“Twelfth Night” or, “What You Will”
Greenwich Theatre,
January 17 - 21, 2012

The bard back in Greenwich!

Men dressed as women, women dressed as men, mistaken identity, coincidence and chance. Elizabethan humour does not always translate, modern day audiences too sophisticated for farce. But the new Movement Theatre presses on undeterred, making the most of a poor plot and bringing the humour to life.

Written in 1601, Twelfth Night is the third (after Much Ado and As You Like It) and last of Shakespeare’s so-called, “mature” comedies, outwardly comic pieces but with darker undertones attached. While it begins fairly brightly - the good Duke of Orsino (Ellis Wells) courting the fair Countess Olivia (Georgia Clarke-Day) – she rejects his advances, overwhelmed as she is by her brother’s recent death. Darkness strikes once more as the young maiden Viola, thrown up on the shore, sees her own brother drowned, lost in a storm.

Only when Viola dresses up as a man, - to gain advancement at court – does the Shakespearean comedy finally flow, Malvolio’s (Ben Blyth) haughty monologues confirming the lighter tone. For a while thereafter, the comedy continues, Orsino’s disrobing before a startled Viola, Malvolio’s wooing, - complete with culottes and garters - of a bewildered Olivia, two knights of the realm, Toby Belch (Tom Hartill) and Andrew Aguecheek (Laurie Caldwell), barely concealed in the woods, but soon the dark themes return to put an end to the fun; that love can cause suffering, Olivia describing her love as a “plague”, the folly of ambition or the collapse of the mind.

The Movement’s second production (their inaugural tour with The Tempest just completed) is vibrant and fun but carefully balances the contrasting themes. The direction (Rory Attwood) is good, the (minimalist) staging - Christmas trees and leaves - effective and, perhaps best of all, the acting first rate. Ellis Wells in particular is especially strong, relaxed in his role and compelling to watch, his exchanges with Viola – sassily played by a promising Sarah Winter – refreshingly new. Ben Blyth’s steward Malvolio is not far behind, his delivery clear, his articulation tight as he delicately solicits both our pity and disdain.

Were these dark seated elements simply reflecting the age – a cold winter, Queen Bess dying (heirless), religious civil war looming near – or more simply a function of the author’s state of mind, the tragic loss of his son (leaving a twin sister bereft) still fresh in his mind? No matter the answer, it’s an enjoyable night out.

Highly competent. 7/10. DM
January 2012

The Sword and the Dope,

Greenwich Playhouse - January 17 – February 5, 2012

Take a dollop of Monty Python, add a sprinkling of Benny Hill and pour the odd-looking mixture onto a pantomime base. Leave it to stew for an hour and a half until the wits of the audience become dulled. Thus the ingredients of the musical comedy, The Sword and The Dove, currently playing at the Greenwich Playhouse for a mind- numbing 14 more days. What on earth did the two chefs, writer Michael Horspool and director Matthew Gould, have in mind?

The opening number, Long, Long Ago, which went on, on, and on, set the tone for the rest of the night. It lacked humour and wit and was laboured and long and became painful to watch by the end. Had it not been for the actors who soldiered manfully on we would have walked out with the rest at half time. But against all logic and sense we simply stayed where we were, firmly hoping (against hope) it would improve. We were wrong.

Based on the legend of King Arthur and his Knights, but with references to mobile phones, the story lacked structure, was disjointed and weak and consisted of a series of short scenes. We might not have noticed had the writing been funny, but the writer - described in the programme as “stumbling into script writing” – was continuously wide of the mark. Ostensibly for adults, the humour was puerile – “I've something in the oven - I hope it's not a bun” – perhaps the funniest joke of the night. Even the narrators, Bosstock (Patrick Rowe) and Rumpkin (Sam George), a sort of mediaeval Ant and Dec, were laboured and painful and ended up by simply making matters worse. But if the humour was bad, the music was worse - from the tuneless, The Black Knight, He’s all Right, to the rock anthem, No Matter What, with lyrics that would have embarrassed a child.

That the cast carried on was a credit to them all, the second half even worse than the first. Energetic and diligent, they were usually on cue despite a continual and embarrassing lack of laughter. Alas, no-one stood out although Will Seaward (Perceval) caught the eye, his curious accents and over-acting, amusing and Jay Perry, a former S Club Junior - "currently working on a series of personal projects" - could at least sing in tune. Why Gould didn’t tell Horspool to simply rewrite the script is a question that is frankly beyond me.

As bad as it gets. 1/10, for the actors.

DM
January 2012

The Muppets (PG) 2011, 98 minutes

Elton John was almost eaten by crocodiles, Sylvester Stallone torn apart by a lion and Christopher Reeve karate-chopped by a pig. Yet still the stars kept on coming; Gene Kelly, Steve Martin, Racquel Welch and Bob Hope. But The Muppets Christmas Carol movie was a lifetime ago (1992). So, why are they back, what can they offer and, who will turn up?

The renaissance started taking shape back in began back in 2007 when lifelong Muppet fan, actor and writer, Jason (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) Segel had an idea Disney liked. What if the Muppets got back together? A farewell performance from the original cast? Disney agreed Segel got writing - addressing the issue of relevance head on - and casted himself as the leading man, Gary.

