Noughts and Crosses - Review - Northern Stage

Noughts and Crosses

Northern Stage
7th May 2019

Arriving at the Northern Stage was a shock: the place was heaving with teenagers. I have never seen so many young people at a theatre production. Aha! of course, Malorie Blackman!

Noughts and Crosses is based on the book series of the same name by award-winning Young Adult writer, Malorie Blackman, who as Children’s Laureate initiated the Young Adult Literary Convention, which takes place at London ComiCon. She saw a way of bringing books to where her young audience was already. More recently, she wrote the Doctor Who episode concerning Rosa Parks. You may begin to detect a theme here. What Malorie Blackman excels at is taking highly political themes, of oppression and resistance, racism and direct action, and examining them through the lens of young lovers and fighters, in a speculative world that resembles but whose difference sheds light on our own.

Noughts and Crosses is set in a world divided between the privileged (black) Crosses and the exploited (white) Noughts, who are derogatorily referred to a ‘Blankers’, a term which has the same hateful power as the N-word in our world. It features two young people, Sephy and Callum, who fall in love across this divide. So, as my friend put it, just Romeo and Juliet then? In a sense, yes. But its dilemmas seem very modern, with echoes not just of Apartheid South Africa and the US Civil rights Movement, but also of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, whose spectre has been re-raised by the murder of Lyra McKee by the New IRA.

The young lovers are: Sephy (Persephone), daughter of the Cross Home Secretary, Kamal and alcoholic mother, Jasmine; and Callum McGregor, the Nought son of their sacked servant, Maggie. Sephy and Callum are childhood friends who, as they grow, are forced to keep their friendship secret. Under external political pressure, Kamal is forced to begin desegregation, allowing the first Nought pupils into previously exclusively Cross schools. Callum is one of the first of this experimental intake.
The violent reaction of the Crosses to this is reminiscent of the racist violence against the US Civil Rights Movement. Sephy is ostracised and later assaulted by her Cross friends, for attempting to bridge this violent divide. Callum is forced to publicly deny his friendship with Sephy, a betrayal he attempts to justify by saying it was for her own protection.

As the political tension increases, Callum’s brother Jude and his father Ryan are drawn to the Resistance Militia. Callum and his mother Meggie maintain that resistance must be non-violent. The divide is not just between communities but is causing a rift within families. We learn that Callum’s sister has been the victim of violence from within their Nought community for having a Cross boyfriend, and the internal conflict has driven her mad. She refuses to leave her room and labours under the delusion that she is not a Nought but a Cross.
When the Resistance Militia set a bomb in a crowded shopping centre, Jude and Ryan are forced to flee in the ensuing anti-terrorist crackdown. Ryan is caught but, refuses to betray his son’s whereabouts. He is prepared to die for the cause. He is tried and sentenced.

Sephy finds the whole situation unbearable and resolves to escape: either to boarding school or to run away with Callum, who she asks, in a smuggled letter, to meet her.
Thus ends Act One.

Act Two opens, three years later.
Sephy is back from boarding school; Callum is on a brief visit home from the Militia which he has joined following his father’s death. It is only now that he receives Sephy’s letter. They meet, but in a shocking twist Sephy is taken hostage.
Callum is left alone to guard Sephy, while the others go to pick up the ransom. She angrily confronts him and they are reconciled.

The kidnappers are betrayed and the plot darkens further; options are offered and choices made leading to a horrifying finale.  However thehearbreaking final scene offers a slither of hope for the future, in an echo of the opening scene.

The play packs a huge amount of action into its two hours. It felt Shakespearean in its weight and complexity, but also startlingly modern. The staging, set design, video, sound and lighting design, all added heft and drama to the powerfully adapted script by Sabrina Mahfouz. Stark black and rusty red walls, minimalist set, banks of tv screens, the discordant soundscape created a pressing sense of drama. The surreal slo-mo physicality of the fight and bombing scenes used the minimal props to extreme effect. The massive steps up to the gallows and the eerily lit noose, dwarfing the onlookers, added dramatic tension and shocking power to the climax of each act.
I was weeping at the final scene and praying for a reprieve. But this is a modern Romeo and Juliet.

My only quibble: in compressing such a vast story, summarising the 3-year gap when Sephy is at boarding school and Callum in the Militia, felt a bit feeble, and the device of the undelivered letter strained credulity – but I’m not sure how you would do it otherwise.
Malorie Blackman is quoted as saying that she is sorry that the themes are still as relevant as when she wrote the book 20 years ago. Which is sadly true on a societal level, but as drama it gives added grip. And that teens could still be talking animatedly and identifying so intensely with a book written before they were born, is a tribute to both Malorie Blackman and the production team, from the writer, director, designers and cast, who played their roles flawlessly.

