Joseph and the Amazing Techicolor Dreamcoat
(26.11.13) - Andrew Lloyd Webber’s biblical musical continues its
national tour with this colourful, energetic and enjoyable production of the enduring
and well-loved family show. This sing-though musical tells the story of Joseph and his
eleven brothers. Joseph is favoured by his father and is given a Technicolor
coat, which causes his brothers to become so jealous of his favourable
treatment that they take him into the desert to kill him. But seizing an
unexpected opportunity to make some money, the brothers sell him into slavery
instead and Joseph is taken to Egypt where his ability to interpret dreams is
put to good use by the Pharaoh. The two hour show is jam packed full of songs
that you can’t help but know the words to, including “Any Dream Will Do”, “One
More Angel In Heaven”, “Close Every Door” and “Jacob and Sons” . This quality production was much better than anticipated
with the staging of the show being very well put together. There was good use
of the set and scenery and the stage constantly looking full, but never
overcrowded. The universally talented cast all performed very well and they
sounded excellent together. The sound produced by the ensemble cast (especially
the brothers) when singing together was superb and their varied voices fitted
perfectly together. The casting for the show, in terms of vocal performances
was spot on. In particular, Andrew Bateup (making his professional debut) stood
out for his enthusiasm and his vivacious performance and Rob Wilshaw provided a
notable performance in the role of Joseph, handling the show’s best known
numbers with aplomb. Visually, the show
was vibrant, colourful and full of an enthusiastic and energetic cast and
effective choreography. As expected, the
costumes, set and lighting were all awash with a variety of colours, and the
whole thing came across as a fun and lively production which was professionally
put together. The lighting in particular was incredibly well done. In terms of
the production and performance of the show, there was very little to criticise.The main issue with the show was despite the fact that the
production was updated, modern and well put together, the songs themselves have
not aged as well as some of Rice/Lloyd Webber’s other early productions (such
as Evita). Whether this is as a result of over familiarity or just the way in
which musical theatre has evolved over the years, the play itself felt a little
dated. That said, the show, thankfully, didn’t take itself too seriously, with
a couple of knowing nods to the audience, which was a welcome addition. Overall, if you are looking of an evening of pleasant and
undemanding entertainment, then this is a show worth seeing. The show delivers
on many levels, particularly in terms of production, but also in terms of
nostalgia (most people of a certain age will remember doing this show as their
school play), in terms of good family entertainment and in terms of enjoyable,
if fairly cheesy , fun.
Our House
(16.11.13) - Joe Casey is a young man who has just left school and takes his dream girl out on a date. They break into a house and when the police arrive, he is faced with a choice - does he run and leave his dream girl to chance it herself or does he let her escape and take the flack for it himself. What follows is the story told from two perspectives exploring both of the choices and their subsequent consequences. This lively musical was based on and around the songs of Madness and was fairly well put together by a local amateur group. The cast were adequate (although some of them were either a little pitchy or a little flat in their singing). The choreography was very good with a wealth of extra's on stage and some good, energetic routines. The set was basic, but functional and the costumes were good. The musical numbers were done with enthusiasm and were quite enjoyable. However, the downside of this play was that the show itself (and not the performance by the group) came across as nothing but a money making excuse for Madness. The songs, whilst good, just seemed to be there with a weak story built around it, which was, in reality, nothing more than a morality play. The story felt forced and it was almost as if the writers had looked at a track-list of a Madness greatest hits CD and asked themselves, "right, how can we shoehorn in this song?". Instead of the songs flowing from the story, the story was forced around the songs. That said, I did quite enjoy it. It was fun and generally forgettable nonsense which was entertaining enough.
A Christmas Carol
(05.11.13) - Charles Dickens’ much loved Christmas tale is stunningly brought to life in this magical, colourful and beautifully performed ballet from the Northern Ballet Company. Ebenezer Scrooge is the meanest, grumpiest man in London, who is obsessed by money and greed, shows no love for his fellow man and has no Christmas spirit. One Christmas Eve, he is visited by the ghost of his late business partner, Jacob Marley, and subsequently by the ghosts of Christmas past, future and present. Scrooge is shown how his meanness lost him his true love in the past, how his miserly ways impact on those around him in the present and how he will not be missed in the future. But can the ghostly apparitions show Scrooge it’s never too late to mend his ways? This festive treat was a feast for the eyes and ears. A live orchestra played beautifully throughout the three act ballet and filled the theatre with the sounds of Christmas. The set lovingly recreated Victorian London and, despite its detail was well utilised and versatile throughout the show. The company added an unexpected twist to the proceedings with a few traditional carols sung by the company on stage, with their voices carrying an uplifting and almost angelic feel. The costumes were simply stunning with everything from Victorian dress coats and bonnets to beautiful dresses. The whole presentation oozed class and charm. But the costumes which particularly excelled were those of The Ghosts of Christmas. The Ghost of Christmas Future in particular was amazing, with the spirit gliding across the stage in a sinister mixture of floating fabrics and exposed skeletal bones. The staging of the production was of a very high quality, with not only the stage being well decorated and presented, but also being lit incredibly well, with a myriad of theatrical techniques which combined to present and atmospheric and versatile stage. Ghosts floated effortlessly in the darkness and a host of spectres filled the foggy stage. Visually, the piece was impressively put together. The choreography of the piece was very well done and told the (albeit well known) story incredibly well making it accessible to even a ballet novice. During the course of the show, the dancing went from set pieces awash with dancers to solo and duet pieces. When dancing together, the company were well timed and graceful and at times there was so much going off on stage that it was sometimes difficult to know where to look as you simply didn’t want to miss anything of interest. The dancers ably conveyed the emotions of the characters amongst their agile performances. The very large cast were all of a very high standard and singling any of them out would be a very difficult task, but Sebastian Loe who played Scrooge put in a flawless performance, pouring emotion into his role and effortlessly conveying the progression of the character. Having seen this production, there is little wonder why, when it comes to quality, Northern Ballet maintain the reputation that they have. The production was one which was very accessible and was a light and breezy ballet littered with subtle humour. If you have never seen a ballet before, this is an excellent starting point. The festive feel of the piece, especially at the end of the show was overwhelming and you could not help but get swept up in the festive spirit and the joyful feeling of the characters on stage. The show is a perfect way to start getting into the Christmas spirit which leaves you feeling warm inside.
Love Your Soldiers
(04.11.13) - In Hemland Province, two young soldiers have bonded like brothers in the midst of war, but when one of them is seriously injured, their relationship is tested even further when he is returned home and continues his affair with his best friend’s girlfriend. Ken is a soldier and is a fun loving guy who takes his girlfriend for granted. When his best friend, Roly, covers Ken’s patrol, he steps on a landmine, and loses both of his legs. Roly is returned to a rehabilitation centre in England. But unbeknown to Ken, his girlfriend, Gemma, and Roly have been having an affair and she is torn between the two of them. When Gemma announces that she is pregnant, she remains ambiguous about the father of the child and matters come to a head when Ken returns home on leave to both spend time with the woman he loves and to confront his guilt for allowing Roly to take his place on the patrol which led to his injuries. Love, betrayal, friendship, honesty and revenge are the themes of this touching, poignant and well produced and directed play. The first thing that strikes you as you enter the theatre is the set which envelopes the seating area and places the audience in the middle of the set itself. The production uses a number of interesting and well utilised video and audio effects, using giant screens and projectors to replicate the webcam exchanges of the central characters (which are acted out live on stage) and as background settings to the various scenes and locations. The use of smoke, lighting and loud exchanges of gunfire and explosions proved an assault on the senses, particularly in the battle scenes, invoking a genuine tension in the audience. There is very little to fault this play on in terms of its staging and direction and the director, Richard Wilson, has to be commended for such an excellent job. The story is one which is well written and is tender and touching, exploring the relationships between the soldiers, those left “at home” and those around them on the front line. There is some discussion around homosexuality and homophobia, although this is not the central theme of the play, instead, it focusses more on the impact of the situation of the three central characters on each other and on those around them.
In a small cast, Chris Leask gave the standout performance as Ken and Jordan Bright as Roly performed well in his first professional role; with the rest of the cast giving competent support. But where the play comes into its on is in the story and the drawing in of the audience. The feeling you get when watching the play falls into two distinct categories. The scenes set in Afghanistan makes you feel, at times, like you are in the middle of an action film. The scenes set in England make you feel like you are in the middle of a high quality BBC drama. This was a thought provoking play and one which, with Remembrance Day approaching, is a timely reminder of the sacrifices made by those in the armed forces and their family and friends and is certainly one where the circumstances, themes and issues in the story stay with you long after the performance.
