I turned to my left,
you moved to your right,
we met in the middle:
hands reaching out,
foreheads touching,
lips finding mouth.
I moved to the east,
you sailed for the west,
an ocean between us;
heads drawing in,
bodies repelling,
soul losing heart.
Mary Tynan
On a bitterly cold, February evening, we made our way from Balham station to Harrison’s restaurant and cocktail bar, which re-opened this month. Unfortunately, we were walking in the wrong direction, but a glance at the door numbers soon made us realise our mistake, and before too long we were at our destination. We were welcomed into a spacious, airy and yet delightfully warm space with an open kitchen and bar, and ushered into a comfortable banquette by friendly, attentive staff, who gave us time to digest the table-mat style menus, which are updated daily to include three specials.
Mary enjoyed her starter of Baby Gem, Pear, Watercress & Pomegranate Salad which she found both refreshing and warming, as the sweetness of the fruit was tempered by the zing of the house honey and mustard dressing. Jon loved his piping hot Smoked Haddock & Slab Bacon Chowder, and found the small chunks of potato added a novel texture to the dish.
Mary chose from the menu for her main course: her Pithivier consisted of a glazed puff pastry crust stuffed with ricotta, wild mushroom and spinach, served on a bed of curly kale. It was divine: warm comforting food which melts in the mouth in a perfectly sized portion. Jon, having turned to the Specials menu for the Crab Meat, Chilli & Garlic Linguine was slightly disappointed to be served spaghetti instead and for it to be under-spiced. A request for chilli oil brought a small bowl of oil and sliced chillies which helped to increase the spiciness. The dish was pleasant enough, but failed to surpass the starter.
Neither of your reviewers are regular desert eaters, but Jon found the prospect of Salted Caramel ice cream too good to pass up, and, along with the Chocolate Fondant (with sprinklings of toasted pistachios) which accompanied it, it was. Mary’s Strawberry Ice Cream was bursting with fruit, thirst quenching and creamy, and it certainly says something for the warm atmosphere of the restaurant that we were both ready for something cooler on such a cold evening.
After our meal, our charming hostess Agatha showed us around the rest of the space, which includes an elegant private dining room, seating 14 with comfort, as well as a cosy basement cocktail bar (closed Sundays and Mondays).
Overall, Harrison’s is well-designed, with good food (the menu would benefit from a couple more vegetarian choices, but what there was was delicious); affable, solicitous staff and a cosy, relaxed atmosphere. If you live in the area, or even if you don’t, I recommend paying them a visit to see for yourself!
For more information, or to make a booking, visit http://www.harrisonsbalham.co.uk/.
Mary Tynan and Jon Axford
David Breuer-Weil’s Project 4 is an underground voyage through eternity. The show seems to chart the ascent of man from the depths of the remote past, through the present, and forward into the far future, in parallel journeys of physical and spiritual evolution.
Walking down the steps to the graffiti-covered underpass, one is surprised by the almost club-like entrance to the exhibit. Thankfully we were both on the guest list and over 18, and so duly proceeded into the Vaults, where we were greeted by professional, welcoming staff who directed us to the cloakroom, where it was a relief to give up our coats and umbrellas.
Once fortified with champagne, we started our journey of discovery in the Aspiration room. Aspiration means both hope and breath, and this sentiment is embodied by the sculpture Emergence rising out of the earth like the birth of man, paralleling the consumerist growth of modernism – depicted in several of the room’s paintings by terraced houses accompanied by their paraphernalia of sofas, lamps, pianos, etc.
The second space, Community, charts pivotal moments in the concept of oneself and one’s surroundings, as in Birth, which shows small groups of people coming up out of water in their own community unit bubbles. Individuals inspired both reviewers, with one seeing a roadway turned sideways to symbolise a tunnel out of the earth, while the other (with a degree in Art History) was impressed by what she called “gooey plop!”
Commodification, on two levels, represents two dimensions in three. Downstairs a giant foot (of God?) awakens Neanderthal consciousness, whilst on the upper level heads within heads explode from inside each other, with Interior resembling a bird’s nest of baby heads. Back on the lower floor, Translations is the embodiment of being part of a book, and of how literacy contributed to the development of humanity.
Moving into Itinerancy, Origin shows the earth as a womb cracking open to spread mankind over its surface. Frame symbolises the industrialisation of nature, whilst expressing a sense of serenity and beauty that is in contrast to the dynamism of many other pictures in the exhibition.
Continuity continues the human story into the future, with the 6 Orbit Panels echoing the Age of Aquarius. Orbit 2 (Interiors) is the culmination of the isolation of modern humankind – individuals in rooms with only technology for company – the ultimate extrapolation of the bubble in Birth. We move forward as man makes his way into space, with Milky-Way being the highlight of the show for both reviewers. This is a sensitive representation of a beautiful celestial event, with the artist cleverly dropping in humans to float around the nebula.
In the final room, the exhibition appears to culminate in our own destruction, with exodus, fire and destruction characterising the paintings with titles such as Mortals and Afterlife 2. After travelling through time, we watched a video of the making of David Breuer-Weil’s guide to the galaxy, with one reviewer finding the sight of the artist spreading paint across the canvas to be both erotic and inspiring.
Project 4 is an amazing and awe-inspiring exhibition, which cannot be recommended highly enough. We were there for an hour, but could happily have stayed for three times as long. A wonderful show in a sympathetic environment: it is not to be missed.
Project 4 is at The Vaults, Arch 233, Leake Street, London SE1 7NN until Saturday 24 March 2013, open Monday-Saturday, 10am – 6pm and Sunday 12 – 4pm. Admission is free. For more information visit http://www.davidbreuerweil.com.
Mary Tynan and Fay Ryder
Having been asked to review the recently re-launched Karoake Box in Smithfield, I duly rounded up a posse and proceeded to check it out on Friday night. After a couple of last-minute cancellations, our group consisted of three musical theatre professionals, two old hands at karaoke, and one “virgin” who had no intention of singing.
The first thing that struck me on arrival was the staff who were friendly, welcoming and helpful, particularly bar manager Paolo Espinosa, who set everything up in the room and showed me how it all works, and Lois Roberts on reception. The second was the venue itself: the bar area was airy and very tastefully decorated, as were the booths which also had interesting lighting systems. On a more prosaic note, the toilets were lovely and clean.
