Blasted, Lyric Hammersmith

Simply gripped by the gruesome goings on of this play the production of Sarah Kane's Blasted was phenominal. Usually someone that without an interval I start to get restless and distracted but I was gripped to this play from start to finish, for the full hour and forty five minutes.

Having not seen a Sarah Kane play been produced before and only having studied extracts within classes I didn't know quite what to expect, I was half expecting a disjointed production of just ridiculous spectacle and then the other a harrowing, complex plots that were virtually impossibly to follow - how wrong I was on both counts!

Although this play was harrowing and the production challenges they had to explore on stage from a hotel being exploded to the ground to a dead baby being eaten on stage. Some looked through their fingers and others open mouthed this production certainly created an impression.

It has to be commented though that it wasn't just the challenges faced on stage but the story line I too was suprised at. The complexity of Kane's writing although brutal was almost beautiful and her deliberate choice of words helped the actor's characters develop and morph throughout the production showing all sides of their personalities. The lines were so economically written that each had purpose and power which drove the story line forward. The context of which could be applied in almost any country or era, but it is believed Kane was commenting on the Bosnian war.

Danny Webb was brilliant in his leading role I believed every word that left his mouth, from hating him at the beginning of the play to feeling great empathy for his defencelessness toward the end. The racist, homophobic, sexist stereotypical Nothern lout at the beginning slowly crumbled before our eyes as he slowly lost his dignity and toward the end felt quite sorry for him. It was tragic to see the downfall of such a pathetic man before our eyes.

Lydia Wilson as the young Cate played the young girl with special needs, a stutter and epilepsy we almost felt was being abused and used at the beginning of the play. Sometimes could not work out if she was a prostitute or had just been lured in by the creepy old man. Her character had the ability to switch between a childish, vulnerable defenceless girl to a wild and almost insane passionate woman who was very aware of what she was doing. Such a challenging role for a young actress something I think she managed to pull off well although at times I think was overshadowed by Webb's performance, arguably what should happen with him being a stronger character, but their relationship together I felt believable.

I felt it so interesting to see the similarities between the two characters too and I almost felt that is why they had such a passionate relationship one minute they would be fighting the next they would be having sex.

It must be also mentioned of Aiden Kelly who played the soldier. At the moment he was raping the character of Iam lamenting over the death of his beloved you almost felt sorry for his loss and I feel he had some of the most difficult lines to deliver within the play and this was the part that most toyed with my emotion.

This production was nothing like I had ever seen, such a contrast from any play and although shocking, it was almost tasteful in its delivery and everything that took part on stage was totally believable. It provoked reaction from everyone in the audience, such hard hitting subjects on stage one almost feels disgusting for saying it was brilliant, but I suppose that's a good thing!

Design for Living, The Old Vic

Sweet Charity, Theatre Royal Haymarket

From being one of my favourite film musicals as I have a love for the sixties and New York this tale of a girl unlucky in love and just about everything else in life is so life affirming.

Charity Hope Valentine, at this performance played by Tiffany Graves was amazing in the role much to the point that I could not imagine Tamzin Outhwaite playing the part at all. Graves brought a girlish naivety in the role and did cute little traits that drew me to the character even more. Things such as poking her tongue in the side of her mouth when she danced just made her even more cuter. She danced tremendously as did all the cast, and the fact that she was not a celebrity name or recognisable face allowed the audience to connect to her as a character even more.

In particular favourite moments of mine with her character were the more poignant parts such as the moment in the cafe when her and Oscar are back to back and she is breaking her heart when he asks her to marry him and also when she has her breakdown at the finale when he then tells her he cannot marry her. I think these moments particularly stood out for me as they were contrasts to the cutesy, quirky and amusing parts of the show.

Mark Umbers playing all three love interests was especially clever and he was almost unrecognisable as all three different men which is a credit to his acting abilities. His singing voice was brilliant, but it was as the lovable, geeky Oscar he showed his acting abilities off to there finest.



I think this is a point that has to be brought up that all the cast managed to do, when cracks started to show within the plot line - whether it be Charity's love life or the misery the girls are ensuing at the Dance Hall, we laughed with them and we cried with them alike.



