UK Theatre Network

Propeller present

Henry V

By William Shakespeare

At Milton Keynes Theatre

This Shakespearean company is, like Shakespeare’s original company, all male. Propeller combines an authentic rendition of the text with a modern approach that sets it apart from the run of the mill, period piece.

On entering the theatre, the set is visible to the audience and comprises a metal scaffold which surrounds the stage. There is a flagpole at the rear displaying the flag of St George. On the stage there are some munitions boxes. Suddenly the actors appear  wearing camouflage fatigues and black balaclavas,  they are singing a Pogues song, A Pair of Brown Eyes and having entered via one of the audience entrances, walk past the audience as they make their way to the stage.

This play, written by Shakespeare in 1599, focuses on events prior to and after the battle of Agincourt (1415) during the Hundred Years’ War. Henry is urged to go to war with France by the Archbishop of Canterbury (Gunnar Cauthery) and the Bishop of Ely (Robert Hands). King Henry V is played by Dugald Bruce-Lockhart, who is excellent in the role. The French Ambassador (Nicholas Asbury) presents the King with the Dauphin’s gift of a bin full of tennis balls and a mocking message. Henry uses this as a reason to invade France, although he had already decided to do so.  The Chorus encourages the audience to use their imaginations to overcome the limitations of the stage to visualise the crossing of the channel and the battlefields of France.

Henry discovers a plot to assassinate him at Southampton involving the Earl of Cambridge (Richard Dempsey) Lord Scroop (Karl Davies) and Sir Thomas Grey (Nicholas Asbury). Henry is ruthless in his treatment of the plotters.

Before the battle of Agincourt victory appears uncertain and the King, in disguise wanders around the English camp to comfort the soldiers and to glean what they truly think of him.

Following his victory at Agincourt Henry tries to woo the French princess Katherine, brilliantly played by Karl Davies. This is quite amusing as Henry doesn’t speak French and Katherine doesn’t speak English. Chris Myles plays Alice, Katherine’s gentlewoman who attempts to teach her English whilst she is taking a bath. I think it was made more hilarious by the fact that Chris Myles was playing two roles simultaneously, Henry’s uncle, the Duke of Exeter and Alice. He had a moustache and wore a soldier’s uniform top, with a navy pleated skirt.

Most of the cast took more than one role and performed well, with some of them playing various instruments. They performed the Clash’s London’s Calling during the performance. In the interval some of the cast came out into the foyer and performed some songs including Sloop John B and Wild Rover. They collected donations for Lifeworks, a charity that helps children with special needs.

Credit must be given to the director, Edward Hall, Ben Ormerod for the lighting and David Gregory for the sound.

This is a very enjoyable, energetic production that is well worth seeing.

Henry V plays Milton Keynes Theatre until Saturday 3^rd December 2011. Milton Keynes Theatre Box Office 0844 871 7852 (bkg fee).

The tour continues playing Festival Temporada Alta, Girona, Spain from 6^th to 8^th December 2011.

www.atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes http://uktheatre.tv www.propeller.org.uk

Reviewed by Sue Marks at Milton Keynes Theatre on Tuesday 29^th November 2011.

MAUREEN NOLAN TO RETURN TO ‘LIVING ON THE NEVER NEVER’ IN ‘BLOOD BROTHERS’

It has been confirmed that singing sensation Maureen Nolan is to return in the coveted lead role of Mrs Johnstone for the 2012 National Tour of Blood Brothers, reprising a role she performed for two years in 2005/2006 and again in 2009.

Blood Brothers tells the captivating and moving story of twin boys separated at birth, only to be re-united by a twist of fate and a mother's haunting secret. The memorable score includes A Bright New Day, Marilyn Monroe and the emotionally charged hit Tell Me It's Not True. The celebrated role of Mrs Johnstone has previously been played by such well-known actresses as Barbara Dickson, Stephanie Lawrence, Clodagh Rodgers, Kiki Dee, Helen Reddy, Lyn Paul, Siobhan McCarthy, Petula Clark, Marti Webb and three of Maureen’s sisters (Linda, Bernie and Denise).

