Complete History of Comedy, Reduced Shakespeare Company

Excuse me while I blow the dust off my screen. 

I don't think I have ever gone so long without a blog post since I first started!  A combination of 2 of the busiest weeks at work in my annual work cycle directly followed by a temperature of 101.66F and a seriously nasty bout of suspected gastroenteritis, play week for Charley's Aunt, the in-laws visiting for the Easter weekend and a bit of bloggers block (I have had absolutely no creative inspiration at all recently, it seems to have all been diverted into areas which actually pay my bills, sorry) has meant a whole host of draft posts just sitting in my planner, filled with pictures and absolutely no end material.

Oops

I'm back now though so let's start to catch up!  The 3 week gap does mean that a few of these events happened a little while ago...sorry...this won't exactly be real time blogging for a bit, but we have to start somewhere!

As I mentioned, Charley's Aunt has now finished, so I get my evenings back.  Whoohoo!  At least for the time being.  We are actually doing The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Reduced) next, with RV in the directors chair, so, as part of his very serious 'research' (and not an excuse for a jolly to the theatre at all) he suggested we head up to the Gulbenkian to see The Reduced Shakespeare Company perform The Complete History of Comedy. 

For purely serious research purposes you understand.

So it was on the 1st March (I said there was a bit of a backlog), on a Sunday evening before the start of the working week, a large group of us dutifully filed into the Gulbenkian to take our seats and be entertained with a rip roaring stomp through comedy through the ages.

I have had the absolute pleasure of seeing The Reduced Shakespeare Company twice before, once when I was about 15 and watched them perform The Complete Works Of Shakespeare (Abridged) and once in my early twenties when I watched them perform the Bible (Abridged).

Both times I have been doubled over in my seat, completely helpless and crying with laughter, desperately clutching my stomach to try and alleviate the laughter cramps that are shooting across my abdomen.

For those of you who haven't heard of them (seriously, where have you been?!) they are the company that perform all 37 of Shakespeare's plays in 97 minutes, including Hamlet 3 times.  Once of which is backwards.  They are a three man troupe that dart in and out of roles with slick brevity, using a cap or a moustache to convey a change.  The stage was littered with roosters and scarves, caps and swords by the time they had finished in previous shows. 

Originally from California, the RSC have an impressive comedy pedigree, boasting the longest running comedy show in London, 7 stage shows, 2 television specials and numerous radio pieces that have been heard the world over.  Other tours include Western Civilisation (Abridged), Sports (Abridged), America (Abridged), Books (Abridged)....you get the idea.  If something has a long, complicated history with a huge amount of material to cover, The Reduced Shakespeare Company will roll their sleeves up and have at it with gusto.

The Complete History of Comedy took us on an irreverent ride through, well, the Complete History of Comedy.  They poked fun at the high brow and the low, from the Ancient Greeks (hello Aristophanes) to Shakespeare, chicken crossing the road jokes, Moliere, mimes and clowns, Vaudeville, Chaplin and Chekov (whom I have never thought of as funny!) as the three actors desperately search for the missing chapter on The Art of Comedy that has been lost to time.  In doing so, they take us through every chapter of the book, acting out the principles of comedy and how they have shaped the genre.  They interact with the audience, dragging audience members onto the stage and exchanging banter with people.

I think covering specific comics is one of the disadvantages of a show like this.  Comedy, and what people find funny is intensely personal.  For example, I have never found Moliere or Chekov, or even Chaplin to be funny, and unfortunately, having their plays and sketches acted out by a troop of comedians still doesn't make them funny for me.  There were parts that I did guffaw at, and the audience was definitely tickled by the show, but in comparison to their other productions, it just didn't engender the same continuously cackling reaction in me that I was expecting, and that was a shame.  The funniest joke for me involved Abraham Lincoln and the phrase 'too soon?'.

As we left, we did discuss whether they were now running out of ideas, and whether or not the same format just wasn't as fresh as it used to be.

What the Reduced Shakespeare Company are know and revered for is their impudent, breathless, quick fire routines that is choreographed to a frenetic pace that leaves you gasping for breath.  The very thing that makes us want to emulate them, and terrified about even trying to do so.  'Comedy', for me, was missing that edge, that fire and punch. 

Would I see the Reduced Shakespeare Company again?  Absolutely, in a heart beat and I would recommend that everyone tries to see them at least once.

