And in the End - The Death and Life of John Lennon
Jermyn Street Theatre
Reviewed on Thursday 9th May 2013
When I was growing up we constantly had The Beatles' greatest hits album on repeat in the car so I felt a little excited as I walked into the Jermyn Street theatre to be greeted by the sound of some of my favourite Beatles songs. Unfortunately the evening went downhill. Within seconds And in the End is cringey to watch as the forced style of the piece just doesn't work. The play begins with the shooting of John Lennon who then guides the audience through the five stages of death while telling the story of his life.
Not only are the five stages of death projected onto the back wall at the beginning of each scene but one of the cast also announces the title which is extremely irritating and makes the play feel too forced. Bizarrely the scenes don't necessarily even relate to the title.
The show features a cast of four. Valentine Pelka certainly looks the part of John Lennon and attempts to give a detailed portrayal but his performance seems rushed and uncertain in places, perhaps this is due to weak direction. The other three cast members play multiple roles. They try their hardest and demonstrate versatility but sadly these parts are poorly written and many scenes feel out of place.
Thankfully And in the End contains a few moments which are extraordinarily insightful and delve into the mind of John Lennon. I began to realise what it must have been like for him, constantly being haunted by the sound of screaming fans in his head.
The design is pointless. Song titles have been painted onto the back wall and a coat stand is propped in one corner while a black box is placed in the center of the stage, restricting movement throughout the piece. Sometimes the simplest of designs can be the most effective, but this isn't the case with this production.
When I first discovered the Jermyn Street Theatre I saw productions including Boy Meets Boy and Gay's The Word which were both full of life and coincided with the theatre's quirky, friendly atmosphere. And in the End tries to make a powerful point but because it fails to be captivating it has little impact. I was left greatly disappointed.
Reviewed by Andrew Tomlins (Editor)
andrew@westendframe.com
And in the End runs at the Jermyn Street Theatre until 1st June 2013.
Visit www.jermynstreettheatre.co.uk for further information and tickets.
Thankfully And in the End contains a few moments which are extraordinarily insightful and delve into the mind of John Lennon. I began to realise what it must have been like for him, constantly being haunted by the sound of screaming fans in his head.
The design is pointless. Song titles have been painted onto the back wall and a coat stand is propped in one corner while a black box is placed in the center of the stage, restricting movement throughout the piece. Sometimes the simplest of designs can be the most effective, but this isn't the case with this production.
When I first discovered the Jermyn Street Theatre I saw productions including Boy Meets Boy and Gay's The Word which were both full of life and coincided with the theatre's quirky, friendly atmosphere. And in the End tries to make a powerful point but because it fails to be captivating it has little impact. I was left greatly disappointed.
Reviewed by Andrew Tomlins (Editor)
andrew@westendframe.com
And in the End runs at the Jermyn Street Theatre until 1st June 2013.
Visit www.jermynstreettheatre.co.uk for further information and tickets.
Follow @West_End_Frame
You haven't mentioned costume but from the middle picture it looks awful!!!!
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