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

Theatre Royal, Glasgow (17 - 31 December 2011)

Ahead of the curtain there is a real feeling of anticipation in the auditorium.  A look through the beautifully presented programme / brochure featuring details on composition, artistic process, company and rehearsals gives a sense of the love, care and reverence that this production has received.  As the lights dim, there is just time to glance into the expansive orchestra pit of the Theatre Royal to see row after row of attentive musicians as they await the first upbeat from Resident Conductor, Richard Honner.  We are clearly in for a Christmas treat!

The curtain opens on a simple scene outside a doctor's office as the concerned King (Owen Thorne) and Queen (Eve Mutso) learn of their inability to conceive a child.  But the good Lilac Fairy (Noellie Conjeaud) is able to intervene with magic.  The doctor's office is swiftly struck to reveal the impressive set of the Royal Gardens featuring a substantial summer house which pivots smoothly to allow space for the ensemble to weave their magic of dance in celebration of the Royal Christening.  In this open setting we are also able to appreciate the lighting effects adorning the set from Designer, Anthony McDonald.  Subtle but effective changes of colour are used to influence mood as the many principals perform for the assembled Royal Party.  We are also treated to a mist effect around the trees giving the backdrop an ‘other-worldly' quality appropriate to the tale.  The quality continues into Act II as the enchanted forest setting is given an ethereal depth as we meet more fantastic characters like Snow White, Cinderella and Red Riding Hood.  Costume-wise, we are treated to flowing gowns and royal finery across two centuries as the Beauty, Princess Aurora, and her royal court sleep for a full hundred years.  With the initial part of the tale set in 1830, the story reaches a happy conclusion in 1946 … and it is a real joy to see such breathtaking choreography performed in 20^th century costume.

Tchaikovsky's immortal score was performed with power and sensitivity by the Scottish Ballet Orchestra.  Ashley Page's artistic direction incorporates a great deal of humour with the bad fairies portrayed as wicked (rather than evil) for the family audience.  Several laugh-out-loud moments reached a peak, for me, at Princess Aurora's birthday celebration as the audience was teased with a number of sharp objects upon which the cursed Princess might prick her finger.  Would it be the hedge shears wielded by the gardeners (who looked strangely like the bad fairies), or perhaps the swords worn by Aurora's four suitors … no, it would be the 8 foot tree-like comedy cactus presented in a gift pot at the end of the scene!

Performances from Claire Robertson and Eric Cavallari as Princess Aurora and her Prince were captivating and I would be remiss were I not to mention the beautifully charismatic performances from Tomomi Sato as the Fairy of Song and Lady Bluebird.  All of the principals were expressive and displayed superb synchronicity throughout the performance.  The production was exquisitely executed and a joy to behold.

Listings Info:

Scottish Ballet "The Sleeping Beauty"

Sat 17^th to Sat 31^st December 2011

Tickets: £7 - £35

Box Office 08448 717 647 (Bkg fee)

http://www.atgtickets.com/Scottish-Ballet's-The-Sleeping-Beauty-Tickets/2/530/ (bkg fee)

Tour details:

Festival Theatre Edinburgh
11 - 14 January 2012
Tickets from £10
Box Office 0131 529 6000*
BOOK ONLINE NOW  Full booking details

His Majesty's Theatre Aberdeen
18 - 21 January 2012
Tickets from £11.50
Box Office 01224 641122*
BOOK ONLINE NOW Full booking details

Eden Court Inverness
25 - 28 January 2012
Tickets from £14
Box Office 01463 234 234*
BOOK ONLINE NOW Full booking details

 Theatre Royal, Newcastle
1 - 4 February 2012
Tickets from £10
Box office 08448 11 21 21
BOOK ONLINE NOW Full booking details

How do you get yourself in the mood for Christmas? Wrapping the presents? Work’s Christmas Night Out? Finishing the shopping? Taking the kids to see Santa? Well for me it is going to see a Pantomime (I usually see at least 10 each year!).

At Glasgow’s King’s Theatre it is a start studded panto indeed for Sleeping Beauty. I’d Do Anything Finalist Keith Jack as Prince Joseph of Jordan Hill, River City’s Lorna Anderson as Princess Beauty, Altered Images songstress Clare Grogan as evil fairy Carabosse and Rab C Nesbitt’s Jamesie Cotter, Tony Roper as her Henchman Hector and topping the bill Karen Dunbar. And Ms Dunbar proves why she is top of the bill for this pantomime, with a first half that was nearly a full cabaret show. Her energy and vocal talents shone in her rendition of Step Back In Time and her comic timing was evident throughout the show, but no better example than when dealing with shout outs from the audience – her quick wit making her a gem for panto. Her comedy “romance” with Tony Roper was a good pairing, allowing two comics lots of time to play and the clever reworking of West Side Story’s Maria is a comic performance not to be missed.