In a small cast, Chris Leask gave the standout performance as Ken and Jordan Bright as Roly performed well in his first professional role; with the rest of the cast giving competent support. But where the play comes into its on is in the story and the drawing in of the audience. The feeling you get when watching the play falls into two distinct categories. The scenes set in Afghanistan makes you feel, at times, like you are in the middle of an action film. The scenes set in England make you feel like you are in the middle of a high quality BBC drama. This was a thought provoking play and one which, with Remembrance Day approaching, is a timely reminder of the sacrifices made by those in the armed forces and their family and friends and is certainly one where the circumstances, themes and issues in the story stay with you long after the performance.
Priscilla - Queen of the Desert
(29.10.13) - Three drag queens "unplug their curling wands and go bush" to travel across the outback en route to a show in a casino in Alice Springs. Along the way, they bitch, bicker and laugh their way across the dessert, and continuously ensure that they are looking their best whilst "dressing up in women's clothing and mouthing the words to other people's songs". Based on the film of the same name, Tick (Noel Sullivan), Bernadette (Richard Grieve) and Adam (Graham Weaver) buy a budget Barbie camper; christen it Priscilla and head into the outback to perform a show at a casino run by Tick’s wife in Alice Springs. Stopping off along the way, the trio make friends, get themselves into trouble, fall in love, strengthen their friendship and following the bus breaking down, pick up mechanic Bill who leaves his wife (who has an extraordinary talent which she shows off in the local pub) as they head to the middle of nowhere for the show of their life. Based on the film of the same name, this stage musical was excellent fun. Following the story of the film fairly closely (albeit it with some minor changes) it was a show which is unashamedly flamboyant. The show uses a combination of camp disco classics, opening with “It’s Raining Men” and including “I Will Survive”, “I Love the Nightlife”, “Go West” and “Finally”, which meant that the whole audience were clapping, cheering and laughing from the moment the curtain went up. In terms of the cast, Noel Sullivan (who is perhaps best known for being a member of “Hear’say”) was functional as Tick, but played the part with a little bit too much camp, watering down the interplay between the straight laced Tick and outrageous Adam. Richard Grieve was much better than expected as Bernadette. But Graham Weaver stood out with an enjoyable performance as Adam/Felicia. The supporting cast were, as you would expect, ludicrously attractive and threw themselves into the musical numbers with energy and gusto. The whole thing was colourful, exuberant and thoroughly entertaining with a cleverly designed set (with the bus on stage) and a sharp, funny script with all of the characters that you know and love from the film. But where the show really came into its own was in the musical numbers, taking some from the film and some new ones introduced for the show, the routines were over the top, bold, brassy and ballsy, with costumes to match. The enthusiasm of the cast was clear and it was abundantly obvious that they were enjoying themselves as much as the audience. The costumes in themselves are worthy of a mention. Some were recreated from the film (flip flop dress, anyone?) and the others just added to the campness of the proceedings. Everything from dancing paintbrushes to dancing birthday cakes, hicks, lizards, Marie Antoinette's, Ostriches and scantily clad, leather wearing dancers were all on stage in a dazzling spectacular.The only downside of this production was that the music was a little loud over the vocals on the odd occasion, but this is a very minor quibble when the show was as much fun as it was. The show is one which is perhaps best seen on a Friday or Saturday evening. Its two hour running time quite literally flew by with the whole thing never really slows down. Overall, this was a really great, fun show and a piece of feel-good, uplifting and ultimately heart-warming theatre which has its tongue firmly lodged in its cheek. It’s a real feast for the eyes, the ears, the heart, the soul and the funny bone.
Thriller! Live
(21.10.13) - Thriller Live is a spectacular two hour tribute to Michael Jackson which celebrates the music, dancing and performance of the entertainer, via a whistle stop tour through his back catalogue. This highly polished and slick show brings to life some of Jackson’s most memorable routines, the iconic costumes and the classic hits. This is a show which is so much more than just two hours of a Michael Jackson impersonator with a few backing dancers. This was a slick, professional and smooth piece of highly polished showmanship with dancing and choreography which was tightly put together, uniformly executed and simply breath-taking at times. The vocal performances were outstanding, the live band was note perfect and the whole thing as a package was immensely entertaining. The 32 strong set list proved to be a very balanced mix of Michael Jackson’s career, from the start with the Jackson 5, through the days of Disco, his early solo career and his huge hits. The songs included “ABC”, “The Love You Save”, “Off The Wall”, “Wanna Be Starting Something”, “Beat It”, “Man In The Mirror” and “They Don’t Care About Us” but there were also a few of his lesser known numbers, with songs like “She’s Out Of My Life”, “Show You The Way To Go” and “Dangerous” - it was good to see some of the routines to the songs that you would not immediately associate with Jackson over his bigger hits. Particular highlights of the show included music video recreations of both “Smooth Criminal” and “Thriller”, a spectacular dance routine to “Dangerous” and a perfect rendition of the Mowtown 25 performance of “Billie Jean”, but highlights are difficult to choose from a performance with so many show stopping moments. The singers shared the limelight equally, with them providing a consistent string of performances. In particular, Cleopatra Higgins excelled with her naturally soulful voice and Tyrone Lee had excellent stage presence but there was very little to choose between any of the lead singers. Whilst they all carried a similar style and sound to Jackson, they never came across as poor impersonators. The choreography and dancing were simply amazing. The choreography cleverly utilised many of the dance routines (or elements of them) from the original music videos or stage shows from Jackson along with an abundance of enthusiastic and energetic original routines. The dancers were outstanding – every one of them was spot on in terms of their timing and performance, with their acrobatic and exhilarating dance moves eliciting cheers and shouts of delight from the audience. As a group, their energy and enthusiasm was as unstoppable as it was infectious and the quality, talent and skill of the incredibly attractive cast was undeniably clear. The costumes were really well put together and suited the mood and era of each set piece, being from the flares and flower power styles of the 60’s and 70’s to the iconic costumes from Thriller, Bad and Billie Jean. The band were outstanding, to the point where most people seemed to be under the impression that the music was on a backing tape until the band were revealed a few songs into the show. The lighting and staging were good and the balance of the volume between the music and the performers was just perfect, with one not drowning out the other. Towards the end of the show, the entire audience were quite literally dancing in the aisles and yelling for more long after the curtain call. Thriller Live amounted to a very entertaining evening and it is no surprise that it is now in its fifth year in the West End. Even if you are not the biggest fan of Michael Jackson, there is still a lot to recommend this show. Obviously, enjoying the music is an advantage, but if you enjoy seeing spectacular dancing and a well performed musical revue then this show is up there with the best of them. Thankfully, this is not a gushing, Michael Jackson praise-fest, but instead simply allows a bunch of highly talented singers, dancers and musicians to let the songs and routines speak for themselves.
A Winter's Tale
(07.10.13) - In William Shakespeare’s “The Winter’s Tale”, the themes of love, jealousy, redemption and forgiveness combine with comedy, tragedy and drama in this emotion packed production of the classic play. Leontes, the King of Scicilia, accuses his pregnant wife of infidelity with his childhood friend, Polixenes, the King of Bohemia. Denouncing his young son, who he now believes to be illegitimate, and throwing his wife in prison, Leontes plots to poison his friend, who makes his escape. When his wife gives birth to a beautiful daughter, the King’s heart is not softened, and he orders that she is abandoned in the wilderness. The child, named Perdita, is left on the shores of Bohemia, whereby she is found by a kindly farmer and his oafish son. Raising the child within the family of sheep shearers, Perdita is wooed and falls in love with Florizal, the Prince of Bohemia. But their relationship is not favoured by Polixenes, as he believes it is below his son to marry a commoner, so following some manipulation by Polixenes’ servant, they flee to Scicilia, not knowing that Perdita is about to come face to face with her real father who cast her aside. Sheffield Theatre’s revival of this Shakespeare play is one which is undeniably polished. Each and every one of the actors performed incredibly well and the cast worked well together to provide excellent performances all round. In particular, Will Alexander looked every bit the part of Florizal, the Prince of Bohemia and provided a genuine performance. Daniel Lapaine gave a powerful turn as the tortured King of Sicilia. But one of the standout performances was that of Keir Charles, who offered a scene stealing performance as Autolycus, a peddler, vagabond and pickpocket. From his jaunty, tune filled entrance through the audience to his character taking such delight in being the wide eyed opportunist; he seemed to dominate every scene he was in in an effortless manner. That said, it is very unfair to single out a few of the cast members when the entire cast were so solid and drew the audience into sharing a range of emotions with the on stage characters. The set made excellent use of the Crucible’s unique stage. With only a minimal use of props and scenery, the stage allowed a maximum amount of movement for the actors and provided just enough for the audience’s imagination to build the palatial surroundings of Scicilia and the farming community of Bohemia. The baron, sterile and loveless environment of the palace in the first half was sharply contrasted with the warm, colourful and nurturing environment of the second half. The whole production was very beautifully staged, and the closing scenes in particular, oozed class and sophistication in its appearance. The language used is surprisingly accessible once you had settled into the way in which the text was presented. For those who are not too familiar with Shakespeare, the story was simple enough to follow yet complex enough to have deep and rich characters. The costumes were beautiful, ranging from the regimented uniforms of the Palace of Scicilia to the colourful, flowing garments of the famers of Bohemia. The set became awash with colour and life thanks to some excellent lighting by Mark Doubleday, particularly in the second half as the mystical, almost fairy tale-esque qualities of the play come through. The works of the Bard are not for everyone, but for those seeking out a good performance of a classic play, this production has many things to recommend it. This is Shakespeare done well.
