This was a real-life story based on the autumn years of the writer C.S.Lewis and of love found and lost. It was well directed by Bushra, conveying the feeling of life in Oxford and the struggles of faith and love experienced by Lewis as the story developed. Robert Suttle gave an excellent performance as Jack Lewis, he developed the character very well, believable at all times. Sarah Lee gave a great performance as Joy Gresham again developing the character very well as she challenged Lewis’s beliefs. Lewis’s brother, “Warnie”, provided another opportunity for a great performance by Colin Treliving, perfect casting. Malcolm Todd, Peter Fedorow and Glenn Murphy provided strong support for the Oxford group, each developing their individual characters very well and there was also a good performance from Ed Frost as the young Douglas. The set provided the atmosphere of a bachelor home of the period although I thought the Hotel tea scene could have been visually improved. The scene changes were handled efficiently, while the costumes, lighting and props were fine and in keeping for the occasion. Overall it was well prepared and certainly well performed, good entertainment and enjoyed by the opening night audience.
It was a big Arts Theatre audience for this first night of the Scottish play; appropriately enough because it's one of the best productions to be seen in town so far this year.
It's always a hazardous undertaking: the murders, for instance, can be tricky, and above all, the ghost scene can easily collapse into risibility. But in all these areas and more this production, directed by Paul Jennings, gets it right.
It's a judicious blend of back projection and good taste. The former is used splendidly in the silhouetted opening battle scene as well as at the banquet, where the murdered Banquo's image appears on screen. The latter comes in, for instance, with the Weird Sisters, beautifully done by Christina Vaughan, Holly Cuffley and Kimberley Brook.
Having everyone in black actually looks vaguely realistic. That, and the total absence of scenery, forces you to concentrate on text and characters. The no-scenery approach also facilitates swift scene changing – which at times is still oddly slow.
We're given a good standard of acting overall: in particular diction and projection are excellent; and all actors deliver the text intelligently.
Central performances are outstanding. As Lady Macbeth, Sarah Burgin is a wonderful speaker who makes the sleep-walking scene one of the highlights of the evening. Above all, Robert Goll's Macbeth is magnificent. His un-histrionic voice control, his subtle eye movements, his conveyance of a deep neuroticism in Macbeth – Goll might well be the finest amateur actor in Nottingham.
Rush to see this production.
Alan Geary
Macbeth is at the Nottingham Arts Theatre till Saturday, 21st April
Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp - Nottingham Arts Theatre - 10th to 18th December 2011
Directed and Choreographed by Ed Stirland-Jones
Musically Directed by David Hails
This was a very good traditional pantomime. Ed Stirland-Jones made full use of the facilities and storyline to produce a great visual presentation (including the proscenium arch), with plenty of good positioning and movement.
David Hails provided a good choice of musical moments all well prepared and performed in the pit and on the stage.
The very talented cast were led with a great performance from Tom Keeling (Aladdin) and a super all round performance from Kimberly Brook (Princess So-Shi), she was acting every moment on stage.
Plenty of comedy as expected, especially from Chris Bailey-Stonall and Michael Pearson, very well cast as Widow Twankey and Wishee Washee and also fine performances from the Slaves of the lamp, Sophie Jude, Victoria Shaw and Joanna Hayes.
All the remaining cast and chorus performed well and added to the success of the production. There was lovely choreography and dance, and that certainly includes the younger members of the cast. Nice sets, costumes and lighting all helped the presentation, and good back stage work kept the show momentum. The diction was excellent, well done the voice coaches. It was good to see plenty in the audience and they certainly enjoyed the evening from their response at the end.
Nottingham Arts Theatre, George Street Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp Saturday 10th - Sunday 18th December 2011
Who needs big names and technical wizadry to pull in the punters when all you need is an enigmatic cast, acted well with plenty of gusto; throw in a handful of well known songs to get the kids singing and clapping and you have The People's Theatre Company offering for 2011.
Written by Peter Denyer, every member of the cast give 110%, even in the smallest part. And the casting is genius. Tom Keeling takes the title role of Aladdin and turns the character into a cheeky, slightly camp hero of the moment and if TV special effects could be applied to the stage i am sure there would be a twinkle from his broad smile appear every time he grinned at the audience. Princess So Shi (pronounced So Shy) is played slightly more street wise than I have seen in some other Aladdins by the lovely Kimberley Brook. Chris Bailey-Stonall is born to wear high heels in a more traditional Widow Twankey and is a real joy to watch. Of course all pantos have to have a baddie the audience love to hate, and I thought that last year's King Rat was evil but Philip Roberts really riles the audience as Abanazar. One nice touch with the writing for Abanazar is that he has a "catchphrase" if you like. When he is about to exit he throws out " Don't you just love me" which lets the audience know that this is their time to show their depreciation of their favourite baddie.
This cast of regular faces and newbies kept the party rocking with hits like CeeLo Green's "Forget You", Lady Gaga's "Born This Way", Beyonce's "Single Ladies", Dolly Parton's "9 To 5" and Jessie J's "Price Tag". Three pantos in Nottingham City Centre and the The People's Theatre Company definitely held their own in what I think is their best to date.
This was the premiere performance of the play by Nottingham author Simon Carter, and what a splendid piece it turned out to be. It was powerful with well balanced humour and drama together with some unexpected twists in the story line.
The play was very well directed by Paul using the space well and achieving the atmosphere of the storyline. The cast of four gave excellent performances each developing a believable character. Robert Goll spent a lot of time in bed as Thomas but still stirred the emotions in his dream sequences, while Georgia Munnion gave a convincing performance as his daughter Silvia. Leon Wilmans was certainly an doctor with an obsession and Tony Kirkham as the cleaner Clive also stirred emotions with his own story lines.
The use of real medical equipment certainly added to the presentation but I have to say the lighting and sound were superb and absolutely spot on throughout the play. Such a performance shows what can be done with a talented author, director, cast and technical support working together as a team – an evening to remember, congratulations to all concerned.
This was the premiere performance of the play by Nottingham author Simon Carter, and what a splendid piece it turned out to be. It was powerful with well balanced humour and drama together with some unexpected twists in the story line.
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