UK Theatre Network

This week, all the ingredients are in place for a wonderful night out at Aylesbury Waterside Theatre, as we are treated to Tim Firth’s stage adaptation of the inspirational true story of the ‘Calendar Girls’.

The day that the original group of ladies from a Womens Institute in Yorkshire came up with the idea of posing ‘nude’ for an alternative WI Calendar, was surely a day to go down in the history books. Raising a few pounds for Leukemia Research was their aim; the outcome has been over 3 million pounds raised to-date and along the way, pleasure and enjoyment have been brought to so many through the subsequent film and stage play of their genuinely thrilling success.

There is unbridled pleasure to be drawn from this great production of Calendar Girls and yet it acknowledges right from the start that within this story, tragedy and comedy must sit side by side; for it was when one of the WI ladies lost her beloved husband to leukemia, that the group came together to support her and to put their energies into positive fund raising.  Jack Ryder’s direction enables us to move easily from hysterical laughter in one scene to simplicity and silence in the next which is made all the more powerful by the direct contrast.

Having said that, the evening is primarily one long run of laughter delivered by a very talented cast with some terrifically funny one-liners that will stay in the memory for some time to come. Lynda Bellingham is excellent as the driven and ambitious Chris, a role she originated in the West End back in 2008. Jan Harvey plays Annie, the bereaved wife, and the friendship between these two women is established from the outset, as they giggle their way through a WI talk entitled, ‘The Study of Broccoli’. Lovely comedy characters are also provided by Jennifer Ellison as Cora, June Watson as Jessie, Rula Lenska as Celia and Debbie Chazen as Ruth, all daring to face up to the more set in her ways WI organiser, Marie, played beautifully by Ruth Madoc. Although this production is more female dominated for obvious reasons, the men make fine contributions; John Labanowski as Rod, Bruno Langley as the photographer, and special mention to Joe Mcgann, as John, for a very touching performance indeed.

The truth of this tale is a joyous one. The original WI Ladies brought such positivity from tragic circumstances, posing in such a tastefully bare fashion to raise a little money for a good cause – a little that has turned out to be such a lot!  At the same time they have revolutionised the image of the WI. This stage adaptation is an hysterically funny version of events that never loses sight of the underlying sadness that inspired it and reinspires faith in the human race.

Award winning producers, David Pugh and Dafydd Rogers have announced this will be the final tour before the amateur rights are released, so make sure you get along to this hugely successful production and share a truly uplifting evening that will warm the heart and let the laughter ring out.

The Tour continues:
Monday 21 - Saturday 26 November

Liverpool Empire Theatre
Lime Street
LIVERPOOL
0844 871 3017

Monday 28 November - Saturday 3 December

Richmond Theatre
The Green
RICHMOND
0844 871 7651

 Strictly Gershwin is on tour after its sell out time at the Albert Hall 

Celebrating the beautiful music of George Gershwin and using it as the foundation for this dance extravaganza is an interesting idea and generally works quite well. All the elements are there – fabulous glittering costumes (Roberta Guidi Di Bagno), gorgeous, lyrical choreography (Derek Deane), effective lighting (Howard Harrison) and most of all the most wonderful music.

On stage Valentine is a charismatic and amusing band leader and kept the ENB orchestra plus the gifted jazz musicians (lead trumpet, lead trombone, saxophones and rhythm section) truly swinging along. He also makes great use of his quartet of singers – Hannah Richmond (haunting performance of ‘Summertime’, Sarah Fuller, Alastair Brookshaw and Ross Sharkey. The performances of the band and the singers really are the keystone of the production. The roars and cheers and prolonged applause for this set of musicians was very well deserved.

This show is directed as a series of set pieces which illustrate a wide variety of dance styles – mostly ballet, but also some jazz, ballroom, and tap. It goes without saying that the quality of dancing is superb. The most interesting interpretation was of An American in Paris which very much conjured up Gene Kelly’s innovative choreography. This section also has the most interesting costumes and creative combinations of characters and staging. This is not to say other scenes are less interesting – they are all quite beautiful.



The screen at the back of the stage which projects images of past Hollywood and its stars is the one aspect of this show that doesn’t work that well. The intermittent projections don’t add anything and are a distraction at times.  

