Everett deserves an Oscar for portrayal of Wilde

The Judas Kiss - Richmond Theatre

How wonderful to be back in the Richmond Theatre. Relaxed, friendly and steeped in Victorian opulence, this theatre has old-fashioned charm, fine acoustics, and good seats - what more could you want? 

A play with Rupert Everett and Freddie Fox is a good start and their current performances in The Judas Kiss are outstanding. Everett plays Oscar Wilde and Fox his devoted but eventual perfidious lover in this revival of the play which was rather sniffed at when it premiered in London in 1998. The first production featured Liam Neeson as Wilde and was directed by Richard Eyre so one wonders why it wasn’t an outright triumph, but it is a very wordy play with little action and in the wrong hands it could lumber along.

It needs poke and panache and Everett and the cast in this new production deliver with confidence and energy, even down to the butler, waiter and chambermaid who introduce humour and warmth in the first act, set in the Cadogan Hotel in 1895.

Wilde is avoiding the public following the collapse of his libel case against the Marquess of Queensberry. He faces arrest and inevitable imprisonment but has the chance to escape to exile, aided by his former lover Robbie Ross, brilliantly played with devoted and quiet restraint by Cal MacAnich. Everett, with his towering stature and strong features, convincingly portrays the lumbering Wilde, teasing and frustrating his friends with his apparent nonchalence about his fate, his desire to enjoy lobster for lunch and his obsessive delight in giving the hotel staff generous tips.

In contrast to Everett’s lumbering Wilde, Freddie Fox as Lord Alfred ‘Bosie’ Douglas, is like an excited puppy, eager to please and full of optimism. With wonderfully clear diction and great energy, this role could have been written for Fox. He uses the whole stage, moving around his often static lover, getting energy and different moods from hidden corners or the light from a window. I was enthralled by the Neil Armfield’s ingenious direction, squeezing every ounce of potential from a simple yet glorious set and employing occasional slowness of pace to give poignancy, but never tedium.

David Hare’s script is wordy but wise - so many wonderful observations and thoughts spill from Wilde’s lips and Everett delivers them faultlessly. For the whole of Act 2 he sits heavily in his chair in a Naples guesthouse, while Bosie flirts and cavorts with his new lover, an Italian fisherman with a scant wardrobe. Observing with fond interest, Wilde ruminates on his life and his fate and we listen intently to his every word until he finally heaves himself to his feet to bid farewell to his beloved Bosie. Left alone in his room, settled once again in his chair, Wilde is shrouded in a leaden coat of despair. His despondency permeates through the theatre and, as a single light fades, we wonder if he will ever find the strength to move again.

The Judas Kiss is at The Duke of Yorks, London from January 9th 2013

Driving Miss Daisy

at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre

Somehow I missed the film when it came out in 1989, so it was good to go and see this production at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre without any preconceived expectations. 

People often think the film came first but in fact Driving Miss Daisy was first written as a play by Alfred Uhry in 1987.

It tells the story of two very different characters living in the southern states of America at the height of the Civil Rights Movements in the 1050s and 60s and how, despite their social differences, they are drawn together. They come from very different sides of the American race divide. Hoke, played by Rising Damp’s Don Warrington, is a gentle, black, poor widower. Daisy, played by Gwen Taylor, is a rich, white, retired Jewish school teacher and she is growing old. They are both fiercely proud and apparently independent and when Daisy’s son (Ian Porter) appoints Hoke as her driver she is outraged and adamant that she does not need his help. She holds out for 6 days then reluctantly agrees he can drive her to the Piggley Wiggley store.

“Well, well,” says Hoke in amazement, “It took 6 days for her to agree to that - same time as it took God to create the world”. 

Between 1948 and 1973, while enormous upheavals go on in the world, the relationship between these two reflects political and social changes in America. For those who know the name Matin Luther King, but can’t quite recall what he did, director David Esbjornson has kindly employed the use of projections to help clarify events and many of them are very moving. The set is minimal but effective. A bench and a couple of chairs simulate the car, indeed cars, where many of Miss Daisy and Hoke’s most important conversations take place.

