Questions I hope HEX answers before opening nightby Randi / December 14, 2021There are no excellent boiled potatoes, but the Ferrero Rocher tower will have to do.
It’s Theatre Thursday! (Well it was supposed to be but I forgot to publish so let’s just go with it!) Today’s show is the phenomenally fun Pride & Prejudice* (*sort of) playing at the Criterion Theatre in Piccadilly Circus. As of publication it is one of the West End shows not closed due to Covid cases so go see it and have a laugh!
As a passionate devotee of Pride & Prejudice by way of the Colin Firth miniseries that gave way to the superior (will fight to defend) Keira/Macfadyen movie and all its subsequent instagram meme content, I am undoubtedly the target audience for this hilarious and goofy take on the classic, and yet I still was not prepared for how much fun I would have. I could spend 1000 words just saying “lol x was so funny….lol y was so funny…lol z was so funny” so to do that but in a less annoying way, I’ve made a list, I’m checking it twice*, gonna find out who’s naughty or nice,** Santa Claus he doesn’tttt exiiiiist.
*lolz like I ever edit this blog
**nice people wear masks, naughty people who don’t wear masks should be getting a lump of coal shoved up their bums next week heyooo.
The Best Parts of Pride & Prejudice* (*sort of) (besides everything)
– The pre-show bits
Starting even from the pre-show bits as people were still going to the bar and finding their seats, I was cracking up. The cast desperately tried to get a cleaning glove down from the chandelier in wildly entertaining hijinks, all performed while they kept telling the audience “no we HAVE NOT started yet!” It made me giddy with hysterics. I was all in from the start.
– The use of modern music
At opportune moments throughout the play, the characters grabbed microphones and sang relevant, fun, and/or scathing overviews of the current situations. My favorite was probably Elizabeth grabbing the mic and singing “You’re So Vain” to Darcy at the Bingley Ball, a perfect theatrical moment. Does it count as a jukebox musical? Don’t worry about it.
– Literally everything Hannah Jarrett-Scott did
As Charles Bingley, Caroline Bingley, Charlotte Lucas, and other characters, HJS had me sobbing with laughter. She managed to embody a believable version of Bingley without being actually like him, instead choosing a kind of doltish pomposity by way of merely a jacket. Her Sister Bingley was my favorite, that bitch. And playing poor Charlotte as in love with Lizzie was clever and meaningful without being overly sad. The audience was in stitches whenever Hannah appeared, in whichever character’s hat. She was the gem of the show for me.
– Isobel McArthur’s Mrs. Bennet
Usually portrayed to infuriating you (well, me), Mrs. Bennet here was understandable and more agreeable if only because she was so damn funny. The only reason I didn’t love Isobel’s Darcy as much is merely because it wasn’t Matthew Macfadyen melting the screen. It was still a riot. I didn’t realize until after that this actress was Isobel McArthur as in the writer of this adaptation and co-director. People shouldn’t be so talented it’s just not right.
– Mary’s glasses
Poor fucking Mary.
– The lack of Kitty
Not having anyone even briefly don a cap as Kitty made me continuously cackle. She lifts right out!
– Every time Lydia appeared onstage
Tori Burgess’s portrayal of Lydia as an out of control twit of a party girl was too on the nose. Of course she’s be the one getting drunk first. She was played exactly like so many girls I see out and about in the city on the weekends and it was glorious.
– The props
The Ferrero Rocher tower. The chandelier. The horse (below). Everything was so funny. Darn I said I wouldn’t just keep saying it over and over but really what else can I say; also it’s been a few weeks and I forgot to take notes, so.
– Mr. Bennet
Absolute genius to have him ‘portrayed’ like that, and also a scathing critique of a character that usually gets a pass simply because he isn’t annoying like his loudmouth wife. At least the mother has a purpose to her behaviour, trying to get FIVE DAUGHTERS MARRIED. Can you imagine.
– The de Bourgh family values
Every time Christina Gordon’s Lady Catherine de Bourgh appeared in her insane and elaborate getup, it was a riot, but the best was the stupid/clever joke about the song “Lady in Red” by her relative, you know, Chris de Burgh. I love when I get stupid jokes and this was no exception. Ridiculous.
– Jane on the gd horse.
As Jane traveled on horseback to the Netherfield at her mother’s urging (you know the part, when it rains and she has to stay there for a few days because rain was a death sentence back then), Christina Gordon kicking her heels in time as she sang “At Last” atop that giant fake horse was one of the funniest bits of physical comedy on stage in years. I am cracking up here just thinking about it.
Do yourself a favor and go see this if you haven’t yet. It’s at the Criterion, the one right in the center of Piccadilly Circus. Sit house right (stage left) in the orchestra and you’ll be closest to the bathrooms by the bar. It’s a bit of a cave, this theatre, with all levels underground, and you can sometimes hear the tube, but this show is so much fun you (I) will (did) forget that you’re (I’m) claustrophobic.
