Unlike its predecessor, ‘The Haunting of Hill House’ (2018), Mike Flanagan’s signature second instalment focuses less on the dread and more on the emotional side of things. The ‘it’s not a ghost story, it’s a love story’ phrase has been around for quite a while, and it takes on a meaning of its own in ‘The Haunting of Bly Manor’ (2020). The original, ‘every love story is a ghost story’, can be found in a letter that David Foster Wallace wrote to the late Richard Elman back in 1986. Both expressions could easily fit within the walls of Bly Manor and make perfect sense.

I do enjoy the ghostly anthology style, and here’s to hoping that Mr Flanagan will undertake other such projects in the future. There are so many haunted places in this world, and so few artists who are truly equipped to tell these stories with adequate profundity and emotional intensity… it would be a shame not to produce more of this stuff.

‘THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR’ (2020), ©NETFLIX

While I understand that Bly Manor may have disappointed some viewers who previously applauded Hill House, a fraction of the blame can be placed on the marketing department. We went in expecting something else, but I found strange enlightenment in the end, an ‘Aha!’ sparkle that brought me back to the ‘love story, ghost story’ trope above. Truth be told, no respectable haunting was ever a gory horror tale with blood and guts and jump-scares. Ghosts are fingerprints of the past in our collective folklore, spectres who are unable to let go, even in death, and some of whom are able to influence the world of the living.

It means we have to deal with sadness, remorse, longing, and other equally consuming feelings that we experience in the presence of death and the absence of those we loved and lost. Therefore, a true ghost story has multiple dimensions. A good ghost story is able to break your heart, and Mike Flanagan does it in two different styles with both Hill House and Bly Manor. The former explores the grief and bitterness that suicide leaves behind. The latter studies love and its dysfunctions as they unravel under the influence of a spirit whose rage binds everyone to her. Both have mysterious, almost-sentient houses as leading characters.

‘THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR’ (2020)

Mike Flanagan has become a master of the genre with both limited series, but also with his work on Stephen King’s ‘Gerald’s Game’ (2017) and the more recent ‘Doctor Sleep’ (2019). His writing style has an almost poetic depth I’ve only seen in Shirley Jackson and Henry James, which is probably why he resonated so beautifully with these illustrious authors’ works. The focus is never really on the actual ghosts. After all, they tell the same story—unresolved issues, the inability to move on, the violence of their death which caused a bruising of the very fabric of existence… it’s always a broken heart at the centre of a haunting, somehow. No, the focus is on the living and on how they cope with loss, with misery, and with the supernatural elements that they never wanted to believe in.

‘The Haunting of Bly Manor’ simply does it with a sweeter tone. The ghosts have a more personal autonomy than those of Hill House. The living and the dead collide, repeatedly, between the walls of the English mansion, its rooms seemingly larger at night—as if the house itself inhales deeply and holds its breath until the light of morning. There is poetry in Carla Gugino’s storytelling monologues. I was pleasantly surprised by its added value, in fact, as I am not really a fan of narrators in moving pictures. Her repetitions have a dramatic effect, evoking the very loops of post-existence that ghosts seemingly go through. I doubt the series would’ve had the same effect without her. Sometimes, telling adds value to showing.

‘THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR’ (2020), ©2020

Some things could have been done differently, sure, but I wouldn’t dare dissect the series down to its bones for this because the transgressions are minimal, at most, and splendidly overshadowed by the extraordinary performances of its actors. Keeping in line with the anthology format we’ve seen before in Ryan Murphy’s ‘American Horror Story’, there are returning cast members who’ve changed their residence from Hill House to Bly Manor. Each of them is exceptional and remarkably versatile.

Victoria Pedretti brings tears to one’s eyes as Dani Clayton, a young woman struggling with her sexuality and a tragedy she feels personally responsible for. Her intensity is only matched by her emotional palette. Few manage to express true and unexpected terror when locked in a closet—few manage to make the viewers themselves take deep breaths to fight a growing sense of claustrophobia, of walls closing in. Dani is also at the centre of the love story that is the hidden heart of this series, able to explore the payoff after having endured incommensurable horrors at Bly Manor and able to bid her lover farewell when the time comes to carry the curse back to its roots.

‘THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR’ (2020), ©NETFLIX

Kate Siegel returns as Viola, the angry and faceless spirit at the root of this nightmare—the former lady of Bly Manor who found herself betrayed and enraged beyond the grave. Her vicious circle break hearts, over and over, as she goes through the motions and consumes everything in her path, even when there is no one left to remember her. Viola is proof that there is nothing worse than being forgotten. Not even death is worse than vanishing into the dark recesses of human history.

Oliver Jackson-Cohen and Henry Thomas came back, as well, as Peter Quint and Henry Wingrave, respectively. One is a deeply flawed but passionate man, and the other… well, they’re more or less the same, actually, despite their financial and societal differences. Carla Gugino is a delightful presence, her deep voice and melancholic gaze working seamlessly as a thread that pulls everyone and everything together.

‘THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR’ (2020), ©NETFLIX

Benjamin Evan Ainsworth and Amelie Bea Smith are both extraordinary as the children of Bly Manor. These sterling thespians are able to build their characters into three dimensions that mercilessly punch holes through one’s stomach. Miles and Flora are both odd—I believe they were written as such, while also trying to stay at least partially true to their age. It’s not an easy task to accomplish, but they both come through quite nicely. They’re ‘perfectly splendid’.

Rahul Kohli as Owen is a dollop of kindness and hope that is desperately needed, particularly in the darkest of times. His love story is the saddest, too, once you realize that he will never be able to bring it to a positive conclusion. But frankly, the true star of Bly Manor and a breath-taking performer that deserves her own crown is T’Nia Miller as Hannah Grose. Hers is the hardest tale to tell. It starts and ends in tears, yet it is filled with love and hope and mountains of empathy strangled by threads of lost time. If anyone ever wondered what being a ghost might feel like, Hannah is an exceptional point of reference.

