pyekan

THE KITE RUNNER

Khaled Hosseini’s heartrending story about Amir, a young Pashtun (Sunni) man born in Afghanistan who carries a lifetime of guilt because of his cowardice and betrayal of his best friend Hassan – a Hazara (Shi’a) who is his servant and the son of Ali, servant and friend of Baba Amir’s father..

Hosseini is a great story teller and he is writing about things that could have happened in his own life. The story captures you right from the beginning when Ben Turner as Amir breaks into the opening spectacular kite flying sequence to talk about his life..

.Thinking of the turbulence of the middle east today it is difficult to think of Aghanistan as a tranquil, happy place with trees and elegant buildings. It is pre-revolutionary Afghanistan – the land of Amir’s youth. His rich dad is hot tempered , combative and football playing and Amir’s best friend is Hassan, the son of his father’s servant Ali . They play together many games including kite running which is the national sport.

Their friendship is mocked by Assef the bully who tortures and humiliates  whenever can. He calls Hassan a flat nose and says Amir is a faggot for being friends with someone of a different class.

The setting of the Kabul scenes by Barney George is simple but stunning. A fairly stark background with exquisite kite borders that come in fanlike to illustrate the various scenes..

In Act two the atmosphere is different. Starting with the terrible conditions the Pashtuns endure when they have to escape Kabul after the revolution. They eventually arrive in San Francisco where, despite their gentle breeding they are forced to work in the flea market along with other Afghanistan refugees in order to learn a living in this strange country. It is an interesting inside story of how it must feel to be a displaced person and a recent immigrant.

The story leaves one sitting in the theatre, unable to move in case you miss something. It is a powerful piece.

However, I feel that the second act was a bit too long, I understand there is a lot of story to fit in, the book is in three parts and in the Parts two and three are both in Act two.

Hosseini tells us his book is about Friendship, Betrayal, Guilt, Remorse, Redemption and Parental love. It deals with problems in race, religion immigration and gender. You’d think he could miss out a few of these.

However give thanks to Giles Croft who directed it and congratulations to Matthew Spangler for a neat adaptation. It is a complicated plot and he managed to get most of it in!

The kites are beautiful and make a spectacular display and all through the play, there is a Harif Khan who plays the Tabla drums which sensitively illustrates the atmosphere and makes the production very special indeed..

Ben Turner makes no excuses for Amir and never tries to play for sympathy. The Christ like aspect of Hassan is brought out by the humility and lovability of Andre Costin but it is altogether a splendiferous cast. I loved Emilio Doorgasingh as the stormy Baba. Who cannot understand why his son would write stories about magic cups, with pearls for tears. His reaction when Amir tries to interest him in his writing producers humour as well as heartbreak.

This is definitely a show to be seen. Whether you have read the book or not. It stands on its own as an exceptional piece of work.

THE KITE RUNNER

Khaled Hosseini’s heartrending story about Amir, a young Pashtun (Sunni) man born in Afghanistan who carries a lifetime of guilt because of his cowardice and betrayal of his best friend Hassan – a Hazara (Shi’a) who is his servant and the son of Ali, servant and friend of Baba Amir’s father..

Hosseini is a great story teller and he is writing about things that could have happened in his own life. The story captures you right from the beginning when Ben Turner as Amir breaks into the opening spectacular kite flying sequence to talk about his life..

.Thinking of the turbulence of the middle east today it is difficult to think of Aghanistan as a tranquil, happy place with trees and elegant buildings. It is pre-revolutionary Afghanistan – the land of Amir’s youth. His rich dad is hot tempered , combative and football playing and Amir’s best friend is Hassan, the son of his father’s servant Ali . They play together many games including kite running which is the national sport.

Their friendship is mocked by Assef the bully who tortures and humiliates  whenever can. He calls Hassan a flat nose and says Amir is a faggot for being friends with someone of a different class.

The setting of the Kabul scenes by Barney George is simple but stunning. A fairly stark background with exquisite kite borders that come in fanlike to illustrate the various scenes..

