The Vote

No, this isn't me dipping my toe into very late post-election aftermath. Well it is...sort of...only this is much more entertaining. For whilst most British broadcasters were sitting agog on election night as the results came in, More 4 simultaneously transmitted live a very special one off performance from the Donmar Warehouse theatre. The play was called The Vote and it was a triumph.

Set around a marginal polling station during the last hour or so of voting, played in real time, The Vote gave us a quintessential, charming, down to earth, ludicrous and hilarious look into life in a polling station. Utterly believable and utterly joyous, and performed by an utterly ridiculous and stupendous cast.
No really, the cast list for this was enormous and fantastic. It was led by the rising cult icon Mark Gatiss, who was both hilarious and touchingly charming, British TV legend Catherine Tate, with oodles of charm, comedy, sass and sex appeal, and Nina Sosanya, who may have been a bit shrinking throughout the second half, but still was a great dynamic and teamed well with Gatiss and Tate. But that was by no means all. We had a genius turn from the legendary Timothy West, a greatly timed cameo from Jude Law, plus mother and daughter ultimate combo from the divine Dame Judi Dench and real life daughter Finty Williams. All of these plus many many more. The cast and characters really were mind boggling but at no point did the appearance of any of them feel over the top or forced. As a one off this truly was a delicious feast of truly talented thespians.

In establishing an early and perfectly pitched sense of community and heart, The Vote simply built layer upon layer of lunacy, a smattering of drama and lots of home grown fun as time went on, and as the voters kept coming. James Graham and Josie Rourke have captured beautifully the plethora of people you an come across, not just in election times but generally. To then shape it around the backdrop of this small little school/polling office on stage and add as I say a whole host of character and characters and the end product is stunning. Yes OK, the sheer volume of cast did make things a bit full on, and the grounding core members got a tad lost in the crowd but in the end I am not complaining too much at all about the overall result.

Given the scale of production and sheer talent within the cast of many, it is difficult to see how this TV/theatre crossover could ever come about again. However if it does, I shall certainly be in line to see it again. And for those of you who didn't this time around, I urge you to visit Channel 4's catch up site. After all - The Vote is not to be missed!

Peter Kay's Car Share

For years I, like millions of others have adored Peter Kay and his vast body of work. I have always thought of him as a multi-talented legend of our time. His superb ability and prowess as a stand up comedian is without question and without equal. What's more he has brought to our attention his wonderful talents, not only as a writer and a director, but as an actor too. Not a comic actor, but a great actor full stop. He has appeared as part of iconic TV and film institutions like Wallace & Gromit, Coronation Street and Doctor Who, but it is when he takes the helm of his own projects that he truly captures the hearts, and often the laughs of the nation. That Peter Kay Thing, Phoenix Nights, Max & Paddy...all pieces of sheer genius and now Peter Kay is back (for the first time on the BBC) doing one of the things he does best - a raw, simple original sitcom that makes you surely and truly laugh out loud. 

The concept of Peter Kay's Car Share is simple; dangerously so in fact; the idea of two people just sitting in a car, driving and talking is not the first thing you think of when you think of comedy, and it is an idea that many an actor, writer and director would shun instantly. Yet for this project, Peter Kay took on all of these roles, and was thus truly able to guide and shape this grounded concept into the makings of comedic genius.

Peter as John is brilliant. As you might expect, he is the vehicle for most of the comedy in this show, and as the starter concept was simple, so too are the roots of his comedy, but more on that later. Peter Kay is aided and abetted in his Fiat 500L by former collaborator Sian Gibson as Kayleigh. Again quite a simple and unassuming character, but in the end she develops into the perfect Yin to Kay's Yang. The chemistry between the pair is tangible, but not at all forced (despite the claustrophobic setting). Instead the car interior provides the perfect charged setting for comic sparks, a true camaraderie and two characters that you instantly believe in and want to watch. Of course, another simple driving force of the show, and of the two characters is the subliminal question of - is there romance between the pair? Again this is a simple, hanging element in the air throughout, yet it is downplayed and used to full yet mellow advantage in enhancing the dialogue and charm between the two. OK I admit (if I am being harsh) the character of Kayleigh is a tad grating and annoying when her dismal, repetitive outlook on life is stretched to breaking point, and the longing stares at Ted 2 the trolley man every episode do get a bit boring, but again very grounded in realism and broadly speaking trivial compared to what is a beautifully conceived and presented comic pairing.

