UK Theatre Network

The Graduate

The Customs House, South Shields, Tyne & Wear

I must, shamefully, confess that, up until last night, I had never ever seen the movie or a stage production of The Graduate. Although it has often been hailed by critics as iconic, I had always imagined it to be a sort of ‘period piece’ that might be lost on the audiences of today. How wrong I was!

Tabs productions have brought to The Customs House a production that is as relevant today as it has ever been. The story of the sexual awakening of 21 year old Benjamin Braddock (Grant Orviss) at the hands of the older, and lascivious Mrs Robinson (Karen Henson) is brilliantly brought to the stage in an adaptation by Terry Johnson.

The Graduate is one of those skilfully scripted plays that leads the audience to believe that nothing much is happening – then, suddenly, everything seems to be happening at once.

Much of the drama of the play is derived from the repercussions of Ben’s affair with Judith Robinson, a friend of his parents, and the implications that it has upon both families. The two lead actors both deliver performances that are convincing and compelling, and it is futile to try to resist being totally absorbed by the consequences of their lustful, but ill-fated affair.

Grant Orviss splendidly portrays the naivety and gaucheness of Ben, whilst Karen Henson proves more than a match for more high-profile predecessors, including Linda Gray of Dallas and Hollywood actress Kathleen Turner.

There are also some strong supporting performances from John Hester, Susan Earnshaw, Michael Sherwin, Sarah Wynne Kordas and Mark Huckett.

Adrian Lloyd-James’ direction is slick yet subtle, perfectly balancing the comedy and the drama in equal measure. The simple and highly effective black and white set, designed by Sarah Wynne Kordas, is transformed, with military precision, by members of the company into various locations to suit each scene.

Add a musical score by Simon and Garfunkel and The Graduate passes with first-class honours.

Steve Burbridge.

WARNING: This production contains full nudity.

Tour Dates

Tue 27 - Thu 29 January   The Customs House, South Shields

Fri 31 - Sat 31 January    The Theatre Royal, Winchester

Wed 4 - Sat 7 February    The Theatre Royal Nottingham

Cinderella

Theatre Royal, Plymouth

Cinderella is ‘the greatest pantomime of them all!’ exclaim the posters and handbills at Plymouth Theatre Royal. Well, I’m always slightly sceptical about such tag-lines and I prefer to make my mind up for myself, thank you very much.

However, on this occasion, I must confess that the proclamation is absolutely spot-on. I should have known, really. After all, with this production having been written and directed by the King Midas of Qdos Pantomimes, Michael Harrison, and starring the sensational Lesley Joseph, it couldn’t be anything other than pure gold.

Michael Harrison has given audiences a production that exudes quality, sophistication and spectacle - not a corner has been cut, nor a penny pinched. The script retains the charm of the original fairy tale by Charles Perrault, but is given a spectacular 21^st century make-over with stunning special effects, lavish scenery and sets and fabulous costumes.

Lesley Joseph, one of this country’s most popular and versatile actresses, plays the Fairy Godmother and she magically flies onto the stage on a crescent moon. Miss Joseph, a panto favourite with audiences up and down the country, delivers a performance that is more than just a little reminiscent of Dorien from Birds of a Feather, one of her best-loved characters. Never taking herself too seriously, she incorporates slapstick, parody and elements of vaudeville into her interpretation of the role, delighting the audience in the process.

Matt Slack hurls himself wholeheartedly into the role of Buttons, arriving in an aeroplane and soaring straight into the hearts of the kids in the audience with his affable nature and cheeky charm. His talent for mimicry and physical comedy garners lots of laughs and his antics in the scenes with Lesley Joseph are hilarious.

Laura Evans plays the title role of Cinderella and is a delight as the heroine. Blessed with angelic beauty and a singing voice to match, she brings to the role a warmth and innocence that works wonderfully.

David Robbins and Martin Ramsdin don the frocks and false eyelashes to play the Ugly Sisters, Trinny and Susannah. Robbins, in his prosthetic nose, could be mistaken for Cherie Blair’s prettier sister and Ramsdin bears a slight resemblance to Vicky Pollard. Their costumes, wigs and head-dresses are fabulously outlandish and the pair make a hugely entertaining double-act.

Trevor Jary plays Prince Charming and Kevin Brewis is his effeminate valet, Dandini. Jary is the archetypal hero and shines in his musical numbers, whilst Brewis skilfully adopts the mannerisms and traits of the late Kenneth Williams to convey Dandini’s foppishness.

The ensemble perform energetically in the musical scenes which are effectively choreographed by Jon Bowles.

