Eclipsed... The Ruling Class, Trafalgar Studios

This morning as I mulled over thoughts on the play I’d just seen, ‘The Ruling Classes’, with James McAvoy (14^th Earl of Gurney) at the Trafalgar Studios, there’s a knock at the door.  I reluctantly opened the door to find two women who bore a disturbingly close resemblance to Mrs Peggot-Jones (Paul Leonard) and Mrs Treadwell (Forbes Masson) doing their drag act yesterday.  My eyes took in every pore on the nearest woman's bulbous nose together with the broken veins in the whites of her eyes, before I was asked, “do you know that something amazing is happening all over the world?” I nearly got drawn in at this point as I was itching to quip “you mean the solar eclipse” but restrained myself... “Would you like an invitation to join the special event?”, she asked thrusting a pastel coloured leaflet towards me.  I managed an empathetic “no thank you” and shut the door!  

Forbes Mason (Mrs Treadwell) & James McAvoy (JC)

These two women just happened to be calling door to door along my street but they inadvertently set my mind working on correlations between the play and society today, which of course is the whole point!   Jack has escaped from the realities of his love-starved childhood by creating a safe place for his mind to exist.  His revelation was at a ‘urinal in Acton’ but never mind the banality of the setting, he had a revelation that he was God.  These women are peddling their version of their safe place and off they shuffled to the next unsuspecting victim, safe in the belief that they are doing God's work, oblivious to the truly awe-inspiring phenomenon that was going on above their heads!

Their resemblance to the drag queens in the play was quite disturbing.  The free associations kept coming as I thought of the three disgraced judges just sacked for viewing naughty images on their judicial desktops...  What were they doing but trying to escape reality and hang the consequences (no pun intended), just like dear pater, 13^th Earl of Gurney (also Paul Leonard), inadvertently asphyxiating himself in the process of auto-erotic entertainment at the end of a silk noose.

 Serena Evans (Lady Claire Gurney), J Mac (JC) & Kathryn Drysdale (Grace Shelley)

JC, as Jack likes to be called, is happily deluded at the outset of the play and we warm to him as a harmless (mad) eccentric.  He recognizes no distinctions between people and is as disarmingly kind and generous to both his aristocratic family as well as his servant, Tucker (Anthony O’Donnell).  As the play progresses JC is pushed further and further away from his place of safety.  As he gains his sanity he also gains the ability to act (no pun intended) until finally when all his delusions are stripped away he becomes a fiction.  He pretends to be a loving father and husband but is anything but in his new reality.

James McAvoy (Jack)

The ethos of the play is that the establishment and all its structures and principles are thoroughly rotten at the core and the skill of the play and its players is that we are drawn into the, inexorable, inevitable climax.

I dearly loved Jamie Lloyd's production of Peter Barnes' 1968 play.  The cast were excellent especially James McAvoy with his startling ability to emote and ride a uni cycle all at the same time! Whilst the play/production unashamedly used every theatrical trick in the book to move, shock and entertain its audience with JC even speaking directly to the audience at one point.  These devices only added to the freshness of the experience: many things have changed but the Establishment remains.

Given the current political climate where social mobility has gone into the doldrums, this production couldn’t be more relevant.  It reminds jaded idealists that there is a funny side to even the blackest environment and there will never be a total eclipse of the sun.

I could have better spared a better man!

Full of contradictions and emotional roller coasters, Shakespeare’s master pieces Henry IV Parts1 and 2, were performed for the Barbican audiences entertainment yesterday and I was lucky enough to be there to experience it - warts and all...  We were off to a cracking start as Henry IV encouraging his Lords and whipped them up into a lather of enthusiasm to ride forth and conquor the Holy Lands.  Then the lights dimmed and the bubble burst as a stage manager came out and explained that there were technical difficulties involving stage hydraulics...

Jasper Britton as Henry IV

Half an hour later (and technical difficulties not overcome) we were back from the foyer (full of graduates in gowns with proud relatives) to the Eastcheap establishment of Mistress Quickly.  There’s lots of upping and downing movements from a large bed (centre stage) with accompanying groans. Then two scantily clad women jump out and run off and out pops Prince Hal in boxer shorts.  “Sorry for the delay folks” he grinned, “I was having technical difficulties”.  Trust the RSC to make a problem an opportunity; we all loved it!  Next, Falsvtaff jumps out from his hiding place at the foot of the bed and the play is off on its upward trajectory of fun, poignancy – thrills and intrigue.

Antony Sher (Falstaff) and Alex Hassell (Prince Hal)

Jasper Britton is a brilliant, emotionally volatile and doting father to Alex Hassell’s Prince Hal.  Throughout Henry IV 1 and 2 Henry and Hal play out their emotional tug of war comprised of duty and ego.  Henry is riven with self doubt and guilt about his usurpation of the throne.  Hal is just young and carefree and appears to ignore the pain he is causing his father by his rebellious lifestyle.  Both actors manage to win the audience to their own sides throughout the afternoon and evening, as neither is wholly right nor wholly wrong!  

