The Welkin, National Theatre - ★★★★ - Until May 23, 2020


The year is 1759 and in the welkin (or sky above) Halley's comet is approaching. From earth below it's presence will be an omen for the superstitious and a phenomenon for the scientific. This is a period at the cusp of change. Reason is challenging religion while traditional male and female roles are being questioned. In this setting a horrific murder takes place and a jury of matrons is called to determine if one of the accused is pregnant and thus exempt from execution. The women's approaches reflect the clash between the traditional worldview and the emerging new reality. It is a very interesting premise, and while Lucy Kirkwood's play approaches these issues with considerable humour and drama, the final work seemed rather uneven. The first act was a jury room drama reminiscent of Twelve Angry Men while the second act with its surprise revelations, plot twists and horror had an almost Gothic quality. Maxine Peake did a fine job as Elizabeth Luke, the rationalist new woman, and Ria Zmitrowicz was strong as the accused murderer who is torn between the reality of her assigned lot in life and the aspiration for more. Indeed, all of the actors did an amazing job of establishing their individual identities in a large cast of characters. As always at the National Theatre, the production was first rate. This is a long evening in the theatre but it offers an interesting look at how one world gradually and painfully gives birth to another.

 Reviewed by J.C.
Photo by Brinkhoff-Moegenburg.
 Our Score:  ☆☆☆☆ 

 Want to save on tickets? See our Tips page.

 WHEN, WHERE, GETTING THERE:
Until May 23, 2020
Various show times available. See website below.
National Theatre
Nearest tube: Waterloo
https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/shows/the-welkin
Map & Location: Upper Ground, South Bank, London SE1 9PX, UK

Most Popular

Skid/SAABA ★★★★★ Sadler's Wells Theatre | May 11 - 13, 2023

Image
Skid choreographed by Damien Jalet and performed by the GöteborgsOperans Danskompani is an absolutely spellbinding experience. It is performed on an amazing dance floor tilted at 34 degrees and offers the dancers a mind-boggling, gravity defying challenge. Designed by New York artists Jim Hodges and Carlos Marques da Cruz, the set is apparently inspired by the measurement of earth's gravitational acceleration of 9.8 meters per second. It's simply an extraordinary experience to share the dancers exploration and adaptation to this ambience, and to trace a narrative that on a macro level echoes the adaptation of all life forms to their environment, and on a micro level deals with individual struggle to acculturate to different contexts. Damien Jalet's choreography wonderfully captures both the challenges and playfulness of this process and when the piece concludes with the birth of a being into this new world who is actually destined for it, the moment is positively triumphan
Full Details »

Eurovision (Your Decision) ★★★★ Wonderville | Apr 29 - May 13, 2023

Image
How do you send up Eurovision? The beloved international song contest is already so far over the top it almost defies parody. Eurovision (Your Decision) does the job with lots of love and a great deal of talent. While there is plenty of humour, this show is as much a tribute to the joy and energy of the original as it is a spoof. All of the songs were previously real entries in the contest, and they are all performed to comic perfection by a super talented cast. Tim McArthur as Demetrius and Lucy Penrose as Katie were terrific both as the hosts of the event and in their various incarnations throughout. They were well matched by Leigh Pollard and Steven Serlin whose spirited interpretations of the entries are a delight. We didn't think it was possible to make Serbia's 2022 entry even funnier, but this version of "In Corpore Sano" brought back all the hilarious memories. We also loved the rendition of Sweden's "Euphoria," and both the performance of Cel
Full Details »

The Secret Life of Bees ★★★★ Almeida Theatre | Apr 8 - May 27, 2023

Image
Sweet but not cloying, The Secret Life of Bees is set in the American south in 1964, and it deals with the racial relations that are addressed and stressed by President Lyndon Johnson's signing of the Civil Rights Act. Lily, a young white girl, is abused by her father and eventually decides to flee accompanied by her only friend, the black servant, Rosaleen. They find refuge at an unusual bee farm presided over by three sisters who take inspiration from a black Madonna. The story is a vision of support and empowerment that comes from a community which stands together united in the face of an outside world riddled with bigotry and hatred. Based on Sue Monk Kidd's novel, which was later made into a film, this musical version of the story does a fine job of capturing the mood of the original and simplifying the narrative. Duncan Sheik's score and Susan Birkenhead's lyrics cleverly pay homage to various musical genres, with folk, soul, blues and gospel elements infusing th
Full Details »

The Circle ★★★★★ Orange Tree Theatre | Apr 29 - Jun 17, 2023

Image
Somerset Maugham's The Circle deals with a young woman torn between two different paths in life. In the summer of 1920, Elizabeth Champion-Cheney (Olivia Vinall) is facing a choice: continuing with her stolid and rather prim husband, Arnold (Pete Ashmore), or running off with the alluring and ardent entrepreneur, Teddie Luton (Chirag Benedict Lobo). The options are duty, certainty and living in a secure past, or love, tumult and an uncertain future. And, just as Elizabeth is on the cusp of this decision, Arnold's mother (Jane Asher) who in similar circumstances previously left his father for her lover (Nicholas Le Prevost) shows up with said partner. Will Elizabeth see her future in this pair of expatriates and take the safer path or will she run off with her partner? Then, to complicate both her dilemma and the social arrangements for this weekend in the country Arnold's father (Clive Francis) is in residence and is happy to stir things up even further. The Circle is a c
Full Details »

