David's Live Theatre
These reviews are prior to 2018
High School Musical
Erewash Musical Society Youth Group
Dovedale Theatre, Long Eaton
February 8th 2018
Review courtesy of Kev Castle
“High School Musical” Erewash Musical Youth Society (EMUS)
Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton.
If you like your theatre pink and fluffy, then this is the one for you. It’s not meant to tax the brain but is there purely for entertainment purposes, and on that point it does not fail.
Disney’s “High School Musical” is a great vehicle for younger theatre groups because of the fun element and the catchy songs.
Loosely based on Shakesperare’s “Romeo & Juliet”, the story is of two High School juniors from rival cliques. Hunky Troy Bolton and the gorgeous Gabriella Montez are our modern day Romeo and Juliet who try out for lead parts in their school musical.
This causes a bit of a division between the two camps who try to thwart the pair’s romantic dreams. The High School diva Sharpay Evans and her twin brother Ryan will do anything to sabotage their relationship, as well as their school musical debuts.
I have three words to describe this show, fun, fun and FUN. I have a few more though, don't worry.
There are a few stars in the making here and they shine bright like Rihanna's diamond. Ethan Lee as Troy. I've seen Ethan before and he is so comfortable to watch on stage. And what a voice, as smooth as anything with the likeability of a young Justin Bieber. His relationship with his co stars are believable and his duets wuth Gabriella make your spine tingle.
Talking of which, Daya Khosse (Gabriella) is also the owner of a mighty fine and smooth set of tonsils, again really easy to listen to. She has a natural stage presence and makes her character instantly likeable.
Emily Bridge (Sharpay) is wonderfully sassy without being too bossy, and she has an amazing locker!
Ryan Evans, Sharpay's brother is played by Ethan Fletcher. this is one young actor who really throws himself into a role, making his character a fun watch. It is camp comedy and I loved the characterisation. And what a mover Ethan is as well!
Eliza Charnock (Ms Darbus) is another wonderful young actor who really got under the skin of her character. I've known some drama teachers like Ms Darbus, and Eliza makes this character a joy to watch. Again I loved the dancing at the end as well. Was it choreographed or was it free stylin'? Who cares it was great fun.
Reuben Gotts played Coach Bolton. Loved the way this character performance was more mature than some of the other adult characters as this set the character apart. But he softened when he knew his son, Troy, wasn't just a jock "playmaker" and had other talents to show. Lovely characterisation from Reuben.
Charlie Pearson, (Chad) again another actor I've seen in the past and enjoyed his work. he is another one that gives 100% every time and looks like he is having fun doing it as well. he is shaping up to be an all rounder with his deep singing tones and his nifty dance moves. He does comedy well.
Katie Baddiley (Taylor) is also a star in the making, and again a very confident performer who is easy to watch on stage.
William Robbins, who played DJ Jack Scott, can i sign you up as my replacement for when I'm on holiday from my radio show? Go you wild cat!
The ensemble are brilliant and they really come into play with the big choreography pieces. There are some very clever dance routines in this musical, especially the one for "Get Your Head In The Game" which introduces basketballs into the routine, all managed excellently by the cast. A choreographical smash by Georgie Kemish.
The music was, as it always is just lately at the Duchess, excellent. Musically Directed by James Bowden, his team of musicians kept this show fizzing and didn't overpower the singers.
A wonderful job done by Set Designer/Producer/Director and guitarist, Chris Renshaw, assisted in the Directing by Lucy Judson, making sure that this musical bounced along at a wonderful pace. The show was over quicker than I realised, I was having so much fun.
I always say that if you don't really notice the lights, unless there is a big light-show in the show, then the lighting team have done a good job. well I do notice these things and for all the good reasons. Great job done tonight with both sound (overlooking the odd mic) and light by Dave Martin, Matthew Cook and Dave Dallard.
It's always a test of a good musical if you can leave the theatre and be able to hum at least one of the songs, and i could. Some really catchy numbers like "Breaking Free" and "We're All In This Together" will have you earwormed for hours to come.
Great to see that this show is a sell out because it is proof that local theatre is booming and a wonderful recognition of all the hard work that everyone involved in putting on these shows does. This was also echoed by the standing ovation the cast received and richly deserved at the end.
“High School Musical – On Stage” is on stage at the Duchess Theatre in Long Eaton until Saturday 10 February 2018
Private Lives
National Tour
Derby Theatre
January 30th 2018
I really enjoyed last night’s production of Private Lives at Derby Theatre.
It is about two couples on honeymoon on the French Riviera. Elyot Chase is married to Sibyl and is horrified when he discovers his previous wife, Amanda, and her new husband, in the next room. This sudden realisation causes emotions to rise and sparks to fly!
Private Lives is a tale of cruelty; emotional and physical but in this production by London Classic Theatre, the emphasis is squarely on the wonderful writing of the playwright, Noel Coward.
The cast of Olivia Beardsley as Sibyl Chase, Gareth Bennett-Ryan as Elyot Chase, Helen Keeley as Amanda Prynne, Paul Sandys as Victor Prynne and Rachael Holmes-Brown as Louise worked very well together and delivered the lines and handled the physical demands of the play very well indeed. All were very much at home with the genre. The performances were uniformly good.
The staging of the play including the understated French sets were appropriate and again left the words to tell the story.
This production shows what a skilled writer Coward was. This is a production that may not contain big-budget, high-profile names, but reveals a play written in 1930 that is still an important lesson in love, cruelty and desire.
The production received a well-deserved and enthusiastic ovation at the end and continues at Derby Theatre until Saturday.
Priscilla Queen of the Desert
CTC
Loughborough Town Hall
January 23rd 2018
From the moment the show started and four beautifully dressed Divas in flowing white dresses appeared and started to sing, I knew we were in for a great night at the Town Hall Theatre in Loughborough.
Having seen this show before I knew what it was like, but I was quickly blown away by the opening number performed by the Christchurch Theatre Club.
This wonderful show is packed full of hits including It’s Raining Men, Venus, Go West, I Will Survive, Hot Stuff and Boogie Wonderland, and began with a high energy opening number, giving the cast the chance to showcase some seriously impressive vocals – namely from Ashley Bright (Tick/ Mitzi) and Nick Sutcliffe (Bernadette) and the four Divas.
Based on the 1994 Oscar-winning movie of the same name, the show follows the journey of two drag queens and a transgender woman as they travel across Australia in an old bus, named Priscilla. I have to say from the outset that this is one of my favourite shows and was a little concerned about an amateur company producing it, but I soon realised I had nothing to worry about. There was an absolute professionalism about this amateur production thanks to the show’s Director and Choreographer, Michael Gamble, and his fantastically talented cast.
The three main characters were brilliant. Ashely played Tick in a way very reminiscent of Jason Donavan, who played the role in London and on tour, but bringing a depth and sensitivity that gave the character an engaging warmth. He sang well, acted the part with conviction and was able to move convincingly from the flamboyant world of the drag queen to the world of an absentee father.
Nick Sutcliffe was quite superb as Bernadette and showed what a consummate actor he is. He completely inhabited the role throughout and his comedy timing was wonderful. The looks and mannerisms, as well as the words, particularly when in conversation with Felicia, were delightfully trenchant and often very funny, due to perfect delivery.
Craig Butterworth, who I have seen many times before was, in his element as Felicia. He was clearly born to play the part of outrageous Adam. He dominated the action and he was totally transformed by the part: his singing, dancing and superb comedy ability were a joy to watch. His solo of Sempere Libera was one of the highlights of this dazzling show. Dare I say that he has pretty good legs too!!
All three principals owned the stage, threw everything they’ve got into what must be exhausting roles and at the same time, seemed to be having an absolute ball!
All the above principals were very well supported by the thoroughly entertaining antics of Duncan Gadsby as Bob, Jack Hardy as Miss Understanding/Young Bernadette, Anita Benson as Shirley, Louise Smith as Marion, Hannah Osgood as Cynthia, and Oliver Pinchess/ Finn Sibson as the young boy Benji.
There was a very hard working ensemble who sang and danced with fantastic enthusiasm and skill and there was no doubt that they were enjoying every moment on stage.
Well done to:
Finan Archbold, Gut Benson, Bobbie Da Bell, Sophie Draycott, Kevin Gould, Vicky Mee, Aaron Murray, Julie Robinson, Jayne Sanderson, Alex Singh, Mel Swift and Carl Unwin.
Belting out many a fine Standard were the four outstanding Divas - Lucy Banks, Lucy Maden, Anka Palmer and Hannah Parker. They not only sounded great, but looked it too, in a variety of splendid dresses and costumes.
The costumes play a large part in the show and just consider this. There were 196 costumes, 20 wigs, 94 hats and headdresses plus many different shoes, boots, heels and eye masks, over 60 of them. Colourful, bright and imaginative describes them. Congratulations to those backstage who helped the cast with the quick, but often complex changes and well done to the whole cast for the ease at which they managed the costumes, scenery and props after what must have been limited rehearsal time.
The standard of dancing was very high indeed and the whole cast danced with great skill and total commitment. Michael Gamble’s choreography along with his direction of the show was a joy to watch. The large set numbers such as “It’s Raining Men and Macarthur park were superb.
The lighting design by Robert Bridges was dynamic and well suited to the production and the sound by Total Theatre Ltd was everything it should be.
At the end of the show, when the whole cast were assembled on the stage the effect was stunning. Incidentally, I loved the finale which for me is always an important part of any show.
The band was excellent, managing the big range of musical styles, directed by Vicki Hing. I am sure she has worked very hard with the cast as the vocal standard was very high indeed. The balance between the band and the cast was generally good.
Thank you, CTC for making my night and setting the bar so high for the rest of 2018. I will be surprised if I see anything better this year.
Priscilla is a wonderful show full of great songs, a very funny script, larger than life colourful characters and is an inspiration to us all. CTC in their usual way made it their own tonight and added yet another superb performance to their long list of musical theatre successes.
Two hours of good, not particularly clean fun, loads of laughs, wonderful songs and dance routines, as well as some more poignant moments, earned this excellent cast a very well-deserved standing ovation.
Dick Whittington
The Young Performers
The Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
January 19th 2018
Dick Whittington is a traditional pantomime about a boy, who with his loveable cat, goes to London, where the Streets are paved with gold, to seek his fortune. Tonight, I saw many Young Performers on stage who I think may well, in the future, seek their fortunes in the world of Musical Theatre.
There was excellent singing, dancing and acting on the stage at the Duchess tonight. I have often said that pantomime is hard for adults, let alone youngsters, but tonight this cast made it look easy. The well written and witty script written by one of the Young Performers, Lauren Riley, was outstandingly good, full of original jokes and asides and suitable for all ages. Well done Lauren. You certainly made me laugh a lot.
This very talented cast was led by Millen Scrivener in the role of Dick. She gave a very confident performance and was well cast alongside Emma Jayne Peel as her cat Tommy. Millen has a good singing voice and acted her part well with lots of power and emotion. Emma’s movements around the stage were a joy to watch - she was very catlike and has good dancing and movement skills.
Megan Thomas as Dick’s love interest, Alice, showed herself to be an excellent actress in so many ways and she has a very nice singing voice. Her duet with Millen was very special and I was very pleased that it was reprised.
Molly Parkinson as the Good Fairy looked great in her all white costume and was very commanding and confident as she countered the badness of
Jake Truman whose excellent performance as King Rat was a classic example of a bad pantomime villain. His makeup was superb, so much so that I didn’t recognise him at first.
The ever popular, George Parkinson, played the pantomime Dame, Geraldine. I have seen George many times before and tonight he was well suited to this part. He worked the audience well and was a commanding presence whenever he was on the stage. I was impressed with the way he led the audience in the audience participation song.
Harvey Tavener as Geraldine’s son, Jammy, was superb. His acting ability at the age of 14 is amazing. He sang well, danced with great precision and he was completely at home on the stage throughout the show. His comic timing was spot on and the facial expressions he used were just right. His partnership with George for the audience participation song was great. A star in the making? I think so.
I was very impressed with Joe Downing as Alice’s Father, Mr Fitzwarren. He played the part in a very understated way that was perfect for the character.
Finally there was a well-cast partnership between Ryan Yates and
Finlay Dilkes as the Island Sultans. Individually they were good and together they were excellent. I loved the names given to them by Lauren but I won’t spoil the joke on here.
There was an excellent Ensemble providing some good cameo and group support. They were:
Eleanor Meakin, Henry Icke, Lenny Ante, Libby Hallacher, Phoebe Clarke, Ruby Garrison, Erin Byrne, Cassie Flowers, Drew Boswell, Skye Maguire, Emilia Buxton and Milly Weston.
There were also some excellent dancers - Siena McQuade, Harriet Slatcher, Brooke Marsden, Isla Dawes, Caitlin Oldham, Hayley Watson, Ava Haylock, Skye Maguire, Emilia Buxton and Milly Weston.
The production was very well directed by Zak Charlesworth in what was his first complete show. He ensured that the action moved quickly and that kept everyone’s interest. I was delighted to see that he placed his ensemble well around the stage and gave everyone plenty of things to do. He was assisted by Trisha Freer.
Being a pantomime it was essential that the big song numbers were well choreographed and Lauren Riley did a splendid job with both the dancers and the ensemble. There was plenty of energy and excitement from the cast throughout. There was real quality here.
The band under the direction of Leon Wade was excellent and accompanied the cast sympathetically and at the right level throughout. Incidentally, I was very impressed with the general sound quality during this performance, controlled by Dave Sims with design by Harvey Latter.
Pantomime should always be colourful and the Costumes by Victoria Garavan, the wonderful set by Roydon Charlesworth and the lighting by Dave Martin (designed by Harvey Latter) certainly ensured that this was the case. Also, scene changes and the appearance of props were swift and almost unnoticed.
I am sure that Zak and his production team will be very pleased with the performances tonight and it was obvious that on stage and off all worked very hard.
I really enjoyed the show and have to commend the many young members of the group who contributed to its success. This group relies on many adults to support the show, but also encourages its own members to be involved as well. This is what a good youth group should do.
I am sure that this production by Zak will be the first of many both for this company and I suspect others too.
The audience gave the cast a well deserved prolonged ovation at the end.
Well done to all concerned in this excellent youth group pantomime.
Jack and the Beanstalk
The People's Theatre Company
The Arts Theatre, Nottingham
December 2017
Once again Amanda Hall and The People’s Theatre Company have produced a high quality pantomime which has a brilliant script, very talented principals and a hard-working and well directed ensemble.
The script by Amanda was, as always, superbly crafted, very clever, witty and enormously entertaining. It was based on the traditional pantomime story, but had that extra special magic that she always injects into her shows. While the broad strokes will appeal to the younger members of the audience, the fine touches of some lovely puns and topical references will delight the adults. To appreciate what I mean you need to see the show!
There was a very strong principal cast featuring a number of well-known and respected members of this award winning theatre group. They all contributed to the success of this production, putting a great deal of energy and fun into their performances.
They were Matt Wesson as the splendidly effusive Vegetable Fairy, Patrick McChrystal as the show’s lively and likeable hero Jack Trott, Michael Pearson as the delightfully vulgar Dame Mary Trott, Danielle Hall as a cheeky and endearing Simple Simon, and Rob Goll as the wonderfully malevolent Fleshcreep.
Also in the talented principal line up were Charlie Evans and Jessica Gale as Pat the Cow, Cassie Hall as Prince Bill, Joseph Smith as Prince Ben, Soleil Quarless as Princess Jill, Laura Ellis as Princess Daisy, Mike Newbold as King Bumble, Cliff Hart as the Giant Blunderbore, Alison Sheppard as his wife Mrs Blunderbore, Serena Eadon as the Magic Harp and an entertaining cameo performance from Marie Rogers as the Giant’s Hen.
There was an excellent ensemble of dancers, singers and children who sang and danced with obvious enthusiasm and commitment:
Anna King - Lucie Conroy - Kimberley Allsopp - Stephanie Holmes
Emily Townsend - Emily Wilkins - Nikki Jarvis - Tano Gangera - Orla Beaven Jonah Williams - Emma Gregory - Tanya Stobbs
Maddie Keown - George Young - Caitlin Young - Lily Proudlove
Emily Holder - Esther Mole - Isobel Mason - Hattie Campion
I was very impressed by the choreography of Amy Rogers-Gee, that was well executed by the whole cast. The big routines were very well performed with high energy singing and dancing.
The costumes were superb throughout, but looked particularly outstanding during the wedding finale.
I was very impressed by the use of all kinds of incidental music and sound effects throughout the show. This really did enhance the action. As far as I could tell it was always on cue and just right in terms of volume and effect. The performers were also very well aware of where it was coming in and how to respond to it. Very impressive all round.
The songs used in this production were well chosen and performed. I particularly liked the performance of the wonderful song “This is the moment” sung by Jack and the whole company at the end of Act 1 The standard of singing was very high throughout and I am sure the musical direction of Ray McLeod had a great deal to do with that.
Throughout, the lighting and sound were great - I could hear every word from the stage and the music was always at the right level.
Amanda Hall (Director and writer), Amy Rogers-Gee (choreographer), Mike Pearson (Producer), Ray Mcleod (Music), David Price (Stage Manager), Tom Mowat (lighting design and sound), Rob Kettridge (Sound No.1) and the large PTC team are to be congratulated for once again bringing a show of such high quality to the Arts Theatre.
I can certainly recommend this pantomime for all ages as the script is suitable for all.
If you can only go to one panto this year (and there are many good ones around) I would suggest you consider making it this one. I simply loved it.
Beauty and The Beast
Annual Pantomime
Theatre Royal, Nottingham
December 10th 2017
Tonight's production of Beauty and the Beast has been my 5th pantomime or Christmas show in just over a week, and like the first four this one did not disappoint.
It was a very good show in all respects and had the audience clapping and cheering enthusiastically at the end. There were many high spots in the production some of which I can't mention here as you need to see them for yourself.
But I can say that one of those high spots for me was the excellent script by Alan McHugh. It was very well written, was witty, clever and very funny. I frequently had tears of laughter in my eyes.
A good pantomime script has to be suitable and appeal to children and adults. Alan's script was perfect in this respect. There were the usual adult references combined with child friendly jokes. There were also the usual local references which delighted the audience (you need to be a forest or county supporter by the way) and there were a few passing mentions of Benidorm. I wonder why that was?
Another high spot was the strong principal line up led by Sherrie Hewson (Mrs Potts-Temple-Savage) and featuring Ben Richards (The Beast/Prince), Ben Nickless (Benny), Andrew Ryan (Dame Betty), Danny Bayne (Trent),
Naomi Slights (Belle) and Natalie Spriggs (Deadly Nightshade). They were all very good indeed.
There was also a very hard working ensemble featuring Mason Boyce, Grace Cinque-White, Harrison Dowzell, Curtisha Kruythoff, Aislinn Oakley, Matt Pethers, Hannah Rose and Alfie Williams. It was great to see local performer Harrison Dowzell again - last time he was playing Billy Elliot in London.
The singing, dancing and musical interludes were of a very high standard and very enjoyable.
There were also some young dancers - The Theatre Royal Babes - who were very good and joined in well with some of the full cast routines. There are two teams performing during the run - The Blue Team and the Pink Team. Sorry but I don't know which was performing tonight but well done to which ever it was. You were fabulous.
There were many special effects which contributed to making this production excellent. There was a 3D sequence (glasses provided) and it was the best I have seen on stage - very impressive.
The costumes and set were very colourful and bright.
This production, directed by Andrew Ryan and choreographed by Christian Storm with Musical Direction by Olly Ashmore was fast paced, lively, fresh and full of great comedy.
It was certainly one of the best professional pantomimes I have seen in a long time and will, I am sure, delight Nottingham audiences throughout the run which continues until January 14th.
If you love panto you will certainly love this one. I can certainly recommend it.
Beauty and The Beast
Annual Pantomime
Derby Arena
December 8th 2017
This was the third Pantomime that I have seen this week and I really enjoyed it. It was a scintillating production with a great cast, a well developed and well written script, a very attractive set and appropriate music. My comments from Act 1 remain true for Act 2 but I can say there was an impressive end that you need to see for yourself (I won't spoil the effect!)
There was a good reaction from the audience tonight and the two youngsters who came to see it with me enjoyed it.
Over and above the good singing and dancing the staging in which I include the wonderful set, lighting and sound, was excellent.
The cast of Gwen Taylor (The Enchantress), Nathan Turner (Prince/ Beast), Aston Dobson (Gaston), Thomas Bird (Le Fool), Louise Olley (Belle), Ben Faulks (Idle Jacques), Robert Traynor (Marcel) and Morgan Brind (Betty Brioche) were excellent and well cast.
They were well supported in the ensemble by Isaac Bowry, Sorrel De Paula Hanika, Jordanna Hemingway, Sammy Hemmings, Sophie Lowe and Thomas Mark.
There was also a junior ensemble which I assume was made up of local young dancers. There are three teams working in this production and tonight’s was Team Croissants. They were very good indeed and looked very professional - well done Samuel Reed, Tierney Campbell, Serena Newell, Eva Seaton, Molly Birkenshaw, Thea Perry, Niamh Eagles and Isla Taylor.
I said earlier that the script was very good but didn’t realise until now that it was written by Morgan Brind who also played the dame so brilliantly. I should have known though watching his performance and asides to the audience. He is also the co-founder founder of Little Wolf Entertainment Ltd that has produced this show. He is obviously a very busy person being involved currently with a number of other productions.
I need to say that the staging was excellent and Stage Managers Chris McNeil, Alan Bowles, Sharlene Harvard Young and their team ensured that the scene changes were swift and smooth.
The Sound design by Sam Glossop was first rate as was the lovely lighting by Alistair Grant.
The production team of Owen Calvert-Lyons (Director), Tom Bond (Musical Director) and Paul Chantry/ Rae Piper (Choreographers) certainly succeeded in ensuring that this a very enjoyable production.
I must also mention the fight director, Ian Stapleton who had obviously worked hard with the actors and dancers who were in some pretty realistic fight sequences.
This year’s panto at the arena is a good one and I think will be a great hit with the audiences this Christmas.
Humbug
Ilkeston Theatre Company
Seven Oaks Marquee Theatre
December 2nd 2017
Well done to Ilkeston Theatre Company for a very entertaining evening at the Seven Oaks Theatre. I really enjoyed, what was a very funny and refreshing version of the Dicken’s story “A Christmas Carol.”
This pantomime version was written by Tina and Rob Burbidge and was described as “a retelling of 'A Christmas Carol', panto-fashion, with well-known songs merrily re-worded to suit the script.” This turned out to be exactly what it was and I have to say that the choice of songs to accompany the story was excellent and very fitting. The script itself was indeed very witty and had the audience and me laughing for much of the time.
Ebenezer Scrooge is still a miserly old businessman who believes Christmas is all 'humbug' and the ghost of his long deceased partner, and three Christmas spirits, visit him to teach him the error of his ways. But outside of that there were some alterations and panto additions to the story that made this an excellent piece of pantomime theatre.
Leading the cast was Paul Ensor playing the central role of Ebenezer Scrooge. This he did with aplomb and very successfully transformed the miserable old miser at the start of the show into a kind and caring man by the end. His performance was very powerful and believable. He was supported by a great cast of assorted characters.
Ben Mills played Belle, which in this production equated to the traditional pantomime Dame. He has played this kind of role before and was skilful in natural interactions with the audience and had good comedy timing.
The comedy duo of Codgit and Beggit played by Jacqueline Dixon and Marilyn Lucia Keates were also very good at working the audience. They were very well liked by the audience especially the children. They handled the traditional sing a long at the end well.
There were polished performances from Steve Walton (The Ghost of Jacob Marley), Justine Haywood (The Ghost of Christmas Past), Becks Macey (The Ghost of Christmas Present) and Tracey Dean (The Ghost of Christmas Future). They were all excellent and their contrasting personalities were well defined.
The Cratchit family played by Ryan Feltcher (Bob Cratchit), Jenni Walker (Mrs Cratchit), Laura Webster (Jim Cratchit), Lucy Tanner(Kim Cratchit) and Penny Courtney (Tiny Time) were well cast and performed the lovely song “With A Thankful heart” superbly and with considerable emotion.
Penny Courtney’s characterisation of the usually simpering tiny Tim was very refreshing and was played with great gusto and boyish humour.
Complementing the story well were Adrian Thornley as Mr Fezziwig, Angie Jacks as Mrs Fezziwig, Mandy Bull as the Policemen and Any Fletcher as the Pianist.
Adding to what was quite a large and hard working ensemble cast were Sue Arkley, Jenny Reynolds, Brandon Arkley-Marshall, Elena Courtney.
I did particularly like the whole cast ensemble numbers which were well choreographed and performed. These included “It Feels Like Christmas,” “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” “Thank you very much,” and an outstandingly well done version of "Bohemian Rhapsody.” Well done to everyone for what was a highly complex and I guess difficult song.
There were also some excellent performances from young dancers from The Tamz Dance Studios. They actually opened the show with great energy and enthusiasm giving a good start to the show.
The pantomime was well produced by Rachael Flewitt and Ryan Pound with choreography the same, plus Tammy Mason and Sharon Ensor. I am sure they will have been very pleased with the performances of their cast tonight. They have obviously worked hard on all aspects of this production.
I was very impressed by the scenery and technical production of the show and have to say that each time I come here the standards have been raised. The scenery was the best I have seen at this theatre so far. Some of the sets were just magical to look at and must have taken quite a time to create. There were some special effects used to enhance the sets which were very effective.
The scene changes were well executed by the Stage Manager, Adrian Fletcher and his crew who were Adam White, Rachael Flewitt and Sharon Ensor plus the Technical Manager, Louis Beardsley.
The costumes were excellent and very appropriate for the production, so well done to Rachael Flewitt and Angie Jacks. Also, I thought the make up by Lexie Walters was very good too, especially that for Scrooge and Belle.
There were some very atmospheric moments throughout the show produced by Steve Flavill’s lighting and Chloe Hatton’s sound.
This was one of the best productions I have seen from The Ilkeston Theatre Company and they deserve sell out audiences this weekend and next. The whole cast have obviously worked very hard to produce this very entertaining version of the well known Christmas story. The cast very obviously enjoyed what they were doing on stage tonight and that is an essential element of Pantomime. They involved us, the audience, as well in a very bright and happy way throughout the show
The Christmas Season has now started for me and this production was an excellent start to the festivities.
Oh and do buy the excellent Souvenir Programme (well done Tracy Dean) which tells you a lot about the cast and the company and is priced at only £1. Great value for money.
Blood Brothers
National Tour
Nottingham Theatre Royal
November 21st 2017
Written by Willy Russell, the legendary “Blood Brothers” tells the captivating and moving tale of twins who, separated at birth, grow up on opposite sides of the tracks, only to meet again with fateful consequences.
It ended at the Theatre Royal with an instantaneous whole theatre standing ovation. It has been described as “The Standing Ovation Musical” which is not surprising as it is brilliant production with a superb cast.
Lyn Paul excelled as Mrs Johnstone and I can now see why she has been described as "the definitive Mrs Johnstone." Dean Chisnall as the narrator was very good indeed. With a powerful voice he dominated the proceedings on the stage whenever he was on it.
There were some other outstandingly good individual performances especially from Sean Jones as Mickey, Mark Hutchinson as Eddie, Danny Taylor as Sammy, Danielle Corlass as Linda, Tim Churchill as Mr Lyons, Graham Martin as Policeman/Teacher, Alison Crawford as Brenda, Amy-Jane Ollies as Donna Marie, Graeme Kinniburgh as the Bus conductor, Sarah Jane Buckley as Mrs Lyons, Andy Owens as Perkins and Josh Capper as the Neighbour.
This is only the third time I have seen this show and I am enjoying it much more each time. This production is very fast paced and full of energy as well as being emotive and emotional. The singing and movement is first class as is the set, lighting, sound and stage production.
The final scene and rendition of "Tell Me It's not Not True" by the whole cast was spellbinding and they took a number of bows to the delight of the packed theatre.
The show is powerful and emotional and yet also has many humorous episodes. When I first saw it in London I thought "this is ok" but tonight I thought "Wow! This is something special!"
To add detail to the above the excellent production team for this 2017 National Tour is:
Writer: Willy Russell - Directed by Bob Tomson and Bill Kenwright - Musical Direction by Phil Gostelow - Sound Design by Dan Samson
Blithe Spirit
The Greasley Players
St. Mary's Church Hall, Greasley
November 18th 2017
Blithe Spirit has ended and I am very impressed by what I have seen tonight.The play is a long one and needs to move at a fast pace in order to keep the interest of the audience. There are some brilliantly witty and pithy lines from the pen of Noel Coward, which need to be clearly heard and appropriately expressed. Tonight the producer, Pat Samuels and her excellent cast achieved all of these things - good pace, clear diction and well pitched expression.
There was some excellent acting in the play from Helen Smith (Edith), Deborah Porter-Walker(Ruth), Mark Anderson (Charles), Andrew Plumb(Dr. Broadman), Lindy Whittaker (Mrs Broadman), Katrine Hockenhall (Madame Arcati), Rhionna Holland-Glen(Elvira) and Isobel Mason (voice of Daphne).
All of the principals must have worked hard with the director to understand their characters and decide upon the nuances of their delivery. From the chirpiness of the maid, through the plummy and laconic tones of the Condomines, to the earnest excitement of Madame Acarti, all created believable, engaging and amusing characters. There was some very accomplished acting on stage tonight.
I was also very impressed by the set changes that were executed by the maids, fitting in naturally with the action. Time changes were suggested by variations in light and by refreshing the drinks and flowers: subtle but effective. During each scene characters were carefully placed to ensure they could all be seen and heard and their actions were naturalistic and fluid.
Stage Manager and set builder Colin Fletcher, assisted by Jon Evans, brought us a beautifully evocative set that was cleverly designed to work very effectively for some complicated entrances and exits. The lighting by Frank Queripel and sound by Lisa Brockwoy helped to bring everything to life and really enhanced the production.
The costumes were pleasingly reminiscent of the period; Elvira's custom made grey gown, along with her ghostly make up, was perfect. Lindy Whittaker should be congratulated for her excellent work.
The play, although full of comedy, had moments of genuine tension, which built up at the end to the revenge of the ghosts and a climax of some very clever special effects. The last time I saw this play- performed professionally- it dragged somewhat because of its length: this one moved quickly and did complete justice to the genius of the playwright. This was one of the best productions I have seen from the Greasley Players and they should all be proud of what they have achieved.
I am glad to report that many in the audience gave the cast a standing ovation at the end, which was well deserved.
Unfortunately, that was the last night. However, their next play is Death in High Heels which is in May 2018, so keep an eye out here for more details about that in a few months time.
White Christmas
The Present Company
Derby Theatre
November 17th 2017
I enjoyed tonight’s performance of Irving Berlin’s Classic Musical which originally starred Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye in the 1954 film of the same name.In many ways it is just a vehicle for the very well known songs. But there is a story in which, in true musical theatre fashion, everything ends happily.
Well done to the Present Company for bringing some Christmas spirit into the theatre tonight. This was their first performance and despite one or two minor technical issues all went very well. The standard of singing from everyone was very high and a joy to listen to.
There were good performances from the principal performers supported by the usual hard working ensemble. There were some quite difficult whole cast dance and singing numbers and these were well performed by everyone.
I enjoyed the joyous finale which included the worlds most popular song “White Christmas” itself. The audience enjoyed joining and The cast all looked splendid in their colourful costumes. There was a well deserved ovation at the end.
It looked to me as if the theatre was full tonight and I detected quite a buzz of pleasure on the way out. If you can get a ticket go and see it.
Well done to all involved with this show
Acorn Antiques
Masque Productions
The Palace Theatre, Mansfield
November 9th 2017
There were some very good performances from the very hard working cast.
This is a joyous musical and it was obvious that the cast enjoyed every minute of it. Lot’s of humour very witty songs and good choreography. As you would expect from the pen of the much missed Victoria Wood there are some very tuneful and well crafted songs. Her score is derivative: you can hear strains similar to those from many popular musicals, but it has a life of its own and can be genuinely moving and very uplifting.
There were a number of well performed whole cast routines and the standard of the singing and dancing was high.
Very well done to the shows Director Garry Hill for his imaginative and tight direction, The Musical Director Delph Richards for producing a high standard of musicianship on and off stage and Jill Benson for her excellent choreography which gave all the cast appropriate things to do. Congratulations also to the Producer Andrew Wolden.
As I said earlier there was a very strong principal cast with Rosanna Hill as Mrs O, Kelly Marsh as Miss Babs, Alison Carter as Miss Berta, Maxine Dillon as Miss Bonnie, Andrew Wolden as Mr Clifford, Kevin Wetton as Tony, Ami Fitzpatrick as Mimi, Thomas Slack as Hugh, Matt Jayes as Derek and Adrian Toon as Mr Watkins.
In addition a number of the ensemble had cameo roles throughout the show. They supported the principles very well indeed. They all contributed to making this a very enjoyable production.
They were:
Elizabeth Wolden, Brian Brooks, Steven Ratcliffe, Justine Wells, Jonathan Cooper, Jan Hodgetts, Brooke Spedding, Helen Paterson, Jo Worthington, Sarah Neale, Laurey Buckland, Lauren Herbert, Sarah Herbert and Lynn Roberts.
The costumes were really nice especially the sparkly ones used in some of the big dance numbers. The whole production was greatly enhanced by excellent lighting and sound.
Finally I was very impressed with the orchestra which sounded excellent throughout.
This was a very good production and the standing ovation from many in the audience at the end was well deserved.
This is the first time I have seen Masque Productions but it most certainly will not be the last. I am looking forward to their next two shows. They will be Dirty Dusting next February and Spamalot next November.
The Little Mermaid
National Tour
The Theatre Royal, Nottingham
November 8th 2017
At the end of The Little Mermaid there was very enthusiastic applause which was well deserved.
Great dancing from Northern Ballet’s principals and ensemble. The start of Act 2 was, I think, my favourite part of the piece with a great whole cast routine. Superb dancing and choreography.
The staging of the ballet was particularly impressive with the set being moved and rotated by the cast often as part of the action.
The lighting was great and helped create the atmosphere particularly in the under water scenes.
The costumes were stars of the show too - chosen often to enhance the dances and in particular the swirling movements underwater. The costumes almost became part of the water themselves.
The score was, as I said earlier, complex and varied in its nature which complimented very well the various elements of the story. I liked much of it especially the Scottish themes that appeared from time to time.
Overall this production of The Little Mermaid is, at times, a masterclass in contrasting scenes and emotions and watching the superb use of costume and movement was a joy to watch.
Although this story is in many ways tragic and sad there are also many joyous moments throughout which raised the spirits of all of us.
A very good production by David Dixon OBE (Director, Choreographer, Costume Designer & Scenario), Sally Beamish (Composer), Mimie Nakano(Set), Tim Mitchell (Lights) and Julie Anderson (Costume).
I really enjoyed it and I am not a great ballet fan.
Spamalot
Beeston Musical Theatre Group
Duchess Theatre
October 28th 2017
Yet another great success for BMTG. A brilliant production in all respects which delighted a packed theatre tonight. I love this show to bits and this production did not disappoint me at all in fact quite the opposite. I just can’t get over how good it was.
Well done to the cast, production team, back stage crew, Sound and lighting guys and a fabulous orchestra.
It was all great but in particular thanks so much BMTG for including the Broadway Number in its original “Jewish” arrangement. It was just so good.
Another fabulous evening with this fantastic group. Bring on the next one.
And Then There Were None
Encore Performing Arts
The Space, Nottingham High School
October 18th 2017
Staging one of the best-known crime stories in modern fiction is by no means an easy thing to do, especially as “And Then There Were None” is one of the greatest works from the pen of Agatha Christie, the undoubted Queen of suspense. However, the cast on stage - in the excellent new venue of the Space at Nottingham High School - succeeded in doing a very good job of bringing this splendid story to life.
Although I have seen the play before, I have to admit to not remembering much of it and certainly not the identity of the murderer, so I was very surprised when I found out at the very end!
In the play ten people are gathered together on an island at the invitation of a mysterious and absent host. It soon turns out that the only common connection between them is being accused of murder. Suddenly, someone starts to hunt them one by one, while there is no escape from the island.
The atmosphere created in the theatre by the excellent direction of Adam Guest (who also played a small cameo part as usual) was intense, captivating and mysterious. It was almost impossible in my view to work out who the murderer was because of the twists and turns of the story and the excellent acting of the cast.
Adam and his assistant, Sam Griffiths achieved much of the success of this production by assembling an excellent cast of talented local actors. Many have been seen in Encore productions before, but there were also some new faces.
This is an ensemble production, that relies on the creation of atmosphere, period and character. Adam and his team achieved this in spades- we were transported back to the Thirties and thoroughly engaged, not just by the clever writing and the intrigue, but by the personalities of these diverse characters.
A lot of work from both the director and the actors must have gone into creating this production: it was obvious that every actor knew their character extremely well. Glancing around the stage in every scene one could see each character behaving just as they should: the wry expression, the clack of the knitting needles, the drag on the cigarette. Incidental music took us back to the period, the crash of waves and whistle of the wind presaged not just the drama that was about to unfold, but also, somehow, the oppressive atmosphere of a country that less than a month later, would be plunged into a World War. Clever stuff.
This attention to atmosphere was present throughout, the mannered staging suggested the stiff formality of the Thirties and gave pleasing tableaux in scenes that so easily could have been untidy, with so many characters on stage. This was facilitated by Richard Heappey’s wonderful set: two levels, two entrances, an offset balcony, beautifully constructed and detailed, deliciously redolent of the period. It’s not easy to tell this story on one set- the television version had the luxury of several sets and outside scenes- but Adam and his team rose to this challenge and succeeded. We were kept fully aware of what was happening off stage, enhanced by clever scene shifts and a mixture of subtle and dramatic lighting changes.
Another strong contributory factor to the feel of this production was the styling: lovely costumes…the cloche hat, the wrap dress, the pin stripe suit etc… appropriate hairstyles and a range of well chosen props. Congratulations to Mina Machin and Katie Bird.
I won’t single out individual actors, as I was so impressed by the skill of all of them. It is a delight to attend a production where you feel at ease with every actor - no worrying that someone has forgotten a line, no wishing that projection was just a bit better, no discontent with a missed opportunity to get the most out of the writing. Congratulations to all of them and especially to the last two standing, who have to negotiate a particularly grisly end for one of them, very well executed!
The stellar cast are: Chris Mundy (Roger), Milly Shawcross (Mrs Rogers), Adam Guest (Fred Naracott), Aston Fisher (Vera Claythorne), Mik Horvath (Philip Lombard), George Johnson (Anthony Marston), Duncan Leech (William Blore), Terry Stevenson (General Mackenzie), Kathryn McAuley), Steve Dunning (Sir Lawrence Wargrave), Graham Buchanan (Dr. Armstrong).
Thanks to Encore for producing a good old fashioned three act play that, done so skilfully, can still grip and thrill a modern audience. It keeps you thinking throughout and the uncompromising ending does not disappoint.
An excellently managed finale continued with the spot-on staging: a haunting tableau that makes a perfect ending. This is a great piece of theatre produced by people who clearly love what they do and want to take us along with the thrill.
Oh, before I finish I can reveal that the murderer is @£$%^&
The Boy who fell into a book
People's Theatre Company
Nottingham Arts Theatre
September 28th 2017
This play by Alan Ayckbourn is about a boy, Kevin, who finds himself teamed up with a fictional detective, Rockfist Slim, from one of his favourite books. They embark on a journey through the books on Kevin’s shelves, being chased by a rather nasty female gangster.
The cast was led by Sophie Owen who played the part of the 10 year old boy of the title, Kevin. She is a very talented actor who was totally absorbed in the role: she really made me believe in the character. Her performance reminded me of the consummate skills of those who voice well known young male characters, such as Horrid Henry and Rupert the Bear. However, playing a character like this on stage takes not only an understanding of that particular pitch and delivery, but also an ability to adopt suitable movements and mannerisms. Sophie did just this: her characterisation was very much that of an imaginative, adventurous, bright little boy. Her comedy timing and facial expressions were excellent and she completely inhabited the character. A very confident, engaging and fresh performance.
Rob Suttle, played the part of the detective, Rockfist. I have seen him a number of times before and he is an excellent serious actor, but in this part he showed he also has a talent for comedy. He brought the character of the hard bitten, but gentle, New Yorker with a dry sense of humour, to life. He worked very well with Sophie as they romped their way through the books, making the most of Ayckbourn’s witty asides that keep adults as engaged as the younger target audience. Both Rob and Sophie had a huge amount of text to memorise, but were word perfect and this gave them the confidence to have a ball with their roles.
As a contrast, Kayleigh Luton’s performance as the evil female gangster was suitably menacing, performed with a delightfully manic laugh and a lovely marching strut that almost drew boos from the audience.
Adding some great comedy moments as the Woobly family were Christine Boothe (Mummy) Roy Smith (Daddy) and Paul Duffy (baby). I really enjoyed their performances, as did all those around me, judging by the appreciative laughter. Playing large round characters wearing red & white stripes, dancing, eating jelly and saying nothing but ‘Woobly,’ must be a challenge, but these three made the most of the silliness and triumphed. Christine also played the wolf and I was impressed by the way she used her voice and bearing to change from being a nice granny to a very nasty wolf.
There were also good performances from Adam Chapman (narrator for the Wooblys), Glenn Murphy (Monk and Gareth), Richard Fife (The Red Knight), Charlie Evans (Red Riding Hood), Leilani Papworth (White Queen), Charlie Evans, Molly Fitches and Barbara Benner (White Pawns), Mike Pearson, (The voice of Kevin's dad) and Paul Duffy (The Red Bishop). Everyone on the stage seemed to really be enjoying themselves and had obviously worked very hard and with energy, to create their characters.
