design is refreshingly flexible, breaking up the single room’s moods into different shades of fantasy and reality. A lot of this play is genuinely, brutally shocking – these magical sisters aren’t Charmed or charming, and the piece is more of an exploration of the abuser-abused dynamic than of the vampire myth. Although the horrifying revelations are evenly spaced and punctuated with lashings of black humour, the atmosphere can feel grindingly bleak. A swifter pace in the second half could help bring out the elements of farce layered through the story, particularly in Tabby’s disastrous dating life. Still, Cuddles impressively transforms the most stylish of scary stories into something rough, grubby and grotesquely hilarious – this vampire’s draught of blood never looked less like red wine. Cuddles is playing at Ovalhouse Theatre until 1 June. For more information and tickets, see the Ovalhouse Theatre website. The post Review: Cuddles appeared first on A Younger Theatre.

Using the stimulus of the idea that music helps to develop a baby’s sensory awareness, Lullaby is specially designed so that mothers and babies can spend some quality relaxation and exploratory time together. On entering the Adventure theatre, you are asked to remove your shoes and are told that in order to keep it as an intimate performance, one parent and one baby are admitted per ticket. Other observers can watch on a live screen for a smaller fee. Unfortunately, on the performance that I attended, only one mother and baby were booked in (the maximum is 12 pairs), so another observer and I were given access to the cloth tent in which the performance takes place. It is explained that should you need to, you can step out of the ‘tent’ into a small relaxation area filled with lavender plants and comfy benches with your baby, and that the rule is that “there are no rules” in terms of how you want to use your time in the space. Deviser, composer and performer Natalie Raybould, dressed in a neutral fabric similar to that surrounding the tent, begins by kneeling down and singing a haunting yet relaxing melody whilst making small interactions with the babies. The little boy who was sharing the tent with me at this point was completely transfixed, not only by the singing and music, but also by Raybould folding a caterpillar out of muslin, which, through a series of movements, becomes a butterfly. It is both beautiful and engaging for the baby. Slowly, Raybould brings in a large lit ball, and interacts with it as if she was protecting the world. Without spoiling it too much, the singing continues whilst lighting and shadows are used to enhance the mood, although one couldn’t help but feel that more coloured objects or engaging lights could have been used to help keep the babies a little more engaged whilst she steps out of the tent. It is then left to the parents to enjoy ten minutes of time with their child in whatever capacity they want. On exiting, carers are also provided with a website where they can download the music from the show. Although the score is basic, it is effective in having a relaxing effect on the child and their carer, and in the cosy, carpeted tent, it gives a sense of a safe environment in which to play. Lullaby is a great idea to engage children from a very early age in music and the senses, but I hope that it can experiment a little bit more with the idea. The Polka Theatre which, from the outside, wouldn’t look out of place in children’s television show Balamory, uses the slogan “Where Theatre Begins” (which is very apt for this particular performance) and is the perfect venue for the show, allowing the babies to have a bit of play time before or after the show in its many nursery rooms. Overall, Lullaby is a good interactive session for parent and baby to bond, and I think is very important in providing the very young with their first theatrical experience. Lullaby is playing The Polka Theatre, Wimbledon until 25 May 2013. For more information and tickets, see the Polka Theatre website. The post Review: Lullaby appeared first on A Younger Theatre.

When Beats ends, it would be easy to describe this monologue as a one-man show. However, this description would be entirely false. The story within the play would not have had the same impact without the hard work of the lighting, video graphic and music controllers who worked in perfect unison throughout the whole hour of the play, making it easy and effortless to slip into the characters’ mindsets and truly understand their emotions. Kieran Hurley’s portrayal of a handful of characters in one play was completely fantastic. He explored feelings and emotions which we can all relate to and have all experienced, such as fear, anxiety and embarrassment. This made it possible to relate to each character. His own understanding of each person opened up the stereotypical figures within society and finally gave them a voice. For example: the quiet boy, the worrying mother, the proud policeman, the trouble maker up the road and many more in a spectacular fashion. The broad range of character roles, and the combination of the music and lighting, helped to make you feel as if you were in each setting and environment. The team gave you every possible chance to transport yourself to their world. For example, faster, more energetic scenes featured faster, heavier music, and frantic and energetic lights, encouraging you to imagine yourself as the characters and share their emotions. As the play began, Hurley told the audience “It’s not illegal to imagine, yet.” It can be said that he was encouraging you to make the most of the imagination you have, as the team has done in creating this play. The darkness included after the fast-paced sections helped to intensify the heightened events of the play, making the play seem more dramatic. In these moments of recognition, although it was set in 1994, it was easy to draw comparisons with incidents, figures and attitudes which are still prevalent within our society today. The period jokes about the mid 90s gathered great appreciation and applause from the audience, but as a teen born in ’95, many of the jokes felt lost on me. However, there were other humorous points, which I could appreciate and relate too. I can completely see that this play was fantastic and I seriously respect the hard work included, but I think this play was not necessarily over attractive for me. I found the intense lighting and music to be a little overwhelming and distracting, making it difficult for me to easily enjoy it all, although it was clearly an amazing piece of work. Beats was at Bristol Old Vic as part of Mayfest. For more information visit the Mayfest website. The post Mayfest review: Beats appeared first on A Younger Theatre.