All of our troupe enjoyed the privacy of the booth setting, feeling “quite relaxed as opposed to standing up and singing in a bar,” and our non-singer had lost her virginity within 20 minutes (to Suzi Quatro’s “Can the Can”), saying “as a virgin singer I felt very safe to sing (there).” Another guest loved that the booths allowed separate parties to enjoy themselves without risk of intrusion and the ability to talk and be heard.
The playlist also came in for praise: with over 9,000 songs, everybody found something they knew. The background videos caused some hilarity in our party, with the suicidal goat being the highlight of one person’s night!
The only complaints were about the system itself: several of the songs were quite badly out of sync; and there seemed to be quite a long wait between songs, even when they were queued up. A key change facility would also be nice, as I believe people who take their karaoke seriously often look for this facility. However, the mikes worked very well; it was very easy to adjust the mix between backing and vocals; and the screen was a very good size.
We were in Room 3, which according to the website is a 14 person room, although I think that would be rather crowded and I wouldn’t personally recommend more than 10 people for comfort. This room costs £70 per hour before 9pm and £98 per hour afterwards. While this seems quite expensive, it doesn’t actually work out to much more per head than people pay for children’s birthday parties or a visit to the cinema.
The bar at Karaoke Box is well stocked, and cocktails and pizzas are both on sale (although we didn’t sample either).
I would recommend Karaoke Box to anyone who seriously enjoys karaoke, as it is much more pleasant that waiting for hours in a crowded bar just to get to sing once or twice. It’s also ideal for birthdays, hen parties, office parties or for anyone who enjoys an activity-based night out. Rooms vary in capacity from 2 to 30 people, and in price from £20 to £210 (for the VIP room) per hour. For more information, visit http://karaokebox.co.uk/smithfield/ or telephone their friendly staff on 020 7329 9991.
Mary Tynan
Most people are familiar with the concept of New Year’s Resolutions, and the problems associated with sticking to them. Before the smoking ban, it used to be common in night spots throughout the British Isles to see people smoking their “last cigarette” at 5 minutes to midnight, only to hear them say “I’ll start in the morning” less than an hour later. Gym membership soars in January every year as does membership of slimming clubs, and I would imagine hypnotherapists see an upturn in business as well.
On the other hand, certain Buddhist sects have a practice of setting determinations for the year. This is similar to goal setting in that it is a list of what you determine to achieve during the next twelve months. This could be anything from passing an exam to having a baby and is not necessarily something you can achieve solely by your own efforts (although it can be).
However hard they may be to stick to though, resolutions are at least under your own control – as long as you have the necessary willpower. You might not be able to ensure you drop two dress sizes, but you can stick to the diet; running every day is possible, but you won’t necessarily make the four-minute mile; and filling in job applications will certainly increase your chances of (but not guarantee) getting one, but chance is the operative word. Determinations and goals are different. Whilst God certainly helps those who help themselves, you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink, and writing 5,000 words a day won’t necessarily get me my own comedy show. Alternatively, the reverse is also true. To spout another cliché: if you don’t know where you want to go, how can you work out how to get there?
So have I made resolutions or determinations for 2013? Both. Resolutions because I believe in myself, and determinations because I believe in the universe. My resolutions include regular yoga, certain dietary modifications, and climbing Croagh Patrick. And my determinations? To make all my dreams come true.
New Possibilities: Abstract Paintings from the Seventies at the Piper Gallery
This exhibition presents the work of artists whose work became less fashionable during the 1970s with the rise of conceptual and performance art. While these artists are still working today, most of the work on display is from this period. This is a very diverse exhibition: all of the artists have very individual styles. However, a common feature is an attention to craft, precision and formal values in painting.
The range of approaches is very clear when you compare the work of Tess Jaray and Frank Bowling. Tess’ Alhambra (1979) is deceptively simple at first glance, but closer examination draws the viewer in and reveals the surprising complexity hidden in what you believe to be predictable pattern. What at first appears to be a repetitive motif, on closer observation shows itself to have complex variation in colour, form and scale. Frank Bowling’s Rush Green (1977) seems to be more the sum of its parts. His deployment of paint by pouring it directly onto the canvas and utilising flow may seem haphazard, but on inspection the result is more mysterious. There appears to be an equivalence with art from the past – for example, Monet’s paintings of the garden at Giverney – sustained attention is rewarded.
William Henderson and Barrie Cook both use a particular vocabulary to produce very different results. Henderson’s Funky, Blackand Catch Me (1978) creates a feeling of depth and jaggedness, with a definite sense of illusionistic space, reminding one of the microscopic world when magnified. Cook’s Blue, Red and Yellow Grid (1977) is an optical work which plays with the eyes. It is reminiscent of cathode ray tubes warming up in a old-fashioned television. There is a richness in the fact that the two paintings, both using repetitive linear forms, can produce such varied results.
Other highlights of the exhibition include Gary Wragg’s Carnival (1977-79), which is driven by the process of drawing; Patricia Poullain’s Untitled (1973), which has a lightness and openness whose accessibility reminds one of a childhood telescope; and finally, Trevor Sutton’s measured, well proportioned That Swing.4.K (1979) combines electric blue and black, demarcated by a delicate green line. The piece is poised and balanced and seems to be very much of its time.
If you like your paintings to repay prolonged attention, then New Possibilities at the Piper Gallery is definitely worth a visit.
New Possibilities: Abstract Paintings from the Seventies is at The Piper Gallery, 18 Newman Street, W1T 1PE from 16 November to 21 December
Mary Tynan and Ian MacNaughton
(Pictures courtesy of the artists and The Piper Gallery)
Good Vibrations and Spike Island at the London Film Festival
I had great plans for the London film festival, with many press screenings marked out on my diary. Unfortunately timing was against me, as it turned out to be a very busy period in my other two jobs (acting and teaching), and apart from “A Liar’s Autobiography,” which got cancelled (read the article here), I actually only ended up at two screenings. But they were good ones.
Good Vibrations
My regular readers (if there are such people) will be aware that I enjoy a bit of music from the 1980s, so I was in a positive frame of mind when I turned up to see Good Vibrations – The Story of Terri Hooley.