The set was designed by Chris Mercer and built by Bob Wood and was very suitable for the play. It also allowed the characters to move smoothly from one book to the next, with the back projection setting each scene effectively. The interesting lighting design by Chris Mercer added to the different effects that were needed. The stage crew changed the scenes quickly and without fuss throughout. Well done to Stage Managers Rob Goll, Sally Nix and their team.
The sound design by Melissa Marriott was very good and suitably enhanced the story and the action.
The costumes and make up were excellent and provided by Blind Eye Productions; I particularly liked the costume and amazing make-up of the White Queen
This play by Alan Ayckbourn is suitable for all the family. I enjoyed it very much; it was most entertaining and, as I have come to expect from PTC, very well performed. It has been given the sparkle the writing deserves by the Director Chris Mercer, assisted by Mike Pearson, his hardworking cast, production team and stage crew.
I can certainly recommend you go and see it with all the family. It is an enjoyable piece of theatre which is not just enormous fun, but also explores deeper themes, such as the power of the imagination and our ability to confront and diminish our fears.
Well done once again to PTC for producing a good quality drama on the stage of The Arts Theatre.
The Sorceror
Derby Gilbert and Sullivan Company
Duchess Theatre
September 21st 2017
The enthusiastic and prolonged ovation at the end showed how much we have all enjoyed this rarely performed operetta. What a great way to celebrate the Company’s 50th Anniversary.
There were excellent performances from the very professional cast and orchestra supported by good stage work, lighting and sound.
I now want to listen to a recording of this operetta as I really the songs and on first hearing and want to listen to it again.
The set was bright and colourful, the lighting was effective and the sound was crisp and clear.
A very enjoyable night here at the Duchess. It was brilliant and was extremely funny as well with superb direction.
A very professional production which was immaculately performed by this very talented group of performers.
Well done to Andrew Nicklin and his very talented cast for such a good performance of the Sorcerer which I hope I will have another opportunity to see some time in the not too distant future.
Down Pompeii
Infra Red Comedy Theatre
Duchess Theatre
September 15th 2017
A very well produced and presented show which I recommend you to come and see. It certainly raised my spirits. A very talented and hardworking cast along with a very witty script, good music, superb dance routines and the magic of its Director combined to make this a very good production indeed.
Act 2 was equally as good as Act 1. Very pacy and well developed. Superb individual and group performances. I am still laughing at many parts of the show and marvelling at the high standard of many of the performances.
This was a show in which every one played a vital part and all were excellent. The cast obviously enjoyed every moment on the stage and this was obviously translated to all of us in the audience.
However the cast and production credits are:
Cast:
Emperor. Liam Wilkinson
Secondus. Jack Archer
Mini (Emperors wife) Poppy Lawson
Captain. Owen Todd.
Pipi (French spacey) Catherine O'Brien.
Randy (Green hair spacey) Ben Hewson.
Maggie (gossip) Jenny Trafford.
Dickus (solder) James Kerr
Flattus Tittius (Blond) Izzy Sibson
Assassin Izzy Senior
Biggus Georgie Harries
Viagrus Becky Kroon
Mrs Floppus Rachel Wilson
Children from school ICODA Theatre School.
Lights and sound George Fall and Lauren Frost.
Director producer writer choreographer: Sarah Lim-Smith
Children from my school ICODA Theatre School.
Thank you Sara for including one of my favourite songs “I will survive.” This was so well sung and the dancing and movement that went with it was excellent.
There was a sustained ovation at the end with lots of cheering.
The show ended with a good finale and it was great to see Sara included in the final line up. So often directors do not get the praise they deserve. Sara wrote the script, the songs (minus I will survive) and choreographed the wonderful routines. Brilliant.
I think it is a fact that those who have the opportunity to perform in Infrared are fortunate indeed and will learn so much Stage craft as a result and who knows where this may lead some of them.
If I wasn’t elsewhere tomorrow night I would have come and seen this show again. I loved it.
Reasons To Be Cheerful
National Tour
Derby Theatre
September 12th 2017
Reasons to be Cheerful has now finished at Derby Theatre. I really enjoyed what was described as “A Raucous Musical featuring the music of Ian Dury and the Blockheads.”
It was certainly very vibrant, exciting and full of excitement and energy. The performances of the 14 cast members were excellent. It was very funny at times but also had serious messages particularly at the end about supporting those who need help and support from government and society at large.
Stephen Lloyd who played the Central character of Vinnie and his friend Colin played by Stephen Collins were fantastic. They worked very well together and provided great singing and comedy.
Also great performers were Beth Hinton Lever as Janine, Karen Spicer as Pat, Gerald McDermott as Bill and Bobby, Max Runham as Nick/Dave, Jude Mahon as Debbie and Wayne Norman as Pickles.
The musicians were fantastic providing a quality soundtrack to the story and often sounding very much like Ian Dury and the Blockheads. Some of them also took part in routines drama and songs.
They were Joey Hickman, Nixon Rosenberg, Paul Sirett, Paula Stanbridge-Faircloth and Louis Schultz Wiremu.
The lead vocalist, John Kelly had a brilliant voice.
Quoting from the Press Information the company, Graeae “is a force for change in world - breaking down barriers, challenging preconceptions and boldly placing deaf and disabled artists centre stage.” This was certainly achieved in this production.
It was a quality show in all areas and the Director and CEO, Jenny Sealey MBE has achieved this with her fantastic cast. The way in which she integrated sign language, audio description and captioning so brilliantly made for a spectacular show that suited both disabled and non disabled people in the audience.
There were so many Reasons to be cheerful in this show tonight and in fact there were many smiling faces to be seen coming out of the auditorium at the end of the show. Prior to that that the company received an enthusiastic and sustained ovation at the end.
For so many reasons this is a show that needs to be seen by as many people as possible and I would suggest that it is a very good example of high quality performance with absolute accessibility for all.
West Side Story
Derby Youth Theatre
Derby Theatre
September 7th 2017
ACT 1
This show is not an easy one especially for a young cast. However, they have just done a brilliant job in all respects.
The principals are well cast led by Lucas Young as Riff, Ryan Wiggins as Tony, Curtis Taylor-Tipton as Action, Sam Fretwell as Bernardo, Mia Mitchell as Maria, Holly Twells as Anita and William Evans as Chino. They, plus the rest of the cast, are showing themselves to be highly talented performers and the standard of singing and dancing is extremely high. There have been some outstanding individual performances. More about that in the review.
The dancing by Choreographer Caroline Green is fast paced, fresh, dynamic and has been executed superbly.
The ensemble is excellent, again proving that youngsters can sing and dance in a very professional and adult way.
The Orchestra conducted by Musical Director Charlotte Daniel is outstanding and is accompanying the performers sympathetically; the sound balance is excellent.
The composite set is very well designed and is being seamlessly transformed for the different scenes. The use of flying curtains adds to the effect.
The production by Director Peter Waters is exciting and is giving everyone plenty to do. There is tremendous concentration to be seen on the faces of all the performers. All have been totally focused.
The dialogue is coming over very well and has been effectively slowed down and I have heard every word.
There was an enthusiastic level of applause at throughout and at the end of the act from an almost full house here at Derby Theatre.
Act 2
The second Act is much shorter than the first but is charged with emotion following the deaths at the end of Act 1. The cast coped with this well and the high standards of presentation seen in Act 1 continued.
The ballet sequence was very well performed and all involved are to be congratulated for obviously working so very hard on what is not an easy sequence.
Another highlight was the Officer Krupke routine which was cleverly choreographed and well performed by the Jet Boys. It always brings humour to what is a fairly serious show and this performance was no exception. I loved it.
The finale was different to any I have seen before with a moving and very well sung arrangement of Somewhere.
The audience were keen to stand through the curtain calls of which there were 3. Keep the curtain opening and shutting as long as the audience are clapping say I. I wish some other local companies would do the same!
This was an excellent production and all involved are to be congratulated. It is not an easy show both musically and dramatically but this young cast made it look so. All were good but I must say that The partnership of Ryan Wiggins (Tony) and Mia Mitchell as Maria was magical and both sang sublimely and acted very well too. I will be mentioning others in my review which will be published in due course.
I have already mentioned how good the Orchestra was conducted by Charlotte Daniel.
One of the strengths of this production was how good the cast looked in terms of age, character and how realistic the accents of both Jets and Sharks were. It brought a sense of realism to the story. The costumes were very realistic as well.
The excellent cast were:
JETS
Lucas Young (Riff), Ryan Wiggins(Tony), Curtis Taylor-Tipton (Action), Liam Ellis (Diesel),Callum Reilly (A Rab), Bailey West (Baby John), Thomas Davies (Snowboy), Callum Davis (Big Deal)Emma Balderston (Anybodys), Laura Wilson(Grazziella), Lauren Owen (Velma).
Jet Girls Ensemble
Edith Burton, Bryony Camm, Bethany Lewis, Katherine Leigh Welsh, Emma Balderston ,Sanchia Taylor, Isabelle Hastings, Chloe Topliss,Amelia Maskrey, Izzy Hastings, Sarah Page.
SHARKS
Sam Fretwell (Bernardo), Mia Mitchell (Maria), Holly Ann Twells (Anita), William Evans (Chino),Luke Preston-Davies (Pepe), Sam Sinclair (Indio), Haydn Luc is Robe (Luis), Billy Sweet (Nibbles),Rachel Bayliss (Rosalia), Tammie Morgan (Consuelo), Emily Redlaff (Francesca), Jessica Henshaw (Carmen), Hope Redfern (Estella)
Shark Girls Ensemble
Amy Burchell, Danny Evans, Natasha Neale, Danniella Stringer
ADULTS
Russell Hughes (Doc), Jude Sinclair (Shrank), Danny Evans (Krupke), Katherine Welsh (Glad Hand)
SOLOIST (Somewhere) Hope Redfern
The production team led by Director Peter Waters were Choreographer Caroline Green, Musical Director Charlotte Daniel, Stage Manager Pete Roberts, Lighting Chris Finch / Jamie Vella and
Sound Harry Greatorex.
Well done all for producing yet another excellent show with this very talented company.
Spamalot
Big Adventures Youth Theatre
Guildhall Theatre, Derby
July 7th 2017
Well well!! Tonight a youth group proved they could do comedy with the best of them. Act 1 of Spamalot here at the Guildhall theatre was excellent. A very large cast put a huge amount of energy into this production. Well done to all concerned.
I am always nervous of seeing amateur versions of this my favourite show but I need not have worried tonight. Good comedy timing is needed for this show and they all had it.
The singing and dancing was excellent and the enthusiasm of the cast was infectious. The production was vibrant and the necessary changes needed for doing this show in a smaller theatre was very appropriate.
The music was on a track but it was hard to believe that. The show needs a big orchestra and the track provides it. Consequently the sound was clear and the balance with the performers just right. The costumes were very colourful and appropriate for the show. The ages of the performers was wide but the way the Director used them did not make this an issue.
The main characters were played by older members of the cast, I guess, but this was needed to carry the parts. I was very impressed with all the principals.
The audience had a ball and so did the cast.For me the show was made in Act 2 with the return of the original arrangement of The Broadway number which is a glorious tongue in cheek description of what you need to produce a succession Broadway Show - the missing ingredient is Jews. This was changed in the professional touring version of the show, wrongly in my opinion. The song tonight allowed for classic Jewish dancing and singing which were delivered amazingly by the whole cast. It was simply breathtaking. I had to suspend my knowledge that this was a youth group. All the large set piece numbers were the same - brilliant!
There were so many great principal and ensemble members that I cannot mention them all. I will add some to these notes later. However this production just shows what a great ensemble piece Spamalot is which I was not really aware of before.
I nearly did die of laughter many times during this production and I must just say that it is quite obvious to me that the show has a very talented production team of Caroline Reader (Director), Dave Culling(MD) and Fiona Carratu (Choreographer).
My only slight gripe is that the Finale, which was good, did not include a reprise of Always Look on the Bright Side of Life and a chance for us all to give this brilliant cast a well deserved Standing Ovation.
This was a truly excellent production and the very talented cast were just phenomenal.
This has been quite a night for me here at the Guildhall in Derby - Thank you all of you for such a wonderful evening. I can't wait for their next show.
Boogie Nights
Erewash Musical Society
Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
July 6th 2017
(Review by Kev Castle - reprinted here by permission)
"Boogie Nights" is one of those "jukebox musicals" where the plot comes second to the music. That in itself isn't a bad thing when the musical soundtrack is as good as this. You'll know every single song in "Boogie Nights".
The story is fluffy and goes as follows.....
We open the scene at a wedding and Roddie is being told by Debs that this is the happiest day of her life. Flashback a few years and Debs and Roddie meet and Roddie, as part of the truth/dare game is dared by his best mate, Terry, to ask Debs out, and the rest is, as they say, history.
The thing is, Roddie is a jack the lad and has an eye for the ladies and soon is distracted by Lorraine, who is going steady with Spencer, who is Roddie's boss, well Roddie is roadie for him as Spencer is a singer in a disco band.
Well, all must have turned out OK in the end as they were at their wedding, weren't they?.....
This isn't Shakespeare, more Shake Your Body Down, and that's OK by me because it has great entertainment value and a soundtrack that defies you to keep your feet still, and fails.
Charlie Pierson plays Roddie and what a performance he gives. Charlie is a confident comedy actor. He plays up to the audience and Roddie's sexist pig attitude attracts some reaction from the audience, all in the best possible taste though, lapping up the audience's response with great fun. He has a good bassy voice and in a few years will have trained that voice to be a useful asset in musical theatre. A good fun performer.
Debs is played by Holly Pilgrim. At first being the under the thumb, know your place woman but soon gains the strength to break that image to turn things around after she miscarries Roddie's baby. A lovely confident performer.
Terry, Roddie's mate, is played by James Christian. Another fun character who is there at the start for Roddie and Debs and gets to double date with Trish, but unlike Roddie and Debs only get as far as "fiddling", and we ain't talking Stradivarius here! Great ending for these two though. James also gets to sing all of the falsetto songs like "Sugar Baby Love", a nice contrast to Charlie's lower register.
Trish is played by Rebecca Groombridge. These EMUS are packed with confident actors and Rebecca is yet another one. She has been let in to Debs's secret but soon lets the secret slip, but is still a faithful friend to Debs throughout.
DJ Dean, who has the hots for Debs is played by Ethan Fletcher. As a former 1970's mobile jock, I loved his interpretation of a 70's mobile jock, and he looked the part as he whipped the dancers up into a Disco Inferno.
The disco band singer, Spencer is another one to keep your eye on. Reuben Gotts is a young actor who can pull off the older character swagger, well when I say older, he's not that much younger than the character himself. Some good emotional outbursts of sexist pig (were all males in the 70's sexist pigs?). Reuben can move well in the choreography stakes and he looked totally at ease in this field.
Lorraine, who is Spencer's woman aka his property, is played by Jorja Foster. What can I say about Jorja's voice? Only that it's one of the strongest on stage last night. Some of the songs that she had to tackle weren't the easiest, especially the Donna Summer songs like "Last Dance" and "No More Tears", but she took these difficult songs and sung her heart out.
Roddie's Dad, Eammon, is an Elvis disciple and when The King dies in 1977, he is distraught and takes his anger out on his son. Joe Langley plays Eammon with a lot of passion.
It takes a large ensemble to fill out the disco scenes and they all capture the feel of 1970's night clubs really well. They embraced the different dances of the era really well and filled the stage with some great backing vocals.
With this being a musical about disco music, in the words of 80's funk band Imagination, you gotta have music and lights, and both these help make this musical the exciting success it is.
Partly backing tracks and part, but mostly live orchestra, under the guidance of Martin Lewis. I was quite surprised that there were only four musicians involved in creating that wonderful 70's music vibe. Luis Orgando (guitar), Marcus Cain (bass) and the flying sticks of one of the best drummers I've heard at The Duchess, Will Raybould.
From the very first scene in the disco, the lights transformed that stage to a place you wanted to shake your groove thang down to. Thanks to Matthew Cook who, I have on very good authority, has only just left school and this is his first lighting gig at The Duchess. Well that is the way to make your mark. a case of not hiding your lights under a bushel. Brilliant atmosphere.
A nice clear sound mix by Dave Martin.
The costumes will also take you back in time. Leathers and flares a plenty, wide collared shirts and Saturday Night Fever suits, lycra and crop tops. it could even be my wardrobe they raided, but no, the costumes were all provided by the committee and family and friends.
Choreography is by Carol Lawson and what an amazing job she did. I wanted to be on that stage as they looked like they were having so much fun. So many classic 70's disco moves, and when you think that all of these moves and the music would have been quite new to many of these young actors, they did Carol proud with their energy and enthusiasm.
Produced and Directed by Chrissie Oakden, she kept the all important energy going throughout.
I noted as well that Erewash Sound got a mention from Roddie. i wonder whose decision it was to include that in the script?
I now have a couple of gripes which, i imagine aren't anything this group could change.
This musical was released for youth groups to perform but there are certain words and phrases which I personally thought were not suitable for some of the young actors and came across as a bit embarrassing.
I have a feeling that when the script and the musical is released, the group performing has to stick to the script verbatim, being unable to change anything, not even odd words. I feel that by changing some of the more adult words and turn of phrases, the delivery of phrases like "tossing" could have been removed or changed to something less explicit. I am by no means a prude but for such young actors, it may be that they were not even aware of the meanings within this script. This I feel may be in the contract in leasing the rights to perform not to change or alter the script and not with the theatre group performing it.
Secondly, and again nothing at all to do with EMUS, the year the musical is set is 1977 and a couple of timelined years prior to 1977. You'd have thought that Shane Richie, Jon Conway and Terry Morrison may have done their musical history as several of the songs featured weren't even written until later that decade and some not until the 1980s.
That aside, the music is like being at the best disco in the world, "You Sexy Thing", "Celebration", "Disco Inferno", "YMCA", "Can You Feel It", "The Hustle", "Sugar Baby Love", "Lady Marmalade", "I Will Survive", "Don't Go Breaking My Heart", "Play that Funky Music" as well as some nice 70's ballads "Sorry Seems To be The Hardest Word", "If You Leave Me Now", "Yesterday Once More" and "Always On My Mind".
A few issues with mics but nothing that could mar this celebration of all things fun and 70's, plus spotting all of those 70's references including a comic segment of Simon Bates' "Our Tune" with Roddie's story.
Being involved in radio i happen to know that this segment in Simon Bates' show didn't start until 1979 and the song that was played wasn't recorded until 1981. Shane Richie if you need any music research done for your next musical, give me a call!
"Boogie Nights" is night of fun with some of the best music from the 70's and 80's and a wonderful cast with boundless energy and great enthusiasm throughout the whole show.
You can see this show at The Duchess Theatre in Long Eaton until Saturday 8 July 2017 and don't forget to take your boogie shows with you, because you should be dancing by the end of the last dance.
Oklahoma
Ripley and Alfreton Musical Theatre Company
Palace Theatre, Mansfield
July 5th 2017
I have seen Oklahoma many times and this production confirmed my love of it- familiar tunes, beautiful melodies and foot tapping choruses, belted out by a strong cast.
Set in the Oklahoma territory in the early 1900s, the show tells the story of two pairs of lovers. Curly is a cowboy who has trouble admitting his feelings to Laurey, as she does to him, because of their stubbornness. Judd, the hired hand at Laurey's farm, tries to come between them. Ado Annie is torn between Will, a cowboy who has strong feelings for her, and Ali Hakim, a peddler who's a ladies' man and doesn't want to marry her. These plotlines are supported by a number of well-known songs and routines.
The Principal Actors were led by the excellent Andy Quinn and Helen Perry as Curly and Laurey.
Laurey is a character who is feisty to the point of stubbornness- after all it is her ill judged fit of pique at Curly that precipitates the action- but she must be played as sweet and vulnerable, too. Helen achieved this with sensitive and nuanced acting and her beautiful voice was a joy to listen to.
Andy’s Curly is strong and determined with plenty of charm to enthral both Laurey and the audience. Not an easy characterisation to get right- this is someone who sets out to encourage a rival to commit suicide and, later, sells all his belongings just to prove a point- but we’re supposed to love him and Andy made sure we did. Another beautiful rich voice which stole the show.
The pairing of Joe Millward as Will Parker and Kelly Beniston as Ado Annie was enchanting, beautifully played by both for maximum humour. Joe fully exploited Will’s empty headed charm and treated us to some excellent acting, singing and dancing- a real triple threat! Kelly’s Ado was sheer fun and her rendition of ‘I cain’t say no’ was one of the best I’ve heard: she made every word count and gave a fine example of how to perform a song, not just sing it.
Roger Bode, as Ali Hakim, had the unenviable task of delivering lines and a humour filled characterisation while maintaining a Turkish accent, and he did this splendidly. Other good performances came from Paul Mills as Judd Fry - lovely menacing swagger and delivery, Sinead Parkin as a feisty but warm Aunt Ellen, Cameron Trail as the fearsome shotgun-toting Andrew Carnes and Kate Viles as the delightfully shrill giggler, Gertie Cummings.
They were very well supported by the ensemble – Marie Madej, Emily Coxhead, Jonny Cox, Helen Hardy, Charmian McBernie, Carys Tudor, Roger Davis, Charlotte Bond, Alison Bond, Ross Trail, Nigel Grundy and Eloise Oats.
I must congratulate the director, Duncan Leech and the choreographer Rachael-Louisa Bray, on their ability to stage chorus scenes that filled the stage with interest and movement, with only around 20 performers. The set piece ‘Oklahoma’ looked magnificent and sounded beautiful. Intelligent compromises meant that the lack of men in the chorus was overcome.
Lisa Mills (Musical Director) must also be congratulated for the hard work that must have gone into helping the cast and orchestra achieve the high standard of musical performance.
I particularly enjoyed the "Dream Sequence" (never easy to do) and the big show numbers such as "The Farmer and the Cowman Should be Friends" and "Kansas City", which were all excellent. The staging was effective with a lovely windmill, evocative back drops and a cleverly constructed smokehouse.
It is always good to hear the great Rogers and Hammerstein tunes, but this show also has a strong narrative arc and was one of the first of the new breed of shows which were stories with music rather than songs loosely linked by a story. As a consequence, the show not only needs good singers and dancers but also good actors: Ripley and Alfreton Musical Theatre Company have this talent. Congratulations to all of them for working so hard to bring this old favourite to life.
Scene changes were rapid and smooth, but there were times when some scenes did not start quickly enough, which slowed the pace down, probably a first night glitch. Also, there was some over amplification which affected the purity and quality of the sound, particularly during some of the songs.
The audience showed its appreciation by giving the cast a well deserved prolonged ovation at the end with a number standing, including me. We all went out humming and with smiles on our faces.
The Show That Goes Wrong
National Tour
Theatre Royal Nottingham
July 3rd 2017
The Play That Goes Wrong (the play within the play) certainly did!! It was full of the excellent special effects and actors who excelled in physical and spoken comedy. I cannot tell you about what actually happens during the play as that would quite definitely spoil your enjoyment if you are planning to come along and see it.
However, what you will see is some superb acting and in Particular physical acting of a very high order. Actually some elements of what they did was difficult to work out.
There were moments when it looked as though the actors were actually in real danger. There was superb choreographed movements and incredible staging which often led to gasps from the audience.
The set plays an important part in the play and I think you will marvel at how it is used and how it works. Although the "show" went wrong, the staging never did.
Some of the funniest moments for me were the two monologues at the start of each act. These were given by the "shows" director played by Patrick Warner. He is a great character actor and was very funny as were the two monologues.
The rest of the cast were very good too. They were:
Graeme Rooney (Trevor), Katie Bernstein (Annie), Jason Callender(Jonathan), Adam Byron (Robert), Edward Howells (Dennis), Meg Mortell (Sandra), Alastair Kirton (Max), Natasha Culley (Claire Rice), Jams Watterson (Arthur), Helena Muir (Doris), Matthew Howell (Jimbo).
The production was good and Director Mark Bell and his creative team are to be congratulated on putting such a complicated technical show together so well.
The show itself is reliant on slapstick humour, physical comedy and technical use of the set and lights. These elements all came together well which is why this show has received much acclaim from audiences and critics alike. The cast received a prolonged ovation from the audience at the end of tonight's performance.
If you like this kind of comedy you will most certainly like this show which continues at the Theatre Royal until Saturday.
The Addams Family
National Tour
Theatre Royal Nottingham
June 27th 2017
Tonight we have been entertained by a very enjoyable production of the Addams Family Musical.
A very good cast performed this musical with aplomb. The songs were tuneful and the script was very funny. The production was good and the set, lighting and sound contributed significantly to my enjoyment of the show. It was a very fresh and dynamic production. It has a decent story which combined with the songs moved the show along a a good pace.
The special effects were just right - not too over the top but never the less effective.
It was good to see this TV favourite of the 1960’s adapted for the stage so well - retaining the essence of the story and the characters and combining it with songs, music and dancing added to the charm.
I enjoyed all the performances of this professional cast but in particular those of Samantha Womack as Morticia, Les Dennis as Fester, Carrie Hope Fletcher as Wednesday Addams and Cameron Blakely as Gomez.
Also very good were Valda Avils as Grandma Addams, Charlotte Page as Alice Beineke, Dale Rapley as Mal Beineke, Grant McIntyre as Pugsley Addams, Dickon Gough as Lurch and Oliver Ormson as Lucas Beineke.
There was also a very good ensemble who sang and danced very well. The choreography was excellent and well executed.
The show ended with a standing ovation Plus prolonged and sustained applause from the pretty full theatre.
I can certainly recommend this version of the show whether you were a fan of the original tv series (in Black and White) or not. It plays until Saturday.
Next week will be very busy one, theatre wise, with The Show That Goes Wrong, here at the Royal on Monday, Oklahoma at The Palace Mansfield on Wednesday, Boogie Nights at the Duchess in Long Eaton on Thursday and The Pirates of Penzance at the Nottingham Arts Theatre on Saturday. Reports on them all here on Theatre Online
Funny Girl
National Tour
Theatre Royal Nottingham
June 13th 2017
Funny Girl at the Royal was excellent and ended with an instant whole theatre standing ovation along with prolonged applause and cheering.
Natasha J Barnes was brilliant accompanied by an excellent cast and orchestra. She was well liked by the audience and proved herself to be a very versatile actor, singer and dancer. Darius Campbell in the role of Nick Arnstein supported her well singing and dancing to a good standard and by providing a contrasting character to that of Fanny.
The excellent cast included Nigel Barber (Florenz Ziegfeld), Zoe Ann Bown (Mrs Meeker), Kit Benjamin (Mr keeney), Jennifer Harding( Emma),
Nova Skipp (Mrs Brice), Joshua lay (Eddie Ryan) and Myra Sands
(Mrs Strakosh) and Rianne Alleyne, Kit Benjamin, lloyd Davies, Flora Dawson, Joseph Dockree, Abigayle Honeywill, Bronte Lavine, David McIntosh, Peter Nash, Gillian Parkhouse, Tom Partridge, Nova Skipp, Alexandra Waite-Roberts, Sam Wingfield, Alexandra Wright.
The show itself has some wonderful songs in it for both the soloists and ensemble including, People, Don't Rain on My Parade, Funny Girl, Sadie, Sadie, I'm The Greatest Star and a number of others.
It moves at quite a pace and combines comedy with some more serious and poignant scenes. There were some excellent whole cast set pieces such as the hilarious Bridal Scene - His Love Makes Me Beautiful - and the very well choreographed military routine - Rat - Tat - Tat - Tat.
The set, lighting and sound were all good and scene and prop changes were smooth quick and mainly in the hands of the cast.
I enjoyed this show in London and I think maybe even more so here in Nottingham.
Zak Scott and Guests
A Stage for All
Duchess Theatre Long Eaton
June 1st 2017
Tonight at the Duchess Theatre in Long Eaton, Zak Scott and Emily Cox entertained us with a varied programme of musical theatre songs. There was a mixture of well known classics with some lesser known but interesting modern pieces.
Both have strong voices and were confident in their performances throughout. Zak's powerful tenor voice is well suited to some of musical theatres best loved ballads such as Bring Him Home from Les Miss and Younger Than Springtime from South Pacific. Zak has been performing now for over 10 years and took this opportunity to talk about some of the shows he had been in during the evening.
Emily has a lovely operatic voice and thrilled us with songs from Les Miss and Phantom of the Opera to name just 2. In a complete change of style she also sang a song from The Little Mermaid which was lovely. She proved by doing this her versatility as a singer.
During the show Zak's natural style of presentation came through and some banter with Leon Wade (MD) and the band was very funny. He also worked the audience well.
Zak also talked about his work as a first responder and with the help of some "willing" volunteers and equipment taught us all a bit of first aid.
Both Zak and Emily are singers of considerable quality and the audience were happy to show their appreciation at the end. We all enjoyed joining in with the final song - Any Dream Will Do from Joseph.
Zak and Emily were accompanied by a three piece band led by Leon Wade. They sounded very good and were just right for the programme Zak had put together.
Well done to both artists for their superb singing and to Zak for devising the idea for the show.
This was a one night only production but I suspect we may see more in the future.
Little Shop of Horrors
The Kristian Thomas Company
The Bonnington Theatre, Arnold
May 31st 2017
Little Shop finished at the Bonnington Theatre to a resounding and prolonged ovation.
This is one of the best versions of this show that I have seen. In addition to my comments on Act 1 I offer these.
The performances of this very talented cast were great and I felt that the choreography of Kristian was incredibly good. Very tight and exciting routines throughout which were very impressive. Very well executed as well.
I was very impressed with the sound of the backing singers if that's what we call them featuring Georgie Bond, Emily Corner, Emily Gent, Tayla Evans and Kirsty Rice. What a sound they made together and individually.
The excellent singing, Dancing and Acting Ensemble were Anna Cousins, Andrew Buxton, Benito Preite, Charlotte Bond, George Kemish, Katie Lawson, Laura Powell and Rob Chilton.
The Direction by Alysha Gomes was equally tight and allowed the whole cast to be part of the action. She obviously made sure that everyone had something to do and a place to go. Tom Bond is also to be congratulated for the quality of the band but also the high standard of the vocals.
Sound by Harry Greatorex was sharp and clear and the lighting by Stephen Greatorex was dynamic and atmospheric.
The staging was good throughout.
Vocally all were very good and there was a good balance between the band and the performers.
A good example of this was a routine in front of the curtains at the start of Act 2. This involved most of the ensemble and was fantastic. Tight and very fast choreography that had many in the audience clapping and cheering.
I am not saying much about Audrey 2 (the plant) except that you need to come and see it for yourself. I fact you need to come and see the show as it is one I am sure most people will enjoy.
Well done to The Kristian Thomas Company - I shall certainly becoming to future shows.
West Side Story
Carlton Operatic Society
Theatre Royal Nottingham
May 30th 2017
I have seen this show many times over the years and have grown to love it but tonight I saw a production that rocked me to my very core. The Carlton Operatic Society once more proved themselves to be one of the finest amateur groups in the midlands. But this was no amateur production – it was professional in all the elements that make this musical one of the finest in the 20th century.
West Side Story is a musical with a book by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and conception and choreography by Jerome Robbins. It was inspired by William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet.
The musical is about the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks, two teenage street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds. Tony, a former member of the Jets and best friend of the gang leader, Riff, falls in love with Maria, the sister of Bernardo, the leader of the Sharks. The dark theme, sophisticated music, extended dance scenes, and focus on social problems marked a turning point in American musical theatre.
There is so much fine music in Bernstein's blistering score including "Something's Coming", "Maria", "America", "Somewhere", "Tonight", "Jet Song", "I Feel Pretty", "A Boy Like That", "One Hand, One Heart", "Gee, Officer Krupke", and "Cool". Dance is at the heart of the show and there is also some very fine instrumental to accompany it.
By the interval I was totally overcome by the standard of this production from the wonderful set piece dance routines to the superbly performed vocals of both principals and ensemble.
The Principal line up was incredibly strong led by Matt Wesson who played Tony who fell in love with Maria, a young girl from Puerto Rico played by Ella Greenwood. Both of these actors have incredible voices and their solos and duets were sublime. Matt has an extraordinary voice with a wide vocal range but he never once strained to hit the top notes while maintaining a smooth and very calm tone. Ella sang beautifully and her duet with Matt, “One Hand One Heart was quite frankly sublime. Both of them are also very skilled actors whose characterisations were spot on.
Another superb actress and singer is Judie Matthews who played Maria’s sister Anita. Her voice so powerful and her rendition of America and A boy like that was a good as you will ever hear.
Playing the role of the leader of the Jets, Riff, was Patrick McChrystal a well-known local performer. His characterisation was excellent as was Paice Lees as his rival from the Sharks, Bernado.
I cannot mention in detail all the rest of the cast as there are too many and in many respects this is an ensemble piece and all are important and many have small cameo roles. They do deserve a mention though as this was one of the best ensemble casts I have seen.
The Jets were: Patrick McChrystal (Riff), Liam Hall (Action), James Murray (A-Rab), Matty Collins (Baby John), Alex Tilley (Showboy), Sam Ward (Big Deal), Joseph Smith (Diesel), Rosie Cotter (Anybodys) – Their Girls: Amy Rogers Gee (Graziella), Sophie Petruccio (Velma), Charlotte Barrington (Minnie), Celine McKeown (Clarice), Abby Wells (Joanne), Katherine McNamara(Pauline), Sarah Millington (Marilyn), Eva Shappard (Diana), Laura Thurman (Delores), Beth Wear (Julia).
The Sharks were: Paice Lees (Bernado), AlexHuntley (Chino), Ray Mcleod (Pepe), Khalil Derrache- Thompson) (Indio), Callum Hall (Juano), Andrew Dennis (Nibbles). The Shark Girls were: Helen Tunnicliff (Rosalia), Charleigh Hurst (Francisca), Jess Royce (Consuelo), Laura Ellis (Conchita), Sarah Hill (Josephina), Georgia Hodgett-Young (Isabel), Ellie Monterosso (Carmen), Soliel Quarless (Catalina), Bekki Wilson (Teresa).
The Adults were: Mike Newbold (Officer Krupke), Graham Ward (Lieutenant Shrank) and Adam Collishaw (Doc).
The choreography was stunning throughout and its execution by the whole cast would take some beating even by professional performers. The routines were challenging and there was no dumbing down at all. The dancing was often accompanied by difficult gymnastic movements and within the set piece dance scenes there was considerable individual choreography which was very effective. The choreographer, Rachel Rees did a stunning job.
Although I enjoyed all of the scenes I want to particularly mention how good The Gee Officer Krupke number was. I think it was probably the best I have ever seen both in its choreography and performance. Also the dream sequence was beautifully choreographed and danced.
The power of the performances certainly matched the power of Bernstein's amazing score and with that in mind I cannot praise enough the 28 piece orchestra conducted by Chris Rees. It was quite simply one of the best I have heard for some time. The orchestra was behind the set I could hear every word that was said or sung. Despite the power of the score the orchestra never over powered the singers.
Another very impressive element was the lighting plot by Tom Mowat. It was very imaginative and greatly enhanced the atmosphere of the scenes.
The scene changes were very quick and very smooth under the control of the Stage Manager Vicky Johnson and her excellent crew.
The way the "Officer Krupke" number was performed was the best I have seen. Also the dream sequence was beautifully choreographed and danced.
Much praise must go to the production team of Amanda Hall (Director), Chris Rees (Musical Director), Rachael Rees (Choreographer) and Ross Lowe (Assistant Director) for creating a production of such high quality in all departments.
Amanda Hall has produced many outstandingly good shows in a number of local theatres but this must rate as one of her finest to date. He incredible directorial ability shone through the whole show. She was, of course, very well supported by her team of Chris Rees (Musical Director), Rachael Rees(Choreographer) and Ross Lowe (Assistant Director). Together they have most certainly for created a production of such high quality that will be talked about for a long time to come.
And so The Carlton Operatic Society has once again a hit on its hands such that the audience gave the show a prolonged and enthusiastic ovation at the end which was very well deserved.
In my opinion this is a production that all fans of musical theatre need to see before it ends at the Theatre Royal on Saturday. Get your tickets soon as when the word gets around there will not be many tickets left.
Punk Rock
Creatio Arts
Guildhall Derby
May 26th 2017
Punk Rock is the story of tensions at a grammar school amongst seven high-achieving teenagers. They are holed up in the Upper School library, tucked away from supervision, revising — or not, as the case may be — for their mock A-Levels. It explores themes easily recognisable in a school context: bullying, anxiety and confusion, with each character’s pain and uncertainty explored. As exam pressure builds and relationships alter, a raw undercurrent of extraordinary hostility is revealed, leading to dire consequences for them all.
It is not an easy play for a young cast to perform, but they did it well, with all of the actors showing confidence while on stage and performing their roles thoughtfully and with good characterisation. However, some of the witty and humorous lines embedded in the script were not always delivered slowly or clearly enough and they were then occasionally lost on the audience.
The cast all gave strong performances. They were Morgan Radcliffe (William), Lucy Judson (Lilly), Keenan Jones (Bennett), Lewis Haycock (Nicholas), Emily Cox (Cissy), Lowry Spear (Tanya) and Jack Ready hoof (Chadwick). They are all to be congratulated for the way in which they brought life to their respective characters. Both physical and vocal mannerisms had been explored to add depth and a naturalistic style enabled us to believe in all the characters. The writing is derivative –we’ve met similar scenarios in other plays before- and the characters could be mere stereotypes, but clever direction and attention to detail by the actors overcame this. There was a huge amount of text to analyse, practise and commit to memory, as well as some complicated physical stuff, so I am full of admiration for the work that must have gone in to get it all right. I enjoyed watching all of the cast, particularly those I have seen grow and mature as actors over the past few years.
The set was good and used well throughout; lighting and a cacophony of sound was effective and well managed to create a sense of growing menace.
Congratulations to Matt Powell (assisted by Lisa Judson, who also played the part of
Dr. Rachael Harvey), for taking on the challenge of this play and for working so dynamically with the cast to bring it to life. They were well supported by Producers, Andrea Peacock and Katie Wendorff, who were also the Stage Managers. The audience appreciated all their work tonight with sustained applause at the end, which was well deserved.
There was no curtain call, which I really missed, as I like to applaud actors for the entertainment they have provided. However, I was able to express my appreciation personally with some of the cast afterwards.
The themes in the play are thought provoking and sadly relevant today: this in itself made it worth going to see. It doesn’t provide any answers, but rather leads us to ask more questions and ponder how, as a society, we should address and try to prevent disaffection.
Well done to all who were involved in the production, which again showed us the strength, depth and range of this young but talented company.
Shirley Valentine
National Tour
Nottingham Theatre Royal
May 22nd 2017
It's thirty years since Willy Russell introduced audiences to Shirley Valentine, the bored and taken for granted wife who rediscovers her love of life on a secret holiday in Greece. The part was originally played on stage and screen by Pauline Collins. The play has been revived over the years, including a return to the West End with Meera Syal in 2010. This current tour starring Jodie Prenger gives us another chance to enjoy a sharp witted and edgy script, delivered by an amusing and likeable heroine.
Jodie brilliantly characterises the many characters that make up Shirley's world, with a range of lovely accents, some hilarious posturing and perfect comic timing. Dominating the stage, she appears as a force to be reckoned with, but she also manages to convey vulnerability and a simmering resentment, plus the sense of wasted time that galvanises Shirley into action. Things may have changed over the past 30 years, but many of the themes covered in this play are still relevant today: relationships tire, midlife can bring crisis and empty nests can cause a loss of focus. These rather sad themes are delivered with such witty observation and sharp humour that we laugh along with Shirley and never pity her.
Glen Walford's direction is well paced and keeps the audience engaged with plenty of action to accompany the monologue. We’re fascinated but not distracted by Shirley’s cooking (the smell of chips adding another sensory delight!) and Amy Yardley's comfortable kitchen scene is richly detailed. The Greek Beach scene is minimal but atmospheric, with gentle background sounds, and it makes a stark contrast between life at home and living the dream. Both the director and designer have left many things to our imagination, their skill and that of the actor enable us to draw our own pictures of unseen characters and scenes.
I really enjoyed this play (I have never seen it before) and would recommend you see it, not just for Russell’s superb script but also for Jodie’s skilful, comedic and emotional performance.
Rent
National Tour
Nottingham Playhouse
May 19th 2017
Rent at Nottingham Playhouse was .... sensational. I have until tonight not enjoyed this show but so far that opinion has been turned upside down.
Fantastic production in all departments - fast and furious choreography accompanied by outstanding singing. This is a rock style musical but unlike others I have seen the sound of the band is not overwhelming. It is loud but just right.
Layton Williams, playing Angel is just unbelievable. His characterisation is powerful yet there are tender moments in his performance too. He sings so beautifully but the sheer physicality of performance is unbelievable. His first big number was accompanied by gymnastic moves and "the splits." I am overwhelmed by the magic of his skill at playing this part. From Billy Elliot as a non dancer to this is spellbinding.
However good Layton's performance is I have to say that the rest of the cast, both principals and ensemble are stepping up to the mark and often exceeding it. This is a show which such a talented cast that it at times takes my breath away. I can't believe how my attitude to the show has changed. I am literally loving every moment of it.
There were very strong performances from all the principal cast including: Billy Cullum (Mark), Ross Hunter (Roger),
Ryan O'Gorham (Tom), Philippa Stephani (Mimi), Lucie Jones (Maureen) and Shanay Holmes (Joanne). I think there was an understudy for the part of Benjamin but if I am wrong sorry to Javar La'Trail Parker. (Disclaimer - I did not have a programme so I hope I have got the names and roles correct but if not I apologise!).
This show does require a strong ensemble and this production provides it. Full of energy and power they provided excellent vocals and dance of an extraordinary quality. Sometimes it was hard to know where to look as they moved often at great speed around the composite set. This was excellent and provided performance areas on different levels. The lighting was effectively used to show these area when required.
There was all kind of movement during the show including ballet and gymnastic choreography - very interesting and exciting at times.
The scene changes were as fast, I think, as I have ever seen. Large and small areas of the set were moved by the cast and props came and went very smoothly and with speed.