A revelation in this show was Lorna Anderson – her presence on the stage was excellent and she certainly matched (and on many occasion even topped) Mr Jack’s singing voice in their powerful duets. I would have liked to see her with a more “princess-y” dress for her “birthday party” but that is a minor issue in what is mostly a well costumed show. Top marks for this show must go to Musical Director/Arranger, Pamela Dunsmuir (or as the kids in the audience now know her, Auntie Pam), as the songs were well paced and sounded great, and her small live band were extremely tight on the night too. I am usually a fan of Eric Potts pantomime scripts, but did feel a slight lack of the usual “sparkle” or “magic” that the Kings Theatre usually produces, however as the cast get used to the show and continue to add their own topical material (there were already references to the hurricane and it was only just happening outside at that moment!) I’m sure this will return.

Rounding off the comics in the cast was Arron Usher as Jimmy Jingles the Jester. Although his first Kings Pantomime, his pedigree of many years working on the East Coast pantomimes certainly shines through. Although given the thin end of the wedge with the comedy dialogue (the big lines seem to have gone to the TV comics) his physical humour and interplay with the cast and audience more than make up for it. It is also pleasing to see the roles of the King and Queen delivered with some gusto – Kathryn Howden as Queen Fiona was a joy and her infectious laughter had me giggling whenever she spoke.

With many other highlights in the show including a Dragon, a clever version of “Happy Birthday” by Ms Grogan (who takes great relish in her evil performance in her very first pantomime – I’m sure she’ll be back!), a great chorus who dance exceptionally well, lavish walkdown costumes and more songs than you can shake a stick at this pantomime is a jam packed evening of entertainment. With the weather not getting any better outside, get a warm rosy glow from a great family show, that even the adults will enjoy.

Listings

Fri 2 Dec – Sun 8 Jan (please call the box office for full details)

Signed Performances: Wed 14 Dec 1pm & Wed 21 Dec 7pm

Audio Described Performances: Wed 14 Dec 1pm & Wed 21 Dec 7pm

Captioned Performances: Thu 22 Dec & Wed 28 Dec 2pm 

Ticket prices: £7.20 - £24.75

Box Office: 0844 871 7648 (bkg fee)

Schools and group bookings: 0844 871 7602

www.atgtickets.com/glasgow  (bkg fee)

This week's play at Oran Mor's Lunchtime Theatre, Glasgow, is a co-production with Bewley's Cafe Theatre, Dublin . Further details can be found at www.playpiepint.com.

Leslie Black Photography www.leslieblackphotography.co.uk 

The Scottish Premier of what must be the biggest touring show in the UK sets up camp at the King’s Theatre for 4 weeks!

You know what a bandwagon is, right?  A wee history lesson: back in the day, a bandwagon was the first part of a touring show to arrive in town.  It literally carried the music band.  Whether the show was acrobats or a circus or a troupe of performers, the band wagon would be the first to roll into town making as much noise as possible to attract attention and help to sell tickets to the townsfolk.  The actual show would parade along behind the bandwagon before setting up the entertainment.  Dirty Dancing is such a big show that the ‘bandwagon’ arrived in January!  Producer Karl Sydow held a publicity event at Glasgow’s plush new Central Hotel to show off just how good the show would be when it arrived in October.  Well this is one show that lives up to the enormous hype!

Dirty Dancing rose all the way to movie immortality shortly after its release in 1987.  The story of Frances ‘Baby’ Houseman (played by Hollywood starlet Jennifer Grey) falling for edgy dancer Johnny Castle (iconically portrayed by Patrick Swayze) during the hot summer of 1963 struck a chord with audiences all over the world, not least due to the atmospheric soundtrack of hits from the era blended seamlessly with new music written for the movie soundtrack.  That atmosphere is transferred flawlessly to the stage in this production with a combination of live music and original masters of the 1960’s tracks.

Being such a universally loved movie, every audience member arrived with a preconception of the elements that MUST be in the show.  I can tell you that non-one appeared disappointed!  Classic quotes, immortal choreography, timeless music, iconic characters and semi-naked bodies all made it to the Glasgow stage intact!  There was a huge cheer as Baby exclaimed “I carried a watermelon” and an even louder reaction as Johnny uttered the long awaited words “Nobody puts Baby in a corner”.  Somehow this show blends the most potent aspects of nostalgia and excitement to inject energy into an audience.  It is amazing to be a part of it … if a little frustrating for traditional theatergoers who don’t want to be distracted from the onstage performance.

