Press for These Trees Are Made of Blood

I have been riding the whirlwind of These Trees Are Made of Blood for the past 4 weeks (and prior to that the last 2 years). The story of The Desaparecidos (Disappeared) of Argentina. Our story follows one mother's search for her disappeared daughter throughout and after the years of the brutal right wing dictatorship that gripped the country in the late 70's and early 80's. Here are some nice quotes from reviewers:

"Darren Clark's compositions are boisterous and the band plays brilliantly.' TIME OUT

"Harmonies are tight, melodies powerful... haunting and captivating songs." BARGAIN THEATRE LAND

"An intelligent and skilful script... pushed music theatre performance boundaries by using a clever cocktail of comedy, satire, music and wordplay to continuously surprise and shock its audience." BARGAIN THEATRE LAND

"A tantalizing and dramatic feast for all the senses." BARGAIN THEATRE LAND

"The most outstanding feature of this performance is undoubtedly the music. I come home wanting to see the show again to listen to the music once more." THEATRE FULL STOP 

"The band... is impeccable in the delivery of Darren Clark’s beautiful and purposeful music." THEATRE FULL STOP

"A carefully constructed piece of theatre and Amy Drapertakes on bold and powerful choices with Paul Jenkins‘ formidable play text." THEATRE FULL STOP

"Brilliant and innovative piece of theatre." THEATRE FULL STOP

"A shimmering yet gruesome portrayal of the events during and after the Argentine military dictatorship from 1976 to 1983." SOUNDS AND COLOURS

"An intense sensory experience and the constantly changing mood was overwhelming, with the music ranging from full-on cabaret swing and gypsy jazz, falling into sad and nostalgic songs such as “The Ghosts of Buenos Aires”." SOUNDS AND COLOURS

"An unnerving, yet absolutely captivating portrait of the atrocities committed in Argentina." SOUNDS AND COLOURS

"A daring, innovative production." EVERYTHING THEATRE

"An outstanding people play exploring the human condition." EVERYTHING THEATRE

"The audience enjoyed an electrifying atmosphere created by superb storytellers Eilon Morris, Rachel Dawson, Josh Sneeby and Anne-Marie Piazza as the exquisite band/ensemble who supported the action throughout the evening."  WEST END FRAME

"An immersive and shocking piece. Expect the unexpected." WEST END FRAME

"The idea of political theatre can be rather intimidating, but in Darren Clark’s music and Paul Jenkins’s script, entertainment and a disturbing piece of history are seamlessly integrated, making this absolutely compelling to watch." THE PUBLIC REVIEWS

"The musical numbers are full of drama and at times great sadness, especially the melancholy My Little Bird and The Ghosts of Buenos Aires which make the most of Anne-Marie Piazza’s haunting voice." THE PUBLIC REVIEWS

"Sets a new and impressive standard for the way political story-telling and theatre can be combined." THE PUBLIC REVIEWS

"Darren Clark’s musical arrangement is outstanding throughout, often playing a key (and sometimes surreal) role in scenes." A YOUNGER THEATRE

"The songs pack an intellectual punch." EXEUNT MAGAZINE

"The songs and lyrics channel Kurt Weill and Trey Parker – always hilarious and frequently unsettling." THE UPCOMING

"A highly innovative piece of theatre... every aspect of the production is executed masterfully." THE UPCOMING

"This exceptional political satire will be difficult to forget." THE UPCOMING

"Unsettling though it is, the show makes for an incredibly rewarding experience." THE LONDONIST

"The original score by Darren Clark, with its easy and warm melodies, contributes greatly to creating the atmosphere throughout the play." THE LONDONIST

"The superb effort of the cast in telling such a harrowing story was rewarded, on the night of our visit, by a standing ovation and quite a few damp eyes. Theatre doesn’t get much more immersive than that." THE LONDONIST

"A super-cool multi-instrumented band plays and sings." BRITISH THEATRE

"Music played by the small band assists immeasurably in creating a sense of warmth and frivolity which ensures that the intense, graphic horror of the personal tragedies which unfold is deeply felt." BRITISH THEATRE

"Clark’s music achieves its purpose admirably. Raw, intensely felt vocals from Josh Sneesby, Rachel Dawson, Eilon Morris and Anne-Marie Piazza provide a lush and sometimes painfully haunting backdrop to proceedings." BRITISH THEATRE

"This is a brave and important theatrical work." BRITISH THEATRE

"London does not see political, polemic Cabaret such as These Trees Are Made Of Blood very often. This production is instructive and arresting." BRITISH THEATRE

"At its best theatre has the potential to excite, shock, educate and provoke. "These trees are made of blood" does this in abundance." UK THEATRE NETWORK

"The songs are emotive and powerful, lyrically poetic, and musically uplifting which provides great contrast to the action." UK THEATRE NETWORK

"The score is every bit as catchy and profound as anything you’ll see in the West End and would draw worthy comparisons with ‘Les Miserables’. Darren Clark should be applauded for being able to pull together such dark themes in his music and lyrics in a way that doesn’t overwhelm." UK THEATRE NETWORK

"This is a highly charged, roller coaster ride of a production." UK THEATRE NETWORK

Obviously I am partial to the nice reviews, other reviews do exist that aren't as kind but of course are equally valid as someone's opinion. But I'm sure they'll forgive me if I don't mention them here!