Despite the difficulty of finding the location, this is a play which is definitely worth a long journey. The whole environment and set-up help to build curiosity and interest before the actors even take their place behind their desk, to begin their version of events. The basic grey environment seemed to fit the grey and deep subject of the show, which was about normality and destruction. The environment seemed to become a part of the words and voices, and make everything feel related. The grey walls and floor were perfect for Zilla as it helped keep the focus on the actors and their words, rather than the set becoming a distraction and allowing the mind to wander. The simplicity of the environment also worked perfectly with the tone of the play and helped to engage the audience as each word echoed around, creating a feeling of interest and subconscious excitement. The echoes allowed each word to linger in the air and be processed by the audience before the sentence was completed, making each word have its own impact and importance. This pace worked well to hook listeners, as you were constantly awaiting the next word before being able to make sense of what you were being told. This made you eager to remain listening, to make sense of and decode the message you were being given. Engaging with the audience at the beginning and end of the play helped to create a sense of reality, and to remind you that everything that being discussed is apparent in today’s society and relevant to each of us. This is why I think giving each audience member a character  (a Lego person) was such a fantastic idea, as it brought you, as your character, into the fictional city and helped to make it seem more real, extending from a chalk drawing on the floor. The direct language helped you to relate the content to your own life and issues. There was something for everybody to be able to recognise, ensuring everybody would be able to connect and to imagine they too could be a part of this created world. It used the perfect amounts of subtle comedy and just the right amount of seriousness. I found the continuous drawing as the other actor was speaking to be a little distracting, as I was desperate to know what was being drawn. However, the end result was fantastic and the perfect way to close the play, as the re-involving of the audience helped to bring the story through a full circle. This play was different from anything I have ever seen, but hugely interesting. I would advise any serious theatre fans to attend the other two parts whilst they have the chance. Zilla is part of Mayfest in Bristol. Visit the Mayfest website for details of Parts 2&3.  The post Mayfest review: Zilla (Part 1) appeared first on A Younger Theatre.

Tonight, Monday, May 20, cast members from Pippin, Matilda, Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark, and more will go head-to-head in the Seventh Annual Broadway Beauty Pageant, a benefit for the Ali Forney Cen

Each season, Tony Awards nominations are announced. And each year, we debate a little about who really earned it, a little about who got lucky, and a whole lot was missed. "If I were on the nominating committee..." we begin. And that's how the JKTS Awards were born on this blog. It is hard to believe that year this marks the 3rd Annual JKTS Awards. Time sure flies. Even now, I am contemplating the first new musical of the season, First Date. And... well, that is for another time. First things first.As always, I seek ways to gather your input and ideas - after all, I don't just do this blog for me! Today, I'd like your help selecting this year's JKTS Awards categories. I've narrowed it down to three broad categories: The Victor/Victorias, The Tonys Should Honor Awards, and The Just-for-Fun Awards.The Victor/Victorias are those that honor all of those shows, creatives and performers that we felt SHOULD have been nominated, but were overlooked by "the committee."The Tonys Should Honor Awards are those categories that the Tony Awards don't recognize, but really should.The Just-for-Fun Awards are just that - fun, silly categories that celebrate the quirky trends of the season and other theatrical mayhem!Please add your ideas for any categories you can think of - the more the merrier!THIS POLL WILL CLOSE ON FRIDAY, MAY 24 AT 8PM!NOMINATIONS WILL BEGIN ON MONDAY, MAY 27 AND FINAL VOTING WILL BEGIN ON MONDAY, JUNE 3! THE WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON TONY SUNDAY!BE SURE TO SCROLL ALL THE WAY DOWN, ANSWER EACH QUESTION AND CLICK "DONE" AT THE END!Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey , the world's leading questionnaire tool.Jeff4.256

Laura Benanti loves musical theater. Laura Benanti loves popular music. Laura Benanti combines the two in her new cabaret act, In Constant Search of the Right Kind of Attention, at Broadway nightclub

Clutching their newly minted statuettes, the 2013 Drama Desk Award winners met the press Sunday night. Shortly after winning, they were whisked away from the ceremony at Town Hall to the Liberty Thea

The 2013 Drama Desk Awards were announced on Sunday and although the nominations were pretty evenly distributed between Broadway and Off-Broadway, it was mostly Broadway shows that walked away with trophies.Although the Drama Desk likes to tout that it's the only awards that lets Broadway and Off-Broadway duke it out in every category, maybe it's time to rethink that approach since the winners are so lopsided in Broadway's favor?So a special congratulations to all of the Off-Broadway winners this year:Outstanding Music: David Byrne and Fatboy Slim, Here Lies Love [Public Theater]Outstanding Lighting Design: Justin Townsend, Here Lies Love [Public Theater]Outstanding Projection Design: Peter Nigrini, Here Lies Love [Public Theater]Outstanding Solo Performance: Michael Urie, Buyer + Cellar [Rattlestick]Outstanding Revue: Old Hats [Signature Theater] Unique Theatrical Experience: Cirque Du Soleil: Totem [We're really not sure if Cirque du Soleil counts as Off-Broadway]

Winners of the 58th Annual Drama Desk Awards were announced tonight from Town Hall. Eligibility and award category designations for the productions under consideration this season were determined by