Testimony

Hen & Chickens Theatre June/July 2021:

A series of 18 monologues about about love, hate, death, revenge and other serious matters. The above ten monologues plus:

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Love in the Time of Corona:

Jake only wants one thing from women. He uses dating apps to hook up with a different woman every night and he definitely doesn't do relationships. When the lock-down brings an abrupt halt to his hedonistic lifestyle he finds himself in the unusual situation of striking up a platonic friendship with Lauren. Over the course of their Zoom conversations,  Lauren begins to challenge Jake's priorities and values.

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Confession:

Detective Sergeant Dunderdale is on the brink of solving a bloody murder but is there enough evidence to convict Yousef Massoud? Dunderdale is determined to secure a conviction by fair means or foul. After all, isn't it acceptable to bend the rules a little if the only alternative is for a dangerous killer to walk free?

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Solitaire:

There's a notion that it's desperately sad when your halcyon days come to an end. When you go into decline and you gradually lose everyone you ever cared for and all the things which brought you happiness. But at least Arnold had all this at one point in his life. It doesn't matter when. It doesn't matter that it eventually comes to an end. Nothing lasts forever.

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DNA:

Imogen isn't who she thought she was.  After being surprised by the results of a DNA ancestry test, she embarks on a life changing voyage of discovery. She doesn't know where this will lead but one thing's for sure, she has something to celebrate. It turns out she's not British!

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Singularity:

A reckless scientist persuades a computer hacker to hijack the internet in an attempt to create the first truly conscious artificial intelligence.

She uses the 'Turing Test' to assess her creation but who is really being tested? Who will gain the upper hand? The future of humanity hangs in the balance.

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Denial:

Neville believes he has good reason to take a relaxed approach to social distancing. After all, his extensive online investigations have revealed the hidden reality behind the so-called pandemic. But will Neville's selfless actions present a real danger to the elderly residents at the sinister Mountview Towers?

In a post-truth landscape of fake news, misinformation and conspiracy theory, 'Denial' explores the dramatic consequence of one lonely man's attempt to make sense of a complex and frightening world.

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I, Richard:

History is always written by the victor.  After Henry Tudor defeated Richard III at the battle of Bosworth, Tudor historians created the elaborate fiction of a deformed usurper who schemed and murdered his way onto the English throne.  But who was the real Richard III? 

Drawing on contemporary sources, unsullied by Tudor propaganda,

‘I, Richard’ recounts the true events which propelled Richard onto the throne of England and two years later, led to his downfall. 

This is a tale of murder, betrayal, rebellion, revenge and political intrigue, starting with the drowning of the Duke of Clarence in a butt of Malmsey and ending on the eve of the Battle of Bosworth.

 

Inside Blue:

Blue identifies as neither male nor female, believing masculinity and femininity to be mere social constructs.  

The ultimate nonconformist, Blue refuses to be pigeon-holed and categorised, resisting even the labels of nationality, religion, ideology and sexual orientation. But what happens when Blue falls for the relatively conventional Peter?

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Written and directed by Ian Dixon Potter

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Performed by Neil Summerville, Beata Taczalska, Thomasin Lockwood, , Mark Shaer. D J Singh, David Vale, Nicolle Smartt, Razvan Suiogan, Melanie Thompson, Ivan Comisso, Julia Faulkner & Kate Carthy.

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News Bulletins performed by Robin Lustig

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Bulletins recorded by Janet A. Cantrill

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'Pathe News broadcasts' recorded by Howard White

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Original music composed and performed by Neil Thompson

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Love in the Time of Corona & other monologues.

White Bear Theatre July 2021

 

Denial, Confession, Solitaire and Love in the Time of Corona Performed by Neil Summerville, David Vale and Ivan Comisso.

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Voices

White Bear Theatre September 2021

 

Inside Blue, DNA, The Beast and I, Richard performed by Beata Taczalska, Melanie Thompson and Ivan Comisso.

