UK Theatre Network

Having recently celebrated their first birthday and a hugely successful first year Aylesbury Waterside Theatre announced their new spring season bursting at the seams with musicals, drama, dance, comedy and much more.

The writers of sell out sensation Dreamboats and Petticoats, Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran,  and TV favourites including Goodnight Sweetheart and Birds of a Feather are back with a host of 60’s hits with Save the Last Dance For Me transporting you back to music’s golden era.   They joined us for the Spring season launch at The Waterside and told how they’d collaborated with theatrical impresario Bill Kenwright to develop and produce the show.  The story is set in 1963 and tells of two sisters from Luton who go to Lowestoft for a holiday and find love when an American GI invites them back the US Air Base to a dance.  The show previewed successfully in Bromley and the clip we saw at the launch looks a lot of fun, with memorable songs, colourful costumes and great dancing.  The show runs from Monday 13th to Saturday 18th February and I’m sure it’ll be a night to remember.

If you wish you’d swung the hardest partying pack in town now’s your chance as The Rat Pack Live from Las Vegas are back with the coolest party in town. I loved the show last year and if you’re a fan of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Junior this show is not to be missed.

Be swept away to the South Pacific in May as the hit landmark production comes to Aylesbury following a sell-out season at London’s Barbican, starring West Side Story’s Daniel Cook and Eastenders’ Alex Ferns with more star cast to be announced, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the reinvented Lincoln Theatre Production of one of the greatest musicals of all time.

For drama be heartbroken and heart-warmed by a play from one of the UK’s best known playwrights Alan Bennett with The Lady in the Van.  Nicola McAuliffe, best known for playing Sheila Sabatini in the TV sitcom Surgical Spirit, plays the title role.

Don’t miss the return of the National Theatre who in the Autumn brought the huge sell-out success of One Man, Two Guvnors to the Waterside, with the award winning actor Anthony Sher in the funny and fascinating Travelling Light.
  

Or settle in for a night of chilling suspense with J B Priestley’s classic thriller An Inspector Calls directed by Oscar nominated, Stephen Daldry (The Reader, The Hours, Billy Elliot) arriving direct from its fourth West End season.

Fantastic dance comes from two beautiful ballet masterpieces performed by the Russian State Ballet and Orchestra of Siberia, La Fille Mal Garde and Swan Lake.  While Anton Du Beke and Erin Boag bring some spectacular moves to some fabulous Gershwin hits.

For the perfect night out, grab your girlfriends for non-stop laugh out loud musical comedy with Gillian Taylforth - Girls Night or Join Beverley Callard and the Hormonal Housewives as they battle against weight gain, weight loss, mood swings, wine and pms! Or enjoy one of the Uk’s top male glamour with the Dreamboys Full Frontal Tour.

For something a bit different look out for Back to Broadway... the musical – a real family treat and be wowed by Britain’s Got Talent’s Circus of Horrors .  Or join Celebrity psychic Sally Morgan on her latest visit.

Kids can look forward to joining the Little Princess live on stage in her theatrical premiere I want to Celebrate , Peppa Pig in her Treasure Hunt and the Little Big Club with all your favourites including Thomas the Tank Engine, Bob the Builder and Fireman Sam!

There’s more comedy than you can shake a stick at as the Waterside welcomes an audience with Pam Ayres, the controversial American Doug Stanhope, Irish/Australian superstar Jimeoin, TV fave Paul Merton and mock the weeks Stewart Francis.

Music lovers need look no further with shows from The Osmonds on their biggest ever UK tour, The Searchers with all of their classic hits,  rock ‘n’ roll from That’ll be the Day former front man of Ace, Squeeze and Mike and the Mechanics Paul Carrack, X-Factor finalist Andy Abrahams and two classical concerts from the Watersides orchestra in association - Oxford Philomusica, in march featuring Julian Lloyd Webber.  Aylesbury’s Hobble on the Cobbles also come to you this year from the Waterside stage with acts including, Platform Soul, The British Guitar Academies ‘All-Star’ Band and much more.

