reviews

2010

The Man With the Flower in His Mouth | Greenwich Theatre/The London Particular

‘Metta Theatre is a company I’ve admired for a few years now, and this delightful production is another reminder that this is a company to watch. Metta has a strong background in puppetry and circus skills, and such training is apparent in the charismatic, mime-like physicality of Samuel Collings as The Man. Collings is captivating, dangerously spontaneous, and infectious with energy. Beside him, Liana Weafer’s performance is a remarkable combination of world-weariness and childlike fascination…Weafer and Collings breathe life into every snatch of text, thanks in part to the rich yet subtle symbolic vocabulary of gesture created under Burton-Morgan’s direction.’
Kate Maltby in The Spectator

‘Samuel Collings possesses the intensity and charisma to grasp the audience from his first moments, and with the aid of Burton-Morgan’s appropriately detailed direction, he gives a performance in which his slightest movement is filled with interest and import.The choice of venue is inspired…with stunning performances and a setting which blends convincing immersion with a disjunctive theatricality, it’s an enthralling hour in New Cross.’
Stewart Pringle in Whats On Stage

‘an intriguing hour of drama…Samuel Collings’ performance as The Man is engaging, offering moments of sincerity and seriousness with a healthy dose of physical humour…Beautifully poetic and definitely eccentric, this is a production which is both surreal and realistic.’
Amy Yorston in British Theatre Guide

‘Samuel Collings is initially engaging as the mysterious Man and Liana Weafer gives a suitably understated performance as the traveller…Collings’ simple clowning is charming from the outset…’
Paul Vale in The Stage

‘The setting is inspired, blending theatre with everyday New Cross life in a disconcerting mix. Samuel Collings effectively combines pent-up passion and physical humour as The Man, while Liana Weafer holds it all in as the hide-bound Traveller. Poppy Burton-Morgan directs and adapts, switching the male stranger in the original for a woman. Her version sensibly avoids completely modernisation, and creates a strong sense of unreality which lingers after the characters leave the café. This searching play is a fine way to spend an hour, and the imaginative staging shows how much the London fringe has to gain from leaving the theatre bubble and invading new spaces.’
Tom Bolton in The Londonist

‘As The Man, Collings is endearingly awkward and slyly sweet. In his ill-fitting velvet jacket and pockets full 0f bric-a-brac, he’s a cross between a Beckettian tramp and an elegant clown. The power of his imaginative detail is transfixing and bewildering.Weafer is both understated and intense, and adeptly inhabits this hard-to-place role. The London Particular is the perfect setting for this ephemeral play, and grants us fleeting access to this other, yet oddly recognisable world.’
Helena Rampley in The London Theatre Project

‘quietly exhilarating. Samuel Collings does a terrific job of commanding the space for the duration of the production…Collings at certain moments attains that perfect equilibrium of simplicity and thrilling intensity that is at the very essence of Pirandello’s art….Weafer delicately combines the restrained awkwardness of many a London commuter with a credible portrayal of a captivated listener to secure a quiet but solid presence…The intimate proximity to the action, worked to create a wonderfully immersive experience…through talented performances and experienced directing, it skilfully, although somewhat cautiously, manages to strike a sophisticated balance between Pirandello’s appreciation of the commonplace and simple with the genius of his emotive intensity – a wonderful achievement.’
Carmen Nasr for Extra Extra

Otieno | Southwark Playhouse

‘There’s freshness and thrilling immediacy to this exciting, intelligent reworking of Shakespeare’s Othello by Trevor Michael Georges. Directed with verve by Poppy Burton-Morgan, it is much more than a concept production. The raw, rapid-fire dialogue is Georges’ own, though it riffs on the imagery and motifs of the original…Burton-Morgan’s staging immediately establishes hair-trigger tension and a disturbing sense that horrific violence has become routine… this is a highly effective, imaginative response to the classical play that both grips and stirs.’
Sam Marlowe in The Times

