Irritating habits of theatre audience members. To tweet or not to tweet?

To Tweet or Not to Tweet?

As a writer, avid promoter of theatre and reviewer I find the use of Twitter to be of enormous value in spreading the news of a successful production minutes after the show. Equally it can be utilised as a means of drawing attention to my considered review or blog post. Imagine a scenario where tweeting from your mobile was allowed during the actual show. All those little screens lit up in the dark whilst the play was actually being performed. Ay there's the rub!

Some while back now I was invited to be a Tweet Seater in my capacity as a reviewer at Nottingham Playhouse. I don't have a modern mobile phone so I took along my tablet for internet access. Even as the days before the press night loomed I started to have reservations about sitting at the back of the auditorium tweeting my views live once it dawned on me what was involved. On the night I was seated with two other reviewers in special seats tucked away from the main body of the audience. I began to feel increasingly nervous about audience reactions to my screen lighting up in the darkened theatre. A tablet screen is much larger than a mobile screen.

As luck would have it I couldn't get access to the internet and so the proverbial glow worm of my screen remained in the dark. The two other reviewers were able to silently tweet away however. I started to consider how I felt in my capacity of reviewer where I normally give my full attention to the story unfolding on the stage. This notion that tweeting micro reviews as the play happened live felt decidedly wrong. I felt very distracted and disengaged with the play even though wasn't actually able to tweet. I believe the opposite is supposed to happen and that one's appreciation is heightened. I'm not sure I buy into that one.

At the interval two old lady members of the audience made their way across the back wall seating and pointedly asked the 'seat tweeters' what they were doing having their mobiles on during the play. The young women politely answered that they had been asked by the Playhouse to try out this new approach to theatrical promotion. The old ladies were not happy and proposed to complain to the management.

In October 2014 Daily Telegraph journalist Rupert Christiansen wrote a highly critical piece about 'tweet seating' a phenomenon that appears to have come from the USA. It was instigated to help flagging audience sales for plays that were not star led or big popular musicals. He considered the tweeters as sad souls who can't spend a second away from their smart phones for a nano-second and who want to send their Twitter followers a blow by blow account of the progress of the show. Further, he considered this as another 'concession to barbarity' and further evidence of a catastrophic decline in the etiquette of audience behaviour.

The reality of disengaged and disruptive behaviour at the theatre isn't a new phenomenon. There have been records of disruption in theatres through the ages, including actual fights taking place between audience members. However, for the last fifteen years, on top of people talking during the show and rustling their crackling bloody sweet papers, the mobile phone has added to the frustrations of genuine theatre lovers who go to be entertained and escape. Kev Castle, a fellow reviewer in Nottingham recently reported his disgust at five mobiles going off in the course of an hour during a new studio based one man show. One male member of the audience even answered their phone mid performance and loudly exclaimed “ I'm at some play. It'll be over soon. I'll call you back!” Imagine tweeting a mid show tweet about that! You would feel equally complicit and equally rude.

Even as far back as 2009 The Guardian's Ruth Jamieson was asking if we should be tweeting during a performance. She had the opinion that is was OK as long as there are no spoilers. My opinion is that whilst there may be eleven characters trying to tell a story on the stage should you be trying to distil theatrical intent into a Twitter led one hundred and forty character opinion? The use of mobile phones in the auditorium isn't just a young generational thing either. I have seen little rectangular beacons light up from all ages as people check their latest emails and such. Where is the respect for the play and the performers?

Apparently, by encouraging guests to discreetly tweet during live performances the venue can gain valuable exposure and marketing and by this token they claim to be able to bring in new younger audiences. Does this not then alienate, more appreciative, traditionally engaged audiences? Is it just sad gimmick that will eventually run its course? Could there be a certain cache in being chosen to be in a tweet seat during any performance? Opinions on a tweet please @PhilLowe7 #tweetseatopinion

Originally published in Sardines Magazine Issue 26 under the title 'Distracting tweets and Rustling sweets.'

 

Writing for Sardines magazine.

I have been writing for Sardines magazine for five issues now spanning from issue No 22 Spring/Summer 2014 to issue No 26 Spring/Summer 2015. My theatre writing has been as varied as full interviews with Warwick Davis, Brian Conley, John Godber and Howard Brenton to compiling and writing a twenty-five page First World War Centenary feature all connected with theatre.

I have also contributed a piece about Nottingham's Lace Market Theatre's twinning events with two theatres in Karlsruhe Germany and a separate piece about the making and playing of my play 'Greetings From The Trenches' which also played in Karlsruhe December 2014.