In Act two the atmosphere is different. Starting with the terrible conditions the Pashtuns endure when they have to escape Kabul after the revolution. They eventually arrive in San Francisco where, despite their gentle breeding they are forced to work in the flea market along with other Afghanistan refugees in order to learn a living in this strange country. It is an interesting inside story of how it must feel to be a displaced person and a recent immigrant.

The story leaves one sitting in the theatre, unable to move in case you miss something. It is a powerful piece.

However, I feel that the second act was a bit too long, I understand there is a lot of story to fit in, the book is in three parts and in the Parts two and three are both in Act two.

Hosseini tells us his book is about Friendship, Betrayal, Guilt, Remorse, Redemption and Parental love. It deals with problems in race, religion immigration and gender. You’d think he could miss out a few of these.

However give thanks to Giles Croft who directed it and congratulations to Matthew Spangler for a neat adaptation. It is a complicated plot and he managed to get most of it in!

The kites are beautiful and make a spectacular display and all through the play, there is a Harif Khan who plays the Tabla drums which sensitively illustrates the atmosphere and makes the production very special indeed..

Ben Turner makes no excuses for Amir and never tries to play for sympathy. The Christ like aspect of Hassan is brought out by the humility and lovability of Andre Costin but it is altogether a splendiferous cast. I loved Emilio Doorgasingh as the stormy Baba. Who cannot understand why his son would write stories about magic cups, with pearls for tears. His reaction when Amir tries to interest him in his writing producers humour as well as heartbreak.

This is definitely a show to be seen. Whether you have read the book or not. It stands on its own as an exceptional piece of work.

THE KITE RUNNER

Khaled Hosseini’s heartrending story about Amir, a young Pashtun (Sunni) man born in Afghanistan who carries a lifetime of guilt because of his cowardice and betrayal of his best friend Hassan – a Hazara (Shi’a) who is his servant and the son of Ali, servant and friend of Baba Amir’s father..

Hosseini is a great story teller and he is writing about things that could have happened in his own life. The story captures you right from the beginning when Ben Turner as Amir breaks into the opening spectacular kite flying sequence to talk about his life..

.Thinking of the turbulence of the middle east today it is difficult to think of Aghanistan as a tranquil, happy place with trees and elegant buildings. It is pre-revolutionary Afghanistan – the land of Amir’s youth. His rich dad is hot tempered , combative and football playing and Amir’s best friend is Hassan, the son of his father’s servant Ali . They play together many games including kite running which is the national sport.

Their friendship is mocked by Assef the bully who tortures and humiliates  whenever can. He calls Hassan a flat nose and says Amir is a faggot for being friends with someone of a different class.

The setting of the Kabul scenes by Barney George is simple but stunning. A fairly stark background with exquisite kite borders that come in fanlike to illustrate the various scenes..

In Act two the atmosphere is different. Starting with the terrible conditions the Pashtuns endure when they have to escape Kabul after the revolution. They eventually arrive in San Francisco where, despite their gentle breeding they are forced to work in the flea market along with other Afghanistan refugees in order to learn a living in this strange country. It is an interesting inside story of how it must feel to be a displaced person and a recent immigrant.

The story leaves one sitting in the theatre, unable to move in case you miss something. It is a powerful piece.

However, I feel that the second act was a bit too long, I understand there is a lot of story to fit in, the book is in three parts and in the Parts two and three are both in Act two.

Hosseini tells us his book is about Friendship, Betrayal, Guilt, Remorse, Redemption and Parental love. It deals with problems in race, religion immigration and gender. You’d think he could miss out a few of these.

However give thanks to Giles Croft who directed it and congratulations to Matthew Spangler for a neat adaptation. It is a complicated plot and he managed to get most of it in!

The kites are beautiful and make a spectacular display and all through the play, there is a Harif Khan who plays the Tabla drums which sensitively illustrates the atmosphere and makes the production very special indeed..