Very quickly you know what you are getting each episode, but at no point does that become a bad thing. What drives the ample amount of laugh out loud moments are these two people, in the car, going to and from work, and that's pretty much it. The writing is so good, and the performances so wonderful that is really all you need. For added extras you get quite cheesey but still funny Forever FM radio adverts booming out, plus a great soundtrack (and a few musical fantasy sequences) but the twin core remains the same in the form of the two at the centre of it all. In capturing the realistic, melancholy and wonderfully ordinary nature of these two characters, when it is time to laugh it is time to laugh properly and heartily! Even when Reece Shearsmith turns up as fishmonger Ray for an episode, this is a mere interesting aside as the real comedy comes from Kay and Gibson's reaction to him.

This one broke all the records when it was premiered on BBC's iPlayer, and yet again almost everyone is singing the praises of Peter Kay, and I am hardly surprised. I suppose it is refreshing, as well as being a relief to some that after all he is done, Peter Kay is still capable of making us laugh with the most brilliant of moments, even with the most simple of starts. Thank you Peter Kay - you have done it again, and I for one hope to see you back car sharing soon!

The Fire Pit, Rawtenstall

The advertising tagline of  "Every Night is Steak Night!" may not be the most subtle in the world of restaurateurs, or even generally, but it certainly rings true with the people of Rawtenstall, and staff at the Fire Pit try to do it justice.

There are many grill/steakhouse restaurants out there, yet The Fire Pit tries to add a unique twist in terms of its opening gambit and star concept. Instead of just flame grilling meat (preferably in this case steak, it has to be said) they will instead slap it near raw onto a scolding hot slab of volcanic stone, present it to you and allow you to decide how long you wish it to be cooked before consuming. It sounds odd but trust me I am not making this up; this is what they promise and that is what happened upon my visit.

A novel concept certainly; interesting even, but does it and the Fire Pit as a whole have what it takes to hit home with the masses?

Well, mass seems to be the word really, as from the very moment you walk in, the staff seem to be hell bent in theory on providing a weird blend of uniqueness, lighting fast efficiency, and mass-produced scale in a big way. Yet this does not come about in practice. 

When you walk into the place you can see that yes an extensive refurb has gone on, but with no overall theme, center point or distinctive feel; everything seems far too drained and colorless to me. In terms of the atmosphere on the night, well there was certainly an amount of people there (not massively packed but consistently busy I would say) but they are all plonked right in front of you wherever you turn in undignified rows. Yes this may have something to do with space, but it is also as if the owner is saying "look at us; look at all these people who want to eat with us". It just seems tasteless to  a degree. Yes there is an atmosphere in terms of numbers, but in terms of true ambiance - the Fire Pit is woefully sterile and empty.

Now we come to the food itself. The menu is extensive, but again presented in a slightly gimmicky "in ya face" fashion. Having said that my starter of scallops and black pudding with pancetta and peas was cooked beautifully. From this I had high hopes in terms of the quality, and presentation of the fare on offer. Yet when it came to the Steak on a Stone (sirloin in my case) the main attraction, the crown in the Fire Pit's jewel...oh dear.

Well, maybe "oh dear" is a tad harsh. Again very novel, very innovative as a concept, and make no bones about it there was no chance of sending back the steak because it was cold. Yet once it arrived the volcanic stone just sat there and quietly sizzled like a resoundingly disappointing ASDA-bought firework; lots of pomp and circumstance but not nearly enough in the way of substance. It was presented simply enough (which can work) but for one thing the accompanying elements (fries, salad etc) were OK at best, and I feel they needed to be better in order to compliment well. Also - they made us choose three sauces. Why?! Maybe this is just me being aggravatingly paranoid but why? They literally insisted on you choosing three little pots of stuff (from a list that was not that appealing to begin with) to be racked up along side this steak on a stone. Again - this feeling of over the top, Americanesque brashness came into play again. 

Incidentally the staff, whilst attentive and accommodating, were not nearly knowledgeable enough when it came to steak (which in a place that specializes in such might be an issue). But the most glaring problem of them all was the quality of the meat itself. Fresh it may have been, but it was nowhere near mature enough. The minds behind the Fire Pit may have been buying into this new fad that only pink, smooth steak is good (and thus may be counting on all their customers being that way inclined too). Yet for what they were doing to it, the steaks were nowhere near the right level of quality in terms of their origin and pedigree; such was plain for all to taste (though perhaps not for everyone to appreciate). I may sound like a snob here, but in terms of the whole Steak on a Stone package; whilst the intention was there and the result wasn't bad, the promised levels of quality were lacking.

