Pressure - tense forecasts from David Haig

With all the media attention surrounding the D-Day landings it is refreshing to find a new angle to convey the incredible impact of the decision to invade on any particular day. In his new play, Pressure, David Haig drives home the importance of the weather on that decision and the conflict between two weathermen whose differing forecasts could affect the outcome of the Second World War.

The action is takes place at Southwick House, Portsmouth and a convincing set complete with billowing curtains and the cracking sounds of storms overhead places us firmly in the nerve-wracking few days before June 6, 1944 when General Dwight Eisenhower (Malcolm Sinclair) has to decide when to give the order for the Allied Invasion of France, which later became named D-Day. The original date was set for June 5, with ideal conditions and the promise of a full moon, but predicted storms deemed the operation too precarious and so a decision to delay was proposed.

David Haig stars as Scotsman Group Captain Dr James Stagg, head of a team of meteorologists in charge of predicting the weather over the English Channel. Tim Beckman plays his jaunty opposition, the American Colonel  ‘Krick’ - two men from different nations with very different views on weather patterns.

Stagg is obsessed with the weather and Haig beautifully conveys his compulsive, almost neurotic, continual checking and re-checking of wind, rain and isotherms. He displays huge maps on the wall, moving pressure bars up and down and observing with near hysteria the building storm. Obsessed in the first act with the weather, and oblivious to those around him, we see his more emotional side as the play develops and we learn that his wife is in hospital, about to deliver their second child. David Haig has a wonderfully expressive face, his portrayal of George lll in ‘The Madness of...’ will stay with me forever, and once again he conveys brilliantly the agony of a man trying to do the right thing, but fearful of the consequences. (NB - seating tip - avoid the right hand side of the auditorium facing stage or you will mostly see the back of his head!)

Malcolm Sinclair is staggeringly like Eisenhower and plays the role with a great mix of power and compassion. His angst at sending thousands of young men to their possible death is apparent, and although he relies on the advice of Stagg and Krick, the final decision lies heavily with him. He has a love interest to ease his pressure, the lovely Lieutenant Kay Summersby, played with energy and sharp wit by Laura Rogers. The only female in the cast, she brings humanity and emotion to the proceedings.

There is an incredible amount of weather terminology in this play, and it sets the scene well for the impending storm and the pressure building both in and out of Southwick House. However, by the middle of the second act I felt I could probably pass a GCSE in wind speed - fantastic research but possibly too much detail.

But I don’t want to give any impression of a gloomy forecast. This is a pacey, exciting and inspired play with a great cast and lively direction by John Dove. It brings to life a relatively untouched aspect of D-Day, and evokes strong images of the practical challenges that had to be overcome to bring an end to the Second World War. 

Pressure runs at the Minerva Theatre, Chichester until June 28th 2014

Tickets via www.cft.org.uk  or call 01243 781312

RA Summer Exhibition - gripped by colour

The Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition continues to be an annual magnet for aspiring artists, despite the slim chances of acceptance. This year the RA received 12,000 entries, from which 1,200 artworks have been chosen for display. For the first time ever, artists submitted their woks digitally for the first round of judging, but how on earth do you you judge a piece of artwork (apart from possibly photography) on a screen? Looking today at the thumbnail images of some of my favourite works viewed at the press day, I realise how flat they are compared to the magnificence of the real thing. Clearly the job of the panel gets more difficult every year, and I was fascinated to learn how the selection and hanging of works takes place.

Hughie O'Donoghue, co-ordinator of the Royal Academy Exhibition, or 'Chief Hanger' as he calls himself, led us round the gallery and explained that the 'hanging committee' changes each year in order to bring a fresh approach. This year's crew have really cracked it. i was struck by the enormous diversity of work, the vibrancy of certain rooms and the contrasting calm of others. The whole exhibition feels easier to view, which is very welcome as even the keenest art buff needs time and energy to cover the whole show.

 "We have purposely kept some of the rooms more sparsely hung, others, such as the Small Weston Room are densely displayed," says Hughie. "This seems to work better from a viewing perspective. It gives us a chance to take a breath, observe, then move on."

Hughie was responsible for hanging the first room (Room lll) and revealed his first 'hang' - a huge painting by Anselm Keifer called Kranke Kunst. "From that the rest of the room fell into place," he says. "In this room I wanted to focus on painting in its most elemental forms, that is, colour, form, material and paint." The result is a truly fantastic and vibrant room - the best introduction to the Summer Exhibition I have seen for years. This is a show that sets your soul alight with the excitement of art, colour and the many directions it takes.