Special mention must be given to Josefina Gabrielle as Nickie who deserves an award for her supporting role. She reminded me of Ugly Betty's sister in the show, a punchy powerful woman who I imagined came from Queens in New York, she gave real substance to her characters and she looked particularly beautiful and glamourous on the stage.

The dance routines particularly in the club was extraordinary and the 1960's influence was ever present throughout and the intensity that the ensemble danced with throughout was electrifying. I enjoyed the incorporation of the movements used to symbolise the taking of cocaine. I thought it was clever and inventive.

The band were brilliant and the portrayal of Big Spender by the ensemble of girls instead of being sexy and raunchy was that of boredom and being unfulfilled was extremely clever too.

I especially enjoyed the way that even though some of the ensemble members may not have had many lines or things to say, they each adopted a character and stuck to it throughout which drew the audience to them even more. Something that I think is quite easily done with a smaller cast, or can be given more attention to.

Being on the front row was good for being drawn into the action and performances, but not as good for the set. Sometimes I cannot help thinking that I would have preffered to see the show in the Menier Chocolate Factory rather than its transferred theatre, because some of the set and scenery looked to be a bit cheaply made and compared to some of the bigger budget musicals in the West End at the moment it should have been revised. It wasn't a major flaw I didn't think it to be majorly terrible just some of the bits a little rough round the edges.

Overall I thought the show was brilliant thought on performances alone. I could have seen the show without any scenery and still laughed and cried along with the characters. A brilliant story and I have so much love for the character of Charity and am glad I saw this production on the stage after enjoying the film for so many years.

------------

Going to see the show again on 28/10/10

Hair, Gielgud Theatre

Well I was fortunate enough to catch this amazing production about two weeks before it unfortuneately closed.A friend and I got seats on lastminute.com for £20 and were in row C, which in my opinion is great value. It was one of my summer holiday must sees as I knew it was closing and I had heard such great things about the production. Also to have an entire Broadway cast and to experience different performers was something I wanted to benefit from too.

My friend had seen it before and had told me alot about it and I was very scared and excited to finally be sitting there. Especially at the beginning, the show being very Brechtian in its staging we could hear the cast warming up and shouting and joking and occasionally catch a glimpse of them. One of whom managed to make eye contact with me from behind the silk cloth that covered the stage.

Sasha Allen as Dione

From the moment the haunting overture started and Sasha Allen began to belt out Aquarious I was hooked. Completely engrossed within the vibrancy and the cast that bursted with enthusiasm to some extent that I had possibly not seen from any previous production.

Although production values were low the bright scenery and bright lighting enhanced the production and the band has to be said to be one of the most rocking in the West End. The music steered away from some of the more staunch traditional shows and were placed at the back of the stage in full view of the audience and were almost intertwined and involved in the performance.

The way the cast conveyed their passion for the piece through their stunning vocal form and the fact they actually came out into the audience and passed fliers and flowers and also climbed onto the seats and fondled with hair and provided such a good time. This inclusion with the audience, especially for us lucky enough to be in the front few rows made you feel all the more included in the performance.

Special mention must be made of the delightful Allison Case who was just charming in her kookie and cute performance as Crissy. By the end of the show Gavin Creel performed the broken Claude with great effect and the audience had grown an emotional connection with him that when we witnessed his downfall we were all the more heartbroken.



Allison Case as Crissy

 Also the hilarious performances of Claude's parents which was almost like a small stand-up comedy section within the musical.

This really was one of the gems of the summer and although I am unsure of the correct reasons the short lived run in the West End truly was unfortunate as the story remains fresh and relevant today and the vibrant cast exuded life from the stage which would appeal to the young and old alike. One of the special highlights was the fact that for the finale the audience were invited to go and dance along on the stage with the cast which was all the more fun!

A brilliant show which is truly original and to have the perk of a full cast coming over from Broadway was so nice to see fresh faces. I find it such a shame that the ever growing film musicals and juke box musicals seem to push original scores and brilliant performances like this to one side.