The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (February 25th, 2015)

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

I'll be totally honest: the only thing I'd heard about Curious Incident was about the ceiling collapse that occurred mid-show in December 2013, whilst the show was still playing at the Apollo. I read a brief summary of the show online then, but discounted the story as cliched and dull, and never gave it a second thought. Recently, an enthusiastic tweet by an actor I follow (whose tastes in theatre I tend to agree with) ignited an interest in the show, and with an empty evening in London, I decided to try something new and give Curious Incident a shot.

Also, let's be clear; I don't like plays. Never have, never will. I'm a musical (and ballet)-lover through and through. Curious Incident was very nearly an exception to that rule though. It wasn't the greatest thing I have ever seen, and it certainly got boring on occasion, but overall, I really enjoyed this show. 

The definite highlight of Curious Incident was the visual and sound design. It engages you right from the very start. The first lighting and sound effect makes you feel immediately and deeply uncomfortable in your surroundings; later, I thought that was an interesting insight into what it might feel like to be Christopher, the teenaged boy with Aspergers who is the star of the play. It was very effective, and puts you in the mindset of the play right from the start. The set itself is stunning. It's a massive chalkboard on three sides with grids and words written all over. Sometimes it's used as a chalkboard for Christopher, other times projections of his thought processes, and other times nonsensical words or numbers that contribute to the aesthetic of the show. I really can't properly describe how breathtaking this was. The lighting and sound were also astounding; they effectively engaged you so thoroughly in the story. There were a lot of effects, but they didn't feel overdone or unnecessary. 

 Graham Butler starred as Christopher, a 15-year-old boy who has Aspergers syndrome. Christopher is a brilliant mathematician who struggles with basic social interaction and behaviour. Butler did an incredible job of bringing this character to life. He didn't exactly look the part (certainly didn't look 15 facially, and those abs - insert drooling here - looked very out of place). But he was an incredible actor and created a believable - if not likeable or relatable - character that the audience could sympathise with, despite his often irritating or befuddling behaviour. Butler handled difficult blocking/choreography and a very physical role without missing a beat; he had as much energy at the end of the show as he did at the beginning. Many actors look a bit dead by curtain call; not so with Butler. His overall performance was outstanding, and a highlight of this show.

The other actors (Sarah Woodward as Chrisopher's therapist Siobhan, Nicholas Tennant as Christopher's father Ed, and Emily Joyce as Christopher's mother Judy, along with a talented ensemble who played a variety of different parts - including furniture at points) did a wonderful job. Each character had a deep, real feeling to it. The ensemble was very well rehearsed and I cannot believe how intricate the choreography was. They did an excellent job.

Another highlight of mine was the animals in the show. I don't really like Rats (they don't like me either. I'm looking at you, Salt and Pepper of WHIMZ), but I love animals in general and it was nice to see how Christopher interacted with his beloved pet (especially when he wanted to take it to space with him). Also, there was a puppy in the show! An adorable little golden retriever puppy, who, when he was removed from his box, elicited a large "AWWWWWW!" from every single female member of the audience. And as he licked faces, yawned, and lay down instead of walking around as he was supposed to, more "awwwwww!"s resonated through the audience, and didn't cease til he was off stage. 

The one thing I didn't like was I felt that at times, a bit of artistic license needs to be taken and Christopher's behaviour needs to be mediated. It was beyond too much at times; it felt like "I get the point, now please move on!" I found myself losing focus and forgetting what was going on during some of these bouts of temper. Most of the time, it was effective and real, but towards the end of the first act, and early second act, it just got irritating. The script could probably tightened up a lot; the first act felt about 10 minutes too long. 

Overall, I enjoyed my time at this show. It's an amazing visual and auditory experience solidified with strong performances by the actors (both human and animal) involved. I highly recommend this to someone who, like me, likes the big spectacle of a musical. 

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is currently playing at the Gielgud Theatre. Visit www.CuriousOnStage.com for tickets.

