Theatre Reviews: East is South; Alterations; The Seagull

Cate Blanchett saves the world

Mar 02, 2025

How has my week been?

At the start of the novel Station Eleven a performance of King Lear is interrupted by the death of the lead actor. The show does not go on and this death signifies the beginning of a devastating global pandemic. Years later, a travelling theatre troupe entertain survivors with modern interpretations of classic texts, offering hope to the burned out husk of civilisation.

That’s how my week has been.

East is South - Hampstead Theatre, Upstairs

By BEAU WILLIMON
Directed by ELLEN MCDOUGALL

1 hour 40 minutes

East is South comes with the strong credentials of the writer of the immensely watchable, and completely un-re-watchable, House of Cards. Over six seasons Beau Willimon brought us hours of a densely plotted, tense, political thriller. Sadly when condensed to 100 minutes his writing fails to build tension and character development is reduced to efficient set-ups and pay-offs.

The plot revolves around the potential leak of a sentient AI and the NSA interrogations that immediately follow. The play weaves in philosophical discussions about technology, faith, ethics, and death for good measure. In the final scene all the weaving finally ties together into a powerful climax but feels overengineered and ultimately unearned. For all that interlacing the seams were still showing and I was unconvinced.

The lack of tension was not helped by the audience. Half an hour into the play I heard a yelp and a sudden, wet noise coming from the far end of my row. After a lot of muted fuss in the dark the stage manager strode onto stage to announce a pause in the play to deal with “a situation in the audience”. After 10 minutes of valiant cleaning from the theatre staff - don’t ask - we did restart but any suspense was gone and I was now all too aware of the strangers sat around me.

I’m sure that the audience interruption has clouded my judgement but I still don’t think this is a great play. While the cast (Luke Treadaway, Kaya Scodelario, Cliff Curtis, Nathalie Armin, and Alex Newman) do their best to humanise their characters, the dialogue is too efficient for them to be believable. Every biographic detail they share becomes a plot point within the next few scenes. It felt forced and fake - completely failing at distracting me from the drama playing out in the stalls that night.

Like a tortuous pun; I admire the effort it took to get to its final scene but didn’t enjoy the set up it took to get there.

Seat: Stalls, B4 - £35
The show is staged on two levels and sitting this close means a lot of looking up to see upstairs. For any scene downstairs, however, I was rewarded with close proximity and visible faces.
I was also mercifully far away from the wetter parts of the audience.
Show: ★★☆☆☆
Seat: ★★★★☆

East is South runs until 15th March 2025.

Alterations - National Theatre, Lyttleton

by Michael Abbensetts
additional material by Trish Cooke

1 hour 50 minutes

After an eventful night in North-West London I knew I would be in safe hands at the National Theatre. Sadly my week was not about to go smoothly.

Alterations was rediscovered as part of the NT’s Black Plays Archive and has been dusted off and updated for its first staging in decades. It details a day in the life of a London tailor from the Windrush generation. For plot reasons Walker (Arinzé Kene) has been giving 24 hours to shorten hundreds of pairs of trousers; an order that could deliver him the store of his dreams. For dramaturgy reasons, that same night also sees his assistant’s wife go into labour and Walter’s relationship with his own wife (Cherrelle Skeete) hits the rocks.

The first hour is fun, fizzy, and full of life as Walter struggles to get those in his orbit to help him unlock his dream and forget about various dramas that are getting in the way. Sadly it was one hour in when the all-too-familiar visage of the stage manager came on stage. Due to a medical emergency in the audience we would have to take a break.

Over the course of 50 minutes each audience member made a call on whether they were sticking it home or taking the opportunity of an early night. Most of us stayed but I did gain control of the two seats next to me. Once the play finally resumed we were rewarded with a beautiful and tender scene between Walter and his wife. Then it was a dream sequence and something wasn’t quite right. The sides of the stage had opened up to reveal new sets but those sets weren’t heading onto the stage.

Sure enough, our friend in all black and a radio headset strode back on. There was now a technical issue and we needed to temporary halt. The actors were smiling but visibly frustrated - this was the day before press night and we were an hour behind. The audience were resolute by now but sadly after 10 minutes we were told that the show would not go on, and to speak to the box office if we had any questions.

I can’t imagine the stress going on backstage. The audience left a little dejected and no doubt wishing we’d left an hour earlier when we had the chance. I was now two shows into my week and three show stoppages in. The end of days were 100% upon us.

I liked what I saw of Alterations but can’t imagine I’ll be back to finish it. While the trousers needed shortening, I wish the play had been full length.

Seat: Stalls, D24 - ~~£20~~
To save money in the Lyttleton you have to sit either right at the front or right at the back. If taking someone with me I will opt for the back as I feel bad about the sacrifices the front seat inflicts on you. The first four rows are not raked, sit below stage level, and are the only seats without armrests. The result is a sore neck, squished width, but intimate view of performances. For the price you can’t beat it.
~~Show: ★★★★☆~~
Seat: ★★★★☆

Alterations runs until 5th April 2025.

The Seagull - Barbican Theatre

By Anton Chekhov

A new version by Duncan Macmillan & Thomas Ostermeier

Conceived and Directed by Thomas Ostermeier

3 hours

I was worried for my safety as I joined the unreliable audience at the Barbican. Events were escalating and the rule of threes dictated I would no doubt be the medical emergency bringing Cate Blanchett’s return to a close. It was pointed out to me that dying at the Barbican while watching Cate would be an OK way to go. Not inaccurate, but not hugely comforting.

There is a beautiful moment at the start of every Barbican production when the magnetically held doors all close simultaneously and the lights dim, as the theatre envelops the audience and the real world is shut out. From the moment those magnets released I was safely removed from the drama of London and into Thomas Ostermeier’s adaptation of a Chekhov I had not seen before.

Centre stage was a small field of tall corn, from which the actors would emerge and disappear. Ominously, at the front of the stage were some microphones and an effect pedal. Luckily this production doesn’t set out to deconstruct theatre but instead brings Chekhov up to date, has fun with it, and makes little jabs at theatre along the way.

This is The Seagull of 2025. Cate Blachett plays a famous actor complete with Girls on Tops t-shirt and moves that would make Raygun jealous. Duncan Macmillan (People Places & Things) and Thomas Ostermeier (An Enemy of the People) have done great work in cracking open a set text. Dialogue and performances are engrossingly naturalistic, occasionally spilling out at the front of the stage to arch an eyebrow or make a casual wink at the audience. Most remarkable was how much fun the actors were having with the material and the depth they brought to each character.

While Blanchett is clearly the starriest name, and the reason tickets are hard to find, her presence means that every single role is filled with an actor at the top of their game. Emma Corrin, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Tom Burke, or any of the cast could easily be the main draw under normal circumstances - but here are all equal parts of the strongest ensemble in London right now.

While Chekhov dictates that the final act is more melancholy in tone I enjoyed the highs that proceeded it; an authentic silliness layered onto a classic text. The cynical and anarchic tone really suited the mood I had going in. In a world on fire, what is the point of art? The Seagull asks this question out loud and then answers it effectively.

You don’t need me to tell you the plot of The Seagull. Just know that this is an excellent adaptation that shows no undue reverence. It is pure theatrics and - after a disastrous week - restored my faith in theatre again.

Seat: Upper Circle, A45 - £69.50
The Barbican know they have a cast that will draw crowds and have priced accordingly. I had a high but clear view of the stage and almost enough room for people to shuffle past without treading on me. If you can afford to I would say this is one to splash out for the stalls.
Show: ★★★★★
Seat: ★★★☆☆

The Seagull runs until 5th April 2025.