Would I see 'Comedy' again?  I'm not sure.  I felt that, out of all the shows I have seen by the RSC, this was the weakest by far.  It was pleasant and perfectly nice, it just didn't leave tears of joy running down my cheeks like their other shows did.

 

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Oki-Nami

When we arrived in Brighton, we had heard rumour of a fab little Mexican place called La Choza.  I called to try and book us a table for dinner, only to find out that they didn't take bookings.  We then planned to drink our way through the Laines to La Choza to grab a table later on.  We made it out of The Mesmerist, accompanied by the sound of growling stomachs and decided we couldn't wait any longer.  Out came google maps, and we started to negotiated our way up to the North Laines.

We found La Choza, a lively, colourful little restaurant on a dark street corner and bundled ourselves inside to find a table.

Which they didn't have.  They also wouldn't have a table for another hour and a half.  Frankly, we couldn't wait that long.

Shay remembered that we had passed some promising looking places on the way up near the Theatre.  By this point my heels were killing me, but I stuck my brave face on and we marched purposefully down the hills until we came to Oki-Nami

Once again we bundled ourselves inside the bustling restaurant, only to find that there was only one table left, and it was right by the door.  The owner was wonderful though, told us to sit there and hold tight as another table further in was about to vacate.

Vacate they did, and just as we were about to move, another couple came barging in and took it.  Meh, stuff like this happens and honestly, being right by the door actually wasn't that much of a problem.  For one thing, it meant that we had a bit more privacy for the awkward taking of photos - a major disadvantage of being a blogger and something that I am still not entirely comfortable with, especially in restaurants.  Two of us doing it made it feel less awkward though!

As it turns out, La Choza being full was actually a brilliant twist of fate for us, as Oki-Nami turned out to be one of the best Japanese restaurants I have ever eaten in.  Check out The Demon Gin for her take on the evening.

It's been a long established part of Brighton life for over 20 years and run by the husband and wife team Mike and Azita Dodd.  It was Mike who sorted our table out for us, chatted with us freely, was clearly loved by the regulars we saw in the restaurant and who pointed us in the direction of the cocktail bar (but more on that later).   It is a family run business, with both of the Dodd's sons, Daniel and Joseph, helping out in-between University terms, and Azita's sister, Nazanin Kamali who designed all the furniture and the interior.  It is also co-owned by Fatboy Slim.  Huh.

Oki-Nami is all about producing good, satisfying and healthy Japanese food in a calm and beautiful setting whilst ensuring that all the ingredients are locally sourced where possible and ethically treated.  Some of the herbs and vegetables used are even grown in Mike's own garden, fed with compost made from the waste produced by the restaurant in one great green circle of life.  They also have a minimal-wastage approach, something that Shay and I would experience again the following day....

So, that's the history and ethos behind Oki-Nami.  What about the menu? 

Well, firstly, it's pretty to look at.  Inside though was a huge selection of choice.  We started off with cocktails.  Holy crap these were good.  Mine had prosecco and grated fresh ginger and was sharp, warm and full of flavour.  Shay's was cool and sharp, cut through with lime and gin and made the area at the back of your jaw tingle with delight.

We both went for the set menu, three courses for £22.95 is an absolute bargain. I chose the Gyoza, which was sticky and sweet and caramelized on one side whilst Sinead ordered the sushi selection with wasabi and fresh pickled ginger (which was just divine - I could have munched a bottle of the ginger).  All through dinner Shay told me stories of her time in Japan, a place I have never been and now seriously want to visit. 

For our mains we both had the Teriyaki, char-grilled chicken for me in the Oki-Nami teriyaki sauce with braised vegetables and sticky rice, topped with sesame seeds and Japanese pickle.  Shay's version came with a char-grilled salmon fillet.  Both were delicious; light and full of a delicate smokey salty flavour.

Finally we both ordered the chocolate orange cake.  I was tempted to go for the Matcha Green Tea Ice cream so that we didn't end up with the same dish, but frankly, the temptation of wheat free chocolate orange cake made with almonds, oranges, chocolate and eggs, with plum liquor infused sultana ice cream and chocolate sauce was simply too hard to resist.  We both caved and dove into one of the nicest, fluffiest, lighted chocolate cakes we have ever had.  It also looked like it came with a carrot.  It didn't - that was a strawberry and mint leaf.  Looks like a carrot though.

We both settled up our bill; a very reasonable £30 each for the three courses and a cocktail, and looked curiously at the large, spiral staircase in the middle of the restaurant.  We knew what was downstairs; the toilets and the burst beer line that had the staff frantically running around an hour or so earlier.  We didn't know what was upstairs, apart from that people kept disappearing up there and no one was coming back down. 

