[shows] Robert Clark's Flypaper Page
Entertainments I Have Seen/Attended

This page lists the concerts, films, plays, etc. I have seen since September 1997, most recent at the top of the list. I'll give each event a star rating, from [0.5star] (poor) to [5star] (excellent). I'll also give a brief review of each event, and the month I saw it. Where I can, I'll link the event to other relevant sites. For films, I'll link film titles to their entries on the Internet Movie Database at [ukflag]http://uk.imdb.com/ or at [usflag]http://us.imdb.com/. Click on the appropriate flag after the title to take you to the corresponding site.

[hit] Bridget Jones's Diary [2star]
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Overrated film by the crew behind Notting Hill. Next to no story line, with Renée Zellweger playing hte lead, Colin Firth reprising his role in "Pride and Prejudice" (Mr Darcy rides again), and Hugh Grant as the cad (as always?). (April 2001)

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[hit] The Importaance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde [4star]
Performed in the Wimbledon Studio Theatre by a talented young cast, with Alexander Howard as Algernon Moncrieff, Charles Peto as John Wothing, Victoria Walker as Gwendloyn Fairfax and Holly Berry as Cacily Cardew. Susan Travers was delightful as the old battleaxe Lady Bracknell, with a highly amusing rendition of the "A handbag!" line. I've seen the film a number of times, but this production seemes to hightlight how sharp and amusing a script Wilde had writen. (November 2000)

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[hit] Orfeo and Euridice by Cristoph von Gluck [4star]
Performed at the Barbican, by the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra, with mezzo soprano as Bernarda Fink as Orfeo, Veronica Cangemi as Euridice and Maria Christina Kiehr as Cupid. Fink was outstanding, with real emotion pouring out leading up to the famous aria "Che Faro". (November 2000)

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[hit] The Mikado [4star]
Another performance with Richard Suart as Ko-Ko leading a strong cast. This production had the whole cast wearing white greasepaint to the eyebrows and the occasional topknot, dressed as baristers and bankers - and odd combination of East meets West. Ko-ko's "little list" was brought up-to-date with references to .dot millionaries and micro-scoorterists, making it as fresh and as enjoyable as ever. (October 2000)

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[hit] The Coronation of Poppea [4star]
Performed by the English National Opera. The Coliseum had scaffolding all around the auditorium, with the main action occurring on a raised circular stage over the orchestra pit. The orchestra were positioned up-stage of the action, and the pit area was used to drop off props, etc (Senec'a coffin).
Montiverdi wrote this in 1643; I hadn't realised that the audiences then were into such salacious and raunchy materials - even today some of the production felt to be quite near the bone!
Some very good performances by the cast; counter-tennor David Walker as Nero (even though after a bit I found the high-pitched singing a bit jarring), Alice Coote as Poppea and Sarah Connoly as Octavia, and Eric Owens as strong and sympathetic Seneca. Worth catching if you can! (September 2000)

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La Cava [2.5star]
A new musical set in 8th century Spain and Morocco. Oliver Tobias and Julie-Alanah Brighten star as King Roderic and Florinda. Florinda is sent by her father to the court of King Roderic, his long-time friend, thus separating Florinda from her sweetheart Somal. As she is plotting her escape to return to Morocco, Somal appears and is killed by the King as an intruder. Florinda swears revenge, thus leading to the downfall of her father and the king.
Julie-Alanah and the supporting cast are excellent, but Oliver Tobias' performance isn't particularly good. No memorable songs, so I doubt that this will run long. (May 2000)