On the whole this show is a great crowd pleaser and a lovely way to lift your spirits.

Catch Strictly Gershwin at Milton Keynes until 19 November

http://www.atgtickets.com/2460/657/Milton-Keynes/Milton-Keynes-Theatre/Strictly-Gershwin-ENB-Tickets or call 0844 871 7652 Booking fee applies  

Visit http://www.ballet.org.uk/strictly-gershwin/strictly-gershwin.html for further details of the tour.  

Local schoolgirl Lauren Holmes presents a posy to HRH Princess Alexandra at Aylesbury Waterside Theatre

Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra made a special visit to the Aylesbury Waterside Theatre on Tuesday 8 November.

Princess Alexandra was met by Alexander Boswell DL, Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire, Councillor John Cartwright, Leader of Aylesbury Vale District Council, and Elizabeth Adlington, Chief Executive of Aylesbury Waterside Theatre.

Her Royal Highness was taken on a guided tour of the venue where she met a number of invited guests including Jonathan Wilkes star of this year's pantomime, Dick Whittington, and winners of the Kodak Snappy Birthday photography competition which celebrated the theatre’s first birthday.

After the theatre tour, Her Royal Highness was escorted to the second space area where she listened to a special song from pupils from the school choir at Stoke Mandeville Combined School, who recently took part in a concert at the Waterside Theatre with Motown legends The Drifters.

Before departing from the venue, Princess Alexandra unveiled a commemorative plaque in honour of her visit.
 
HRH Princess Alexandra and Councillor John Cartwright unveil the official plaque at Aylesbury Waterside Theatre

Councillor John Cartwright, Leader of the Council, said: “It is a tremendous honour to receive a visit from Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra. We are delighted that she is visiting our magnificent new theatre and I am sure she will enjoy the time she spends with us. A royal visit is a fitting occasion for such a special theatre, which has won the hearts of people across Aylesbury Vale.”

Elizabeth Adlington, Chief Executive of Aylesbury Waterside Theatre, said: “We are delighted to welcome Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra to the Waterside to meet members of the local and business community we have worked with over the last year and share with her our achievements. There could not be a more memorable way to celebrate one year on at Aylesbury
Waterside Theatre.”

(L-R) Elizabeth Adlington Chief Executive of Aylesbury Waterside Theatre, Katie Thomas from Musical Kidz Company, HRH Princess Alexandra, Panto Star Jonathan Wilkes and children from the ensemble

Follow this link for a video of the visit at Bucks TV http://www.buckstv.co.uk/buckstv/royalty.html

 About the Aylesbury Waterside Theatre:
Developed and funded by Aylesbury Vale District Council, and designed by Arts Team – a specialist group within RHWL architects, the Waterside Theatre is the principal entertainment venue for Aylesbury and surrounding areas. The state-of-the-art venue, which opened in October 2010, hosts everything from light entertainment, to pop concerts, touring opera, ballet and theatre, as well as community events. The Ambassador Theatre Group manages the theatre on the council’s behalf.

Aylesbury Waterside Theatre is part of AVDC’s programme to redevelop the county town to support its growing success as an economic destination. A new public space outside the theatre saw the unveiling of a Ronnie Barker statue to celebrate the late actor’s early stage career in the town. The development of a new Waitrose store, hotel and car park on a site near the theatre is set to get underway shortly.

 

Review by Douglas McFarlane


Whew !

Have you seen Lysistrata ? It's a play that I've seen advertised on the Edinburgh Fringe and selected by many an ambitious artistic team to showcase their talents and win new audiences.  Originally performed in Athens around 2500 years ago Lysistrata persuades the women of Greece to withhold intimacy from their husbands and lovers to force men to negotiate peace. 

Think about that for a minute and imagine how that might be represented on stage. Yes, it's awkward, yes, it's adults only, and yes, it can be embarrassing depending on your company. So choose a close friend who is usually unschockable, and be prepared for a laugh.

As this is a family site, I can't go into much detail, other than to say that it is cringeworthy at times and really funny most of the time. The performers really push it to the limits and their "costumes", if you can call them that, were designed to shock the audience of white haired elderly couples, and groups of students alike. And they all roared with laughter.

