Aladdin

Darlington Civic Theatre

They say that you should never judge a book by its cover – well, if that’s the case, then you should also never judge a panto by its headliners.

I must admit that I initially turned my nose up at the prospect of reviewing a production starring The Grumbleweeds and X-Factor’s Chico, expecting it to be a bit of a Z-list celebrity affair. The taste of a large portion of humble pie is not a pleasant one, let me tell you, but I must swallow it nevertheless!

Aladdin is everything a good panto should be – frothy, frivolous fun – and this is largely due to Chico, who plays the title role. A natural extrovert, he throws himself wholeheartedly into delivering a performance that is so energetic and physically demanding that it must, surely, be powered by a plentiful supply of ‘the batteries with the copper coloured top.’

The Grumbleweeds – well, two of them anyway – step into the shoes of the Chinese policemen to provide much of the trademark slapstick. Robin Colvill, as Pc Wishee, and Graham Walker, as Pc Washee, are true masters of their art and delight the audience with a brilliant mix of comedy, music and impressions. Their instant rapport with the children in the audience is phenomenal, especially considering that none of the youngsters are old enough to remember them from their 1980s heyday.

Max Somerset is fantastic as the evil Abanazar, convincing the kids that he really is a sorcerer with his magic tricks and flame-throwing staff, whilst Bobby Bennett, a seasoned ‘dame’, treats us to a kind and cuddly Widow Twankey.

Sarah Brown is a quintessential Princess Jasmine and she shines brightest of all during her musical numbers, in which she proves that a petite princess can still produce a powerhouse performance.

There are some amazing circus acts within the production, encompassing juggling, plate-spinning and acrobatics. Yu Yin as So-Shy astonishes young and old alike with her incredible skill and dexterity – the act involving the Chinese parasols is absolutely breathtaking. Bubu Endresz, who doubles-up as The Emperor and The Genie of the Lamp, is equally as impressive.

The talented ensemble of six adds colour and movement to the musical numbers, whist performing Sarah St George’s slick and stylish choreography with precision and panache.

Director David Fleeshman ensures that the action crackles along at a pace that retains the attention of children with even the shortest of attention spans and the script, by Jon Conway, includes plenty of opportunity for audience participation and contains all the required elements to qualify this as a good old-fashioned traditional panto.

Indeed, this production of Aladdin enchants the audience with some real treasure of the Orient and has spirits soaring even higher than a magic carpet.

Until Sunday 17^th January 2010

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Darker Shores a new play by Michael Punter is a festive treat for theatergoers this December. 
The modern stage at Hampstead has been transformed into a Victorian Gothic parlour. Here is  where spirits abound. Man of science Professor Gabriel Stokes ( Tom Goodman-Hill) enlists American spiritualist Tom Beauregard ( Julian Rhind-Tutt) to investigate  the strange phenomena he encountered in a seaside house in Sussex. 

This is a thoroughly entertaining play that keeps up the suspense and momentum till the very end. The story begins with Beauregard and Stokes discussing the happenings in Sussex, echoes of the Woman in Black. However the similarities end there as a plot driven by the passions of one man and the determination of another take us on a journey into the unkown world of the other side. 

At times darkly comic, at others sensitve, with wonderful effects by magicians and illusionists to boot, whats not to like about this production?

Standout performances from Vinette Robinson as Florence the housemaid and Pamela Miles as Mrs Hinchcliffe the housekeeper with a desperate secret. Though Rhind-Tutt's southern accent is at times uneven, both he and Goodman-Hill make a great pair to accompany on their mission to discover the supernatural.
Not to be missed!
Darker Shores 
Hampstead theatre 
3 December - 16 January

Sleeping Beauty   


The Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch

by Nicholas Pegg

music and lyrics by Carol Sloman

Directed by Matt Devitt

“Don’t be silly, Silly Billy!” still rings in my ears after this thoroughly enjoyable performance of Sleeping Beauty by cut to the chase accompanied by children from local stage schools at the Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch.

The tone was immediately set by Simon Jessop as William Sillium, otherwise known as Silly Billy, bearing a vague resemblance to Frank Spencer.  Jessop did a good job of warming up the audience, instructing on when and what to shout.  There was no lack of audience participation, first on the agenda was to single out an unsuspecting adult to harass, the participant was a very willing John, who was given a pink fluffy headband to wear and some lines to shout, to the squealing joy of all children in close vicinity.

Chris MacDonnell’s Nanny Clutterbuck was a delight in an assortment of outrageously ridiculous costumes.  She delivered one-liners and song intros that only a pantomime dame can get away with.  She occasionally threw one up for the adults; you had to be pretty sharp to catch them, but when they landed, they landed well, along with the handfuls of sweets thrown into the audience.  The kids were in a frenzy before the second scene.

Participation was encouraged throughout and this performance fulfilled all the requirements of a good pantomime.  Calls of, ‘Behind you!’ And  ‘Oh no it isn’t.’ were not just limited to the younger audience as plates were dropped and smashed, and faces landed in cakes.  The good Fairy, Forget-Me-Not (Lucy Thackeray) was gladly helped in her need to remember names. Tom Clutterbuck (Elliot Harper), the thigh slapping love interest of the sleeping princess, Aurora (Sarah Scowen) performed a heroic sword fight sequence with the bad Fairy Carabosse (Jane Milligan) over her spell book.  The audience were employed as allies of the brave group who were crossing oceans and mountains in order to find a way of waking up the princess from her hundred-year sleep.  The spell book was passed between the audience as Carabosse fought to get it back. The intrepid group were eventually rewarded for their efforts, as they found the spell and were helped back to the castle by an extremely impressive dragon, (I was almost frightened). The boos and hisses and overwhelming heckling helped to rid the world of the evil Carabosse.  I was enchanted by the puppet show, illustrating the characters’ journey back to the castle on the blackened stage and stunned by the flying dragon as it passed overhead, carrying the characters on its back.

This is truly where cut to the chase shine, using their musical experience and sense of fun  Jane Milligan’s powerful voice carried along a great number, backed by the children and Sarah Scowen and Elliot Harper performed a couple of coming of age duets beautifully. The dance routines, especially King Boris’s Tango style dance with Nanny Clutterbuck in his attempts to woo her, were highly entertaining.

The Queen's theatre showed their commitment to and their familiarity with their audience.  Children from  the local schools were mentioned as well as individuals who were celebrating birthdays.

This was a fun filled evening that was certainly not just for the kids, as long as you unleash the inner child and lose your inhibitions and have a go at screaming at the top of your voice…’Don’t be silly, Silly Billy!’ you’ll have a ball…go on.

 

- Sign Language Interpreted performances - Wednesday 16 December and Thursday 7 January at 6.30pm - Interpreted by Shaun Hunsley - Audio Described performance - Thursday 7 January at 2pm - Described by Jon Polden  Sleeping Beauty homepage info@queens-theatre.co.uk

 

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Peter Pan

Northern Stage, Newcastle upon Tyne

Northern Stage’s Christmas productions are, traditionally, presented as an alternative to pantomime. Last year’s excellent production of Hansel and Gretel was the perfect example of how to re-tell a well-loved tale without slapstick, audience participation and double entendres – and it worked.

This year’s presentation of Peter Pan claims to ‘rediscover the charm of the original story that has enchanted children for nearly 100 years.’ In doing so, the auditorium has been redesigned and the traverse stage means that the use of scenery and dropcloths is out of the question. However, some inventive use of props sees the beds of the Darling children being adapted to recreate Neverland and the deck of The Jolly Roger, Captain Hook’s ship.

Not all the changes are as effective as this, though, and I was left wondering as to why Tinkerbell has been transformed into a size-zeroTeletubby with the voice of Sweep from The Sooty Show.

The decision to distance the production from all elements associated with pantomime seemed slightly half-hearted in certain respects. Personally, I’d have preferred it if they’d gone the whole nine yards and included a ‘dame’ or avoided the cross-dressing completely. Either way, it would have been better than Thomas Dyer-Blake’s cringingly embarrassing performance as Annabelle the nanny, which was mediocrity in a mob-cap.

I also found the image of the two mermaids, played by Caroline Reece and Juliet Thompson, caressing each other and stroking one another’s hair to be gratuitously homoerotic, rather disturbing, and totally inappropriate for a children’s production.

Much of the magic of the tale has been destroyed by the obsession to be innovative and avant-garde and the few opportunities to enchant and enthral were shamefully squandered: the fantastic sparkling clockwork crocodile was only required to trundle from one side of the stage to the other on a couple of occasions, whilst the flying scenes were devoid of any magic at all – how can a child engage with the story and really believe that Peter Pan can fly if they are subjected to watching the actors fastening themselves into the harnesses first?

Stephen Sharkey’s script is laden with great chunks of verbose dialogue which, I would imagine, might be quite difficult for children to penetrate and comprehend. He might have been wiser to cut some of the dialogue in favour of a few more swashbuckling scenes, of which there was a distinct lack.

Credit must be given to Louis Roberts, who gave an energetic and engaging performance in the title role. Christian Bradley as Captain Hook, Micky Cochrane as Smee and Tilly Gaunt as Wendy all did their best to inject some excitement into the piece.

