“. . . This is a company who clearly work hard to create engaging performances for kids; who constantly develop their work, listen to feedback, and have a genuine passion for what they do. . . A Little Man’s Holiday is a show which doesn’t patronize children, or dumb down for them. Instead, it works on their level. It invites them play, and engages their imagination. . . “
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Phillips and Powell are both superb. His character is of such warmth that it shines through each adopted voice or anecdote and her control is some sort of wizardry. Her poetic readings are the highlight of the show. They swell and excel in synchrony, each minor oral oscillation or small movement of the hand, pinch of the lip or paused breath, stealing the audience’s attention – perhaps stealing is the wrong word, but there is an unshakeable sense that each is engaged in (friendly, even unconscious) battle for our eyes.
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“. . . THE NOTEBOOK is a play which takes its roots from Agota Kristof’s LE GRAND CAHIER. . . A beautiful piece of writing, staged simply, using only two chairs and the proximity of the actors in the space. Arthur and Lodown are excellent; bringing gravity, naivety and cheekiness to the boys; working in such perfect tandem that you could almost believe they were one and the same. . . For a piece which tries to shun and strip emotion, The Notebook is definitely one of the most affecting and difficult plays I have ever seen.”
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” . . . Circus music plays, a silhouette of a clown acting out a sequence of seemingly unfunny moves plays out, a Nazi salute, mock-gunfire, death, an angel’s wings unfurling. For some reason, laughter and applause rings out on the speakers . . . Nigel Francis acts and directs this piece of theatre that is low-key and ambitious, tragic and comic, perhaps forty years too long yet too short to convey its protagonist’s depths. It is difficult to term. Francis does a fine job . . . He is masterful in his delivery of the beauty of the script, evoking cityscapes and distinct characters in a breath . . . “
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This was a lavish, sumptuous production from a company that is by far the best at bringing imported Russian opera and ballet to British audiences . . .There is a current trend in theatre for the curtain to be up and the set to be visible to the audience as they enter, rather spoiling the surprise. The surprise and delight last night was palpable as the curtain rose to reveal one of the best sets of its type I have seen in recent times. It was real old fashioned, beautiful scenery. It was like being inside a Pollock’s toy theatre or at La Fenice in Venice.
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“It has often been said of Harold Pinter that the silences are as important as the dialogue (as someone who has dried on a West End stage let me tell you silence is not all it is cracked up to be) so in Light the darkness plays an important role. This is a mimed show – but that doesn’t do justice to its complexity so I’m going to call it ‘Performance Art’ – in which the turning on and off of various sorts of torches and strip lights with timed perfection is key to the success of this highly original work. . . This darkly pessimistic view of the future becomes less fanciful as technology advances and this thrilling work is a timely reminder that we must all be on our guard.”
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