Little Shop Of Horrors, Mercury Theatre - 29/05/2015

Mushnik’s Flower Shop is open for business as the monster musical Little Shop of Horrors takes over the Mercury Theatre. Ellie Bannerman reviews. Read more theatre reviews at heylookitstheellie.wordpress.com.

A show about a man-eating, sassy-chatting plant really shouldn’t work half as well as Little Shop Of Horrors does. It follows the story of Seymour, an employee at Mushnik’s Flower Shop, who manages to raise a plant who takes a bit of a fancy to human blood. Oh, and it can talk. Sounds ridiculous, right? Well, yes, but therein lies the unique charm of this cult classic show.

This co-production of the Mercury and Salisbury Theatres bears an impressive cast without any real weak links. The stand-out cast members for me have to be Gbemisola Ikumelo, Karis Jack and Carole Stennett as a three piece soul band and residents of Skid Row who add a great deal of fun and brilliant vocal talent to this production. Frances McNamee also gives an assured performance as shop assistant Audrey, who’s impressive voice really shines in Somewhere That’s Green. A special mention must go to plant puppeteer Andrew London and voice Leon Craig who give Audrey II an incredibly lifelike presence, making it easy to be taken to a world in which we are all under threat from a man-eating plant.

One of the first things you notice about this production is James Button’s tall, overbearing set. Washing hangs between two windows, rubbish lines the street and graffiti covers the walls. It really reinforces the rundown setting of Skid Row, and helps to access Seymour’s reasoning in continuing to give in to the plant’s bloodthirsty demands; they’re a chance to escape from the dire surroundings in which he finds himself (though feeding 3 people to a talking plant might have been a bit extreme).

If there’s one thing you take away from this show, it’s definitely going to be its catchy and immensely enjoyable score, ensuring the plot doesn’t get too depressing which, let’s face it, was always going to be a risk with a show about a plant that’s intent on taking over the human race. 

Mixing musical theatre with motown, soul and rock and roll vibes makes for a score that’s interesting throughout; with most of the songs remaining in your head way after you leave the theatre. I enjoyed Act 1 opener Skid Row (Downtown) which cleverly introduced all the characters and set the scene for the rest of the show, but by far my favourite number was Suddenly, Seymour. Songs involving people belting about how much they love each other pretty much always gain a special place in my heart – and this is no exception!

A fun night out not to be taken too seriously, this production Little Shop Of Horrors is full of brilliant songs and a talented cast which make for a thoroughly enjoyable evening of theatre.

[4/5]

Little Shop Of Horrors is part of the Mercury Theatre’s ‘Made In Colchester’ season and is playing until 13th June. 

The Strange Death of Liberal England

Back in 1935, George Dangerfield published a book on the decline of the British Liberal Party - “The Strange Death of Liberal England.” Now, for the first time in a century, the rise and fall of party politics in the UK has become dramatic enough to make or break parties. Ninety-nine years ago, the last ever Liberal Prime Minister was elected. Now the Liberal Democrats, forged of their remains, have taken a dive so deep that the party seems finished for good - replaced instead by the dramatic rise of UKIP and the SNP.

This election has been perhaps the most shocking in decades. After months of deadlocked polls – with almost no recorded change in public opinion from the beginning to the end of the campaign - those who had been waiting in anticipation for a party to pull ahead finally resigned themselves to what seemed like an inevitability: a hugely fragmented electorate, weeks of negotiations and a coalition shakier than the last.

Not so. When the exit poll was released at 10 o’clock last night, it seemed that something had gone dramatically wrong - perhaps the methodology? It in no way reflected the last months of polling. Maybe Ipsos Mori had been pushed off of its game by the new prominence of smaller parties? The Tories were predicted to gain seats, Labour to barely challenge them - and the Liberal Democrats to be smashed to tiny little pieces. Lord Ashdown, former Lib Dem leader, was so scornful that he promised to “publicly eat his hat” should the poll be on target.

Lord Ashdown will be publicly eating his hat.

Not only did the Conservatives increase their number of seats - the first time an incumbent government has done so since Maggie Thatcher’s prime in the 1980s - but they’ve won the first Tory majority in Westminster since 1992, even following five years of economic hardship.

