Davina Returns

Oh what fabulous glorious fun (as well as hard work) playing Davina is in The Wedding Party Immersive Dining Experience. This time, Davina went with pink hair (temporary hair putty – fabulous wash out stuff) – and honestly, this was the best ever. It’s probably 80% improv and there is nothing quite like the thrill of not knowing what people are going to say to you, and responding in character. The amount of work we all have to do to build our characters behind the scenes is insane – stuff that never gets seen really, except to become the character like a second skin.

I love Davina and I love playing her. I love that she’s looking for at least one date at her daughter’s wedding, constantly on Tinder, thinks her daughters are the best people in the universe and would do anything for them – see there, that’s the only thing we actually have in common! She is so very far away from me and yet I adore playing her, the permission I get from everyone in the room to be as outrageous and larger than life as I can. It’s not unlike that one time I dyed my hair blonde and got away with so much – because people expected it. For that six months in my life, I had the best time – and I can assure you, blondes definitely have more fun.

The feedback we got this time was out of this world. We had 5 birthdays, and one 38 year wedding anniversary – we made a point of singing happy birthday to them and congratulating the couple. We always make a fuss of special occasions. A man celebrating his 65th birthday said it was the best night he can remember in years, and one of his favourite things was us all going round the tables to talk to people – I adore this part of it myself. It makes them feel involved, valued – not just as audience, but as participants. Talking with them and engaging them is so special – I always talk about the “hen night” that the ladies on the tables were on, talk about falling out of the taxi… I make up the most outrageous hen night that I can think of and they all join in, add stuff, and always always laugh. Love it.

Here’s some dressing room shots for your delectation!

Oh! It’s A Lovely War

We open tonight! Just take a look at these beautiful photos from Miles Davies. He’s captured it beautifully. It’s going to be a gorgeous show! Book here

‘Duty’ at Brighton Fringe

I’m beyond excited to be putting my play ‘Duty’ on at the Brighton Fringe. The actors are inhabiting their characters, they bring the script to life and make these people live. I have to say, it’s really perfect casting. Perfect. Matt Vickery brings such intensity to the character of John, it’s riveting to watch, utterly compelling. Jordan Southwell’s creation of Harry is absolutely brilliant: the perfect foil for John to butt heads with: cheeky, innocent, and so loveable. Jake Marchant is so still, calm and poised as Joe, pouring oil on the waters of their friendship with beautiful diplomacy, tact and intelligence. And between them they create this very real friendship that just feels like they have been friends forever, with their humour, their way of behaving with each other and the grounded dynamic. Sam Nixon as Mags, John’s mum, adds so much to the melting pot and gives us a huge insight into not only her relationship with her son, but in their interactions together we get to see so much more of John, and how others see him, his internal thinking, struggles and motivations. It’s quite simply a joy to watch them all work.

It’s at the Lantern Theatre, Brighton, from Thursday 22 to Sunday 25 May.

Don’t miss it. Honestly, this is well worth an hour of your time.

In the meantime, here are some photos:

First Feature

My lovely friend Luke Mepham of Macroverse Films first feature film is currently in production. I play a drama group participant in it: Tina Carpenter. She reads a lot, she’s a little irritating, she has a dominating mother and a daughter Rachel who has a top job in London and rarely has time for her mother. Rachel is always pleasant enough but pities Tina, considering her not worldly wise at all, which is true. Tina is used to apologising for herself, including for taking up space. She hopes the drama group will help with that. So far she’s just got scared of the exercises.

Of course all of that character prep is just in my little ole head, but it helps me to know her better, then I can portray her better!

Oh! What A Lovely War

I’m delighted to have been cast in Identity Theatre’s latest production: Oh! What A Lovely War. It’s a strong cast and I feel honoured to be part of it. Multi rolling, singing in a full on musical – fantastic. And the choreography, however simple it might be to otherwise non clumsy people, I’m finding that the most challenging as usual! It looks gorgeous when we get it all right. I’m looking forward to “Sister Susie’s Sewing Shirts for Soldiers” which is enormous fun!

So watch this space and don’t forget to book your tickets for June!

Approximately 56,000 Words…

I was curious, so I looked back at 2024, looking at all the theatre I’ve seen, and all the theatre I’ve reviewed. I saw 76 different productions, most of which I’ve reviewed, and using the average word count of reviews means I’ve written approximately 56,000 words. Which is almost the size of a novel.

I love that I’ve written theatre reviews the size of a novel, but I do wish I’d actually written a novel – as well as all the theatre reviews. So just a mere doubling. I don’t want much.

So far this year I’ve seen a good few productions already and most I’ve reviewed, but Andy and I went to see Elektra at Brighton Theatre Royal in January (no reviewers allowed) and came out asking each other what we’d just watched – it’s not a good sign when the audience have finished clapping and are getting up to leave before the actors leave the stage. The thing is, you have to be someone really rather exceptional to modernise a classic Greek tragedy. This however was as if a pile of creatives had an ideas meeting while drinking heavily, and decided to use every single idea they came up with. Let’s have a rolled up carpet on the stage! Let’s completely cover the actors with smoke while they are having a really interesting emotional discussion! Let’s put a blimp on stage that just hangs there for the whole show! Let’s give the lead a microphone and mixing pedal and tell her to emphasise the word “no” every time she says it, and also get her to spray paint the set while she’s talking!

How about, let’s not.

The thing is, when they announced Brie Larson as the lead I was intrigued to see what she would do with such an iconic role. When they announced Stockard Channing as well, I got straight on line to book tickets. The chance to see Stockard Channing and Brie Larson on stage? I don’t mind if they recite a shopping list. And to be honest they may as well have been reciting shopping lists. In fact I think I would have preferred it. I felt so sorry for all the actors – it wasn’t their fault. They must know they are in an absolute turkey. It’s unforgivable to cast such wonderful actors and then direct them so badly. But at least I got to see them on stage – and their stage presence is something else, even though they seemed dimmed being aware of what they were in.

Our smiles quickly faded

On the other hand I ran the lights and sound – basically DSM type role – at Brighton Little Theatre for this double bill, and I loved every second watching both shows. After the initial panic and baptism by fire. And various issues. But the shows was what was important – and they were incredible.

The humour in “The Voyage of the Carcass” was exactly my type of humour which doesn’t happen often, as sometimes I like situational, sometimes I like really stupid stuff and sometimes I like really really dark humour, and this was very dark indeed. I was chuckling away in the lighting box at my favourite line in each of the performances – it was never not funny. And I always, always like clever. Clever humour is one of my favourite things. And this had layer upon layer of depth in it that I think some people missed if they just saw the absurd. Which is a shame, because the play had so much to say about isolation, about how we each live in our imaginary little worlds regardless of who is around us (or not). I really truly loved it. An abstract story in a set that looked literal.

Bobby and Amy was a completely different type of play – more of a theatre goer’s type of play in that all the locations were stylised, leaving you to imagine and fill in the gaps. But what stood out about this play was the acting, it’s just two actors, but they play all the different roles in the play (and it’s designed that way). They fill the stage with the whole town of people, so even though a two hander, you could never call it a duologue. Everything was done by movement, by changing their physicality for the different characters which was beautifully done. A stunning achievement. A literal story told in an abstract way.

And then a couple of days ago I was back at the Theatre Royal to review Birdsong. Which I was really looking forward to. And for the first hour I was so disappointed. The second act is sublime – if you get a ticket, feel free to go for a coffee or a meal for the first hour, then watch the next two acts. They are really interesting. Although don’t sit too close to the stage if you are sensitive to cigarette smoke. There is a LOT of it.

My official review on Brighton Source here

On a personal note, there’s lots more going under the water line: like people describe swans with frantic paddling underneath the water while they glide on the surface – but I don’t feel much like a swan, I feel like some sort of cross bred duck whose feathers are all over the place. Things like being ill and taking ages to recover. Things like ongoing issues with dealing with health and council “professionals” over my daughter’s care, from one numpty to the next, from incompetence to slap-dashery, from mistakes to failing in a statutory duty of care and nobody being able to do a dam thing about it. All these things drain me more than attending 3 different rehearsals a week for 3 different productions would. Funny that.

Still, I’m performing on Sunday in The Wedding Party in Eastleigh, that will be enormous fun – if only I can fit into the dress, and at this point I’m seriously doubting it…

The Wedding Party

The Wedding Party comes to Sussex! It’s coming to Seaford, honestly so easy to get to from Brighton. This is the immersive dinner theatre: guests come to a wedding reception of the wedding where everything goes wrong. It’s fabulous fun. I play Davina: Essex based caravan owning Tinder loving mother of the Bride.

More info here

Link to tickets here

Deathtrap

One production at a time? Don’t be silly. I am cast as Helga ten Dorp in Ira Levin’s Deathtrap, directed by my brilliant friend Julian Batstone. I’m also production manager and publicity and promotion.

Well, I like to be busy.

So I’ll be flouncing around trying to perfect an understandable Dutch accent as an eccentric (but hopefully not over the top) psychic. Those two last parts will be so far from the truth of course, as I keep being reminded by friends…

This has a stunning cast: Guy Steddon and Jake Marchant in the two lead roles, plus Anna Quick and John Garland – book your tickets early, this will be popular! Link here