Traditional is something that this show is not.  It is not a musical (nor is it advertised as such) as the principal characters do not sing.  But there is plenty of singing onstage and the ensemble dance routines (which are mind-blowing in themselves) make this much much more than a play with music.  The production standards are among the highest I have seen for a touring show.  Electronic screens were used to great effect to set mood with still and moving backdrops that extended into the wings as the floor to ceiling ‘legs’ (black cloths that are used to mask backstage activity in the wings) were replaced with 10m electronic screens.  These combined with a stage revolve and flying scenery to make scene changes seamless.  If you are reading this and wondering how the scene in the lake is reproduced … you would have to see it to believe it!

Performances from this immensely talented cast were first class.  The dance numbers from Johnny Castle (Paul-Michael Jones) and Penny Johnson (Charlotte Gooch) were just breathtaking – this was almost to be expected as Paul-Michael Jones formerly represented England in Latin dance championships … but I honestly think that Charlotte Gooch could be the best dancer I have ever seen!  Even so, the show belonged to Emily Holt as Baby.  She was just perfect.  The character, the dancing, the physical comedy and a maturity and professionalism in the presence of an (at times) rowdy audience that was truly admirable.

You have to see this show.  Tickets aren’t cheap but, even in tough times, they are worth every single penny.

Listings Info:

Dirty Dancing

Wed 19 Oct – Sat 12 Nov

Mon – Thus eves 7.30pm

Fri 5pm & 8.30pm

Sat 2.30pm & 7.30pm

Tickets: £10 - £48.50 (Premium seats £75)

Box Office 08448 717 648 (Bkg fee)

www.atgtickets.com/glasgow  (bkg fee)

“Crazy For You”

Produced by Theatre Guild Glasgow at Eastwood Park Theatre (4-8 October 2011)

As this performance was to be my return to the fold of theatre criticism after a work induced hiatus, I must admit I was a trifle nervous. In two senses, I was entering into the unknown. Initially, the performance was in an unfamiliar venue, Eastwood Park Theatre in Giffnock (one which, on reflection, had a terrific sound capacity) and the show was one I had very little prior knowledge of. From the get-go, Theatre Guild Glasgow, a drama group who never fail to impress, hit all the high notes in a farcical plot with echoes of the play-within-a-play spectacular “Noises Off” and with slapstick moments two men named Stan and Oliver would be proud of.

The story of Crazy For You kicks off in grand New Yoik as we see our jumpy, hen-pecked protagonist, Bobby Child, auditioning fruitlessly to the seemingly cold but undoubtedly eccentric theatre director, Bela Zangler. To make matters worse, he has to put up with a demanding mother and a prima donna girlfriend who, despite their similar attitudes towards him, dislike each other.  His mother works for the bank, and our man is forced to travel to Deadrock, Nevada to foreclose on a property. This idea is soon forgotten when he meets our leading lady, Polly, an outwardly rough-and-tough country girl whose father owns the local theatre. In true farcical fashion, it turns out that this theatre is the very property Child is there to foreclose on. Unaware of this, the two share a night of whirlwind romance before Polly finds out who her mystery man really is. Still madly in love with Polly, and aware of her distaste towards him due to the nature of his business, he hatches a madcap plan to impersonate Zangler in order to help Polly put on a theatre show, with a view to bringing some much needed life (and cash) into the sleepy town.

Child enlists the help of a troupe of lovely ladies from back home, to motivate the country-bumpkin types who populate Deadrock. Hi-jinks ensue as the plot develops, with Polly falling in love with Bobby’s Zangler guise, something he is happy to go along with until the real Zangler appears in town. In one of the most striking scenes in the play, the two Zanglers, both heavily intoxicated, mirror each other’s movements, eventually dancing drunkenly around the saloon, before passing out on the floor next to each other. Polly enters the saloon the next morning looking for the real Zangler, only for Bobby to pop up, in the guise of Zangler, talking as himself. After initially feeling humiliated, Polly eventually decides that Bobby meant well, and after Zangler manages to get them an audience for the theatre show, Bobby and Polly end up getting hitched in a spectacular finale!

All the cast were terrific, with energetic performances from all; however notable performances in particular came from David McCurrach, as Child (in particular, his drunken feint down the stairs), Adele Simpson as Polly Baker, whose vocal performances were spot on, Cameron Lowe as Moose, who provided much of the comic relief of the piece and gave a tooth-less (but by no means toothless) performance. However it was Gylen Boardman’s saloon-owner, Lank Hawkins, who uttered the most memorable line of the show – when opening a casino was suggested; “Who would come out here to the Nevada desert to gamble?” comes the brilliantly ironic reply.

I also feel a need to mention the terrific music, penned by the Gershwin brothers, as I was pleasantly surprised to find that the majority of the songs I actually knew and could sing along with. The band was excellent as ever and there were strong vocal performances from all.

All in all, another fantastic performance from Theatre Guild, and I look forward to their next annual production!

