THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY at the Ustinov Studio, Bath

THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY at the Ustinov Studio, Bath

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One of the notable things about Feydeau was his ability to spin a piece of fluff into a complete suit of clothes. His art is to set up a ridiculously flimsy premise by way of a plot, which then develops its own logic in which the characters are caught up with apparently no means of escape. His is a world of entitlement and ease flavoured, in some quarters, with a certain license occasioned by the Enlightenment and the subsequent loosening of the grip of the Catholic church over the minds and morals of the middle and upper classes.

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AN INSPECTOR CALLS at the Theatre Royal, Bath

AN INSPECTOR CALLS at the Theatre Royal, Bath

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J B Priestley’s classic polemic is very much in step with Jeremy Corbyn’s recent social inequality cris de coeur. The production is clearly in danger of being closed down any minute by the Ministry of Information! As Inspector Goole stepped forward to entreat us with his sermon of a caring society, I fully expected George Osborne’s thought police to storm the building, arrest the cast and put the audience on advanced surveillance.

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HANDBAGGED on tour

HANDBAGGED on tour

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This was a case of an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object. Each woman was confident in her position and status, arrogant even, and neither would yield to the other. Was this all about the long established British monarchy and the new political kid on the block – or was it just an excuse, a vehicle for a good comedy? The latter I suspect. Although the play took us chronologically through those eleven years touching on all the major incidents, the piece never let a fact get in the way of a good laugh.

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MEN IN THE CITIES at the Tobacco Factory, Bristol

MEN IN THE CITIES at the Tobacco Factory, Bristol

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Chris Goode and Company’s avowed intent ‘is to make space for unheard voices’ and ‘to think out loud about who we all are in the hope we might catch a glimpse of how we might live better together’ . . . It is forthright in its graphic depictions of gay sex and certainly provocative in its use of the murder of Lee Rigby as a metaphor for a society full of alienated, angry, lost men. But Goode’s negativity is so relentless and all-embracing than one becomes weary of struggling to find a meaning in the darkness.

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Rambert’s THE THREE DANCERS at the Theatre Royal Bath

Rambert’s THE THREE DANCERS at the Theatre Royal Bath

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The evening began with The 3 Dancers, a piece inspired by the 1925 painting by Picasso. Dutch choreographer Didy Veldman had been curious to see if she could apply Cubism to dance using light and layers of movement. Two groups of three dancers, one dressed in black, the other white, each began by striking mixed poses, spotlit in turn, giving a feel of kinetic animation, negative/positive visuals that mirrored Picasso’s original design . . . An uplifting and inspiring night, Rambert are alive with talent.

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RUSSIAN STATE BALLET & OPERA HOUSE at Cheltenham Everyman

RUSSIAN STATE BALLET & OPERA HOUSE at Cheltenham Everyman

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Nutcracker contains more well-known tunes per square yard than probably any other ballet and I suppose there is always the danger that familiarity breeds, if not contempt, then a hope that something new will be brought to the proceedings . . . this production manages to create something that borders on magical and, in places, almost surreal . . .

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