The Theatre Royal Babes are cast as Lesley Joseph’s troupe of little trainee fairies, Whitney, Britney, Myleene and Biggins, and they almost steal the scene from her in the number, Spread a Little Happiness.

However, it is the stunning transformation scene that has the audience gasping in wonder and amazement as Lesley Joseph, singing Anything’s Possible, waves her fairy wand and a golden invitation descends in a mini hot air balloon, before a cloud of dry ice and a pyrotechnic display herald the arrival of a glittering coach and an animated flying Pegasus. This is the stuff that magic is made of, sheer entertainment!

This production has raised the benchmark for all future professional pantomimes and should serve as a warning to other inferior production companies that Michael Harrison and Qdos Pantomimes intend to retain their position as the UK’s biggest and best pantomime production company.

It must be acknowledged, though, that amazing special effects, sumptuous sets, spectacular costumes and sparkling script would count for nothing without a consummate cast of actors to carry the story and engage with the audience – Cinderella ticks all the right boxes and its star, Lesley Joseph, emerges, triumphantly, as the undisputed Queen of Pantoland. Bravo!

Steve Burbridge.

Performances

Friday 19^th December 2008 – Saturday 24^th January 2009

Running Time

2 hours, 30 minutes (including interval) approximately

PLEASE NOTE: Performances of this production have now ended!

FAME - The Musical makes a welcome return to Glasgow’s King’s Theatre.  Could it live up to its moniker and “live forever”?

“So did y’ hear the story of the Johnstone twins?”

Well, if you haven’t you must! The phenomenon that is Blood Brothers has been captivating audiences for 25 years now and, although this musical is celebrating its silver anniversary, it can only be described as pure gold. Willy Russell’s moving tale of two twin boys who are separated at birth and grow up on opposite sides of the social-class spectrum, only to meet up again with devastating consequences, has established itself as a contemporary classic around the globe. From the West End of London to South East Asia the multi-award winning musical plays to sell-out theatres every night.

Having seen the show several times before, the characters and plot are familiar to me but, despite that, Blood Brothers grips me each and every time with its poignancy, humour, tenderness and tragedy.

The role of Mrs Johnstone is surely one of the most coveted in musical theatre and the struggling single mother “with seven hungry mouths to feed and one more nearly due” has been played by such well-known actresses as Barbara Dickson, Petula Clark, Kiki Dee, Stephanie Lawrence, Helen Reddy, Carole King, Lyn Paul and Marti Webb. However, it is the Nolan sisters who seem to have a well-earned monopoly on the part. Having seen her siblings, Linda and Bernie perform as Mrs Johnstone, Maureen Nolan had a lot to live up to as she donned the cross-over pinny and care-worn expression. And boy, did she do herself proud!

Nolan presents the audience with the quintessential ‘Mrs J’ – maternal, understanding, compassionate, earthy, warm and darn sexy, too. In addition to a phenomenal acting performance, she delivers her musical numbers with meaning and conviction and her voice is clear, rich and full of emotion.

Sean Jones, as Mickey, and Simon Willmont as Eddie are outstanding. It can’t be easy to convincingly play a seven year old child but both of them achieve it admirably, capturing every childhood nuance accurately. The transition to teenager, then man, is equally convincing. Both actors display great skill with the many poignant scenes that they share and the contrast between ‘posh’ Edward and ‘scruffy’ Mickey manifests itself perfectly in their performances. Jones makes the most of Mickey’s comedic qualities without ever over-playing them and Willmont gives Eddie an endearing vulnerability.

Anna Sambrooks plays Linda, the girl both boys fall in love with. She, too, gives a fine performance throughout, especially in the scene where she tries to persuade Mickey to stop taking the anti-depressants that have transformed him into an empty shell of a man. But her finest moment comes at the finale when she is gut-wrenchingly emotional.

Robbie Scotcher plays the significant role of the Narrator, a spectral figure who personifies the moral consciences of Mrs Johnstone and Mrs Lyons, and his performance is as strong and sinister as it should be. His ominous presence hovers around like a dark storm cloud on a sunny day and his strong and powerful voice is hauntingly beautiful.

The strong supporting cast includes Tracy Spencer and Babette Bell who play Mrs Lyons and Donna-Marie respectively. Daniel Taylor is bad-boy Sammy and Tim Churchill is Mr Lyons.

Blood Brothers is a production that goes from strength to strength, its appeal growing over the years rather than diminishing. It is so powerful a play that it can be watched time and time again without losing any of its emotional impact or social relevance.

Wherever it is performed, Blood Brothers receives a standing ovation from an approving audience and last night was no exception. This production is heart-warming, tear-jerking, uplifting, devastating and, above all else, brilliant!

Steve Burbridge.