Sadly, the pursuit of style over substance has resulted in a production that has no magic, no heart and no soul.

Steve Burbridge.

Peter Pan runs until Saturday 9 January 2010.

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Sleeping Beauty 

THE CUSTOMS HOUSE, SOUTH SHIELDS

There are many aspects of the festive season that I always really look forward to: a turkey dinner; parties; catching up with friends . . . the list goes on. And somewhere near the very top of that list is going to see ‘the little panto with the big heart’ at The Customs House in South Shields.

It’s one of those things that, for me, makes Christmas – along with the Queen’s speech, Bing Crosby singing ‘White Christmas’, mulled wine and mince pies.

Following on from the phenomenal success of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, the cast – a mixture of familiar and new faces – are treating audiences to the tale of Sleeping Beauty.

Ask anyone in the country to list the essential elements of a good old traditional panto and they might come up with a list as long as your arm. However, ask anyone in South Tyneside the same question and you’ll probably get only one answer – Dame Dotty and Tommy.

Ray Spencer (Tommy) and Bob Stott (Dame Dotty) are, without any shadow of a doubt, the basis of The Customs House panto and the reason for that is evident – their sheer enjoyment of playing opposite each other in addition to their propensity to deviate, expertly, from the script and indulge in a spot of ad-libbing, which results in a performance that is fresh and spontaneous.

I’m sure that to explain the plot of a story that is as well-known and well-loved as Sleeping Beauty would be superfluous, so it seems more appropriate to focus on the performances.

Peter Darrant’s villain is a stalwart of this particular venue’s panto . This year, as the Evil Chancellor Lord Darling, he elevates campness to a new and previously unchartered level. To say that his performance contained more ‘mince’ than a butcher’s shop window would be erring on the side of understatement. Yet, much to his credit, it is done in a way that goes over the kids’ heads but is not at all lost on the adults.

Darrant’s master of malevolence is joined by Helen Embleton’s fiendish fairy, Narcissis. Making her panto debut in style, Embleton marvellously milks the role for all it is worth, positively relishing the deafening boos that she received.

Lucy Rafton once again occupies the title role and she gives an assured performance as Princess Primrose of Jarra. The Prince, Walter of Howden, who she meets and falls in love with, is played by newcomer Afnan Ifitkhar and he looks every inch the romantic hero. His singing voice has the clarity and distinction which, unfortunately, his dialogue lacks and some of his lines were, to me, inaudible.

Graham Overton, another regular at The Customs House, gives an endearing performance as the bumbling King Street, whilst Rachel Teate (Fairy Cake), Rebecca Currie (Fairy Lights) and Lindsay-Anne Dagg (Fairy Nuff), who all graduated from drama school only this year, spread more than just a little magic as Princess Primrose’s Fairy Godmothers.

Not to be outdone by splashier, flashier pantomimes, The Customs House also has its fair share of technical wizardry in the form of a delightful little animated dragon named Derek and his much larger, fire-breathing uncle, Archimedes.

The script, as it should, has more corn than the Jolly Green Giant on harvest day and it’s great fun to groan along at the predictable puns.

Once again, The Customs House has come up trumps with a sensational seasonal show that is full of festive frolics – I can’t wait for next year!

Steve Burbridge.

Sleeping Beauty runs until Sunday 3 January 2010.

Cinderella

Theatre Royal, Newcastle upon Tyne

It isn’t only the Prince who is charming in Newcastle Theatre Royal’s stunning production of Cinderella – everyone and everything else is, too.

Never before have I seen such a lavish, spectacular pantomime and I wouldn’t even like to attempt to guess at the amount of work, time and money that has been invested into making it happen.

Of course, audiences at the Theatre Royal are now used to getting the very best in seasonal entertainment – for the last five years each of the panto’s written, directed and produced by Michael Harrison have broke the previous year’s box office records. And each of them has been bigger and better than the last.

It is probably no coincidence that, for the last five years, the cast has been headed by father and son double-act, Clive Webb and Danny Adams. The audiences, especially the kids, absolutely worship them and erupt into rapturous cheers and applause as soon as they make their first stage entrance.

This year they are co-starring with Roxanne Pallett, formerly of Emmerdaleand Dancing on Ice fame, who plays a spirited Cinderella. Although she isn’t given many opportunities to sing, when she does the hairs on the back of your neck stand up - who knew she could sing like that?

Newcastle’s very own panto dame, the inimitable Chris Hayward, makes a welcome return (it’s his third consecutive panto at the Royal) as Baroness Rita and, as usual wows the audience with a succession of fabulous costumes. What is equally as impressive is the fact that he designs and creates them all himself!

Also making a return this year is local actor Phil Corbitt, from Cullercoats, who teams up with Whitley Bay’s Steve Arnott to play Smelly and Nelly, the ugly sisters. The pair are brilliantly bad, entertainingly evil and wonderfully wicked, really making the most of being mean to poor old Cinders. The partnership works well and who’s to say that panto hasn’t found itself the new, definitive pair of Uglies?

Scooch’s David Ducasse is an affable Dandini, whilst West End musical theatre performers Matt Rawle and Donna Steele play Prince Charming and Fairy Godmother. It would have been great if the characters of Dandini and Prince Charming had been fleshed out a little more, as I felt that Ducasse and Rawle are slightly under-utilised. Steele, on the other hand, has been given a gem of a role as the ditzy, dotty newly-qualified Fairy Godmother and she grabs, with gusto, every opportunity to shine.

It isn’t only the casting of Steele and Rawle that brings a touch of West End sophistication to the proceedings – the production values are outstanding, too. Stunning sets, exquisite costumes, and a great musical score all contribute significantly to the overall effect.

Without wishing to be a killjoy and spoil the many other wonderful surprises that drew ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ aplenty on press night – and, without a doubt, will during the rest of the run – the transformation scene is particularly spectacular.

This production has raised the benchmark for pantomimes, not only in the North East but all over the country and I defy anyone, young or old, to leave the theatre without being completely enchanted. You’d be mad to miss it!

Steve Burbridge.

Cinderella runs until Saturday 16 January 2010.

If you think you’ve seen the definitive musical version of Dickens’ novelOliver Twist, think again.  Like Lionel Bart's classic version, the production at Bolton this festive season is laced throughout with catchy songs and dances.  However the Octagon’s new adaptation, with a cast playing multiple roles as well as all the instruments, is very much in the Northern Broadsides tradition - hardly surprising, as writer Deborah McAndrew and composer Conrad Nelson are both veterans of that company.

The narrative is stripped down to about two hours, so out go various sub-plots, but the old favourites are all present and correct.  Robert Pickavance is an oleaginous and sycophantic Fagin; Tim Frances is excellent comic value as Mr Bumble, the cruel and cowardly beadle; Esther Ruth Elliott is Nancy, the tart with a heart; and a rotating cast of talented and enthusiastic children play Oliver Twist, the Artful Dodger and all the assorted urchins.

Dawn Allsopp’s impressive set, an imposing urban sprawl of brick walls, rackety bridges and dirty cobbles, spans the whole width of the auditorium and soars to the ceiling.  Director Josette Bushell-Mingo’s production makes the most of the huge playing area, with great choreography and energetic ensembles.

This version of Oliver Twist is sweet without being saccharine, and addresses the iniquities of Victorian England without being too scary for a younger audience.  Judging by the reaction from the stalls on Friday night, this is a really excellent Christmas show for the whole family.

 Oliver Twist is on at Bolton Octagon until Saturday 23 January 2010

Tickets: £8.50 - £15.95

Shows: Mon-Sat at 10.15am, 2.15pm & 7.15pm (performance schedule varies - see website)

Box Office: 01204 520661

www.octagonbolton.co.uk

The charming singer presents a programme of unforgettable songs by Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Leonard Bernstein, Noel Coward, and other greats. Tom Scott does not simply accompany Hope, he is a jazz piano virtuoso! I was especially impressed by Tom's improvisation of It's All Right With Me and Hope's interpretation of Skylark. There are many highlights in this show and Hope brings so much joy and pure energy to it that I had problems staying in my seat - I wanted to swing with Hope and Tom!
    
Go see the show if you love jazz. Only two days left! 

The Rosemary Branch Theatre
Dec. 2-4, 8.00 pm
020 7704 6665

Celebrate Christmas

With

Thomas Spencer-Wortley

www.thomasspencerwortley.com

 

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"We are so excited about the upcoming concerts. As we are coming into our fourth Winter season, we can't wait to pull together all our experiences of live performances over the years help to create a really brilliant show with the wonderfully talented Thomas Spencer-Wortley”…..All Angels

 

“The Drop-dead, Sinatra-eyed quintessential Englishman made the hairs on my neck stand up when he sang his self-penned track ‘Credere’.....Lesley-Ann Jones, Sunday Express

 

Thomas Spencer-Wortley- an exceptional young tenor who possesses talent, looks, integrity and the drive to continually push musical boundaries- will be bringing his spectacular Christmas concert to London, Birmingham and Harrogate. The evenings will include popular classics to songs from the shows and festive favourites.