It's a polished production with excellent lighting, sound and direction clearly in evidence in this one act play. The flow of the performance was to perfection with just enough one-liners and quick quips to keep it interesting, and each actor commanded your attention from the moment they stepped foot on stage.  Despite their unusual costumes and naughty behaviour, they manage not to cross the line of indecency, somehow. Although that imaginary line we have in our heads, probably changes during the performance.

I would recommend going along, if only to watch a talented team of actors committed to their roles while wearing some of the most hilarious outfits. A personal favourite of mine was the parody of Gerard Butler's '300' performance when "Spartan woman" bounds onto the stage.

Actors Of Dionysys perform this classic at the Rose Theatre, Kingston and will be touring.  Tickets can be purchased using the link below, or visit the official production site.

Ticket site:
https://uk.patronbase.com/_RoseTheatreKingston/Sections/Choose?prod_id=0010&perf_id=7

Production site:
http://www.actorsofdionysus.com/projects/current/lysistrata/

Glyndebourne has a great season on offer this Autumn and Donizetti’s popular opera buffa exploring greed and matrimony is a fabulous production in all areas – top notch singing, effortless performances, incredible staging, sumptuous costumes and as always, perfect playing from the orchestra under the direction this time of the excellent Enrique Mazzola who whipped the score along in a suitably bright and bouncy fashion. This is a perfect antidote a dull winter’s evening; light, frothy, absurd and great fun.

The opening moments set the tone for the opera very effectively, with the floor to ceiling red velvet curtains opening onto a circular stage rotating to reveal the characters in separate rooms. First, is Don Pasquale asleep in his bed. Dr Malatesta enters pondering his mischievous plan and as the stage turns to reveal Ernesto, slumbering half dressed and part way through writing a love letter, Malatesta appears by climbing through the wardrobe between the rooms. As the stage rotates again revealing Norina at her writing desk, also dozing and halfway through a letter, Malatesta appears through a painting on the wall! The stage continues to rotate as Malatesta visits the characters through the scenery. It’s a really clever and eccentric way to start the evening and this use of the rotating stage is repeated throughout the production to very great effect. The overall staging, costumes and lighting are gorgeous and work together to set up quite beautiful, painterly tableaux. Full credit goes to Julia Hansen’s design and Bernd Purkrabek lighting design plus all designers and makers of the costumes and wigs for the chorus - a stunning white spectacle en masse.

Director Mariame Clément has a real hit on her hands for her debut at Glyndebourne and hopefully this will be the beginning of a long and happy relationship with the company. She has though, re-interpreted the story and this has come in for some criticism. As a result, perhaps the story is less touching than in its original narrative form. It depends on your philosophy - on whether directors should leave well alone or attempt to put their own mark on a work. So, in Clément’s take on the story Norina and Malatesta are clearly having a ‘secret’ affair, and this adds an extra layer to the story and perhaps brings an extra dimension to the dishonesty or cruelty of the story overall.

Jonathan Veira is superb and plays Don Pasquale just right – a touch of arrogance, a touch of stupidity, a touch of eccentricity and all totally believable; he does not play for cheap laughs here. Enea Scala has a clean crisp tone, Ainhoa Garmendia has a soaring soprano and is a fabulous actress; right on top of the emotion, humour, and cruetly of the role. Nicely finishing off this excellent cast is Andrei Bondarenko. This young Ukrainian won the song prize at Cardiff singer of the world this year. He is definitely one to watch as his voice and roles further develop. He is a very good performer and was oddly seductive, charming and sinister in his role as Malatesta.

This is an excellent production and sure to be revived for future seasons.

Don Pasquale plays on Saturday 12^th November

http://www.atgtickets.com/2475/657/Milton-Keynes/Milton-Keynes-Theatre/Don-Pasquale-Tickets or call 0844 871 7652 Booking fee applies

For further details of Glyndebourne on Tour go to http://glyndebourne.com/season/glyndebourne-tour-2011

From the moment you enter Aylesbury Waterside Theatre this week, prepare to be drawn deep into the animal kingdom and to share the struggles for survival of Mowgli the man cub, in this dramatic stage adaptation by Stuart Paterson of Rudyard Kipling’s story Jungle Book. The Birmingham Stage Company bring to life this classic tale and prove once again that their reputation for high quality children’s productions is thoroughly deserved.

