The Manchester International Festival’s even more exciting fringe - the Not Part Of Festival 2011 - kicks off at Taurus Bar with this unusual comedy drama from multiple award-winning playwright Stuart D Lee.

Although there’s no shortage of Second World War-based fiction, Dev’s Army deals with the rarely explored issue of Ireland’s uneasy neutrality during what their Prime Minister Eamon De Valera (“Dev”) preferred to call the “Emergency”. With the Irish state barely twenty years old and the battle for freedom from the British still fresh in the memory, the population had conflicting emotions about fighting on the same side as their erstwhile foes even against a potentially much greater evil.

It’s September 1940, and while the Battle of Britain draws to a close over southern England all that is protecting the Irish coast against invasion is a trio of ill-matched oddballs armed with a one-wheeled bike and an unloaded gun. The seaside setting recalls Bridget O’Connor’s hilarious The Flags, while the ramshackle set-up is like Dad’s Army re-written by Martin McDonagh.

The ever-reliable Richard Sails as elderly patriot Paddy captures the character’s simultaneous craven cowardice and bully-boy bravado in the slippery way he dwells on the events of 1916 without ever specifying his role in them. Dean O’Sullivan’s credulous youngster Michael is the catalyst for many farcical situations, particularly at the beginning of Act 2, and Matt Lanigan’s earnest Dermot lends credulity to the squad as the only one with actual experience of fighting in a war.

The drama shifts into a different gear when a mysterious man in a suit is washed up on the beach following an explosion. Wayne Allsop is really excellent as the sinister and duplicitous stranger, all charm and danger - a classic Kevin Spacey role.

James Foster’s direction is strong on emotional realism, while Owen Rafferty’s evocative sound design and Christian Taylor’s attention to detail with the set, props and costumes establishes that this production has ambitions higher than the average fringe show. An excellent debut from Elysion Productions.

Dev’s Army

Presented by Elysion Productions

Taurus Bar, Canal Street, Manchester

Wed 29 June - Sat 2 July 2011 @ 8pm (3pm matinee on Sat)

£7/£5 (conc)

ALL THE FUN OF THE FAIR 

Darlington Civic Theatre

Since it last toured to Darlington, back in September 2008, All The Fun of the Fair has enjoyed a record-breaking run at the Garrick Theatre, where it was nominated for Best New West End Musical of 2010 by What’s On Stage. It triumphantly returns to the Civic as part of its second major national tour and, yet again, fills the theatre from the stalls to the upper circle.

As the title suggests, the production is set against the backdrop of a travelling funfair that is struggling to survive in the late seventies. Inspired by David Essex’s album (also titled All The Fun of the Fair) the show is underscored by a helter-skelter of his hits but, unlike many other so-called ‘juke-box musicals’, there is a compelling and absorbing story to be told here.

David Essex reprises his role as funfair owner Levi Lee, the recently widowed father of a rebellious teenage son, Jack (Rob Compton), and, in doing so, delights his legions of female fans with each twinkle of the eye and every wry grin.  Older, greyer and more gravelly-voiced, it seems Essex can do no wrong in the hearts and minds of his followers and, it has to be said, he does have a certain stage presence that cannot be disputed. He is, undoubtedly, the main attraction - and he is fully aware of it – but his playing to the gallery and basking in the cat-calls and wolf-whistles can easily be forgiven because of his generosity in giving away some of his best-known hits to other members of the cast.

Louise English, as the sultry gypsy clairvoyant, Rosa, and Essex’s leading lady, rewards the above-mentioned generosity with a spine-tingling performance of ‘A Winter’s Tale’. Indeed, she puts in a show-stopping performance as the feisty fortune-telling femme-fatale and the sexual chemistry between the pair is strong enough to illuminate every flashing bulb in the fairground.

 

Other stand-out performances are given by Tim Newman as Jonny, a simple-minded young outcast who ran away from an orphanage and found a sense of belonging amongst the travellers; Susan Hallam-Wright as Mary, Rosa’s daughter who carries a torch for Jack; and Barry Bloxham as Druid, the hapless henchman of the local heavy, Harvey (David Burrows).

A number of changes, to both cast and storyline, have been made since the production last toured and played the West End – all of which are for the better. The production values are second to none, boasting an extremely evocative funfair set (complete with dodgem cars, barrows and stalls), a talented, hard-working cast and some great sound and lighting effects which add a real air of authenticity to the proceedings. The storyline, which never depicted an overly-romanticised view of a travelling funfair, is now darker, grittier and edgier in places and does not attempt to gloss over the violence which often accompanies such a way of life.