Perhaps even more shocking than the Conservative win (certainly more so than the SNP’s 56 seats in Scotland - we all saw that coming) is the Lib Dem loss. As coalition partner to the Tory government, it’s no surprise that they lost seats - especially considering Clegg’s well documented popularity - but the loss that they faced was astronomical.

Once the third largest party in Parliament, the Lib Dems have taken a 48-seat hit… Leaving them with only 8. One of the many to go was our very own Colchester constituency - noted Lib Dem stronghold, and their only seat in Essex. Sir Bob, incumbent of 23 years, lost his 7000 majority to the newly elected Will Quince. And thus we became a teeny-tiny part of the whopping great blue sea that is East Anglia.

The victories won by David Cameron and Nicola Sturgeon have been cut out of their closest political partners. The relatively likely partnership between the SNP and Labour became impossible due to Labour’s heavy losses in Scotland, at the hands of the Nationalists. The Conservatives’ ruthless seat targeting techniques bit right into the homeland of their former coalition partners. And backstage, in results up and down the country, UKIP changed the game for outcomes by cutting into both the working class demographic of the Labour party, and the Euro-sceptic wing of the Tories.

Never has an election seen so many prominent politicians step down. High-profile Labour losses include Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls, Shadow Foreign Secretary and campaign co-ordinator Douglas Alexander (who lost to a twenty-year old SNP candidate!), and Jim Murphy, leader of Labour in Scotland.

The Lib Dems were even more unfortunate - big name politicians losing seats to rivals include Vince Cable, Business Secretary; Danny Alexander, Chief Deputy to the Treasury; Energy Secretary Ed Davey; former deputy leader Simon Hughes; and senior member Charles Kennedy.

The most headline party shake-ups were of course the leaders. Farage, thankfully beaten in South Thanet by over 2000 votes, has resigned as promised. Clegg and Miliband, though duly elected, have resigned over their losses. Of the parties with multiple seats, the only remaining leaders are David Cameron and Nicola Sturgeon - though the SNP will be led by Alex Salmond in Westminster. Assuming Cameron resigns after this term in Number Ten - widely held to be likely - the next General Election we see will be filled with entirely fresh faces.

In the meantime, as the Tories begin the preparations for a referendum on the EU, and face off with a Scotland that is wholly unrepresented in government, the remaining political parties (especially Labour) will have to go about electing new leaders and determining a new agenda.

Will we see a return of a Blairite New Labour? What will the SNP do now that they are no longer kingmakers? Will Douglas Carswell get lonely up in Westminster by himself? Could David Cameron be the Prime Minister that loses both Scotland and Europe? Is Liberal England dead for good? We can only wait.

Noises Off theatre review, 05/05/2015

Photo by Robert Day

Ellie Bannerman reviews Noises Off, the next play in the Mercury Theatre’s Made In Colchester season. Read more at heylookitstheellie.wordpress.com.

Having spent the past couple of months stressing about my AS exams, I was pretty excited at the possibility of some light humorous relief in the form of Noises Off, the play about a play following the dysfunctional cast of Nothing On and their attempts to put on a successful tour. Prior to my evening of theatre I had been on a tour of Colchester’s libraries, trying to pick up at least some facts about Churchill’s international diplomacy during WWII and at which bar Mozart uses a diminished 7th chord in his piano sonata (bar 67… I think). It would be fair to say at this point I was mildly tired and perhaps not ready for the amount of humour I was about to be bombarded with.

From all the practise papers I’ve been taking over the last few weeks, I’ve learnt it’s often important to look at thinks objectively. So, looking at Noises Off in this light, it fares really rather well. Wikipedia describes it as a farce, ‘a comedy that aims to entertain the audience through situations that are highly exaggerated and extravagant’. This it succeeds in – there is a lot of falling over and overdramatic delivery of lines which had the audience in fits, and occasionally made me giggle too. 

