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Rhian Teasdale of Wet Leg

captured by Kieran Lister

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Left Lion being stalked by a scary pumpkin #leftlion #pumpkin #nottingham #halloween (at Old Market Square) https://www.instagram.com/p/B4KEUVhnLQGjITX1unnO3FAAZBCYWC4H8CaUsI0/?igshid=e1qipmjqa6c9

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One of the most talked-about plays in UK theatre right now; Mark Gatiss stars for audiences at Nottingham Playhouse and, later this month, across the world as part of National Theatre Live...

Theatre Review: The Madness of George III7 November 18words: Jared Wilson

https://youtu.be/CZEYgjhhQU0

When Adam Penford took over as the artistic director of Nottingham Playhouse a year back, there would have been a twinkle in his eye about this play. He’s done plenty of interviews over the last year about how he’s the prodigal son (yes, he’s actually from here) looking to put Nottingham theatre back on the map. If he carries on like this he might just end up building a new empire. If you’re not already aware, The Madness of George III is a play penned by Alan Bennett as a fictionalised biographical study of the latter half of George III’s reign. He was the king who became famous for losing two things; his mind and the American colonies (due to the declaration of Independence). As well as various stage adaptations, there has also been a film; 1994’s The Madness of King George - apparently they removed the Roman numerals so that American audiences didn’t assume it was a sequel. The title role is filled by Mark Gatiss (The League of Gentlemen, Sherlock, Dr Who etc) who is almost certainly one of the most accomplished actors in the country right now. He’s excellent, engaging and energetic throughout, and downright loveable in various states of lunacy. He is clearly comfortable working under the direction of Penford, having previously collaborated on 2016’s Boys In The Band for The Park Theatre in London. Fingers crossed this won't be the last time we see him at the Playhouse.The Madness of George III - Photo by Manuel HarlanThe cast also includes Olivier-winning Adrian Scarborough (Gavin and Stacey, The King’s Speech) as Dr Willis and Debra Gillett (Call The Midwife, Bridget Jones’ Baby) as the Queen. They too both shine and in most other productions either of them would steal the show, but this is definitely Gatiss’ night. A play like this can seem fairly timeless, but it’s clear that interest in our monarchy hasn’t waned with the recent success of The Crown on Netflix and the tabloid frenzy of Harry and Meghan’s wedding. The set design by Robert Jones deserves a special mention. He’s created a series of simple, but slick revolving walls and furniture which looks both regal and theatrical, and enable transitions between scenes to be completed in just a few seconds each. On Tuesday 20 November this play will be broadcast live to over 700 UK cinemas (and more worldwide) including Broadway, Savoy and Showcasevia National Theatre Live. This is a first for both the Playhouse and Nottingham. It’s a pleasure to see what is usually the exclusive property of the Southbank, step into the provinces for a change.The Madness of George III runs at Nottingham Playhouse until Saturday 24 November. Tickets are scarce!

#MG #mark gatiss #the madness of george iii #nottingham playhouse #leftlion #theatre review #the genius in action #all things MG

70 Years Later: In a Lonely Place

19 June 20 by Miriam Blakemore-Hoy

Seventy years after its release, we visit auteur Nicolas Ray’s fifties film noir murder mystery.

Director: Nicholas Ray Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Gloria Grahame, Frank Lovejoy Running time: 94 minutes

Dixon Steele (Humphrey Bogart) is a Hollywood scriptwriter chasing his own demons. He gets into fights in bars, on the street, with friends, with strangers. He’s a difficult customer and no one can quite pin him down. Needing help with a potential new project, he asks a young check-out girl at Paul’s restaurant to visit his apartment and read through a book he is supposed to be adapting. Everything seems above board and she soon leaves again for home, watched by Dix’s curious, sultry neighbour Laurel (Gloria Grahame). So when the young girl, Mildred, turns up murdered the next morning, suspicion falls on Dix as the last person to see her alive.

Based on the novel of the same name by Dorothy B. Hughes, the film takes us down a long and winding road into the darkness of a person’s soul. At the time it was made, it was an incredibly modern and ambitious project. Some of the filming techniques used, such as a POV shot from Dix’s perspective, or the shadowy lighting used to highlight a character’s eyes, still feel very fresh. The ending in particular is so shocking, that it truly deserves being listed as one of the 1001 films to see before you die. Dix Steele is a complex character, executed perfectly by Bogart. As the layers of his personality are gradually stripped away piece-by-piece, tensions rise. Unlike most film noir in that era, you can really see the ugliness side of his personality bubbling away underneath. It is a remarkable portrait that shows off Bogart’s full range and justifies the title of greatest male star of classic American cinema, given to him by the AFI.

I hope that these days, a woman like Laurel wouldn’t give Dix the time of day

However, I can’t let it pass without going into Dix Steele’s behaviour a little further. Watching it with a contemporary perspective, I found myself more uncomfortable than I think even Nicolas Ray meant me to be. Dix Steele might have been crafted to be one of the first sexy bad guys, but these days behaviour such as his leaves a bad taste in the mouth. As Dix and Laurel fall in love, she is subjected to an insidious form of domestic abuse that is hard to watch. Of course, part of the purpose of the film is to make the audience question whether or not Dix is capable of Mildred’s murder, with the “has he, or hasn’t he?” tension keeping us right on the edge of our seats.

He needs to be enough of a villain to make it believable if he was found guilty, but it’s also just as important to show how Laurel could have fallen in love with him in the first place, and this is where his behaviour becomes extremely problematic. There is just too much gaslighting; I’m thinking of lines such as: “You’ll go when I tell you to go and not before” and “If you don’t let me go, I’ll kick you right out of here”. To me, it’s not a question of whether Dix is a good or bad guy but more a question of why Laurel is subjecting herself to such a horrendous, one-sided relationship. It makes the outcome of whether he’s guilty or not a bit redundant. I like to think we have learned something over the last seventy years. Whether he’s acquitted or not, I hope that these days, a woman like Laurel, strong-minded and independent, wouldn’t give Dix the time of day.

Did you know? Actress Louise Brooks wrote that Bogart and Dix shared similarities, saying: "The character's pride in his art, his selfishness, his drunkenness, his lack of energy stabbed with lightning strokes of violence, were shared equally by the real Bogart."

#LeftLion #In a Lonely Place #Humphrey Bogart #Miriam Blakemore-Hoy

Film Review: The Half Of It — Leftlion

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