All The Fun of the Fair is, undoubtedly, a crowd-puller. However, given that most of the crowd in Darlington on press night were forty or fifty-something female David Essex devotees, it is perhaps inevitable that it would be.

That aside, this is a musical which has much to offer and certainly has the potential to run and run. One hardly needs to gaze into Rosa’s crystal ball to see that it has a long and successful future ahead.

Steve Burbridge.

Runs at Darlington Civic Theatre until Saturday 18 February, then continues to tour nationally until April.

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.

Shakespeare’s Plautus-originated farce about two pairs of twins separated at birth isn’t short of revivals, but here we have a perennial favourite completely fresh-minted in the Royal Exchange’s best production of the Bard since Greg Herzov’s Tempest.

 Guest director Roxana Silbert hasn’t felt the need to impose some radical interpretation, trendy concept or modern update on the play but lets it speak for itself - and how refreshing it is to see Shakespearean comedy, plain and unadorned, working so well on the stage 400 years after it was written.  The production is vigorous and unpretentious, with the bare-boned simplicity of those delightful outdoor shows that spring up around the country in the summer months. 

The casting needs to be absolutely perfect if the slapstick is to come over as knock-about comedy rather than cruel and sadistic, and the choice of ensemble is inspired: every actor is instantly likeable and the result is a charming and cheerful comedy of mistaken identities.  Sam Collings is notably winning as a well-heeled, sun-blocked Syracusean tourist, and the sparky relationship with his solicitous slave (Michael Jibson) veers between funny, tender, intimate and irritable as the day’s confusions ensue.  Jack Farthing as Antipholus’s long-lost brother has the arrogance and sense of entitlement of the handsome court favourite, and Owain Arthur as his bungling and abused servant is suitably long-suffering - the two blonde, chubby Dromios are a great double-act with a convincing resemblance to one another.

 Even the less colourful characters like the Duke of Ephesus (Munir Khairdin) and Egeon (Fred Ridgeway) are attractive and brimming with life, and Jan Chappell’s Abbess is impressive and imposing as she descends from the gods like a true deus (or dea) ex machina.

 There isn’t a stick of furniture on Anthony MacIlwaine’s stark stage - a plain white raised ring with a judiciously used revolve at its centre - so the action is never impeded and the focus is entirely on the characters.  This means that Steve Brown’s sound design and Chahine Yavroyan’s lighting are vital elements in creating a sense of place and atmosphere, and the costume department ably assists with lovely rich eastern fabrics cut in an Elizabethan interpretation of Byzantium.

 Resisting temptation to ham up the comic set-pieces, the production runs straight through in a modest 90 minutes without interval - a typical example of the evening’s elegance and restraint.  If this is accomplished piece is representative of Roxana Silbert’s work I hope the Royal Exchange invites her back at the earliest opportunity.

The Comedy of Errors is on until Saturday 8 May 2010

Prices: £8.50-£29.50

Evenings: Mon-Fri @ 7.30, Sat @ 8pm [not Tues 13 April]

Matinees: Wed @ 2.30, Sat @ 4pm and Tues 13 April @ 2.30

Box Office: 0161 833 9833

www.royalexchange.co.uk

In ancient Greece everybody would have been familiar with the story of Dionysus (also known as Bacchus).  Son of the king of Thebes’ daughter by the god Zeus, when Dionysus’ divinity was denied by the Thebans he visited a terrible revenge on their city.

Euripides’ tragedy is rife with dramatic irony as the god’s royal aunt, cousin and grandfather face choices, make the wrong decisions, and hurtle unaware towards their inevitable doom.

Braham Murray’s Royal Exchange production is excellent on so many levels, but let’s start with with Mike Poulton’s new translation, which rhymes flexibly and unobtrusively and is happy to use contemporary English alongside marvellous poetical coinages (such as the contemptuous dismissal of Dionysus as a “wonder monger” or a “godling”).

The acting is hugely enjoyable too, with powerful performances from the central characters.  Jotham Annan lends Dionysus great stage presence and is smooth, charming and self-possessed.  Sam Alexander as a very personable Pentheus makes such a compelling case for the king that you forget he’s a heretical tyrant.  They both deliver their long plot-heavy speeches with consummate ease and use the in-the-round space effortlessly.

