It takes a great deal of talent to pull off what is effectively a one-woman sketch show, yet writer-performer Carly Tarett does this effortlessly with her sequence of single-handed playlets themed around the seven deadly sins.

Apart from being very funny comic monologues, each piece works as a stand-alone drama.  Outstanding among them are the blindfolded neighbour-from-hell whose envy and interference have led to her current mysterious predicament, and a philosophical exchange (technically a monopolylogue) between a couple of east end bank robbers.  However the highlight of the evening is an outrageously rude skit about an elderly Welsh classroom assistant - her imaginatively obscene and expletive-filled commentary on Red Riding Hood would make Quentin Tarentino blush.

The night finishes with a couple of great comic songs by a bone-idle touring musician who won’t even finish writing her own lyrics.  Like several of the other creations I’d love to see her as a regularly recurring comedy character along the lines of John Shuttleworth.

Carly Tarett’s skilled writing and versatile delivery call to mind Joyce Grenfell.  With this all-round excellent show she is clearly a writer and performer to watch out for again.

Sinful was on at The Lass o’ Gowrie, 36 Charles Street, Manchester M1 7DB

www.thelass.co.uk
www.carlytarett.co.uk
www.eyeofthestormproductions.co.uk

The Royal Exchange has another popular hit on its hands with Jim Cartwright’s clever two-hander set in a pub.  Like his other gritty slice of life play, Road, we meet a parade of colourful northern working-class characters - here they’re passing through the saloon bar of a traditional public house which is presided over by a flirtatious landlady and her wisecracking husband.  In this play however all the roles are taken by a single pair of actors.

There isn’t a narrative arc other than the waxing and waning of customers as the evening passes.  But once the bar has cleared the undertow of tension between landlord and landlady is painfully exposed in a raw and heartbreaking final scene.

Local comedian Justin Moorhouse is a huge favourite with the crowd.  Big, cuddly and warm, he shambles about like a panda whose fur coat is at the dry-cleaners, and remains loveable whether playing the ebullient host, a lonely old widower, a neddy in a pom-pom hat or a sponging boyfriend with a roving eye.  As a bonus there’s plenty of banter with the audience, perhaps owing more to Justin’s stand-up experience than to the script.  At this point I should warn anyone of a retiring nature not to sit on the banquettes at the front, as they become such an integral part of the show that their occupants should probably get a credit in the programme.

Victoria Elliott is quite simply a brilliant actress with a natural flair for comedy – the biggest laugh of the night came from one of her off-the-cuff put-downs to an unfortunate audience member.  She is truly versatile in her range of playing, slipping easily between a wide variety of roles and acting styles.  The frail old lady with the butcher obsession is both funny and moving, the sub-Sloane Ranger who loves Big Men makes your eyes water, and the petrified woman on a night out with her abusive partner is horrifyingly real.

Designer Amanda Stoodley has created a circular mahogany bar that fits the space like it belongs there, and director Greg Hersov moves the action around (and over) it at a cracking pace.

With Happy Hour from 9pm-10.30 every evening, traditional pub games including darts, pool, table football available to play in the foyer, and free after-show entertainment on Thursdays, this is pub theatre with a twist.

TWO is on until Saturday 25 February 2012
Prices £9-£33
Evenings: Mon-Fri @ 7.30, Sat @ 8pm
Matinees: Wed @ 2.30, Sat @ 4pm
Box Office: 0161 833 9833
www.royalexchange.co.uk

We all need some fun and laughter in our lives, particularly in these stressful economic times and who better than the front man of Madness, Suggs, to bring a smile back to our lips?  Anyone who expects to be seeing a concert of Madness songs will be disappointed though, as this is a scripted one-man show detailing Suggs’ life story from his humble beginnings to international pop star.   The story is interspersed with an occasional song or few verses, accompanied on piano or guitar by his ‘manservant’, culminating in It Must Be Love.

The set is very simple - an armchair stage left lit with a spotlight and a microphone on a stand stage right, next to the grand piano that ‘manservant’  sits at throughout.