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Testimony

The Brighton Fringe Festival May 2022

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Inside Blue, The Beast, Love in the Time of Corona, Transhuman, Trivial Dispute, A Strange Romance, Confession and Denial performed by Beata Taczalska, Melanie Thompson, Thomas Everatt, Neil Summerville and Ivan Comisso.

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Tales From The Golden Age

White Bear Theatre June and July 2022

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Inside Blue, The Beast, Transhuman, Trivial Dispute,  Confession, The New Normal, Call Back and Denial performed by Beata Taczalska, Kate Carthy, D. J. Singh, Melanie Thompson and Neil Summerville.

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REVIEWS: (of the sixteen monologues staged at The White Bear Theatre, the eight monologues staged at the Brighton Fringe Festival, the ten monologues staged at The Canal Café Theatre and the eighteen monologues staged at The Hen & Chickens Theatre):

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“A remarkably purposeful piece of writing. ”This is a self-created bubble containing many fluid colours. To be allowed a glimpse inside is a rare and intriguing new experience worth seeking.”

“this play examines the engines of relationships from many contrasting angles” “an outside perspective allowing both contrast and commentary without distracting from the central character’s own dissection of his feelings.”

 

★★★★★ Theatre Monkey

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“Melanie Thompson's easy articulacy is engaging” “Fertile ground for debate in a way similar to Mamet’s “Oleanna” – where the lines and boundaries of morality are a valid subject for heated argument” “To say more would spoil the interest in this piece. Writing and acting are strong, and it is a worthwhile 28 minutes”

★★★★★ (four and a half Stars) Theatre Monkey

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“One might not agree with Caroline’s course of action, but this is a thoughtful and compelling production. ” “An interesting take on what it is to climb the career ladder whilst making compromises along the way to achieve one’s ambitions” “Caroline’s engaging nature certainly helps keep the viewer interested"

★★★★ London Theatre 1

 

“Trivial Dispute is a play that lingers with you. I spent a long time turning the characters of Trevor and Ewan over and over in my mind. Their differences should not lead to such a heated conflict, but in Dixon Potter’s world, their differences aren’t exactly trivial.”

“to tell a story through the eyes of a protagonist whom we find arrogant and repulsive is a true skill. A skill which relies heavily on the  director and the actor to find a rhythm which pushes you away before clawing you back in as the stakes stack higher and higher.”

“Summerville gives an excellent portrayal of the self-obsessed Trevor. Giving his character some bite at the right moments, Summerville manages to make Trevor not entirely pleasant, but frustratingly interesting. Dixon Potter challenges the viewer to sit back and listen to Trevor’s testimony without interrupting. The conflict is as much between Trevor and Ewan, as it is between Trevor and the audience.”

★★★★ A Younger Theatre

 

“A fiercely intelligent script” "Everatt is absolutely compelling in the role – a faultless performance.” ”  “If one is fortunate enough to fall in love with another human being, does it matter how the other define themselves in terms of gender? - Dixon Potter provides exactly the right answer to his own question.”

★★★★ London Theatre 1

 

“This winning love story between a Cis man and a trans person" “Dixon Potter’s most ambitious tale” “Despite the complex politics behind trans issues, his writing never becomes didactic. With moments of gentle humour the story is unexpected” "Tales from the Golden Age, a series of monologues, has been one of the treats of the summer".

★★★★ The Reviews Hub

 

“For those who find Alan Bennett’s “Talking Heads” a little twee, Dixon Potter has come up with an up-to-the-minute antidote” “Increasingly edgy as his tale unfolds, he holds out attention for the entire 40 minutes. The writing is equally consistent.” 

★★★★ Theatre Monkey

 

“Dixon Potter is a very capable writer and here demonstrates considerable skill in the way that he presents a great deal of material in a very accessible manner.” “production values are surprisingly high” “on the strength of this and other productions Golden Age Theatre Company is certainly one to watch”  ★★★★ London Theatre 1

 

"Neil Summerville gives a compellingly off-kilter performance” "The monologue neatly captures the voice of a generation of people who feel disenfranchised from the global pace” “Dixon Potter creates a snowball effect within the drama"

“As frustrating as Trevor is – certainly to the metropolitan liberal elite he despises – he is never a caricature and always a product of his age, status, geography and experiences, while Dixon Potter doesn’t make the unseen Ewan any less appealing"

★★★★ The Reviews Hub

 

“A startling reminder, that one should never take oneself too seriously, even in a global pandemic.” “I wouldn’t have guessed the plot’s ending from a mile off.” 