A lighter note is injected by Wyllie Longmore’s pragmatic King Cadmus and Colin Prockter as his sidekick Tiresias, the blind prophet.  Their ridiculous bacchanalian rig-out of dried leaves and baubles belies their age and status, and their old-men-behaving-badly schtick provides a lovely comic interlude before the Eumenides come home to roost.

Throughout the play we cannot escape the brooding presence of the chorus, a group of Bacchants whose debauched frenzies have left them wild-haired, stripped to their underwear and covered in muddy handprints.  The eight talented dancers and singers revel in Mark Bruce’s vivid choreography and Akintayo Akinbode’s atmospheric live score.

Louise Ann Wilson’s design clears the stage of any of the predicable clutter of shrines, tombs and architectural features, and Chris Davey’s thrilling other-worldly lighting would strike fear into any mortal. 

Director Braham Murray has created a production that feels utterly modern and fresh and is a genuinely great all-round achievement.

The Bacchae is on until Saturday 4 December 2010

Prices: £9-£30

Evenings: Mon-Fri @ 7.30, Sat @ 8pm [no performance Tues 23 Nov]

Matinees: Weds @ 2.30pm, Sats @ 4pm and Tues 23 Nov @ 2.30pm

Box Office: 0161 833 9833

www.royalexchange.co.uk

The hit comedy, written by and starring Zach Braff (Scrubs, Garden State) has become the highest-grossing drama of all time at the King’s Theatre, Glasgow.

Of its success Zach Braff said: "The response to 'All New People' in Glasgow was beyond my wildest imagination. I want to thank the people of Glasgow and the delightful staff at the King's Theatre for their wonderful support and generosity."

Adam Speers, Executive Producer for ATG said: “This is an absolutely fantastic result for our Glasgow venue and for the cast and crew of All New People and it demonstrates that audiences are always on the look out for new and exciting theatre with fresh talent and innovative storytelling.”

This angst-fuelled comedy with its present day dilemmas and take on four very different characters way of life co-stars Eve Myles (Torchwood), Paul Hilton and Susannah Fielding and next week begins a strictly limited 10 week run at the Duke of York’s Theatre in London. It’s Glasgow run will come to and end on Saturday 18^th February.

The success of All New People comes hot on the heels of  Dirty Dancing which was the theatre’s highest grossing musical when it premiered in the city in October 2011.

Theatre Royal Bath Productions

 Presents

 Alison Steadman David Troughton in

Enjoy

 By Alan Bennett

Reviewed by Sue Marks at Milton Keynes Theatre on Monday 12^th April 2010.

This play was written in 1980 and is centred on two main characters, husband and wife Wilfred and Connie Craven played by David Troughton and Alison Steadman.  It is set in Leeds in the couple’s home, a back-to-back that is among the last to be demolished as part of a modernisation scheme in a run down working class area. The couple are expecting to be re-housed in a modern maisonette. It purports to be a comedy and the audience were in fits of laughter, myself included, however there were times other people were laughing more than I was and vice versa. There were also some very moving scenes that were quite sad.

The set features the interior of the house with its floors removed so that doors and windows open onto empty space. The decor was shabby and the furniture very basic.  There was a kitchen off the living room and the stairs also went up from the living space.

Wilfred and Connie had been married a long time and had very little left to say to each other. Wilfred had been injured by a hit and run driver which had left him with a metal plate in his head, a numb arm and he walked with a limp. Connie was in the early stages of dementia and kept forgetting things. They were clearly irritated by their own and each other’s medical conditions which led to constant bickering.

Their grown up daughter Linda, played by Josie Walker, lives at home but appears to travel a lot. Wilfred thinks she has a good job and is proud of her but when she eventually arrives home it is obvious she is a different type of “working girl”. They also have a son who is homosexual and estranged from them. However, he is reunited with them during the course of the play.

They don’t get many visitors so were anxious when there was a knock at the door. It transpired that the council had sent some sociologists to observe the remaining residents.  It was obvious that the young woman in the grey suit was in fact a man; Ms Craig was played by Richard Glaves. The observer sat in a chair with a note pad and they had been told not to engage them in conversation. Of course, once someone was watching their “normal” life things began to happen that were out of the ordinary.