And this brings us to a flaw in this production, the often inaudible dialogue ie; the conversations that we couldn’t hear. Maybe it was because our seats were at the rear of the stalls but for the first 10 minutes I couldn’t catch a word of what Hoke said. And I so wanted to - the lines are precious in this piece. Ian Porter as Boolie delivered his lines well and up to the audience but both Hoke and Daisy often turned away or dropped the volume and this was frustrating.

However, in this 3 handed production the characters are endearing and charmingly portrayed. I did expect more initial friction between Miss Daisy and Hoke, mainly to emphasize the journey from their initial introduction to their final scene where there is true tenderness and, maybe even love. A bit of spice would also have added to the humour which was occasionally there but slightly restrained in a rather British way.

After 25 years together, Hoke and Miss Daisy grow together without realising how much they need each other. When she finally begins to lose her mental capabilities, Hoke is there for her and it is apparent that he is the only person she really cherishes spending her time with.

Driving Miss Daisy plays at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre Guildford until Saturday October 13.

Fircroft Summer Exhibition

Fircroft pulls out all the stops for yet another brilliant exhibition.

The Fircroft Summer Exhibition is bigger and better than ever this year. It’s always a pleasure just to visit the Taylor’s wonderful old Victorian home, let alone to immerse yourself in rooms full of original and wonderful works of art. Frank Taylor is a successful and prolific painter and every June he invites other artists to exhibit with him in his lovely home. His wife Christine prepares for the exhibition for months beforehand, liaising with artists whose work they admire.

Ceramics, jewellery, sculpture, drawings - everything is explored but I always linger longest by the paintings. 

This year I am bowled over by Keith Morton’s oil paintings. As a frustrated oil painter myself, I can stare for hours at the deft work of an accomplished painter such as Morton. How can so many colours make up a bunch of beetroot and still look OK? Such is the skill of an artist who can see beyond the surface.

Frank Taylor is not afraid of colour - his paintings are bold, confident and each tells its own story. He has travelled extensively and his paintings and prints are inspired by the landscape, architecture, people and art of distant places.

On the 3D side, John Maltby is always popular - his ceramics are fun, quirky and are attracting a lot of red dots as always. 

Lisa B Moorcroft, well know and much loved for her wonderful glassed ceramics, is the grand-daughter of William Moorcroft and the fourth generation of the famous firm of potters. She makes unique, colourful vases with designs based on flowers and creatures and specializes in slip trailing and under glaze colours with a lustre glaze - now collector’s items.

New this year are the wild and wacky metal works by Darrell Evanes - very Waterworld, and I love them. A couple of his pieces are currently exhibiting at The Lightbox in Woking.

Also beautiful to behold are outdoor sculptures by Zimbabwean sculptors that the Taylors have built relationship with over many years, helping many to gain significant recognition in the UK.

Some of these sculptures are massive, cast out of springstone, so called because by the Zimbabwean sculptors because the stone is so hard that the hammer springs back as they hit the chisel. There are also some huge pieces that look fab outdoors from sculptors nearer to home including Bristol-based Jo Jones whose piece ‘Hiding’ is simply beautiful. And don’t miss work by Harrogate metal sculptor, Steve Blaylock, who takes inspiration from nature, creating stunning metal versions of animals and plant life.

I particularly liked a serene sculpture by E. Sahondo called Head, a block of stone with a few swathes of hair and the simplest of faces - less is often more.

Just as I was exploring the garden and loving the range of sculpture styles it started to rain - a good excuse to back again next week.

The Fircroft Summer Exhibition runs until Sunday june 24th. Open daily from 11am to 5pm with late nights on Thursday until 8pm. Fircroft is off new road, on Albury heath. For more info call 01483 202333 or visit www.fircroft.info

Close the Coalhouse Door, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre

Northern Stage and Live Theatre have collaborated to produce this remarkable musical based on a potted history of the miners. Written by Alan Plater 44 years ago, it now contains new material by Lee Hall which brings it up to date. The combined forces of these two excellent writers results in fluent dialogue and an abundance of wisecracks that clearly appealed to the Guildford audience.