★★★★ London Theatre 1

 

“Mark Shaer’s performance is compelling” “Dixon Potter manages to mix the few known facts with reasonable conjecture" “A neat piece for those wishing to learn a little more about Shakespeare’s often overshadowed contemporaries.” 

★★★★ Theatre Monkey

 

“Carthy’s portrayal of the character is so highly convincing.” “Dark humour consistently permeates the show.” “The concluding remarks are a fine and intriguing twist” “This monologue is thought-provoking and absorbing.” 

★★★★  London Theatre1

 

“Transhuman crams in considerably more ideas than the initial scenario suggests. Lockwood’s character holds our attention for the entire 30 minutes. Dixon Potter manages to personalise with great intimacy the potential benefits and restrictions such possibilities may bring. He avoids science-fiction cliché, presenting rationally some likely unfeasible ideas in a manner making the story convincing.”

★★★★ Theatre Monkey

 

“Transhuman is particularly strong at evoking the desperation to keep living, whatever the cost.” “The commercialisation of death and its effects on the living are chillingly represented and as Transhuman plays out, the true transition comes from the seemingly harmless longing for immortality becoming a practical monstrousness in its stead.” “Transhuman develops a rather nasty bite. There are notes of regret, resentment, even bitterness about her physical absence that lead the story to some much darker places. “an intriguing twist”

★★★★ The Reviews Hub

 

“Kate Carthy’s performance as Dorothy is brilliantly disarming because it’s delivered in a dark and dour working class conversational style which lulls you into a false sense of familiarity“

​”fascinating in-talk about what really goes on behind closed doors in Middle England"

​★★★★ What's Hot London

 

There is, strangely, something nearly admirable about the dedication and zeal into which he puts its plotting and scheming. Summerville’s portrayal is so successful at painting a portrait of a man so totally devoid of civility towards fellow humans.

​★★★★ London Theatre1

 

There’s a lot of detail in Call Back, which goes at quite a brisk pace.  It may be a mindboggling story, but it’s also a very amusing one, with an excellent punchline at the very end. The direct engagement with the audience in both monologues ('Call Back' & 'Iago') helps to maintain interest, and overall, this was a brief but thought-provoking evening.

★★★★ London Theatre1

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A timely and relevant production.   Comisso puts in an engaging performance.

In a timespan of a few months, Jake has become a different person.

★★★★ London Theatre 1

 

"Comisso is very much “up close and personal” with the viewer at all times. His natural exuberant gestures add to his personality as he performs. Once past the sleaziness of his mind, Jake’s evolution in the actor’s hands becomes compelling, and leaves the audience hoping things work out as the boy engages the mind of a more mature male"

"It's very much down to the performance that the work feels fresh, and the second half in which a new perspective is introduced assists greatly the balance of originality which would make an audience watch. Worth engaging with, as it has plenty to say about the joy of a deeper one-to-one relationship in economical capsule form"

★★★★ Theatre Monkey

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“Confession feels authentic and credible. The big advantage is that the whole thing is wrapped up in a single short act. Pleasing as you will want to know how it ends even as you are appalled by the direction the investigation is going. Summerville holds the camera as well as he holds his drink, and you should resist jumping scenes as this all makes sense in the end. A short play that works equally well online or live.”

★★★★ Theatre Monkey

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“This will probably prove incredibly divisive”

"Footprints in the sand, someone following with a brush sweeping them away" is how Arnold sums up his life. Yet he speaks and records for his generation and even those several decades younger who are if anything angry that their personal nostalgia is no longer deemed valid despite offering much. A little piece of British sociology, an immaculate delivery by an actor who finds the pain, pathos and truth in every line, and a story idea and script which says it with clarity and records a truth for posterity.”

