Evening Standard from London, Greater London, England • 44

44 WEDNESDAY 10 DECEMBER 1997 Reviews EVENING STANDARD Sex saves the day on the home front HIS unfairly ridiculous play 1 by Richard Nelson may be set (J in the Mlate spring of but its characters are bliss-1 1 fully unconcerned about little JUL local difficulties like the final defeat of the Nazis and the Japanese or the imminent bliss of peace Such passing matters are never mentioned perhaps because when it comes to detailed knowledge of 1940s English life the American Mr Nelson rather resembles that misleading guide who advised tourists that it was considered bad manners not to haggle over the price of your ticket on a London transport bus Since the play operates in an almost complete political social and cultural vacuum any audience is left to fall back upon sex for light relief And when it comes to sex Mr Nelson has plenty to offer His account of 17-year-old Peter evacuated to Canada in 1940 and returning to a Clapham flat to live with his three post-teenage sisters implies that the hazards of war induced a state of such priapic frenzy in the prim English that it just would not die down after the bombs were over Hardly has Peter arrived than Ann his pregnant married sister is discreetly masturbating him while he bathes in a tin tub Nelson appar- Goodnight Children Everywhere The Other Place Stratford NICHOLAS DEJONGH indulged in laughably stiff upper lip style Nelson keeps his sexually charged and alienated family in aimless snapshot reminiscence of their shared past and separated experience as evacuees Ian production performed on Tim old-fashioned living-room set views the play with dewy-yed reverence references to English greengrocers reduced to selling dead crows long queues and rather than ration books for food betray a basic ignorance Sara Markland Robin Weaver and Cathryn Bradshaw as the un-Chekovan three sisters flutter around Simon Scardifield whose Peter understandably exudes sulky boredom r-' ently imagining the English middle classes had not heard about fitting baths by 1945 There is more to come husband a middle-aged GP keep his hands off his practice nurse her actress sister not content with pleasuring a director so as to get her hands on a good part seethes and screams with jealousy when she realises just what Peter and Ann are down to Apart from all this preposterously rendered jiggery-pokery generally Alastair Muir Big sisters: Sara Markland Robin Weaver in Goodnight Cathryn Bradshaw and Children Everywhere A ferocious blur of dynamism from Damon and company Blur Wembley Arena MAX BELL but their ability to combine a credible form of rode with most of the lighter trappings intact is final proof that Damon and his henchmen really mean it man Blur sneaked into Beetlebum with a controlled ferocity that characterised an evening of punk-edged dynamism As that newly scrubbed anthem gave -way to MOR and then lurched back to No Other Way it was also apparent that despite the exaggerated accent on high on musical surprises with a sublime She's So High and a chirpy Colin's 111 setting up an experimental section that only came unstuck during the semi-dirge Death Of A Party It faze the girls and boys too much they carried on screaming regardless Modem life is still rubbish but Blur are really jolly good Blur play Brixton Academy 11-13 December Box office: 0171 924 9999 Americana Blur's heart remains resolutely English with special reference to the Small Faces the Who and David Bowie in particular performance was vocally impeccable while Graham Coxon maintained a one-man Ramones-styled barrage that sent out the dear more to us than Parklife and Country House By way of proof the show was Anyone who strn doubts that Albara Coxon James and Rowntree are the most solicitous firm of pop people in the vicinity would have had their qualms removed last night at the Arena where Blur put behind them all the tiresome face-offs that have Katiagx adequate good very good outstanding poor dogged them in recent times and still retained their identity The current gimmick-free Blur sound road-tested to a frightening degree of perfection may be a good reason for them to drop touring next year and concentrate on the next phase GIELGUD 494 5065J44 4444420 0000(bkg fee) Ews745MatsUiur3Sat4 THE PETER HALL COMPANY MARTIN SHAW performance" NYTImes KATE OHARA SIMON WARD MICHAEL DENISON DULC1EGRAY MADELEINE POTTER VICTORIA HASTED OSCAR WILDESCUSSICOOMEDY AN IDEAL HUSBAND 'CREAt AND GLORIOUS' STms Sycdal Rail