Category Archive

‘More captivating than ever’: BEAUTY & THE BEAST – Touring ★★★★

In Dance, Manchester, Opinion, Regional theatre, Reviews, Touring by Kristy Stott23rd March 2019Leave a Comment

Beauty & the Beast is certainly a ‘tale as old as time’, and in this beautiful interpretation by Birmingham Royal Ballet the magical relationship between Belle and the Beast appears more captivating than ever.

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‘Wonderfully entertaining & nostalgic look at Hollywood’: GOODBYE NORMA JEANE – Above the Stag Theatre

In London theatre, Opinion, Plays, Reviews by Emma Clarendon23rd March 2019Leave a Comment

Nostalgic and entertaining, Liam Burke’s play Goodbye Norma Jeane shines a wonderful light on the career of Jack Cole.

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‘Challenges your thinking & reactions’: DOWNSTATE – National Theatre ★★★★★

In London theatre, Opinion, Plays, Reviews by Rev Stan23rd March 2019Leave a Comment

Downstate is a challenging, difficult play with humour and wit inflected with wisdom, carefully balancing entertainment without detracting from the seriousness of the subject matter.

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‘Exuberantly funny, elegant & sharp’: PRIVATE LIVES – Ipswich ★★★★

In Opinion, Plays, Regional theatre, Reviews by Libby Purves23rd March 2019Leave a Comment

Exuberantly funny, elegant as a Deauville hotel balcony and sharp as the crack of a 78rpm record over a lover’s head, Joanna Carrick’s witty miniaturised production does Noel Coward’s sparkiest comedy full justice. I say miniature – it’s full length – only because of the venue: the tiny but vigorous home of Red Rose Chain.

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‘Flawless production’: THE LADY VANISHES – Touring ★★★★★

In Opinion, Plays, Regional theatre, Reviews, Touring by Helen McWilliams22nd March 2019Leave a Comment

Take a classic thriller written by Sidney Gilliat and Frank Launder, the film version having been directed by Alfred Hitchcock, add a stellar cast and one of the most atmospheric sets I’ve seen in a long time – what do you get? A flawless production of The Lady Vanishes.

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‘Lovingly ludicrous action’: ROMEO & JULIET – Touring

In Opinion, Plays, Regional theatre, Reviews, Touring by Vicky Anderson22nd March 2019Leave a Comment

Rubbish Shakespeare Company squeezes the Bard’s tragic romance Romeo & Juliet into a family-friendly hour of farce in this knowingly silly production.

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‘Warm, funny & perceptive piece’: RANDON SELFIES – Ovalhouse ★★★★

In London theatre, Opinion, Plays, Reviews by Rev Stan22nd March 2019Leave a Comment

Random Selfies by award-winning writer Mike Kenny (The Railway Children) is the story of child loneliness in a busy world.

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‘Entirely unconvinced about Hare’s legacy’: THE BAY AT NICE – Menier Chocolate Factory

In London theatre, Opinion, Plays, Reviews by Ian Foster22nd March 2019Leave a Comment

Penelope Wilton almost, almost, makes it worth seeing a David Hare play with The Bay at Nice at the Menier Chocolate Factory.

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‘I can never do this show justice. It’s simply too good for words’: THE SHAPE Of PAIN – Wilton’s Music Hall

In London theatre, Opinion, Plays, Reviews by Aleks Sierz22nd March 2019Leave a Comment

Fantastic collaboration between Rachel Bagshaw and Chris Thorpe results in the really amazing show The Shape of Pain at Wilton’s Music Hall.

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‘This was always going to be the treasure’: BETRAYAL – West End ★★★★

In London theatre, Opinion, Plays, Reviews, Ticket recommendations by Libby Purves22nd March 2019Leave a Comment

More praise has always met the political paranoia and over-relished bullying aggression of Pinter’s other plays, long and short: Jame Lloyd’s Pinter season has been a triumph. But for me Betrayal was always going to be the treasure.

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Review: Mary’s Babies at Jermyn Street Theatre

Array ( [post_title] => Review: Mary’s Babies at Jermyn Street Theatre [post_content] =>

A true story based on real events, Maud Dromgoole’s two-hander Mary’s Babies was inspired by Mary Barton, the founder of a London fertility clinic whose work resulted in the birth of an estimated 1,500 babies – many of whom were fathered by Mary’s own husband, Bertold Wiesner. The play imagines what would happen if some of those children found each other, and in doing so reflects on the true nature of family, legacy and what really makes us who we are.

Two actors – Emma Fielding and Katy Stephens – heroically play 39 characters over 90 minutes in this fast-moving and often very funny production directed by Tatty Hennessy. Both handle the multitude of male and female roles with apparent ease, getting the balance just right between keeping each character unique and recognisable to the audience, and simultaneously demonstrating the half-siblings’ genetic similarities to each other. For the avoidance of doubt, however, for each scene the names of the two characters involved are illuminated in picture frames hanging on the wall behind them. This helpful feature of Anna Reid’s minimalist set allows us to quickly identify who we’re looking at, and certainly makes the play much easier to follow as more characters are introduced – though it can easily be overlooked at first, particularly as the first scene draws our attention away from that part of the set.

Most of the 39 characters appear only once, the majority in a single particularly chaotic party scene. The play focuses its attention primarily on just six people, whose reactions to the startling discovery of their heritage cover a broad spectrum. For some of them, the revelation of where they come from is welcome news; for others, it’s devastating. Some view their new-found siblings as an instant family, while others can’t help but continue to see them as strangers. One character, who isn’t – as far as she knows, at least – a member of the Barton Brood, is envious of her partner’s new “sibs”, her relationship with her own recently deceased father having brought her little happiness. Another discovers to his horror that he’s both father and uncle to his unborn child, after unwittingly marrying his half-sister.

Even with this limited number of central characters, there’s a lot going on, and the play’s relatively short running time of 90 minutes means we never get to delve in depth into any of the individual stories. We do, however, get some interesting questions to take away and think about in our own time. Questions like: what makes someone family? Do our genes or our upbringing have more impact on the person we become? And is it necessarily a good thing to know where you came from, or is it better to remain blissfully ignorant?

There are a few scenes scattered throughout the play that feel superfluous and rather left-field (even after re-reading it, I’m still confused by the one about the chickens), and consequently distract from the main narrative. Some moments feel unnecessarily flippant, like the Catherine Tate-esque registrar who definitely shouldn’t be allowed to deal with bereaved customers. And it’s not a production for the easily distracted; each scene lasts on average about three minutes, with some significantly shorter, so it’s literally possible to blink and miss a crucial detail.

For the most part, though, Mary’s Babies is enjoyable and witty, and surprisingly easy to follow despite its complicated structure. A thought-provoking play, and an impressive feat of endurance and versatility from two talented performers.

Mary’s Babies is at Jermyn Street Theatre until 13th April.

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Mary’s Babies is at Jermyn Street Theatre until 13th April.

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A true story based on real events, Maud Dromgoole’s two-hander Mary’s Babies was inspired by Mary Barton, the founder of a London fertility clinic whose work resulted in the birth of an estimated 1,500 babies – many of whom were fathered by Mary’s own husband, Bertold Wiesner. The play imagines what would happen if some of those children found each other, and in doing so reflects on the true nature of family, legacy and what really makes us who we are.

Photo credit: Robert Workman

For the most part, though, Mary’s Babies is enjoyable and witty, and surprisingly easy to follow despite its complicated structure. A thought-provoking play, and an impressive feat of endurance and versatility from two talented performers.

Mary’s Babies is at Jermyn Street Theatre until 13th April.

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