The show has all the essential ingredients to delight the younger element;wonderful costumes, jungle setting, music and movement, energetic performances and the ever popular audience participation. It is not just the masks, puppetry, costuming and voice work that makes every ‘animal’ so believable but also the work of Peter Elliot, top animal movement expert, who has clearly helped each actor to bring precise physicality to their role.

There is plenty on offer for all ages as we appreciate the morality tale of Mowgli, abandoned in the Indian Jungle, raised by wolves, hunted by the evil Tiger Shere Khan, befriended by the bear Baloo and the Panther Bagheera and ultimately finding it hard to be accepted by either beasts or mankind. This is a production that works on many levels. Samuel Hargreaves is truly enjoyable as Mowgli and he plays this role with great conviction. In fact all the cast throw themselves so convincingly into this original world that we find ourselves standing alongside them sharing their experiences.

All credit to Peter Sowerbutts evil Shere Khan, Laura Waggott as the sinuous Kha, Rob Hughes as Baloo with whom Mowgli shares a special relationship and a tender performance from Natasha Lewis as Mowglis two ‘mothers’ - both wolf and human.

The evening ends quite literally on a high note with the soaring finale song ‘Jungle Law’. What an entertaining finish to a powerful tale leaving a delighted audience to travel home with happy memories of a good night out.

LISTINGS Performances: Tue 08 – Sat 12 Nov Tue 7pm, Wed & Thu 10.30am & 1.30pm, Fri 10.30am & 7pm, Sat 2.30pm & 6pm Tickets: £11 - £15 Box Office: 0844 871 7607 (bkg fee) Online Booking: www.atgtickets.com/aylesbury (bkg fee)

Reviewed by: Shirley Moon and Harrison (10)

Sometimes when you watch a musical the story gets lost as all you remember are some great songs, but with Blood Brothers the story is so strong you almost forget you’re watching a musical at times.  I imagine this is because Willy Russell wrote it as a play initially and toured schools around Liverpool, before composing the music himself to make this into one of the most popular and timeless musicals of our time.  Willy Russell is one of the country’s leading dramatists and his characters are always three dimensional, fully formed and very real people, as we know from Shirley Valentine and Educating Rita. He has the ability to write great comedy and intersperse that with drama making all his writing poignant, captivating and memorable.  In Blood Brothers he tells the story of twins separated at birth, who meet by chance and become best friends without knowing who the other is with tragic consequences.

The story is as much about the poverty and class struggles of the 1960s, as about the inexplicable bond between twins and how their lives intertwine. Mrs Johnstone is the warm-hearted mother who struggles to bring up seven children after her husband leaves.  Finding herself pregnant again with twins, her wealthy employer Mrs Lyons seizes her chance to become a mother herself and manipulates Mrs Johnstone into giving her one of the twins.   We know automatically that this is not going to be a ‘happily ever after’ solution, as Mrs Lyons' increasingly neurotic behaviour propels the story towards a dramatic and tragic ending.

Niki Evans gives an outstanding performance as the kindhearted and lovable Mrs Johnston.  We see the wonderful Scouse humour and empathise with her struggles, heartbreak and pain.  Niki has an amazing voice and after reaching the X Factor final in 2007, has gone on to carve an enviable career in musical theatre.

The story is narrated by Craig Price, who is no stranger to The Waterside and sang in ‘From West End to Waterside’ in one of the pre-launch shows last year.  Craig recently performed at the O2 anniversary concert for Les Miserables, having also performed in the West End in many productions and has toured in Jesus Christ Superstar, Joseph & The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat and Martin Guerre.  He makes a rather sinister Narrator and I did find his Liverpool accent rather flat and monotone and felt he needed a bit more energy to nail it properly.

The central role of Mickey is played by Sean Jones, who gives a delightful performance as the young 7 year old playing cowboys with his friends.  We also saw him as a depressed and defeated man, whose life is shattered by redundancy and helping his criminal brother Sammy (Daniel Taylor) commit a crime.  Mickey’s separated twin Eddie (Chris Carswell) is the privileged, upper-class one who desperately wants to be Mickey’s best mate and have all the fun that he has.  Once they’re grown up and start spending more time with Linda (Anna Sambrooks) who is Mickey’s childhood friend who wants to be his girlfriend, trouble ensues as Eddie falls in love with her too.