Daytona
(01.10.13) - Ellie and Joe are a happy, elderly couple who share a passion for ballroom dancing and aim to win the next big local competition. As Ellie is out one evening, putting the finishing touches to her ball gown, Joe answers the door to an unexpected visitor who is someone from their past bringing shattering news to their door and disturbing their settled domestic happiness. But who is this visitor, why is he here and what does he want from the couple? Using only three cast members, the play explores how an unexpected incident, brought about by something from their past, impacts on the individual characters and complicates the relationships between them. In order to avoid any spoilers, all that will be said is that the story is told through a series of unfolding revelations which slowly explain the mystery surrounding the late night visit. Harry Shearer (who is best known for “This is Spinal Tap” and being the voice of Mr Burns, Ned Flanders and others on The Simpsons) was perfectly cast as Joe and easily turned in the best performance of the evening, providing a flawless and natural performance which earned a genuine empathy for the character. His charismatic stage presence shone through and he was easily the highlight of the show. Maureen Lipman looked stunning and was on top form, with a confident, understated and solid performance of a woman battling her inner demons. Her attention to detail was noticeable and she was very believable as the character she was portraying. The cast was rounded off by John Bowe as the visitor. His performance was, unfortunately, a little “shouty” and over the top at times and was the complete antithesis of the natural and discrete performances of Shearer and Lipman. This was most likely down to both the writing and the character he was portraying, but when up against such strong performances from the other cast members, he did stand out slightly. The static set was beautifully decorated, providing the inside of a New York apartment in all its 1980’s glory. The set was well utilised and well lit. The occasional use of sound effects provided an atmospheric environment and overall, the production values of the play were very high. The show is a piece of theatre driven by the exploration of character as opposed to an unfolding narrative story. As a number of plot points are disclosed over the course of the play, each of which impact on the three characters, the actual events described are overshadowed by the bearing they bring upon the characters themselves and their relationships with each other. Each half of the play mainly consisted of an elongated exchange between two of the characters, involving long, monologue style pieces which sometimes slowed the pace of the play. Whilst the performance and production of the play were generally of a high standard, the writing let it down to an extent. The play was slightly long and, at times, unnecessarily wordy. The character of Joe was perhaps the best written, but the other two characters didn’t garner too much empathy over the course of the play, despite the performances on offer. Some of the twists were not as unexpected as they could have been and the pace of the play was also a little uneven at times, with the characters moving from one extreme emotion to the polar opposite emotion within a matter of seconds, which hampered the realism of the story and undermined the believability of the characters. However, what the play did deliver was a number of dramatic moments, some mystery and two excellent performances. The lack of narrative and focus on emotion and character provided for a play which was intriguing at times and which garnered a number of positive comments from the audience leaving the theatre.
New Jersey Nights
(24.09.13) - Reviving the
look, style and feel of the 1960’s New Jersey Nights is a jukebox musical
concert which takes the audience on a nostalgic tour through the hits of
Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons along with other songs from the era,
performed by a talented group of singers, a superb live band and a healthy dose
of vivacious enthusiasm. Not only did the
show include a number of Frankie Valli classics, such as “Big Girls Don’t Cry”,
“Sherry”, “Walk Like A Man” and “My Eyes Adored You”, there was also a
selection of songs by other artists, such as “Be My Baby”, “Why Do Fools Fall
In Love”, “Blue Moon” and “My Girl”. Even if the names of the songs on the set
list were not familiar upon first glance, as soon as they started, they became
instantly recognisable. The set list was
well balanced, with the first half of the show providing a relentless
succession of up-tempo, foot tapping numbers, which bubbled with energy and enthusiasm.
The second half started off more slowly, with a number of ballads, but picked
up towards the last quarter of the show, bringing the audience to their feet to
sing and dance in the aisles. The singers,
John Hawkins, Ricki Rojas, Damion Scarcella and Simon Schofield were a talented
bunch and sounded superb both during their solo numbers and when performing
together as a group, producing incredible harmonies and hitting the high notes perfectly
with their falsetto voices. The attractive and sharply suited group undeniably
looked and sounded the part and came across as confident and charismatic on
stage. They were backed by a live, on-stage four-piece band that were equally
as talented and sounded excellent; thereby ensuring that both the music and
vocals were highly polished and professionally presented. Unfortunately, the
show did not quite come up to scratch in some areas. Firstly, the set, as a
whole, was very basic and almost cheap looking, with its gold tinsel curtains
and painted scenery. Whilst functional, it simply looked as though it had been
thrown together which is a real shame. Secondly, the choreography was in keeping with
the trends and styles of the era, but looked disjointed for the majority of the
time. The dancers, mainly paired in couples, all did their own routines to each
number simultaneously on stage. The routines for the three couples were never
sufficiently different to separate them out as doing a separate routine but
equally, never looked sufficiently similar to give the impression of the three
couples dancing in unison. Regrettably, despite the talented dancers, it led to
the choreography looking and feeling stilted and awkward at times. Thankfully,
the performances of the lead singers generally detracted the audience from
these flaws. The show is more
of a concert than a musical, and at times felt a little like a high value piece
of cruise ship cabaret. Its production values were very basic and it was
cabaret masquerading as theatre, but provided you approach the show with this in
mind, you will find it very hard to resist its charms. The audience was
mainly made up of the generation who remembered these songs from the first time
around and who were clearly thoroughly enjoying the show. But even the younger
members of the audience were cheering, clapping and singing along at the end. If
you are a fan of the music of Frankie Valli, The Temptations and The Ronettes, if
you enjoy the “Do-Wop” style of music, or if you love the soundtrack to Dirty
Dancing, then you will no doubt have great fun. As the whole
theatre took to their feet for the last few numbers and the cries for “one
more” rang out at the end, it was clear how much the audience had enjoyed the
show. The reality is, that despite the feel of the show, its flaws and its production
values, you simply couldn’t help getting swept up in the party atmosphere. The show is quite simply infectious fun.
Stuart - A Life Backwards
(16.09.13) - Alexander
Masters is a young writer with a comfortable home, an adoring girlfriend and a
bright future. Stuart Shorter is a homeless, physically disabled man with a
history of criminal activity and psychological problems. Despite their obvious differences, the two
men form an incredible friendship which runs deep between them. Alexander
decides to write Stuart’s biography and unravels Stuart’s life backwards, looking
all the way back to his childhood to see what led him to be the man that Alexander
became friends with. After
meeting at a protest to support two homeless charity workers, Alexander (played
by Will Adamsdale) and Stuart (played by Fraser Ayres) develop an unlikely bond.
Stuart becomes intrinsic in the organisation of Alexander’s public campaign and
the two men find they have much more in common than they ever thought they
would. But for Stuart, who suffers from muscular dystrophy, the reality of life
on the streets is never far away and his psychological problems gradually get
the better of him as his physical and mental health start to deteriorate. Alexander,
who had promised Stuart that he would write a biography that Stuart’s son would
want to read, starts to speak to those who knew Stuart growing up. He uncovers
a troubled past for Stuart, and starts to understand the impact and
implications of Stuart’s family, schooling and disability. Based
on the biography of the same name, which chronicles the true life story of
Stuart Shorter, this play was an outstanding piece of theatre. The intelligent
writing of the piece shone through, having the audience laughing out loud one
moment and sitting with teary eyes hanging on every word uttered the next. The
unravelling of Stuart’s life was beautifully written; with the latter half of
the play deconstructing the complex character it had so carefully crafted in
the first half. Stuart is portrayed as likeable, funny, resilient and
sensitive, yet at the same time violent, volatile, unpredictable and unstable.