​★★★★ Theatre Monkey

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When her girlfriend buys her a genealogy DNA testing kit, Imogen is surprised to find that she is 49% Scandinavian, rather than the entirely British she supposed. This delights the pro-EU Politics and History doctorate student so much that she embarks on further research to find out just where here genes come from, a quick journey played out over 27 minutes in multiple short scenes by Ian Dixon Potter. Very much a study of a single person perhaps typical of her generation and political leaning,

The play certainly gives one viewpoint consistently. An engaging short film insight into modern family relations and the wider experiences of the younger generation in the current world.

​★★★★ Theatre Monkey

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“YouTube bans videos by conspiracy theorists. This explains why writer and director Ian Dixon Potter had to send out downloads of this to reviewers rather than use his regular channel on that platform. Neil Summerville is on finest character form as Neville, fully-paid-up member of the 'Tin Hat' brigade.”​

“Dixon Potter’s topical script is a very entertaining half hour topical sketch which will resonate with much of its audience and provide a useful sociological record of the time. With a deeply studied fun performance at its heart, and a few clever visuals, this is one worth watching online and should transfer well to the live stage once the subject is history.”​

★★★★★ (four and a half Stars) Theatre Monkey

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“A terrific piece of short theatre”

 “Authenticity is a regular triumph for Golden Age Theatre, captured once more in the minimalist nature of detail. Its framing as an almost pirate video accentuates the feeling of a grotty secret, something we shouldn’t be seeing but can’t help watching. More worrying and exceptionally clever is the relatability to Neville in choice moments”

​★★★★ The Reviews Hub

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"Vale holds our interest, moving through a kaleidoscopic shift of Arnold’s ideas, opinions and memories. While Brexit is never explicitly mentioned, Dixon Potter cleverly weaves it into the narrative. Even though Arnold is a recognisable type, Dixon Potter avoids many of the clichés"

"Vale’s performance as Arnold is exemplary – he gives us a fascinating and moving study of isolation. Dixon Potter invites us to listen, with a script that never feels in a hurry to cast judgement. This monologue, deceptively simple in its structure, feels polished and complete. This is not only a record of an individual, and the views his generation represent. It’s a point in history that is in transit, and we start to share Arnold’s concern – not just in the values that are starting to vanish – but how they will be replaced."   "Dixon Potter is careful not to draw the lines too sharply"

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★★★★ (Three and a half stars) The Reviews Hub

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“Arnold’s railing against the world is certainly gentler than Carla’s in the previous piece but no less forceful for that. It would have been so easy for David Vale to have gone for a Victor Meldrewalike approach; instead, there’s a sense of softly spoken, genuine bewilderment which comes across. And in this instance Dixon Potter takes the script in an interesting direction particularly in the last few minutes.”

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“It’s always a shame when something you have been enjoying comes to an end. Golden Age Theatre’s Tales From The Golden Age project has been a bit of a mainstay over the last couple of months”

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“The eighteen monologues get Golden Age Theatre through two lockdowns and which, in between, were mounted live on stage, has seen this company really making its mark. I’m still not quite sure how I missed them at the time they were first released but I’m glad to have made their acquaintance more latterly. 

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John Chapman 2nd from bottom online theatre reviews

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“Thomasin Lockwood gives an exceptionally well controlled performance that has hints of the outcome from the start but allows enough room for the viewer to do some work too in solving the puzzle” “short but sharp”

John Chapman '2nd From Bottom' Online Theatre Reviews

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“When Neville develops a cough you think you know where this tale is headed but, in a neat twist, it is actually something far worse. Ian Dixon Potter’s script has gathered together the various half baked notions and twisted truths of the anti-lockdown/mask/vax brigade and put them into the mouth of Neil Summerville’s camply malevolent monster who chillingly thinks that HE is the voice of reason. It’s an insidiously powerful performance from the actor which finds all the laughs but is ultimately horrifying.  The direction of this half hour play was very well executed (also Ian Dixon Potter) and I loved the attention to detail. Neville’s little library contains popular fiction by Dan Brown, John Grisham and Michael Crichton, his spectacles are held together with sticky tape, and we are left in no doubt as to what we are supposed to think when he drinks from a mug with the slogan “Mad As A Hatter”. It’s a little gem of a piece; I’ve only just come across production company Golden Age Theatre and they have several other filmed performances which I’m certainly going to delve into spurred on by the quality I saw here."

