The Man Jesus at the Lyric Theatre Review

Wednesday night saw the world premiere of  The Man Jesus at the Lyric Theatre, Belfast.  A one man show written by Matthew Hurt and starring Simon Callow, the show tells the story of Jesus, from the point of view of various characters we know from the Bible.

Matthew Hurt's programme note says that the play is 'an attempt to peel away the the layers of assumption and the residue of mythology so that we can look into the face of a man'. Given the religious mythology that has been layered on the historical Jesus over hundreds of years, this is a tall order.

The stage is completely stripped back, the brick walls and fire evacuation sign giving a sense of stark bareness, of barrenness, almost of bleakness.  This allows the audience to focus only on the actor on stage and gives the feeling of the story being told in any space or time.

Each character portrayed is given their name in Aramaic, Jesus as Yeshua, Judas as Yehuda, Mary as Miryam.  While I understand the concept behind this decision was to remove the preconceptions an audience member may have, I found this confusing to follow and spent a lot of time as each character was introduced trying to figure out who the biblical character was.  Every character had their own accent, perhaps to enable the audience to differentiate between each.  I found this very distracting and would have liked to see each character presented with more physicality, removing the strong accents completely, and providing a completely stripped back portrayal.

Simon Callow himself is an amazing actor and handled the show well despite being ill.  His passionate portrayals and understanding of the stage is excellent.

The Man Jesus is a brave play which absolutely does present Jesus as a charismatic man, an important human being and as a radical of his day.  The play does not attempt to dismiss the mythology which has sprung up from his story, but looks at how his charisma, strangeness and different opinions affected those around him and describes how his magnetism encouraged people to follow him.

Of course, it should be noted that while Matthew Hurt attempts to strip the story back and remove the years of legend and layers of mythology, he uses as his source, the Gospels, which cannot be dated accurately and are anonymous.  Other Gospels were not included in the Bible at all. The Gospels are themselves a mythology and thus we can never truly know The Man Jesus.

The Man Jesus is playing at the Lyric Theatre, Belfast until 20th April.
Click here to find out more.            


Karen

http://twitter.com/classygenes

I Am My Own Wife Review

Telling a story based on real events is never easy.  Telling the remarkable story of cross dresser Charlotte von Mahlsdorf is beyond not easy, it's a huge undertaking. The writing itself is outstanding as you would expect from a Pulitzer and Tony prize winning play.

The actor, John Cronin is exceptional.  He has a sense of stillness about him that many actors don't have.  He doesn't need to make a gesture, change his costume or use a prop to let the audience know which character he is.  His posture, accent and the look in his eyes are enough to convey the character he has become.  This is a particular ability I admire in an actor - Damian Lewis from Homeland and Band of Brothers being another example.
  
Despite playing 36 different characters, his performance is always measured. Character changes are realistically balanced and there is no sense of unnatural speed.  Every character, no matter how insignificant, is precisely defined and effortlessly conveyed.  This is a testament to Cronin's acting ability.  In fact the entire production is a testament to his ability.  The breadth of accents in this production alone are enough to make most actors run away.

The set is beautiful and acts to enhance Cronin's performance.  I particularly love the contrast between the beautiful old things Charlotte surrounds herself with and her choice of dress. Gilded mirrors and red velvet chairs are set against her plain black dress, hair covering and orthopedic black shoes.  This plain style of dress both reflects and amplifies her character traits, her purposeful collecting of materials, her quiet acceptance of events and her resourcefulness at working through situations.  She is not a stereotype; she doesn't wear make-up, or heels or act frivolously.  

The show was gorgeous, Charlotte herself was endearing, the direction was perfect.  I loved the set, the sound, the visuals.  I particularly loved the lighting in the last scene and it seemed the audience was hesitant to applaud in case they broke the spell Charlotte had woven.  John Cronin gave a virtuoso performance of this highly technical play, and made it look effortless.

This play is for theatre people, for actors, for people in the business as well as the usual audiences.  You will see how theatrically nimble this actor is, and you will be jealous and amazed and rise and applaud as I did.

I am My Own Wife is playing at the MAC Belfast until Saturday 6 October.  If you don't see it you will regret it.