The Director, Bruce Guthrie, along with Musical Director Phil Cornwall and Choreographer Lee Proud have done a wonderful job bringing this 20th anniversary production back to the stage.
Just one minor niggle. I would have liked to have seen Seasons of Love performed again at the end but appreciate maybe the Director felt it better to end just with the bows to retain the atmosphere of the ending. There was a full theatre standing ovation as I predicted at the end. I was very glad about that as the cast certainly deserved it.
To conclude tonight has been very special for me as it has quite simply turned me into a big fan of the show. Before I went I wasn't that keen but I left wanting to see it again soon. Unfortunately, it won't be at the Playhouse this week.
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Greasepaint Productions UK
Loughborough Town Hall
May 16th 2017
It was good to be back at the Town Hall Theatre in Loughborough to see a local theatre company - one I had not seen before - producing a musical that was also unknown to me. This was a Regional Premiere of the musical that was performed in the West End in 2004, so I was looking forward to seeing it. I have to say I had a great evening and was most impressed by both the show and Greasepaint Productions.
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels the Musical is based on the classic comedy film starring Sir Michael Caine and Steve Martin. We are transported to the French Riviera and its decadent underworld, as two seasoned swindlers attempt to hoodwink a millionaire heiress. As the pair compete in the true art of the con, they discover there is only room for one of them. I will say no more about the plot, so as not to spoil it. The script has been updated for current personalities and events, which gives it added humour and freshness.
The standard of performance of both Principals and ensemble was very high indeed. The Principal roles are very demanding, but the challenge was met and then exceeded by all of them. Nearly the whole cast were involved in some high energy dance routines throughout the show and they were excellent. A satisfying and very funny story, complete with touches of the absurd and wry nods to the audience, kept us thoroughly engaged and entertained.
Lyndon Perry was excellent in the role of Lawrence Jameson: he is an accomplished actor, singer and dancer who oozes charm. His characterisation of the suave, sophisticated and charismatic scoundrel was spot on. Audiences adore a loveable rogue and Lyndon got us on side immediately, ignoring the dubious nature of his activities and rooting for his success!
James Nelson just excelled as the other loveable rogue, Freddy Benson. He was thoroughly convincing as the small time con artist with big ambitions; his diction, delivery and comic timing were brilliant. He is also a great singer and dancer and a master of physical comedy: his loose limbed cavorting was a joy to watch.
The relationship between Freddy and Lawrence was beautifully portrayed, owing to skilled direction and the charisma of- and chemistry between - the actors.
Erica Makin played the alleged soap heiress Christine Colgate. She has a great voice and perfectly portrayed the innocent and clumsy small town girl who is hiding a secret. Another great all-rounder who understands comic timing and projection, her performance was thoroughly engaging.
Also playing principal roles with great skill were Sean Hicking (Andre Thibault), Jodie Blowfield (Muriel Eubanks) and Jenny Nelson (Jolene Oakes). All gave us wonderful comic moments, such as the developing relationship between Andre & Muriel and Jolene’s attempts to lure Lawrence to Oklahoma.
The excellent ensemble were in a number of dance routines, some complicated, and they all performed them very well. A number of them played small cameo roles as well. The choreography by Jeanette Patrick-Cooper and Shane Perry was beautifully paced, energetic and attractive - and evocative of the Riviera film genre from which the story originates.
The ensemble was: Alan Clark, Aux Larter, Bryony Lovett, Gazz Lander, Gareth Wynne, Gemma Landers, Gillian Leeson, Ian Dean, Jade Waltham, James Courtney, Jessica Ruth, Jonny Painting, Judith Coles, Keith Reynolds, Linda Moulton, Natalie Hallam, Paul Hopkin, Paul Leeming, Rachael Gunn, Sarah Hender, Scott Tomkins, Shane Perry, Tania Smith and Valerie Schmitt-Li.
The orchestra was very good and accompanied the performers sympathetically. There was clever incidental music played underneath and between certain moments, which complemented the action effectively. The Musical Director, James Stevens, did a very good job ensuring that the standards of music and singing were as high as the standard of acting.
There were a lot of scene changes in the show, which were effectively dealt with by the Stage Manager, Lynsey Bloomfield and an excellent stage crew. The set was cleverly constructed and versatile and effectively conveyed the sunlit, luxurious atmosphere of the Riviera. The same applies to the costumes: both set and costumes were effective in transporting us to the South of France.
The show ended with a well deserved and prolonged ovation; the Finale was first class and ended post curtain calls with the cast informally dancing off stage. Great stuff.
This production was hugely entertaining, sharp and fresh and contained some of the best comic moments I have seen. The Director, Shane Perry and his production team are to be congratulated for bringing a less well known musical to the stage and making a huge success of the Regional Premiere.
The sound directed by Dave Cooper and Jack Harper was crisp and clear and overall so was the lighting designed by Kevin Cutts.
I am now looking forward to seeing more productions from this high quality local theatre company.
All Shook Up
Beeston Musical Theatre Group
Duchess Theatre Long Eaton
May 9th 2017
The audience at last night’s opening performance of their 50th Anniversary year from the highly regarded Beeston Musical Theatre Group were suitably “All Shook Up” from the start of the show to its excellent finale.
The production team of Chris Collington (Director), Jodie Cresdee (Choreographer), Nathan Truesdale (Musical Director) with Lisa Smith and Gary Smith (Staging) are to be congratulated for a show of the highest quality in all departments.
All Shook Up is a 2004 American jukebox musical with Elvis Presley music and with a book by Joe DiPietro. The story is very loosely based on William Shakespeare's 1602 play Twelfth Night. There is only a little of Shakespeare’s original story in it, although it pays homage to some of the universal themes, and is a very witty and well structured musical in its own right.
It uses many of Elvis’ hits such as "Jailhouse Rock," "Love Me Tender," Heartbreak Hotel," Blue Suede Shoes," plus the title song "All Shook Up." I thought they were very well adapted to help tell what is a good story of love in a small American town. The story concerns Chad, a hip-swivelling, guitar-playing roustabout, being released from a short spell in prison and what subsequently happens to him and the people he meets - many of whom find love unexpectedly!
The standard of singing of both the principals and the excellent ensemble was very high indeed. Accompanied by the great orchestra conducted by the musical director, Nathan Truesdale, the cast excelled and filled the theatre with the great melodies and toe tapping tunes made famous by Elvis Presley.
I have never seen this show before and I thought it was very well written, had a solid story and the various themes came together well at the end. It was also very funny in parts and laughs at itself; it is obviously a show that the cast really enjoy performing.
The principal cast was very strong with Chris Bryan as a confident and beguiling Chad, David Hunt as the perfectly pitched nerd Dennis and Laura Such as a delightfully endearing Natalie. Abby Riddell is a warm and feisty Sylvia, John Hand a naïve but self aware Dean and Claire Rybicki a sweet and lively Lorraine. Keli Wain plays a deliciously vampish Sandra, Simon Owen a gruffly lovesick Jim, Cat Tuckey a wonderfully uptight Matilda and Rob Holsman a hilariously vacant Earl. All excellently characterised and fully believable, with the power and projection to keep the audience fully engaged.
They were supported by an outstanding ensemble that sang and danced with conviction, precision and joy. Well done to Ronja Breitkopf, Andy Bulmer, Jennifer Chatten, Jane Cottee, Daniel Da’Bell, Alex Grosse, Martin Holton, Mariko Jones, Mina Machin, John Maddison, Cheryl Mills, Rachel Maddison, Ruth Norris-Maddison, Lottie Valks and Christine Walton.
The imaginative direction and tight choreography ensures that every song is enlivened by movement and each scene is visually interesting. The show moves with considerable pace and this production has capitalised on that with energy and excitement - and a knowing self-deprecation. Breaking the fourth wall doesn’t always work, but in this show the nods to the audience and the sheer delight the performers have in their characters’ foibles add a lot of fun.
The choreography is so evocative of the time in which the action is set and each move and every hand gesture beautifully thought out. Comic highlights abound: a scene with the Mayor and several bearded elderly ladies of the town brought the house down; it isn’t just the youngsters in this group who can dance and sing up a storm!
The lighting by Dave Martin and the sound by Harry Greatorex (tonight controlled by Chris Collington) were very good and the theatre's new sound system worked well.
The show was stage managed by Lisa Smith and Garry Smith and their stage crew changed the set with speed, efficiency and near invisibility. The set itself was simple but appropriate and was used well to enhance the story and keep the action moving. Well done also to Mina Machin for the colourful and hugely evocative costumes, which add so much to the overall look.
The band was excellent and given that the show has an often powerful rock and roll sound, the balance between them and the performers was very good.
I loved this show from start to finish and would be very happy to see it again! It ended with one of the best managed finale/ curtain calls I have seen for quite a while, performed with huge energy by the entire cast. Many in the theatre tonight stood up at the end (including me) and gave the cast a prolonged and enthusiastic ovation, which they so richly deserved.
I am delighted that BMTG’s next production is ‘Spamalot’: from what I have seen tonight their talent for energetic high comedy will ensure that we are in for another treat.
I have no doubt that you too will be genuinely “All Shook Up” if you go and see this excellent production, but you need to get your tickets quickly as it is “Now or Never” – well certainly after Saturday evening!
Gypsy
Christchurch Theatre Club
Lougborough Town Hall
May 1st 2017
What a fantastic show this was tonight from a renowned Musical Theatre Club that, for some reason, I have never seen before. One thing is certain though, it will not be my last time watching this company, who tonight produced a highly polished performance of a professional standard. There was a very strong cast overall, plus some exceptionally good principals.
Gypsy was first performed on Broadway in 1959 and has music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by Arthur Laurent.
It is loosely based on the 1957 memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee the famous striptease artist, and focuses on her mother, Rose whose name has become synonymous with "the ultimate show business mother." It follows the dreams and efforts of Rose to raise two daughters to perform onstage and casts an affectionate eye on the hardships of show business life.
The musical contains many songs that have become popular standards, including "Everything's Coming up Roses”, "Together (Wherever We Go)”, "Small World", "Let Me Entertain You", "All I Need Is the Girl", and "Rose's Turn".
The part of Momma Rose was played by the wonderful Liz Berrisford. She ended Act 1 with a brilliant rendition of the well loved standard Every Things Coming Up Roses: this was a real show stopper and a thrilling experience. Her dynamic performance was thoroughly engaging and beautifully acted throughout, putting her up there with the many others who have played this powerful and demanding role. The intensity of her passion to live her own dreams and make a star of one of her daughters - at any expense -was expertly characterised. Liz managed to retain our sympathy even at her ‘stage mom’ worst, by investing her character with humour and warmth and an irresistible drive.
Lee Costelow played Herbie who falls in love with Rose and then has to put up with her obsession with the theatre. He is an excellent actor, another one who can characterise his performance with an engaging warmth and humanity; he also has a lovely singing voice.
I loved the performances of the youngsters in the first part of Act One, which included some well performed gymnastics from one of the boys. A huge well done to Beth Barber (Baby June) and Lauren Honeysett (Baby Louise) who are both very talented young performers. The other young performers were Harriet Woodward, Charlie Ann Mudge, Matthew Leeming, Luca Anastassiades, Noah Anastassiades, Scott Millar, Tommy Mudge and Charlie Ward. The transition between the children and their adult counterparts was smoothly achieved during a dance number; our delight at the youngsters’ performances was even further increased by their adult counterparts.
Both the adult June played by Anja Palmer and her adult sister Louise played by Lucy Maden are excellent performers. I loved their duet, "If Moma was married." The adult “boys” all played their respective parts well. Their dancing, when not deliberately ‘off beat’ was very good and their comedy timing was spot on.
Among many good performances I particularly liked “All I need is the girl” performed by Ashley Bright (Tulsa) and Lucy Maden (Louise).
The choreography must have been thoroughly researched to replicate the dances of the period in which the musical is set. It was a delight to sample some old vaudeville routines- complete with pantomime cow- and some stirringly patriotic set pieces, all executed to an impressive standard. Some of the dancing needed to be deliberately bad, which isn’t easy to do; everybody involved must have worked their socks off to achieve all this so convincingly.
Stage management was polished and the sets, ranging from shabby rooms and backstage theatre to swanky hotel rooms and New York stages, was very appropriate. Impressively, no back stage personnel were seen on stage during the performance, at least I didn’t see any. The use of the captions on a front screen between quick changing scenes was extremely effective. This, plus the use of gauze, gave the whole production a filmic quality and helped me to feel totally engaged in the story that was being told. The company, of course, is lucky to be in a theatre that has the facility of flying curtains and set, which was enhanced by the sympathetic lighting (Robert Bridges) and excellent sound (Total Theatre).
The production team led by John R Lewin, the Director, Vicki Hing, the Musical Director, Louise Smith, the choreographer and Adrian Wray, the Stage Manager should be congratulated for producing a hugely enjoyable and slick show of a professional quality. They had a good show, great tunes and a lot of talent, but it is the way they have combined those elements that has given this particular production a touch of magic.
The Orchestra conducted by Vicki Hing was excellent throughout and the balance between it and the performers was perfect.
Everyone who enjoys high quality musical theatre should go and see this production. The audience here tonight gave the cast a very well deserved and prolonged ovation at the end with many including me, standing.
Sardined Shakespeare
Bear Left Theatre Company
Lee Rosy's
April 26th 2017
We all like surprises and last night I had a few. I was delighted to have been invited to see Bear Left Theatre’s performance of Sardined Shakespeare, but was unsure as to what it was going to be like. As I cannot claim to be a fan of the Bard, I wondered if it would be “Much Ado About Nothing.” However, my first surprise was that I had a really good and enjoyable evening, being entertained by this excellent company.My second surprise was how enjoyable it was to be in the basement of Lee Rosy’s Tea and Coffee house in the Lace Market, a small and intimate venue with a very pleasant atmosphere and great tasting coffee!
Sardined Shakespeare, devised by Sally Nix, consisted of extracts from many of Shakespeare’s well known plays, performed by Christopher Collins, Carly Smith, Stephi Durand and Sally Nix. There was a mixture of well known plays such as Henry V, Hamlet, Much Ado about Nothing, The Merry Wives of Windsor and Henry VI Part 1. There were others from less perfomed plays, such as The Two Gentlemen of Verona and King John.
I was very engaged by the performances of these extracts and really enjoyed getting a feel for the words and stories. It was rewarding to concentrate on specific scenes, which can be overlooked as part of a whole play. Even well known and familiar extracts offer something new when you have the chance to really listen to the words as a set piece. We were very close to the actors in this venue and I found that very engaging and felt very much part of the action.
The extracts followed each other very quickly and I was impressed by the way in which all four actors rapidly switched characters and in some cases, costumes and simple props. I felt there was a very good rapport between them. They had to play many roles and often of different sexes; the characterisations were convincing and they had all learned a huge number of words. No prompting was needed, and their confident delivery showed that they had analysed the texts and fully understood them. A mixture of natural delivery and some wonderful dramatic posturing kept the pace moving effectively. There were times when diction was lost due to speed of delivery, but this can easily be adjusted in subsequent performances.
There was no scenery of note, but that helped to concentrate our minds on the poetry of the words. The extracts chosen were performed as the words dictated, but there were a few moments of comedy injected between scenes and some audience interaction, which I also enjoyed.
While appreciating all the extracts, I particularly enjoyed the scene from Henry V when the King, having won the war, sets about wooing the daughter of the French King. This was very well done and the clever direction of the maid’s disapproval was very amusing.
When arriving at the venue we were given a sheet containing simple information about each scene. I found this most useful and certainly helped me understand and enjoy the scenes more than I would have done without it.
Well, that was my surprising evening, although thinking about it I should have known that Sally Nix and her cast would have something special for us.
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
National Tour
The Theatre Royal, Nottingham
April 25th 2017
This production is as fresh and entertaining as ever.
The story is based on the Biblical story of Joseph, in the Book of Genesis with a Narrator guiding us all through the adventures of the ‘dreamer’ who makes it in the end.
I enjoyed last night's performance of this popular family show which starred Joe McElderry as the dreamer Joseph, Lucy Kay as the Narrator, Ben James-Ellis as Pharaoh and Henry Metcalfe as Jacob/Potiphar. All gave solid and well-rounded performances that were enjoyed by a pretty full theatre.
It was, as often with this show, very impressed by the ensemble cast that played the brothers and many other parts as well. They provided excellent singing, dynamic dancing and incredible quick and often invisible changes of costume and scenery.
They were Lewis Asquith (Reubin/ Butler), Will Breckin (Zebulun), Darren Charles (Asher), Michael Colbourne (Napthali), Lloyd Green (Simeon), Richard J Hunt (Judah/Baker), Matt Jolly (Gad), Amanda Jones (Handmaiden), George Knapper (Benjamin),
Michael Lapham (Dan), Matthew McCabe (Levi), Sallie-Beth Lawless (Mrs Potiphar), Gemma Pipe (Handmaiden), Kevin Grogan (Swing).
The show also relies on a children's chorus that sings through a lot of the songs. They sounded very good and were from AGF Performing Arts in Nottingham. I particularly enjoyed their performance on their own at the start of Act 2. Well done to which team it was last night – Blue or Red?
I have seen many productions of this show and this was certainly up with the best of them. It was fast moving and powerful and very well-choreographed by Henry Metcalfe and Directed by the great Bill Kenwright (is there a show he hasn't produced or directed?) This production certainly has all of the elements that made it a success originally but with some newish musical arrangements of some of the songs. I loved them all but Joe's rendition of "Close Every Door" and "Any Dream will do" were particularly memorable.
This is a colourful show and the lighting, scenery and costumes were very good to look at. All scene changes were very well done and usually performed by the cast. This made for a show with considerable pace.
The show ended with a standing ovation with most remaining on their feet throughout the ever popular "Joseph Mega Mix" at the end. All were clapping and singing along proving the long lasting appeal of this family show which is now well over 40 years old. It never fails to attract audiences of both young and old. That is not surprising given the ageless story, the very catchy music and the very well written and witty lyrics.
There is really nothing to criticise this show except perhaps Andrew Lloyd Webbers propensity for repeating songs rather a lot but he can be forgiven for that given the quality and lasting appeal of many of them.
The Full Monty
The Heanor Musical Theatre Company
The Palace Theatre, Mansfield
April 20th 2017
Back home after a very enjoyable evening at the Palace Theatre in Mansfield. The show was quite long but the time sped by. It was actually 10.30pm when the curtain fell but it certainly didnt seem that late. Always a sign of a good show.
This musical version of what had first been a British film is about six unemployed Buffalo (USA) steelworkers, low on both cash and prospects who decide to perform a striptease act at a local club after seeing their wives' enthusiasm for a touring company of Chippendales. One of them, Jerry, declares that their show will be better than the Chippendales because they'll go "the full monty"—in other words strip naked. There are some good songs that help tell, what is, a strong story.
This highly professional performance was very enjoyable largely because of the excellent cast, both Principal, other parts plus Ensemble and had good direction. There were outstanding performances from:
Paul Mills (Jerry), Ben Sherwin (Harold), , Matt Fry (Dave),
Ben Jones (Malcolm), Alex McLaren (Horse), Tom Lucking (Ethan), Adela Green (Vicki), Katie Gaskin (Georgie),
Trish Church (Jeanette), Katie Richmond Ward (Pam) and
Al Tandy as Teddy. Also playing the role of the boy, Nathan was the excellent Bailey West.
The strength of any show is how everyone works together principals and ensemble. No more so than in tonight's production. It was obvious that all in the cast worked very hard and the result was a quality show.
It is therefore well done to Alana Moran, Aine O'Neil-Mason, Lydia Fry, Lauren Wells, Roger Bode, Simon Ward, Adam Carpenter,
Jonny Cox, Catherine Baker, Dorothy Platts, Suzy Meeson,
Reema Udeshi, Lucy Stokes and Sabine Bensley.
This show looked very profesional throughout and the Production team of Kim Harris (Director), Lisa Mills (Musical Director), Laura-Jane Jacobs (Choreographer) and Paul Young (Technical Director) were most certainly responsible for this. The Direction was tight fast moving and exciting, the quality of singing was high, the choreography was well planned and executed and the set was very cleverly designed and was imaginatively used.
I was delighted by the quality of the Band which from the start sounded great plus the excellent sound in the theatre. The lighting was very good as well and worked a treat in some very important scenes! Sorry but I don't know who was in charge of lighting and sound.
The staging of the show was in the hands of the Stage Manager, John Thompson and his excellent crew. Swift and very competant scene changes helped kept the show moving quickly. Infact there were 27 scenes which kept the crew pretty busy. Well done to them all.
Once again HMTC have a hit production on their hands and all concerned should be rightly proud of the result of their hard work. This is a quality company producing quality shows and I have no hesitation in saying go and support them and have a great night out before this show ends on Saturday.
You may be wondering if the lads did perform "The Full Monty at the end - well ..... I am not saying so you will have to go and see for yourself! Let's just say that many of the audience stood at the at the end to give the cast a well deserved and prolonged ovation.
Northanger Abbey
Tour from Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds
Derby Theatre
April 2017
I am delighted to say that I might not yet be a paid up member of The Jane Austen Fan Club but after tonight's performance of Northanger Abbey who knows what the future may bring.
A very enjoyable adaptation of the classic novel which I have never read or indeed never seen the film. Therefore I was not sure what I was going to see.
I was surprised to find that this is not only a very cleverly written play but very funny as well. Some great lines and characters that the cast of just 8 were able to get their teeth into.
This is an ensemble piece with all but one playing multiple roles. Actually the whole cast did everything including set changes which were very well executed.
The production moved with considerable pace and was slick and often very dramatic. The lighting and sound contributed greatly to this. I really liked the use of a piano to provide very effective and atmospheric background music and well as "jolly tunes" for the dances of which there were a few.
The set was simple but just right and was easily adapted to suit the story.
The cast were all extremely good actors led by Eva Feiler (Catherine Moreland) with Emma Ballantine, Jonathan Hansler, Harry Livingstone, Joe Parker, Annabelle Terry, Hilary Tones and Joseph Tweedale.
The play was well written by Tim Luscombe who has also adapted Persuasion and Mansfield Park plus others.
The Play was well directed by Karen Simpson along with her production team of Dawn Allsopp (Design), Julia Cave (Movement), Mark Dymock (Lighting) and Matthew Bugg (Music).
This touring production is produced by the Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds and has two more venues, Ipswich and Lancaster before finishing in May.
The large audience at Derby Theatre tonight gave the performers a very well deserved ovation at the end. I am certain that Austen Fans will love it and many like me will also.
It is 200 years this year since Jane Austen died but going by what I saw her thoughts, opinions and writings are still relevant today.
Legally Blonde
Centre Stage
Robert Ludlam Theatre Derby
April 2017
OMG - what a fabulous night at the Robert Ludlum Theatre in Derby.
Centre Stage's production of Legally Blonde was brilliant and oh so enjoyable. What a large and talented young cast too! As I said earlier they all worked so hard from start to finish. Very talented and strong principals who inhabited their roles very well, were superbly supported by a very large ensemble made up of young people from 11 to 18. It was really difficult to believe that some of them were so young.
The singing and dancing was of a very high standard and despite some of the songs being difficult they all coped very well. I was particularly impressed by some of the harmony and background singing of the ensemble. There was real power and energy in much of the singing as well. The dance routines were well choreographed and executed and the limited space was well used.
The Jail routine involving skipping was fabulous.
I enjoyed all of the big routines but must mention one in particular which was quite superbly produced, choreographed and performed - "Gay or European." This was as good if not better than any other version I have seen. So good to be able to see youngsters who can sing and perform such a song with no embarrassment. It was just performed for what it is a very funny song with great lyrics. I adored it and laughed throughout.
I was delighted to standup at the end and give these young performers the standing ovation they truly deserved.
As I said all the young performers were great and there was talent in abundance on the stage but I must mention Charlotte Crane who played the Legally Blonde, Elle Woods. What a performer who I am sure we will be see lots more of in the future. She made the part her own and dominated the stage from the moment she came on stage. Brilliant performance from such a young actor. Dancing, singing and dancing - she has it all!
In addition there were great performances from Alice Proudler (Paulette), Marcus Bush (Emmett), Luke Preston David (Professor Callahan), Bailey West( Warner), Lilja-Mai Mckevitt (Viv), Nadia Potter (Margot), Amy Burchell(Serena), Zawadi Odari (Pilar), Tabitha Hartshorn (Enid), Natasha Neal (Brooke), Iggi Duncan (Kyle). Eleanor Wentworth (Kate), Emmy Jones (Gaelen), Amber Lord ( Lellani), Hannah Riley (Judge),
Leo Duncan ( Nikos), Daniel Lane (Carlos), Ellie Abbott (Aaron), Samsher Sekhon (Sundeep), Amber Scales ( Chutney), Daniel Evans (Dewey).
The excellent Ensemble, some of whom had supporting roles, were Christina Allen, Amy Brownhill, Holly Burchell, Matthew Carrington, Isaac Drew, Phoebe Drew, Megan Frisby, Bethan Hall, Lucy Hall, Jasmine Harrison, Alisha Hunter, Ethan Jones (Grandmaster), Ella Kirk, Isaac Levitt, Indra McNaughton, Emma Merry.
To conclude there was also a great band, good staging, lighting and sound. Director: Bethany Walker and her production team (MD: Emily Marshall-Sims, Choreographer: Josephine Walker - SM: Lee Hartshorn) - should be congratulated for working with these youngsters and bringing them up to such a high standard.
It's a big well done from me to everyone involved with the show. There are two more performances tomorrow to give you such pleasure. So if you haven't got a ticket try and get one do you too can say at the end "OMG - what a show. Glad I didn't miss it!"
42nd Street
Long Eaton Operatic Society
May Hall Theatre, Trent College
April 2017
Long Eaton Operatic Society's production of 42nd Street has ended at Trent College. I must apologise for a lack of an interval report. I did write and send one but it has apparently vanished into the ether - lost for ever.
Never mind. This production is lively, luscious, fast paced and full of excellent dancing. The costumes are beautiful, the set is great, the lighting is fabulous, the sound is good and the Orchestra is excellent.
The standard of tap dancing from all involved is incredibly high and the choreographer, Laurie Trott, and the cast should accept high praise indeed.
This show is not for the feint hearted due in the main to the amount of dancing and musical routines. It demands huge amounts of commitment and indeed talent to make it work. Tonight this cast stepped up to the plate and succeeded where others might well have failed.
There are a number of good songs in the show but I particularly enjoyed "Lullaby of Broadway," "42nd Street," We're in the Money," and "Dames."
The atmosphere of 1930's musicals was well captured in this production and its well done to Director Liz Woolley and her production team.
I will be talking about the Show on Erewash Sound (96.8fm) at 11.40 am tomorrow (Thursday).
To conclude tonight though - I have recently had a hip replacement operation and I asked my surgeon this week if I could now tap dance. He said "of course" to which I replied "well I couldn't before." I am glad to say that, unlike me, the talented dancers on stage tonight could and brilliantly so.
Congratulations to LEOs for taking on the challenge of this show and doing a very good job.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime
National Tour
Theatre Royal Nottingham
The Curious Incident of the dog in the Nighttime is certainly lived up to expectations. It was superb as indeed it was when I saw it in London.
All aspiring actors should go and see this just for the experience of superb performance in its widest sense. It is impossible to describe this production as it needs to be seen and admired. The acting was of a very high standard as were the visual effects and the sound quality. What a play!
The Crucible
People's Theatre Company
Nottingham Arts Theatre
March 2017
A superb production of The Crucible tonight at the Arts Theatre in Nottingham. Well done to all who were involved.
The standard of acting was very high and the production kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. It is quite a long play but time flew by.
I have not seen the play before but can see why it has become an American classic.
This production was fast moving and full of emotion. It ended with a well deserved and prolonged ovation.
I have said it before and will say it again I never cease to admire this company and what ever they do is always well worth seeing and of a professional standard. This was no exception.
I am more of a musicals kind of person but really enjoyed this straight play.
Hello Dolly
Erewash Musical Society
Duchess Theatre Long Eaton
March 2017
Review by kind permission of Kev Castle
“Hello Dolly” by Erewash Musical Society.
Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton.
The show has become one of the most enduring musical theatre hits, enjoying three Broadway revivals and international success. It was also made into the 1969 film Hello Dolly! that was nominated for seven Academy Awards, and won three.
It’s so nice to have this musical back where it belongs, on the stage, be it local or National, it’s one of the great feel good musicals of our time, and it’s definitely looking swell and going strong if this production was anything to go by..
It’s the story of Dolly Levi,a professional match-maker, some would say meddler who is hired by Horace Vandergelder, a “rich” hay and feed dealer to find him a second wife. Dolly sets him up with Irene Molloy, but she has no intention of letting this blind date go ahead successfully because she has other plans for Mr Vandergelder which are purely selfish.
While the fat cat is away the underlings will do what they like and his clerks, Cornelius Hackl and Barnaby Tucker, decide to take an unauthorized holiday and end up aiding and abetting Dolly in her quest, quite unaware of what's unfolding.
There are various comical incidents which occur but there are happy endings all round.
Erewash Musical Society have the perfect cast for this show and I can't think of anyone who could play Dolly Levi better that Alex Tavener. her comic delivery is wonderful and the scene where Dolly and Horace are having a meal is just comedy heaven. Dolly's clothes are gorgeous in the "Hello Dolly" routine. They sparkle almost as bright as Alex's smile.
Grumpy tightwad Horace is played by Keith Butcher, and another excellent piece of casting if you ask me. Again some lovely comedy lines and brilliant characterisation.
Vandergelder's shop assistants, Cornelius Hackl and Barnaby Tucker are played by James Bowden and Martin Lewis and another well paired duo all round. the contrasting confident, but older Hackl and the 17 year old Tucker were great on their trip out of town to see the Barnum whale and kiss a girl. Well one out of two ain't bad.
Playing Vandergelder original set up, Irene Molloy was Tracey Renshaw. Irene runs the hat shop in New York with her assistant Minnie fay, played by Becki Charnley. One of the strengrhs of this musical is the pairings and this is another lovely, believable pairing.
It's been a very good year for Tom Preston, who plays the artist Ambrose Kemper in "Dolly". I saw him first last March in his very first production in "Copacabana" for EMS. He was so nervous in that show but since then his confidence has sky rocketed and his role in this show, shows how far he has come in local theatre. he oozed confidence in his acting, singing and dancing and is a natural comedy actor.
Another lovely comedy role is that of Kemper's intended, the weepy Ermengarde with the annoying, but comical wailings. Played with great gusto by Gem Blake.
The ensemble here is large but very, very good. They move as one and the choreography they are given is excellently executed, thanks to an excellent choreographer Siân Scattergood. I especially loved the work for "The Waiter's Gallop" which was timed to perfection and "Hello Dolly", both pure Hollywood glamour.
I also loved the close harmonies, especially the male ensemble who sounded quite barber shop at times. Just magical.
There were some notes that weren't quite hit though but I know that there are a few nasty bugs going around which would affect the voices on stage but on the whole the cast did a wonderful job, and those who were blighted by the bugs got through their songs admirably. The sign of professionalism.
Really good use of backdrop scenery projection, and while this can sometimes be a bit over the top if not paired with other scenery, this show played to their advantage with the projection and it only added to the extra props and scenery, giving a cinematic feel to the musical.
I mentioned the costumes earlier and they looked marvellous on all the cast.Thanks to Stageworld at Wolverhampton this production provided the glamour and decadence of the period and added yet another professional veneer to the show.
The band, under the direction of Lizzie Bullard were, as usual excellent, tight and tuneful. Never swamping the actors who were mic'd up, making sure that the mix between the band and the actors were heard perfectly. Credit to the sound guys Dave Dallard and Ben Tennett.
Some lovely songs in this musical, not only the rousing title track but the jaunty "It Takes A Woman", "Put On Your Sunday Clothes","Before The Parade Passes By" and "So Long Dearie" as well as some slower moments such as the elegant "Ribbons Down My Back". A lovely soundtrack.
Another guy who is always on top of his game making the actors look their best is Dave Martin who controls the lighting.
Unobtrusive stage management meant that, although you could see the scenery being moved, they did it while the action was ongoing, meaning that these stage ninjas did their job with the minimum of fuss.
I said at the start that this is a wonderful feel good musical and you will leave the Duchess feeling very good about the time you've spent watching this lovely light hearted show.
Spamalot
Esna
Loughborough Town Hall Theatre
November 19th 2016
"This is overall the best local show I have seen so far this year."
I have seen this wonderful show three times in London and twice at the Theatre Royal in Nottingham. This production from Esna was undoubtedly the best of them all. I have loved this show from the first time I saw it at the Palace Theatre but this production seemed somehow fresh and new. The script has been tweaked with some up to date references added such as the election of Donald Trump. Patsy made the fabulous comment in relation to that which was "orange is the new black." Think about it. All the performances tonight were examples of the very best you will see in amateur shows making them professional in all but name.
My congratulations for fine performances go to David Lovell as King Arthur, Dan Grooms as his loyal servant Patsy, Emma Adcock as the Lady of The Lake, and Benjamin Hardy as Sir Galahad. They were brilliantly supported by the Knights played by Richard French as Sir Lancelot, James Daw as Sir Belvedere and Jarrod Makin as Sir Robin and Daniel Robinson as Prince Herbert and Jonny Painting as the Historian.
The ensemble was great and performed with incredible energy and skill and many of them had small cameo roles. Their dancing was phenominal.The set was very attractive and appropriately designed by "Scenic Design" and it was enhanced by great lighting controlled by Andy Harding.The sound was very good thanks to Rob Temperton and Mark Di Martino Marriott.
The choreography was simple fantastic and choreographer, James Nelson did a brilliant job with the whole cast.
The musical standard was very high and the very large orchestra sounded wonderful under the baton of Jon Orton.
The costumes were great under the supervision of Nicola Scoggins and Molly Limpets and the many quick changes were executed with aplomb. The Stage Manager and crew ensured that scene changes were seamless and invisible.
Finally, the show's director, James Nelson has produced a show that is worthy of the label professional in all respects. I am sure he will be very proud of what everyone involved has achieved in this outstanding production.
I am very happy to say that this is overall the best local show I have seen so far this year.
Creatio Arts
One Voice (Concert)
Derby Theatre
November 12th 2016
Well done to the young people of Creatio Arts (and some older ones) for producing a show of quality that was performed with high energy, enthusiasm and certainly showcased their many talents. I enjoyed hearing some familiar songs along with unfamiliar ones some, but not all, I liked.
There were many great performances in Act 2 including a really exciting opening from the whole cast of "When I grow up" from Matilda including a variety of scooters. During the rest of the Act there were songs from other shows including Miss Saigon, Sister Act, Anything Goes, Toy Story, Wicked, Chess, Grease and Chicago.
The show ended with an excellent perfomance of another song I have not heard before but which was very suitable for this charity show, “Actions Speak Louder Than Words.”
Well done to the large cast of:
Adam Griffirhs-Vernon, Adam Guest, Aine O'Neil-Mason, Alana Morgan, Andrea Pocock, Bailey West, Ben Jones, Bradley McClean, Eleanor Carty, Elin Haycock, Emily Cox, Emily Gent, Erin Hill, Erin Keogh, Georgie Bond, Grace Orgill, Hope Redfern, Jack Readyhoof, Katie Wendorf, Katy Gaskin, Kheenan Jones, Laura Jones, Lewis Haycock, Lowry Spear, Lucas Young, Lucy Bennett, Martin Lewis, Molly Hewitt-Richards, Morgan Ratcliffe,
Nic Gordon, Oliver Wheddon, Olivia Savage, Oscar Hewitt-Richards, Paddy Stafford, Rachael Webb, Ryan Wiggins, Sky Marsden, Sophie Robbins, Tammie Morgan and Zak Charlesworth.
The whole cast and the production team led by Matt Powell, the Director of Creatio, should be very proud of their work tonight on this large stage at this impressive professional theatre. There was a considerable standing ovation at the end. Hopefully the show will have raised lots of money for the two charities.
National Tour
The Commitments - Theatre Royal, Nottingham
November 7th 2016
I enjoyed listening to the 18 or so full musical numbers - from the Motown medley of What Becomes of the Broken Hearted and I Heard It Through the Grapevine to rock’n’roll classics such as You Keep Me Hanging On and (I Can’t Get No)
Satisfaction – and at least as many snippets of other familiar songs. However, the songs were more memorable than the drama of which there was little.
It was difficult to care about the characters as there was not enough in the writing to allow us to do so. Act 2 was particularly weak in this respect. It was only the songs that really held it together.
The songs were performed at a very fast pace, leaving little room at all for pauses or silence. The hard working actor musicians were fantastic with the songs acting as a showcase for their talents. Sets and props were in the main changed by the cast and that was done very well.
There was a sustained ovation at the end with many standing.
If you like the classics of soul and Motown and good performances of the same you will enjoy this show. If however, you like something with a good narrative arc you may feel differently.
Love's labours Wonne (End of show notes)
Riverside Drama
Duchess Theatre Long Eaton.
Another enjoyable evening at the Duchess Theatre has ended. Well done to Riverside Drama for producing an imaginative, amusing and thought provoking drama.The cast of James Billington, Paul Norris, Amy Cannon, Sarah Terry, Donna Chinn, Celia Billau, Dave Wilson and Sam Norris worked well together to bring the story to life. Paul Norris who played the time travelling Will Shakespeare was particularly good in the role.
Well done to the writer, Liz Turner who also directed the play which not only explored the possible existence of "the lost play" but also how Will might have come to terms with modern life. There was some particularly good writing in regard to this.
The staging of the play was good and the set was impressive to say the least.I did feel that Act 3 was a little too long and would have benefitted from some editing to tighten up the final scenes.
Overall this was a good production and all involved are to be congratulated.
The Good Companions
9 to 5
Derby Theatre
November 2nd 2016
This was a show I enjoyed very much. Act 1 and Act 2 moved with a pretty fast pace. The songs of "Dolly Parton entertained a very appreciative audience. The show was very well performed by the excellent principals and a well directed ensemble who coped well with some interesting and lively choreography.
The three principal female leads, Deborah McPherson as Violet, Anna Cousins as Judy and Louise Simcox in the Dolly Parton role as Doralee Rhodes gave outstanding performances. They were all great singers plus being confident and expressive actors who dominated the stage. Also excellent were Damon Hatton as Franklin Hart Jr., the wicked boss, Emma Woodyet as Roz Keith and Andrew Buxton as Joe the office worker.
The band, that I have been informed was at the side of the stage, sounded really good all the way through and the balance between them and the performers was just right.
The very flexible set was changed with millitary precision and there was no delay between scenes. It is, of course, very good to be able to fly sets at this theatre.
Overall this was a good performance and I think I would like to see it again. Well done to all involved and congratulations to the Production Team of Phil Simcox the Director, Pauline Reader, the choreographer and the Musical Director Dave Adey who have produced a show of some considerable quality.
The show ended with a very enjoyable finale which led to a well deserved and prolonged ovation with many standing.
Nottingham Operatic Society
The Producers - Theatre Royal, Nottingham
October 27th 2016
A Triumph for The Nottingham Operatic Society
What can I say? This show is an absolute smash hit for NOS. I will stick my neck out by saying this is the best amateur show I have ever seen. It was of a professional standard in all aspects and a touring company could not have been any better. In fact, touring companies do not have as many people in the cast as there was on the stage tonight, in this sumptuous production.
In case you haven’t seen it before it is by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan from Brooks' 1968 film of the same name, with lyrics written by Brooks and music composed by Brooks and arranged by Glen Kelly and Doug Besterman.
As in the film, the story concerns two theatrical producers who scheme to get rich by overselling interests in a Broadway flop. Complications arise when the show unexpectedly turns out to be successful. The humour of the show draws on ridiculous accents, caricatures of homosexuals and Nazis, and many show business in-jokes. It is very funny and contains some very tuneful songs and large scale dance routines.
Simon Theobald was magnificent in the lead role of Max Bialystock, the first producer. It is hard to describe how good he was, both as an actor and singer. He would certainly not be out of place in a West End production. His performance was sheer perfection throughout and he received a big ovation at the end. The part he played was hugely demanding and he was on the stage for most of the time, showing a ceaseless energy and magnetic charisma. Mark Coffey–Bainbridge, who played Max's would be co-producer, was the perfect partner, their on stage chemistry was simply terrific. Mark is a fantastic actor, singer and dancer and his physical comedy in this role was brilliant. He was a joy to watch, especially when he was racing around the stage in various forms of panic, which was quite often.
Amanda Bruce who played Ulla, The Swedish Secretary with an impossibly long name, has a lovely voice. She was very funny and engaging in the role, combining a sassy physical presence with beautifully delivered lines.
Also very worthy of high praise are Ian Pottage (Franz), Dan Armstrong (Roger De Bris), Jarrod Makin (Carmen Ghia), Rob Harrison (Bryan) and Joanne Lale (Hold Me). All of these important characters were highly amusing and their characterisations had been honed to perfection. Both physical and vocal mannerisms were sublime, making any scene they were in highly entertaining.
The superb ensemble, many of whom played small parts were:
Aadyl Muller, Adele Lee, Alison Hope, Amanda Dixon-Smith, Antony Watson, Aston Fisher, Biba Tribensee, Cathy Hyde, Christine Boothe, Chris Sims, David Hargreaves, Drew Dennis, Fay Springthorpe, Fiona McHugh, Frank Nicholson, Hatty Hollowell, James Murray, Janet Wootton, Justine Lee, Laura Ellis, Laurel Fiddes, Louise Fiddes, Louise Johnson, Lucy Castle, Luke Grainger, Matthew Finkel, Nick Smith, Paul Johnson, Paul McPherson, Samantha Thorpe, Sam Jones, Sarah Millington. Well done to all.
Other stars of the show were the glorious set, very effective lighting (Tom Mowat) and very impressive and clear sharp sound (Michael Donoghue) that enabled us to hear every word that was said or sung, even when the 22 piece orchestra was playing at full volume.