Tracy Spencer is the cold-hearted, scheming, manipulative Mrs Lyons, which has to be one of the most difficult to play, as there are really no redeeming qualities in her character. 

This epic tale of Liverpool life has been running in London’s West End since 1988 and touring the UK since 1995. Hailed as one of the best musicals of all time Blood Brothers has triumphed across the Globe, scooping up no less than four awards for best musical in London and Seven Tony Award nominations on Broadway, Blood Brothers is simply unmissable and unbeatable.  The show is produced by Bill Kenwright who co-directs with Bob Tomson.  Lighting is designed by Mark Howett, Sound by Ben Harrison and Musical Supervisor is Rod Edwards.

This incredible show has some memorable songs including A Bright new Day, Marilyn Monroe and the emotionally charged hit Tell Me It’s Not True. 

Blood Brothers  received a well-deserved standing ovation and if you’ve never seen it, or want to see it again because once will not be enough, make sure you don’t miss it at The Waterside.  Book your tickets at Aylesbury Waterside Theatre Box Office, call 0844 871 7607 (bkg fee) or visit www.atgticket.com/aylesbury (bkg fee).

LISTINGS

Performances:   31 Oct – 5 Nov 7.30pm, Thu & Sat mats 2.30pm
Tickets:   £11 - £31
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
31.10.11

John Leguizamo's new one man show Ghetto Klown is a hilarious journey through his early beginnings in New York as a struggling hispanic actor to stage and screen acclaim.

Leguizamo known for Romeo + Juliet, To Wong Foo Thanks for everything! Julie Newmar, is also a Broadway star, Tony Award nominee and Drama desk award winner. Ghetto Klown follows on from his other one man shows Mambo Mouth, Freak, Spic-O-Rama and Sexaholix .....A Love story.

Leguizamo takes us on a madcap ride in a quest for emotional and creative fufilment. His entertaining tales of on-set encounters with Patrick Swayze,  Steven Segal and Al Pacino,  and his family opposition to his creative processes never miss a beat. Using mixed media, dance and music through the decades we get a true sense of time and place.

Directed by Fisher Stevens, this fast paced odyssey allows Leguizamo's talent for impressions, sharp observations and well timed gags to shine through.

Catch this great entertainer at the Charing Cross Theatre till 12th November.

UK Theatre Network is delighted to bring another one of our great competitions for theatre tickets, courtesy of the nice people at  Ambassadors Theatre Group.


GLASGOW

22nd November is the night when you and a friend have the chance to win two tickets to see Hormonal Housewives.  



To win, send an email to editor@uktheatre.net with 'Hormonal Housewives' in the subject and the answer to this question:

Which famous Scottish TV personality is starring in Hormonal Housewives ?


LONDON



The Rose Theatre in Kingston Upon Thames, have a family ticket (worth £70 - two adults, two children) to attend The Snow Queen for any of the following performances:  Fri 2 Dec 7pm, Sat 3 Dec 7pm,  Mon 5 Dec 7pm,  Tue 6 Dec 7pm,  Wed 7 Dec 7pm. 

Email editor@uktheatre.net with Snow Queen in the subject, and give the answer to the following question.

Who is the author of the classic fairy tale "The Snow Queen" ?

 
Standard competition rules apply. Judges decision is final. Both competitions close  on November 5th 2011. Entry to both competitions is free and the first winner to be picked at random from a list of correct emails, will win the prizes on offer. 

Click on our site for more details of these shows and others.  www.uktheatrenetwork.com 

Following last year’s sell-out tour, Carol Smillie once again leads the cast in the hilarious comedy Hormonal Housewives, which embarks upon a limited tour of selected venues in Scotland in November 2011.

 “Carol Smillie is a beautiful mover and a good actress...Julie Coombe has moments of comic genius.” The Scotsman

 

Join Carol Smillie and friends in an evening of excessive laughter as they battle against weight gain, weight loss, mood swings, wine, PMS, men, going to the gym, men, waxing, stretch marks, men, chocolate, upper-lip hair, chocolate, men,  chocolate...and all of the other joys of being a 21st Century girl!