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Your Annual Oscars Movie Roundup: 2021 Lockdown Edition
It’s THE BEST TIME OF THE YEAR! Well, in normal years. This weekend is the 2021 Academy Awards, which means it’s time for your annual rundown of all the important movies you should know before watching on Sunday. But, fun fact, because we’ve been in lockdown, I didn’t get to see all the movies this year. Like, not even close. It’s very sad. So, to fill in the blanks, I asked some Renowned Movie Experts to weigh in with some of their thoughts. We almost got everything covered! Because no one is as verbose as I am, this means this year’s roundup is a lot shorter than usual! (It’s still hella long, but like normal person long, not carve-out-the-next-three-days-of-your-life-for-reading-through-it-long like previous years.) So without further adieu, here are the notable movies of the past year. Comment with your thoughts/faves/hopes/fears.
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Chinqui! I love ah-Borat! Listen, as someone who went to Kazakhstan not not because of Borat, I obviously loved this second moviefilm that exposes the most horrifying aspects of American culture. The Q Anon people were really terrifying; it was too much to handle knowing that they represented so, so many misguided Americans. But everything from Maria Bakalova was brilliant and actually enjoyable; what a find she is. The abortion clinic stuff with the baby Jesus from the cake?! the period dance?! absolute LEDGE.
Crip Camp
“Those hippies were nuts! That wins the Best Overall Message Award, which is: disabled people need to get high too.” – my friend
Da 5 Bloods
Oh rightttt I remember watching this movie like a year ago. IT WAS VERY GORY AND VIOLENT. The only thing worse than being in the Vietnam War is thinking you made it out and then having a personal War Part Deux directed right at your ass. I did NOT enjoy seeing my beloved Norm Lewis chopped up like that! Oh boy. Delroy Lindo wasn’t nominated?? He should have been!
Eurovision Song Contest
Okay this movie was incredible. I can’t wait to watch it again I can’t believe I haven’t rewatched 100x times. Such a me movie. Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams were such a surprise dream comedy team. I can’t believe Rachel is old enough to be Will’s love interest? Wait let me google it to make sure I shouldn’t be railing against how gross it is….Okay he’s 53 and she’s 42 so it passes the test. Anyway it’s nominated for the Husavik song I guess? Should win, hundo p. They built up the idea of the mythical Speorg note throughout the movie and this finale song was a great showcase for it, really paid off. Although – they could have explained the Speorg note by saying ‘you know, it’s the WAHHHH part of WHEN JESUS WAHHHHH in Sister Act 2, when Whoopi turns around shocked?’ and we all would have been like ‘yep of course I know what you are talking about now, who doesn’t.’ Loved the little elves. The elves went too far!!!
The Father
The Father is based on one of Florian Zeller’s plays. He wrote The Father, The Mother, and The Son for the stage, among other The __ shows. I saw The Son in the West End two years ago and I am still shook from it. It was one of the most devastating theatrical experiences. If The Father is even half as devastating – and since it appears it’s about Alzheimers, I’m gonna guess that it is – then boy oh boy that’s some DEH VAH stating shit.
“The father great movie but I can’t remember what it’s about. JK not funny. The Father is about the refusal and denial of people suffering from dementia or in this case Alzheimer’s. But what’s great about this movie is we are put in the mind of the father. The constant changes in family pictures, family members’ furniture, dinners in his house, are all what Anthony is experiencing. It’s what is going on in his mind. Very well done.” – my aunt
Hillbilly Elegy
Lol yeah right I’m not giving that little shitprick JD Vance any more money or time or mental capacity, I don’t care that this movie’s being on Netflix makes it so convenient to watch. PASS. As soon as I move on from this section I’m done giving any thought to that forking Tucker-Carlson-ass-kissing misunderstander of democracy hawhite devil in a short-sleeved collared shirt and khakis, uh GUH BYE. asshole.
Jingle Jangle
The first 20 minutes of this movie are SO PROMISING. The middle hour is SO BORING. When Anika Noni Rose finally FINALLY gets to sing, it is SO FIRE AND AMAZING. And then it’s boring again. Could’ve been so amazing.
Judas and the Black Messiah
Could not find anyone who saw this, unforch.
Mank
I might decide to watch this one day, but that day has not yet come because I still have ethical standards. This is a story about a Jewish man, and they get a famous antisemite to play him? I mean, what the ACTUAL. David Fincher, Laray Mayfield, you’re on my list. Cannot believe Gary is nominated for Best Actor for this absolute nonsense. NONSENSE. [The image description of me right now would be Gritty saying ‘fuck around and find out.’]
