★★★☆☆

An ambitious musical revue featuring semi-staged morsels from musical theatre centred on the theme of revolution and rebellion. That is how I’d describe the first event of St Anne’s College Arts Week, Revolution – The St Anne’s Musical Revue.  The choice of songs was eclectic, but attractively so, providing something for everyone.

The show boasted a brave selection of famous West End ‘staples’ from Les Miserables and Evita, to the Hollywood heights of film favourites such as  ‘Breaking Free’ from High School Musical. And even in North Oxford, there was an appearance of the song from which there is no escape: ‘Let it Go’ from Frozen.  But the most appealing inclusions were by far ‘When I Grow Up/Naughty’ from Matilda and ‘Cell Block Tango’ from Chicago. Together, they provided light relief from an evening that potentially could have been a series of grating ballads.

Vocally, the evening is hard to fault. Fine solo performances and generally solid ensemble work powered throughout the evening. Special mention must go to Brandon Levin. Truly the star of the evening, he provided not only an outstanding performance as Jean Valjean in ‘The Confrontation’ from Les Misérables, but also an unforgettable rendition of the not-often-heard ‘This is the Moment’ from Jekyll and Hyde, a dramatic and vocal tour-de-force.  Similarly admirable was Sairah Rees’ performance of ‘I Dreamed a Dream’, which rivalled Anne Hathaway’s rendition in its emotional immediacy. 

However, for me, the most impressive musical element of the whole evening was the band and their director Stephen Bradshaw.  Their ensemble was consistently tight, and they were always accommodating for the liberties expectedly taken by the singers, stylistically adapting well throughout the varied programme: if only flawed by the technical glitches hindered the audibility of the finale performance of ‘One Day More’.

Of course, this was not just a musical performance but also semi-staged, complete with full costumes, props, lighting, acting and choreography.  The acting was commendable throughout, particularly memorable in the spritely performance of ‘When I Grow Up’ and the excellently executed conflict between Brandon Levin and Ben Partridge in ‘The Confrontation’. Beginning dramatically with Javert’s entrance from the back of the hall, this was but one of many examples of the production’s inventive use of space. Costumes and props were a welcomed addition throughout the performance, although, to my great disappointment, Elphaba was sadly not painted green for ‘Defying Gravity’.  

Perhaps the weakest aspect of the evening was the choreography. You need only look at the awkward shifts in ‘When I Grow Up’ or the distracting solo dance routine in ‘Listen’, the latter rendering the performance uncomfortable to watch. But all this was trumped by the unenthusiastic and often embarrassing dancing in ‘Breaking Free’. To put it bluntly – better moves can be seen in Parkend or Bridge after one too many jagerbombs than in that number.

Despite these flaws, the experience as a whole was nevertheless enjoyable. The team at St Anne’s, in particular the director Naomi Morris Omori and the musical director Stephen Bradshaw, must be congratulated for taking on and pulling off such an ambitious project. 

The grubby back room of The Bullingdon is the natural home of all things rock and roll, so it’s fitting that one of Britain’s finest, Turbowolf, has chosen it to host the first night of its UK tour. A fair few people make it down early to catch Hyena, whose infectious brand of solid rock gets most heads nodding. Front man Jake Ball’s howling vocals combine superbly with the band’s driving rhythms, particularly on singles ‘Mental Home’ and ‘Come Down To Hilo’; other songs are reminiscent of Queens of the Stone Age at their very best, all riffs and pounding drums. The band could take a few lessons on stagecraft, but they’ll certainly get that from touring with bands such as Turbowolf – one to watch for the future.

Dolomite Minor is another young, highly vaunted band, and it’s easy to see why: the duo are staggeringly musically proficient. The sound that the pair produce is pure blues rock. However, the skills on show take their music far beyond simple White Stripes worship. This should be vastly enjoyable, but unfortunately the pair fail to keep the attention of the crowd. The whiny, drawn out vocal style is interesting, but hinders the tracks from blossoming into the high speed bangers they deserve to be. On the other hand, with a more charismatic delivery, the experience could be captivating; perhaps the reasonably well lit stage and early evening slot is not for the

m.

