Tag: Southwark Playhouse

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Shows to look forward to in September 2019

Welcome to September’s show highlights. Here are my picks of the most interesting shows that you can find around London and the UK.

So, after a rash of festivals in Edinburgh and London, there’s just a moment to catch our breath before the next wave of great shows kicks off in early September. Fasten your seatbelts!

Off-West End

PRELUDES sounds fascinating. Based on a true story of the composer genius Rachmaninoff’s sessions of hypnotherapy, PRELUDES is an intriguing new musical by three-time Tony Award-nominee Dave Malloy (Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, Ghost Quartet). It examines the crippling debilitation and harm the world can do to people, and how the dramatic and musical process can be used as therapy to restore them back into the fullest of creative lives. PRELUDES runs from September 6th until October 12th at Southwark Playhouse.

FAITH, HOPE AND CHARITY In a run-down community hall on the edge of town, a woman has been cooking lunch for those in need. A choir is starting up, run by a volunteer who’s looking for a new beginning. A mother is seeking help in her fight to keep her young daughter from being taken into care. An older man sits silently in the corner, the first to arrive, the last to leave. Outside the rain is falling.

FAITH, HOPE AND CHARITY is the culmination of a trilogy that began with BEYOND CARING – ‘Unforgettable’ (The Times) – and followed by LOVE – ‘the National’s play of the year, and then some’ (Evening Standard). Alexander Zeldin’s new play promises to be another uncompromising theatrical experience that goes to the heart of our uncertain times. Playing at the National’s Dorfman Theatre from September 9th to October 12th.

Hampstead Theatre Downstairs is an undisputed treasure trove of new writing, and this looks set to continue with EITHER . Running from September 19th to October 26th, Ruby Thomas’ funny, smart and sexy debut play probes our romantic choices in life and explores the human need to connect and be loved – regardless of the ramifications.

A young, loved-up couple are surrounded by life’s infinite possibilities and temptations. And at a time in their lives where they have little responsibility, they’re determined to live this chapter as fully and spontaneously as possible. But in their pursuit to enjoy all that life has to offer, should every opportunity that comes their way be taken?

FALSETTOS , the double Tony Award winning musical from James Lapine and William Finn finally gets its London premiere (courtesy of Selladoor Productions) at the Other Palace from August 30th until November 23rd. Featuring a brilliant cast including Laura Pitt-Pulford (LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE), Natasha J Barnes (WASTED) and Daniel Boys (AVENUE Q) amongst others.

An hilarious and poignant look at a modern family, FALSETTOS revolves around the life of a gay man Marvin, his wife, his lover, his soon to be bar mitzvahed son, their psychiatrist, and the lesbian neighbours, Originally created under the spectre of the AIDS crisis, this ground-breaking musical about family dynamics manages to remain buoyant and satirically perceptive even as it moves towards its heartbreaking conclusion, which reminds us that love is all that really matters.

ANNA BELLA EEMA  “Something is coming. It’s either the interstate or the end of the world”. Precocious child Annabella lives in a deserted trailer park. Schooled by her eccentric mother Irene, she learns to co-exist with the vampires, werewolves and monsters that lurk in the world outside. Desperate to ward off the new highway that threatens the demolition of their home, Annabella steps outside to build a girl out of mud. The girl comes to life. The girl is Anna Bella Eema.

Pulitzer Prize finalist Lisa D’Amour’s (Detroit, National Theatre) part ghost story, part fairytale, part coming-of-age fantasy, ANNA BELLA EEMA is a dazzling burst of storytelling from the dark heart of American Gothic. Playing at the Arcola from September 11th to October 12th.

TORCH SONG, Harvey Fierstein’s Tony-winning play about the life and loves of a drag artist in 1970s New York runs from September 6th to October 13th at the Turbine Theatre in Battersea, next to the Power Station. This inaugural production at the venue is directed by Olivier-winner Drew McOnie

FOR SERVICES RENDERED A warm September afternoon in an idyllic English village. Tea is served on the terrace. Sounds of a tennis party float across the lawn. But this England has no place for the heroes of the First World War. No jobs to sustain them, no mantelpieces for their medals, and no money for their debts. Against the odds, three sisters must carve new paths in an uncertain world.

Somerset Maugham’s sharply observed and passionate play is a Chekhovian examination of desire, frustration and hope.

FOR SERVICES RENDERED runs at the Jermyn Street Theatre from September 4th to October 5th. Directed by JST’s Artistic Director, Tom Littler.

