UK Theatre Network

 

In spite of the Royal Exchange still basking in the glory of its 1978 success with The Lady from the Sea which starred Vanessa Redgrave and transferred to London, I gained the impression on the opening night of this new production that hardly any of the audience (including me) actually knew the play. 

Naturally we were anticipating the usual Ibsen-esque scenarios of gloomy Scandinavian settings, plenty of middle-class angst, a doomed dysfunctional family, and a well flagged-up tragic ending. 

Well, our expectations were utterly confounded by a work which is partly a laugh-out-loud comedy of manners, and partly a modernised legend whose supernatural themes are almost operatic in their emotional intensity.

At first this seems to be the story of an unhappy second marriage between the tipsy Dr Wangel (Reece Dinsdale) and a glamorous woman barely older than his own daughters.  But his new wife Ellida appears to be a mythic figure, like The Little Mermaid or Rusalka, who has been torn from her home, the sea, and struggles to cope with confinement on dry land.  As if that weren’t enough she is haunted by a menacing and mysterious figure from her past, a shape-shifting sailor (Bill Ward) to whom she once pledged herself and who has vowed to return for her.  Neve McIntosh cuts an appropriately romantic figure as the doomed Ellida, and her sense of frustration and claustrophobia are tangible as Wangel tries to pathologise the evil spell that has been cast over her.

It is a thing of wonder how Ibsen manages to graft a tragic myth onto a situation comedy and make it work.  At times it’s like watching a parody of his greatest hits, as themes from A Doll’s House, The Wild Duck, Hedda Gabler and Ghosts are all subverted to comic effect.  The talented local artist Ballested (a beautifully judged cameo by Paul Kemp) is revealed to be a struggling painter and decorator; lucky young Lyngstrand (played as delightfully deluded by Samuel Collings) has about as much good fortune as a human albatross; the pretty child Hilde (subtle Catrin Stewart) is a morbid and nasty prototype goth; and her sister’s romantic former tutor Arnholm (Royal Exchange stalwart Jonathan Keeble bravely playing against type) is a ridiculous, balding middle-aged man. 

Liz Ashcroft’s elegant, sparse design allows the drama to unfold swiftly.  The bleached bare floorboards and handful of empty-framed props are stylish and well-suited to this in-the-round space - something as simple as the gutted carcase of a rowing boat moving through Jack James’s watery video projection creates an astonishing effect which is well in keeping with the metaphorical nature of the play.

Although David Eldridge’s version of a literal translation makes the dialogue often sound clunky and awkward, Sarah Frankcom’s pacy production has the audience on the edge of its seats.  Don’t wait another 32 years to see this fantastic and fascinating play in Manchester.

 
The Lady from the Sea is on until Saturday 6 November 2010

Prices: £9-£30

Evenings: Mon-Fri @ 7.30, Sat @ 8pm [no performance Tues 26 Oct]

Matinees: Wed @ 2.30pm, Sat @ 4pm and Tues 26 Oct @ 2.30pm

Box Office: 0161 833 9833

www.royalexchange.co.uk

Motherhood The Musical is a perfect women's night out. It's hilariously funny but poignant at the same time-you won't want the evening to end.
A talented cast share with us the experiences of four women at different stages of motherhood when they throw the youngest of their friends a baby shower. 
Fantastic comedy song and dance routines, by writer Sue Fabisch and director/choreographer Andrew Lynford, will have you roaring with laughter.  
All of the cast have impeccable vocals and excellent comic timing; but Leah MacRae really steals the show. Her portrayal of down-trodden but loveable mother Barb is priceless.
This musical is a superb production and really is a must-see. There is something for all females to identify with; mothers or not. A celebration of all that makes women unique. 

Listings:

Tue 12- Sat 16 October
Tue- Thur eve 7.30pm
Fri eve 8.30pm
Sat eve 8.30pm
Box Office: 08448 717 648 (bkg fee)
www.ambassadortickets.com/glasgow (bkg fee)
 

Raising The Stakes

The Customs House, South Shields

Having been unable to attend ‘Good To Firm’, the first of Ed Waugh and Trevor Wood’s trilogy focusing on the exploits of Bob and Shirley Fletcher, I wondered how easy it would be for me to review the second instalment, ‘Raising The Stakes’. Had I missed out on some pivotal background events? Would a certain amount of assumed knowledge be required to fully appreciate the intricacies of the plot?