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
A few years ago, I reviewed the Sharon D. Clarke-starring stage version of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom in the West End and admitted that the play did not and does not work for me. I never found it as compelling as it should be. It felt like a series of often engrossing monologues but with no plot, no force driving it forward. In repeated productions, it was absolutely the case that the parts were greater than the whole, and the whole never lived up to what its parts promised.
I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but the film version completely unlocked this work for me in a way stage productions could not. With the magic of George C. Wolfe’s direction (who doesn’t love this man?), the story revealed that it did indeed have forward momentum, so much so that it became a locomotive that kept driving forward with all the force in the world. Unlike the play productions I’ve seen, the work moved undeniably towards a climax even though it was all talk, and even though the build-up is subtle, simmering under the surface. The monologues worked now as plot, as forward-looking action, rather than the stagnant feel of the play. Most of this successful difference is due to the direction, yes, but also to the shockingly complex and superb performance of Chadwick Boseman. He took his character and made it so deep, so deeply felt, and so complicated and I can’t believe anything but that this was the seminal performance of this role. And that’s why this film worked better than stage productions. Because of Chadwick, and because the camera could focus on how he was making this show from the inside out.
Wolfe clearly wanted the audience to surrender to Levee’s story, and that surrender is what the show depends on to work. I realize that now, and that’s why this movie version was the first time Ma Rainey succeeded for me, because Chadwick Boseman might be the first person in fully and completely take this role and do it so fully and so well that he made the whole thing work. Viola Davis was as great as always, and made the role of Ma Rainey actually feel like a lead role, whereas onstage you are always surprised to realize that she seems like a minor supporting role.
The Midnight Sky
In my mind, this is the George-Clooney-trying-to-look-unattractive-for-the-Academy-and-telling-a-NASA-story-but-without-sufficient-backstory-so-you’re-like-hey-why-is-the-world-ending-oh-you-don’t-think-it’s-important-or-necessary-for-us-to-know-because-it’s-a-Netflix-movie-cool-got-it-sad movie. I saw it a while ago but from what I remember, George is dying and so is Earth, but Netflix was like ‘let’s save some money by cancelling Glow and by not explaining why the Earth is bum, no one will care about either’ and they are SO WRONG ABOUT BOTH. They did explain why George is dying though – because he’s sick. I feeeel like it’s more important for this story to know why the Earth is now unlivable though and why it’s bad that anyone is left on it, but that’s just me that’s just me I’m weird.
Like News of the World, infra, this movie was continuous anxiety as you feared everything would go wrong, and then everything did go wrong. The little girl actress (Caoilinn Springall) was phenomenal. So cute and sad. I just looked on imdb to find her name and my goodness – I forgot that this movie had Felicity Jones, Demian Bichir, Kyle Chandler, David Oyelowo??? Like completely forgot that whole aspect of the film. Getting it confused with the space crew captained by Kate Mara in another movie (The Martian??). I did NOT forget that Tim Russ was in it, because he’s in it for literally 5 seconds and I screamed OH MY GOD IS THAT TUVOK, and it was, and then he wasn’t in it anymore, which is bullshit; I hope he had a bigger role and it just got cut in editing but he still got that coin.
Minari
Okay this movie was superb and not just because of the cute little boy and I know we have a lot to cover but MY GOODNESS THE LITTLE BOY WAS SO GD CUTE I JUST LOVE HIM SO MUCH I WANT TO GIVE HIM A HUG AND I KNOW THAT’S WEIRD BECAUSE I’M AN ADULT AND I’M NOT A PEDO BUT OMG I LOVE HIM.
Minari was such a beeyootiful, moving, sad, lovely film about a Korean immigrant family just trying to grow some good veggies so they can stop chicken sexing is that so much to ask for, universe?? The family has so many hardships and they are TRYING and this poor little boy is so cute and so sick, and, as Matilda would say, that’s not RIGHT. The grandma is the best character in a movie maybe all year, just the funniest baddest-ass lady ever, and the only funnier badder-assed lady is the actual actress who played her, Youn Yuh-jung, who had the greatest BAFTA acceptance speech where she said she was happy to get recognition from the Brits because they are usually so snobby about everything, my goodness she’s the best. I hope she wins the Oscar (either her or Maria Bakalova). She made her scenes so hilarious and then so heart-breaking. This is such a wonderful movie about trying to make a life in America. It’s the most heartfelt American movie all year, so eff the Golden Globes, as usual/always.
Vegan warning: lots and lots of ‘chicken sexing’.
Mulan
“I saw Mulan in February 2020 why is this on your list?” – my dad
My Octopus Teacher
“I saw octopus teacher. Can’t eat octopus anymore. They are smarter than me.” – my aunt [Ed. note: octopi are smarter than ALL OF US please leave them alone] [Ed. note #2 – she lasted a week before eating it again.]