A very able cast play members of a mining family, their friends and their neighbours. They also very effectively portray many influential figures of the time, simply by donning a hat, changing a jacket or adopting a different accent. Adam Barlow, who plays the vicar most of the play, has a real talent for this: his rendition of Harold Wilson is incredibly realistic despite him being a very different shape and size to the former Labour prime minister. Also adept at taking on many roles is Jane Holman who mainly plays Grandma but switches very naturally to an array of characters using a range of expressions and vocal dexterity.

There is a real energy exuding from the whole cast and their musical ability is brilliant. They play an impressive range of instruments, and the songs written by Alex Glasgow are belted out with confidence and passion. But without these bursts of music I fear this play may become a little over-wordy, and I felt it went off track a little in Act 2 when the humour turns slightly slapstick with a ventriloquist’s dummy (played convincingly by the aforementioned Barlow) and an overkill of blasts from plastic kazoos. With all these comic interludes it was hard to remember where we were in the plot. And actually, I wanted to learn more about the history miners - there was so much fascinating stuff in the programme, but only half of it reached the stage.

The story revolves around a jolly mining family and the ongoing dilemma as to whether the young men should stay in the mining village or spread their wings and see the world. The brotherly rival theme is strong, the inevitable fight over a girl ensues, and the terrible conditions of the miners is driven home. But it never sinks into mawkishness and this is clearly a show with a very light heart - the audience loved it and particularly enjoyed the jibes with local references, including the one about loos flushing in Guildford.

Soutra Gilmour has designed an impressive set with a huge silhouette of a colliery and a revolving stage that changes from family sitting room to the front of the red-bricked terraced house. Hall’s updates and intervention are brave but they usually work - a nice touch at the end has the whole cast wearing headphones and talking all at once as the collapse of the coal industry gives way to the rise of the call centre. A sombre consideration at the end of a jolly night out.

Tinx Newton

Coalhouse Door is at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre Guildford until Sat June 2, before it heads north. Box Office 01483 440000

Surrey Open Studios 2012

Woodbridge by Chris Forsey

I love the build up to the Open Studios. In sheds, halls, bedrooms, and even the odd studio across Surrey, artsists and craftsmen are hard at work putting their final pieces together before they throw their doors open to the public in June.

There's a sense of excitement, but also an element of 'lull before the storm' in some places. I witnessed some of this yesterday lunchtime when I visited Chris Forsey at his new studio in Dorking. The fact that he was sitting in a deckchair enjoying the sunshine was deceptive. He had, he assured me, smoothing his impressively paint-splattered apron, been up with the lark and been very productive all morning. A quick nose inside his studio confirmed this was true. There were pictures everywhere, all bearing the very distinctive Forsey style. I have 4 or 5 'Forseys' already and i wanted to get my mitts on some more but in order not to deplete his stocks, I will have to wait until June 9th and the start of this year's Open Studio event.

Chris now works out of Sandstone Studios and shares the space with ceramic artist Stephanie Wright and sculpture Nikki Taylor. It’s a fascinating place to visit as their work is so incredibly different. 

Chris’s paintings are expressive and colourful; he is inspired by rugged landscapes, changing light and atmosphere. Stephanie’s ceramics are cool, calm - inspired by the sea, a movement in time. Nikki works freehand in woven wire mesh, producing sensuous figure sculptures from small torso reliefs to life-size full figures. Her fascinating array of improvised tools will be on display during the Open Studios.

One studio, many styles - well worth a visit on your Open Studios trail. Sandstone Studios is No 123 in the Open Studios brochure which is available from libraries, galleries, art shops and other art related outlets.

Or visit the website: http://www.surreyopenstudios.org.uk

Further Open Studios updates to follow in this blog.......