Wikipedia also informs me that ‘farces are often highly incomprehensible plot-wise’. This is also another great success of the play – I had literally no idea what was happening, which was at times enjoyable, but at others completely overwhelming for me and my tired old brain. Perhaps I would have enjoyed it more had my head not been full up with random figures (Fun facts: Italy had 2million unemployed by 1919. The Labour party has 190,000 members), but for my current mental state I wasn’t ready to handle quite so many innuendos, people falling over and predictable jokes.

The first act is relatively easy to follow, the idea of director Lloyd yelling at the actors to get them to cooperate is really clever and so funny. The set revolves for the second act to show the backstage antics of the Nothing On cast. This seemed really interesting when it first began, but by the end of this act I had unfortunately had enough of the same jokes over and over again. This backstage view of the performance ends in disaster again (what a surprise), and just when I thought the show was over… the fictional play (inside the play) begins again. Even explaining it is nigh on impossible! I felt like I’d effectively ended up watching the same thing three times, which although amusing and a definite intelligent idea for the play, was just not something I could fully get on board with. Judging by other audience members, however, I was in the overwhelming minority – it’s definitely very good at what it does, and if what you’re looking for is a good old fashioned comedy from a different stance then this is totally up your street.

The cast of the play, however, cannot be faulted. The intricacy of the plot takes a lot of keeping up with for the audience, let alone for the people actually trying to act it out! Louise Kempton is hilarious as Poppy and I loved all the small actions and movements that really added to the awkwardness of her character.

It would seem after all this then, that I’ve entirely missed the point of the play. Come on Ellie – it’s meant to be ridiculous and confusing! Well… Yes. Maybe, then, we can conclude that you shouldn’t try and watch a farce when your brain is full of revision. And perhaps also that I have found the first genre of play that I don’t like. 

[2/5]

Blade Runner: The Final Cut Review

A Future Perfected -- An analysis of nostalgia, vision and cinema. Article by Ben Nash

At the beginning of the month, Ridley Scott’s iconic science-fiction/film-noir, Blade Runner: The Final Cut was re-released to the general public for a limited time only. I dragged some reluctant friends to my local Odeon, and we sat down and drank it all in, in glorious HD with surround sound. Before we go any further, though, here’s a little history: based on the book Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K Dick, and released initially in 1982, Blade Runner was a commercial flop which sharply divided critics. Most claimed that the story took a back seat to the effects and was not the action/adventure film advertised, while others claimed that it was the start of something new. However all agreed that the ending needed to be fixed. For the purposes of keeping the story a surprise to those poor souls who haven’t seen this film, I won’t spoil anything here.

Regardless of what people thought of it at first, though, in the coming years, Blade Runner developed a cult following and is to this day widely regarded as a revolutionary sci-fi gem which has inspired countless films such as Akira and even The Matrix, as well as the archetypal cyber-punk city used in most dystopian films, comic books and video games alike - just Google ‘Blade Runner City’ and you’ll see what I mean. It also spawned not one but two edits, referred to as ‘The Director’s Cut’ (which I’m sure nobody’s seen) and The Final Cut, the one released in cinemas; also it’s the title of this review, which should give you some suggestion of which one I was reviewing. I’d be worried if you didn’t see that - it’s pretty big.

However all this may be fine and dandy, but does it hold up in an age where films like Gravity and Avatar (yes, it’s a terrible film, but you can’t argue that the special effects don’t look amazing) exist? The answer is yes, yes it does. Not only that, but I can say with total assurance that Blade Runner is the greatest science fiction film of all time and the second greatest film ever made. This is an art form that began over 125 years ago, just let that sink in.

The story is set in Los Angeles 2019: big business dominates everything, skyscrapers and pollution blot out the sun and it’s always raining [insert ‘a bit like real LA’ joke here] and humankind has made the next step in Artificial Intelligence with ‘Replicants’: organic robots that can think for themselves and develop their own emotions, however after a bloody uprising Replicants are declared illegal and police officers known as ‘Blade Runner Units’ are tasked with hunting them down.

We follow a certain Blade Runner, Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) as he’s charged with tracking down a group of new models called ‘Nexus 6’ led by Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer). The hunt commences, and as Deckard gets closer to his goal, the line that determines what makes something truly human is distorted. But be warned: THIS IS NOT INDIANA JONES IN THE FUTURE!