“The ultimate tragedy of the Oscars this year is that the octopus in My Octopus Teacher, humbly and simply named “Her”, was snubbed for best actress.” – my friend
News of the World
I have trouble watching content that is stressful because I get anxietyyyyyyyy and this movie was like two hours of pressure-cooking simmering tension. I was so scared the entire time that everything was going to go wrong and boy howdy everything would go wrong for them. THanx plus little German girl (Helena Zengel) were a power duo and I adored them and I wanted things to STOP GOING WRONG FOR THEM. I loved how subtly and well the film built their bond. I loved the ending. I did not love the anxiety but that’s show biz, kid.
Just as with Minari and Midnight Clooney Movie, the child actor here was amazing. Did Sydney Lucas put something in the water?? Jacob Tremblay giving Zoom lessons? The kids this year are UNREAL.
Nomadland
“I procrastinated in watching Nomadland for a long time. When I finally watched, I was immediately sucked in to the unique story. What makes this movie stand out is the semi-documentary feel of it, due to everyone onscreen being non-actors, aside from Frances McDormand and David Strathairn. This adds an amazing depth of realism to a sad story. Friends and relatives offer Frances a home with them following her personal loss, but her fierce independent spirit and desire for freedom prevent any acceptance of these gestures. We see Nomads working odd jobs when they want to, or when they need gas money. They are a floating community, generous of spirit and human kindness, living in vans or trailers. Director Chloe Zhao blends all of these realistic emotions into a framework that lets the viewer really “get it”, and by the end of the movie you fully understand what drives this character to keep driving her “home” down the road. This is the kind of movie that sticks with you for a while, as you ponder the lifestyle and marvel at how well the true-life participants help tell the story. I liked this movie Norm. I laughed, I cried, I stuffed my face.” – my dad
“I appreciate you for letting me look at raw Frances McDormand footage for an hour and 50 minutes, even while she pooped.” – my friend
“Nomadland that could be the new America soon.” – my aunt
“I really liked No Man’s Land.” – my mom
One Night in Miami
“It was one of the more ambitious motel movies in film history. Will Smith was a better Ali. It would’ve been better as a Sam Cooke biopic – Aaron Burr was the best part, worthy of that supporting actor nom.” – my brother
Palm Springs
Ugh I loved this movie. Andy Samberg AND Cristin Milioti?? Girl (from Once), did you write it for me? This movie was like Michael Schur TV show writing plus Groundhog Day plus Andy Samberg humor. As a guy stuck in a time loop, Andy plays a darker, rougher Jake Peralta, since Groundhog Day shenanigans will really fork you up. Cristin is the Girl who accidentally gets sucked into the loop as well. JK Simmons is also stuck! What fun! He’s terrifying! It’s so good. They have a lot of fun once they accept that there’s no getting out of it, and I loved that they went through the spectrum of acceptance and decided to indeed get out of it, by any means necessary. I wonder how many years I’d have to spend living the same day over and over before I’d learn quantum physics.
Pieces of a Woman
“Wish there was a category for Best Opening Scene Before Showing Movie Title. The opening was powerful, dark, gripping, and you didn’t even tell us what we were watching for a solid 30 minutes. Really brought on the intrigue.” – my friend
“Pieces of a Woman – very sad but didn’t see why they needed to tie in the Holocaust and her mom into this.” – my aunt
Promising Young Woman
“My favorite was Promising Young Woman – revenge is great but not in her case. I want Emerald Fennell to win because I not only loved her film, I loved her as my Prince Charles’s lover Camilla in the crown. Brilliant. ” -my aunt
“I hated Promising Young Woman more than Gigli but I’m alone on that.” – my cousin
Soul
Tina Fey, man. I know this movie has so much greatness to offer that I should be concentrating on first but man, she really proved herself as an animated character voice actor in a time when actual voice actors lose out on animated roles to big name celebrities like Tina Fey.
Soul was a big surprise. I did zero reading about it before it was released and I watched it as soon as it dropped on Disney+. I did not know the main character was going to die? like immediately?? and it wasn’t my favorite tv show (The Good Place but you know that)??? and that he’d strive somehow to get back to our realm and return to his life and live his dreams?! and the little munchkin fetus he befriends (Tina!) was going to have some RELEVATIONS that both helped and threatened them both?! THAT’S SOME REAL SHIT RIGHT THERE.