‘THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR’ (2020), ©NETFLIX

The lasting impact of ‘The Haunting of Bly Manor’, much like its predecessor, comes from the brilliant combination of image and production design. The haunted house takes centre stage, of course, and to achieve a troubling effect evoking of Hill House, Mr Flanagan brought Patricio M. Farrell and art director Hugo Santiago back for Bly Manor. The ghostly Easter eggs, the period pieces, and the spine-tingling details… it all adds up to that subtle dread that’s meant to erode the resolve of everyone involved—characters and viewers alike.

To further strengthen the end result, Flanagan worked with Maxime Alexandre of ‘Annabelle: Creation’ (2017) fame and James Kniest, previously known for ‘Annabelle’ (2014). In an interview with Variety, Mr Kniest addresses the importance of using Hill House as a roadmap for Flanagan’s second Haunting foray.

‘THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR’ (2020), ©NETFLIX

Most of the story’s tone is eloquently captured in the screenplay and through the actors’ performances, but the style and camera language had to also match. With each Haunting, the camera work begins with static and symmetrical angles, gradually evolving into a more fluid and almost organic motion—we saw it in the funeral home with the Crains, and we see it again through the layers we peel away at in Bly Manor. The dark aesthetic delivers stupendously as the truth is gingerly revealed, painting tragedy with a fair palette.

‘THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR’ (2020), ©NETFLIX

At the end of the day, each viewer will make up their own mind regarding ‘The Haunting of Bly Manor’. They may voice discontent and point to insufficiencies whilst praising ‘The Haunting of Hill House’ as the superior of the two. It could go the other way around, as well. Or, better yet, each series will stand alone and with its distinctive set of features, while both pay homage to some of the best ghost tales ever written.

Whether it’s a love story or a ghost story or somewhere in-between, one truth remains. Our fascination with death and whatever might come afterwards is a timeless and endless source of hope and heartbreak.

On Saturday, 10 October 2020, The American Society of Music Arrangers and Composers (ASMAC) hosted an online event as part of their Master Class Series, featuring a very special guest: the prolific Emmy-winning and Academy Award-nominated composer John Debney.

Moderated by composer, arranger, pianist and ASMAC board member, Sylvester Rivers, the master class was cleverly structured into five main topics:

•  Anatomy of a comedy score

•  Anatomy of a rom-com

•  Anatomy of a big action movie

•  How to get inside a director’s head

•  Surviving post-pandemic Hollywood

Famously charismatic and friendly, Debney began the master class with the cheerful statement, ‘Let’s have fun! Let’s have a look inside my crazy musical brain!’

JOHN DEBNEY

A musical chameleon, John Debney has composed music for over 100 films and shows in a variety of genres during his career that spans over three decades, including ‘The Passion of the Christ’, ‘Iron Man 2’, ‘The Jungle Book’, ‘The Princess Diaries’, ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’, ‘Sea Quest DSV’, ‘A Pup Named Scooby-Doo’, ‘Inspector Gadget’, and ‘The Ant Bully’, to name but a few.

For this class, the composer chose to analyse in detail three big genres: comedy, rom-com, and action. As such, Debney dissected a few of his memorable cues from films like ‘Liar Liar’, ‘Bruce Almighty’, ‘Isn’t It Romantic’, and ‘Iron Man 2’, providing aspiring film composers with advice on how to go about writing music for these genres and important aspects that need to be taken into consideration in each case.

Over the course of three and a half hours, the composer received a plethora of fantastic questions from ASMAC members and attendees alike, graciously answering each and every one of them and offering invaluable advice, as well as words of encouragement to aspiring film composers. He also elaborated on some of the challenges the industry is facing in the time of COVID-19 and how the musicians are adapting.

ASMAC Executive Board President, Gayle Levant, who is also Debney’s long-time friend and harpist on many of his films, joined the composer in reminiscing about their experience of working together. Among other things, she praised Debney for his professionalism, excellent conducting skills, and ability to keep calm in stressful situations.

JOHN DEBNEY PRESENTING DURING THE MASTER CLASS

There were two notable nuggets of wisdom the composer shared with the attendees that are perhaps the most important pieces of advice he has offered during the class. Firstly, Debney encouraged aspiring composers to ‘become the best composer you can become’ by learning all styles of music (even the ones they dislike), studying everything from how to write a melody, to counterpoint, orchestration, conducting and the ranges of each instrument, to work hard, be a good person, treat people well, and to always remain humble.

And secondly, following a question from an attendee regarding the toll that this profession can take on one’s mental health, Debney urged film composers to be disciplined, take care of themselves, make sure they have a great support system and not ‘take it so seriously that it will eat you alive’.

Needless to say, the hours flew by very quickly. The master class was a great opportunity for aspiring composers to get a sneak peek behind the curtain with one of the most successful composers in Hollywood and to learn a few tips and tricks on how to navigate this increasingly competitive landscape.

Now it is perhaps more important than ever to have access to such events, considering the exceptionally challenging times brought about by the pandemic. Not only do they provide attendees with invaluable and entertaining information, but they also help keep the community together and the conversation going on how industry professionals can adapt to the new normal.

To keep up to date with ASMAC future events, visit www.asmac.org, where you can also become a member, or follow their Eventbrite page.

And what a scrumptious hidden gem this is! Parody meets ridicule, and they’re both wrapped up in layers of spoof propaganda, mystery, and action, sprinkled with some comedy and sharp enough sneers to make Ronald Reagan and Nicolae Ceausescu and Mao Zedong cry somewhere deep in the beyond.

Amazon Studios’ ‘Comrade Detective’ (2017) is the show we never knew we needed in these trying times, as people throw words like ‘socialism’ and ‘communism’ around without fully understanding their meaning and complexity. And considering that it was mainly aimed at an American audience, I’d say creators Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka do a fine job of delivering not only the definitions but also the extremes of two political tenets that have been warring for decades: Communism and Capitalism.

‘COMRADE DETECTIVE’ (2017), ©ALEXANDRU IONITA/AMAZON STUDIOS

Pretending to be found footage of an ‘80s cop buddy TV series of the Romanian Communist era, ‘Comrade Detective’ has been curated and dubbed to fit more modern times. It also features a few hilarious introductions from Channing Tatum, who is also executive producer, and author Jon Ronson.

