Catherine Bennett resumes the weekly look at the performing arts world, with the sad end of Jerusalem, the luck of a cabbie, and French revolt. Do you hear the people sing?
Adam Alcock reviews Nigel Kennedy playing Vivaldi's Four Seasons and his own Four Elements at York Opera House.
Catherine Bennett highlights the trends in the performing arts world today.
Jonathan Cridford reviews 'Ghosts', one of the Freshers' plays for this year.
Set in Communist Russia, the slightly lacklustre narrative explores the struggles of juggling a rapidly diminishing workforce, love for the Party and either a philandering wife, or a wife who just can’t seem to read your mind. Russia under Stalin is not the most colourful of settings, particularly when the themes are restricted to starvation, poverty, oppression and sub-zero temperatures. However the Chorus make excellent use of all this emotional turmoil and are utterly convincing in their groaning and air-punching. In their supportive role they provide much of the energy that keeps the show at an animated pace and produce some of the best ‘pretend talking’ I’ve witnessed in a while (not something to be sniffed at). Max Tyler as Zmeya is brilliant, sensitively balancing humour, black-market potato trading and sincere declarations of love for Nina. His solo had me grinning from ear to ear and craving a plate of mash.
Laura Horton’s ‘Drink Comrades’ solo in Act Two is a show stealer. In this vodka-woozy exclamation of self-sacrifice for the good of Communism, I finally found myself feeling empathetic to these doomed characters’ plight. Unfortunately, while Adam Massingberd-Mundy (Vladimir) and Ruth Fitton (Nina) sang beautifully alone, there was limited chemistry in their scenes together, so the far more heartbreaking storyline of their emotional and physical separation was rather lost. Fitton’s ‘Snowflake’ was tender, expressive and certainly did captivate but I wish I could also have seen her despair for her husband on a more interactive level, not just through the metaphor.
Ball’s score is impressive. ‘Silent Song’, sung with rousing gusto by Benedick Gibson (Bolyen) made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, while ‘Citizens’ infusion of more traditional Russian rhythms and tones tied the music to the set and costumes. Ball’s harmonies and chord progressions are delectable, and the highlight of the show for me was at the end of the first act when the whole cast sang a medley of previous songs that left me both silent and desperately wanting to join in.
While unimaginative, the set serves its purpose. Blocking a 14-strong cast (and hiding a 7 piece orchestra) in the Drama Barn is brave, and bar some unlit portions of the set, such an intense space worked and gave the production a far more inclusive feel.
Red Snow is vaguely reminiscent of Les Miserables (which is a compliment in my book) in its style of music, performance and thematic focus. However where it fails in the comparison is in its emotional integrity, I didn’t feel enough sympathy towards the characters to really understand their nationalism and conviction that all action is validated if done for the good of The Party. Horton’s line, “You love the idea of me” is an astute observation of how many view Communism but the narrative fails to go any deeper than the stereotype of bleak, drab Russia, fuelled by vodka and populated by silenced farmers. Regardless, the score is compelling and the performers work hard and commit to their characters and both these elements warrant a trip to the Drama Barn this weekend. Ball has a bright future ahead of him, and Red Snow is an enjoyable first attempt.
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