Theatre Review: ‘East’ at the Greenwich Playhouse

Due to another journey of chaos from Blackheath to Greenwich on a number 286, I arrived at the Greenwich Playhouse 5 minutes into the start of ‘East’. Whilst sneaking into the back row, I was immediately bombarded with a tirade of every swearword known to English. This was swiftly followed by a graphic depiction of one man beating through the skull of another, before the two become firm friends.

Such is Steven Birkoff’s ‘East’, an affectionate, funny, make-no-bones depiction of life in grimy East London in the fifties. This collection of sketches about twenty something Mike, his family and friends is not for the faint hearted – it’s explicit in every way and has lost none of its shock effect in the 34 years since it was written. I don’t think I’ve heard the ‘c’ word as many times in 27 years as I did in 90 minutes watching this play.

However, with decorum and sensibility ruthlessly cast aside, it’s actually very easy to engage with ‘East’, and with Talking Props’ interpretation of it. It’s relentlessly energetic and fast paced, and the whole thing has a real honesty to it. Perhaps prostitution, unwitting incest and street violence aren’t truths everyone wants to face, but Berkoff’s mission is to force us to imagine in vivid, dirty terms what life was like for the working classes at the time.

All the fresh-faced cast members are making their professional debuts, but you wouldn’t know it: they are totally believable. Charlie Fairless as Mike is particularly strong and has real authenticity, himself an East Londoner. Special mention also goes to Damien Hallett as Mike’s mother, for working the Nora Batty look with such conviction and giving the funniest performance of the play.

But the real charm of this play is in the language. Weaving expletives into Shakespearean styled (and oft quoted) verse doesn’t sound as though it should work in 1950s Stepney, but it does. The spotlight soliloquies and rhythmic speech lift the characters out of grime and poverty and give them intelligence, insight and unfathomable beauty. The faithfulness and commitment with which Talking Props have undertaken ‘East’ show this genius script in its best possible light.

If I had to venture one criticism about this production, it would be about the look of it. The lack of props necessitates the miming of everyday actions such as eating and travelling, which is a little awkward and detracts from the realism. Also, the costumes are a bit hit and miss. Whilst Mike’s slim jim tie over a grubby vest looks bang on, Sylv’s dress looks as though someone just found it in a charity shop last week and thought it would ‘do’, but it isn’t in keeping with the era.
However, these are minor failures and do not prevent this production from being a major success. If you have even the smallest sympathy for Mary Whitehouse’s view of the world, you might be best to stay away. Otherwise I’d strongly recommend taking a deep breath, getting out of your comfort zone and heading East.

*Congratulations to Greenwich Playhouse’s Artistic Director, Alice de Sousa, on being awarded the international ‘Premio de Talento’ from the Portuguese Government in recognition of her 25 year career in the industry.

‘East’ by Steven Berkoff is at the Greenwich Playhouse until 4 October

Greenwich Society Responds To Gilligan Criticisms

Following Greenwich Council’s decision to reject the market redevelopment plans, Greenwich.co.uk columnist Andrew Gilligan called on the Greenwich Society – supporters of the project – to “change or die“. Today we publish the response of Greenwich Society chairman, Tim Barnes.

I question what positive service Andrew Gilligan has provided to Greenwich and its residents. His comments are uniformly negative. His latest attack on the Greenwich Society is one such example- but not the first such attack. He has used his position with the Evening Standard to argue relentlessly against the Olympic Equestrian events in Greenwich Park, and cast aspersions on those who support the Games as either out of touch with local opinion, or neglectful of the true interests of Greenwich Park and its users. He disregards all assurances given by LOCOG and the Royal Parks, whose care for Greenwich Park over the years has been exemplary, and associates himself with those whose scaremongering includes unfounded allegations of large scale Park closures in 2012, and destruction of trees. Similarly he impugns the motives and questions the bona fides of those who support Greenwich Hospital’s plans for the Market, likening their proposals to the creation of a Bluewater in the centre of Greenwich and aligning himself with a petition based on the false premise that Greenwich Hospital planned to demolish the 150 year old Market in Greenwich Town Centre to make way for a large development of flats or retail outlet.