Ben Turner makes no excuses for Amir and never tries to play for sympathy. The Christ like aspect of Hassan is brought out by the humility and lovability of Andre Costin but it is altogether a splendiferous cast. I loved Emilio Doorgasingh as the stormy Baba. Who cannot understand why his son would write stories about magic cups, with pearls for tears. His reaction when Amir tries to interest him in his writing producers humour as well as heartbreak.

This is definitely a show to be seen. Whether you have read the book or not. It stands on its own as an exceptional piece of work.

Encore 40 years of NYMT  *****

Such a heart warming occasion was held on 30^th October – the celebration the fortieth birthday of the National Youth Music Theatre and it involved 200 children and teenagers including the full thirty-piece orchestra.

It answers the question – why are all the British ensemble musicals so brilliant? It is because they are taught about how to behave at a very early age. They learn that a musical theatre production is comprised of a team and every element of the team has equal importance. They all sing, they all dance, they all act and some of them play instruments.

If you ever wonder where these talented youngsters come from, it is from organisations like this.

The great thing about these kids is that there is absolutely nothing cute about them. They are just small men and women, actors who do their job with passion, commitment and with total enjoyment.

The do regular productions of big musicals – often for the Edinburgh Festival and there are many well known names who became infected with ambition for show business by working with this company. Jude Law was one and Sheridan Smith, Matt Lucas. Jasper Britton, Tom Chambers, Stuart Matthew Price all practised their crafts with the NYMT.

Harold Goodall has been responsible for many of their productions and they did excerpts from The Hired Man, Dreaming, the Kissing Dance. They also are favourites with Steven Sondheim whose Pendragon was a great success and they also worked on Sweeney Todd, West Side Story and Into the Woods. Some of the memorial leading roles were performed by past members of the company including Jemimah Taylor , Helen Power, Dominic Tighe, a very beautiful rendering of Children Will Listen by Gina Beck. One of the great moments in the show is an excerpt from Bugsy Malone all performed with two lots of people, the current students and the members of the original NTMT cast – Sam Archer, Matt Fraser, Chris Heriot, Mike Jibson, Paul Lowe, Marc Pickering and Giovanni Spano.

Excerpts from other popular shows were Joseph and his Technicoloured Dream Coat, Annie, Oliver, Whistle Down the Wind, Oklahoma, Sweet Charity.

Guys and Dolls with everybody’s favourite from the show Gavin Spokes with his rendering of Sit Down you’re Rocking the Boat – the number that stopped the show regularly in the West End performances.

It was good to see some creative professionals in the audience looking for stars of the future.

Some of the young people will stay in the business others will just remember the happy times they had working with the company.

A terrific evening’s entertainment.

(Apologise if I spelled some of the people wrongly. The names on the programme were printed very very small.)

Anna Karenina

at the Theatro Technis.

Taken from the Tolstoy novel translated adapted and directed by Victor Sobchak.

This version of the famous Russian novel gives the impression that no Expense has been spent with not a single production value in sight. No furniture – not even a chair or sofa. Whatever sitting or lying down the members of the cast,  had to sit or lie down on the bare boards of the stage being lit by a young woman in the audience operating a single spotlight trained on centre stage.

Some people might call it minimalist, but I think it is a shame that this very useful theatrical space is being demeaned by an unfortunately amateurish production.

The girls playing Anna, Amanda Lara Key should be getting better opportunities to show her talent. I know there is very little work around and getting a decent part is almost impossible in the current theatrical situation. The question is should actors appear in this kind of production rather than not appear at all. I daresay it is possible that somebody might come and discover her.

In fact all three leads are reasonably talented and experienced people. One could even almost hear every word they were saying.

Lucien Morgan comes off well as Karenin, the rich husband of Anna . This is probably the best part in the play and Victor showed some  wisdom in allowing it to be played by an actor with some kind of background

.There is a ballroom scene requiring choreography supplied by Oliver Norfolk (who also plays Stiva) and it is carefully invented to suit the capabilities of the cast . I got the impression that many of them are students, but if so, whichever school they go to should concentrate on getting them to project enough for us to hear them. One of them – Justin Stathers – has some comedy potential but it is in great need of discipline.

