Please remember: this is a review of a first preview, and should be judged as such.
I may be biased, since I saw it in New York and loved it (and have no problem with jukebox musicals if the songs are sensibly placed), but the London production of Rock of Ages looks set to more than challenge its US counterpart, given time and a bit more work on the mic levels. This deeply satirical, slightly filthy, thrillingly funny show takes all the theatrical conventions you're used to and turns them on their heads.
As narrator Lonny, the very seasoned Simon Lipkin (Avenue Q, Austentatious) is hilarious, holding the audience in the palm of his hand as he keeps the action swinging, breaking the fourth wall when necessary. Comedian and presenter Justin Lee Collins is a happy surprise as bar owner Dennis Dupree, rising to both the singing and acting challenges demanded of him. Oliver Thompsett (Wicked, Our House) excels in the tough sing of lead boy Drew, who has travelled to LA to become a rock star but instead falls in love with Sherrie (Amy Pemberton, strong). Thompsett can play the super-nice boy and also blast out a rock tune with a voice that, hopefully, he can keep at the same level throughout his tenure with the show.
Rohan Tickell and Sandy Moffat form a great double act as German property developer father and son Hertz and Franz. Moffat, for whom this is his first featured role, is well on his way to stealing every scene he's in (and got an extended round of applause after his show-stopping song) and Tickell isn't far behind (though he could make his German accent slightly stronger - at points he almost sounded English).
Shayne Ward showcases his powerful vocals as bad boy rocker Stacee Jaxx, but struggles a touch with the acting side - though very funny in many places, he needs to enunciate more clearly and take his time over his lines - it's clear that he has the least experience out of the cast.
Otherwise, Jodie Jacobs (Me & Juliet)'s delightfully husky voice is an intriguing choice for eco-activist Regina, and although she didn't quite hit all her comic notes, a few more shows will hopefully iron those issues out. And it would be a shame to end the review without mentioning Dylan Turner's cheekbones and tongue wiggling as Joey Primo.
This isn't Shakespeare, but then it's not trying to be. It's just good, solid, sarky fun. And I'll definitely be going back.
Wednesday, 31 August 2011
Tuesday, 30 August 2011
Review: The Faith Machine (Royal Court)
Alexi Kaye Campbell's newest play is The Faith Machine, currently on at the Royal Court, after the recent regional premiere of The Pride in Sheffield. The blurb on the Court's website says: "Travelling from America to Britain to a remote Greek island, this epic new play explores the relationship between faith and capitalism and asks fundamental questions about the true meaning of love."
Confused? Don't worry, we all felt that way. This is one of those weird plays where the performances are pretty good but the story itself strives too hard to 'mean' something. We flip between time periods and locations as we witness Sophie's life - firstly, her advertising exec boyfriend who doesn't share her staunch morals and her father, ready to quit the church over its homophobia after 47 years. Later, we see all of these sections of her life disintegrate slowly but somehow inevitably.
As boyfriend Tom, fairly recent RADA graduate Kyle Soller is the epitome of versatility. Moving from hilarity to devastation in the blink of an eye, Soller is deliciously interesting to watch as he skilfully holds the narrative together.
Hayley Atwell does a good job as daughter Sophie, combating Soller well in their numerous fight scenes - you truly feel that they could have been lovers. She has great presence and good comic timing, and completes some difficult scenes with fortitude. Ian McDiarmid as her father also does well with the material, which, for his character, becomes quite tough going towards the end.
The problem with The Faith Machine is that it just seems to be a vehicle for Campbell to express his own views. In the first act, this grates somewhat, while it does seem to work better in the second, which sucks you in more. Campbell's laudable attempt to make some important points instead results in a mish-mash of scenes where nothing is really said at any deep level.
The characters, too, ring less true the more you think about them. Sophie is so good it's almost unbelievable. Yes, she might lose it at Tom on occasion, but always in defence of her staunch beliefs. Even when she's pissed, she's unrealistically elegant. Tom, meanwhile, suffers from the opposite problem. Very much the everyman of this scenario, his character swings through the gamut of emotions, but we never really see anything deeper, besides his obvious trauma at not being with Sophie. Both characters are so inflexible and stuck in their own thought processes it frustrates.
Other moments that annoyed: the noting of the character doubling. We're not watching a farce. No need to make that so obvious. And there's something peculiar about Agatha - the question of whether her accent is meant to sway between African and English or whether this is a fault of the actress is unclear.
See it once, not sure you'll want to see it again.
Confused? Don't worry, we all felt that way. This is one of those weird plays where the performances are pretty good but the story itself strives too hard to 'mean' something. We flip between time periods and locations as we witness Sophie's life - firstly, her advertising exec boyfriend who doesn't share her staunch morals and her father, ready to quit the church over its homophobia after 47 years. Later, we see all of these sections of her life disintegrate slowly but somehow inevitably.
As boyfriend Tom, fairly recent RADA graduate Kyle Soller is the epitome of versatility. Moving from hilarity to devastation in the blink of an eye, Soller is deliciously interesting to watch as he skilfully holds the narrative together.
Hayley Atwell does a good job as daughter Sophie, combating Soller well in their numerous fight scenes - you truly feel that they could have been lovers. She has great presence and good comic timing, and completes some difficult scenes with fortitude. Ian McDiarmid as her father also does well with the material, which, for his character, becomes quite tough going towards the end.
The problem with The Faith Machine is that it just seems to be a vehicle for Campbell to express his own views. In the first act, this grates somewhat, while it does seem to work better in the second, which sucks you in more. Campbell's laudable attempt to make some important points instead results in a mish-mash of scenes where nothing is really said at any deep level.
The characters, too, ring less true the more you think about them. Sophie is so good it's almost unbelievable. Yes, she might lose it at Tom on occasion, but always in defence of her staunch beliefs. Even when she's pissed, she's unrealistically elegant. Tom, meanwhile, suffers from the opposite problem. Very much the everyman of this scenario, his character swings through the gamut of emotions, but we never really see anything deeper, besides his obvious trauma at not being with Sophie. Both characters are so inflexible and stuck in their own thought processes it frustrates.
Other moments that annoyed: the noting of the character doubling. We're not watching a farce. No need to make that so obvious. And there's something peculiar about Agatha - the question of whether her accent is meant to sway between African and English or whether this is a fault of the actress is unclear.
See it once, not sure you'll want to see it again.
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