The script itself was, in equal parts, genuinely funny, moving, warm, touching
and upsetting as you learn who Stuart really is and you are left wondering
whether you should or shouldn’t actually like him. The
acting in the play was of a very high standard all round with the minimal cast drawing
in the audience with their performances, meaning that you could feel definite
shifts in the atmosphere of the studio theatre as everyone became absorbed in
the story. But
undoubtedly, the primary focus was on Fraser Ayres, who gave one of the best
performances I have seen in the theatre for many years with his exceptional
portrayal of Stuart. His convincing, sensitive and genuine performance of a man
tormented by his inner demons and his failing body was quite frankly brilliant,
moving, accurate and wholly believable. The
setting of the Studio Theatre, an intimate performance space at Sheffield
Theatres, only added to the total immersion in the play. The production values
were basic with a very simple, but astutely utilised, scaffolding set, but the
real draw here is the story, performances and emotions of the piece. This
extraordinary play, produced by Sheffield Theatres and High Tide Festival Theatre
is an outstanding piece of work. It was wholly engrossing in terms of its
performance, writing and characters and left the audience feeling as though
they had been through the full spectrum of emotions with the characters on
stage. The thought provoking nature of the play was perfectly balanced with the
soul, warmth and humour that punctuates it and provided an incredible opening
to Sheffield Theatre’s autumn season.
Miss Nightingale - The Burlesque Musical
(19.07.13) - A northern burlesque performer, Maggie, moves to war torn London with her Jewish immigrant songwriter to seek her fame. She auditions for a cabaret club and builds her way to be the toast of London. But her songwriter and the club's owner fall in love, and risk prosecution given that homosexuality was illegal. Starting an affair with her married manager, Maggie becomes pregnant. Her manager also discovers the secrets of the gay lovers and following a business fall out, starts to blackmail the clubs owner into outing him. Sex, scandal and glamour all combine in this burlesque based musical. I enjoyed this show, but felt a bit mixed about it. I wonder if it is because I went in with the wrong expectations. The play itself was a very dark story of love, oppression, dysfunctional individuals and provided a very clear message about tolerance, equality and standing up to be counted, no matter what the cause or cost. It had a lot of cheeky northern humour, which was very funny in places, but even this struggled to mask the dark undertones of the story itself. The first half was a slow burn and a little slow overall in my view, but the second act really picked up and was full of good musical numbers and a bit more of a lighter vibe. The songs, of which there were many, were actually beautifully written and crafted. They were beautifully poignant, moving and heartfelt. The cast of on-stage musicians were very talented and there was only one song which I wasn't too keen on. However, the songs performed as a burlesque show in the club were the highlight - showing the cheeky and innuendo filled comedy of the genre. The best songs were (wait for it....) "The Pussy Song" (about a woman who asks her neighbour for help when she traps her pussy in the door - her cat that is....!) and "You have to get your sausage where you can" (an ode to the lack of wartime meat). The cheekiness of these performances were brilliant (and brilliantly performed by Amber Topaz), but they were too few in number. In some ways, the play was a reverse version of Cabaret, with the heavy, oppressive story told first, and subsequently lightened by a more upbeat second act. Overall, and upon reflection, I did really enjoy it. I think it would be much better if I were to see it again in the mindset of a drama with songs as opposed to a musical.
Hairspray
(13.07.13) - Tracey Turnblad is a big girl with big dreams. All she wants to do is dance on the Corny Collins show, with Link (who she has a massive crush on) and the other dancers. Rejected by the shows nasty producer, who is pushing her own spoilt brat daughter for the spotlight, Tracey hooks up with the black kids who dance on the show's monthly "negro day". Fighting for the right for black and white kids to dance on television, Tracey joins with her friends and plots to make her stand on national television at the Miss Teenage Hairspray Pageant. This show continues to be an absolute delight. Starting with the songs, the soundtrack to this show is superb, packed full of great numbers - the highlights of this particular show being "Welcome to the 60's", "Run and Tell That", "I Know Where I've Been" and of course, "You Can't Stop the Beat". The cast were enthusiastic and the closing scene was absolutely outstanding. In terms of the show itself, it is slightly different to the movie, and is a little darker in tone at times. There are also a number of changes in the song lyrics with some songs being abridged excluded or altered. There are also a couple of additional numbers too, which keeps the movie fans on their toes. Mark Benton did a good job as Edna Turnblad, playing the role straight as a woman, not as a man playing a woman. Lucy Benjamin was adequate as Mrs Von Tussle, and Sandra Marvin made a great job of playing Motormouth Maybelle and did an absolutely cracking performance of "I Know Where I've Been". The balance of the cast were great too, but the star was quite rightly Freya Sutton who did a fantastic job as Tracey Turnblad. The infectious story, catchy songs, colour, dance routines and campness all added up to a really great night at the theatre and I loved every minute of it.
Jack Steele & Family
A proud, Northern family man celebrates his 70th birthday surrounded by his family in the converted steel mill where he used to work, but as the night unfolds, so does the fabric of his family in this modern take on the kitchen sink dramas of the 1960’s. Jack Steele arrives at his old place of employment which evokes memories of friends, his pride and dedication in his work and his deceased wife. His son, Nick is a university lecturer who has a difficult and tempestuous relationship with his brother, Chris, a successful property developer who has left Sheffield and shows no affection for the city that made him. Nick is the straight laced son who has always acted as the rock for the family, whereas Chris is more self-serving and much less reliable. The relationship between Nick and Chris is soured further by Nick’s wife, Louise, who made an irreversible decision when she was misdiagnosed with a terminal illness. The grandchildren also have problems and pressures of their own and the cracks in the family start to show as the evening unfolds and the prodigal son returns. Torn between the loyalty to his family members, trying to deny the fact that he favours one son over the other and struggling to find where he belongs both in his family and his community, Jack’s northern pride and confused emotions come to the surface in this bitter sweet story. The stage was beautifully constructed, with corrugated iron sheets and huge forged crane hooks hanging from the ceiling. The set, coupled with a very well lit stage, flooded with oranges and reds, provided an authentic and engaging atmosphere. The costumes were simple and functional and the static layout of the stage was suited to the production. The show was not technically dazzling, but it was never meant to be and the draw here is the drama unfolding on stage as opposed to it being a visual spectacle. Fine Time Fontaye turned in the best performance of the evening as the titular Jack Steele, showing an old man who becomes overwhelmed by his feelings which overflow his stiff upper lip and Yorkshire dignity. Good support was provided by Robert Angell as Nick Steele, Susan Cookson as Louise Steele and Ian Reddington as Chris Steele. The remainder of the cast was made up of drama students from Sheffield Hallam University who deserve credit for their involvement. Some of them showed particular promise, especially Sam Parkinson, who looked very comfortable and natural on stage. This original play, which I was fortunate enough to see at its première was enjoyable and the characters were not only well written, especially the male leads, but were easily recognisable from the viewer’s own family, friends and colleagues. The play was a joint venture between Sheffield Theatres and Sheffield Hallam University and was littered with local references and a story which went to the heart of the city. That said, whilst some of the local references may be missed by those who are not familiar with the area, the story has enough universal themes to negate the need for an in-depth knowledge of the city. This was, in many ways, local theatre as it should be; namely written, produced and performed by talent from the city where the story is set and the show itself is performed in. But aside from the fact that, like Jack Steele, this reviewer has a deep rooted love for his home town, it is not just a show for Sheffield people.
Priscilla - Queen Of The Desert
(06.07.13) - Three drag queens head from Sydney to Alice Springs in a big pink bus called "Priscilla, Queen Of The Dessert". Along the way, they encounter prejudice, find love and discover a Thai bride with a special talent with ping pong balls. Filled with dazzling, upbeat camp pop classics, outrageous costumes and laughs aplenty this feel-good show was just as enjoyable on second viewing. I have seen this earlier in the year and thoroughly enjoyed it then. Upon second viewing, it was no different. the atmosphere in the theatre was not at the fever pitch it was in Manchester earlier in the year, but there was still a great buzz in the theatre. For a full review of the show, please see below (the February review is much more detailed), but in summary, this was a highly enjoyable second viewing of a great piece of musical theatre which does not take itself seriously at all, is full of high energy songs, routines and fantastic costumes. Highly recommended for a good night of fun.