It sent me back wanting to read the whole series from the start to the latest book, Crossfire, due out this summer.

Gerry Byrne

Dial M for Murder - Review - Royalty Theatre

Dial M for Murder 
Royalty Theatre
18th Mar 2019

Tony Wendice (James Errington), former tennis player, discovers his wife, Sheila (Abbi Laidlar), has been having an affair. Having married her for her money, he plots the perfect murder to rid himself of an unfaithful wife but still keep her money. He "persuades" an old school housemate (Lee Wilkins) with a chequered past,  to execute the plan, and even enlists his wife's former lover Max (Alex Goodchild) to act - unknowingly - as his alibi. However, despite his careful planning not everything goes as expected and things soon begin to unravel. He manages to turn the situation back to his advantage but has not bargained on the tenacity of Max, or the investigating officer Inspector Hubbard (John Appleton).

This is a dialogue heavy play, with the history of the characters' relationships having to be explained so that the audience understands their current situation. It is a play of words rather than action - suspense builds as the audience learns each character's story and viewpoint. Sheila believes her once faltering marriage is now safe and stable; Max still loves Shelia despite her loyalty to Tony; Tony is devious, deceptive, self absorbed and unforgiving. James Errington plays the part with skill - wearing a mask of friendly civility which slips to reveal his cold, sneering true self the minute he is not being observed (the audience almost booed, but we contented ourselves with a sharp intake of breath and a collective "oooh!").

The tension is relieved with occasional touches of humour - Max wearing Tony's too small dinner jacket, Insp. Hubbard asking Shelia to hold off on her breakdown for a few minutes...

Direction from Billy Towers and Olivia Bowern allows the actors to give the audience glimpses of the true situation while their characters remain unaware, and makes the most of the nuances of the script. 

Lighting and sound are sharp - with excellent use of music appropriate to the period, both before and during the play. There were a couple of prop malfunctions on the night, and one or two stumbled lines - but the manner in which cast and technical team cope with these is always a good measure of  a production and they were covered skilfully,

with a degree of aplomb and a smattering of good humour. I'm sure first night nerves will calm as the week progresses and performances will be smoother.

One downside was the rather laboured footsteps to the door - while there had to be the sound of approaching footsteps, it seems every character regardless of build, has the same heavy footed tread which detracted from the seriousness of the moment and tended to puncture some of the tension at a point where it ought to be taut. But this is a minor quibble in what is an entertaining, and on the whole suspenseful production - and it does have a nicely revealed twist at the end and sharp curtain drop finish. 

Strong performances from the cast - in particular James Errington and Alex Goodchild - and excellent technical support make this well worth seeing. It plays until Sat 23rd March. Tickets can be booked in advance via the website or purchased on the door. 

Denise Sparrowhawk 

All Together Like the Folks of Shields - Review - Westovians at the Pier Pavilion

All Together Like the Folks of Shields

Pier Pavillion
17th Oct 2017

Cast
The Charltons
David Beston
Tracy Office
Jack Robert Young
Declan Marshall
The Armstrongs
John Errington
Viv Wiggins
Katie Stubbs

Directed by Jim Barton


Written by David Cooke this is a comedy set in neighbouring flats in South Shields in the 1970. It follows the relationships of two families. The Charltons, and the Armstrongs. They have very different outlooks on life, and very different lifestyles. The Charltons are a dyed in the wool Shields family, Des is a bloke's bloke, the life and soul of the party. They are established in their home which was left to them by Des's mother. The Armstrongs have moved into their flat after a downturn in their fortunes. Alvera has had to give up her big house, full of all the mod-cons the 70s could offer and take a job cleaning other people's big houses. She is not happy in the flat.
The contrasts between the two families provide the opportunity for comedy. Des is constantly drunk, while George Armstrong is straight-laced and serious, disillusioned with life. As the play progresses we learn that all is not as it seems for either of the households. Life in the Charlton's house is not quite the one long party it appears. Pushed to the limit by their husbands' attitudes and behaviours, the two wives take action and creating the bizarre circumstance that finally reveals all the secrets of the two families. Alongside this their sons and daughter watch the developments and play out their own drama.