The main problem is that the story is deprived of every chance to appeal. It seems inordinately long and it is told in jerky episodes and is difficult to follow.

There is not much to add.  the only creative item is the little boy who comes on and plays with his toy engine every time there is a break in the action. This of course represents Anna’s final demise  beneath a train.

A disappointing production.

This is how it happened on July  12^th 2016

and how I wrote about it afterwards

It began as a rumbling noise like thunder but right here in the room, This is what woke me, then immediately there was a deafening explosion as the ceiling came crashing down. I could see in flashes n, luckily the huge lump of masonry hit the head of the bed and broke up into smaller pieces – one of which landed on my left cheekbone and another on the right side of my temple. The worst after effect though was the pain in my eyes as they were filled with plaster – a stinging …pain. I could see in flashes though it was hard work trying to open then explain to the nurse what had happened. I couldn’t see but as somehow unable to say this, just that the eyes were painful. The ambulance came and took me to the Western eyes hospital where the beautiful doctor took the plaster out of my eyes. I was still unable to see and they got another ambulance to take me home. I could still see in short flashes and I went to sleep on my sofa. My eyeballs had scratches, but the doctor said it would take two weeks to heal up. I am still typing with my eyes shut. Thank goodness I know the keyboard. My eyes are open longer now. Last night it was twelve seconds.  them. It was 12.30 and I was afraid to call anyone. I couldn’t control my voice, it was shock I suppose. I called the doctor and got a emergency number to ring 111. I called the number and tried .This morning it is nineteen – lots of blinking but not that heaviness that shuts my eyes with no effort on my part. The worst part is that Julia, the lady downstairs is dying and nobody is in a state to help. A man has collected five sacks of rubble five sacks of masonry. very heavy. I was so lucky, Physically I am in health – apart from the eyes, but mentally I am still in trauma and I keep hearing that noise. It must have been like during the war when the bombs were dropping. I cannot write any more, my body is telling me to lie down.

About 25th September

Some time later I woke with a pain in my chest. I thought maybe I was lying in an awkward position. I turned to lie on the other side, but it was even worse. I arose and wandered about, but the more I tried to soothe it, the worse it got. Not knowing what to do I went to the computer and entered pain under left breast and got the result ‘See  your Doctor immediately’  It was 3.15 in the morning – on a Sunday. So again I dialled 111. I told the person who answered the phone what was happening and he asked me lots of questions with no relevance to what was going on and put me through to the nurse who proceeded to ask me all the questions again. She said ‘you must see the doctor’ The doctor arrived quite soon and made me sit still. He asked me all the questions again and did the usual tests. blood pressure, oxygen, temperature and ecgs. Then he range somebody else = a lady who came in and asked me all the questions again and did all the tests again. Then the ambulance came and they took me downstairs into the ambulance and asked me all the question again and did all the tests again. ECGs

Then I was taken to UCH. I told them that if there was any danger I refused to die at the royal Free. and said I would go to the UCH. Surprisingly enough they said OK and I spent the rest of Sunday = until seven in the evening, having the tests and a CT scan and they decided I would live. and all is OK. The pain did go eventually but I had a really good time in the UCH  They fed me well and gave me lots of tea and coffee – and jelly.

Its been a strange year. So many lovely people died. Burt, Terry, Jackie Skarvellis, Jimmy Perry. It just goes on. There was the wedding in January and February I launched A Thing Called Joe in Redondo. March we had a rather feeble reading of Flower in your Hand. Then in June another launch of Joe at the Lion and Unicorn.

And now it is November and She That Plays the Queen is at Proof reading stage.   We are hoping it will be out by Christmas, but its getting a big late for Christmas presents.

I am supposed to be doing some reviewing but the light has gone and I cannot read the programmes.             Did the Sam Shepard one but that was all, the darkness fell.

Goodnight.