HOW LOVE IS SPELT “She wanted spontaneity, adventure… I said I can be spontaneous… I just need a little bit of time to plan.” Peta is new in town and ready for whatever London has to throw at her. She’s looking for romance, for friendship, for exciting people to lead her on big adventures. But being an independent woman in the new millennium isn’t easy, especially when there’s a constant reminder of the life you’re trying to escape. With each new encounter, Peta flirts with what might have been, but has the journey to London put enough distance between her and her past?

This is the first major revival of this fascinating and funny play from Susan Smith Blackburn Prize-winning playwright Chloe Moss (This Wide Night, Soho Theatre; Dickensian, BBC) which was first produced at Bush Theatre in 2004. How Love Is Spelt is directed by Charlotte Peters (Associate Director War Horse, UK Tour and An Inspector Calls, West End). Playing at Southwark Playhouse from September 4th to 28th.

At the Royal Court from September 3rd to 21st, TOTAL IMMEDIATE COLLECTIVE IMMINENT TERRESTRIAL SALVATION by experimental theatre maker Tim Crouch arrives in London after a controversial season at the Edinburgh Festival.

“You should all have a book.  Does everyone have a book? This book is part of the play. 
In a minute, we’ll all open this book and we’ll invite you to turn the pages.”

The writer manipulates a group of people to sit together and believe in something that isn’t true. The book he’s written predicts it all: the equations, the black hole and all the words we’ll speak until the end.

On this last day, at this last hour, a defector finds her voice and returns.

In this new play, presented through stage action and illustrated text, audience and actors turn the book’s pages together, they study the images and they sometimes share the words out loud.

ALL OF ME is an intimate and absurd exploration of wanting to live, wanting to die and what can happen if we sit together with the dark. Olivier Award nominee Caroline Horton reunites with director Alex Swift (★★★★ How to Win Against History, Young Vic) to bring you the show that happens after the curtain call, when the lights have gone down but the mess remains. Playing at the Yard in East London from September 10th to 28th

Until September 7th at the Kiln Theatre in Kilburn, the Olivier and Tony Award nominated musical BLUES IN THE NIGHT is in its first major London revival in 30 years. Directed by Susie McKenna and starring Olivier Award winners Sharon D. Clarke (Death of A Salesman, Caroline or Change, Ghost, Amen Corner) and Clive Rowe (Guys and Dolls, Carousel), Blues in the Night is a steamy compilation of 26 hot and torchy blues numbers that frame the lives and loves of four residents of a downtown hotel. Featuring soul-filled songs by blues and jazz icons Bessie Smith, Duke Ellington, Johnny Mercer, Harold Arlen and many more.

West End Opening

Well, we have had quite a slew of film to stage adaptations in the last few years, haven’t we? Whilst it’s true that they will never have the same qualities as the originals, they are often worth seeing for the talent involved. A case in point is the restyling of the classic 1951 Ealing comedy THE MAN IN THE WHITE SUIT which originally starred Alec Guinness. All about a scientist who creates a miracle fibre which doesn’t wear out, the discovery is seized upon by both the mill owners and the trades unions who all want to suppress it. It will be intriguing to see how Sean Foley (adaptor and director) works with the fifties nature of the story and manages to bring his own quirky eye to the story details. Reuniting Foley with Stephen Mangan, (they worked together on JEEVES AND WOOSTER to great success in 2016), this will be an interesting experiment in itself.

Outside London

Manchester is in for a treat. After 50 years Jerry Herman’s classic musical MAME is back! When young Patrick goes to stay with his Auntie Mame, he walks into a fast-living world of fun and and joy. It will be a real treat to see two-time Olivier-winner Tracie Bennett (Follies) (pictured above, top right) as Mame, with the great Tim Flavin and Harriet Thorpe (Absolutely Fabulous) (pictured above, centre) as Mame’s “old, old, old friend” Vera Charles. Get set for some high-octane musical fun! The celebrated score includes the rousing title number, plus “Open a New Window,” “If He Walked into My Life,” “We Need a Little Christmas,” “Bosom Buddies” and “That’s How Young I Feel.” A tour must follow. Previews from September 28th and playing till November 9th.