 
Performances

Monday 19^th January 2009 – Saturday 31^st January 2009

Evenings at 7.30pm

Matinees at 2.00pm (Thurs)

                        2.30pm (Sat)

Running Time

2 hours, 50 minutes (including interval)

Tickets

£13.00 - £36.00

Telephone:   08448 11 21 21

www.theatreroyal.co.uk

“Pantomimes are not what they were.” “Pantomime is no longer what it used to be.” “Pantomime seems at present to hold its own, I don’t see how it can continue to do so.”

The above quotes might easily be mistaken for recent press cuttings, but in actual fact they date from 1831, 1846 and 1882 respectively. The truth of the matter is that traditional family pantomime does still exist and it is positively flourishing. All over the country good old panto continues to break box office records, despite the fact that we live in a world where children are surrounded by computer games, DVDs and the Internet.

Mother Goose, at The Pier Pavilion in South Shields, is everything that pantomime should be. It’s filled with larger than life colourful characters, corny gags, song and dance routines, slapstick and family fun.

Fairy Happiness (Carol Cooke) sets the scene and introduces the audience to the dysfunctional Goose family, Mother (Stephen Sullivan), Silly Billy (Craig Richardson) and Colin (Kylie Ford) who are down on their luck and behind with their rent.

Stephen Sullivan’s Dame is as effervescent as a bottle of shook-up champagne and if his performance is powered by batteries then they must surely be the extra-powerful ones with the copper-coloured tops. Craig Richardson is sensational in the role of the daft and dippy Billy and he works the audience with flair and expertise.

Mark Lamb is fantastically fiendish as the dastardly Demon King and his performance of I Wanna Be Evil, in red leather flares and black flowing leather coat, puts the entire audience firmly under his wicked spell. He is perfectly complimented by Ruth Burn’s cameo performance as The Wicked Queen of Gooseland.

The combination of a great script, by Jon Parker and Mark Fairweather, and dynamic direction from Gareth Hunter results in a production that entertains, amuses and charms young and old alike.

Throw in a troupe of dancers from The Carley School of Dance and a live band and you have a good old fashioned traditional panto that represents great value for money.

Performances

Friday 16^th January 2009 to Saturday 24^th January 2009

Evenings at 7.30pm

Matinees at 2.00pm (Sat & Sun)

Running Time

2 hours, 30 minutes (including interval)

Tickets

£6.50   Adult

£4.50   Child

(Telephone 0191 4546612 to book)

www.westovians.org

REALITY show winner Connie Fisher will bring the stage of the Sunderland Empire alive with the sound of music as she reprises her role as Maria Von Trapp in the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, The Sound of Music.

The theatre will exclusively host the North East leg of the tour in November and tickets will be on sale to the public from next Monday.

Connie Fisher landed the lead role after winning the BBC 1 reality show How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? The contest was a ratings triumph and over two million viewers voted in the final of the competition.

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s production has played at the London Palladium for over two years to huge critical acclaim. Connie Fisher starred as the leading lady for 15 months, before going on to star in the Menier Chocolate Factory’s production of They’re Playing Our Song alongside Alistair McGowan. She most recently appeared in ITV’s drama Caught In a Trap during the festive season.

This lavish production of The Sound of Music, which will be directed by Jeremy Sams and choreographed by Strictly Come Dancing diva Arlene Phillips, tells the uplifting story of the Von Trapp family’s escape from the Nazi’s in wartime Austria. The show boasts an unforgettable score, by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, that includes some of the most memorable songs in the history of musical theatre including Do-Re-Mi, Climb Ev’ry Mountain, My Favourite Things and the title song, The Sound of Music.

The Sound of Music originally premiered on Broadway in 1959, winning six TONY awards including ‘Best Musical.’ It made its debut in London’s West End in 1961 and its last revival was in 1981, both productions enjoyed record-breaking runs. A Hollywood film was made in 1965, starring Julie Andrews, which won five Oscars

Joanne Wilkins, Acting Marketing Manager said: “Sunderland Empire is once again making its mark on the region as The West End of the North East.”

The Sound of Music is at the Sunderland Empire from 17 November to 5 December 2009. Tickets are available from Monday 19 January 2009.

Stage Scenery

The production of dramatic works such as a play would require certain physical and visual arrangement.  This arrangement is known as the stage design which includes set creation and change during the actual performance.  The set or the scenery provides the physical environment for the actors and actresses performing on stage.

Closely related to scenic design is the shape of the stage.  A thrust stage or an arena may need little or no scenery at all while a typical boxlike proscenium stage would usually employ more extensive scenery, sometimes requiring specific machineries for set changing.  Scenery suggests the time and place of the story and is largely responsible for setting the proper mood and atmosphere along with lighting effects.

