Playhouse Pickings

A disturbing view of an urban landscape scarred by knife crime and an increasingly disaffected youth; a message we ignore at our peril.

We can barely turn a page or watch a news bulletin without reference to another young life extinguished in a knife attack. Whatever the cause, whether it be a perceived slight or disrespect it’s a shocking waste that is repeated up and down the country.

This important new play by Daniel Rusteau explores the underlying causes of knife crime at an under achieving London school. The story begins as the teachers are briefed by the head. Ashley (Georgia-Mae Myers) is an idealist trying to make a difference; Susan (Rebecca Crankshaw) is the harassed, overworked head teacher. Dennis (Corey Montague-Sholay) was a street kid who grew up to be a teacher but still sees something of himself in the pupils. Jonathan (Jon McGuiness) is the world weary veteran, who’s been there, done that got the Ofsted inspection; while Erica (Bonnie Baddoo) is the mother of a pupil slowly losing his way in life.

Their concern lands on Tyler and Rhys, the class tearaways who are, according to Susan showing the classic signs of going off the rails. In her view there can only be one solution if bitter experience is any indication. Ashley is soon confronted with the mother of all dilemmas after a classroom incident involving Tyler. She is desparate to avoid the sanction that will inevitably follow. Dennis warns Ashley that her judgement is clouded because Tyler is her favourite pupil. Jonathan does his best to act as mediator when Ashley and Susan lock horns.  

A single act lasting 75 minutes covers a wide range of social issues and moral conundrums that routinely confront the teaching profession. The school in question will be familiar to anyone who spent their formative years in a modern inner city environment. The dialogue is crisp and urgent giving a sense of desperation as teachers morph into social workers. The narrative spins a familiar ‘damned if they do damned if they don’t’ scenario where nobody wins.

The most perceptive lines are taken by Susan, whose own idealism has been crushed by the realities of running a failing school. Her exchanges with Ashley are particularly revealing as she delivers the ultimate riposte ‘it’s easy to spot the problem but more difficult to fix’. It’s a seminal statement of fact; there are no obvious answers to a human tragedy but this excellent play at least throws light on the issues at hand.

Writer: Daniel Rusteau

Director: Nikhil Vyas

Producer: Marcus Bernard/The Upsetters

Review by: Brian Penn

One of the great comedy films of the 80s is transformed as a high stepping musical with great songs and sparkling dialogue.

A Private Function was a rare bird in the film world even when it was released in 1984. Financed with British money via George Harrison’s Handmade Films; co-written by the incomparable Alan Bennett and starring an all British cast it was a film conceived and produced entirely on these shores. Post war Britain on the eve of the royal wedding in 1947 is the backdrop to this delightful tale. An ambitious chiropodist, bungling town hall officials and a blue eyed pig are hardly perfect ingredients for a musical, but Betty Blue Eyes pulls it off so easily you wouldn’t think the film came first.

It’s November 1947 and Britain is gripped by wedding fever as Princess Elizabeth is set to marry Philip Mountbatten. Chiropodist Gilbert Chilvers (Sam Kipling) is desparate to make an impression in an earthy northern town. His wife Joyce (Amelia Atherton) is similarly anxious to climb the social ladder and make a name for herself; particularly when she learns of a private function to celebrate the royal wedding. Just like the food supply invitations are strictly rationed. But Joyce is determined to swing an invite and launches a charm offensive with council officials led by Dr Swaby (Stuart Simons).

Betty Blue Eyes is a gloriously bright and clever musical that benefits from strong source material. The book strives to create a standalone narrative for the stage, but still bears the hallmarks of an Alan Bennett creation. The quirkiness of the British character comes to the fore and some genuinely funny moments feel almost Pythonesque in their delivery. The songs are intelligent and enhance rather than detract from the plot. ‘Fair shares for all’ and ‘Magic Fingers’ are the most rousing numbers mingling in a satisfying score. What’s remarkable about this production is the equality given to the players. Each member of the 19 strong cast has dialogue or at least one line from a song to sing. It’s a rare sight in any musical, and the producers should be commended giving the whole ensemble a chance to shine.

A naturally big show sits perfectly in the small and intimate confines of the Union Theatre. There are so many smart touches that fuse the austerity of post-war Britain with the musicality of theatre. For example, the food queue quickly turns into a chorus line and draws the audience in with an infectious spontaneity. Betty Blue Eyes has been away from the London stage for far too long – it’s good to have it back.

Writers: George Stiles and Anthony Drewe (Music & Lyrics); Ron Cowne and Daniel Lipman (Book), based on the screenplay by Alan Bennett and Malcolm Mowbray.

Director/Producer: Sasha Regan

Review by: Brian Penn

Been down in the dumps lately, feeling a touch of executive stress as a certain Peckham resident might say? Well check this out; a classic TV sitcom gets a new lease of life on stage as a bright and breezy musical.

As a proud Londoner I have often railed against the portrayal of Cockneys both on stage and screen. A complete misunderstanding of intonation resulted in caricatures based on flat vowels and dropped aitches. One TV series that perfectly captured the essence of a London accent was Only Fools and Horses. Brilliantly written by John Sullivan and featuring a stellar cast including David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst, it ran sporadically for over 20 years. This stage adaptation is now reaching the end of a four year run and the West End will be much poorer without it.

Paul Whitehouse co-wrote this homage and also stars as Grandad and Uncle Albert. In the space of two hours key storylines from the sitcom are distilled and interspersed with some highly polished original songs, plus a couple more that will be instantly familiar. A revolving stage recreates the Nag’s Head, Sid’s greasy spoon and the Trotters’ flat with consummate ease. The attention to detail is remarkable; Del Boy’s mohair coat, Rodney’s ill-fitting two tone suit, Denzil’s donkey jacket; and of course, the legendary mustard yellow Reliant Robin.

The cast are excellent and have studied their own characters almost to the point of obsession. Tom Bennett (Del Boy), Craig Berry (Boycie) and Lee VG (Trigger) pull off scarily good impressions that almost verge on doppelgangers. Unsurprisingly, Paul Whitehouse is word perfect and captures every glance and grin of the elder Trotter brothers.

The mostly original songs are the real standout and provide a natural vehicle for the narrative. They showcase the sunny disposition of Londoners and rhythm of city life. ‘Where have all the Cockneys gone’ is an astute commentary of how times have changed. While ‘The girl’ and ‘Marriage and love’ are very strong and linger in the memory long after the show has ended.

Apart from the songs, there’s nothing you haven’t seen or heard before. Lines have been lifted from the TV show and remodelled to provide a new shine. However, to write a musical based on ‘Horses’ leaves the creators little choice but to fall back on the series. Even so, it remains a great example of how to transfer a show from TV to the stage. This production closes on 29 April so the clock is ticking folks.  I feel duty bound to leave the final word to Del Boy: ‘Mange tout, mange tout its lovely jubbly! Come and see the show. You know it makes sense!’

Writers: Paul Whitehouse and Jim Sullivan, based on the TV series written by John Sullivan.

Director: Caroline J. Ranger

Review by: Brian Penn