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[hit] The King and I [4star]
The London production of the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical.
We saw this when it was in preview, so there were one or two minor slips, but still a very enjoyable evening. The staging and costumes are marvelously sumptuous; lots of bright silks and gold with elephant motifs etc. - even the boxes have been decorated and used in the production. A strong cast is lead by Elaine Paige as Anna Leonowens (I think this was bad casting - I don't find her a strong enough voice and don't think that she is charismatic enough for this role), Jason Scott Lee as the King of Siam (very good, but occasionally his American accent slips through). Aura Deva as Tuptim and Taewon Yi Kim as Lady Thiang are excellent in their supporting roles, with magnificent voices evidence of their professional singing training. The children raise suitable "aahs" from the audience at their entrance.
Half the stalls gave a standing ovation on the evening we attended; I certainly believe that this show will be another long-running hit. (April 2000)

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[hit] Sixth Sense [4star]
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Very enjoyable film - a psychological thriller, with a clever story, good lighting and atmospheric soundtrack. My wife managed to work out the twist early on in the film, but I didn't twig until near the end!
We even enjoyed watching Bruce Willis! Haley Joel Osment as Cole Sear deserved an Oscar for his role. Overall, a much better film than American Beauty (March 2000).

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[hit] American Beauty [3.5star]
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Kevin Spacey plays marvelously Lester Burnham going through a mid-life crisis; he looses his job, his wife is having an affair, he is fantasising about his daughter's best friend, etc. Enjoyable, but doesn't deserve to win an Oscar (February 2000)

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Forbidden Broadway [3.5star]
A talented cast of four, Sophie-Louise Dann, Mark O'Malley, Christine Pedi and Alistair Robins with piano accompaniment, lambast and parody a wide range of musical shows and stars. Their targets include Cats, Annie, Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon, Les Miserables, Barbara Streisand, Carol Channing, Liza Minelli and many, many more! Very funny when they get it right, but some of their turns missed the mark as the audience hadn't seen the shows being 'hit' (Rent, the Lion King). Worth seeing as it will put a different light on some of the most successful shows around! (August 1999)

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[hit] The Mikado by Gilbert & Sullivan [4star]
Performed by Opera Box in English at Cannizaro Park Festival 1999, this time with no scenery! Starring Dame Hilda Bracket as Katisha and Richard Suart as Ko-Ko (in a performance that reminded us strongly of an early Jack Lemmon. Highly enjoyable performance. (July 1999)

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Wait Until Dark by Frederick Knott [2.5star]
A blind woman is alone in her basement flat, her husband away on business having inadvertently smuggled into the country a consignment of drugs hidden in a doll. She soon starts to rumble that the policeman and strange men may not be what they claim to be as the doll appears to be the subject of their searching. It is only when the lights go out that she has the advantage on her attackers.(July 1999)

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Orpheus in the Underworld by Jacques Offenbach [3star]
Performed in English by Mecklenburgh Opera at Holland Park Open Air Theatre. Brought up-to-date, with Eurydice as a TV soap-opera fanatic and Pluto her on-screen hero. Olympus is now a space craft (like Star Trek) and the Bacchantes replaced with the Spice Girls! Some heavy editing had taken place alongside the updating - Stix is no longer Eurydice's confidante, but now her dresser. Great fun, but indistinct in some places. (July 1999)

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The Gentle Hook by Francis Durbridge [2star]
Stacey Harrison is a successful businesswoman. Shortly after returning from Paris, she is attacked by a stranger in her house - she ends up killing him in the struggle that ensues. The police don't believe that she didn't know her attacker, and even her estranged husband doubts her when it is revealed that she returned to Paris for the day. With another murder later on, her lies appear to be building up against her. As all the action unfolds on the stage, there isn't much suspense - a disappointing play that left me wanting something stronger. (July 1999)

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[hit] Don Giovanni by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart [3.5star]
Performed by Opera Box in English at Cannizaro Park Festival 1999. Very simply staged (just a few boxes wheeled around for the set), but an enjoyable production with Brendan Wheatley playing the roguish Don Giovanni and Gerard Delrez as his servant Leporello, and Bridgett Gill as a slightly coquetish Donna Elvira. (July 1999)