For every Richard Branson, there are probably hundreds of Terri Hooleys. Known as the Godfather of Ulster Punk, Terri was the owner of Good Vibrations record shop and label, was responsible for discovering the Undertones, and encouraged punk and alternative music to flourish during a dark time in Northern Ireland’s history. I imagine that there were people like him in towns and cities all over the UK and Ireland during the 70s and 80s; running record shops, managing and/or playing in bands, and organising events. Do these people ever make a profit in the long run or do their charming mix of naivety and idealism work against them in the end? Good Vibrations never released a top 40 record, and Terri sold the rights to “Teenage Kicks” for £500 and a signed photo of The Shangri Las (which he never got.) But that isn’t the point, as this film shows: Terri Hooley made a lot of people very happy, which was in itself no mean feat in Belfast at the height of the troubles.
This was a highly enjoyable film from start to finish. Richard Dormer made an excellent Terri, and I particularly enjoyed Jodie Whittaker’s performance as his wife. It’s hard to pick out anyone else as cast lists are not given out at press screening, but everyone performed very well. It would have been nice to have a few more female characters – maybe some girls who hung around the record shop for instance – but apart from that I completely loved it. One particularly memorable scene is when an RUC officer is hassling a girl in a bar for suspected underage drinking and Terri comes over and tells him he’d like to report a civil war. Scenes like these show the bravery of the character as well as the naivety and idealism.
Of course, being a film about music, the soundtrack is a major part of the experience. Set in a fertile time for Northern Irish music, the tracks chosen add to the energy and exuberance of the story, as obviously does the setting with its air of menace just under the surface.
Go and see this if you’re interested in music, Belfast, or just plain enjoy a good film.
Spike Island
Good Vibrations is a true story about a real man, with a real record shop/label, and the punk scene in Belfast, whereas Spike Island, my second choice of film, is a coming of age drama set in Manchester in the 1990s with the music of the Stone Roses providing more of a secondary theme. As such it worked well, and the soundtrack (a mix of the Roses and the characters own band, Shadow Caster) added greatly to the ambience and power of the film. The characters did seem to blend into each other a bit at points, and some of what could have been more potent moments could have been better explained (I was never sure why one boy joined the army for instance). Having more female characters would have added more variety, and this film does not have the excuse of being a true story as a reason for not doing so. Teenagers since the 1960s or 1970s onwards generally tend to hang around in groups of both sexes (I did) and the whole male bonding theme seemed to me a little old-fashioned.
That said, the music really lifts everything up, and the festival atmosphere of Spike Island and young love is captured perfectly (leaving aside the dubious morality of deserting your father on his deathbed to go to a Stone Roses concert that you don’t even have tickets for!)
Once again, I am hampered by a lack of a cast list, however everyone concerned gave a very competent performance, with Emilia Clarke standing out in particular.
Go and see this film if you enjoy a good coming of age drama with an excellent soundtrack, or want to recapture your youth!
Mary Tynan
Anyone who knows me reasonably well will be aware of my penchant for Python (almost to the point of annoyance sometimes to those who don’t share my sense of humour), so, as you can imagine, I was looking forward to this film enormously. Unfortunately, I am still looking forward to it! Due to technical hitches with both the 3D and 2D versions, the press screening failed to take place at the allotted time, and the press conference went ahead with the majority of journalists present (myself included) not having seen the film. Which could be described as just a little bit silly …..
Director Bill Jones described Graham Chapman’s memorial service as the first time he got drunk, and spoke of the film as a way of celebrating Chapman’s life and achievements. Terry Jones spoke of Graham as a complex individual who didn’t really understand himself and who was looking for who he was. Michael Palin described the film as a homage to Graham, and confirmed that it was as close to a Python reunion as we were ever likely to get. Both spoke of Graham’s sense of stillness, and described him as their leading actor. As the press hadn’t seen the film yet, a lot of the questions from the floor were more generally about the Python oeuvre than specifically about the film in question, which led to some interesting reminiscing such as Terry Jones describing smuggling the tapes of Series I out of the BBC to copy on a Phillips VCR before they were destroyed.
The screening has been rescheduled for 4pm this afternoon, but unfortunately one of my other jobs prevents my attending (plug for The Castle at the Lord Stanley in Camden, opening tonight:) but I can tell you that the film uses audio recordings of Graham’s reading of his book, subtitled The Untrue Story of Monty Python’s Graham Chapman, combined with different styles of animation to reflect the different styles of humour, with fourteen different animation studios being involved in the production. Not having seen it yet, I cannot give an informed opinion as to it’s watchability, but with John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Michael Palin and Terry Jones all involved (Terry Jones plays Graham’s mother, apparently), not to mention the late Graham Chapman (as himself) I know I definitely will be giving it a viewing as soon as I get the chance.
And now for something completely different.
A Liar’s Autobiography is showing tonight at 9pm at Leiceister Square Empire and on Friday at VUE West End at 3pm as part of the London Film Festival.
Mary Tynan
Let’s Hear it for the Boys!
Boylexe, Shadow Lounge, 26 September 2012
Having thoroughly enjoyed Burlexe earlier this year, I was delighted to be invited to the first performance of Howard Wilmot’s latest creation, Boylexe, and see how the boys measured up (so to speak) against the girls.
A 1980s soundtrack is always guaranteed to put a smile on my face, and the resident DJ played us in with some favourites from that decade whilst some of the performers threw shapes to the music (Devoh Bobbie impressed me from the start with his infectious enthusiasm), and when Kele le Roc opened the show with ELO’s hit, Xanadu, I knew I was onto a winner. Phil Dzwonkiewicz gave us a teasing taste of what was to come, followed by Randolph Hott, whose suit and tie were soon removed in the first dance of the evening. We then heard the story of Babette, a boy who ran away to the circus, before Devoh Bobbie took to the stage to the tune of Madonna’s Vogue. Bobbie’s dancing and acting are both excellent, and his shy-but-cheeky boy act was very well received.
There were many wonderful moments in this show: Mr Mistress’ reverse strip was hilarious, as was Nine Bob Rob’s Playstation, and Phil Dzwonkiewicz made a marvellous transformation from suave to geek. The monologues tended to be on the humourous side without the edginess that was evident in Burlexe, keeping the mood of the show on a constant upbeat level. Kele Le Roc was a fantastic hostess, and also showed her acting talent as a drag queen who was, in her own words, “only one nose job away from Janet Jackson.” Performances from Phil Bedwell, Rob Pryor and Patric Deony also added to the evening’s enjoyment.