Scene changes were swift and near invisible, so well done to Stage Manager Michelle Smith and her team.
The Director and Choreographer, Lisa Lee, did a brilliant job on this production. Her direction was tight and imaginative and every movement sequence was relevant, inventive and pleasing to watch. There were a number of big dance numbers that I enjoyed, but my favourite undoubtedly was “Springtime for Hitler.” This huge dance number was very well put together and danced brilliantly by the ensemble. The set used was incredible but you need to come to the show to see why.
The Orchestra sounded wonderful under the direction of the Musical Director, Stephen Williams. The vocal standard of the cast was very high: months of work must have gone into achieving this exacting standard.
This was just such an enjoyable night at the theatre. I loved the show, including the very tuneful songs and was continually amazed at the very high standard of performance. Any keen fan of musical theatre needs to see this show before it finishes on Saturday. I think this may well be the best show of the year in the East Midlands and you wouldn’t want to miss that, would you?
Nowmads
Footloose - Kimberley School
October 26th 2016
Back tonight to a musical I have seen a number of times and like very much – Footloose. It is apparently loosely based on true events.
The story revolves around Ren and his mother, who are forced to move to Bomont to live with his uncle. They arrive to find a town that has banned dancing, following a car accident that killed four teens. It’s a classic ‘youth against the establishment’ drama that has been played out many times, and in the case of Footloose, was strong enough to allow a recent remake of the film.
The show is full of fast moving, high energy musical numbers, ideally suited to musical theatre groups, especially the youth ones. However, there are enough adult and older teen parts to make this perfectly appropriate for mixed age groups as well, like Nowmads.
The last time I saw NOWMADs, which is the acronym for The Nottingham West Music and Drama Society, was for their pantomime Mother Goose. That was a great show and this one certainly continued in the same vein.
As soon as the show started with the title song “Footloose”, sung by the “kids”, followed by the spectacular “On any Sunday”, I knew it was going to be a very enjoyable production. The sound of the whole cast singing was fantastic.
There were some excellent performances from the principal cast.
Playing the part of Ren, the boy from Chicago was Danny De Martino. His acting was impressive, as was his lovely singing and confident dancing, an all round great performance. He fully inhabited the role and played it in a way that suggested a rebellious nature and deeply held convictions, but with a light touch that was very engaging. He was probably older than other actors I have seen play the part, but I was impressed with the way he was able to make the character absolutely believable.
The girl Ren eventually ended up with, Ariel, the preacher’s daughter, was played brilliantly by Merle Harrison. She gave a well-honed performance, really “strutting her stuff” and, through a range of acting skills, successfully portraying a girl who is nursing hurt and need under a tough exterior. Her singing was beautiful and she also showed what a good dancer she is in a number of the routines, a joy to watch.
Her friends Rusty, Urleen and Wendy-Jo played by Emma Heydon, Laura Collins and Lauren Belcher respectively, all did a fine job: a very strong trio who lit up the stage. In particular, I was impressed with Emma Heydon, lovesick for Willard, showing her comic timing as well as an excellent voice, especially in “Somebody’s Eyes” and “Let’s Hear it for the Boy.”
There were other fine performances from Haydn Taylor & Joanne Needham as the Rev & Mrs Moore and Lis Hipkiss as Ren’s mother Ethel. Also Jaiden Ragozins was good in the role of the bad boy of Bomont, Chuck Cranston. Through careful posturing and delivery, he brought am atmosphere of menace whenever he was on stage,
Ollie Goodman as Willard Hewitt, the thick as a brick hick, deservedly took an encore with “Mama Says”. He had obviously worked hard on the physical mannerisms of his character, as well as making the absolute most of the comic potential. His slow, Southern drawl and measured pauses got all the humour possible out of the lines, a really lovely portrayal.
There was a lot for the excellent ensemble to do, including some great numbers such as “Holding Out For A Hero,” “Mama Says,” “Still Rockin’” and of course the title song, “Footloose.”
In addition to the actors already mentioned there were also
Neil Thompson (Wes), Graham Lambert Coach Dunbar), Claire Hawksworth (Eleanor Dunbar), Richard Harvey (Traffic Cop), Carole De Martino (Betty), Gillian Williams (Principal) and Tom Bailey (Cowboy Bob), Kathy Taylor (Lulu Warnicker). All were thoroughly committed and working to a high standard.
The Director, Martin Belcher, Choreographers, Jane Clark and Merle Harrison and the Musical Director, Roger David, are I am sure, very proud of this cast who achieved such a stonking success in all areas tonight.
The direction by Martin was tight and pacey and so carefully plotted that the action moved seamlessly: the attention of the audience remained riveted throughout. Clever use of the auditorium, set and lighting meant that we always knew where to look and were transported from one scene to another effortlessly.
The same attention to detail in the choreography was obvious: every dance or movement sequence was lively, appropriate and engaging and thoroughly complemented the music. The band, directed by Roger, sounded great and never over dominated the performers; it was wonderful to be able to hear every word and every lyric!
The whole show was very slick with swift scene changes - well done to Jo Chamberlain and his crew - a bright set, excellent lighting, clear sound and some very imaginative costumes, all of which helped to make this theatre experience a delight from beginning to end.
If you want a great night out which will have you clapping, tapping your feet, laughing and maybe singing along with hits like “Holding Out for a hero,” get along to Kimberley School before the show ends on Saturday.
Beeston Musical Theatre Group
The Wedding Singer - Duchess Theatre
October 25th 2016
Review of the Wedding Singer - Beeston Musical Theatre Group - Duchess Theatre October 25th 2016
Last night at the Duchess Theatre we were taken back to the 1980’s and reminded of big hairstyles, shoulder pads and brightly coloured clothes. The Wedding Singer is based on the 1998 Adam Sandler movie of the same name and follows the story of Robbie Hart, a charming and entertaining musician from Ridgefield, New Jersey. Left at the altar by his long-time fiancé and having developed feelings for his unhappily engaged co-worker Julia, Robbie’s story explores the confusion and temptations of a forbidden love with a humorous script and a robust musical score.
The Beeston Musical Theatre Group worked hard to produce an evening of enjoyable musical theatre.
The principals were well cast giving excellent performances. The somewhat sketchily drawn characters were brought to life by their attention to detail, expressive delivery and infectious humour. The quality of the acting shone throughout, along with excellent singing, plus well-rehearsed and energetic dancing routines.
Chris Bryan played Robbie Hart, with Claire Rybicki as Julia Sullivan. Chris portrayed the role of the failed romantic who is turned bitter by a jilting, in a thoroughly engaging and entertaining way. He has great stage presence and his easy amiability and amusing descent into comic self pity, ably expressed in the wonderful ‘Somebody Kill Me’, were a joy to watch. His ability to perform a range of different singing styles is also perfect for this role. Claire, as the female lead was the same pleasing combination of good humour and innocent goofiness, coupled with a beautiful voice: a captivating performance. Both actors used facial expressions, mannerisms and clear nuanced delivery to great effect. Their duets, particularly ‘If I Told You’, were lovely to listen to.
The two boys in Robbie’s band were played well by Rob Holman as Sammy and David Hurt as George. Both had obviously worked hard on their characterisations, physical style and lively delivery. They delighted with many humorous moments, and, in David’s case, some excellent gymnastics!
Zoe Brinklow as Holly, Julia’s friend had an incredible impact on stage. She sang and danced her heart out and showed real acting flair, bringing the part of the brassy but compassionate Holly to life.
Rob Charles as the sleazy womaniser, Glen Guglia, was as suave and nastily materialistic as you would expect, giving contrast to the leading couple. His big number All About the Green’ was a delight.
Abby Riddell as Linda portrayed a calculating vamp with great panache. She has real self assurance on stage and performed her two solos, which were much appreciated by the audience, with wonderful style.
I have to say that one of my favourite characters was played by Mina Machin: Robbie’s Grandma Rosie. She brought the character of the raunchy and cringe inducing senior citizen to life: through excellent acting and a spot on accent. The audience were highly amused by her singing, rapping and dancing; her duet with ‘George’ was a highlight.
The ensemble gave excellent support, not only to the leading players, but also to the show as a whole, they were used very effectively throughout. Many of them played interesting cameo roles. They were David Artiss, Katie Bird, Ronja Breitkopf, Craig Butterworth, Jenny Chatten, Jane Cottee, Jodie Cresdee, Kayrakise Evans, Claire Ferrand-Preston, Laura Henson,
Rachel Maddison, Ruth Maddison, Cheryl Mills, Simon Owen and Christine Walton.
The show’s choreographer, Craig Butterworth, ensured that the set piece dance numbers were fast, slick and highly energetic. The big numbers like “Saturday Night in the City” and “All About the Green” involving the whole cast, were exciting and very evocative of the period.
The Director, Lisa Smith, is to be congratulated for the way in which she handled the big group scenes, alongside some small intimate moments, plus her obvious attention to developing the relationships between the main characters. Given the complicated logistics involved throughout the show, the stage management was seamless. Entries and exits worked almost like clockwork. The excellent set was used extremely well and the props were to hand with impeccable timing and organisation throughout. The Stage Managers, Lisa Smith and Garry Smith, plus their team, are to be congratulated for their excellent work. The costume changes were numerous and well-coordinated in typical 80s style, which gave the performance an authentic throwback feel. Well done to Mina Machin for that.
Nathan Truesdale (Musical Director) effectively managed the music as an integral part of the show. This is demanding production, as the songs flow thick and fast and there is a lot of incidental music to be managed throughout. The orchestra sounded good and supported the cast well throughout. The sound was in the capable hands of Sean Renshaw.
The lighting director, Dave Martin provided the show with some beautiful moments which enhanced the overall feel of the show.
The Director, Choreographer and MD plus the whole company are to be congratulated for the high standard of tonight's performances.
This was a feel-good, heart-warming, smile-inducing show and, as I have come to expect from BMTG, a high-quality performance.
The show continues at the Duchess Theatre until Saturday.
Long Eaton Operatic Society
Oliver - May Hall Theatre
October 19th 2016
Consider yourself well off if you can get a ticket for this show, which I really enjoyed last night at Trent College. Once again The Long Eaton Operatic Society have produced a highly professional and very well produced show.
Oliver is a well-known and popular show, both with adult and youth group societies. It has also been produced in the West End many times and on national tours.It is based on the classic story of the orphan boy, Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens, although the stage musical by Lionel Bart does depart somewhat from the original book, particularly in Act 2. It is full of many colourful characters, who are brimming with potential for actors, singers and dancers. In the show tonight this potential was reached and sometimes exceeded.
From the opening chorus of “Food Glorious Food” and through super choruses such as “Consider Yourself,” “Who will buy” and “0om-Pah-Pah”, there was a real energy and passion from the whole cast. I must mention the 4 street vendors who introduced one of my favourite songs from the show, “Who will Buy.” They were Sian Scattergood, Emma Collins, Anna McAuley and Hadrian Munroe. They sang beautifully.
There are a number of demanding roles in the show and one of the most is that of ‘the Jew’, Fagin. This was performed brilliantly by Lewis Haycock, who I have seen perform a number of roles: this was, in my opinion, his best so far. His characterisation was totally believable, as he skilfully played the part of a much older man. He acted and sang really well and was a commanding presence on the stage throughout.
Playing the role of Nancy, the girlfriend of local villain, Bill Sikes, was Abigail Pidgeon. She was wonderful in the role, having not only a fabulous voice, but she is also a skilled actor. Her rendition of "As Long as he needs me" was excellent being full of emotion and raw power, with every note sung with absolute perfection.
I was also impressed by Katie Macdonald who played Bet, Nancy's friend. She also has a lovely voice and shone in the excellent “Oom Pah Pah”.
The show begins with the entry of the orphan boys into the dining hall. As they entered and began to sing the sound was terrific; it was obvious they have been well rehearsed and this high standard continued throughout the show. I understand that some of them are seasoned performers, while others were making their first appearances on stage. However, it was impossible to tell the difference.
Well done to Abraham Collishaw, Harley Fennell, Alfie Foster, Evan Hagen, Matthew McAuley, Robert McAuley, Ryan Phelps, Jake Reynolds, Charlie Sharp and Billy Sweet.
Amongst the boys was Dominic Wood playing the orphan Oliver. He has a lovely singing voice and his apt facial expressions plus the sweet delivery of his lines, captured the character perfectly. I was impressed by the way in which he completely inhabited the role and looked very comfortable on the stage.
When Oliver arrives in London he meets the Artful Dodger, played by Bailey West who I last saw in Les Miserable as Garoche. He was thoroughly engaging, bringing a chirpy warmth and humour to the role of a child criminal, old before his time and totally corrupted by circumstances. Both boys acted, sang and danced beautifully and must surely be seen in many other roles in the future.
The main comedy element of this show is provided by Mr Bumble, The Town Beadle and his love interest, the Widow Corney. They were played by Jack Draper and Claire Collishaw, who had obviously worked very hard on creating the physical presence of their characters, as well as the splendid delivery of their lines. They captured both the comic and nastier sides of their characters and played very well together.
Playing the two characters who have few redeeming features, the Undertaker Mr Sowerbury and his wife, Mrs Sowerberry, were Rob Byatt & Liz Woolley. Their characterisations were spot on and although they are nasty characters, they also brought out considerable humour. They made us laugh with the song "That's your Funeral," which is a great example of the skilled and witty writing of Lionel Bart.
Supporting well in the undertakers were Jack Woolley (Noah) and Tayla Evans (Charlotte). They ably created the awfulness of their characters and Jack's brash unpleasantness was well complemented by Tayla's incredible screams!
John Paxton played Bill Sikes really well and he certainly chilled me during his rendition of “My Name.” As is traditional, he received many boos during the curtain calls, which is a well deserved compliment of his sinister and gritty performance. I would perhaps have like to have seen more of the action during his murder of Nancy and his own death, as both of these were mostly off stage.
There were also some nice cameo roles in the show, which were well played by Lindsay Mould (Mr Brownlow), Angela Walters (Mrs Bedwin), Martin Mould (Dr Grimwig), and Aiden Carson (Charley Bates).
I must also mention the names of those in the adult ensemble who were great in the set piece numbers. They were Jenny Carty, Emily Corner, Sue Corner, James Dalrymple, Joanna East, John East, Megan Fennell, Zach Foster, John Fox, Eleanor Harvey, Kathi Ludlow, Tony Newton, Dave O’Neal, Lydia Thacker and Ann Woolley.
Every scene was visually pleasing, owing to good stage design and very appropriate costumes and props- well done to those responsible for this.
The set was very well built and had great flexibility enabling the excellent stage crew, under the direction of Stage Manager John Woolley, to change the sets swiftly and often invisibly. The Lighting under the direction of Tom Olding and the sound by Andrew James was first class. Sound has in the past been a bit of an issue at this venue but tonight it was crisp, clear and well balanced with the excellent orchestra, which was never over powering.
The production team of Siobhan Parker (Director), Karen Woodhead (choreography) and Sam Griffiths (Musical Director) have done a magnificent job to produce this great production and should be justifiably proud of the results of their work.
The May Hall was pretty full tonight so tickets may be in short supply but I would suggest that "Who will buy?" should be you!
National Tour
Million Dollar Quartet- Theatre Royal Nottingham
October 7th 2016
Review of Million Dollar Quartet - National Tour – Theatre Royal Nottingham
Tuesday October 11th 2016
Million Dollar Quartet is a jukebox musical written by Floyd Mutrux and Colin Escott and it tells the story of a recording session on December 4, 1956, when the Rock and Roll stars Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and newcomer Jerry Lee Lewis met with Sun records producer, Sam Philip .The show brings that legendary night to life, featuring a score of rock hits including Blue Suede Shoes, Fever, That’s All Right, Sixteen Tons, Great Balls of Fire, Walk the Line, Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On, Who Do You Love?, Matchbox, Folsom Prison Blues, Hound Dog and many more. It also tells the story of how these singers were discovered and how their careers were forged and developed by “Mr Philip,”
All the performers sang and played live and there were superb performances from Martin Kaye as Jerry Lee Lewis, Ross William Wild as Elvis Presley, Robbie Durham as Johnny Cash, Matt Wycliffe as Carl Perkins, Katie Ray as Dyanne and Jason Donovan who played the part of Sam Phillip, the record producer. There were also some other excellent musicians providing complimentary accompaniments but their names were not mentioned in the programme.
This was a fabulous night of 50's rock at the Theatre Royal. The show itself was very well constructed and the producer xxxxx ensured that the show moved very quickly and as a consequence my attention never wandered. The sound and lighting were excellent. In addition to the great songs I now know much more about the singers and their early lives. There was much joy in the story, but a hint of sadness too.
Although the audience was predominantly composed of, shall we say "older people," I am certain all ages would enjoy it. Great songs are timeless and never age and that was proved last night at the Royal. The Finale brought the whole theatre to its feet and there was much clapping, singing and tapping of feet.
I didn't really know what this show was going to be like but I thought it was absolutely great. So pleased I had the chance to see it. On the way out I heard lots of audience members saying how great the show was.
Well worth going to see it before it ends on Saturday.
Derby Theatre Production
Sweeney Todd- Derby Theatre
October 11th 2016
This review is by Zak Charlesworth
Sweeney Todd has never really caught my eye and is a show I've never been able to get into, but last night that was all changed by this dark production directed by Daniel Buckroyd. It hit every nail on the head. From the moment the lights started to dim I knew this was going to be a fantastic show.
As you enter the auditorium you see a hanging dirty cloth, with the set behind it. There are two balconies either side with a revolving stage. A few years ago I saw a production of Sweeney Todd with a revolving stage and personally didn’t think it worked with this, so I was interested to see how Sara Perks’ design was going to work.
Hugh Maynard as Sweeney Todd was incredible. I've seen Hugh in many productions from Simon in Jesus Christ Superstar and John in Miss Saigon, so I was interested how he would portray the role of Sweeney Todd and whether he would add his classic soul and rock tones to the role. However he didn’t and his portrayal of Sweeney was just right, showing every emotion that Todd goes through.
Jack Wilcox as Anthony Hope sang with his heart and soul as he tried to free his love of his life Johanna. She was played by Christina Bennington, who has clean crisp vocals and acts with convincing innocence. Jack's version of the song “Johanna” was sweet and perfect and for me, better than any that are on Sweeney soundtrack recordings I have heard.
David Durham had for me one of the most difficult scenes of the show when he had to whip himself because of his feelings for his 'daughter', but he didn’t hold back and his commitment to the role of Judge Turpin was strong. Julian Hoult who played Beadle Bamford added some humour to the role and it worked very well. Mr Fogg was played by Daniel Buckley and his character stood out especially in the Mental Asylum scene – which has to be praised as it worked incredibly well. Kara Lane as the Beggar woman added great comedy and also let you empathise with her character shortly before going off to ply her trade on the streets. Signor Pirelli (Simon Shorten) was a great character throughout the show and I was amazed by how quickly and easily Simon could switch between accents.
The two characters that added the hotness to the pies were Ryan Heenan (Tobias) and Sophie-Louise Dann (Mrs Lovett). Ryan’s portrayal of Tobias Ragg was engaging and vocally perfect. You felt his love for Mrs Lovett and his worry for her especially throughout “Not while I'm around”. Sophie-Louise had everything Mrs Lovett needed for the character which was outstanding and added comedy and laughter to the production.
The community cast added a nice touch to the production. The revolving stage was used perfectly and let the audience see every angle of the building in Fleet Street and it enabled the lighting team to use shadows and silhouettes, which worked very well. Smells are used in the production and they worked very well: I've never seen a production use this effect before.
Daniel Buckroyd’s direction was good, sharp and well executed by the cast. Michael Haslam controlled the band very well and the band volume level was just right throughout the performance.
This production is a must see especially for anyone wanting to go into the industry, but also go see it if you enjoy well produced theatre as this was as good, if not better, a production than you might see in London's West End.
Erewash Musical Society
Sister Act- Duchess Theatre
October 7th 2016
This review is by Kev Castle
Here is one musical which, if you don't leave the theatre with a smile on your face, you've already met your maker and no one told you about it. And from where I stood, I saw no walking corpses. What a heavenly show and what a wonderful cast graced the Duchess Theatre in Long Eaton, and has done all this week.
"Sister Act", which is based on the film of the same name and starred Whoopi Goldberg is all about Deloris, a club singer in the 1970's trying to make it big in her boyfriend Curtis's club. She sees Curtis kill one of his henchmen and reports it to the police, who just happens to be her old college mate "Sweaty" Eddie. Eddie has the idea of hiding her among a convent of nuns until the court date.
This is a whole culture shock for Deloris, so to keep her out of trouble, Mother Superior puts her in charge of the choir, who's singing aptitude is described by Mother Superior as "having no words" to describe them. With Deloris' help they are transformed into a choir Gareth Malone would be proud of and by doing so saves the nunnery from being closed down.Curtis and his friends in the meantime though are determined to find Deloris and intend to make sure that she doesn't tell anyone else about what she had seen...ever!
There are quite a few new faces and names in the Erewash Musical Society's production and they fit in like a musical jigsaw puzzle.
Taking on the role of Deloris and filling those funky FM boots is the funky and fabulous Dionne Reid. Dripping with soul and 70's sexiness she belted out those heaven sent retro disco belters, despite just recently being struck down with laryngitis. Worthy of that Donna Summer white fox fur if you ask me! Dionne had some fabulous costumes to wear but saved the best till the curtain call. Great glamour and style all wrapped around a voice that reminded me of soul singer Oleta Adams. Take Me To Heaven... yes she did. Fabulous Baby...yes she was.
Curtis, the nasty man boyfriend and mobster was played with true devilish delight by Adam Richmond. Loved the way he relished telling us all about what he would do to Deloris when he found her in his song "When I Find My Baby". Oozing evilness with that nasty grin (Curtis that is not Adam), I even heard someone booing at the curtain call. A tribute to the acting skills of the very nice in real life, Adam.
I've always loved the comedy provided by Curtis' henchmen Pablo (Lewis Haycock), Joey (Kheenan Jones) and his roped in nephew T.J (Jack Readyhoof). Their song, "Lady In The Long Black Dress" is a comical classic in musical theatre and they milked the comedy value to the max, getting the ladies in the audience screaming with delight. I half expected a pair of knickers to be tossed on stage. Loved the cheesy choreography for their routine, which by the looks of it, they also rather enjoyed.
Eddie was played by Phil Brookes. I'm not sure if Phil is one of the new members as I don't think I can remember seeing him in the past, but if he is, what a find! Lovely characterisation of the policeman who has dreams of being "that guy", and what a lovely tone to his singing voice. i apologise if Phil has been in past productions and I didn't remember, but after this performance, I won't forget Mr Brookes.
Tracey Renshaw (Mother Superior) was just sublime to watch, as were all the nuns. Loved Chrissie Oakden as Sister Mary Lazarus, the leader of the choir and Ellie Simmonds as Sister Mary Robert, who did a gorgeous version of "The Life I Never Led".
A very entertaining cast of nuns which were made up of Fiona Wright, Joan Clarke, Maria Lawrence, Alysha Gomes, Clare Toska, Alex Tavener,Christine Hewitt, Emily Oakden, Erin Keogh,Karen Robbins, Heather Howe, Gill Cooke. Laurie Trott, Leah Thompson, Kay Cocks, Sophie Robbins and Sue Hagan. Keith Butcher played a very funky Monsignor O'Hara.
Other cast members were Martin Lewis, Gary Lever, Martin Mould, James Rayner and Nick Buckthorpe.
The music is always really good at the Duchess and tonight really captured that 1970's feel with the orchestra directed by musical theatre's equivalent of the incredible shrinking man, Dave Dallard. I felt like busting out an afro and flares listening to the evocative musical tracks. You could almost imagine John Shaft aka Richard Roundtree walking through the doors. Wonderful.
The sets came alive before your very eyes. It was if you were on a film set with the wonderful projections designed by Paul Young from Scenery Projections. You could often forget that you weren't in a nunnery or on that San Franciscan sidewalk outside the Dive Bar.
Twin that with the disco style, lighting from Dave Martin and Matthew Cook and the sound production of Ben Tennett and this production didn't just come alive, it exploded in a visual and aural extravaganza which had the audience clapping along.
Must not forget the magical retro choreography from Carol Lawson who made the party swing as well as the wonderful costumes, not just for Deloris but for the whole cast from Triple C Costumiers.
If you've nothing to do on Saturday, and that is if you're lucky enough to get a ticket because this week has been a sell out, go and see "Sister Act" because, brother, you're in for the most heavenly of musicals. Did i love it? It was Fabulous Baby!!
Sarah Walker Smith
The Legend of Lady Rock - Nottingham Contemporary
October 6th 2016
Last night I was delighted to have been in the audience for the World Premiere of a locally written and produced musical drama, The Legend of Lady Rock. The story has been around for a very long time in distant parts of Scotland, although not much is known about the accuracy of the legend. In essence it concerns the dark deed of Lachlan Cattanach, Chief of the Clan Mclean, who left his new wife on a tidal rock in the Firth of Lorne, around the turn of the century. This inspired the author of this production, Sarah Walker Smith, to fill in some of the gaps in the story and produce the version of the dark tale we saw here tonight.
The story is told in words, music and songs by a cast of very talented actors. Playing the lead of Lachlan is Joe Heap, who has in the past performed in the West End and toured in a number of musicals. His performance was dynamic and full of emotion and his singing voice is excellent. His portrayal of the chief who spiralled into despair was powerful and completely engaging.
His first wife Catherine, who disappointed him by not providing him with a son, is played by Lindsey Hancock. Her characterisation is brilliant, mixing a kind and loving personality with a touch of Shakespeare's Shrew. Her singing voice was a joy to listen to.
Julie Matthews plays the scheming sister of Catherine and she brilliantly combines the personality of a devoted servant with an evil woman who plots the downfall of several characters. She sang "Its Time Now" powerfully, which showcased her fabulous voice.
I loved the voice of Rosie Carter who played Lachlan first love, Megan. She sang beautifully, portraying the character of the dumped girl with sincerity and a natural warmth.
Matt Wesson was impressive as the constantly worried servant who reminded everyone that there can be love and peace alongside hatred and violence.
The rest of the cast were also superb singers and high quality actors. They were Jackie Dunn (Meghan's Sister), Abby Wells (Marion), Graham Ward (Campbell, Earl of Argyll), Rob Goll (Jon, Catherine's Brother), Sean Goodwin (Hector, Lachlan's son).
This is very much an ensemble piece, with some of the story being told by the excellent story tellers, Ali Biller, Monique Henry, Gareth Morris, Doug Smith, and Laura Thurman.
Having noted the high quality of all in the cast, I have to say that the superb set, fantastic wall projections and the very well devised lighting plot by Nick Gale and the crisp sound by Simon Carter, contributed greatly to the power, quality and atmosphere of the show. I don't think I was the only one who was struck by the set by Mark James as soon as entering the auditorium. The projections on the huge back wall were by Peter Hodgkinson and were very impressive indeed. They were often subtle and only complemented the action in front and did not, as some I have seen, distract. The Stage Management by Tim Biller and Amy Rogers Gee was excellent. Congratulations also to Rachael Rees the Assistant Producer and Rebecca Gale, the Production Assistant.
The writer and director, Sarah Walker-Smith certainly chose this performance space well. There is no stage, no wings, just a very large and adaptable space; it suited the setting of the drama perfectly as did the props and set. The "Rock" was the centre piece of the stage and was used for a number of dramatic scenes. The only thing that very slightly detracted from its use was rather loud noises from the wheels when it was rotated.
The costumes throughout the production were very attractive and looked authentic to the times, as did the props. Ali Shepherd and Heidi Hargreaves were responsible for this.
The musical director, Chris Rees, interpreted Sarah's music brilliantly and must be congratulated for ensuring that the whole cast were vocally excellent. When they opened the show with "The Sons of Gilean”, the whole space reverberated with a most wonderful sound. Throughout the piece there is a joyous combination of operatic style narrative and beautiful, more modern melodies. I hope there might be a CD eventually.
So it's well done to all involved for producing such a powerful and meaningful drama.
Just one suggestion. Although I was immersed in the story for most of the time I think the second act might be a little on the long side and could benefit from a little editing to keep up the fast pace of Act 1. That said I still loved it. It is a production of quality in all areas and I would strongly recommend getting here to see it before it ends.
Finally, I must once again mention Sarah, whose project this has been for the past 15 years. She conceived the story, wrote the script, composed the music and directed the show, a mammoth labour of love. How she did all that is a story in itself.
Please support her and the exceptionally talented and hard working cast and production team. You will not be disappointed, as this is something rather different and of great quality.
Encore Performing Arts
Singing In The Rain- Arts Theatre
September 27th 2016
The 1952 Singin’ in the Rain musical is one of the most well known, well-loved films of all time, so adapting it for the stage could be a bit of a risk. But Encore Performing Arts have managed brilliantly at the Nottingham Arts Theatre. They have once again (this is there 4th show since launching) proved what a highly professional company they are. This, in my opinion, is their best production to date with almost perfection in every department.
It is set in Hollywood in the late twenties, when Don Lockwood and Lina Lamont are the stars of the silver screen with the silent film company, Monumental Pictures. However, disaster almost strikes with the arrival of the new-fangled invention (it will never catch on), the Talking Picture.
But as the transition to ‘talkies’ proves difficult for the golden couple, as their first foray, ‘The Duelling Cavalier’ is beset with difficulties most notably being Miss Lamont’s hugely irritating voice and inability to sing.
It takes a disastrous test screening for Lockwood’s best friend and partner in crime Cosmo Brown to suggest turning the show into a musical, and for Lina’s voice to be overdubbed by the hotshot starlet Kathy Selden. The rest, as they say, is history.
I am delighted to say that Encore stayed close to the film for this stage adaptation. The Director, the very talented Adam Guest, who I am pleased to say played two cameo roles, is to be congratulated for the way he did this while making it feel lively and fresh.
There are many fabulous songs and dance routines in this show but for me “Make ‘em Laugh,” “Good Morning,” “Beautiful Girl,” “Broadway Rhythm” and the title song “Singing in the Rain,” were simply the best.
The leading quartet of principal performers got their performances absolutely spot on, with Mitch Gamble as Don Lockward sounding very much like the much beloved Gene Kelly who played the part in the film. He danced very well coping with some complex tap routines with aplomb. He was very at home on the stage and his performance of “Singing In The Rain” was superb despite him being soaked. This was, I feel, Mitch’s finest performance to date.
Lisa Ambalavanar as Don’s love interest Kathy Seldon has a superb singing voice and looked so good on stage, bringing considerable emotion to the role when it was needed. She is also a very good dancer with a natural acting style and good comedy timing.
Lucas Young as Cosmo, Don’s friend, was quite superb and for a 17-year-old was quite exceptional. He inhabited this incredibly difficult role and never came out of character. He had to sing, dance and produce well timed physical comedy which he did with a magic that transfixed me and I guess the rest of the audience. He has to be a performer to look out for in the future on the professional stage.
Alice Wright certainly brought the part of Lina Lamount to life and had (I hope acted) a fantastically awful voice, often screeching like a demented creature from the lagoon! She also brought out the nasty side of the sugary film star very well indeed. I did like her great performance of the song “What’s Wrong With Me” which was very well sung in Act 2.
This show had an incredibly rich variety of talented performers many of whom played cameo roles as well as being in some dance routines. Well done to them all. Mike Evans (RF Simpson), Tom Preston (Roscoe Dexter) – I loved the beard and moustache by the way, Jacob Lloyd (Sid Philips), Adam Guest (Vocal Coach), Sam Ward (production Tenor), Brent Lloyd (Little Cosmo) and Kian Lloyd (Little Don).
I must mention Sandy Lane as the Hollywood Radio reporter. This was another superb performance from this very talented performer. You may remember her in Fawty Towers as Mrs Richards? Need I say more?
This show to succeed needs a very strong ensemble which has to dance well. This group certainly had that and the choreographer Sian Scattergood did a brilliant job bringing it often up to a professional standard. They were:
Lucy Bailey, Rachel Barry, Rebecca Drysdale, Dan Gribbin, Harry Ilyk, Jess Lacy, Becky Morley, Cibele Ponces-Alvarenga, Sam Ward, Helen Whittle and Jess Woods.
This show is by no means an easy one to stage particularly as it requires considerable technical expertise in a number of areas not least in providing gallons of water in the final scene of Act 1. Stage Manager Matt Womble and his crew of Aston Fisher, Chris Kirby, Milly Shawcross, Andrew Bould, Katie Bird, Nick Chuter and Rebecca Smith all need considerable recognition for their superb work. The rain storm was superb. The show also needed black and white film sequences and this was well projected on to a large screen. This really helped to take us all back to the era of silent films and the early talkies.
The direction from Adam Guest, assisted by Andrew Bould, was very good indeed and Musical Director and Producer Sam Griffiths and the Choreographer, Sian Scattergood, ensured this classic musical was every bit as dazzling as it deserves to be. I should say that the Orchestra was brilliant too and sounded just right for the show and the period in which it was set.
All-time greats like Singin’ in the Rain are great for a reason, and this production ensured that they will remain great. I hope it may also introduce new theatre goers to this timeless classic which few modern shows come anywhere near to beating.
I loved every minute of it and if I had time this week would like to go and see it again – yes it was that good! DO NOT MISS THIS ONE. Go and see at the Arts Theatre before it closes on Saturday October 1st.
The Full Monty (National Tour)
Theatre Royal Nottingham
September 26th 2016
And so the boys have performed "The Full Monty" and it was very good indeed. The show has been wooing audiences across the land and has done so here in Nottingham as well. It was very funny, well performed. There were very strong performances from the principal players Gary Lucy, Andrew Dunn, Louis Emerick, Chris Fountain, Anthony Lewis and Kai Owen. I must mention the young boy Nathan played by Felix Yates. He is I think a good actor in the making and his scenes with his Dad were very poignant as well as often funny.
However, all the principals developed their characters well so we were able to care about them. There were some moments of seriousness but these were combined very well with great spoken and visual comedy. The supporting cast was also excellent. The Director Jack Ryder is to be congratulated for this exciting production which was enhanced by a good set, lights and sound. As I said during the interval I liked the fact that this stage production followed the film and was set in Sheffield not in the US.
There was a prolonged ovation at the end that was well deserved and many stood as well. Tonight there was a second "display" of the boys so a photo could be taken with the audience standing and cheering in the background. What a great way of ensuring a standing ovation! Haha!
Did they really perform "the full Monty?" Well you should certainly come and see for yourself.
Creatio Arts
"bear"- Duchess Theatre
September 15th 2016
Bare, is a pop opera with a book by Jon Hartmere, Jr. and Damon Intrabartolo, lyrics by Hartmere and music by Intrabartolo. The story centres on two gay high school students Peter and Jason, and their struggles at a private Catholic Boarding School. Running alongside this are sub plots introducing other teenage issues.
This was an incredibly powerful production of a show that some groups might have avoided attempting. However, the Director, Matt Powell is to be congratulated for having the courage to take this on with enthusiasm and passion, and for the success he and the highly talented cast made of it.
Hayden Fletcher in the role of Peter, the secret boyfriend of Jason, showed what a great all round actor and singer he is. Hayden does not just sing and act, he performs with 100% commitment and conviction and he thoroughly inhabited this character. I have seen him in many shows and this was no doubt his most accomplished performance yet. He sang a number of solo pieces, but the tortured duet with his Mum, played excellently by Claire Simmonds, was a particular high spot of the show.
Georgie Bond played the part of Nadia, Jason’s sister, and she was wonderful, displaying her talent for comedy, as well as showcasing her beautiful singing. She lit up the stage whenever she appeared and her rude physicality, hilarious posturing and comic timing were perfect. I particularly liked her rendition of “Spring.” It was hugely entertaining!
Oliver Wheddon played the part of Jason and showed his considerable acting and singing skills throughout the show. He ably portrayed Jason as a mixed up and selfish teenager who wants it all, yet begins to realise that feeling forced to live a lie is too huge a burden to face. His rendition of “Once Upon A Time” was heartwrenching.
Emily Gent, who plays Ivy, has a wonderful voice and she used it to great effect in a number of songs, and she also showed what a good actress she is. She brought a gentle sensitivity to her part, showing the confusion of a popular girl who has a reputation to live up to, which she is not really equipped to handle. Her rendition of “All Grown Up,” was superb.
Andrew Bould, as the spurned lover of Ivy, made the most of his part. He gave depth to a restrained and rather underwritten character by a compelling stage presence and excellent singing and acting ability. A duet with Peter was a highlight of the show for me.
Jack Readyhoof played the dim jock of the school: a character with no cares and little regard for the consequences of his actions. Jack brought just the right level of insouciance, coupled with the subtle arrogance that leads ultimately to an act that has tragic consequences.
Supporting the above so very well indeed was Lowri Spear, Erin Keogh, Rebekah Fearn
Ryan Wiggins, Josh Birchall, Ben Jones, Sophie Robbins, Sky Marsden and Rachael Webb.
Monique Henry as one of the sister school teachers and Adam Guest as a priest were both excellent: one supportive, despite her calling and the other unable to think past the restraints of church dogma. Monique’s loud, cheerful and honest demeanour contrasted well with Adam’s steely insistence on remaining true to church law, regardless of emotional cost.
There was a live band surreptitiously hidden behind the set, which produced a really great sound, directed by Morris Foster and Martin Lewis.
Completing the production team was Stephanie Ure, whose choreography was effective and appropriate for the story and it was well executed by the cast.
The set was very good to look at (designed by Matt Powell and a number of helpers) was enhanced by good lighting directed by Dave Martin. The sound was also well designed by Simon Birchall and Harry Greatorex. Stage Management was smooth, organised by Milly Shawcross, aided by Katie Wendorf and the cast.
I have never seen "Bare" before and while I was very impressed by the production and some of the music, I cannot say that I liked it all. Also, I felt that some of the narrative is weak, relying on stereotypes and perhaps leaving an audience with some unanswered questions about the plot. However, the whole cast and the Musical Director of this particular production must be congratulated for attaining a very high quality of musicianship during the almost completely sung dialogue. The emotional richness and sheer power of the performances that the director has achieved make a very strong impact.
This is a show which delivers a powerful message that provokes reflection afterwards. There is no doubt that it was very well produced and performed and all concerned should be congratulated for what they have achieved.
National Tour
The Glenn Miller Story - Theatre Royal, Nottingham
September 13th 2016
I really enjoyed the Glenn Miller Story at the Royal tonight. I suppose, as I am a great fan of big bands, it was going to appeal to me. I have also always liked the distinctive sound that Glenn Miller produced during the 1940s.
This was actually pure entertainment which is what Tommy Steele has been involved in for so long. He is in his 79th year and has been an entertainer for much of that time. I can say that he still sings very well and can still appeal to an audience as was demonstrated by the applause he received when he first walked on to the stage. The description of him as "Britain's Greatest Song and Dance Man" is pretty accurate. Incidentally he was on stage for almost the whole of the show but by the end he seemed as fresh as at the start!
There was a great supporting cast led by Abigail Jaye playing the part of Helen, his wife. She has a lovely voice and a personality that was just right for the part.
Ashley Knight played the role of Chummy MacGregor, Glenn's friend. He is a good actor, singer and can dance pretty well also.
There was a singing and dancing ensemble who worked very hard and produced routines which were very well sung and danced. They were a joy to watch and were full of energy throughout. The other cameo roles were played very well by members of the orchestra.
The orchestra itself made a grand entrance at the end of Act 1 and sounded and looked very much like the original Glenn Miller Orchestra. There were 16 musicians who were firstly dressed in formal evening wear and later as members of the army. Again they looked very realistic. More important though was the sound that filled the theatre magnificently.
After the story had been told and after the bows had been taken there were a few more numbers sung by the cast and the enthusiastic audience were encouraged to join in. Some left their seats to dance in the aisles. This was all led by Tommy who seemed to have boundless energy and was obviously enjoying every minute of it.
This was followed by a very well deserved whole theatre standing ovation that appeared to be very well received by the cast and Tommy in particular who stayed on stage for quiet a while at the end.
This was a night of top quality entertainment that I really enjoyed. If you like shows that send you out at the end feeling uplifted go and see this one. But how can this not be the case with songs like "In the mood," "Zing went the strings of My Heart," "Sing Sing Sing," "Get Happy," "Chattanooga Choo Choo" and "Pennsylvania 6-5000."
The People's Theatre Company
Jesus Christ Superstar- Nottingham Arts Theatre
September 6th 2016
This show was first performed in 1971 and at the time was ground breaking in the world of musical theatre. Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s rock opera tells the story of the last seven days in the life of Jesus through an extraordinary and exciting score. As compelling today as it was at its inception over 40 years ago, Jesus Christ Superstar has some of musical theatre’s most legendary songs from I Don’t Know How to Love Him, Everything’s Alright and Gethsemane through to, of course, Superstar.
Last night at the Nottingham Arts Theatre, the People’s Theatre Company once again produced a fine production of this very popular show. This version was performed in a simple and straightforward way and in modern dress, emphasising the timeless nature of the story. The set was bare, apart from a small podium at the back of the stage with a few piles of scaffolding that was used for various purposes. The fairly large stage area in front allowed the cast to move around smoothly and often as a large crowd. This made for some very energetic and exciting ensemble work both in terms of singing and dancing.
From the very first entrance of the ensemble it was obvious that this was going to be a dynamic and interesting production. Throughout, every member of the cast was involved in the action and maintained their characters. They were all comfortable on stage and the director ensured that they all had something to do: there was never a dull moment and always something to take your eye.
The show focuses to a large extent on the troubled character of Judas played magnificently by Sam Barson. He has a very strong and dynamic voice, which he used brilliantly to show how tortured he was. He also showed how he felt throughout the show by the way he moved around the stage – he is a very good physical actor as well as singer.