Next season you can get involved in Bucks biggest talent show Best of Bucks, the brain child of the High Sherriff of Bucks with a celebrity judging panel including legendary broadcaster and DJ Dave Lee Travis with the chance to perform on the Waterside Stage, or by coming along an support local acts all in aid of local charities the Bucks and Milton Keynes Community Foundations.

The more intimate second space really comes to life this season with the return of the Comedy Club on the first Friday of every month with some of the finest up and coming comedians from the UK Circuit and the launch of LiveScreen at the Waterside a programme of live screenings from theatres around the world.  Don’t miss, from the National Theatre, Collaborators, The Comedy of Errors and She Stoops to Conquer and from the Royal Opera House , Romeo and Juliet the Ballet and Rigoletto.

There's something to suit everyone and it’s a season guaranteed to chase away those winter blues!   Book your tickets today at Aylesbury Waterside Theatre Box Office call 0844 871 7607 or visit www.atgtickets.com/aylesbury

Yvonne Delahaye
4.2.12

 OMG you are SO going to love this show!  If you like your shows frothy, fun and frivolous then this is the perfect show for a girls’ night out at the Waterside Theatre all this week.  Legally Blonde The Musical opened in December 2009 to rave reviews and the show went on to win seven theatre awards including the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical. After almost 1000 West End manicures, perms and make-overs, Legally Blonde The Musical will have its final performance at the Savoy Theatre on 7 April 2012, but you can still catch it on its UK tour. During its first year on Broadway in 2007, Legally Blonde the Musical earned seven Tony Award nominations, 10 Drama Desk Award nominations and an Outer Critics Circle Award. The show also ranked in the top 10 for the most requested Ticketmaster "Arts & Theatre Events" for 2007.

When blonde sorority queen Elle Woods is dumped by her boyfriend, Warner Huntington III, she decides to follow him to Harvard Law School to win him back. Once there she learns she has more legal savvy than she ever imagined and with some help from new-found friends Paulette, Emmett and her Chihuahua Bruiser, she learns that it’s so much better to be smart.

Directed by Tony and Olivier Award winning Jerry Mitchell (Hairspray), Legally Blonde The Musical is the funniest and most fabulous musical around.  The best show in town, case closed.

Faye Brookes gives a sparkling performance as Elle, with strong vocals, great comedy timing, warmth and energy.  Faye is a relative newcomer to the business and prior to graduating from Guildford School of Acting, played Sandy in Grease in the West End.  X-Factor finalist and Dancing on Ice winner Ray Quinn plays the ultra ambitious two-dimensional Warner, who spurns Elle in favour of Vivienne (Charlotte Harwood) as they vie for an internship with top lawyer Professor Callahan.  Les Dennis gives a very credible performance as the ruthlessly seedy lawyer and he can hold a tune!  Les’ recent TV appearances include Life’s Too Short and Extras, but he was best known for presenting Family Fortunes.  UK musical tours include Hairspray and High School Musical 2.

Emmett (Iwan Lewis) shows Elle that she can be much more than just a ditzy blond, as he helps her to enjoy learning.   Iwan has played Nick in Fame and Private Augenti in the West End.  Claire Sweeney plays the garish Paulette, the other friend who helps to teach Elle to value and accept who she is as an individual and to look beyond her obviously attractive appearance.  Claire has an extensive CV and played Paulette in the West End and we saw her at the Waterside last year in the UK tour of Tell Me on a Sunday.  Other West End roles include Roxie in Chicago and Miss Adelaide in Guys and Dolls (opposite the sadly missed Patrick Swayse) and TV appearances include Candy Cabs and Brookside.