So Burlexe or Boylexe? The boys were funnier, but the girls were sexier. I’d personally like to see a combined boys and girls show. Who knows – they may even now be working on it.
Picture by Magnus Arrevad. For more information about Boylexe, visit www.boylexe.co.uk.
Mary Tynan
Co-opera Co presents Hansel and Gretel at John McIntosh Arts Centre
I thought I wasn’t familiar with this opera before last night: as a child studying music. Humperdinck was not one of the composers I learnt about, and I’m afraid I encountered the music of the 1960s Englebert before I realised he was named after an eminent musical predecessor. However, upon hearing that I was attending Hansel and Gretel that evening, a colleague advised me that I would recognise lots of songs from my childhood. He was right, the aria which provides the title of this piece being but one of them (I have been singing it all day). This, of course, added a lovely sense of recognition to my enjoyment of the evening.
The action was initially set in 1950s Britain, but later seemed to move forward in time; with the witch using an overhead projector and a camera vintage 70s or 80s, and marking the contents of her fridge “Best Before 2013.” The set was broadly based around the mother’s washing business, and some of the garments from the washing line were used as Chinese lanterns at the end of the story to great effect.
Musically, this was of a high standard, starting with the orchestra (conducted by Stephen Higgins), whose overture set the tone for the night, being both beautiful and haunting. There was no chorus, so the production was the work of only five singers (mother doubling with witch). All five gave excellent vocal performances, with Rahel Moore’s Sandman being particularly evocative.
The show was very well choreographed, and the cast’s movement skills were wonderful, especially Carris Jones’ drag queen witch, and Gretel’s jerky puppet steps. Lone man Stephen John Svanholm played the exuberant, drunken father very well, and Susanne Holmes portrayed Hansel with all the exuberance of boyhood. With such a tight cast and consistent performance, it is difficult to pick out a favourite, but personally I was particularly impressed by Llio Evans (Gretel).
When an adult woman plays a small child, there is a very real danger of her ending up looking like Baby Jane. The audience had nothing to worry about on that score, however, as Llio’s physicality perfectly captured that of a little girl. The way she stood, walked, moved her arms, and her facial expressions were all ideally calculated to convey Gretel’s emotions (her terror in the forest at night is a good example). Her singing was consistently skilful and accomplised: I especially enjoyed her opening aria of Act II.
All in all, Co-opera Co have done a marvellous job with Hansel and Gretel, and much credit is due to director James Bonas, working with the company for the first time. As he said when I interviewed him prior to the performance, (Hansel and Gretel is) “an absurdly brilliant opera. It’s full of music so delicious you want to eat it and it’s joyfully short but densely written so that it’s packed with action.” The same can be said for this production.
Hansel and Gretel, along with Don Giovanni and The Magic Flute will now go on a nationwide tour. For more information, please visit www.co-opera-co.org.
Mary Tynan
Co-opera Co presents Don Giovanni at John McIntosh Arts Centre
This is the second production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni I have seen this year (I reviewed the production at Heaven back in April – see One Night in Heaven). Although Co-opera’s was not as hilariously smutty as the gay offering, it was nevertheless a very sexy, and funny, performance.
Right from the outset the orchestra set the tone – the playing was flawless and evocative throughout the evening, led by conductor Tim Murray.
The standard of acting in this performance was high from the start: David Milner-Pearce played the Don as a dissolute Damien Hirst-type artist to perfection, whilst Yair Polishook (Leporello) made an excellent sidekick. The opening rape scene was very effective with Lisa Wilson (Donna Anna) playing the victim very well. Susanna Fairbairn (Donna Elvira) made a good jilted lover, whilst Jerome Knox (Mazetto) gave a solid performance throughout the show, with the stage combat between him and David Milner-Pearce being particularly well executed.
I had been told that the production was to be anything but traditional, and that was certainly the case. Much of the action was set in the Don’s art gallery where naked shop dummies (with pubic hair) continued the Hirst theme. There were many amusing and interesting touches such as the Don photographing the dead father on his mobile phone; a smartphone ap (Leporello’s) which keeps a record of all the women the Don has seduced – Yair Polishook singing very well on this aria; the Don singing a serenade to the backing of a ringtone (aptly rendered by the orchestra); the Don’s lines “I find the working class is only turned on by clothes that come from Primark” and “Since I’m spending so much money, I expect to be amused” as he is eating take away chips and pizza from yellow plastic boxes. Twiglets and cocaine also make appearances.
Vocally, there were many wonderful moments. Some of my favourites were Donna Elvira’s “Rip out that Heart with Glee”, the chorus number “Pleasure Tonight”, Robyn Allegra Parton (Zerlina)’s first duet with the Don, Don Ottavio, Donna Anna and Donna Elvira, disguised Ali-G style, singing “Avenge my broken heart,” Don Giovanni and Leporello’s “Glorius I shall return.” For my money the best male vocal performance was by David Menezes (Don Ottavio), but overall the women outshone the men, with Donna Anna’s solo “The God I cherish will come and grant me rest” being hauntingly beautiful.
The opera finishes with Il Commendatore (Matthew Tomko) returning to the grave to drag the Don down to hell, and this he does in a suitably menacing and eerie manner. The chorus close by singing “That’s the fate of evil men” as Don Giovanni goes to join his own artistic creations, becoming yet another glass case dummy in a rather Roald Dahl-esque ending.
Don Giovanni’s second night is 24 August 2012, Hansel and Gretel is on 23 and 25 2012, all shows at 7.30pm at John McIntosh Theatre, Seagrove Road, London SW6 1RX. Tickets are priced between £10-25 and can be purchased online at http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/user/?region=xxx&query=schedule&promoter=co-opera. The theatre is wheelchair accessible, and free parking is available next to the John McIntosh Arts Centre. Both operas, along with The Magic Flute, will then go on tour nationwide. For more information, please visit www.co-opera-co.org.
Mary Tynan
This summer, Co-Opera Co. will present two much-loved operas, Mozart’s Don Giovanni and Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, at the John McIntosh Theatre of the London Oratory School. On tour later in the year, the company will also revive its successful production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute. All three operas will be sung in English.
Founded by soprano Kate Flowers and lighting designer Paul Need, Co-Opera Co is an innovative opera company, striving to help singers earn while they learn, and promote the welfare of professional opera singers. I asked Kate to tell me how the company started and how it has progressed since its small beginnings.