With a throng of beloved comedy actors dubbing the Romanian characters involved and accompanied by what I can only describe as the most decadent and cheesiest soundtrack, the show packs a funny but bitter pill to swallow. It makes light of both sides in terms of politics and ideology. The West versus the East wrestle behind the Iron Curtain of ‘80s Bucharest, Romania, where a killer wearing a Reagan mask wreaks havoc through the city and even through the ranks of local police.

‘COMRADE DETECTIVE’ (2017), ©AMAZON STUDIOS

Enter Gregor Anghel, splendidly portrayed by Florin Piersic Jr. and voiced by Channing Tatum, and Iosif Baciu, played by the uber-talented Corneliu Ulici and voiced by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. One is a jaded detective who doesn’t always play by the rules, but he’s eager to avenge the murder of his dear colleague, Nikita Ionescu, at the hands of the Reagan killer. The other is a more empathetic and eager police officer who transferred from the countryside to the big city in order to avenge the murder of his dear childhood friend, Nikita Ionescu, at the hands of the Reagan killer. Their different personalities collide and become homogenized by their deep Communist values and their disdain of Capitalism.

Directed by Rhys Thomas of ‘Saturday Night Live’ fame, the series is a surprisingly tasteful pastiche that sort of claps back at the likes of ‘Red Dawn’ (1984) and ‘Rocky IV’ (1985) which, according to Mr Gatewood, was essentially propaganda in the United States at the height of the Cold War. Mr Tatum went on to remember his own childhood in the ‘80s, where virtually every movie had a Russian villain. With ‘Comrade Detective’, the writers decided to show the world what life would have been like for the ‘other side’, for the dreaded ‘Commies’—in an anything-but-serious fashion whilst also delivering a remarkably poignant message for America and the West, in general.

‘COMRADE DETECTIVE’ (2017), ©AMAZON STUDIOS

From an ideological perspective, both political establishments get skewered in this series. Russian Communism, for its indoctrination and often absurd, bloody extremes despite its otherwise good intentions, and American Capitalism, for its hypocrisy and lack of self-control, for its greed and absence of social justice. In the end, both dogmas are the villains, and their representatives are simply doing the best they can with what they are given, genuinely believing that their path is the righteous one. Though it pretends to portray the real Communist society of Romania from that period, ‘Comrade Detective’ treads gently when it comes to character development. Credit where it’s due, as Gatewood and Tanaka do a surprisingly good job of portraying a world that very few in the West ever got a chance to truly observe.

‘COMRADE DETECTIVE’ (2017), ©AMAZON STUDIOS

Of course, there are plenty of bloopers and minor inaccuracies, but I’ll forgive it all for how the writers treat their characters from beginning to end. There are twists and there are plenty of turns—not to mention questions. The villain is the psychopathic embodiment of American Capitalism, but we also get a reluctant yet helpful hand through Jane, Secretary-turned-Ambassador for the United States in Bucharest.

There is also a plethora of the chucklesome and the chilling along the way, too. While American viewers might find themselves forced to peer into an exaggerated mirror that shows the ugliest side of their culture, Romanian viewers will have a hard time letting go of the bitter taste of nostalgia. Few people miss that decade.

‘COMRADE DETECTIVE’ (2017), ©AMAZON STUDIOS

In terms of performances, Mr Piersic Jr. and Mr Ulici are exquisite loyal Communist cops with smart-ass jabs and multifaceted pasts. Olivia Nita is an intriguing Jane, additionally spiced up by SNL alumna Jenny Slate’s dubbing. And speaking of voice acting, this series managed to put together an impressive cast that includes Jason Mantzoukas, Fred Armisen, Chloë Sevigny, Nick Offerman, Beck Bennett, and Daniel Craig, to name but a few. The Romanian actors are equally stupendous—I was particularly impressed by Diana Vladu’s Sonya Baciu, Iosif’s loving and fiercely Communist wife. A Mexican proverb says that the house does not rest on the ground but rather on the shoulders of a woman—it certainly applies to Sonya.

With a score composed by Joe Kraemer of ‘Jack Reacher’ (2012) fame, ‘Comrade Detective’ aims to immerse its viewers into the gritty atmosphere of an era long gone. Quality-wise, the series is infinitely better than what Romanian studios would’ve been able to produce at the time. Sam Goldie, better known for his work on ‘Green Zone’ (2010) and ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’ (2001), is the cinematographer in charge of rendering this delightfully fun morsel of lampooned propaganda. Worth noting here that the team behind this project, beginning with the writers and going all the way into the set decoration and costume departments, never aimed to spoof Communism as Americans but rather imagined themselves as the Communist Romanians who “created” it.

‘COMRADE DETECTIVE’ (2017), ©AMAZON STUDIOS

A tip of the hat goes to Dan Toader, production designer, also known for ‘What Happened to Monday’ (2017) and ‘The Sisters Brothers’ (2018). Drawing from reality and his own memories of the Communist period, Mr Toader finds the appropriate design and colour tone to make ‘Comrade Detective’ just a smidge more realistic. I find it easier to believe the story and its anything-but-subtle characters when everything around them reminds me of my own childhood.

But all the talents involved aside, I would like to go back to the idea behind this witty production, which was so simply and eloquently described by Joseph Gordon-Levitt in an article penned for IndieWire. It ‘isn’t only making fun of Eastern Bloc Communism. It takes a few shots at Western Capitalism, but in my opinion, that’s not it, either. There’s a different “ism” that I think it’s really getting at—tribalism.’

And in that sense, he couldn’t be more right. Yes, we can make fun of the silly woollen hats and the preposterous propaganda and the appreciation of televised chess matches as though they were Superbowl Sunday games, and we can make fun of the overweight Americans gorging on hamburgers and the summarily dressed American women who snicker at the ways of these backwards Communist ‘pieces of scum’, but we’d be blind to the bigger picture. Both sides wholeheartedly believe that their culture is the best and that everything else isn’t just wrong. It’s evil.

‘COMRADE DETECTIVE’ (2017), ©AMAZON STUDIOS

It’s enough to take a look around today and see how polarized the world has become. The Left versus the Right. Labour versus Conservatives in the United Kingdom. Democrats versus Republicans in the United States. Naturally, no one really likes the politics of life in this day and age, yet it has all become an integral part of our existence. We forget that what we do and who we are—regardless of our creeds and affiliations—wasn’t always this, and it won’t always be this, either. Policies change. The world itself changes.

