The Sword in the Stone

(26th July)
Cambridge Touring Theatre/Cambridge Arts Theatre. Act I 60m. Act II 30m.

Merlin the wizard searches befriends a messenger boy named Wart who is destined to become King, in spite of of the spiteful jealousy of Morgan Le Fay.
Expecting some sort of historical performance, what I actually got in this exuberant youthful version is something more approaching a Summer Pantomime, quite carefully balanced between historical legend and tongue-in-cheek modern jokery (the "straight line" wrap was the only moment for me that seemed sluggish and unnecessary), and squarely aimed at the Harry Potter crowd.

My own reasons for seeing the show was to see fellow thesp Philip Young (who played Raleigh in Journey's End) in his first professional outing - not as Arthur, but in several other roles, with an excellent vocal range; a definitive requisite when dealing with the talkative children I shared a theatre with during the Saturday matinee.

w: Barry Evans, from the novel by T.H. White.
p: Milly Finch, Rosie Humphreys.
d: Emma Stroud.
s: Barry S. Evans, Lane Stewart, Lucy Lill, Milly Finch, Philip Young, Edwin Wright.
m: Simon Humphreys.





The Cambridge Arts Theatre, where the likes of The Goodies and Beyond the Fringe got their first break, and now also Philip Young.

Ten Great Running Gags

(in no particular order)

1. Alfred Hitchcock appearing briefly in his own films.

2. Beau Hunks: Oliver Hardy joins the Foreign Legion with Stan Laurel, in order to forget his jilted love, Jean Harlow. They arrive, and find that everyone else (including the enemy) have been jilted by: Jean Harlow.

3. To Be Or Not to Be (various characters): "So they call me Concentration Camp Ehrhardt!"

4. Bob Hope or Bing Crosby appearing uncredited in each of the other's "solo" films.

5. (from I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue): "Would you please welcome [to the Builder's Ball], Mr and Mrs Bennett That's Twice The Estimate, and their son Gordon Bennett That's Twice the Estimate!!!... and many subsequent variations.

6. The letters page of Private Eye magazine, which often finds an excuse for a picture of Andrew Neill (in a string vest) standing arm in arm with a bikini-clad Pamela Bordes.

7. The "Wilhelm Scream" in loads of blockbusters and action films, particularly anything associated with Ben Burtt.

8. Oliver Hardy to Stan Laurel: "Well, here's another nice mess you've got me into!"

9. A Have I Got News for You clip of Charles Kennedy playing skittles.

10. The very last joke, at the very end of the film Airplane!

Midsummer Madness

Priory Players. Act I 64m. Act II 64m.

Priory Players' latest outdoor version of A Midsummer Night's Dream (or "A Midsummer Night's Grease" as I preferred to call it) had everything I expected of it: a wonderful ensemble cast, a typically energetic and enthusiastic performance by Andrew Jeffers as Bottom, and plenty of camp, outrageous touches by director Ian Amos, not least of which the idea of making Oberon and the other fairies Teddy Boys and rock'n'roll dancers.

I'd heard over two years ago about Ian's idea to go 1950s for this play (apparently the Mercury Theatre in Colchester asked him to postpone in 2006 because they were putting on a rival production), and had my misgivings (and quietly opted out), not least the losing of Felix Mendelssohn's atmospheric music (composed for the ballet version and the 1933 film) which to me makes "The Dream" the magical experience that it is. Sadly, much of the magic and mysticism seems lost from this version, as well as some of the lovers' wistfulness - although having said that, Claire Warden makes for a beautifully forceful and vindictive Helena. What a loss she and Alex Fletcher (as Puck) are going to be to the local drama scene when they move across the pond to America next month.

The crassness of some of the later scenes put me off after a while, but never let it be said that audiences weren't wowed by it, many of whom had probably seen countless versions of this play before, so they were ready for something different. The energetic dance to the (1960's) hit "Nut Rocker" by the entire cast (and nothing at all to do with Shakespeare), is an abiding memory.

d: Ian Amos
s: Andrew Jeffers, Scott Sophos, Alex Fletcher, Chrissie Kettle, Claire Warden, Heidi Mussett, Will Parrick, David Elliott, Robin Warnes, Paul Reed, Martin Rayner, David Wenden, Nigel Worland, John Flint, Maggie Brush, Brian Butcher

Look who's...talking?

Yesterday I engaged in my first ever "chatroom" session with a friend (an actual person, not an assumed identity in case people are wondering) - a bizarre but curiously addictive experience, from which I couldn't tear myself away without trying to embellish the discussion, or end it with some sort of courteous wrap-up, as I would in a normal conversation - except that we weren't actually communicating by voice.

Then again today, on that fun but slightly meddlesome application Facebook, I find I have been "Superpoked" by a friend whom I haven't actually spoken to, or met in fact, for the last ten years!

What marvels the Internet can provide, without the seeming necessity for any human element.