In a way that sums up the Fire Pit for me really. Yes the promise is there and yes there is a distinct element of flair in presentation, and yes the taste is just there at the end of the day. But it is always a question of only just within most elements of the experience. It just seems to me that the manager is relying too much on his niche concept, and as a result is forgoing massively important elements like tone and quality.

As a concept the Fire Pit is fine, but I fear it may be one that is only skin deep; just enough to attract people in but in terms of longevity and a lasting air of quality as well as quantity...I'm not so sure.

Atlantis: Series 2 End & a potential lasting legacy cut short

Considering its only been going a relatively short amount of time, BBC's Atlantis has got quite a bit of attention on this blog. Now, after the end of its second (and apparently final - more of that reaction to come) series, I thought I'd have a look at it one last time.

To me, Atlantis has been consistently good. Yes there have been numerous issues and problems, from starting out as a fledgling new project to where we are now. Negatives have been seen (and mentioned on this blog) but resiliently the positives have shone through and have still deftly outweighed the negatives. This I have acknowledged and I stick by this; at the end of the day, I kept coming back week on week for more Atlantean adventures and I do not regret doing so.

Casting and performance-wise, again broadly similar with a few alterations here and there. Stand outs for me have and will always be the incomparable Mark Addy as Hercules, Jemima Rooper as Medusa (great to see her back in the latter half of this series, if only briefly) and to a slightly lesser extent but still resoundingly Sarah Parish as Pasiphae. What's more, as well as Rooper, we were treated to some other sources of returning and highly needed star quality in the form of John Hannah and Robert Lindsay. Each of these great acting talents made fleeting appearences last series, and it was a great delight to see them again; but they were not used to their full extent in my view. From the moment John Hannah stepped back into the light, due I think to poorly predictable writing, you knew that sooner or later he would be on his way out; good to see him but it did mar his performance slightly. Robert Lindsay was very much a background presence, which I feel was a travesty as he brought such gravitas and charm to proceedings.

Elsewhere we saw a new streak of steel in Ariadne's character which added something, but ultimately probably not enough. During the series 2 hiatus I commented on the disappointing run of Amy Manson's Medea up to that point; yet I am happy to report that, whilst still a bit wooden, her charisma and chemistry (both singularly and with fellow cast) has shot up in my view, definitely rendering her one to watch.

However, the biggest reason for Atlantis not going up in my estimations, the biggest flaw with this series - is that it is the series to end the all too short run of Atlantis. Yep, during its hiatus it was announced that the BBC were dropping the axe. When I heard the news I was dissapointed, but when I thus saw how the series ended I was livid. SO many plot holes, so many unexplored avenues, and so many things left hanging. I can see why they did it - they clearly thought they were safe for series 3. But the way they hoped to take us there was not nearly concrete enough. Its almost as if the latter half of series 2 was designed and executed to get us to the end of series 2 as fast as possible, with a few smatterings of "darker" moments and romantic triangles suggested. All to get us to this awe-inspiring cliff hanger (where the source mythology finally starts to come back into play) into an epic new series that will not come.

Of course, the minds behind Atlantis could not know they would be axed before they could resolve the show, but the writers and producers should have put much more effort into giving us a satisfactory and quality end to series 2 before jumping the gun into a series 3 that now will not happen. Whether it was arrogance, over confidence or just pure lackadaisical nonchalance, the result was a final few episodes of Atlantis that failed to deliver, broadly failed to live up to the standard set in times gone by, and a show that eventually built our hopes up for something that will now never be.

I am shockingly and severely disappointed that Atlantis has not been commissioned for another series (on balance given everything I think it just scraped enough to deserve it) but I am also disappointed that the resulting chain of events meant that Atlantis did not get to go out on the high it deserved to go out on.

Dara O'Briain - The Lowry Theatre, Salford

I laughed til I could laugh no more...and then I laughed again. For tonight I was treated to a night of hilarity, courtesy of a man I have watched the work of and admired for some time, and who is in my opinion, one of the greatest stand up comedians of all time. Yep...Dara O'Briain is back on the road and for the first time in three years he returned to the Lowry Theatre in Salford; and I am mighty pleased he did. 

Flawless and effortless from the very moment he strolled on stage, Dara instantly upheld his reputation for having the uniquely rare ability to hold an audience in the palm of his hand. He bombarded his audience with line after line of slick, honed and beautifully delivered material that had clearly been worked on for a long time, yet he also shifted chameleon-like from that to some wonderful sections of audience participation, witty repartee and superb improv.