Suggs is a huge personality and bounds onto the stage with effervescent energy and enthusiasm, immediately winning the audience around with his warmth and humour.  We are in no doubt that this is not a stand-up comedy routine, but essentially a well-crafted monologue and requires 100% concentration to deliver.  The odd heckler is to be expected I suppose, but one annoying woman didn’t seem to understand this concept during the second half and, thankfully for everyone else who did, was asked to leave! 

The story begins when Suggs reached his 50th birthday last year, when after a wonderful celebration at Wilton’s Music Hall in London, his much beloved cat Mambo sadly died the following day.  These two major events triggered a search for more of an understanding of his life and who his father was, as he’d never met him.  He takes us on his personal quest to find and understand his absent father and travels cleverly between past and present day.

I’d always assumed that he was born and bred in Camden and Madness was formed from kids he’d grown up with.  The truth is not quite as simple as that, as he was born in Hastings and spent several years living with relatives in Haverfordwest in Wales, even attending grammar school there.  If his aunt and uncle had not split up, he may well have remained living there and not returned to London and joined a band!  Music in the 80s would certainly have been a lot blander without Madness and their crazy antics.

It was great to hear about how the band developed and how the Specials frontman Jerry Dammers set up Two Tone records creating Scar music and giving Madness their first record deal.  It really was a great time for fun music and it’s always uplifting to stick a Madness CD on in the car or dance around at home.  I wasn’t surprised when the musical Our House was written and became a West End hit. Their popularity and music is undiminished with everyone speaking fondly of the band and Suggs in particular.

Suggs’ life story is a fascinating glimpse into the real life of this national icon and the show is full of laughter, personal insights and pathos that we can all identify and empathise with.  The 1200 seat theatre was full, which demonstrates just how much respect and affection this talented performer commands!

January Tour Dates:
25th Southend Palace Theatre
26th York Grand Opera House
27th Newcastle Journal Tyne Theatre
29th Richmond Theatre
31st Dartford Orchard

For further dates and information please visit:
http://www.suggslive.com

For Waterside Theatre’s Winter/Spring programme information contact:
Box Office:   0844 871 7607 (bkg fee)
Groups Hotline:  0844 871 7614
Access Booking: 0844 871 7677 (bkg fee)
Online Booking: www.atgtickets.com/aylesbury   (bkg fee)

Reviewed by:
Yvonne Delahaye
21.1.12

In one of those ironic twists of fate, Bolton's most famous writer Bill Naughton - a man who has bequeathed his name to the Octagon’s studio space - is probably best known as the onlie begetter of the archetypal Cockney lothario Alfie Atkins.

What an extraordinary creation Alfie is.  The playwright has a musician’s ear for the nuances of accent, making his anti-hero not a mere loud-mouthed barrow boy or a  chirpy Cockney sparrow, but endowing him with the precise delivery and idiom of his region and class - closer to Diary of a Nobody than Oliver Twist or EastEnders.  The brilliant dialogue teems with comedy, cruelty and bathos, but one of the script’s most striking features is its daring use of aside and commentary, giving the lead actor unparalleled opportunities to play up to the audience like a sex-obsessed Richard III. 

David Ricardo-Pearce as the eponymous hero is handsome and dressed to kill, the absolutely epitome of the Sixties even before they’ve begun to Swing. 

John Branwell delivers a masterclass in pathos and comedy as Joe, a widowed hospital visitor, and his still and chilly portrayal of the abortion doctor Mr Smith is mesmerising.  Ill health robbed us of the chance to see him play Fred Dibnah last spring - they should revive The Demolition Man just so we can see him in the role.

The script gives designer Lis Evans the challenge of creating umpteen sets including bedrooms, hospital wards, greasy spoon caffs, car interiors and pubs.  She gets round the problem by putting her props on wheels, and coupled with Lesley Hutchinson’s movement direction the scenes change so frequently and rapidly that watching the tables, chairs and cupboards flying in and out is like seeing the Ikea catalogue perform Starlight Express.