Thankfully, the answer was no.

It seems that, although the plays are best enjoyed as a threesome (no double entendre intended, by the way!), they can also be appreciated as standalone productions. Nevertheless, I had done a certain amount of research – or, at the very least, picked a fellow reviewer’s brains regarding plot history (see Linda Barker’s review of ‘Good To Firm’).

In ‘Raising The Stakes’, Bob Fletcher (Ray Spencer) reverts back to his old ways and is backing the gee-gees behind the back of his long-suffering wife, Shirley (Angela Szalay). He is egged-on by Clark (Louis Roberts), an Irish con-man with a line in blarney that would stretch from here to Dublin, to whom Shirley has offered board and lodgings after losing her job in a local factory. Throw into the mix Shirley’s entrepreneurial, sexually-voracious sister, Dolores (Arabella Arnott) and Suzie (Jill Dellow), Bob and Shirley’s cash-strapped student daughter, and you have all the elements necessary for a Brian Rix style farce.

Each member of the cast plays their part well and wrings every last drop of comedy from Waugh & Wood’s script, which had the audience in hysterics. However, Louis Roberts really shone in the role of Clark (could he have based his performance and accent on Ciaran MCCarthy, Keith Duffy’s ‘Corrie’ character?).

Mark Wingett returns to direct the play, giving up a holiday to do so, and his familiarity with the principal actors and their respective characters is evident.

‘Raising The Stakes’ is a fast, funny and farcical – a great evening’s entertainment.

Ian Cain.

Runs until Saturday 9 October 2010.

The third production of the trilogy is as follows:

‘Photo Finish’ – Thursday 28 October to Saturday 6 November 2010.

 

 

 

Following the resounding success of BBC ONE’s BAFTA-nominated THE ARMSTRONG & MILLER SHOW, Ben Miller (Moving Wallpaper) and Alexander Armstrong (Mutual Friends) will be hitting the road in Autumn 2010 and touring a brand new live show around all the UK’s major venues. 

With their usual mix of the beautifully observed and the utterly barmy, Ben and Xander will be performing a parade of characters from their extensive dressing-up box and wig-store including; The street-talking WWII chav pilots; Brabbins and Fyffe, the filthy alter-egos of Flanders and Swann; Jilted Jim, dumped at the altar but still on his honeymoon; Terry Devlin, the royal correspondent who really KNOWS the royals; Dennis Lincoln-Park, the accident-prone culture buff; the Frank Dad; and so many more…

Ben and Xander comment: “We are cock-a-hoop to be stepping out on tour in Autumn 2010. Expect all your favourite Armstrong and Miller characters and sketches in a market-fresh brand spanking new show.”     

http://www.armstrongandmiller.co.uk/

Ends/

For more information please contact Mark Irwin (markirwin@theambassadors.com) or call 0141 240 1305

LISTINGS INFO

The Armstrong and Miller Show

Friday 22 & Sat 23 October @ 8pm

Tickets £21

Call: 0844 871 7648 (fees aply)

www.ambassadortickets.com (bkg fee)

All Creatures Great & Small

The Gala Theatre, Durham

For the first time ever, so the Gala Theatre marketing material proclaims, the ‘tender and heart-warming tales’ written by Sunderland-born Alf Wight, who is undoubtedly better-known by the pseudonym James Herriot, have been ‘brought to the stage in a major new dramatisation that will be one of the theatrical highlights of 2010’. Talk about setting yourself a tall order!

The challenging task of adapting and directing the piece has been taken up by Simon Stallworthy who, since joining the Gala in 2005, has directed all of the Gala’s in-house productions. To be fair, it is not an easy undertaking: how do you represent the dales and moors, farmhouses and public houses of Darrowby and the surgery of the Farnon veterinary practice all on one stage? Well, Sarah Oxley is to be congratulated for having designed a set that is visually impressive and which works fairly practically, too.