David Bellamy welcomes bugs at Wisley

I first met David Bellamy about 25 years ago when he appeared in an advert about plant fertilizers. He was full of life then, and he still is. Wearing a bright orange jumper and sporting an impressive white beard, he was down at RHS Wisley last week to open their new controlled-environment research facility. Despite the damp weather he was full of good cheer and still passionate about plants, bugs and conservation.

It was a busy event, attended by press, gardening boffs, and major supporters of Wisley, which, as part of the RHS, is a charity. Unfortunately by the time Prof Bellamy reached the coffee table, all the cups had been nabbed - but he waited patiently and eyed up the enormous chocolate cookies with me. "I'll don’t think I can eat a whole one," I said rather feebly. "Shall we share one then?" he said. I broke one in half, crumbs spilling everywhere. "Looks a bit like a soil sample" he chuckled.

But back to business; on the platform Roger Williams, RHS Head of Science explained how the RHS is keen to encourage environmentally and wildlife friendly gardening practices hence they are carrying out scientific research aimed at supporting gardeners.”

Biodiversity is being lost on a global scale but the good news is that more people than ever are wanting to garden for wildlife. hence there are more enquiries than ever about what to plant to attract bugs and insects. The new research will investigate whether a geographical origin of a garden plant is a significant factor in biodiversity richness. An average garden contains around 70% non-native pants to just 30% British native plants. Does this make a difference to our wildlife friends, do they care what we plant? The three year study should reveal some fascinating findings which will help gardeners make informed choices.

The Wisley research beds include slug and snail traps, pitfall traps for beetles, suction sampling which sucks up insects such as flies, aphids etc. (the RHS promise this doesn’t cause them trauma) and notes from volunteer observers who watch the beds for flying insects such as bees.

It’s amazing to think that so much is going on in our gardens without us noticing. At the Wisley test gardens, over 4,900 individual flying insects have visited flowers on the plots, including 13 species of butterfly and 13 species of bee. More than 250 different species of insects such as beetles have been found in the pitfall traps. In total, nearly 34,000 insects have been recorded during the 2 years of monitoring. Amazing - and quite heart warming. I shall look at those ants in my flower bed with new interest from now on.

More information: http://www.rhs.org.uk/science

Ham House targets youth through contemporary art

Covering the arts is always uplifting and it was a pleasure to attend the press night at Ham House for ‘Garden of Reason, A season of contemporary art in the garden’. Despite heavy showers, the marquee and gardens were packed with inspired people keen to see what the title was all about, and it was great to see so many students and young people there.

Simon Jenkins, Chairman of the National Trust, spoke about his particular affection for Ham House and explained how the National Trust is striving to change its image. They are keen to avoid NT properties becoming museums and want more interaction; they particularly want more young people to enjoy visiting them.

The NT spends a phenomenal amount of money restoring their old houses, but they are now moving away from just popping the old furniture back in when it’s done and are putting ‘new things into old houses’. “We are taking a risk,” said the charming Mr J, “We hope it works.”

The Garden of Reason has been created in response to Trust New Art, a partnership between Arts Council England and the National Trust to connect more people to NT sites through contemporary art and craft.

17 contemporary artists were invited to create new works for the 17th century gardens at Ham House. The 8 major themes interpret themes such as Tulipmania, democracy in ruins, arcadia redesigned, the impact of early scientific discovery by Galileo and Newton and other wacky titles.

4 'live art' commissions consider the status of cut grass, the relationship of Charles 1 to his whipping boy, Elizabeth Dysart as apothecary and oh, rather ordinary this one! - 17th century music.

Now if all of that doesn’t fascinate young people and get them through the doors of Ham House, I don’t know what will. 

This has been a massive collaboration between the NT, the Arts Council, curator Tessa Fitzjohn, local schools, students, teachers, volunteers at Ham House and it has created a very positive feeling throughout the house and the surrounding community.

