Plastic Bag Awards 2023

I haven't done much blogging this year  but that doesn't mean I haven't been out and about and doing things. It's that time of year again - The Plastic Bag Awards, also known as the Baggies of 2023!

Theatre: Drama

The nominees are:

‘As You Like It’ at @Sohoplace

‘Orlando’ at the Garrick Theatre

'Dancing at Lughnasa' at the National Theatre

'The Motive and the Cue' at the National Theatre

'Beautiful Thing' at Theatre Royal Stratford East

It's been a funny old year for theatre with theatres all competing for audiences and putting on some interesting shows but not that many stuck in my mind. All five nominees did that in spades. I loved the latest production of 'As You Like It' at the new theatre at the top of Charing Cross Road, @sohoplace, with its piano on the stage in use throughout and Rose Ayling-Ellis signing her lines and it all fell together nicely. 'Orlando' was as daft and magical as you could want with the dozen Virginia Woolfs forming a nice chorus and 'Dancing at Lughnasa' with its wonderful set and mysterious winding plot making me wonder what happened next as I left the theatre. 'The Motive and the Cue' was the only new play I saw this year and Mark Gatiss's excellent portrayal of John Guilgud and 'Beautiful Thing', a small production but a huge play. 

The Baggy goes to 'Dancing at Lughnasa' for its tale of an old Irish world that no longer exists, the great acting, the lovely staging and the plot that kept winding round in my head after I left the theatre. 

Theatre: Musical

The nominees for Best Musical in 2023 are:

'Sylvia' at The Old Vic 

'Rock Follies' at the Minerva Theatre, Chichester

'Ain't Too Proud' at the Prince Edward Theatre

'Flowers for Mrs Harris' at the Riverside Studios

‘Sondheim’s Old Friends’ at the Gielgud Theatre

I saw quite a few musicals over the year including some big ones like 'Oklahoma!' and 'Frozen' but they didn't make the cut according to the Baggies judging panel. The first musical I saw this year was 'Sylvia' and everything else had to reach its high standards - few did. Then there was a lean period into the summer when I went down to Chichester to see 'Rock Follies' and loved it, such a great theatre experience for an old fan like me. I saw 'Ain't Too Proud' just before it closed early and it was a great show - I still don't understand why it closed early - I suspect it wasn't the show, it was the ticket prices. 'Flowers for Mrs Harris' was a lovely new musical full of hope and wishes and 'Sondheim's Old Friends' was a great revue of a show with fab songs and star performers. with Bernadette Peters finally doing a West End show. 

The Baggy goes to 'Sylvia' at The Old Vic for its concept, staging, costumes, songs and sheer power. I'd love to see it again. 

Theatre: Dance

The nominees for Best Dance in 2023 are:

'Sleeping Beauty' at the Royal Opera House

'Woolf Works' at the Royal Opera House

'Alma' at Sadler's Wells

'Romeo and Juliet' at the Royal Opera House

‘The Dante Project’ at the Royal Opera House

The nominations are dominated by the Royal Ballet dancing at the Royal Opera House with only one nominee from Sadler's Wells this year, a flamenco show as part of its annual season. 'Sleeping Beauty' is a standard in the Royal Ballet's repertoire but it's 'Woolf Works' that made me interested in ballet as an art form in 2015 and, later that year, 'Romeo and Juliet' made me fall in love with it all. How can people jumping around be so beautiful? Wayne McGregor created the wonderful 'Woolf Works' and his latest creation is 'The Dante Project' - I had tickets to see it on its first airing a couple of years ago but didn't see it due to a lockdown or something so I made sure to see it this year.  

The Baggy goes to 'The Dante Project' by Wayne McGregor and danced by the Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House, a marvellous spectacle. 

Exhibitions

I saw many exhibitions and discovered new artists in 2023 but the nominees are:

‘Donatello’ at the V&A

'After Impressionism' at the National Gallery

'Action Gesture Paint' at Whitechapel Art Gallery

'Frans Hals' at the National Gallery

‘Rubens and Women’ at Dulwich Picture Gallery

Donatello was one of the first masters of the early renaissance in Florence and has influenced art ever since and I loved the exhibition at the V&A, being surrounded by all that old Florentine stuff, even a small predella painting by Masaccio, a friend of Donatello. 'After Impressionism' was a wide-ranging exhibition showing what happened in western art after the impressionists, dipping into many movements as artists discovered abstraction, a fascinating journey, while 'Action Gesture Paint' explored the spread of abstract expressionism around the world through women's art - who knew if was a world-wide movement of artists delving into their own abstratctions. Frans Hals was a master portraitist and the National Gallery explored his works while Dulwich Picture Gallery explored Rubens' paintings of women.

It's been a difficult decision but the Baggy goes to 'After Impressionism' for the sheer breadth and quality of the exhibits.  

Film

In an occasional category for films, the nominees are:

'Late Spring' at the BFI

'Angelheaded Hipster' at the Ritzy

'Tokyo Story' at the BFI

‘Scrooge’ at the BFI

‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ at the BFI

The only new film I saw this year was 'Angelheaded Hipster', the new documentary about the life and music of Marc Bolan who sadly died at the age of 29 in 1977. All the other films are over 65 years old and in black and white but all worth seeing, from the gentle films of Mr Ozu-san to the sentiment-fest that is 'It's A Wonderful Life'. I particularly liked Mr Ozu's 'Late Spring' mainly because I've never seen a film quite like it and his 'Tokyo Story' is always voted in the top ten films of all time, a marvellous melancholic film.

It's a close-run decision with 'Late Spring' coming a close second to the winner, 'Angelheaded Hipster'. Keep a little Marc in your heart. 

Performance

This award is for the best individual standout performance I've seen over the year and it can be almost anything. The nominees this year are:

Beverley Knight in 'Sylvia' at the Old Vic 

Mark Gatiss in 'The Motive and the Cue' at National Theatre

Siouxsie at The Troxy

Jenna Russell in 'Flowers for Mrs Harris' at the Riverside Studios

Beverley Knight played Emmeline Pankhurst (the mother of Sylvia) in the musical 'Sylvia' at the Old Vic. The cast were all excellent in an excellent production but, Beverley has been a pop star for nearly 30 years and knows how to work the stage at her gigs and she brought that extra energy to her performance. She was stunning and that's why she won an Olivier Award for her performance. Mark Gatiss delivered a truly believable performance as John Gielgud and Jenna Russell was the warm heart of 'Flowers for Mrs Harris'. And, of course, Siouxsie was magnificent at her first London gig in ten years, striding the stage like she owned it (and she did). 

The Baggy must go to Beverley Knight for her stunning performance as the leader of the suffragettes. 

So there you have it, the Baggies for 2023!