And though ‘Comrade Detective’ addresses a society that is no longer there, we can’t help but look at it as a thinly veiled warning. It won’t be the resurgence of Communism or the malignancy of out-of-control Capitalism that will destroy us. It will be the aforementioned tribalism and our growing inability to look beyond our bubbles. In that sense, the series does raise a few queries.

How much of what we believe is actually ‘right’? How wrong are we in our ways, and we didn’t even know it? Given what a complicated year this has been thus far, I say it’s time we consider finding answers to these questions.

One of the few good things to come out of the coronavirus lockdown is a plethora of high-quality theatre, musicals and opera productions that are streamed for free by some of the most reputable arts venues in the world.

One such initiative came from the National Theatre, which has used its Youtube channel to stream some of the most memorable past theatre productions in the NT Live portfolio. Streaming a new play every Thursday at 7.00pm GMT, the productions are then available to watch on demand for seven days.

After kicking off their streaming programme on 2 April with Richard Bean’s ‘One Man Two Guvnors’, on 30 April came the turn of Danny Boyle’s critically acclaimed 2011 production of Mary Shelley’s iconic Gothic tale, Frankenstein. The play was streamed on two consecutive nights, highlighting stellar performances by Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller who exchanged the roles of the Creature and Victor Frankenstein on each successive evening.

The writer, Nick Dear, and the director, Danny Boyle, moulded the play around the Creature’s point of view, stripping away the various thematic structures present in the book. They preserved a more linear form, choosing to focus on philosophical themes of existentialism, human tendencies and limitations. Perhaps a reflection of the Creature himself, whose sole desire in life is to be a good man and to have a mate to share his earthly existence with.

BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH AS THE CREATURE. © CATHERINE ASHMORE

Notwithstanding the reduced size of the story, it is still quite difficult to fathom how such darkness managed to come out of the mind of an eighteen-year-old young woman, at a time when science was just beginning to make significant strides and when unspoken of gruesome experimentations would take place behind closed doors.

However, galvanism was indeed a popular topic at the time and it must have been difficult to ignore the increasing popularity of mortsafes, which were invented to prevent body snatchers from desecrating graves in exchanges for a few quid from anatomists who would always be looking for fresh cadavers for their scientific observations and experiments.

The play opens with the Creature coming out of a metaphorical womb made out of skin in Frankenstein’s quarters, under Bruno Poet’s a thousand suspended bulbs. As he stumbles and struggles to stand up and keep his balance, he is carefully discovering his physical capabilities. His moves and trajectories seem to have been accurately directed.

SET LIGHTING BY BRUNO POET. © BRUNO POET

The contrast in Cumberbatch’s and Miller’s interpretations of the Creature is swiftly becoming apparent. While Cumberbatch’s Creature makes us root for him as he is rediscovering the world with the innocence of a child, Miller’s rebirth is raw and animalistic, almost having us expect evil doings on his part.

We see the Creature enthuse as he observes the sun, the grass, the birds around him with great curiosity. Nothing seems to await him on his journey but pure discovery and wonder.

The industrial theme of the times is introduced onto the stage by means of a steampunk train full of workers, a décor detail masterfully put together by the production’s set designer, Mark Tildesley.

Doomed to be abhorred by everyone who would set eyes on him, the Creature is quickly introduced to the harsh reality of human cruelness, as he is abused mentally and physically at every step.

He does, however, experience kindness for a brief period of time, as he comes across blind old De Lacey in his path, whose condition doesn’t discriminate against the Creature’s rough appearance. Wonderfully and warmly portrayed by Karl Johnson, the old man welcomes the Creature into his home and over the course of a year educates him on all things philosophy, history and the four seasons.

BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH AS THE CREATURE. © CATHERINE ASHMORE

One key moment in the play is when De Lacey teaches the Creature about the original sin. He says, ‘There are two schools of thought: one says that we’re all made imperfect and require the assistance of a higher authority, a deity to overcome the sin of being born. The other school of thought, to which I subscribe, insists that when we leave the womb we are pure. That a babe in arms is untainted by sin, that evil is the product of social forces and that God has nothing to do with how a man turns out; be it good or be it bad.’

In other words, if the Creature is a monster, it is only because he is met with cruelty and discrimination again and again till his patience runs out and he is forced to exercise vengeance. A monster on the outside, society shapes him into a monster on the inside.

This second school of thought is perhaps a clever mechanism to raise a mirror to our own society and show how each of our actions can prompt even greater reactions, should we be careless.

The play is not all gloomy though. Between the Creature’s sarcastic remarks, Frankenstein’s cluelessness vis-à-vis mundane matters and De Lacey’s witty remarks, the creators have managed to sprinkle this dark tale with unexpected humorous bits.

The main protagonists’ clever role-switching further accentuates the question that nearly every reader of Mary Shelley’s book has asked themselves over the past two centuries: ‘Who is the man and who is the monster?’ Perhaps their distinct interpretations of the Creature reflect the two contrasting schools of thought: one is born pure and the other a sinner. Miller’s Creature seems to subscribe to the latter, while Cumberbatch’s to the former.

Upon meeting the old man’s family, he is once again abused, which prompts him to burn down their house and kill everyone, including his benefactor. The Creature flees to find Frankenstein, having found clues as to his whereabouts in the diary he stole when he fled the scientist’s home.

JONNY LEE MILLER AND BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH. © CATHERINE ASHMORE

As he locates the Frankenstein family, the Creature’s twisted logic dictates that he murders William, Victor’s younger brother, in order to lure his mad maker to him. His plan works like a charm.

As Victor finds him, the Creature asks Frankenstein to build a mate for him, with the promise that once he does, the couple will leave Europe and no one will hear from them again.

Frankenstein obliges and travels to Scotland, leaving behind his patient betrothed Elizabeth (a most gentle Naomie Harris) and his father (a stern yet warm George Harris).

As Victor manages to construct a new creature, female in form this time, his firstborn is promptly besmitten with her and begs Frankenstein to bring her fully to life, explaining that he already loves her.