David Thacker’s production is fluid and fast-paced, though it can’t quite dispel memories of the classic Michael Caine film.

Alfie is on at Bolton Octagon until Saturday 18 February 2012
Then touring to Newcastle-under-Lyme, Scarborough and Oldham
Tickets: from £9.50-£22.50
Performances Mon-Sat
Eves @ 7.30pm
Matinees: Wed & Sat @ 2pm
Box Office: 01204 520661
www.octagonbolton.co.uk

Her posthumous success astonished the feverishly competitive world of pop music. Indeed, Eva Cassidy’s story is so extraordinary that it now forms the basis of a compelling musical play, starring Hollyoaks actress Sarah Jane Buckley as the talented song stylist. She tells UK THEATRE NETWORK all about it.

Eva Cassidy’s success is more than she could ever have dreamed of – and, sadly, it’s a success she never lived to see. The wonderfully talented and spiritual song stylist died of skin cancer when she was in the prime of her life, at just 33 years old.

By the time of her death, in 1996, she was unknown outside her native Washington DC but, within four years, Terry Wogan had discovered and promoted her haunting interpretation of ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’ to the British public. A camcorder recording of Eva performing the song at the Blues Alley jazz club was shown on the BBC’s ‘Top of The Pops 2’ and, subsequently, sales of her album ‘Songbird’ outstripped top stars including Madonna, Craig David and Robbie Williams.

‘To play Eva Cassidy is quite simply the role of a lifetime,’ says Sarah Jane Buckley, who is starring in the award-winning ‘Over The Rainbow – The Eva Cassidy Story’. Since its first performance, in 2004, the show has wowed audiences all over Europe and received standing ovations from sell-out audiences throughout the UK and Ireland. In taking on the role of Eva, Sarah Jane follows in the footsteps of some other high profile performers including Carmen Cusack, Nicole Faraday, Zoe Tyler and Faye Tozer.

‘It’s now become one of the most fabulous female roles in musical theatre,’ states Sarah Jane. ‘To sing 24 songs a night, in a lead role, is phenomenally rare and I don’t think it happens in many other shows. I’m on stage constantly and the acting element is as important as the singing. It’s incredibly challenging.’

When she discovered she’d won the role of Eva, Sarah Jane spent months studying Eva’s performance and techniques to ensure that she would bring authenticity to the part.

‘When she sang, Eva breathed in a different place from a normal singer so when she took a breath it kind of coincided with where she took a chord. That’s why her songs are so different, with that breathiness and very individual style of singing, which was amazing to have to copy. She had an incredible gift.’

Many will associate Sarah Jane with her role as crazy Kathy Barnes in ‘Hollyoaks’, but she actually began her career as a singer.

‘Singing has been my bread and butter for a long time,’ she says.

Indeed, she made her first television appearance, at the age of 17, singing on an ITV talent show, ‘Scramble’, hosted by Richard and Judy. She went on to train at The Guildford School of Acting and, upon graduating, entered the world of musical theatre to play roles in ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’ and ‘Elvis The Musical’.

Sarah Jane went on to form a cabaret duo called The Polka Dots, alongside fellow actress Jo Michaels, and for six years they travelled the world with comedians and artistes including The Chuckle Brothers and Joe Pasquale.

‘In the past, I’ve always sang as myself,’ says Sarah Jane. ‘This is the first time I’ve had to perform as someone as vocally iconic as Eva Cassidy, The thing is, because there’s very little footage of her on the internet, you don’t really see her visually.’

This sad, but uplifting musical play journeys her life – from her idyllic childhood growing up in a musical family, to her studio work with boyfriend and mentor Chris Biondo, to the exuberant live recordings of Blues Alley and, finally, to her tragically premature death.

‘Stephen Leatherland, the producer and director, has done a lot of research into her life and he went over to America to meet some of her family members. He has been very instrumental in directing me in how to behave like Eva. She was incredibly shy and actually preferred recording to performing in front of an audience.’