Whilst Connie is out shopping a local youth calls round to see Wilfred and assaults him by hitting his head. The youth has his own “observer” with him and they both leave. Neither observer had intervened, both remained impartial. Connie returns home and eventually realises that Wilfred is very still, is he dead?  Unable to get any response Connie calls on her neighbour, Mrs Clegg played by Carol Macready, for assistance. Of course Mrs Macready also has an observer in tow. Believing Wilfred must be dead, although no one qualified has confirmed this, Connie and Carol attempt to lay him out, with some hilarious consequences. I won’t reveal any more of the plot, if you want to know what happens, go and see it.

Alison Steadman is excellent in the role of Connie Craven and gave a very powerful performance. David Troughton is also very good as Wilfred. Josie Walker was very plausible as the feisty Linda Craven. Carol Macready was very good as the extrovert Mrs Clegg.

This play is quite thought provoking, yes it’s a comedy but it’s also very emotional. I found it sad to see a couple who had been married for so long having seemingly lost what love they had for each other. Their daughter Linda was quite cold and uncaring and they were estranged from their son. The home and community they had known for so long was being bulldozed, would they be isolated in their new home? They were physically and mentally broken like their street and community and no one cared about them. How could the observers remain impartial when someone was in need of medical attention or help? Connie had mentioned the phone box had been vandalised, it made me realise how we take our mobile phones for granted, when not that long ago they didn’t exist. We would be able to call for help more quickly now. I think the difference in what people find funny will depend on how people relate to the characters. Those who are young may find some parts funnier than those who are not close to their children or are getting forgetful themselves. This play is very entertaining and well worth seeing.

Enjoy plays Milton Keynes Theatre from Monday 12^th April to Saturday 17^th April 2010. Milton Keynes Theatre Box Office 0844 871 7652 (bkg fee).

The tour then continues playing Alhambra Theatre Bradford from Monday 19^th April to Saturday 24^th April 2010.

www.miltonkeynestheatre.com

Reviewed by Sue Marks at Milton Keynes Theatre on Monday 12^th April 2010 on behalf of Catherine Brian

It goes without saying that Agatha Christie is ‘Queen of the Whodunnit’ and a literary force to be reckoned with. Only the Bible is known to have outsold her collected sales of roughly four billion copies of novels. ‘The Mousetrap’ is now the longest-running play in the world and it has been performed at St. Martin’s Theatre in the West End of London since 1952.

Following the success of ‘The Hollow’, ‘The Unexpected Guest’, ‘And Then There Were None’ and ‘Spider’s Web’, the Agatha Christie Theatre Company presents the next instalment in the highly acclaimed series, Christie’s undisputed masterpiece, ‘Witness For The Prosecution’, under the direction of Joe Harmston.

Having originally began its life in 1925 as the short story ‘Traitor Hands’, ‘Witness For The Prosecution’ only became a play when, in 1953, Peter Saunders, the producer of ‘The Mousetrap’ convinced Agatha Christie that the piece would adapt well to the stage. After detailed research on all the legal aspects, she wrote the play quickly and it opened on October 28^th in London. The success of the London production was swiftly followed by a production on Broadway and then, in 1957, by the celebrated Billy Wilder film starring Marlene Dietrich, Tyrone Power and Charles Laughton.

The story begins when Emily French, an ‘elderly’ woman who recently left her considerable estate to the handsome and charming young Leonard Vole, is found dead. Though he strongly protests his innocence, all the circumstantial evidence points towards him and Leonard (Ben Nealon) quickly becomes the prime suspect. His plea hinges not only on the testimony of his German wife Romaine (Deborah Grant), but also on the skill of the renowned barrister, Sir Wilfrid Robarts QC (Denis Lill).

Ben Nealon, who will be recognised by many for his role as Lt Forsythe in ‘Soldier, Soldier’, is excellent as the plausible and slightly naive Vole and quickly has the audience rooting for him. Deborah Grant (‘A Bouquet of Barbed Wire’ and ‘Not Going Out’) grabs the part of Romaine with both hands and is magnificent as the frosty foreigner. Denis Lill is brilliantly blustering as the feared and respected barrister.

But this is a production that boasts perfect performances right across the board from a stellar cast. Robert Duncan (‘Drop The Dead Donkey’) as the affable solicitor, Mr Mayhew contrasts well with the sometimes irascible Robarts, whilst Mark Wynter, as his courtroom adversary, Mr Myers QC drives him to distraction with his constant interruptions and annoying mannerisms. Comedy relief comes in the form of Elizabeth Power (‘EastEnders’) as Janet McKenzie, Miss French’s bitter housekeeper, and Hannah Redfern as Greta, Sir Wilfrid’s ditzy secretary.