‘The structure and themes of ‘Othello’ work scarily well here, and Georges is clever enough to let the discourse on race burble quietly beneath the dialogue – until it explodes. Designer William Reynolds has put together a deceptively simple set of beer crates, barbed-wire fence and sand dyed an ominous pink, but it’s the use of torches – the visual equivalent of the flashes of humour in Georges’s script – that really heightens the tension in a play whose outcome is, after all, a foregone conclusion…this is an astute demonstration of the ugly truth that nothing is fair in love or war.’
Nina Caplan in Time Out (Critics’ Choice)

‘William Reynolds’ design is striking and one of the best things about the production. The lighting perfectly suits the changing mood…The use of recordings of actual coverage of the 2008 elections, including some of President Mugabe’s own speeches, is also effective in contextualising and sustaining the oppressive atmosphere of the piece… Poppy Burton-Morgan’s direction is skilled, particularly in the final scenes as the final elements of Ian’s plan are put into play around the bed of a sleeping Diana.’
Laura Norman in What’s on Stage

‘For anyone who doubts that a modern rewriting of a Shakespearean tragedy can pack the emotional and intellectual punch of its antecedent, this is the one to change your mind… William Reynolds’s lighting design is moody and stark, while his floor of blood-red sand evokes the heat and desolation of the country, standing in for blood itself when Diana’s impeccably white t-shirt (and skin) is dragged through it. Racism, betrayal, violence and destruction of body and mind are writ large but played with subtlety and authenticity. None of the cast disappoints… Director Poppy Burton-Morgan uses this cracking cast to great effect. The direction is smart and slick, playing with light and shadow to increase the dramatic tension… Gunshots in the dark instantly ratchet up the tension levels and give us a glimpse into a world of sudden shocking retribution; a brilliantly conceived metaphor for Zimbabwe.’
Katty Pearce in Fringe Review

‘The whole piece, tightly directed by Poppy Burton-Morgan for Metta Theatre is fast-paced in its minimalist staging, clever use of torches and darkness and efficient controlled explosions…exciting, moving and a compelling theatrical experience.’
Church Times

‘The pairing of Othello and Zimbabwe works all too well… Highly recommended.’
Alice Dickerson in London SE1

‘Trevor Michael Georges’ beautiful writing, integrated original Shakespeare text and plot outline into a powerful contemporary play. He also did a pretty fantastic job at playing Otieno. The revengeful Otieno was terrifyingly painful to watch, as was same broken man at the end… The last half hour of the play brilliantly maintained the tension and suspense, acting from everyone was sublime… Using a minimalist setting Poppy Burton-Morgan as director has created a powerful, believable tale of love, power and revenge. The use of minimalist lighting was ingenious; at times you could barely see the performers which helped create a suspenseful atmosphere. Shakespeare, I think, would have been delighted.’
Susan Rogers in Southwark News

‘… beautifully lit as locations change at the change of a light, staged naturally in a sparse setting with agile movement. The cast are sincere and strongly credible… the story is never forced, the cause is just, the company devoted, and worthy of being seen.’
Blanche Marvin in London Theatre Review

Waiting | Southbank Centre

‘…a haunting Verbatim exploration of the experience of British-based wives of Muslim political prisoners…The staging by Poppy Burton-Morgan is simple, with the stories cut into each other and variety introduced by Oliver Coates’s solo cello and the beautiful singing of Anna Dennis and Carole Wilson each telling further tales of womanly woe, both models of clarity as well as musical beauty. Waiting should be compulsory viewing for the politicians who have the power to invoke change. It is inevitably a chastening experience that should make every viewer reconsider their own values and those of a country that can act like this.’
Philip Fisher in British Theatre Guide

‘perfect staging…absolutely superb…this must be seen!’
Vanessa Redgrave

‘…unusual but strangely moving… the music and song lent depth of emotion and the repetition of the chorus: ‘This country I came to for refuge for peace’ was hauntingly effective. The portrayal by Simone James (currently in BBC soap Eastenders) of Alexia, a Senegalese refugee, was as majestic and poignant as Juliet Stevenson’s portrayal of Sabah, Jamil el-Banna’s wife, was slowly intense.’
Harmit Athwal in Institute of Race Relations