The production has been running in London's West End since July 1988. In the USA, it has had a record-breaking Broadway run, a hugely successful coast-to-coast tour, and was nominated for seven Tony Awards. The current tour of Bill Kenwright’s acclaimed production opened in Sheffield, starring Niki Evans. However, Vivienne Carlyle will perform the role of Mrs Johnstone for the final two venues on the 2011 National Tour, Dundee and Dunfermline, with Maureen Nolan making her first appearance in Bournemouth on 17th January 2012.

She said: “I think for a woman of my age it’s the absolute best role, really. It’s got everything – comedy, tragedy and beautiful haunting melodies. I absolutely love Mrs Johnstone.”

Bill Kenwright presents Tommy Steele in

Scrooge

At Milton Keynes Theatre

This is a lavish production of Leslie Bricusse’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Christmas Carol. There is a large cast who all perform really well making this a most enjoyable show. It is directed by Bob Tomson and features illusions by Paul Kieve, who was involved in one of the Harry Potter films.

Tommy Steele is excellent in the role of Scrooge and it is hard to believe he is nearly 75 years old, his vocals were strong and his energy was amazing. He portrayed the miserly, “Bah Humbug” Scrooge and later, the generous Christmas loving Scrooge equally well.

Edward Handoll was a convincing Bob Cratchit. Barry Howard was the ghost of Jacob Marley, who was Scrooge’s business partner before his death. Sarah Earnshaw was the ghost of Christmas past who took Scrooge to revisit his youth. James Head took the role of the ghost of Christmas present and was quite an imposing figure with a striking costume and headdress. Nick Blair was the ghost of Christmas yet to come, who was very tall, silent and hidden by black robes and was the scariest one of all.

Numerous songs are performed throughout including the well known Thank You Very Much. There is an accomplished nine piece orchestra conducted by Stuart Pedlar who is also the musical director.

The scenery is very impressive with quite a lot of changes which are well executed. There are the tall black Dickensian houses and streets and the inside of Scrooge’s house with his four poster bed, not that he gets much sleep with all these ghosts turning up during the night! Lighting is used to good effect and there are some pyrotechnics.

This is the familiar story of Scrooge the miser who is a hard taskmaster to his employee, Bob Cratchit and is lacking in human kindness. He doesn’t “do” Christmas, calling it “Humbug” and he grudgingly allows some of the townsfolk who have borrowed money from him to defer payment to the following week. It would seem unlikely that anyone would want to spend Christmas with such a man, but every year he is invited to spend the day with his nephew, although he has never taken up the offer. Then, on Christmas Eve 7 years to the day when his business partner Jacob Marley died, Scrooge is visited by his ghost, who warns him to change his mean spirited ways or he will suffer in the after life. Marley also tells of other ghosts of Christmas past, present and future who will appear during the night to reinforce this message.

Following his encounters with these ghosts Scrooge changes and on Christmas morning he shocks the townsfolk by his generosity and pro Christmas spirit. He then takes up his nephew’s invitation to spend the day with him and joins in the fun.

This show has a real feel good factor and it was well received by the audience, it really is a must see.

Scrooge plays Milton Keynes Theatre until Saturday 26^th November 2011. Milton Keynes Theatre Box Office 0844 871 7852 (bkg fee).

The tour continues playing Glasgow Royal Theatre from 28^th November to 2^nd December 2011.

www.atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes http://uktheatre.tv www.kenwright.com

Reviewed by Sue Marks at Milton Keynes Theatre on Tuesday 22^nd November 2011.

Theatre Royal Bath Productions presents The Peter Hall Company Production

The Madness of George III

By Alan Bennett   Directed by Christopher Luscombe

At Milton Keynes Theatre

Having premiered at the National Theatre in 1991 Alan Bennett’s The Madness of George III became an international sensation both in the theatre and as an award winning film. Featuring a cast of 24 this play is set in the latter part of King George III’s reign in 1788/9, a few years after he lost the American colonies. It manages to blend politics and serious issues such as mental illness with humour.