Sarah Jane admits that she was already a fan of Eva Cassidy’s music before she was even offered the role in ‘Over The Rainbow – The Eva Cassidy Story’, and she explains that accepting the role was not a difficult choice at all.

‘There was no contest, really. To be offered the chance to play her was amazing and I was absolutely thrilled. It’s such a tough role and I finish each show absolutely exhausted because it’s such a heartbreaking story. It takes you on a very emotional journey, but there’s also lots of happiness to the show. I guess it’s a celebration of her music as well as a tribute to her life.’

FACTFILE

·         Eva is the only female artist to have 3 consecutive posthumous number one albums

·         As a performer, she probably did no more than 80-100 gigs – many of which had audiences of around only 30 people

·         She had an all-consuming love of nature, valuing all forms of life – be it animal or plant – as sacrosanct

·         Skin cancer is one of the most common cancers in the UK with over 70,000 new cases registered every year

·         In 2002, after the release of a television documentary, she had 5 albums in the Norwegian charts and at the same time enjoyed similar success in neighbouring Sweden. Her popularity continues to spread across Europe, Australia, Iceland and Canada.

 

·       Tour Details

 

·        January 2012

·         26^th                        Camberley Theatre

·         27^th&28^th           Birmingham New Alexandra Theatre

·         30^th                        Milton Keynes Theatre

·         31^st                          Swansea Grand Theatre

·        February 2012

·         1^st&2^nd                   Worcester Swan Theatre

·         3^rd&4^th                   Darlington Civic Theatre

·         6^th-8^th                    Motherwell Theatre

·         10^th                        Derby Assembly Rooms

·         11^th                        Wellingborough, The Castle Theatre

·         12^th                        Richmond Theatre

·         13^th                        Leamington Spa Centre

·         14^th                        York Grand Opera House

·         17^th                        Worthing Pavilion Theatre

·         18^th                        Crawley Hawth Theatre

·         22^nd&23^rd           Winchester Theatre Royal

·         24^th                        Exmouth Pavilion Theatre

·         25^th                        Chatham Central Theatre

·         28^th                        Edmonton Millfield Theatre

·         29^th                        Bradford St George’s Hall

·        March 2012

·         1^st                          Yeovil Octagon Theatre

·         2^nd&3^rd                   Mansfield Palace Theatre

·         4^th                         Glasgow Theatre Royal

·         5^th-7^th                    Shrewsbury Theatre Severn

·         8^th                         Rotherham Civic Theatre

·         11^th                        Manchester Opera House

·         13^th                        Chesham Elgiva Theatre

·         14^th-16^th                 Colchester Mercury Theatre

·         17^th                        Lowestoft Marina Theatre

·         18^th                        Scarborough Spa Theatre

 

Rumours of Fleetwood Mac returned to a packed Waterside Theatre after their sensational performance in February 2011.  Last year’s show was brilliant and I’d raved about it so much that my friend, Tricia, asked to come along and see for herself.  We were not to be disappointed and this year’s show was just as good as last year’s.  Tricia only had Big Love in her record collection, rather than the whole Rumours album, but knew most of the tracks.  She was also surprised to hear some of the rock and blues songs in the second act and hadn’t realised that they were Fleetwood Mac songs.  As Alan Hughes (performing Lindsay Buckingham on lead guitar and vocals) says ‘we’ve got 25 years worth of material, so be prepared for a long night!’

The band have been performing together for 13 years and are a very tight knit team of outstanding musicians and singers, who constantly tour the world and consider themselves family. 

Louise Rogan has the beautifully haunting vocal quality of Stevie Nicks down to a tee and Amanda Kostadavok’s rock and blues voice perfectly reproduces Chrisee McVie.  Dave Goldberg on keyboard/vocals performs Peter Green superbly with Ian Robinson as John McVie and Ben Hughes performing Danny Kirwin.  Promoter and drummer Allan Cosgrove performs Mick Fleetwood and describes the tour as a ‘dream gig’ to be performing with his friends, touring the world and playing Mick’s grooves!