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Black Coffee by Agatha Christie [3star]
Sir Claud Amory, one of England's top inventors, summons Hercule Poirot (with Captain Hastings) to his country home where he fears that a member of his family is planning to steal a top secret formula for a new, devastating explosive. Poirot arrives too late; Amory is dead, the formula missing and everybody in the house seems to have a motive. (July 1999)

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[hit] The Matrix [3.5star]
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Keanau Reeves walks through this gun-ho action-packed moovie, with Laurence Fishburne really being the star. Thomas Anderson (or Neo, the name he uses when hacking), is contacted by Fishburne (Morpheus) to warn him that his life is in peril, but Morpheus will reveal the secret Neo has been looking for if he is prepared to help. Morpheus believes that Neo is the saviour that will save them all from The Matrix, a terrifying computer system. The reality is that we are in the future and humans are being grown as a food source for some other intelligence. They control us by letting us believe that we are living in 1999, but this is all a dream. However, should we be killed in the dream world, we die in the real world. So begins Neo's training, including fast learning through having lessons 'programmed' into his brain.
This fight of good versus bad has some strong links to other films along the same theme; Kung-Fu films, gunfight films, etc. Some scenes are so over the top they make you laugh; there is one big gun fight (battle) where Neo kills a platoon of armed officers and doesn't even have a hair out of place at the end! The end is quite corny as well - as Carrie-Ann Moss (playing the role of Trinity) declares her love to the dead body of Neo, he comes back to life and in a final fight beats the enemies within the Matrix. The special effects are quite stunning; even if you know that they were computer generated they are still impressive! Well worth seeing on the big screen - I want to see it again! (July 1999)

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The Hollow by Agatha Christie [3star]
Sir Henry and Lady Angkatell invite a few friends down for a relaxing weekend in their county house. Dr John Christow arrives with his moussy wife, Gerda, to find his mistress, Henrietta Angkatell already in residence. As they are about to sit down to dinner Veronica Craye, a glamorous film start g ate crashes the gathering. It becomes apparent that she was very close to the Doctor before he was married. When the Doctor is found shot with his wife holding a pistol most of the guests suspect her, but soon it transpires (in typical Agatha Christie style) that some of the other guests had motives!
An enjoyable play, with memorable performances from Margaret Wedlake playing the delightfully scatty Lady Angkatell (who has a perfect memory, but can't remember dates, times, places or names!) and Ian Marr as a very straight and proper butler, Gudgeon. (July 1999)

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Blood Brothers by Willy Russell [3.5star]
This long-running play is set in Liverpool. Mrs. Johnstone's husband has left her, so she is forced to raise the children by herself. However, she is pregnant again, working as a cleaning lady for a woman who has been unable to conceive. When Mrs Johnstone discovers she is to have twins, Mrs. Lyons comes up with the idea of pretending to be pregnant and to take one of the babies at birth. Both ladies try to keep the boys apart, but as they grow up they each admire the lifestyle of the other. The actors who play the children manage to age from seven year olds to their 30s just by changing the clothes they wear and the way they move. Mrs. Johnstone was played by Lyn Paul (New Seekers, I'd Like to Teach The World to Sing), with Warwick Evans as a narrator and Mickey and Eddie played by Andy Anowden and Drew Ashton. A play you could watch several times without being bored. (April 1999)

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Orpheus and Eurydice by Gluck[2star]
Staged by the English National Opera. A very strange and bleak production. The chorus occupied the boxes in the auditorium besides the stage which was scattered with rocks and boulders. Apart from the three main characters the set was used as a platform for four couples to dance over. They first appeared in black coats, but stripped off when the action moved to Elysium as the dead and tormented souls. The Polish counter-tenor Artur Stefanowicz in the main role was very good, but I'm marking it down for the dark and bleakness which I found soporific. (May 1999)