There is a lot wit in the sparring verbal sparring between the characters, and this is the strength of the play. The dialogue is very funny, and the extreme action the women take to teach their men a lesson leads to humorous situations. But there is a lot going on in this play - it has more twists than a corkscrew. There are several threads - the reason for George Armstrong losing his job, the history behind the dislike between the two men, not to mention what is really going on in Des Charlton's life. Then there is the two sons and the daughter's storylines. The play tackles unemployment, self esteem, relationships, teenage aspiration, family values, sexism and chauvinism, and the value of reputation and principles and finally of friendship and vindication. That's a whole lot for one play to try to deal with. Act One lays the foundations and sets us up for the (many) revelations that are to come. It is the stronger half of the play - because of its simplicity. Act Two has so much to unveil that it loses its way a little - it feels like there are just too many threads to follow. You could make two plays out of it - one with the adult's story and another with the teenager's story. Director Jim Barton does a fair job of pulling it all together.

That said it is very funny and the characters are likeable despite their many flaws. The set is cleverly done with the stage split between the two flats, and the lighting and freeze frame effects work well as the action swaps between the Charlton's and the Armstrong's homes. There are good performances from all the cast. as always we see some excellent drunk acting from all four adults but particularly David Beston.  I think particular mention should go to Declan Marshall who gave an assured performance as Jack Charlton in his stage debut.

All Together Like the Folks of Shields runs until Sat 21st October. It will give you a laugh even if, like me, you come from Sunderland.

Denise Sparrowhawk

Exit Routes - Review - The Theatre Upstairs

Exit Routes

The Theatre Upstairs
10th October 2017

Presented by The Billingham Players
Written by Liz Turner
Directed by Denise Philips

The Theatre Upstairs is a quirky little theatre on Billingham Green. A former dance hall, the auditorium has tiered seating but no stage which makes it feel like an indoor amphitheatre. it makes for a versatile and interesting performance space. It is the home of the Billingham Players, and from the moment you enter and climb the stairs there is a sense of  community here. The walls are decorated hand painted theatrical images, and a stair lift waits patiently to help anyone who can't manage the climb. You are welcomed with a smile and a greeting at the desk, and counted for the all important visitor stats. Tonight there is a very pleasing buzz of conversation as people take their seats, calling greetings across the seats as obvious regulars arrive and spot friends in the audience. . The atmosphere is relaxed, warm and friendly.

As the house lights go down however, the chatter stops instantly and the show begins. The setting is a factory canteen, complete with plastic chairs, Formica tables, a service counter offering an array of snack food and a tea urn. The cast enter to the strains of "Here come the girls"  - an ironic, yet apt musical choice as it very quickly becomes clear that these are no kick-ass girl-power divas, but downtrodden, bored factory workers. They have just had the joy of a lottery win, swiftly followed by the disappointment of the size of the pay-out. The women talk about what they will do with the money: Laura, the youngest, has already spent most of hers, the older women will save theirs and put it towards Christmas. The amount of the win is enough to make the present a little easier, but not enough to help them escape the drudgery of factory working. And as the play progresses we learn that they all have other reasons to want to escape, and for some, reasons why escape is unlikely.

This is a funny play. The women dream of a better life, they joke, and carp, and push boundaries, sometimes over stepping the mark, but never entirely falling out - until one of them does the unthinkable. The women spark off each other as only a close knit group can do. It reminds me of Shakers, and The Rag Trade.

For me the two stand out performances come from Hanna Smith and Carol Daley. Hanna as the youngster Laura, struggling to understand the older women, living for the moment, and refusing to see life beyond 30. The scene in the pub where she drinks herself almost under the table is classic. (Yet another example of convincing drunken acting, I am beginning to wonder if it is a speciality of North East amateur dramatics!) And Carol is completely convincing as the Lithuanian Halina, from the accent that never falters to the facial expressions and gestures, she is decidedly Eastern European!

This was my first time at the Theatre Upstairs, all in all it was an enjoyable and entertaining evening.
Theatre right on your doorstep, and they have a bar and ice creams. What more could you need?
Exit Routes plays until Saturday, tickets are just £11/£9 and you can pay on the door.

Denise Sparrowhawk

Much Ado About Nothing - Barnes Park - Review

Much Ado About Nothing
Theatre Space NE in Barnes Park
18th Aug 2017

Theatre Space NE's Plays in the Park have become the theatrical highlight of the summer in Sunderland, drawing crowds of intrepid adventurers out into the sunshine - and sometimes the rain - to experience the theatre in a different, more inclusive way. They traditionally stage three plays in three parks across the city - two Shakespeare and a family play, the latter usually written or adapted by a local writer. This year they offered Henry IV in Roker Park, Robin Hood in Mowbray Park and finally this week Much Ado About Nothing in Barnes Park. Sadly I couldn't make it to the first two productions, but survived the A19 trip from Hartlepool to Sunderland in time to catch their second performance of Much Ado.

