In its final dates of this first UK national tour, Witches of Eastwick beguiled the Glasgow audience, who happily fell under the spell!

 

Marti Pellow of Wet Wet Wet fame takes on the demanding role of Darryl Van Horne (created by Jack Nicholson in the 1987 movie) in this musical adaptation of the raunchy 1980s novel.  So, getting to the point, … is Mr. Pellow any good?  He handled the charisma required for Billy Flynn in Chicago and he’s clearly a natural showman but can he really pull off the transformation from Clydebank Soul Singer to Devilish Soul Reaper?  The answer is a resounding “YES” (with deep, booming sound effects - and just a little reverb).  This was a major step up from Mr. Pellow’s previous theatrical roles and he more than met the challenge.  Never dropping character for a second he delivered mile-a-minute dialog with aplomb, leaping from smooth confidence to jittery unease in a schizophrenic heartbeat.  Combined with a physical delivery reminiscent of Jim Carrey, his performance was irresistible.  Marti Pellow may have been cast out from the world of pop, but he reigns supreme in this role.

 

Co-stars Ria Jones, Rebecca Thornhill and Poppy Tierney as witches Alexandra, Sukie and Jane delivered their character transformations brilliantly with vocal talents to match.  The principals were supported by a talented ensemble cast featuring a suitably tortured performance from Rachel Izen as community nay-sayer, Felicia Gabriel.

 

The show is quite traditional in style featuring a chorus opening, character development through song and a traditional walk-down finale (rather than a more ‘modern’ all-singing “megamix”).  But the content is very contemporary with some fairly graphic seduction scenes, some cheeky nudity and plenty of underworld language – not for the faint of heart!  Presentation was superb with beautifully stylised sets, dynamic lighting and well executed flying!  Musical Director, Tom Deering, earned his spotlight with a very animated performance!

 

LISTINGS INFO:

 

Kings Theatre Glasgow

Tue 28 April – Sat 9 May

Mon – Thu eves 7.30pm

Wed 29 April mat 2.30pm

Fri 5pm and 8.30pm

Sat 2.30pm and 7.30pm

Tickets: £12 - £36

Box Office 0870 060 6648 (Bkg)

www.ambassadortickets.com/glasgow (bkg)

 

PW Productions and Kenneth H Wax Ltd present
The National Theatre’s award-winning production of
JB Priestley’s classic thriller

An Inspector Calls

Directed by Stephen Daldry

Reviewed by Sue Marks at Milton Keynes Theatre on Tuesday 28^th April 2009.

 

The set for this play is visually striking, featuring a mansion on stilts but this is out of scale. It may be a three storey mansion with a grand facade but it is so small the actors can barely stand upright in it. A theme which is echoed throughout the play with the grandiose schemes and aspirations of the Birling family being identified as the hollow empty things they are. As the play progresses the front of the house is opened to reveal its Edwardian interior which contrasts with the late forties street outside. Finally, the Inspector seems to have control over the house itself causing it to topple over and later to right itself. The house is a complex piece of equipment with hydraulics being used to accomplish these effects. The set is further enhanced by water, smoke, pyrotechnics and lighting. Music is also used to good effect.

There are many themes explored in this play; the ideas of   Marx depicted as; class conflict, the exploitation of workers and social inequalities; the spectre of war, family and isolation, consequences of actions, rights and responsibilities, amongst others. When the play begins you can hear the Birling family having a celebratory meal inside the house, catching glimpses of them through the windows. I found this surprisingly irritating; however, as the play progressed I could see that this was probably intentional.

Inspector Goole is played by Louis Hilyer who is excellent in the role, being assertive and at times aggressive, yet also displaying compassion. Sybil Birling is portrayed very well by Sandra Duncan who is very believable in the role of this snobbish woman. The part of Arthur Birling is played by David Roper who is convincing as this nouveau riche self made businessman. Alisdair Simpson is very plausible in his role of the titled upper class character Gerald Croft. Marianne Oldham is excellent in the part of Sheila Birling who initially comes across as a spoilt little rich girl, but as the play progresses displays an astute perception of events. Robin Whiting is competent in the role of Eric Birling. Edna the servant is played well by Diana Payne-Myers.

The costumes were appropriate for the situation, the men were dressed in suits, and I liked the dresses worn by Sybil Birling and her daughter, which were quite ornate and well made.