Another chat with Mike, and we found out that the stairs led up to Oki-Nami's cocktail bar, which he promised was somewhere we definitely wanted to be next.

Hunger sated, we concurred and traipsed dutifully up the stairs in search of more cocktails.  At the top we found a circular room with high tables and vibrant red painted walls and a small bar. 

We grabbed a table and perused the extensive cocktail menu.  Ramos Gin Fizz for myself (Tanqueray gin, lemon and lime juice, sugar syrup, double cream, egg white and orange blossom water) and Espresso Martini for Sinead (which tasted wonderful!). 

Sinead placed our orders at the bar and the cocktails were delivered to our table.  The bar operates table service so if you fancy another cocktail, catch a member of staff's eye and place your order.  You just settle up at the bar when you are ready to go.  Cocktails start at £7.50 so are pretty reasonable as well.

The crowd in Oki-Nami was eclectic.  There were an unusually high number of groups of guy friends for a cocktail bar and that may have been due to the lack of fruity, sweet cocktails on the list - something that I heartily approve of.  A lot of the mixes are made with strong rums, whiskey, gins and brandy's.  I took a mental note of the fact that the Maderia Drive was made with Monkey Shoulder, one of Steve's favourite whiskey blends, for when we will inevitably end up in Brighton next.

The Oki-Nami bar has an enviable position on New Road, right opposite the Brighton pavilion, something you can take full advantage of by taking your drink out onto the little balcony and people watching down the street.

We lingered in Oki-Nami for some time, conveniently forgetting a couple of the other bars that we had originally debated going into before heading back to the Black Lion for some late night ska.  The evening was finished off with yet more gin in the hotel bar, before (so rock and roll) cups of tea in our PJ's back in the room.

I didn't feel particularly drunk.  I still woke up with a hangover though.

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Peter Pan Goes Wrong!

A while ago my friends had tickets to go and see The Play That Goes Wrong by the young and vibrant comedy theatre group Mischief Theatre, first formed in 2008 by a group of graduates and students of The London Academy of Music & Art.  It is very, very rare that I regret a theatre decision but in this case I couldn't make it as I had another engagement.  From their stories about the production, I knew I had missed out on something incredibly special. 

I was right; The Play That Goes Wrong is now firmly ensconced in the West End to rave reviews and I still need to see it!  Luckily it has been extended until September 2015 so there is still time...

When the same group of friends told me that Mischief Theatre were bringing their newest production, Peter Pan Goes Wrong to the Marlowe Theatre, I knew I wasn't missing out again and Steve and I joined Claire, RV, John, Ellie, Peter and Jo for a pre-theatre curry followed by a night of riotous comedy.

The curry may have been a mistake - apparently 2 hours of side splitting laughter plus spice are not a great mix!

Photo from www.edtheatres.com

For a bunch of am drammers, The Play That Goes Wrong and Peter Pan Goes Wrong are the type of productions that we love to see, having us jointly laughing and cringing in our seats as so much of what is going on on the stage resonates with us.  There were moments when I had both hands over my face and was peeking out at the action on stage from between my fingers.

The idea is simple; the audience are watching a play within a play.  The actors are playing an am-dram group who are putting on an am-dram production that just goes horrifically, hysterically wrong in every conceivable way whilst they struggle through to the end.

Photo from www.edtheatres.com

I don't want to give away too many of the gags, but here are a check list of things to look out for:

Wardrobe malfunctions
Collapsing set
Never ending line loop
Accidentally switching characters and saying each others lines
Major and minor injury
Malfunctioning set
Accidental nudity
Personal relationship breakdown on stage out of character
Misbehaving facial hair and wigs
The wrong sound recordings being played
Actor substitutions mid performance
Punch ups
Stage and Tech crew appearing on stage at the wrong moments
Lighting mishaps
Flying misadventures
Out of character on stage revelations
Lovers tiffs
Electrocution
Broken bones
Wrong lines
Diva's
Unconscious actors

 

In the interval we found ourselves comparing when things have gone wrong in our own productions (like the time the trap collapsed in Hobson's Choice and I accidentally trapped Steve's fingers in the door whilst attempting to hold it closed on stage so Derek could drill it from the other side mid performance, or the line loop we managed to get into during the Wimbledon scene in Teechers, or the time we flipped a light switch on stage as a visual cue and two seconds later the lights actually went out) and the exaggerated examples in Peter Pan Goes Wrong (Nana's experiences with the dog flap, the misbehaving night lights and the line loop during a musical number).