 

Thomas will be joined by Platinum & Classical Brit nominated ‘All Angels' as special guests alongside- Natalie Hope– direct from the UK Tour of Evitaand soprano Mairead Carlin. He will also be accompanied by Thomas’ own quartet- ‘The Midnight String Quartet’ and a number of past and present students of the Royal Academy of Music. Details of his tour are below:

 

Celebrate Christmas with Thomas Spencer-Wortley Tour dates:

 

December:

20^th      London           St John’s Smith Square, Westminster                     7.30pm

                                    (Feat. the Fulham Camerata)

 

21^st      Birmingham   Town Hall, Birmingham                                          7.30pm

                                    (Feat. West End Academy Chorus)

 

22^nd     Harrogate       Harrogate International Centre                              7.30pm

                                    (Feat. Leeds Philharmonic Chorus / West End Academy Chorus)

  

Thomas’ debut album Credere is out now and contains self-penned songs such as lead-off track- ‘Credere’- a beautifully arranged song with haunting vocals and a soaring melody- a song so brilliant it could stand alongside those of any of the great master works. Other songs present on the album include his take on classics such as -‘Ave Maria’; ‘The Prayer’ and ‘You Raise Me Up’, and it marks the introduction of a major new voice in music. With his English charm, Italian style and world-class voice, Thomas Spencer-Wortley is destined for great recognition. 

 

To date, Thomas has been described as ‘The English Josh Groban’, the ‘solo version of Il Divo’ and the UK’s answer to Andrea Bocelli but to those who know him, he’s just Thomas...

 

Thomas lives and works with his younger brother, composer & arranger, Oliver Spencer-Wortley. Between them they set out to create a sound, and one which is becoming clearly recognisable, where the excitement of the modern era meets the classics yet retaining all of the beauty and artistry of the original composition. 

 

Thomas was born and raised in Derbyshire and then moved to study voice at Trinity College of Music, going on to gain a post graduate diploma and LRAM at the Royal Academy of Music.  After working in music theatre it was evident that Thomas’ classical sound was individual, a real blend of the operatic world and the ‘West End’.  This left Thomas with an apparent decision to make, although now it would appear an obvious step, he chose to combine the best of both and become a solo classical cross-over artist.

 

For more information, please visit:

www.thomasspencerwortley.com

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Jenůfa

An Opera in Two Acts performed by the Glyndebourne’s Touring Opera

Composed by Leoš Janáček

Directed by Nikolaus Lehnhoff

Jenůfa is an opera based on a story by Gabriela Preissová, sung in Czech with English subtitles. Tension started as soon as the curtain opened and didn’t cease until the very end.

An extremely dramatic opera which betrays well the deep love a mother has for her child, and the lengths she will go to protect that child.

As always the cast was superb, both in the singing and also the dramatic atmosphere they created. Giselle Allen in the title role was magnificent and her beautiful voice was shown to its best in the aria sung in the second act. But praise must go indeed to Anne Mason who played her mother, a vocal and acting performance of extraordinary ability which clearly moved the whole audience.

The sets and lighting contributed well to the atmosphere, especially in the last scene when the shutters were opened and light poured in to portray a happier scene.

Robin Ticciati conducted the beautiful and stirring music with sensitivity, portraying well the silent pauses that added to the tension.  The audience was clearly appreciative and one came away with a lot to think about.

The Glyndebourne Touring Opera is at Milton Keynes Theatre until Saturday 28^th November.  Milton Keynes Box Office 0870 060 6652 (bkg fee)

www.miltonkynestheatre.com For future dates please see www.glyndebourne.com

 

Reviewed by Yvonne Penne-Stuart at the Milton Keynes Theatre on Thursday 26^thNovember 2009

Dial M For Murder

Tuesday 3^rd November 2009 at Richmond Theatre

In the opening scene Sheila Wendice (Aislin McGuchin) says: “I burnt all the letters, except one”, to American writer Max Halliday (Nick Fletcher), with whom she has been having an affair.  It turns out it was stolen and a blackmail note followed.

I particularly liked the set with its rotating stage.  Deceptive at first.  My eyes had to focus hard to make sure the furniture was not simply being moved.

The curtains, almost scarlet in colour, would change position as the stage did.

The ransom money was not collected from the address it was sent to.  Max quizzes her: “Are you ever going to tell Tony ( Richard Lintern)  about us?”

She hesitates and tries to condone what she has done, feeling a year ago her husband became a changed man.

The interior pays particular attention to its objects, which are all in various tones of red.

Before the husband enters they make a toast: “ Let’s drink to the way things turn out.” Continuing with the red theme, we notice the colour of Sheila Wendice’s handbag and coat, also red.

The back-drop, see-through, is so much that we may see the staircase.  While the husband is alone with old school acquaintance, Captain Lesgate (Daniel Hill) whom he tells he had always wanted to marry for money,

He continues saying “Would you like to hear how my wife nearly left me?”

After long absences he has discovered something had been going on.

Tony: “I’d make it look like a burglary.  I tried to force her hand by blackmailing her. Funny to think I might have murdered her,..”

“..if I hadn’t seen something to help me change my mind.”

The thing to help change his mail being ‘the letter.’

The Captain, who resembles the main lead in ‘To The Manor Born’, realizes he is being blackmailed.  Reluctant to carry out the task demanded, he is swayed by offer of £1,000.

To create an almost filmic-type atmosphere, the furniture, centrally positioned, starts to judder slightly.  As the see-through red curtain gradually moves round, the phone starts to ring; the captain exits from the scene, the lights change to blue and we hear the sound of teardrops.

The attempted murder scene is most effective, with its echoey sound effects.  All-in-all a well put together piece of theatre, capturing the spirit of Hitchcock.

Christmas with the Rat Pack

Darlington Civic Theatre

‘Tis the season to be jolly . . . and to be surrounded by wall-to-wall panto! But, before all that begins in earnest, Christmas with The Rat Pack is a very welcome deviation on the festive theme.

As the title suggests, the show treats audiences to an evening of the music of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. Now in its tenth year, the appeal of this production is obvious – it’s slick, stylish and sensational.

Stephen Rashbrook, Mark Halliday and Matt Henry perform as Frank, Dean and Sammy, respectively, and they are joined by Robyn Currell, Nikki Stokes and Rachel Parrott as the Burrelli Sisters.

After beginning with a string of swing hits including Almost Like Being In Love, I’ve Got You Under My Skin and That Old Black Magic Called Love, the tone takes a seasonal turn and classic Christmas songs are integrated into the proceedings.

The performances are top-notch; each of the guys looks and sounds like the legend they are portraying, and there is a wonderful rapport between them. Some scripted ‘comedy patter’ entertains the audience between numbers and it is executed in a way that looks completely spontaneous.

The auditorium was pretty much full on press night, which bodes well for the rest of the week, proving that it is possible to present a seasonal show without having to have the audience shout out: ‘It’s behind you!’

Steve Burbridge.

‘Christmas with The Rat Pack runs at Darlington until Saturday 28 November 2009.

 

Cosi Fan Tutte

Reviewed Tuesday 24^th November 2009

Nicholas Hytner's production of Così Fan Tutte has been reworked since its 2006 debut and this revivial is most definitely a Glyndebourne crowd pleaser. The loyal audience at Milton Keynes signalled their approval long and loud at the end of last night's performance.
This opera about deception, self-deception, morals and fidelity, labelled 'immoral' by Beethoven and considered misogynistic by others is now considered to be one of Mozart's finest works. Although the title translates as 'Typical women' neither sex comes out of this narrative particularly well!

This production has received very favourable reviews elsewhere and Hytner’s revivial is an elegant one aided by Ashley Dean’s sophisticated staging. Outstanding as ever is the orchestra, this time under Patrick Lange’s perfect control; this is the highlight.

The strongest performances come from Riccardo Novaro (Alfonso) and Simona Mihai (Despina). These two, and their dark plottings, pin the production together. Novaro plays Alfonso with an air of menace and does not overplay the humour; he clearly enjoys causing disharmony and distress. Nevertheless, he is charismatic and that coupled with his rich and powerful voice makes Alfonso an attractive character.

Mihai, as Despina, has a pure, fresh quality to her voice, and is a perfect match for her co-conspirator. She is superb in portraying the cynical, no nonsense side of her character and contrasts well with the two sisters, played by Gillian Ramm (Fiodiligi) and Lucia Cirillo (Dorabella).

These two are also excellent, both in voice and as performers, and play their parts with a mix of naivete and gentle sexiness at the beginning. Their character development as the story progresses is well managed and they are faultless in their vocals.Cirillo expresses herself very well in the comedic role, with Ramm taking the role of the seemingly more 'sensible' sister. They both are superb in their scenes with their lovers, Andrew Tortise (Ferrando) and Jacques Imbralio (Guglielmo).