In the last issue I wrote a piece about Tweet Seating and the nature of annoyances in the theatre from audience members. Look out for a separate blog post about that very soon. Coming up in Sardine's issue 27 Summer/Autumn 2015 I have another full interview with the award winning playwright Mike Kenny who I met at Derby Theatre earlier this year.

Thanks to Paul and Fariba at Sardines for these continuing opportunities to contribute to their fabulous quality magazine.

Phil Lowe

Jesus Christ Superstar UK tour review

Playing at Theatre Royal Nottingham 30^th June- 4^th July this terrific production of Jesus Christ Superstar shows why Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's show has remained at the forefront of musical theatre since its conception in the early 1970s. Throughout the decades it continues to engage emotionally and this current 'on tour' show demonstrates this in spades.

Directed by Bob Tomson and Bill Kenwright this touring production features JCS stalwart Glenn Carter as a very likeable and emotionally complex Jesus who pulls out all the musical stops with his brave rendition of the deeply compelling song 'Gethsemane' and altogether wows the audience with the gentle power of his overall performance as Christ.

Opposite Carter is Judas Iscariot played by Tim Rogers who finds some affective sympathy in a man destined to betray Christ and sings his gutsy main role with great credibility bringing some truthful light and shade into a character that could potentially be seen as purely the bad guy.

There aren't any really complex roles for women in this show and the character of Mary Magdelene is thinly sketched with the famous and historically much covered 'I Don't Know How to Love Him' as her main number. Although competently sung by Rachel Adedeji it isn't until we get the final scenes of Christ's crucifixion that we see any true depth of feeling, other than initially comforting Christ, from Adedeji's character portrayal.

This production benefits theatrically from the presences of a very camp and funny Tom Gilling as King Herod. Equally we have Johnathan Tweedie as the politically and socially manipulated Pontious Pilate in a very strong and commanding performance. The audience are also in awe and a little afraid of the deep voiced actor (Cavin Cornwall) playing Caiaphas. Cornwall brings great authority to his character and even when silent one can sense the danger in the man that helped to execute Jesus through his dealings with Judas Iscariot.

The show's choreography is brought splendidly to life by choreographer Carole Todd and really achieves its best in the 'Simon Zealotes' number enthusiastically led by actor Kristopher Harding as Simon Zealotes and equally so in the title number 'Jesus Christ Superstar.'

The JSC ensemble work hard at telling the story of the last days of Christ and are wonderfully supported musically by the live orchestra under the musical director Bob Broad and the fantastic set designed by Paul Farnsworth and lit by Nick Richings. It was great to see the inclusion of some local children in two of the show's most upbeat scenes – 'Hosanna' and 'Jesus Christ Superstar'.

Jesus Christ Superstar in its current touring mode is a terrifically moving piece of musical theatre performed by a youthful and very talented cast.

Originally written for Nottingham Live

Review of Spamalot Nottingham Theatre Royal

                 Make it your quest to go and see Spamalot!

Spamalot, the hit Monty Python comedy musical written by Eric Idle and John Du Prez currently resides at Nottingham Theatre Royal until Saturday 27^th June. It is a fun, politically incorrect romp heavily influenced by Python's film 'Monty Python and The Holy Grail' graced with extra campness in the theatrical mix.

Directed by Christopher Luscombe with choreography by Jenny Arnold Spamalot tells the tale of King Arthur and his assistant Patsy (played by father and son Joe Pasquale and Joe Tracini) gathering together a group of knights to go on a quest to find the vessel of the Holy Grail. The quest is instigated by the beautiful Lady of the Lake played and sung by Sarah Earnshaw. Earnshaw has the perfect mix of terrific singing voice and comedy and her songs are some of the highlights of the show, in particular the Diva's Lament.

King Arthur's role is 98% comedy based and Pasquale comes into his own with some perfect comic timing and mastery of his comedic talents. Thankfully the role doesn't call for much singing as his, not so strong, singing voice doesn't match up with the high vocal standards of the rest of the cast. Saying that the first night audience at Nottingham Theatre Royal love every second he is on stage.

Joe Tracini wows the audience as the sympathetic Patsy and is clearly a gifted actor, singer and all round performer. He has energy in abundance and is clearly talent to watch out for. The heart glows each time he appears.

Plenty of Pythonesque silliness prevails throughout and fans who haven't seen the show will be delighted to see a vision of Eric Idle as God talking to King Arthur. All the character and situation elements from the film are here on stage, well most of them. We have the knights who say “nee”; the knight who gets chopped to bits by King Arthur but won't give up; the singing and dancing Knights of the Round Table strutting their stuff, the French Knights farting in the King's direction and soothsayer Tim and the deadly rabbit.

