REVIEW: Lunatic, TheatreN16 ✭
Regretfully, I have to note that I personally didn’t find any work of that quality in this particular offering.
Regretfully, I have to note that I personally didn’t find any work of that quality in this particular offering.
The Entertainer’, a brilliantly performed play paralleling the breakdown of the British Empire and the decline of music hall, which concludes Kenneth Branagh’s season at the Garrick.
In miniature, a marvelous insight into the life and work of artists in musical theatre, with something a little bit different about it, drawing a nice crowd, reminding us of things we cherish, and giving us some brand new stuff, too. Who could ask for anything more?
This is a remarkable and magnificent work, rich in detail and meaning, and – as we approach another decisive moment in the US (and therefore also global) history – it could not have been better timed, nor more aptly designed to reflect a complex and often self-contradictory situation.
There is a lot, in fact, in the writing – and delivery – that reminds one of the best female stand-up comedy, and the audience here seems to be very like the audience for that other form.
The show has been seen in London several times recently, and it is clearly a work that repays revisitation, and reinterpretation. I will certainly be back to see this version again.
Bowie was a fascinating figure, with aspects of his work and image that make for rich pickings when it comes to creating a show. Unfortunately what From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads has done is ignore the best parts of its source material in favour of producing a piece that is self-absorbed to the point of alienating its audience and is, quite frankly, dull.
That such a heavyweight should be having his work showcased by such a (still) small company in a fringe studio says a lot about him and a lot about the venue and its visitors.