Added to which, Ham House has to be one of the greatest hidden secrets on the outer fringes of London.
Be sure to go this summer to catch the contemporary art exhibition - ends September 23rd.

Ham House website - http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ham-house

The Memory of Water, Electric Theatre Guildford

The Memory of Water won an Olivier Award for best comedy in 2000, and the sharp script certainly brought frequent bursts of laugher from the audience at The Electric Theatre last week. On a deeper level, there are some serious themes running through the plot, and the mix of light and shade results in an intriguing play with some lovely characters.

This was Shelagh Stephenson's first play, written in 1996, and it’s a good choice for smaller theatre groups with its cast of six interesting characters. Directed by Laura Sheppard, this version by the Guildburys was up to their usual high standard with convincing characters and good pace. Three sisters gather together at their dead mother’s home to prepare for her funeral. In the first scene we get a glimpse of the deceased mother, touchingly played by Gilly Fick, and her influence on her daughters becomes apparent as they each reveal their memories of her throughout the play.

Kathryn Attwood captured the personality of the oldest sister Teresa well, striving to do the right thing for her beloved mother but clearly anxious and close to the edge. Polly King played the more laid-back but confident middle sister Mary with exactly the right tone, struggling with memories of her mother but appearing in control. Debby Phillips threw herself into the role of the youngest, rebellious sister who resorts to smoking the odd joint to calm her nerves and is desperate to fall in love. The inter-action between these three very different personalities worked well and they were truly believable as sisters.

I laughed out loud when Mary’s married man climbed in through the window. Mike’s desire to be with Mary is met with confusing, mixed emotions, and she has more than one card to play in her quest for him to leave his wife. Phill Griffith was perfect as Mike; he has a wonderful voice on stage and his performance in this play was, as always, convincing and very natural. The relationship between Mike and Mary was well crafted, tense but running high with emotion.

Also very believable was Steve Nankervis as Frank, keen to keep his beloved Teresa calm and creating great comedy, particularly when he is rolled on the bed by an amorous and emotional Catherine.

Occasionally, some of the ladies' dialogue was hard to hear, but this is a very wordy script and in order to keep the pace up, any cast has to race through some of the lines. Added to this, they were battling against some unusual background noise, either the air conditioning unit or maybe the projector, but it is no mean feat to perform so many lines and the whole cast did a tremendous job, never missing a cue or faltering in their delivery.

The Guildburys are always inventive in their productions and in this instance, the projection of shimmering water and black and white photos added a professional touch. The cast looked as if they enjoyed every moment on stage and everyone, on and off stage, had clearly had worked hard as a team, the result of which was a very fine production and an appreciative audience. 

Tinx Newton

Barefoot in the Park, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre

Neil Simon wrote Barefoot in the Park nearly 50 years ago, in 1963, and it’s still a timeless and popular play today. The Yvonne Arnaud Theatre was packed on Monday night, and the audience were in a good mood, hooting with laughter and loving the often slapstick humour.
The action revolves around a 20-something couple, Paul and Corrie Bratter, who have moved into a top floor apartment in New York. Corrie is vivacious and madly in love with her lawyer husband, who is more reserved and appealing in many ways. In this production Faye Castelow plays Corrie and she must surely go home exhausted after every performance. On stage she races here and there, bursting with excitement, leaping off the sofa into the arms of her charming husband. I guess that’s how Neil Simon envisaged the role but her eternal joie de vivre didn’t please everyone; I heard one lady say in the interval that she might throttle Corrie in the second act if she didn’t calm down.
Maureen Lipman plays Corrie’s rather interfering mother and her stage presence and timing is still a joy to behold. Lipman’s acting always seems effortless, the audience love her and she manages to play even the farcical scenes without overplaying them or appearing ridiculous. She also directed this production. Her late husband, Jack Rosenthal, always read the play before he started work on one of his own saying it had ‘perfect construction’ hence it holds a certain place in her heart.
Victor Velasco is the man who lives above the newly-weds and the only way he can enter his tiny flat is through the Bratter’s apartment, so happily, we see a lot of him. Oliver Cotton manages to play this lovable rogue without making him seem a fool and his comic timing is superb. Perhaps it’s all down to their considerable experience but I enjoyed the scenes with the older pair in the play - I felt I was in the room with them, settling down with a shared drink and enjoying their gentle banter.
The first act flies by and the pace is good, but things go a bit pear-shaped at the start of Act 2 when we have to witness about 15 minutes of Paul and Corrie arguing, no, actually screeching, at each other. I always feel there is nothing to be gained from witnessing long arguments on stage. It’s uncomfortable, and invariably wearing - for us and probably them.
Of course there is a happy ending for the young couple, and all in all this is a very good, professional cast. Neil Simon’s dialogue is quick and sharp and often very funny, and it is easy to see why he was nicknamed - King of the Wisecrack,
The play is timeless partly because there is surprisingly little reference to the world outside the apartment. Also, it is about a relationship between a newly married couple, and the same emotions could have run 300 years ago, or last week. There’s nothing deep and meaningful here, but why should there be?! If you’re after a light-hearted evening and visual eye-candy for all ages, this play ticks both the boxes.