This isn’t a film of epic shootouts and ballsy 80s one-liners straight from the scripts of films like Escape from New York or Die Hard. It’s actually quite a sombre thought piece about ethical decisions. Most of the time the replicants that Deckard is mercilessly gunning down, or ‘retiring’ as the police force queasily puts it, you get a strong sense of brutality from the side who’re supposed to be the good guys. There’s a particularly powerful scene in which a defenceless woman is shot repeatedly as she’s running for her life.

It’s scenes like this that make Blade Runner truly special: it knows how to deliver the correct amount of emotional payoff to a climactic scene such as that, and delivers just enough moral ambiguity so as to make you feel like you haven’t been force-fed information, and the director hasn’t come in with a loud-hailer and started screaming ‘THIS IS WHAT I WANT YOU TO FEEL!’. In other words, it lets you decide what to make of the actions you’ve just seen.

Admittedly the replicants are represented as sympathetic characters, albeit with some extremely violent and malicious streaks, but why wouldn’t they be? They’re social outcasts constantly persecuted and demonised, because they just want to live. This all feeds in perfectly to the film’s themes of humanity and the impact of technology on society. Through the use of the brilliantly-crafted character of Roy Batty, Scott examines various modern philosophies and notions of religion, as well as literary references to Frankenstein’s monster outgrowing his creator. He’s poetic, not pretentious, and his final monologue is nothing short of heartbreaking.

At many points in the film, the replicants appear more human than the human characters, with particular emphasis on Deckard who doesn’t appear to be remotely disturbed by the brutal acts he’s committing. There’s even a faint tease that Deckard himself is a replicant, prompting the audience to completely re-evaluate their opinions, and further call into question what’s truly ‘human’. Yes indeed, it’s a true gem of intellectually-stimulating cinema, and with the real-world global conflict happening around us today, some of its themes are more relevant today than ever before. It’s truly timeless, and you can read more about why in a fantastic article in the Guardian which you can find a weblink to on the College Magazine website.

I’d even go as far as to say that Blade Runner hasn’t aged a day. The stunning combination of practical effects, such as the design on some of the model buildings and fully-realised futuristic tech are still beautiful to behold. There’s a great sense of scale, captured in the camerawork and it’s a dazzling experience regardless of whether or not you were raised in an age when Godzilla was a man in a rubber suit, or when the wickedly talented one and only Adele Dazeem skipped through powdery snow singing the most hated song ever.

As I’ve mentioned earlier, it’s a film noir, and stylistically it’s exactly this: the vast and sprawling cityscape and dingy interiors complement the thematic setting perfectly, with the cinematography complementing the dark mood perfectly. Cigarette smoke envelopes characters, and there’s a strong oriental element to the city, reminiscent of films like Chinatown and Philip Marlowe Adventures. In previous versions the protagonist was given a monologue, which has since been removed. If you ask me, this is to the film’s advantage, as some scenes work much better as silent reflection.

It’s all from a 1980s perspective of what might have been, mind you. The monitors are quite low-res and staticky and those with keen eyes will spot some slightly outdated product placement, such as TDK and Atari. You could argue that this does in fact date the film, but it ultimately adds to the it’s charm: it’s a film of it’s time, but at the same time not, curiously. Everything complements the seedy lifestyle of the not too distant future perfectly, and the editors have been smart enough not to tamper with anything, although some digital re-renderings of characters that previously turned into stunt men for a split second, here and there don’t hurt at all. Other than that it’s been untouched.

Of course, you can’t have a Blade Runner review without talking about the score by Greek synth legend Vangelis. It’s 80s to the core, with keyboards and electronic instruments, giving it that great futuristic feel, but also strongly grounding it in that film noir theme with real instruments for the ‘Love Theme’ and ‘Blade Runner Blues’, and an emotional, languishing piano piece called ‘Rachel’s Song’. It’s a rare example of an original soundtrack being good enough to listen to on its own. Once you’ve bought Blade Runner Steelbook on Blu-Ray, go out and buy the 3-Disc Anniversary edition of the soundtrack and let it wash over you.