From Room lll, other rooms also take on a character of their own. The Large Weston Room is proud and almost showy with its great figurative works, and the Small Weston Room where works by amateurs and professionals hang side by side, is modest and dark. In here a lovely oil and acrylic by Simon Philpott sells for £450 while a blue & white acrylic by Tracey Emin sells for £66,000. A fascinating room that makes you pause and wonder - how on earth do we price a piece of art? This tiny room, with over 200 paintings and full of surprises, is perhaps my favourite. I imagine the incredible excitement of an unknown artist such as Surrey's Madeleine Pitt (Blood on the Wire, £200) who finds her painting hung just above a work by the esteemed Ken Howard (Double Self-portrait). Also in here we see 2 wonderfully simple watercolours by Una Stubbs called 'Benedict' and 'Martin' (you'll recognise them immediately).

Other rooms include architecture, made more interesting this year by the addition of working drawings and ideas. Also Room 7, devoted to new Royal Academicians - these are practicing professional artists in the UK, recognised by the RA as important artists who help steer the RA vision and support their activities. Hughie explained, 'This is a hard room to hang, with its many different styles and medium, but the work is very special, such as work by Anthony Eyton, an inspiration to us all as he is still painting in his 90s". I stand in awe in this room, mesmerised as always at work by Ken Howard, Bernard Dunstan and Frederick Cuming - his tiny oil, 'Snowscape', is perhaps my favourite in the exhibition, so beautiful that I don't want to leave it.

Other highlights include a room curated by sculptor Cornelia Parker RA. With a momochrome focus, Cornelia invited high profile artists such as Martin Creed and Richard Deacon to contribute work specifically for this room. This is a striking contrast to the riot of colour prevalent elsewhere and somehow ends the exhibition on a very calm note. But the vibrancy and joy of a heady mix of styles, colour, order and dis-order stays with me and, as I leave the RA and brace another shower of rain, a quote from Hughie stays with me:

"We are trying to be a broad church, to look at all types of art - conservative and eccentric. We aim for a wild garden where works compete for attention, so that it's up to the viewer, not the artist, to do the work."

And this they have achieved. A wonderful summer exhibition - a highlight already of the summer calendar - not to be missed.

The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition runs until August 17, 2014. Tickets from RA - www.royalacademy.org.uk

The Summer Exhibition has been held every year without interruption since 1769.

Jazz flying high at the Electric Theatre

I've said it before but I'll say it again - The Electric Theatre in Guildford pulls in some amazing musicians. Last night's jazz session included Mark Crooks (sax, clarinet), Colin Oxley (guitar) and Matt Skelton (drums) - all members of the great John Wilson Orchestra and in great demand. And modestly backing them with incredible musical dexterity on her double bass was Guildford's own Marianne Windham. 

Mark Crooks 

Mark studied clarinet at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and then at the Guildhall School of Music having won the Young Jazz Player of the Year Competition in 1991. He is now sought after in a wide variety of musical settings including classical work, sessions and shows on saxophones and clarinet but his real love is for jazz clarinet. His playing is simply mesmerising - Last night his Gershwin was so smooth it slinked its way around the room in a hypnotic haze. A bluesy tune, 'Lowlife' by Johnny Mandel, revealed his incredible handling of the tenor sax - and Skylark was so cool I couldn't stop myself grinning. As with many jazz musicians, Mark is totally lost in his music, eyes closed, seemingly miles away yet actually still right here with us as his band wait for a nod or a slight change in posture and join him in some incredibly tight, yet sensuous tunes.

Colin is a regular side-kick of Mark's, again, a man lost in his music and moving his way around his guitar with incredible skill and passion. He was voted Jazz Musician of the year in 2001 by the worshipful Company of Musicians and we can see why. And on the drums we had the laid back Matt, a drummer with an amazingly diverse range of musical bands and orchestras up his sleeve, including the BBC Concert orchestra and The Britten Symphonia. Intriguingly, Matt sometimes looks like his mind has wandered - his eyes gaze into the distance, his sticks gently patter on the drums. But do not be fooled - he is absolutely right here and with a nod from mark he is off into the most incredible drum roll and complex rhythms that brings gentle whoops of support from Mark. I rather like that surprise element in jazz.