Like all of his gigs and tours of the past, this one had several themes running through it, from the relatively serious matters of advancing years, to the more novel "elbows" and one obscure line from the Return of the Jedi. Each segment flowed wonderfully into the next, and we also had seemingly sporadic but actually well crafted back tracks and tangents, all intrinsically tailored to the audience reaction at any one time.

It is clear that, not only is Dara a master at holding an audience's attention, he is also able to detect and deduce shifts and changes in their mood and reaction to each element of material with lightning speed and pinpoint accuracy. 

It is extremely difficult for me to detect or pin down any lull in this great man's level of performance, or a lack of engagement at any given time. Unlike most comedians I know of, his stage presence presents an odd but incredible blend of extreme hard work and investment, alongside effortless cool and free flowing comedic timing and talent.

Yes the scripted and pre-prepared material was great, but it was as I said only enhanced to outstanding levels by the audience unique to tonight at the Lowry. Here Dara again presented his signature trademark of such interaction and consequential comedic gold from an unknown and unexpected set of sources. And as he says himself, he is not derogatory or scathing when it comes to the treatment of his audience; instead he enhances their night, and their comedic potential. He not only exuded sheer hilarity but also sheer warmth and respectful appreciation of those gathered to watch him perform (including a fantastic 'heckler' incident of sorts whose subsequent 'take down' by Dara could well and truly only happen once). 

Yes, as I said I respect and adore massively the performance and comedic talents of this man Dara O'Briain. He has clearly not lost his touch, despite being an increasingly sought after touring comedian for some years now, plus dipping his toes into various other media projects. His roots are still where he is happy, and clearly that happiness and joy for comedy can still translate to and delight any given audience with ease, and also with stupendous results.

Ballot Monkeys

Few can probably deny it; this latest UK election, like most elections is farcically chaotic. And whatever happens to the British government in the coming days, I for one felt refreshingly pleased to see that there are some who can still cut through the crap and make us laugh at it all. 

Penned by Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin, Channel 4's incredibly topical, highly up to date and hilariously brash and blunt series takes a look at what life may (and lets face it - what life possibly is) like in the touring campaign buses of several parties in the run up to the 2015 General Election. I for one thought this was a stupendous, if bafflingly outrageous, idea and mostly I feel they hit it off wonderfully. Yes it was political, but more importantly it gave us as an audience, and an electorate, a massive opportunity to just sit back relax and laugh.

So, as they appeared on their buses - lets take a look at the parties:-

THE LIB DEMS

No doubts about it; Ben Miller was the star of the show here. His portrayal of Kevin, a dejected and increasingly neurotic Lib Dem was inspired. His loud and outrageous outbursts were always hilarious, often supported by the bewildered innocence of Esther Smith and the uppity ignorance of Michael Fenton Stevens.

The prolonged moments where Miller swayed into self-reflection and comedic depression got a tad grating, but the idea that the Lib Dem world is quite soap opera-esque is quite something.

LABOUR

Here we have an eclectic bunch of nuvo-niche Labour delegates, ranging from the hilariously backward to the annoyingly American. 

We have Jack who is the embodiment of old fashioned, and thus dissapointed party politics. His one liners come thick and fast and are always a treat to hear. On the opposite end of the scale we have Kathleen Rose Perkins who plays the role of the loud, upbeat, smiling, bright and ultimately annoying American political strategist. She plays her role well, but out of all the Labour team she is the one I could do without the most. They are knitted together by two slightly non-starting but still important characters in Theo Barklem-Briggs and Daisy Haggard.

UKIP

Here I think the producers missed a trick. Yes Sarah Hadland (of Miranda fame) is recognizable as a stuffy, deluded UKIP supporter, but in terms of her image it is a bit of a misfire. I feel Hadland excels as more of a lucid, bubbly cheeky blonde type character. I can see why they have made her into a bright suit wearing, UKIP twit, but it just doesn't quite sit right with me.

On the other hand, communications manager for UKIP Andy Nyman has a great dry sense of humour that is very good to watch. 

THE TORIES

Again we have a stand out star here - Hugh Dennis. I have both watched this man on TV and live (twice) over the years and I have long been a fan of his, and Ballot Monkeys does not dissuade me. Jimmy Akingbola is good (if a little too self obsessed) Hattie Morahan is sassy and appealing, and Liz Kingsman is delightfully dozy, but Hugh Dennis is undoubtedly the brilliantly timed and always hilarious king of the Tory bus. 

RIP Ben E. King

1938-2015