Journey’s End

The Gala Theatre, Durham

Based on R.C. Sherriff’s own experience in the trenches of World War One, Journey’s End is a powerful and poignant production that starkly illustrates the futility of war. Set within a claustrophobic dugout where time creeps to a standstill as soldiers await their orders, the story centres around the young, talented and war-weary Captain Stanhope (Christopher Harper).

The first thing that strikes you, as you enter the auditorium, is the stunning set that so effectively recreates the dark, dank, rat-infested dug-out. No detail has been overlooked in Victoria Spearing’s magnificent design. Credit should also be given for Alan Valentine’s superb lighting design and Dominic Bilkey’s equally successful sound design, both of which brilliantly evoke the hellish atmosphere of the Western Front.

The play, for the most part, is dialogue-based as we are introduced to a series of officers and soldiers. There’s the avuncular, pipe-smoking, level-headed Osbourne (Graham Seed), the put-upon cook Private Mason (Adam Best), the cowardly Hibbert (Rhys King) and the fresh-faced Raleigh (Tom Hackney) who is an old schoolmate of the whisky-swigging Stanhope.

Raleigh’s hero-worship of Stanhope’s school-days prowess at rugger and cricket now manifests itself in his admiration of his leadership skills on the front line.

Each of the men must face the hardships of trench-life and deal with their fear in their own way. The older, more experienced men reminisce about gardening, trips to the theatre and walking in the New Forest, whilst the younger men attempt to hold on to the notion that war is an adventure that has the potential to transform them into heroes

In essence the point of the piece is to convey the message that war destroys not only the lives of men, but also their minds and souls, too. Stanhope must continue to motivate and inspire his men to make the ultimate sacrifice for a war he no longer understands and for a cause he no longer remembers.

Journey’s End is very much an ensemble piece and it would be difficult and probably rather unfair to pick out one actor over another. Each and every performance is consummately delivered. Indeed, this is a profound piece of theatre that highlights the heroism, humour and tragedy of warfare.

Steve Burbridge.

Runs at The Gala, Durham until Saturday 13^th March 2010.

Caught In The Net

Whitley Bay Theatre Company at Tynemouth Priory Theatre

The sequel to the hilarious "Run For Your Wife" by that master of farce Ray Cooney finds  bigamist taxi driver, John Smith, still running two families at the same time and keeping them blissfully unaware of each other. However, his teenage children - one boy and one girl by each wife - have met on the internet and are determined to see each other, especially as it seems their father’s have so much in common- same surname, middle name and forename, same occupation and same age.

When John realises they are about to meet he enlists the aid of his long-suffering friend and lodger Stanley Gardner. He is just about to go on holiday with his senile old father who turns up thinking he is already at the guest house. The situation gets increasingly out of hand as John busts a gut juggling with the truth.

Whitley Bay Theatre Company has put together a fine production with an impressive split-set that represents the lounge of each family home. The cast of seven works hard throughout and there are some excellent comedic performances. Chris Johnson takes on the central character of John Smith in addition to directing the piece, whilst his wives, Barbara and Mary, are played by Annie Boulton and Joanna Wingate, respectively. The troublesome teenagers are portrayed by Alex Covell and Lyndsey Fenn, and both show great promise for the future. Much of the light relief comes from Ray Boulton and Robin Herron as Stanley and his elderly dad.

First night nerves were obviously responsible for a number of prompts, but this production is of such a standard that a few fluffed lines can be very easily forgiven.

Steve Burbridge.

Runs until Saturday 13^th March 2010

The Woman In Black

Darlington Civic Theatre

Stephen Mallatratt’s spine-chilling adaptation of Susan Hill’s novel, The Woman In Black, arrived at Darlington Civic Theatre last night, filling the stalls and circle in the process. This long-running production (it is now in its 21^st year at The Fortune Theatre in the West End of London) opens with Arthur Kipps (Robert Demeger) monotonously reading from his manuscript which contains the details of a long-kept secret and a terrifying curse.

Kipps enlists the assistance of a young actor (Peter Bramhill) in the task of telling the story and, he hopes, breaking the curse that has haunted him for many years. He is adamant that his tale should not be lauded as a public spectacle or cheap gimmick to fill theatres, but should only be told to his family and friends to aid his peace of mind.

The story begins when a young Kipps, employed as the assistant of the elderly solicitor, Mr Jerome, is sent to attend the funeral service of the ancient spinster Mrs Drablow and, afterwards, organise the affairs of her estate. This task takes him on a long journey north, changing trains twice and crossing a causeway to a remote island, to Eel Marsh House.

