Reviews
I Dreamt I Dwelt In Marble Halls
Watermill Theatre and on tour
Written and directed by Ade Morris
‘Madeleyn... is an exquisite portrait of bravery, pride and fatally faint confidence....a voice from the far end of an empty street, charged with the long ache of hope and sorrow’
Jeremy Kingston The Times
‘The gist of the story indicates the signposts but not the land between, the gradual opening and the unnecessary closing of two lives, so finely established in Morris’ version of the story. Ade Morris also directs, helping to create the sense of fear and quiet desperation, which sounds potentially depressing yet it never is’
Jeremy Kingston The Times
‘...(with) such resonant turns of phrase as ‘This is a small town with big mouths full o’ flapping tongues’, it’s impossible not to be less than charmed or moved’
Dominic Cavendish The Daily Telegraph
‘This is a play, despite it’s serious overtones, that manages to amuse and entertain, educate and enlighten. It moves easily through the emotional registers, it has resonance’ Ursula O’Reilly Traynor, The Irish World
“...Morris directs with astonishing conviction.”
Lucy Powell, Time-Out
‘The silence in the audience as the production ended was a testament to the strength of Ade Morris’ writing.’
BBCi (Bristol)
‘Watching a production of I Dreamt I Dwelt In Marble Halls is similar to purchasing a bottle of house red and finding it to have the quality of a vintage Chablis.’
BBCi (Bristol)
Gigolo
Watermill Theatre and on tour
Written and directed by Ade Morris
‘Gigolo is consistently laugh-out-loud funny... a cracking new comedy’
Charles Spencer, The Daily Telegraph
‘Morris’s play is blessed with a great ear for comic dialogue, some lovely running gags and excellent twists in the plot, Gigolo is consistently laugh-out- loud funny’
Charles Spencer, The Daily Telegraph
‘...a merrily written, brightly acted comedy... Morris himself directs with tremendous crispness.’
Jeremy Kingston,The Times
‘This scenario is equally imaginable in, say, Neil Simon’s Greenwich Village - and that is not at all a criticism of Morris.’ Roy Martin, The Stage
‘Anyone whose life is complicated will come away cheered by this fast moving zippy delight of a play’
Caroline Franklin, Newbury weekly News
The Boadicea of Brittania Street Edinburgh Festival (Watermill Theatre and on tour as 'The Story Of A Great Lady)
Quidem Productions, written and directed by Ade Morris
‘An endearingly fun and often powerfully observed celebration of womanhood’
David Pollock
Edinburgh Fringe Scotsman
Four stars
‘Ade Morris’ sparkling script plots this discovery with a spot-on eye for character and ear for dialogue, building the tension as the quartet confront their fears and timid hopes.....Guided by Morris’s sensitive direction. Adroitly balancing drama with comedy, this hallmark production from Quidem will get you laughing and crying at the same time.’
Reviewed by Nick Awde The Stage - MUST SEE
‘Such gems are still hard to find - a well-constructed and extremely enjoyable production with plenty of laughs and pathos for women (and men) of all ages.’
Kayleigh Donaldson, Female Arts
Four Stars
‘Wonderfully touching and a little quaint, brilliantly performed and very well written, this play is something of a treat.’
Jasmine Faller, Three Weeks
Four stars
Micky Salberg’s Crystal Ballroom Danceband
By Ade Morris
Directed by Guy Retallack
Watermill Theatre and on tour
“It possesses an honesty and humour other playwrights would do well to emulate”
The Daily Telegraph
“Playwright Ade Morris has created a gem of a time capsule in this new actor/musician production.”
The Stage
“Ade Morris’ witty and sparkling new musical comedy is a gem.”
Newbury Weekly News
“This multi-layered, bittersweet play is a beautiful Cinderella story”
Newbury Weekly News
“The talented cast created moving and sensitive performances that were a sheer delight to watch don't miss it ! ”
Newbury Weekly News
“We wanted to dance in the aisles.” “Music and throat-clutching emotion”
Andover Advertiser
“A show that shouldn’t be missed.”
Henley Standard
“Morris knows how to tell a tale, and tell it well.”