John Chapman '2nd From Bottom' Online Theatre Reviews

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“Both Tom Everatt and Beata Taczalska have the measure of their characters and give committed and spirited performances ably directed by the writer himself.”

“an interesting experiment in wringing value from the monologue form”

“the two plays go right to the heart of the whole of the ongoing gender debate where the terminology surrounding identity seems to grow by the day"

John Chapman '2nd From Bottom' Online Theatre Reviews

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“Dixon Potter has written a biting but never bitter parody of the conservative, flag-waving, Brexit supporter threatened by anything different to him” “The Croydon borders setting is very convincing” “Summerville is excellent, elicting a certain amount of sympathy for Trevor, whose complaints of being looked down upon ring true despite his beleaguered outlook. His confession careers comically and inevitably towards disaster, like a Midsummer Murders plot gone wrong, a cleverly, lightly written combination of tragedy and farce.”

Tom Bolton 

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“Appalling but fascinating” “another horribly enjoyable performance from Summerville who, it’s beginning to seem, revels in presenting us with compellingly repulsive people who think they can excuse themselves via confession but who condemn themselves out of their own mouths at every turn. He makes Trevor into a fully believable character with little vocal tics and gestural nuances which quickly give us the measure of the man but somehow like the Ancient Mariner he compels us to listen to his tale. The piece is another confession with a neat twist as to the identity of the confessional figure.” “Well worth catching up on and feature an actor with a great deal of skill.”

john Chapman (2nd from bottom thetare reviews).

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“Confession could not have been more timely” “It’s a quite horrifying tale” “Summerville is in top form here creating another monster hiding beneath a cloak of respectability” “Dunderdale is a loathsome and even quite dangerous individual; Summerville’s skill is in making him someone so watchable even as we are repulsed” “a series of short scenes each with more disturbing revelations than the last. The thing is that somehow it all seems so believable.”

John Chapman. 2nd from bottom theatre reviews.

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“Clearly a comment on the whole #MeToo movement of recent years, this is a tightly scripted and thought provoking piece where the actions and morality of both key characters are called into question. When a tragedy ensues the audience is left wondering to whom the title may refer." 

"This monologue series seems to be shaping up nicely and is certainly unafraid to tackle some of the big subjects of the day as evidenced here, in yesterday’s pair about gender politics and in the piece Denial about Covid conspiracy theorists.”

John Chapman '2nd From Bottom' Online Theatre Reviews

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“There’s a horribly enjoyable performance in this monologue from Kate Carthy as Dorothy. With her flat vowels, sneering tone and wan looking countenance, it’s not too long before the character is firmly established as yet another in Dixon Potter’s long line of English malcontents.”

 

“Dixon Potter’s gallery of characters parade their prejudices and often morally dubious opinions before us. He’s been particularly adept at capturing the “little Englander” mentality which he clearly sees as leading to Brexit and which has been exacerbated by the sort of exceptionalism in which an island nation seems almost obliged to luxuriate.”

 

“This is another pair of monologues which are skilfully written and delivered. they both contribute to the to the main thrust of this series about people who confess their unrecognised inadequacies to us through their thoughts, speech and actions; as the Bible has it “Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee”.

John Chapman '2nd From Bottom' Online Theatre Reviews

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"Thomas Everatt brings infectious energy to the role of Danny particularly in the opening minutes where is bursting to tell us about his experience. His everyman quality is endearing and the fact that the character tries to do some good with his newfound device rather than use it for nefarious purposes puts us firmly on his side. Well, at least until the end when he makes a rather more morally dubious choice – even if it is a neat twist." "Short but sharp"

John Chapman '2nd From Bottom' Online Theatre Reviews