Another key moment is Victor’s reaction upon hearing the Creature’s detailed account of the physical symptoms of love. Both Frankenstein, and the audience, realise that the scientist himself is incapable of love, having spent his entire life obsessing over his work. He remarks that love is ‘anarchic, volatile, vertiginous, mad. Above all it is uncontrollable!’, perhaps also drawing a parallel between love and the Creature himself.

NAOMIE HARRIS AND JONNY LEE MILLER. © CATHERINE ASHMORE

As the Creature starts to realize that he’s been tricked, Victor hacks the girl’s body, ensuring she would never see the light of day.

Mad with anger, the Creature flees the small hut, only to return a while later on Victor’s wedding day. Managing to avoid a paranoid Frankenstein, who had been expecting his vengeful reappearance ever since, he sneaks into the couple’s bedroom where he meets Elizabeth. She is only the second person to show him understanding and kindness. However, the Creature is only interested in revenge at this point and pays Frankenstein back with the same coin by abusing and murdering his new wife.

Victor Frankenstein leaves his home once more in pursuit of the Creature, following him across continents. When he finally catches up with his creation in the Arctic Circle, they realize they are bound to one another and disappear together into the icy darkness.

National Theatre’s weekly streams are free to watch. However, if you can, please consider supporting the theatre through the coronavirus crisis by donating at nationaltheatre.org.uk or text NTATHOME 10 to 70085 to give £10.

Musicals are my passion. And I know I share it with quite a nice bunch of theatregoers. This passion is not born out of nowhere. It is nourished by productions like the Donmar Warehouse‘s “City of Angels”.

Sadly, due to the current situation with coronavirus, Garrick Theatre had to suspend the performances until further notice. But when (and not if) the theatre opens again its doors for the public, do not miss the show from your radar!

ROSALIE CRAIG AS GABBY AND BOBBI, © MATT CROCKETT FOR DEWYNTERS

“City of Angels” does not offer already traditional tactics of modern theatre like blind casting or modernisation of any kind. And allow me to say it looks quite refreshing. Guys and Dolls look exactly like guys and dolls, with glamorous 1940s hair and outfits to die for. But behold! “Nothing’s black and white when a dame is involved” – the creators of the musical kindly warn us.

The musical comedy was premiered in 1989 on Broadway and is an homage to great detective stories and the divas of 1940s Hollywood. Think Humphrey Bogart, Rita Hayworth or Black Dahlia. The story is based on a book by Larry Gelbart whose screenplay for “Tootsie” shines bright in his resume. The music is written by late maestro Cy Coleman, composer and jazz pianist, whose evergreens appeared in “The Man in the High Castle”, “The Marvellous Mrs Maisel” and many many more.

HADLEY FRASER AS STINE © MATT CROCKETT FOR DEWYNTERS

And if all this is not enough to make you run to the box office, here is the list of the stars singing, dancing, betraying and fighting for you on the stage: a seductive Vanessa Williams (Wilhelmina Slater from “Ugly Betty”), golden voices of Rosalie Craig and Rebecca Trehearn, extraordinary Jonathan Slinger, multitalented Hadley Fraser as crafty writer Stine, and Theo James (a very much swooned over Four in “Divergent”) as Stone’s literary alter ego detective Stone.

I would like to mention two more main “characters” of the show – the lighting and videos. The way Howard Harris and Nina Dunn made them live and perform together with the actors is extraordinary.

When the show finishes with the “I am nothing without you” tune, it becomes clear that seeing it only once is not enough. So I won’t be surprised to see the same faces next time I am there.

One of Samuel Beckett’s best works, Endgame is a delicious dark comedy about four people trapped in their own personal hells, waiting for the world to end.

Richard Jones’s revival features an ever brilliant Alan Cummings, coupled with and equally matched by Daniel Radcliffe’s surprising talent for physical comedy.

Endgame opens with Clov (Radcliffe) staggering in and out of the kitchen door into the empty sitting room, carrying around a stepladder and telescope which he needs to see out of the high windows.

Samuel Beckett’s stage directions are famously prescriptive, particularly in Endgame, a fact which can be observed promptly during the opening of the play. Clov’s precise pacing seems as if guided by an invisible breadcrumb trail, with calculated movements and gestures, way before he even gets to speak.

DANIEL RADCLIFFE AND ALAN CUMMINGS © MANUEL HARLAN, OLD VIC

Hamm (Alan Cummings) is Clov’s blind and bitter master, confined to his armchair by his physical disabilities and contemplating the state of the world. His only weapons are the acidic remarks he tirelessly throws Clov’s way. Hovering above his humble servant like a toxic cloud, the maliciously witty Hamm rejoices in seeing Clov be consumed by his own inner turmoil, squashing every little bit of hope he has left inside. Neither of the two have any ounce of empathy for one another, and yet they can’t seem to escape their co-dependency.

Hamm’s old parents, Nagg and Nell, are living in dustbins, discarded like rubbish. They are thrown a hard biscuit from time to time at Hamm’s discretion. Karl Johnson and Jane Harrocks portray the couple superbly, mirroring their inner nobility and dignity despite the tragic circumstance.

Consumed little by little by their doomed fates, the four characters are all trapped in their own ‘private’ boxes: a cold and empty sitting room, a ‘ten feet by ten feet by ten feet’ kitchen, and two council wheelie bins.

DANIEL RADCLIFFE AS CLOV © MANUEL HARLAN, OLD VIC

The ever faithful yet openly resentful Clov is the only character who still has a bit of fight in him and refuses to become complacent in this seamlessly hopeless and absurd end-of-the-world scenario.

In Beckett’s characteristic manner, the play unfolds in precise detail, painting an austere tableau of angst, hopelessness, and finality, only to be stripped away of all the unnecessary details towards the end, revealing the story’s despairing denouement. Moaning and declaiming, old man Hamm slowly heads towards delivering his final soliloquy.

Samuel Beckett’s Swiss watch instructional precision doesn’t leave room for the actors to feed off the audience’s feedback. In fact, Beckett, a master of strategically placed silent moments, incorporated three major pauses in the play, allowing for reflection and contemplation. And so, what begins as a rather comic absurdity, ends in the audience contemplating the bigger picture in life, through Clov’s acceptance of his long decided destiny.