“After our first discussions about the lack of an apprenticeship stage in a singers’ training – over far too many glasses of red wine one night in Dublin! – Paul and I decided that we should do something about it. I suggested one to one sessions – he suggested starting our own training opera company! So it is Paul we have to thank for being the driving force behind Co-Opera Co, from its inception. I set about calling all my friends and colleagues in the business – over 50 of today’s eminent artists who became our members – and Co-Opera Co was formed on June 13th 2008.”
We first opened our doors in January 2009 with a series of weekend workshops run by our members, one of whom was the legendary Philip Langridge, sadly no longer with us. In August that year we ran our first summer season, with two performances each of Albert Herring and La Boheme – produced in just three weeks (we must have been mad!), with the wonderful Chroma Ensemble as our orchestra.”
To give the singers the chance to see what it would be like to perform in a different space, the company also took both shows for one performance each to The New Theatre Royal in Portsmouth.
2010 was the year the Co-Opera Co Orchestra was formed, and the company toured 7 performances of La Boheme and the Marriage of Figaro to 7 UK venues in four weeks. 2011 saw the tour grow to 25 performances in 12 weeks, with two new productions, The Magic Flute and Carmen.
Leading up to their summer season and UK tour in the autumn the company runs a comprehensive training programme, Connections, where participants work on every aspect of opera. I asked Kate Flowers to give me a flavour of how it works.
“Connections has grown out of those weekend workshops back in 2009 and has again developed in a very organic way, taking into consideration what singers have told us that they want – this year we held a series of one day workshops in the spring. Each workshop was run by one of our members working with up to 12 singers. Each workshop had a theme suggested by the member running the workshop – Sir Thomas Allen for instance wanted to work with the singers on Listening and Reacting; Janis Kelly on Body, Soul and Voice; and David Parry wanted to work on singing True Bel Canto. With everything that we have learned about what singers need, Janis Kelly is developing a fully integrated 3 month course – Professional Connections – which will cover every aspect of being an opera singer, and we are also working on a new course – Opera Matters – for opera enthusiasts and those singers who perhaps do not wish to follow a professional career but who nevertheless would like to explore the genre and work on their personal progress.”
“Because we work with so many levels of ability – and we have no age limit – in the various training programmes we run – to be honest, we will accept applications from anyone who has a real desire (and ability) to be involved in opera. Obviously for the touring operas we need to be able to present a truly professional standard of performance (and therefore performers) to the audiences – and to the theatres.”
We have had singers as young as 15 – our Harry in Albert Herring for instance – Marina Lawrence-Marrha – and this year we have a singer aged over 60 in The Midsummer Night’s Dream – neither of them have any qualifications – other than a true ability and a longing to sing/perform. (Marina by the way is just about to start a foundation year at the Urdang Studios and we like to think that her experience of performing with Co-Opera Co. went a long way to developing her aptitude and enthusiasm for performing – she is simply wonderful.)”
This year the company is rehearsing four operas over four weeks – Hansel and Gretel, Don Giovanni and a revival of The Magic Flute for a tour to 12 venues – at the moment (still more in the pipeline), preceded by a new venture: the Summer Opera, which is a four week course in which 30 singers work on their own opera ( A Midsummer Night’s Dream) with the Director Peter Watson, Conductor David Gostick and Choreographer Jenny Weston, performed at the John McIntosh Theatre on 17th and 18th August.
James Bonas, Director of Hansel and Gretel, believes the work of Co-opera is very important, because “There is a real shortage of programmes and performance possibilities for younger singers to gain experience once they’ve left formal training. The opportunity for near enough a hundred people to spend a summer together doing coaching, master classes, and rehearsals in one place is remarkable. It’s the chance for everyone to make contacts, get experience and take hold of some big roles that they wouldn’t yet get their hands on in the larger companies.”
James also told me about the people involved and the rehearsals for Hansel and Gretel. “The cast is small actually – just five singers. Then we’ll have the Co-Opera orchestra and backstage there are the stage manager, deputy stage manager and assistant stage manager. Rehearsals have been swift. We’ve had a couple of weeks working in a rehearsal room and now we’ll have a couple of weeks onstage doing technical work, lighting and then bringing in the orchestra. With those time frames there’s no mucking about – we started with a day of music and then were up on our feet staging the scenes the next morning.”
They did spend one Saturday morning playing games and dancing with the singers playing Hansel and Gretel. “It’s always so important as an adult acting a child that you remember that the child is not childish – they don’t walk strangely, they don’t pull faces constantly and they don’t whine. I think we have a tendency to do an impression of a kid rather than simply being very direct and straightforward in the world – which is what young children actually are.”
Talking about opening night (Thursday 23 August) James says, “I think it’s a bit like having a baby – a mixture of excitement and terror. You’re kind of looking forward to it but you know it’s going to take a heck of a push to get there.”
David-Milner Pearce, who is playing the title role in Don Giovanni, told me that this production is anything but traditional. “It is set in a Contemporary Art Gallery and the Don himself is based around a Damien Hirst. To keep thing current we have made slight tweaks to the libretto, but the translation by David Parry works very well.”
Kate and Paul’s vision for the future of the company is to eventually create a Centre of Excellence: “a theatre of our own with rehearsals studios, technical workshops, etc – based around a main touring company and with a training arm for professionals and non-professionals of all ages. A lottery win would certainly help with that!! But in the absence of that, we are aiming to build a commercial side of the business to provide year long employment to our associates – and our beloved Co-Opera Co. Orchestra – by moving our rehearsals for the touring productions to Easter next year, in order to prolong the touring season to include the festival market, and developing the Summer Opera Course so that August becomes the focus of the training element – and of course Janis Kelly’s Connections Programme- and Opera Matters – which we hope to launch next spring.
Lastly, I asked Kate Flowers what Co-Opera Co means to her. “Everything – well after my three sons and my mum that is.”