Julie Coombe and Shona Price also return to join Carol Smillie on stage. Hormonal Housewives is written by husband and wife team Julie Coombe and John MacIsaac.

“The gales of laughter proved that the audience loved it.” Edinburgh Evening News

You can catch this hilarious show at the following theatres in November:

EDINBURGH, Festival Theatre, Wed 2 - Sat 5 Nov. www.festivaltheatre.org.uk.

DUNDEE, Caird Hall, Tues 8 & Wed 9 Nov. www.dundeebox.co.uk

AYR, Town Hall, Fri 11 & Thurs 12 Nov.  www.ticketweb.co.uk

INVERNESS, Eden Court Theatre, Mon 14 & Tues 15 Nov. www.eden-court.co.uk.

ABERDEEN, His Majesty’s Theatre, Wed 16 - Sat 19 Nov. http://www.boxofficeaberdeen.com.

GLASGOW, King’s Theatre, Mon 21 - Sat 26 Nov. 

 

2012 dates below 

Hormonal Housewives Glasgow 21 Nov - 26 Nov Buy tickets	Hormonal Housewives Wimbledon 22 Feb - 25 Feb Buy tickets	Hormonal Housewives Milton Keynes 26 Feb - 26 Feb Buy tickets
Hormonal Housewives Grimsby 07 Mar - 07 Mar Buy tickets	Hormonal Housewives York 09 Mar - 09 Mar Buy tickets	Hormonal Housewives Woking Theatres 20 Mar - 21 Mar Buy tickets
Hormonal Housewives Aylesbury 25 Mar - 25 Mar Buy tickets	Hormonal Housewives Southport 16 Apr - 16 Apr Buy tickets	Hormonal Housewives Bromley 22 Apr - 22 Apr Buy tickets
Hormonal Housewives Brighton 27 Apr - 28 Apr Buy tickets	Hormonal Housewives Stoke-On-Trent 05 May - 05 May Buy tickets	Hormonal Housewives Richmond 13 May - 13 May Buy tickets

MORE ABOUT CAROL SMILLIE

Carol was born on the 23 December 1961 and is the youngest of four. She began her career as a student at the world famous Glasgow School of Art before trying her hand at modelling. She spent the next decade as a highly-successful model and got her first major break into television as the highly-publicised hostess on Wheel of Fortune, an ITV quiz show.
Offers quickly flooded in and she was snapped up by the BBC travelling the world to present The Travel Show for BBC2 and then BBC1's Holiday, Summer Holiday, and Holiday Swaps quickly followed before she was chosen to become the face of The National Lottery for three years.

However, the show she will always be known for is, of course, BBC television's Changing Rooms, the flagship DIY programme which changed the face of British television as we know it today. The programme earned Carol invitations to Buckingham Palace & Downing Street, an Indie award, a National TV Award, a Bafta nomination, not forgetting Ronni Ancona's alter ego 'Smillie Smillie Carol Smillie' and, of course, the big red book on This Is Your Life.

Carol is now one of the UK’s most sought after presenters for television programmes, award ceremonies, corporate events, advertisements and charity work.

She has fronted shows like Dream Holiday Home (C5), A Brush With Fame (ITV1), took part in Strictly Come Dancing (BBC1) winning 5th place and even went full circle by hosting her own quiz show Postcode Challenge (STV). She has also guested on countless shows including Friday Night With Jonathan Ross, Have I Got News For You and Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

She has published her own book 'Carol Smillie's Working Mum's Handbook' and pre and post natal fitness DVD ‘Changing Shape' as well as a column in Woman's Own and 'Perfect Pets' for The Sunday Times.

She is very much in demand in the corporate market as a host for company conferences and award ceremonies, and was chosen to host the Duke of Edinburgh's 80th birthday celebrations at the Royal Albert Hall.

This is Carol's second foray into the world of comedy, having tread the boards with two sell-out tours of Vagina Monologues, and the Hormonal Housewives tour 18 months ago across Scotland which proved to be even more popular.

She is married to restaurateur Alex Knight and they have three wonderful children Christie, Robbie and Jodie.