Theatrical scenery is of two (2) basic types: illusionistic and non-illusionistic.  Illusionistic scenery seeks to make the closest possible reproduction of the locale of the play.  Non-illusionistic scenery merely suggests the actual setting of the play.  It can also serve as a generalized physical environment where the whole play can be acted out.  Very few plays use strictly one type since most opt for a combination of both depending on which could provide the desired effect.

The resulting scenery is determined by at least three (3) factors.  Aside from the needs of the play and the artistic conceptions of a scene designer, the allocated funds for the purpose are likewise crucial.  It signals to the designer the budgetary limits within which he or she could work with.  A design is conceived after the designer reads the script and makes a series of consultations with the director, producer and costume designer.  Blueprints are made from his sketches in preparation for the construction of the scenery.  The designs and blueprints can still be changed or modified during rehearsals where their suitability to the movements of the performers can be determined.

The availability of stage facilities that will take care of the use and movement of scenery can pose some constraints on whether a particular set can be used.  Some of the standard elements would include elevators for raising or lowering stage sections, rolling platforms for scene mounting, trapdoors on stage floors and cycloramas.  Cycloramas are curved canvas or plaster backdrops that are used to simulate outdoor setting.  Another useful facility is the fly gallery located above the stage which is mainly used for manipulating scenery as well as for the suspension of lights.  While stage sceneries of earlier times were mostly painted, modern scene designers have access to a whole range of materials such as plastics, metals, paper and synthetic fabrics within which to recreate their design.

When one traces the history of theatre, the use of scenery would appear to be a comparatively recent development.  The classical Chinese theatre, the ancient Noh Drama of Japan and the ancient Greek theatre either used no scenery at all or a simple painted backdrop.  Scenery as we know it today first appeared early in the 16^th century in Italian court theatres.  This was the time when Italian scenic designers developed the elaborate system of side wings and backdrop.

Theatre Tickets

Theatre patrons have tremendous ticket buying options at their hands.  They can choose to buy from the theatre box office, ticket booths or through ticket agents either in person, thru phone or through the online option.  Purchasing tickets can also be done on the day of the performance or even months in advance.  A theatre box office however, will only sell tickets scheduled for that particular theatre.

Box offices in theatres are usually open from ten (10) in the morning up to about thirty (30) minutes after the start of the show.  No booking fee is required for tickets that are bought personally as compared to phone and online purchases which are usually accompanied by an administration fee or booking fee.  It can happen that calls to theatre box offices get redirected to ticket agencies specifically during busy periods although fees remain the same.

Not all shows sell tickets through ticket booths but theatre patrons are guaranteed a wide range of choices especially for discount tickets on performance days.  Ticket buyers however, may not be able to pick their preferred seats.  Ticket agents may come in the form of international organizations or small independent companies.  Legitimate agents are usually part of an organization in the field of ticket retailing which espouses best practice in the business.  It is standard practice for ticket agents to charge a booking fee and sometimes a transaction fee.  Comparing prices is advisable to see if the fee being charged by an agent is reasonable.  Fees and charges are intended to cover the operational costs of selling and distributing theatre tickets.

Tickets can be had by people who come to see theatre shows together.  This is what is referred to as group sales.  The number that constitutes a group may vary in each show although the minimum number would generally be between ten (10) to twenty (20) people.  Rush or lottery tickets are discounted seats which producers are eager to sell.  They can also be a block of tickets that have been specifically set aside for such purpose.  Theatre box offices would have these tickets available two (2) hours before curtain time on performance day.

Most shows provide a particular space for patrons.  It would usually be at the back of the theatre where these people can stand to watch the show.  These are covered by Standing Room Only or SRO tickets which are only sold when the performance is completely sold out.  Special discounted tickets for students and seniors are also available.

Broadway shows may have an open-ended or limited run. Since a limited run is only for a predetermined number of weeks, ticket holders who buy in advance should be aware of the length of time which the show is scheduled to be around.  Tickets for the best seats are the most expensive.  These are the seats found at the orchestra where occupants would be at eye level with the stage.  Seats on the balcony or the rear mezzanine seats, on the other hand, are usually the lowest-priced.  It would be wise to look at posted seating charts before making a ticket purchase.

Theatre tickets are generally non-refundable and non-exchangeable except for specific circumstances such as the inability of a main star to perform.

