a very cellular post

Sometimes keeping a blog can be quite difficult. My hotel room this evening, here in Frankfurt, doesn't have a working boradband connection, so I am typling this into my cell phone. I spent the last two days in busy meetings and was in a dinner until late yesterday and then had a 07:15 breakfast meeting today. So now I'm tired and will take the evening to watch television or listen to my iPod.

aboard a Ship of Fools

I entered the clanging and creaking harbour where the vessel prepared to take me and the rest of a hastily assembled crew on a voyage through time yesterday evening. We were all in Battersea's Theatre 503, which had been reconstructed to resemble a wooden decked craft of the 15th Century. We sat in the ship, not as mere spectators to a play. There was smoke wafting across the deck and the initial chatter soon subsided as first a fool and then the burghers of Basle in 1492 entered the scene.

The Plato-derived allegory of the Ship of Fools is viewed by many as that of not just an apocryphal episode in Greek and later Swiss history, but as a metaphor of the human condition. So like the original stories, we, the audience voyaged through the seas of time on a small ship that is representative of humanity.

In this Andrew Bovell play (he also wrote Strictly Ballroom, for example), the leaders of Basle round up the unemployed, the mad and anyone out of kilter with their society and place them on a rudderless and sail-less ship, which is then cast off into the Rhine, like a rubbish barge. The play then juxtaposes scenes from the 15th Century trials and tribulations of the voyage, with the modern-day anguishes of a set of people who are unemployed and sent away on a bus as part of a modern-day government scheme.

Then, using the plotline of the ancient story, and the personal lives of the modern-day people, we see them eat, drink, argue, lust and pursue unattainable goals as they meander aimlessly on their journey.

Back in Basle, Pietro de Convinso (played by Jonathan Oliver), is an investigator sent from Rome to find out what had happened and this part of the story unfolds through interviews with the members of the Council Chamber and also with interviews with witnesses from Basel and from the course of the River Rhine. Shadowing the investigator, is the narrator of the whole piece, in the form of the Fool (played by Andrew Buchan - he of the current BBC2 Series "Party Animals").

Each of this strong cast play multiple parts, both in the medieval Basle and 21st century Britain. Lucy Briers (daughter of Richard Briars) plays Monsier Schulze, a scheming and politically astute trader in Basle, determined to take the next role as Mayor of Basle. She also plays Rachel Stein an alienated woman with a past too horrible to be fully described in the story.

Maggie O’ Brian plays the The Mayor, with an exceptionally irritible bowel condition and Louise Masters who is a disenchanted housewife trying to escape a loveless marriage.

Sarah Corbett is Simone Gautier, also from the Council as well as the ex heroine addict Sunny Cox, whose boyfriend is on a methadone programme.

Jonathan Oliver also plays Monsier la Page, - who writes to the Pope after being ejected from the Council onto the ship, and additionally plays the highly strung bus driver fo the modern day Ship of Fools.

Richard Attlee plays the Bishop of Basel with a cut glass accent and Yugoslavian Marko Mihajolvic (thats with a 'j' and 'no, I don't need a translator')

And in addition to the fool, Andrew Buchan plays Simon Summerhayes, who has been in prison for rape. Most of the cast also play additional roles when Pietro de Convinco is running his inquiry.

The entire cast is strong and linked together well. All lent a continued tension to the piece as it built towards a climax in both the modern day part and the parallel medieval world. These overlaps convincingly and I found the entire performance engrossing.

The fool appears throughout both the 1492 narrative and the 2007 episodes which are cleverly interwoven, and as the play progresses, there are direct links from one series of events to the other.

In some versions of the original story, the ship drifts aimlessly and never reaches the harbour. In this version, the ship moves out into the sea. There is the question of whether things travel full circle. The story deals with profound questions of the human condition. How much of humanity is exempt from the discomfort of human folly? Can eccentricity, creativity and genius survive in a world where a type of normality is preferred?

There are moments of genuine laughter whilst watching this play, but there is also a sad laugh linking the Ship of Fools of others with the realisation that the play is about everyone, and we have indeed been sitting on the ship throughout the evening.

Like most of the obviously engrossed audience (which included a couple of celebs), I enjoyed this well-produced and crisply acted play and found myself thinking about the philosophical points afterwards. Must be a good sign!

