Reviews

It’s a cliche and a misnomer to say “You don’t have to be a Monty Python fan to love Spamalot.”

Actually you do.

If you don’t know Python in all their wondrous absurdity, you’d be hard pressed to make sense of this send up of musical theatre, full of old over-worked gags, farting jokes, scenes with no apparent meaning, and only one memorable song - and that taken from an unconnected Python film (but everybody loves “Always look on the Bright Side of Life”).

Before Les Misérables, Phantom, Chicago or Lion King, Fiddler on the Roof was the longest running musical on Broadway, clocking up 3,242 performances. The 1971 movie adaptation received nine Academy Award nominations, winning three. Israeli actor Chaim Topol (still only in his mid-thirties) became a household name as the 'people's Tevye'.  This production is dedicated to both Topol and lyricist Sheldon Harnick who passed away this year in March (aged 87), and June (aged 99) respectively.

The Last Great Hunt’s The Hypotheticals tells of two best friends in the latter half of their 30s, a single straight woman and a partnered gay man who are hypothetically asking whether they should have a baby… together. A highly imaginative, deeply personal, and very physical piece of theatre, this 70-minute little treasure of a show has its audience engrossed.

This play is a masterclass in how the action, delivery and intention of actors can completely change the meaning of the same words.

Constellations is a ‘two hander’ for two star-crossed lovers, beekeeper Roland (Johnny Carr) and quantum physicist Marianne (Catherine Văn-Davies). The same fragments of their lives are repeated over and over with slight twists.

The change in the ‘metaverse’ is recorded in the script by a change from bold to normal text. In this elegant production the changes are realised with light, sound and skilful acting.