La Voix Humaine | Southbank Centre

‘I’m ashamed to admit that I didn’t know Poulenc’s La voix humaine before this evening, but Rebecca Lea’s quite stunning performance has made me desperate to see it again as soon as possible…some clever motifs (such as the long ribbon of telephone wire that slowly unravels, catches in tense webs on bits of furniture, and is occasionally gathered together and tidied once more).’ Tim Rutherford-Jonhnson in Musican Criticism

‘The stage design was highly effective in this regard; the telephone cord, represented by a lengthy piece of red fabric, was redolent of either a vein or blood vessel, emphasising the point that this vital conversation had become her lifeline, a delicate strand only just keeping her alive, at times lovingly caressed, at others, ominously working its way around her neck. At the work’s culmination, the conversation—& with it, everything else—brought to an end, i couldn’t help but share Lea’s devastation & tears; it was a simply astounding performance.’ by 5 against 4

2009

Blood Wedding | Southwark Playhouse

‘The bridegroom’s mother Naomi Wirthner, boiling with rage and pain, has the ferocity of a Hecuba or a Medea. And Marlon Day offers cruelty-tinged masculinity as the bride’s still-burning old flame Leonardo.’
Sam Marlowe in the The Times

‘The whole set-up is terrifically relaxing…this interpretation of the story of a doubtful bride visited by her now-married ex on the eve of her wedding is persistent and watchable. It’s all spirited and hugely likeable, particularly a number of blood-chillingly beautiful laments that contrast elegantly with the joyful wedding songs.’ 
Time Out

‘the hard-working cast (doubling up on roles and providing the music) imbue Lorca’s lines with an impressively casual chattiness; and the perplexing, surreal third act is helped by resonances of Caribbean folk tales… strong performances make this a relevant and powerful production.’
Siobhan Murphy in Metro

‘Strong Performances and a lively use of the audience add a visceral power to Poppy Burton-Morgan’s Caribbean-British production of Lorca’s sybolist family tragedy.’
Metro, Critic’s Choice

‘a text pared down to its passionate, primeval core, connects the violence of the play and its context with contemporary Britain…Director Poppy Burton-Morgan transports the action from rural Spain to a Caribbean black community and in doing so makes the tragedy compelling and immediate…The music stops and Tai Lawrence as a likeable, boyish, spindly groom doesn’t stand a chance against his rival Leonardo, played by a menacing, muscular Marlon Day…What we witness is the raw, violent grief of the mother left behind, portrayed by Naomi Wirthner, in the most powerful acting of the production.’
Barbara Lewis in The Stage

‘being part of the celebrations makes it impossible not to feel engaged when it all falls apart…There are strong performances throughout the piece with seamless doubling by most cast members. Jade Anouka transforms herself at will from beautiful bride to death incarnate and Naomi Wirthner (who plays 2 different mothers) grows in stature throughout the performance until her grief and anger threaten to overwhelm everyone left alive at the end.’
David Trennery in Arts Hub

‘There is a very strong performance from Naomi Wirthner as the bridegroom’s mother, especially forceful in her final grief. Sophie Benjamin, so outgoing as the bride’s sister (servant in the original) is refreshingly different as a neighbour, Marion Day as a passionate Leonardo, Tai Lawrence suddenly seeing his destiny as the bridegroom and a marvellously theatrical moment (borne out of doubling) when the garments she wears as death are carried forward at the end of one scene and placed over Jade Anouka as the bride, as though sealing her fate also… this hard working cast also play the music composed by Jessica Dannheisser, leaving the stage to discreetly take up their instruments. As well as accompanying the songs it adds much to the whole atmosphere of the production.’
Howard Loxton in the The British Theatre Guide

‘Their energetic, imaginative show captures the symbolism of the original without pretension or at the expense of emotional truth…a grieving Mother, played with great depth and nuance by Naomi Wirthner… Jade Anouka is a very sympathetic and strong Bride, delivering memorable lines powerfully…Marlon Day’s Leonardo exudes menacing sexuality…Sophie Benjamin charms and seduces the audience into joining in… haunting and unforgettable… Metta Theatre certainly know how to capture and keep an audience’.
Katty Pearce in Fringe Review

