Drama
Are you speaking or studying German? Do you have at least some basics of the German language? Then this is the play to see. There's a lot of action, so what could be possibly overheard or misunderstood becomes clear through the acting. And if you still feel unsure, there is a list of important vocabulary provided in the programme.
We encounter the insecure Frau Dearden, the unbalanced Herr and Frau Giebel-Detlhof, psychopathic Herr Lakenberg, which is performed with passion, the confrontation of Herr Schachner and Frau Palfreman, strong Frau Wiedmann and initially doubting Herr Wilkinson.
Directed by Micheal Sommer, the production concentrates on simplicty. The actors are mostly dressed in suits and the stage is decorated in a simple way - only a few stools, a semi transparent screen and a small table - which only serves to emphasizes the monotonous and unfriendly institution of the psychiatric clinic. Most of the emotions are shown as much in the way of acting and intonation, as in words.
The Oxford German Players is connected with the German Department of Oxford University, and is made up of undergraduates reading German, senior members of the faculty, lecturers and native speakers. The name of the company is a mark of quality and considering previous productions - such as 'Reigen' by Arthur Schnitzler - it is going from strength to strength. This play is quite unpredictable and that's a bonus. Both tragic and comic elements are in a perfect balance and the plot is ravishing. So go for it but don't expect to leave the theatre with the feeling of being relaxed because this play will make you think about it long after seeing it.
<ul><li><a href="http://users.ox.ac.uk/~some1252/">The Oxford German Players</a></li></ul>
This double bill of short, one act plays was apparently written to be performed together - which is a shame, because whilst one of them is filled with pretentious dialogue and over egged symbolism, the other is tightly written, engaging and very satisfying. Director Toria Banks and her company have no blame for that.
It's intriguing concept. A government sponsored contest to find the ultimate teenager, culminating in a live televised finale in which the lucky winner will perform for the audience. With rubbish like Popstars clogging the airwaves, this was a wonderful opportunity to give this diabolical genre the treatment it deserves. Alas, Teenager of the Year is nothing more than a lost opportunity. The mouth of the sullen, rebellious youth (Tim Hancock) is filled with statements like "I have come far, sir.", leaving him sounding more like Jim Hawkins or Oliver Twist than the voice of his generation.
Yet the second of this pair, Mythomania, demonstrated what Jamie Huxley is capable of. A pair of monologues delivered by the Dreamer (Kimon Daktas) and the Mythmaker (Jos Lavery), it is strongly reminiscent of Samuel Beckett - the same dark feeling, desolate setting, and darkly humourous dialogue. The Dreamer, a cinema projectionist, is tortured by his dreams, the content of which he feels compelled to lie about, whilst the Mythmaker, a security guard, confidently holds forth upon Greek myth. "It was all bullshit - I knew the guy!" We are never quite sure which of them is telling the truth, or indeed if they know themselves.
Mythomania is worth the price of admission alone. Turn up late, and miss the first one - it'll be a much better experience.
I always wondered what the inspiration for Last of the Summer Wine had been, and now I know. The creators were obviously thinking of When we are married.
Produced by Gemma Allen, and directed by Oliver Mann, this is the first production by the newly formed "Silversoup Productions", a company formed expressly to produce period plays such as JB Priestley's Edwardian comedy. Set in turn of the century Yorkshire, three couples - married on the same day - prepare to celebrate their silver wedding anniversary. Events take an unexpected turn when it emerges that the minister who married them was not qualified to do so - and they may never actually have been married! From that basic premise, Priestley weaves a hilarious comedy, drawing in the pride and prejudice of Edwardian society, as the various spouses confront the possibility that they may not be as respectable as they thought.
A fine ensemble cast has been put together for this production, and they play both the dramatic and comic aspects of the play well. The three male leads - Thomas Herbert, James Adams and Thomas Wilkinson - go well together as they attempt to dress down Gerald (Thomas Gatti), the chapel organist, for "carrying on" and generally being "LA - DEE - DAH!". The three wives - Elizabeth Sharp, Helen Zaltman and Victoria Wood - turn in equally strong performances, and whether fighting amongst themselves (when confronted with what appears to be evidence of one husbands infidelity), or uniting to attack the "...numbskulls..." they married, they consistently put me in mind of Thora Hurd's "posse" in Last of the Summer Wine. Watch out for Alex Thomas and Amara Karan, as the drunken photographer Ormonroyd and the Helliwell's maid Ruby, with a superb comic interlude, and Lorna Beckett as Mrs. Northrop, the throughly disreputable char lady.
If you don't spend most of this play laughing out loud, then frankly there's something wrong with you.
<ul><li><a href="http://www.whenwearemarried.co.uk/">When We Are Married</a></li></ul>
31st Jan 2002