I enjoyed four entertainments either side of Christmas, two before and two after the Big Day.
First up was 'The Comedy of Errors' at the National Theatre starring Lenny Henry, a play and a performer I've never seen before but which I wanted to see. It's the tale of twins separated shortly after birth along with their twin servants (as normally happens, of course) and the confusion and hi-jinks that occur when they're finally in the same city at the same time and get mistaken for each other (as you do). With a dramatic set and clever lighting, I was looking forward to this play. Unfortunately, that's where I went wrong.
I liked what I saw, I just couldn't follow the dialogue. The actors were attempting to speak Shakespeare's verse in different accents and that just threw my ear for most of the first half and I found it very difficult to follow the plot. Why were the leading ladies acting and speaking like Essex girls when no-one else in the play was? Even Lenny used his basic west African accent for some reason (which I could follow since he's used it so often on telly). By the second half I was getting used to the accents but I'd still missed - and guessed at - setting up the plot in the first half.
The first half was also marred by some of the scenery not moving when the scene changed, leading to someone coming out on stage to say they'd start the scene again when the scenery could be moved. The second half had some odd Keystone Kops moments, with silly chases round buildings, people jumping out and surprising others, police arresting the wrong twin, everything you'd expect. But it didn't gel for me, it didn't work. Throw all the ingredients into the pot and stir briskly but something was missing...
In recent years my annual Christmas treat has been the latest Matthew Bourne production at Sadlers Wells and this year was the turn of 'Nutcracker'. I last saw this production in 2007 (see
here) and it was a great thrill to see it again. It starts off in a grim orphanage and moves into Sweetieland before the final surprise but I'll leave that for you to find out for yourself.
Matthew Bourne's productions are a joy to watch as the story unfolds and the dancers do their stuff, each with a character of their own irrespective of their role in the performance, as much actors as dancers. The temporary happiness and ongoing wretchedness of the orphanage was summed up by throwing the spindly Christmas Tree out of the window at the end of that scene, such a tiny yet poignant statement. And then the Nutcracker appears and wrecks the orphanage, showing the children the road to ice skating, snow and then to Sweetieland where everyone is made out of sweets. Yum.
Sweetieland is a mass of colour and tastes (judging from all the licking that goes on) with bonbons, Mr Nickerbockerglory, the gobstopper lads, Battenburg cake and everything else. And, of course, a giant cake. Yum again.
The dancing and characterisation were all excellent, taking us all on a trip to wonderland, eyes sparkling and hearts pounding and we want our heroine to get her heart's desire. I got mine and thoroughly enjoyed it, especially being just a couple of days before Christmas.
Just after Christmas was the ideal time for 'Slava's Snowshow' at the Royal Festival Hall, guaranteed to put a smile on your face and a bounce in your step. I saw Slava at Wimbledon Theatre four years ago and it was a joy to see him and his colleagues again - I had a silly grin all over my face from start to finish. Clowns aren't my favourite form of entertainment but Slava goes so far beyond that word with the beauty and simplicity of his show that it is thoroughly inadequate. Rather than the faux violence of slapstick, Slava's show is gentle and warm. And very daft indeed.
The first half ended by being covered in a giant cobweb as we passed it back, back, overhead and yet further back in the audience as it went on and on and on. I was picking bits of webbing off my and out of my beard throughout the interval. When we got back to our seats the People in Green Coats were playing with the audience, running over the tops of seats, spraying bottles of water accidentally over people and generally making a fuss - and they were lovely.
The finale is, of course, the most magnificent scene, with snow falling, clouds of dry ice forming on stage and then, suddenly, a blinding white light and a wind machine blasting the snow out into the audience and I loved it. I was giggling like a loon as I was covered in snow. And as the snow stopped, the balls started, giant bouncing balls being boinged around the auditorium by the audience as more balls of all sizes arrived to be thrown around. There were lots of kids in the audience but it became full of kids as us adults regressed into big kids to bounce the balls all over. I loved it! Miss it at your peril!
My final entertainment - and final entertainment of the year - was Ken Russell's film of 'The Boy Friend' at the British Film Institute (or National Film Theatre if you prefer). I've never seen it before so it was with an open mind I took my seat, expecting Twiggy to introduce it (as noted in the handout) but the film started Twiggy-less.
I assume this was the full, original version of the film, lasting for over two hours with some very lengthy dream sequences that I assume were edited for the cinema release back in the early 70s. It's a simple love story in which Twiggy is the assistant stage manager in a provincial theatre who has to take the lead role in a truly awful musical when the leading lady (a rather glam Glenda Jackson) breaks her ankle. Twiggy is in love with the leading man and, guess what? It seems he loves her too...
Much as it's fun to see Twiggy in her film debut after all these years, the secret joy for me was seeing Georgina Hale as one of the vampish chorus girls and Barbara Windsor playing the less-than-servile servant. It was lovely to see Barbara in something other than a Carry On film but as soon as I realised I was watching Georgina my mind fled back to the early 70s and the series 'Budgie' with Adam Faith in the title role.
Last night I watched the T.A.M.I. Show on DVD, the Teenage Awards Music International (or sometimes the Teen Age Music International). It's a live music show filmed over two nights in Santa Monica, California, in 1964 and then released as a film across America. It was released on DVD only in 2010.
The performance that made me think and wonder was from Billy J Kramer with his rocker hair and big white smile. Billy was big in 1964 and the decline started the next year. He was 21 and his career peaked with this show - he had more hit singles but none were as big as his 1964 hits, especially 'Little Children' and 'Bad To Me'. I'm not a fan of Billy but he has a nice voice, a big white smile and looked so young in the film, starting out on his career without realising that the biggest hits were already behind him. That's not to say that the best times were behind him - they probably weren't - but it must be odd to think that nothing will ever be the same again when you're only 21 years old. Of course, you don't necessarily know that at the time.