This is a visually exceptional play which is thought provoking and provides compelling viewing. The whole production is very professional and well executed. Although numerous themes are explored in this play, it is up to each member of   the audience to identify which aspects they find particularly meaningful. This play is certainly worth watching.

An Inspector Calls plays Milton Keynes Theatre until Saturday 2^nd May 2009. Milton Keynes Theatre Box Office 0870 060 6652 (bkg fee). The tour then continues playing The Lowry Salford Quays from Tuesday 5^th to Saturday 8^th May 2009.

www.miltonkeynestheatre.com www.AninspectorCalls.com

Reviewed by Sue Marks at Milton Keynes Theatre on Tuesday 28^th April 2009 on behalf of Catherine Brian.  

Interiors  is a devised piece, drawing its inspiration from the 1891 play Interior by Belgian playwright Maurice Maeterlinck and marks a return to the Lyric for Vanishing Point, following the sellout run of Subway, as part of an international creative collaboration with Napoli Teatro Festival Italia and Traverse Theatre.

We all like actors to play the believable ‘fourth wall’, but when faced with an actual glass wall closing off the set to the audience, it can be quite disconcerting. The reflected faces of the audience in the glass partition set the scene for the voyeuristic journey we would be taking for the next hour and ten minutes. Without ever hearing the action, we indulged in ‘spying’ upon a dinner party on a cold, unforgiving night in a Northerly country, where residents have to take significant measures to protect themselves.

The show is slickly directed by Mathew Lenton – at all times the audience is looked after and directed through the action seamlessly by the deliciously teasing narration of Elicia Daly’s angel-like character, the only character to speak. Daly’s narrative allows the audience to really feel the moments of poignancy and to be moved; the actors don’t do all the work for us, but we have to get there by ourselves. On the whole the actors were wonderfully still and did not fall into the trap of over gesticulating or doing too much as compensation for not speaking.  The sparse use of the spoken word and the actor’s economy of movement encourage the audience to engage its own creativity – to sit up and take notice, and allow our imaginations to run wild creating stories of our own. 

Andrew Melville was superb – his stillness and subtly played gestures allow the audience to share in his moments of grief, happiness, sorrow and confusion. When engaging in spying, speculating is infinitely more satisfying than being spoon fed, and Melville allows us to speculate. The pace started to drag slightly towards the end, which is a shame because the stillness that Melville captured in the closing moments was captivating, and would have been more so had his stillness been contrasted by a speedier exit from the other characters.

The story takes delight in the mundane and shows us how extraordinary ordinary can be, and this is a major key to the success of the piece. Any of the characters could be us or people we know, so not only are we sympathizing and laughing at the actors but also with ourselves, relatives and friends. Indeed for just over an hour the audience becomes the most important cast member. We are reminded of the brevity of life and the curious preoccupation we develop in protecting ourselves and our interests - how human we actually are. The piece illustrates our hilarious quirks, and the moments of great humour are based on this identification with humanity. A must see.



INTERIORS
Lyric Studio, Hammersmith
21 Apr – 09 May
Box Office: 0871 2211722
Online: www.lyric.co.uk

Fame: The Musical

UK National Tour

Reviewed at The Sunderland Empire Theatre

Based on the 1980 hit movie and successful television series that ran from 1982 -87, Fame: The Musical follows the lives of the students and faculty at the New York High School for Performing Arts.

However, don’t expect to reacquaint yourselves with Coco, Montgomery, Bruno, Leroy and Doris as this production of Fame is set in the present day. Although the characters have changed the story remains virtually the same.

The decision to update this musical, thus depriving the audience of the opportunity to don leg-warmers and spandex, works successfully on some levels and not on others. Recognisable musical numbers such as ‘Star-maker’ and ‘Hi-Fidelity’ are absent, although the iconic title number remains. The new songs, including ‘Hard Work’ and ‘Bring On Tomorrow’ are apt and well sung but, with the exception of Beverley Trotman’s performance of ‘These Are My Children’, they are not as catchy as their predecessors.

The choreography is amazing and executed with precision and energy by a young cast who were danced to within an inch of their lives. The set is simple but highly effective and lighting is skilfully utilised to reflect the mood and tone of each scene.

Despite the fact that Fame is an ensemble show, a couple of performances stood out as exceptional. Holly James plays Carmen with honesty and conviction and Tarisha Rommick puts in a wonderfully comic turn as Mabel.

Disappointingly though, the pizzazz of the television series is only really recaptured during the reprise of the signature tune at the finale.