Karen

http://twitter.com/classygenes

Belfast Bred walking tour

Last weekend I went on the Belfast Bred food tour.  It's been around for a while and I had always wanted to check it out.  I guess I didn't because I'm not a big foodie and thought it was aimed more at tourists.  Now I wish I'd checked it out sooner.

We had arrived a bit early so went to a cafe to get a scone and some coffee, not realising just how many samples we would get on the tour!  The tour started at Sawer's Deli in Fountain Street.  

Our tour guide Barney told us some of the history of Sawer's and introduced us to the Manager who continued the story.  We were taken inside and given various food samples from octopus to Guinness Cheddar. 





Despite clearly being busy as the shop was being extended into the unit next door, the Manager and the staff made time to show us interesting items in the shop like this jar of real gold used for garnishing desserts.

Barney then led us out of Sawer's and round to Mourne Seafood Bar, one of my favourite restaurants. On the way he told us stories of his life, about food he remembered eating when he was young and also gave us some interesting insights into the history of particular buildings.   
    

After a chat to the Manager of Mourne Seafood bar and some freshly cooked Salt and Chilli Squid, off we went again, following Barney to the John Hewitt Bar. Again we heard some interesting facts about Belfast as Barney led us across Royal Avenue on a busy Saturday morning.  Passing shoppers looked bemused as Barney, in his lobster adorned chef's hat, shouted 'Hello' to everyone in his broad Belfast accent and rang his bell to get us to hurry along.  

At the John Hewitt we sampled some cider and lager as the Manager told us about the history of the bar and it's relationship with local beers and breweries. We felt rather special, being locked in the pub for our tasting session. 







The artwork that was on the walls while we were there, apparently linked to the Titanic Boys show in the Grand Opera House deserves a mention.  Some of the pieces were beautiful and the art is part of the reason why Belfast people love this wee bar.  

And we were off again, this time down the cobbled lanes past the Duke of York to Nick's Warehouse.
Barney continued with his brilliant stories of the history of Belfast and joking with the tour group.  I really think that this is what made the tour so special.  Fra Gunn, who plays Barney, is a gifted storyteller and engages everyone with his character, both the paying members of the audience and passers by.  He clearly enjoys what he does, and he is adept at ad libbing when he needs to.  I enjoyed seeing his typical Belfast banter with the chefs and managers of each venue. 

Nick Price, owner of Nick's Warehouse gave us a fascinating insight into not only his restaurant, but also into his own interests.  A quirky character, it was nice to hear the passion in his voice when he talked about food.  We sampled different types of cheese, which were all lovely, though my favourite was as always, the goats cheese.

And off we went again, following Barney through the busy streets towards McHughs Bar, the oldest building in Belfast.  This place is a gem.  The old photographs are a genealogist's dream, and I found it difficult to listen to the Manager with all the history on the walls around me.  

In McHugh's we were brought a volcanic rock heated to 430°C and a steak to cook on it. I'm not a big fan of steak, and would never order it, but even to me it tasted amazing.  








Barney led us on to St George's Market.  This was our final location, after two and a half hours.  We hadn't even noticed the time go.  It seems like a long time, but the tour is evenly broken up and as well being seated in the venues, you can also sit at various benches on the way.

The tour is absolutely not just for tourists. I know quite a bit about Belfast History, but Barney gave me a few extra facts which I'd never heard before. You also don't need to be a 'foodie' or even need to try all the samples. I started the tour practically a vegetarian, cooking with quorn rather than meat. The week after the tour, I took myself down to St George's Market to buy some real meat, simply because McHugh's made me realise how much I missed it.        

Belfast City Council describes the Belfast Bred tour as a 'unique theatrical walking tour exploring the food and drink of Belfast'. But it is so much more than just a food tour.  The tour tells us stories of Belfast city, of Belfast characters, architecture and history.  Barney is a great character and Fra Gunn a brilliant storyteller.  It's great experience and I wish I hadn't left it so long to book.

Information and booking info on the tour is here: Belfast City Council

Karen

www.twitter.com/classygenes

Noye's Fludde by NI Opera at Belfast Zoo

The kids went to see their first opera a couple of weeks ago.  Their cousin told them how he fell asleep at an opera when he was in New York, so they were pretty disgusted that I had booked them tickets for something so boring.

I think they were genuinely pleased by what they experienced, though the typical Belfast rain did it's best to wash us away.
 

