Lydee

What a wonderful performance! From Mr. Hewitt only however. Really enjoyed the classical motifs given from each character. No props needed as all emotion and energy of the piece was carried purely by talent of acting. I don't think I could perform in a two man production with doubling roles, well done cast! The woman's performance was however questionable. May need some work on controling her breathing!

Ion

In all due respect, a bit of a waste of my time. A lot of things could have been done with this script. I felt myself going into directing mode and mapping out blocking they way I would have liked it to be done. The studio was intimate and ideal to make the audience feel uncomfortable, which they did not do. If it wasn't for Tom Penfold bring the show to it's full potential, I would have probably walked out.

Video Review- Metamorphisis

Audio Review- Fiddler on the Roof

Metamophasis

LOVED THIS SHOW! Pants on fire reworked Ovid's story completely and told it in a way that was lively, amusing and artistic in every way possible. The company reminded me of the company Kneehigh which is always fun to watch too.

Red Rum

My first experience of promenade theatre. Really enjoyed the show, I didn't know what to expect which added to the effect of eeriness and the sense of vulnerability not knowing what the actors were going to do. a great setting in the stables meant that we could be taken into each of the different worlds having no idea where to go lead by the masked people

Romeo and Juliet

This is something I saw at home during the Easter hols. I just HAD to share my amazing theatre experience with you:
I may be bias about this show because my old youth theatre company holds a special place in my heart. I truly believe that if it wasn't for Stage2, I would not have the experience, confidence or basic background knowledge of theatre to actually go to university today. You name the show and you can guarantee that Stage2 has probably performed this. There is something a little different about the Shakespeare's. Liz Light, our director, is obsessed with this man and so when you go to see a Shakespeare directed by Liz, no matter how well you think you know the play, she will always make you see things in a different way. This is my review:

Amazing! I left the theatre speechless. I was blown away by every tiny detail that added up to the magnificent scale of the production. Different concepts of characters and plot just made the tragic story even more heartfelt and emotional, including domestic violence within the Capulet family and scandal between Tybalt and his aunt. With a cast of 100, the action was kept alive during every minute and there was not a dull moment. The sword fights were fantastic!

Fiddler on the Roof

Firstly, the singing blew me away! I wish I had their ability! I loved the story of the play and I love a good religious joke. HOWEVER this was let down by the standard of acting the company portrayed. There is NO excuse for forgetting lines. It seemed to me like the actors learned there lines the night before and were merely reciting them to us. A few technical difficulties too - I was sat on the front row and couldn't hear principal characters over the ensemble however this was no fault of the actors.

Fugitive Songs

A 2 woman play that left me thinking about what happened and what they were trying to say. However I did like the physical theatre element that ran throughout the performance

Under Milk Wood

I really enjoyed the way this company showed that it was a radio play. The way that all of the different characters were played by only three actors was achieved very well. They made the visual aspects very good by comical conflicts between the voice actors and the actor controlling the sound effects. Loved bobbing along to the music at the beginning whilst seeing the period set which immediately brought us back to a historic era.

Masquerade

Oh no, a dance piece! I really REALLY didn't like this one because it dragged on too long. Once I saw the sequences for 20 second's that was enough for me. I commend the dancer's for dancing non-stop for that amount of time though, especially the old woman.

Avenue Q

This play certainly does not 'beat around the bush' with serious topics and issues we all see in every day life. A very funny and lively play packed with songs and perfect choreography. Although at it times shocked me to the highest degree, I think that was the point to get the audience to see what was wrong with the world.

This is my review for the show:

Avenue Q, a modern musical fresh from New York Broadway tells the story of particularly strange characters getting through life in their dreary town in the hope of making something better for themselves in the future. As far as musical plots go, this is a common story line for many shows of today’s glamorous musical world, however, when the show talks about being racist, questioning the importance of a degree and laughing at people worse off than yourself, you know that you are in for a totally different musical experience. Not to mention all characters are monsters, manned by skilfully trained puppeteers, alluding to our loveable Sesame Street friends from childhood.

We can definitely tell that this is a different musical in itself; for one thing this may be the only show in today’s west end to break the barriers of English political correctness. Issues that people face in everyday life including racial, money problems and of course, the hardship of love are comically woven through upbeat songs and dance numbers. The cast have zero fear as they get the blunt point across which sometimes left me with my moth wide open. What you have to remember with this musical is that when taken with a pinch of salt, it is there to be enjoyed and its aim is to entertain us, telling us that all of our troubles we face in life are ‘only for now.’

The skill and craft gone into this production are evident to see. It is clear that hours of intricate rehearsal have been endured by all of the cast and crew. With sequences of aesthetic delights as the puppeteers worked together to make eye catching parts while singing and dancing, this is a show that is guaranteed to make the tears roll down your face and your soul uplifted.

Audio File

Enough said.