George III was born and educated in Britain and was very patriotic; unlike his Hanoverian predecessors. Politically he preferred the Tories to the Whigs, whose leader Charles James Fox he saw as a negative influence over his son and heir, the Prince of Wales. Being a man of high moral standards who was strict with his children, the King found a rapport with the Tory politician William Pitt the Younger.

David Haig is outstanding in the part of George III, giving his all to the role and then some; he fully deserved the standing ovation he got at the end of the performance. I cannot imagine anyone else equalling his performance.   

Queen Charlotte is played by Beatie Edney who gives a strong performance as the King’s wife and mother of his 15 children and is fiercely supportive of her husband throughout.

Christopher Keegan takes the role of the Prince of Wales whose debauched lifestyle is the opposite of his father’s.

King George III was a very likeable man but in 1788 he suffered a mental breakdown which the medical establishment was ill equipped to deal with. It was interesting to see that the King’s own physician, Sir George Baker (Chris McCalphy) could not instigate a diagnosis as protocol did not allow him to speak to the monarch unless he had been spoken to first. It also demonstrates how primitive medicine was then as they didn’t even have stethoscopes as these were not invented until 1816.

 More doctors were brought in, they were; Dr Richard Warren (Madhav Sharma) Sir Lucas Pepys (John Webb) and Dr Francis Willis (Clive Francis). Whilst they agreed the King was suffering a delirium, that is mental disturbance due to a physical illness, they all had different views on the appropriate treatment, some of which was horrendous and led to the King screaming in agony. Once diagnosed as mentally ill the King was no longer the King but had become “the patient” thus reversing the previous protocols so not only did they not have to wait for him to speak to them, they could impose whatever bizarre treatment they saw fit.

There was a suggestion that a Regency Bill should be passed to enable the Prince of Wales to rule instead of the King, however the monarch recovered his wits before it could be passed.

It is now thought that George III’s bouts of madness were due to Porphyria a rare hereditary metabolic disorder. Whilst attacks of the disease can be treated with drugs, there is no actual cure.

The scenery was quite ethereal consisting of panels containing multiple picture frames together with various doors without door frames, however it worked rather well conveying the idea, if not the actuality, of regal halls and galleries.

The costumes were elegant with an emphasis upon uniform; the doctors naturally wore the breeches and hose prevalent at the time whilst the Prince of Wales effected his own style, an enterprise dear to his heart.

This is an excellent play which is thought provoking and entertaining, with the humour balancing some of the more serious scenes.

The Madness of George III plays Milton Keynes Theatre until Saturday 29^th October 2011. Milton Keynes Theatre Box Office 0844 871 7852 (bkg fee)

The tour continues playing Yvonne Arnaud Theatre Guildford from Monday 31^st October to Saturday 5^th November 2011.

www.atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes www.theatreroyal.org.uk http://uktheatre.tv

Reviewed by Sue Marks at Milton Keynes Theatre on Monday 24^th October 2011.

Buddy   The Buddy Holly Story

At Milton Keynes Theatre

This show is excellent it is a biography of Buddy Holly that starts before his rise to fame and follows his life musically and personally until his untimely death in a plane crash. It gives an insight into Buddy’s character that I hadn’t seen before, his determination to play the music he wanted and not what the record company required, even if it meant losing a recording contract.

 Buddy showed loyalty to his other band members, when his manager got a recording contract with Decca records that was for him alone; he at first declined but was persuaded to go for it. He hoped his band members could work in the studio as session musicians but this was not to be.  There is a conflict with the style of music Decca wants to record and what Buddy is prepared to play. The deal with Decca doesn’t work out and Buddy turns to an independent record producer, Norman Petty played by Gavin Barnes, who later becomes Buddy’s manager. It was whilst recording these tracks with Norman that Vi Petty (Katia Sartini) played piano and celeste with the band.

Buddy Holly was played by Glen Joseph in the performance I saw, with Roger Rowley on rhythm guitar in Holly’s band, but, according to the programme, these roles are reversed in certain performances.