This…is…just…cinema at its finest, and you just have to watch the opening credits to see why. It goes without saying that this is also by far and a way Ridley Scott’s finest film, which is saying something coming from the man behind Thelma & Louise and Alien, another game-changing sci-fi film. Every time I watch it I notice some new little intricacy that makes it that bit more special. If you haven’t seen it, you owe it to yourself.

10/10 -- This is by no means a George Lucas remaster of the original trilogy, this is a glance at what cinema can do in the right hands that spent 29 years in the making.

Book Spotlight: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

The fancy fictional fantasy novel has taken Goodreads by storm, but with Mare Barrow (a 17 year old at the heart of the dystopian world of Reds and Silvers) it’s hardly surprising. By Lucy Baker.

Readers beware: this book will leave you with an equally satisfying and infuriating need for more. I made one big mistake last February: I pre-ordered Red Queen. 

Now, many of you may be thinking ‘if this is a book spotlight, why was it a mistake to pre-order it?’ and the answer is simply that now I have to wait until 2016 for the second book to be released. Not to worry though, if this book spotlight interests you, a prequel is on it’s way for the 1st September. 

So why read Red Queen? Well, if you’re a fan of Graceling, X-Men or The Hunger Games and fancy something a big lighter than Game of Thrones, it’s probably the book for you.

It’s a debut YA medieval fantasy novel written by  22 year old prodigy, Victoria Aveyard, with a promise to be released on screens somewhere in the near future. 

The novel is set from the point of view of Mare Barrow, a commoner living in the Stilts, a girl with red blood in a sea of elite silvers that have god-like powers. Yet, somehow, she finds herself working in the Silver Palace and quickly discovers that—although she may have red blood—she herself possesses a deadly power. 

Now if you’re thinking: this sounds a bit too much like Red Rising, don’t fret. Beyond that little snippet there aren’t many similarities and Red Queen conjures a world of it’s own. Of course, there’s no denying that the books has faults—as every book does—some of the material is similar to other fantasy novels, for example. But, despite this, the book still shines through with a minimum 4 star rating on nearly every review site.

However, if you’re in the market for flirtatious fiction, I’d be a bit cautious of Red Queen. Sure, there’s an element of romance, and—of course—love interests, but the real focus is all on Mare and the sparked division between Silver and Red.

So, has this book spotlight sparked an interest? Are you ready to enter Mare’s world—or are you as divided as Red and Silver?

Margaret Thatcher Queen of Soho review, 17/03/15

Ellie Bannerman reviews Margaret Thatcher Queen of Soho, a hilarious satirical look at the Iron Lady. Read more at heylookitsthellie.wordpress.com

Described as a ‘drag comedy musical extravaganza’, Margaret Thatcher Queen Of Soho is easily one of the most fun nights out I’ve had for a long time. It follows the story of our hero, Maggie, getting lost in Soho the day before Section 28 (the bill banning the promotion of homosexuality in schools) is debated in Parliament. Along the way she sings a multitude of hits, questions her decisions and eventually gives up her Parliamentary career to become a cabaret superstar (unfortunately, not entirely historically accurate, but the real story of Thatcher’s demise would make for a far less entertaining show).

Entering the Leicester Square theatre was an exciting event in itself; classic songs blared from the speakers (think Man, I Feel Like A Woman) and I was pleased to see I was not the only person singing/dancing along! The atmosphere was great and it seemed like everyone was ready for a glorious evening of camptastic fun (perhaps helped by the fact it was also St Patrick’s day!). I was intrigued to see what was in store – I’d watched some videos of Maggie on YouTube (her top 10 tips for being PM are a must see) but no amount of videos could have prepared me for witnessing the phenomenon in person. As she bursts onto stage with her somewhat unconventional rendition of the YMCA (with audience participation thoroughly encouraged), I knew I would be enjoying myself for the next 90 minutes.

