The Three Musketeers: A Comedy Adventure at Nuffield Southampton Theatre, City

It's currently half-term here at the moment. Finding ways to keep children (and adults) entertained can be challenging at the best of times. When you add in the glorious February weather as well, you'll need to find something pretty special. The Nuffield Southampton Theatre City has the perfect solution with a comedy adventure that transports you back to 17th century France.

Created by the award winning Le Navet Bete, The Three Musketeers: A Comedy Adventure* is a tongue in cheek retelling of the classic Dumas novel. It doesn't seem possible to squeeze a 700 page book into a two hour play but they do. Complete with a Monty Python, slapstick comedy twist, a cast of four and 112 costume changes!

As you can imagine, with such a small cast, it's a very physical show. The stage is set with a giant tree house over multiple levels. It starts with four friends acting out the story of the Three Musketeers in the tree house wearing their mum's curtains as tabards and riding bicycles and scooters as horse. As the play evolves, it becomes more and more real and ends with the cast in the full Musketeers uniform with swords.

I can't even begin to imagine how much energy was needed to perform this show every night. From the multiple costume changes through to the energetic, choreographed scenes on the tree house, I'm just in awe of how they remember it all and made it look so seamless. It was obvious that they were four friends having genuine fun and being in a relatively small theatre meant we could see their facial expressions and share in the moments of laughter for ourselves.

There were definitely lines and innuendos that were just for adults (I'm sure the family in front of us had fun explaining when their child asked loudly what was happening in the shed!) But as the cast later said, it kept both adults and children entertained. Stand out moments for me included the character of Milady de Winter, a gloriously camp villain who stole every scene. Plus Abi the stage manager who stayed on stage throughout assisting with props and costume changes and handled a leaf blower brilliantly while all the time keeping a straight face.

I have to mention the duck hunting too - great audience participation and some v.funny unscripted moments. I'm just sad that I didn't get a chance to catch a duck!

A really personal touch was the cast coming out into the bar after the show to chat to the audience. Watching one little boy's face light up as he spoke to one of the actors was heartwarming. And it was interesting to hear the story of how the company go the name of Le Navet Bete. To take the time to do this after such a physical performance was really appreciated.

If you get the chance to go and see this - I'd really recommend it for both adults and children alike. It's exuberant, laugh-out-loud fun that's on at the Nuffield Southampton Theatre, City until 22nd February 2020.


Thanks for reading

Cathy

* Tickets were gifted for the purpose of this review

The Audience at Nuffield Southampton Theatre, City

Last night I was invited to the Press Night* of The Audience at Nuffield Southampton Theatre City, to spend the evening with the Queen and 9 prime ministers (which isn't something you can say every day). On arrival we were met with a red carpet and the royal car - I could get used to every evening at the theatre starting like this!

The Audience tells the story of the weekly meetings between the Queen and her prime minister. No-one ever knows what is discussed, there are no minutes or records of the meetings. But wouldn't we all love to be a fly on the wall and know what they talk about? Do they get on? Is there tension, laughs? Does she, or did she have, a favourite prime minister?

This award winning play by Peter Morgan (writer of the TV series The Crown and the film The Queen) comes to Southampton in a new intimate version directed by NST Director Samuel Hodges. The production is bought right up to date and even incorporates the very recent resignation of Theresa May.

With only 5 actors and a double sided stage, you feel like you're right there in the room looking over the Queen's shoulder. Paul Kemp plays all of the 7 male prime ministers and what a task that is. Quite how he shifts seamlessly from one character to the next is mesmerising. Especially the transition between Tony Blair and Gordon Brown in the same scene. No fancy prosthetics are used or needed - as soon as Paul Kemp walks on (or glides, thanks to the moving walkway) he perfectly captures the physical traits of each prime minister from Churchill's bent gait to Blair's smile.

Likewise, with Faye Castelow who plays the Queen, no prosthetics are needed here either. From just her style of clothing, movement and speech alone you could tell the age and era of the play. Ranging from youthful exuberance during her first meeting with Winston Churchill where he affectionately calls her by her childhood name of Lilibet, through to the slower, cautious movements of a Queen in her senior years meeting David Cameron.

I found the scene with Harold Wilson where he tells the Queen of his decision to resign very moving. He was a prime minister I remember from childhood and I didn't appreciate fully the difficulties faced during his second term. And although we never know exactly what was discussed, I can truly imagine the conflict portrayed in the scene with Margaret Thatcher (fiercely played by Lizzie Hopley who in a stark contrast also plays the gentle role of Bobo, the Queen's nanny).

Faye Castelow conveys a true portrait of a woman dedicated to a lifetime of service despite the conflicts and doubt in her youth. Fay Burwell and Maddie Farmer who share the role of the young Princess Elizabeth portray the sense of duty through a child's eyes.

The Queen's vulnerability is demonstrated during the costume changes on stage scenes aided by her equerry (Sharon Singh, the lynch pin of the whole play). With haunting music and balletic movements, the shift between scenes was beautifully choreographed.

The Audience is at Nuffield Southampton Theatre City until 22nd June and I would definitely recommend going. I took my partner who normally shows very little interest in politics and I could hear him chuckling away (and without giving away any spoilers, let's just say we will never forget Theresa May's moment on the stage!). There really are some laugh out loud moments.

Thanks for reading

Cathy
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*Tickets were gifted for the purpose of this review

Princess and the Hustler at Nuffield Southampton Theatre

Last night I was invited by Nuffield Southampton Theatre to watch Princess and the Hustler at their City venue*. Set in in 1963 the play tells the story of Phyllis Princess James (known as Princess) and her family at the start of the black civil right movement in Bristol and explores themes of forgiveness, hope, dreams and optimism.

It starts with the opening scene of Princess in her bedroom acting out her dream of winning Miss Weston-super-Mare. Kudzai Sitima is utterly convincing as Princess and you're immediately drawn into all the hopes and dreams of an innocent 10 year old. All she wants is win the beauty contest and have enough money to buy a house for her mummy (and a bike for herself) and to eat choc ices at Weston-super-Mare where all the beautiful people are.

Princess's world is about to change though. With the return of her estranged father, a new half sister and evolving racial tensions, you watch her heart break as she learns that her dreams might just be out of reach. The play also deals with the mending of relationships between her father and her mother and brother and whether they can learn to forgive.

At each location, there's an opportunity for local volunteers to join the production as demonstrators or as part of the beauty pageant at the end. This was such a lovely touch - the level of excitement and pride from the volunteers could be felt throughout the theatre.

The play really takes you through the whole mix of emotions. It goes from laugh out loud moments to sadness, anger and uplifting joy at the end. It's easy to think that the Bristol Bus Boycott, where a company refuses to hire black workers would be incomprehensible nowadays. But then I remember, this is 1963 - the year my partner was born and only a few years before I was born. It's sobering to think this really is in our lifetime.

Written by Bristol based Chinonyerem Odimba, this is the second production from Revolution Mix, Eclipse Theatre's new writing programme. It just has a two night run in Southampton, but will be playing in Oxford, Liverpool and Newcastle in March and April. It really is a play that will take you on a journey through all your emotions. It tells a story we all need to hear and should never grow tired of hearing.

* Tickets were gifted for the purpose of this review

Thanks for reading

Cathy
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