Having the opera performed at the zoo must have been a logistical nightmare, but it was a stroke of genius.
All the kids I saw were excited, despite the downpour, and the marquees were packed, as well as the outside area.  Entry to the zoo itself was included in the price and many people stayed to see the animals.

I don't usually buy programs as they are usually full of actors' biographies and adverts and are a waste of money, but I'm pleased I bought this one.  It included sections on Benjamin Britten, the China Children's Chorus, the KT Wong Foundation, the design, a synopsis and the story of Dayu, as well as the customary biogs and ads.    

The best aspect of the event definitely was the design though.  The animals made from bamboo and silk using traditional lantern making techniques were simply beautiful, as were the birds made using kite making techniques.  The ark was built in front of our eyes, bit by bit and I think we were a bit shocked at just how many animals managed to get inside!

Well done to all involved. Opera can be a difficult artform to get kids interested in.  This production not only succeeded in getting families to go, but also managed to make them want to go back.

Karen

www.twitter.com/classygenes

Oedipus the King at the Lyric Theatre

Two weeks ago, I went to see Oedipus at the Lyric Theatre. As noted in a previous post, the show was produced by 17-19 year olds working with the Lyric team.  As we went into the studio, which looked amazing set up in traverse style, I noted the modern sofas which made my heart sink.

But I shouldn't have worried, these kids pulled it off.  The actors were all in formal suits, at first looking like they were in the Apprentice, but when Oedipus arrives complete with secret service guards, his own sharp suit and long speech, it's clear that this Oedipus has been based on the US President. The style works surprisingly well.

There were some brilliant performances throughout the play, particularly by Creon, the Messenger and Oedipus, but the actors were all good. The chorus sometimes on stage, sometimes on screen were strong. I particularly liked how the people heard the news of Oedipus' sins on a TV screen, just as the world heard the news of Bill Clinton's incident with Monica Lewinsky.  The lighting design really complemented the projection concept, the lights muted in shades of black and white until the news of Jocasta's death when slashes of red appeared on the screen. This reminded me of black, white and red film posters such as Sin City or the Godfather or TV advertising for True Blood.  This dramatic design only accented the tragedy of the awful events and underlined Oedipus' fate in blood for all to see.

It was great to see a sold out audience filled with friends and family of the young cast. I love that all these people have been introduced to Greek mythology in such an accessible way.  I love that a play written  2,500 years ago can have such resonance now. I was not the only person in the audience holding back tears. The childrens' pain at losing their father ensures that the tragedy of Oedipus is felt by all. If you don't know Sophocles' story of Oedipus the King you can download it here http://classics.mit.edu/Sophocles/oedipus.html

Director Philip Crawford is a man of many talents, and I hope the Lyric realise how lucky they are to have him.  Clearly an amazing Director drawing the best out in young actors, he also brought the RSC Open Stages project to NI, allowing amateur companies the opportunity to compete to perform in Stratford.  I know first-hand what an amazing teacher he is, as he taught me GCSE Biology in school quite a few years ago, and he alone is the reason I kept it on at A level.  He also directed one of Northern Ireland's 5 star shows just finished at the Edinburgh Fringe, Happenstance's the Boat Factory starting Dan Gordon and Michael Condron.

I'd love to see a performance of Sophocles' Elektra, Aristophanes' Lysistrata or Aeschylus' The Persians in the Lyric. (Hint Hint)  


Karen

www.twitter.com/classygenes

Northern Ireland Stats on Suicide

Suicides in Northern Ireland - did you know?

• Northern Ireland has a population of approximately 1.7 million
• In 2011, 289 deaths were registered as suicides (source: Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency). 
• During the period 1999 to 2009, a total of 2,258 deaths were registered as suicide (source: Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency).
• The number of male suicides has increased steadily over recent years (during the late 1990’s and the early 2000’s). The female suicide rate has remained relatively constant over the same period.
• Protect Life: A Shared Vision is the Northern Ireland Suicide Prevention Strategy & Action Plan (2006 – 2011). Click here  for more information.
• The number of deaths registered as suicide in 2005 was 213, in 2006 it was 291, in 2007 it was 242, in 2008 it was 282, in 2009 it was 260 and in 2010 it was 313 (source: Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency). 

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