Top Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 starsA lovely story and a great read, and who can ask for more than that?

By Terry Eastham on 28 May 2016

Format: Paperback Verified Purchase

This book has two things that really appealed to me. The first was the style of writing. it was easy to read and the mixture of present day and past life stories worked really well to explain the personality and spirit of Joe Tully. He isn’t your everyday literary hero, but is a normal man. The years may have aged him, his family may have deserted him ,but he is an old trooper and never loses his sense of who he is and what he wants. The second factor is that Joe, and most of the other characters, are all involved in the theatre, which is one of my own loves. The author brings all her experience and love of the theatre into her writing and it really shows through. Her description of the play in the back room of the pub was perfect and is still as true today, where some fantastic work is produced in fringe pub theatre venues, as it was in Joe’s day. I took this book with me on a long coach trip, and the hours flew by as I travelled in Joe’s world. By the last chapter, I really hoped the old guy had a wonderful final years before he went off to the great orchestra pit in the sky.

4.0 out of 5 starsJust Joe

By W. Russell on 11 Mar. 2016

Format: Paperback Verified Purchase

Joe is a musician, a man who plays in the pit at West End shows, composes music, fancies his chances and makes the wrong one, living to regret it. We meet him in his old age dumped in a retirement complex by his daughter and awful son in law after he has accidentally set fire to his flat. Joe may be down, but he is not out. The books takes us back to why he got where he is, and springs some splendid surprises about where he will end up. Aline Wates paints a lovely picture of 1960s London, a vanished world, and Joe is a beguiling if infuriating character who encounters some equally entertaining and not too well behaved people along the way. Great holiday reading – if that is not an insulting thing to say. I almost read it in one go, and that was only because I ran out of time on the first attempt to read it. Could easily be an in one go book.

4.0 out of 5 starsmusicians `jammed` into the wee small hours in basements in tin pan alley and people loved, laughed and drank their lives away

By Stewart Permutt on 21 July 2016

Format: Kindle Edition

Actress-producer Aline Waites` debut novel is a delightful nostalgic trip into sixties and seventies London, where theatres above pubs were just emerging, musicians `jammed` into the wee small hours in basements in tin pan alley and people loved , laughed and drank their lives away. It also shows quite movingly how time takes its toll on the central characters through a series of vignettes from past to present. An easy but satisfying read.

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4.0 out of 5 starsA very entertaining read.

By Angela Mowforth on 11 Sept. 2016

Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase

Joe is a musician and a wonderful character – stubborn – infuriating but such a charmer! His story is a joy to read.

4.0 out of 5 starsJoe is good

By Londonjerez on 18 April 2016

Format: Paperback

A thoroughly enjoyable read.

FOOL FOR LOVE *****

by Sam Shepard.

AT FOUND 111

Shepard is one of the most gifted playwrights inventing dialoogue that is pure naturally witty and perfect with characters that are heartbreakingly human and tender. One can always sympathise, laugh and weep with them.

Like most of his work, it is set in the American West and the play is set in a not too expensive motel room where May is living alone after years of living with Eddie in his trailer

He has been away for months, she is pleased and yet furious to see him. They cling together passionately but she often strikes out at him. He keeps leaving, but she calls him back and he always returns. Both are passionate in their love hate relationship. They have been in this state of violence for fifteen years., clinging together and yet there is as much hatred as love between them. . She accuses him of messing her around, that she has been living like a yoyo for fifteen years.He wants to get a home for them in the country with chickens.

Eddie is being pursued by a rich woman in her Mercedes Benz. She arrives at the hotel and starts firing shots at them from time to time.

She tells him she is expecting a visitor = a man. He is immediately jealous but says he can cope with a man but not with a guy.

When Martin he is sweet, and naïve but hardly a sex symbol.

Watching them all the time and often commenting on the action is the old man played by the wonderful Joe McGann who plays the role of the loveable rogue so beautifully one cannot imagine anyone else in the role.