Steve Burbridge.

 

 

 

Caryl Churchill’s 2002 play is comparatively small-scale (80 minutes, two actors, one set) but deals with the myriad questions arising from the possibility of human cloning.

Bernard, an ordinary man in his thirties, has just discovered that at some point in the past, and without his knowledge, he has been cloned.  Suddenly his sense of self is completely destroyed – he is no longer unique but only one of “a number”.

His father, Salter, agrees that in some ways Bernard’s value has been reduced, and therefore he might be entitled to compensation, but reassures him that he is at least the “genuine” Bernard and not a mere copy.

However, as Salter’s explanations become increasingly contradictory, he finally confesses that Bernard is in fact a clone of an earlier child who had died young.  Bernard is newly devastated when he realises that his whole raison d’être has been to replicate an original.  Then Salter’s story collapses completely when the real Bernard walks in, wanting a few choice words with his long-lost father.

In some ways the cloning headline is irrelevant – there are no mad scientists and little said about the ethical issues around creating life artificially.  No, this play is about the ancient themes of sibling rivalry, family secrets, parent/child bonds and confused identities.

John Benfield plays Salter, the ultimate patriarch, who appears to treat his offspring with the careless disregard of a spawning frog.  His emotional hinterland is as slippery and hard to define for the audience as it is for his sons.  Daniel Casey is charged with portraying the assorted clones of Bernard and completely succeeds in conveying both their essential similarities and differences.

Jeremy Daker’s design is stark and bleak - an armchair, a standard lamp, a coffee table and a hat stand are stranded in the middle of an empty stage.  James Earls-Davis’s sound design complements this bleak scenario, creating a slight echo as if the characters are stranded in an empty cavern.  The effect is initially alienating, but the story gradually draws you in until you feel as if you’re watching the characters in close-up

Sarah Punshon directs with complete assurance and delivers a well-paced and thoroughly satisfying production of a thought-provoking piece. 

 

A Number is on until Saturday 9 May 2009

Prices: £10 (conc £8)

Times: Sats @ 3pm

Box Office: 0161 236 7110

www.librarytheatre.com

It was not explained exactly why Elvis Costello and the Brodsky Quartet reunited to perform ‘songs from the last century’ alongside new pieces at the Barbican last night, but I’m awfully glad they did.

The chamber-pop quintet started with a new arrangement of Costello’s hit ‘Accidents Will Happen’, much to the audience’s delight, and it served to set the high standard and musical tone for the rest of the set. The performance was neither trashy G4/El Divo crossover nor highbrow classical concert, just good eclectic music with well judged humour throughout. Costello quoted from Tom Jones and Bobby Darin songs between numbers and joked that having been born in the same hospital where Penicillin was discovered he regrets he ‘hasn’t been as great a boon to mankind.’ I’m sure some of the more fanatical members of the audience would have contested that statement as he performed vocal gymnastics for the length of the set and sounded note-perfect throughout.

Highlight’s of the first half included ‘Rocking Horse Road’, where the Brodsky Quartet tapped their bows against their fingerboards for a nice flighty feel and Costello broke into ‘Wild Thing’ momentarily. ‘Almost Had a Weakness’ featured manic Hitchcock style ‘Psycho’ strings representing the madness of a virgin spinster while Costello very deliberately delivered a dry lyric despite some challenging phrasing and undulating lively rhythms.

Tellingly, despite such highlights, it was ‘Accidents Will Happen’ that I heard people whistling while they widdled during the interval. Tonight’s set was comprised mostly of pieces from the kind-of-concept album inspired by the real-life letters people have sent to Shakespeare’s eponymous heroine, ‘Letters for Juliet’. That album is over 15 years old now and sadly, whenever new arrangements by either Costello or Cassidy were played the quality of the show took a dip. ‘Raglan Road’, ‘My Three Sons’ and a hastily arranged ‘Sulphur to Sugarcane’ from Costello’s forthcoming album all fell a bit flat. A couple more pints and I’m sad to say maybe I would’ve been shouting for ‘Oliver's Army’. When an audience member did shout for ‘one we know’, Costello coolly replied ‘...I’d like to play you a new song now…’ and went into a self accompanied performance of new song ‘One Bell Ringing’.