Theatre World Review
“This is a feel-good show where the audience won’t leave until they’ve had at least one encore.” Theatre World Review
Dust
Edinburgh Festival
Quidem Productions
Written and directed by Ade Morris
"A compelling, gritty piece of drama"
The Times
A rarity on the fringe, Dust is a beautifully written and powerful play with an excellent ensemble cast, the writing is witty and the performances are all assured. I must confess I knew nothing of the writer/director, Ade Morris, before seeing this play but now I want to shout his name from the
rooftops. His writing is sublime - both in the wit of the dialogue, the reserve with which he tackles emotive speeches, and in his total command of both historical exposition and narrative arc.
George Dillon Edfringereviews *****
Ultimately, in spite of the fact that it is steeped in politics and history, Dust is a story about domestic and family tragedy set against a backdrop of contemporary social upheaval. It is balanced, nuanced, passionate, understanding, humane - and really quite brilliant.
By Ben Judge Fest Magasine
****
At times witty and at other times deeply moving, the play probes the depths of each character’s soul.
Reviewed by David Kerr, Counterculture ***** Five Stars
Full of political passion and astonishingly relevant, 'Dust' never tips over into parody, the debate about whether resistance is necessary or futile is played out between the characters, and the human costs of the miners' struggle and ultimate defeat are highlighted as the political concerns provide the context for a moving personal story.
BWW Reviews: DUST
Clare Maddox
This is theatre as a well-researched, genuinely political, investigation.Writer and director Ade Morris gets mesmerizing performances from his cast, depicting relationships with elegance and wit. I left feeling grateful for the skill and restraint with which this history lesson was offered. This is a timely and important play. In a society that seems to have decided there is no longer any alternative to neo- capitalism, it offers a welcome alternative perspective.
FIVE STARS
Reviewed by Carmel Doohan for fringeguru
(Dust) has a raw, grown-up energy, in its confrontation with the real economic history of Britain over the last generation, that puts to shame most other shows on the Fringe; and it is winning roars of applause from audiences who find themselves both moved, and politically challenged.
By Joyce McMillan for The Scotsman
A polished production, Dust is clearly intended for a life beyond Edinburgh, and it is likely to move and involve audiences wherever it goes.
Gerald Berkowitz www.theatreguidelondon.co.uk
Four stars
Ade Morris’s script is a powerhouse of historical imagination, combining the sadness of past disunity with a deep reach into the unexpurgated anger of a movement. Morris taps into the very veins of the labour movement of the ‘80s. In eloquent, searing prose he brings us the guts of the body politic, the screaming compassionate heart of labour pumping onto the stage. At no moment are you left in doubt, that this is the violent and compelling return of repressed history.
DANIEL B. YATES Exeunt Magazine. Five stars
The Oldest Man In Catford
Edinburgh Festival
Quidem Productions
Written and directed by Ade Morris
‘Quidem Production’s The Oldest Man in Catford is a total delight. It is both beautifully and skilfully written and directed by Ade Morris who cleverly uses humour and a riveting storyline to propel his two characters on a journey of discovery.......it is dramatic, surprising and utterly absorbing.....This is a poignant, moving and indeed uplifting theatre piece and I urge you to see this excellent production. Highly recommended.’
British Theatre Guide: Five stars
‘Ade Morris’ gentle two-hander is an unashamedly old-fashioned piece of writing but its heart is warm and it tells an engrossing story....It’s quietly uplifting and really very moving, capable of bringing a tear to the eye’
Natasha Tripney
The Stage Recommended
‘This is a beautifully played gentle comedy, full of reserved wit and restrained passion. a polished production that will stand the test of time’
Kenneth Scott, Edinburgh Guide Four stars
‘Gripping and socially aware, I can’t give anything anyway, but the transition is natural, and the rest of the show follows smoothly from its sudden extreme tensions. Surprising.’
Gavin Leech, Three Weeks Four Stars
The Garden Of Llangoed
Alternately accompanied by the backwash of lazy waves, birdsong and a hauntingly lovely Welsh folk air played and adapted by Paul Kissaun, The Garden Of Llangoed is a complete delight, mixing humour with the darker emotions before the final drama. This is an absolute winner for Ade Morris.
Caroline Franklin, Newbury Weekly News
‘From the opening scenes, the talented cast held the audience completely spellbound. Not a cough, rustle of a sweet wrapper or squeak of a seat was allowed to lessen the mounting tension as this romantic drama unfolded’
icberkshire