“Since Paul Need and I first started talking about the possibility of helping singers as they enter the profession, I have found that my time – and Paul’s – has become almost entirely devoted to running the company, coaching and training the singers and generally making sure that Co-Opera Co. achieves what we set out to achieve four years ago. I would like to emphasize that everything we are doing here at Co-Opera Co. is done with no outside funding whatsoever – we rely on box office sales – especially in our London shows during August which have the potential to raise enough money to significantly reduce the unfortunately inevitable deficit we will face at the end of the season, and that whilst we pay all our members for the work they do with our singers, musicians and technicians, and we pay our associates for their performances and pay for and organise travel and accommodation on tour, neither Paul nor I have paid ourselves a penny during the past four years – and we will not even consider doing so until we have reached the point where no-one has to be asked for a contribution. I say this because there might be a perception that there is something other than altruistic about the way we run Co-Opera Co. To be honest, I would never have imagined that I could ever be so enthused about something that had no personal financial gain – and I think I can speak for Paul too here – but we really are doing this, we believe, for the greater good.”
Don Giovanni is on 22 and 24 August 2012, Hansel and Gretel on 23 and 25 2012, all shows at 7.30pm at John McIntosh Theatre, Seagrove Road, London SW6 1RX. Tickets are priced between £10-25 and can be purchased online at http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/user/?region=xxx&query=schedule&promoter=co-opera. The theatre is wheelchair accessible, and free parking is available next to the John McIntosh Arts Centre.
The tour covers Croydon, Yeovil, Wolverhampton, Darlington, Epsom, Manchester, Bury St Edmunds, Wellingborough, Buxton, Camberley, Blackpool, Hertford, and Southport, with further dates to be announced. For more information please visit www.co-opera-co.org.
Mary Tynan
An exciting and unique new theatrical project will be taking place from 31st May – 4th June in the vaults of the Old Vic Tunnels.
Presented by LAStheatre, the Enlightenment Café combines the beauty of science with the power and imagination of immersive performance in a place of exploration, where people from all walks of life can debate, play and laugh the night away. Only the tedious will be off limits as The Enlightenment Café aims to provoke imagination and intrigue; scientists will demonstrate their art and artists will demonstrate their science. Scientists in residence include Tim McInerny, Stuart Clarke and Alex Bellos. This is an interactive adventure where new theories can be mooted as to why things are, how they got there and what will happen next. The Enlightenment Café will delve into topics ranging from astronomy to paleontology, from My Little Pony to zombies and from art to invention.
Doors to the Old Vic Tunnels will open every night at 7pm, and the evenings will be split into three sections: firstly, a period of immersive theatre and free exploration; secondly, stage pieces and panel discussions; and, finally, live music and entertainment. Each night will have a different theme and aesthetic but will all inspire, breaking away from the idea that science and facts can only be learnt in a lecture theatre or laboratory.
Times and tickets for all events at the Enlightenment Cafe can be found at http://www.eventbrite.com/event/3487295595. Tickets are priced at £15 with a booking fee of £1.55. For more information about LAStheatre visit www.lastheatre.com.
Mary Tynan
Have you ever wondered who the Mona Lisa was? Or perhaps imagined what it would be like to see your likeness on display in a gallery?
Next month, Gérard Rancinan is offering attendees at his Wonderful World exhibition the chance to be immortalised as part of the final composition in the series, which will be shot entirely on-site at the Londonewcastle Project Space.
Presented by The Future Tense in association with Opera Gallery and Londonewcastle, Wonderful World is the concluding part in Rancinan’s seven-year Trilogy of the Moderns. Fresh from La Triennale di Milano, photographer Rancinan brings this revolution in three acts to a close, debuting the complete Wonderful World series to the UK public.
With galleries one and two housing the main exhibition of 15 large format works from Wonderful World, gallery three will feature a purpose-built set and studio, offering a voyeuristic glimpse behind the scenes of a fine art photo shoot. Repeat visits will reveal the organic nature of studio life – part art installation, part film set, part soap opera – as the shoot moves from concept, through production and postproduction, to the climactic unveiling of the finished work at a special reception on Wednesday 20th June.
To celebrate the completion of Trilogy of the Moderns, The Future Tense will publish a new print edition by Gérard Rancinan. Limited to a signed edition of 20 + 4 Artist Proofs, the work will be available only to those attending the show. A pop-up store will also sell related merchandise including the supporting books.
Wonderful World will open to the public at a launch reception from 6.30pm on Thursday 7th June 2012 (part of East London’s First Thursday late night art openings) and will remain on view until Sunday 24th June 2012. Photoshoot auditions will be held on Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 June, from 11 am to 6pm, with the shoot itself being on Monday 11 June.
Wonderful World runs from 7 – 24 June 2012 at Londonewcastle Project Space, 28 Redchurch Street, London E2 7DP: Tuesday to Saturday, 11am-7pm; Sunday, Noon-6pm; closed on Monday. There will be an artist signing on 16 June from 12 – 1.30 pm; curator-guided tours on 17 June at 12, 2 and 4pm; and an unveiling reception on 17 June from 6.30 – 9.30 pm. For more information visit the artists website at www.rancinan.com.
Mary Tynan
Time of Our Lives Music Theatre in association with All Star Productions presents When Movies Were Movies at Ye Olde Rose and Crown Theatre, Walthamstow.
The opening song set the tone for this mesmerising evening’s entertainment, as we were taken through the history of cinema from silent movies up to 1969 via the mediums of song, dance and comedy. Flo (Dympna Messenger), an usherette in the fictional Trocadero, is interviewed by Charlie (Raymond-Kym Suttle) about the cinema’s history as it faces its imminent demise (conversion to a bingo hall).
Dympna Messenger gave a very strong performance as Flo, and was a very effective anchor for the show. She also sang very well and had some great comedic moments: her imitation of Carmen Miranda springs to mind as combining both. The vocal standard throughout the show was extremely high, with some of the high points for me being Lullaby of Broadway (full cast), You Ought to Be in Pictures (Nerine Skinner and Robert Wilkes), Secret Love (Jessica Poole) and the Beatles medley delivered by the whole cast.
The musical numbers were interspersed with highly amusing comedy sketches, covering themes as varied as Frankenstein and James Bond, with my personal favourite being the “terribly” sketch (you’ll have to see the show to find out what I mean by that!) Other comedy highlights included the show’s take on silent movies – with Flo speaking the words while the rest of the cast mimed the actions, “My Brother Makes the Noises for the Talkies,” with Raymond-Kym Suttle and Robert Wilkes as the two brothers, and the scene with Flo and the cleaner, played by Nerine Skinner.
Raymond-Kym Suttle’s choreography was inspired, and his own dancing was marvellous – particularly during the Top Hat sequence – I would like to have seen more of his tapping! The musical direction (and playing) by Aaron Clingham was flawless, adding to the overall power of the performance. The costumes were fabulous, with very many quick changes which I’m sure must have required their own choreography!