All our favourite songs from the Rumours and Tusk albums were there from Dreams, Seven Wonders, Running in the Shadow, Storms, Isn’t it Midnight, You Make Loving Fun, Landslide, The Chain and, especially for Tricia, Big Love.  The second half featured some of Peter Green’s early work with my particular favourite blues number Need Your Love So Bad.  The show wouldn’t be complete without a rendition of the hauntingly beautiful classic Albatross.

I was struck this time around by how poetic and beautiful the lyrics are
 ‘I could tell you about my life
And keep you amused I'm sure
About all the times I've cried
And how I don't want to be sad anymore
And how I wish I was in love' (from Man of the World)
‘You, you make loving fun,
And I don't have to tell you you're the only one’. (from You Make Loving Fun)
 ‘And if you don’t love me now you will never love me again’. (from The Chain - music themetune for Top Gear)
' Drowning in the sea of love, where everyone would love to drown but now it’s gone it doesn’t matter what for when you build your house and call me ‘home’. (from Sara)

Having lost my copy of Rumours to an errant ex-boyfriend 15 years ago, I think it really is time I bought myself a new copy!

Towards the end the audience got on their feet to join in Go Your Own Way. The only slight criticism I had is that having got us all on our feet, everyone sat down again as Amanda took centre stage to sing the beautiful Songbird as the final number of the evening.  I feel this would be better placed earlier on in the second set, as at the end everyone just wanted to stand up, join in and enjoy the encore of Tusk.

I reiterate my review from 2011, this really is a fantastic evening of rock, pop and blues that is accessible to everyone of any age.  The musicians and vocals are all excellent and more than do justice to the memorable and timeless songs of Fleetwood Mac.  We had a fantastic evening and Tricia said she'd definitely see them again when they come back, which we hope will be very soon!

For more details about the band and tour dates visit www.rumoursfm.com

Reviewed by:
Yvonne Delahaye
20.1.12

Founded in 1988 by former Bolshoi soloist and choreographer Victor Smirnov-Golovanov, Moscow City Ballet has become one of Russia's most successful touring companies. Smirnov-Golvanov’s goal is bringing his heritage of classical ballet in the Moscow style to audiences all over the world. This winter the MCB returns to the Richmond Theatre with Swan Lake and The Nutcracker.

This version of Swan Lake by Natalia Ryzhenko and Victor Smirnov-Golovanov takes it back to its classical roots, which probably meets the expectations of part of the audience because this might be their introduction to ballet. The lady next to me obviously did not go to the theatre very often as she first illuminated the auditorium with her mobile phone and then kept unwrapping sweets – together with her friend - in a very irritating way up until the interval. Apart from that, this was a very pleasant evening. The First Act was a bit slow moving but the production gained pace after the interval. Just like last year, the Jester stole the show. Valeriy Kravtsov, an incredibly skilled and accomplished dancer with great stage presence and boundless energy, sped up the pace of the production whenever he featured on stage. Odette/Odille was danced beautifully by Liliya Orekhova, with Odette’s birdlike anxiousness and fragility contrasting exquisitely to Odile’s seductive self-confidence. Daniil Orlov as Rothbart was charismatic and menacing, Talgat Kozhabaev was, by contrast to his performance in The Nutcracker, a little bland. The fight between Prince Siegfried and Von Rothbart that climaxes this ballet was exciting and intense. 

The set design and the costumes (Elizaveta Dvorkina and Natalya Povago) were stunningly beautiful with Odille’s black and white dress reflecting the fight of good versus evil. The scenes at the Lake were particularly atmospheric and quite thrilling. The only problem I noticed was the lack of space. The dancers were struggling at times because the choreography demanded a wider stage. 

The Nutcracker tells how little Clara and her Nutcracker Prince defeat the armies of the Mouse King and embark on a sleigh-ride to the Kingdom of Sweets, where they meet the Sugarplum Fairy, dancing snowflakes and other delightful characters.