Photo from www.edtheatres.com

From the start the audience is utterly engaged in the performance.  Crime scene tape is removed from a row of seats so that people can sit down.  The techies are running backwards and forwards across the stage arguing with each other, until one of the techies gets fed up and came and sits with us for a bit of a gossip whilst the theatre is filling up.  The host gets the whole auditorium (1200 people strong) to sing Happy Birthday to Dave only to realise afterwards that Dave was Michael and it wasn't his birthday, leaving the host to slink off muttering apologies.

Photo from www.edtheatres.com

We are treated to an introduction from the Director and his Co Assistant Director who pompously inform us that we are not watching a pantomime, we are watching something that will apparently be a lot more high brow (he used a word, I'm blowed if I can remember what it was!) and that due to a cast member illness, Michael will now be played by the oldest member of the drama troop.  Beard and all.

Photo from www.edtheatres.com

Some of the actors take on multiple roles.  As is traditional, Hook and Mr Darling are played by the same actor, Nana the Dog is also the Crocodile, John and Michael play Pirates and Tinker Bell gets to jump between so many characters her costumes get rather mixed up as she races through lightening quick changes, and doesn't quite get her dress done up in time.

One of the major reliefs for the actors must be that, if something really were to go wrong, the audience would not have the first blue clue!

Photo from www.edtheatres.com

There are mishaps and misadventures and through it all I was screaming with laughter to the point that my stomach muscles were aching and tears were running down my cheeks.  You can see the amount of work and effort that has gone into the production; every little move has to be choreographed to the last detail and the level of mutual trust between the members of the Company is incredibly high.  The result is an exquisite dance of comedy.

The revolving set was beautifully made and a masterful concept that comes into its own towards the end of the second act.  I could see the wheels in Steve's head turning at a few of the set tricks as he worked out how he could build something similar for us.  We all left commenting how we would kill to be able to be involved in something like this. 

Even the programme features a programme within a programme, with mock bio's, adverts for future up and coming productions from the Company and local advertisers shelling their wares.  It is the attention to detail that really makes Mischief Theatre stand out.

Photo from www.edtheatres.com

Despite the best efforts of the mock cast, this production does still have pantomime moments with shouts of 'He's behind you' and 'Oh no he didn't' ringing to the rafters.  The children in the theatre loves this as it meant that the pantomime format was still there and familiar to them, allowing them to get involved.  There are musical and dance numbers that the audience can get involved in, occasionally interrupted by techie mistakes as the music gets stuck on repeat or one of the actors headpieces tunes into a local radio, causing him to announce, in full vocal harmonies with the rest of the cast, that 'the traffic on the M2 is backed up to Junction 5'.  Good to know for the trip home.

Peter Pan Goes Wrong is touring the UK until July 2015 (full schedule here).  Go and see it and take everyone you know for a brilliant night of laughter.  Just remember, everything you see on the stage has probably happened to a Company for real somewhere else!

Photo from www.edtheatres.com

If you like (or hate!) what you have read, please do let me know in the comments below or slap me with a cheeky follow, or say Hi to me on my Facebook group or Twitter or Instagram!

Miss Saigon

A few weeks ago I fulfilled something of a long standing musical ambition and got to see Miss Saigon in the West End.  It was a special treat for Mum’s birthday, and Steve, Lottie and myself joined Mum and Dad for a Saturday matinee performance in early November.

Since I was little I have loved the music of Miss Saigon.  We used to listen to the soundtrack on the long drives to the South of France for summer holidays (along with Les Mis’ and as much of the 1981 BBC Radio 4 radio series of The Lord of the Rings as mum could stand), and I have all the sheet music for the piano, frequently pounding out “Sun and Moon” on the ivories until Steve begs me to plug my headphones in (electric piano before you ask) so he (and the neighbours) don’t have to listen anymore.   I have the soundtrack on my IPod and can often be heard singing along at full, off key volume in the kitchen whilst cooking a Sunday roast.

I have never been able to see it performed though as it was sadly cancelled in London in 1999.  Imagine my excitement then when, around this time last year, I first saw the news articles that it would be re-opening in 2014, and my excitement levels rose when Mum suggested getting tickets for us all to see it for her birthday instead of our usual Christmas Eve tradition of going to the theatre (something I will miss this year).