And behind this great trio Marianne plays her double bass with real gusto. Incredibly she is relatively new to the music scene. She was a director of a thriving software company until she packed it in only a few years ago to play the double bass full time. She has worked with some of the leading names on the UK jazz scene, plays for big bands in London and the Southeast and is a member of the Surrey Mozart Players, one of the top non-professional chamber orchestras in the country. Importantly she works hard to keep jazz alive in the Guildford area and runs Guildford Jazz, which hosts some of the finest jazz musicians in Britain. Thrown in at the deep end at these Electric jazz nights (and many others) she looks as if she has been playing all her life, fingers whipping up and down the fret board and the pizzicato hand a blur as it pluck the strings. After last night's gig I congratulated Marianne on playing with some incredible musicians, many of who she has never met before. "Well most musicians are very nice," she says, "and I know that before I invite them to play. Apart from that it's a case of terror really, and that's maybe what makes jazz so great."  I am learning the double bass myself, so I will remember that little nugget next time I play - terror is a good thing!

Info on further jazz nights at The Electric Theatre - www.guildford.gov.uk/electrictheatre
For more information on upcoming jazz gigs and jazz related info contact Marianne via email at marianne@mariannewindham.co.uk and at www.guildfordjazz.org.uk

Moon Tiger - Rose Theatre Kingston

In a Guardian book club interview, Penelope Lively, the writer of Moon Tiger asked: "What is memory? An albatross around our necks, or the one thing we can't do without?" This intriguing theme runs throughout her book and in the current adaptation by Simon Reade which is showing at the Rose Theatre, Kingston this week. Presented by Royal Bath Productions and directed by Stephen Unwin, the play has great pedigree. I am a huge fan of Unwin's, having been captivated by his recent adaptation of Ghosts and A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, both at the Rose Theatre. Happily his directing of this play doesn't disappoint, although it doesn't have the wow factor of the previous two. This is a very different challenge - to engage an audience for two acts with the continuing narrative of a central character, in this case Claudia Hampton, played by Jane Asher. With one person dominating the dialogue it's hard to get to know the other characters in any depth, but by keeping the other actors on stage throughout, Unwin offers us interesting dynamics  to observe.
Great set design by Timothy Bird keeps us engaged with a large screen showing news footage and various striking images, including that of the Moon Tiger - the name given to the coil of silver ash left behind by a burnt out mosquito coil. These visual extras add great colour and life to a play that could become a bit slow as it is so very wordy. The wistful, lost-love type of narrative that is the backbone of this play needs punctuation and action to give it life. Jane Asher delivers with feeling the story of her life, nipping in and out of her eventual sick bed as she re-enacts various episodes with the aid of a strong supporting cast.
Christopher Brandon is fantastically versatile in his roles as brother, Italian surrogate son, Texan tourist and driver. I was mesmerised by his ability to convey a truck rumbling through the desert with nothing more than a chair - so mesmerised in fact, that I realised I'd zoned out of the narrative. This didn't seem to matter as this is a simple story, of Claudia growing up in the home counties then spending time in Egypt as a war correspondent. The rest of the cast also switch niftily and convincingly between characters, Jade Williams beautifully capturing the painful and awkward relationship between a daughter and her dying mother with whom she has always had a difficult relationship.
It's a good play but how I missed the steaming heat of the desert, the sound of cicadas, the intense heat of the sun - I felt the story might have been set any where, but maybe that 's the point, maybe it could be anywhere we choose it to be. I found it an enjoyable, comfortable romp through Claudia's story, the pains of her love life, the incestuous love between her and her brother, the awkwardness of parenthood, the ambiguity of historical memories. But somehow the narrative approach distanced me from the characters and, despite the obvious talent of the whole cast, I felt I never quite got to know them.

Moon Tiger plays at the Rose Theatre, Kingston until Saturday March 1 www.rosetheatrekingston.org

Ultimate sax from Art Themen

Wednesday night at The Electric Theatre. This is how a great jazz gig should be - people gathered at small tables, drink in hand, feet tapping and a broad grin on their faces. Because that's what really great jazz makes you do - grin broadly, just with the sheer amazement and joy that someone has so much talent and here they are, playing just 6 feet away from you.

