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.
For three nights this month, having finished on the 17th, the Studio at the York Theatre Royal provided a platform for the Young Actors Company to produce some sterling home-grown work, written by local playwright Hannah Davies.
One of the stronger productions I have seen in the Studio, Davies' script follows the life of Chloe: a 17-year-old single mother, who after suffering as a child in a violent and abusive home, has no idea how to be a mother herself. The drama unfolds as Chloe must face her demons and confront her troubled past, in order for her to gain a sense of purpose in the dysfunctional world she has been brought up in.
Under the direction of Julian Ollive, the Young Actors company depict this story with great conviction. The characters are generally well-realised across the board; however, for me it was the younger members of the cast who provided the strongest character portrayals: Rebecca Beattie being one to watch. Beattie gives an outstanding performance as the troubled Chloe, displaying both the characters thick skin and her delicate vulnerability. Demonstrating great professionalism and consistency, Beattie left very little of her performance to be criticised. In a similar fashion, Luke James, playing Michael, had certain moments in which he owned the stage. Although there were some inconsistencies regarding the accent, his stage presence left the audience gripped and much of his delivery was impeccable. His monologue in particular, which is beautifully written, was executed with great skill and clarity. Finally, of the younger cast, Katie Waller and Eleanor Rusthon (as Casey, Chloe's estranged sister, and Leanne, Chloe's best friend-cum-nanny, respectively) also provide great comedy and accuracy in their depiction, although personally I felt their characters to be a little less detailed in comparison to Beattie and James.
Whilst both Maggie Smales (Jean – Chloe's mum) and Beryl Nairn (Aunty Anne) showed some strength in performance, this did seem to slacken on occasion. That being said, both actresses demonstrated certain moments of greatness and skill, and all of the performers involved in this piece should feel a great sense of accomplishment.
The weaknesses in Little Angels are few, though it was slightly frustrating to see some technical, and on occasion, directorial discrepancies, that could easily have been avoided. I also was not a fan of the scene changes – the dance music meant that we expected the changes to be much sharper, but with them being directed in character, the place slowed right down, and they were often laborious to watch. That being said though, the Young Actors Company have indeed produced a fantastic show.
If anything, three nights in the Studio is not long enough to do justice to such a well-written and sharply produced play. Davies should be proud.
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