Piatto Finale - Superbolt Theatre

The Petersham Playhouse
29th April 2012



In 2011 Superbolt Theatre arrived on the scene with a bang with their debut performance Centralia; a wonderfully strange, beautifully told story of the last four remaining inhabitants of Centralia a ghost town destroyed by a mine fire. Superbolt’s highly physical, hugely energetic style made for excellent viewing and their follow up production of Piatto Finale, now showing at the Petersham Playhouse, has taken this signature style to new levels of the sublime and the ridiculous. This international company are an absolute joy watch and watch them you immediately should!

Housed in one of the most surreal performance spaces in London, the private playhouse (or exceptionally grand wendy house!) in the stunning Petersham Nurseries is a gem of a space. Surrounded by rolling hills, country estates and cows this intimate little performance space nestled in the grounds of the manor gives the feeling of a bygone era and the big smoke of London could not feel further away. Superbolt have a real knack for seeking out these unusual performance sites that are not just an appealing aesthetic but a defining characteristic of their work.

Piatto Finale explores the reoccurring theme of space, as the story pivots around an opera house in Moscow. The three protagonists; Douglas the new conductor, Cleo the lead actress and undercover British spy and Nikodim the son of the busty Opera House Madam set about solving the mystery of the missing Piatto Finale, a piece of music composed by some of the worlds greatest minds lost in a mysterious fire. However there is a murderer afoot, putting a stop to anyone who gets close to sniffing out the truth.

This story is one of twists and turns, as the often nonsensical murder-mystery-music-hunt unfolds. The three actors take on a multitude of eccentric characters, each more ridiculous than the last, showcasing their talent for characterisation and their effortless comic ability. Fun oozes from this production in every step but what is paramount to the success of Piatto Finale is its intelligence and Maria Askew, Frode Gjerløw and Simon Maeder’s exceptional gift for story telling. Seldom has a story been as baffling as it is gripping, the audience may be lost but never once do they disengage with the action on stage.

This company indulge in silliness; which in itself is a brave performance trait, but a style they have mastered. Gjerlow and Maeder are the perfect comedy duo, from their spoons-morse-code sequence, to their Spanish waiters and Russian dancers; their physical take on slapstick comedy evokes fits of genuine belly laughs from the audience, with Askew providing the perfect contrast with her striking elegance and ability to transform from one character to the next. Again it was an exchange between Gjerløw as the suave B-Flat and the seductress Askew as Cleopatra that created another round of hysterics, in their surreal take on erotica and one of those stand out ‘you just have to see it’ moments.

As an ensemble Superbolt are a flash of something special; their performance style is unique and unashamedly fun, yet there is also a sense of nostalgia that emanates from their stories alongside issues of identity and belonging. Yes, they are a fledging company with still a long way to grow and develop, but this is a company with heart. This is intelligent theatre in a hilarious guise and I only hope that Piatto finale is not the last we will see of this exciting bunch.

'After the Turn'

Interval productions featuring the music of Tim Prottey-Jones

The Courtyard Theatre - 2nd February 2012

The relevance of musicals in contemporary theatre is a hotly debated subject – can bursting into song ever equate to genuine emotional or deal with controversial issues? If ‘After the Turn’, a new pop rock musical is anything to go by then without a doubt! Wrought with post-adolescent angst, ‘After the Turn’ abandons sequins and jazz hands in favour of raw emotion, proving musical theatre is still a force to reckon with.

Set predominantly in the protagonist Michael’s bedroom; former lead singer of the band ‘Lost Boy’ who has completely lost his ability to speak after the tragic loss of his mother. This modern musical takes the audience away from the showbiz, glitz and glam of a grand auditorium and confronts them in a small, intimate performance space; the charming Courtyard Theatre. The story that ensues is not one set in a land far far away, but instead a modern day love story, filled with complications, where broken homes and bad decisions underpin the action and define the score.

‘After the Turn’ has all the makings of a good musical with the added punch of feeling culturally relevant. Issues of love, loss, grief and greed are subtly explored through the punchy music. Tim Prottey-Jones has certainly captured the sound of a generation; the ballads are gut wrenching and force the performers to dig deep vocally and emotionally and dig deep they do! This young ensemble truly are a special bunch, their unique voices blend together seamlessly creating an acoustic that is as layered and complex as the story itself. The soulful voice of Lauren is the perfect contrast to the psychotic intensity of Wolf and the child-like honesty of Michael. It is the relationship between these characters that is really compelling. This may be the first time you have seen these performers but this will certainly not be the last!

 ‘After the Turn’ is not without fault, at times, the music becomes a little self-indulgent and the subtle relationships are undermined by trying just that little bit too hard with the story - but this does not detract from the overall appeal and success of this performance. This is a musical for the noughties; it is entertaining, engaging but above all honest with a bitter sweet ending and well worth a trip down Hoxton way!