Art Themen was at the Electric Theatre in Guildford last night by invitation of Marianne Windham who runs Guildford jazz. She gathers great musicians to play monthly jazz gigs at The Electric Theatre and at The Cavern in Farncombe and not surprisingly, Art's gig was a sell out. He is the consummate performer, not only wowing people with his amazing sax playing but endearing himself quickly to the crowd with amusing anecdotes and facts about the pieces he plays. He's an old hand at this, it's in his bones and he loves every minute of it. Art first appeared in the early Manchester jazz scene in the late 1950s, moving on to the early London blues scene and fronting the Stan Tracey quartet for 20 years from 1970. He has played with many of the jazz greats, and alongside other music stars such as Mick Jagger and Chuck Berry. But he's just as happy playing with good, local musicians and last night he was clearly very impressed with the Guildford gang.
Gigs such as last nights are all the more remarkable because the back up band are session players - their only rehearsal with Art was a quick run through just before the gig. Yet, they are such incredible musicians that they quickly get the groove of Art and each other, and, taking their lead from the smiley Art they played 2 amazingly tight sets - a little nod from Art, a broad encouraging grin and they're off.
Marianne herself is an amazing musician and last night her double bass skills were put to the test by Art and his love of playing in challenging keys, or suddenly changing the tempo. Her hands moved incredibly swiftly as she changed from blues to jazz and all ranges in between. Art loves to give the floor to his backing players and Marianne was frequently flung into the limelight with very little notice. A look of horror once or twice was quickly followed by a huge grin as everything fell into place, just as Art knew it would.
On the drums we had Martin Pyne - oh my word, Martin, what can I say? If I could bottle up his sheer passion and incredible talent and sell it on the High Street I would make a fortune. Martin can squeeze every emotion, sound, whisper, clash and ripple from his set of drums - effortlessly. In a quiet, unassuming way he brings incredible depth and colour to every tune.
And finally on the keyboards, Cheryl King. A post-graduate from the Guildhall School of Music Cheryl's technical skills and musical knowledge shine through as she confidently covers a range of jazz and blues. "So important to have a proper musical education" Art says to her admiringly. "I never had that" he says. But you would never know and did it really matter? I cannot imagine how he could play any better or more beautifully than he did last night. 

Don't miss out on jazz! - follow these links for future Surrey jazz events:
http://www.guildford.gov.uk/electrictheatre
http://guildfordjazz.wordpress.com
http://www.watermilljazz.co.uk

Hats off to Isabella Blow exhibition @Somerset House

Somerset House in London remains one of my favourite venues for the arts - even the walk over the Thames to the galleries puts a spring in my step - this week the river was positively racing along as the boats, tugs and water taxis strained against the current to reach their destinations.Somerset House's current highlight is the amazing Isabella Blow exhibition. If, like me, you are a bit of a fashion numpty, Ms Blow will be a familiar name but you might not be sure who she is. Somerset House says:- Born into the rarefied world of British aristocracy, Isabella’s thirty year career began in the early 80s as Anna Wintour’s assistant at US Vogue. Back in London in 1986 she worked at Tatler, then British Vogue. In 1997 she became the Fashion Director of the Sunday Times Style after which she returned to Tatler as Fashion Director. Driven by a passion for creativity, Isabella is credited for having nurtured and inspired numerous artists and designers.

Isabella Blow by Mario Testino 1997

So, is the exhibition simply full of lovely frocks and shoes? Happily there are plenty lot of those, and fashion students and glam dames will love them, but there's also a vibrant, pulsing excitement about the show.The glamour of the fashion world, (so adored by isabella Blow), its new collections and the great leap of courage designers take when they push the boundaries clearly comes across. Over 100 pieces from Isabella's collection are on show, she gathered together one of the most important private collections of late 20th Century/early 21st Century in British fashion design, which is now owned by Daphne Guinness.

While working as a junior on the fashion magazines, Isabella was hungry to find up and coming young designers. Philip Treacy was still a millinery student when she began to wear his hats and draw public attention to his designs. Beautiful hats by Treacy dominate this show, blazing colours adorned with feathers, plastic, shells, silk - one hat has a complete Chinese bamboo garden balanced on top. They are sheer fantasy and ooze exotic delight.

Another of Isabella's fashion darlings was Alexander McQueen - she bought all the pieces in his graduation show at St Martin's for £5,000, paid off at £100 a week, and they were delivered in a bin bag. I found the footage of his collections and shows quite mesmerising, and very moving in some strange way. The models confidently strutting up the catwalks are simply stunning and carry his designs with effortless grace and attitude. A film of the Alex McQueen show at Spitalfields in 1996 is racey, raunchy and out there. Antlers on heads, lace, lace everywhere, black feathers and foil. The show caused outrage outside Spitalfields church at the time - the military frogging and religious iconography were pushing fashion design to the limits. Alongside the film, actual clothes from the show are displayed on mannequins - a wonderful massive wool coat with a huge belt drowned the model - and looked amazing (but was no doubt a nightmare to wear!)