We loved the UPS parcelman (Lewis Griffiths) and it will be very disappointing when I next receive a ‘package’ not to have a hunky guy turn up in tight shorts !  Also the very camp hairdresser (Jon Reynolds) made the most of his role, but the standard in musical theatre is so high now everyone delivers an exceptional performance. The multi-talented cast includes Gemma Baird, Lori Barker, Niamh Bracken, Andrew Gordon-Watkins, Hannah Grover, Charlotte Harwood, Katie-Marie Hicks, Sophie Isaacs, Nia Jermin, Graham Lappin, Sinead Long, Rhona McGregor, Chris Milford, Zak Nemorin, Andy Rees,  Micha Richardson, Amy Ross, Michael Steedon, Barnaby Thompson, Michael Vinsen and Hannah Woolley.

Of course we mustn’t forget our canine stars and Bruiser is played by Pringle and Breezer and the very cute Rufus is played superbly by sharpy.

Legally Blonde on tour is produced by Howard Panter for Ambassador Theatre Group, Bill Kenwright, Tulchin/Bartner Productions,  Jamie Hendry Productions in association with MGM ON STAGE, Darcie Denkert and Dean Stolber and with associate producers Rupert Gavin for Incidental Colman and Amy Anzel.

Howard Panter, joint Chief Executive of Ambassador Theatre Group said:

‘Legally Blonde The Musical is a roaring success, people across the UK from Bristol to York and as far as Glasgow have taken Legally Blonde into their hearts and are having an Elle of a party at the theatre.  Critically acclaimed on tour and getting standing ovations night after night, we are thrilled that Legally Blonde The Musical, the success story from Broadway and London is continuing around the UK before embarking on a further international tour.’

This fun should not be legal!  Get your tickets today at:
Aylesbury Waterside Theatre
31 January – 4 February 2012
0844 871 7607
http://www.atgtickets.com/Aylesbury-Waterside-Theatre
Liverpool Empire
7 – 11 February 2012
0844 871 3017
www.atgtickets.com/liverpool
Sheffield Lyceum Theatre
14 February – 25 February 2012
0114 249 6000
http://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk
Norwich Theatre Royal
28 February – 10 March 2012
01603 6300 00
http://www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk
Theatre Royal Brighton
13 – 24 March 2012
0844 871 7650
www.atgtickets.com/brighton
Leicester De Montfort Hall
27 March – 7 April 2012
0116 233 3111
http://www.demontforthall.co.uk
Dublin Grand Canal Theatre
10 – 21 April 2012
0818 719 377
http://grandcanaltheatre.ie/
Grand Opera House, Belfast
24 April – 5 May 2012
(028) 9024 1919
http://www.goh.co.uk
New Victoria Theatre, Woking
7 – 19 May 2012
0844 871 7645
www.atgtickets.com/woking
His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen
22 May – 2 June 2012
01224 641122
http://www.boxofficeaberdeen.com
Canterbury Marlowe Theatre
5 – 16 June 2012
01227 787787
http://www.marlowetheatre.com
Southampton Mayflower
19 – 30 June 2012
02380 711811
http://www.mayflower.org.uk
Bradford Alhambra
3 – 14 July 2012
01274 432000
http://www.bradford-theatres.co.uk
Milton Keynes Theatre
31 July – 11 August 2012
0844 871 7652
www.atgtickets.com/Milton-Keynesa>
Cardiff Wales Millennium Centre
14 – 25 Aug 2012
029 2063 6464
http://www.wmc.org.uk

Reviewed by:
Yvonne Delahaye
31.1.12

The Moscow State Circus – the very title speaks of history, tradition and excellence. At Aylesbury Waterside Theatre on Monday night the company truly lived up to their enviable reputation, as they treated the audience to a spectacular performance of the ‘Babushkin Sekret’ – a staged circus show inspired by the Russian legend of The Twelve Chairs.

This is a wonderful showcase for some of Russia’s most creative talent. With a dazzling display of skills and agility, these truly dedicated performers both entertain and astonish in equal measure from beginning to end. In an original twist on the traditional circus, there is a storyline linking all the individual acts together. We follow the quest of Valerik to find his family fortune, which has been hidden following the revolution in one of twelve chairs. The audience engages quickly with the two clowns, Valerik and his side-kick Valik, as they set about their treasure-hunting exploits, and they make full use of all-time favourites – audience participation, magic and good old slapstick comedy.