Live in London? its worth a visit! A couple of other reviewer/bloggers were also at Saturday's show - I'll link to them when I find their posts -(Nathalie). Also friend Christina, who reviewed it Thursday, I give it 4 stars!

tags technorati : rashbre theatre london theatre503 offwestend chelsea battersea latchmere west end metro time out sloane square fringe ship of fools Andrew Bovell

out west

A stroll along King's Road, before this evening's visit to Theatre 503, to see the new production of Ship of Fools. The intrepid souls that have already taken the voyage tell me it is pretty good, so I'm looking forward to this evening. I gather a couple of other bloggers will also be along, too. If I can find out who, then I'll try to link reviews!

strong week

A late evening working and them home to cook some supper and catch up on the local news. And where better than the Londonist, where I spotted the little sign, which seems a fitting way to round off the week.

Thursday Thirteen : gaming the outcome

So lets set up a petition to ask people if they want to pay more for something they already take for granted. Then lets give a running total of how many new people have added their names during the countdown to the last day. Oh, and why not get someone famous to send a 'personal' response to everyone that signs up?

But bored with that one?

Here's a few more that are current and that fill my Thursday Thirteen!

1 We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Create a Cornish Bank Holiday on 5th March to commemorate St Piran’s Day

2 We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to bring back the Radio 4 UK theme

3 We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to allow the Piccadilly line to stop at Turnham Green tube station

4 We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to reduce the need for office-based workers to commute to work each day

5 We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to enter Ultimate Frisbee in to the 2012 olympics

6 We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Align our clocks with Central European Time

7 We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Bring Back Concorde

8We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Encourage MPs to try living on £100 a week

9 We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Stop Roadworks In Lowestoft

10 We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Stop proposed restrictions regarding photography in public places.

11 We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to stop duplicate petitions

12 We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Pass Legislation to make cold calling illegal.

and I thought this was particularly interesting...

13 We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Repeal or modify EC Regulation 785/2004 in order to exempt historical aircraft such as Sally-B B17G from new minimum insurance requirements

Of course, a fuller look at the list will show that there are petitions for many worthy subjects, although quite a few seem to have less than 500 signatures.

Tag: Thursday Thirteen, free link friday

OTA : Wordless Wednesday

Gone to the (slightly surreal) pub

Tag: Wordless Wednesday

canyons of the mind

I had a great idea for a post this morning, but by tonight I can't remember what it was, so here's a picture of an empty car park as a metaphor for the state of my mind. I suggest reading this instead.

another space invasion

I noticed the small space invader in Canal Street, whilst wandering in Manchester. These are a form of guerilla art that pop up in various parts of the world. I previously noted a good example outside Heartbreak Soup in Newcastle.

There's quite a few in London.

pig hog boar

We strolled into the China town area of Manchester, just as it was preparing for the main Golden Dragon Parade to welcome in Kung hei fat choy - the Year of the Pig (sometimes called the year of the Boar). When I looked at the Chinese zodiac sign, it describes the western equivalent that is nearest as the scorpion (Scorpio), which is actually my sign, although that's a November date.

The Chinese district is dominated by the Imperial Chinese Archway, which was a gift to the City from the Chinese people. There's also one in China Town London, but this one is extremely decorative and quite a surprise to find at a small cross roads in China Town. The arch was designed and built by a team of engineers from Beijing and is decorated with ceramics, lacquer, paint and gold leaf. Beside the arch are two pavilions in an ornamental garden, although these were blocked off today as part of the controls for the parade and festivities.

The red lanterns, flags and streamers and the loud firecrackers were all there to ward off evil spirits and to make sure that the Dragon knows its place instead of going around eating people.

star struck

I was told to make this picture large
The visit to see the Vortex was a great idea of Julie, who is quite a Will Young fan. We enjoyed the show and afterwards stayed in the very agreeable Royal Exchange bar having a few drinks. We even sawthe actress Diana Hardcastle who played Florence rushing out from somewhere back stage to buy a drink before the bar closed at around eleven o'clock.

We finished our drinks and decided we would get ready to move on to another venue like the Printworks or Matt and Phred's. Julie headed for the rest-rooms before we departed and we moved to the other end of the bar to where the coats were kept in a cloak room. Actually the cloakroom was locked and we had to find someone to get the door opened.