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Samuel Pepys - The Secret Diaries[3.5star]
A dramatisation of part of the Pepys Diaries (see details of an abridged version of the diaries at [ukflag]amazon.co.uk or at [usflag]amazon.com). The play covered some of the major issues of the period from 1659 to 1669; the restoration of the monarchy, the Plague, and the Great Fire of London - all from Samuels' perspective. It shows how business and politics was just as corrupt - each working to further their own riches through alliances, successes or misfortunes. Through all of the wheeling and dealing, Pepys continued to philander despite denying his unfaithfulness to his wife. The play certainly opened my eyes on a period of history I didn't really know. Well presented, with some contemporary musical accompaniment (I recognised some Handle). (March 1999)

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Slava's Snowshow[2.5star]
The theatre was littered with small white pieces of tissue paper - no doubt to represent the snow in the title. This is a clown show, but not the type of clowning associated with circuses - more surreal and less slapstick. The performance (led by Slava Polunin - a Russian clown) lasts just over an hour, with an interval! It is a series of mime and sketches, sometimes with LOUD musical accompaniment. Though some of them are slightly amusing and can be thought provoking, I felt that there was no real cohesion to the show. It was surprising to find that this is internationally acclaimed; it won the London Olivier award in 1998 for Best New Entertainment. See it if you want, but don't break the piggy bank especially - save your money for Cirque de Soleil which has some similar elements but is much better overall. (March 1999)

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[hit] Guards! Guards! [3.5star]
The play of the book by Terry Pratchet. See details of the book at [ukflag]amazon.co.uk or at [usflag]amazon.com. Great performance from Paul Darrow as Captain Vimes, with all of the other characters; Carrot, CMOT Dibbler, the dragons, etc. An amusing evening out! (February 1999)

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[hit] The Prince of Egypt [1.5star]
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Very disappointed with the movie. Why it has had all the good reviews I don't know. It may be the saving of DreamWorks, but this version of the story of Moses could just as well have been a 1950's Disney animation file. (December 1998)

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[hit] Kundun [4.5star]
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Another film with a Philip Glass soundtrack. A beautiful film by Martin Scorsese portraying the life of the 14th Dalai Lama. Shows how he was brought up in Tibet under traditional Buddhist traditions, and his role in the struggle for sovereignty of Tibet with China. The photography by Roger Deskins is superb. Deservedly got Oscar nominations, but lost out to Titanic. (November 1998)

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[hit] Powaqqatsi [4star]
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A few years ago this was the first film with a Philip Glass soundtrack I saw, and I still prefer this to Koyaanisqatsi. Again, stunning images, but this time of Third World life and culture with a more ethnic soundtrack. (November 1998)

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[hit] Koyaanisqatsi Live! [3.5star]
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A live performance of the cult film, with Philip Glass and the Philip Glass Ensemble. A series of stunning images from the US, backed by the rhythmic music made for an absorbing 90 minutes. In some places I felt that the music was out of step with the movie, but definitely worth seeing. (November 1998)

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[hit] Elizabeth [4star]
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My wife wanted to see this; I wasn't particularly looking forward to the movie as I wanted to be entertained. Having said that, the film is fabulous. The story covers the feud between the Catholics and Protestants, and how Elizabeth tries to keep the situation under control whilst the courtiers and ambassadors from France and Spain court her. The sets are marvelous, the costumes superb, and some very fine acting; even Eric Cantona gives a good performance. Kate Blanchette as Elizabeth changes from a young girl to a powerful strong monarch. Geoffrey Rush as Sir Francis Walsingham, the only man that Elizabeth can trust is excellent. Well worth seeing. (November 1998)

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Amadeus [4star]
The stage version of the film, staged at the Old Vic. David Suchet played the role of Salieri, with Michael Sheen as Mozart and Lucy Whybrow as his wife. Sallieri acts as narrator to the story of Mozart's downfall. In this production he is portrayed as being scheming and calculating, but not as bitter and as warped as in the film. Just by changing his stance and his voice Suchet changes from a middle-aged composer at court to an old man on the eve of his attempt to commit suicide. Micheal Sheen is suitably manic in his role, changing from the wild young upstart at court to a tormented sole living his last days in a slum as he tries to finish a requiem mass for an unknown benefactor. A half-mirrored backwall to the stage with projected images of ballrooms and streets help to re-create the atmosphere of Vienna. A brilliant performance by Suchet that deserves an award. (October 1998)

