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.
Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the play's debut performance, York Theatre Royal's Artistic Director Damian Cruden transformed the unique studio theatre on into a grotty run down flat, housing hit men Gus and Ben. The small venue helped to establish a strong relationship between the action and the audience, with Mattie Hirst’s set design utilising the strengths of the theatre brilliantly. The dingy and dilapidated set, not dissimilar in appearance to your average student property, combined with some insightful lighting design from Judith Cloke complimented the cast’s attempts at tackling the troubled realism of Pinter’s writing.
The play never seems to date; its questions of morality in the modern world and its off beat humour are as relevant and engaging today as they have always been.
Eamonn Fleming’s performance as the troubled Gus was definitely worthy of credit. He communicated the uncertainty and naivety of the younger hit man with relative ease and embraced the demanding silences that dominate the play. The opening was especially controlled as Eamonn savoured the tension created by repeatedly re-tying his laces.
Unfortunately this strength was not found in elements of Robert Pickavance’s performance in the role of Ben. Eager to lay the psychologically disturbed foundations for the character, Robert tended to slip into an almost caricature of a London gangster. Verging on becoming the next Del Boy, I struggled to see past the over expressive facial expressions and to really identify with the emotion that was brewing beneath. The potential was there, as Robert’s performance mellowed towards the end, but by this point it was too late. Gus and Ben’s relationship resultantly felt as though it had taken too much effort and caused some of the passive humour that Pinter revels in to be lost.
Apart from some moments of blocking, the intimacy achieved with the audience was excellent and contributed to some really special moments of edge of your seat anticipation. The gaze of the actors, piercing the stage/audience boundary, also replicated the paranoia that dominated both Gus and Ben, forcing the audience to empathise.
For Damian Cruden’s self-confessed first attempt at directing Pinter the performance was an excellent testimony to his work. It has to be recognised that the strengths far outweighed the weaknesses and for only £5 with any valid student card this is definitely worth an hour of anyone’s night.
"The Dumb Waiter" runs until Saturday 16th June 2007 in York Theatre Royal's Studio Theatre. Tickets are priced at £10 (£5 for Under 25s and Students) and can be purchased from www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk or by phoning the box office on 01904 623568.
