Reviews Written by J

Hood is a retelling of the classic story Robin Hood. It follows Robin (Katie Poole) and daughter of an aristocrat Briar Rose (Rebecca Caslake). When Briar Rose discovers Robin true identity, she becomes embroiled in danger. Written by Katie Poole and directed by Lucy Victoria, Hood runs at Just the Tonic at The Caves as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.  There is clearly a strong directorial voice emerging within Lucy Victoria. She has injected Hood with lots of clever elements, with strong movement coordination. The involvement of the ensemble - as jeering crowds behind the audience is very effective. There is a scene towards the end of the play where the stage is only lit by an oil lamp, with the entire cast in unison voice, in this almost tormenting way. Although interesting in isolation, and emotionally quite intense, it fractured the narrative rather than served it. Sometimes more unique ideas are applicable, and sometimes they are not, learning this is a fine art. I thin...

Prudence Play is a one-woman show written and performed by Caroline Dunn. It follows Prudence, a nun grappling with her sexuality. She is adamant she is not gay though.  The play begins as Dunn enters the theatre through the back of the room (audience entrance) with a chaotic timidity, as if almost late to her own show, apologising and readjusting her flapper dress skittishly. Brittney Spears plays and Dunn takes the stage and tap dances for us. Iconic.  It is this moment that totally sets the scene for Prudence Play. Within barely a minute Prudence is established as a messy and down to earth individual; brilliance. Some of the lines early on are rather lyrical and are delivered with an slam-poetry like cadence, which is hyper-engaging. The show is funny, with a distinctly American style of humour. Prudence Play almost seems to transport a high-school dramedy mood to the nunnery, with this awkward coming-of-age lilt to everything. This seems to parallel the queer experience, w...

The statement "there is a fine line between genius and insanity" has all but been sanctified by Jessica Durand and her Edinburgh Fringe show Over the Top. Directed by Rowan Ellis (hi Rowan I love your essays) Over the Top is a deeply absurd one-woman show that follows Jessica in a WWI-era Downton Abbey fanfiction of her own making.  Over the Top is the kind of project that could only be devised by the neurodiverse. It feels very much of this era, and I am sure it will resonate with the right niche crowd. Jessica documents aspects of her life such as her forays into the worlds of Wattpad and AO3, her shared birthday with Obama, and her unhealthy obsession with Thomas Barrow, Downton Abbey's very own gay butler. The chaotic world Jessica brings us into is not just that of her own life, but the fanfiction she has devised. It sees her as a humble maid at Downton, who then goes to the WWI front line in order to serve as a nurse.  But in case you were concerned, the mental...

Here Comes Gudong an incredibly endearing production aimed at children and families. Inspired by Chinese and British folklore, Here Comes Gudong tells the story of a motley crew of animals as they follow a strange "Gudong!" sound through a forest. The show was at The Space at Symposium hall, as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, but will later in the year be performed at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith.   Here Comes Gudong opens with the voice of a child (very cute) to mark the start of show. I like the idea that the children of the audience are given an introduction to the production by one of their peers, as well as the fact that instructions given to turn off phones etc. may be listened to by parents as they might their own child.  Here Comes Gudong involes a great deal of elements: acting, live puppetry, video, music, and sound design. It is fair to say there is a lot that could go wrong, and that is before you get to the perilous ...

Frozen Love: A Buckingham Nicks Story follows the relationship of Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, reaching its climax with the pair being asked to join Fleetwood Mac. Created by and staring  Georgie Banks and Jake Byrom, Frozen Love features the music of Buckingham and Nicks (performed live), and is currently playing at The Space at Surgeons' Hall. First things first, someone needs to tell the Space to sort out their air conditioning situation.  I do not feel that the conditions (absolutely boiling) were acceptable for the audience, let alone hard-working performers. If the first thing your theatre goers are saying while leaving is not “wow what a great show” but rather “oh my gosh so hot in there” you are doing the show and its attendees a disservice. That aside,  I found Frozen love totally immersive, and in many ways a joy to watch. The charming performances of Georgie Banks and Jake Byrom, American accents included, are very strong . The m odest set elements do m...

Father, Away She Goes, is a funny, and in many unfortunate ways, a painfully relatable production. Performed at "Pickle Studio at Greenside @ Riddles Court" the play follows Sarah, a rather insufferable art school reject. Sarah is coded as slightly vulgar, middle-class, and is a character which I dare say satirises fringe performers and audiences alike. She is messy and unmotivated, she seemingly presides over the breakdown of relationships both with her life-long friend, and with her own mother. As the play unfolds, we learn the horror of the abuse she suffered at the hands of her father as a teenager.  Father, Away She Goes, is a one woman play conceived by Electra Kolb. Kolb puts in a real tour-de-force performance, holding the complete attention of the room for the entire duration of the show. On occasion she will interact more directly with audience members, and I think when considering the small space in which the production currently takes place, lea...

Eugene O'Neill's A Moon for the Misbegotten is a character-focused slow burn. This production at the Almeida Theatre stars  Ruth Wilson and Michael Shannon, and is directed by Rebecca Frecknall. This production is home to a phenomenal cast. Ruth Wilson, Michael Shannon and David Threlfall have all managed to craft brilliantly transformative performances. A Moon for the Misbegotten is not to be missed if you want a masterclass in character acting. Unfortunately this is perhaps the only redeeming quality of this production. The production is just shy of three hours long and it certainly feels it. A lot of passages seem almost redundant, and you would think director Rebecca Frecknall would have the initiative to trim the fat, but clearly not. When the more intense or interesting scenes did appear, I found myself worn out, and unable to view them with the necessary enthusiasm and focus. The first half of the play is truly a slog. The majority of the time is devoted ...

Mrs. Warren's Profession is a play that centres around Kitty Warren and her daughter Vivie. Vivie is ambitious, and the production follows her foray into independence, while learning the truth about how she came to have such a fortunate upbringing: her mother's prostitution and pimping. This production is directed by Dominic Cooke, reuniting with Imelda Staunton after striking gold with his revival of Hello, Dolly!. Bessie Carter, playing the role of Vivie Warren, is by far the stand out cast member. Carter out acts all those she shares the stage with. It is the kind of performance that makes you unable to imagine anyone else in the role. The nature of the play (or at least this revival) very much places Vivie as the main character.  Imelda Staunton plays the role of Kitty Warren, performing alongside Carter - who is both her on and off-stage daughter. Staunton's performance is good, but not significant. I like the accent work, which straddles received pronunciation and est...

Written by Ethan McLucas 113 is a play about memory and identity. It follows characters 49 and 64 - trapped in a room, separated by a wall - as they try to recall and piece together their past forgotten lives. The performance I saw was at the Hope Theatre, but has previously played other venues, and has plans for continued performances elsewhere including the Edinburgh Fringe.   The most significant element of 113 is the set, due to the wall that separates our two protagonists.  Depending on where you sit you may only see just one of the protagonists for the entirety of the play, mimicking the experience of the characters. From where I was positioned I could see both sides. I wonder if the wall was extended, cutting through the audience, separating friends and family, it would feel much more intentional. Instead I came away feeling like I had the definitive "better" view.  The slightly creepy music of Xiu Xiu played on entrance was well chosen to set the atmosphere (...