As the lyrics go “ If life seems jolly rotten, there's something you've forgotten and that's to laugh and dance and smile and sing...” and looking on that 'bright side of life' is what this show is all about.

Songs include Fisch Schlapping Song, The Song That Goes Like This (terrifically performed by Richard Meek as Sir Galahad and Sarah Earnshaw as Lady of the Lake) Camelot and Find Your Grail both given full belt by the full company. The most looked forward to and famous song is Always Look on the Bright Side of Life sung by Tracini in fine vocal form.

Three other highlights of the show are the Diva's Lament and the very funny scene in Prince Herbert's chamber with a gloriously camp Richard Kent as the 'soon to be wed' Prince Herbert who only wants to sing in falsetto. Jamie Tyler is hilarious as a newly realised gay Sir Lancelot and has the audience weeping with laughter in his song and dance scene featuring the jaunty Cococabana influenced song His Name is Lancelot. Will Hawksworth steals the show in the second half as brave Sir Robin and the two actresses Abigail Climer and Holly Easterbrook bring not only some showbiz female glitz and glamour to the stage but are also excellent in their comedy roles.

Overall a superb night's entertainment (or is that knight's entertainment?) which has the audience in stitches pretty much for the whole show. It even includes magic effects and audience participation and you are not obliged to eat any Spam in the interval but this reviewer did because he loves it. He could eat it day and night. Wonderful Spam! Marvellous Spam! Spam and chips, eggs and spam, I could eat Spam a lot. Maybe this reviewer is showing his age now. Exit stage left and don't trip over the shrubbery!

Review: Midlands Academy of Dance and Drama Showcase 2015

This 48^th Anniversary Gala student Showcase from Nottingham based Midlands Academy of Dance and Drama showing twice at Nottingham Playhouse is totally outstanding and utterly professional. Every single aspect of the showcase is polished to a glittering sheen of its singing and dancing life.

 

This reviewer had the privilege of seeing the third year graduate show at London's Criterion Theatre in May this year and that was mightily impressive. Now this exciting Nottingham showcase features ninety-six students from across all three years including the twenty-six from the graduating class.

The hard work that has clearly gone into presenting this student showcase is breath-taking. There is never a moment's respite in the packed programme and full appreciation must go to the totally dedicated staff at MADD under the principal Frances Clayton and production co-ordinator Edward Nudd. Especial notice should be given to professional choreographers and directors Emma Clayton, Ryan Lee Seager, Stewart Arnold, Mark Webb, Daniel Gordon, Mark Hedges, Stuart Hayes, Kamilah Beckles and Sue Sparham. Additionally, the total theatrical package wouldn't be complete with the superb live band with musical director Callum Clarke and the amazing light ( Leigh Mulpeter) and sound (Rob Ketteridge) from MAC Productions Ltd.

The showcase features sixteen musical numbers including dance in various styles. The first half highlights have to be a re-imagined Bohemian Rhapsody, the opening number Queen of The Night, a very funny Keep It Gay, and Please Don't Touch Me performed by Amanda Blockley and Braidley Wilson. There's some terrific heart stopping dance in The Rich Man's Frug, frightening all male choreography in the menacing Where's Your Head At? and we finish with the vibrant closing piece The Rhythm of Life featuring the entire third year ensemble.

The second half opens up spectacularly with Steel Town Sky followed by third year vocalists Summer Rozenbroek, Rebecca Telling, Sadie Marie-Ebbon and Savanna Darnell singing I Have Nothing to great applause. Comedy highlights in the second half include Man Up and the flirty Doctors' Orders and more sombre pieces such as the touching dance piece Amazing Grace. Throughout the showcase the dancers excel in their often athletic work showing their dedication, fitness and fluidity and hard won choreography that make it all look easy. Such talent takes years of honing and the capacity audience clearly appreciated them.

In writing a review one is conscious of those artistes not mentioned and in this case theatrical numbers equally not mentioned. Certainly every one of the ninety-six performers perfectly demonstrate why their top talents have been chosen to be a student at such a prestigious school as Midlands Academy of Dance and Drama! They should all be very very proud. Next to me in the audience are the parents of a young woman who is starting her course at MADD in September this year. In the interval they tell me that she is sitting at the end of the row and is getting emotional at the thoughts and sights of what lies ahead of her. Her parents seem extremely impressed as were many a set of parents and families in this capacity audience tonight. She can look forward to being coached by industry professionals of the highest calibre.