yerfs AB Bax Office hr detab HAMPSTEAD0171 722 9301 Eves 8 Sat 130 A 8 HERITAGE bySteyhuCharchett HAYMARKET 130 18N344 4444 (Bkg) MAGGIE EILEEN SMITH ATKINS JOHNSTANDING kiEDWARDALBEE ADELICATE BALANCE with SIAN THOMAS JAMES LAURENSON ANNETTE CROSBIE by ANTHONY PAGE Eves 8pm WedASat mats 3pm NBNa yerfs 22-27 Dec laaMeayerfs2IDc-21Feh HER MAJESTYt BO24hr 0171 494 5400 (hkg Gma494 5454413331 Tkts also at HMVTower Records ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER'S AWARD WINNING MUSICAL THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA Directed by HAROLD PRINCE NOW BOOKING TO MAYH Apptfdaty to Boa Office lor returns KINGS HEAD0171 2261916 JackjeOitekCHICKS WITH FLICKS LONDON ARENA DOCKLANDS 0171 538 12l2cc (241n)0l7l420 12123444444 EDDIE IZZARD LIVE ON SCREEN ONE NIGHT ONLYI DECEMBER2I LONDON PALLADIUM 0OCC 494 5020344 4444 (El tktsenrchg)420 0000 OpaOI7l 494 5450 420 OMTkts also at HMVTom Records JIM DALE RETURNS AS FAG1N OLIVER! 3rd IRREPRESSIBLE YEAR LIONEL BART'S MA5TERP1ECE YOU CANT ASK FOR MORE' SIlmes Eves7J0 Mats WedASat 2J0 Sawcgaad Nila aval law far weekday yerfs FINAL PERF 21 FEB DOMDONTldeanes0171 656 18820990 Gkps017141600960171 312 19970800614903 DISNEY'S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST THE NEW HIT MUSICAL "AN ENCHANTING EVENING4ENUINELY GLORIOUS" Ter "A FEAST OF GOOD FUN" DJIaO Naw Graia Ratal Naw kaakiag DONMAR WAREHOUSE 3691732 THE FRONT PAGE FromTorrt Ltd Season Mon-5at7J0WedA5alMats3 DRURY LANE THEATRE ROYAL cc (bkgfce) 24hr7dw0171-4M 50000171 34444444200000 GraupsOI71 4945454413331 13128000 TkftaboatHMVTmerRecoidi MISS SAIGON THE 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Eks745 Mats WedASalal 100 Good seats available iorWed Mat AromeperfsapplyBoaQflia DUCHESS BOCC24hrOI71 4945075 0171 494 5388344 4444 (51 setvdag) 4945454 SCISSOR HAPPY "Shrieks if Laagker" Ulmer "are red kaniip than Soviet Trawler" Tie Guanfian Mon-Fti8pmlSal5J0A8J0pml Mats WedUOpm tbs fromSiO Naw BaakiagUatl AyritTS FORTUNE 171 83622383128033 494538B NOW IN ITS Ilk HIT YEAR ROBERT DAVID DEMEGEB PULLAN SataiHl'i THEWOMAN IN BLACK Adapted by Stephen Mafatrait Tha art Bring aid ckliag yby fir years' Mail Mon-Sat 8pm Mats Tues 3pm Sat 4pra liarfig Tit Sirs GARRICK 0171 4945085312 19904945388 (nobkgfce)Gnups0171 494 5454 Wilier afllMnj Awards Tla Reyal Natieul Theatre PiadactiH PIP MILLER ALISON FQKE JOHN BARDON AN INSPECTS CALLS TMbgJIalBaSeai'DJdaa Twa Han if EathraMag VitaaRy StiaiiigDrat'DTd Mon-Fri741SatlQ0A8l5 Wed mat 2J0 PALACE THEATRE 0171-434 0909a24bn (bkg fee)017I-3444444(btefee)GrpsOI7I4133311 Tkts also at HMVTower Records THE WORLDS MOST POPUUR MUSICAL LES MISERABLES NOW HUTS 13th RECORD-BREAKING TEAR Bm7J0Mats11iuASat2J0 Itcomen not atknitfcd until the interval LIMITED NUMBER OF SEATS AVAILABLE DAILY FROM BOX OFFICE PHOENIX BOCC 3691733 CC 344 4444420 0000 BEST MUSICAL OirierDrau Awards Plays A Plsyenhar Navela Awards WILY RUSSELL BLOOD BROTHERS aukstaaa la Britwh nasicak'lEsp Em 745pm MatsThu 3pm Sat 4pm Special Xaus yerfs Ask Bn Offin far Metals 0171 494 5492 0 1 Ticketselect Ylw WeatEisd PICCADILLY 0171 369 17340171 3444444 0171 420 0000(24hn) 'ADVENTURES IN MOTION PICTURES' CINDERELLA arigiaaL a trhaaykaal sacceaa' Observer CastingHotlne0171 4340194 "SEASON EXTENDED TICKETS AVAIL NOW FOR ALL PERFS' MUST END 14 FEB PLAYHOUSE0I7I839440IOC3I64747 OUTRAGEOUSLY ENJOYABLE' Times HRH AcometybySNOO WILSON AMANDA CORDI DONOHOE- REDGRAVE tUPERBYLY ACTED'DlTel Directed by SIMON CALLOW EmUpaMatsTtaiASatSpni MastcadZIDecaBker IL00MS8URY THEATRE BOCC 011388 8822FreB Dee 19-Ju3 Dakatll3QamA300pm SOOTY'S XMAS SHOW THE HOUSE THAT SOOTY BUHT CAMBRBGE0171 49450804166060 4945454 416607541333214365 GREASE NOW IN IIS 5th FANTASTIC YEAR! 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"FAST A FUNNY" Evening Standard ENsSpmMafeTtafASrfSim ALDWYCH 1171 411 6M3 cc 344 4444 Vat Jaifi Death iatrianykamia David Hire1! Baatcryiece' DJtfafl AMY'S VIEW Directed by RICHARD EYRE Prm5Jan Opens Min APOLLO LAIATTSHaa 0171 4166022 cc 420 0000344 4444 (bkgfce) LAST CHANCE TO SEE RIVERDANCE THE CENTURY LAST5WEEKS MUSTEND I0JAN Mon-Sat8WedASatMats2J0 APOLLO 24hraOI7l 494 5070 ccOI713444444(bkgfce) Grps017l 4945454 HNELTONS POPCORN Wlutrifyjag UnitvfiiiiHiljJ mmuMlwttnfiik'JotnmeBSunUina "Tha Weittad kaifeaad in roMcal Pkywrighl'IOS Mcn-SatlOOpm kta Wed 300pm Sat400pm APOLLO VICTORIA cc 0171 416 6058 cc 0171344444401714200000 TkMavHMVStererATewerRecarda AadrewUeydWebher'i STARUGHT EXPRESS THE FASTEST SHOW OFF EXIT White knuddemns 1945(1.