First to Tortise who is not as strong as the others on stage. His voice does not seem quite a match and his acting is so awkward at times that his character is not consistently believeable, upsetting the balance and force of the drama on stage. I found my eye drawn to him in the scenes with Guglielmo and their lovers but not for the right reasons. As he is not convincing as the lovestruck Ferrando, the scene in which his lover’s infidielity is exposed – a scene which should be painful to watch as his anguish, despair and anguish is revealed – is rather weak when it should be a pivotal point.

Imbralio, on the other hand, is utterly convincing throughout. Beautiful in voice, perfect in his performance, convicing as both a bit of a cad
and a persuasive lover.

Overall this a solid and strong revival; superb orchestra as ever, elegant staging, and overall perfomances which are convincing and engaging.

Playing MK Theatre Friday 27th Nov then Plymouth, THeatre Royal on Tuesday 1st and Friday 4th Dec

 

Reviewed by Louise Winter on behalf of Catherine Brian

Glaswegians will find a second use for their Hallow'een costumes this week as Richard O' Brien's Rocky Horror Show makes a welcome return to the King's Theatre.

It’s been 2 years since Rocky Horror visited Glasgow and, at 36 years young, this show doesn’t seem to be showing any signs of age yet! The openly sexual nature of the characters and the storyline were so far ahead of their time when the show opened to a tiny London audience in 1973 that today they still appear fresh and relevant. Director, Christopher Luscombe, and set designer, Janet Bird, added fresh elements to the show a few years back and this latest cast bring their own energy and life to the well loved characters.  The tradition of audience interaction with the cast ensures that no two performances are the same!!

David Bedella simply owns the role of Frank 'N' Furter.  He brought all of his experience of a US national tour (with Meatloaf, no less) to bear in his portrayal of musical theatre's most recognisable character.  He had an astonishing rapport with the audience.  Christopher Biggins embraced his role as the Narrator, comfortably staying one step ahead of an audience who were, at times, a little over excited!  “It was over, but what was over?” asked Mr. Biggins.  “Your career”, answered the audience.  “You must be mistaking me for Katie Price”, he retorted.  Mark Evans (Brad) and Haley Flaherty (Janet) were vocally accomplished and carried the story well.

This is a great production of an excellent show and Glasgow audiences have been given another chance to catch it.  Don’t miss out!

 

LISTINGS INFORMATION

Richard O'Brien's Rocky Horror Show

King's Theatre: Monday 23 - Saturday 28 November 2009

Mon  - Thu eves 7.30pm

Fri & Sat 5pm & 8.30pm

Tickets: £12.50 - £30.50

Box Office: 08448 717648 (bkg fee)

www.ambassadortickets.com/glasgow

Jump!

Live Theatre, Newcastle upon Tyne

To market a play as being ‘played out like a Tarantino movie’ seems a tad egotistical and a rather tall order to fulfil. A quote like that should be used when it can be attributed to a rave review rather than little more than speculative wishful thinking.

That said, Live Theatre is synonymous with producing high-quality drama laced with strong local connections and I was looking forward to a tense, psychological black comedy.

Assembling a cast of extremely talented local actors, including Vicky Elliott, Laura Norton and James Baxter, the ‘English premiere’ of Jump! follows the lives of seven desperate characters during New Year’s Eve on Tyneside.

Good time girls Marie (Vicky Elliott), Dara (Laura Norton) and Hannah (Bronagh Taggart, making her professional debut) knock back the bevvies and bitch while waiting for another girl friend to arrive.

Johhny (James Baxter) and Ross (Harry Hepple) are a couple of guys who have got themselves in too deep with a local heavy and now have to carry out a contract killing to write-off a gambling debt that they cannot repay.

Two strangers, Pearce (Neil Grainger) and Greta (Frances McNamee) are both intent on leaping from Newcastle’s High Level Bridge but, after accidentally discovering each other, they proceed to try to talk one another out of it.

As the story unfolds it becomes apparent that the lives of these seven characters are already intertwined and that each of their lives are about to change forever.

Writer Lisa McGee seems to have ‘borrowed’ some of her ideas – didn’t Helena Bonham Carter and Sam Neill have a similar encounter on a bridge in Alan Ayckbourn’s 1998 movie, The Revengers’ Comedies?

The storyline has a strictly ‘thriller-by-numbers’ feel to it and the twists and turns are easy to anticipate. The script is littered with gratuitous bad language that adds nothing to the development of the narrative and the dialogue is rather clichéd.

There are also some glaringly obvious geographical gaffes that must have been the result of the decision to change the setting of the play from Belfast to Newcastle. These should have been picked up by the production team from the outset – or at the very least during the rehearsal process.

Performers of the calibre of Vicky Elliott and Laura Norton are worthy of a better vehicle to demonstrate their abilities than this. If I were to offer Miss Elliott a cautionary word of advice, it would be: ‘Watch out! Be careful that you don’t become typecast as the slightly cynical tart with a heart and the witty one-liners.’

James Baxter’s attempt to instil a degree of believability into the one-dimensional role of Johnny, combined with his stature, hairstyle and facial expressions, resulted in a performance that made him seem like Sonic the Hedgehog with a severe case of haemorrhoids.

The audience on press night, aside from theatre critics, seemed to comprise of family and friends of the writer and performers, plus a sprinkling of invited local celebrities, and there was a fair amount of over-enthusiastic, sycophantic laughter which smacked of desperation more than anything else.

When the only line in the play that I could really engage with was ‘I just want to get home and pretend tonight never even happened’, it leaves little more to say.

Steve Burbridge.

‘Jump!’ runs at Live Theatre, Newcastle until Saturday 5^th December 2009.

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The Adventures of Mr Brouček

Opera North at Theatre Royal, Newcastle

Unconventional is probably a fair way to describe The Adventures of Mr Brouček.

This co-production between Opera North and Scottish Opera is the first major British production since the 1990’s. It’s based upon two novels by Svatopluk Čech – The Excursion of Mr Brouček to the Moon and The Excursion of Mr Brouček to the 15^th Century.

Generally, his adventures begin and end in a beer barrel and Brouček is, essentially, a sort of drunken, operatic Mr Benn.

Firstly, after a quarrel in the local pub about the existence of life on the Moon, he falls and is transported to a surreal, clinical environment populated by a civilisation obsessed with art, poetry and all things aesthetic. There are some zany moments in the scenes that follow, which are most certainly to be taken with a large pinch of salt.

Brouček’s pompous opinions and lack of lunar etiquette soon land him in trouble, however, and he is forced to leave abruptly.

The second half sees him transported back in time to 1420 and slap-bang into the midst of a Czech battle. There is a distinct air of patriotism present throughout these scenes – all stirring battle songs and calls to arms. Brouček’s cowardice results in him faring no better in the past than he did in the future, and he is placed in a barrel to be burnt.

This vivid musical journey through space and time is a true ensemble piece, incorporating a strong cast of singers who each play multiple roles.

John Graham-Hall puts in a star-turn as the bumbling Brouček and almost succeeds in making the loathsome, lecherous loser likeable. Anne Sophie Duprels deserves a mention on two counts; firstly, for her wonderfully uninhibited performance as Málinka/Etherea/Kunka and, secondly, for doing it with a badly-sprained ankle. A real trouper, indeed.

Fun and eccentric, this was an enjoyable – yet rather bizarre – opera.

Steve Burbridge.

The Adventures of Mr Brouček was performed at Theatre Royal, Newcastle on Thursday 19^th November 2009. 

SECRETS COCK TAVERN THEATRE

With the enticing title of Secrets and publicity that promised ‘explosive drama,’ I was all set for an exciting night out at the latest play at the Cock Tavern Theatre. However this rather tame and unfocused contribution offers little in the way of startling confessions or dramatic originality.

Created by Flexible Productions, eight actors reveal their own, true-life secrets through devised enactments. Amongst those unravelling their inner-most shames are a traumatised woman revisiting her sadistic relationship with a boyfriend, a closet queen, a supposedly reformed bully and a questionable victim of sexual abuse. Apart from Helen Briscoe’s disturbing revelations it’s all a bit timid, confused and ultimately shallow. In fact there are the secrets which are so vaguely wafted about that’s it hard to actually pin-point what they actually are.

This awkward effort lets down the usual high standard of work that the Cock has consistently produced in the past. The writing is all over the place, contrived and clumsily structured with some scenes adding little to the storyline or development of the characters. Indeed the only revelation this play really offers is the ability of the exceptionally skilled cast to create engaging, truthful performances despite being in a production that under Danielle Coleman’s messy direction, looks like a drama school creation. This further is emphasised by a bricolage of victim headlines glued onto a cheap looking backdrop as the centre piece for the set.
Helen Briscoe is exceptional in all her roles, James Dutton convincing as the bully and a suspected victim, Andrew Cleave very watchable as the put-upon psychologist and Shireen Walton adds some equally comic and moving moments to the play.
The telling of secrets have been the basis for many a successful drama. This is not one of them.
OLIVER VALENTINE
www.cocktaverntheatre.com

“Sailor Beware!” by Philip King & Falkland Cary at Baron’s Court Theatre on Sunday 15^thNovember 2009

Published by: Tremayne (Potter)

Before the curtains went up at The Curtains Up pub I had been led to believe that “Sailor Beware!” was a farcical play, not worthy of a revival but by the end of Act I, the person had to take back what had been said and admit, how much they liked Nadine’s  Window’s take on it.  A non-farcical play.Bumper packed, full of joyous Northern-style humour.