It’s up to Turbowolf to wake the (sadly small) crowd up, a task which the Bristol rockers are more than up to: frontman Chris Georgiadis is an animal on stage, combining humour, heartfelt delivery, musical quality and a penchant for stage diving to great effect. It’s a testament to Turbowolf’s wide appeal that approximately half of the crowd here tonight were around for the original hey-day of proper rock music, although the majority of the movement remains confined to the younger elements of the audience. It’s to these fans that Georgiadis primarily plays, exhorting them to sing along with tracks both old and new. Single ‘Rabbit’s Foot’ is a killer, whilst tracks such as ‘Rich Gift’ bringing appreciative nods from all with their mash-up of all sub-genres rock and metal have to offer. The subtlety of tracks from the new album Two Hands contrasts well with the intensity of those from the self-titled first album, and keeps the performance varied.

Turbowolf’s live show has always been their major strength, having toured inces- santly for seven years; however, the addition of the new tracks has taken their show to the next level. There are bigger things to come from the band at the forefront of British rock ‘n’roll.

★★★★☆

Warning: As the first notes of ‘Lifted Up (1985)’ filter through your speakers, you would be forgiven in dismissing Kindred as being yet more of typical Passion Pit – frantic, bouncy synth-pop that dances a fine line between control and mania. Count to ten and you’ll get the falsetto that completes the package.

It’s this iconic sound that has carried Michael Angelakos through to his third album since the 2009 debut of Manners. The happy-go-lucky tone, however, hides a journey that Angelakos has taken Passion Pit’s fans on from the beginning: a no-holds-barred exposé of his struggle with depression and bipolar disorder. While not as harrowing as 2012’s Gossamer, Kindred hides a deep sadness behind the glittering cheeriness of the synths. ‘Whole Life Story’, for example, is a heart-wrenching apology to Angelakos’ wife for the attention drawn to their personal lives after Gossamer, and the refrain – “don’t you let go” – drives home his desperation. It’s not the most complex or subtle lyricism, but there is something compelling about the unflinching way Angelakos bares his emotions. Reassuringly, Kindred offers some optimism amidst the struggle, as, in ‘All I Want’, Angelakos sings, “I get the notion that I’m almost there”. His faith seems to be the root of this, which Angelakos makes no attempt to hide. Instead he embraces it, with ‘My Brother Taught Me How To Swim’ being a punchy celebration of baptism. This isn’t new territory for Passion Pit, but it’s a far cry from the questioning “who says that God exists?” from Gossamer’s Where We Belong.

While Kindred shows development in Angelakos’ personal life, it’s less clear that the small changes intended to refine the ‘Passion Pit’ sound that caught its first fans with Sleepyhead back in 2009 have had their desired impact. The bouncy tracks likely to be played at parties don’t quite reach the same heights of Gossamer’s Take a Walk – Kindred’s high points are to be found in songs which are better suited for stargazing than dancing.

The memorable moments of Kindred are still fantastic – ‘Lifted Up’ will no doubt find itself in many a ‘summer driving’ playlist, and ‘Looks Like Rain’ stands out as breaking away from the standard, almost saccharine upbeat formula. It’s ‘Whole Life Story’ that steals the spotlight in Kindred, however. Here, Angelakos’ vision for the album is most clearly visible – it’s a refinement of classic Passion Pit, with twinkling melodies overlying soulful lyrics. It must be said, though, that for the band’s most concise album to date, you’d expect to find more stand-out moments than Kindred provides. Maybe Angelakos’ admission that he’s “almost there” has more meaning than he intended.

Why do tutors insist on making essay deadlines 9am? They must have a problem with their students getting too much sleep. Anyway, it’s 11pm and you haven’t yet started the reading for the essay due in in the morning. It’s going to be a long night, but how about a Cherwell playlist to help those hours fly by?

1. ‘I Don’t Wanna Go To Sleep’ – N- Dubz

Maybe this lyrically excellent song will help boost your will power.

2. ‘Don’t Stop Believing’ – Journey

Play this motivational track at full volume and you’ll keep your neighbours awake for company. 

3. ‘3AM’ – Eminem

You’re at least half way through, right?

4. ‘5AM’ – Katy B

Not long till sunrise, and that deadline is fast approaching.

5. ‘Morning Has Broken’ – Cat Stevens

Done. It’s over. “Praise for the morning.”

Having snatched not only the best new writing but also best production award at last year’s cuppers festival, Jack Clover’s writing and directing talents will grace the Oxford stage once more. His latest show Beachcombing charts the relationship between a lost girl and the priest in whose Church she seeks refuge one desolate evening. From my all too brief audience with the production, it seems to me this is set to be yet another triumph for a figure, set to become a big name in Oxford drama.