Playing the part of Jesus was Patrick McCrystal and he complimented Sam well by being so opposite in character. While Sam was railing and shouting, Patrick was naturally calm and thoughtful. His performance was utterly convincing as a puzzled, vulnerable and ultimately broken Jesus, with his emotional Gethsemane a particular highlight for me.
Playing the sad and sometimes confused Mary Magdalene was Vivienne Tay whose voice was lovely and just right for the character. Her performance of I don’t Know How To Love Him was very well sung
There were many other good performances that need a mention. Jason Wrightman’s portrayal of Pilate was suitably dramatic and displayed genuine stagecraft and presence. Laura Ellis as Simon the Zealot and Connah Porter as the anguished Peter gave accomplished performances. John Gill as a very camp Herod provided an object lesson in playing a one-scene role – clever and funny without going over the top too much. He also combined humour with absolute evil.
The Role of the High Priest, Caiaphas was played very powerfully by Meng Khaw who was pretty frightening and his assistant, Annas was played by Luke Grainger, who was so at home and believable in the role. His facial expressions were captivating.
The ensemble is very important in this show and this one was particularly remarkable. The choruses were performed with a considerable degree of drive and clarity, with the togetherness of the dancing being very impressive. Every one of them deserves great praise – as do the backstage team that has brought them to this high standard.
They were: Ted Ball, Imogen Birkett, Danny Buttfield, Adam Chapman, Serena Eadon, Courtney Giddy, Barry Hobbs, Isabella Keen, Jenny Pike, Joseph Smith, Roy Smith, Tianya Stokes, Daisy Weston, Michael Wood.
The sound and lighting by Tom Mowatt and Richard Zamorski was just right, as was the simple set design by Laura Ellis and Francis Lowe.
The Orchestra directed by the Musical Director David Hails was very good and just right for the show, although there were just one or two times when the rock nature of score was just a little overpowering for the soloists. This was rare though.
The production team of Chris Teasdale (Director), Luke Grainger (Assistant Director), David Hails, (Musical Director) and Jenny Scott (Choreographer), Amy Rogers Gee (Stage Manager) is to be congratulated for producing an exciting, vibrant, dynamic and thoughtful version of the show. I was pleased that the scourging of Jesus and the crucifixion scenes were sensitively directed so as to make it meaningful rather than gory, as I have seen in some other productions.
This is not one of my favourite shows but this production was the best I have seen and the whole cast should be justly proud of the success they made of it. They will, I am sure be very tired at the end of the run as the effort and power they all put into it was enormous. That is what made me enjoy it more than I have before. Well done everyone.
The Present Company
The Scarlet Pimpernel - Buxton Opera House
September 3rd
Well done to all involved for this excellent production. The music was great and the orchestra was first class. They accompanied the action very well.
The three leading actors, Rachel Louisa Bray (Marguerite St Just), David Partridge (Sir Percy Blakeney alias the Pimpernel) and Craig Arme (Chauvelin) were excellent. They were very well supported by the rest of the cast and mention must be made of "The League of The Scarlet Pimpernel" men, whose two main song routines "Into the Fire" and "The Creation of Man" were superb. I also liked the very effective and very complicated whole cast number "They seek him here." You need to see that to appreciate just how good it was.
Well done to the Director, Jean Gemmell, the Musical Director, Morris Fisher, The Stage Manager, Ken Owen and the rest of the production team.
Sound and lighting by Simon Birchall and David Marsden were excellent and I was very impressed by the set and costumes (Marion Fisher).
I was not sure what I was going to see tonight but I was very impressed and certainly intend to see the production again when the Present Company perform it at Derby Theatre in October.
The People's Theatre Company
Brassed Off - Nottingham Arts Theatre
July 9th 2016
Based on the film of the same name, this stage production of Mark Herman’s screenplay by Paul Allen is about Grimley Colliery, which is set to close as the accountants say there's more money in it shut than open. It means 1200 job losses, a dying town and the loss of its brass band. But under the leadership of Danny, coughing with coal-dusted lungs, the band is somehow transformed into British Champions, with ex local lass Gloria whipping up the money needed to get them to the Albert Hall.
The play is seen through the eyes of Shane Ormonroyd, played by Marcus Whybrow, who had the not so easy task of taking us back in time by becoming his 8 years old self. This he did very well indeed, his mannerisms and delivery were so accurate that he was totally believable as a small boy. Even in the last scene, at the side of the stage, he was thoughtfully chewing the top of his flag, fully immersed in his characterisation. He is obviously an actor with talent who was playing for the first time, but I am sure not the last, with this company.
Playing the part of Danny was Graham Lambert, who is another new member of People’s, although he is a well known Director and performer with NOMADs and other groups. As Shane’s Grandfather and leader of the colliery brass band, he provided a very strong and sensitive performance of a man full of determination to continue with the band that means so much to him and the community. His natural, convincing delivery and ability to express a range of emotions were a joy to listen to.
The play deals with many social and political issues, but often does this through sharp observation, wit and humour. Providing much of this was Robert Suttle as Jim and Gary Thorne as Harry, along with Marie Rogers as Vera and Jennie Scott as Rita, their wives. Excellent, well-rounded performances here, good diction, complete understanding of the text and the characters and perfect comedy timing.
There were very strong and emotional performances from Jonathan Allen as Phil and Bushra Greaves as his wife Sandra. Phil is a tormented character and Jonathan captured the slow burn of his descent from denial and defiance into utter hopelessness. Bushra’s cleverly low key and often humorous performance gave us a strong and resigned woman who puts up with a lot before giving up.
Christopher Collins played Andy, a young miner and Amy Mondschein was Gloria, his old flame, who has returned to the village to work for the coal board management. Chris is an excellent actor and was completely engaging as the principled but hot headed Andy. And what a find is Amy Mondschein playing Gloria! She not only acted absolutely brilliantly but also played the Flugelhorn superbly in a solo with the Newstead Brass Band!
Talking of the band, they were wonderful. The way in which the Director integrated the actors into the band was convincing and there was no sense of them being apart, which added to the realism. We all enjoyed listening to a selection of lovely rousing and moving pieces; many people in the audience must be hoping to hear some more performances by this talented brass band. There were fine supporting performances from Molly Benner, Alex Williams, Jude Forsey, Molly Fitches, Barbara Benner, Mike Newbold, Lucy Wakefield, Tina Valambhia, Roy Smith, Vernon Lloyd and Mark "Sev" Davies.
The play was very well directed by Chris Mercer, assisted by Mike Pearson. A lot of work with the cast must have gone into analysing the text and developing the profiles of these wholly believable characters. Such naturalistic delivery is hard to achieve and both this and the pacing of the story telling was flawless. The logistics of getting a band on and off the stage regularly was also very well handled.
The cleverly designed and constructed set by Chris Mercer and members of the company was well used to keep the action moving.
The excellent and effective sound and lighting design was produced by Rob Kettridge and Richard Zamorski.
This was yet another high quality performance by The People’s Theatre Company, who have again proved they can perform plays and musicals which are of a professional standard.
The audience gave the cast a whole theatre standing ovation, which was so very well deserved. Another great night at the Arts Theatre.
Erewash Musical Society Youth Group
Summer Holiday - The Duchess Theatre
July 7th 2016
After a couple of rather serious shows this week for this reviewer, i was looking, as a contrast, to seeing some out and out fun musical and "Summer Holiday" fitted that bill just right. I'd forgotten what a really fun musical this was but it didn't take this talented group long to remind me of what a wonderful vehicle for fun this was.
Based on the film starring Cliff Richard about a group of bus mechanics who get a double decker bus to go on holiday with to France. Along the way they pick up a trio of lovelies on their way to a gig in Athens whose car has broken down. They also get a stowaway who isn't quite who they seem.
Our four leading men Hayden Fletcher (Don), Thomas Judson (Steve), Dylan Singfield (Cyril) and Ethan Lee (Edwin) are a brilliantly entertaining quartet and gel well. They are totally believable as a group of friends, which i imagine that they are away from the stage, and it's great fun to see them work together.
"Do Re Mi", the trio of girl singers who are rescued by our intrepid heroes are Lucy Judson (Alma), Lucy Ledger (Angie) and Chloe Hopcroft (Mimsie) are another group of well cast members , again great fun to watch and sound great together as well.
Barbara/Bobby, the runaway star is played by Sophie Robbins. i loved the way she played the Bobby side of her character with fake macho-ism.
Two actors who I thought were just brilliant were Charlie Pierson who played Barbara's agent, Jerry. A lovely natural comic flair and a really confident stage presence. The other was Barbara's mother, Stella, played by Michelle Blair. Again a lovely comedy feel and great pompousness, and an accent that didn't waver once. As a comedy pairing they bounced off each other very well.
There were 30 other members of the cast and chorus who all did a brilliant job in their various roles, and I must single out Rebecca Groombridge as the wedding soloist for her wonderful voice. Only a minor part but she made an impression on me.
What i also must mention is the ever increasing tennis racket.guitar players who entertained us with the instrumental sections between the scenes. Great fun to see the younger members of the group having a real blast and letting rip with their imaginary guitar riffs and dance routines made famous by The Shadows.
Providing the music, and may I say they really captured the whole feel and sound of the Hank Marvin guitar sound and Brian Bennett drum sound, were the very tight band, musically directed by Martin Lewis. After performing on stage for many years, Martin debuts as MD and keeps the music swinging. Special mention to Chris Renshaw on guitar and Will Raybould on drums.
The set was great with the cinematic backdrops and the bus, Yes there was a bus on stage as well as a real scooter. The bus made a real impact because I was not expecting it.
As usual for The Duchess, the sound and lighting were of a high standard, thanks to Dave Martin, Ben Tennett and Dave Dallard.
A wonderful trip down memory lane with this fluffy, feel good musical which will have you singing and clapping along with all of the tunes you know and love. Brilliant cast, who looked like they were having a ball out there and some brilliant choreography, thanks to Carol Lawson. The pacy continuity and party atmosphere is thanks to the directing of Chris Renshaw.
You've still got a chance to catch this wonderful show on Saturday 9 July 2016 at the Duchess Theatre in Long Eaton, so hurry up, you wouldn't want to miss the bus now would you?
(Coutesy of Kev Castle)
Creatio Theatre Arts
Les Miserables - Derby Theatre
July 5th 2016
Last night at Derby we all joined the revolution with a very talented group of young performers, who stormed the barricades and scored a decisive musical victory. Les Miserables is one of the longest running stage musicals in the world and is loved by so many. Therefore, any amateur theatre group needs to perform it very well and last night Creatio Arts did just that.
Set in early 19th-century France, it is the story of Jean Valjean, a French peasant, and his quest for redemption after serving nineteen years in jail for having stolen a loaf of bread for his sister's starving child. Valjean decides to break his parole and start his life anew after a kindly bishop inspires him by a tremendous act of mercy, but he is relentlessly tracked down by a police inspector named Javert. Along the way, Valjean and a slew of characters are swept into a revolutionary period in France, where a group of young idealists make their last stand at a street barricade.
There were some excellent performances, both from the principal actors and the impressive and very hard working ensemble. From the first chorus, sung incredibly powerfully by the convicts, it was clear that the vocal standard of the cast was going to be very high indeed.
Leading the cast was Zak Charlesworth, playing the part of Jean Valjean. This is the third time I have seen him play the part and it was unquestionably his best performance to date; he has developed and honed this character into something very special. His voice is brilliant, with every note performed perfectly. His rendition in particular, of “Bring Him Home” was sensational and for me, sung as well as any version professional or amateur I have heard. He injected just the right level of emotion throughout the show, successfully depicting a bitter man who is transformed by an act of forgiveness into one driven by compassion and honour. This is a huge role for any performer, let alone one so young, but he was a commanding figure on stage throughout and was able to effectively suggest the aging process simply by mannerisms and movement.
Ryan Wiggins played Javert, the police inspector who devotes his life to tracking down Valjean. He played the part with conviction and had obviously thought very carefully about how to portray this tortured personality. He maintained a stiff demeanor and measured movements throughout, which perfectly captured the inflexibility of a blinkered individual who is driven by duty. I liked his rendition of “Stars”, which was performed with just the right level of emotion.
Lizzy Ives as Fantine was superb, having a brilliant voice and a range of acting skills. She successfully portrayed the tragic victim who finds the strength to fight for her child: a sensitive performance with beautiful diction. Could anyone not be moved by the way she sang the beautiful “I Dreamed A Dream” – a real vocal highlight.
This show does not have many laughs, but playing the two characters who do lighten the mood from time to time, Thenardier and his wife, were Alex Dickenson and Grace Orgill, who threw themselves (at times literally) into the roles. Grace employed a range of vocal and facial expressions and mannerisms to suggest the delightful coarseness of her character: these were well appreciated by the audience. Both were very entertaining during the song “Master of the House”, which Alex sang with engaging gusto.
The role of the tragic Eponine was played brilliantly by Georgie Bond, who has a voice of superb quality: her performance of “On My Own” was very moving, a real showstopper. Her scenes with Nic Gordon who played Marius, for whom she has unrequited love, were sensitive and involving. Nic acted and sang well, performing the song “Empty Chairs and Empty Tables” beautifully, with maturity and emotion.
Hope Redfern played the adult Cosette, showing her considerable acting and singing ability and bringing the rather one-dimensional character to life with a range of expressions.
Paddy Stafford was a powerful Enjolras, the student leader. I understand this was his first performance in a stage musical and he did very well indeed, coping well with the never easy music and acting with conviction and passion.
There was a very endearing and powerful performance from Bailey West as the young boy, Gavroche. He sang with feeling (Little People) and has a beautifully clear speaking voice with excellent diction and projection.
Supporting the above brilliantly in a number of other roles and in the ensemble were Nadia Potter (Young Cosette), Lewis Haycock (Bishop), Adam Griffiths Vernon (Bambatois), Aaron Titterton (Combferre), Andrea Pocock (Pouvaire), Erin Keogh (Joly), Jonathan Banks (Feuilly), and Natasha Neale (Young Eponine).
Although there are very important principal parts in this show, its success depends on having a strong and high quality ensemble and this production had just that. They sang, acted and moved well. They were:
Bianca Undy, Eleanor Carty, Ella Holmes, Erin Hill,
Gemma Strange, Jenna Gregory, Katie Wendorf, Lowri Spear,
Lucy Bennett, Lucy Chapman, Philippa Gurney, Olivia Grace, Rachael Webb, Rhiannon Bown, Shannon Blake, Tammie Morgan, and Tayla Evans. Well done to you all.
The Creatio Production Team are to be congratulated for taking this cast to such high levels of performance. They were Matt Powell (Director), Oliver Weddon (Assistant Director), Sam Griffiths (Musical Director), Josh Kemp (Assistant Musical Director), Charlotte Richardson-Astle (Choreographer) and Stage Manager, Lucy Young.
There was a very large orchestra in the pit, which accompanied the cast effectively and sympathetically under the accomplished baton of Sam Griffiths.
The show featured an innovative set involving a revolving stage and a multi purpose “barricade” centre piece that was used in a number of ways. It was effective in keeping the action moving, but did take up quite a lot of the available stage and this restricted the movement of the cast in the big ensemble songs. Also, cast members and stage crew could sometimes be seen taking their places behind on the revolve, which was a little distracting during some solo items. There were some problems with microphones last night, but I am sure that will be sorted before tonight’s performance.
Finally, this was a quality performance from a talented cast, crew and production team and all need to be congratulated for their hard work. The show ended with a sustained standing ovation, which was very well deserved.
Fans of Les Miserables will, I am sure, be very happy with this excellent production, which I would recommend you go to see before it ends on Friday.
Long Eaton Operatic Society Youth Group
Joseph - The Duchess Theatre Long Eaton
June 30th 2016
" Way way back many centuries ago," Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice wrote a short Cantata for performance at Colet School, followed by a concept album a year later. At that time it was only 15 minutes long. Its success then, plus the rather larger Jesus Christ Superstar that preceded it, led to a longer and bigger version, which is the much loved show performed tonight at the Duchess Theatre.
The story is based on the "coat of many colours" story of Joseph from the Book of Genesis. It is totally sung through and alongside the great Lloyd Webber music there are the very witty lyrics of Tim Rice, which are among his best. The show has had considerable success in London's West End and on Broadway, leading it to be a favourite of schools, Youth Groups and indeed adult musical societies around the country.
Tonight's performance was an excellent, exciting and fresh version by this hardworking and talented group of youngsters. It was musically of a high standard and was visually stunning, with great costumes and fantastic lighting. A fine sounding orchestra complemented the cast and was well balanced along with the vocals. The visual quality was enhanced by some very well designed scenic projections and a simple set with appropriate props.
This is very much an ensemble piece and I was blown away by the Chorus, who not only provided singing accompaniment, but also moved and danced their hearts out. The choreography was well designed and there was never a moment when they were not employed effectively as part of the story telling.
This is also true of the very strong group playing Joseph's bothers. Sharp and amusing routines were extremely well performed and they sang and acted with conviction and obvious enthusiasm. They are:
Oliver Ridgway, Kian Booth, Hannah Pettit, Issac Brooks, Lorley Shelton, Sammy Platkiw, Emily Scott, Grace Collishaw, Jennifer Finlay, Trinity Shelton, Billy Stewart.
There are, of course, principals in the show who played their parts beautifully. Leading the cast was Rob McAuley, playing Joseph. I liked his characterisation of the role in which he maintained Joseph’s air of smug confidence and yet hinted at his vulnerability. His singing voice was tuneful and clear and he looked very comfortable on stage.
There were other strong performances from Ryan Phelps as Pharaoh, with the great Elvis voice, Matthew McAuley as Jacob, Izzy Broadley as Mrs Pottifer, Grace Collishaw as the Baker and Kian Booth as the Butler.
I was particularly impressed by Oliver Ridgway who played Pottifer and one of the brothers. He was constantly reacting to what was going on and his facial expressions, excellent dancing and enthusiasm were a joy to watch.
As I said earlier I very much enjoyed the work of the ensemble and they all need a mention for the way they put in so much effort and concentration and always remembered to smile! They are:
Emma Lowe, Megan Trindell, Patricia Holmer, Emma Roberts, Elise Thornhill, Lydia Cumley, Hannah Glossop, Lottie Ludlow, Chloe Patterson, Jamie Lane, Izzy Broadley, Chloe Brooks and Todd Oliver.
The part of the Narrator in this show is a vital one and in this production it was shared. Abi Barker led – what a beautiful voice she has – and she was ably supported by the lovely voices of Ezzy Parker and Bella Ridgeway. All three told the story clearly and with expression and placed themselves in the action with perfect timing.
Congratulations to the Production Team of Karen Woodhead (Director/choreographer), Siobhan Parker (Producer/choreographer), Sam Griffiths (Musical Director), Rob Corner (Stage Manager), Tom Olding (Lights), Dave Dallard (Sound), Jackie Roberts / Sara Glossop (wardrobe) and the many other back and front stage helpers. All contributed to a fast moving and highly enjoyable production.
Derby Gilbert and Sullivan Company
The Mikado - Derby Theatre
June 26th 2016
The Director of the show Andrew Nicklin wrote this in the Programme:
“ Arguably the most popular show in the Gilbert and Sullivan canon, The Mikado represents them both at the peak of their creativity – Sullivan has found his own unique musical voice and Gilbert is never happier than when poking fun at the Establishment.” On Saturday night the Derby G & S Company brought a modern audience some very up to date political references and some glorious tunes, in a fresh, very funny and thoroughly entertaining production.
The production was brilliantly conceived by the Director (stage and musical) Andrew Nicklin and performed by a very talented cast that included some professional performers.
In the central role of Nanki Poo was Gari Glaysher, who endeared himself to us all from the start as he performed the well known song “A Wandering Minstrel I.” I very much liked his fey ‘posh boy’ characterization of the rather simple ‘2nd Trombone,’ who is actually the Son of the Mikado. His love interest, Yum Yum, was played by the very expressive Sharon Cutworth. She has a lovely voice and along with Nanki-Poo and Ko-Ko, showed her comic versatility in the amusing and beautifully performed, “Here’s A How De Do”.
It was great to see one of my favourite G and S performers, Stephen Godward back in the role of The Lord High Every Thing” Pooh Bah. Stephen is an actor of enormous experience and talent and his performances never disappoint. His voice is very good and his comedy timing and range of accents are pure perfection.
The two school girl friends of Yum Yum were very well cast – Elaine Bishop as Pitti Sing, who was delightfully mischievous and funny and Beth Bucknall, who brought charm and fun to the role of Peep-Bo.
John Carter played Pish – Tush the Civil Servant, with a great Yorkshire accent and deadpan expression, really bringing the part of the disillusioned official to life.
The pivotal role of Katisha, who has unrequited love for Nanki Poo, was played superbly by Jean Krzeminski. She sang and acted with passion, but was also very amusing in the role of the angry harridan. Her rendition of “Alone, and yet alive” was beautifully and poignantly sung.
The Mikado, who only appears in Act 2, was played by professional actor and singer, Matthew Siveter, who is well known in the production and concert world of G and S. He commands the stage and has a beautiful voice and
perfect delivery. His range of swaggers and expressions perfectly conveyed the ridiculous nature of the overblown absolute ruler, who is nevertheless constantly irritated by Katisha.
Last but not least, the star of the show for me was Alan Smith, as The Lord High Executioner, Ko Ko. He just made the part his own with a lot of physical comedy, as well as engaging and expressive delivery of his lines and songs: his comic timing was perfect. I look forward to seeing him again in the future.
The ensemble, charmingly described in the programme as “Chorus of Gentlemen and Chorus of School Girls and Chaperones” was excellent and included performers of all ages. They were given very appropriate moves and dances, which were performed very well. In particular I just loved the Finale of Act 1, which was sung and danced with tremendous skill, enthusiasm and passion. Brilliant!
This was a superb production and the team of Andrew Nicklin and his choreographer, Jackie O’Brian, are to be congratulated for producing a show of such high quality. The Orchestra, under Andrew’s direction, was excellent and well balanced with the performers - none of whom were wearing microphones. It is always good to be able to hear pure rather than amplified sound, especially with such a good group of singers.
The lighting plot by David Marsden enhanced the simple but effective set, which was well used by the cast throughout the show.
I really did enjoy this production and commend everyone who was involved and to quote the programme once again “it all works out in the end and everything is most satisfactory.” Well, for me the show was definitely not “satisfactory” it was “outstanding.”
The production was at Derby Theatre between June 24th and 25th 2016. (There were 3 performances].
Chesterfield College Students
Rent - Pomegranate Theatre
June 22nd 2016
This afternoon at the Pomegranate theatre in Chesterfield I watched a performance of a show that I have never really liked. However, thanks to a brilliant production and equally brilliant performances, I have had to change my mind.
Rent is a rock musical with music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson, loosely based on Giacomo Puccini's opera La Bohème. It tells the story of a group of impoverished young artists struggling to survive and create a life in New York City's East Village, in the thriving days of Bohemian Alphabet City, under the shadow of HIV/AIDS.
From the very start of the show it was obvious that it was going to be a very powerful production. What struck me straight away was the exceptionally high standard of singing and acting from both principals and the ensemble. This is not an easy show to perform, given its roots in opera and narrative singing, meaning that there are sometimes short pieces of recitative, often with non-melodic accompaniment. The cast took on this challenge and made it look easy, which is impressive for young performers.
There were very strong performances from Lucy Jenkinson as Mimi, whose voice is fantastic, Ben Featherstone as her on off lover, Roger, with an equally fantastic voice and Jacob Wolstenholme as the film maker, Mark, who very ably combined an on the surface optimistic personality with deep down sadness and loneliness. All three must have very worked hard on understanding and becoming their characters as well as the brilliant voice work.
I was very impressed with the lovely voice and powerful acting of Chloe Blake as Joanna and the incredibly expressive performance from Jasmine Elliot as Maureen. Her solo performance at the concert was simply stunning. The relationship between Tom, played by Jordan Stanbrook, and the drag queen Angel, played by Tyler Brealey, was tenderly and sensitively acted: both are very proficient actors and singers. Angel’s death and the aftermath were particularly moving; I am sure that Jordan had real tears in his eyes at Angel’s funeral. Last but not least, Luke Hutchinson played the part of Benny well, showing with the conflict between commercialism and compassion.
Although the show does require some very strong singers and actors in the principal roles, it is also very much an ensemble piece and requires a solid group of performers to make it work. This was the case this afternoon. There were some very impressive performances of ensemble songs like “La Vie Boheme,” “Rent,” “Season’s of Love and “The Finale.” The excellent ensemble performers were:
Tom Allmark, Amy Norton, Chelsea Astell (also assistant choreographer), Danielle Turner, Connor Brown, Sally Anne Kerry, Chloe Ragget, Chris Blackshaw, Kerry Anne Woodhead, Becky Burton, April Parker, Leah Hibbard, Rebecca Wilkes, Chantelle Ruston, Isabelle Allen, Beth Smith, Lucy Campbell, Charlotte Bingham and Matt Parker.
The production under the direction of Kerry Dooley, Becky Parker (Assistant Director and Choreographer), David Price (Technical Manager – lighting design), Matt McGregor (Lighting) was faultless. There was very good use of a very appropriate multi level set that brought the action to life and there were never any moments when the cast were not fully in character and purposefully employed. A scene featuring a long table, which required the ensemble to co-ordinate singing, dancing, lifting and jumping was particularly well executed.
The musical director, Jonathan Francis, has to be congratulated for working with the cast to produce singing of such a very high standard. His excellent band (Chris Flint, Katy Strudwick, Matt Chambers was) just right for the show and the venue. It never dominated the performers: in fact the sound overall was very good indeed, under the direction of Andy Onion.
This was a sensational production of Rent performed like professionals. That is no over statement. Thank you Chesterfield College for making me re-appraise my attitude to this show. Still can’t say it is one of my favourites yet but it certainly is now in my "like" bucket.
Encore Theatre Arts
One Man Two Guvnors - Arts Theatre, Nottingham
June 21st 2016
Described by The Guardian as 'A triumph of visual and verbal comedy, One Man, Two Guvnors is a glorious celebration of British comedy: a unique, laugh-out-loud mix of satire, slapstick and glittering one-liners."
This play is based on Goldoni's 18th-century comedy, The Servant of Two Masters. It concerns Francis Henshall, who has been fired from his skiffle band and taken a job as minder to Roscoe Crabbe, a small time East End hood, now in Brighton to collect £6,000 from his fiancée’s brother. But in fact Roscoe’s sister Rachel is posing as her brother, as he’s been killed by her boyfriend, Stanley Stubbers. Holed up at The Cricketers' Arms, the permanently ravenous Francis spots the chance of an extra meal ticket and takes a second job with Stanley Stubbers, who is hiding from the police and waiting to be re-united with Rachel. To prevent discovery, Francis must keep his two guvnors apart. Simples!
Well, as you might guess, it is definitely not simples and the result is a catalogue of misunderstandings, riotous goings on and what might be described as manic farce.
Encore have gathered together an exceptionally talented cast to present this play that began its life at the National Theatre, before moving into the West End.
The show was very slick and the cast obviously know the production inside out, meaning that the lines flow at a perfect pace, which is vital with a farce. I could clearly hear and understand all of the dialogue, even if the machinations of the plot are occasionally delightfully unfathomable.
The cast handled both the vocal and physical demands of this play with ease. Adam Guest is simply brilliant as the man with two guvnors and throws himself into his performance with engaging gusto. He has enormous stage presence and is so comfortable with the role that he is entirely believable and able to work the audience with ease. This all takes tremendous energy and huge skill, as it involves a lot of riotous physical comedy, exquisite timing and very quick thinking.
Fast paced dialogue and witty banter come from all the cast and each brings something extra to their character. Emma Collins is a jaunty but steely ‘Roscoe’ – a real twinkle in her eye - and Ross Lowe shines as the public school buffoon, with absolutely spot on delivery and diction. Jack Readyhoof is a gloriously over the top aspiring actor – his arms must surely ache the next day - and Aston Fisher is brilliant as a captivatingly dense Pauline Clench. Special mention to Lewis Haycock, who took over the part of her shady brother, Charlie Clench, late on and absolutely nailed the character, a fine piece of acting. Amy Clover is simply delightful as the man eating Dolly, Clive Williamson gives a beautifully balanced performance as Lloyd Boatang and Kathryn McCauley brings just the right level of dignity, barely contained restraint and consequently humour, to Gareth, the waiter. Last, but by no means least, especially as he played not only Harry Dangle, the family solicitor, but also a number of other cameo roles was Gary Lever. He is an extremely versatile and talented actor who brought so much to the play in so many ways.
Special mention must also go to Kheenan Jones who delighted the audience with his portrayal of slow - moving geriatric waiter Alfie. For a 19 year old to play an 86 year old so believably is impressive indeed: a great example of how physicality can create a character.
The set design was impressive for a relatively small space and well thought out, turning Charlie’s House into the Cricketer’s Arms smoothly and quickly, albeit behind the red curtain. The “acts’ that filled the time were varied, quirky, and very entertaining. They kept the action moving.
The production team led by Ollie Turner (Director) ably supported by Verna Bayliss (Assistant Director) and Sam Griffiths (Producer) can be justifiably proud of the result. So much thought had obviously gone in to staging the action, managing the set pieces, honing the performances and simply capturing the energy of the piece: evidence of great direction. There were also many others who contributed to this very well produced show.
There was a well-deserved ovation at the end, which the cast were obviously delighted with. I hope they survive the week though, given the amount of energy they used, as this is a high-energy show. It is refreshingly different and often packs a punch; there really isn’t a dull moment.
If you like slapstick comedy combined with audience participation, great one liners, a crazy but clever plot and a superb cast, you really need to go and see it before it ends on Saturday.
Ilkeston Theatre Company
Ax for Murder - Seven Oaks Marquee Theatre
June 10th 2016
I really enjoyed this play - a well crafted murder mystery written by Pat Cook. It concerns a haunted play, or does it? There are things to work out but I did not guess "who done it." It is a complicated and difficult ensemble play that Ilkeston Theatre Company obviously had worked very hard on. There were some good individual performances and I was impressed by the way they all worked so well together. They all need to be mentioned:
Jennie Walker; Paul Ensor, Becks Harrison-Mace; Jacqueline Dixon; Adrian Thornley; Angie Jacks; Sharon Ensor; Lucy Tanner; Ryan Fletcher;
Tracey Dean; Sue Arkley; Mary Bryant;
Rachael Flewitt; Ben Mills; Mandy Bull;
Steve Walton; Marilyn Keates; Joey Norman;
Lena Bryant.
Most of the cast were on stage for the whole of the play which means they had to keep in character for a long time. This they coped with well. The play also required good lighting and sound effects and tonight both were excellent thanks to Louis Beardsley(lighting), Ryan Pound (sound) and Tracey Dean (effects). The set was excellent, thanks to the Stage Manager, Ady Fletcher and the cast. The costumes were very appropriate thanks to Jennie Walker and Mary Bryant.
Finally congratulations on managing this complex play so well go to the producers, Ben Mills and Rachael Flewitt.
I cannot say any more about the play as I must not give anything away to spoil it. It would be great to give your support to this very hard working local theatre company and I am looking forward to seeing their next Panto later this year - Snow White.
Finally if you haven't been to the Seven Oaks Theatre go when you have a chance. It is a very nice venue with good lighting and sound.
Derby Theatre - National Tour
The Mousetrap
June 6th 2016
The Mousetrap has been the world’s longest running stage production, now based in St Martin’s theatre, London. The 60th Anniversary – and first ever – UK tour of this well loved murder mystery has been seen by nearly 1 million people, having broken box office records in many of its tour venues.
The play opens at Monkswell Manor, the home of Giles and Mollie Ralston (Nick Barclay and Anna Andresen), who have only been married a year and have decided to set up a guest house. Heavy snow is falling outside as their first ever guests arrive: Christopher Wren, (Oliver Gully), the rude battleaxe Mrs Boyle (Louise Jameson) Major (Tony Boncza) and Miss Casewell (Amy Downham) and the unexpected foreigner Mr Paravicini (Gregory Cox). In addition to the guests a policeman, Sgt. Trotter (Lewis Collier), arrives later.
When the action begins there’s already been a shocking murder just 30 miles away in London (which we hear about via the wireless) and by apparent coincidence, several people who turn up at the guest house are dressed in outer clothing matching the description of the murderer.
Like all of Agatha Christie’s plays, this is an ensemble piece and the whole cast shine with strong and engaging performances. This is an excellent production (with a superb set and good lighting and sound), which kept me on the edge of my seat, trying to work it all out right through to the end.
So what connection is there between the current murder and a death that occurred some years ago and who is the murderer? Sorry, but I can't tell you as at the end of the play, as tradition dictates, all of us in Derby Theatre were asked not to divulge the ending. To find out you will have to go and see for yourself, but remember that you will then also become a guardian of the Mousetrap secret.
All I can say is, that like many of Agatha Christies plays, there are many twists in the plot before all is revealed at the end. This was a good traditional night out at the theatre which I am sure will delight many. It certainly did me.
Carlton Operatic Society
Grease - Theatre Royal, Nottingham
June 1st 2016
Grease was certainly the word last night at the Theatre Royal, as this award winning society scored another triumph with a dynamic, energetic and stunning performance of this feel good show. The show ended with a brilliant finale and sustained applause from an enthralled audience.
Grease is a high octane, fun musical loved by many: it’s set in 1959 at fictional Rydell High School and follows ten working-class teenagers, as they navigate the complexities of peer pressure, politics, personal core values and love. The score attempts to recreate the sounds of early rock and roll. Although it is a fun show, it also mentions some more serious topics, such as teenage pregnancy, peer pressure and gang violence; its themes include love, friendship, teenage rebellion, sexual exploration during adolescence, and, to some extent, class consciousness/class conflict.
It has many foot tapping tunes and big dance numbers that lighten the spirit and lift the mood. Well known songs include: "Summer Nights", "Freddy, My Love", "Greased Lightnin", "Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee" and "We Go Together." The talent and skill of the performers meant that all of these numbers were beautifully executed; in fact this whole production was rivetingly good and would be worthy of the professional stage.
There were very strong and engaging principal performances from Mark Coffey-Bainbridge as Danny, Catherine Cunningham as Sandy, Judie Matthews as Betty, Sarah Millington as Frenchy, Abby Wells as Marty, and Aston Fisher as Jan. They were very well supported by Sam Hutchinson as Kenickie, Patrick McChrystal as Doody, Liam Hall as Roger, Paice Lees as Sonny, Amy Rogers-Gee as Patty, Sophie Petruccio as Cha-Cha DiGregorio, James Murray as Eugene, Ross Lowe as Vince Fontaine, Graham Ward as Johnny Casino, Matt Wesson as Teen Angel, Michelle Smith as Miss Lynch and Zoe Scott-Smith as Blanche.
The excellent ensemble (some cameo performances as well) delighted us with the high quality song and dance routines. They were, Adam Collishaw, Helen Tunnicliff, Rosie Carter, Gareth Morris, Laura Thurman, Alison Stones, Hannah Rogers-Gee, Bethany Wear, Celine McKeown, Katherine McNamara, Sarah Hill, Tia Elvidge, Ellie Monterosso, Lucy Bailey, Laurence Grandy, Emily Newsome, Bekki Wilson, Maya Thompson, Eva Sheppard, Alice Wright, Olivia Jones, Charleigh Hurst, David Hurt.
Well done to Amanda Hall, the Director and her talented production team, Jessica Royce (the Assistant Director and Assistant Choreography), Rachael Rees (the choreographer), Chris Rees (the Musical Director) - for producing a show of great quality and with a freshness that made this interpretation their very own. The band was superb and accompanied the cast sympathetically.
The simple but effective tiered set designed by Amanda Hall and Tom Mowat was just right for the needs of the production. The lighting plot by Tom Mowat and the sound controlled by Rob Kettridge was excellent. Scene changes were very smooth under the direction of the Stage Manager, Vicky Johnson and her large and obviously well drilled stage crew. The costume designs by Alison Stones were most evocative of the period and were complemented by appropriate hairstyles and well chosen contemporary props.
The show ended with a breathtaking finale - one of the best I have seen for a very long time. You can't beat a good finale and this one gave us all the chance to join in with the songs again and to clap for all we were worth, to give the cast all the credit they deserved. It was fully choreographed and performed with remarkably high energy and enthusiasm. It was worth coming to see the show just for that.
Go and see this show - you will love it!! Tonight’s audience left the theatre with lots of smiles and that is what going to the theatre is about isn't it? Enjoying yourself. I love to listen to the buzz of conversation when leaving the theatre and to pick up some words. Tonight the words were "brilliant." "really good," "great singing" and from one younger person, "can we come again?."
Croatio Arts (Community)
Little Shop of Horrors - Nottingham Arts Theatre
April 22nd 2016
Last night I went to see a performance of one of my favourite musicals, Little Shop of Horrors and once again, I loved it.
This high-energy show was performed very well by an enthusiastic and talented cast.
Little Shop is about a florist shop worker who raises a plant that feeds on human blood and flesh. The music, is composed in the style of early 1960s rock and roll, doo-wop and early Motown, includes several well-known tunes, including the title song, "Skid Row (Downtown)", "Somewhere That's Green", and "Suddenly, Seymour".
The lead role of Seymour was played to perfection by Tom Stanley. He was excellent in the role and his comic timing was a joy to watch. His manic descent into doing the wrong things in order to keep the plant alive was excellent. He has a great singing voice as well and I particularly liked his performance of “Grow for me” - There was a lot of emotion in that.
Audrey was played by Katy Freeman. Her characterisation of the badly done to woman, who eventually falls for Seymour, was outstanding, Her acting and singing was first class and her performance of “Somewhere that's green” was superb.
Mushnik, the owner of the flower shop in which most of the action takes place, was played by Adam Guest. Adam always excels in all the roles he plays and tonight was no exception. His duet, “Mushnik and Son” with Tom was extremely well done and was very funny.
I was particularly impressed by Jack Readyhoof, who played Audrey’s violent boyfriend and a sadistic dentist. He was outstanding in the role. His interpretation of what could be a shallow caricature was dynamic, exciting and interesting. His comedy timing was exact, but he was also very scary at times. I think I may well think about him with some trepidation when I next get to the dentists!
A special mention must be made of the girls singing some of the backing vocals Laura Jones (Crystal), Georgie Bond (Ronnette), Aine O'Neil(Chiffon) plus The Rockets who also sang very well - Laura Jacobs, Eleanor Mallinson, Rebekah Fearn. They were all fabulous and looked good in assorted colourful 60’s costumes.
The standard of singing throughout was excellent, some wonderfully powerful solos and lovely ensemble work from the talented group of singers and dancers. The excellent dancers, singers and ensemble members complimented the principles in so many ways and deserve a name check, each and every one of them. They were ….. Charlotte Richardson, Alex Richardson, Laura Tracey, Josephine Walker, Josh Birchall, Kheenan Jones, Andrew Bould and Ray Elliott. There were also a few guest appearances from the director – Matt Powell. Well, I suppose he has to keep an eye on everyone!
Praise indeed must go to the hard work of the Musical Director Martin Lewis for helping the whole cast to achieve such a high vocal standard. His band was first class and the balance between them and the performers was just perfect.
The star of this show is, of course, Audrey 2, the plant that grows into a blood-eating monster. This is achieved by models of different sizes concluding with a very large one, which can consume human bodies and does so with great pleasure. Achieving this is not an easy matter, but in this production the operator, Milly Shawcross, did a great job as did the “voice of Audrey 2,” Phil Stanley.
This was a polished production, with good lighting and sound, an appropriate and well-used set, barely noticeable set changes, good movement and dance routines, some splendid costumes and a very committed and talented cast. Congratulations go to the show’s production team of Matt Powell, the Director, Kheenan Jones, Assistant Director, Charli Ricoh, the choreographer and those many others who were involved in the technical aspects of the show under the direction of the Stage Manager, Andrew Bould.
Overall this was a seamless production with a ‘wow’ factor, which delighted the audience. This was Creatio’s first production and it has certainly raised the bar to a very high level. After tonight I can’t wait for their next two productions of Les Miserables, Schools Edition, at Derby Theatre in July and bare at the Duchess Theatre in Long Eaton in September.
Well done to Matt Powell who not only directed this production brilliantly but is also is the brains and powerhouse behind Creatio Theatre Arts. This is a show that I would recommend everyone goes and sees.
Centre Stage
Fame - Robert Ludlum Theatre
April 22nd 2016
Fame “remember my name” – I for one will certainly remember it after tonight’s excellent performance by Centre Stage Theatre Arts at The Robert Ludlam Theatre in Derby. The cast were I, I think, aged between 12 and 16 (sorry if that is wrong).
The musical, based on the 1980 film of the same name, tells the story of students who go to the High School of Performing Arts, among them fame-obsessed Carmen, ambitious actress Serena, wisecracking comedian/bad boy Joe, quiet flute playing Schlomo, talented but dyslexic dancer Tyrone, determined actor Nick, overweight dancer Mabel, and dancer Iris.
There are some great toe tapping songs featured in the show which include: Hard Work, There She Goes!, Fame, Bring on Tomorrow, Mabel's Prayer and Let's Play a Love Scene.
In tonight’s performance there were some very strong performances from the principals, led by Tamara Morgan as Carmen Diaz, Marcus Bush as Schlomo Metzenbaum, Natasha Neale as Serena Katz, Joe Barker as Tyrone Jackson, Will Evans as Nick Piazza, Iggi Duncan as Jose ‘Joe’ Vegas, Ruby Newcombe as Mabel Washington and Hanna Bricklebank as Iris Kelly. There is a range of great talent here, including exceptionally strong vocals, playing of individual instruments and fine delivery of lines.
They were very well supported by Alice Proudler as Grace ‘Lambchops’ Lamb, Isaac Levitt as Goodman ‘Goody’ King, Emilia Palfreyman as Miss Sherman, Emma Merrey as Miss Bell, Nic Gordon as Mr Myers and Christina Allen as Ms Sheinkopf. Again, engaging individual performances and some lovely solos.