I could go on, but I don’t want to spoil too many of the surprises. Suffice it to say that this is old-fashioned variety at its best with something for all the family to enjoy. Ably directed (and written) by Keith Myers, this captivating show is robust enough for a much larger space. Give yourself a night of nostalgia and catch it at Ye Olde Rose and Crown before it closes on 4 May.
When Movies were Movies is playing at Ye Olde Rose and Crown Theatre, 53 Hoe Street, Walthamstow Tuesday – Saturday at 7.30pm until 4 May, with matinees at 3.30 on Saturday and Sunday. For more information visit www.roseandcrowntheatrepub.webeden.co.uk
Mary Tynan
RC Theatre Productions presents Don Giovanni, The Opera, at Heaven
Those of you who remember the 1980s will find much nostalgia in this highly original reworking of Mozart’s Don Giovanni. Richard Crichton’s production aims Mozart at a new audience and reinvents Don Giovanni himself as a gay, debauched playboy and nightclub owner in the heady world of the 1980s.
Cleo Pettit’s set is the first thing you notice on entering the club, and straightaway you are conveyed to 1987, the time being marked by various graphics of the period, including a conservative party campaign poster, film posters for Dirty Dancing and The Running Man, and a mock up of the Thames Television ident (5 years before they lost the franchise to Carlton). The evocation of the era is also greatly aided by the costumes, designed by Mia Flodquist, with the assistance of Samantha Gilsenan, which show great attention to detail. Two personal favourites of mine were Marina’s white lace boots, and Leo’s office handbag. Finally, the hair and makeup by Evan Huang also helped to set the scene.
All gender roles in the opera have been reversed apart from the Don himself (now just Don), and the relocation of the sexual roles works very well. Don’s pursuit of an endless series of sexual adventures and his indulgence in sensuality of all kinds lends itself to a gay world as readily as to a heterosexual one, and the addition of the late 80s drug scene adds further to the moral ambiguity of the story (although they have pre-empted the use of Viagra by more than a decade!). The opera is performed in a new English translation by Ranjit Bolt, though I imagine the translation is far from literal. Said to be inspired by New York’s legendary Studio 54 and Matthew Bourne’s all-male Swan Lake, the production seemed to draw ideas from many quarters. In the early part of the story, Don reminded me of the character of Stuart in Queer as Folk, with broken hearts strewn left, right and centre; a later scene, where he is corrupting Milton Keynes sweethearts Zak and Marina, was evocative of the Rocky Horror Picture Show; but as the show progressed, and the libretto got more outrageous, it was reminiscent of the musical humour of the wonderful Avenue Q.
Musically, the opera was a delight. The orchestra were tight, and played exceedingly well despite taking the time to laugh at some of the more amusing parts of the libretto. Some interesting variation was provided by a disco backing track at one point (an adaptation of the Minuet by Vince Clarke), and Don accompanying himself on an acoustic guitar at another. All the cast gave excellent performances as actors as well as singers: vocally my favourites were Mark Cunningham (Eddie) and Stephanie Edwards (Olivia) who both entranced me with their voices, though Duncan Rock, (Don) and Helen Winter (Marina) were also marvellous.
Don Giovanni kept its energy high throughout, and I assume this is a testament to the skills of director Dominic Gray. The ending was a bit ambiguous – I wasn’t quite sure where Don ended up – but this in no way took away from my enjoyment of the evening; which ended with a blast of Falco’s Amadeus, thus tying the opera and the 80s together and rounding everything off nicely. I highly recommend this inventive, capricious, laugh-out-loud, libidinous, and euphonious entertainment. Catch it while you can – and look out for a surprise cameo from a famous camp disco group!
Don Giovanni is at Heaven, Under The Arches, Villiers Street, London WC2N 6NG on the following dates: Sunday 22nd April, 5pm, Monday 23rd April, 7pm, Sunday 29th April, 5pm, Monday 30th April, 7pm. Tickets can be purchased from http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/venueartist/254189/1677123?camefrom=CFC_UK_TH0401_WEBLINK
Mary Tynan
Contemporary Printmaking: From Andy Warhol to the Emerging Generation
This exhibition by Orion Contemporary combines household names with Orion’s young, emerging stable of artists to promote printmaking as an art form and celebrate the importance of the medium. To quote Andrés Olow Clase, director of Orion Contemporary: ‘From Andy Warhol’s exceptional print of 1974 to works made in 2012, the show explores the diverse vivacity and technical skill of printmaking.’ Following the inaugural exhibition in 2011, this year’s offering includes a variety of work by Lisa Denyer, Alexander Gough, Damien Hirst, David Hockney, Max Lowry, Dénes Maróti, Will Martyr, Andy Warhol and Giulia Zaniol.
I am not going to talk about the big names here; nobody needs me to tell them about the likes of Hockney or Hirst. Instead, I would like to focus on some of the less well-known artists.
Alex Gough’s woodblock prints of Levi Mountain are influenced by his Finnish ancestry and are imbued with strong tonal contrasts, reflecting the twilight dancing on the snow, or the midnight hue as the mid-winter landscape melts into long dark nights. Lisa Denyer’s ‘Range’ continues the mountain theme and uses a mystical combination of silver and black to engage the eye. William Martyr’s art deco ‘Sweet Spot’ and ‘’Time Well Spent’ employs bright, vibrant colours to excite the viewer’s imagination. Dénes Maróti pleasantly surprised me by his range: I was startled to discover that the bold, powerful images of repetitive figures were drawn by the same hand as the delicate flower prints. Finally, Giulia Zaniol’s ‘Angels of London’ series uses a highly advanced two-plate technique of soft and hard ground, litho colours and spitbite to create images with deep and varied tonal harmony. The combination of colours and images manages to be both haunting and calming at the same time. Although chromatically I think the finest of the three pieces is ‘Parliament Angels,’ the image of the solitary seraph stood staring across the Thames at the distant ‘Tower Bridge’ will remain with me for some time.
Comtemporary Printmaking opens today at Store Street Gallery. On the evening of 14th March, Gabriel Angel Moreno, will be reading a selection of his poetry written in response to the works in the exhibition, and Giulia Zaniol will lead an informal talk on the art of printmaking on Saturday 17th March at 4pm.