That said, the production is let down by several other factors. Obviously, it is impossible to have real livestock on stage so cattle are represented only by sound effects, whereas stuffed toys are used in place of domestic animals. The lack of any presence of living creatures, whether they be ‘great or small’ does tend to hinder any attempts to suspend disbelief.

Furthermore, sloppy continuity errors (such as when Tristan has lost the payment receipt book, despite the fact that it sits, quite obviously, on the table in front of him) tend to niggle at the back of one’s mind.

This production is an adaptation of All Creatures Great & Small, the classic television series, which in turn was an adaptation of Herriot’s first two novels, If Only They Could Talk and It Shouldn’t Happen To A Vet. So, essentially, it is an adaptation of an adaptation and, as such, the quality has been diluted. The production feels achingly formulaic as it chronicles both Herriot’s professional journey, from being a newly qualified outsider to a trusted and respected vet, and his romantic encounters, through his awkward courtship of Helen Alderson up to their eventual marriage. It is hampered further by a pace that is slow rather than gentle.

On the positive side, there are some good characterisations from the cast, which includes Ben Ingles as James Herriot, Henry Everett as Siegfried Farnon, Jack Wharrier as Tristan Farnon and Samantha Phyllis Morris as Helen Alderson. However, the characters are so synonymous with Christopher Timothy, Robert Hardy, Peter Davison and Carol Drinkwater/Lynda Bellingham, respectively, that the stage cast never totally convince in the roles.

Unfortunately, my diagnosis of this ailing production is that it would be kinder to put it out of its misery.

Steve Burbridge.

Runs until Saturday 16 October 2010

 

The Naked Truth

Darlington Civic Theatre

REVIEWED BY IAN CAIN ON BEHALF OF STEVE BURBRIDGE.

I must admit that I am becoming rather accustomed to being one of only a sprinkling of men in the theatre auditorium. Having previously reviewed ‘The Vagina Monologues’, ‘Women On The Verge of HRT’, ‘Menopause: The Musical’, ‘Hot Flush!’ and ‘Mum’s The Word’, I can now add another female oriented show to the list – ‘The Naked Truth’.

Set in a pole dancing class, it tells the stories of six very different women. There’s rough and ready Rita (Claire King), sweet and sympathetic Sarah (Maureen Nolan), big and bubbly Bev (Leanne Jones), tactless Tricia (Julie Buckfield), dippy and ditzy Faith (Alison Young) and gorgeous Gabby (Michelle Heaton), the class instructor.

Each of the women has their own reasons for taking up pole dancing – whether it be to restore confidence in their body, get a guy, keep a guy, lose weight or embark upon a potential new career. However, when one of the women receives some devastating news, the others soon pull together and decide to turn their new skill into a fund raising event.

Director Stephen Leatherland has assembled a rock solid cast, consisting of all the right elements to draw throngs of women into the theatre for an evening of raunchy, risqué and raucous entertainment. There’s a former soap superbitch, an ex-Liberty X pop princess and even a Nolan sister!

The entire cast deliver top notch performances and are equally as good with the scenes of poignancy and pathos as they are with the ones that contain the comedy and capers.

Writer Dave Simpson has succeeded in carving well crafted characters that are not only rounded and three dimensional, but also totally believable, whereas a less talented playwright may have fallen into the trap of regurgitating tired old stereotypes.

The script crackles along at a rip roaring pace with the laughs coming thick and fast. As you might expect, there are plenty of dirty jokes, suggestive comments and double entendres, but they are received in good humour by the audience and are not included with the intention to shock or offend. Indeed, with the obvious exception of the more tender moments, the auditorium rang with the sound of long and hearty laughter.

The entire evening seemed to be one great big girls’ night out and even scene changes were interspersed by diva anthems by the likes of Shania Twain, The Weather Girls, Lisa Stansfield and Gloria Gaynor.

Yet, for all its frothy frivolity, ‘The Naked Truth’ is a production that genuinely has heart and soul. It’s no surprise, then, that it is now enjoying its fifth national tour and still playing to packed houses. Although it is a show that is about women and for women, it is also one that men must see, too.