Phantom of the Opera (February 14th, 2015)

The Phantom of the Opera

Quick little review of tonight's show; I'm doing it by character for convenience sake. It's easier to organise my thoughts that way. I have to say, most of my focus was on Layla Harrison as Meg, so forgive the very minimal reviews on the other characters.

Geronimo Rauch (Phantom)

Average show from him; he has a huge, powerful voice, but I'm missing some depth in his portrayal. You really do feel sorry for him by the end (though maybe it's because it's Valentine's Day and I'm feeling alone), but I think that was more because of Harriet's reactions than Geronimo's. Anyway, he did fine, it's just not as extraordinary as it was last cast. 

Harriet Jones (Christine)

Harriet Jones as Christine (google)

Wow. Wow. Wow. Absolutely loved her this performance (and last, by the way, though I never wrote about that one). I kept missing her because of illness so I was really excited to have her on again. Also this officially made her my most-seen Christine (15 shows; Olivia had 14). A lot of what Harriet does is very subtle; there's no massive arc or development in personality, but you can see little things popping up here and there, more and more so towards the end, culminating nicely with PONR and Final Lair. She goes from a wide-eyed, very innocent portrayal to a whirlwind of emotions by the end. Think of Me is always one of my highlights with Harriet on; she does the shy -> confident development really nicely through the song, and obviously her voice is absolutely gorgeous. Today's "Wishing" was without a doubt the strongest - vocally and acting wise - I've ever seen from Harriet. It was full of raw emotion, which was wonderful. I do hope they give her a new skirt to go with the new bodice though; from the right angle, it's really obvious that they don't match (speaking of which, I want her to get a new Aminta too. The current one's skirt is so sad and droopy). I also really loved her PONR and Final Lair. I can't for the life of me remember why… but I love at the end of PONR how it looks as if she's tenderly reaching up towards the phantom… then bam, mask/wig off (cue panic - nicely done, by the way). It comes out of nowhere, and it's genius. I was so with Christine at this point that I got panicked when the managers were saying "Stay with him!" and keeping her on the stage. Also a very emotional Final Lair (the couples on either side of me were both sobbing, and I got rather shaky myself). Again, I credit this to Harriet. It was her emotional execution that was the most real and visceral; she made you feel sorry for the Phantom, she made you want Raoul to live. Good for her for making me care about two characters I don't like. Also, I've said it before and I'll say it again: Harriet has an excellent command of her costumes. There's this incredible skirt sweep she does in Stranger Than You Dreamt It (speaking of, she executes that trip perfectly. It genuinely looks like a trip, as opposed to an "Oh, I need to fall over now") and really she just looks comfortable in them; a lot of other Christine's just don't know what to do with all that fabric, especially with the Wishing cloak.

Final point here; I adored Harriet and Layla as a Christine/Meg team. Without a doubt, the strongest pair out there. The hand-holding when Mme Giry burst into the dressing room after Angel of Music, the constantly looking to each other - it was adorable. I appreciated that Harriet was as responsive to Meg as Layla is to Christine; with Layla on, she's so perceptive to the Christines, and only Harriet responds to that as thoroughly as should be done. It makes the friendship seem more real (Meg's such a bossy little diva, she wouldn't be obsessed with her friend - the friendship needs to be equal for it to work).

Layla Harrison (Meg)

Layla Harrison as Meg 

No words. Just… outstanding, spectacular, perfect… take your pick. I don't know how you improve on perfection, but somehow Layla did it. For one, the volume in her singing was a hundred times better than October; she's definitely got the volume part down (her singing voice is beautiful as always, and those screams were ear drum-shattering). I want to break her down by scenes, because it's easier to sort out my thoughts that way.

Hannibal: Gorgeous dancing; every movement flows so beautifully. I don't know how anyone can dance with that much elegance. She's also got excellent stage presence; your eyes are drawn right to her. Meg's little spoken/sung/screaming parts were very nicely done; there's nothing to fault but nothing much to say about it - it was just perfect.