Next production:

“Footloose – the dance musical”

Eastwood Park Theatre

October 2012

Annie returns to the King’s Theatre in the final tour of this Chris Moreno production. Although a relatively modern musical (it was first staged in the 1970s), the show has become a classic, presumably in part due to its setting in the Great Depression of the 1930s.

What is interesting in this production is to see an ensemble with a variety of ages, shapes and sizes. From the young dancing girl physiques of The Boylan Sisters, to the more mature Mrs Pugh it was great to see some attempt at creating real characters in the smaller roles. One case in point is Ashley Knight as Drake the butler (and Apple Seller). His energy shone through in all the ensemble numbers and he made what could have been a rather bland role a standout performance. Of course no-one can mention the ensemble in Annie and ignore the cast of kids. The orphan girls are cast from local stage schools (in this instance Starstruck Stage School, Glasgow) and looked like they had been with the show forever. Special mention must go to Jessica Harvey as the youngster Molly. Her comic timing and winning smile would have won over even the toughest critic (actually, that might be me!) and along with the other girls showed a real grasp for the tight choreography for their numbers.

Amongst these kids we discover “Little Orphan Annie” – on opening night played by charming 10 year old Welsh girl Rachel Hall - as she scrubs the floors of the New York Municipal Orphanage, under the watchful eye of Miss Hannigan, played with relish by Su Pollard. Ms Pollard takes this opportunity to remind the audience of the singing voice that first set her on the road to stardom, with great renditions of “Little Girls” and the trio “Easy Street” alongside onstage brother Rooster (Philip Andrew) and his girlfriend Lily St Regis (Kerry George). Annie then finds herself at the home of billionaire Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks (warmly played by David McAlister) and his personal secretary Grace Farrell. As Miss Farrell, Simone Craddock was the vision of 1930s style and beauty – I’m sure at least half the costume budget must have gone on the coats, dresses and shoes for her character – and this was also true of her voice too, aside from a few accent issues (however this seemed to be an issue for many of the principals).

For a show that has been touring for a few years now, the tiredness definitely does not show on the set, or in the cast. This was a fresh and energetic production of a well-known story, with good leads and an excellent supporting cast. The band, under direction of James Dunsmore kept the music flowing at a great pace and for only seven pieces made the most of the music in the dance breaks to fill the King’s auditorium.

Many have fond memories of school productions of Annie, or watching the film on TV, so now is a good time to recapture those feel-good memories by enjoying this heart-warming production at the Kings Theatre until Saturday.

Listings

Tue-Sat Evenings – 7.30pm

Wed & Sat Matinees – 2.30pm

Tickets £10-£30

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

There have been musicals inspired by books (Oklahoma, Wizard Of Oz), by movies (Dirty Dancing, Flashdance), by the back catalogues of huge bands (We Will Rock You, Mamma Mia) and now there is a musical inspired by a compilation CD!! Dreamboats and Petticoats was put together after the success of the CD containing the hits of the late 50s/early 60s and has brought audiences out in droves to see the music performed live on stage.

With a rather basic story (as with most musicals) of boy and girl who are perfect match, not realising it and spending the rest of the show “missing their moment”, this musical is mainly contrived to show off the many songs. And I must admit, they show the songs off to a great degree. With the cast playing all the instruments live on stage, it gives another edge to the young talent on display. To see ensemble dancers playing brass instruments while keeping up with the dance routines is an achievement in itself!

On the downside, not all were up to the standard required to deliver the performances needed for this high energy show. Ben James Ellis (the only “name” in the cast, as a previous contestant on BBC’s Any Dream Will Do) was disappointing vocally and was inconsistent in accent throughout the show. He did have the confidence the role required, but unfortunately it did seem misplaced on this occasion. However, the leading roles more than made up for this. David Ribi as Bobby hit every note (and had quite a range to cover) while also creating a wonderful character who gained the symapthies of all in the audience. The standout performance however was Samantha Dorrance with a touching portrayal of the soon to be 16 year old Laura. Her ability to touch hearts with moving ballads was matched only by her belt voice in the upbeat numbers – and she also showed she was a more than able dancer and put the rest of the cast to shame.

With good support from Katie Birtill and Anna Campkin as the more streetwise girls and from Josh Little as the dim-witted friend this show is a good showcase for young talent and I’m sure we’ll see many of these names emerging into bigger roles in the coming years.

For a feel good musical, with some mainly inoffensive humour, great live music and some classic songs, Dreamboats and Petticoats is a perfect antidote to the increasingly wintery weather that has blown in from the West.

Performances:

Mon – Sat eves 7.30pm

Thu & Sat mats 2.30pm

Tickets: £11 - £32

Box Office: 08448 717 647(bkg fee)   web: www.atgtickets.com/glasgow