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.
I have to admit to a feeling of unease at the prospect of seeing Bepo given the show’s premise; memories of Belt Up’s ambitious but hopelessly flawed 2008 clown epic “Instinct” resurfaced. Despite both plays' similarity in fusing clowns and politics, I’m glad to say most of my misgivings were ill-founded, and this is a very different show.
It is a series of vignettes told by Max Tyler’s titular trickster and his rag-tag troupe of theatrical misfits; when these stories hit they are absolutely entrancing, but sadly there are some that feel ill-suited to the dramatic medium and fall flat when they fail. Inviting us to laugh at the absurdity of humanity and the bitter punchlines of the 20th century, the cast take turns to guide the audience on a journey through human folly, encompassing the Russian steppe, a Tom Waites-flavoured Americana and the sordid execution chambers lurking within the present day. When Giles Littlewood’s character “Mr Shifty” recounted a poignant encounter between an American soldier and a weathered Iraqi civilian, the audience was hooked. It was a brilliantly acted rendition of an eloquent speech confronting the uncomfortable issues of the present but in a deft and engaging way that refused to recourse to “No blood for oil, man” or “Blair? More like BLIAR!” platitudes. As well as being one of the most effective moments I’ve seen in the barn, it gave a glimpse at the show 'Bepo' could have been.
Unfortunately, as is often the case with plays structured around multiple stories, not all the narratives can reach this giddy height. This contrast was most apparent in a scene set in East Berlin in 1989 which felt superfluous and risked trivialising and obscuring gravely serious issues with a bizarre interpretation in which it was the galvanising effects of physical theatre that brought down the Berlin wall. This section feels clumsy and its “Stomp” style use of brooms is jarringly frivolous given that it depicts the fall of the Stasi state. An impressive cast managed to win the audience over with bucket-loads of charisma; particularly winning were Tyler’s avuncular impresario and the courageous Henri Ward as Harry, the troupe’s bureaucrat, skivvy and tea boy. While hardly laugh a minute, when the water balloons and satirical jibes started flying one would need a funnybone of granite to be unmoved.
Vickers is a talented writer and his production is clearly a labour of love. His ornate but evocative prose clearly demonstrates the passion he feels for his subject matter, be it Vienna in the 1930s or the necessity of protest in an era after the supposed “death of history”. While there are some times in which 'Bepo' feels more like a lecture than a day at the circus, these stretches are punctuated by oases of zany showmanship. The sets, costume and lighting are all gorgeous and complement the script’s delight in all things theatrical. 'Bepo' certainly provides fuel for debate and reflection; the themes it addresses are both timeless and urgent, and while some of the stories may work better than others it is nonetheless a thought-provoking love letter to the power of theatre.
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