Sunday 20 June 2010

Movin' Melvin Brown (Bath Chronicle Review)

The Mission Theatre

To pull off a one man show is a hefty task, but it is one which the charismatic Movin’ Melvin Brown achieves effortlessly. In one night he takes the audience on a journey that has taken him 65 years. He tells us stories of his life and loves, intertwining this story with the history of black music. He sings not only the songs which illustrate the key moments of his life, but also those which get the audience tapping their feet and clapping along. His impersonation of his local minister was a particular highlight.

But Movin’ Melvin Brown is not only a singer, he is also an extraordinary tap dancer, dancing his way from Chubby Checker to Michael Jackson. He is a comedian and his anecdotes of time in the army and touring on the road, lend themselves to some wonderful jokes that had the entire audience smiling a smile that could almost rival that of Melvin’s himself.

But Melvin is more than just music. Melvin is a man with a mission and a message. He may entertain in a good old fashioned way, but his message is about the modern world that we live in...

Movin’ Melvin Brown was on at the Mission Theatre from 28th May to the 5th June 2001

This review was published in the Bath Chronicle on the 3rd June 2010.



Bug (Bath Chronicle Review)



Patchwork Penguin Productions

My skin is still crawling as I refer to my notes and see a bug squashed in the corner, no doubt killed as I clutched my pad during a more action filled part of the play. This is not a play for the squeamish not the second half at least, but this is a play for those with an interest in entomology, conspiracy theories, paranoia or jumping out of their skin at a harsh knock on the door.

At first Peter, played by Jeremy Fowlds, is a bit of an enigma, one moment he seems a little slow, the next somewhat eloquent. What does emerge, however, is that in the scenes of raw madness and in his moving monologue, he was perfectly cast. He also had great chemistry with Agnes, played by Alexia Jones, which developed throughout the play. She had purposefully ‘hermatized’ herself and the audience were forced to ride her emotional rollercoaster as she was manipulated by one man, then another.
R.C. (Lisa Thrower) showed genuine concern and emotional attachment to Agnes whilst Jerry (Darian Nelson) frighteningly seemed to enjoy his role as her antagonist.

This play is as relevant today as ever, highlighting the effect of a government with an increasing need for security, causing paranoia amongst those who may or may not have a predisposition towards it. Don’t let this Bug crawl away without taking a closer look.


Bug was on at the Rondo Theatre from 26-29th May 2010.
This review was printed in the Bath Chronicle on the 27th May 2010.