Theatre Set-Up

A structure that is used for play performances and other like presentations is referred to as a theatre.  A theatre would include a stage and an auditorium.  The stage is the performing area while the auditorium serves as the viewing place for the audience.  A typical 20^th century theatre completely separates the stage from the audience with the use of the proscenium arch while the 16^th and 17^th century playhouses that were popular in England during the time have stages that extend into the auditorium.  Variations in stage designs may be the result of the need for the maximum use of scenery or non at all.  In essence, stage design is influenced by several factors such as the type of play to be performed and the kind of audience for whom the theatre is intended, among others.

Theatre layouts have come a long way from its early beginnings consisting of primitive open-air arrangements with temporary structures that functioned as stages.  Modern theatres are multiple-use theatres that are both flexible and eclectic in design with numerous style elements incorporated in them.  Those that dare to break the norm of having an architectural structure used as a theatre create their own theatres in empty spaces such as the streets, market squares and buildings or rooms that were not originally intended for theatre use.

The development of the physical form of a theatre produced at least three (3) distinctive types of stages namely the end, thrust and arena.  An end stage would consist of a raised platform typically placed at one end of a space that is rectangular.  The stage would have a curtained backdrop with an awning and faces an assembled audience.  The most dominant form of this stage variant in western theatre is the proscenium theatre.  The proscenium was primarily developed for the need to mask scenery, create exits and entrances for performers and to hide machineries used for changing scenes.

Another stage variant is the thrust stage wherein the platform is arranged in such a way that it is surrounded on three (3) sides by the audience.  This set-up provides for the creation of a sense of greater intimacy between the performers and the audience while maintaining the production capability to have illusionistic effects as required by the show.  This was the form used by ancient Greek theatres and other theatres of the early periods.

The arena stage provides for a performing space that is entirely surrounded by the audience.  This form is not quite popular for dramatic plays due to the specific constraints it presents in the movements of performers and the production crew.  It can still however, be successfully used for dramatic plays since no other stage forms can provide the most sense of intimacy with the audience.  It is typically used in non-dramatic forms such as circuses where the provision of equal sight lines for all viewers is very important.

Some other stage forms would include the so-called environmental theatre where the space is shared by the performers with their audience and the black-box theatre which is basically an empty space that has seating units that are movable and stage platforms which can be freely arranged in the desired configuration for every performance.  The passing of time saw the different variations in style because of the dramatic conventions prevailing during a certain period.  More variations in theatre set-up are expected as the world of theatre bid for the audience’s continued patronage.

Stage Lighting

Stage design will not be complete without lighting.  Lighting focuses the attention of the audience on certain performers and areas of the stage, establishes the time of day as required by the story and also helps in establishing the overall mood of the play.  Modern theatrical productions make extensive use of lighting techniques since most are indoor performances as compared to productions of early times that were done outdoors thereby using the sun as their light.

Lighting instruments used to be comprised of candles, oil lamps and gas lamps.  Lighting effects were achieved through the use of colored filters, mechanical dimming devices and reflectors.  Due to the relative dimness of the early theaters in contrast to the brightness of present ones, illusionism in scenic painting was quite popular and effective.  Brightness and light control were only made possible with the discovery of electricity.  With the four (4) controllable properties of light namely intensity, color, movement and placement on stage, a lighting director is able to achieve visibility, composition, mood and revelation of form. 

White light is considered too harsh for theatre use thus the need for mechanisms and materials that would induce softening of the light to create a more suitable effect.  Designers would most often use both warm and cool colors to produce textures and shadows.  Lighting effects are meant to be unobtrusive except in specific scenes where the opposite effect is desired.  Stage lighting is said to be most effective when it accomplishes its purpose without the audience realizing it.  Lighting effects should not distract the audience but instead guide them through the flow of emotions throughout the show.

Lighting design should take into consideration all the artistic and financial factors that come with the production of a play.  Any plan should be tied-in with the scenery and the movements of the performers as determined during rehearsals.  To do otherwise would simply be courting failure as the performers’ capabilities are not maximized due to poor lighting coordination. 

The art of lighting design is more than just aiming lighting instruments at the stage.  Performers are expected to be visible at all times but only the proper and masterful play with lights will they appear three-dimensional and alive for the benefit of the audience.  Technicians would need to know how to properly angle instruments and balance colors. They would also need to know when and where to do it.  Recent developments in technology provide the use of the memory board which is essentially a computerized control system wherein the information of each light cue or light change is stored.  This has eliminated the manual operation of individual dimmers since everything is accomplished at one touch of a button.

Projections have substituted for most painted and constructed scenery.  These are still or moving images that create special effects such as stars or written legends that serve as scene identification.  Image projections can be done on opaque surfaces or semi-transparent curtains that have been stretched across the stage.  Refinements in technique and equipment have managed to put the lighting director within the ranks of true artists.