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.
Prophetess Libuše and Other Czech Fairytales told the legend of the childhood and coming of age of Princess Libuše and the lives of the Czech people following her untimely death. Three gentle, meandering stories revolved around Libuše herself (Jenny Payne), her husband and king, Premsyl (Paul Young), and noble thane, Horymír (Chris Bush).
Prophetess Libuše isn’t your usual children’s story. The themes of death, the spirit world, and the afterlife meant that the play could be enjoyed by both children and a more mature audience. The set was beautifully designed, incorporating a shadow-screen which brought an element of fun to the proceedings (especially with the appearance of the sheep). The use of poetry and physical theatre added interest to the production. I particularly enjoyed the clever way in which a horse and carriage were constructed for Libuše, entirely out of the other cast members, including sound effects!
Even with my complimentary ticket I felt short-changed
Although Prophetess Libuše was an interesting change from your typical fairytale, it lacked the magic it had promised. Despite the enthusiasm of the cast, and their obvious enjoyment in performing, the dialogue was somewhat clichéd and some of the effects were less than successful: it was unclear whether the talking horse, Semik, was supposed to be taken seriously, or whether it was a bit tongue-in-cheek. I couldn’t keep a straight face watching a man hold a papier-mâché horse’s head, speaking in the same ridiculously gravelly voice as the evil king.
But what really disappointed me was the length of the production. I’d barely settled into my seat when the house lights came on, the cast bowed, and the audience were out the door. Any hope that this was an interval was lost when we reached the lobby to find the bar closed and the majority of the audience gone. Slightly incredulous, we loitered for another 15 minutes before finally resigning ourselves to the fact that 45 minutes really had been our lot. Even with my complimentary ticket I felt short-changed, and with tickets priced at £7.50, I felt sorry for the rest of the audience.
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