Barefoot in the Park plays at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford until Saturday April 7th. Box office - 01483 440000.

The Kings Speech - at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre

It’s a hard act to follow, a film with a star studded cast that became a major box office hit and the winner of countless Academy Awards. But the play of The Kings Speech, which premiered in Guildford this week, is right up there, snapping at its heels.

I’ve seen the film twice and wondered what new dimension a live production might bring, Would I miss those wonderful black and white newsreels of the cheering British people hoping for a glimpse of their king? I need not have feared - nothing is lost in this wonderful production at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, and so much is gained. Perhaps most importantly we can really appreciate the carefully scripted dialogue, and that in turn, re-enforces a key message in this play - the importance of speech. We can digest the emotional words uttered by the future King, enjoy humorous lines from his speech therapist and consider the historical facts revealed by his government. Hats off to David Seidler who won BAFTA and Academy awards for writing the screenplay; a childhood stammerer himself, he was well placed to write the script with utmost compassion.

The set is sliced in half with a massive black frame stretched with gauze, and designer Anthony Ward cleverly creates 2 sets at once to great effect. We can glimpse people in another room and move smoothly to another scene as the stage rotates. Directed by Adrian Noble, the action moves swiftly and minimal props give aesthetic support without stealing the show. And yes there is newsreel footage, that, and music from the era transposes the audience into 30’s Britain where the threat of war is looming, and with the unfortunate death of George V, the need for an heir is pressing.

The King’s oldest son Edward is pronounced King Edward VIII but when his romantic involvement with Wallis Simpson becomes public, general disapproval is apparent and there is growing pressure for his abdication. All eyes focus on his younger brother as the future King, a terrifying prospect for the stammering Bertie who has been teased by his more outgoing sibling all his life and desperately lacks confidence. With the help of an Australian speech therapist, Lionel Logue, he eventually overcomes his ‘affliction’ and prepares to speak to the British people.

The developing relationship between Bertie and Logue is fascinating. Logue is played with great charm by Jonathan Hyde, his amusing quips interjecting with the struggling emotions of the faltering Bertie who is desperate to cure his speech impediment. Charles Edwards plays the role with sensitive conviction and adopts a stammer that is painful to witness but never slips into self pity. His flashes of temper, prompted by his inner frustration, give us glimpses of his inner strength and determination.

There is not a weak link in this competent cast; Emma Fielding is delightful as Queen Elizabeth, Charlotte Randle endearing as Logue’s wife and Ian McNeice remarkable as Churchill. Like cogs in a giant wheel, the characters are essential to the smooth operation of this fascinating story, moving it forward to the final, incredibly moving speech where Bertie finally holds his head high and addresses his people. As his loyal audience we listened, willing him to succeed and, as the final crackle of his microphone faded, there was not a dry eye in the house.

Tinx Newton