Closer ****

I saw this show last night and firstly, hate to start off with a negative but is there a reason it went up half an hour late? Obviously if technical problems were the issue then fair enough, but I'm guessing it was to wait for the people that arrived late which I think is extremely rude and unfair on the people that did turn up on time, not to mention the actors. Anyway, enough with that and onto the show itself. The first time I saw Closer (on video I'm sorry to admit) I wasn't sure if I really liked it but something does draw you back to watch it again. I can't say the same for the performance I saw last night. This version drew me in from the beginning. And I would gladly go and see it again without complaint. I thought the performances were generally well executed. My opinion on each individual (in order of appearance): Miley Tunnecliffe - I thought Ms Tunnecliffe's first scene was enjoyable but as the show progressed, her accent was flawed due to that it seemed she couldn't decide whether she was from London, Kent, America or Australia? Nick Britton - I thought Mr Britton did extremely well. Very believable character though at sometimes tended to mumble which unfortunately due to the accoustics of Rechabites, made it even harder to hear clearly. But never-the-less, a fantastic performance. Mia Martin - Again, fantastic performance though at times a little quiet though through body & facial expression, you could understand everything her character was going through. And I don't think I've ever seen anyone look so good in a singlet & jeans! Peter Clark - 99% flawless....! The only thing I can possibly say against Mr Clark's performance is that his first scene he sounded like he was was Kent rather than London which the rest of his performance implied. The show as a whole: As an ensemble everyone did well, though Ms Tunncliffe seemed to be the weaker of the four. The scene I thought didn't fit so well would have to be the Strip Club scene with Ms Tunnecliffe & Mr Clark. Though it ran very smooth, it seemed Ms Tunnecliffe seemed to copy Natalie Portman's portrayal from the movie which would have been fine if the rest of her performance matched. And for the life of me, I can't understand why a stipper would be wearing what seemed to be a petticoat? Last I heard, stippers were wearing alot less. To me, this made the performance false. The rest of the production was so well done, it seemed to be let down by this obvious choice of 'cover-up/insecure' costume. Overall, Igor Sas has directed a wonderful production which I would highly recommend all to see. Congratulations to cast & crew and hope your season goes well. Stella Keene