DANIEL RADCLIFFE AND ALAN CUMMINGS IN ROUGH FOR THEATRE II.© MANUEL HARLAN, OLD VIC

Curiously, Endgame was presented in a double bill with yet another work by Samuel Beckett, the rarely seen short play Rough for Theatre II. Although the latter softened the impact and gravity of Endgame, it was nonetheless an amusing affair about two apparent bureaucrats from the afterlife who are evaluating the life of a silent third character (Jackson Milner) as he considers to jump out of a window.

As strange as the choice may seem, one can’t ignore the strong connection between the two plays, as they both portray the degrading lives of a few human beings who were failed by society.

KARL JOHNSON AS NAGG AND JANE HARROCKS AS NEIL © MANUEL HARLAN, OLD VIC

Although penned in c.1957 and c.1960 respectively, both Rough for Theatre II and Endgame are nothing short of contemporary and urgent. Current matters of depression, loneliness, lack of compassion, and environmental disasters are skillfully represented in these fatidic plays, brought to life in a new light by Richard Jones.

Even designer Stewart Laing’s choice to use wheelie bins for Hamm’s old parents represents a poignant metaphor for the way contemporary society treats its elderly.

DANIEL RADCLIFFE AS CLOV © MANUEL HARLAN, OLD VIC

A noteworthy observation is Daniel Radcliffe’s laudable stagecraft. He has obviously worked hard to perfect his skills over the years and it shows, as Endgame is arguably his best stage performance yet. His versatility in switching between a rigid official to an anxious disabled servant is commendable. Not to mention the physical capabilities required by the play. Taking on challenging plays such as Beckett’s has been a surefire way to distance himself from the Harry Potter wizarding shenanigans that he is so strongly associated with.

Whether physical comedy is his newfound genre that he is most comfortable with or he has found the perfect formula to his stage performances, we thoroughly enjoyed Daniel in both plays and are looking forward to seeing more of him on stage in the coming future.

Anton Chekhov is one of the most English among Russian playwrights. If you doubt it, Conor McPherson‘s adaptation of ‘Uncle Vanya’ directed by Ian Rickson is at your service at the Harold Pinter Theatre.

The play was published in Moscow in 1898, but the situation in which all its characters find themselves, their complicated interpersonal relationships, misunderstandings, and unrequited loves look modern and familiar. The bridge between Moscow of 120 years ago and nowadays London gets even shorter thanks to modern language and humour. I have never heard the Russian audience laugh as much during Chekhov’s classic as the English public did during the new West End production. Both Richard Armitage and Tobi Jones showed a surprising talent for comedy.

©HAROLD PINTER THEATRE

Designer Rae Smith created costumes that look out of time and transport us from Chekhov’s Russia to the modern English countryside. Some female characters wear trousers, and you will not see corsets or puffs and frills on the stage. The whole action takes place in the same dining room. Despite the disorder and degrade, it still looks very cosy.

The only piece of furniture that changes its role is a table. At the opening, it is a dining table around which the lives of the characters change in a dramatic way, while they are simply having tea. And at the end of the story it turns into a desk as if to symbolise the end of something extraordinary and chaotic, and the beginning of ordinary life with its rhythmic regularity, order, and stability.

Three big names make the cast list shine like the Milky Way: Toby Jones as uncle Vanya, Richard Armitage as Dr Astrov, and Ciaran Hinds as their antagonist Professor Serebryakov. Their names need no introduction.

©HAROLD PINTER THEATRE

Aimee Lou Wood‘s (Sex Education) acting as Sonya is sincere and touching, but it is also an evident case of miscasting, because you can’t believe her character is a country girl with low self-esteem and not blessed with physical beauty.

Rosalind Eleazar, who plays Sonya’s stepmother, Yelena, unfortunately didn’t manage to use her potential to portray a bohemian femme fatale who made every breathing being fall in love with her. Her love story with Dr Astrov does not look believable, and there is more artistic chemistry between Richard Armitage and Toby Jones.

©HAROLD PINTER THEATRE

‘Uncle Vanya’ will be on at The Harold Pinter Theatre, London, until 2 May.

Flying to Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles to watch a British musical? When it is ‘The Last Ship’ by Sting, it is absolutely worth the trip. It is a celebration of outstanding music and meaningful text that is Sting’s signature. And moreover, the multiple Grammy Award winner and songwriter performs in it. In person.

If you had a chance to see the first version of the show in Chicago or New York in 2014 based on the book by John Logan and Brian Yorkey, this is an opportunity to enjoy a new adaptation by Lorne Campbell.

The story is based on Sting’s childhood memories of his first years in Wallsend, North England, spent in proximity to a shipyard. The main character, Gideon Fletcher (played by Oliver Savile) left his native city looking for a better life. When he returns 17 years later, there are more than one surprises waiting for him. One of them is the closure of the shipyard in the 1980s that leaves the whole local community unemployed and deeply hurt.

©MATTHEW MURPHY

The idea of the musical came to Sting after a long period of the writer’s block. As he openly shared at his Ted talk in 2014, the inspiration came back as soon as he decided to ‘sidestep his own ego and stopped telling his own story to tell someone else’s story. Someone perhaps without a voice’.

The socially meaningful theme is interwoven with the private lives of the characters: love and betrayal, fear and hope, generational differences – all found their place in the story and made it private and easy to relate to. The original score (Tony Awards, 2015) also includes Sting’s evergreens from previous albums: ‘Island of Souls’ and ‘All This Time’ (The Soul Cages, 1991), ‘When We Dance’ (Fields of Gold: The Best of Sting 1984 – 1994), and ‘Ghost Story’ (Brand New Day,1999).

©CYLLA VON TIEDEMANN

The musical engaged magnificent voices: the main female character, Gideon Fletcher’s childhood sweetheart, Meg Dawson is played by Frances McNamee, whose passionate and jazzy performance is as strong as the character herself. The artistic ensemble is also enriched by Jackie Morrison, (Peggy White, Sting’s character’s wife on the stage) and Oliver Savile who could be seen in numerous musicals in the UK, including CATS, Mamma Mia!, and Les Miserables.