His story was simple. Segel and a new muppet, Walter - inexplicably cast as a brother - start reconstructing the team; Kermit (touchingly voiced by Steve Whitmire) from a crumbling mansion, Animal (Eric Jacobson) from an anger management clinic and, most appropriately of all, Miss Piggy (Jacobsen again) from Paris, now the editor of Vogue. Soon everyone is back from Rowlf the dog still on the piano, Fozzie cracking (bad) jokes, the unforgettable Swedish chef doing and saying who knows what and Camilla and her Chickens with a wonderful rendition of Cee-Lo Green’s, “Forget You”.

The gags are still funny - “We had to sit through it,” complains Statler to Waldorf (the old men), “the least folks could do is to share our pain” - the music is great with a wonderful new ballad, Pictures in my Head by Brett McKenzie, from Kermit – and the message - that whoever you are or how different you may seem, there's always a place on the team – as clear as ever. Plus the guest stars are all there - Jack Black (albeit unwillingly), Whoopi Goldberg and Mickey Rooney – and the actors not bad - Academy Award winner Chris Cooper as the baddie, Tex Richman, and (three times) Academy nominee, Amy Adams as Mary, Segel's girlfriend.

Director James Bobin does a wonderful job with a tried and tested formula but when Selena Gomez asks Kermit "are you a ninja turtle”, she hits the nail on the head; how many will remember them and how many will show up?

Give it a try. 8.10 DM

A Concert for Andy

Blackheath Halls, February 4 2012-02-08

Battling their way the first snows of winter, they came in their hundreds to honour a friend. But they came not in sadness; there was laughter and warmth, a wealth of good feeling for this man, truly loved. By the time it got started, the Halls were quite packed leaving standing room only for a few at the back.

In 2004 Andy Ropek and Phil Dearing co-founded a forum called The Icarus Club. They would meet every month in the Halls in Blackheath, an informal gathering to nurture new bands. In a friendly, relaxing and informal environment, original singer-songwriters could simply play as they pleased. A good number of acts have gone on to great things and many of the same have been keen to return.

Following Andy's sad passing at the end of last year, his wife Kim and friend Phil chose to honour Andy’s memory in the best way they could; a concert for charity* for all his good friends. Phil opened the evening, a reluctant compere; "Andy should be here, I’m just the technical guy".

The first of the acts - Jespa (James Pepper and Anthony Shepherd) - set the tone for the night, two guitars, two great voices and some stunning results. Formed in 2009, they play all over the world, flying in from China barely three hours before. Despite jet lag and "a serious lack of alcohol" they played with real emotion and fire, "Isabelle" and "Loves Lost Tourists", the pick of the bunch. Groups came - The Carl Picton Cartel, a six piece blues band - and they went - The Misshaped Pearls (with whom Andy had played), sometimes in sequence, Ben Butler, Beaj Johnson, Teddy Bazz and Jack O'Brien, and sometimes alone, Jason James Melville and Dapper Dan.
But throughout it all, Andy remained his life there in pictures on a giant rolling screen.

The acts were as one in why they had come; “to pay my respects – he gave me my first break”, whispered one of the musicians near the end. Like the teacher at school whom you never forget, Andy will stay with them for the rest of their days. Andy of the trilby thanks for the ride.

An appropriate send-off for a clearly popular man.
Dick Morgan
February 2012

The Descendants (15) 115 minutes 2012

He was good as Doug Ross in ER (1994-99), dreadful in Batman and Robin (1997) but much better in Oceans 11 (2004). Notwithstanding his Oscar for Syriana (best supporting actor), The Descendants is where George Clooney comes of age. But this is by no means the Clooney we are used to. Gone are the loafers and suits and absent the model on his arm; this is a Clooney stripped down to the bone, middle-aged, overweight and very grey.

The story itself is really quite stark; a wife in a coma, two rebellious kids and a family that is falling apart. Clooney attempts to pick up the pieces, an absentee father coming back to the fold. His performance is quite stunning; relaxed and at ease, his acting effortlessly natural. Clooney is ill- kempt, badly dressed and unshaven; how ironic if this is the movie that defines him.

But no movie can work with the lead unsupported and there is excellent support from the girls. Amara Miller plays Scottie, a rebel at ten, Shailene Woodley is Alex, reforming her life. Woodley impresses, mature beyond her years, now feisty now touching the scene underwater (beautifully filmed by Don King) pure heartache on film. Her boyfriend Sid (Nick Krause) has a promising cameo, and the walrus, Beau Bridges, flashes brightly once more.

Much has been written about potential ulterior meanings, the breakdown of families, America’s decline. Clooney himself hits the nail on the head; “my friends think that because I live in Hawaii, I live in paradise but” ….. “we screw up our families just like everyone else”. Director Alexander “About Schmidt” Payne oversees some bitter-sweet reflections (his own script), the Hawaiian soundtrack strangely appropriate.

Clooney is good but will never be great, I once wrote about one of his films. In this low-key, low-budget but excellent film, Clooney puts the critic in his place. 9/10.
Dick Morgan
February 2012