From the Family Veslovskiys who roller skate on a table just 2 meters in diameter, to the colourful acrobatic Rubtov jesters, each act is to be admired hugely for the intense work it must take to achieve such results. Professor Bulakov has everyone in the palm of his hands with his ‘high jinks’ performance – acrobatic clowning with serious skills! His character is very strong and he carries the audience with him whenever he is on stage. The story and show are brought together in an imaginative climax as Sasha Doktorov creates and ascends a tower of chairs demonstrating incredible strength and talent.

Recently celebrating its 120th anniversary, the Moscow State Circus continues to thrive and it is a wonderful treat to watch truly talented artists at work. This is an original and creative production that combines contemporary with the classical, and if you feel like a good night out that all the family can enjoy, don’t hesitate to buy tickets for this great art form – the circus.

Tour Dates: Derby  - Live Assembly Rooms: 27th to 29th Jan 2012
                    Shrewsbury   -   Severn Theatre: 30th Jan
                    Hereford   -   The Courtyard :      31st Jan  1st Feb
For Further Tour Dates go to:  www.moscowstatecircus.com/tour-dates.asp

Aylesbury Waterside Theatre:
Book Tickets 0844 871 7627.
www.atgtickets.com

Reviewed by:
Shirley Moon and Harrison
23.1.12

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reviewed by:
Yvonne Delahaye
21.1.12

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FACTFILE

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

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

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

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

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

 

·       Tour Details

 

·        January 2012

·         26^th                        Camberley Theatre

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

·         30^th                        Milton Keynes Theatre

·         31^st                          Swansea Grand Theatre

·        February 2012

·         1^st&2^nd                   Worcester Swan Theatre

·         3^rd&4^th                   Darlington Civic Theatre

·         6^th-8^th                    Motherwell Theatre

·         10^th                        Derby Assembly Rooms

·         11^th                        Wellingborough, The Castle Theatre

·         12^th                        Richmond Theatre

·         13^th                        Leamington Spa Centre

·         14^th                        York Grand Opera House

·         17^th                        Worthing Pavilion Theatre

·         18^th                        Crawley Hawth Theatre

·         22^nd&23^rd           Winchester Theatre Royal

·         24^th                        Exmouth Pavilion Theatre

·         25^th                        Chatham Central Theatre

·         28^th                        Edmonton Millfield Theatre

·         29^th                        Bradford St George’s Hall

·        March 2012

·         1^st                          Yeovil Octagon Theatre

·         2^nd&3^rd                   Mansfield Palace Theatre

·         4^th                         Glasgow Theatre Royal

·         5^th-7^th                    Shrewsbury Theatre Severn

·         8^th                         Rotherham Civic Theatre

·         11^th                        Manchester Opera House

·         13^th                        Chesham Elgiva Theatre

·         14^th-16^th                 Colchester Mercury Theatre

·         17^th                        Lowestoft Marina Theatre

·         18^th                        Scarborough Spa Theatre

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reviewed by:
Yvonne Delahaye
20.1.12

Stories:

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

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Oliver Award-winning Our Country’s Good tours UK theatres

Original Theatre, with Anvil Arts, presents Aden Gillet and Phillip Whitchurch in new production of Wertenbaker’s classic

The acclaimed Original Theatre Company, in association with Anvil Arts, is set to tour a new production of Timberlake Wertenbaker’s Olivier Award-winning play Our Country’s Good this season, performing at theatres across the UK, starring Aden Gillet (Accolade, The Winslow Boy, The Queen’s Sister, House of Elliot, Mary Poppins) and Phillip Whitchurch (Billy Elliot, Sharpe, The Bill, My Hero)

 "A play is a world in itself. A tiny colony we could say. And you are in charge of it. That is a great responsibility."