Soul cut me REAL deep, Shrek. I love loved that it was about so much beauty: living your life to the fullest, loving your family, and most importantly living your dreams – your actual dreams, and not dreams that you’ve been telling yourself are your dreams your whole life long. Sometimes dreams aren’t what you tell yourself! Yay now I have The Cranberries in my head! OHHH MYYY LIIIIIFE IS CHANGING EVERY DAYYYYY IN EVERY POSSIBLE WAYYYY (lol it’s REALLY not, 14 months of same same).
Sound of Metal
Oh I need to begin by telling you that when we put this movie on, husbo said “We’re off to see the Rizard!” Nice.
This movie begins with literally the worst song I have ever heard in my entire life, and then soon you get so upset at the idea that the main character might not be able to hear that song. Now that’s a good movie.
Riz Ahmed, without doing much showy acting despite being given a role that could have easily been Overacted, is so natural and convincing as the drummer going through this traumatic, life-changing event. As his character Ruben loses the ability to continue his normal way of life, he tries at first to push everyone away to maintain some semblance of independence. He’s not overly sympathetic but that makes him all the more relatable. As he becomes more comfortable with his new community, and more accepting of his needs, his shell softens and makes him more vulnerable and likeable and so sympathetic that it’s like a gd puppy that you just want to protect because what else would you do with a deaf puppy except protect at all costs? Probably not what they were going for here, but man, I just wanted him to be okay.
I loved the second act with his new community, with the wonderful Paul Raci leading. The scene when Paul has to enforce the rules of the homestead, my goodness. Such a difficult but understandable situation from both of their perspectives which is GREAT FILMAKING BABY. When you set out to watch a movie about a musician going deaf, you know you’re gonna feel some shit, but I did not expect the hurt to hit deepest when said musician is drumming on a slide so a deaf child can feel his drumming. That moment is when I realized the greatness of this film. And when I cried. A lot. I thought the end section in France kind of petered a tad in its direction but the end made it all good, all good, so good.
Tenet
“I wish I had the CliffsNotes so I could understand what was going on.” – a person my dad works with
The Trial of the Chicago 7
Man ALIVE the justice system has been UTTERLY FORKED for so, so long. Like since it was created. It was built on racism and injustice and even though we are celebrating one positive result from it this week, that doesn’t mean the system as a whole is not broken and skewed towards injustice. Look at the harm this one muhfuhking judge could do! Man Frank Langella really never cares that he makes you despise him so successfully!
This ensemble was so impressive even though it was all men. I really love how cool Jews in the ’60s were. They were like…the coolest muhfuhs around. Sacha Baron Cohen and Jeremy Strong (I initially wrote Jason Schwartzman as I honestly remembered him clearly being in this movie and I am shook that I am misremembering) as Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin were just so cool. Big Jewish stoner but cool af energy. SBC truly is incredible in anything he gets his hands on, including but not limited to publicly eviscerating Mark Zuckerberg. Also, give me a movie that provides not one but both of my skinny pale faves – Joey Gordon-Levitt and Noah Robbins (different brands of faves, obviously) – and we’re already set. But when it’s a great, poignant movie about social justice and the broken racist justice system and it’s incredibly well done even though it’s more than 2 hours and this past year destroyed my attention span but I still was riveted the entire time? forgettaboutittttt.
The White Tiger
DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE.
That’s the main thing.
A central theme of this film, a film that leaves you sitting slack-jawed buggy-eyed not sure what to do except stare forward in dismay and disarray, is that Indians of lower classes are kept in a constant state of servitude that they can’t get out of, like chickens in a coop who know they will be slaughtered but don’t move. Our protagonist, the riveting discovery of an actor Adarsh Gourav, acknowledges this way of being, but is determined to break out of his fate.
The main guy, Balram, isn’t a great guy even before he REALLY isn’t a great guy, which I guess is important so that you feel for his situation and have empathy without it being obvious, which is more realistic and shows you should have empathy for everyone even if they aren’t great people. But like, he really pissed me off, and not just because of the vitiligo jokes (I guess my beef is with the writer for that one, ARAVIND). I mean pobody’s nerfect and all that but they did give enough subtle support throughout the film to bolster his big climactic moment, which I watched through my fingers.
The most interesting aspects of this really well done film came from the exploration of class and culture in provocative ways. Any film about Indian servitude can address the same problem of castes and control and never being able to really change your situation. But I thought the most interesting part here was when our American feminist character, played by Priyanka Nick Chopra Jonas, thought she was being very good and very helpful by telling her servant so forcefully that he should live his own life, to the point that she gets angry when he can’t just flip a switch and understand and accept her advice. She’s trying to help but it ends up being very rude and inconsiderate since he can’t adjust easily to her way of thinking, or change everything he knows to be true that’s ingrained in him, even though he wants to please her and even though she, well, means well. It’s COMPLICATED. Like the Da Vinci Code. These scenes really nail the complex tone of the film along with scenes like when she yells at him for speaking rudely to a beggar child – right before she hits a beggar child with the car. It did NOT make me want to go to India. Or a Jonas Bros. concert.