Glen Joseph was excellent in the role of Buddy Holly; his vocals were superb, he was charismatic, vibrant, and believable in the role.

I thought all the musicians were excellent and produced a very vibrant exciting sound. In this performance Roger Rowley was on rhythm guitar and was very accomplished in this role.

I was also very impressed by Christopher Redmond who played the part of Joe B Mauldin the bass player, at times he climbed on the bass and did some good moves.

Although Buddy’s career only really spanned a couple of years before the tragic plane crash, he was very prolific during this time with numerous hit records in the US and UK charts. Songs such as That’ll be the day, Peggy Sue, Words of Love, True Love Ways and many more are performed throughout the show.

Those of us in the audience also became part of the performance in the sense that we became the American audiences that Buddy Holly was playing to. Mention must also be made of Melissa Keyes who took several parts but the one that stands out is as performer/presenter at the Apollo in Harlem, a role in which she is hilarious.

During a trip to New York Buddy visits the offices of a music publisher and is attracted to the receptionist, Maria Elena Santiago, played by Felicity Chilver and within a few hours of meeting her Buddy has proposed marriage to her and she has accepted. It’s almost as if he knows he only has a short time on this earth.

In January 1959 Buddy is on a winter tour as he needs to support his wife Maria and provide for their expected child. Also on this tour is Ritchie Valens, brilliantly played by Miguel Angel with an excellent performance of La Bamba and J P Richardson, the Big Bopper, who was portrayed superbly by Steve Dorsett.

Finding the freezing cold weather made travelling on the tour bus unbearably uncomfortable Buddy charters a plane to fly himself and two other band members to the next gig. However, the Big Bopper has a cold and Waylon Jennings lets him have his seat, Ritchie Valens gets Tommy Allsup’s seat after tossing a coin for it. Tragically the plane crashes in bad weather killing everyone on board.

Buddy Holly lost his life aged just 22 years old, but his musical legacy has lived on and has influenced many other performers. This show is a must see.

Buddy plays Milton Keynes Theatre until Saturday 1^st October 2011. Milton Keynes Theatre Box Office 0844 871 7652 (bkg fee)

The tour then continues playing Truro Hall For Cornwall from Monday 3^rd October to Saturday 8^th October 2011.

www.atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes http://uktheatre.tv www.buddythemusical.com

Reviewed by Sue Marks at Milton Keynes Theatre on Monday 26^th September 2011.

Lee Menzies In association with Jeremy Meadow, Suzanna Rosenthal and the Shaftesbury Theatre present  R.C. Sherriff’s

Journey’s End

At Milton Keynes Theatre

This play is set in 1918 in the British front line trenches during the First World War. The set is a dug out used by the officers to eat and sleep between shifts in the trenches. It is dimly lit by candlelight and contains a table, seating, some rudimentary beds and some shelves.

Captain Hardy (Tim Chipping) is gathering his possessions and preparing to leave as he has been relieved by Lieutenant Osborne, an older man who was a public school master. As Hardy prepares to leave he jokes about Captain Stanhope turning to alcohol to cope with the stress of war, but Lt. Osborne defends Capt Stanhope saying he is the best commander they’ve got.

The meals are prepared and served by Private Mason (Tony Turner), a servant cook who has limited resources and often serves meals containing an unusual combination of ingredients. On one occasion the tea appears to taste of onions and someone says he must have thrown some tea leaves into the onion soup.

2^nd Lieutenant Raleigh (Graham Butler) is a young inexperienced officer who arrives to join the company. Raleigh tells Osborne that he knew and admired Stanhope when he was at school and admits that he requested to join his Company. Osborne mentions that Stanhope will not be the same person he knew at school as the ravages of war had changed him. When Captain Stanhope (Nick Hendrix) enters the dug out and sees Raleigh he is angry that the boy has been allowed to join his Company saying the boy is a hero worshipper. Stanhope is in a relationship with Raleigh’s sister and is concerned that news of his heavy drinking may be relayed to her via her brother.