“It’s the uniform she’s fallen for”, says Emma Hornett (Jean Christie), speaking disapprovingly of her daughter’s choice in men.  The man, in question, is Albert Tufnell (Michael Aucott), who bears a slight resemblance to singer Robbie Williams.  His character, played out in a very natural, cheeky boy way, makes it difficult for the audience not to be endeared by him.  Albert is a Marine and on greeting his mother-in-law-to-be he throws his arms open.  She seems less than impressed.  Then, cousin Daphne Pink (Chloe Fontaine) arrives, and Albert introduces himself to her as ‘The Human Sacrifice!’

The tea time scene is painful to watch.  I could relate to it immensely, with its tedious arguments bubbling at the surface and the bossy mother figure, who says: “we can’t all have baths in the morning”, suggesting that some people might choose to bath the night before The Wedding, i.e. Pop( Kevin Halliwell)!Their quibbling continues and Pop says: “anyone would think he were on his way to prison the way you talk”, seeing no reason why Albert should not experience one last night of freedom on the town before the big day, managing to start-up an argument between Albert and his fiancée, Shirley (Jacquelyn Kent ).

When the lights fade for the first time, the actors use the time effectively, clearing the dinner table and carrying away any unwanted running props.

In the next scene we are introduced to annoyingly funny neighbour Mrs Lack (Jeryl Burgess), whom all of us can relate to as we all would have come across someone like her at one time or another. A kind of Dot from EasterEnders type, who brings with her the news that her daughter cannot carry out her bridesmaid duties but her take on it is that why shouldn’t a Wedding start to go wrong before the marriage has had a chance to begin.

Pa comes in after a big night on the town, not convincing me with his drunken behaviour.  That is, until he starts to rearrange the household ornaments and then I believe him!

I like the reference made to ‘scotch broth’ as Daphne puckers her lips up ready for a goodnight kiss from Carnoustie ( Andrew Glen), who is a marine friend of the groom.

Act II reminded me greatly of Last of the Summer Wine, in its heyday with all the same cast.

“Oh my God, get rid of her before I come back”, says Ma suspecting Mrs Lack is coming round again, blatantly relishing in the fact of poking her nose in where it is not welcome.

Albert finds himself getting pre-Wedding jitters and does not turn up to the ceremony.  Ma’s answer to everything is a nice, warm brew, even when Shirley tells her she wants to die! “Well, you’ve got to have a tea first”, she responds, completely managing to capture that Northern spirit.

Whilst everything is up in the air, Albert walks in, to everyone’s dismay and reassures Shirley that he did want to marry her. ‘Did’ being the operative word!

The priest arrives shortly after and insists on seeing the bride and groom on their own.  During the discussion we learn that Shirley had allowed her mother to put down a deposit on a house, just 3 doors down.  Carnoustie had apparently let it slip out the night before, otherwise Albert would have been none the wiser.  Both are still dead set on marrying one another but Albert stipulates that it must be on his terms and not on Shirley’s mother’s.  Shirley agrees and all ends happily.

Werther

Opera North at Theatre Royal, Newcastle.

By no stretch of the imagination could I ever claim to be an opera buff. I always believed that a bunch of fat women warbling away in a foreign tongue wouldn’t be my cup of tea at all. It turns out my preconceptions were way off the mark!

Opera North’s stunning production of Werther, a rarely performed opera by Jules Massenet, was about as accessible as you could possibly get. It’s basically a story of unrequited love that ends in tragedy. Werther is a man who is hopelessly in love with a woman already promised in marriage to another.

Although it is sung in French it is easy to follow and compelling to watch. There are screens at either side of the stage, translating the wonderfully poetic dialogue into English.

The performances are exquisite. Paul Nilon and Alice Coote are brilliant as the star-crossed lovers, Werther and Charlotte. Both have powerful voices that are rich and full – perfect for delivering the emotion of the piece – although the swell of the huge orchestra sometimes engulfed and drowned out Nilon.

The sets, designed by Hildegard Bechtler, are simple yet effective, and the orchestra, conducted by Richard Farnes, wonderfully adds to the drama and intensity of the piece.

Highly recommended.

Steve Burbridge.

Performances: Wednesday 18^th November 2009 & Saturday 21^stNovember 2009. Both at 7.30pm

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A complex scientific subject matter combined with theological debate was never going to be my first choice for a theatre experience. I did want to support this first venture of The Oxford Saturday Matinee Club but 'Collider' proved to be a very wordy piece and I often found it hard to believe in the ‘dialogue’ as much more than the four characters making speeches sometimes at rather than to each other or the audience. However, although it might not have been tremendous theatre and was over long (I was definitely clock watching towards the end), it featured some strong performances, especially from Steve Hay. The venue and staging did the play no favours. It was performed in the round but, with no raked audience seating, when actors sat down the sight lines were unforgiving. The friends who went with me (both of whom had stronger grasps of physics than me and one of whom is a devout Catholic) enjoyed the play far more than I did and it provoked some debate and discussion between them afterwards. They both declared it to be very good. I was unconvinced. The so-called vaudeville interludes did little to lift this from being effectively a difficult radio discourse and I may not know much about burlesque but found those elements some of the weakest. Hopefully The Oxford Saturday Matinee Club will provide greater entertainment with its future pieces. This one failed to move me and most of the information contained was too complex for me to retain on a Saturday afternoon.

Mark Morris Dance Group

Theatre Royal, Newcastle

Friday 13^th November 2009

INDIFFERENCE is probably the worst reaction that any performance can generate – it means that, for whatever reason, the production has not sufficiently engaged the watcher to provoke a more emotive response.

The Mark Morris Dance Group is renowned for its innovative contemporary dance performances.Indeed its namesake has been described as ‘one of the greatest choreographers of our time’ and his multi-award winning group – which started in 1980 in Brooklyn, New York – is now one of the world’s leading companies. Sadly, their latest repertoire, which played two nights at the Theatre Royal, failed to offer anything outstanding.

Although the auteur will always have a preferred meaning, often the individual will form their own interpretation of what is being performed on stage in front of them. Some may not even look beyond the aesthetics of the piece to find their enjoyment.

The programme comprised four different routines, each with a style, tone and mood of their own. The first, performed to Bach’s Italian Concerto, was perhaps the closest to what might be described as conventional dance.

Going Away Party, a camp, kitsch cowboy routine, entertained the audience with its swivelling hips and gyrating crotches. Personally, though, I felt that almost twenty five minutes of corny country and western was a tad too long.

Three Preludes, which replaced the billed Excursions, was a solo performed by Bradon McDonald to Gershwin’s Preludes For Piano. Costumed in black and white, presumably as a metaphor of the piano keys, the movements were Pierrot-esque.

The final piece, Grand Duo, was a spectacle of ritualistic fist-clenching, feet-stomping and body-writhing, in which the loin-clothed performers were almost tribal in their movement and expression.

What failed to impress me was the clumsiness with which some of the movements were executed. You don’t have to be an aficionado of contemporary dance to spot a wobbly landing or two.

Steve Burbridge.

Bill Kenwright and Laurie Mansfield in Association withUniversal Music

Present

Dreamboats and Petticoats

Book by Laurence Marks & Maurice Gran

Reviewed by Sue Marks at Milton Keynes Theatre on Monday 16^thNovember 2009.

 

This show is a must for anyone who remembers the 1950s and ‘60s, but many of the songs featured are so well known it will appeal to anyone who loves these songs. Before the show started I wasn’t sure what to expect in terms of dialogue to music ratio. However, I was pleased to find that there was a good storyline woven around the songs. The show opens with an attic scene where a man shows his Granddaughter his old Fender guitar and says he will explain how he was once, very briefly, in a band. The attic disappears and the band explodes into the opening track, “Let’s Dance.” 

It is the early 1960s and most of the show is set in a youth club in Essex where some members have formed a band and some are attempting to write songs to enter a contest. There are a number of pretty young girls to distract them from their ambitions. There is romance, some of which is unrequited and teenage angst. Songs from the era are performed to a high standard throughout the show as the characters strive to fulfil their dreams. The dialogue is well written and amusing and the characters are believable and likeable. Everyone gave a good performance both in acting and singing. The musicians were also very accomplished.

The band was a permanent fixture on the stage and curtains were used to hide the band for scenes outside the youth club such as the attic or in people’s homes. A thick red curtain was used as a backdrop for the song contest which also served to obscure the band. When the youth club members went on a trip to Southend a couple of dodgems were used to create a fun fair and with a slight modification served as carriers on the tunnel of love. The furniture in the youth club was typical of that time.

The costumes reflected the era and were excellent. Some of the dresses were very colourful with frothy white petticoats underneath. The hair and makeup was also appropriate for the time.  The Teddy Boys’ outfits were particularly authentic.

