Theatre Review - Macbeth

Theatre Review: Macbeth @ The Everyman Theatre Liverpool 

Since Baz Luhrmann, reinvented Shakespeare with his stylised and groundbreaking film version of Romeo and Juliet, the trend for 're-imagining' the bard’s works has shown no sign of losing its appeal. 

But the question is why do producers feel they have to put their own personal stamp on a production, especially with work of such quality?Why do they believe they have to add some quirky twist to makes their version different than the rest? The current production of Macbeth at the Everyman a Theatre is a shining example of this. 

If you were new to this particular work, you may be asking yourself aboutthe significance of the musical ensemble placed centre stage. Or just who were the characters walking about the performance space? Were they the stage crew, or was this the cast? This unusual opening left both myself and most of the audience wondering, 'Has it started?' 

In a traditional version of the Scottish play you might expect kilts,swords maybe some scenery, not to mention haggard witches, this however is no traditional version. This is cut down spliced up and reimagined version of events. The text is used sparingly, replaced at random intervals by a fusion of electronic sounds and tunes. The multi-talented cast display not only some fine if unorthodox acting talents, but also their considerable skills at creating the mix of sounds.

This fast paced one act performance is delivered at a break neck speed, which the Shakespeare novice may find confusing and the purists may find disappointing. 

There is no doubt that this is a version of Macbeth that is both radical and unusual. It may appeal to those lovers of the bard’s work who are looking for something new and some might describe it as avant-garde, but for the average theatre goer looking for a fix of the classics, it may leave them sadly dissatisfied. At the end of the performance, a bemused audience were left looking to one and other for re-assurance, 'Well that was different' said one patron. It's a production that challenges and pushes the boundaries with its interpretation of the text. Sadly for me like the music, it struck one too many bum notes. 

This article was first published in @cultnoisemag - to read the full article please follow the link below: 

http://www.cultnoise.com/theatre-review-macbeth-everyman-theatre-liverpool/

Man Talk 23rd February 2015

The buzz word in the American business world at the moment is 'mindfulness' it's about taking a minute out if the rat race and stop doing whatever your are doing and then tuning your mind into where you are and what's around you. It sounds easy but it's not. You have to try and stop thinking about the future or the past and concentrate on the 'now' Business Gurus (Guru is an appropriate term as it's a very Buddhist concept) say we live such hectic lives everything just passes us by without us noticing. They say we aren't spending enough time just 'being' and if we can stop take a minute and just 'be' it can clean your mind so help improve your performance. The Seattle Seahawks credit practicing 'mindfulness' for their success in reaching the SuperBowl. It's now one of the most searched terms on Google. Having  A sort of wake up and smell the coffee moment is not as easy as it sounds. Just have a go. I tried it and I can tell you getting a moment of personal zen is hard work.

Friends you'll be glad to know that a little bit of me time doesn't only have to be in the mind. Researchers have found that a little bit of 'Me' and 'Me-mates time is also good for you. The experts say,( and they should know that's why they are experts!)

male bonding is more likely to lower a man's stress levels than a night out with his partner, or time spent with the family. - I consider this as a cut and keep paragraph 

What world do the Beckhams live in  when David complains that he doesn't like it when his daughter calls him fat! Beckham fat, more meat on a butchers pencil. 

' Snackifaction' is my favourite word this week, the trend to bite size everything from food to news to conversations everything is condensed twitter is a good example, say what your thinking in a 140 characters or less and now the new kids favourite Snap Chat.  Its like a Chinese meal within 10 seconds it gone and you've probably forgotten you had it. 

Being fed up is on the increase.  says the experts  in a few years unhappiness, depression and anxiety will have become the normal human condition. - Hope that's cheered you up! 

 

Theatre Review : The Scuttlers

 

 

Theatre Review: The Scuttlers at the Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester

Wils Wilson’s production of The Scuttlers maybe billed as a Victorian drama but it resonates with many modern day themes

It’s portrayed as a story bassed around Manchester’s first street gangs, yet it’s a drama that explores themes that could be from any time frame over the last two hundred years.