Gourav was so exceptional in this. When he signs the confession to please his masters and he’s smiling at them while his eyes tear? MY GOODNESS. I’m glad he was nominated for the BAFTA (Brits getting something right for once) but I dare someone to explain to me how he wasn’t Academied, as that scene alone put him at least on equal footing to the others in that category, but really above Gary Old Racist Man.
My favorite part was how often they called the female politician simply The Great Socialist. A title Bernie could only dream of. Of course she ended up being corrupt though (I don’t like how they continue to besmirch socialism). Apparently in the book she was a man so ugh it’s good to increase female representation I guess but it’s kind of magoo that the female characters were the corrupt politician, the annoying ancient grandmother, and Priyanka Chopra (who was very good).
Vegan warning: cruelty of roosters in coops shown for representation of the (at least important) central metaphor. Also human warning: death of a child, lots of sad children.
“So, award season – not so good.” – my aunt
Twelfth Night at the Young Vic: Shakespeare Gets the Modern Musical Treatment
It’s Theatre Thursday! Today we are talking about ‘Twelfth Night’, the new musical version at the Young Vic in London
Two years ago, everyone in the know in New York was raving about this exciting new production at the Public Theatre. It was a fast-paced, rollicking rendition of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, a play we all thought we knew every possible version of yet were seeing in a new light – as a hip musical. (If you use the word hip are you automatically not hip?) I was sorry to have missed that original run, but luckily the production has come to London’s Young Vic to stir things up. With original director Kwame Kwei Armah on board alongside the Public’s Oskar Eustis, this version of Twelfth Night is a short and sweet modern musical with rocking original songs by Shaina Taub. Although the overeager chopping actually cut too much of the story, the overall concept successfully makes a familiar play feel new again.
Two years ago, everyone in the know in New York was raving about this exciting new production at the Public Theatre. It was a fast-paced, rollicking rendition of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, a play we all thought we knew every possible version of yet were seeing in a new light – as a hip musical. (If you use the word hip are you automatically not hip?) I was sorry to have missed that original run, but luckily the production has come to London’s Young Vic to stir things up. With original director Kwame Kwei Armah on board alongside the Public’s Oskar Eustis, this version of Twelfth Night is a short and sweet modern musical with rocking original songs by Shaina Taub. Although the overeager chopping actually cut too much of the story, the overall concept successfully makes a familiar play feel new again.
Twelfth Night tells the story of twins separated after a shipwreck who believe the other has died. Viola, the girl, makes her way to the shores of Ilyria, a colorful city that here looks like if Lin-Manuel’s ‘In the Heights’ had the upstage space to create more storefronts besides the bodega. She disguises herself as a boy in order to work for Duke Orsino. She does this by donning a suit and taking off her wig and calling herself Cesario. The prettyboy Duke is like sooo in looove with Olivia, a wealthy countess who is mourning the death of her father and brother and so refuses to be courted or like go out to parties and meet dukes. Lovesick, the Duke orders his new boy, Cesario, to go to Olivia and profess the Duke’s love for her on his behalf and try to get her to see him because he sooo lurves her even though someone who *actually* loved someone would maybe be respectful of the fact that they were in mourning and maybe wait to try to get in their pants after some time had passed, but what do I know, I’m not a duke. As all such great (so great) plans are wont to do, this plan goes bananers because instead of listening to Cesario’s words about the Duke and falling in love with the absent third party (because that’s how that happens), Olivia falls in love with Cesario, the person who is actually there in person talking so like DUH. But Cesario’s a girl Cesario’s a girl! Dramaaaz. It would be cool to see a retelling where they let them be lesbians.
The Duke (Rupert Young) and Viola/Cesario (Gabrielle Brooks) have some of the most compelling, watchable scenes, but too much of the buildup of their story has been cut. She starts working for the Duke and like immediately falls in love with him? Sure he’s handsome but it’s hard to buy without proper time devoted to their story. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVES me a 90-minute show, but for such a classic like Twelfth Night – and for such an intriguing, provocative take on it – it deserves more time. Because, while more time and scenes would help the story that’s there, the scenes that are there are pretty strong. All of our leads find really hilarious comic moments in the seemingly nothingest of moments, elevating the production with every little laugh. Brooks has a voice, and even though her final scenes seemed all the same level of smiling-so-I’m-happy acting, it was nice to have a leading lady who could really sing. Natalie Dew (from the ‘Bend it Like Beckham’ musical, poor girl) has the impossible task of following the last Olivia I saw – Mark Rylance, who won another Tony for his work as the much-sought after lady of Ilyria. He really found humor in the dullest bits of the script (“What is your parentage?! Ugh!” was reason enough for him to win). While this Olivia wasn’t quite a laugh-riot, she did a very nice job.