Eddie is played by TV star Adam Rothenberg and Lydia Wilson ,who must have the best legs in the business, plays May. Both are wildly sexually attractive and their oddball behaviour is totally believable. The acting throughout from all four characters cannot be faulted.

.

They are most perfectly directed by Simon Evans who shows his creative, artistic eye in the atmospheric setting by Ben Stones and effective lighting (especially the car headlights) by Elliot Griggs.. The play begins with the strains of Shenandoah playing in the darkness as the first picture is set.

The story about an obsessive but forbidden love that can never be fulfilled is one of the saddest and most beautiful plays to be seen in the West End.

The entrance to the 111 found theatre is not easy access. It is up seventy something stairs and one is exhausted before arriving at the welcoming bar. The theatre is another floor higher.

It is the last play we can ever see at Found 111 as it is up for demolition and to be turned into posh flats. The producer Emily Dobbs who is the brain behind this unusual theatre is looking for another place to open a similar venue.

One of the special treats of being a theatre reviewer is that sometimes one has the privilege of going to sophisticated cabaret venues to see performances from beautiful brave people sharing their favourite songs with you.

There are some exceptional cabaret venues that I visit these days. The Crazy Coqs in Piccadilly, the St James Studio in Victoria and the Pheasantry on the Kings Road.

In the old days, the nightclubs were much more glamorous where people dressed up to go there. The Talk of the Town, The Carousel and the Pigalle were places to dine, dance and see two shows. No dancing these days as venues are smaller and there is no room for a dance floor and certainly not enough space for the two orchestras that seemed to be the necessities for those old Night clubs.

Like Pal Joey I always wanted to have a night club = and to a certain extent I managed to do that with aba daba. Although it started off as a music hall company and gradually grew into a space for home written and directed musical comedy and pantomimes. It was so sad when we lost the Pindar and it affected my partner Robin so badly that he never really recovered from it. He had always longed to have such a place and it broke his heart when it was lost to us.

Life goes on – at least mine did. But I still love the feeling of watching someone who is going to such lengths to entertain face to face with an audience instead of seeing actors who, some of the time,. are working to please themselves instead of for those who have paid for their seats.

This is just me being grumptious.  But it has to be said. I was delighted to see the wonderful Adele Anderson who has beaten Cancer in order to give love to her audience.

GLOOMY SUNDAY

AT THE PHEASANTRY

Fascinating Adele

Adele Anderson is one third of the highly successful song and comedy group Fascinating Aida.

Ms Anderson is tall and elegant with a dark, straight haircut which accentuates her spectacular bone structure.

She has been absent from the group for a while having cancer treatment. It was hard conquering the terrible disease but she has retained her irresistible sense of humour and has managed to turn this piece of ill fortune into a comedy routine She has named her show Gloomy Sunday and divided it into various parts like “Disappoint, despair and death,” “Jealousy and Obsession” , “Songs of Misery and Despair.”.

She is skilful at turning pop songs into ridiculousness. The most hilarious is her version of that Monument to self pity I Who Have Nothing with over the top misery turning to anger in the awful bit about the pathetic victim pressing their nose against the window pane of a posh restaurant and then suddenly turning into a cute and shy teenager whispering I love you. She also finishes her first set with a crazy rendering of Tell Laura I love her. These numbers will never be the same again.

But The perfect standards she sings with respect, skill and honesty. Including my favourite lyric from Lorenz Hart It never entered my mind and Cole Porter’s Love for Sale. To illustrate the theme of Disappointment she uses Peggy Lee’s magnificent Is that all there is.

In her second set she illustrates her terrific blues voice Dont it make my brown eyes blue> and My blue shadowed eyes a clever song about domestic violence.

And of course, she finishes off with the suicide song. Gloomy Sunday – the reason for the show.

Her encore is a surprise and all have to join in.

Adele Anderson has a great voice and she gives us a show of expertise, glamour and wit with her fantastic piano player Dean Austin..

It was an extra gift to have the lovely Dillie Keane sitting next to me. Another heroine.