London theatre trips: half-year results

Tim wishes to report his London theatre trip's half-year results:

The Stone - Royal Court Theatre (28 February)

Having watched this play, I know how he feels

A house in Dresden house is the scene of a 40 year German vs Jewish family head-scratchingly bleak bore-fest. The narrative switches from pre-2nd world war, to post-war, to near-present.

I'm sure the play had a point, I can almost guess what it was...

...something about comparisons with the Jews fleeing persecution and

post-war Germans fleeing Communism.

But it was such a struggle to follow the plot, I stopped caring.

Tim scores: 5/10

Stop Messing About - Leicester Square Theatre (21 April)

Don't stand like that Ken... that's how it started with me.

Reenactment of Kenneth Williams' camp comedy radio plays from the seventies. It's radio (but not really) on the stage. I loved it. Convincing sound-a-like performances. Pinter it is not. But it does exactly what it says on the tin.

Tim scores: 7/10

Arcadia - Duke Of York's (25 June)

The bunny wasn't shot, it committed suicide after watching this play.

Tom Stoppard does the people and history of a country house. Surprisingly similar to "The Stone" (see above) - but not so bleak.

The narrative switches from early 19th century to the present as one group of characters tries to predict the future, the other the past.

It should be a clever idea, but the comedy is fairly light, and the plot is quite slow. Neil Pearson is just annoying.

The critics believe it was an "undisputed masterpiece".

I did not.

Tim scores: 6/10

A Little Night Music - Garrick Theatre (30 June)

I'm afraid we're all very drunk.

As far as musicals go - this stands the test of time. Trevor Nunn's production of Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music is very gentle, clever, and funny.

Set in turn-of-the-century Sweden, it's all about people falling in and out of love. "Send in the Clowns" and "You Must Meet My Wife" are the most memorable songs.

Maureen Lipman steals the show as the wheelchair-bound Madame Armfeldt. It's very dry, very witty and genuinely fun.

Tim scores: 8/10

Aphra Behn's The Rover - Southwark Playhouse (4 July)

You an angel? Give over dear.

Cavaliers flee England to join the carnival atmosphere in Venice with young ladies.

Think cads in codpieces - and you'll get the picture. Unusual staging - with

the play starting in the theatre bar (including a sword fight) and then transferring to the main theatre.

Energetic performances and an accessible story that even I could follow, despite being written

in 1677.

Tim scores: 7/10

Eight - Trafalgar Studios (10 July)

I Eight This

You chose four of eight monologues written by 20-something writer Ella Hickson. She's scooped a Fringe First and 'Best of the Edinburgh Festival' with this, her debut show. But I would say, don't believe the hype.

On the night, our four monologues were; a high-class hooker; a squaddie making friends in a morgue; a suicidal in an art gallery; and a delusional teenager who gets raped in a churchyard. It's all very gritty. But she's focused on creating a dramatic (and sometimes implausible) plot while neglecting the characters. The stories have some fundamental holes which I reckon must have looked fairly obvious even before this got to the stage.

Getting the audience to pick what they see is an interesting idea - but it's just a novelty. I hope it doesn't catch on.

Tim scores: 5/10

Dorian Gray - Sadler's Wells Theatre (17 July)

Has anyone seen my clothes?

Men dressed in not much more than underpants (or even less) "Do Dorian In Dance".

Dance theatre is not normally my thing.

But with this... well... what is there not to like?

Naturally, the boys are beautiful. There's plenty of eye candy in Matthew Bourne's production which is very inventive in how it tells the story of Dorian Gray. The score is superb too.

Although I found the rotating stage was slightly too distracting - it felt

like it was constantly whizzing around. But overall, I thought it was stunning.

I'm going back to see the (all-male) Swan Lake at Christmas.

Tim scores: 7/10

Frat party piss up gets political

Now or Later - Royal Court (Jerwood Theatre Downstairs) (23/10/08)

A play written by Christopher Shinn, directed by Dominic Cooke

I always try to find something good, even in the weakest of plays, but it's hard to do that with Now or Later.

We're in a hotel room with John (Eddie Redmayne), a twenty-something Ame

rican student who's the son of a Democratic congressman, soon to be president on election night. John has to explain himself after the release of explicit photos showing him at a student party dressed as the Prophet Muhammad.

Democratic party officials, his parents, and fellow student friend, Matt, think he should issue a written apology to prevent further offence to the Muslim community. Also in the mix, John's also recently split with his uncommitted boyfriend and is still haunted by a failed suicide attempt which has been partly fixed with therapy. So potentially all the ingredients for a topical play with interesting themes and a fascinating family dynamic.

So what went wrong?

Tim thinks: Christopher Shinn writes dialogue like it's been cut 'n' pasted from a stodgy post-grad politics dissertation. No-one really talks like that. and certainly not gay emotional wrecks who're sons of high-ranking politicians. We're led to believe that John is totally convinced his party prank is justified, and hence he won't issue an apology. But his position - which is complex and flimsy - is convincingly undermined by the rest of the cast on several occasions. So why did the writer continue to labour this point ...for SEVENTY-FIVE minutes! If none of the characters believe his point is valid, then why should I?

I can't quite believe how badly Shinn failed in this play, which is annoying because there was so much potential. He sets up the characters beautifully, but doesn't develop them in any meaningful way.

John actually comes across as a young American version of Peter Tatchell - and just as annoying. At times Redmayne shows passion and conviction that lifts the otherwise dull dialogue - for example the tears at the end feel real. His sexuality is definitely

 underplayed which, in this context is justified. I feel sorry for his friend Matt (Domhnall Gleeson) who adds so little to the play he (arguably) doesn't need to be there. But major credit to John's mother, (Nancy Crane), who's convincingly cold-hearted and distant.

John's father (Matthew Marsh) does a good turn as a savvy politician, and his violent attack on John is one of the highlights. Unfortunately, the performances can't gloss over what is a dreadful political drama - minus the drama.

You know the play is duff when you're praying for a knife-wielding psychopath to storm on the set and hack the cast to pieces.

At least it would have been more entertaining.

Tim scores: 4/10