UK Theatre Network

SWALLOWS AND AMAZONS - Darlington Civic Theatre

We all know that a child’s imagination is the most vivid, creative and boundless source of magic there can be and this production of the evergreen classic, Swallows and Amazons, certainly takes that as the basis of its staging. Indeed, the key to the success of Tom Morris’s production (which is produced for the Children’s Touring Partnership) is its simplistic ingenuity.

Instead of elaborately impressive sets and stunning special effects, the story is told with the aid of some fairly mundane props. These everyday items, which include feather dusters, pliers, ribbons, sheets and bin bags, are suddenly transformed into parrots, cormorants, boats and the ocean. It’s all very cleverly done and extremely believable, too.

Arthur Ransome wrote the novel in 1930 and, having never read the book, I am unable to comment on how faithful Helen Edmundson’s script remains to his original work. Certainly, though, the characterisation of the children: John (Richard Holt), Susan (Katie Moore), Titty (Akiya Henry) and Roger (Stewart Wright) are typical of middle-class kids from that era. Any surprising events are met with cries of ‘Golly!’, good news is received with jubilant choruses of ‘Hurrah!’ and anyone who behaves badly is ‘simply beastly’. They’re all so upright and conformist that, on occasion, you do find yourself wishing that the slightly more rebellious Nancy and Peggy Blackett (Celia Adams and Sophie Walker, respectively) will actually make them walk the plank!

Performances are of a good standard throughout and there is no denying that the ensemble (listed in the programme as the ‘Players in Blue’) are an extremely versatile bunch, with several of them playing more than one instrument. Neil Hannon’s songs suit the piece well, although some are a little over-used.

With the production running to approximately two and a half hours, and bearing in mind that it is a show aimed at children, there is some room for trimming. That said, though, come curtain call there was a positive response from the small, but enthusiastic, audience.

Steve Burbridge.

Runs until Saturday 10 March and then continues to tour.

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

Jack and the Beanstalk

The Gala Theatre, Durham

In an age where the genre of pantomime is a big bucks business dominated by huge companies including Qdos and First Family Entertainment it is commendable that some theatres still choose to produce their Christmas show in-house. It is even more of an achievement when relatively small theatres, such as The Customs House, South Shields (which seats 441) and The Gala Theatre, Durham (which seats 500), stage productions which not only hold their own against the corporate big boys but, in many ways, better them.

Once again, Simon Stallworthy takes charge of the pantomime at Durham’s Gala and he sticks to the tried and tested winning formula that has proven so popular for the past four years. His script is crammed so full of corny comedy gags, thigh-slapping adventure, romance and marvellous magic that you’re eating your interval ice cream before you even know it!

Taking heed of the old adage, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, the cast is led by the usual linchpins. Paul Hartley and Jane Deane, as Jack and Jill, are the daftest double-act in pantoland and the kids love them for it. Year after year, this dynamic duo amaze and entertain the audiences with an array of physical comedy and circus skills – and, year after year, their popularity increases. Donald McBride dons the flamboyant frocks, once again, this time to play Dame Shrivell, complete with trademark ‘posh Geordie’ dialect. And Neil Armstrong makes a welcome return as Fleshcreep, Giant Blunderboar’s horrible henchman.

Alongside the familiar faces are some new ones. Jane Holman is a delight as frazzled Fairy Hazbean, Mark Stratton plays it straight as Baron D’Oolally, and Hayley Emma Otway is his feisty daughter, Lucy. The inclusion of Brian Blessed’s booming voice as Giant Blunderboar is a clever way of getting a star name on the poster without busting the budget, too.

The essence of true panto is woven throughout the entire show, which sticks closely to the original concept: plenty of audience interaction encouraging the kids to get involved, references to local places and current events, the obligatory slosh scene, a frantic foray into the auditorium, a side-splitting ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’ routine (complete with preposterous props!) and of course the mandatory sing song towards the end and prior to the inevitable wedding. All tried and tested stuff – it’s what the audience demand and is certainly what is delivered.

Technically, this is an impressive production, too. Initially, I was concerned about the sparsity of the sets but these fears proved to be unfounded when it became apparent how much the performers actually use the stage space. In fact, any additional scenery would not only have been superfluous, but a potential hazard. Deborah Shaw (keyboards) and Carl Thomson (percussion) competently boosted the recorded backing tracks and conveyed the impression of a full orchestra, while Jane Moran’s choreography was executed with precision by five dancers and a troupe of babes from the Gala Theatre Stage School.

Pantomimes don’t come much bigger than this ‘giant’ production (pun intended!) of Jack and the Beanstalk, which is highly recommended. However, it is advisable that tickets should be pre-booked, rather than turning up ‘on spec’. With demand so high and tickets selling so fast, a number of performances are already sold out – and that is probably the most resounding endorsement of all.