It is, of course the case that some members of the Greenwich Society are opposed to the holding of the equestrian events and the modern pentathlon in the Park, and it is a matter of sadness that the dispute rumbles on. However the Society earlier this year held a well attended Special General meeting of its members when the Executive Committee’s stand was vindicated by vote and the attempt to force the Society to oppose the cross-country course in the Park was defeated.  The Society has worked hard to secure improvements in the planning of the Games. Their concerns, expressed in regular meetings with LOCOG, have resulted in clear commitments as to the length of Park closure in 2012, wholly at variance with the misinformation that has been spread by the antis), a guarantee that the Park will be re-instated to its pre-Olympic condition, assurances as to the protection of tree roots, the keeping open of the Flower Garden and the Children’s Playground except for the single day of the cross-country course, and some form of legacy for the Park and its users post 2012.

The Executive Committee of the Society and I personally resent the assumption that Andrew Gilligan and his followers represent the authentic voice of Greenwich. They may have many names on a petition to Save Our Park with the implication that those who do not sign are somehow seeking to desecrate the Park. But we believe that there is a groundswell of enthusiasm and excitement for the Olympics coming to Greenwich, particularly among the young. The Games promise to provide an unique and unforgettable experience, ( in the positive sense of that word). The Society, together with the other 3 local amenity Societies convened the meeting with LOCOG for all their members on Wednesday 23^rd September. I think that most fair-minded observers would have detected widespread positive support for the Games among the audience, and concluded that the LOCOG speakers did a great deal to inform us and to allay concerns.

Now we have to contend with the Gilligan criticism that the Society has sold out to and become the mouthpiece of the developers of Greenwich Market. That is nonsense, as is the suggestion that the Society has betrayed its objective to ‘secure the preservation, and enhancement of the built environment and the landscape within SE10′. We take the view that the present state of the Market could and should be substantially improved, ideally before 2012 when Greenwich will become centre stage for a worldwide audience during the Olympics. We considered that the Stakeholder Forum established by Greenwich Hospital to consider and refine its ideas as their plans moved towards planning application, was an excellent initiative, and any suggestion that such meetings consisted in all present just rolling over to do what the developers wanted, is a travesty. There may be many who signed a Save our Market petition who thought that by doing so they were helping to prevent the destruction of a crucial part of the historic centre of Greenwich becoming a shopping centre or group of yuppie flats. But that was never a serious proposition, not least because the Stakeholder Group at an early stage steered ideas away from the ‘glazed mall’ concept.

The scheme’s opponents could also usefully reflect on the fact that after decades of complaint about Greenwich Hospital not doing anything for Greenwich, they have just rejected, (for whatever reason) its attempts to re-invigorate the Town Centre by means of a £30 million investment in the Market. Although the Society is seeking to persuade the Hospital not to write off their proposals to improve the Market and at the least to spruce it up for 2012, notwithstanding the considerable funds expended in developing their scheme before applying for planning permission, we are concerned that nothing will be done until well after 2012. In light of entrenched local hostility to change, who could blame Greenwich Hospital if they decided to disengage from any scheme to re-develop the market for the foreseeable future? Again we have nothing to apologise for in our involvement with the Stakeholders Forum. Some of our ideas such as the re-instatement of cobbles on the floor of the new Market were accepted by Greenwich Hospital, and we reported on our involvement in the Forum to our members on a regular basis through our Newsletter.

Whether Andrew Gilligan reads our Newsletter before launching into his public criticisms of the Society and its officers is a matter of doubt. The reality is that all members of the EC, who come both from East and West Greenwich, and outside SE10, and I, as Chairman, give a great of time, and effort in seeking to achieve the objectives of the Society, and reporting to our members as to what we are doing. We do not have the advantage of a column in the Evening Standard to wage our personal campaigns, although I was grateful to the Editor for publishing my letter recently criticising the Gilligan article about the Hospital plans being likened to a new Bluewater.

Obviously Andrew Gilligan is able to continue his disparagement of the Greenwich Society, and any development proposals for Greenwich of which he does not personally approve, through his columns in the Evening Standard and his website.

But we would hope that open minded readers might reflect on who has worked harder for the good of the community, our Society or the self-appointed protector of Greenwich who, in his recent blog admitted/boasted that he had never visited the National Maritime Museum, the Observatory or Rangers House, a fundamental part of this SE10 community.

