Straight Plays. Yes look at me aren't I grown up...

Apologies for any dodgy typos, I'm typing this in the lab whilst running UV Vis spectra every 15 minute- not enough time to go away and do something else but enough time to get bored. UV Vis goes something like this; put sample in, press button, press button 15 minutes later and so on. I'm also wearing nitrile gloves which keep sticking to the keyboard and safety specs and a lab coat. Oh the glamour of Chemistry.

Dramsoc's production of Noises Off

So tonight, in order to both cheer myself up and pay them back for seeing our show, I saw Dramsoc's production of Noises Off- the comical farce that everyone seems to love. It was amazing! And absolutely hilarious (see Boeing Boeing, this is how you do comedy) I don't want to go into a full review as that is not the point of this post and I also don't like reviewing student shows as they tend to involve many of my friends. Past Dramsoc productions have left a little to be desired although this may be down to the choice of material and not the efforts of the society. They seem to flit between almost pantomime-standard fantasy type pieces where I'm left cringing at some of the casting decisions to well executed period pieces that are just a little dull (but do have spectacular sets). So Dramsoc have finally decided to return to what they do best- comedy. And I'm pleased, especially as this year's MTSoc was generally a lot less comedic than in past years.

I've been having a think about my history with plays (or as I tend to refer to them "straight plays" as technically a musical is a play too). My acting past shows a myriad of small plays usually written by our drama teacher that tended to be set in schools thus allowing for easily costumes and not much acting. From there I moved onto the school Christmas panto- a version of Peter Pan with tired jokes and eighties rock anthems. Not being blonde I was, of course, cast as Tiger Lily. After this, a select few were due to rehearse a serious piece about gambling called "High Stakes", I was to play the main characters' sister if the lead hadn't decided to not bother turning up to rehearsals. Thus ends my straight play acting life.

Daniel Radcliffe straddling a horse- nothing strange here, honest.

For a long time I really wasn't interested in seeing plays, I was musical theatre girl and anything without singing would just seem dull or pointless. Until I saw Equus. Yes I know, you think I went because of Daniel Radcliffe's penis and maybe I did but I came out barely having noticed it. What really struck me about the piece was how effective the spoken word (or even silence) could be. Emotions are heightened not by a song but by a facial expression or the way a line is delivered. I was really struck by how the entire story was presented within a small, simple setting with few props or colours to distract. This was acting at it's purist.

After that I began to pluck up the courage to see more plays, there has been the odd blooper- Happy Days, although an interesting concept and with the excellent Fiona Shaw as the lead, failed to capture my imagination. I don't think I'm quite at the age to understand Becket (plus I needed new glasses and so couldn't see everything), one day I'll realise the significance of his work but that day is not today. Another tick in the fail column would have to be Boeing Boeing- it just wasn't funny. Yes, Mark Rylance was good but I felt the cast were trying too hard to make themselves into caricatures. Yes you're going to tell me it was a farce but there's funny farce and there's cringey farce. This was cringey farce.

Future Doctor Matt Smith in That Face

So what have been some of those saving graces that have really made me see the reason behind theatre and encourage me to explore the world of the straight play? High up on my list is That Face, the first straight play I ever reviewed for Felix. It was a damningly honest tale of a family in turmoil over the mother's alcoholism culminating in a tragic scene in which her son (possibly the only level headed person in the play) loses it under the pressure of looking after his fragile mother. This son happened to be played by Matt Smith, now the new Doctor Who but at the time was a fresh young actor with bags of talent. The star name of the show was actually Lindsay Duncan, who isn't too well known outside theatre circles thus proving you don't need a celebrity to provide a brilliant and riveting play.

Another high point was The Viewing Room starring Leonard Roberts of Heroes and Buffy fame. Typecast as the strong silent type, Roberts, as the mysterious and slightly creepy prisoner, was able to break out of his niche and provide a captivating performance. I like it when actors do this; show the audience that they can be so much more than what we see on television, it's almost like a reward for theatregoers. Sheridan Smith as Elle Woods comes to mind as the perfect example of this category.

While a musical has to be big and happy to succeed in today's economic climate, there is more scope for creativity and the chance to explore darker themes in a play. I find it sad that musicals do not have the same opportunity to proceed forward, not every pop song or rock song or rap song is about the happier side of life so why should musical theatre songs have to be? My favourite songs are those about heartbreak or tragedy, they rip at your heartstrings and go somewhere a monologue in a play can't. I see plays because I'm interested in the subject matter or a specific performer. I see musicals because I'm interested in the writer or design. Have I really become so worn down by happy musicals or those with a lack of storyline that I no longer look for integrity and have to search further afield into the world of plays to find it?

Theatre Criticism- A Passion Or A Business?

Sexy time in The Viewing Room

Having just obtained press tickets for yet another night after opening night, I got a bit crabby about always being relegated to the not so impressive second night. Obviously it's because I only write for a lowly student newspaper (who happen to be the theatre goers of the future and haven't been hit too hard by the recession...yet) but I still get a peeved until I remember the time I did go to opening night.

It was a small play at the Arts Theatre called "The Viewing Room". the sole reason it had managed to get onto the West End was that it boasted the star power of Leonard Roberts, whom I had grown up watching in a bit part in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and had just finished playing DL in Heroes. The play itself was very good and very affecting, taking influences from the dystopian fictions of Orwell and Huxley and also contemporary sources such as Big Brother and the then current American Government. This was my first (and so far only) opening night and so was quite excited. When I got to the theatre it took the lady a while to find my ticket- not a good start, soon after I was hounded by some corporate type who was running some website recruiting students to run for the Mayor of London position. I fobbed him off with the editors telephone number and went to find my seat.

I was informed before the show that, being press, I would be able to obtain complementary drinks from the VIP room at the interval. I spent almost the entire interval trying to get in said room. Apparently I needed a press pass which was difficult as Felix don't issue press passes and so had to search for "Sally in the lobby" instead, how I was supposed to know who Sally was is beyond me. Whilst searching for the elusive Sally I spotted a lone figure in the lobby whom I recognised as George Takei here to support his Heroes costar. Obviously I wasn't the only person not allowed to enter the VIP room. When I did manage to make my way to the VIP room it was only to find they had stopped serving drinks and the show would soon be starting. Great. Now I was thirsty and needed the loo as I spent the entire interval trying to find bloody Sally.

When the play finished I had two options- go to the after show party or stay for the post-play discussion with the actors, director and a leading human rights barrister. I'm glad I chose the later option- the panellists were engaging and eloquent, the intimate setting was nice and we even had the plays author pop up from behind me to chime in with his answer.

Having a small infatuation with the world of celebrity I decided to pop up to the party post-discussion. Maybe it would be a good chance for networking or someone might take me under their wing. I climbed the rather steeps stairs to find some rather tacky decor and lots of rah-types proclaiming "Yah darling" and drinking glasses of wine. I finally went to the toilet and left.

I was left slightly disillusioned by the whole evening and put it down to old-school theatre lovies who weren't in the job for the love of theatre but to get as much free stuff as possible. This saddened me somewhat as, although it started out as a way of getting free tickets, I really do love the theatre and use my reviews as a way of getting more people interested in it. They just saw it as a business- "Yes, well I so soandso yesterday, this tomorrow and I was going to see this the day after but it didn't look very good so we sent the intern, haha!" It upset me that the professional critics could take an art form (that also happens to be many peoples livelihoods as well as their passion) and turn it into a jolly old fraud

A critic's opinion can make or break a show, make everyone involved rich or back on the dole, realise or ruin a dream and yet they treat as a joke. Its all rather sad really.