As events unfold, the inventive use of limited props, recorded sound effects and projections of ghostly shadows, heighten the sense of anticipation and create added suspense. Only two actors appear on stage throughout – Bramhill as the young Kipps, and Demeger as an array of contrasting characters – and both deliver excellent performances. It is odd that the attention of an entire audience can be captured and held by only two performers, limited sets and scenery and only a handful of props, yet this is entirely true of this production.

The tension mounts slowly – almost as though you are not aware that it is happening at all – until the spectral appearance of the title character elicits shrieks and screams from the over-excited schoolgirls who make up a vast proportion of the audience. This gathers momentum and, as the play progresses, reaches deafening proportions.

The series of events that are responsible for the appearances of the cadaverous ‘woman in black’ and her anguished curse, when revealed, are heart-rending. However, any sympathy that the audience may feel for her is dispelled when the final cruel twist is played out.

Linda Barker.

This production was reviewed by Linda Barker on behalf of Steve Burbridge.

The Woman In Black runs at Darlington Civic Theatre until Saturday 13^th March 2010

Handful of Henna

The Customs House, South Shields

Based on real stories from Muslim women, Rani Moorthy’s Handful of Henna tells the story of the conflict and reconciliation between 13-year-old Nasreen and her mother, Saheeda. During a trip back to ‘the family village’ – thousands of miles away from her friends, unable to text them and stuck in the monsoon rain, surrounded by wagging tongues of relatives – Nasreen embarks on a journey that will lead to her developing a deeper understanding of the woman who is her mother.

Rochi Rampal gives a worthy performance, as Nasreen, and she is superbly supported by Bharti Patel (Saheeda), Nimmi Harasgama (Auntie Munah), and Sohm Kapila (Alia). Each of the women deftly deliver performances that are packed with poignancy and loaded with laughs.

Initially, the production starts out as a comedic clash of cultures. British-born Nasreen has only ever known the United Kingdom as home and feels no affinity with ‘the home village’. Saheeda experiences feelings of displacement in both the UK and in her birth country. Much weeping, wailing, yelling and screaming ensues between the mother, daughter and relatives, before a series of memories, which have haunted Saheeda for many years, are re-lived. The sharing of these long-repressed events signify the catalyst that enables Nasreen and Saheeda to build a new, more tolerant relationship.

One sparse set, designed by Rachana Jadhav, is used imaginatively and effectively to represent several different locations, whilst song and dance create an authentic and evocative air of Asian ethnicity.

The audience, which was largely made up of women, received the piece well and spontaneously clapped along to the uplifting closing number.

STEVE BURBRIDGE.

Tours to Darlington Arts Centre, Middlesbrough Theatre, and Queen’s Hall Arts Centre, Hexham.

Fatal Encounter

Darlington Civic Theatre

Francis Durbridge is one of the world’s most prolific thriller writers and his name is synonymous with intricately detailed and beautifully written ‘whodunits’.  Fatal Encounter is the fourth of Durbridge’s plays to be staged by theatre impresario Ian Dickens, and he has done a jolly good job of it to boot.

The story revolves around Joanna Mansfield, played by the wonderful Anita Harris, the wife of a successful publisher, Howard Mansfield (Michael Howe). For quite some time, Joanna has been acting rather strangely and her neurosis, paranoia and general jumpiness is beginning to cause Howard concern.

A series of bizarre events, including her handbag being stolen during a mugging then being left outside the couple’s front door with contents fully intact, lead up to Howard returning home one evening to find that Joanna has shot Perry Kingsley (Aaron Bixley), the husband of her best friend, Grace (Susan Skipper). In an effort to protect his fragile, vulnerable wife, Howard elects to take the rap for the shooting himself and, unwittingly, embroils himself in a world of international blackmail and conspiracy.

Anita Harris is on top form in the role of Joanna and her performance is so accomplished that, despite the skill and talent of her co-stars, she dominates the entire piece. That said, the performances given by Nicholas Ball, as the dogged detective Inspector Coldwell, Neil Stacy, as the soave, sophisticated art dealer Mark Adler, Susan Skipper, as the rather beautiful best friend, and Michael Howe, as the harassed husband, are entirely commendable. A supporting cast made up of Aaron Bixley, Michael Kirk, Miranda Magee and Michael Carrington serve the principals admirably.

Durbridge’s script crackles along at a rip-roaring pace and he throws plenty of red herrings into the mix, confounding even the most diligent of audience members. Ian Dickens’s direction is sharp and dynamic, keeping the momentum up throughout.