As I swung around I noticed three people sitting talking at the table at this end of the bar. One was wearing a rather fashionable hat. Yes, you've guessed. It was Will Young. That's the same Will Young that can usually be seen on stages and in arenas and other large venues. Now John was carrying the programme from the production and after a short consultation between us, I decided to ask Will Young if he would mind signing the programme for Julie.

I walked the few steps to where the three people were seated, very conscious that they may well have wanted to relax without being pestered. So I summoned the few words to ask Will if he minded me interrupting and would he mind signing the programme (luckily I had a pen!)

I explained it would make someone's year! He chuckled at this and said, 'what and its still only February!' and very graciously signed his picture on the programe 'to Julie, love Will x' I thanked him and commented also how much I'd enjoyed the play. He smiled before returning to his conversation with his two friends.

Throughout this, behind me had stood John and Melanie, miming approving gestures towards Will and his ensemble. We moved away, delighted that Will had been prepared to do this and feeling slightly sheepish that we had all been somewhat star-struck. I was not expecting the kind of buzz that this brief encounter created and don't think I've ever asked anyone for an autograph. I suppose Will Young is probably quite used to this, but I was very conscious of not wanting to intrude into his 'down-time'. I'm pleased that he signed the programme for Julie and I'd add that even in the few moments of contact, he came across as a charming and gracious individual.

Thank you, Will.

tags technorati : rashbre Will Young Vortex Diana Hardcastle Manchester music theatre

vortex

Noel Coward was 25 when he wrote "The Vortex" in 1924. In those days, the themes were sufficient to almost get the play closed down - with original reviews referring to 'this dustbin of a play'. There's sex and drugs but rock n' roll hadn't been invented so instead its piano and operetta.

The production at Manchester's Royal Exchange used a modest adaptation of the original script, and it is quite interesting to see how understated a lot of the themes of the play are in the production and one realises how much the 'shockability' of modern audiences have moved along.

We have the drug addled Nicky (played by Will Young) returning home from a year in Paris. He is clearly a mixed up and with what appears to be a sexual jealousy for the antics of his mother, Florence (played strongly by Diana Hardcastle). She is in an affair with someone Nicky's own age, behind the back of his starchy father. Florence's two friends at the start of the play act as a goading devil and no-nonsense conscience to Florence's infatuation.

Florence's lover, the guardsman Tom (played by Sam Heughan) is an aloof individual who portrays hardly a care for Florence, who is still blinded by the sexual advances. Will Young's character of Nicky (originally portrayed by Noel Coward himself) appears fragile in some scenes and later becomes downright jittery, presumably a reaction to the drug taking. Young's portrayal of Nicky incorporates an ambiguous sexual unhappiness which may be a cause of his addiction. He has brought a "trial fiancée" back from Paris, Bunty, although this courtship scarcely lasts beyond the introductions as she finds a greater affinity for Tom.

There's another nascent love interest for his mother Florence too; her female friend and apparent conscience Helen (played by Alexandra Mathie) seems to have a somewhat more than friendly longing to spend time with Florence, although that is also fairly understated in the way that the production operates.

The crescendo of the piece takes place in a whirl of emotions between Florence and Nicky when they both make a pact to abstain from the things which have been pulling them into the vortex. We are left to speculate whether the emotionally unsatisfied mother can abstain from the charms of a supply of twenty-something lovers and whether the fractured Nicky can resist the chemical lure of cocaine.

Well staged using a circular black and white set, good pacing and strong performances from the repertory cast. There was no embarrassment that Will Young was moving from his grounding in music to this theatrical piece and he stood up well as a full member of the cast delivering a strong performance. Kudos also to Bunty's stand-in, who did much more of an acted part than a reading.

Altogether, an enjoyable evening, watching a strong and interesting play in great surroundings.

tags technorati : rashbre Will Young Vortex Diana Hardcastle Manchester music theatre

exchange

Saturday evening we are seeing a play at the Royal Exchange. Earlier in the day we decided to locate it and take a look around. Its quite a spectacular structure. The outside is that of an old Corn Exchange in Manchester, but the inside has received a very signiicant makeover.

An entire theatre 'in the round' has been build inside the building. It is suspended from some steel struts which appear to take the load of the new construction.

This gives the Exchange a 'building within a building' feel and indeed the outer shell of the Exchange has mood lightig which can be controlled to suit the time of day or ambience required. The inner building is a very intimate theatre, which can hold something like 750 people, all of whom get excellent views of the circular stage.