Cyrano - James McAvoy at the Playhouse

I almost missed this - I booked a ticket months ago, but have been unwell with the cold-from-hell-the-will-not-die, and wasn't at all sure that I would be up to a trip to London, but in the end, I decided that I would regret missing it.

I had avoided reading any reviews so had no preconceptions at all. I haven't ever seen the original play, either.

I very much enjoyed the show - there is virtually no set, a bare stage with hand-held and stand microphones, with the actors in modern dress.

The play draws on rap and hip-hop, and beat boxing - it's poetry, knowing, thoughtful, often gleeful and funny, sometimes raw, but almost always engaging and entertaining

There is, of course, the love story between Roxane and Christian, and the unrequited love of Cyrano for Roxane (not to mention the attraction of christian to Cyrano, which I suspect perhaps didn't appear in the original!)

But it is mostly about  the love of language. And it is glorious. 

“I love words. That’s all.”

The run in London run has finished now, but the play was filmed for National Theatre Live, and is well worth seeing if you have the opportunity. 

King Lear at the Duke of York's

Just under a year ago, my friend A and I saw Sir Ian McKellen's King Lear, in Chichester, which was incredible. And so when I saw that they were reprising it in London this year, I decided to see it again. (In fairness, I'd go to see McKellen in pretty much anything  he chose to do)

I was curious to see how the production would have been changed, to accommodate  the change from Chichester's small, circular stage, to the Duke of York's larger, more traditional lay out, and how the cast changes would affect the production.

It is still very good. Lear is by turns terrifying and pathetic, as he descends into madness, and this production brings out the black humour in the play.

Edmund's speech about the influence of astrology, for instance, and even Edgar and Gloucester's cliff-top scene both offer laughter as well as  drama (although I could have done without the Fool's fart jokes!) 



The play is, I believe, sold out, except for returns, but it was filmed and broadcast to cinemas, so you may have a chance to catch an 'encore' screening. I'd say if you can, do.

Twelfth Night at the Globe

It's been a while since I have been to the Globe, and one of the plays I've seen there before is Twelfth Night, which I saw 5 years ago, in a very traditional production with Mark Rylance as Olivia and Stephen Fry as Malvolio.

I knew this production was going to be very different - it was directed by Emma Rice, who has now parted company with the Globe, and features Le Gateau Chocolat  as Feste, and has even more cross dressing than is usual for this play.

It is set (judging by costumes etc) in the 1970's, apparently on a Scottish island, so Antonio (Pieter Lawman) and Orsino (Joshua Lacey) were in kilts, and  Sir Andrew Aguecheek (Marc Antolin) was in a pink fair isle sweater and was extremely camp.

Stage / Set (taken during interval!) 

Viola and Sebastian (Anita-Joy Uwajeh and John Pfumojena)were both excellent, and both appeared very young, which works well with the text, and the whole thing was fun, and didn't take itself too seriously.

I can understand why Emma Rice and the Globe parted company - this isn't the traditional, Elizabethan style production which the Globe specialises in, although I can't help but feel that if Shakespeare had had the option of including glitter balls, fairy lights, gold  lamé and the fabulous Le Gateau Chocolat in his plays, he would have done so! 

The performance I saw was the penultimate performance, so the run is over now, but it was fun while it lasted!