Captain Stanhope has a strong sense of duty and has not taken leave he was entitled to.  He strongly disapproves of Lieutenant Hibbert (Simon Harrison) who he believes is faking neuralgia so he can be sent home thus avoiding more fighting. Stanhope repeatedly denies Hibbert’s request to be sent down the line to see a doctor.

The men all hate the war and the conditions they find themselves in and they all find different ways to suppress their fear and loathing. 2nd Lieutenant Trotter ( Christian Patterson) is a corpulent soldier who is fond of his food, he detests the war and counts down the hours he serves on the front line by drawing circles on a piece of paper and then colouring them in.

A German attack is expected later in the week and the men are all trying to hide their trepidation   and keep their spirits up. I will not reveal more of the plot or the outcome of the play as I do not wish to spoil it for those who haven’t seen it. I thought the actors were all very good at portraying the soldiers in this situation. I particularly liked Simon Dutton in his role of Lieutenant Osborne and I thought he was particularly kind to the young Raleigh when he first arrived. I thought Nick Hendrix was excellent as Captain Stanhope showing the emotions one would expect from someone who had turned to alcohol to numb the emotional pain his war experiences had brought him.

The sound effects during this play were excellent, they realistically reproduced the sound of shelling and gunfire and other noises of battle on the front line, the volume was incredible.

This play not only demonstrates the dreadful conditions these soldiers had to endure, but it also shows the futility of war and reminds us of the devastating loss of life that is still happening today. This play is well worth seeing, but I suggest taking some tissues with you as you may need them before the curtain falls.

Journey’s End plays Milton Keynes Theatre until Saturday 24^th September 2011. Milton Keynes Theatre Box Office 0844 871 7652 (bkg fee)

The tour then continues playing New Victoria Theatre Woking from Mon 26^th September until Saturday 1^st October 2011.

www.atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes http://uktheatre.tv www.journeysendtheplay.com

Reviewed by Sue Marks at Milton Keynes Theatre on Tuesday 20^th September 2011.

To Wit: To Woo, Lessons in Love from William Shakespeare                         at The Jazz Cafe, Newcastle upon Tyne

With the Royal Shakespeare Company not returning to Newcastle this autumn and the August Customs House Bard in the Park production in South Shields unable to find funding, Pink Lane Poetry and Performance, based in the Jazz Café in Newcastle’s Pink Lane, decided there is a gap that needs to be filled.  Tyne and Wear needs a Shakespeare performance!

So Pink Lane, in association with KG Productions, has created the Loyal Shakespeare Company which will present To Wit: To Woo, Lessons in Love from William Shakespeare, at the Jazz Café on 16^th and 17^th September.

This series of extacts from Shakespeare plays, devised and directed by KG Productions’ artistic director and director of the Bard in the Park productions Peter Lathan, features some of the region’s leading actors performing a variety of love scenes from As You Like It, The Taming of the Shrew, Measure for Measure, Twelfth Night, Hamlet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and, of course, Romeo and Juliet, along with some of the sonnets.

The cast is Neil Armstrong, Iain Cunningham, Christina Dawson, Jill Dellow, Jessica Johnson, Alex Kinsey, Steven Stobbs and Rachel Teate, who between them play 18 parts, along with jazz singer Grace Ellen. 

Listing Information

Dates:  Friday 16^th and Saturday 17^th September, 2011

Time:   7.30 (doors open 7.00)

Venue: The Jazz Café, Pink Lane, Newcastle

Price:   £5 at the door

Top Hat

Music & Lyrics by Irving Berlin Based on RKO’s motion picture

At Milton Keynes Theatre

I have been looking forward to this production all season, often a recipe for disappointment but in this case my expectations were surpassed. All aspects of this show were not just good they were excellent. The plot comes over as Noel Coward meets Gilbert & Sullivan with a liberal sprinkling of Jeeves & Wooster. This is not just a vehicle to support a set of song and dance routines but is a valid and hilariously funny play in its own right. The dancing, particularly the tap, was superb and could have carried the show on its own but the singing was just as good as was the live   orchestra. The superlatives do not stop there because the sets were lush dripping with Art Deco and that wonderful thirties elegance.  If it is possible the costumes were even better than the sets with frocks to die for, white tie and tails, black tie and dinner jacket even authentic thirties swimwear. The support services were also particularly good the hair, wigs and make up were faultless not only for the major roles but for everyone.

