ME AND MY FRIEND at the Alma, Bristol

ME AND MY FRIEND at the Alma, Bristol

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I would suggest this play is required viewing for the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. With Work Capability Assessment now hanging over the most vulnerable in our communities, Plowman adroitly captures how those who have ceased to cope can descend into a state of terrified inertia and retreat. Her wit illuminates this twilight world, showing how fear of life itself can reduce people to parodies of themselves. Yes we are right to laugh at our human frailties, but Me and My Friend will always serve as a timely reminder that we also need to find the kindness and cash to care for them.

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THE GIGANTIC BEARD THAT WAS EVIL at the Bristol Old Vic

THE GIGANTIC BEARD THAT WAS EVIL at the Bristol Old Vic

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The house was full and that certain kind of lively buzz form a primarily youth audience was matched and controlled by an even flow of energy and commitment in the company’s performance. The pace was snappy and well choreographed. The scene changes were a dance of chairs, desks, and shadow puppet screens. I particularly enjoyed the musical aspects of the play – the choral singing arranged by Verity Standen. This lent a touch of spooky, a touch of the ancient chorus that enriched the idea of this being a piece about larger mystical forces playing with ordinary people.

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Graham Wyles’ BRIEF REVIEW OF 2014

Graham Wyles’ BRIEF REVIEW OF 2014

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There is no question in my mind as to the best theatre of the year; that has to go to the Ustinov in Bath. The plays, both imported and produced have been of the highest quality and that applies to the acting, the writing, the direction and the sets. Let’s hope that under artistic director, Laurence Boswell, the continued mix of home-grown works with his excellent selection of international plays maintains the standard.

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EDUCATING RITA at Everyman Studio Theatre, Cheltenham

EDUCATING RITA at Everyman Studio Theatre, Cheltenham

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“. . . It would be impossible not to be interested in Willy Russell’s Rita and Frank. Rita has the infectious, uninhibited enthusiasm and humour of the cliché Scouser while Frank has seen better days and finds solace in a bottle until the arrival of Rita revives his raison d’être. Frank the university lecturer, Rita the hairdresser who, as we used to say, wants to better herself. . . The story is essentially that of Shaw’s Pygmalion but to me this is a much deeper play. Frank is a much fuller, sadder character than Higgins and Rita an eager guinea pig rather than a reluctant one. . .”

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JOHNNY GOT HIS GUN at the Brewery, Bristol

JOHNNY GOT HIS GUN at the Brewery, Bristol

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The powerful story of the fate of soldier Joe Bonham still stands as a pacifist warning of political failure. On another level it is an uncomfortable personal journey down an avoidable path of physical destruction and mental anguish. Just how much of yourself can you lose before your humanity is extinguished? Joe takes us inside the prison that is the remains of his body after being hit by a shell, which removes his face and leads to multiple amputations. This is what war really is like. Rumbo does not want us to forget it.

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SWALLOWS AND AMAZONS at Bristol Old Vic

SWALLOWS AND AMAZONS at Bristol Old Vic

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“. . . Helen Edmunson’s script sucks the marrow from the book whilst Tom Morris’s direction (revived in this production by Pieter Lawman), spreads it across the stage in a dazzling display of theatrical ingenuity. It is as imaginative in its staging as the story is in its mapping of the inner terrain of a group of children given the whole world as their life’s stage. . . This is five star entertainment for any one who is or ever has been a child with an imagination and is itself a perfect treasure to lock away in your hoard of memories. . .”

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