Theatre: The Only Way Is Downton

East Riding Theatre
Sunday 15th February 2015, 3.00pm.

Written and performed by: Luke Kempner
Director: Owen Lewis

The only thing I knew about this play before I saw it was that it was a one man show and that he did impressions of people from Downton Abbey. I didn't really know what to expect - it could have been really bad! But it was so good. I wouldn't really describe it as him doing impressions of people from Downton Abbey, more like he played all of the characters complete with accents and mannerisms while keeping up a flowing conversation between all the characters. Sound impossible? Not for him! I was blown away by his ability and his portrayal of all the characters - he had all the mannerisms just right and he was also able to slip in and out of character seamlessly to address asides to the audience. As usual with actors playing multiple parts Kempner chose a different gesture for each character as an indication to the audience of who he was portraying and although he got a couple of these mixed up because of the fast pace of the show, it didn't matter because you could always tell who he was playing anyway. 

The script was wonderfully written and I think the fact that it was written by Kempner himself was ideal as he knew the script, the characters and he really owned it. The basic premise is that Downton Abbey is at risk of financial ruin and with the wedding of the Dowager Countess to a rather unlikely suitor to fund, various members of the house turn to various reality television shows in an attempt to raise money. This leads to other characters for Kempner to play as we see Mrs Patmore and Daisy compete in the Great British Bake Off, Miss O'Brien and Thomas appearing on Pointless and Mr Bates challenging Andy Murray at Wimbledon. In a plot that amazingly brings all these elements and more together, it is hilariously clever. 

The set, sound and lighting were fairly simple, which I think was needed in such a fast paced show, as you don't want too much going on for the audience. The set was a simple back drop of the library at Downton Abbey, which provided context, but didn't impose on the stage. The lighting and sound both helped to indicate a change in scene - and also enabled Kempner to grab a well needed drink in between scenes!

The standout moment for me was when a butterfly interrupted the performance by literally flying into Kempner's face. He dealt with it amazingly by making a joke in character to the audience. He did the same a couple of times, which I thought was great and just further highlighted his ability as a comic actor. 

I think the tour is nearly finished, but there are still a few showings left and I would highly recommend seeing it if it is near you! 

Film: Into The Woods

Director: Rob Marshall
Written by: James Lapine & Stephen Sondheim (music)
Cast: Emily Blunt, James Corden, Anna Kendrick, Meryl Streep, Johnny Depp, Chris Pine, Lilla Crawford, Mackenzie Mauzy, Billy Magnussen, Daniel Huttlestone

I didn't know a lot about this film before I went to see it, but it's basically the story of a baker (Corden) and his wife (Blunt) who venture into the woods to try and break a curse put on them by a witch (Streep). Along the way they meet Little Red Riding Hood (Crawford), Cinderella (Kendrick), Jack and the Beanstalk (Huttlestone) and Rapunzel (Mauzy).

The stories are all cleverly intertwined throughout the film. Each story is told separately, while still somehow relating to the overall narrative, held together by the main story of the baker and his wife. I felt that there were two flaws in the narrative. The first was that it seemed to reach an ending point when there was a twist, which resulted in at least an extra half hour! Because the film was quite long I was quite ready for it to end where it did! The second flaw was during the twist, which I won't say too much about as it would be a spoiler! But I felt that there was a huge lack of emotion from one of the characters when there should have been a lot more.

Something I thought could be played on more was the parody aspect of the film. There were quite a few isolated parody moments of the fairy tales, but I do feel these could have been expanded on.

I couldn't fault the acting and I was pleasantly surprised by James Corden, as I didn't think I'd be able to separate him from the stereotypical comedy character I'm used to seeing him play, but the fact that I didn't even think about that proves how well he did. I'm always impressed by Emily Blunt, she seems to be able to seamlessly slip into any role. The stand outs for me were the two young actors, Lilla Crawford and Daniel Huttlestone. I thought their charactertisation was brilliant and I'm hoping to see a lot more from both of them.

I thought the music was great and I usually don't warm to musicals the first time I hear the music so that's a big compliment! I did expect the music to be good as I love the music from Sweeney Todd, which was also written by Stephen Sondheim.

Altogether it's a film definitely worth seeing, but could definitely have been better! 3/5.