Touring the UK

C’est Magnifique! Achieving the near-impossible task of translating a unique French movie to the stage, and doing so in some style, this UK tour of AMELIE will bring a smile to your lips and warmth to your heart, as we follow our heroine helping others but finding it hardest to help herself. With a tuneful score and dynamic Audrey Brisson as Amelie, this is your passport to joie de vivre. See it in September at Eastbourne, Inverness and Southampton . Read my review of the show here

If you love the Latin crossover music of Gloria Estefan you will enjoy ON YOUR FEET! It has had mixed but mostly positive reviews, unanimous in the musical content of the show. It looks good and sounds just great, with a brilliant band (worth the price of admission alone) who never let the energy flag.

Featuring 26 hits, this Tony Award nominated show ran on Broadway for two years, for over 750 performances. ON YOUR FEET! is the inspiring true love story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan and charts their journey from Cuba to the streets of Miami and finally to international superstardom. Featuring some of the most iconic pop songs of the era, including “Rhythm is Gonna Get You”, “Conga”, “Get On Your Feet”, “Don’t Want To Lose You Now” and “1-2-3” and many more.

ON YOUR FEET! is directed by two-time Tony Award® winner Jerry Mitchell (Kinky Boots, Legally Blonde), with choreography by Olivier Award-winner Sergio Trujillo (Jersey Boys) and book by Academy Award® winner Alexander Dinelaris (Birdman). See it in September at Birmingham, Plymouth, Nottingham and Sunderland. Read my review of the show here

James Lapine and William Finn’s LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE is a musical adaptation of the hit 2006 quirky road movie. It’s touring the UK and is worth a visit. See it in September at Leicester, Cardiff, Aberdeen and Liverpool, where the tour closes. Read my review of the show here

Also….

From 13 to 22 September, there are over 100 theatre-related events going on across the country during Heritage Open Days. Most likely a theatre near you will be opening its doors to offer tours of the buildings. Intrigued? Then take a look at their website here where you can search what’s happening near you.

Every September since 1992, London Open House has enabled public access to 800+ buildings, many of which are inaccessible at any other time of the year, with associated walks, talks and tours over one very busy weekend, now attracting over a quarter of a million people annually.

22 theatres and 5 cinemas are listed in this year’s offerings, ranging from the grandeur of Sir Cameron Mackintosh’s freshly-refurbished Victoria Palace Theatre to the Victorian charms of Hoxton Hall and Wilton’s Music Hall, to more modern offerings such as the National Theatre. All will be open for exploration via tours and/or talks on-site. Tucked away in the “entertainment” category is the first cinema to be Grade-I listed, the incredible Tooting Granada (now rather cheesily-titled Buzz Bingo, but inside still an awe-inspiring and richly-detailed movie palace)

Please note that some sites require advance booking while others do not. Do check with the Open House website on each venue’s individual listing page for full details. Also, a lot of venues will open on just one day of the weekend, not both, so do please check before you travel.

Find out more at the Open House website which you can find here

NT Live Broadcasts

September brings two NTLive broadcasts to screens around the UK and further afield. On September 12th Phoebe Waller-Bridge brings her hit show FLEABAG to UK-wide audiences from the stage of Wyndham’s Theatre.

Then on September 26th (and later dates) it’s the welcome return of one of the National’s biggest successes of recent years, Richard Bean’s ONE MAN TWO GUVNORS starring James Corden in a career-boosting role for him.

To find screenings in your area check out the schedule of NT Live website, details here.

London Shows closing

September 7th- BLUES IN THE NIGHT closes at The Kiln Theatre

September 8th- JOSEPH closes at the London Palladium

September 9th- EQUUS closes at Trafalgar Studios

September 14th – THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY closes at the Menier Chocolate Factory

September 21st – EVITA closes at the Open Air Theatre, Regents Park

September 28th – THE NIGHT OF THE IGUANA at the Noel Coward Theatre

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Review: FIVER

FIVER runs at Southwark Playhouse until July 20. Information and tickets here

IN BRIEF Smart and compassionate contemporary musical soars when sung but flags when script takes over.

There’s a lot to like in Alex James Ellison’s and Tom Lees’ London-set FIVER, playing at the Little space at Southwark Playhouse.

The neat premise involves the complex journey from one hand to another of a humble five pound note, a sort of financial LA RONDE if you like. Comprising a series of musical snapshots of (very) varying length, the show is at its best when singing, and the music is of a quality that stays with you after the show.