Surprisingly, I thought one of the most riveting performances was that of Feste, the fool, who kind of acts as a narrator in this production. Surprising, because I never thought much of Feste before. But here the character is kind of the string holding the show together, and so interesting that I want to reread the play and see what I was missing. As played by Melissa Allan, Feste is a recognizable girl from the East London club scene (I would know), with leather pants and a cut-out top, down on her luck and keeping an observant eye on the fortunes of those around her. And fork me, Allan can SANG. Not just sing, but SANG. It helps that she gets the best song of the production – “Is This Not Love”, a song I can’t wait to download and play all the time and sing in the shower until my neighbors call the cops and I can be like “joke’s on you I’m not breaking any laws!”
We get a shitload of time devoted to Malvolio (Gerard Carey), Olivia’s steward. Even though Carey gives a fantastic performance and his were the comic best moments (how he made an entire audience cry laughing just by turning around on a segway is a feat), the unmatched attention made him seem like the lead character, and, as a result, didn’t allow for enough heft to be given to Orsino and Viola/Cesario’s relationship. Also, this brought too much attention to the worst part about Twelfth Night – the Malvolio/Toby Belch/Maria subplot. In this supposedly ‘comic’ subplot, Sir Toby Belch and Maria (the uncle and maidservant of Olivia, respectively) trick Malvolio into believing that Olivia is in love with him, by having Maria write a fake letter in Olivia’s handwriting. The letter contains declarations of love for a certain man that is undeniably Malvolio, as well as the notorious request for him to dress in ‘yellow stockings cross-gartered’ so he looks silly. And, as punishment, Toby and Maria…get married. I mean. It’s THE WORST. They deserve to DIE. Probably my most hated Shakespeare story. Sure, Malvolio is kind of a prick but he’s nothing compared to these two absolute wankers who take someone’s sanity and use it as a plaything. In this rendition, sadly, full weight is given to this subplot, so it takes over. And, sadder, they don’t do anything to fix how horrible it is. In fact, it’s clearer that Malvolio loses his mind and is taken away to an asylum! I want the version of Twelfth Night that sees Toby and Maria punished and banished from Ilyria, for a start. And while Carey’s “Count Malvolio” is a superb number (a perfect musical comedy song, too; Taub knows what she is doing for the genre), it doesn’t need two reprises.
It’s a little odd that the story is put in a modern setting – Ilyria is a regular, diverse city – yet has a duke and counts and countesses. As such, the modern setting and clothes and language feel a little off. Either a full commitment to modernity (i.e. getting rid of the nobility and having them be different kinds of upper class) or a fully realized traditional production just with modern music would have been more overall convincing.
As for the real boy twin, Sebastian (Jyuddah Jaymes), he is saved by a sea captain named Antonio (Jonathan Livingstone), who here looks like straight outta wartime. Antonio saves and helps Sebastian get back on his feet because of his ‘affection’ for him, which is never really explained. Here, Antonio gets to profess his feelings for Sebastian through song, and it works to make it clear that Antonio is in love with Sebastian, but the brevity of every section of the story means that it kind of comes out of nowhere, and it doesn’t go anywhere. And we don’t get a satisfying reunion of the two friends after all the twin-caused confusion in the final act. I would like to see a version where Antonio gets the boy. I already said something about Olivia and Viola being lovers, didn’t I? I guess I want someone to change the ending and do a full-on LGBTQ version.
But that’s besides the point! As is, the fact that I wish this was a full two-act work speaks volumes for how much fun I had. It’s not perfect, and I do (obviously) have a lot of criticisms, but mostly I had a forking blast. It may be a lightweight version, and only 90 minutes, but each minute was full of new life given to this old play. The talented cast and this vibrant, often electrifying production is not to be missed. And some of the music is magnificent. I can’t wait to see what Taub does next.
INFORMATION
Twelfth Night is at the Young Vic until November 17.
If you can’t get to London to see it, you can download the album (vocals by Shaina Taub) here and apparently it’s a ‘name your own price’ jawn! Amazing! Off to listen to “Is This Not Love” a million times. Oh and “If You Were My Beloved”!!
