Unfortunately, and for whatever probably logical reason, postgraduate student showcases seem to attract significantly fewer people from the business than graduate events but given the intimate surrounds of the Chanticleer a few, at least, can go a long way in making the venue look fuller than it is. As was the case here for a production whose opening raunchy number was perfectly suited to the theatre’s somewhat bohemian feel.
Don’t Tell Mama from Kander and Ebb’s Cabaret had the complete female cast scantily clad, pouting effectively and showing several yards of leg while certainly raising the temperature in SW7. As ever during such numbers, some looked more comfortable playing the femme fatale than others but the singing was collectively strong, there were some good comic touches and the sexual frisson necessary was just about there.
The male portion of the audience had scarcely had the chance to dab their brows, before it was on with much more serious fare in the pragmatic but effective shape of Ed Davis as Hilary from Alan Bennett’s The Old Country. His character came across the unsettling scenario of a police hunt for a lost child, with Davis cutting an eerily detached but very engaging figure.
Cast as Don Logan from Sexy Beast by Louis Melis and David Scinto, you knew Robert Madeley would be a somewhat venomous figure, as indeed the well cast postgraduate was, his character rebuking, in no uncertain terms, a guy trying to go straight. Come the end, you just knew you wouldn’t have wanted to be on the end of his tongue, or boot for that matter. Nasty, brutish and short then.
After the beast, the beauty, with Charlotte Melia as posh totty Maggie from David Hare’s Teeth’n’Smiles, recalling her loss of virginity at an early age and plenty more besides. Some colourful language was almost spat out on her departure from the stage and, given the time constraints, this was not a bad stab at bringing Maggie to life.
Neither was that by Stephen Newbury as Edward - adapted from The Curse of the Nice Guy (by Jeff White) - the title being basically self-explanatory, his character highly perplexed as to why most women ‘love bastards’. Certainly not the easiest piece in the running order to bring to life, Newbury’s performance managed it though, eliciting many a wry smile from both sexes in the audience.
A far easier script to work with was presented to Will Garthwaite, playing Steve - adapted from the BBC series Coupling (by Steven Moffat) - but once on stage, of course, a performer is totally on his own and Garthwaite grabbed his opportunity with both hands, scarcely wasting a line of the very bloke-ish material, keeping the pace of delivery just right. In the final analysis that required talent and given his admirable comic timing, he may have a future in comedy, whatever the medium.
As Cyrenne from Rattle of a Simple Man, Caroline Head - who had certainly caught the eye in the opening saucy song-fest - wisely played down the role, which gave it more resonance and for the most part held the interest even though this was another example of a slow-burner just starting to warm-up as it ended.
Unlike the character of Chata from Roosters by Milcha Sanchez-Scott, played with fantastic sauciness and fizzing sexuality by the striking Sheyla S Elosua as a tortilla-rolling temptress using her various ‘wares’ to help attract her ideal man. A very different sort of flour power then, played with a real sense of fun by Elosua and helped by perfect, if probably obvious, casting.
There is usually more than one surprise piece at a student showcase and here it was The Master Fencer, by Francois de la Crue. Thomas Wilton played Danny, a chap adopting the veneer of an expert fencer to attract the ladies, only to be caught out. Wilton’s character at least enabled you to share his embarrassment amid the cut and thrust of illicit love.
As a man who would probably be in two minds about whether or not to take a positive thinking course, Ben Upson as the Man from Christopher Durang’s Laughing Wild was always entertaining. Getting his awkward asides, delivery and timing right throughout, he raised a fair few laughs and succeeded in achieving that Holy Grail of all student performances - bringing his character very much to life.
Another strong performance then came from Maia Mackney as the Woman in Alex Garner’s Barfly, berating her lot as a woman unlucky in love and seeking solace from from the bottom of a glass. “There’s nothing more unattractive than a desperate woman,” she says at one point, Mackney’s performance ringing true throughout and just about spot-on.
Less accessible - in indeed a more difficult piece - but always competent was the performance of Suzanne from Steve Martin’s Picasso at the Lapin Agile, played by Nina Hatchwell.
In truth it never had to time to engage, before Katie Pearson, as Donna from The People Are Friendly by Michael Wynne, came out sporting a motor-mouth that knocked most back in their seats. Working shifts, packing peanuts just to keep a roof over head, she turns on another female returning to her manor with a rant whose message was anything but welcome home. Such no-frills, working class characters are often poorly done by students but this was carried off well by Pearson.
The joys, or rather pain, of relationships was then quite deftly handled by the only double-hander of the showcase to date, with Jamie Lennox and Sarah Hunt as Dominic and Marilyn from Anthony Minghella’s What If It’s Raining? locking horns and scoring points off one another, post-split. Some great lines were finely delivered and the comic but hurtful, personal banter bounced energetically between them, Hunt and Lennox coming out even on acting honours at the end. The final first bow from the cast then saw Rachel Wilcock in fine, emotive form as Grace, from Brian Friel’s Faith Healer.
Most things penned by Friel, of course, come with heavy portions of poignancy and in this tale of a buried baby, Wilcock did full justice to the moving script, offering a low-key but ultimately warming performance that could only be admired.
That piece signalling the end of the first round of appearances, it was a wise move to jolly up proceedings with a musical offering - a rendition of Bill Withers’ Ain’t No Sunshine. Head belted out the notes along with Newbury, the latter chipping in with some fine sax playing which was unexpected and therefore all the more enjoyable. Certainly, there was a touch of the Sam Brown about Head’s vocals, a comparison that has to be a big compliment.
Come the second half of the showcase, those performances certainly meriting a bold tick in the programme notes included Madeley as Robert Walpole from Nick Dear’s The Art of Success, Melia in a piece adapted from Michael Cunningham’s The Hours, Head - again - as Stephanie from Peter Morris’s The Age of Consent and finally Wilcock as Brenda from Brenda and Jerry (by Renee Taylor & Joseph Bologna).
Come the finale - an energised rendition by the full company of the number More, from Sondheim’s Dick Tracy - you couldn’t help but smile given the earnest effort by every graduate to impress. Even though this was a showcase containing its fair share of characters enveloped in personal misery - mostly well played - it was the comic moments that entertained the most.
Postgraduates just seem to be able to do comedy better than their graduate peers - maybe those few extra years life experience supply all the cynicism needed to give their humour that necessary edge? Whatever the reason, clearly more agents and casting directors should make a point of checking out more postgraduate shows. They have nothing to lose and potentially plenty of talent to spot.
Derek Smith
EXPERT CHOICE
Chanticleer, London,
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