This perhaps betrayed the fact that the collaboration is an unequal partnership; Costello sometimes seemed like a conductor and was clearly the main draw for the majority of the audience, the world renowned Brodsky Quartet just a side Attraction. The Quartet seemed more restrained than I know they can be from their collaborations with Bjork et al. Given a little freedom they opened up old hits like ‘Pills and Soap’ and provided counter-melodies, variations on vocal themes and freewheeling expansive crescendos that showed just why they are world renowned. The highlight of the second half of the set for me was the unstable, woozy waltz they constructed for ‘Romeo’s Séance’ that was given an extra sense of instability in performance that a recording cannot match. 
            A change in mood was felt towards the end of the set with the demanding combination of ‘I Thought I’d Write to Juliet’, ‘Bedlam’, and ‘Shipbuilding’, dealing as they do with the themes of the first Gulf war and the Falklands conflict respectively. Perhaps this was why the material has been revisited, the sentiments and in some cases details behind these songs all too relevant today as Costello lamented. Grouped together like this made the atmosphere a bit too sombre I thought, but for the Post Script the less austere ‘P.S. I Love You’ (not the Beatles’) and ‘Jacksons, Monk and Rowe’ lifted the mood. The show left me looking forward to looking both collaborators’ back catalogues up, but less enthused about their new input perhaps. Quite a show though.

The Barbican’s contemporary music continues at LSO St Luke’s with ‘Beijing Now!’ See www.barbican.org.uk or call 0844 848 8436 for more details.

Horrible Histories (The King's Theatre, Glasgow, until Saturday)

Head on down to the King’s for a helping of Terry Deary’s “history with the horrible bits left in”. Following the huge international success of historian and author Deary’s educational, entertaining and often irreverent children’s book series -and its various merchandising offshoots and subseries - the much loved Horrible Histories has genre hopped, and is currently running as both a touring stage production and a CBBC miniseries.

Adapted for stage by Phil Clark and brought to life by Birmingham Stage Company, the show is a family-friendly mix of education, slapstick humour and, perhaps the most exciting feature for technophiles such as myself, 3D animation (congenially referred to as “Bogglevision” within the show itself and the accompanying programme). As with the book series, the show is a look at the more gruesome and often comical side of history, and it certainly adopts Deary’s penchant for gore and grisliness, with sound effects used throughout for breaking bones, squelching mud, exploding insects and machinegun fire. As an avid childhood Horrible Histories reader myself, I couldn’t help feeling a little let down by the lack of Deary’s usual sarcastic and irreverent humour, as most of the lines which evidently sought laughter would not have seemed out of place being read out over Christmas dinner.

The show is split up into two different performances, each dedicated to a different historical period (much like the books), the periods featured in this case being the “Frightful First World War” and the “Woeful Second World War” (I can’t help thinking that Deary missed a trick with the latter by choosing “woeful” as his adjective, rather than the more alliterative “sorrowful”, but I’m not a best-selling children’s author and world-renowned historian, so who am I to criticise). Unfortunately, I didn’t manage to see the second instalment of the show, and so I can only go on the events of the former.

The action of the ‘play’ followed the protagonist, Anthony, a present day schoolboy (played by Julius Metson Scott, a distinctly adult actor) who had accidentally activated a time machine within his computer, sending him back to the twentieth century to witness the events of the Great War. A mixture of live actors and animation on a projector screen behind them, in addition to the pantomime-esque audience participation, all made this performance a very entertaining one for the large proportion of children in the audience, and a satirical undercurrent kept the interest of most (and I say most as, on my way out from the theatre, I happened to overhear a middle aged couple, apparently accompanying their young grandson, referring to the entire show as ‘utter nonsense’) of the pubescent to adult patrons.

The four-strong cast put in competent performances, and much praise must go to the multi-accented Laura Dalgleish, for her phenomenal stage presence, in a number of guises, hers being the most genuine and entertaining of the characters. Matthew Schmolle was also praiseworthy, as Private Paul Turner, a soldier and journalist, and Ciaran McConville (who, it must be said, gave Bruno Ganz – the phenomenal lead in the recent film of Hitler’s demise – a run for his money in depicting a Hitler-like Germany personification) gave a very vibrant and comical performance.

The only criticisms I could really make of Horrible Histories were the contrived reminders, at regular intervals, of how long left the show had, thinly veiled as the main character’s computer’s attempts to try and transport him back to the current day. A further failing was the surprising disappointment of the 3D aspect of the show, which, whether through the quality of the screen, or that of the 3D glasses, or simply because of the extent of the budget, was blurry and certainly not as realistic as I have come to expect of 3D. The thunderous screaming of the children in the audiences indicated their apparent ignorance of this blatant lack of 3D quality however, so perhaps this is a sign of my age rather than a reflection of the show itself. I’ll leave it up to you...