Jimmy Carr - Gagging order
(05.06.13) - Jimmy Carr, one of Britain's most divisive comics, is touring again with his one man show. In Gagging Order, he tells his usual run of jokes, has some snappy one liners illustrated with some very funny cartoons and makes his expected number of offensive comments, with his tongue firmly in his cheek. But in this show, he also did a lot of work directly with the audience, encouraging the hecklers, asking questions which he then built his routine around and making references to his previous comments to other audience members. I thoroughly enjoyed the evening. Despite it's simplicity (no flashing lights, loud music etc), the whole show was hugely engaging and flew by. The show lasted around two hours fifteen minutes and it has to be said the Jimmy Carr was very charismatic. As I have said when reviewing his DVD's, he is the kind of comic who you would either love or hate. If you "get it", then you would have a great time seeing him on this tour. Personally, I had a great night, really enjoyed myself, laughed out loud an awful lot and now have a few more barbed comments and offensive jokes to add to the repertoire!
Evita
(02.07.13) - The glamour, passion and politics of 1940’s Argentina are
brought to life in this revival of one of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s most successful
musicals which is back on national tour.
In 1934, a young and naive country girl, Eva Duarte, falls
for a singer and pressures him into taking her to Buenos Aries. Filled with her
ambitions to be a singer and actress, she quickly realises the harsh reality of
life in the city when he leaves her. Sleeping her way up the ladder, from model to radio star to actress, she attends a charity
function held by Juan Peron, an aspiring politician with his sights on clawing
his way to the presidential seat. They
come together, both in love and to further their careers, much to the
disapproval of a number of Peron’s political allies. But whilst Evita charms
the nation, the corrupt nature of their reign starts to show, her greed and
power hungry desires come to the forefront and her body starts to become
increasingly frail as she begins to succumb to illness. There are a number of
reasons to recommend this production. Starting with the music, the show is
performed as a sing through musical, and is absolutely crammed with classic
songs, including “Another Suitcase, Another Hall”, “You Must Love Me”, “”Oh,
What a Circus” and the show stopping, “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina”. The
orchestra played beautifully together and the balance of the volume between the
music and the vocals was perfect, allowing for both the music and the lyrics to
be appreciated. It was also good to be reminded of how well written, enjoyable
and powerful the music and songs are when performed live. The ensemble cast were incredibly talented and all performed
strongly, sounding superb when singing both together and undertaking their solo
parts. Mark Heenehan was well cast as Juan Peron, demonstrating his commanding
voice and compelling stage presence. Sarah McNicholas gave a heart wrenching
performance of “Another Suitcase, Another Hall” and Nic Gibey was ideal as the
sleazy crooner Magaldi. However, the standout performance of the evening was by
ensemble member Joel Elferink, who managed to consistently out-sing and out-act
most of the cast in his numerous parts. The play itself was more political in its storyline than the
well-known film version and the play moved along at a swift pace, meaning the
near two hour running time flew by.
There were some well put together set pieces, in particular, “Buenos
Aires”, “Peron’s Latest Flame” and “A New Argentina”, which were well
choreographed and performed. The set was versatile and well utilised, although
did seem cluttered at times, the use of the lighting was atmospheric and
effective and the costumes were beautifully put together. With so much to recommend it, it is a shame that the two
leads were the weak link in both the production and the cast. Marti Pellow was
better than expected as Che, but his, performance appeared both forced and
strained at times, in contrast to the much more natural performances of the
other cast members. Madalena Alberto
played the title role with some enthusiasm and she had a good voice, but she
lacked the charisma and presence of the character that she was playing, making
her performance slightly less believable. Her delivery of “Don’t Cry for Me
Argentina” and “You Must Love Me” were the stand out moments of her
performance. Their performances did steadily improve over the course of the
show and eventually won me over, but it is a shame when the “stars” of a
musical are eclipsed by the rest of the cast for the majority of the show. Overall, the show was an enjoyable evening and was a well
put together production which turned out to be better than anticipated. The
music continues to stand up today and despite the show being around 35 years
old, this production still sounded fresh and contemporary and was generally
well performed by a talented cast, despite what could be argued as a slightly
miscast pair of leads.
Ghost
(29.06.13) - A banker, Sam and his artist girlfriend Molly are the perfect couple and love each other dearly. But when Sam is killed in what looks like a mugging, he finds himself trapped in between worlds. His best friend and colleague has been money laundering in the bank that thy both work at, and had arranged for Sam to be mugged, hoping to get his work password to obtain money out of an account. When Sam finds out, he tries to protect Molly from Sam with the help of Oda Mae Brown, a phony psychic who can actually hear Sam. But as Sam's colleague becomes more and more desperate for the money which is locked away, Molly becomes more and more in danger. This play, based on the film of the same name, was a great night's entertainment. Following the plot of the film very closely, the main thing that made this show enjoyable was that it actually had a very good story. It was more of play with songs than a musical. It's detailed, dramatic and exciting story was a particular high point. What also made the play was the fact that the whole running time was a real assault on the senses. Loud music, surround sound and dizzying visuals (using overlaying projections on the stage, electronic projected backdrops) and a beautifully transforming set. The special effects were very good (although simpler than I anticipated), with Sam walking through doors, letters folding themselves in Molly's hands and lots of slow motion flying through the air (in the fight between the subway ghost and Sam). The whole thing was a visual treat and made the show look much more complicated than it probably was. The performances were excellent, with Stewart Clarke doing an incredible job as Sam (he has an absolutely stunning singing voice), Rebecca Trehorn provided a sensitive performance as Molly and Wendy Mae Brown stole her scenes with her turn as Oda Mae Brown. The songs were enjoyable enough, but not many of them really stood out. Two musical highlights were Molly singing an emotion packed "With You" and the upbeat "I'm Outta Here" sung by Oda Mae Brown. If I had any criticism of the show, it was that the dance routines were good but fairly lacklustre and the dancers were not in time with each other, The backing dancers really should have been tighter and more in unison, as it led it to look slightly sloppy, but that it a minor quibble when a production is this good. The play packed an emotional punch and the number of sniffles from around the auditorium proved this. I thoroughly enjoyed the show and the running time simply flew by. The whole thing was much better than I anticipated and I could have quite happily sat through the show again straight away
High Society
(11.06.13) - High Society, the timeless musical once again graces the stage in this spirited revival of the classic play based on the MGM Musical. It is 1938 and in Long Island, the socialite wedding of the year is about to take place. Tracy Lord is in the midst of preparing to marry in a lavish society wedding when her ex-husband, Dexter Haven, arrives to try to rekindle their romance. Understandably, this throws the plans into chaos, which is further confused by the arrival of an undercover reporter, Mike Conner, who is there to cover the society wedding of the year. Tracy and Mike instantly fall for one another, but with everyone vying for the bride’s attention, and a bride torn between three men, who will she end up walking down the aisle with? This musical was a pleasure to watch, being very traditional in terms of its “will they, won’t they” storyline, its simple plot and its rapid succession of songs and the play overall provides a great piece of old fashioned, top notch entertainment. The catchy songs were written by Cole Porter and provide a real feeling of the Thirties without ever feeling too dated. The popular score includes “Let’s Misbehave”, “High Society”, “True Love”, “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” and “Well Did You Evah!” and strikes a good balance between spectacular upbeat numbers and romantic ballads. The up-tempo songs were catchy and the cast took on the musical numbers incredibly well, especially the opening scene of each act and the thoroughly enjoyable tap dancing set piece for “Well Did You Evah!” Sophie Bould provided the best of the performances as Tracy Lord, with both her acting and singing being spot on. Daniel Boys did a good job as Mike Connor and displayed his incredible singing voice in spectacular fashion whereas Michael Praed proved he is more of an actor than a singer, as his performance was good, but his limited singing range was notable when surrounded by those around him who were much better vocal performers. Light comic relief was agreeably provided by Teddy Kempner as Uncle Willie and the entire ensemble were in fine voice and in perfect time. The set design was intelligent and well thought out, whilst not being overcomplicated. It had some nice art deco overtones and the transformation of one set to another was incredibly slick and undertaken as part of the play itself. The costumes were in keeping with the thirties style and looked lovely and the lighting design was incredibly well done. Having seen four different productions of this play over the years, I have to say that this was the best version I have seen. The pace was snappy and the cast were polished and professional. The natural performances never felt rushed and the cast were not shy of holding a long pause or taking their time with the slower songs. If you are looking for a pleasant evening of entertainment, you appreciate a traditional, old fashioned musical and if you enjoy the slightly twee nature of the MGM classic musicals, then you will enjoy this very well rounded production.