Tim Barnes
Chairman, The Greenwich Society

LOCOG Promise Shorter Park Closures

The London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) has announced changes to its plans for Greenwich Park which will see it closing for four weeks in the Summer of 2012 – down from a previous estimate of six weeks.

LOCOG also say that most of the Flower Garden and the Children’s Playground will remain open throughout the four weeks. The annoucement came during last week’s meeting with local amenity groups held at the Blackheath Halls.

Other details unveiled at the meeting and sent to the local media afterwards include:

There are no planned residential road closures.

Circus Field in Blackheath will be used as an operational compound to avoid the need for large vehicle access the Park, enabling access from the A2 to the Park. This will cause less disruption and impact to the Park itself.

LOCOG is discussing with The Royal Parks ways of upgrading the Children’s Playground and other parts of the Park as a legacy after the Games

It is also working with The Royal Parks on protective measures for the Park and with arboricultural and ecological experts on a Cross Country course which will not adversely affect any trees. No trees will have to be cut down.

Local pressure group, NOGOE, acknowledged the plans for a reduced closure but issued a statement restating their opposition:

NOGOE feel that Greenwich Park is not the right choice. LOCOG did not provide adequate justification as to why users of this Park and local residents and retailers should be so public-spirited when there are better alternative venues available; and when no evidence was given about the environmental impact, to feel reassured that there would be no lasting damage to the ecology, archaeology and wildlife in this international treasure.

What’s On This Week: 28 September – 4 October 2009

I hope you’re not too worn out from taking part in (or in my case watching) the half marathon this weekend, because you’ll need plenty of energy this week to tackle Greenwich’s totally jam-packed calendar of events.

Dance features prominently in this week’s schedule. The Greenwich Dance Agency are hosting the first of three monthly master classes in Tea Dance this Sunday, teaching the cha-cha, waltz and other classic forms.  All classes are followed by a real tea dance, with live music, tea and (for me) the real highlight: cake.  If you’re more of a spectator than a performer the GDA are also showcasing the results of the British East Asian Choreography Development Scheme (yes it is a mouthful) on Friday.  The four contemporary dancers performing were chosen after a nationwide search and it promises to be a top-class production.

Continuing the dance theme, the prize for this week’s best event name goes to  Adventures in Anti-Cool, featuring three of the UK’s finest hip-hop dancing groups at the Albany.  Close second is Rollercoaster V at the O2, headlined by contemporary rock covers band Coaster.  Air guitars at the ready!

If you have any family heirlooms sitting at the back of your cupboards then I suggest you dig them out and dust them off now, because the BBC 1 Antiques Roadshow is coming to Greenwich this week!  Fiona Bruce and her crew of crusty experts will be at the Old Royal Naval College on Thursday sifting through cobwebbed portraits and cracked teacups to find Greenwich’s hidden treasures.

If you want to give yourself a more realistic chance of making some money, the South East London Chamber of Commerce are holding ‘Beat the Squeeze’.  This networking event is all about offering advice to local businesses about coping through the recession.

Greenwich’s Theatres are also hives of activity this week.  The Playhouse is into its second and final week of the fantastic ‘East’, and Greenwich Theatre is staging ‘Scandal Faustus’, presenting Doctor Faustus and School for Scandal in repertory with just one cast.

Finally there’s also a Benefit Night for Demelza Hospice at Up the Creek Comedy Club on Thursday, a new exhibition at the National Maritime Museum by contemporary artist Jeremy Millar from Monday, and the Friends of Plumstead Gardens open meeting on Thursday evening at St Nicholas’ Church Hall.

Updates on London 2012

A couple of small items relating to London 2012, and the use of Greenwich Park.

• Members of local amenity societies met with representatives from London 2012 on Wednesday night at Blackheath Halls. What occurred inside the meeting is a bit of a mystery as this was a strictly members only event, with local journalist, Darryl from 853, being barred from entering at the door.
• NOGOE (who have a shiny new website), have announced that they will be forming a “ring around the park” on Sunday 11th October at 3pm. They are inviting people to go along and take part in the event to show support for their cause.
• NOGOE have posted a video showing comedian Arthur Smith, who was brought up in Greenwich, having his say about the plans to hold the equestrian events in Greenwich Park.