The Duke (Rupert Young) and Viola/Cesario (Gabrielle Brooks) have some of the most compelling, watchable scenes, but too much of the buildup of their story has been cut. She starts working for the Duke and like immediately falls in love with him? Sure he’s handsome but it’s hard to buy without proper time devoted to their story. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVES me a 90-minute show, but for such a classic like Twelfth Night – and for such an intriguing, provocative take on it – it deserves more time. Because, while more time and scenes would help the story that’s there, the scenes that are there are pretty strong. All of our leads find really hilarious comic moments in the seemingly nothingest of moments, elevating the production with every little laugh. Brooks has a voice, and even though her final scenes seemed all the same level of smiling-so-I’m-happy acting, it was nice to have a leading lady who could really sing. Natalie Dew (from the ‘Bend it Like Beckham’ musical, poor girl) has the impossible task of following the last Olivia I saw – Mark Rylance, who won another Tony for his work as the much-sought after lady of Ilyria. He really found humor in the dullest bits of the script (“What is your parentage?! Ugh!” was reason enough for him to win). While this Olivia wasn’t quite a laugh-riot, she did a very nice job.
Surprisingly, I thought one of the most riveting performances was that of Feste, the fool, who kind of acts as a narrator in this production. Surprising, because I never thought much of Feste before. But here the character is kind of the string holding the show together, and so interesting that I want to reread the play and see what I was missing. As played by Melissa Allan, Feste is a recognizable girl from the East London club scene (I would know), with leather pants and a cut-out top, down on her luck and keeping an observant eye on the fortunes of those around her. And fork me, Allan can SANG. Not just sing, but SANG. It helps that she gets the best song of the production – “Is This Not Love”, a song I can’t wait to download and play all the time and sing in the shower until my neighbors call the cops and I can be like “joke’s on you I’m not breaking any laws!”
We get a shitload of time devoted to Malvolio (Gerard Carey), Olivia’s steward. Even though Carey gives a fantastic performance and his were the comic best moments (how he made an entire audience cry laughing just by turning around on a segway is a feat), the unmatched attention made him seem like the lead character, and, as a result, didn’t allow for enough heft to be given to Orsino and Viola/Cesario’s relationship. Also, this brought too much attention to the worst part about Twelfth Night – the Malvolio/Toby Belch/Maria subplot. In this supposedly ‘comic’ subplot, Sir Toby Belch and Maria (the uncle and maidservant of Olivia, respectively) trick Malvolio into believing that Olivia is in love with him, by having Maria write a fake letter in Olivia’s handwriting. The letter contains declarations of love for a certain man that is undeniably Malvolio, as well as the notorious request for him to dress in ‘yellow stockings cross-gartered’ so he looks silly. And, as punishment, Toby and Maria…get married. I mean. It’s THE WORST. They deserve to DIE. Probably my most hated Shakespeare story. Sure, Malvolio is kind of a prick but he’s nothing compared to these two absolute wankers who take someone’s sanity and use it as a plaything. In this rendition, sadly, full weight is given to this subplot, so it takes over. And, sadder, they don’t do anything to fix how horrible it is. In fact, it’s clearer that Malvolio loses his mind and is taken away to an asylum! I want the version of Twelfth Night that sees Toby and Maria punished and banished from Ilyria, for a start. And while Carey’s “Count Malvolio” is a superb number (a perfect musical comedy song, too; Taub knows what she is doing for the genre), it doesn’t need two reprises.
It’s a little odd that the story is put in a modern setting – Ilyria is a regular, diverse city – yet has a duke and counts and countesses. As such, the modern setting and clothes and language feel a little off. Either a full commitment to modernity (i.e. getting rid of the nobility and having them be different kinds of upper class) or a fully realized traditional production just with modern music would have been more overall convincing.
As for the real boy twin, Sebastian (Jyuddah Jaymes), he is saved by a sea captain named Antonio (Jonathan Livingstone), who here looks like straight outta wartime. Antonio saves and helps Sebastian get back on his feet because of his ‘affection’ for him, which is never really explained. Here, Antonio gets to profess his feelings for Sebastian through song, and it works to make it clear that Antonio is in love with Sebastian, but the brevity of every section of the story means that it kind of comes out of nowhere, and it doesn’t go anywhere. And we don’t get a satisfying reunion of the two friends after all the twin-caused confusion in the final act. I would like to see a version where Antonio gets the boy. I already said something about Olivia and Viola being lovers, didn’t I? I guess I want someone to change the ending and do a full-on LGBTQ version.
But that’s besides the point! As is, the fact that I wish this was a full two-act work speaks volumes for how much fun I had. It’s not perfect, and I do (obviously) have a lot of criticisms, but mostly I had a forking blast. It may be a lightweight version, and only 90 minutes, but each minute was full of new life given to this old play. The talented cast and this vibrant, often electrifying production is not to be missed. And some of the music is magnificent. I can’t wait to see what Taub does next.
INFORMATION
Twelfth Night is at the Young Vic until November 17.
If you can’t get to London to see it, you can download the album (vocals by Shaina Taub) here and apparently it’s a ‘name your own price’ jawn! Amazing! Off to listen to “Is This Not Love” a million times. Oh and “If You Were My Beloved”!!