The action takes place in the home of Howard and Joanna Mansfield, at 28 Clifton Place in Holland Park, and the wonderful set is beautifully dressed. In fact, the only mystery that remained unsolved at the end of the performance was who should be given the credit for its design. I could find no credit in the programme notes.

This production of Fatal Encounter is a resounding success and comes highly recommended.

Steve Burbridge.

Runs at Darlington until Saturday 27^th February 2010, before touring to Tunbridge Wells and Plymouth

The Lady in the Van

The Gala Theatre, Durham

The Lady in the Van tells the true story of a bag lady who drove her battered old Bedford van into the garden of playwright Alan Bennett with the intention of parking there for three months, but who ended up staying for fifteen years.

It’s a strange piece which is constructed from a series of pivotal events rather than following a linear path. The wit is understated, the themes low-key, and sometimes the pace moves so slowly that you almost begin to believe that Miss Shepherd’s van might overtake it.

Nevertheless, the poignancy and perceptiveness of Bennett’s bittersweet observations are enough to subtly engage and, before you are aware of it, you are hooked by the curious relationship between the indomitable, cranky and completely batty old woman and the intellectual, introverted, mild-mannered playwright.

Rosalind Bailey, as Miss Shepherd, is a one-woman wonder and she nails the role with expert precision. Her performance is carefully crafted and hallmarked by spot-on comedy timing, convincing characterisation and an indisputable stage presence.

David Hedges, as the younger Bennett, and Hugh Osborne, as the elder, both successfully convey the mannerisms, voice and intonation of the playwright. However, there were moments when I felt that there was an element of competition between the actors as to who could do the best Bennett, and this resulted in Osborne occasionally sounding like a cross between Russell Harty and Melvyn Bragg.

Lucy Campbell has designed a stylish and atmospheric set, depicting Bennett’s study which looks out at Miss Shepherd’s battered old Bedford (and, at one point, a rusty old Robin Reliant, too!), against the backdrop of a silhouetted terraced street, punctuated by a solitary lamp-post.

Simon Stallworthy, directing his thirteenth in-house production for the Gala, demonstrates a complete understanding of the piece and handles it with reverence and responsibility.

The Lady in the Van may not be a piece that hurtles along at an all-action breakneck speed, but it is an astute study of human relationships, highlighting the fallibility and complexity of the species.

Steve Burbridge.

“The Lady in the Van” is at The Gala Theatre, Durham until 27^th February 2010.

The Lady Vanishes

The Tyne Theatre & Opera House

ALFRED HITCHCOCK’S classic 1938 film of lies, lost ladies and locomotives has been brought vividly to life in a new adaptation of The Lady Vanishes by Mark Simpson.

Stylishly staged, with an ingenious revolving set, designed by Maurice Rubens, that doubles as a hotel on the Swiss border and a steam locomotive, it is bursting with intrigue, espionage, romance and drama.

Stranded in a hotel after an avalanche, a cosmopolitan group of eccentric characters are desperate to return to London. They embark on a potentially perilous journey aboard a trans-alpine express train.

Having suffered a bang to the head at the hotel, Iris (Penelope Rawlins), a society beauty, is befriended by an endearing elderly governess, Miss Froy (Jane Evers). But, when the old lady mysteriously disappears and none of the other passengers acknowledge that she ever existed, Iris decides to investigate.

She manages to persuade Gilbert (Darrell Brockis), a handsome young musicologist that she is not hallucinating, despite the diagnosis of the sinister Dr Hartz (Terry Molloy), and he assists in the search for Miss Froy.

The ensuing events are a sophisticated mix of action, deceit, comedy and mystery. There are no weak links amongst the stellar cast, many of whom are required to double-up as other characters.

Mark Sterling’s direction ensures that the momentum is maintained throughout and that the audience are kept guessing right until the very end. The Lady Vanishes is a production that entertains and enthrals in equal measure.

Steve Burbridge.

Adolf Hitler: My Part In His Downfall

Darlington Civic Theatre

Adapted from six volumes of his wartime memoirs, by Ben Power and Tim Carroll, Spike Milligan’s Adolf Hitler: My Part In His Downfall chronicles his experiences between September 1939 and March 1944. Rather than being performed as a play, it adopts the format of an ENSA-type revue with whimsical sketches, monologues, and musical numbers.

This is effective to the extent that the audience is treated to gems from the era including ‘Lily Marlène’, ‘I’ve Got A Gal In Kalamazoo’, ‘Chattanooga Choo Choo’ and ‘Pennies From Heaven’.

The cast of five – Sholto Morgan (Spike), Dominic Gerrard (Edgington) William Findley (Goldsmith), David Morley Hale (Kidgell) and Matthew Devereaux (MC) - are certainly a talented bunch and they perform with vigour and enthusiasm. Indeed, Sholto Morgan in his first professional role demonstrates a great deal of future promise.