One of the peculiarities of the production is the decision to use Geordie, the dialect spoken in the North–East of England, and the organisers of the show kindly included its glossary in the programme (the programmes are totally free in the LA theatres, wey aye, man!*)

©CYLLA VON TIEDEMANN

In 2018 ‘The Last Ship’ was shown in Newcastle Upon Tyne and Salfrod, and it is a true shame it didn’t make it to London. Hopefully, not yet. You can catch this absolute must see in the USA. Check the tour dates and venues on Sting’s official website.

*generic proclamation of positivity or agreement

Brilliant ideas seem so obvious when they are already acted upon by somebody else. This is the case with Edmond Rostand‘s “Cyrano De Bergerac” (1897) directed by Jamie Lloyd (“The Ruling Class”, 2015, Trafalgar Studios). The 19th century French play full of brilliant word fights and poetry was transformed by Martin Crimp (“When We Have Sufficiently Tortured Each Other”, 2019, National Theatre) into a rap battle. “I love words. That’s all”, a phrase that appears slowly on the stage wall, seems to be the very essence of the passionate and tragic story unfolding in front of us. This is the fourth theatrical collaboration between Jamie Lloyd and the 40-year-old movie star James McAvoy (“Three Days of Rain“, 2009, “Macbeth“, 2013 and “The Ruling Class“, 2015).

©MARC BRENNER

Those who were cherishing the idea of seeing James McAvoy wearing Cyrano’s huge prosthetic nose were terribly disappointed. The play is modern in its every element: from text to clothes, from stage settings (close to none) to the body language. Jamie Lloyd’s Cyrano has a regular nose, but nevertheless his troubles and especially those related to his cousin and love interest Roxane (Anita-Joy Uwajeh) seem insuperable. It helps to see beyond Cyrano’s physical peculiarity, as it brings him closer to every person who suffers from an inner insecurity, – Jamie Lloyd said in his interview to The Guardian.

JAMES MCAVOY AS CYRANO DE BERGERAC ©MARK BRENNER

The aim of this new version of the play was to make the story as close to contemporary sensibility as possible: the text is adapted to the modern informal speech, the actors use their native accents and they are wearing jeans and hoodies instead of big hats and capes. Microphones become modern swords.

A transformation was also reserved for the magnificent poem by Emily Dickinson “Because I Couldn’t Stop for Death“, 1890. When Leila, one of the character is reading its adapted version in the second part of the play, the audience becomes as silent as during the already famous Cyrano’s love monologue. A pure thrill!

EBEN FIGUEIREDO AS CHRISTIAN AND ANITA-JOY UWAJEH AS ROXANE ©MARK BRENNER

“Cyrano de Bergerac” is at the Playhouse Theatre, London, until 29 February. When buying your tickets, be aware that on 27 January Philip Cairns will be performing instead of James McAvoy.

Following his extraordinary debut, ‘Get Out‘ (2017), which earned him an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay—and well deserved, might I add, Jordan Peele has outdone himself with ‘Us’ (2019). The 40-year-old director recently said that the success he had with his first feature-length film gave him more time and room with his second, and it shows.

CREDIT: UNIVERSAL PICTURES

‘Us’ is by all intents and purposes an exquisite work of the horror genre. Its screenplay, production and post-production are all testament to it. While there are noticeable elements of directorial style that Peele also used in ‘Get Out’, the Wilsons’ story manages to stand out on its own, quite beautifully. It follows Adelaide, Gabe, Zora and Jason Wilson as they’re faced with their nightmarish and murderous doppelgangers while vacationing in Santa Cruz. Joining this well-off family of African-Americans are their white and slightly richer friends, the Tylers—Kitty, Josh, and their twin daughters, Becca and Lindsey. 

Beyond this family-holiday-gone-wrong setup and past the pop culture and horror classics references that are masterfully sprinkled throughout the film, a portrait of America itself is painted with elegant, yet striking subtext. It doesn’t take us long to understand Peele’s vision. We see the parallels, and we recognize how the stereotypes were cast aside to make way for fresh, truthful and enticing characters. 

We’re sucked into their race for survival, as they’re faced with themselves. But Red, Abraham, Umbrae and Pluto, the Wilsons’ copies, aren’t monsters. They’re Americans. They say so themselves. Jumping between present day and 1986, Peele does a fantastic job of holding a mirror up to an entire nation. We see the good, the charming, the bad and the terrible.

CREDIT: CLAUDETTE BARIUS/UNIVERSAL PICTURES

But beyond the metaphysics of America so neatly woven into the horror that unfolds over the course of just a little under two hours, lies a story of survival. It gives us people whom we’re naturally inclined to accept as normal and harmless, and it forces them to face one of Peele’s worst nightmares—the darker, savage and demented versions of themselves. Copies that make animal sounds and move like predators in the night. Doubles that seek to consume and destroy their originals, one beat at a time. It is honestly superb.

True to its genre, ‘Us’ doesn’t overdo the horror tropes, though I did find certain moments quite irritating. I’m not a fan of the sudden loud noises that unexpectedly cut through a moment of high-tension silence. While they have the desired effect of startling the audience, they’re short-lived and overdone, particularly in movies that don’t have much else to show for. However, Peele keeps those to a minimum, which is much appreciated and mostly serves the basic purpose of anchoring ‘Us’ into its genre, if nothing else.

CREDIT: CLAUDETTE BARIUS/UNIVERSAL PICTURES

Aiding in the establishment of terror, the score is particularly haunting in the opening scene. It was composed by Michael Abels, also responsible for Peele’s ‘Get Out’. The combination of cold Latin chants and Afro rhythms manages to set the stage for what’s about to happen, along with the expanding shot of white rabbits in their cages. It does the job of sending shivers down this viewer’s spine, for sure. 

But the most fascinating musical contrast was the use of Beach Boys and N.W.A. during the assault on the Tylers’ residence. It starts out with ‘Good Vibrations’, a jolly reprieve from the horrors we just witnessed at the Wilsons’ place, and it quickly descends into stark madness and violence as Kitty, Josh, Becca and Lindsey’s own doppelgangers come out and cut their way into this reality. It’s a cocktail that mixes melancholia with animalistic rage, and one of the film’s highlights.