Like Clover’s last play, Beachcombing is set on the Essex coast, a landscape that seems to hold some fascination for him. It is a fascination reflected not only in the texture of the work but also in the lives and thoughts of his characters. When we first meet James (the priest played by Will Stanford), we see him gazing out over the waters of the north-sea. It’s three am and as he contemplatively sits, trying to monologue away the hurt following the death of his wife. Unbeknownst to him, the curious eyes of a shelter seeking Amy (Aoife Cantrill) observe his every seaward stare. She too is compelled by something about the sea. When James talks about the need to acknowledge the sea if living near it is to make any sense, Amy keeps pressing what’s beyond the horizon and even beyond that. What exactly it is they seek therein I couldn’t tell you, but I look forward to finding out. 

The set up of the play, may raise an eyebrow. With the recent controversies of historic child abuse, in and out of the church, the play certainly touches on some sensitive issues. James is in his middle ages, while Amy is aged somewhere in her late teens. How Clover will handle the dynamic of their relationship will be pivotal not only to the dramatic success of the play but also in defining its position with regard to these difficult issues.

One strategy used to explore the characters’ relationship, is also one of the most intriguing stylistic elements of the play. Clover punctuates the drama with choreographed interludes set to music. These moments mix elements of dance and physical theatre to illustrate the development of their relationship. In the one I saw, something of their tentative sexuality was expressed with the two characters playfully yet cautiously touching each other’s knees. It was interesting to see how every movement made by one of the pair was mirrored by the other; neither seemed to be the dominant/leading one. Although its at the BT, fear not, the soundtrack is not the usual fare of ostentatiously obscure dance music. Instead we are treated to delicate atmospheric Dylan numbers such as “She Belongs to Me”. In the scene I saw, it provided a meditative and very touching counterpoint to the action.

This music also adds to the sense of place constantly conveyed by Clover’s interest in this landscape. There is a happy meeting in his mellow music choices and his character’s physical and verbal ruminations about the sea. It’s hard to describe exactly how it clicks, but it really does.

This is not however the only happy pairing. Cantrill and Stanford complement each other marvelously. Cantrill’s inquisitive and impulsive characterization plays well to the indecisive and rather mellow James. Both seem to inhabit their characters very naturally and their ease with their roles will no doubt carry the drama in the intimacy of the BT. All in all, Beachcombing promises to be an extremely intriguing and original production.

Killing Hitler follows the story of Adam von Trott zu Solz (Linus Ubl), who arrives in Oxford in the vibrant mid-thirties of the twentieth century. While reading PPE as a Rhodes Scholar, Trott zu Solz gets involved in the organization of a plot to assasinate Hitler. Coming from high military and aristocratic circles, his co-conspirators have access to Hitler and, to a certain extent, his respect. He knows that he’s playing with fire and that every mistake could make the difference between life and death.

Once again Oxford University’s German Play proves to be a truly unique student production, standing out due to its bilingual nature and unusual close collaboration with author Bernard Adams. The former journalist and BBC-Producer based the play on memoirs, letters, and journals, carefully crafting characters, conversations and scenes closely related to the historic events. Adams, fascinated by the idea of a bilingual production, provided the director Poppy Clifford and costume designer as well as translators and producers with insights into his thought and research, resulting in a production that breaks down the barriers between history and drama.

Adam’s play, first put on stage at the Keble O Reilly in 2012, displays the effects of great historical events on everyday human relationships. Scenes depicting real-life events involving local historical figures, such as Maurice Bowra (Jonnie Griffiths) the former Warden of Wadham, who still is a person at the centre of many legends, make the play come to life for any Oxford student.

The dynamic of the play is shaped by the non-linear narrative, and even though the typical war-time flashbacks are incorporated, every scene builds on the last resulting in a moving, emotional portrait of the protagonist.  Casting native speakers for British and German roles, and translating scenes set in Germany into German makes the historical content accessible in an unexpected, natural and surprisingly emotional way. The diverse cast is more than capable of portraying the historical figures, the Russian princess Marie “Missie” Vassiltchikov (Evelyn Eisenhauer), the wartime Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden (George Robarts), the Bishop of Chichester George Bell (Sam Shepburn), and Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg (Gene Zinngrebe).

Putting the play on stage at the Nuffield College Chapel – a small and rather intimate setting – increases the proximity of the audience not only in situational terms, and may turn out to be the final touch to a moving and important production.

Killing Hitler is on at the Nuffield College Chapel from 12^th – 16^th May (German parts with English subtitles). Bernard Adams (Author), Verena von Trott (Daughter of Adam von Trott) and Graham Avery (President of the von Trott Memorial Funds) will give talks preceding the premier on 12^th May.