Hello world! Welcome back to another blog. With the summer holidays over and as we are now heading into autumn, here are some of the shows I went to see at Newark castle during august, and what I thought of each show.
DISCALIMER: THIS IS JUST MY PERSONAL OPINION, AS EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT!
The Little Mermaid:
The first show I went to see during the summer was The Little Mermaid on 16th August, performed by the talented cast from the company Gary Starr Creatives, which are based in Lincoln.
I'm a massive panto fan, and so to see something to make you feel like a child again is something that we should all must do every now and then, as life is too short for anything serious. What I liked about this production is that it's only an hour long, it's outdoors, and it's something for the family to see. I didn't get involved too much as it's for the children, but I couldn't help but chuckle at the littlest things. These included the fish flake song, the ghost gag and the running jokes used when making a cake (i.e. having an actual flour instead of baking flour, and saying it's a sponge cake when it actually is a sponge).
I'll admit, the actor who played Eric didn't really stand out to me. There was something about the performance that felt abit flat, and I didn't necessarily believe him as he was playing the role. This is just my opinion, as I know everyone sees it in a different light.
But there are some that stand out for me, one of which was Choux Bouquet (or Chum Bucket to some of the characters). Your typical panto dame, the little mermaid style. even though the audience were quiet at times, that didn't stop him from getting them ramped up for whats to come and even pick on a few members of the audience.
Flounder Flip and Flounder Flop, the buttons style characters, were also a stand out for me. They had energy, they had fun and they had alot of personality to give. This is also the type of role I see myself playing in a genre like this, as I'm naturally a quirky person in real life once I get to know my surroundings and the people I'm working with.
I also noticed that they had the same songs as last years production of The Jungle Book, but made it fit in with the show. But then again, whilst I don't know the ins and outs of the company, it's nice that they go with their traditional format of how they set up their pantomimes, as sometimes the same way is the best way, but also when you haven't heard a song in a long time, it's good to be reminded of the catchy tune you once heard before. I also recognised some of the cast members from last year, so it was nice to see them playing different roles and also roles that show their strengths.
Overall, a really good show. I would give it a 3.5. This is because even though I do love a panto, I didn't get involved as much with the audience participation, but the children absolutely loved it!
Twelfth Night:
The next show I went to see was Twelfth Night on 22nd August, performed by Illyria, a classic theatre company based in Cornwall.
One of the few Shakespeare plays I know and understand the story of after learning about it in school, I could not miss this opportunity to see this performance. There were only 5 cast members, so each of them multi-rolled throughout the play. And what a job of it they did. Multi-rolling is a difficult skill, especially if you're on in a certain order and have a limited time to get changed, believe me I should know. But they pulled it off perfectly and effortlessly.
Amy Lockwood's interpretation of Viola was beautiful. Viola is a character I dream of playing, as she has been through experiences which I can relate to. In this case, liking someone who has feelings for someone else is a factor I have been through before. Her "I left no ring with her" monologue was effortless. The timing along with the physicality gave me both empathy and humour, as at this point its then Viola realises what she's got herself into. This is a piece I have also worked on before, and hope to use this piece for the upcoming Actor Jam, or to even submit it onto my social media profiles. I maybe might even get her advice on my interpretation for some pointers.
Nick Taylors interpretation of Malvolio was also a crowd pleaser, as he executed it well, and when he read the letter from "Olivia", he was literally the comedy star we all needed. I was surprised how non of the cast laughed when Olivia saw Malvolio in the yellow stockings, as it was a hilarious moment. But as much as they wanted to laugh, I feel that they knew the show must go on and even if they wanted to laugh they couldn't break character.
My only downside of the piece was that there were only 2 toilets and that I had to wait ages just to go. Also due to the weather, I then had to go again which meant more waiting. I know maybe they can't afford to, but they should have at least 5 toilets so we don't have to wait as long, as we had to let one of the actors jump in the que. But other than that, a wonderful night celebrating Shakespeare but with a modern twist. I especially liked the Sound of music reference, which was started by Feste, played by Callum Stewart.
Overall, I would give this show a 5. Yes I still need to work my head around Shakespeare, but with it being one of my favourite plays and having modern twists to it, it made the whole experience more enjoyable.
The Importance of Being Ernest:
The final show I went to see this summer is the Importance of Being Earnest on 30th August, performed by Lincoln based theatre company Chapterhouse Theatre.
An Oscar Wilde classic, this play tells the story of mistaken identity, confusion and a huge secret. I did a read through of this play on zoom during lockdown, so to see it live was something I could not miss out on.
It was a beautiful atmosphere and a wonderful turnout. The cast were so lovely and welcoming, with Troy Chessman, who played Algernon Moncrieff, and James Mole, (who I must say is not bad to look at), who played Jack Worthing, advertising their programme I bought.
Classical text is sometimes hard to understand, but adding in the physical elements does help bring it to life and to also laugh at the moments when you should. I also watched it as I had an audition for Cecily at The Lace Market Theatre in Nottingham for their production of it, where in this production was played by midlands actor Molly Gudz, so it was also important to see how Cecily is brought to life. Unfortunately as I'm writing this I didn't get the role but it was still amazing to see a play I've read before being brought to life.
I also noticed how the first act was longer, but the second act was about 30 minutes long. I'm not sure why they set it out that way, but then again I was never one to complain, as the main thing was that it was an entertaining night.
Only two actors multi-rolled in the play, one of which was alan McLaren who played reverend chasuble and Lady Bracknell. What I liked about him is how he can capture the feminine qualities as Gwendolyns mother, but also the authority and respect as Chasuble. I've also seen on his social media posts that this was his last show. Whter that's with this company or his last show ever, I'm not sure. But either way he did end this summer tour with a bang.
Marie Browne, who played Lane, Miss Prism and a maid, also did a brilliant job of multi-rolling. The tiniest qualities like posture, voice and attitude made each of the characters she played really distinct. She also has a good sense of humour, as she announced the show at the beginning, and mentioned in a funny way that if it does rain, the only word we said was tough, and to be fair I would say the same as her. Lol!
My only downside was once again having two toilets, therefore waiting for ages to use the toilet. But other than than I cannot complain.
I even met with an old friend from school who i sat and watched it with. So it made the night even better.
Overall, I would give this show a 4.5. This is due to the first act being longer, and at one point where I thought it was going to end for act 1 it carried on, and I felt like they could've ended act 1 earlier on, but then again this is just my personal opinion. Other than that, a very good night, and I even met my oldest friend from school, who I ended up watching the show with, so it was nice to have a catchup whilst watching a night of entertainment.
And that completes my review of shows I went to see in the summer. I hope everyone enjoyed this read, and I can't wait to watch more shows to review. Let's just hope that next summer will be even better!
See you soon for another blog. Until next time…
This is the autistic actress signing off :)
Comments