Far Away, written by Caryl Churchill
Dir. Simon Godwin
Bristol Old Vic 24 May- 9 June
It was somehow inevitable that Caryl Churchill would catch up with me eventually. In my head her plays still stand for a lot of ucertain wadings through the theatre maker's canon, often funny, occasionally revelatory but in my case mostly plain difficult. I tend to leave with the feeling I haven't learned any more than she wants me to. Maybe the idea is to go work out the rest yourself, but when that applies to significant plot devices I find it really quite irritating. However she has enough preachers to make me feel a little guilty and, dare I say it, old fashioned for holding this view, so I got my intellectual waders out again for this new play, having been so celebrated on opening in The Royal Court.
I have to admit I was almost converted, and do now wonder if it was a lack of high quality actors that put me off previously, as the three named performers Annette Badland, Cara Horgan and Tristan Sturrock all gave very strong performances. Badland in particular made an impression as the sinisterly kindly aunt Harper. As the writing skips neatly around the clichés of the inquisitive- child-who-knows-too-much being smilingly lied to by the grown-up-dealing-with-dangerous-situation both Badland and the excellent score are wonderfully threatening. And they didn't have to work so hard. A sweet, granny-ish figure in an aga catalogue kitchen is bound to be sinister, Hollywood taught us that decades ago.
So far, so eery, and suddenly the little Joan has grown up and is a hatter (Horgan) in a 1984 warehouse. She and her co worker Todd (Sturrock) make hats for a series of 'parades'. I don't like to spoil big plot moments but the parade scene itself is very unsettling, an example of human life made worthless, nameless, faceless figures humiliated under outlandish hats. Surrounding this scene is a rather sweet love story including a misty eyed discussion of the nature of art which in a way is the most disturbing part of this act and I found myself thinking of the callousness of art and artists, totally unconcerned by the incinerated corpses but wistful about the 'ephemeral' quality of the hats burned with them.
Much as I would have liked to have seen this story further explained, it's time now for the biggest leap yet. It's some years on and the earth has become a distopian Narnia. This is the Churchill I remember, quickfire delivery ruthlessly pinning down the paranoia and stupidity of war: Harper has warped into a volatile, head scarf wearing Babushka figure, Joan and Todd are soldiers in a bloody battle. But it's a fight with nature, and the two sides are composed of any category imaginable on earth. Armies of wasps attack horses in great black swarms, deer gore and trample shoppers in malls, dentists and children under five have sided with the Japanese, or was it the French, no, wait, that cats are with the French, alligators on the other hand, oh god my head hurts, please stop shouting at each other I can tell it's a stressful time but I can't tell any more whether I'm meant to keep up...
So close. I'm sure this is exactly the stuff that gives Churchill fans hot and cold flushes. It's a tremendously slick production, great acting, spine-tingling score and I was so nearly swept along by it all. I wouldn't be so arrogant as to suggest it's the playwright's fault, indeed it's almost certainly me, not her but I still feel on the outside, interested and frustrated. If you love the playwright then this is the play for you. Personally I might giver her next one a miss, but I'm willing to bet that when the time comes the reviews will again be all a-glowing, theatre nerds a-waffling and I'll once again concede I was probably wrong last time and haul out the waders.
Apple
The Apple Cider Co. Ltd
Welsh Back,
Bristol,
Avon BS1 4SB
This having already been to me yesterday (thanks, Laura!) I headed here with my Bristolian Sherpa for a quick pre-theatre drink. The bar is basically a barge on the river with outside seating spilling onto the pavement. I think I may have caught it at one of its ideal moments, along with several other people gathered outside, chatting in clumps, arranged over tables and benches catching the last of the glorious saturday sun. The bar is a slightly trendy celebration of all things cider, with. Chalkbord crammed with guest and house varieties and cider inspired mixes. My friend went for Cider Sangria, I went for a pint of Happy Daze (4.5%) on her recommedation. It was full without being heavy and definitely a good beginner's pint. My friend declared there was a hint of cheese in the flavour but I pretended not to hear. I love cheese but I'm not quite ready for it in my booze.
So a full evening was had by all. Such was the atmosphere we got talking to a teacher about to leave for Buenos Aires on sabbatical and in the course of the conversation her recommended we go to the St Werbughs city farm festial (well I didn't actually catch all that in a crowded open air bar but it's what worked out when I got home) so that's where I'll be headed next week, hopefully with my trusty Sherpa! Think I might try and get somebody there to recommend another place or event and so on, could ve quite a fun way to get talking to people and find new places.
Speak soon!