9 to 5
(01.06.13) - Three women working in an office in the late 1970's find themselves stepped over for promotion, berated and sexually harassed by their sexist pig of a boss. However, after an accident with a cup of coffee and some rat poison, they end up kidnapping him and keeping him hostage in his home, whilst they take over the running of the company, making the changes that they see fit. This comedy musical, based on the film of the same name was a pleasant evening's entertainment. The show was bright, bubbly and fun, with songs that were instantly likeable and got your feet tapping. The singing by all of the cast was great and the musical numbers were done with enthusiasm and were actually very good, with a number of cast on stage at any one time. There was always plenty to look at on stage during the dance routines and it made good use of the limited set. The play itself was warm natured, amusing as opposed to funny, but the whole thing was just camp, kitsch fluff - although that is not meant in any derogatory way. Like Dolly herself, it doesn't take itself too seriously, knows exactly what it is and plays to that. The second act was much better than the first, in terms of it being much more fast paced. The musical numbers were relentless and even an almost unrecognisable Bonnie Langford made a good job of her role. If I were to level any criticism at it, it would be that the stage set was far too basic - especially when compared to some of the other other sets I have seen recently - and the scene changes were often a little clumsy. But that said, the set was functional and accommodated the dance numbers well. Overall, this was a good evenings entertainment which had it's tongue very firmly in it's cheek and was an infectious and catchy piece of feel good theatre.
Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty
(25.05.13) - Matthew Bourne presents a Gothic romance, based on the Sleeping Beauty ballet by Tchaikovsky, but places his usual twist on proceedings by posing the question, "what if Sleeping Beauty is never kissed by her prince and doesn't wake up, instead, sleeping for 100 years"? Starting in 1890, the princess is born in a deal with an evil fairy. The princess is protected by a group of good fairies, but forward to her 21st birthday in 1911, she is placed under a curse. Subsequently waking up in 2011, the battle between good and evil continues in the neon lit, modern world. This piece of theatre was absolutely mind blowing and even now, I am still thinking about how good it really was. Visually stunning, the sumptuous sets were lavish, detailed and oozed quality. They were all incredibly different, from a royal bedchamber to an enchanted forest to a neon clad red and blue bar and each one of them were outstanding. The costumes were an absolute delight, and looked beautiful. The music, presented in surround sound, was loud and clear. Using the original compositions by Tchaikovsky, this was simply a modern take on a classic. The dancing was beautiful and exquisite and easily conveyed the story. The highlight for me was the scene in the bar, where the choreography was outstanding the dancing was times to perfection and the costumes and set (awash with deep reds, neon blues and purples) looked simply amazing. It was, in many ways, like watching a silent movie - but it was like no movie I have seen before. The running time flew by, especially the second act. This was ballet for people who don't like ballet, and simply put, this was the most enjoyable piece of theatre I have seen for a very long time.
A Wondrous Place
(23.05.13) - Four people tell four stories about four cities in this Studio production for the Crucible. Re-imagining the North, the play focusses on four towns, Newcastle, Manchester, Liverpool and Sheffield, with a character from each town delivering a monologue (with some assistance from other characters who make brief comments or add brief interaction) about a particular aspect of their town. This was a surprising play in many ways. The first story was delivered by a woman from Newcastle, describing how she was compelled to go and stare at "The Rocket", a landmark tower block which was in the process of being pulled down - instilling in the audience to actually stop and look around them once in a while. The second story was a young woman finding love with a student in the heat of the summer and discovering the hidden side of her city, looking at the beauty which is so often overlooked. The third story from Liverpool was a tragic tale of a man who had failed to save his drowning cousin on a night out, yet finding redemption and peace through a church, invoking feelings of community into the play. The final section was based in Sheffield and was about a man who had an accident causing him to have amnesia and him rediscovering exactly why he loved his city. Each section was 30 mins long and all were performed very well - the four actors were compelling and held the attention of the audience. The set was very clever, opening little wooden doors and cupboards to change the scene and coupling that with projected backdrops. The tales may not have been about your city, but you could easily relate to the themes of each story and apply it to your own home town. I have to say that the Sheffield section was the best, not just because of the fact that it is my home town, but because it was well written and performed. As the virtues of this city were paraded, I have to confess to having a lump in my throat as I swelled with pride and appreciation. Overall, this was a very good play, and I have to confess to enjoying it more than The History Boys, which I saw the night before, and it was a surprising little play which far surpassed my expectations.
The History Boys
Based in the
fictional Cutlers Grammar School in Sheffield, this award winning play tells
the story of a group of young students as they prepare for university
interviews at Oxford and Cambridge. The headmaster
of the school is determined to propel the school up the ranks of the league
tables by increasing the number of pupils who are accepted by the prestigious
establishments. In his resolve to do so, he enlists a supply teacher called
Irwin, whose sole responsibility is to fully prepare the boys by employing a
rigid teaching structure and encouraging them to stick strictly to stock
answers, whether they believe what they are saying to be true or not. This
approach is in stark contrast with that taken by the boy’s favourite teacher,
Hector, who is eccentric and laid back, revelling in the joy of knowledge, whilst
encouraging the boys in their free thinking and exploration of their own interests,
allowing them to forge their own educational path. Unfortunately, one of Hector’s
interests is taking the young students out on his motorcycle and touching them
up, something that the boys seem to readily accept as harmless fun, but which eventually
leads to a confrontation between Hector and the headmaster. As the two teachers
and their respective teaching styles clash and the young boys turn into young
men, the relationships between the students, both with each other and with the
staff, is examined which leads to tension, sexual angst and divided loyalties. Sheffield
Theatres once again excels, this time with their production of this award
winning Alan Bennet play, which has a wordy, warm and witty script. Within its
critique of the education system and its social commentary on the almost
hierarchical nature of learning, the play also explores, both gently and more
blatantly, a number of themes surrounding the often painful transition into
adulthood and aspects of accepting and coming to terms with homosexuality and
sexuality in general. Posner (beautifully played by Oliver Coopersmith) says at
one point “I’m a Jew. I’m small. I’m a homosexual. And I live in Sheffield. I’m
fucked”. This neatly sums up his frustration at his status as the youngest of
the class and more importantly, his unrequited and unconditional love for his
fellow pupil, Dakin (played by Tom Rhys Harris). Dakin is a cocksure and
bravado filled young man, who relishes in his ladies’ man status, yet who
develops a deep admiration for and relationship with his teacher, Irwin. This leads
to the point where Dakin propositions Irwin and offers himself readily; causing
Irwin to face his own closeted sexuality.
There is also the darker undertone running through the play of the abuse
of position and trust by the teachers, Hector who is touching the boys when he
takes them out on his motorcycle (much to Posner’s annoyance that it is never
“his turn”) through to the direct confrontation between Dakin and Irwin whereby
Irwin’s teaching of the importance, or otherwise, of the truth is challenged. The set made
excellent use of the Crucible’s unique stage, effortlessly merging the scenes
and creating a real school hall feel, from the parquet gym floor to the strip
lighting, the PE benches to the plastic chairs. The play was well directed,
ensuring the whole audience felt included and addressed. The performances were all of a very high
quality, especially from Edwin Thomas who excelled as Irwin in what is his
professional stage debut. Matthew Kelly undertook his role of Hector with a
quiet confidence, but his performance was overtaken by the lead boys, namely
Will Featherstone as Scripps, Tom Rhys Harris as Dakin and Oliver Coopersmith
expertly demonstrating the teenage angst of burgeoning sexuality. The play was scattered
with bridging sequences for the set changes, which involved short, loud blasts
of electro new romantic and punk music accompanied by over exaggerated schoolboy
dancing. These segments which sharply transported you back to your own school
days were entertaining and nicely contrasted with calmer, more classic aspects
of the script. The script was wordy, with long soliloquies delivered by the
characters, but was punctuated with warm and gentle comedy delivered by
likeable characters. The play was
slightly long for me but overall, it was exceptionally well performed,
staged and presented and was a memory invoking, thought provoking piece of quasi-nostalgia
tinged theatre which tackles head on a number of social issues within the
education system.
Beauty and the Beast
(19.05.13) - Belle, the beauty of the title, is a kind hearted and loving young women, who is shunned by her community and resides with her eccentric father. One day, he looses his way in the forest and ends up being imprisoned by a beast in an enchanted castle. The Beast is really a grumpy and bad tempered prince who has been put under a spell by an enchantress. The only way to break the spell is for someone to fall in love with him. Offering to swap places with her father, the Beast is initially just as grumpy and bad tempered as ever, but starts to thaw as Belle and he slowly fall in love. But is it enough to save both of them from the Village Villain, Gaston? This amateur production, based on the Disney film and play, was likeable enough fare. I saw it twice, and the first time, it was very amateur in it's presentation and wasn't as polished and slick as it should have been. Gaston, who is meant to be a huge hulk of a man, was played by a young lad who had muscles more reminiscent of knots in cotton than of a pair of guns. That said, the costumes and sets were well put together, there were some good vocal performances from the leads, including Belle, the Beast and Cogsworth. By the end of the run, on second viewing, it was much better, much slicker and much more polished. For an amateur production it was good fun and enjoyable. Some of the routines were very well done (including "Be Our Guest" and "Human Again") and overall, it was a good effort by the cast and crew.