There was an impressively supportive and talented ensemble of singers and dancers:
Amy Brownhill, Amy Burchell, Holly Burchell, Matthew Carrington, Charlotte Crane, Romilly Das, Izaac Drew, Phoebe Drew,
Megan Frisby, Jasmine Harrison, Tabitha Hartshorn, Alisha Hunter, Ethan Jones, Amber Lord, Lilja-Mai McKevitt, Chloe Merrey,
Lily Morris, Nadia Potter, Luke Preston-Davies, Hannah Riley, Katie Ringer, James Spink, Eleanor Wentworth, Bailey West, Nathan Wilson
The Creative team of Bethany Bennet (Director), Bethan Davies, James Rayner (Musical Directors), Josephine Walker and James Rayner (choreographers), are to be congratulated on producing a show of such high quality. Not only was there some excellent dancing and singing but some very powerful and moving drama, as well. This was particularly impressive as the cast were so young; a lot of work must have gone in to developing character and honing delivery.
I must at this point mention the “Fame Band” that was brilliant and never once overpowered the singers.
The sound, under the control of Dave Dallard and Harry Greatorex was just right and there was excellent lighting from Brian Counter and Richard Eymes. The Stage Management/ set crew of Steve Thornhill, Mark Birch and Lee Hartshorn had obviously worked hard to make everything look good and the production move so smoothly.
I really enjoyed this show, which was punchy, exciting, energetic, exuberant and provided superb entertainment. It was great to see young actors of such talent working with each other to produce something so impressive.
Fame has as an important message for young and old – never give up, believe in yourself, always having a go, support each other and you will achieve what you want. The cast did that tonight and brought the message alive for us all.
Well done to all involved and for giving me another (the third this week) great night out at the theatre.
The Heanor Musical Theatre Company
Rock of Ages - Palace Theatre, Mansfield
April 21st 2016
The Palace Theatre in Mansfield rocked for ages last night with the presence of the Heanor Musical Theatre Company and great rock songs such as Cum On Feel the Noise, We Built This City, Waiting for a girl like you, Here I Go Again and The Final Countdown.
Rock of Ages is about Drew, an aspiring rock singer, who at the start of the show works as a bartender at the Bourbon Rooms club; he falls for Sherrie who wants to be an actress. However, as always, the course of true love, especially in rock musicals, never runs smooth! Throw into the mix a German developer who arrives to demolish the area in which the characters live, an over sexed fading rock star who also fancies Sherrie and you have the basis for a ….. rock musical.
There follows lots of great songs, dancing, movement, comedy and drama, which all combine to keep the story moving at a fast pace, although some of the songs did end rather suddenly but that is, of course, in the writing.
There were some very strong performances from the principals.
Ben Jones, as Lonny, was very funny throughout, making the most of his role as narrator, dominating the stage every time he came on and usually making us laugh. Paul Mills, as Dennis Dupree excelled in the role of club owner with his great voice and spot on comedy timing. The Song, "I Can't fight this feeling," was brilliantly performed by Ben and Paul and was uproariously funny and almost brought the house down. We all loved it!
Tom Lucking, as the rock singer Drew and suitor of Sherrie, was ideally cast and made the most of the opportunity to sing some great tunes using his lovely voice. Gemma Blake, in her first leading lady role as Sherrie, was absolutely wonderful. Her voice was fabulous and she acted with sincerity, passion, pathos and understanding.
Paul Whitworth as Hertz Klineman, the German Developer and Brett Walkeras as Franz Klineman as his son, who spoke these immortal words “I’m not gay, I’m just German,” were very well cast and worked well together. The audience loved Brett and in particular his physical comedy, which was great.
Aine O'Neil-Mason as Regina, the leader of the anti development group was fantastic in her role and sang with incredible power and commitment. You really did get the feeling that no one was going to demolish anything while she was around!
Al Tandy in the role of the Stacee Jaxx, the over sexed, yet lacking in real confidence, singer and Kathy Freeman as Justice the strip club madam were perfectly and really brought their respective roles to life.
Everyone in the cast played important parts in the action, some in cameo roles. They were Katie Ward, Laura-Jane Jacobs, Alana Moran, Julia Harris, Ben Sherwin, Kerry Van de Broucke, Tracy Coope, Lucy Stokes, Alison woodruff, Lauren Victoria Wells, Molly Hewitt-Richards, Brianna Undy and Tom Clay.
The shows Director, Kim Harris, along with his technical director, Paul Young, succeeded tonight in producing a show of considerable quality. It was full of excitement, energy, fun and powerful performances. The choreographer, Josephine Walker successfully combined rock informality with some carefully plotted dance and movement sequences.
The Musical Director, Emily Marshall-Sims led a fine sounding band although there were a few times especially in Act 2, when they slightly overpowered the performers. This, I feel, was a problem more with the sound amplification and balance with the microphones rather than with the performers or musicians. This is, of course, a very loud show and I guess will always have this as a potential problem. However, the overall musical standard was very high throughout and Emily has obviously worked very hard with the cast to produce this.
Scene changes were smooth and well handled by Stage Manager, John Thompson and his assistant Nathan Hird. The simple set and back projections complemented the production well, as did the lighting plot.
The final ensemble song "Don't Stop believing" was sung with power and spirit. The cast were obviously enjoying themselves and this was infectiously transmitted to the audience, who responded with an enthusiastic and prolonged ovation. Many were standing.
Well done to everyone involved in this production which was very well received by all at the Palace. The show continues until Saturday and is well worth buying tickets for.
Matthew Bourne's New Adventures
Sleeping Beauty - Theatre Royal Nottingham
April 19th 2016
Sleeping Beauty at the Theatre Royal in Nottingham was a fabulous show with Brilliant principal dancers and an equally brilliant supporting cast.
The staging was out of this world with a set to die for - I can't think of a better word to describe it other than sumptuous. It was often magical but also impressive in its scale and design.
I was delighted to see ex Billy Elliot, Liam Mower in the role of Count Lilac, the King of the Fairies. He was excellent and is surely becoming one of the UK’s best principal male dancers. Ashley Shaw as Sleeping Beauty was enchanting and Adam Maskell as Carabosse, the Dark Fairy and her son, Caradoc was evil personified, malevolent and magnificent. Dominic North, as Leo who I first saw in Carman, was wonderful!.
The other excellent cast members were Chris Trenfield (King Benedict), Daisy May Kemp (Queen Eleanor), The Fairies - Mari Kanata (Ardor), Kate Lyons (Hibernia), Luke Murphy (Autumnus), Katie Webb (Feral), Philip King (Tantrum), Dominic Lamb (Lord Rupert), Glenn Graham (Viscount Aubrey), Nicole Kabera (Aurora’s brilliant Nanny), Jamie McDonald (Flossie), Andrew Monaghan (Archie) and Jack Jones (Bertie).
There was much comedy in this production as well including a prop I will not mention as it might spoil the surprise for anyone coming to the show.
You have to see this show to appreciate the brilliance of it. Of course every member of the cast contributed to the phenomenal production and were quite superb. I have rarely been so entranced and involved in what was going on before my eyes at a theatre. At one point I almost shouted out. "don't touch the Rose!"
Congratulations once again to Sir Matthew and his creative team who brought this traditional tale to life in such a fresh, dynamic and innovative way. It was full of such exciting movement and dance of all genres and was quite simply, beautiful. Breathtaking is the word and I have to say my mouth was open quite a lot in amazement of how it had been choreographed and performed with such artistry, passion and skill. Nothing was left to chance and every movement, facial expression and gesture was part of telling the story.
I have never been disappointed by a Matthew Bourne Ballet before and this was no exception. This is a production that should be seen by all theatre goers whether ballet fans or not. It was superb theatre in all respects.
National Tour
Flare Path - Derby Theatre
April 19th 2016
Can highly recommend this play - comfortably old fashioned yes, but with timeless themes that are both evocative and thoroughly engaging. It’s quite simply a good story well told, with beautifully drawn characters, nuanced and often amusing dialogue and emotional depth. Fine acting from all the cast gives the text the life it deserves; I could hear every word and felt totally absorbed throughout the play.
The wartime music, background of fighter jets and clever lighting take us back to 1942- to a small hotel near a Lincolnshire airfield, where bomber crews are based. For a brief respite from their terrifying nightly missions, three of the crew meet with their wives - plus a mystery guest - and we follow their stories of love, loss and potential betrayal. Not giving too much away to say that in true Rattigan style, love wins out in the end. Go and see it, it’s great.
Long Eaton Operatic Society
Grease - May Hall Theatre, Long Eaton
April 7th 2016
Grease certainly was the word this week in Long Eaton, as Leos stormed onto the stage with a great production of the popular teenage musical, featuring toe tapping songs such as "Grease Lightening," "You're The One That I Want," and "Summer Nights."
From curtain up it was clear that the relatively young cast was going to produce something rather special. After the opening chorus, which was delightfully off beat, the quality of the singing and dancing was very high indeed. There was instant energy and enthusiasm on the stage from the whole cast.
Grease tells the story of an awkward on off teenage romance between the central characters of Sandy and Danny and the reactions of their school friends at the fictional Rydell High School in Chicago. As you might expect, there was a goodly mix of fun, messing about, angst and ribbing amongst the youngsters, but also heartwarming support for each other through the trials of adolescence, so all ends happily in the end.
There were very strong principal performers: George Groom is a swaggeringly self-assured Danny, yet he manages to perfectly portray the character’s developing integrity. Lydia Thacker is a charming Sandy: her sweet voice and unassuming demeanour make her ultimate makeover into the leather clad vamp of the final scene quite spectacular. Zach Foster is engaging as a charismatic Kenicki, Lewis Haycock is a delightfully cocky Sonny, and both Jack Draper as Roger and George Mercer as Doody are wonderfully comedic: George’s solo “Those Magic Changes’ is a real highlight. The Pink Ladies are equally well cast: Emily Corner uses her face so well to show both Rizzo’s bitterness and vulnerability, Kaa Wood is a beautifully frothy Frenchy, Katie McDonald has perfect comic timing as Jan and Rachelle Bragg brings just the right amount of faux sophistication to Marty. In supporting roles are Rob Chilton as a charmingly gormless Eugene, Georgia Archer as the earnest Patty, Andrew Bould as Teen Angel (loved his solo), the excellent Angela Waters as Miss Lynch, plus very lively performances from Kheenan Jones as Jonny, Abigail Pidgeon as Cha Cha and Jason Parker as Vince Fontaine.
However, this show only works when there is a strong ensemble and a clear connection between everyone on stage. This was absolutely what there was in this production and director Adam Guest must be lauded for achieving this in such spectacular fashion. His flair for working with this kind of cast and show was very apparent.
The ensemble, comprising of young and older members of the society was Amy Clover, Claire Collishaw, Tayla Evans, Eleanor Harvey, Josh Jones, Kathi Ludlow, Tertia Meakin, Milly Shawcross and Melissa Vickerstaff. They all sang and danced with great commitment and enthusiasm.
Grease is a song and dance show with a number of big routines. These were super and the choreography of Sian Scattergood was outstanding, allowing all the cast to perform with confidence and it appeared, ease. The smiles on their faces during these routines were a joy to watch.
Musically this show was of a high standard with a great band directed by Charlotte Daniel. As musical director she needs to be congratulated for her work with the cast to achieve such a high standard. Her orchestra was never over dominant and supported the cast well.
The staging of the show was very smooth with very fast and almost invisible scene changes, which I have come to expect from this company. John Woolley and his stage crew were excellent and the set by Proscenium was bright, colourful and appropriate.
The costumes from Nottingham Community Wardrobe and Leos were very realistic and really added to the feel of the piece, likewise the hairstyles of both boys and girls were in keeping with the times.
Lighting under the direction of Tom and Laura Olding was good and the sound directed by Andrew James was generally good but there were one or two moments when I could not hear some of the principals when they were at the back of the stage.
To sum up, there were excellent performances all round and it is quite obvious how much this relatively young cast are enjoying what they are doing. The singing was great and the dynamic dancing was full of excitement and enthusiasm. The cast quite simply sparkled throughout and the audience loved every minute of it, the smiles and the foot tapping were evidence of that.
Well done to all involved in this excellent production.
The Peoples Theatre Company
Jekyll and Hyde, The Musical - Nottingham Arts Theatre
March 23rd 2016
Dark, delicious and dangerous, I think, is a suitable description of last night’s performance of Jekyll and Hyde from the People’s Theatre Company at the Arts Theatre. It was indeed dark with minimal lighting, a simple yet effective set, including the frequent use of black curtains and smoke. It took us back to the dreary and decadent days of Victorian England, with some excellent period appropriate costumes and it dealt with the timelessly dangerous notions of good and evil.
Once again the People’s Theatre Company have produced a show of great quality, with many professional touches. From start to finish the audience were spellbound by the dramatic story of the tortured Dr. Jekyll, who in the interests of science, turns into a monster. He then wreaks his vengeance on those around him, especially those who do not understand what he is trying to do. There were times when the fear and anticipation of what was going to happen next filled the theatre and kept the audience absolutely silent.
The part of Dr. Jekyll is a demanding one, both vocally and dramatically, but Curtis Taylor-Tipton coped with both elements magnificently. His voice is well suited to the part and he rampaged across the stage, giving an incredibly powerful performance as Mr. Hyde. I was impressed by the way he did this, not relying on any artificial make up or other aids to transform himself between the two characters. He did it entirely by the way he acted – his voice, his demeanor and the physicality of his characterization. By the end of the week I would guess he will be exhausted, but not before thrilling more audiences at the Arts Theatre. This young actor is certainly gaining quite a reputation for excellent performances in the area and I can quite understand why.
Rachel Barry, who played Dr Jekyll’s prospective bride Emma, has a truly wonderful voice and a very natural acting style, which impressed me. Her agony and disbelief as she finally realized that all was not well in the laboratory was brilliantly acted. I particularly liked the duet “In His Eyes,” that she sang with Lauren Gill, who played the prostitute Lucy Harris. At this performance, because of illness, her songs were voiced by of Morven Harrison, who also has a great voice and sang live from the Orchestra Pit. However, Lauren coped well with miming and maintained her dramatic persona throughout. She received a well-deserved ovation at the end of the show.
It was good once again to see Luke Grainger back with People’s, playing Jekyll’s friend, John. As always he thoroughly inhabited the character he was playing and his stage presence was outstanding. He sensitively portrayed the confusion and concern of a friend of Jekyll, watching the shocking events unfold. He has a great singing voice and he was also involved in some really dramatic scenes with Jekyll… or was it Hyde?
Supporting the four main characters very well was a group of talented and skilful actors: Luc Chigwell as Sir Danvers, Rob Harrison as Simon Stride; Harriett Hollowell as Lady Beaconsfield; Lucas Young as Sir Archibald Proops; Barry Hobbs as General Glossop; Paul Rice as The Bishop of Basingstoke; Paice Lees as Lord Savage; Jenny Scott as Nellie; Jason Wrightman; Michael Wood as Bissett, Aaron Hayes as Minister and Harry Illyk.
There were some excellent whole cast and ensemble scenes that were very well directed and choreographed by Chris Teasdale (Director), Lindsey Rice (Assistant Director) and Stephanie Wright with Jenny Scott and Lucas Young (Choreography). I particularly liked the fabulous opening chorus, Façade, Bring on the Men and Murder, Murder, which were particularly good. The production team ensured that these big and dramatic scenes involved everyone.
The Ensemble was: Marisol Fokes, Christine Boothe, Imogin Birkett, Fional Huberry, Barbara, Benner, Vivenne Tay, Michael Wood, Arun Hayes, Harry ILyk, Joe Smith, Olivia Rice, Callum Barr and Courtney Giddy.
There was also a young ensemble that performed well often alongside the adults which was impressive. They were Xenia Smith, Chloe Wilson, Molly Benner, Maddie Smith and Alex Williams.
Vocally this show was of a very high standard. David Hails, The Musical Director, has done a fantastic job with the cast and a score that is by no means easy. His fabulous orchestra accompanied the show brilliantly throughout. The volume was just right and its musical proficiency was very high. With that in mind I would add that overall the sound and lighting was excellent in the hands of College Street Technicians.
The Stage Managers, Chris Brawn, Paul Rice and their team were effective in the scene changes and I liked the simplicity of the set design, which along with the two sets of black curtains, supported the story well and contributed to the chilling atmosphere of the story.
The Director, Chris Teasdale’s tightly produced show was a joy to watch, despite a couple of minor scenery malfunctions, which I am sure will not happen again. He used his cast well and created a fast paced and exciting spectacle, which was thoroughly engaging. I am sure he will be very proud of the achievement of his cast to produce a difficult show with such ease, at least that’s how it looked from the audience, as it should.
And so this was yet another first class production from People’s Theatre and all concerned should be justifiably proud of their achievements. The audience certainly showed their appreciation at the end.
The Cast
Acorn Antiques - The Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
March 17th 2016
Mrs Overall or Mrs O, as she is referred to in this show, is one of my favourite Victoria Wood characters from her spoof TV Soap, Acorn Antiques. As a consequence, I was a little nervous before the show started, as I was afraid I might be disappointed: for me Julie Walters is Mrs O. However, I need not have worried as Mina Machin played her brilliantly, capturing perfectly the heart and soul of the character. She also showed what a fabulous singer, actor and comedian she is. Not only did she have the Brummie accent that is so much part of the character, but also wonderful comic timing, coupled with hilarious physicality. She was a sheer delight to watch, but she was aided and abetted by other very gifted actors: there was an abundance of talent on the stage tonight.
Acorn Antiques is a fictional shop based in the equally fictitious town of … wait for it … Manchesterford. Through the shop passed all the well-known characters from the TV show and others beside, as they sang, danced and generally had a good time.
There were very strong performances from Carrie-Anne Corner as the man hungry comic caricature, Miss Babs, and Carolyn Smith as the bumbling but engaging Miss Berta, Both brought their characters to life with beautifully delivered dialogue and perfect comic timing. Their solo songs were a delight: ‘Remind Him’ by Miss Berta was particularly pleasing. Alex Tavener chilled and thrilled as the scheming Miss Bonnie and Jason Parker was perfect as the hapless Mr. Clifford. They were all a joy to watch and listen to: their characterisations, delivery and timing were excellent.
Supporting them equally strongly was Adam Richman as a nasty loan shark with a carbohydrate deficiency, Keith Butcher as the earnest Mr. Watkins and Chris Collington as his charming friend, Derek.
I was also very impressed with the two younger members of the principal cast, Zach Foster as Hugh and Emily Corner as Mimi. They used gestures, vocal mannerisms and facial expressions so well to develop their characters of monosyllabic, slightly baffled, teens.
The show had some witty and smutty Victoria Wood lines in it - her fans will know what I mean – and these were given the delivery they deserve by the cast. However, for me it was the songs and great dance numbers, choreographed brilliantly by Laurie Trott, which thrilled me most. They were danced with vigour and vitality by a super ensemble, many of whom played small cameo roles as well.
The ensemble was: Claire Farrand-Preston, Rob Holsman, David Artiss, Siobhan Parker, Jack Draper, Katie Bird, Christine Dakin, Laurie Trott, Kathi Ludlow, Lucy Stokes and Cheryl Camm
The orchestra was excellent and accompanied the singers very well indeed. The Musical Director, Dave Dallard, had obviously also worked hard with the cast, as the vocal standard was very high indeed. Victoria Wood’s score is derivative: you can hear strains similar to those from many popular musicals, but it has a life of its own and can be genuinely moving and very uplifting.
The lighting and sound by Dave Martin and Ben Tennett was sympathetic and the set was well designed and visually pleasing. Scene changes were smooth, when they were supposed to be and there was a spectacular prop in the second act, which brought the house down. However, you need to go and see the show to find out what that is: it does involve the wonderful Mrs O!
Finally, I must say that the Director (and Stage Manager), Rob Corner did a wonderful job, as he always does. Although this is a bright and breezy musical, is not easy, particularly in terms of the narrative arc and pacing. His cast appeared at all times very comfortable with their parts on stage, were tightly directed and were obviously enjoying every moment of it. The whole cast ensemble numbers were a joy to watch and I will remember some of them for a long time.
I have to say that the show itself is perhaps not the best I have seen from the pen of Victoria Wood, in terms of the story and its construction, but the wonderful songs, great one liners, fab dance routines and the absolute joy of it all, made up for that. To put it simply, it was just a very enjoyable night at the theatre. Thank you – The Cast.
I was expecting a great show from this popular local group and as always I was not disappointed. Well done to everyone involved and I can’t wait for Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5 next year. Going by this one it is going to be brilliant!
The Erewash Musical Society
Copacabana - The Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
March 8th 2015
(Written by Kev Castle - used with permission)
Now here's a musical that isn't performed frequently by either professionals or amateurs. It's a good musical, just not a great musical, and while I can see the attraction in choosing this one because of the glitter, glitz and glamour, you need a little more than this to pull it off. It's not a case that I didn't not enjoy "Copacabana", I just didn't enjoy it as much as I had hoped I would. Maybe I set my own expectations too high.
"Copacabana" is all about Stephen who is a struggling songwriter, trying to write that one song that will make his name. He dreams about the song while he is getting ready to celebrate his wedding anniversary, and his thoughts run away with him. he is transported back to 1947 with all the glamour of the nightclubs of the period. He is Tony and Lola comes into his life as a struggling singer. he gets her a job at the club he works at, the Copacabana, but when Rico comes on the scene, she is kidnapped and whisked away to perform at Rico's club, the Tropicana, and she is set to replace Rico's latest starlet squeeze, Conchita.
Sam Griffiths is the musical director and under his guidance, the orchestra of eleven, plus Sam on keyboards, are their usual powerhouse of crispness. With such a big sound this meant that some of the vocals from the actors suffered slightly and in an attempt to sing over the orchestra there were some strained notes. I don't mind a loud orchestra because it gives impact to the show, no issues at all from me with the sound.
The choreography, by Laurie Trott, was brilliant and quite complex at times with loads of Hollywood style glamour, but I noticed that the dancers were not as tight as they maybe could have been. if you think of the Busby Berkeley films of the 1940s, everything and every dancer was synchronised and this was lacking in parts here. Some of the dancers even looked like they were just going through the motions.
Some of the dancers were brilliant and embraced the magical choreography, and they outshone the others. For some there was a lack of passion and commitment, I felt. I did however love the Bolero section as well as the glamour girls, despite the fact that some forgot to smile, and there was the occasional looking at their feet when the heads should have been held up. I can remember hearing the phrase "eyes and teeth" as these were what needed to be on show most; I saw plenty of eyes, and read what was behind them, but I didn't see an over abundance of teeth. if you're not enjoying being there on stage, at least mask it by smiling, that way the audience will feel comfortable in knowing that you're enjoying it as much as they are.
I loved the cinematic back drops which made for a simple and efficient scene change and brought the stage to life. I also loved the amazing costumes which gave the era its' glamour and decadent feel.
I loved the lights and the lighting effects and I loved the musical arrangements of Manilow's music. Barry's music isn't the easiest of musical pieces to sing, a bit like Abba. There are complex key changes and with Manilow's background in jazz and classical music, some of his pieces of work can be difficult to master, another reason why "Copa" isn't one of the most performed musicals.
Directed by Matt Powell, you can tell he has enjoyed this experience and he has been passionate about this show.
Lewis Haycock played Tony/Stephen and while I've seen Lewis perform better than this, he did make a convincing leading man and managed to hit all the big notes, which I was really impressed with. There were a few odd notes though and I know that if he is honest with himself, would agree. Lewis is a really confident performer and that's why I couldn't work out when he sung the songs, he didn't, for me, perform them. There is a difference. I used to teach and do judo and you could tell by looking in your opponent's eyes and at their body language what his/her next move would be, and I could see that level of telegraphing with Lewis. Don't get me wrong, i look for these things and any one who wasn't looking out for it would not notice a thing, so I'm sorry if this seems over critical. He did a cracking job though on the whole and I finally got to see the full passion in his performance right at the end when he performed "Copacabana".
Stephanie Ure was lovely as Lola/Samantha (Stephen's wife) and she has a really easy on the ear voice. Her dance steps were well executed and graceful and she has some really nice comedy bits in the show.
I absolutely loved Gary Lever as Sam, the boss of the Copacabana. Here is someone who really performed his songs and created a totally believable character. He reminded me a great deal of Melvyn Hayes, especially in his Hawaiian outfit, and what about that wig? The comedy in Sam really lifted the show.
As did the gorgeous Clare Toska as Rico's "old" starlet Conchita. Clare was brilliant in this role and she lit the stage up with her smile. Her accent didn't stray and was believable. She danced and sung brilliantly and she made me smile every time she appeared on stage.
Another wonderful character part was Gladys, the cigarette seller who travelled round the Copacabana selling tobacco, cigarettes etc. Fiona Wright I absolutely adored you and you really brought Gladys' character out, even down to that walk. I loved Gladys.Steve Wood was the nasty Rico and another really well executed character part which i enjoyed.
Although I enjoyed the show, this wasn't the best I've seen the Erewash Musical Society perform and that's what irked me as I know what a talented group they are and how much hard work goes into every show they put on. I feel that maybe the choice of musical could have been wrong, but you have to take that chance. For me there was plenty of great music but, sadly in some performances, a little lacking in passion needed to pull off a convincing performance down at the Copa.
The West Bridgford Operatic Society
Sweeney Todd - The Nottingham Arts Theatre
March 2nd 2015
Whether you are a fan of Stephen Sondheim’s most operatic score or not you cannot fail to admire the complexity of both the words and music and accept what a challenge it is to professionals, let alone amateurs. With this in mind many congratulations must go to the cast and production team of the West Bridgford Operatic Society for taking on the challenge and meeting it with such a resounding success in this, their 70th year.
The story is about Benjamin Barker, a barber falsely charged, sentenced and transported to Australia by a corrupt and evil judge. Fifteen years later, he returns to London to find that he has lost his wife and daughter; he changes his identity to Sweeney Todd and looks for a way to wreak his revenge on all and sundry.
Fortunately for him, but not for some others, he meets up with former landlady, Mrs Lovett who sets him up as a barber above her pie shop. This suits both of them, as Sweeney finds an outlet for his murderous urges and Mrs Lovett finds a cheap supply of fillings for her pies!
Meng Khaw gave a fantastic performance as the tortured Sweeney, hell bent on revenge against almost everyone. He built the intensity and drama up to a terrifying crescendo at the end of the show. This was shown in his every move and expression. His characterization was as dramatic as any I have seen on the amateur stage. The change from the Sweeney who returned from Australia to the mass murderer at the end of the show was impressive to say the least.
Although this is a very dark piece by anyone’s standards there are some excellent moments of comedy genius particularly provided by Sam Thorne as the pie maker, Mrs Lovett. Her comic timing was first class and her rendition of A Little Priest with Sweeney was stunning and very funny. I would describe her as an operatic Jennifer Saunders.
Stephen Godward gave an excellent, powerful and dominating performance as the sinister and evil Judge Turpin. He oiled his way across the stage while in pursuit of his ward Joanna, played by Lauren Gill, while also barking threats of all kinds to others. His performance of the flagellation song, Johanna, was particularly well done.
Curtis Taylor-Tipton gave an exciting and confident portrayal of Tobias Ragg, the young man befriended by Mrs Lovett. His rendition of Not While I’m Around was fantastic and very moving.
Although this show is uncompromisingly dark, there are nevertheless, some lighter romantic moments in it, mainly between Anthony Hope, played by Drew Dennis and Sweeney’s daughter Johanna, played by Lauren Gill. Both of them bonded well together and acted and sang well.
Other supporting actors in cameo roles played their parts very well. Julie Fowler was the Beggar Woman whose frequent “screaming” appearances on stage were brilliant. By the end of the show incidentally, she is revealed to be not who she appears to be. Paul McPherson played the very nasty Beadle well and was well suited to be an excellent foil for Judge Turpin. Dan Armstrong was a very amusing Aldolfo Pirelli. His comic timing was very good.
The large ensemble was brilliant and sang through this operatic piece seemingly with ease. The sound they made in the few chorus numbers was outstanding.
The ensemble: Helen Belcher; Clare Boxer; Natasha Brown; Sarah Carlin; Richard Ives; Jean Krzeminski; Alasdair Maughan; Anne McCarroll; Lesley Cassidy; Malcolm Cocking; Sean Collins; Michael Durnell; Tom Parry; Ian Pottage; Siobhan Sands; Wendy Silver; David Gyles; Jonathan Hall; Shaun Hanrahan; Melanie Harris; Rob Harrison; Helen Heeley; Jill Hemington; Jo Hooper; Biba Tribbensee; Emily Wright
A very clever and good looking metallic set was chillingly appropriate and well used by the cast. Director, Morven Harrison’s, tight direction made the most of all areas of the stage. The “Sweeney Barbers Chair” and associated scenery was excellent, but you need to go to the show to see why. All the scene changes were in the hands of the cast and this meant that the action flowed smoothly from one scene to the next. This was also greatly enhanced by the fantastic lighting plot designed by Nick Gale and the superb lighting and sound provided by the Arts Theatre. It is so good to be at this theatre as you can always hear every word – sung or spoken.
With the orchestra in mind, the Musical Director Stephen Williams must be highly commended for his brilliant orchestra and the very high standard of singing from the whole cast.
To sum up Sweeney Todd it is still not one of my favourites, but I doubt I will see a finer production of it on the amateur stage. I did rather enjoy the experience and it is very well done to all in the company, the production team and the orchestra.
This was a fantastic production for the 70th Anniversary of this highly regarded local company. Let’s hope there are lots more of them.
I would recommend you come to see this version before it closes on Saturday evening.
Gatepost Theatre Company
Rock of Ages
February 26th 2015
The Guildhall Theatre, Derby
“We built this city on Rock and Roll,” “The Final Countdown” and “Here I Go Again,” were just three of the great rock tunes that were blasted out at the Guildhall Theatre on Friday and wow did we all enjoy them!
The show is a rock/jukebox musical, with a book by Chris D'Arienzo, built around classic rock hits from the 1980s, especially from the famous glam metal bands of the decade. The musical features songs from Styx, Journey, Bon Jovi, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister, Steve Perry, Poison and Europe among other well-known rock bands. It tells the story of a “battle” between a property developer and a group of colourful local residents with a variety of life styles.
This was another first class production from Gatepost Theatre, which could so easily have been mistaken for a professional touring company. There were so many excellent performances from both the principals in the cast and the first class ensemble. There were no weak links in the cast at all, quite the reverse.
Outstanding in their respective roles were Daniel Collington as Drew, Sarah Knight as Sherrie, Richard Pearson as Lenny, Chris Collington as Stacee Jaxx, Simon Owen as Dennis Dupree, Josephine Pearson as Justice, Jude Cliff as Regina Kuntz, Luke Grainger as Franz and Martin Holton as Hortz. Although these principals were excellent they were supported incredibly well by the rest of cast, comprising of Julia Booth, Rhiannon Brown, Michelle Bruce, Simon Collington, Emma Louise Fowler, Ben Gray, Victoria Palmer, Stephanie Wright, Ryan Taylor and Gemma Ryan. Many of these also played some excellent cameo roles.
The production team of Chris Collington (Artistic Director), Morven Harrison (Musical Director) Stephanie Wright (choreographer) and John Dawkins (Producer) have obviously worked very hard with the cast and musicians to produce an overall production of such a high standard. The singing was vibrant and alive and the dancing was energetic, lively and imaginative. The stage was used very creatively and worked well in all scenes.
The lighting and sound were brilliant and, given that this is a loud and noisy show, I could hear all the dialogue and singing. There was a superb band consisting of three guitars, a drummer and a keyboard. They played with great gusto and the sound was just right.
The stage crew under the direction of Stage Manager, John Cliff, ensured that scene and prop changes were smooth and unobtrusive, which contributed in no small part to keeping this show moving at quite a pace.
This was a great night and the standing ovation at the end was well deserved and appreciated by the cast and the audience, because it gave us all a chance to clap along with numbers at the end with great excitement. The show was very funny as well which, combined with many great rock numbers, made it a fabulous evening. There were many great lines in the show but my favourite spoken by Luke Grainger was “ I’m not Gay! … I’m just German!” Brilliant!
Well done everyone!
Can’t wait for the next show, from what is one of the best theatre groups in the East Midlands.
Encore Performing Arts
Fawlty Towers
February 22nd 2016
The Nottingham Arts Theatre
“Basil ….. Basil …… Basil! The shrill tones of Sybil Fawlty echoed insistently across the auditorium of the Arts Theatre last night, ensuring that no one went to sleep while she was on! Not that any of us wanted to fall asleep: this stage production of the iconic 1970’s TV show about the manic Torquay hotelier Basil Fawlty, was one of those very special events not to be missed.
Encore Performing Arts followed up their first acclaimed performance last year of A Chorus Line with another excellent production, which certainly had “A Touch of Class.” Actually, that was the title of the first of three episodes of Fawlty Towers that the group chose to perform. The other two were “The Hotel Inspectors” and my favourite, “Communication Problems.”
The hilarious goings-on in this Torquay hotel contained all the necessary elements for a great evening and, overall the cast looked remarkably like the well-known TV characters that viewers have come to know well.
Graham Buchanan, as the manic Basil Fawlty, was perfection, not trying to impersonate the great John Cleese, but rather, with consummate skill, using the words in the script to characterize the role for himself. He was central to all three episodes and the role not only demanded the learning of huge amounts of dialogue, but also considerable amounts of “physical theatre.” Graham doesn’t have John Cleese’s abnormally long legs, but he brought a fluidity and exaggeration to his movement that was just as funny. He worked very well with Adam Guest as the idiotic Spanish “he’s from Barcelona,” Manuel. Adam was also just perfect in the role, bringing laughs from the audience every time he appeared. His Spanish accent, earnest confusion and innocent affability were spot on. He and Graham made an outstanding duo as Manuel bore the brunt of Basil’s frustration in rough, knockabout comedy. This is hard to do, but was a great success and along with cleverly staged accidents and falls, made for a visual treat.
Claire Farrand Preston showed great timing as Sybil Fawlty, bringing a quiet but scathing disdain for the antics of her husband, plus an air of resigned detachment that only occasionally erupted into frenzied shrieks. Zoe Stebbings, in her in the role of the waitress Polly, struck just the right note of dry humour, coupled with an engaging ditziness. Terry Stevenson was amusing as the dithering Major and the Miss Gatsby and Miss Tibbs roles were charmingly well done by Angela Walters and Jenny Carty. Ross Lowe was absolutely splendid as the irascible Mr Hutchinson and Martin Briggs played a very credible Lord Melbury.
In addition to the above, I must give a huge amount of praise to Sandy Lane who played Mrs Richards, the elderly lady with hearing problems. She was just unbelievably good, even looking and sounding like Joan Sanderson, who played the role on TV. She completely inhabited the character and her comedy timing was spot on throughout. Mrs Richards is my favourite Fawlty Towers character and Sandy certainly lived up to the role.
The large supporting cast was also of a high calibre. Jack Readyhoof as Danny Brown, Al Grant as Mr Mackenzie, Andrew Bould as Mr Wareing, Amy Clover as Mrs Wareing, Kathryn Mcauley as Mrs Walt, Josh Birchall as John, Arun Hayes as Terry, Vernas Bayliss as Lady Morris and Blaine Molloy as Steve.
The composite set was very good and appropriate for the production and worked well. The Director, Ollie Turner did a great job, bringing vitality to the scenes, adding touches of originality and plotting smooth but dynamic movements. Some clever direction had us looking in the right place at the right time to maximize impact. This was a tight, well-rehearsed show with 100% commitment from all involved, so well done to the director for leading this.
The lighting was simple but just right and I heard the dialogue very well throughout.
This was an excellent production, which I enjoyed greatly. There was so much to admire, but to appreciate that you need to come and see it for yourself. If you are a Fawlty Towers TV fan you might be hesitant to come and see a stage version for fear it might disappoint, but this huge fan of the series was very impressed and found it a joy to watch.
Well done to Ollie and his production team for what was a triumphant opening night at the Nottingham Arts Theatre.
Long Eaton Operatic Youth Group
The Wizard of Oz
February 18th 2016
The Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
It was off on the Yellow Brick Road last night, to find the Wizard of Oz at the Duchess Theatre. This was the spring show from the well respected Long Eaton Operatic Society (Leos) Youth Group. Always a favourite with adults and children, the theatre was full for this opening performance and is for the rest of the run.
Based on the 1939 film that was one of the first to be made in colour, this version was actually a revival at the Barbican Theatre in London by The Royal Shakespeare Company in 1987. It tells the story of Dorothy from Kansas who finds herself whisked off during a storm to the magical world of Oz where she encounters a Witch or two, A Scarecrow with no brain, a Tin Man with no heart and a Lion who has no courage, and a number of other colourful characters. Her aim is to find a way home and find the things her friends need from the mysterious Wizard of Oz. On the way there is much drama and singing and dancing.
The main character of Dorothy was played Beth Ward, who has a lovely voice and a stage presence beyond her years. She also handled her dog Toto played by Osca very well. Osca works at Treetops Hospice as a therapy dog, but has found time to star (his words) in his own little show! The first character Dorothy meets is the Scarecrow, played wonderfully by Oliver Ridgway – his characterization was very good and he played the part with an engaging confidence. I suspect we will be seeing more of Oliver in future productions.
The second character she met was a Tin Man played by Robert McAuley. He handled the many physical demands of the part exceptionally well and showcased his considerable ability to sing and dance.
The third main character was a cowardly Lion played with great depth and understanding by regular Josh Jones. He was very funny and had obviously thought very carefully about how to move as an easily frightened animal. The audience loved him.
Supporting the four main characters very well were Elise Thornhill as the delightfully evil Wicked Witch of the West and Abbie Harper as Glinda, the reassuringly good witch. There were also a number of cameo and group roles in the show and these gave others in the company a chance to shine. Many of them were also in the excellent ensemble. They were Matthew McAuley (Uncle Henry), Emily Scott (Aunt Em), Ryan Phelps (professor Marvel), Izzy Gultch (Almira Gultch), Lilli White( Emerald City Guard), Charlie Briggs (Commander of the Monkeys). There were also some excellent trees played Grace Collishaw , Eleanor Carty, Bella Ridgeway and some fine crows played by Jennifer Finley, Esme Parker and Patricia Holmer.
By the end of the show the friends had made their way to the palace of the Wizard of Oz and eventually met him, although he was not really what they expected. Daniel Jones, one the older members, of the group played the wizard with power and sensitivity.
As I have said, this cast did contain some excellent individual performers but I was particularly impressed by the standard of the ensemble, which had so obviously been well directed by the production team of Siobhan Parker (Director/ choreographer), Karen Woodhead (Producer/ choreography) and Sam Griffiths (Musical Director). The set piece routines for example, The Munchkin Sequence, The Poppy Field and The Haunted Forest were excellent. They were all enhanced, as was the show in general, by excellent Animated Backgrounds, provided by Small Wonder Studio. They were not just static scenes but were often part of the action; they and the excellent lighting plot by Tom Olding gave the stage at times, a filmic quality. The use of black and white backgrounds at the start and finish also resonated nicely with memories of the 1939 film: imaginative stuff. I must not forget to mention the costumes that were very colourful and appropriate to the look of this iconic show.
Accompanying the songs and dances very sympathetically was an excellent 12 piece band conducted by Sam Griffiths. It was never too loud and along with excellent sound directed by Dave Dallard, I could hear almost every word both sung and spoken. Incidentally, it is not long since this group used backing tracks for their shows and I suspect that this orchestra is the largest they have ever had, which is a great experience for the young performers.
Although the animated backgrounds were very effective, other appropriate scenery was used and changed very efficiently by Stage Manager Heath Parkin and his largish stage crew.
Finally, this was an excellent production and the production team and the cast should be justifiably proud of the result. A good production well produced and performed.
For Information The excellent ensemble (some played other parts as well) was:
Kian Booth, Charlie Briggs, Izzy Broadley. Isaac Brooks, Eleanor Carty, Grace Collishaw, Jennifer Finley, Hannah Glossop, Abbie Harper, Patricia Holmer, Jamie Lane, Jay Littlefair, Lottie Ludlow, Matthew McAuley, Sam Norris, Esme Parker, Ryan Phelps Sammy Platkiw, Bella Ridgway, Emma Roberts, Olivia Savage, Lorley Shelton, Trinity Sheldon, Emily Scott, Megan Trindell, Katie Young, Kian Booth, Ryan Phelps, Katy Young, Matthew McAuley, Sam Norris, Emma Roberts.
Nomads
Mother Goose
February 17th 2016
Kimberley School Theatre
It doesn’t matter at what time of the year you go to see a pantomime as long as it is well produced, well performed, funny and entertaining. Tonight at Kimberley School Nowmads fulfilled all that and I loved it!
It was a traditional staging of the story of Mother Goose and her family, who go from being poor to very rich upon the arrival of a Goose that lays golden eggs. Unfortunately, the wealth brings no lasting good to the family who almost lose everything as a consequence of Mother Goose’s vanity. However, as in all good pantomimes, everything works out well for almost everyone at the end. The story was brought up to date with the usual topical jokes and local references and a really good selection of well known songs from today and yesterday.
There were many very strong performances from the principal cast members. Playing Mother Goose was Steve Clarke who was a cross between Les Dawson and Ken Dodd, with some other famous comics thrown in, with a panache all of his own. His timing and stage presence was outstanding and his awful pantomime jokes were well appreciated by us all. Playing against each other with some skill were Merle Harrison as the good Fairy Paxo (an interesting name) and Danny De Martino as The Demon King. Their performances were in rhyme and there was just something special in the way they worked with and against each other. Merle charmed the audience from the start and has a lovely singing voice and Danny encouraged the usual boos and hisses from the audience whenever he appeared. His costume was quite spectacular, as well.
The rather nasty Squire of the Village was played magnificently by Graham Lambert, a very familiar member of the group who has been in many previous shows: his ability as an experienced actor was obvious. Assisting him in his plans to evict Mother Goose from her home and steal the goose were Hannah Lishman as Ella and Ashely Smith as Sam, who were very funny indeed and played their parts in a beautifully deadpan way. Their characterizations and comedy routines were very sharp and well received by the audience.
