September Recommends
September Recommends puts forward shows in the area I think are just too good to miss.
LEGALLY BLONDE - CYGNET PLAYERS
We're starting with one of my favourites.
The musical of Legally Blonde is based on the book by Amanda Brown and the 2001 film starring Reece Witherspoon, and has quickly made its mark on the musical scene. With its already iconic characters and a notoriously tricky musical score, the show is much-loved (by me. In my car. At full volume.)
Unsurprisingly, when Josef Weinberger announced amateur rights were available on a restricted license, there was a flurry of productions announced in the local area. However, it is Cygnet's production that caught my eye largely due to their reputation for staging quality productions. The company was established in 1997, so they've had plenty of time to get their game plan together, and it shows in how well received their shows are. Plus, they hands down have the best graphics. Have you seen that glittery background?!
Legally Blonde follows Elle Woods who, dumped by her boyfriend for not being serious enough, promptly follows him the Harvard Law School in order to win him back. However, said boyfriend (Warner) is pretty well into PDA with new girlfriend, Vivienne, who in turn convinces Elle to arrive at a party in a Playboy Bunny costume. Combining brains and beauty, Elle puts her mind to sticking it to Warner with the help of new friend Emmett, and finds out a lot about helping others and herself with a law degree to boot.
Legally Blonde is showing Tuesday 6th - Saturday 10th September at Putney Arts Theatre, Putney.
Evening performances start at 7:45pm with a Saturday matinee at 2:30pm.
Tickets are £16 (£14 concessions) and you can book here.
At time of writing, Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening were sold out, so book them up quickly. I'll be there on opening night, hoping there's a karaoke section (there isn't.)
THE MERCHANT OF VENICE - THE ROUGH MECHANICALS THEATRE CO.
A lot of people have problems with Shakespeare for a whole variety of reasons that I won't discuss here. This is where the joy of watching a Rough Mechanicals production comes in. In their own words, they perform Shakespeare in 'an accessible, clear and unpretentious manner', and I agree with them.
Often abridged, their productions follow a clear line of thought, expressing a digestible story even the biggest Shakespeare novice can follow and enjoy.
The company are making a move this year to perform at The Green Room Theatre after previously preforming at The Cryer Theatre (not connected to the closure in any way), and I'm looking forward to seeing them perform in a different space. If The Cryer is intimate for Shakespeare, I envisage The Green Room being like getting a back rub from the man himself (which I'm sure would be quite enjoyable - just take a peek at some of the sonnets, he knows what he's doing.)
The Merchant of Venice is often cited as one of Shakespeare's more challenging plays, particularly due to the prejudice shown to Shylock and his daughter. Shylock agrees to lend Bassanio money, saying if he is not repaid he will claim the now-famous pound of flesh from Antonio (merchant and Bassanio's friend.) Add to this Antonio's love, Portia, is cavorting around Venice dressed as a man plus, is a dab hand at law (I'm sensing a theme here), when Bassanio fails of pay back the loan to Shylock, a court scene ensues in the Shakespearean fashion we all know so well. Chuck in some more characters, cross-dressing, and Shakespeare's blase approach to filial piety, and you've got yourself a comedy
.
The Merchant of Venice runs from Wednesday 7th - Saturday 10th September at The Green Room Theatre, Dorking at 7:45pm every night.
Tickets are £12 (£10 for lucky DDOS members) and can be booked online here.
QUARTERMAINE'S TERMS - THE MILLER CENTRE THEATRE COMPANY
Now, I've included Quartermaine's Terms in my recommendations this month as it plainly and simply intrigues me. Presented by The Miller Centre Theatre Company, who always have a full and varied schedule of productions, Quartermaine's Terms is a play I feel should be more well known than it is. I came across it at uni and was delighted to find a local company performing it.
Quartermaine's Terms was written by Simon Gray in the 1980's and won the Cheltenham Prize for Literature in 1982. The important thing to know about the play is that significant events in the characters' lives all take place off stage. The plays itself is set in the 1960s in a school staff room and often the events affecting the characters contain people we never see. But affected all the characters are, and the audience gets to see the result of it in the very British way of politely muddling through.
The prevalent theme of the play is loneliness, so don't expect a laugh every minute, but do expect a touching play with a relatable edge.
Quartermaine's Terms is playing at The Miller Centre Theatre, Caterham from Thursday 22nd September - Saturday 1st October at 8pm.
Tickets are £8 - £10 and details on how to book them can be found here.
What shows are you looking forward to in September? Be sure to check back next month for October recommendations!