Antiques Roadshow Comes To Greenwich

The BBC’s Antiques Roadshow trundles into town next week and they are reminding people they can come along with their antiques to get them valued. The stalwart of the Sunday night TV schedules, now fronted by Fiona Bruce, will be at the Painted Hall at the Old Royal Naval College on Thursday 1st October.

If you have an item you would like to have valued by the experts, just turn up between 9.30 am and 4.30 pm. If you just want to go along to be part of the audience, you can get there up until 7pm.

If you have items which are too big to carry along, you can contact the team in advance by emailing photos to antiques.roadshow@bbc.co.uk (the deadline is tomorrow, Friday 25th). They will then arrange to come and examine selected items before Thursday and help you get them to the show.

The Roadshow last visited the Naval College in 1998 when a book of Japanese prints bought in a junk shop turned out to be worth £3,500.

Greenwich Society: Change or Die

THE BIGGEST victim of last month’s council decision to reject the redevelopment of our market was not the market’s owner, Greenwich Hospital. The Hospital may be wounded, but it still has its hands on the real estate. The biggest victim was our so-called “conservation group,” the Greenwich Society, whose credibility has been destroyed.

According to its constitution, the purpose of the Greenwich Society is to “secure the preservation, protection and enhancement of the built environment and the landscape broadly within London SE10,” to “maintain the quality of life for those living or working in or visiting Greenwich,” and to “encourage high standards of development and architecture within the area.”

That seems clear enough. But over the market, unforgivably, the Greenwich Society appointed itself a PR cheerleader for the developers, for a plan which would have demolished the built environment, not preserved or protected it, and for architecture whose standards were more bog than high.

The Society’s glowing endorsement of the scheme as “admirable,” an “object lesson in how to gauge local opinion” and a “well thought through modern improvement” now looks deeply silly in the light of the council’s condemnation of the redevelopment as “unbalanced,” “detrimental,” “visually obtrusive,” and “out of keeping with its historic surroundings.”

The Greenwich Society’s spokesman, Ray Smith, appeared – complete with picture – in the developers’ glossy leaflets, enthusiastically endorsing the demolition. The Society faithfully peddled the Hospital’s untrue PR lines in the press, including the claim that the development had “75 per cent” support. On this website the Society’s chairman Tim Barnes claimed, quite falsely, that I’d said the market would be closed down. And he rubbished his opponents as “not representative” of local opinion.

It turns out, however, that it was the Greenwich Society which did not represent local opinion – unsurprisingly, since it made no effort whatever to find out locals’ views before it backed the demolition. Mr Barnes’ presumptuousness, assuming that whatever he and his executive committee decided was automatically the settled will of the local public, was one of the most unappealing aspects of the Greenwich Society’s behaviour.

The council’s decision is a sign not only that the Greenwich Society has lost its bearings, but that its views no longer carry any real weight. The developers thought the Society was one of their trump cards. The council simply ignored it.

Why am I saying all this? Partly because it needs saying – but partly because the Greenwich Society is up to exactly the same tricks about the year’s other big planning issue, the loony idea of holding the Olympic horse events in Greenwich Park.

Once again the Greenwich Society has forgotten the objectives so clearly stated in its own constitution. Once again, it has fallen naively into the arms of a large monied interest prepared to invite it to a few meetings, make it feel “consulted” and flatter its executive committee’s sense of self-importance.

Once again, the Greenwich Society has become a cheerleader for something which has no benefit for Greenwich and which carries quite substantial risks. Mr Barnes has said that I “seem impervious to the assurances that have been given [by LOCOG]…that there will be no lasting damage to the fabric of the Park or to the trees, and that the Park will not be closed off to users until the run-up to the Olympics in August 2012 when security considerations require closure for about 6-8 weeks.”

You might think I’m “impervious” to such assurances because they come from the same people who also assured us that the Games would cost £2.4 billion; or because no detailed environmental studies of the effects of the event on the fabric of the Park have yet been completed to back up such assurances.

