don john

friends had a spare ticket for Kneehigh's latest offering Don John, which has just finished its run at the RSC's Courtyard Theatre. So after hurtling toward Stratford on Monday evening, I found myself for the third time in the incredible world of Kneehigh. I had seen their amazing Brief Encounter twice (and congratulations to Neil Murray for winning Best Design in the 2008 Evening Standard Theatre Awards late last year) so I was receptive to having a good time before I arrived, but their brilliant retelling of Don Giovanni, mixing a new script, haunting songs, and retro dancing with scraps of 70s TV and Mozart was unexpectedly moving. The peformance ended with the audience on stage dancing - brilliant.
Both performances are just about to go on the road and below are the chances to see them in the West Midlands:
Don John at Birmingham Rep 17-21 February
Don John at Warwick Arts Centre 24-28 February
Brief Encounter at Warwick Arts Centre 28 April - 2 May
Since Monday I have been obsessed with their idea of The Barns, an isolated creative environment away from TV and telephones where the majority of their shows are conceived and rehearsed. Of course this is the idea of IMS Prussia Cove, and to some extent, Aldeburgh, but it has got me thinking...

Shamefully, the last time I had visited the RSC in Stratford to see a show was in 1987, which I admit is pretty appalling for someone who has lived in the West Midlands for the last 8 years with the RSC in their doorstep. Even now, I have yet to return there to see Shakespeare.