A street busker (Alex James Ellison, the show’s composer) tops and tails the show and interjects at various points; he is well-qualified to do so, having the ability to work a room. His neat trick is to ask for the titular fiver from an audience member, and its return at the end of the show is neat too. As for the scenes, most are relatively short, involving one key song, and the show moves along nicely. Unfortunately, the pace falls off when we get to some over-extended dialogue scenes (at a party, and a park proposal) which made me long for the music’s return.

Along the journey we meet a wide variety of young characters all with issues to cope with, trying to find their way in the big city. Playing multiple characters through the show, the four singer/actors (plus Ellison) are at their best when signing, the often-layered vocals performed with aplomb. The music is varied in style but engaging, and deserves its space in the show. Highlights for me included an entreaty by a wife to her husband to talk about his grief in the plaintive but empathetic “Whisper it To Me”, beautifully sung with skill and restraint by Hiba Elchikhe. Aoife Clesham’s song “Press Hash to Rerecord” was a comic highlight, charting the escalating un-success of a recently dumped woman attempting to leave a relaxed voicemail for her ex. Also worthy of note, the heavy but hopeful “For Your Light to Shine” was a lovely shaft of light in the midst of world-weary uncertainty. The cheeky fast-forward into the interval (“A Fiver’s Destiny”) was also very funny and well-done.

London can be a lonely place, and the struggle to connect with others and feel “at home” is a key theme that runs through this show. Its view of London as having threats and challenges as well as shafts of kindness, thoughtfulness and hope is a potent mix which the audience responded to. The episodic nature of the script avoids having to delve into issues too deeply, but in contrast to this approach the recurring sub-plot about a stalker seemed out of place and unresolved.

The capable band of four are MD-d by Tom Lees (the show’s book writer/ director), frustratingly they are sometimes over amplified to the point that in several of the songs the singers have to struggle to be heard which takes the edge off the enjoyment of the lyrics. At times this makes it a struggle for the audience to engage with the songs which is unfortunate.

London theatre needs more smart and compassionate musicals like FIVER, and I am sure that with a reworked book this could have a much longer life ahead.

FIVER runs at Southwark Playhouse until July 20. Information and tickets here

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London’s exciting new theatres – coming soon!

It is such an exciting time for new, renovated and renewed theatre spaces opening up in and around London, that I thought that a quick round-up would make interesting reading.

Opening very soon

Troubadour White City Theatre

Troubadour Theatres are opening two new large (1000-plus seats) outer-London theatres this month, in White City (in the former BBC Media Village in west London) and Wembley Park (in the former Fountain Studios, the venue of live televised shows including The X Factor, Britain’s Got Talent and Pop Idol). This follows the company’s ethos of repurposing existing buildings to create exciting new arts environments. Both of these areas have no existing significantly sized theatre spaces, and the founders of Troubadour, Oliver Royds and Tristan Baker (who ran the temporary Kings Cross Theatre to such success with shows like THE RAILWAY CHILDREN, David Bowie’s LAZARUS and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s IN THE HEIGHTS), aim to grow an audience base from the surrounding areas with the massive home-building developments which continue to bring more people into the capital. Family-friendly spaces, with flexible capacities and facilities, these will be welcome additions to London’s theatre scene. Schemes include ample eating and drinking opportunities as well as lots of toilets – at last!

Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre

Big shows coming in this summer for the opening include the DINOSAUR WORLD LIVE, the National Theatre’s PETER PAN and later in the year, a run of the National’s mega-hit WAR HORSE. Alongside these are a range of shows for children and young people, welcoming the next generation of theatregoers in as early as possible to grow the theatre-going habit. Both venues open late July. Let’s wish them every success!

Find the Troubadour Theatres website here

A brand new 200-seater located in the railway arches next to Battersea Power Station will open in August to enhance the cultural options in the gradual revitalisation of this area. Artistic Director is Paul Taylor-Mills (ex- the Other Palace) and presented by producer Bill Kenwright. The inaugural show is the Tony Award-winning TORCH SONG by Harvey Fierstein and directed by Drew McOnie. Preview performances from 22 August.

Find the Turbine Theatre website here

Opening Late 2019

Hammersmith’s Riverside Studios (projected opening end of 2019) was originally a compact, busy film studio in the 1930s and 40s, its two sound stages turning out many good British films until 1954. Bought by the BBC for conversion into TV studios, the facility remained in regular use until 1974 when the Riverside was bought by the Council and run as a Trust. By 1978 two large studios were home to a wide variety of performances and associated events, running with much success for decades. TV production returned in 1996 and was in much demand until the building closed in 2014. The site has now been redeveloped to include the obligatory massive slab of (over 150) flats sitting on top of a reborn Riverside Studios, which comprises five spaces- a TV studio seating 400, two theatre/studio spaces seating 400 and 180, a flexible events space with river views and a community/rehearsal space. Also housing two cinemas, cafes, bars and a restaurant with river views and access, this will be a really welcome return for an ever-popular venue.