Steve Burbridge.

Runs until Saturday 7^th January, 2012

 

To really get in the festive mood you need some Christmas songs, and there is no better way to hear them than sung by the Rat Pack legends (or actors who perform as them – and are as close to the real thing as we are ever going to get!).

This festive spin off of “Rat Pack Live from Las Vegas” has been a successful touring hit for many years, and there have been a number of Franks, Sammys and Deans who’ve performed the classic songs all over the world. Tonight Chris Mann opened the show as Frank Sinatra, the leader of the pack. With a velvet voice and equally velvet manner, it really did seem like Ol’ Blue Eyes himself was there. Usually with most “tribute” shows, they’ve mastered the voice and if you close your eyes you can imagine it is the star themselves, but Chris Mann has such a look of Sinatra that you can take in the whole performance wide-eyed. As if that wasn’t enough, Nigel Casey as Dean Martin seemed to not only look and sound like the star, but seemed to have the same charisma and charm that he was famous for. His interaction with the audience and his fellow performers made it feel like we really were sharing an evening in the Sands, Las Vegas while watching three of its biggest stars at play.

The third member of the Rat Pack on this show is Sammy Davis Jnr, and this is a very difficult performer to match. I suppose the strength of this kind of show is down to the cast and although George Long had the energy of Sammy Davis Jnr., his vocals didn’t seem to be quite as close a match as his fellow performers. All three were accompanied by Nikki Stokes, Laura Parkes and Jennifer Owen as the Burelli sisters. A fantastic trio who wowed with three part harmony and tight choreography to bring the glamour of these nightclub shows to life. They were also assisted by a fantastic (brass heavy) live band, who gave the whole evening a fantastic sound, and I think received an even bigger applause than the singers for their work. I had never known a trombone could be so tuneful as was shown during the solo from Andy Watson in “I Got You Under My Skin”.

The simple staging of this show is one of its best features. The setting is deliberately intended to hark back to the golden era of the Rat Pack, and the use of lead mics, and the clever choreography required to use them well, is a nice touch that when added to the subtle lighting, grand piano and stunning costumes, provides a classy evening of festive glamour that would certainly be worth raising a mulled wine to!

Listings

Mon 5^th Dec – Sat 10 Dec

Mon – Sat eves: 7.30pm

Thuu & Sat mats: 2.30pm

Tickets: £11 - £29

Box Office: 08448 717 647 (bkg fee)

www.atgtickets.com/glasgow (bkg fee)

CHRISTMAS CROONERS

WHITLEY BAY PLAYHOUSE

It may not be Christmas just yet but, with the temperatures dropping, winter is definitely upon us, so why not kick off the festive season a little early. With pantomime season nearly upon us, Theatre 1^st Ltd is bringing Christmas Crooners to various theatres around the UK and Ireland to provide a bit of seasonal cheer – and, judging by the large audience tonight, it’s something people really want this year.

As the lights went down the curtains opened to reveal a simple but practical set, consisting of a fire place, Christmas tree, rocking chair and a few other items.  Its design succeeded in bringing a homely feel and brought back memories of the video for Bing Crosby and David Bowie’s “Little Drummer Boy”. The live band “The Jazz All Stars” were also on stage and blended in well with the overall feel and visual.

The four piece band led by the show’s Musical Director (Martin Hughes) on piano, was excellent and played with a perfect laid back swing feel. The show itself pays homage to Christmas favourites from Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra, with a few other swing numbers thrown in for good measure.

To perform the music of such legendary vocalists is challenging enough, but to become those singers in look, manner and voice is a huge ask of any performer. The show, therefore, really requires three exceptional performers to achieve what it sets out to do.

Chris Vincent as Bing Crosby is very much the glue that holds the show together and he produced a great performance. Not only does he have a more than passing resemblance to Bing, but the attention to detail in his mannerisms, vocal tone and inflection were superb. A few times, when the lighting was subdued, you could actually be mistaken for thinking you were watching the original. Robert Grose , as Nat King Cole, brought a fantastic level of energy and charisma to the role but, while his songs were all well sung, he never quite got the gentle and subtle Nat King Cole tone.

As I previously mentioned the show requires three exceptional performances and unfortunately this was where the production fell slightly short. While Bing and to a large part Nat were brought to the Playhouse stage, unfortunately Frank didn’t make an appearance. Instead we got Jonny Parker whose suspect vocals and lack lustre characterisation (an American accent and a hat does not make you Sinatra), really pulled the show down. 

That being said, Director Stephen Leatherland, has created a solid show with a great relaxed, almost informal feel about it. The song selection was fantastic featuring all the classic Christmas songs (White Christmas, Jingle Bells, Let It Snow), add to that some cheesy gags and a bit of audience participation, and the audience headed out into the cold, humming a tune and feeling suitably festive.