2008

The Elephant’s Child & Just So | Trafalgar Studios

‘Rebecca Lea sings with wide-eyed wondrous puzzlement as the baffled Painted Jaguar, and irrepressible naughty sweetness as the eponymous Elephant’s Child. Jason Piper relishes the inordinately prideful dance of the Kangaroo, spinning on his haunches with astonishing strength and speed, and almost stops the show with an immaculately-timed Slow-Solid Tortoise. Jessica Dannheisser’s score is whimsical and playful, beautifully suited to the arcane sophistication of Kipling’s idiosyncratic fable-language. And Rehanna Kheshgi’s singing of the sinuous music of the great grey-green Limpopo is assured, wise and witty. This is an intelligent, charming and endearingly rough-and-tumble bit of storytelling.’
Stephe Harrop in londontheatreblog.co.uk

The Elephant’s Child | Arcola Theatre

‘parents with an ounce of common sense should leap at the chance to reintroduce their children to Kipling when Metta Theatre’s refreshing production of The Elephant’s Child goes on a nationwide tour next year…a production bubbling with creative energy. Metta’s strength lies in director Poppy Burton-Morgan’s eye for the most striking of visual games. But children will be entranced most of all by the lilting soprano of Rebecca Lea, as the eponymous small elephant. Lea, the twenty-three year old winner of the 2008 Oxford Lieder prize, deserves to earn plenty of attention from music buffs over the next few years.’
Kate Maltby in newcultureforum.org.uk

‘The Elephants Child proved to be a delightful adaptation of Kipling’s classic fable, combining dance, song, puppetry and story telling into an effective drama to entrance both young and old.’
Serena Fenwick in musicalpointers.co.uk

La Voix Humaine/La Livre Blanc | Riverside Studios

‘It is quite beautifully sung by Rebecca Lea… A solo piece which is extremely demanding on the performer with three-quarters of an hour of high emotion she had no recourse to obvious histrionics but maintained an intensity of feeling that held the audience…I found the puppets most effective.’
Howard Loxton in British Theatre Guide

2007

Hamlet – A Retelling | White Bear Theatre

‘It is strong, steady and keeps you inside the story throughout…her all female cast give the play softness and fluidity…Sian Robins-Grace is solid in the lead role, playing out her anguish and confusion convincingly… Cassie Raine is a controlled and kingly Claudius… Sarai Kirk’s Polonius is sure to receive many laughs and Shelly Islam plays Ophelia’s madness with subtlety.’
Lalayn Baluch in The Stage

‘It was the sweet and imaginative details that brought it alive.’
Zia Trench in British Theatre Guide

‘This is a beautiful and bold production, full of wonderful detail…one of the best Hamlets I’ve seen in thirty years of theatre-going.’
John Weybridge in thisislondon.co.uk

Hidden Light | Barons Court Theatre & Oxford Playhouse

‘A simple, intelligent production…It is a subtle, elegant performance… genuinely moving.’
Natasha Tripney in The Stage

‘The most impressive performance I have seen here in seventeen years.’
Ron Philips, Artistic Director of the Barons Court Theatre

‘The play manages to present scientific thought and principle in an engaging way by having such an absorbing and convincing character. Emilie seems both of her time and modern…Emilie was warm and engaging, drawing the audience into her world convincingly…The staging was sparse and simple and the actress‘s movements were limited, which made the skill with which she captivated the audience all the more impressive.’
Hannah Watson in Daily Info

‘One of the best things I’ve ever seen on the London Fringe.’
Kathy Manners in thisislondon.co.uk

2006

The Birds | Merton Chapel
Metta Theatre are to be congratulated for their innovation and courage in mounting this witty and challenging piece of music theatre…interesting and accessible…the production was outstanding. In terms of the vocal performances, they were all excellent.’
Simon Tavener in Daily Info