By no means a definitive list, a selection of audience members from the last 15 years have nominated and commented on some of the stand-out memorable performances witnessed at the Isle of Dogs venue. We’d like to recognise every performer that has added to the history of the venue, from lead roles to third spear-carrier from the left, from virtuoso musicians and legendary comedians to theatre companies taking their first steps, we thank you for entertaining our audiences.
Come and see some more performances at our Fifteen Theatre Festival!
The Master and Margarita, A Knight Out and The Graduate
13-15 in a series of 15 memorable performances celebrating 15 years at the Space
The Master and Margarita
Heartened by the success of the Dog Season, Space Productions took on Bulgakov’s cult classic novel, adapted by Edward Kemp, in 2008. This challenging piece demanded the removal and re-attachment of a head from its body, the lead actress somehow flying and a host of magical tricks! Magical advice was sought from Norway whilst a 20-strong cast was assembled and the team set about finding inventive solutions to the challenges posed.
Strong performances from Giles Roberts, Kate Sullington, Justin Davey and Andrew Venning in the lead roles were enhanced by the quality of the ensemble that supported them. Two of our regular audience members recall the show:-
‘The standard of Space productions over the last four years has been extraordinary and bears comparison with any similar sized venue in the whole of London. For me the most ambitious and most accomplished of all its shows has been Adam Hemming’s production of The Master and Margarita. This is an immensely complex and technically difficult piece of theatre and to see it brought to life so brilliantly at the Space was pure pleasure. Wonderful ensemble playing and lots of inventive technicals on zero budget complemented some weighty lead performances. A real gem.’
‘There were so many good things about The Master and Margarita, for me the best was the brilliant combination of Woland and his team of demons. Chaos was never sewn in a more stylish way! As well as being deliciously macabre, Adam Hemming, Andrew Broadhurst, Rob Stott, Caroline Colomei and Mary Emmott-Roberts brought humour and a touch of melancholy to their roles. A great team who’s crowning glory was presiding over the delirious party scene – like Eyes Wide Shut if David Cronenberg had directed it.’
Sir Ian McKellen in A Knight Out
By far the biggest profile name on our list is Space patron, Sir Ian Mckellen. A local resident, Sir Ian generously supports a number of organisations and the Space has been fortunate to host his one man show on three separate occasions. Sir Ian, playing to packed houses on our opening night, 5th and 10th anniversaries, enchanted the audiences with his incredible talent, warmth and charisma.
As Sir Ian writes on his website, A Knight Out was originally ‘devised in response to an invitation from an arts festival, which celebrated the 4th Gay Games held in New York. The format was simple — confiding reminiscence of my parallel lives as an actor and as a gay man, illustrated with the words of poets, novelists and playwrights.’
It is part ‘greatest hits’ and part ‘an evening with…’ as Sir Ian delights the audience with renditions of some of his most famous characters (Richard III and Gandalf included), whilst recounting tales and challenging the audience to name all of Shakespeare’s plays. Sir Ian’s love of the English language and vocal range is highlighted in an excellent recital of the thesaurus definition of the word ‘ululate’.
The opportunity to see such a great actor perform in the intimate surroundings of the Space is something that will live long in the memory of everyone who attended. We look forward to Sir Ian returning to the Space at some point in the future.
The Graduate
‘The Graduate’ was the first Space Production under the SpaceWorks banner and was performed in the Summer of 2009. Daisy Whyte, a contemporary of director Adam Hemming at Goldsmiths College, was cast as Mrs Robinson – the iconic seductress brought to the West End stage by Cybil Sheppard and Jerry Hall. A daunting task for any actress to live up to, Daisy accomplished a stunning performance, bringing class, sex appeal, perfect comic timing and a powerful onstage presence. The play combines comedy and tragedy to great effect and this was beautifully embodied by Daisy’s portrayal of Mrs Robinson. Daisy’s acerbic treatment of young Benjamin Braddock, played wonderfully naively by Damian Cooper, and the scene of drunken confessions with her daughter, again beautifully portrayed by Fiona Drummond, provided us with some onstage relationships that will live long in the memory. Special mention must also go to a wonderful supporting cast including Lucy Frederick, Matthew Lyon, Pradeep Jey, Michael Westen and Rachel Hickson and an excellent soundtrack, put together by Seth Botos.
There were many memorable scenes – the perfectly executed comedy of the lift scene, Lucy Frederick’s hysterical outburst in the psychiatrist’s office, the dramatic finale as Mr Robinson maniacally breaks down a door with an axe.
‘It’s difficult to pick just one performance from this production. The entire cast was superlative and the entire show marked a real maturity for Space Productions showing it could not just pull off ambitious, esoteric projects like The Master and Margarita, but it could also inject life and vitality into well known works. Everyone remembers lines like “Mrs Robinson, are you trying to seduce me” from the film but it’s the memory of “Pour her in” and “No, I missed the bus!” that make me remember this brilliant production.’