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And Then There Were None [3star]
This Agatha Christie play (made into a film Ten Little Indians) was staged at the Ashcroft Theatre in Croydon. I had seen part of the film before, but this was the first time I had seen the complete story. Eight guests are invited to a house on an island for the weekend, to find their hosts away. One by one they are murdered in circumstances similar to the children's rhyme "Ten Little Indians". Quite enjoyable. (October 1998)

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Anthony and Cleopatra [2star]
This production at the Royal National Theatre starred Helen Mirren and Alan Rickman. I found this production very heavy; some of the dialogues were drowned out by the drumming and wind-chime music in the background. The circular revolving stage was divided by a semi-circular terra cotta coloured curtain with panels that could be lifted independently to create a range of backgrounds and to let parts of the scenery through. My companion's though there was a strong Japanese influence on the production. Helen Mirren was very good, but I didn't find Alan Rickman's Anthony convincing. There was none of the sexual spark between them that you would expect there to be. (October 1998)

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The Lady Boys of Bangkok [2.5star]
This show is performed by an all male troupe from Thailand. Most of them are transvestites and mime to various international songs in sumptuous costumes. In Thailand these are normally cabaret performances, but have now been strung together into one show, and as such don't really work. There is no continuity between acts, so it comes across as just a series of performances. Only two of the performers has any stage presence (Mr. Johnny, didn't get the other performer's name), and the evening I saw there were lots of slips; costumes falling off, dropping of fans, etc. Interesting to see, but really too much of the same thing. (September 1998)

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Gentlemen Prefer Blondes [2.5star]
Performed at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre. Every year the New Shakespeare Company stages three productions at this venue; two Shakespeare plays and one musical. This year's musical was below their recent standards - the show has only two memorable songs; Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. The art-deco chrome set and good performances from Sara Crowe as Lorelei Lee and Clive Rowe as Gus Edmond (Jr) save the production. (August 1998)

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The Tales of Hoffmann by Offenbach [3star]
A simple production (only a cast of ten) by Opera Box, a small touring company specialising in open-air productions. Performed at the Cannizaro Park Open-Air Festival 1998. I haven't seen this opera before, and found it long. It was Offenbach's last opera, and more serious than his other works. (August 1998)

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[hit] Mrs. Brown (Her Majesty, Mrs. Brown in the US) [3.5star]
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Judi Dench plays a severe Queen Victoria to Billy Connolly's John Brown. Very well acted by both leading actors, with excellent photography and settings, even if there wasn't much of a story. (July 1998)

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[hit] Sliding Doors [3.5star]
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Clever comedy staring Gwyneth Paltrow and John Hannah. Shows how a girl's life simultaneously as it is and as it would have turned out if only she had caught the tube train home. (July 1998)

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As You Like It [3.5star]
A delightful production of the Shakespeare play by students from the Webber Douglas Academy at the Cannizaro Park Open-Air Festival 1998. Garry Fannin was particularly good as a drole, remorse Jacues. (July 1998)

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[hit] L.A. Confidential [3star]
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Police corruption and sleeze in 1950s Los Angeles. Three very different cops eventually start working together towards a common aim. (July 1998)

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[hit] The Full Monty [3.5star]
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Out of work steel workers in Sheffield decide they can do a better job than the Chippendales. Very funny film. (October 1997)

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[hit] Men In Black [4.5star]
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Sheer escapism and fun based around a science fiction idea. Lots of good jokes. A must-see film! (October 1997)

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These pages are © Robert Clark, 2004.
Date last updated: 24th May 2004
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