7,189 posts
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Post by Jon on Feb 15, 2023 13:39:59 GMT
Is the Vaults owned by Network Rail or someone else.
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1,250 posts
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Post by joem on Feb 17, 2023 0:02:54 GMT
Went to Compositor E today by Charlie Dupre. A play about one of the typesetters of Shakespeare's first folio which weaves together fact, fiction and the works of Shakespeare to create an interesting story of witchcraft in Jacobean times.
A two-hander with the author himself acting the part of Isaac the owner of the typesetting business and Harry Pudwell taking on the role of John Pudwell, the troubled young apprentice.
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1,503 posts
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Post by foxa on Feb 18, 2023 0:30:53 GMT
Wow - the Vault Festival was buzzing tonight - all the bars packed, lots going on. Lower Marsh Street was so busy that a tourist stopped to ask me if it was busy because it was Friday or for some other reason. The Festival must give a real lift to local businesses.Hope it can find a new home. Saw Compositor E (which joem describes very well) at the Network Theatre and enjoyed it.It helps if you know a bit about Macbeth and James I. It has an excellent sound design and some clever projections. Then had a drink in the big packed bar to get a bit of the festival vibe. |
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1,866 posts
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Post by Dave B on Feb 18, 2023 12:33:14 GMT
Two recent shows.
This Is The Land.
Improvised dance around the four seasons and their and our relationship with the land... at least that's what the promos suggest. I really struggled with this, without any sort of narrative it is very hard to follow. The programme notes help a little but only in giving a very broad overview. The movement and sound are excellent and the tech work with the looping etc is top notch. I left confused though and feeling like I needed a thread through to be able to both follow and fully enjoy the piece. A high level of talent from all involved but one that for me just missed the mark or more accurately passed me by entirely.
How We Begin.
Beautiful tender piece about falling in love with your best friend even though she has a boyfriend. Superbly performed and an absolute joy to sit there and watch. I was smiling throughout. Smart and tender and with just four cushions and no props or stage decoration, it felt so intimate and the audience completely drawn into their relationship. Funny too, the script bringing a lot of laughs and a lot of joy. 5 stars, very memorable, loved it.
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Post by fiyerorocher on Feb 19, 2023 13:45:18 GMT
The Unconventionals
A musical about queer life in London in the 1930s. Some very talented performers, both in terms of acting and vocals, but they need to take a serious look at the framing device of the show. The opening scene takes place in modern day London and there are two young characters doing some kind of treasure hunt, and they can somehow see and speak to a ghost? of a man who has been there for 40 years? It didn't make much sense and we never see them again. The rest of the show was about as expected from your typical festival musical.
Parma Violets
This was a well-attended sweet play about a burgeoning relationship between two young women - one Catholic and one from the traveller community. It could have done with the finest smidge more staging. I appreciate it's a minimally staged show owing to the constraints of a festival show, but it felt a little like someone had forgotten one bag of props - one of the characters has a camera and takes pictures multiple times in different scenes, but don't actually give her a camera as a prop. She also reads from a book at the start and end, but there's no book. It also needs to be about 5 minutes longer, as the pacing in the last 10 minutes feels a little off. But really sweet and probably my favourite festival show so far.
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2,496 posts
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Post by zahidf on Mar 2, 2023 13:40:05 GMT
Saw three shows last night!
La Voisin, really fun 4 woman show about 17th century poisoners in France
Five years with the white man, really moving one man show, moving between the past and the actors own life
Hummingbird, very funny and moving play about grief
All worth watching this week
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1,866 posts
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Post by Dave B on Mar 9, 2023 11:49:41 GMT
Right, catching up a bit.
Arcadia 87
Oof, inconsistent and all over the place. Throws themes out left right and centre and then doesn't do much with them. A young company clearly trying for something but not making it. Some great comedy around an arcade machine Margaret Thatcher but a bit of a chore otherwise. 2 stars.
She-Wolves
A history of female rulers of England through interpretive dance, movement, song. Another that wasn't really my cup of tea but was really well received by the audience and fits nicely within VAULT.
The Tinker
Well presented but not doing much special or interesting. A knock at the door late at night, does the Tinker have their long lost (dead?) child with him - can they buy him back? Throws out a few pieces and creates and atmosphere but leaves every thread just dangling. It can be satisfying or interest to get any answers but this felt a step too far. Entertaining but I hope a work in progress as it's not too far off jumping up the star ratings. 3 stars.
Caligula & The Sea Gorgeous technical work and staging, sheets becoming the sea and a really fantastic aesthetic. But a script devised by the company which clearly needed someone to take charge and cut out some nonsense. A sudden inclusion of a scene with lip-sync to 'I will Survive' essentially destroys the entire show. It just makes all the good work gone before vanish. So much good foundation in here, a couple of recasts and a take charge and this would be great but otherwise a bare 2 stars. A shame, part of Vault 5 and I had been keen on this for a while.
Spur
Put a little effort in to meet this halfway and it will reward handsomely. Not a western, just three different stories hung on a western movie. Love, loss and unrequited longing. Exceptional light work with a projector doing most of the work and making the cliche of a cowboy hat silhouette work perfectly. Top cast. Needs a little bit more focus and a couple of tweaks but hugely impressive otherwise. Strong 4 stars.
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Two more days planned at Vault before it moves off into, hopefully, a new home next year.
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2,496 posts
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Post by zahidf on Mar 9, 2023 13:13:46 GMT
Fan Boy was really good last night i thought
Enjoyed new musical 'The phase', though some of the sound was rubbish
Honour bound was very good
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Post by fiyerorocher on Mar 13, 2023 1:02:40 GMT
Fanboy and The Phase for me today.
Fanboy had some very clever moments. Really enjoyable and a really talented performer. The final message fell a little flat but honestly I had a great time so I didn't really care.
I saw The Phase 4 years ago and all I really remember was being disappointed. Today was possibly a little better, but it's still nowhere near there. I could believe they have more of the show ready but had to cut it down to visit the Vaults Festival time slot, though? That would explain why some characters feel so underdeveloped. It lacks both focus and depth, I think, but admittedly those are hard to do with no set and only one hour.
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Post by fiyerorocher on Mar 19, 2023 0:53:35 GMT
Three shows tonight
Burnout - not for me. A play about climate change and those fighting against it. I have The Trials to compare to this and I much, much preferred that. The loose boundaries between actor and character didn't work for me and I was incredibly glad I refused the request to sit in the front row because the audience participation would have been awful!
Goodbye '89 - Loved this. Six women planning a protest on NYE 1989. Some very strong actors and good writing. I hope this gets some sort of life elsewhere, ideally where I can go and see it again!
Public - The first show I saw that was sold out. Hands down the best musical the Vaults Festival has had this year. Stunning performances from the cast of four. I think the ending needs a little work as the ending doesn't feel as satisfying as the rest, but this also has a future ahead of it elsewhere.
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