When going to a Belt Up production I wouldn’t expect something in a specific genre or tradition. For example, when buying tickets for their Beggar’s Opera, I didn’t expect a twee musical set firmly in the eighteenth century with lovely eighteenth century costumes and sets. As some members of the audience near me considered whether…
Read more Beggar’s Opera (York Theatre Royal, 23rd March 2011)
I must admit that this production of Macbeth was very much in the Belt Up aesthetic and contributes to an oeuvre which experiments with using space in inventive ways. In a proscenium arch theatre this involves the breaking down the fourth wall and any divide between auditorium and stage in using the space in the performance. Belt Up take some of their ideas…
Read more Macbeth (Belt Up, York Theatre Royal, 8th October 2010)
Two productions of the same play in Theatre Royals in the North of England, yet very different experiences. In the past month, I have had chance to revisit the RSC’s production of Romeo and Juliet in Newcastle and have seen the Pilot Theatre’s production of the same play in York. Having seen both productions so…
Read more Romeo and Juliet (Theatre Royal, Newcastle and York)
The outsider seemed to be dominating the theatre in the performances that I have seen over the last few weeks. I had listened to David Hare’s radio play Murder in Samarkand on iPlayer, and following this saw several theatre productions which had the outsider as an ongoing theme. Murder in Samarkand told the story of Craig Murray (played by David Tennant), who…
Ghost walks are popular in the city of York. The walks combine performance and a tour guide experience. The ingenious Belt Up Theatre take this tried and tested format and added a twist to it. The performance starts from York Theatre Royal and moves onto the street of York. The night that I went is was snowing…
Read more A Ghost Walk (York Theatre Royal, 10th February 2010)
In Men of the World, I think John Godber has wonderfully captured the atmosphere of the coach trip, in this case to the Rhine. He manages to pick up the conversations of a set of characters who travel overland from their Yorkshire homes to Germany. What he does well is portray the humour in lovely one liners. …
Read more Men of the World (York Theatre Royal, 9th February 2010)
I really enjoyed this short piece in the Studio at York Theatre Royal. The play was set in a Call Centre and this seemed like a really good idea because working in sales is like, or even is, putting on a performance. What happens here is that the edges of reality are slightly shifted so we…
Over the last two weeks, I have seen two very different English Touring Theatre productions, one a comedy and the other a tragedy. The thing about English Touring Theatre is you do know you’re on safe ground, and the story will come first and I feel with these productions that there is little ambiguity. All of a…
Julie Raby 