BATH CHRONICLE REVIEW OF THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR, JUNE 2010

 

BATH CHRONICLE REVIEW OF RING ROUND THE MOON

Thursday, April 29 2010

 Ring Round the Moon, performed by Bath Drama, is set in France in 1910. Embarking upon social issues including wealth, poverty, and the obligation of marriage, the farcical plot and its amusing characters make for an entertaining evening.

Ring Round the Moon involves a rather confusing spider's web of character relationships, but due to steady acting and neat staging from Bath Drama, it was not impossible to understand.

Each character embodied an element of melodrama, requiring the audience to suspend their disbelief somewhat, but this was easily achieved, and the play was enjoyable.

The story revolves around Hugo who, at the start, 'schemes a scheme' to make his infatuated brother fall out of love with his indifferent fiancé.

Hugo's plans become increasingly elaborate and quite ridiculous as other characters get dragged in. By the end, everyone seems to have swapped partners, denounced their riches or gained new assets. But a play in which characters change makes for an interesting watch.

Twin brothers Hugo and Frederic, who are identical in looks but who couldn't be less alike in personality, were played by the same actor. Rob Dawson's effortlessly convincing portrayal of the selfish, scheming Hugo, and the nervy and pathetic Frederic were successfully performed and cleverly choreographed. Often Hugo might exit the stage leaving one arm in view, pointing from the wings, while Dawson entered the next scene as a different character. This joke, like others was repeated but did not became tiresome - the friendly and farcical humour of the play made for a soothing evening.

Julie Knight

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BATH CHRONICLE REVIEW OF SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS

Thursday, January 14 2010 

Most of the usual suspects were there too, portrayed by a huge and enthusiastic cast from Bath Drama. The seven dwarves were, well, actually, a politically correct diverse bunch who weren't too vertically challenged and occasionally thinking they were hobbits when the story needed it.

In fact the plot involved more diversions than the SouthGate shopping centre, somehow involving a dungeon of doom where Dangling Dan, suspended by chains, managed to sing most of The Sound Of Music, while elsewhere the superbly bad Queen hit the high notes of the more apt Killer Queen. And the pantomime horse must get a mention; his favourite musical was, of course, Gigi.

Dame Nanny Gote excelled at frocks and ad-libs (as did many others when the need arose) and the scenery builders and movers can never have been so busy before at the Rondo.

Even the audience worked hard on this inclement evening, but be warned, if you're not up for participation then normal rules apply - avoid the front row. Although even that may not save you.

It's an odd English ritual, pantomime, and every year we approach it with a huge sense of deja vu, but its spell always works, so if you haven't overdosed this festive season then call in at Larkhall. You'll be swept along again.

The pantomime runs until Sunday January 17 at 7.30pm with matinées on Saturday and Sunday at 2.30pm.

Philip Horton

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BATH CHRONICLE REVIEW OF MEASURE FOR MEASURE

What a fine job Bath Drama made of Measure for Measure under the direction of Stephen Curtis.

Shakespeare's comedy of morals is no easy play to stage turning as it does on a series of finely-honed debates on the use and misuse of authority, corruption and deceit.

The plot loosely revolves around the fact that Angelo, the corrupt regent of Vienna, has sentenced Claudio to death for impregnating his betrothed Julietta out of wedlock. When Claudio's sister Isabella, a novice nun, pleads for his life Angelo lusts after her and will only spare Claudio if Isabella agrees to bed him.

The notion that sex out of wedlock is a crime may seem quaintly old fashioned to our society, but the arguments about justice and mercy are every bit as relevant to a modern audience and Bath Drama tackles this complex play extremely well.

And, lest it all sound a trifle serious, there are some fine comic scenes involving, bawds, constables and petty criminals, admirably performed by Mike Auton as Elbow and Paul Olding as the foolish Froth.

Robert Constantine put in a fine performance as The Duke of Vienna who has gone walkabout disguised as a friar to discover what his subjects think of him, while Adrian Philpott was splendidly stern and unyielding as the corrupt deputy.

Christopher Constantine, who played the dissolute Lucio, a friend of Claudio, was word perfect and assured throughout, while Alex Oliviere-Davies was superb in her role as the wronged nun pleading for justice.

The sets were effective and simple and the cast made good use of the Rondo's tiny stage.

There were one or two fluffed lines on occasion but that was probably just down to opening night nerves and were a minor consideration in a production that would have done credit to a professional company.

Measure for Measure plays until October 17 every night at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £8 from the festivals box office on 01225 463362.

Jackie Chappell

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From the Bath Chronicle website:

 Open-air players see shelter's work

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Two Bath theatre groups, who put on a joint show in the summer to raise money for Julian House, have visited the shelter to see how it helps the homeless.

Representatives from Bath Drama and the Rondo Theatre Company were taken on a tour of the Manvers Street shelter to see where their money will go.

The groups, who put on an outdoor production of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew in July, raised more than £1,400 for the organisation.

The charity's fundraising manager Cecil Weir went to see the show, which on one night saw actors forced to perform in the rain. He said he always welcomed supporters to the shelter to witness the cramped conditions endured by clients on a regular basis.

He said: "We encourage people to come and see the projects. That way they get more of an understanding of the real issues that impact on homelessness. For instance, currently we can only accommodate three women in the building, when very often we know there are more female clients who need our support."

The shelter runs projects across the city to tackle the causes of homelessness and needs more than £300,000 each year to keep going.

For more information or to donate, visit www.julianhouse.org.uk .

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From the Bath Chronicle website:

 The Taming of the Shrew: Rondo Theatre Company

 and Bath Drama, Royal Victoria Park, Bath

Monday, July 20, 2009

Watching open air theatre on a balmy summer evening is usually a delight, so what happens when it rains?

For Bath Drama and The Rondo Theatre Company the play goes on, and for the hardy audience - a couple of dozen - there was much fun to be had. Sure, a few lines were changed, or added, referring to the weather, but this was a splendid production , concentrating greatly on the humour rather than, what some see as, the misogyny.

As the play is now 400 years old you probably know the plot - man offered huge dowry by father to marry hot-tempered elder daughter, tames her and gets dowry. But this is Shakespeare and it's never quite that simple.

As Petruchio, Darian Nelson excelled, braving the weather and a really volatile, pouting Amy Hughes as Kate, also played to perfection. In fact, the whole cast were terrific. Maybe the rain heightens the senses and brings out the best in us.

Kate's final speech, pointing out that wives should always be subservient to their husbands (the final straw for feminists) was played with more than the usual irony and the throughout comedy was king.

All proceeds were going to Julian House, so unfortunately there wouldn't have been much cash generated on the Thursday of my visit, but top marks for effort in all departments.

Philip Horton

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 Bath Chronicle review of Glengarry Glen Ross   

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   Andrew Hill receiving the Best Dramatic Production Rosebowl 2006 from Fred Wedlock for The Servant by Robin Maugham, and the citation for the award.

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Andrew Hill receiving the Best Dramatic Production Rosebowl 2004 for Accidental Death Of An Anarchist by Dario Fo.

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 The citation for Andrew Hill's Best Dramatic Production Rosebowl 2002 for Dead Funny by Terry Johnson.