Alex Hassell (Prince Hal) Jasper Britton (Henry IV)

Falstaff knits the whole narrative together and manages to be lovable, evil, gross and funny but ultimately tragic.  Shakespeare plays with the audience and this interpretation (and with the help of brilliant actors) brings out the subtly of the script – taking us with Falstaff and Hal through their trials and tribulations always managing to wrong-foot our assumptions.  Interwoven with these two superb characters are the men and their women folk who act out the subplot of civil uprising.  

Jennifer Kirby (Lady Percy) Trevor White (Hotspur) Leigh Quinn (Lady Mortimer) Robert Gilbert (Lord Mortimer)

Shakepeare’s plays, as always, are multilayered and running alongside the politics and battles are the intricacies of the lives of those caught up in the slipstream.  Mistress Quickly is one such character and Paola Dionisotti plays the part as though born for it (no insult intended) and indeed, as with Antony Sher’s Falstaff, it seems impossible after this that any other actor could be Mistress Quickly.  She is caught up and tossed around by the course of events and manipulated like a ragdoll by Falstaff.  Paola accentuates this vulnerability by seeming to be frail and defeated even when at points she is futilely trying to stand up for herself.  

Paolo Dionisotti (Mistress Quickly Antony Sher (Falstaff)

By the end of the day we are watching the transformation of the adolesent into a man.  Sir John Falstaff facing a future without hope of influence, knowing he is forbidden to come within 10 miles of his former protegé.  It has to be but a big part of us does not want it to be...

All in all an excellent play-day out at the Barbican - where acts of God are routinely taken in their stride. All hail Prince Hal!

Visions of Angels… City of angels, Donmar Warehouse

Rosalie Craig as Gabby/Bobby

From the very start City of Angels picks you up and takes you on a visceral journey of sex and ‘tecs to the heart of film noir.  I loved it from start to finish, and so did the people surrounding me.  Superlatives like “beautiful”, “fantastic”, and “gorgeous” where muttered around me by an audience only just containing it’s enthusiasm: a near riot of approval!

Samantha Barks

It was a class act from tip to toe with an edgy energy that didn’t flag at any point!  Jazz song and dance, ‘smack!’, the writers letters dynamically added to the scene as he wrote, ‘biff!!’ and to cap it all ‘XXXXXX’ rewrites - actually - acted backwards by the cast whenever the writer did an edit.  “The best backward acting in the West End” as my husband ventured…

The writing by David Zippel was slick and pacey performing a difficult balancing act between two inter-twined narratives: both dependent on each other. Director Josie Rourke showed ingenuity and restraint in mastering the challenge of these parallel worlds, in which most of her cast had to perform two roles each. 

Tam Mutu & Hadley Fraser

The set design of Robert Jones showed once again how the limitations of the Donmar space can actually bring out the very best – his set had more hidden doors than a haunted house and was used as part of the narrative.

Robert Jones amazing set

Needless to say, the music of Cy Coleman was also positively beautiful – from uplifting jazz to stage-standards in the same league as his score for Sweet Charity.

Add to that a cast of top draw actors who can also sing and dance and you are starting to get the picture: this was a production I’m sure Cy, David and Larry Gilbert would have been proud of.

The premise of the show is that the Writer is not only writing a Film Noir but crosses over the fiction, reality divide and interacts with the lead character within his own film.  Their relationship and how this impacts on the writers real life leads to both funny and poignant scenes and to the show’s conclusion.  

Rebecca Trehearn & Rosalie Graig

It seems unfair to single out any of this superb cast for special mention but Hadley Fraser as the conflicted writer Stine and Tam Mutu as his heroic alter-ego Stone were especially impressive whilst Rosalie Craig was a knockout as the writer’s long-suffering, wise-cracking wife and then the detective’s lost love; slinky singer Bobbi.

 

Katherine Kelly as Aluara/Clara

Katherine Kelly was an alluring Aluara/conniving Carla - a classy, classic noir blonde - whilst young Samantha Barks has talent to burn with looks and presence that seem sure to set her on course for a very long career. Nor should I neglect Rebecca Trehearn who alternated between Stone’s secretary and Stine’s studio assistant/bit on the side – another great voice with an, almost intimidating, stage presence… so much energy!

Kadiff Kirwan, Sandra Marvin, Jo Servi and Jennifer Saayeng

The Angel City Four also provided superb vocalisations throughout so a special tip of my new Liberty Hat to Kadiff Kirwan, Sandra Marvin, Jo Servi and Jennifer Saayeng: if you guys are planning any gigs at Ronnie Scotts… we’ll be there!

City of Angels is an emotionally clever, witty, stylish and a thoroughly uplifting theatrical experience. If you can get a ticket don’t hesitate and I really hope it gets the West End transfer it deserves! I feel privileged to have seen so much class in the intimacy of the Donmar but this show deserves a wider audience.