Tom Chambers excelled in the role of Jerry Travers; not only was his tap dancing superb but his singing was excellent and he brought the role alive, being totally believable as the Broadway star in Europe. It’s surprising that a tap dancer of this calibre also has such a good voice.

Summer Strallen is stunningly beautiful, which she needs to be in order to successfully pull off the role of Dale Tremont, attractive just would not be good enough; this is a woman that men instantly fall in love with. Her figure is superb and set off to good effect by the thirties clothes. The golden hair above flawless skin demonstrates the kind of beauty that made Monroe an icon. Her melodic voice was powerful enough to carry this major role and her dancing was faultless. She can also act and I’m thinking particularly of the subtle expressions employed when she is dancing with Travers whilst believing him to be the husband of her friend Madge.

Martin Ball gave an accomplished performance as Horace Hardwick who was the producer of the London show which starred Jerry Travers. Vivien Parry was equally good portraying his wife Madge, a woman whose major occupation was spending his money. Ricardo Afonso played Alberto Beddini a dress designer, a character who alternated between being amusing, and ingratiating to the point of sleaziness.  There was also a show stealer, Stephen Boswell who played Bates who was butler to Horace Hardwick. Through a clever manipulation of the plot Bates masqueraded as several other characters throughout the show. Not only was he hilarious in his role as butler, a portrayal which had shades of Dobbie   the house elf in Harry Potter, but he was also equally amusing when incognito. The powerful support cast took the remaining roles such as promenaders, hotel staff and guests as well as performing some excellent dance routines.

There was also excellent lighting and special effects I particularly liked the thunderstorm. I liked the way moving wheels were used to give the impression of a hansom cab ride.

When this show finished I had the unusual feeling that I could quite happily have watched a repeat performance there and then. Overall this is a stunning production that is not to be missed.

Top Hat plays Milton Keynes Theatre until Saturday 27^th August 2011. Milton Keynes Theatre Box Office 08448717852 (bkg fee).

The tour continues playing Birmingham Hippodrome from 30^th August to Saturday 10^th September 2011. 0844 338 5000

www.atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes http://uktheatre.tv www.tophatonstage.com

Reviewed by Sue Marks at Milton Keynes Theatre on Tuesday 23d August 2011  

Michael Frayn’s

Alarms & Excursions (more plays than one)

At Milton Keynes Theatre

Alarms & Excursions consists of eight plays with the same four actors playing various roles. The actors are; Robert Daws, Belinda Lang, Aden Gillett and Serena Evans and they were all very good at portraying the different characters. Some of the plays are only a few minutes duration whilst others are longer. Alarms & Excursions was first produced in 1998, but since then Michael Frayn has continued to think about its themes and as a result has put some new pieces into the collection for this latest production.

There is a theme running through the plays which looks at technology and its impact on our lives, particularly when it goes wrong. Is it always the fault of the technology or is it sometimes our inability to use it correctly? One of the plays deviates from this tech theme and instead focuses on the similarity between hotel rooms all over the world. It features two couples in identical rooms next to each other. Whilst these couples are different; in many ways they are also very similar.

The plays also explore peoples’ relationships with others and how they sometimes fail to communicate effectively with each other. This is particularly apparent in the final play, Immobiles, which is set in a time prior to widespread mobile phone use, where several characters are trying to meet up and are using public phones and leave messages on the home answer machine. There is an element of farce here and the increasing frustration of the characters, whilst amusing, also leads me to wonder how we coped before the invention of mobile phones. Once again I found myself appreciating my mobile phone and being glad I have one.