Due to start at 6pm, the heavens naturally opened and poured out the contents of a large black cloud at 5.45pm. By the time we gathered at the Coach House Café for "curtain up" the clouds were departing and the last few drops of rain were giving way to sunshine. Clearly this was entirely due to the Gods taking pity on the actors as they sang a forlornly hopeful rendition of "Rain, rain go away".

The proceedings begin with the usual health and safety announcements - done in the style of a BBC announcer from the "magic black box", and then we are off. Transported to Italy after the end of a campaign of war (Italy was full of warring factions in the day - all the noble lords trying to pinch each others lands). Don Pedro (Steven Blackshaw) plays host to the returning heroes and his own brother Don John (Dale Jewitt) (nasty piece of work he is - full of scheming and sibling envy). Benedick (David McCarthy) wants to talk of war and daring deeds, but much to his disgust his friend Claudio (Luke Maddison) has seen the beautiful Hero (Eilidh Talman) and wants only to talk of love and marriage. Benedick thinks marriage is folly and swears he will die before he is wed. While Hero's cousin Beatrice (Corinne Kilvington) is scathing of men - and in particular Benedick - saying there is no man worth giving up her freedom for. She swears she would rather stay single as she is than marry an unworthy suitor.

Claudio, happy in love, plots with his friends to make Beatrice and Benedick fall in love, while Don John plots to undermine his brother Don Pedro by breaking up the marriage of  Claudio and Hero (it's all very devious and complicated!) From this ensues a wealth of comic and tragic misunderstandings. Lives are and happiness are threatened, fools and knaves are revealed, and well, if you want to know how it all turns out you shall have to get along to the park and join the adventurers!

As always it is difficult not to end up listing everyone when it comes to performances of note - but mention has to be made of Dale Jewitt who excels as both the superciliously conniving Don John and the self-important yet asinine Dogberry; David McCarthy is glorious as Benedick, and is surely the audience's favourite. David John Hopper as Leonato is transformed from a foppish sycophant in the first acts to a resolute, determined statesman in the final act, both persona's perfectly believable. Samantha Bell morphs from the tipsy maid, Margaret, to the jobsworth watchman Secole, and finally to an almost Julie Waltersesque performance as the elderly Friar.  She gets full marks for character hopping. Eilidh Talman is a beautiful and graceful heroine.

The best thing about Theatre Space NE's productions is that they don't take their Shakespeare too seriously - they are actively trying to make it accessible to everyone, so there is none of the grandiose pontification that in the past has been the mark of Shakespearean acting. Any pontificating is done very much tongue in cheek. They are not afraid to add in elements to make the play relevant and accessible to a modern audience, but do this without sacrificing the essence of the original. They add music and song. They interact with the audience, asides are generally addressed toward particular audience members. Eye contact is key - this is not an audience watching a play, this is an audience experiencing a play. There is no better way to experience Shakespeare in Sunderland!

Don't miss the last two chances to experience Plays in the Park this summer - Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th August, 6pm at Barnes Park. 

Denise Sparrowhawk

Oliver Twist - Royalty Theatre - Review

Oliver Twist
Royalty Theatre
19th June 2017


The Royalty's season finale is an adaptation by Jeremy Brock of Dickens' much loved tale of Oliver Twist.
A challenging play to stage for an amateur stage society - not least because of the association most people will have with the Lionel Bart musical, and the preconceptions that will bring. Fortunately the setting on stage has more in common with recent televised Dickens drama - with their dismal, murky interiors than with the old fashioned Hollywood musical style. Dicken's works are filled with dark settings, and larger than life characters. It's a big ask to find actors for all the parts and the Royalty cast list is 21 strong with many doubling up (I advise buying a programme to keep track of them all).


Just as some of the actors are playing more than one part, so too is the stage - all the scenes are played out on just one set. This is cleverly conceived and manages to serve as the workhouse, the undertakers shop, Fagin's lair, the courthouse and the house in Chertsey, as well as various London Streets. It's a tall order, but it works well, giving the flavour of Dicken's world rather than the actuality, and avoids any cumbersome scenery changes. Lighting is used to great effect - with spotlights highlighting characters and leaving the rest of the stage in darkness where the background scenery would be a distraction. Characters enter from either side, and from the top of two stairways as if from the alleyways of London, the corridors of the Workhouse, and from a set of double doors at the back of the stage for the grand entrances. This creates a sense of space beyond the stage with characters arriving from different directions and on different levels.