Angel of Music: Stunning voice (that's the first thing that struck me about her Meg years ago), and the acting is just so…. right. It just makes sense. It's not overdone, but it's obvious enough that you know what Meg's thinking. Her and Harriet are an adorable duo in this song; Meg's obvious excitement (and then concern) for her friend is palpable, and their hand holding thing just made me go AWWWW.

Notes: This. I died. I was desperately trying to suppress giggles through the whole scene. Layla's Meg is just so there. She's funny, she's reacting to the scene unfolding in front of her in exactly the way her Meg would. Again, it's just right. It just works. There's so many changes of expression and you can really see exactly what Meg's thinking, how she's processing the notes. And oh my goodness, her reaction to Carlotta's 'diva moment' is just priceless. I'd buy a ticket literally just to see Layla in this scene.

Il Muto: her costume looks a bit of a hazard; it seems to be a gigantic hoop skirt, which doesn't really sit well when she's kneeling down. The construction of that costume should probably be reconsidered. Anyway, Layla did a lovely job. Again, it's the reactions to everything. This combined with her magnificent stage presence makes you care about Meg. Il Muto ballet was beautifully danced - those pirouettes through the hoops were technically perfect and incredibly ethereal. She just floats out of them at the end, which shows just how brilliant a dancer she is. It's so much easier to just step out of the pirouettes, but Layla literally floats.

Masquerade: I am loving the new costume (mostly). The fabric is gorgeous; it's a lovely colour on Layla, and the details on the front are stunning. However, the sleeves need to be shortened and the waist needs to be dropped at least an inch, probably 2-3. When she lifts her arms up even a little, you can see the whole bottom of her tights (leggings? no idea what those are). It is a gorgeous costume though; they just need to make some adjustments. Anyway, again, her dancing is beautiful. You can't not watch her.

Don Juan Rehearsal: The Meg/Christine hand-hold thing is back! Thank you, Layla! I missed that. It's a cute moment between M and C. I loved how Layla reacted to Piangi's mucking up the song and the chaos that followed. It just works.

PONR: She's only on stage for a few moments at the beginning and end of this song, but she does a wonderful job with it. Very charming as whatever Meg is during that scene (gypsy? Others have said she's a playing a prostitute of some sort, but I don't like to think of little Meglet playing a character like that :P). Her reaction to Piangi's death is just heartbreaking. If you didn't feel for Meg by this point, you certainly do now. It's hard to watch a character that's been so strong the whole show completely break down (though she does get herself together quickly).

Final Lair: Well, I guess there's not a lot to say… I always get sad at the end because a Layla-Meg show is over, but she does the cape sweep and the thing with the mask very nicely. It's slow and precise; not like she's just doing the blocking, but she's actually considering what's going on. It's nice.

Overall, Layla just is Meg. She brings integrity, personality, and even a bit of vulnerability to a character that is so easy to write off as lifeless. Layla Harrison is the epitome of Meg.

Fiona Finsbury (Carlotta)
It took me a while to warm up to her, but either Fiona's improved a lot or I've just gotten used to her portrayal. It's humorous, it's heartless ("she's mad!" said with a little chuckle); she makes Carlotta distinctly unlikeable and definitely a diva, but I really enjoyed it. Definitely my favourite Carlotta now.

Joseph Claus (Piangi)
(I loved he and Fiona as a pairing though; they interacted very well. Definitely seemed like Opera partners-in-crime). I really loved how he played with the long note in Hannibal. His Piangi was a lot more like Jeremy Secomb's than the principle's is. I definitely prefer Joseph to the principle Piangi. He's a more likeable, detailed character who milks the humorous moments very effectively.

All in all, I enjoyed my 40th trip to Phantom. I'll be returning in just a few weeks to see Lisa-Anne Wood playing Christine opposite Layla Harrison's Meg, which I'm really excited about, so stay tuned for a review on that. I've also got Made in Dagenham and Don Quixote reviews half-finished; I'll post them soon, just trying to get them done around schoolwork.