Listings Info:

Horrible Histories
Frightful First World War
Tues 7pm, Wed, Fri, and Sat 10.30am, Thu 1.30

Woeful Second World War
Wed 1.30pm, Thu 10.30am, Fri 5.30pm, Sat 2.30pm
Box Office – 0870 060 6648
Tickets: £9.50 - £15
www.ambassadortickets.com/glasgow

Spider’s Web by Agatha Christie.

Reviewed by Sue Marks at Milton Keynes Theatre on Monday 20^th April 2009.

Agatha Christie is famous for murder mysteries and true to form this is a murder mystery but it is so much more. It is a fast paced, incredibly funny play with a feel good factor. It is evocative of a simpler time which some might consider more civilised. This play is definitely one of her best and is made even better by this company. Enough about the play, there is very little you can say about a mystery without revealing the plot; suffice to say if you go to see this you will not be disappointed.

There is a single set comprising of the drawing room of a country house with a view into the library and a French window leading to the garden. It is what you would expect of such a location with appropriate attention to detail, the overall effect being very professional.

The costume is also simple but appropriate and I thought the plus fours worn by Hugo were a particularly nice touch, as was the watch chain worn by Rowly. Clarissa’s dress was a good example of 1950’s fashion.

Inspector Lord is admirably played by Dennis Lill who portrays an old style Police Inspector with a quiet competence which is difficult to emulate.

Melanie Gutteridge is excellent in the role of Clarissa Hailsham-Brown, entirely believable and so pleasantly charismatic she quickly feels like an old friend, thus allowing both other actors and the audience to overlook her blatant untruths.

Catherine Shipton takes the part of the gardener Mildred Peake which she does in a “jolly hockey sticks” style and yet is incredibly menacing with a garden fork in her hand. I found her very amusing in this role.

Jeremy Warrender is played by Ben Nealon who makes the most of this part as an extremely eligible young man.

Bruce Montague plays the avuncular Sir Rowland Delahaye and I’m sure anyone who sees this play will agree that Rowly is a thoroughly good egg.

Mark Wynter takes the part of local magistrate Hugo Birch a character made all the more endearing by his slight speech impediment.

Karen Elliott is not a child although this is hard to believe when she plays Pippa Hailsham-Brown so well. She has mastered the technique normally only seen in nine year olds of either being stationary or running at full pelt with no stage in between. Her facial expressions were also very good.

Michael Gabe plays the butler Elgin with distinct overtones of Uriah Heap without being an exact copy, thus allowing other aspects of the character to be seen. I found this character quite amusing also.

Lucas Hare is Clarissa’s husband Henry Hailsham-Brown and is very plausible as that character.

Matthew Hebdon plays Oliver Costello and is very accomplished in the role.

Mark Rose takes the part of Constable Jones and is lucky enough to have one of the funniest roles in the play and makes the most of it.

The lighting was used to create different effects throughout the play. It was clearly well designed and operated.

The music was appropriate for the era; the sound quality was good and the volume just right.

I really enjoyed this production which was very professional, well performed and funny. What more can you ask.

Spider’s Web plays Milton Keynes Theatre until Saturday 25^th April 2009. Milton Keynes Theatre Box Office 0870 060 6652 (bkg fee). The tour then continues playing Devonshire Park Eastbourne from 27^th April to 2^nd May 2009.

www.miltonkeynestheatre.com www.kenwright.com

Reviewed by Sue Marks at Milton Keynes Theatre on Monday 20^th April 2009 on behalf of Catherine Brian.

An Italian professor's replies to the thousands of love letters sent to Shakespeare's Juliet inspired the chamber pop collaboration between The Brodsky Quartet and Elvis Costello, The Juliet Letters.


Proving there is life beyond Verona walls, the genre defying quintet will be peforming pieces from the album and their previous collaborations from Moodswings at the Barbican Main Hall on Thursday 23rd April, 7:30pm.  Also expect new compositions for voice and string quartet arranged by Costello, the composer of perenially popular hits such as  'Oliver's Army' and the seasonal 'The Other Side of Summer'.
Tickets are £20-£30,
see www.barbican.org.uk for details
or call 020 7638 8891.