The sound editing itself is a powerful weapon that Peele uses in telling the story. Every single raindrop, the sharp swish of scissors in the killers’ hands, every step, and every bone crackling—are all individual pieces in the puzzle, which becomes frighteningly clear by the end of the movie. Sound amplifies the experience. It puts the viewer right there, smack in the middle of the Wilsons’ ordeal.

CREDIT: CLAUDETTE BARIUS/UNIVERSAL PICTURES

Even more so, the fluid camera movements and the close character shots further serve to make us participate, whether we want to or not. The choice doesn’t belong to us. We’re drawn along the sandy beaches of Santa Cruz and into the Wilsons’ cosy summer home, at first. We’re hypnotized by young Adelaide’s 1986 incursion into the mirror funhouse as she whistles ‘Itsy-bitsy-spider’, and we’re just as startled as she is when she’s faced with her double from below, and not just another reflection of herself. Later on, we’re unable to take our eyes off adult Adelaide, as she descends into the tunnels to take on her nemesis—herself. 

As an added layer to this work of audio-visual craftsmanship, the production design is, too, deserving of a round of applause. Peele’s directorial vision wouldn’t be complete without the artful and carefully measured visual implements. The set design, in particular, is complicit in everything that happens. It tells its own story, down to the ‘Itsy-bitsy-spider’ in the Wilsons’ present-day summer home. The spaces are used to their maximum potential. They are the cameras’ playground and the actors’ worlds, and they represent the canvas on which ‘Us’ is painted. The colours are compelling, darkened but bold in some instances, brightened but frosted in others.

Everything that Peele uses in the background of this film paints a rich and cohesive picture telling us one thing, and one thing only: There is something wrong here, something that is simply off. What is it? Well, rest assured that the end does not disappoint in delivering the answer.

CREDIT: CLAUDETTE BARIUS/UNIVERSAL PICTURES

As we go deeper into the movie, next, it is worth discussing the actors’ performances, as well. They are visceral and gripping, honest in their form. Lupita Nyong’o splits herself splendidly between Adelaide Wilson and Red, her evil version. She’s graceful and deeply emotional as the woman, the wife, and the mother of two whose sole purpose in the midst of all this is to keep her family safe. She’s almost mechanical and inhuman, devious and soulless as Red, the one leading the revolt and the rise of all doppelgangers from the underground tunnels. It is safe to say, wholeheartedly even, that Lupita Nyong’o carries ‘Us’ from beginning to end with her masterful play.

Not far behind her is Winston Duke, who portrays Gabe, the slightly oblivious husband, and Abraham, the brutal monster that uses animal-like sounds to communicate with other males of his ‘underground’ species. At times, Gabe annoys us as much as he annoys Adelaide. He seems to be completely unaware of what’s about to happen to him or his family—though who could blame him? Besides his wife’s recent hard-to-explain premonitions and without prior knowledge of her childhood experience in the mirror funhouse down by the beach, how can we expect Gabe to react any differently? Granted, he is not the brightest of the Wilsons, clearly evidenced by his decision to confront his family’s doubles in the driveway with a baseball bat, and his desire to settle in the Tylers’ home, dead bodies be damned. But we can’t help but root for Gabe. We even breathe a sigh of relief as we see him survive one scene or another.

CREDIT: CLAUDETTE BARIUS/UNIVERSAL PICTURES

A truly spectacular presence is Elizabeth Moss playing Kitty Tyler. She doesn’t get as much screen time as the others, but she certainly makes her mark through a stirring performance. We feel the unadulterated delight as Dahlia, her mysterious clone, puts on lip gloss for the first time. We witness Dahlia’s unspoken madness as she tries to control the story, to make sure that what she’s doing up here serves its almost-holy purpose. Her dedication is remarkably coherent, despite the savagery.

Let us not ignore Shahadi Wright Joseph and Evan Alex, either. They portray Zora and Jason Wilson, respectively, as well as their evil and downright psychopathic doubles. The children aren’t mere secondary characters pushed to do things in order to advance the plot, like you’d normally see in one too many horror films. They do not exist to warn their parents, to be paralyzed by fear or, worst of all, to be victims. No, they are the young Wilsons, and they fight as hard as their parents against the invading look-alikes. We have the absolute privilege to watch them transform—from innocent and slightly apathetic kids, into unexpected warriors… and killers.

Despite the violence, however, Peele doesn’t let the story get dark beyond redemption. His brave and shameless use of humour, mostly through Gabe Wilson, is a much-needed injection to soothe our stretched nerves as we watch this struggle unfold. The male lead isn’t the fearless hero with a quest. He’s the comic relief. The first character you think will get killed before the movie ends. Like a loyal sidekick, Tim Heidecker’s Josh Tyler is almost as ‘bad’ as Gabe. They make us smile. The dollops of humour relieve the tension, every time, just before we’re plunged into another chapter of the Wilsons’ inferno.

Once you’ve reached the scrolling credits, you understand that ‘Us’ delivered three notable blows throughout its performance. The first, of course, comes when the doppelgangers come into the Wilsons’ home and turn their lives upside down. The second arrives with the realisation that Adelaide and her family aren’t the only ones dealing with killer copies of themselves. The third is the crown jewel, and it comes at the very end, courtesy of Adelaide herself. Rarely do I find myself walking out of a movie and unable to get that ending out of my head. It’s not a feeling I’d want to lose anytime soon.

With a whopping $71 million box office so far, it’s no wonder that ‘Us’ is getting such a buzz. The sudden change of tone in the visual storytelling, from the seemingly happy family with a slightly traumatised mom and a goofy dad to the crippling nightmare of a home invasion. The foreshadowing that is so neatly embedded into the setting and the characters’ words and actions, that you don’t even put two and two together until the very end—as you should. The thoughtful and rigorous process of character development that shows us exactly what we’re capable of, what lengths we’re willing to go to in order to survive and defend ourselves and our loved ones. The execution in its entirety, from page to screen.

All these elements point to one undeniable truth: Jordan Peele’s ‘Us’ delivers as a work of cinematic craftsmanship and horror masterpiece, and then some.