Find the Riverside studios website here

The Boulevard Theatre – (opening in October). Part of strip club king Paul Raymond’s Revue Bar, located in Walker’s Court, Soho, the Boulevard Theatre part of the venue originally hosted up and coming comedy from the likes of Eddie Izzard, French and Saunders and Rik Mayall back in the 1980s. With the closure of the venue in 2004, it has finally been redeveloped with a new auditorium and bar/restaurant facilities to a design by leading theatre architects CharcoalBlue. Its tiny capacity of just over 160 will mean that its programme may well be specialised, but Artistic Director Rachel Edwards (of the Sweeney Todd revival in the pie and mash shop of a couple of years ago) will no doubt bring some credibility to the place. Let’s wish it success with its newly-announced programme starting in October.

Find the Boulevard Theatre website here

Southwark Playhouse – (projected opening end of 2019) – has had several temporary homes since 1992, but it has now found a permanent residence at its new facility, which is actually on two sites. Located on Newington Butts, just five minutes down the road from where they are now, there is a 300-seat flexible theatre space, with a youth and community theatre space appended. On the second site, which is back at the theatre’s old home on Tooley Street under London Bridge station, there will be two flexible smaller spaces (200 and 150 seats) for emerging and developing work. They are currently fundraising to fit out the new spaces, but have some way to go with their funding targets, hence the opening date may be knocked back.

Find the Southwark Playhouse website here

Read more about the new development at the Southwark Playhouse website here

Opening 2020

Theatre Royal Drury Lane. It’s on the left….honest!

The Theatre Royal Drury Lane – projected reopening October 2020. Having bought the building next door (above right) for Front of House extensions including lifts, restaurants, bars and cafes, as well as more ladies loos (hooray!) , this jewel in world theatre’s crown is the longest continual theatre site in the world. Considering the major clobbering it is currently enduring, I find it very hard to believe that the theatre will open in October 2020 with Disney’s FROZEN, but perhaps I shall be proved wrong. Time will tell.

Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, who owns the venue as part of his LW Theatres group, said “The auditorium will be completely reconfigured into a comfortable and more intimate space. The auditorium will also be reshaped to create a tighter curve, bringing the performer and audience closer together.” The aim is to produce a flexible auditorium, which I personally find very difficult to imagine with a 2000-seater, so I shall have to wait and see. If it works, they will have pulled off a very tricky conundrum. So, let’s wish then luck for now and I’ll reserve my judgement.

More about Theatre Royal Drury Lane redevelopment at the LW Theatres website here

In 2020 the King’s Head Theatre in Islington plans to move just a stone’s throw from its current 110-seat room-behind-a pub to a brand new basement space within Islington Square. The submitted proposals would see the creation of a 250-seat auditorium and an 85-seat studio, along with bar, foyer and good backstage facilities which will be a real blessing for all those who have had to endure the old theatre’s many limitations.

Opening 2021

Selladoor Worldwide have recently announced ambitious plans to redevelop the Greenwich Borough Halls building into a new multi-space theatre and performing arts hub named the Greenwich Festival Theatre. The new venue will be a major producing theatre and entertainment hub for South East London, offering a diverse theatre programme and an artistic mission to present a year round live performance programme of both local and national importance. The Grade II listed former Greenwich Borough Halls was built in 1939 and has most recently been home to a dance organisation but then fell vacant and is currently disused. It could open as early as Spring 2021.

Visual for proposed Greenwich Borough Halls remodelling into the Festival Theatre

The plans will create a 650-seat main stage and a 240-seat flexible studio/black box space. The plans also include extending the main stage performance footprint and seating capacity of the hall to allow larger and more ambitious musicals, plays and live performance to be presented in the building. The redevelopment will also feature a basement rehearsal suite for creative learning programmes, community use and skills development. A front extension to the building is planned to facilitate a two-story brasserie bar for all day dining and pre-theatre meals, as well as a rooftop terrace bar for evening drinks and functions.

How this new venue will sit alongside the existing nearby Greenwich Theatre – which has recently celebrated its 50th anniversary – remains to be seen.