The opening scene of workers in a dark mill drawing cotton from a huge loom are the traditional symbols of industrial Manchester’s past, but add a soundtrack of electro beats and it become a very stylised fusion of old and new.

Its a play that resonates with modern day references and the street gang culture of the time is no different to today’s modern equivalent. The gang in this story are known as the ‘Bengal Street Tigers’, a group of disenfranchised souls, who are ‘bonded’ together by the ‘street’ they live on. It sounds like a familiar tale already, and the opening scenes draw out these relationships and the timeless scenarios that have brought the disparate group together. Much is made of the importance of this bond, and as now, the sense of belonging this connection gives them. It’s an ideal that would be shared by many gang members today.

The dysfunctional family, poverty, homelessness and being an outsider, are all social themes addressed by the play. And the young cast do a fine job pulling the threads of the story lines together

Their is swagger to the acting. The males all have the bravado of a young Liam Gallagher. The girls are bold and Leary and would be perfectly at home as characters from that other slice of Manchester underclass TV’s ‘Shameless’ Each one emboldened by their own personal tragedies. It’s only that the play was prefaced with its timeline, that you can distinguish its storyline from modern Manchester. This is a play though of a time, is a timeless tale.

The theatre itself echoes the plays arc of history, It’s a fine eighteenth century building. But within its lays a modern performance area. Its stage is at the centre of a tight, in the round space, within a stark industrial setting. The contrast of heritage and modernity, echo’s the themes of the play where the old and the new collide, yet exist together.

Some may be hoping that this production will be an extension of the TV series ‘the Peaky Blinders’. Although it follows a similar themes and is very stylised, this a far more socially aware affair, This is a play that is more authentic in its content And although it has a large cast works very well within the confines of the space. But credit to the production crew for conjuring up some theatre magic to add to this very enjoyable presentation

The dark mills that once dominated Manchester’s skyline may be gone but the underclass is still there. The play leaves you asking the question has anything changed over the last two hundred years. Or is it just a case of history repeating. Whilst the pointless task of drawing threads, goes on. – Highly recommended

Read the full review at CultNoise magazine 

@cultnoisemag: Theatre Review: The Scuttlers @rxtheatre #Scuttlers #Theatre http://t.co/5oxvM4fiAB

Coming through....'man-slammed'

Man talk 8th February 2015 

Coming through coming through step aside, if you don't want to be 'man slammed' that is. Yup the growing problem of who's got the right of way on the pavement is becoming a big issue when the irresistible force that isn't looking where they are going collides with the immovable object who isn't prepared to give way. There is never a winner, just an embarrassing sidewalk bump. 'The know it all's' blame it on our 'always in hurry' lifestyle and our over use of the iPod & the mobile telephone. I blame anyone I bump into because it's never my fault and why doesn't everybody else just look where there going coz I'm coming through! 

Men you may want to frame this next paragraph -  A judge in Germany has ruled that it's a man right to stand up to pee - A landlord wanted to hold back a tenants deposit because he claimed his dribbling when using the toilet had marked the bathroom floor. The judge threw the case out. Saying a little but of pee going astray couldn't be helped it was 'collateral damage'. - Case dismissed!!

You might also like to know that a standing wee in Germany is called a 'stepinkler'. Whilst a sitting down visit to the loo is called a sitzpinkler 

I liked the story this week that BBC's Songs of praise is auditioning for a football choir to sing 'Abide With Me'  at the cup final at Wembley. Imagine them holding X factor style auditions...what team do you support....Everton....And what will you be singing?.. 'And if you know your history' ......off you go 

They say some animals can sleep through anything, and  experts believe that's why some animals survived a catastrophic meteorite  crashing into the earth 65 million years ago. Imagine they got a bit of a shock when they woke up and saw the world trashed Thought that was some party then asked where's everyone gone? Like a scene from a prehistoric version of 'The Hangover' 

A bar in Hope Street has been named as one of Britains most beard friendly pubs. I want to know what makes a bar 'beard friendly'? Is it like a beardy man refuge, A sanctuary full of trendy hipsters all congregated together to moan about how tough life is when you've got a big bushy beard and how nobody understands what it's like when you've got a half your dinner stuck to your facial hair except this here friendly pub landlord! Save the hipster