Now I must mention the magic behind Maggie that is Matt Tedford.  His marvellous portrayal of the Iron Lady had me in stitches every time he opened his mouth, particularly the interesting pronunciation of ‘homosexuals’ that I unfortunately can’t portray through the written word (just trust me, it’s brilliant) and the complete sass with which he dealt with people in the audience. Maggie’s ‘helpers’ Hestle and Tine (100 points to whoever came up with those names), played by Ed Yelland and Nico Lennon pull off a multitude of different roles with equal humour and really help to move the show along. A highlight has to be the arrival of the Ghost of Winston Churchill who Maggie turns to in her time of need. This scene (though mostly scripted) had an improvisatory quality about it which only made it funnier and really let the talent of the actor/comedians involved shine. Two other highlights: the Queen of Soho’s unique rendition of I Need A Hero (which involved far better cape management than Madonna) and her ‘heartbreaking’ solo version of She’s Always A Woman.

A must see for anyone wanting a hilarious, clever and thoroughly entertaining night out, Margaret Thatcher Queen of Soho is playing at the Leicester Square theatre until 21st March. If you can’t get there then be sure to check out Margaret Thatcher Queen of Podcasts in which Maggie offers brilliant insight into the week’s news. There’s even an Ed Miliband impression!

[4/5]

Assassins review, 28/02/2015

Ellie Bannerman reviews Assassins, the often forgotten Sondheim musical that is sure to have you on the edge of your seat. Read more at heylookitstheellie.wordpress.com.

Assassins is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. It follows the story of the 13 people who have attempted (with mixed success) to kill the president of the United States and makes for a truly gripping night of intense musical theatre. 

Upon entering the Menier Chocolate Factory I knew I was in for an entirely different kind of theatrical experience. The only way I can really describe the theatre is ‘kind of out the back of a cafe’ as the way you enter is through a small door at the back of the Menier restaurant. After that it’s through an incredibly ominous looking clown face into a tiny theatre with seats on both sides of a central stage. There’s a strange-looking guy playing the banjo and it feels like a deserted funfair – as the show unfolds and the attempted assassinations begin large ‘hit’ and ‘miss’ signs light up relating to the fate of their respective presidents. At this point I realised I was definitely not in for a fun, relaxing night at the theatre but even though it all looked a bit bizarre it only seemed to encourage my interest in the show further.

For me, the main selling point of the show is the incredibly talented cast. There isn’t a weak link here – everyone is absolutely brilliant and had they been any less talented I really wouldn’t have enjoyed the show nearly as much. I spent rather a lot of the time wanting to stand up and give standing ovations at inappropriate moments but there wasn’t even time for normal clapping due to the edge-of-your-seat action unfolding right in front of me! Easily my favourite moment of the show was the duet between Carly Bawden and Harry Morrison Unworthy Of Your Love. I’m a sucker for any belty-love song and this sort of fits the bill, although not entirely conventionally! Bawden’s voice is allowed to shine and Morrison brings a strange, adorable charm to this scene. I was also blown away by Micheal Xavier’s The Ballad Of Booth, his vocals were so faultless and passionate, and this song coming at such an early moment in the show really filled me with confidence for the rest of the production. Catherine Tate was also hilarious (hardly surprising really!) and had me in fits every time she came on stage.

Watching the drama unfold in the old Chocolate Factory left me feeling like there was really no other space that would have suited the show better. Its intimate nature allowed the even the audience at the back to see the actors expressions in detail and feel totally immersed in the performance. Being such an intense show (involving lots of pointing guns at the audience) I really can’t imagine it working so well in a larger scale theatre. The two sides of seats also helped intensify the performance as you could see the audience opposite to you reacting to the goings on in the relatively small area in which the action takes place. Though small, director Jamie Lloyd has used the space brilliantly and it even includes a small orchestra at the far end. The actors also make trips up the stairs to sit among the audience which only adds to the drama, especially when they’re carrying guns! Set design is fittingly creepy and I loved the idea of the big hit and miss signs which really added to the dark humour of the show. Lighting is also brilliant and definitely makes great use of shadow to add to the spooky mood.

There’s really nothing I can compare this show to – it’s totally unique and that’s what makes it so interesting. I still don’t know if I loved it or was just plain terrified, but I can’t see why those two things wouldn’t go hand in hand. Let’s just say it’s terrifyingly brilliant and if you want a night of intense, gripping musical theatre then Assassins at the Menier Chocolate Factory is the place to be.

[4/5]