The showcase ends on a huge high as a costumed cavalcade of singers and dancers begin the final numbers by the full company. The Freak Flag story book character costumes are totally brilliant and there seems to be a never ending flow of students spilling out of every door and lining the auditorium. The whole audience is smiling and clapping along and as the final notes of the following Car Wash number hit the roof the fully deserved applause is deafening.

After the showcase and outside of my opinion and outside the theatre itself are a very happy crowd of audience well wishers including former students who have come along to support the current students. The terms “brilliant”, “extremely professional” and “loved the way it all flowed” echo through the throng. #rogeroverandout.

PS: To read more about my visit to the MADD college earlier this year click this LINK.

Production photo credits Joe Shaw

Review: The Siege. Nottingham Playhouse

No stranger to political drama himself, playwright Howard Brenton has described the Palestine based Freedom Theatre of Jenin's production of The Siege as 'Real political theatre, performed out of the terrible and inspiring experience of a struggle for freedom and justice and living proof that telling stories and entertaining audiences are powerful acts of resistance to oppression.'

The ninety minute drama by this famous Palestinian theatre company is an emotionally gripping non stop tale of Palestinian freedom fighters who, in 2002, sought sanctuary in the Church of The Nativity in Bethlehem. The work is actually enhanced by the very nature that all six male actors are speaking Arabic (with English language surtitles above the action) throughout the play. Only the character of the 'tour guide' speaks English.

The stories of the fighters and the nuns, priests, and civilians with them in the church, plus the opposing Israeli army and their tactics, are brought to life through a variety of ways including archive film footage, monologues and dangerously realistic shooting and bombing effects. Strange high pitched noises are used by the Israeli forces to demoralise those holed up in the church and there is even a moment of dark humour as one of the fighters reacts to the enemy's psychological method of forcibly using his mother's voice to beg him and his comrades to surrender themselves.

Writer Nabil Al-Raee's story abounds with talk of miracles, sacrifice and visions of Jesus in the church. Helicopters circle the church and snipers hide on every rooftop. The thirty nine day siege drags on and we hear that food is getting short in supply. The centre of Bethlehem is paralysed keeping tens of thousands under curfew. All the while we hear of the controversially biased nature of the media coverage. It is a desperate situation as the trapped are starving and the wounded are slowly bleeding to death. Actors Ahmed Rokh, Ahmed Tobasi, Faisal Abu Alheja, Hassan Taha, Milad Qunebe and Rabee Hanani bring the stories terrifically and terrifyingly to life.

From the very outset the audience enter the auditorium to the distant sound of Christian chanting and the impressive visuals of the dark interior of the set designed by Anna Gisle. Given that drama historically had it's origins through a blend of religion, ceremony and entertainment and later on developed strong connections with the Christian church this reviewer has the uncanny feeling that the Nottingham Playhouse audience are almost cast as the captive witnesses in the stage reconstruction of Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity. As the 'tour guide' says “I'll take you on a tour to get to know this place.” In The Siege you also get a 'tour de force' company of brilliant theatre makers.


Review originally featured as lead review in EG section of Nottingham Post 12th June 2015

Leicester Writes Festival overview. Promo.

Leicester Writes Festival       

June 26th-28th 2015 Leicester Writes: a festival of new writing is the go-to event for new and emerging writers across the East Midlands. A superb line up of authors and experts will take you through all you need to know about becoming a writer and getting published. Whether you're interested in poetry, writing novels or short stories, screen writing or blogging - you'll find a panel of insiders who really know their stuff. Perfect your elevator pitch over a networking lunch. Learn the art of writing and how to keep going until you've made it. Filled with inspiration and advice, Leicester Writes is the first and only festival dedicated to showcasing regional literary talent and helping you fuel your creativity. Tickets from only £35 per day. View the full programme online . Only restricted tickets will be available after 15th June 2015.  Leicester Writes Link.      

There's also a pre-festival event which is free to attend. Full details below:      

 

Where do we go from here? Literature development in Leicestershire. A Mass Conversion about Literary Strategy in Leicester.

Thursday 25^th June 4.30 to 5.30pm.

Room KELTI, Ken Edwards Building, Centre of New Writing, University of Leicester.

In association with the Centre for New Writing Leicester Writes hosts a Pecha Kucha style event to discuss our collaborative ambitions for literary development in Leicestershire. We invite anyone who is engaged with Leicester's writing scene to hold this conversation. What are our ambitions for literary development in Leicester? What have we got? How can we collaborate most effectively? How can we achieve them? Please fill in our simple Survey Monkey questionnaire in advance of the meeting. No need to book for this event. Survey link: