Cindy Marcolina - Page 12

Gush is an unassuming comedy with big stand-up vibes until its real nature is revealed. The show takes an abrupt u-turn right before the end, unveiling the writer’s plea. Will Armstrong directs with explosive energy, leaning into the initial weakness of the narrative and juxtaposition between Neil’s cheeriness and the dramatic sound design.

Back at VAULT Festival for another rollicking production, Incognito Theatre take their humour seriously. The company deliver a smooth, entertaining comedy that’s unpretentious but well-calibrated in its refinement. Catherine Cranfield directs Angus Castle-Doughty, Charlie MacVicar, Daniel Whitlam, Alex Maxwell, and George John with a sleek and expressive physical vision.

ReMythed zhuzhes up a series of fables, giving it a queer spin, to put what many consider “modern concepts” in perspective and combating LGBTQ+ erasure. They rejig handed-down tales from all over the world, questioning identities, challenging heteronormativity as well as “traditional values”. The company are a delight. 

Sellman-Leava’s piece was only a work-in-progress at the last pre-pandemic VAULT Festival. Since then, it’s had a run at Edinburgh last summer and a subsequent tour, growing into a surprisingly introspective and revelatory exploration of the effects of fanship.

Tim Edge’s new play is technically stunning and infused with striking visuals, but a narrative let-down. Joseph Ed Thomas’ lighting and Kavanagh’s sound design are what makes Under The Black Rock.

Since the cusp of the pandemic, the founder and artistic director of the company, Angus Castle-Doughty has been busy. After a stint in Brighton in 2022, he’s about to bring their new production, The Net Kill, underground, but theatre hasn’t really been the focus of Castle-Doughty’s post-Covid life.

Brazen experimentalism leans into performance art and blurs the lines of form and style with a non-narrative approach. They challenge the status quo chest first, challenging the very concept of a play to introduce ideas like naked existentialism, romantic disillusionment, unilateral desire, gender expectations, cultural demands, and the juxtaposition of perception and reality. They know what they’re doing. They almost mock the audience for their voyeuristic attitude with clever coups de théâtre that require as much lateral proactivity from the public.

A perplexing romanticisation of poverty and class divide with a stunning central performance by Jacob Wayne-O’Neill.

Unfortunately for writer Amalia Kontesi, this isn’t a great political play nor an exciting romantic drama.

Directed by VAULT Festival’s Head of Programming Bec Martin in her directorial debut, the play is dark in humour but not in atmosphere. The direct address establishes an immediate personal rapport and, by the end of it, you’ll wish you had a Katie Arnstein in your life.

Bebe Sanders’ latest play is a naturally flowing monologue that ambles comedy, satire, brutal honesty, and allegory. She is effortlessly funny in a relatable tale about burnout and millennial despair.

Beresford-Knox introduces a cunning monarch with a steely gaze and flawless posture. Portrayed by Frankie Hyde-Peace in a magnificent performance, Mary owns a regal poise. She rarely explodes, but when she does, it’s with composure and intention. Joined by Kelvin Giles as the Archbishop, she boasts her cruelty while he grovels.

People get very uncomfortable around death. It’s become this taboo of sorts when it’s just how life works. Leoni Amandin takes an original approach to the matter in an empathetic, surprisingly educational, funny celebration of mortality.

Created alongside Susannah Bramwell and Nina Fidderman (respectively credited as creative producer and associate artist), Right Of Way is emotionally intelligent and poignant. It straddles the line between poetry and theatre in an exquisite exploration of the “landscape of grief”. Bowden’s personal approach is life-affirming and moving. Already one of this year’s VAULT Five Artists, she confirms herself a promising theatre-maker.

Chris Yarnell directs an energetic cast. The plot is channelled through effortless movement and expressive music by Paul Freeman. A smooth figurative choreography establishes a creative attitude to physical theatre. Their tale isn’t obscure or cryptic in any way, but entertaining and utterly magnetic in its accessibility.

While Hide and Seek can be further polished, Tobia Rossi has impeccable aim as a playwright. He paints a touching picture before he violently snatches away all prospects of happiness and joy in a bid to prove the horrifying nature of homophobia.

When Brexit went from theory to reality, Clare Fraenkel looked into her German heritage and found out she was entitled to a German passport. Due to the restoration of German citizenship granted by Article 116 of the Basic Law, her grandfather’s epic escape from Nazi Germany in 1933 had a domino effect on her European future.

All in all, the concept is good but unfocused. The vignettes might need stronger intention and substance, as having roles with the same name is hardly enough to tie them together at this stage.

It's been a messy, disillusioning time for the arts. Another blow came last week when it was announced that VAULT Festival had to find a new home once this edition closed. BroadwayWorld spoke to Bec Martin, Head of Programming at VAULT, about the devastating news.

Owens scratches the surface of Welsh underdevelopment and economic deprivation, going as far as giving Julie a perfunctory invective against posh kids, but refraining from digging deeper into the issues. It’s disheartening to see such a big platform being under-exploited to the benefit of a silly narrative. Having a diversity of accents across three stages doesn't automatically guarantee quality.