This show is colourful and vibrant and certainly has a feel good factor. The audience must have enjoyed it as they were clapping in time with the music. Towards the end some people stood up to dance, I was pleased they had managed to resist doing this earlier in the show, as it obviously obstructs other people’s view of the stage. Fortunately those standing up didn’t block my vision of the last few minutes. If you want your spirits lifted go and see this show.

Dreamboats and Petticoats plays Milton Keynes Theatre until Saturday 21^st November 2009. Milton Keynes Theatre Box Office 0844 871 7652 (bkg fee). The tour then continues playing New Theatre Hull from 23^rd to 28^th November 2009 and the Lyceum Theatre Sheffield from 01^st to 05^thDecember 2009.

www.miltokeynestheatre.com www.kenwright.com

Reviewed by Sue Marks at Milton Keynes Theatre on Monday 16^thNovember 2009 on behalf of Catherine Brian.

 

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Last Of The Summer Wine: The Moonbather

Darlington Civic Theatre

Last of the Summer Wine is the longest-running sit-com in the world and a national institution in Britain. Since January 1973, the gentle programme about a trio of old men and their eccentric exploits has charmed and enthralled its viewers.

Now, for the second time, it transfers to the stage with a new play, entitled ‘The Moonbather’, written by Roy Clarke.

The roles of Compo, Clegg and Foggy – which were played on screen by Bill Owen, Peter Sallis and Brian Wilde – are recreated with aplomb by Harry Dickman, Timothy Kightley and John Pennington, respectively. The cast also includes Ruth Madoc as Meg, Tony Adams as Mr Pilbeam and Steven Pinder as Gifford Bewmont.

The story revolves around the hunt for a nocturnal streaker who, being a braver man than I, has been revealing himself to the women of Holmfirth. In a sub-plot, Foggy is also trying to win the affections of the timid Samantha (Gillian Axtell) and steal her away from the hapless Gifford Bewmont who has been stringing her along for the past fourteen years.

Although the performances of the three old codgers are carefully crafted, they are let down by the script which is contrived, smutty and predictable. It is hard to believe that it has been written by the creator and writer of the television programme. The shortcomings of the script are further compounded by some cringe-worthy impersonations of Nora Batty and Marina by Estelle Collins and of Wally Batty and Howard by the equally untalented Ian Marr.

Ruth Madoc attempts, in vain, to bring a touch of ‘star-quality’ to the proceedings in her role as the larger-than-life Meg but, in doing so, delivers a performance that is hammy at best.

In the end, the streaker is caught and his motives are not at all sexually perverted – he has a skin condition that, he believes, is alleviated by exposing his bare flesh to moonlight. Oh well, that’s alright then!

The one consolation is that the piece is fairly short, running at just under two hours. This gave me enough time to obtain a stiff drink and ponder the two mysteries that remained unsolved in Holmfirth – why do the trees grow in symmetrical mirror images of each other and why does Cleggy need a letter box on the internal door of his lounge?

Steve Burbridge.

‘Last of the Summer Wine’ runs until Saturday 14^th November 2009.

 

The Entertainer is John Osborne’s famous depiction of post-war Britain in crisis, shown through the microcosm of a family of music hall performers eking out a meagre living in a dying industry. 

The Rice family’s domestic circumstances have drifted downhill in line with the decline of the halls, but no matter how urgent the threat from their creditors or the tax-man there is always enough money for gin and cigarettes.

The play is over fifty years old but the sense of national decline, the looming presence of a war abroad, and the binge drinking all strike a contemporary note.  However the most obvious reason to revive this play is the spectacular role of Archie Rice, originally played by Laurence Olivier in a performance said to have reignited his career.

Archie Rice is Falstaff cut from utility suit cloth, a huge personality with a voracious appetite for women, alcohol and life.  Despite the frequently cited private education and boater-and-blazer costume he is Not Quite a Gentleman, though his bluff and bravado carry him along.  Even in the privacy of his own home he continues to give a performance, but while Archie’s on-stage persona is superficially warm and charming there is a sense of menace lying below the surface.  Keith Floyd would have made a great Archie Rice.

The Entertainer is set in the living area of the family’s shabby rented rooms in some god-forsaken provincial town, but with a sudden switch of lighting Archie is on stage and performing his old-fashioned comedy turn and uninspired song-and-dance routine.  To an audience accustomed to a diet of drawing-room dramas à la Terrence Rattigan this technique must have seemed daring and innovative.  Today these interludes merge almost unobtrusively into the whole, which is perhaps why sound designer Steve Brown creates a feeling of dislocation by miking up Archie so his voice eerily seems to come from a distant place.

David Schofield as Archie has totally mastered playing in-the-round, and in the music hall interludes he involves the whole audience with his cheeky appeals and frequent asides.  Laura Rees as his disillusioned daughter Jean shows flashes of real passion when her mid-century angst mixes with large quantities of gin, and  Roberta Taylor playing Archie’s long-suffering wife creates genuine pathos with her terrified vision of a comfortless old age.

Although superficially in tune with our times The Entertainer is emotionally unengaging and the characters are all shot through with John Osborne’s very special brand of bile.  However there is clearly some entertainment value to be had from the seedy life of a down-at-heel 1950s comedian, asHancock’s Half Hour proves every Wednesday on Radio 7.

 

The Entertainer is on until Saturday 5 December 2009

Prices: £8.50-£29.50

Evenings: Mon-Sat @ 7.30

Matinees: Wed & Sat @ 2.30

Box Office: 0161 833 9833

www.royalexchange.co.uk

The Queen's Theatre returns to its repertory roots with this digging up of Emlyn Williams 1928 warhorse A Murder Has Been Arranged, once a staple of regional theatres and weekly reps but now rarely done outside Amateur Dramatic circles. I was rather looking forward to seeing this play brought back from the dead, my interest in Williams being tweaked by David Cottis' splendid revival of The Druid's Rest at the Finborough this summer. Unfortunately, if there is a case to be made for A Murder Has Been Arranged– and I severe doubts – this production doesn't do much to argue it.

A Murder Has Been Arranged is a thriller which bucks the rational trend of most plays in that genre by including a genuinely supernatural element – a ghost actually appears. The setting is the stage of a West End Theatre, where wealthy old Sir Charles Jasper is celebrating his birthday and hoping he'll live past 11 O'clock, as at that hour he will inherit four million pounds; otherwise, the money will go to a long lost relative, Maurice Mullins. Predictably Mullins appears, yet he's not the only one with a motive for murder, as the handsome young masher hanging round the old man's younger wife also has good reason to want Jasper dead.

The play has a potentially intriguing meta-theatrical element, with most of the characters dressing up in Shakespearean costume and much of the action being those intrigues and lust of the middle classes which were the staple fare of West End audiences between the wars. Sadly, it can't be said that Williams really does anything that interesting with his conceit, and the production never finds a theatrical style to persuade us that the play is anything but a dated and daft dodo. This is compounded by most of the cast seemingly possessed by a palpable contempt for the material. The staging has none of the kinetic verve usually served up with relish by the show's director, Bob Carlton. After the interval, as the acting became ever more arch and coarse whilst the characters rave on about the dead walking the stage and the vitality of the evening becomes equivalently zombified, I idly wondered whether the whole thing wasn't a great big mickey-take of what Peter Brook identified in his seminal The Empty Space as "the deadly theatre" – theatre which exists with no real passion and without any purpose. But it grieves me to say that the production is most likely an example of deadliness rather than a wry comment on it.

A Murder Has Been Arranged is an evening with little wit and still less wonder, except that it does make me wonder why Carlton has chosen to put on a play he appears to have so little interest in making live for his audience. Stephen Daldry's production of An Inspector Calls shows that it is possible to make a creaking old thing breathe for contemporary theatre-goers, although it's admittedly a better play to begin with. Anyone keen on collecting revivals of rarities from the West End's vaults might force themselves down to Hornchurch to watch this corpse stalk the stage, but anyone wanting a living, breathing and truly haunting piece of theatre would be better off steering themselves elsewhere.

The Queen's Theatre, Billet Lane, Hornchurch.

Box Office: 01708 443333

30 October - 21 November 2009

Mon-Sat 8pm, Matinees Thu & Sat 2.30pm

Julius Ceasar

The Royal Shakespeare Company at Theatre Royal, Newcastle.

Corruption, political intrigue, conspiracy, treachery and murder – Julius Ceasar has it all in this classy production from the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Rome, 44BC: As Ceasar’s strength and popularity look set to propel him to the imperial throne, those closest to him act to prevent what they fear will become a dictatorship.

The conspirators, led by Caius Cassius (John MacKay), convince the well-respected Marcus Brutus (Sam Troughton) to join them in their ‘enterprise’ for the greater good of the republic, and the assassination date is set for the Ides of March.

Both Troughton and MacKay are on top form and their masterful performances easily outshine Greg Hicks’s slightly puny Ceasar and Darrell D’Silva’s Oliver Reed-esque portrayal of Mark Antony.