But actually there’s a simpler reason why I’m impervious to those assurances – which is that they haven’t actually been made by LOCOG. On the contrary: London 2012’s director of sport, Debbie Jevans, has explicitly said that substantial parts of the park will be closed off to users for much longer than “about 6-8 weeks.” LOCOG has explicitly admitted that there will be damage to some trees – they will have to be “pruned.” So once again, the Greenwich Society’s PR tendencies are getting ahead of themselves; and once again, they appear to be backing a project on the basis of a false understanding.

The Society’s only response, so far, to its humiliation over the market has been to quietly remove all reference to its support for the redevelopment from its website. If the Greenwich Society is to survive as anything other than a joke, it needs to make much bigger changes than that. It needs to start honestly fulfilling the purpose it was set up for, to “preserve and protect the built environment and the landscape.” There can be no piece of landscape more in need of protection right now than Greenwich Park.

This coming Wednesday, the 23rd, the four local societies, including the Greenwich Society, will meet to discuss the Olympics in the Park with LOCOG. It’s a full members’ meeting – if you are a member of any of them, I urge you to attend. At it, we will see whether the Greenwich Society has learned any lessons at all from its recent experiences.

What’s On This Week: 21 September – 27 September 2009

Like me, many of you will have watched a jolly beardy Sting starting the Great North Run this Sunday from the comfort of your sofa.  Exhausting viewing, no doubt, but if it also got you thinking that you’d like to do something good for mankind, then it’s a good week to be living in Greenwich.

If you want to go whole hog for charity then London’s own half marathon comes to Greenwich next Sunday.  Run to the Beat starts at the O2 and weaves its way around the borough featuring live and recorded music at eleven stages throughout the race.   All the tunes are strategically chosen to keep the runners moving at a good pace.  If you want to get involved but have left the training a bit late, then the organisers are looking for volunteers, or just go along and cheer on the runners.  When you’re running 13 miles, every little helps!

Along slightly more sedentary lines is the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning this Friday at Charlton House.  All you have to do is turn up, make a small donation and eat cake.  Much more my cup of tea (or in this case, coffee!).  Blackheath halls are also holding a Tea Dance this Wednesday afternoon, featuring a raffle for Cancer Research UK.

If you’re already involved in a Greenwich charity then you may want to go along to the Greenwich Action for Voluntary Service’s AGM on Wednesday Afternoon, again at Charlton House.  It’s a chance for the community’s voluntary, faith and charitable organisations to elect the GAVS board and meet their new Chief Exec. There’s also the presentation of the GAVS Sector Awards, which celebrate the sector’s most remarkable achievements this year.

Finally, one woman’s charitable cause takes comedic form at the Old Bakehouse in Blackheath, with Eleanor Bennett’s Off her Trolley.  Her mix of stand-up, character routines and songs may all sound a bit Little Britain, but there’s a serious point to it: Eleanor’s subject is dementia, namely the way is treated in this country and the impact it has on sufferers and their families.

Barclays ATP World Tour Finals at the O2

The world’s best tennis players will be at the O2 in North Greenwich for the finals of the Barclays ATP World Tour this November.

The top 8 players take part a round robin format which guarantees 3 matches each before progressing to the semi final and then the final. The players who have so far qualified for the event are Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic and Juan Martin Del Potro, who last week stormed to victory at the US Open.

Formerly known as the Tennis Masters Cup, the ATP World Tour Finals will be held at the O2 in North Greenwich from 2009 to 2012.

The 2009 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals are taking place between November 22 – 29 – you can buy tickets online via Ticketmaster.

Missing Pets: Is This Your Cat?

Jenny has contacted Greenwich.co.uk about a cat that has been coming through her catflap.

I am on the Greenwich Deptford border – behind Wickes/ Pets at Home on Blackheath Road.

“Shadow”, as I have named him or her, is (semi) longhair, mostly grey with tabby markings and white on face, chest and paws.

Seems very hungry (eats all the food that I put out for my 3 cats!) and is ok with cats – goes nose to nose with them – but very shy of people – if I move a muscle he/she runs (so haven’t been able to see if he/she is chipped or not

If you think this is your cat, please look in the window of the vets in Greenwich South Street as I have put up a poster with a photo and my contact details.

Proof of ownership (photos etc) will be required

Or contact Greenwich.co.uk and we will put you in touch.

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