Reviewed by Gareth Hunter 

The Waterside Theatre celebrated its first birthday with their own version of X-Factor, as 9 finalists competed for the chance to perform in the Christmas pantomime Dick Whittington.

Looking to find the most talented act, the judging panel was made up of TV and West End star Jonathan Wiles, who will be starring as Dick Whittington alongside panto dame Christian Patterson.  Joining the panel was News Editor of the Bucks Herald Adam King and the Waterside’s Chief Executive Elizabeth Adlington.

The show was co-hosted by the lovely Suzanne Carley, who will be playing Alice in the panto, with the voice over and presenting talents of Richard Carr of Bucks TV.

Kicking off the evening was 12 year old Jacob Cole, who’d recently appeared in Oliver in the West End, singing a medley of songs from Les Miserables.  The judges loved his voice and gave him lots of positive encouragement to continue developing and performing.  Next up was brother and sister act, Laura and Scott Caldwell-Nicolas performing Fix You by Coldplay.  Not only did they sing, but also played keyboard and guitar and Laura gave a strong and very confident performance, with judges commenting ‘you absolutely nailed that and should be very proud of yourselves’.

A delightful pair of little girls Alyssa Howel and Georgia Monastyrskys entertained us with some comedy magic tricks, with the judges encouraging them to keep their act going in future.  Ten year old Tyler Rose Parker belted out Valerie by Amy Winehouse acapella with an incredibly mature voice, although I agreed with the judges that it would have been better if she’d had a backing track.

Finishing off the first act were a group of girls aged 10-16 from the Stage Plus School of Performing Arts, who performed a theatre piece from Snoopy the Musical.  Judges felt they’d given a ‘fantastic performance and were all West End material, with strong ensemble work’.

Opening the second act was Tina-Louise and the Bellyrinas, performing an Egyptian Cabaret Bely Dance piece Genie Magic.  The choreography was excellent, with gorgeously colourful costumes and judges comments included ‘just loved it’ and ‘absolutely brilliant’, which I totally agreed with.

Sixty-five year old Ernie Scott Medies performed Bob Dylan’s Tambourine Man, with his one man band guitar and harmonica.  Ernie said he normally only sings in the bath, although I suspect he’s probably been seen performing in pubs or busking around Aylesbury!

Sisters Chloe and Sophie Bewick performed a dance piece Get Shakey by The Ian Carey Project.  They already have 12 dance lessons a week and it was great to see how much energy and commitment they’d put into their performance.

The final act of the evening was stunning 18 year old Ayo Sananayake performing Muse’s version of Feelin’ Good, which the judges said was ‘fantastically good’.

It was a hard decision for the judges to find a winner from this talented group of artists, so Suzanne and Richard  entertained us with a contest to win prizes as we waited for the result.

I was delighted to see that Tina-Louise and the Bellyrinas won the contest and they treated us to another performance of their dance, which will fit in really well with the panto and I’m sure everyone will enjoy as much as we did.

Jonny commented ‘This has been one of the toughest decisions I’ve ever been involved in making. The calibre of acts was just phenomenal and if I could, I would love to include all of the finalists in this year’s pantomime, but we had to choose  one. The amount of talent on stage was amazing and I cannot think of a better way for the Waterside to have celebrated their very special first birthday.’

The judges were impressed by the colourful act, their professionalism, and gleaming smiles, and are now tasked with weaving the dance troupe into the script. The date the Bellyrinas will be starring in the show is soon to be confirmed so keep your eyes peeled!

The evening was another fund raiser for the Waterside’s nominated charity the Florence Nightingale Hospice, who provide specialist palliative care services to those with a life-limiting illness.  So far the theatre has raised nearly £10,000 for the charity!

Dick Whittington runs from 9th-31st December 2011.  Performance times vary so check on website for details.
Tickets: £7.50-£33.50
Box Office: 0844 871 7614
Book Online: www.atgtickets.com/aylesbury

Reviewed by:
Yvonne Delahaye
24.11.11

Real art belongs to everyone.

 Produced by Newcastle's acclaimed Live Theatre and following sell-out seasons at the National Theatre and on Broadway, The Pitmen Painters is now touring the UK prior to opening in the West End. Written by Lee Hall of Billy Elliot fame and directed by Max Roberts The Pitmen Painters has won the Evening Standard award for Best New Play. 

In 1934, a group of Ashington miners hire a tutor, Robert Lyon, to teach an art appreciation class.  Lyon quickly realises that an academic survey of Renaissance art is unlikely to hold his pupils’ interest as most of them had to leave school at the age of 11 and have never been to an art gallery. Once he has changed his course plan from having his students merely looking at art to actively creating it, the pitmen eagerly enter dialectical debate about the meaning of art. Their work first attracts the attention of Helen Sutherland, a local shipping heiress, who collects modern art and confronts the miners with paintings by Henry Moore and Ben Nicholson. Within a few years the most avant-garde artists become their friends and their work is exhibited in major art galleries.