The arrogant Caesar disregards the prophetic dream of his wife, Calphurnia (Noma Dumezweni) and goes to the Capitol on the Ides of March, as planned, where he is stabbed to death. Talk about a man never listening to the wisdom of his wife?

However, the assassination of Ceasar unleashes a tide of violence that will drag thousands into a bloody civil war.

Clever special effects are employed to recreate the scale of Ancient Rome and its population, and Lucy Bailey’s direction keeps the story going at a pace that makes the three hours pass a lot quicker than they might have done in less capable hands.

Steve Burbridge.

‘Julius Ceasar’ runs until Saturday 7 November 2009.

Dyssing Monadys

 Producer and writer Lennie Varvarides set up MSFT (www.makingtheatrework.com) while taking an MA at Central School of Speech and Drama and has since set up Write Side of the Brain, SpeedMotion, Sunday Surgery, Missfit Mondays & the current festivaldyssing monadys, running until November 25 at The Horse, Westminster Bridge Road.

The remit is to provide and develop a new writing platform for dyslexic 'storymakers' in whatever their chosen medium may be - covering performance poets, storytellers, filmmakers and playwrights.

Lennie's obvious passion for making a success of this project and of bringing the world of dyslexia to the public's attention is apparent in her commitment in wanting to set up a new charity under which her company will operate and the company are currently looking for sponsorship of £5000. The proceeds from the current festival go towards this amount. Considering the fact that 10% of the UK population is dyslexic, there is a huge scope of a large potential audience for her project, once it becomes know and mainstream.

The structure of the evening's entertainment is sound enough with a brief introduction, a showing of a short film, a reading from a storyteller and then the main event of the night which is an 1 hr long play. All material in the festival is written by dyslexic creatives. As a formula for the future, it will work well with more additional material to the programme and holds promise to be a strong, varied and highly interesting platform for dyslexic writers and creatives.

AWK-WORD by Lennie Varvarides

The hour long play had a it's core quite a clever conceit about communication, truth and how words used can affect relationships either positively or negatively.

The central story is based around a meeting in a bar which leads to an affair and the breakup of a potential marriage. The two characters having the affair spice up the proceedings with playing word-games about their situation and feelings, written down on bits of paper which are randomly picked and responded to- an idea which in terms of the core theme of the festival could have been explored more. The three hander was tackled well with realistic performances from the cast - Rajan Sharma as SAL, the unfaithful boyfriend, Sarah McKendrick as ALEX, the seductive, yet bitter lover, and an endearing performance by Babita Pohoomull as RAZ, the naieve fiance. The staging in the space upstairs at The Horse was slightly distracting with the large raised area used as the bed in the hotel, above our eye-line, but which ultimately meant we felt like voyeurs of the piece instead of engaging fully but given the nature of the affair we are witnessing, snatched in afternoon sessions in a hotel, it worked on other levels. Babuta Pohoomull convinces us of her feelings for her fiance as she discovers him with his mistress in the hotel room she was meeting him in, to finally consumate their relationship, despite her religious beliefs. RAZ, ultimately is the loser, as both the mistress and the fiance see him for what he is, and abandon ship. Framing the piece is the theme of how what people say, what words they use to express themselves, language can sometimes fail us when it comes to truth. There is good potential to develop this piece further and place it more securely within the context of the festival.

 

Dyssing Monadys Annual Festival:

Date: Every Monday and Wednesday from October - November 2009

Doors open: 7:00pm for a 7:30pm start
Tickets: £5/4 (100% of box office will be donated to new charity called DYS(the)LEXI
Box Office: 07917157748

Venue: The Horse, 124 Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7XG

Tube: Lambeth North/Waterloo

For further information & to pledge support: www.makingtheatrework. com

For more info on Dyslexia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyslexia

This will be the final year of Manchester Library Theatre Company’s residence at the Library Theatre, partly due to the redevelopment of the building, and partly as they go in search of more spacious and modern surroundings.  As if to prove that they have outgrown their home of fifty-odd years, artistic director Chris Honer has mounted a production of Shakespearian proportions featuring singing, dancing, live music, new media and a cast of fifteen actors.

The Good Soul of Szechuan is one of Bertolt Brecht’s parables for the theatre.  Three gods come down to earth in an apparently fruitless search for a good person, and having finally found one - the prostitute Shen Te - reward her appropriately.  But the warm-hearted girl discovers that wealth makes it harder for her to be good, while her benefactors become increasingly disillusioned on their jaunt among the mortals.

Poppy Miller doesn’t seem especially vulnerable as Shen Te, but when she introduces us to her tough (male) cousin Shui Ta, rendered with convincing bravado and swagger, the contrast is entirely effective.

The episodic nature of the story introduces Shen Te to a wide range of comic characters, allowing for some memorable acting by the diverse and talented company.  Susan Twist is droll and dead-pan as Mrs Shin, China’s answer to Hilda Ogden; James Foster delivers a wonderful pantomime turn as the one-eyed, sartorially-challenged Mr Shu Fu; and Josh Moran’s Policeman gives some indication of how a gun-toting version of Z-Cars might have looked.  Nor will I soon forget the spectacle of the three gods (Olwen May, Natasha Bain and John Cummins) reduced to raggedy straw-stuffed scarecrows by the end of their world tour.

Michael Pavelka’s clever design with its moving corrugated-iron walls allows for slick scene changes, and the projected film of the gods’ heads (despite the image briefly summoning up memories of Superman’s parents in the Christopher Reeve film) is a fully-justified example of new media in a theatrical context.

The Library Theatre is famed for its interpretations of Brecht, and Chris Honer’s energetic production of David Harrower’s easy and colloquial translation fully does justice to this reputation.

 

The Good Soul of Szechuan is on until Saturday 28 November 2009

Prices: £10.00-£17.50 (concessions available)

Eves: Mon-Sat @ 7.30pm

Matinees: Sats @ 2.30pm; Thurs 12 & 19 @ 2.30pm; Wed 25 @ 2pm

Box Office: 0161 236 7110

www.librarytheatre.com

 

A classic Glaswegian play finds itself back home on this new tour, and received the welcome of an old friend in it’s Glasgow opening night audience.

 

Much of the appeal of The Steamie lies in the fantastic script by Tony Roper. As with his recent works (the wonderful Celts in Seville being of particular note) this play is observational, caustic and full of wonderful “parliamo Glasgow” terminology where the author has created well rounded characters whose appeal is not in their glamour or appearance, but their good humour and loyal natures.

 

The Steamie characters – Dolly, Magrit, Doreen and Mrs Culfeathers feel like old friends to most Scots, who have watched the televised version of this play many a Hogmanay on TV. This makes it a tough gig for any actress to take on these iconic roles, without trying to mimic the previous performances that are known so well. Leading the way on this front was Maureen Carr as Dolly. Excellent comic timing combined with an intelligent physicality brought this character believably to life, which is some feat considering the flights of fancy this character gets carried away with. Jacqueline Hughes, making her Scottish debut, was a sweet and naive Doreen, with a singing voice to match. Her lilting spoken voice worked well against the harsher tones of the older female characters, and helped create the imagery of the plans that she dreamt of, making this young actress one to watch for the future.

 

Kay Gallie, making a return to the role of Mrs Culfeathers, shows why she is in such demand in both TV and theatre. Knowing just how long to hold a comic pause for effect requires a lot of experience and Kay Gallie has that in spades. Her interpretation of the frail, hardworking older woman had the audience moved to tears, at times with sheer emotion and also with laughter. The “Top Dog” of this group is Magrit – Julie Austin got a lot of laughs here as she had a great delivery of the comic put-downs. It would have been nice if she had been asked to provide more light and shade in the role, so that the emotional sections hit home more. I think this is down to direction, as Alison Peebles seemed to be driving to make sure every laugh was “wrung-out” from this production. This did not make the comic bits seem forced, actually much the opposite, but this same interest did not seem to be shown to the sentimental or emotional moments of this clever play. David McGowan did try to make the most of the role of Andy, however his “drunk” scenes seemed to be a little too “Rab C Nesbitt” to be believable.

 

Dave Anderson’s songs still stand the test of time, again due to the classic Glasgow patter used in the lyrics – “ a swagger that wid dry a washin’” being a particular favourite of mine – but it didn’t really work to see some singing and non-singing cast trying to put these harmonies together.

 

All in all, it is great to see The Steamie back on the stage, but it does look like it maybe needs another rinse and a bit of an iron to get it back to it’s former sparkling glory. That said it is still a hugely funny and entertaining piece of theatre, and for Maureen Carr’s alone, especially during and after the “Galloway’s Mince” section, it is well worth the ticket price.

 

Listings Info:

 

Mon 2^nd – Sat 7^th November

Tue – Sat eves 7.30pm

Wed, Thurs & Sat Mat 2.30pm

Audio described performance Thu 5 Nov 7.30pm

 

Tickets: £10 - £25

 

Box Office: 0870 060 6647          www.ambassadortickets.com/glasgow

THREE MINUTE HERO                    COCK TAVERN THEATRE

 

A three minute hero is a singer who connects with a whole generation of music fans with a breakthrough number that has a universal message. Phil Setren’s, new play of the same title is based on a promoter’s dream to find such a talent, and explores the clash of the commercial hit making music machine with Muslim cultural beliefs and art.