Contemporary Printmaking is at Store Street Gallery, 32 Store Street, WC1E 7BS. Opening Times: 13th March – 17th March, 11am-6pm. 18th March, 11am-4pm. Admission Free.
Mary Tynan
Lost in the Dark presents Ondine by Jean Giraudoux
When I was a child, I used to make up plays. They would often involve princesses, love stories and magical powers. Ondine is exactly the type of play that child would have loved: the embodiment of the sense of wonder that draws us to drama in the first place. To bring this off in a small fringe venue like the White Bear is no small achievement. But bring it off to a very high standard is precisely what Lost in the Dark have done.
Ondine is the story of a supernatural creature who falls in love with a mortal man. When Hans and Ondine meet, the worlds of a mortal man and a magical creature of the water dangerously collide and she is forced to make an inexorable pact, which will change both their lives forever. Should he betray her, he must die and, along with her time on earth, be erased completely from her memory for her to return to the world of the lake forever.
The first thing to strike me when I entered was the set. Auguste (Michael Eden) and Eugenie (Terry Diab) were already seated, she knitting, he reading, in a fisherman’s cottage, complete with daub walls and a working window. The small oil lamps were a particularly nice touch. Haunting music played from offstage. The first act takes place in this kitchen, with Hans (Andrew Venning) and Ondine (Elizabeth Merrick) completing the cast for this part of the story. The second set takes place in the Royal Palace, where Richard Hurst, Brice Stratford, Rob Leonard, Phoebe Batteson Brown, David Frias Robles, Marian Elizabeth and Hilary Hodsman make their debuts. The final act takes place on a rock by the sea, where the story comes to its tragic, but inevitable end.
There were no bum notes in this production, although a personal preference would be for the actors not to turn their back on the audience quite so much, but apart from that they dealt with the small space admirably. Everyone involved did a fantastic job: however, there are some who deserve a special mention. Firstly, set designer Zanna Mercer has created three excellent environments for the play, which are spectacular by the standards of black-box theatre. Andrew Venning grabbed my attention from the moment he came on stage, and continued to captivate the audience throughout, with his expressive, heartfelt delivery and physical presence. Elizabeth Merrick was superb as Ondine, her opera training showing to advantage in her movement, her vocal range, and her portrayal of wide-eyed wonder, tragedy and love. The final scene between Ondine and Hans was particularly poignant, with both actors showing marvellous emotional depth. Marian Elizabeth gave a lovely, credible performance as Bertha, particulary in one scene, where I almost believed she had a live bird in her hand. She played the part with charm and grace. I would have liked to see more of Phoebe Batteson Brown (Voilante/Kitchen Maid). She drew my eyes whenever she was on stage and although her parts were small, they gave indications of a much larger potential. Finally, a play is only as good as its director, and Cat Robey must take a large amount of credit for this magical piece of theatre.
Ondine is running at the White Bear Theatre, London, SE11 4DJ, 28th February – 18th March 2012, Tues-Sat 7:30pm, Sun 6pm. For more information, visit www.ondine-lost-in-the-dark.com.
Mary Tynan
Excellent Choice by Eye Saw Theatre
The Vault Festival, Old Vic Tunnels
On entering the studio, the audience was greeted by the ominous sound of a loud ticking clock. Each seat was adorned by a cork, labelled with the credits for the show, which was written by Rob Hayes and directed by Ned Bennett. The performance area was delimited by wine bottles. The space was clearly a wine shop.
At first I wasn’t sure whether this was a black comedy or a dark play with comic elements: as time progressed it seemed that the latter was the case. Although right from the outset there was very funny dialogue (“Are you open? Yes. I hate secrets”), the suspense was built from the beginning with some uncomfortable pauses,. However, the comedy was also present, with Benjamin Dilloway (the customer) putting me in mind of David Walliams in those Little Britain sketches where he enters a shop to buy a very specific item (eg,.pirate game, David Baddiel outfit), and Jeff Rawle (the proprieter) reminiscent of Ronnie Corbett at times. Nevertheless, as the show progressed, the tone got darker, until the audience realised that something very disturbing was going on. Both actors played their roles very well, having the confidence needed to take their time with emotions and motives ranging from desperation to dread to deceit. The play culminates in a perturbing ending which is as unsettling as it is ambiguous. The audience is, in essence, asked to make the choice for themselves. We leave, as we entered, to the sound of the ticking clock.
Excellent Choice was billed as half an hour long, but I think it ran slightly longer than that, as I was not aware of it starting significantly later than its 6pm starting time, and it didn’t finish until 6.45 – which was a good thing. Prospective audiences should be aware that there are a couple of items which may cause offence to some (I won’t detail them for fear of spoiling the plot – but they did cause a slightly sour note), and which perhaps could be toned down without causing any reduction in the effectiveness of the piece. That said, I am glad I made the choice to see this startling and original play.
23 – 26 February 2012. More information at www.thevaultfestival.com.
Photograph by Natalie Lindiwe Jones
Mary Tynan
Tell us a little bit about yourself as a performer
I was a “late starter” and came into the business after bringing up my 3 children and a stint of teaching drama in a Dagenham comprehensive. Because I hadn’t waited this long and trained this hard in order to be unemployed, on graduating I formed my own company “Time of Our Lives Music Theatre” with Keith Myers who had directed me at Drama School, sadly we lost our funding in 2008 so I am now relying on other producers to employ me and have the headaches.
How did you get involved with Burlexe?
I got involved with Burlexe by responding to an ad in Casting Call Pro, I never dreamed I get the job but so glad I did, it is so totally different to anything else I’ve ever done.
What was your impression of Burlesque prior to this?
Before this job I had no idea the Burlesque world existed! I was vaguely aware of things like Gypsy Rose Lee and Strip Tease.
What is it now?
Working with the Burlesque ladies has totally opened up my eyes to a whole style of entertainment that is the descendant of old fashioned Variety and Music Hall of which I am a big fan.
Has doing Burlexe changed you in any way?
Doing this job has been a revelation. I would love to have a discussion/debate with “women’s libbers” who disapprove of this type of thing, but my Burlesque friends tell me that they find what they do to be liberating and who am I to argue with them!
When and where is the next show?
The next show is in The Shadow Lounge, Brewer St, Soho on Wednesday 21st March at 8pm.
Read our review of Burlexe here.
Mary Tynan