In the weeks building up, my excitement levels rose.  Finally the Saturday arrived.  Steve picked me up from rehearsal at 11am and we floored it to my parents’ house, picked them and my sister up and drove up to London to park near China Town (where I had my first and last experience of Cha Siu Bao – the Chinese sweet bun filled with pork meat.  I felt really queasy afterwards and never want to taste one again).

Once inside Dreamland, we talked about what we were most looking forward to and what we had read from the reviews.  We knew some of the staging had been altered but that the iconic helicopter scene should still be largely the same.  

The lights dimmed, the music started and the show got underway. 

10 minutes later my Mum was ready to walk out.

By the interval I was struggling to remain positive.  By the end we all agreed that it’s not something we would go back and see.

I’m trying to be objective here, but we were so disappointed with this show.  I think the main problem of Miss Saigon is that it is dated – theatre has moved on significantly in the 15 years it has been off stage, with new effects, new ideas and new technology, and Miss Saigon just hasn’t been able to keep up.  The helicopter – once jaw droppingly impressive, is now mildly remarkable, the set is still complex, but I’ve seen sets more elaborate.  The choreography is neat enough, but I’ve seen choreography that is tighter and slicker.  Other companies are doing ground breaking work in theatre at the moment- just look at The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, 39 Steps, Urine Town and Wicked, and there is nothing new about Miss Saigon – they did it all 15 years ago, and it does not have the iconic status of Les Mis’ or Phantom to be able to still get away with doing it all the same.  Even Starlight Express had to revamp itself, its score and its story at least twice during its run!

It was the excess of gratuitous nudity that did not sit well with my Mum.  Mum and I are not prudes, and we both know perfectly well that Miss Saigon is partially set in a brothel, but there was in my mind at least absolutely no need for the simulated sex on stage during “The Heat Is On” and “Movie In My Mind” (especially with no warnings on any of the programme or booking information, and with huge numbers of children in the audience.  All around the auditorium parents were covering their children’s eyes).  In the American Dream sequence, Gigi appears wearing a pair of flesh coloured knickers, nipple tassels and a fur coat.  It adds nothing to the sequence and just looked utterly demeaning.  The video montage of post-war babies also felt like a search for a cheap emotive reaction, as though the creatives do not have the faith in either the music or their performers to be able to generate those emotions in the audience themselves.

Differing sensibilities aside, there were silly mistakes throughout – one of the dancer’s microphones wasn’t switched on so her line just fell silent.  The actor playing John had his voice crack whilst singing Bui Doi.  A curtain fell off a rail in the slums and during “The Morning of the Dragon” the dancers weren’t always marching on the same foot.  These are silly, sloppy mistakes that you don’t expect to see in productions where you are paying up to £70 a ticket.

Having said that, I could have lived with all the above.  Sure, it would and did annoy me, but my absolutely biggest bug bear with the production was the lighting.  It was god awful – I left with a headache because I was straining so hard to see what was going on in all the scenes set in the dim streets and interiors of Vietnam.  No one had their faces lit properly and in crowded scenes this made it very difficult when trying to see who was singing and what was going on.   It also meant that a lot of the background filler action was lost.  I muttered darkly to Steve for some time following the show about the need for the lighting director to be strung up.

It wasn’t all negative.  Jon Jon Briones, the actor who played The Engineer, was stupendous, simply magnificent and he stole the show all on his own.  Eva Noblezada (Kim) and Alistair Brammer (Chris) were independently both solid performances, with Noblezada particularly impressive during any scene where she had to have an emotional breakdown (happened a lot), but the chemistry between the two characters was lacking.

We all left the Prince Edward Theatre feeling rather deflated and also rather confused – reviews on Miss Saigon (both in the press and from friends who have seen it) have all been glowing, so why was our experience so negative?  Was it just a bad night, the sum of a lot of small problems, or are we just incredibly picky?  I genuinely do not know what the answer is, but I know it’s going to be a while before I play that soundtrack again.  For me, it's a victim of its own legend and maybe it is harsh to judge it by that standard. 

Afterwards we went back to Mum and Dad’s and ordered one of the best takeaway curries I have ever had – I ate far more than I should have and couldn’t stop stealing Mum’s naga curry sauce.  At least the day ended on a high!

I really want to know what other people think of the show if you have seen it or have friends or family who have seen it!  Pop your thoughts below...

If you like (or hate!) what you have read, please do let me know in the comments below or slap me with a cheeky follow, or say Hi to me on my facebook group or twitter!