Review: Lindsay Kemp’s Varieté, YMT

Another good student production at the Riverside Studios which I was keen to see as I’ve never seen any of Lindsay Kemp’s productions live. He gave special permission for this performance, directed by Kinny Gardner who has worked with hi regularly. I think of Kemp as primarily a dancer but this was very much music theatre (YMT is Youth Music Theatre, after all). The music was superbly played, with a specially updated score from Carlos Miranda, and the acting was very good. I couldn’t fault the direction or the performances and it’s well worth seeing. However, it’s taken me a week to review, trying to work out what was missing: whether it is dated, whether Kemp’s productions just don’t work properly without his presence, or maybe this is just not his best work (it never entered his regular repertory).

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[Review] Romeo and Juliet

Another LAMDA production at the Riverside Studios. It was not as good as Much Ado last week but better than a professional production of the play that I saw a few years ago. Nic Jackman was superb as Romes, Aisha Fabienne Ross and Alexandra Ross were very good as Juliet and her mother. Cameron Chapman was a very lewd and crude Mercutio, discovering doubles entendres in Shakespeare’s words that I hadn’t spotted before. There was lots of rumbustious sword play and dancing making a very entertaining two hours.

[Review] Much Ado About Nothing

This terrific production is from LAMDA students but you’d hardly know it apart from some actors being a little young for their parts. In particular, the chemistry between Holly Augustine as Beatrice and Ryan Donaldson as Benedick is fabulous and I’m sure they are both actors we’ll see again soon. The great direction by Janet Suzman is certainly not amateur! It is free to book from the Riverside Studios website www.riversidestudios.co.uk (I’ve still got to work out how to add links), as is Romeo and Juliet., but please make a donation to LAMDA. They both run until 6th December.