Also deserving of considerable recognition were Thomas Bailey as Billy Goose, the traditional cheeky chappie of panto who worked the audience well, Laura Collins as Jill Goose who has a lovely voice; she was involved in a number of pleasing duets with her on stage fiancé, Jack Horner. He was played by Jaiden Ragozins who also had a great voice.
The largish ensemble was excellent and I have to say that when the curtain opened at the start of the show and the ensemble began to sing and dance I was blown away. This happened throughout the show and actually I would have liked one or two more ensemble numbers.
The ensemble was: Jane Clark, Emma Heydon and Lauren Belcher (all great dancers) – Abi Harvey, Emily Coulter, Lucy Coulter and Rowan Smith (Youth Chorus).
Carole De Martino, Elaine Oldham, Lucy Hardy, Evelyn Skellett, Irene Berridge, Clare Hawksworth, Lis Hipkiss, Philippa Taylor, Alison Reeves and Jo Needham (Ladies Chorus). Philip Robertson, Pete Crofts, Robert Livermoore and Oliver Goodman (Male Chorus)
Finally, I must further mention Oliver Goodman whose training for Priscilla the Goose was excellent.
This was a very colourful and entertaining production with very bright and attractive sets (constructed by Steve Clarke and Thomas Bailey) that were changed very smoothly and discretely by Sue Campbell, Debbie Draper and the stage crew (Joe Chamberlain, Luke Tantum, Andy Henderson and Richard Harvey). The costumes, under the direction of Molly Limpets Sheffield and Sue Lowe, were fantastic and there were many changes during the show. The sound by Rob Beech and lighting by Phil Herriott was good (I liked the spot as well operated by David Draper) and I thought the sound effects were particularly good throughout. The make up by Gilly Williams was good and I am pleased to say that the prompt Pam Culshaw had little to do!
The band under the direction of the Musical Director, John Wilson, was excellent and just right for the size of the theatre, its acoustics and the cast. At no time was it over dominant and along with the good sound system ensured that I could hear every word. I liked the incidental music as well.
The stage at Kimberley School is not over large and there was a danger of the cast looking a bit squashed, but overall this was not the case. The excellent direction of Gillian Williams and the great choreography by Jane Clark and Merle Harrison ensured that the space was well used and shared out creatively amongst the ensemble.
This was a thoroughly engaging production that was enjoyed by the full house in the theatre, who showed their appreciation at the end with an enthusiastic and sustained ovation, which was well deserved.
A big well done to the Director/ Producer, Gillian Williams, who brought this traditional story to life with directorial skills that were very apparent in so many ways during the show. I loved the way in which each Act began and ended with vibrant and bright ensemble musical numbers.
Bill Kenwright Productions
Blood Brothers
February 15th 2016
Theatre Royal, Nottingham
Blood Brothers ended with an instantaneous whole theatre standing ovation which was so justly deserved. A brilliant production with a superb cast. Lyn Paul excelled as Mrs Johnstone and I can now see why she has been described as "the definitive Mrs Johnstone." Kristopher Harding as the narrator was also unbelievably good. With a powerful voice he dominated the proceedings on the stage whenever he was on it. Actually the whole cast was very good indeed. There were some other outstandingly good individual performances especially from Sean Jones as Mickey, Joel Benedict as Eddie, Paula Tappenden as Mrs Lyons, Danielle Corglass as Linda and Peter Washington as Sammy.They were very well supported by Tim Churchill as Mr Lyons, Graham Martin as the policeman, Laura Harrison as Donna and Henry Regan as Perkins. Other parts were played well by Josh Capper, Lois Molloy, Graeme Kinniburgh.
This is only the second time I have seen this show and I am enjoying it much more than the first. The production is very fast paced and full of energy. The singing and movement is first class as is the set, lighting, sound and stage production.
The final scene and rendition of "Tell Me It's not Not True" by the whole cast was spellbinding and they took a number of bows to the delight of the packed theatre.
The show is powerful and emotional and yet also has many humorous episodes. When I first saw it in London I thought "this is ok" but tonight I thought "Wow! This was something special!"
Wilsthorpe Theatre Group
The Sound of Music
February 9th 2016
Wilsthorpe School, Long Eaton
Just back from a smashing production of The Sound of Music at Wilsthorpe School which I thoroughly enjoyed. It was a joyous and charming production and all involved should be justly proud of their contributions.
This is a challenging show in many ways especially for young performers but the large and multi aged cast coped with it very well. It was good to hear the glorious music of Rogers and Hammerstein in Long Eaton once again.
There were some good performances from the principals who were well supported by the ensemble and the band.
The use of the projection screen at the side was excellent and I was very impressed with the way it added to the impact of many parts of the production.
There was a well deserved ovation from the audience (some standing) at the end of the show which continues until Friday.
(David)
The Erewash Musical Society
Hairspray
February 4th 2016
Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
(Review by kind permission of Kev. Castle)
"You Can't Stop The Beat" so the song goes, well you can add to that "You Can't Stop The Fun", "You Can't Stop The Energy" and "You Can't Stop The Enthusiasm" with the latest offering from the Erewash Musical Society's Youth section.
Now I'll be brutally honest here, because by the end of the first act, I was less than impressed but not with the actors, but with the sound. At times you couldn't hear the singing or talking; it made me think that that the actors weren't rigged up with a back-pack microphone and the audience missed out on many of the very funny lines in the brilliantly funny script. so i thought, "I've got to find out what's going on here!" and found out that there was an issue with the sound mixing desk. Not human error at all. Ben Tennett, the sound tech, managed to get it all sorted out for Act 2. I imagine Ben was sweating buckets up at the sound mixing desk while fixing it up while the show went on.
I've said this in the past, but it's the way that theatre people deal with unforeseen issues like this that gain my respect, and my respect was given to Ben on opening night for turning it around, and changing my outlook on the show. Frustrating as it was for the audience, it must have been more frustrating for the actors on stage as they had no control over the situation but carried on like troopers. I can only imagine the adrenalin coursing through their veins!
"Hairspray" is one of my Top 10 favourite musicals because it's great fun as well as presenting a brilliant message. Dealing with racism, class, weight issues and self appreciation among other issues, it presents these in an enjoyable and fun way while getting the seriousness of the 1960's segregation problems to the fore. And there are some brilliant characters here.
Tracy Turnblad was played with great enthusiasm and gusto by Eliza Charnock with her mum, Edna, played by Benito Preite. This must be one of the hardest roles for a younger actor to play but Benito pulled off the role admirably. Wilbur Turnblad was played by Dylan Springfield.
Link, the teen heart-throb of The Corny Collins Show was played by Oliver Wheddon. Ollie showing another side of his acting, and different from his last role I saw him in as St Jimmy in "American Idiot". He twinkled as the 60's equivalent of Justin Bieber, occasionally winking at the audience showing a confident character, comfortable in his role as a teen idol, but bringing that sheen down in his scenes with Tracy to show his real side. Nicely done by one of local theatre's Mr Nice Guys.
Another young actor I have tons of respect for, and have seen in several roles, and always gives sterling performances is Hayden Fletcher as Seaweed. Seaweed is one of the main black characters but all the black characters in this production are white. At first this is a bit of a mindbender but through the acting talents of these young actors, you forget all about this. Hayden should have the middle name of "snakehips" as he can groove with soul. No surprise there as he's a bit of a ballroom master away from the stage. Again one of the nicest blokes you could meet on and off the stage.
I love the role of Penny, and Lucy Ledger teased all the laughs out of the character possible. A fun and zany role for a lovely comedy actress.
Amber, the daughter of Velma, and a chip of the old block here is typically bossy and aloof; with a role model like Velma, what else would you expect? Amber is Link's TV girlfriend who loses out to Link's affections for Tracy. Loved the pinnacle of bossiness when Amber orders Link to her side and out of Motormouth's record shop, He chooses to stay with Tracy. Classic! Amber is played by Chloe Hopcroft and Velma is played by Emily Marshall. Both characters miles away from Chloe's and Emily's own.
Grace Deakin (Little Inez) has a brilliant soul dripping voice, as does Paige Sisson (Motormouth). Paige gets to perform one of my favourite songs in the musical "I Know Where I've Been" and gave me goose bumps.
Corny Collins, the presenter of The Corny Collins Show, is played with ultimate cool by Tom Judson; a new(ish) name to me, but shows great promise as the unflappable TV host.
A big ensemble cast consisting of a further 23 actors. The ensemble choreography was of a high standard especially when you discover that this is Stephanie Ure's choreography debut. She took on a mammoth job and smashed it!
Carol Lawson produced and directed the musical and she must be a very proud lady at the results of this sell out show.
Dave Dallard was the musical director, assisted by Martin Lewis. An orchestra of eleven created a powerhouse of sound which at times overpowered the singers but this was on opening night and the sound mix of orchestra and actor will be different when the theatre is full of bodies. Again by Act 2 Dave and co. had just about got this sorted. Clear and crisp with an amazing rhythm section.
Great costumes, and I was especially impressed by Edna's final dress which shone as bright as the actor wearing it. When the lights caught the dress it looked almost alight. Talking of the lights, despite a few missed spots, the lights were, if you'll pardon the pun, spot on. The stage at times awash with colour, thanks to Dave Martin.
Despite my initial outlook, this production, thanks to the cast and production people, turned me around and gave me a wonderful and fun night out. A hard working and talented cast with some brilliantly catchy songs that will have you singing as you leave, but leave you with your social conscience well and truly pricked.
Another massive success for the Erewash Musical Society Youth Group. the show is on until Saturday 6 February 2016 but check first if there are any tickets left because rumour has it that it's just about sold out.
The People’s Theatre Company
Cinderella
December 5th 2015
Nottingham Arts Theatre
Wow! What a wonderful production this afternoon at the Nottingham Arts Theatre: another triumph for The People’s Theatre Company.
This performance of Cinderella was brilliant from the start and featured a very talented all age cast, a beautifully crafted script, excellent special effects, very attractive costumes, a wonderful set and a breathtaking transformation scene, which brought gasps from many in the audience.
The whole cast were just perfect - great singing and acting, plus stunning choreography by Amy Rogers Gee, that was so well executed by everyone.
The principal part of Cinderella was played beautifully by Lauren Stephenson, who has a great voice and really looked the part. She was adored by the love sick Buttons, played brilliantly by Sean Goodwin. He worked the audience very well throughout the show and played the part in a very physical way. His grimaces and asides both physical and verbal were outstanding.
Holding the whole show together was Laura Thurman, as the Fairy Godmother. Her vivacious and humorous characterisation was loved by everyone. She also sang well and I was delighted when she sang one of my favourite Christmas tunes “We Need A little Christmas” from Mame. I was very impressed with the way she and Sean worked with the children that were brought up on to the stage for the traditional singsong at the end.
There were terrific performances from Michael Pearson and Rob Goll as The Ugly Sisters. They were certainly ugly, delightfully over the top, very funny indeed and their dresses were magnificently gaudy. Oh yes they were!
Hannah Rogers Gee as Prince Charming and Catherine Cunningham as his servant, Dandini, were perfect and had fabulous singing voices. They acted their parts well and did a convincing job of thigh slapping!
There were also excellent performances from Cliff Hart as Baron Hardup, Marie Rogers as Baroness Hardup, Cassie Hall as Mozzarella and Roy Smith as Major Domo.
Supporting all the above was a terrific mixed aged ensemble, whose enjoyment of what they were doing was obvious from the start. They performed with enthusiasm, great energy and panache. What a talented group!
The adult ensemble was Christine Boothe, Poppy Cook, Katie Dudgeon, Laura Ellis, Charleigh Hurst, James Murray, Peter Newman, Natalie Randall, Vicki Reckless, Kacey Scrimshaw, Joseph Smith and Billy Stockwell.
The Juniors on Saturday were in Team Pumpkin: Elsie Archer, Callum Barr, Hattie Campion, Mia Carey, Tamzin Forrester, Ben Gregory, Emma Gregory, Grace Hodgett-Young, Jonathan Jaycock, Maddie Keown, Anna King, Darcey Yeomans, Lily Proudlove, Elissa Reeve, Jasmine Smith and Madi Smith.
Amanda Hall's script was just so good that I was in danger of dying of laughter. Her production was also wonderful, allowing the whole cast to excel in whatever parts they had. Amada obviously demanded a high standard of performance and got it from this committed cast.
The staging was outstanding along with great lighting by Tom Mowat, and crystal clear sound by Rob Kettridge, who ensured that the music balance was perfect. The back stage crew, directed by the Stage Manager Amy Rogers Gee and her assistant Nigel Newton, made sure that scene changes were smooth and unobtrusive. The set was bright and attractive - well done to the large team who worked on it.
The singing was a joy to listen to and the Musical Director, Ray McLeod, is to be congratulated for all the work he had obviously done to ensure such high quality. The choice of songs was excellent and many were well known favourites that fitted very well into the script.
This was an absolutely brilliant show performed by a very talented cast of young and older performers. In fact this is one of the best amateur shows I have seen.
If you only go to one pantomime this year I would suggest that you make it this one. Well done to everyone involved.
The show continues at the Nottingham Arts Theatre until Sunday December 20th.
Derby Theatre Production
Cinderella
Derby Theatre
December 8th 2015
Reflections on Cinderella at Derby Theatre on Monday December 7th.
There was enthusiastic applause at the end of the performance. I enjoyed the show and appreciated the talented cast and their ability to act, sing, dance and play a variety of musical instruments.
The staging of the show was excellent and the use of the theatre's flying features and deep stage enhanced the production. The lighting and sound were good.
It is important to remember that this is not a pantomime but a retelling of the story based on the fairy tale of the Grimm Brothers. It is therefore not suitable for young children who may find understanding what is going on difficult. The theatre has put an advisory on the play of 6+. There are some young performers in the cast who were very good. (There are 4 at each performance taken from Ayanna Asafu-Adjei; Niamh Atkinson; Emma Balderston; Daisy Chell; Amber Child-Cavill; Molly Child-Cavill; Joshua Gill; Serena Madden; Bailey West; Alfie Williams and Freya Youngman.)
Seeing the story from the rats point of view is interesting and I felt it worked well. I liked most of the music and songs which were of varied styles. This was very much an ensemble production in which everyone was important. However, I must mention in particular Esme Sears who played Cinderella. What a great performer with a lovely and powerful voice.
The ensemble of actor musicians was Nicholas Coutu-Langmead; Chris Lindon; Rebecca Naylor, Christopher Price; Stephanie Rutherford; Katherine Toy and Jake Waring.
The play was directed by the theatre's creative director, Sarah Brigham and was written by Mike Kenny. The songs which were very tuneful were composed by Ivan Stott who was all responsible for the excellent sound design.
Chichester Festival Production (National Tour)
Mack and Mabel
Theatre Royal, Nottingham
November 24th 2015
Mack and Mabel ended with a full theatre standing ovation which said it all. This was a great show with a superb cast and some extremely effective scenery and props.
As I said in the interval Michael Ball and. Rebecca LeChance in the title rolls were excellent and very well cast. There were many other cameo rolls of great quality including Anna-Jane Casey as Lottie Ames, Gunnar Cauthery as Frank, Alex Giannini as Mr Baumann, Mark Inscoe as William Taylor and Timothy Quinlan as Mr Kessel.
The all singing, all dancing ensemble was brilliant and very hard working. The fifteen piece orchestra accompanied the soloists and chorus well and sounded great.
The exciting choreography by Stephen Mear was brilliantly executed by the whole cast.
I was also very impressed by the excellent work of a well organised stage crew.
This production originated at The Chichester Festival and was directed by the Festival's artistic director, Jonathan Church. His creative ability was there to see throughout the show and incidentally he trained as Assistant Director at the Nottingham and Derby Playhouses.
Overall this has been a great night at the Theatre Royal and I hope my first viewing of this lovely show will not be my last. The music of Jerry Herman (who also wrote my favourite, Hello Dolly) is blissful with what I like, great tunes.
I would certainly say without reservation go and see this show if you can catch it during the national tour.
Fourblokes Theatre Company
All My Sons
The Guildhall Theatre, Derby
Friday November 20th 2015
Thursday November 5th 2015All My Sons by American playwright Arthur Miller was written in 1947 and premiered in New York the same year - a production which won two Tony Awards. A popular play, it was adapted for film twice and is based on a true story which Miller's mother read to him one day from an Ohio newspaper.
It is 1947 and Joe and Kate Keller, an all-American couple, are living with the ghosts of World War II.
Joe is a successful, self-made businessman, a loving family man and a pillar of the community. He is a partner in a machine shop, building fighter plane parts. Joe and Kate’s happiness is clouded by one thing – their son is missing in action, presumed dead by all but his mother …
All My Sons is a searing investigation of honesty, guilt and the corrupting power of greed. The play was Arthur Miller’s first success, establishing him as a leading voice in theatre.
All the performances were brilliant and the direction was outstanding. Four Blokes have done it again - produced a play which was of a very high standard indeed.
The cast was Thomas Farthing as Chris, Emily Marshall-Sims as Chris’ lover Ann Deever, Marie Stone as neighbour Sue Bayliss, Mik Horvath as Jim Bayliss, Adam Guest as Ann's brother George,
Verna Bayliss as Kate, Jeff Foster as Joe Keller, Ben Sherwin as Frank Lubey, Gemma Blake as Lydia Lubey and Billy Sweet as Bert.
The excellent set was imaginative and well constructed, entirely suitable for the era of the play and well used by the cast. Lighting and sound were excellent. Congratulations go to Stephen Greatorex and Harry Greatorex (lighting), Barry Taylor and Harry Greatorex (sound) and Lucy Young for stage management.
The costumes and hairstyles were very authentic as were the props, organised by Marie Stone.
I was also very impressed by the sound effects and use of suitable incidental music to create different atmospheres during the performance. The hum of overhead planes became an effective sound motif for both Joe’s guilt and his missing son.
All my sons is a powerful drama and the cast rose to the occasion, giving us emotionally taut, gripping and nuanced performances with excellent diction and projection. The audience were rapt and fully engaged throughout.
Well done to the Director, Barry Taylor, his very talented cast and the production team. This production has confirmed what I guess we knew, that Four Blokes is one of the leading drama companies in this area and I suspect, way beyond.
Streetlight Theatre Arts
American Idiot
Derby Theatre
Thursday November 5th 2015
It was good to be back at Derby Theatre after a short break and what a great way to return: to see Street Light Theatre Arts set the stage alight with noise, colour, excitement, great movement and dance in their final production, American Idiot.
The show is an adaptation of punk rock band Green Day’s rock opera of the same name and is set in the recent past. It opens on a group of suburban kids living unhappily in "Jingletown, USA", being saturated with TV and little else.
The story, revolves around three disaffected young men played superbly by Kyle Lamley as Johnny, Andrew Bould as Will and Mitch Gamble as Tunny. Johnny and Tunny escape from a stifling suburban lifestyle and parental restrictions, while Will stays home to work out his relationship with his pregnant girlfriend, Heather. The runaway pair look for meaning in life and try out the freedom and excitement of the city. Tunny quickly gives up on life in the city, joins the military, and is shipped off to war. Johnny turns to drugs and finds a part of himself that he grows to dislike, meets and is influenced by St. Jimmy played powerfully by Oliver Wheedon, and has a relationship and experiences lost love. More follows but you need to come and see that for yourself!
In addition to the four leads mentioned above, there were very strong performances from Katy Freeman as Heather, Aine O’Neill Mason as Whatsername, and Alana Moran as Extraordinary Girl.
These performers were very well supported by exciting and vibrant supporting actors comprising of Kheenan Jones, Becky Morley, Ben Jones, Lucy Bramley, Jack Readyhoof, Laura Jacobs, Andrew Smyth, Eleanor Mallinson, Tom Stanley, Cat Budworth, Andrew Buxton, Josephine Walker, Jack Warburton, Rob Chilton, Josh Birchall, Lowri Spear, Iona Jackman-Hart, Kat Adey, Alex Dickenson, Ollie Hand and Ethiopioni Bramley(!)
This is a high-octane show, which includes every song from Green Day's album “American Idiot”, as well as several songs from follow-up release, “21st Century Breakdown.”
The show opened with the dramatic number, American Idiot, which sets the scene for the show. This was one of the most dramatic and exciting starts to a show I have seen for a long time. It was obvious from this point that this was going to be an exciting production. It continued so throughout and praise must go to the Director, Matt Powell and his production team, for a show that moved with thrilling pace and left the cast and the audience breathless at the end. His tight direction, aided by the choreographer, Charlotte Richo, enabled all the cast to be involved throughout. Sometimes it was difficult to know where to look on the stage, as there was always something happening, which added to the excitement. It was obvious throughout that the cast were thoroughly enjoying all they were doing.
The excellent 7 piece band was on the stage and were not too dominant over the singers for most of the time. The Musical Director, Dave Adey, had obviously worked hard with the cast to produce vocals of such a high standard.
The sound, directed by Simon Birchall, was good, which in a rock opera is not always easy to achieve. The lighting design by Kevin Greene was complementary to the action, although there were a few times when I thought it was a little dark on the periphery of the stage, but overall it was well planned, dynamic and added to the vibrancy of the action. The staging of the show was very good and the scene changes were slick and unobtrusive thanks to the Stage Manager, Ollie Turner -who also produced the show- and his crew.
The show ended with an enthusiastic standing ovation from the audience, which was well deserved, as this was a remarkable performance full of passion, energy and enthusiasm. The whole cast sang their hearts out and the music of Green Day, the American Punk band, certainly rang out around the theatre and was enjoyed by many. It was the first time I have heard the songs and while I didn't like them all, there were some very pleasing numbers. I particularly liked "Wake me up when September ends.” It was lovely and so well performed. Kyle Lamley in particular sang very well and I loved his performance of Boulevard of Broken Dreams.
There is little doubt that Matt and Streetlight Arts were very brave to attempt this show, but they did it proud and should be very pleased with the result. The company will be missed on the local musical scene, but I understand that there will be more to look forward to, albeit in a different form, next year.
The Beeston Musical Theatre Group
Into the Woods
The Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
Thursday October 27th 2015
“Be careful what you wish for” is one of the main themes of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s fairy tale inspired musical, Into the Woods. Well, I was wishing for an enjoyable night out at the Duchess but did I get it? Read on ….
The story is about a Baker and his wife, who is desperate to have a child, Cinderella who wishes to go the King’s Festival, and Jack who wishes his cow would give some milk. When the neighbourhood witch, who reveals to them that she placed a curse on their family, visits the Baker and his wife, the two set off on a journey into the woods to reverse the curse. While in the woods other well known characters appear - Little Red, who is trying to visit her grandmother, the Wolf who loves tasty little girls, the Witch’s daughter Rapunzel, and the Princes chasing after their loves. By the end of Act I, everyone has received their wish and will presumably live happily ever after?
However in Act II the consequences of their actions haunt them in disastrous ways. The community must come together to save each other and their kingdom, but sacrifices must be made. Does it end happily after all? Well, you need to go and see it to find out.
I have only seen the Junior version of this musical before and I am not at all a fan of the “Marmite” composer, Stephen Sondheim – so I was wondering what tonight was going to be like. However, from the opening scene I was entranced by this outstanding production from the Beeston Musical Theatre Group.
Everything about it was of an incredibly high standard – the acting, the movement, the singing and the orchestra. All combined seamlessly to bring this complex story to life. The atmosphere throughout the show was enhanced by the wonderful set, designed by Craig Butterworth and Lisa Smith. The outstandingly good lighting, designed by Dave Martin, was absolutely right for the show and the set. This was enhanced by the sound, engineered by Sean Renshaw.
There were very strong performances from all the main characters: Rob Charles as the Baker, Cat Tuckey as his wife, George Lamb as Jack, Zoe Brinklow as Little Red Riding Hood, Claire Rybicki as Cinderella, Andrea Chapman as the Witch, Mina Machin as Jack’s Mum, Anna McAuley as the Narrator who kept things moving throughout both in words, song and actions. Kevin Chatten and Tim Yearsley played the two Princes whose duet, Agony, was wonderfully performed and was very funny indeed! Also impressing were Steph Gray-Blest as Cinderella’s Evil Step Mother, Ronja Breitkopf as Florinda, Keli Wain as Lucinda, Alex Grosse as the pretty scary Big Bad Wolf, Kendra Korte as Cinderella’s Mother and Beth Yearsley as Rapunzel.
In addition to the above the rest of the cast were outstandingly good. Well done to Irina Veleanu, Keith Bird as the Mysterious Man, Ruth Maddison as Granny, Lisa Smith as the Giant, Laura Walton as Snow White, Kayrakise Evans as Sleeping Beauty and Josh McGregor as the Steward.
One other group of this large cast that I liked very much were the Woodlanders / Puppeteers. Their excellent use of props and puppets to enhance the story was a joy to watch. Well done to Jane Cottee, Naomi Cumming, Kendra Korte, Christine Walton, Chris Bryan, Andy Bulmer and Dave Henderson.
Huge congratulations must go to the Director, Craig Butterworth for his fantastic realisation of this complex and difficult show. He ensured that it moved with considerable pace and energy, provided constant action for the cast to be involved in and he also made the complex plot line understandable and believable. I actually now understand what this show is all about and indeed how cleverly written it actually is. Thank you, Craig.
Musically this production was quite simply faultless. The Musical Director, Morven Harrison, managed to combine a great orchestra with a very high standard of singing from the entire cast. There is no doubt that the score, as with all Sondheim’s works, is far from easy, but tonight they made it sound so which is a massive achievement.
Scene changes were smooth and unobtrusive thanks to Lisa Smith and her crew helped by the superb set, which was built on three levels and enabled the actors to smoothly move from place to place and through time.
The costumes, controlled by Mina Machin, were very well matched to the characters and looked great.
The use of simple but effective props was brilliant. I am not going to say what they were as this will spoil the surprise and the enjoyment of the production, but I will say watch out for a very interesting Giant!
I have to say that tonight the Beeston Musical Theatre Group have shown me that I can actually enjoy a musical by Sondheim, in fact surprisingly I loved it. Maybe I need to listen to more of his music?
If you can get a ticket, do, and go along and enjoy a fabulous trip Into The Woods and hopefully out again. I can guarantee that Sondheim, fan or not, you will be amazed and delighted by this production that has all the qualities of a professional show in the West End.
Well done to all who have been involved in this phenomenal production and The Beeston Musical Theatre Group should be justifiably proud of what they have achieved tonight. Brilliant hardly comes near to describing it!
The Long Eaton Operatic Society
White Christmas
May Hall Theatre, Trent College, Long Eaton
Wednesday October 21st 2015
It may only be October, but Long Eaton Operatic Society certainly brought the magic of Christmas to Trent College tonight. From the Overture to the play out music at the end, this was a splendid evening of entertainment. The show is packed with well-known songs by the legendary Irving Berlin, which were well appreciated by the audience: many of whom joined in enthusiastically with the title song at the end of the show.
White Christmas is based on the 1954 film staring Bing Crosby and Danny Kay -which in turn was based on the 1942 film Holiday Inn- and was first performed in 2004. It tells the story of two ex-army pals who team up with a pair of singing sisters to put on a show to save a remote Vermont ski lodge, which has fallen on hard times.
A little mischief, a few misunderstandings and a whole lot of romance are the perfect excuse for a magical evening of laughter, tears, great dance numbers and some of the greatest songs ever written, including Sisters, Blue Skies and, of course, the legendary White Christmas.
There were good performances from Martin Mould (Bob), and Jack Draper (Phil) who took the demanding leading roles and gave us a variety of powerful song and dance numbers. Sian Scattergood (Judy) and Claire Collishaw (Betty) played the singing sisters with excellent characterisations and both have beautiful voices.
Ross Lowe (General Waverley) was excellent in his expressive portrayal of the strict general with a soft heart. The part of his granddaughter, Susan, was played by the charming Megan Taylor, who has stage presence, good comedy timing and a very nice voice. The delightful Georgia Archer and Lydia Thacker played the comedy roles of the ditzy but talented dancers, Rita and Rhoda. Jack Woolley made the part of the stressed stage manager Mark his own, with flamboyant characterisation. Ralph Sheldrake played the role of the TV Executive confidently while Ben Woolley was amusing as Ezekiel.
I particularly enjoyed the performance of Carrie-Ann Corner (Martha) who was outstanding as the “Ethel Merman’ style hotel receptionist: she lit up the stage with her amazingly powerful singing and speaking voice, coupled with immaculate comic timing. She and Ross Lowe were perfect foils for each other.
The principals were supported by an excellent ensemble, who performed the superb choreography by Laurie Trott with style and enthusiasm. There are several spectacular set piece song and dance routines, which are a visual and auditory delight.
The ensemble were:
June Baston, Kate Beer, Gemma Blake, Rachelle Bragg, Carolyn Briggs, Jenny Carty, Grace Collinshaw, Joanna East, Tayla Evans, Zach Foster, John Fox, Adam Guest, Ruth Hansard, Eleanor Harvey, Emma Kelvey, Helena Keys, Josh Jones, Alistair Langton, Kathie Ludlow, Kheenan Jones, Katie MacDonald, Kathryn McAuley, Tony Newton, David O’Neil, Siobhan Parker, Melissa Vickerstaff, Mandy Walker, Angela Walters, Karen Woodhead, Ann Woolley.
The quality of the singing overall was of a good standard, as I have come to expect from this well regarded company. The staging of the show was lively and the director, Liz Wolley, ensured that the large cast made full use of their time on stage. Her eye for detail and spectacle was evident throughout the production. I particularly liked the device of using small groups of singers around radio mikes at the side of the stage, to provide backing.
The scene changes were quick and efficiently undertaken by the large and well organised stage crew and the scenery was bright and colourful. I was particularly impressed by the inside of a railway carriage that was used in Act 1. There was no use of projections in this show, but the more traditional forms of backcloths and curtains were very effective and pleasant to look at.
The Orchestra, conducted by Sam Griffiths, was excellent and accompanied the cast sympathetically. Lizzie Bullard, the MD and Sam the Assistant MD, had obviously worked hard with the cast to achieve the high musical standard.
Unfortunately, there were times when it was difficult to hear some of the words being delivered and sung, due to the sound system being somewhat muffled. Things were much better when ensemble numbers were being sung.
However, the overall production was good and very enjoyable. I really enjoyed the show and for once it was great to be able to sit and watch a show that was entertaining, fun and lively. So often today, musical theatre seems to be becoming far too deep and serious for my liking.
There is no doubt that the large audience in the May Hall had a great time tonight and left the theatre feeling uplifted, happy and maybe even looking forward to Christmas.
Well done to all involved in the show and carry on enjoying yourselves on stage right through the week.
The Erewash Musical Society
Aspects of Love
The DuchessTheatre
Wednesday October 7th 2015
Andrew Lloyd Webbers “Aspects Of Love” tells a story of passion, love and loss across three generations of a family, set against the background of Paris, the mountains of the Pyrenees and Venice. It centres on Alex Dillingham, a 17 year old student travelling through France, who falls in love with the alluring but fickle actress, Rose Vibert.
As the pair embark on a passionate affair, the unexpected arrival of Alex's uncle George, affects their lives forever, as they come to appreciate how love changes everything.
Tonight’s performance by this award winning Musical Society was breathtaking in so many ways and all involved deserve considerable praise for what was a highly enjoyable and polished production.
Zak Charlesworth played the central role of Alex in his first leading role for the adult group. His portrayal of this complex, obsessive and often confused character was outstanding. Zak has a lovely singing voice, but tonight his acting skills shone brightly, too. He was fully engaged in the role and was able to express the many conflicting emotions that Alex goes through with passion and absolute conviction. I was delighted that he hit the very high top notes in the featured song, “Love Changes Everything” perfectly and as Michael Ball once said, “that is not easy!”
His relationship with Rose, played by the excellent Tracey Renshaw, was fully believable and captivating. Tracey gave an engaging and sympathetic portrayal of a woman who is terrified of being alone and driven to seek love and solace, regardless of the consequences. Her singing voice is superb and she is a pleasure to watch and listen to, compelling whenever she appears on stage. She ages convincingly through the 17year time span of the action, through appropriate styling and mannerisms.
Playing the part of George was Mark Birch whose excellent singing voice and powerful acting was superb. He brought appropriate gravitas to the role while maintaining George’s charm, joie de vivre and complete disregard for convention. I really liked his performance of “The first man you remember” sung beautifully and with such feeling.
Sue Hagan played George’s Italian friend, Giulietta. Her voice is excellent and she sympathetically portrays this damaged but passionate character who, like Rose, regards loving and being loved as the most important part of life. She brings some notes of humour to the often angst ridden proceedings and Sue adds real sparkle to these.
The role of the 12 year old Jenny was played on this occasion by Grace Deakin (at some other performances by Nadia Potter). She sang beautifully throughout her scenes, looked delightful and fully captured the naïve charm of an innocent girl.
Gemma Blake played the older Jenny, cleverly maintaining the innocence of youth, while artfully involving herself in the tangled web of family relationships and convincingly suffering the loss of love. Gemma has a beautiful voice and is an absolute pleasure to listen to. Clever styling and a nifty footwork made the transition from the younger Jenny to the older quite believable.
There were other excellent performances from the supporting principals. They were Dan Bates as Marcel, Heather Howe as Elizabeth, Andy Honman as Hugo and Martin Lewis as Jerome.
The small, but highly involved ensemble was excellent and featured Rachel Bates, Kay Cocks, Hayden Fletcher, Andrea Kemish, Mark Perry, Sophie Robbins, Karen Robbins, Alex Tavener, Claire Toska and Laurie Trott.
This show does not have many chorus numbers but those there were, including the dramatic and brilliant “Hand me the Wine and the Dice” were very well sung and performed; James Rayner, the choreographer, did a great job with them.
The orchestra, directed by Nathan Truesdale, was very good. Nathan ensured that it was never over dominant and supported the singers well. I could hear every word. This show is almost all music and Nathan and the cast are to be congratulated for the quality of the vocals throughout. Incidentally, it is incredible how much music and how many words there are to learn in this show and it is a measure of the talent of the performers that they achieved this so successfully.
Projections designed by Paul Young were used for back scenery and they worked well and looked fantastic. The show has a large number of scenes, some of which are very short. However, scene changes, often using an assortment of furniture and props, were expertly executed by Stage Manager, Mark Robbins and his excellent stage crew.
The costumes were appropriate for the location and period, with well-focussed and controlled lighting by Dave Dallard, which greatly added to the atmosphere of the production. I particularly enjoyed the circus scene, although quite short, and as it was so colourful, well dressed and tightly choreographed.
The sound by Ben Tennett was well controlled and sounded very natural.
Finally, I must commend the shows Director, Nigel Taylor. His vision and attention to detail was present in every scene. The cast, both principals and ensemble, were obviously very well rehearsed, knew exactly what they needed to do and were fully in command of their roles. There was a palpable confidence amongst the cast and much of this must be down to Nigel’s skill as a well renowned Director.
This was a great production of a favourite show of mine, which was of a professional standard in all departments. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s not so well known piece has some flaws in it from a musical and dramatic perspective, but this was never the less a joy to watch and listen to. The plot may at times be a little difficult to follow, especially when seeing it for the first time, but the music is wonderful and the story is full of romance, proving that love really does change everything.
Well done to all involved in this production; my advice would be to get a ticket to see it before it closes on Saturday night.
The People's Theatre Company
Much Ado About Nothing
The Nottingham Arts Theatre
Thursday September 17th 2015
Much Ado About Nothing is considered to be one of Shakespeare’s most popular comedies and with good reason. It’s a play about young impetuous love, contrasted with the revival of an old attraction. Darker themes of jealousy, revenge and bitter mistrust are balanced by the portrayal of love and humour and sparkling, witty dialogue.
I must admit to previously having some reservations about an amateur performance of Shakespeare. Could they learn all those lines of unfamiliar language – some of it in huge chunks- and then deliver them with understanding and conviction? Could the director balance the timeless but often difficult themes and make them accessible to a modern audience? Well, the answer to all my questions is quite simply…yes. And how- this marvellous production is fresh, lively, thought provoking and full of fun. The actors are confident, well rehearsed and word perfect and have obviously worked hard to hone their delivery and diction.
Sally Nix’s skilful direction sees the action set in modern times, which puts us at ease immediately. We recognise these characters and enjoy the present day resonance of the interplay between them. The action moves at a cracking pace and there is always something interesting happening, to keep us watching and listening. Scenes of dialogue between two or three characters, that could be static, are enlivened by carefully planned movements and the clever use of props.
Shakespeare’s scenes of comic relief are a gift to any producer and Sally makes full use of these. The Watch, led by the befuddled Dogberry played excellently by Stuart Williams are portrayed as a ragged Neighbourhood Watch of broadly comic, but finely detailed characters. The scene in which they arrest two villains is a beautifully choreographed caper and a highlight of the play.
At the heart of the play and much of the humour is the battle of wits and change of hearts between the lovers Beatrice and Benedick. Two of Shakespeare’s liveliest characters, they conduct a war of words, each fighting to match the wit of the other and each finally defeated by having to admit their true feelings for one another.
Hannah Rose is a fine, feisty Beatrice, conveying as much in her facial expressions and body language as in the fluent and spirited delivery of her lines. This Beatrice can be flattered, but not won over or defeated easily; Hannah maintains her strength throughout. Benedick is equally strong: Ryan Chadwick splendidly conveying his confidence with well-timed swaggers, expansive gestures and a wide tonal range. Both actors have nailed their characters and manage the development of two brash loud mouths into mutually respectful lovers, with absolute conviction.
I was also impressed with the performances of the young lovers: Claudio played by Jak Truswell and Hero played by Lauren Stephenson. Claudio has to seek redemption from a modern audience, as he shows a serious lack of moral fibre, being easily persuaded to quickly doubt the behaviour of both his best friend and his intended wife. Jak is a suggestible but very earnest Claudio and he manages to convince that his sorrow and regret on learning of his mistake, is real.
Lauren’s Hero has some spirit about her, not easy to achieve with a character who is gentle and kind, even when horribly wronged. Lauren’s characterisation is lovely to watch and full of fun: her lines are delivered with plenty of punch and this, coupled with lively direction, gives Hero some depth.
Other members of the cast are equally good: as well as the wonderful ‘rude mechanicals’, the villains of the piece – Don John, Borachio and Conrad, are beautifully executed. Liam Dexter gives us a quietly villainous Don John, his restrained and mannered demeanour and controlled delivery striking a clever contrast to Benedick.
Congratulations to other members of the cast, all of whom impressed with their fluency and confident characterisations. They are:
Leonato: Richard Fife – Antonio/ Friar: Robbie Robb – Don Pedro: Tom Spencer – Borachio: Chris Collins – Margaret: Marina Kyriacou – Ursula: Corrine Welford-Proctor – Balthasar: Carly Smith – Conrad: Danielle Hall.
The rest of the ensemble must also be commended for their performances along with the production team for their excellent contributions.
Sally Nix’s production is fresh and exciting and she surely achieves more than her aim -as stated in the programme - to interpret the play in modern times, but still relying on “the text and the craftsmanship of the characters to have their own life when put on stage.” This production has a vibrant life all of its own.
The play is all about overcoming the obstacles to true love, and cheers greeted the satisfying ending, in which, to quote what many regard as an alternative title for the play, we see… Love’s Labours Won!
Gatepost Theatre Company
Rent
The Guildhall Theatre, Derby
Wednesday September 16th 2015
Gatepost Theatre Company have done it again …. produced a superb show of a very high standard. Well up there with the previous shows I have seen, this one brought the audience to their feet at the end with ecstatic applause.
Rent is a rock musical with music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson, loosely based on Puccini's La Boheme. It tells the story of a group of impoverished young artists. They are struggling to survive and create a life in New Your City's East Village in the thriving days of Bohemian Alaphabet City under the shadow of HIV/AIDS.
This production was excellent and there were some quite outstanding individual performances. The ensemble supported the principals very well; the cast’s rendition of Seasons of Love was wonderful, a show stopper and a crowd pleaser. The cast during the Finale sang their hearts out, much to the delight of the audience: even I was moved by it! The fantastic ensemble was a major force in the success of this show.
The quality of the singing was high and musical director, Emily Marshall – Simms, had obviously worked very hard with the cast to achieve such a professional standard. Her small band was just right for the show and despite being at the front of the stage, never got near to dominating the performers.
The principal performers were all very strong as is required by this rock opera. Jon Dawkins, who also produced the show, played the part of Mark. His sympathetic and often humourous portrayal of the guy who kind of narrates the action was engaging and well received.
Josephine Pearson as Joanne, Gemma Ryan as Maureen and Richard Pearson as Benny powerfully portrayed their respective characters and sang and acted very well.
Simon Collington as Roger and Laura Howard as Mimi were very well cast and brought so much emotion to their roles that sometime you could cut the atmosphere they generated with a knife.
Daniel Collington and Luke Grainger were superb in their roles of Angel and Collins. Not easy roles to play given the subject matter, but they worked well together and their “romantic moments’ as well as the very energetic and exciting songs, were very sensitively done.
This innovative production was in the creative hands of Christopher Collington. He brought the story alive for me and, as I joked with him afterwards, although I still don’t completely understand the plot, I am getting there! Thanks, Chris for that. His production is tight and shows both a sympathetic understanding of the individual characters and a strong vision of the piece as a whole. The use of doors around three sides of the stage was very effective and certainly enhanced the dramatic effect. Well done to Chris and John Cliff for the set design and and to Chris Munn for his excellent and complimentary lighting plot and Harry Greatorex for outstandingly good sound. I could hear every word!
Well done also to Stephanie Wright, the show’s choreographer. The dance routines were exciting, powerful and well performed.
Congratulations to all involved with this outstanding production, proving once again that Gatepost are one of the best Theatre Groups around.