These characters are the usual mix of good, bad, ugly and beautiful people from Dicken's imagination. They are in some sense caricatures of humanity and some play this aspect to its fullest - David Armstrong as Monks is a kind of terrifying Ray Whinstone character as he delivers hoarse threats to Fagin, Bill and Mr Bumble, and Billy Towers' Fagin limps and shuffles his way through the play with false camaraderie and obsequious double talking. Bill Sikes, played by Jordan Carling is not the most dislikeable character in the play, he comes across as a hard desperate man but there is a sense of lostness about him which is evident in the short scene after the botched burglary where Bill, recovering from a fever, reveals his dependence on Nancy (Abbi Laidlar). Nancy, in her bright red dress provides a rare splash of colour. It's also indicative of her fate, a bloody death for trying to bring Oliver out of the dark existence that Fagin, Bill and Monks have set for him.

Oliver Twist, of course is the face of real beauty and true innocence and is played by Becky Lindsay - casting a girl as the lead character is another clever move, as it does give Oliver that unusually sweet appearance.

 Artful Dodger looks the part in his dapper tails and his top hat poised at such a precariously jaunty angle that I worried he would lose it off at some point.  I did wonder if actor Aidan Evans had similar concerns as he lounged rather nonchalantly against scenery, however he displays some pretty fancy footwork in the demonstration of "The Game" to Oliver and his hat stays safely in place!


There is a lot of story to fit into a short time with this play, and at times it is a little disjointed - there are one or two deviations from the book as I remember it (though I admit it is a few years since I read it). The sheer volume of characters and subplots can be a tad befuddling, but credit goes to Thomas Potts as The Narrator who comes in at opportune moments to introduce characters, set scenes, fill gaps and sum up.

This is a challenge to end their season, and they made a fair stab at it. Good fun, a few surprises and plenty of drama.

Oliver Twist runs until Sat 24th June. Curtain up is at 7.30pm each evening and a Saturday matinee at 2.30pm. At just £8 a ticket it is well worth a visit. Tickets are available online or on the door.

Denise Sparrowhawk

The Judas Kiss - Review - Royalty Theatre

The Judas Kiss

Royalty Theatre
7th Feb 2017

David Hare's play is a tragic love story. It follows the fate of three men who suffer because of the love they have for each other. The play begins just before Oscar Wilde's arrest for gross indecency - a direct result of a libel action he took out on behalf of his lover Lord Alfred "Bosie" Douglas - Wilde's friends have arranged for him to flee the country to avoid arrest but, swayed by Bosie, he decides to stay and face the consequences. Those consequences being that he is arrested, tried, and sentenced to two years hard labour. His reputation and career ruined.

Act One is set in a room of the Cadogan Hotel. Wilde's friend and former lover Robbie Ross entreats Bosie to allow Wilde to make the right decision and flee. There is clearly no love lost between these two characters - Bosie is petulant and childish, resenting Ross's interference, while Ross is impatient with Bosie's apparent lack of concern for Wilde's safety. As the scene progresses it becomes clear that these two are each jealous of the other's relationship with Wilde. Wilde himself is contrary - he professes to dislike being told how to live and yet is unable to decide for himself which course of
action to take. Eventually he rejects the advice of his friend and decides to stay for the sake of his lover. A decision that is to prove his downfall. Bosie leaves before the police arrive so as to avoid tarnishing his reputation, and Robbie remains against his better judgment to support his friend.
Act two opens after Wilde's release from prison, he and Bosie are living in Naples - they have no money and life is difficult in exile. Bosie amuses himself with a local fisherman, flaunting the relationship before Wilde, yet defensive and jealous when Wilde speaks to his lover in Italian - which Bosie does not understand.  It is very clear that their relationship has changed - Wilde still loves Bosie but he sees him now in a truer light. Bosie however remains much the same - demanding, selfish, railing against the injustice but failing to see his own culpability. He blames Wilde's cowardice for the misfortune but cannot see that his own actions have brought them to this pass.

Alex Goodchild and Robbie Ross play their characters well - Bosie demanding and self centred, Robbie earnest and concerned, frustrated by the relationship. Wilde is played by Andrew Barella - with less flamboyance than I expected. We see glimpses of the great man's wit, but his Wilde is subdued, resigned almost, yet expansive towards the staff in the hotel who have helped him. In Act Two his wit is more ascerbic, stemming from his disappointment and heartache. I expected perhaps more passion in Wilde, but on reflection, his demeanour in the last act is one of grace, and generosity in the face of betrayal and disappointment. The final speech is full of pathos. A sad end to the relationship that was the love of Wilde's life and Barella delivers it beautifully.

The team at the Royalty make some challenging choices in their programme. It doesn't always work. This time it does. John Appleton has directed a thoughtful and touching production.

The Judas Kiss plays until Sat 11th Feb.

Denise Sparrowhawk