Geordie Craig, Editor at Tatler described Isabella as 'an academic with a punk rocker's anarchic sense' and it is evident that she liked to shock. She was a small lady with a huge presence and a very smart accent. One wonders if her influence would have been so keenly felt if she were less well connected. This show includes garments from the many designer talents she discovered and launched; along with Alexander McQueen and Philip Treacy we have Hussein Chalayan and Julien Macdonald, amongst others. I loved Hussein Chalayan's beautiful rusty brown dress, buried in soil with iron filings to give it that earthy look!

There is something incredibly moving about the courage of fashion, and in this case, the power and vision of one small lady who brought attention to some amazing designers and models. She once said that the mood-altering effect of hats was better than antidepressants, but however bright and amusing Isabella seems on the films and recordings at this exhibition, she struggled emotionally for many years. Depression, the strain of her own fame and of those she discovered, and a troubled background finally took their toll. In 2007, at the age of 48, she took her own life. This exhibition pays tribute to a wonderfully colourful, humorous and imaginative style icon who influenced so many people in her relatively short life.

Co-curated by Alistair O’Neill and Shonagh Marshall, Isabella Blow: Fashion Galore showcases Isabella’s idiosyncratic wardrobe amassed throughout her expansive styling career. The iconic collection, now owned by Daphne Guinness, is being loaned to the exhibition along with photographs, correspondence and footage contributed by those who knew her and whose lives she changed. 

Isabella Blow: Fashion Galore! is at Somerset House until 2 March 2014

Daily 10.00-18.00 (Last admission 17.00) Box office: http://www.somersethouse.org.uk

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The courage of One Man shows

Having seen two one-man shows in the last 3 weeks I am full of respect for those brave men, and women, who tackle them. Some theatres being PC now call these one-person shows - simply doesn't have the same ring to it. I am not talking about stand up comediens here, I mean the storyteller type one-man show where one actor stands like a rabbit in the headlights and holds the attention of the audience in his own hands. (Of course an accomplished actor with a fine script bears no resemblance to a rabbit)

Clive Francis

My first visit was to Clive Francis performing A Christmas Carol at the Yvonne Arnaud, Guildford. Francis filled the stage with his glorious rendition of Dicken's Scrooge. Oozing confidence and conveying a genuine love for Dicken's language, he rolled his r's with theatrical license and totally captivated the Mill Studio audience. We listened intently to Dickens' wonderful words that are still so redolent today - 'And thus the day passed and nightfall came on, more bitter and freezing than ever; the bleak wind whistling through the streets most dolefully.”
Dickens first read A Christmas Carol on December 30th, 1853 at the Birmingham Town Hall, to an audience of over 2,000. Such was its success, and thanks to its rich language, an array of colourful characters and the endearing Christmas theme, it has been performed as a one-man show hundreds of times since.
But whereas A Christmas Carol allows the one-man actor the relief of calling upon a host characters to create interest and diversity, Krapps Last Tape by Samuel Beckett is a very different and more difficult show to perform. Written in 1958, eleven years before Beckett won the Noble Prize of Literature, the play gives voice to the internal conversations we have with ourselves. Notable past performances include Harold Pinter, John Hurt and Michael Gambon. At the Rose Theatre, Kingston it was Tom Owen's turn to tackle the most challenging role of his career to date.
Owen, of Last of the Summer Wine fame, portrayed the 69 year old Krapp with grit and conviction but patience was a virtue for the audience. There is a long scene at the start where the grunting, grumbling Krapp unlocks and locks his desk, retrieving and enjoying a banana, then another. He swigs frequently from a bottle off-stage - it is a long time before the actual tapes begin, and it felt it. Complete silence from the audience throughout, and as so often is the with Beckett, we are unsure whether humour is intended. It just felt a bit uncomfortable, but who knows if that's intended?!

Finally, at last, Krapp sits at his desk in his ‘den’ preparing for his yearly ritual of recording his reflections on a tape-recorder. He listens to a tape of critical decisions made on his 39th birthday. The 39 year-old Krapp has in turn listened to a tape he made when he was 27. By this means we come to know fragments of Krapp’s life. It is a clever theatrical devise and we become engaged and intrigued by Krapp's life and his innermost thoughts, although the droning tape can be a little somnalent. By regarding past events through several sets of eyes, each more jaded than the last, the audience gets to immerse itself in three timelines. Owen stays true to this crotchety old character throughout and his weary, bitter old Krapp, so detached from reality, is up there with those great actors who have bravely played Krapp before him.
But more than that, more than the words or what we might call the 'plot', what intrigued me yet again was the courage and skill of the lone actor who manages, without employing humour or gags, to hold an audience's attention and convey another world - completely on his own.

www.rosetheatrekingston
www.yvonne-arnaud.co.uk