The scenery was easily moved around to create the different settings for the plays and the changes were quickly executed between plays. The actors were able to switch to different characters convincingly.

I really enjoyed Alarms & Excursions, not only was it amusing, but it was thought provoking too. I think most people could relate to the situations and the dialogue between the characters. Of course there are times when technology malfunctions, but there are clearly also times when problems with technology are down to our inability to use it properly. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing! I think there is usually someone in a household who knows how to use appliances better than everyone else. This was illustrated in the first play when the wife was telling the husband which buttons to press to answer a call and which room it would be in. I suspect most of us when we get a new appliance only learn basic instructions to enable us to perform the functions we need, I expect most products would perform more complex tasks if we took the trouble to find out.

I would strongly recommend this production as I found it very enjoyable and I think it would appeal to a wide audience.

Alarms & Excursions plays Milton Keynes Theatre until Saturday 16^th July 2011. Milton Keynes Theatre Box Office 0844 871 7852 (bkg fee).

The tour continues playing Richmond Theatre Richmond –upon – Thames from July 29^th to 30^th July

Playhouse Oxford from August 15^th to August 20^th 2011.

www.miltonkeynestheatre.com http://uktheatre.tv

Reviewed by Sue Marks at Milton Keynes Theatre on Monday 11^th July 2011

Bill Kenwright presents

Jekyll & Hyde

At Milton Keynes Theatre

Marti Pellow is superb in this musical adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Victorian Gothic tale. Further elements have been introduced such as the opening scene where Jekyll’s father is suffering from such madness that he must be restrained by being strapped to his bed, offering the possibility that the whole story is one of inherited schizophrenia. Other additions include Emma the fiancée and Lucy the prostitute befriended by Jekyll and abused by Hyde. I particularly liked the fact that Hyde’s psychotic nature was used for a series of revenge killings upon the board of St. Jude’s.  

Virtually all dialogue is sung in this production so much of its success depends on the calibre of the singers. Fortunately these are all excellent, with Sarah Earnshaw (Emma) and Sabrina Carter (Lucy) supporting Marti Pellow’s dual roles. Whilst these three stand out as excellent individual singers the numbers sung by the ensemble are equally good in their own way. There was a band which provided excellent music throughout.

Given his previous background it’s no surprise Marti Pellow can sing, he is however a consummate actor, effectively delivering the two characters of Jekyll and Hyde, seamlessly moving from one to the other yet always making the audience aware which of the characters is being portrayed.

The costumes were lavish and appropriate to the period with great attention to detail such as the second outfit for the Bishop of Basingstoke when one would have sufficed or the gaiters worn by the chimney sweep.

The set worked particularly well, composed mainly of grey brick providing a generally Gothic feel with small iconic touches such as the Georgian front door, the East End brick arch and the huge Victorian Gothic window which provided the background to Jekyll’s Harley Street laboratory. Behind this was a view of the top quarter of St. Paul’s Cathedral and the sky, the time of day being indicated by the nature of the sky. Further props included chandeliers, stained glass windows, laboratory benches, beds and furniture. Set changes were carried out smoothly and unobtrusively. Lighting was used to good effect and lack of it helped to create the mood for the darker moments in the plot.

I really enjoyed this and from their reaction so did the rest of the audience. I would suggest that if you are one of the many people who enjoyed “Phantom” then you will enjoy this also.  If you’re a fan of Marti Pellow then this is a must see.

Jekyll & Hyde plays Milton Keynes Theatre until Saturday 2^nd July 2011. Milton Keynes Theatre Box Office 0844 871 7862 (bkg fee).

The tour continues playing Cardiff Millennium Centre from 4^th July to 9^th July 2011

New Victoria Theatre Woking from 11^th July to 16^th July 2011-06-28

Theatre Royal Plymouth from 18^th July to 21^st July 2011

Grand Theatre Leeds from 25^th July to 30^th July 2011.

www.miltonkeynestheatre.com www.kennwright.com http://uktheatre.tv

Reviewed by Sue Marks at Milton Keynes Theatre on Monday 27^th June 2011.