The humour, as you might guess, veers towards the surreal and, often, downright zany - having said that, much of it passed me by. I should probably have known it would. After all, Milligan is the comedy hero of a twit who talks to his plants and prefers a woman who looks like Audrey Roberts from Coronation Street to the beauty of the late Diana, Princess of Wales. I fear for the future of the monarchy!

The transitions between sketches are anything but slick and there is much moving of props by very visible stage hands, which tends to detract from one’s possible engagement with the piece. A further annoyance and distraction came from four people in the row in front of me whose sole purpose was to rustle and crinkle sweet wrappers continually and disturb everyone else in the vicinity, rather than to watch the show.

Not even the exaggerated promise of bad language, themes of an adult nature and nudity were enough to get me through this dismal production.

Steve Burbridge.

The Machine Gunners

The Customs House, South Shields

The themes of love, loss, loyalty, friendship, childhood and warfare are skilfully interwoven into a musical that tells the tale of a group of teenagers growing up on Tyneside during the Blitz.

Robert Westall’s The Machine Gunners was published in 1975 and won the Carnegie Medal for Children’s Literature, became a set text in schools, a million seller and a classic BBC TV series. This musical adaptation, written by Ken Reay and Tom Kelly with music by John Miles, was first staged at The Customs House in 1998 and then spent a month at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival where it received rave reviews. It returns to The Customs House, with a stellar cast, as part of the venue’s fifteenth anniversary season.

Fourteen-year-old Chaz McGill (played by James Baxter) is an avid collector of shrapnel and other forms of wartime memorabilia, which he finds amongst the debris of the bombsites in his home town, Garmouth. One day, he stumbles across the tail-end of a German fighter, its machine gun and its pilot.

Together with his gang of mates, Chaz decides to keep the German airman as a prisoner of war and he is secreted in a disused garden shed. Soon, though, the teenagers grow fond of Rudi and a set of unlikely friendships are formed.

The Machine Gunners is a piece of theatre that succeeds on every level. As dramatic as it is comedic, you cannot help but get caught up in the adventures of the youngsters, whilst also empathising with the fears and concerns of the adults.

Director Gareth Hunter has gathered together a cast comprising much of the best of North East talent. James Baxter’s portrayal of Chaz is carefully crafted and utterly believable. The relationship between Chaz and the other members of his gang, played by Tom Booth (Cem), Steven Stobbs (Clogger), Jamie Hannon (Nicky) and Rachel Teate (Audrey) is extremely convincing. Wayne Miller and Charlie Richmond also deliver great performances as Bodser the bully and John, respectively.

Neil Armstrong and Tracy Gillman strike up a great rapport as Chaz’s parents, whilst Annie Orwin maximises the comedy in her role as nosey-parker Mrs Spalding. Jamie Brown as Rudi, the German air-gunner, puts in a fine performance, as does Louis Roberts in the slightly limited role of Sergeant Green. Donald McBride and Tony Neilson complete the line-up as members of the Garmouth Home Guard.

Some of the songs stand up better than others, with ‘Gossip’, ‘F.R.I.E.N.D.S’ and ‘He Will Need You’ being the showstoppers. However, it is the story that completely sweeps you up and makes The Machine Gunners memorable for all the right reasons.

Steve Burbridge.

The Machine Gunners runs until Saturday 13^th February 2010.

Never Forget

The Tyne Theatre & Opera House

IT seems that the future of musical theatre is heading in the direction of the ‘juke-box’ musical. With a plethora of productions based on the back catalogue of groups such as ABBA, Queen and Boney M, it was a sure bet that one featuring the music of Take That would pop up.

‘Never Forget’ tells the story of five young men who enter a talent competition to form a Take That tribute band. Along the way, they discover that fame comes at a price but friendships last forever.

The ladies were out in full force, no doubt attracted as much by the physique of former Brookside and Hollyoaks star, Philip Olivier, as the hits penned by Gary Barlow. There was a huge scream upon his first appearance, followed by wolf-whistles and calls of ‘Get your kit off!’

The show isn’t exactly Ibsen or Chekhov – nor does it claim to be. It’s as camp as a row of pink tents and as cheesy as a Quatro Formaggi pizza, but the songs are fabulous and the choreography is breathtaking and the special effects are impressive, too.

‘Never Forget’ is an uplifting show that positively exudes the feel-good factor and makes for a great evening’s entertainment. Well worth a visit.

Steve Burbridge.

Runs until Saturday 6^th February 2010.