Built on the site of the old Astoria Theatre, amidst the new Crossrail station development, the new Nimax Theatre in Tottenham Court Road has been a long time coming since its first announcement, but work is now under way for a 600- seat auditorium opening late 2021.

Kings Cross theatre building proposals – illustration

After their success with the new Bridge Theatre which opened near Tower Bridge in 2017, the two Nicks, Hytner and Starr, through their London Theatre Company plan to open and run a new, as yet unnamed theatre in the new Kings Cross development area. Designed by The Bridge’s architects and engineers, this new 600-seat space will be similarly flexible in layout and offer a range of configurations. Opening is projected for Winter 2021.

And beyond?

Any addition to London’s theatre scene is welcome, especially since the loss of many smaller venues from the 1960s to the 80s reduced the breadth of choice to theatregoers. Personally, I would love to see more 200-300 seat spaces where work could come in, to be given greater exposure and a longer life, ideally in a complex of varying sized spaces so that work could grow its audience and establish itself, away (if just for a time) from some of the harsher commercial realities.

Currently in London, there are precious few venues under 800-seat capacity, and those we have are in constant demand for new shows which might not be able to fill a larger venue for a twelve week run. This is partly why the new 500-600 seat sized venues have arisen, and they are so welcome. Of the existing smaller West End venues, the 550-seat St Martin’s has been tied up for over 45 years with THE MOUSETRAP, the 430-seat Fortune has been tied up for 30 years with THE WOMAN IN BLACK, The 440-seat Ambassadors was let to STOMP! for almost ten years and the 470-seat Duchess is currently booking The Play That Goes Wrong into 2020. Smaller theatres in London are always in-demand and therefore usually unavailable, denying a West End run to many shows which might otherwise have made the leap successfully. In this sense specifically, Trafalgar Studios have got it right in venue size, with a 500-seat and a 100-seat space to receive both larger and smaller shows.

So let’s wish all these upcoming new and remodelled theatres every success. And let us all get out and support them!

FootNote: There are a number of other plans in the pipeline but at present such minimal details are available as to not allow us to discuss them in any certainty. For that reason, I will add regular update articles as new plans are firmed up and announcements made.

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Review: THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

IN BRIEF Fitzgerald’s regression story given sincere and intriguing folk interpretation by musically talented cast, but runs too long.

The story of the man who is born old and lives backwards, dying a baby has been told several times before, by different authors, but Fitzgerald’s has seen the most light of day. Taking the barest skeleton of the story, this production uproots the tale from its Baltimore setting and reimagines it as a kind of West Country folk tale, with Celtic-inspired music, which works pretty well albeit rather over- “atmosphere”-d for my taste (the dry ice sticks in your throat for hours!).

We enter to fog on an atmospherically lit harbourside. A decked platform serves as the performance space, with a piano and drum kit at the rear. The cast of five performers are all good singers as well as skilled musicians whose talents suit the string-emphasised score by Darren Clark.

The music has variety of tone – by turns rousing, lilting and passionate – generally very pleasing to the ear, but for me the numbers all started to blend into each other, and for me there were no themes I took away once out of the auditorium. I remembered to write down a note about the lovely song Time, which like others in the score, is punctuated and fractured by dialogue which was disappointing as it reduced the enjoyment of the undoubted skill of the songwriter.

Schonlatern’s deceptively simple staging (and lighting design) is thoughtful and inventive, the traps in the stage also used to clever ends. Puppetry was simple but reasonably effective, but I liked the idea of the puppets being made from discarded items which could have washed up on the coastline.

The first act is slowly paced, and goes on for at least 15 minutes too long; the second half, being shorter, is more effective in every way, with the death of the wife being undoubtedly a very moving piece of theatre, although the actual end of the show rather petered out for me.

The book is generally leisurely-paced, however the way that the narrative keeps hammering home tiny facts and micro-details about time and events for me eventually became annoying and ended up turning me off. To compare to another recent show, AMELIE used this narrative device also, but they just spotted it through the show, whereas this piece over-labours the points and becomes over-stylised.

It’s All Just A Matter of Time, as the cast (seemingly endlessly) hammer home to us. For me, the time went a little too slowly, but I was glad to have seem this imaginative reworking of a story made better by its new soil, given life by a dedicated cast, and an interesting and attractive score in a production invested with a lot of thought and care.

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON runs at Southwark Playhouse’s Little Space until June 8th. Information and tickets here