A Dish of Tea with Dr Johnson, Arts Theatre

I already knew a bit about Dr (Dictionary) Johnson as my dad’s work was exhibited last year in his preserved London home now a museum, but I had no idea of the cult following his work engenders. When I went along to the Arts Theatre this week I was amazed by the enthusiasm of the audience, who all seemed very familiar with this genius’ work and words. The new play, A Dish of Tea with Dr Johnson, plays on his witty remarks and many memorable quotes.

Only ninety minutes long it is adapted by Russell Barr, Ian Redford and Max Stafford-Clark from Boswell's ‘The Life of Samuel Johnson’ and ‘The Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides’. We are introduced to Dr Johnson and invited to look in on his life. A sparse little living room is set up on stage with only a table and two chairs, an intimate setting for this cabinet work.

The play is performed more as a recitation than a performance. With very few props, it is a compilation of Johnson moments and is very wordy; at times I craved a little more action. The acting is beautiful throughout, with a particularly stunning rendition of Johnson by Ian Redford, delivering the lines with great aplomb and possessing a manic energy that feels appropriate for this fascinating character.

Due to illness, Russell Barr has had to pull out but a very competent Luke Griffin joins the cast, taking on the role of James Boswell and a staggering seven other parts. The poor man barely had a prop to define each character and instead had to work hard to distinguish with contrasting accents and mannerisms. The volume of lines meant at times, he was partly reading the words from his black book, a little distracting, but totally understandable in the circumstances. Trudie Styler has a cameo part towards the end of the show as Johnson’s greatest love, Mrs Hester Thrale, adding another dimension to the play, interacting well with the pair of men, making the final moments more dynamic.

A Dish of Tea with Dr Johnson is a well structured memoir of a great man of literature, giving an insight into his unique legacy.

Continues until 24 September, book here.

'Bette and Joan' at The Arts Theatre

Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, two names that conjure up images of beauty, glamour and theatrical glory - both women played important roles in Hollywood history. Anton Burge’s new play ‘Bette and Joan’ shows these two iconic figures in the midst of their comeback film in 1962 Hollywood, "What ever happened to Baby Jane?" Both are nervous to be appreciated, Joan is desperate "to be liked" while Bette is obsessed with her success as a dramatic actress.

The set is carefully arranged, two adjacent dressing rooms sit with an all important mirror on the wall separating the two actresses. This significantly places the women opposite each other, so at times they are literally staring at one another, almost as reflections, and yet the contrast between the dressing rooms' decor shows their obvious differences in character. Factually Bette and Joan were very alike: both were born after the turn of the twentieth century, both married four times, both were Aries, both were adopted children, both were abandoned by their fathers and the list goes on. However after Crawford’s death Davis was frequently caught saying “we had absolutely nothing in common.” In this play their similarities and differences are explored by Burge throughout.

On stage Crawford is in the dressing room to the right, all glitz and glamour - ostentatious flowers, frocks and jewels, velvet dressing gown, and the all important pepsi filled fridge. Davis, on the left is more of a free spirit, throwing her shoes off in her plain bare room, and smoking constantly while applying her haughty character's make up and generally making a mess.

Both actresses, Anita Dobson as Crawford and Greta Scacchi as Davis, give polished performances, producing impressively nuanced depictions of these great women. It helps that Scacchi looks alarmingly like the real Bette Davis, and with the melodramatic mannerisms is hilariously convincing. Dobson reminded me instantly of a younger "Dot" from Eastenders, all pinched smile and delicate features. Crawford’s clever conniving is played with a devilish humour, and yet she is equally brilliant acting out the sickly sweet side to the actress' character.

The script is dominated by a slanging match between the women, yet a glimmer of friendship is evident towards the end when the girls giggle together bitching about the younger actresses, "like that slag Monroe," who have stolen their limelight. Unfortunately I was rather distracted in the second half by pulsating, blaring music above the theatre, threatening to spoil the mood. And it doesn’t help that the seats at the Arts Theatre are rather uncomfortable, after nearly three hours of viewing I was longing to get up.

‘Bette and Joan’ is an illuminating insight into the lives of two of the greatest screen stars; we frequently see iconic photographs, but never before has such an intriguing and touching ‘behind the scenes’ story been revealed.

Continues until Saturday 25 June, book here.

Woody Sez at The Arts Theatre

Calling all folk fans and musicians... this show is for you! In fact I think anyone who appreciates music will enjoy Woody Sez at the Arts Theatre. This new musical explores the life and music of folk icon Woody Guthrie. Known more often as the man who inspired and mentored Bob Dylan, we now meet Guthrie as a legend in his own right, which is how he deserves to be remembered.

I took a module on Guthrie and Dylan at university, probably my favourite topic the whole three years I was there. The intrinsic link between music and history makes Woody’s music magically moving and very real. I went to see the show on a Monday, not the most popular night for theatre trips. Sadly the auditorium was half empty; such a waste considering the massive surge in folk music's popularity recently. Perhaps this is a result of little advertising - had I not poked around I too would have been oblivious to this gem of a show.

It is the four passionate performers that make this production outstanding. Aside from being very talented multi-instrumentalists they have a Guthrie wisdom and an infectious joy that make the audience immediately feel at ease; consequently it is impossible not to listen to and enjoy their journey. The stage is simply set, with a backdrop of Woody photos and instruments of all shapes and sizes lining the sides of the platform, I counted twelve in total.

There is a real fluidity about the show: the performers frequently switch characters and yet the whole story is effectively united with a long list of songs. Woody is played by the musical director and writer David M Lutken. Lutken is obviously a specialist in the subject and a very charismatic performer. The script features thirty-four Guthrie songs, but with intros and encores the final number is more like forty! Lutken sometimes sings and occasionally speaks the lyrics almost like a monologue. Every song is performed with an energetic bounce and a kind of humour, it is beautiful to see and hear. Darcie Deaville and Helen Jean Russell are wonderful as the female cast members. Folk music lends itself to harmonising and they create wonderful nuances with their voices. The flaws in a performer’s voice can be what makes it most beautiful. Music was definitely much more emotional before auto tune was invented!

David Finch (Andy Teirstein’s alternative) was hilarious as the fourth cast member. He played everything from classical violin to spoons - which I have never been lucky enough to see before - let me tell you it is quite staggering to watch. He plays various characters through Woody’s travels, and to each part brings a new personality, it was great fun to watch.

At 9.30pm on Saturdays (after the evening performance) they hold a jam session in the foyer for everyone and anyone. I was quite honestly blown away by this show, and urge you to visit this musical tribute before its limited run is over. Woody Sez introduces a cast not just of performers but of devoted musicians, their verve made this show one of the best off-West End productions I have seen in a long time.

Woody Sez continues until April 2^nd at the Arts Theatre, book tickets here.