Indeed, ‘The Naked Truth’ is a show that is even more uplifting than a Playtex bra. Don’t miss it!

Ian Cain.

Runs until Wednesday 29 September 2010.

 

 

 

Good To Firm

The Customs House, South Shields

Good To Firm is the first play of a trilogy written by Ed Waugh and Trevor Wood. It is centred around the Fletcher’s, Bob and Shirley, and Bob’s childhood sweetheart, Phillippa, who visits them on her annual trip home to see her parents.

Bob (Ray Spencer) is obsessed by horse-racing and enjoys nothing better than studying the form, popping into the bookies and finishing off at the pub. His long-suffering wife, Shirley (Angela Szalay), who has been married to Bob for 27 years, dislikes Phillippa and the relationship she has with her husband. Phillippa, played by Patricia L. Whale, moved to Florida, has a highly-paid job and likes nothing more than living the high-life. She has had many relationships, with both male and female partners, but still holds a torch for Bob, her first love.

Afnan Iftikhar portrays lothario Les, Phillippa’s latest boyfriend. He is quite a womaniser and does not hold back when trying to charm the females around him.

This comedy play is set against the back drop of the Grand National week end and begins as Bob is watching his VHS tape of the race, in which Red Rum beats Crisp, for the umpteenth time. It follows the characters as they spend the week end together and events from their pasts start to unfold.

Directed by Mark Wingett (who is probably best remembered for his 21-year role as DC Jim Carver in the long-running-but-recently-demised drama, The Bill), this production will suit anyone seeking an evening of light comedy entertainment, but be aware that it does contain some strong language and frequent sexual references.

Linda Barker.

Runs until Saturday 11 September 2010.

The second and third productions of the trilogy are as follows:

‘Raising The Stakes’ – Wednesday 6 October to Saturday 9 October 2010.

‘Photo Finish’ – Thursday 28 October to Saturday 6 November 2010.

The cheeky movie based on real life events takes a second national tour as a play with an A-list cast, a light-hearted yet poignant script and some brilliant ‘laugh out loud’ one-liners.

 

Life can be stranger than fiction, it is said.  Who could imagine, for example, that a group of women (who are not classic beauties by any means) could produce a nude calendar which might sell in its thousands to raise millions for a local hospital?  And wouldn’t it be even stranger if the connection between these pioneering women was the Women’s Institute – famed more for sponge cake sales and jam making than soft porn?  Life can be funny that way, and even funnier in the hands of scriptwriters Juliette Towhidi and Tim Firth, who’s clearly defined quirky characters and ‘knock em dead’ one-liners had the audience in stitches.

 

Staging appeared to be a simple reconstruction of a church hall complete with badminton court but was revealed to be deceptively complex as a hydraulic mechanism smoothly transferred the action to a sunny hillside – no mean feat!  Roger Haines’s direction was sympathetic to the underlying tragedy which contrasted delightfully with the natural comedy that the characters engaged to deal with the situation.  The expertly choreographed photography sequence gained maximum laughs while preserving the ladies’ modesty but proved to be even racier that the 2008 tour of the play.  Priceless!

 

So what of that A-list cast?  They turned in a 1^st class performance!  There was a great chemistry between the characters exuding an air of long term friendship.  The narrative naturally belonged to Julia Hills (as grieving widow, Annie) and Elaine C Smith (as her unwittingly self-centred friend, Chris) and both were convincing and comical as appropriate, proving breadth of character as both played different roles in the 2008 tour.  But the wider cast added real value, too, as they lightened the tone with infectious Northern humour.  Jennifer Ellison (Celia) raised some laughs as her character certainly fancied herself as a tasteful nude.  The witty girl-talk was shared by Denise Black and Jean Boht with Ruth Madoc as prudish Marie being the butt of many jokes.  This time around it was Rachel Lumberg as Ruth who stole the show for me with her clear character development and brilliantly timed comedic delivery.

