Thursday, November 14

Tag: George Mann

Brace Brace – Royal Court
London

Brace Brace – Royal Court

“A plane fell out of the sky, and we happened to be on it.” That’s the fourteen-word, remarkably oversimplified synopsis of Oli Forsyth’s new play Brace Brace, brought to life in a startlingly intimate traverse staging at the Royal Court, directed by Daniel Raggett. Having introduced themselves and their whirlwind love story to the audience, newlyweds Sylvia (Anjana Vasan) and Ray (Phil Dunster) explain how their honeymoon began with life-shattering tragedy: the plane they were flying on was taken over by a hijacker (Craige Els, who also portrays a young passenger’s father and the pilot). If the unthinkable horror of believing you’re about to crash to your death from thousands of feet in the air wasn’t enough to fracture the couple, it’s the unique part they each play in the near ...
Last Rites – Shoreditch Town Hall
London

Last Rites – Shoreditch Town Hall

Devised and performed by Ramesh Meyyappan, this 65-minute work covers a broad swath of one family’s history. Beginning with one man’s arrival in India, accompanied by his young son, on a journey to lay his estranged father to rest, Meyyappan, the solitary performer, alone on stage throughout the show but for the most minimal of props, embodies all three generations. His performance is physically impressive and well directed by co-creator George Mann. An early comedic interlude depicting a series of cooking mishaps especially allows Meyyappan’s gifts to shine. Although rife with comedic moments the overall tone of the show is sobering, and it takes its subject matter seriously. As Meyyappan performs rituals over the body that is in turns both his own and his imagination’s, audiences are ...