Australia. 1788. A British ship arrives with a cargo of soldiers and convicts transported abroad for their country’s good. As the soldiers struggle to impose order on the outcasts of the old society, a benevolent governor seizes on the notion of a play. In the shadow of the gallows and the gum tree the convicts gather under the direction of 2nd Lieutenant Ralph Clarke and rehearsals begin for The Recruiting Officer.

Based on real events, Timberlake Wertenbaker’s Olivier Award-winning modern classic is an inspiring tale of the transforming power of theatre. This major touring revival, at a time when the argument over publicly funded theatre is raging once again, is produced by the acclaimed Original Theatre Company and follows the success of their recent productions of See How They Run, Twelfth Night, Dancing at Lughnasa, The Madness of George III and Journey’s End.

Our Country’s Good is touring UK theatres this winter/spring 2012. For more information, or to book tickets, visit www.originaltheatre.com

 

“Wertenbaker has searched history and found in it a humanistic lesson for hard modern times: rough, sombre, undogmatic and warm”

-THE SUNDAY TIMES

“Highly theatrical, often funny and at times dark and disturbing”

-THE DAILY TELEGRAPH, CHARLES SPENCER

 
 

Original Theatre Company - Formed in 2004 by Creative Director Alastair Whatley, The Original Theatre Company is an acclaimed touring company based in the market town of Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk. We have built up an ever increasing reputation, performing both classical and contemporary texts with our own brand of daring innovation and bloody minded determination.

From our early days playing in often unconventional locations (cliff tops, stately homes and football grounds) in often unconventional weather (rain, hail and flooding), we have gone on to produce ten touring shows, travelling over 220,000 miles up and down the length and breadth of the UK, playing to hundreds of thousands of people in some of the classic repertory venues. We have gained a reputation for work that is carefully conceived, crystal clear, challenging and always entertaining.

Touring theatre is at the heart and soul of everything we do, taking diverse and engaging theatre of the highest quality to as much of the UK as possible. We passionately believe that great theatre does not have to be elitist and that people everywhere expect and deserve the best. We like to think that our work is characterised by its vitality, honesty and humour alongside a dynamic and dedicated approach by everyone both in front of and behind the curtain.

 

TOUR SCHEDULE /

 

JAN ‘12                

Wed 25 – Sat 28           BASINGSTOKE               The Haymarket                        01256 844244
Mon 30 - Tues 31         KINGSTON                    The Rose                                  0208 546 6983 

FEB ‘12

Wed 1 – Sat 4               KINGSTON                    The Rose                                  0208 546 6983
Mon 6 – Tues 7             READING                       The Hexagon                            0118 960 6060
Thurs 9 – Sat 11           BERWICK                      The Maltings                            01289 330999
Tues 21 – Sat 25           JERSEY                         The Opera House                     01534 511115
Tues 28 – Wed 29        NEWBURY                     The Corn Exchange                  01635 522733 

MAR ‘12

Thurs 1                        NEWBURY                     The Corn Exchange                  01635 522733
Fri 2 – Sat 3                  PETERBOROUGH           The Key Theatre                      01753 207239
Tues 06 – Sat 10           HARROGATE                  Harrogate Theatre                   01423 502116
Mon 12 – Wed 14          CHIPPING NORTON       The Theatre                             01608 624350
Mon 19                         BUXTON                       Opera House                            0845 127 2190
Tues 20 – Sat 24           MOLD                            Theatr Clwyd                           01352 755114
Mon 26 – Sat 31            GREENWICH                  Greenwich Theatre                  0208 858 7755 

APR ‘12

Mon 2 – Wed 4              LLANDUDNO                  Venue Cymru                           01492 879771
Tues 17 – Sat 21           EASTBOURNE                Devonshire Park Theatre         01323 412000
Mon 23 – Tues 24         BRACKNELL                   South Hill Park Arts Centre      01344 484123
Wed 25 – Thurs 26       FINCHLEY                     Arts Depot                                0208 369 5454