The stunning set, designed by Simon Scullion, is almost a character in itself, the attention to detail is exquisite and, combined with the authentic 1950s costumes by Brigid Guy, lighting design by Douglas Kuhrt and sound design by Ian Horrocks-Taylor, a powerful atmosphere is evoked that really sets the tone of the piece.

The dialogue is beautifully written and harks back to an era when words were chosen to employ and convey meaning, rather than just strung together as they are nowadays. The cast, seeming to realise this, never waste a single word or carelessly throw away a wonderful line.

Christie’s London of the 1950s is a world where everyone seems to be harbouring a dark secret, and this gripping courtroom drama will keep you guessing until the final, fatal moment. Don’t miss it!

Steve Burbridge. 

Runs until Saturday 20^th November 2010.

If you ask anyone who has seen Avenue Q what the show is about, you usually get told “it’s like Sesame Street for grown-ups!”. This is indeed a good description, but it sells this show short. Avenue Q has a decent plot and a very good (and funny) script. The musical numbers too are witty and at times moving. The music is catchy and hummable. All in all, everything you want in a musical – and then they add puppets!

Following the story of college graduate (and puppet) Princeton (one of two roles/puppets played by Adam Pettigrew) who has found himself on Avenue Q to find an apartment – having started at Avenue A and worked his way out to the cheaper neighbourhoods – Avenue Q is a story with lots of heart, but peppered with enough risqué humour to please a varied audience of musical die-hards and those of the Family Guy generation who can enjoy childish humour in adult territory (or vice versa).

Avenue Q could easily have gone down the “star name” casting route, but have luckily avoided that to bring back some previous cast members from the West End run of the show. Rachel Jerram has moved up into the leading role of Kate Monster and shows a real skill in comic timing and a powerful belt voice in the moving ballad of 'There's a Fine, Fine Line' and in the duet 'Fantasies Come True'. Her 'doubled' role of Lucy The Slut provided some great moments of humour and showed how versatile this young actress is (Jekyll & Hyde take note - this is how you perform two characters convincingly at the same time - studied voicework!)

Miss Jerram was not alone in showing this skill, in fact all principal puppeteers/performers were taking on (at least) two roles! Chris Thatcher as Nicky/Trekkie Monster/Bad Idea Bear showed the greatest variety of voices and if he’d slightly toned down the “mugging” facial expressions, could easily have stolen the show from Miss Jerram.

A special mention must go to Katherine Moraz who played Mrs T and one of the Bad Idea Bears. She provided the “second hand” to many of the two person puppets and her timing made the transitions for the principals seamless and gave an effortless look to what must be a fastpaced show both on and off the stage.

What really makes this show stand out is the great comedic script and the witty song lyrics, Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx really are the Noel Coward for the Facebook generation. With titles like “Everyone’s A Little Bit Racist”, “The Internet Is For Porn” and “Schadenfreude” (look it up – even the word in itself brings joy in its own unique way!) it also doesn’t shy away from controversy, but everything is dealt with in the best possible taste (except perhaps from the puppet sex – which leads to another witty song entitled “You Can Be As Loud As The Hell You Want (While Making Love)”).

Anna Louizos very clever set design combined with the sharp lighting from Howell Binkley make a simple single set transform from exterior to interior with ease, and a very ingenious lighting transformation into the Empire State building shows that even in the design, ingenuity outweighs flashy set-pieces and full stage transformations.

The biggest compliment that I can give this show is that having dragged my (rather reluctant and non-musical fan) partner to see this in London, they not only begged to come see this again with me, but have been telling all their friends to go to. So, in case word hasn’t already reached you that way, get your tickets sorted now and head down to Avenue Q for that great childhood feeling of laughing at things you know you shouldn’t!

Contains scenes which may be unsuitable for under 12s.

Performances:

Tue 28 Jun:       7.30pm

Wed 29 Jun:      2.30pm, 7.30pm

Thu 30 Jun:       7.30pm

Fri 1 Jul:           5.30pm, 8.30pm

Sat 2 Jul:          4pm, 7.30pm

Tickets: £12.50-£30.50

Box Office: 08448 717 648(bkg fee)         
Web: www.ambassadortickets.com/glasgow