  

 Lee Hall has written a social document that can be considered an attack on the injustice and absurdity of the recent cuts in arts funding and education. Although Hall clearly states that art cannot change society, only political action can, his play makes it quite clear that the arts are for everyone and should not be restricted to the middle and upper classes. Hall’s play is funny, touching and poignant. The debates about the truthfulness and meaning of art do not obscure the harsh reality of the  miners’ lives. Yet there are very comical scenes as well such as the scene when the budding artists find themselves face to face with a female life model.

The outstanding cast includes Trevor Fox as Oliver Kilbourn, the most talented of the Ashington miners, who has to choose between loyalty to his group and private patronage, Deka Walmsley as the meticulous local official, Michael Hodgson as the Marxist dental mechanic who would rather do a course in economics but sees the merit of political art, and David Leonard as the inspirational tutor who will abandon the group that launched his career in academia.

Until 16 July 2011

Richmond Theatre
The Green
Richmond
Surrey
TW9 1QJ

Box Office
0844 871 7651

http://www.atgtickets.com/1070/659/Richmond/Richmond-Theatre/The-Pitmen-Painters-Tickets

Director Liam Steel's  Le nozze di Figaro  at Opera Holland Park  is Upstairs Downstairs meets Feydeau farce.

Le nozze or The Marriage of Figaro continues the characters story  from The Barber of Seville. The Countess Rosina, beautifully sung by Elizabeth Llewellyn  joins forces with her maid Susanna to outwit her womanising husband.

 Count Almaviva ( George von Bergen) wants to reinstate droit du seigneur, a noble mans right to have the wedding night with any new bride. His current desire is Susanna who is about to marry Figaro(Matthew Hargreaves), now head of Almaviva's staff.

Designed by Emma Wee,  the action  is now set  in an Edwardian house  complete with dancing maids. Also part of the fun includes hiding the amorous page Cherubino (Hannah Pedley) to avoid the Count's wrath, and discovering that the  woman the Count wants Figaro to marry instead of Susanna is actually his mother.

This  production sees Susanna  taken on gamely by Jane Harrington who replaced Claire Meghnagi at very short notice. But this last minute change doesn't show. With exquisite harpischord,  Mozart's score was performed by the City of London Sinfonia  under the baton of  Matthew Willis. The production  seemed an appropriate choice as opposed to the more rarely performed works that make up part of their program.

Marti Pellow deserves to be ‘sold out’ out as he ‘pops in’ to the Kings Theatre to present Jekyll and Hyde this week.

 

Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic story remains at the core of this contemporary musical.  The show is a predictably dark tale; very much in the mould of Sweeney Todd.  Brilliant Dr. Henry Jekyll researches the source of man’s dual nature – good versus evil.  He hopes to rid the world of the curse of evil.  But, when seeking backing for his research, his appeal is cruelly rejected by his hospital Board of Governors leaving him no option but to continue his research by experimenting upon himself.  However, his experiments only serve to unlock the evil side of his own personality which manifests itself in the form of Mr. Hyde.  Jekyll frantically researches an antidote for his potion against the backdrop of a vicious string of murders across London while his alter ego becomes more dominant over the body that they share.

 

Bill Kenwright’s new production was a vast improvement on the 2004 tour with a partial re-write, a new set put cleverly to use by director Martin Connor, fresh choreography from Bill Deamer, much reduced reliance on click track and a simpler, more effective, transformation between Jekyll and Hyde.  Marti Pellow’s accent didn’t move further south than Kelvinside, but this was not offensive (even to my Glaswegian ear).  More importantly, Mr. Pellow’s character had sincerity and duality as he leaned heavily on his outstanding past experience in The Witches of Eastwick to deliver a believable and, sometimes, frightening performance.

 

The beautiful score, featuring the songs “This Is The Moment”, “Someone Like You” and “In His Eyes” was lovingly and powerfully rendered by Marti Pellow and co-stars Sabrina Carter (Lucy) and Sarah Earnshaw (Emma).  Ms Carter’s star shone particularly brightly as her character’s tough outer layers were gradually peeled back to reveal a genuine vulnerability.  The talented support cast even managed to weave a little comedy into this sombre tale to deliver a rounded show with appeal to a wide audience.

 

Listings Info:

 

Jekyll & Hyde

Mon 13 – Sat 18 June

Mon – Sat eves 7.30pm

Wed & Sat mat 2.30pm

 

Tickets: £14 - £33

Box Office 08448 717 648 (Bkg fee)

www.ambassadortickets.com/glasgow (bkg fee)