Noises Off
(13.05.13) - If someone had told me that I would sit through the first act of the same play three times in the same evening and actually enjoy it, I thought I would be laughing at them, not with them. But this cleverly written play, produced for this national tour by The Old Vic Theatre, amounted to a hilarious and thoroughly entertaining evening at the theatre. In Michael Frayn’s classic comedy, a group of actors initially find themselves rehearsing Act One of a play, “Nothing On” in the small frantic hours before the opening night of a regional tour. Nothing is ready, the cast don’t know their lines, there is a significant problem with the sardines and the director, Lloyd Dallas, is becoming increasingly agitated and frustrated at the lack of progress. The relationships between the actors become strained when their backstage shenanigans start to interfere with their professional integrity. Fast forward to the middle of the tour. Life on the road is taking its toll on the company and what we see is the view from backstage, as the cast perform Act One of “Nothing On” to an eager audience of pensioners and as jealously, rivalry and a quickly disappearing bottle of whiskey backstage all contribute to the sabotaging of each other’s performances whilst keeping the ‘noises off’ the main stage. The final scene is once again viewed from the auditorium, where the cast, on the last performance of the tour, perform Act One of “Nothing On” with a complete lack of enthusiasm, damaged props, an almost total disregard of the script and a ridiculous amount of improvisation as the performance spirals out of control. This incredibly cleverly written play was great fun. The first act centred on the rehearsal of a play within the play. The audience were treated to watching and engaging in the story and characters of the fictional play being rehearsed, which was actually a funny and traditional farce, with a story you could follow, plenty of well-timed entrances and exits and which was very much in keeping with the spirit of the genre. However, the parallel narrative of the lives, loves and inabilities of the cast and crew was equally engaging and sharply written. The interchange between the two stories was seamless as the audience switched between the two narratives with ease. Utilising the theatre as part of the set (by having the director try his best to control the stage from amongst the audience in the stalls) was a brilliant move, as it really drew in the audience, making them feel like part of the company. The backstage section was absolute comic genius and it is almost worth seeing the play for this section alone. This part of the play was virtually silent, as the now familiar story of “Nothing On” was being performed on stage whilst the company was falling apart off stage. The cast appeared and disappeared through various doors as the play continued whilst the crew physically fought, tied each other’s shoelaces together, hid items from each other and join forces to prevent one cast member from getting drunk. What followed was 30 minutes of simply brilliant, fast paced and perfectly directed and choreographed physical comedy. It was clear that the cast (and the director, Lindsay Posner) had worked very hard to achieve such impeccable comic timing and it was one of the finest pieces of stage comedy I have seen in a long time. The final section transported the audience back to sitting in front of the stage, where at the end of the run, the company and the play is falling apart. Wobbly scenery, failing props and stage fatigue all contribute to the increasingly crumbling performance. Whilst this section was enjoyable, it was here, where, after such an impressive second act, the final act paled slightly and the joke started to stretch a little compared to what had come before it, but to be fair, the second part was a very difficult act to follow. The cast were all first-rate, and as previously mentioned, had clearly worked incredibly hard to perform as they did. Neil Pearson was excellent as Lloyd Dallas, the frustrated director. You could feel his pain as he tried desperately to hold things together just before opening night. Maureen Beattie’s turn as Dotty Otley was also a particular pleasure. Her character could almost be a forerunner for Mrs Overall in Acorn Antiques or Mrs Doyle in Father Ted and not only was Beattie’s stage presence noticeable; her comic performance was on a par with Julie Walters performance as the aforementioned Mrs O. Simon Bubb put in an incredibly good performance as the hapless and downtrodden Tim, a stage hand, understudy and general dogsbody. Bubb subtly generated a character that you couldn’t help but easily warm to and empathise with. The remaining cast were all incredibly good and there was no weak link in them, each of them, in their own way, deserving a specific mention. The relatively simple set was well utilised and the play as a whole had a good balance between sharp yet warm writing, likeable characters and hysterical physical comedy. The show was written in 1982 yet didn’t feel dated at all, giving off a real feel of a mixture of both the early Channel 4 (slightly anarchic) comedies such as “The Comic Strip” coupled with the charm of the 70’s sitcoms such as The Good Life, George and Mildred and Some Mother’s Do ‘Ave ‘Em. Noises Off had an infectious, almost naive allure which was positively delightful.
The 39 Steps
(03.04.13) - Based on the book by John Buchan and the Alfred Hitchcock film of the same name, The 39 Steps is a rip-roaring, comedic rush through the spy thriller genre of the 1930’s and 1940’s. The play is an affectionate nod and a tongue (very firmly) in cheek homage to not just its source material, but to the genre as a whole, where a pencil moustache and a stiff upper lip are the order of the day. Richard Hannay (played by Richard Ede) is an unflappable toff who is framed for the murder of a beautiful female spy and quickly becomes embroiled in a plot to smuggle a secret out of the country which could potentially have a devastating impact upon national security. Following the clues to Scotland, Hannay encounters a number of others who both help and hinder him in his quest to prove his innocence, get the girl and prevent the information falling into the wrong hands. This very funny play was a pleasant surprise. The cast comprised of a total of four very talented actors, with Ede playing his part with just enough of a knowing wink to the audience to make it work and the remaining cast (Tony Bell, Gary Mackay and Charlotte Peters) expertly and hilariously splitting the other 129 characters in the play between them. The script was sharp in places, played in a completely straight laced manner and had some good one-liners. However, the play relied more heavily on its backbone of physical comedy and which was undertaken with gusto and enthusiasm by the cast. Everything from a chase across the roof of a train to a night at the London Palladium were recreated amongst a rapidly transforming, yet simple, set and the cast of often larger than life characters were equally as quick changing. It was also noticeable that there was a total absence of swearing, innuendo, violence or insults which made a pleasant change and confirmed that back to basics, family friendly comedy can easily generate a number of genuine laughs. Both the set and lighting design were reflective of the cinematic style of the old films, utilising billowing smoke, long shadows and low level lighting. The minimal props, theatrical techniques employed and the use of the stage showed how much thought had gone into the direction. The transformation of the actors from one character to another was often creatively undertaken to good comedic effect and the constant, often subtle, references to Hitchcock were more than welcome. Given its ninety minute duration, the play moved along swiftly at a cracking pace and didn’t drag at any stage, meaning that the joke never really outstayed its welcome. You don’t have to be particularly knowledgeable about the genre to feel included in the jokes or to actually enjoy the show (which can sometimes be the case). In summary, there were The 39 Steps, 4 actors and 130 characters which added up to a thoroughly (and unexpectedly) enjoyable evening with a lot more laughs than I anticipated.
Acorn Antiques
(23.03.13) - Following the shock news that the High Street's landlord is going to increase the rent, the shop owners in Manchesterford realise that they have to turn a profit for the first time ever. But the global brand chain shops are wanting to take over, from The Guilty Bean to the Hong Kong Thong Hut. Initially determined not to sell, Miss Babs, owner of Acorn Antiques finds herself involved in a plot involving a scheming corporate executive, a lost inheritance, falling in love with a loan shark, the Fatkins diet, a mysterious third sister, a marriage which is still waiting to happen, family secrets and an abundance of macaroons. But with the shop under threat of closure, can Mrs Overall save Acorn Antiques whilst knocking up a batch of Parkin? This play, written by Victoria Wood and based on her soap opera parody of the same name, was an pleasant evening's entertainment. The story was as over the top as your usual bad soap opera and there were plenty of nods to the original series, with wobbly scenery, on stage "mistakes" and props which failed to work. There were a number of nods to other musicals (Including Les Mis and Chicago) and underneath the campness, there was a scathing social commentary about the increasingly prominent takeover by faceless corporations of the British High Street and the loss of independent retailers. The leads were all excellent, especially Mrs Overall, who was quite frankly hilarious. The rest of the cast were all very good too. The script and the story was sharp and funny, with a fair number of laugh out loud moments, brought by both the physical comedy and the smartly written jokes. The sense of humour was very much in keeping with Victoria Wood, playing on the "common man" comedy she does so well. The songs were a mixed bunch, with some of them being a little lacklustre (these tended to be the slower ones), but with others being show-stopping routines, both funny and foot tapping. As usual, Croft House Operatics (a local amateur group) did a great job. In terms of the quality of the production and performances this was one of their better ones for a number of years. The choreography , in particular, was great and a noticeable "step up" from previous shows. I was a little cynical going in to this show, as I was never really a fan of the Acorn Antiques TV spot, but I have to say that I was won over by the enthusiastic cast and charm and twee-ness of the play itself.