Alice
St Werburghs Festival
Dir. Simon Godwin
Bristol Old Vic 24 May- 9 June
It was somehow inevitable that Caryl Churchill would catch up with me eventually. In my head her plays still stand for a lot of ucertain wadings through the theatre maker's canon, often funny, occasionally revelatory but in my case mostly plain difficult. I tend to leave with the feeling I haven't learned any more than she wants me to. Maybe the idea is to go work out the rest yourself, but when that applies to significant plot devices I find it really quite irritating. However she has enough preachers to make me feel a little guilty and, dare I say it, old fashioned for holding this view, so I got my intellectual waders out again for this new play, having been so celebrated on opening in The Royal Court.
I have to admit I was almost converted, and do now wonder if it was a lack of high quality actors that put me off previously, as the three named performers Annette Badland, Cara Horgan and Tristan Sturrock all gave very strong performances. Badland in particular made an impression as the sinisterly kindly aunt Harper. As the writing skips neatly around the clichés of the inquisitive- child-who-knows-too-much being smilingly lied to by the grown-up-dealing-with-dangerous-situation both Badland and the excellent score are wonderfully threatening. And they didn't have to work so hard. A sweet, granny-ish figure in an aga catalogue kitchen is bound to be sinister, Hollywood taught us that decades ago.
So far, so eery, and suddenly the little Joan has grown up and is a hatter (Horgan) in a 1984 warehouse. She and her co worker Todd (Sturrock) make hats for a series of 'parades'. I don't like to spoil big plot moments but the parade scene itself is very unsettling, an example of human life made worthless, nameless, faceless figures humiliated under outlandish hats. Surrounding this scene is a rather sweet love story including a misty eyed discussion of the nature of art which in a way is the most disturbing part of this act and I found myself thinking of the callousness of art and artists, totally unconcerned by the incinerated corpses but wistful about the 'ephemeral' quality of the hats burned with them.
Much as I would have liked to have seen this story further explained, it's time now for the biggest leap yet. It's some years on and the earth has become a distopian Narnia. This is the Churchill I remember, quickfire delivery ruthlessly pinning down the paranoia and stupidity of war: Harper has warped into a volatile, head scarf wearing Babushka figure, Joan and Todd are soldiers in a bloody battle. But it's a fight with nature, and the two sides are composed of any category imaginable on earth. Armies of wasps attack horses in great black swarms, deer gore and trample shoppers in malls, dentists and children under five have sided with the Japanese, or was it the French, no, wait, that cats are with the French, alligators on the other hand, oh god my head hurts, please stop shouting at each other I can tell it's a stressful time but I can't tell any more whether I'm meant to keep up...
So close. I'm sure this is exactly the stuff that gives Churchill fans hot and cold flushes. It's a tremendously slick production, great acting, spine-tingling score and I was so nearly swept along by it all. I wouldn't be so arrogant as to suggest it's the playwright's fault, indeed it's almost certainly me, not her but I still feel on the outside, interested and frustrated. If you love the playwright then this is the play for you. Personally I might giver her next one a miss, but I'm willing to bet that when the time comes the reviews will again be all a-glowing, theatre nerds a-waffling and I'll once again concede I was probably wrong last time and haul out the waders.
Apple
The Apple Cider Co. Ltd
Welsh Back,
Bristol,
Avon BS1 4SB
This having already been to me yesterday (thanks, Laura!) I headed here with my Bristolian Sherpa for a quick pre-theatre drink. The bar is basically a barge on the river with outside seating spilling onto the pavement. I think I may have caught it at one of its ideal moments, along with several other people gathered outside, chatting in clumps, arranged over tables and benches catching the last of the glorious saturday sun. The bar is a slightly trendy celebration of all things cider, with. Chalkbord crammed with guest and house varieties and cider inspired mixes. My friend went for Cider Sangria, I went for a pint of Happy Daze (4.5%) on her recommedation. It was full without being heavy and definitely a good beginner's pint. My friend declared there was a hint of cheese in the flavour but I pretended not to hear. I love cheese but I'm not quite ready for it in my booze.
So a full evening was had by all. Such was the atmosphere we got talking to a teacher about to leave for Buenos Aires on sabbatical and in the course of the conversation her recommended we go to the St Werbughs city farm festial (well I didn't actually catch all that in a crowded open air bar but it's what worked out when I got home) so that's where I'll be headed next week, hopefully with my trusty Sherpa! Think I might try and get somebody there to recommend another place or event and so on, could ve quite a fun way to get talking to people and find new places.
Speak soon!
Alice
St Werburghs Festival
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