This production was truly magical and joyful. The first half was a bit slow but, as in Swan Lake, the pace picked up considerably in the second half. The set design and the costumes were colourful and imaginative. The backdrop in the Second Act featuring angels, fairies, and flowers had a touch of Chagall. 

Stories:

• Meryl Streep wins BEST ACTRESS award at Golden Globes Tue, 01/17/2012 - 13:27 from UK Film Network
• My view on the BAFTA shortlist Tue, 01/17/2012 - 15:49 from UK Film Network
• ORANGE BRITISH ACADEMY FILM AWARDS in 2012 - NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED Tue, 01/17/2012 - 10:57 from UK Film Network
• A Future For British Film - The full 66-page official film report mentioned by David Cameron Tue, 01/17/2012 - 11:49 from UK Film Network
• Corey Feldman and Edward Furlong to appear in UK film Tue, 01/17/2012 - 11:36 from UK Film Network
• Man in the Middle- Theatre 503 Sun, 01/15/2012 - 23:11 from UK Theatre Network
• SLEEPING WITH STRAIGHT MEN ABOVE THE STAG THEATRE Wed, 01/18/2012 - 19:11 from UK Theatre Network
• Greenwich Playhouse to close after 20 years Tue, 01/17/2012 - 11:28 from UK Theatre Network
• Sometimes I Laugh Like My Sister at the Finborough Theatre by Carolin Kopplin Mon, 01/16/2012 - 19:39 from UK Theatre Network
• Oliver Award-winning Our Country’s Good tours UK theatres Mon, 01/16/2012 - 16:43 from UK Theatre Network
• Murder on the Nile at the Theatre Royal Windsor Fri, 01/13/2012 - 16:10 from UK Theatre Network

Perennial musical favourite, Grease, returns to the King’s Theatre to tickle the funny bone and quicken the heartbeat of the Glasgow audience.

 

Grease is familiar to audiences the world over since it debuted to Chicago audiences in 1971 and quickly moved to Broadway, running for 18 years and 3388 performances!  It broke box office records in 1978 when the movie starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton John was released (John Travolta had played a role in the original Broadway production run).  This UK revival production originally opened in the West End in 1993 where it enjoyed a run of 6 years before hitting the road on national tours.   Since 1993, the show has been seen by audiences of over 12 million people in the UK alone. 

 

Grease is the original high-school musical featuring everyone’s favourite characters - Sandy, Danny, the T-Birds and the Pink Ladies - with the unforgettable songs from the hit movie including You’re The One That I Want, We Go Together, Summer Nights, Hopelessly Devoted to You, Sandy and Greased Lightnin’.

 

The production was very slick with fast paced dialogue joining the much-loved elements of the score together smoothly.  There is little room in the script to develop character, but the cast added great physical traits to ensure that everyone was a unique presence onstage.  Arlene Phillips’s choreography was exciting and energetic with the Hand Jive and Competition dances showing off the cast’s ability in partner dances and lifts to great effect.

 

Headliner, Danny Bayne, was a little disappointing for me.  Winner of ITV’s “Grease is the Word” in 2007, Danny looked like his five-year association with this role might be beginning to take its toll.  His talent, particularly in dance, was undeniable but his performance lacked that little spark of freshness that every audience deserves.  Dramatically the story is light but Kate Somerset How shone as Rizzo who hints that 50’s high School life is not all cheerleading and bobby socks.  Derek Andrews and Laura Wilson built a nice chemistry as Roger and Jan with Derek, in particular, showing off a significant vocal talent.  Leading lady, Carina Gillespie as Sandy, delivered her transformation from ‘Sandra Dee’ to size zero hotty with ease while X-factor talent “Tesco” Mary Byrne delivered a great character as Teen Angel singing “Beauty School Dropout”.

 

Big, bold, bright and brash, Grease is the perfect cure for the winter blues.  Take your seat and summer seems like it might be just around the corner.

 

Listings details

GREASE

King’s Theatre, Bath Street, Glasgow, G2 4JN

17 – 28 January 2012

Tickets £12 - £39.50

Box Office: 08448 717 648