The Mousetrap
(04.03.13) - After a murder in London, and with the snow falling heavily outside, Monkswell Manor, a hotel, opens it's doors and welcomes it's first guests. Running the hotel are a married couple who are joined by five other seemingly unconnected guests - some expected, others not expected. The guests are shocked upon the arrival of a policeman who announces that a notebook found at the murder scene suggests that two more people who are at the manor are going to be killed and the murderer is amongst them. But who is the murderer, who are the intended victims and who will survive? This classic Agetha Christie play is embarking on it's first ever tour to celebrate running for 60 years in the West End. I approached it with mixed feelings - I have never seen any Agetha Christie films, so was slightly unsure whether it would be my thing, but equally, I was curious to see what made this theatrical legend so special. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. The story was good, with twists, turns and red herrings and the subtle clues and hints aplenty. The clever writing had you casting doubt at each and every character at some stage as details about their past and their secrets are slowly revealed, but the fun comes in the last 20 minutes or so, as the identity of the murder and their motives are revealed and you can see whether you were right in your deductions. The set was very well presented and the lighting was atmospheric and effective. The period costumes were well done. As for the cast, they were all very good, with the exception of one (who played the part with a very dodgy Italian cum cockney accent which seemed to come and go). The characters were cliché the grumpy old woman, the retired Army major etc, but to be fair, they have only become cliché as a result of the success of Christie's formulaic novels and the only criticism I would have is the slightly twee ending. That said, overall, it was a very good evening's entertainment, very different to my usual theatrical experience and I thoroughly enjoyed it despite my initial reservations. And after 60 years, it is good to finally know "whodunnit"!
Soul Sister
(02.03.13) - Leaving her home town, Tina Turner heads to the bright lights of the city and is introduced to Ike Turner, the charismatic leader of a band. With his musical genius and her powerful voice, they quickly scale the charts, but their tempestuous private life punctuated by Ike's drug escalating drug abuse and his violent temper is hidden behind the sparkle and glamour of their exuberant stage shows. This play was a hybrid of a straight play and a concert, which was quite unusual, but worked very well. The story of Ike and Tina's rise to fame and their private lives were portrayed through straight acting and a very clever use of projection on a back screen (short narrative video's and scenes and headlines from the era). But where the show came into it's own was with the musical numbers which were played out as a concert, switching the audience from a theatre to a concert hall. The simplicity of the set worked very well, with scenes changed very rapidly by a two moving screens that flew from one side of the stage to the other, acting like a screen wipe and depositing the props and actors for the next scene in centre stage. The musical performance from the on stage band was superb, with all of them being incredibly talented musicians. The backing singers were all excellent and could hold a tune both on their own and in their incredible harmonies. Chris Tummins was great as the sleazy (almost pantomime villain like) Ike Turner. But the night, and the show, belonged to Emi Wokoma, who absolutely excelled at Tina Turner. Her strong vocal performance was outstanding and she was far more than a Tina Turner impersonator. Her look, moves and voice were spot on. The spread of songs were balanced, with a majority being the Ike and Tina Turner back catalogue, a few of Tina's hits and some by other artists from the same era. But it has to be said that the concert segments, especially the finale, were the backbone of the show, which had every audience member on their feet, singing, dancing and cheering. These sections were excellently choreographed, replicating the famous routines of the band. The highlights were Proud Mary, Shake A Tail Feather and What's Love Got To Do With It. Overall, a hugely enjoyable evenings entertainment and a musical presented in an original way.
Priscilla - Queen Of The Desert
(23.02.13) - Three drag queens "unplug their curling wands and go bush" to travel across the outback en route to a show in a casino in Alice Springs. Along the way, they bitch, bicker and laugh their way across the dessert and all the time, ensure that they are looking their best whilst "dressing up in women's clothing and mouthing the words to other people's songs". Along the way, they pick up mechanic Bill who is leaving his wife (who has an extraordinary talent which she shows off in the local pub) and they head to the middle of nowhere for the show of their life. Based on the film of the same name, this stage musical was an absolute joy. The pinnacle of "feel good theatre", the atmosphere in the theatre was electric even before the show started. Using a combination of camp disco classics, the whole audience were dancing, clapping, cheering and laughing from the moment the curtain went up. Following the story of the film fairly closely (albeit with some minor changes), the cast were superb, and even Jason Donavan did a good job as Flick. The whole thing was flamboyant, exuberant and thoroughly entertaining with a cleverly designed set (with the bus on stage) and a sharp, funny script with all of the characters that you know and love from the film. But where the show really came into it's own was in the musical numbers, taking some from the film and some new ones introduced for the show, the routines were over the top, bold, brassy and ballsy, with costumes to match. The enthusiasm of the cast was clear and it was abundantly obvious that they were enjoying themselves as much as the audience. The costumes in themselves are worthy of a mention. Some were recreated from the film (flip flop dress,anyone?) and the others just added to the campness of the proceedings. Everything from dancing paintbrushes to dancing birthday cakes, hicks, lizards, Marie Antoinette's, Ostriches and what looked like an Village People convention were all on stage in a dazzling spectacular which was a feast for the eyes, the ears, the heart, the soul and the funny bone. It was the ultimate feel-good show and one which I loved every second of. If you want a night of immense fun and want to grin from ear to ear for two hours, then this if the show for you which comes very highly recommended.
The Full Monty
(02.02.13) - A group of unemployed Sheffield steel workers decide on a dole busting plan become male strippers at the local working man's club, but offering a little more than the other strip acts that they have - for one night only, they are going to go "the full monty". But will their nerves get the better of them? I attended the world première of this play, which is written by Simon Beaufoy who wrote the film. Opening the play in it's home town before a tour and a residency in the West End, this is the second stage incarnation of the film (the first being set in America) and used songs from the film instead of the original songs written for the American version. This play was such good fun - sticking fairly faithfully to the original source, there is some additions to the story and script to stretch out the play to it's 2 hour 10 mins running time. The script was sharp, funny and had the classic lines from the film, along with some other cracking one liners. As for the staging, it was excellent - the set was fantastic and used very well throughout the show. The cast were all very good and there was not a weak link in there at all. a special mention goes to Roger Morlidge who plays the overweight Dave and to the young man who played Nathan, Gaz's son. The atmosphere in the theatre was just great, perhaps something to do with opening night and the number of middle aged women in there, but the whole audience clapped, cheered and heckled along with the cast who all looked like they were having immense fun. Seeing the world première in Sheffield no doubt added to the general mood, but it really couldn't be faulted. Overall, it was immense fun and hugely enjoyable.
Blood Brothers
In a run down area of Liverpool, Mrs Johnson finds herself "in the club" again with twins. She already has too many children to cope with and could just about manage with one more, but not too. She makes a secret pact with Mrs Lyons, a well to do housewife who is not able to have children and agrees to give one away. But as the children grow up, the twins become firm friends, not knowing that they are brothers. But life takes a different path for each of them, as their opportunities in life differ massively and when a woman comes between them, it has catastrophic consequences. This is one of my favourite plays, which I have seen many times before, so was very much looking forward to it. The play itself is still great - very funny in the first half, very moving in the second half, and the story originally set in the 1980's is perhaps as relevant today as it was back then. The songs are great and the whole thing is an excellent piece of theatre, which (deservedly) receives standing ovations at nearly every performance both in the West End and up and down the country. I would certainly recommend it as something to see, as evidenced by my repeated viewing. However, the production of the tour was disappointing Firstly, the shoehorning of Marti Pellow as the narrator (presumably to put bums on seats) was a mistake as he was badly miscast. His Scottish cum Liverpudlian accent was terrible and his overacting was cringe-worthy at times. The remainder of the cast were all fine, and the token Nolan sister was good as Mrs Johnson. But my main complaint was the sound in the theatre. The play tends to be quite "shouty" in it's nature, but the sound was ear shatteringly loud, to the point where the speech of the actors was wholly distorted and it was impossible to tell what was being said, especially Mr Pellow. Also, the volume of the off stage orchestra was so loud that you could not hear what was being sung over the music. It was only decipherable to me as I have seen the play so often and know the soundtrack word for word. It is a shame that such a great show was tainted by such poor production especially as this is a play which is almost constantly on tour and doing the rounds. A five star play disappointing spoilt by a two star production.