Glory Ride ★★★ Charing Cross Theatre | Until July 29, 2023

Image
Gino Bartali was a Tour de France winning cyclist and a national celebrity in Italy. This is the chronicle of his heroic, but little known, participation in a scheme to rescue threatened Jewish children during the Fascist regime. It is inspiring stuff and could be the basis of a terrific musical. Glory Ride certainly has some good material to work with, but the focus of the production is unclear. There is the psychological story involving the death of Bartali's brother and his relationship with his father; the professional cyclist story with its many triumphs; the political story packed with too many incidents; the story of the relationship with his friend who becomes a fascist; and finally the obligatory love story. It is unclear what is intended as the main narrative of the piece, and the fact that the show concludes rather flatly with an expository summing up reflects the attempt to deal with too much material. For us, the most interesting theme was the way that different chara
Full Details »

TONY! [The Tony Blair Rock Opera] ★★★★ Leicester Square Theatre | Apr 15 - May 21, 2023

Image
The career arc of Tony Blair might seem tragic rather than comic, but Harry Hill and Steve Brown squeeze a lot of humour out of the rise and fall of one of Britain's most controversial politicians. The story opens with Blair on his deathbed and then traces the life of the genial young man who was desperate to be somebody. While Blair's aspiration may change from being a rock star to becoming a politician, his smile always remains firmly in place. Indeed, beneath all the fun, the story exposes how Blair brings show business into politics and rides a charming persona to the highest office in the land. However, he depends on others for his policy agenda and that is eventually his undoing. Howard Samuels is quite wonderful as Peter Mandelson and Dick Cheney, the fixers behind the facade, and Jack Whittle is brilliantly vacuous as the breezy Blair. Whittle's facial expressions alone are worth the price of admission. He plays off beautifully against Phil Sealey's dour Gordon
Full Details »

Nul Points! ★★★ Union Theatre | Apr 26 - May 20, 2023

Image
Nul Points! tells the story of four friends through their reunions at six different Eurovision parties. Martin Blackburn's script has some very funny moments and provides more trivia about the European song contest than anyone needs to know! Acting school friends Josh (Kane Verrall), Daz (Marcus J Foreman), and Kat (Charlotte East) first get together for Eurovision 2012 and then they subsequently meet for 2013, 2014 and 2015. They are joined in these festivities by dancer/porn star Ryder (Sean Huddlestan) and Josh's mother, Gina (Adele Anderson). Gradually, their career rivalries, insecurities and emotional entanglements are exposed, but it is all peppered with lots of great one-liners. The first act is solidly set in the world of farce, but the timing and lightness required for that most difficult of genres isn't always here. For farce to succeed the audience has to be seduced into giving up its usual measures of realism and needs to accept the premises of absurdity in th
Full Details »

Aspects of Love ★★★ Lyric Theatre | May 12 - Nov 11, 2023

Image
A newly revised version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Aspects of Love has arrived back in the West End! The story still has implausible moments and the plot about the perils of polyamory remains ragged and a little disturbing, but the performances and staging are breathtaking. Michael Ball dominates the stage whenever he appears, and his rendition of "Love Changes Everything" brings down the house. Laura Pitt-Pulford is simply superb as the vivacious, and apparently voracious, Rose, and Jamie Bogyo is terrific as Alex who follows his heart along the convoluted paths of love. To the part of Giulietta, Danielle De Niese brings a voice that is totally captivating, and she is a delight whenever she appears. Almost upstaging all of them however, is the extraordinary stage design of John Macfarlane. With more than thirty scenes, this is an extremely demanding show, and the sets and use of video is simply brilliant. Macfarlane raises the bar for all future productions in the West En
Full Details »

Brokeback Mountain ★★★★★ @sohoplace | May 10 - Aug 12, 2023

Image
In 2005 Brokeback Mountain became an award winning film. Adapted from a 1997 short story by Annie Proulx, the tale of forbidden love has now come to the West End. The plot traces the twenty year relationship of two young cowboys who meet while they are protecting sheep grazing in summer pastures. They cannot acknowledge their relationship and strive to conform to social norms, but they are unable to forget their youthful encounter. It is this inability to commit to their love that will blight both of their subsequent marriages and their later lives. The story is relatively simple and depends heavily on making the characters and the development of their relationship credible. Jonathan Butterell has done a brilliant job of letting the characters' love grow almost wordlessly before the eyes of the audience. The pacing of the early scenes is exceptional as is the atmosphere and mood that are delicately established. As the garrulous Jack who aspires to be a rodeo bull rider, Mike Faist
Full Details »

Rose ★★★★ Ambassadors Theatre | May 23 - Jun 18, 2023

Image
In a bravura performance, Maureen Lipman sits in front of the audience for over two hours and weaves a story that holds the audience's attention through the power of her voice and the heartfelt nature of her monologue. Rose traces the life of a young woman born in the Ukraine, survivor of the Holocaust and immigrant to America. It is full of humour and pain, and Lipman brings her character to life without reliance on props or an elaborate production. She brings the audience into Rose's world and shares an astonishing life that is bound to resonate with all listeners. However, while the first act seems to be simply a chronological recounting of a fascinating life that mirrors the Jewish experience in the 20th century, the second act explores more complicated issues in a thoughtful and nuanced way. It is the displacement of Jewish people after WWII that leads to the creation of the state of Israel and to the idea of a homeland for a population that had been without its own state
Full Details »

The City Life Magazine | Reviews & Ratings