 

 

LISTINGS:

King’s Theatre, Glasgow

Mon 16 – Sat 28 August

Mon – Sat eves 7.30pm

Thu & Sat mats 2.30pm

Tickets: £11.50 - £27.50

Box Office: 0844 871 7647 (bkg fee)

www.ambassadortickets/glasgow (bkg fee)

Canoeing for Beginners

The Customs House, South Shields

Award-winning playwright Mike Yeaman has taken the essence of a factual story and transformed it into an engrossing and entertaining theatre production. The story of a certain Hartlepool woman whose husband disappeared one day only to reappear eight years later forms the basis of Canoeing for Beginners.

Although, upon first consideration, such a topic may seem strange material to be chosen as the subject of a play that is, predominantly, a comedy-drama, Yeaman has the courage and talent to do just that.

Having assembled a cast that includes Pat Dunn, David Whitaker, Chris Connel, Laura Norton and Gary Kitching, the production, on paper, promised to be a landmark event in regional and, indeed, national theatre. However, in practice, several factors prevented it from achieving its full potential.

Helen Ferguson’s direction resulted in several shortcomings. It seemed blatantly apparent that the cast were under-rehearsed and, as a consequence, several actors did not perform comfortably in their roles. Pat Dunn, as Beryl, and David Whitaker, as Frank, should have been confident leading players but neither conveyed the required self-belief and conviction to do so. Chris Connel seriously over-egged the pudding in his portrayal as Sgt Watts, but should be congratulated for his ability to perform two roles in very quick succession on a number of occasions. Gary Kitching and Laura Norton, as Frank and Beryl’s adult children, both performed well, but lacked the guidance of a firm directorial hand.

Running at nearly two and a half hours, the piece seemed long at times and there was at least one scene that could easily have been cut without detracting from the plot.

On the plus side, the show contains some wonderful one-liners which provoked more than a few belly-laughs from the audience. The main strength of this production lies with Mike Yeaman’s script and, providing that certain tweaks and adjustments are made, I envisage no reason why it should not have a long and successful future ahead of it. Indeed, Canoeing for Beginners is a generic hybrid that skilfully blends comedy with drama and fact with fiction, resulting in a piece that bears all the hallmarks of a sure-fire hit.

Steve Burbridge.

Runs until Saturday 7^th August 2010.

 

 

 

Keeping Up Appearances

Darlington Civic Theatre

Staging a theatre production of Roy Clarke’s classic television sit-com, Keeping Up Appearances, is an ambitious undertaking. Already our theatres have been swamped with a plethora of such shows, including Dinnerladies, Dad’s Army, Porridge, ’Allo, ’Allo and Last of the Summer Wine, and one wonders how long this appetite for gems of the small screen transferring to the stage will last.

Yet, The Comedy Theatre Company’s production has a lot going for it. Firstly, the original writer, Roy Clarke, has written an entirely new script especially for the stage. This is a big advantage over many of the others, which are merely four half-hour episodes performed in succession. Secondly, a stellar cast has been assembled and the characterisations are as near as you could possibly hope to get. Indeed, there are no weak links to be found in this production.

Rachel Bell has the daunting task of stepping into the shoes of Patricia Routledge as the social-climbing supersnob Hyacinth Bucket (pronounced Bouquet, if you don’t mind!). From the instant she appears, from the rear of the stalls, she nails the part and has the audience in the palm of her hand.

Former ’Allo, ’Allo star Kim Hartman is superb as nervy next-door-neighbour Elizabeth and Brookside’s Steven Pinder is a suitably highly-strung Emmet. Gareth Hale only needs to shuffle onto the stage, as Onslow, to generate laughter, whilst Christine Moore is great as the slovenly Daisy. Debbie Arnold completes the line-up of principal characters as the lascivious Rose. Her performance should, perhaps, carry a government health warning as I’m sure she had an extraordinary effect on the blood pressure of more than a few men in the audience.

Two new characters appear in the play – Mr Milson (David Janson), a computer geek and plaything for Rose, and Mrs Debden (Sarah Whitlock), the formidable chair of the local charity committee.

Fans of the original television series will not be disappointed by this hugely enjoyable production, And for that matter, neither will anyone else.

Steve Burbridge.

Runs until Saturday 17^th July 2010.