Dave is an aspiring music promoter who follows his very slim copy of ‘How To Make It In Music,’ guide to the word. He hires a girl band called Hot Goddess, who fail to make the grade but provide him with a big music industry learning curve. He then meets a young Muslim singer called Ash who is in the queue at the X Factor auditions. Simon Cowell’s team fail to see any ability in Ash, but Dave sees his potential and becomes his promoter. All is going well until Ash’s traditionalist brother Raz objects to Ash selling out to the commercial western market and it’s ‘corrupt’ values.

The first half of the play is a rather predictable tale of promoter creates untalented girl band, the girls fall out and the band collapses. Despite strong performances from the actresses and the occasional funny line, the tired storyline and uninspired writing offers little originality. It is not until the second half with arrival of Ash and his brother that the dialogue really comes alive, and dramatic tension is created. Indeed the writing in the second half feels so much more advanced, that it is hard to believe it has been written by the same author.

With the themes in the latter half of the play, Setren has so much original material that this potentially could be a whole drama on it’s own.

Julie Osman’s capable direction keeps the play moving, and there is great sound design by Matt Lee Newby.

Paul Egan is perfectly cast as the eternally optimistic Dave, and Ramanvir Grewal and Anil Kumar are compelling as the brothers.

Three Minute Hero runs at the Cock Tavern Theatre until 14^th November.

                                                                                                           OLIVER VALENTINE                                                                                      

50/50   Daring Pairings The Factory

The Factory together with Hampstead Theatre, for a select number of nights are presenting an interactive and slightly unorthodox theatre experience.

The company has collaborated with writers to develop short plays where dialogue can be played by any actor male or female. The actors need to know all the parts in the play and the audience can select what order they see them. Writers working on this project took their inspiration from any period in the last 50 years and were required to focus on character only, no special effects, props, costumes or stage directions allowed.

It was an exciting and daring prospect, and I felt myself hold my breath in the hope that no-one would forget any of the lines ( which nobody appeared to do).

Featured plays included Underwater Love by Paul Jenkins, Tomatoes  by Peter Rumney,The Poll Tax Riots by John Donnelly, 1975 by Federay Homes and  Assistance by Stephen Bloomer.

Themes varied from a clandestine meeting  in a hotel room in  Underwater Love to a charity workers determination to hear atrocities from the affected in Assistance.

 Underwater Love by Paul Jenkins was the most entertaining of the five and the audience had the opportunity to see the play twice. Both Colin Hurley and Alan Morissey brought interesting revelations in each of their roles as the two hesitant lovers, and then again in the role reversal showed excellent comic timing in their performances.
The Factory has assembled themselves a talented troupe of actors and their residency at the Hampstead theatre is one not to be missed.

Friday 30 October 9.30pm, Friday 6 November at 2.30 and 9.30pm, Saturday 7 November  at 9.30pm
Hampstead Theatre

Peter Hall sets this successful revival of Alan Ayckbourn’s  social comedy “Bedroom Farce” in the 1970s – a distant age without mobile phones, ipods or even the internet. Three bedrooms, side by side, fill the Rose Theatre stage and allow us a peep into the lives of four married couples.

The elderly couple Delia (Jane Asher) and Ernest (Nicholas Le Prevost) are getting ready for their yearly dinner at a fancy restaurant.  Delia tries to discuss their son Trevor’s marital problems but Ernest is more interested in the leaky roof.  Jan (Lucy Briers) is off to a housewarming party whilst her husband Nick (Tony Gardner) is grounded with a bad back.  Malcolm (Daniel Betts) and Kate (Finty Williams) are playing childish pranks on each other whilst waiting for their first guests to arrive. Chaotic Trevor (Orlando Seale) and his unstable wife Susannah embark on a journey of destruction by successfully ruining their party with a savage fight culminating in Trevor kissing Jan. A distraught Susannah disrupts Delia’s and Ernest’s romantic dinner in bed and Trevor rushes to Jan only to fall asleep on Nick’s bed, making Nick’s night pure agony.

Prepare yourself for a highly entertaining evening with an outstanding cast in Ayckbourn’s exploration of marriage and beyond.

The Rose Theatre, Kingston

1 Oct – 28 Nov 2009

See Tickets - 0871 230 1552

David Thacker’s artistic directorship at Bolton Octagon continues withGhosts, featuring four actors from his previous production of All My Sons.

Ibsen’s 1881 play, with its themes of adultery, incest, venereal infection and moral hypocrisy was considered scandalous in its day, and is still pretty hot stuff over a century later.

Wealthy widow Mrs Alving has built an orphanage in memory of her late husband, and old family friend Pastor Manders has come to finalise the arrangements before the grand opening.  With the Alvings’ artist son Oswald just returned from Paris, the scene is set for a happy domestic interlude. However Mrs Alving’s apparently comfortable home-life is about to be revealed as a whited sepulchre, hiding secrets which have the power to destroy all that is dearest to her.

The programme records the great lengths director David Thacker, translator Erik Skuggevik and the whole cast and have gone to in order to develop the script for a freshly minted “Lancashire version” of Ghosts.  However anyone expecting some resemblance to a Blake Morrison/Northern Broadsides collaboration will be disappointed, with not much specifically localised apart from a servant remarking “bloody hell” and “bugger”; nevertheless it is an admirably clear reading of the text.

I don’t think I have ever seen anyone look as at home or relaxed on stage as Margot Leicester, whose Mrs Alving practically curls up like a kitten and purrs at Pastor Manders, her frisky youth still all too evident to the straight-laced priest.

George Irving as Pastor Manders, a man who has ever but slenderly known himself let alone anybody else, convincingly portrays the gullible cleric and subtly mines the character’s inadvertent comedy in Act 2. 

Oscar Pearce’s bohemian Oswald makes an astonishing impact on his first entrance, the crumpled white linen suit and red waistcoat a huge contrast with the dark repressed world of his northern homeland, and the character’s gradual decline through the play is deeply touching.

If there is a flaw in this production it is the large table which sits in the middle of the tiny in-the-round space, creating a barrier between the actors as they play out powerful confrontations, dramatic confessions and heartbreaking revelations.  But overall the intimacy of the venue and the intensity of the piece overcome this obstacle to create a unique theatrical experience.

 

Ghosts is on at Bolton Octagon until Saturday 21 November 2009

Tickets: from £9.00

Evenings: Mon-Sat at 7.30pm

Matinees: Fri 30 and Sat 31 October, Mon 2, Wed 11 and Sat 14 Nov @ 2pm

Box Office: 01204 520661

www.octagonbolton.co.uk

 

Special event on Sat 14 November @ 10am - Investigate: Who Needs Translators?

The process of translating plays is investigated by director David Thacker, translator Erik Skuggevik and the actors from Ghosts, alongside playwrights working today and scholars including Brid Andrews of the University of Bolton.

Tickets: £5 for workshop, £15 including matinee ticket

It probably says a lot about the tone of last night’s show that Halloween was only briefly mentioned once, by Grizzly Bear’s Ed Droste. While London Symphony Orchestra’s performance with Antony and the Johnsons (performed in this hall a year ago) was given a bit of levity by their cover of  Beyonce’s ‘Crazy in Love’, there was no such relief this year. Indeed, Antony Heggarty’s triumphant shows with the LSO seem an appropriate benchmark for last night’s, and on balance the feminine crooner’s show surpassed the Grizzly Bear’s.                       

            While Nico Muhly’s arrangements for Antony and the Johnson’s songs was integral to the performance, tonight the orchestra often seemed surplus to requirements as in the inevitable highlight of the set, ‘Two Weeks’. The sense of anticipation as Daniel Rossen moved to the electric organ for the only time all night was tangible, the opening chords got a cheer, Grizzly Bear played a note perfect rendition of the album version all on their own bar some extra piano from Muhly, and the rest of the set was a bit of a come down. Before this, the mellifluous coda of ‘All We Ask’ demonstrated the Bear’s vocal abilities and provided a golden opportunity for memorable orchestration that wasn’t taken at all.  At the premature end of the following song, a slightly flummoxed looking Droste explained ‘…we had an orchestral ending worked out for this song, but you started clapping  too soon… so we stopped.’  I would have doubted him had the audience not done exactly the same thing during the best song of enjoyable/forgettable support act St. Vincent’s set!

            When the orchestra were allowed to open up I thought they frequently sailed a little too close to the wind, taking songs like ‘I Live with You’ into inappropriate ‘James Bond theme’ territory, but these moments of band/orchestra interaction were fleeting. Luke Turner’s embarrassingly gushing Pseuds Corner programme notes identified Muhly’s selfless ‘appreciation’ for Grizzly Bear’s music, but on the grounds of tonight’s performance perhaps he should reconsider any ‘surrender of the ego’ and make his orchestrations more prominent.

The Barbican’s contemporary Music programme continues with Richard Bona Band and Hindi Zahra on Monday 2^nd November, see www.barbican.org.ukfor details.