The excellent Ensemble was made up of
Ben Gray, Brett Waller, Jude Cliff, Lucy Newton, Lucy Stokes, Martin Holtom. Matthew Sharratt, Milly Victoria, Richard Symes, Ryan Taylor, Stephanie Wright, Victoria Palmer.
Spotlight Theatre Company
Our House
The Nottingham Arts Theatre
Saturday July 11th 2015
From start to finish this production of the Madness Musical, “Our House,’ was a triumph for Amanda Hall’s popular Theatre Company. The production featured the older members of the company and there were some very talented performers. There were strong performances from the principals, but the show relies on a very strong ensemble and this was certainly the case.
This is a musical featuring the well known and catchy music of Madness, but telling the story of 16-year-old Joe Casey. On one fateful night he has to decide whether to run away or face punishment: the story then charts his subsequent life, showing the results of both choices concurrently.
The role of Joe Casey is a demanding one, as the actor must clearly show how the character reacts and changes in different circumstances, following each choice. Sean Goodwin played this part superbly and was completely engaging. He was able to show us a Joe who, although often in a mess of his own making, was sweet and likeable and eventually got the happy ending he deserved. Alongside this he portrayed the other Joe, who appeared to have everything, but was gradually hardened and eventually destroyed by dishonesty and greed. No small feat to show these concurrently, frequently with very rapid changes of costume: Sean cleverly used subtle changes in delivery, the varying warmth of his smile and a quick tousle of his hair to embed each part. His acting and dancing was of a very high standard and his singing heartfelt.
Joe’s love interest, Sarah was played by Catherine Cunningham who has a beautiful voice: powerful and yet pure as well. She also had to play her part in different situations and with subtle changes, according to which Joe she was with and this she did with great confidence. She is a talented singer, dancer and actress who, I feel, will go far.
Kayleigh Philips played Joe’s Mum, in what was her first musical. That is something I would not have known had it not been in the programme. She sang confidently with a good voice and played the part with emotion.
The story features Joe’s Dad who acts as an “invisible advisor” to Joe throughout and has to keep the story moving through pieces of narration. Nigel Newton is well known in Nottingham both as a performer with the Nottingham Operatic Society but also as a producer and Stage Manager. His performance confidently linked the story and brought out the character’s deep regret for the way he had messed up his own life.
Matty Collins who is only 15, was outstanding in the role of the wise boy Reecey. He sang very well and danced with tremendous power and skill. His facial reactions were great and he maintained the characterization throughout. He played the role with just the right amount of smarm and the showed the development of a very nasty piece of work. I have little doubt that Matty will be seen often in the area in a range of roles.
Joe and Sarah have supportive friends who play comedy roles for most of the show. The casting for this show was perfect as James Murray (Lewis), Adam Monk (Emmo), Georgia Hodgett-Young (Billie) and Aston Fisher (Angie) were all excellent. Comedy timing was great and they sang and danced well. There were also times in the show when they had to show emotion, anger, concern and fear. This they also did convincingly, showing how much hard work must have gone into developing their characterisations.
Joseph Smith played the role of Callum, who sort of got in the way of the relationship between Joe and Sarah. He is a competent actor who paced his delivery well and he has a lovely voice.
The large ensemble excelled particularly in the big scale dance routines which were performed to great Madness songs including “Our House,’ “Baggy Trousers,” “Tomorrow’s Just Another Day,’ “Wings of a Dove,” and more. The choreography of all of these was quite simply, superb. They were all exciting, powerful, innovative, startling and fun. The choreographer, Jessica Royce produced these in such a way as to often leave us with our mouths open in admiration. The cast, and that is all the cast, danced their hearts out and were all together and in time. There were a number of gymnastic moves included as well. Breathtaking stuff!
The excellent ensemble was:
Barbara Benner, Ben Gregory, Bethany Wear, Billy Stockwell,
Cassie Hall, Charleigh Hurst, Daisy Whittle, Ella Rotton,
Ellie Monterosso, Elissa Reeve, Eva Sheppard,
Grace Hogett-Young, Gvansta Saneblidze, Hannah Tasker,
Laura Ellis, Lizzy Ives, Molly O’Driscoll, Peter Newman,
Serena Eadon, Tamzin Forrester.
All of this was greatly enhanced by some terrific lighting designed by Tom Mowat. It was at times very atmospheric, using lights both on and off the stage. It was also good to see the use of two follow spots. The sound was good, although there were a few times when perhaps the band was slightly dominant over the voices. The band itself was very good under the direction of Chris Rees and overall there was not a problem. Scene changes were swift and well done by the crew under the direction of Stage Manager Amy Rogers – Gee.
Chris also needs to be congratulated on bringing the cast up to a very high standard of vocal performance.
The Director, Amanda Hall, has once again produced a show of exceptional quality. Her creative expertise and vision shone through this production, which is a tricky one to get right, as it has the potential to be confusing for the audience. Amanda’s use of a rotating black and white door, which matched the colours worn by each Joe, was simple and effective. Quick scene changes, simple props and great use of the curtains kept up with the exciting pace set by the dance numbers; there was never a dull moment.
The show ended with a huge song and dance mash up that was brilliant and brought many in the audience to their feet. It was good to see a finale and curtain calls that allowed the audience to show their appreciation. In my view too many local shows end with too few curtain calls. As I have said before, milk the audience for all they are worth if the performers deserve it and these most certainly did.
My only negative comment has to be that this show should have run for more performances, as it was so good!
Well done to all who were involved with this outstanding production, which was full of talent, joy and energy: I enjoyed it immensely and can’t wait to see what is next.
Erewash Musical Society Youth Group
Oliver
The Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
Thursday July 2nd 2015
“I'm reviewing the situation, I must quickly look up ev'ryone I know. Who can help me make a real impressive show!”
Well, tonight at the Duchess Theatre this talented cast certainly did perform a ‘real impressive show.’ From the moment the curtain opened and the boys and girls in the workhouse marched on to the stage singing the ever popular, “Food Glorious Food” it was clear this was going to be a great show.
In front of an impressive set, the story unfolded of the orphan who is sold to an undertaker and then finds himself embroiled in the shady world of Victorian street children, eventually being reunited with his rich grandfather. Along the way he comes across an assortment of colourful characters, giving a large number of cast the chance to show us their impressive acting, singing and dancing skills.
There were some very big chorus numbers in this show including “Consider Yourself.” “I’d Do Anything,” “Who Will Buy,” “"Oom-Pah-Pah,” and “"You've Got to Pick a Pocket or Two.” These were all superbly done and wonderful spectacles to watch.
Oliver was played sensitively by Joe Langley who impressed me with his rendition of “Where is Love.” This was sung well and with feeling. Joe also looked the part and had just the right amount of innocence and vulnerability.
It was good to see Haydn Fletcher, complete with impressive girth, playing the Beadle, Mr Bumble. I loved his sterling performance, which was very well observed. He added highly amusing theatricality to a man who has few redeeming features; even managing to make us feel sorry for the bumbling bully when he gets his comeuppance. His partnership with Ellie Simmonds as Widow Corney was perfect: their scenes are the comic highlight of the show. Ellie was simply magnificent in the role and shone both as a singer and a comic actor.
As I said earlier there were many cameo roles in the show and they were all great. In particular I appreciated, Mr Sowerberry played by Ethan Lee, Mrs Sowerberry played by Emily Marshall, Noah by Ethan Fletcher and Charlotte by Michelle Blair.
One of the most important roles in this show is that of the Artful Dodger, Tom Judson. He looked good and had a twinkle in his eye. His characterization of the wise street boy, hardened but not demeaned by poverty, was lively and engaging. In particular his singing in “Consider yourself” was very good.
Fagin was played by Dylan Singfield, who portrayed the old man superbly. He maintained the persona of the Jew throughout the show. This was impressive for such a young actor. He also sang the songs very well and his movements around stage were carefully judged and sustained, which added to his characterisation. It was easy to forget that this role of a middle-aged man was being played by a teenager: this was true of all the ‘adult’ roles- our disbelief was well and truly suspended by great acting and characterisation.
Katie Lawson made the role of Nancy her own, convincingly portraying the strength and spirit of this abused character, as well as her warmth and compassion. Her rendition of “When He Needs Me” was beautifully sung and phrased. She was well supported by her friend, Bet, played by Sophie Robbins.
Finally, Lewis Haycock was quite brilliant as the violent bully, Bill Sykes. He stomped around the stage frightening everyone and singing with great power. Lewis is a very talented singer and actor and he showed this tonight every time he came on stage.
Cameo roles were well performed by Charlie Bates as Rob, Mr Brownlow by Zak Charlesworth, Dr. Grimwig by Reuben Gotts, Mrs Bed win by Rebecca Groombridge, Old Annie by Megan Asher and Old Sally / Meg by Grace Deakin.
The supporting cast was outstandingly good and were:
Lizzie Buckthorpe, Daya Khosse, Lucy Ledger, Lucy Judson, Holly Pilgrim, Daisy Wright, Charlie Pierson,
Libby Pilgrim, Molly McCarthy, Eliza Charnock, Katie Baddiley, Robyn Oleshko, Kai Cox, Tom Baddiley,
Emily Bridge, Gabryl Oleshko, Sam Eccles and not forgetting Bullseye the dog, played by Ziggy.
The staging of this show was excellent and the design and use of the composite set was outstanding. The Director, Chris Renshaw’s strong vision was translated into a show that moved with pace, variety and excitement. Dickens shone a light on appalling social injustice in his times, but he did so with humour and a keen sense of the absurd. Chris captured all of this in his production. He was also ably supported by Jack Readyhoof as Assistant Director and Martin Lewis as Rehearsal pianist.
The performance was well supported by the stage crew led by Stage Manager Mark Robbins, who did their work quickly, without fuss and often almost invisibly.
One of my biggest delights in this show was the outstanding quality of the dancing both in terms of choreography and performance. Carol Lawson and Katie MacLaughlin, the choreographers, produced a dance plan that was impressive, while being just right for the skill and age of the cast. All the big musical items were lovely to look at despite working with a large cast on a smallish stage.
The Orchestra under the baton of the show’s Musical Director, Mitch Gambon, was fantastic and I have to say it was one of the best I have heard of late at the Duchess. The accompaniment was sensitive to the needs of the performers throughout the show. Well done, incidentally to the Violinist, Karen Eveson, whose playing in “Reviewing “ was beautiful.
Sound and Lighting by Ben Tennent, Dave Martin and Dave Dallard was well plotted.
This was yet another blistering performance by the Erewash Musical Society Youth Group. Fantastic singing and dancing and some outstanding individual performances supported by a superb ensemble who worked very hard and were always completely focused.
This is a very popular show and tonight's fresh and vibrant production shows why that is. Well done to all involved with this outstanding production, which I really enjoyed. Well done Emus!
Long Eaton Operatic Society Youth Group
Beauty and the Beast
The Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
Thursday July 2nd 2015
BEAUTY and the Beast was first an animated film, followed by a large-scale theatre musical and then there was the junior version. It has proved be successful in all three incarnations and watching the Long Eaton Operatic Youth Group’s delightfully staged production last night it is easy to see why.
This shorter production still follows the basic story, which is engaging for both youngsters and adults. It is about Belle, a village girl and the Beast, a prince who was transformed into a hideous creature by an angry enchantress. Their lives change after initially being at loggerheads when Belle takes her father’s place as a prisoner of the Beast.
In this production Belle was played by Olivia Hill who was performing for the first time with this group and what a find she is for them. Her voice was enchanting and she combined that with emotional and thoughtful acting.
The Beast was played powerfully by Daniel Jones. He confidently managed the dual roles of the prince and the beast and the transformation scenes were impressive and well acted.
Surrounding Belle and the Beast were many colourful characters, including the self-centred huntsman, Gaston, played with passion and humour by Josh Jones, a well-known face on the Duchess Stage. He portrayed the character as an arrogant and obsessed lad who thinks Belle won’t be able to resist his good looks. With him was his sidekick, Lefou, played by Matthew McAuley whose comedy timing was great.
In a similar vein there was Ryan Phelps as Lumiere and Oliver Ridgway as Cogsworth who were both fantastic in their respective roles – very funny and in complete control of their parts. Oliver reminded me of a young Eric Morecambe!
Isaac Brookes as Belle’s father was confident in the role of an older man and during scenes in the castle with the beast he acted with some considerable power and emotion.
There were lots of other great chorus and cameo roles performed well by Esme Parker, Jennifer Finlay, Eleanor Carty,
Emma Roberts, Beth Ward, Bella Ridgway, Charlie Briggs, Robert McAuley, Elliot Weir, Lorley Shelton, Elise Thornhill,
Zoe Thompson, Megan Trindell, Hannah Glossop, Izzy Broadley and Tamzin Rowley.
I was also very impressed with the Narrators who were Sammy Platkiw, Olivia Savage, Emily Scott and Trinity Shelton.
The show’s songs, with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman or Tim Rice, brought out the problems facing Belle and the Beast, including the lively “Belle” by the villagers, and Gaston’s bragging song about himself. These were very well sung by the musically excellent chorus and the soloists.
The bright “Be Our Guest,” in which the servants try to make Belle feel at home was particularly well performed and the audience showed their appreciation with sustained enthusiastic applause. Also, The show’s beautiful title song, “Beauty and the Beast,” was fabulously performed by the servants.
The show also had great dance routines. The show’s choreographer, Siobhan Parker must be congratulated for devising such impressive routines that were so well performed by the ensemble.
Directors Karen Woodhead, Siobhan Parker and the Musical Director Sam Griffiths, kept the show flowing seamlessly and the colourful costumes and Tom Olding’s lighting were a joy to watch. Incidentally, well done to Sam and his assistant Anna McAuley for enabling the cast to reach such a high standard of musicality. The singing was very good indeed.
The show made use of up to date technology, which was fabulous. You need to go and see it to understand what I mean. The staging of the show was great and scene changes were very swift and unobtrusive under the direction of John Wooley and his stage crew.
This was a very enjoyable performance of a relatively short version of the well-known story, but packed with great songs and a moving story with a happy ending. The audience expressed their delight at this show with great applause and cheering at the end. My only criticism is that there should have been more curtain calls, as this cast of talented youngsters genuinely more!
Chesterfield College
Little Shop of Horrors
The Pomegranate Theatre, Chesterfield
Tuesday June 23rd 2015
Last night I went to see the opening performance of Chesterfield College’s latest production, Little Shop of Horrors and I loved it.
This high-energy show was performed very well by an enthusiastic and talented cast. The lead role of Seymour was played to perfection by Matt Parker, a performer who has everything – fantastic stage presence, great acting skills, a good singing voice and the ability to dance. This young man will surely go far in the acting profession. He played the role of the down-and-out shop assistant who unwittingly propagates a monster, with such confidence, clarity and humour that he was a joy to watch.
Audrey was played by a powerhouse of an actress and singer, Anisha Ismail. Her fantastic singing voice filled the Pomegranate Theatre: her rendition of ‘Somewhere that’s Green’ was so beautifully phrased it was truly moving. Her brilliant American accent never faltered and her ability to deliver cleverly nuanced lines with absolute clarity is impressive. She was just perfect in the part and will most surely be seen in many other roles in the years to come.
Mushnik, the owner of the flower shop in which most of the action takes place, was played by Jordan Stanbrook; his characterisation of a much older man was outstandingly good. He had obviously worked hard on the physical and vocal mannerisms of middle aged man and portrayed these effortlessly on stage to great comic effect.
I was particularly impressed by Luke Hutchinson, who played Audrey’s violent boyfriend and a sadistic dentist. He was outstanding in the role. His interpretation of what could be a shallow caricature was dynamic and interesting. His comedy timing was exact, but he was also rather scary at times. One particular scene in the dentist’s surgery, shared with another great actor Ollie Green, was outstanding. These two played the scene just right and to the right level of manic insanity without being silly. Well done to them, a lot of rehearsal must have gone into perfecting that scene.
A special mention must be made to the three girls playing the backing vocals of The Ronnettes: April Parker, Freya King and Ellie Scott who played their roles perfectly. The standard of singing throughout was excellent, some wonderfully powerful solos and lovely ensemble work from a talented group of singers and dancers. Praise indeed must go to the hard work of the Musical Director Jonathan Francis for helping the whole cast to achieve such a high standard.
The star of this show is, of course, Audrey 2, the plant that grows into a blood-eating monster. This is achieved by models of different sizes concluding with a very large one, which can consume human bodies and does so with great pleasure. Achieving this is not an easy matter, but in this production the operators Daniel Fessey and Levi Daines, plus the wonderful voice of Mark Page were excellent.
It was a polished production, with good lighting and sound, an appropriate and well-used set, barely noticeable set changes, good dance routines, some stunning costumes and a very committed and talented cast.
Congratulations also to the show’s production team of Sam Rowlands, the director, Becky Parker, the choreographer and those students involved in the technical aspects of the show under the direction of the Stage Manager, Georgii Bailey. Your hard work has certainly paid off.
Overall this was a seamless production with a ‘wow’ factor, which delighted the audience. I am delighted that these very talented students are leaving the college with such great performances to look back on. I know that many of them are going on to continue their drama studies and I am sure they will do very well in the future. Good luck to you all, musical theatre will be the richer for your contribution.
The Young Performers
Planet Rock/ Journey to the centre of the Earth
The Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
Thursday June 18th
Review of Planet Rock/ Journey to the Centre of the Earth – The Young Performers – Duchess Theatre – June 18th 2015
Last night at the Duchess Theatre in Long Eaton was a very special one for all of us, as we witnessed a truly breathtaking performance of Journey to the Centre of the Earth and a showcase of great acting, singing and dance – Planet Rock.
“Planet Rock” certainly showed us the many talents of this large theatre group. There were songs, sketches and dance routines, linked together well by Zak Charlesworth whose lively and humorous interjections kept things moving well. He also produced the sketches.
There were some very funny, well written and well performed sketches during this first Act and I was very impressed by the quality of the acting. A dance sequence involving most of the cast was great and was well performed; this was beautifully choreographed by Alex Tavener.
Act 2 was a stunning arrangement by Leon Wade of Rick Wakeman's Fantasy choral rock composition: the performance of the Orchestra and the Young Performers Choir and soloists was excellent.
This is by no means an easy piece and the youngsters must have worked so hard to achieve this standard of singing. The soloists in the piece (Rebecca Cox, Nicola Northcott, Emily Owen and Zak Charlesworth) were very good and came in perfectly at the start of their pieces – not an easy thing to do with this type of music. The young chorus sang as well as I have ever heard them and their concentration and professionalism was impressive.
I feel I must mention the narrator of the piece, Jonathan Higgins, whose dramatic interpretation of the script was superb.
Having seen this performance tonight I have no doubt that if Rick Wakeman comes to see this he will be impressed and very pleased indeed.
I loved the end of Act I in particular, when the whole cast, accompanied by the full 16-piece orchestra, performed a wonderful version of Bohemian Rhapsody. The quality of the performance of this iconic piece was very high indeed. A performance of Palladio by the orchestra - The Leonettes was also very good – a thrilling experience.
When singing together as a chorus the Young Performers were fantastic and the concentration and love of what they are doing was very pleasing: you can just see on their faces how much they all love performing! This is what it's all about.
The sound and lighting for the show was in the very creative hands of Dave Martin and certainly enhanced the drama, of Act 2 in particular. The production team of Elaine Clemerson, Victoria Garavan, Vicky Moran, Alex Tavener and Leon Wade (also the Musical Director) must also be congratulated for their hard work and creative flair.
I could go on but I will simply say thank you to all in The Young Performers and all in the Orchestra - you were brilliant tonight and yet I suspect you will be even more brilliant by the end of the run and very tired indeed!
The Young Performers are: Phoebe Buxton, Rebecca Cox,
Harriett Slatcher, India Smith, Ellie Simmonds, Giselle Tavener,
Tayla Evans, Tasha Grebby, Ava Jaylock, Shannon Hickton,
Megan Thomas, Hayley Watson, Caitlin Whiteley-Blundell, Amy Wilcox, Erin Hill, Lucy Kenyon, Abby Kilford, Hazel Lawrence, Chloe Young,
Zak Charlesworth, Joe Downing, Harvey Latter, May Lee, Chloe Manley, Brooke Marsden, Siena McQuade, Oliver Latter, Bradley McClean,
Liam Morris, George Parkinson, Niclola Northcott, Emily Owen,
Molly Parkinson, Lauren Riley, Curtis Salmon, Joe Scard,
Daniel Smith-Barnes and Harvey Taverner.
Ilkeston Theatre Company
Dracula The Final Countdown
The Seven Oaks Marquee
Thursday June 4th
There was fright and delight last night in the Seven Oaks Marquee, plus many opportunities to die of laughter when the Ilkeston Theatre Company presented Dracula – The Final Countdown.
This play by Geoff Bamber is a humorous interpretation of Bram Stokers gothic horror story. In this version Count Dracula is not quite the terrifying monster that haunts our worst nightmares and the other characters in the story were not exactly the Victorian heroes and heroines we thought we knew. This re-telling of the immortal story was, most decidedly, a comedy. The cast included zombies, Brides of Dracula, a dotty Professor, some unsuspecting and assorted humans and of course, Count Dracula himself.
The Narrator for the evening, Sue Golds, put our fears to bed at the start by saying we need fear nothing except perhaps laughter. She kept the action moving well and was very amusing in the role.
There were 6 scenes that transported us from York to Sigipitesti in Transylvania to Castle Dracula then back to Whitby and finally ending up on the Yorkshire Moors. This meant quite a few scene changes that were done mainly by the cast quickly and smoothly.
There were some good individual performances and characterisations. In particular Rachael Flewitt was fantastic as Igoretta, the Count’s servant – her comic timing and delivery of backhanded comments were excellent and very funny. The three Brides of Dracula, played by Jenni Walker, Lena Bryant and Angie Jacks were deliciously awful (characters not actors!) The two soppy Victorian ladies were played by Jodie Spall and Becks Harrison-Mace, who were ideal in the parts, maintaining an air of simpering silliness throughout the play. Steve Watson, who played the role of the solicitor, was well liked by the audience, especially when dressed only in a towel!
Paul Ensor played Count Dracula and his characterisation was engaging as he skilfully combined feigned niceness with pure evil. His comic timing was effective and well appreciated by the audience. Sharon Ensor played Dottie Van Helsing as a kind of crazy female Sherlock Homes and did it very well, causing great amusement.
The rest of the hard working cast were Ryan Pound as Andrew Remington, Adrian Thornley as Peter Hawkins, Danielle White as Beatrice the maid, Jaqueline Dixon as Sergeant Crabtree, Sue Preston as the Harbourmaster, Mandy Bull as the Innkeeper, Cairon Shea as the shepherd and Kitty Bailey as a Cabin Girl. Many of the cast also played other parts and at times also worked as stage crew. In addition to the above Ivor Usher, Maggie White, Tracey Dean, Gabby Faulkner, and Jake Penlington were also involved on stage in a variety of roles.
The set was good and the use of true back projection was excellent and contributed to the effectiveness of the scenes. Lighting and sound were good thanks to Michael Jacks and Tracey Dean with some excellent costumes produced by Mary Bryant and Jenni Walker.
Well done to everyone who took part along with the show’s Producer, Angie Jacks. This was truly a group production with every member of cast involved in performance and production.
Go see it if you can before it ends on Sunday.
The People's Theatre Company
Madame Butterfly
The Nottingham Arts Theatre
Wednesday June 3rd
Tonight at the Arts Theatre was very special for me as I think it is the first full opera I have seen live and despite not always knowing who was who and what was going on, I simply loved it.
It was indeed another triumph for the People's Theatre Company. After Tuesday’s wonderful performance of the Mikado by the same group I was not sure what this would be like, but Madame Butterfly was simply sensational. I should have known it would be.
Everyone involved contributed to a superb performance of this well known opera at Nottingham’s Arts Theatre. I am not really a fan of opera, but tonight I think I may have been converted. There is no doubt that the whole audience was totally immersed in the unbelievably tuneful music, a sumptuous set and fantastic lighting. Apart from rapturous applause, it was very quiet in the auditorium from start to finish.
All the soloists led by Sarah Helsby Hughes as Butterfly and Nick Hardy as Captain Pinkerton were outstandingly good. Beautiful, expressive and emotional singing was the order of the day. The ensemble was not featured very much in this opera, but when they were on stage they were a joy to listen to. Their rendition of “The Humming Song” was excellent, both moving and emotive.
Madame Butterfly’s iconic and magnificent aria “One Fine Day” was beautifully sung by Sarah and followed by rapt applause. She also directed the show. Well done to her and the production team for their obvious creative talents and hard work.
The set was very attractive and it was enhanced by some excellent lighting changes which were very much mood setters for the different scenes in the opera.
The 17 piece orchestra conducted by Andrew Nicklin was excellent and again there was so sign of a keyboard – real instruments only, I am glad to say. As with last night the sound was enhanced by not having or needing microphones. Would that we saw more of this in other theatres.
This was a professional production in every way. I shall not forget tonight for a very long time. Opera fan or not get along to the Arts Theatre this week and experience something very special. The People’s Theatre Company are certainly a musical force to be very much admired in the East Midlands.
The People's Theatre Company
The Mikado
The Nottingham Arts Theatre
Tuesday June 2nd
Call me “old fashioned” but last night at the Arts Theatre I had a fantastic time, watching a brilliant performance of an operetta first performed in 1885. It had everything that makes for a really enjoyable night at the theatre. Very professional acting and singing, some extremely good individual performances and a crisp and well-rehearsed ensemble. Add to that a simple but very appropriate set and lighting plot and you have the latest production from the People’s Theatre Company of Gilbert and Sullivan’s best loved operetta, The Mikado.
Although it was basically still the same work as first performed, it had freshness and vitality about it, due to some minor changes to the script to bring it up to date. It is set in modern times and all the performances are freshly nuanced and contemporary. This could have been a professional performance, it was so well done.
The story is, as with most G & S operettas, somewhat fanciful and contrived. It revolves around a young man named Nanki-Poo, who has banished himself from the little town of Titipu. Nanki-Poo, it seems, has fallen in love with a beautiful girl called Yum-Yum. Unfortunately, Yum-Yum is engaged to be married to her guardian, the tailor Ko-Ko. However, when Nanki-Poo hears that Ko-Ko has been condemned to death for the capital crime of flirting, he hastily returns to Titipu, only to learn that Ko-Ko has not only been granted a reprieve, but has been promoted to the post of Lord High Executioner a role that requires some action…
The plot unravels from this point and, as with all G and S operettas, comes to a satisfactory conclusion at the end, but not until lots of twists and turns occur!
The casting for the operetta was excellent, with Stephen Godward playing the central role of Pooh-Bah, The Lord High Everything Else. The role required him to allude to being many different characters, which he did very well, employing an impressive and highly amusing range of accents. He was physically very funny, as well being dressed in what I am sure was a “fat suit,” which comically impeded his movements. Stephen is a very well known and experienced local actor whose singing and acting skills, diction and delivery are absolutely first rate. He is a joy to watch and listen to.
The part of the Lord High Executioner was played by a very accomplished actor and singer, Tom Parry. It is pure genius to play the part as a Cockney Arthur Daley type character, with a superb accent and the cocksure confidence of a spiv. He brought the house down with a very witty and hilariously tweaked version of The Little List Patter Song, which was completely up to date, even including mention of a certain international football president…
Nanki-Pooh was played by Drew Dennis, who sang the part so well: a tenor voice that many a singer would die for. He is also an expressive actor who was able to bring life to a mercurial character, who is not to be taken seriously as he dices with love, life and death. Along with Alexandra Hazard as Yum-Yum and Tom Parry, he was excellent in the comedy trio “ Here’s a how-de-do.” The audience loved that.
Alexandra has a superb singing voice and also acted the part of Yum-Yum exceedingly well. She managed to convey a coy but self-assured schoolgirl who finds herself in an unexpected and rather tiresome dilemma, which may result in her being buried alive. She was very well supported by the other two “Three Little Girls from School,” Pitti-Sing played by Elaine Bishop and Alice Hands as Peep-Bo. The famous trio was sung and performed to perfection by the three of them. Each girl knew her character well and brought life to her through convincing physical and vocal mannerisms, showing an admirable level of preparation.
Playing the role of Pish-Tush, the other village official, was John Carter, who also sang beautifully and was very amusing with a good sense of comic timing.
The operetta has a sub plot involving an elderly lady of the Mikado’s Court, Katisha, who is desperate to marry Nanki-Pooh. She was played powerfully by Jean Krzeminski, who expressed her anger and annoyance so well in both song and facial expressions, when she discovered that Nanki-Pooh was to marry Yum-Yum instead. This complex singing role was performed brilliantly.
The Ladies and Gentlemen of the Chorus were great and the stage production by Andrew Nicklin was meticulous, ensuring that they all had things to do while on stage. This production has such energy and great attention to detail- look anywhere on the stage and you will see little comic cameos, bringing life to each scene.
Two comments I must make about this production. There were no microphones used in this performance and in the orchestra there were no keyboards just “real” instruments. This ensured a superb sound from performers and instrumentalists, who were completely balanced. Just goes to show that modern technology is not always needed on the stage.
When the full cast sang together the sounds were blissful. When the orchestra played as in the overture the sound was excellent. Well done to all.
This was a production of great quality in all departments and all involved need to be congratulated.
The Beaston Theatre Company
New York, New York
The Duchess Theatre
Wednesday May 27th
Last night at the Duchess Theatre in Long Eaton I found myself on a very enjoyable musical journey to New York and back. This was courtesy of The Beeston Musical Theatre Group who, with great energy, passion and style entertained us with songs, routines and dances from many famous shows first seen on Broadway.
The show moved very quickly and smoothly from solos to duets to large cast ensemble routines with an ease that was a joy to watch. It was great to listen to songs from shows such as “West Side Story,” Funny Girl,” Little Shop of Horrors,” “Guys and Dolls,” “Annie and “Sweet Charity” to name just a few.
It is impossible to pick out any one performer for praise as this was an ensemble show in which everyone was fantastic. However, using great skill and expertise, Keli Wayne, the choreographer and some members of the cast deserve considerable praise for the very well choreographed dance routines.
There were, of course, some excellent individual performances, but many of these were also supported and enhanced by the talented ensemble.
The lighting by Dave Martin assisted by Garry Smith and the sound by “Sounds-Technical” were very well designed as were the costumes, which were bright and easy on the eye.
The 4-piece band conducted by Nathan Truesdale accompanied the soloists and ensemble members very well and was never over loud.
Lisa Smith and her production team are to be congratulated for very creatively linking all the acts together and making sure that the show moved at a good pace.
The finale, which was appropriately comprised of songs related to New York, demonstrated the wonderful sound that this group makes when singing as a whole company. The standard of the singing throughout was very high indeed.
This excellent show spotlighted the considerable range of talent that this group has within its membership. A big well done to everyone, including the stage crew and other members of the team who worked hard to make sure that everything went very smoothly.
This journey to the Big Apple is worth the ticket price and more, so for a very enjoyable and comfy ride across the Atlantic and back get along to the Duchess Theatre before the journey ends on Saturday evening.
The Cast was:
Ian Baggott; Hannah Baird; Ronja Breitkopf; Keith Bird; Chris Bryan; Cheryl Camm; James Capel; Cathy Chatten; Kev Chatten; Rob Charles; Jane Cottee; Laura Cotton; Jodie Cresdee; Kayrakisse Evans; Paul Gardner; Steph Gray-Blest; Alex Grosse; Mollie Harwood; Mina Machin; Ruth Madison; Claire Rybicki; Cat Tuckey; Rachel Van Krimpen; Keli Wain; Christine Walton; Beth Yearsley
The Orchestra, directed by Nathan Truesdale, comprised of Ron Newsham, Jeff Widdowson, Louis Ogando and Jonathan Curtis
The Company’s next production is “Into the Woods” in October.
Streetlight Theatre Arts
Sweeney Todd
The Robert Ludlam Theatre
Tuesday May 26th
Last night at the Robert Ludlam Theatre there was considerable blood on the floor by the end of what was a stunning performance of Sweeney Todd by Stephen Sondheim. This musical is considered by Sondheim aficionados to be his greatest work to date and it certainly is a big brute of a musical.
Set in 19th century England, the musical tells the story of Benjamin Barker, alias Sweeney Todd, who returns to London after 15 years' transportation, on trumped-up charges, to take revenge on the judge who banished him. As his madness and obsession increases he, in league with a Mrs Lovett, who runs a failing pie shop, murders many people. They end up in her pies, which become a great success!
All the leading roles in this show are highly demanding and none so more than the part of Sweeney, who was played brilliantly by Mitch Gamble. He embraced the role of the tortured ex convict with a violent energy, capturing the essence of a grimly determined man who is relentless in his quest for vengeance. He sang his part beautifully, impressing with the intensity of feeling he conveyed.
Alongside him was Eleanor Mallinson, as the charming and yet evil owner of the pie shop who joins eagerly in the carnage, yet retains her grisly sense of humour. This is also a demanding part that requires a great singer and an actor with a well-developed sense of comic timing. She has both these skills and was quite superb in the role.
Playing the role of the lovesick friend of Sweeney, Anthony Hope, was Andrew Smyth - this role was his first in a musical, although he is an experienced local singer. He played the part with an engaging earnestness and was very convincing in his obsession with Joanna, Sweeney’s long lost daughter. He has a super voice, well matched by that of Emily Cox who played Joanna. She looked and sounded lovely and was able to convincingly convey the desperation of the situation she was in.
It was good to see Adam Guest on stage again in the role of Judge Turpin. He also played the role of Sweeney in the Long Eaton Operatic Society production of the show I saw a few years ago: tonight the roles were reversed. He is an excellent all round actor, singer and director and he brought his wide range of skills to the role. He was convincingly evil and yet touchingly vulnerable in his obsessive love for his ward, Joanna. In the programme he said the role was challenging both vocally and in terms of interpretation. However, he rose to both challenges and fully succeeded.
The youngest member of the cast, 15 year old Oliver Wheddon played the part of Tobias Ragg with confidence. This is no easy part, as it involves high quality singing, comic timing and considerable emotion. For any actor this would prove difficult, but his portrayal of the character was outstanding. He was a joy to watch and listen to and I am sure this accomplished young man has a very bright future ahead of him on the stage.
I also enjoyed the performances of Josephine Walker as the crazy Beggar woman who was quite mad- with a teasing ambiguity -and Ollie Hand as Beadle Bamford, who supported Judge Turpin in a very powerful way.
This was a well produced show with some outstanding individual performances and a polished ensemble. This comprised of: Tom Stanley, Rob Chilton, Kheenan Jones, Becky Morley, Emily Bramley, Amy Haley, Heidi Lewin and Daniel Woolley.
Such a powerful piece of musical theatre demands a high production values to enable it work. The Director, Matt Powell did a splendid job with it and had obviously overcome a number of technical challenges. The use of the theatre’s revolving stage was excellent and kept the show moving with pace. His stage direction was also tight, engaging and eye catching. He describes himself as “a slightly crazy young adult” and” a Sondheim fanatic.” I guess putting the two together is the reason why this show was so good.
Sondheim’s music is well known for being incredibly difficult, both for the musicians and the performers. However, tonight the orchestra conducted by the Musical Director, Sam Griffiths was excellent and was, as far as I could tell, in perfect synchronisation with the performers, not easy with this typically discordant, edgy music. Sam has obviously worked very hard with the cast who achieved a good vocal standard throughout.
Finally, the set was authentic and changed with great speed by Ollie Turner and his stage crew.
Matt Powell and his cast, creative team, musicians deserve considerable praise for what is an outstanding production and performance.
People's Theatre Company
The Government Inspector
Nottingham Arts Theatre
Friday May 15th
The Government Inspector by Nikolai Gogol has been described as one of the most famous comedies in World Theatre and has been performed worldwide since the 1830’s. It is all about mistaken identity in the context of a corrupt establishment in a small Russian Town and the consequences of being greedy, stupid and selfish.
Last night it was performed very well by the People’s Theatre Company at the Nottingham Arts Theatre. We were put in the mood as soon as we entered the theatre by some splendid Russian music, which set the scene perfectly and got our toes tapping.
It is a very funny play: the script is amazingly fresh and still reflective of life in many parts of the world today. The Director, Robbie Robb, had set his version of the play in a modern day provincial town in Russia. His production succeeded in giving us, as many modern takes on Shakespeare do, a comic exploration of universal and timeless themes in a contemporary context.
This play has a large cast. There were 18 actors playing 22 parts, many of who were on stage for much of the time, especially the Mayor and the visitor, Khlestakov. There were many very strong performances from the cast, who had obviously worked very hard. Some had to work even harder with their characterizations, as they were playing roles of characters intended to be much older.
The leading actors were very strong indeed and turned in some excellent performances. Rob Shuttle as the Mayor was outstanding, very much making the character his own: giving the audience the pleasure of hearing a beautifully modulated and well projected voice and perfectly pitched delivery. Richard Fife in the role of the visitor gave us a smoothly arch roué who used his charm and an unexpected run of luck to manipulate the townspeople to great comic effect. Both these actors had huge amounts of text to learn and never faltered once; great work from both of them.
The Mayor’s wife, played by a great character actress, Sarah – Lee Reed, was a joy to watch and listen to, as she played this magnificently haughty character who spat venom at every opportunity, while amusingly trying to retain poise and dignity. She was complemented by a long-suffering daughter, played with just the right amount of anguished naivety by Kerry Leibrick. Luke Grainger as the Health Commisioner, Matthew Humphries as the Director of Education, Wendy McLoughlin as the Magistrate and Alex Mead as the scatty Post Mistress were very entertaining in their respective roles and had obviously worked hard on their well-developed characterizations. The director and actors must have spent a long time discussing how vocal and physical mannerisms can build a character and bring it to life. I can imagine that this may have involved creating back stories, as each character was strongly and consistently portrayed.
The comedy duo in the play, Dobchinsky and Bobchinsky were perfectly cast – Chris Teasdale and Malcolm Todd: hilarious as they bumbled their way around the stage adding some witty lines, slapstick comedy and pithy comments on corruption.
Chris Collins, who played the visitors servant, Osip, inhabited the role of the “cheeky chappie’ with some considerable skill. He remained in his character at all times while he was on the stage and his wry observations on his master’s folly were beautifully delivered. This character reminded me of the one that James Corden made famous in One Man Two Guvnors- so look out for that role in the future, Chris!
Without giving anything away, the play ends with a frenetic scene involving almost all the cast, which was very well performed and funny. Robbie is to be congratulated for managing to line up a lot of characters, yet retain focus and movement.
There was a simple set that did the business, although I think it would have been enhanced by a few more pieces of furniture and props in some scenes. However, the play did move very quickly from scene to scene, which gave the production some considerable pace. I would also liked to have seen a little more contrast with the lights, but overall this did not detract from the performance.
I enjoyed this lively performance from this excellent company, as did the small but very enthusiastic audience. The sustained applause at the end was indicative of this.
Well done to the Director, Robbie Robb his production team and all involved in the play. Once again The People’s Theatre Company have produced a show of some considerable quality and reminded us how lucky we are in this area to be able to see such talent in action on a regular basis.
In addition to the actors mentioned above the excellent ensemble consisted of:
Roy Smith; Glen Murphy; Alex Meade; Laura Ellis; Glenn Murphy; Barry Hobbs; Mike Baker; Cassandra Stone; Jessica Mclean.
Carlton Operatic Society
Legally Blonde
Theatre Royal, Nottingham
Tuesday May 5th 2015
At the Theatre Royal, Carlton Operatic Society once again showed that they produce excellent and professional musical productions. Legally Blonde was a regional premiere for this popular company and they did it proud.
The production had a very strong cast, a bright colourful set, great costumes and very good music.
It tells the story of Elle Woods a girl who enrols at Harvard Law School to win back her ex-boyfriend, Warner. She then finds that her knowledge of the law can help others, and successfully defends exercise queen Brooke Wyndham in a murder trial. Throughout the show, no one has faith in Elle Woods, but she manages to surprise them when she defies expectations while staying true to herself.
In the leading role of Elle Woods was the quite brilliant, Rosie Wade. What a fantastic performer she is- a very strong actor, wonderful singer and proficient dancer. She certainly made the role her own and sparkled throughout. He comedy timing was first rate and she was an utter joy to watch.
The rest of the principal line up was also very strong with Mark Coffey-Bainbridge as Emmett Forest, Rob Holsman as Warner Huntingdon II, Graham Ward as Professor Callahan, Sarah Kelly as Vivienne Kensington and Jessica Royce as Brooke Wyndham.
Helen Eadsforth was a fantastic Paulette, the hairdresser. She entranced the audience with her superb comedy style as well as being a great singer and dancer.
The ensemble supported the principals well and there were some good set piece dance routines. I particularly enjoyed the “Irish Dancing Scene” which was well choreographed and performed. The choreographer, Rachael Rees, is to be congratulated for her work with the whole cast.
As always, the Director, Amanda Hall, ensured that this was a show that moved with cracking pace and her direction was tight and imaginative. In particular, I loved her direction of the “Gay or European” song, which was brilliant, packed with action and very funny.
Musically this production was excellent and I must compliment the Musical Director, Christopher Rees. Everyone sang very well and the orchestra was first class.
Technically this show wasn’t easy, having many scene changes often after short scenes. However, the changes were very smooth, quick and unobtrusive, thanks to the excellent work of the Stage Manager, Jon Higton and his first class crew.
One important feature of this production is that the cast looked throughout as though they were having a great time, happily taking the audience with them to another time and place. There was certainly an enthusiastic ovation at the end.
If you enjoy watching bright, feel good and happy shows and ones that are performed with great enthusiasm and at a professional standard, you will have loved this.
The excellent ensemble featured:
Andrea Chapman, Lucy Bailey, Ella Greenwood, Hannah Rogers-Gee, Aston Fisher, Catherine Cunnigham, Sarah Hill, Laura Thurman,
Sophie Petruccio, Gareth Morris, Ross Lowe, Alison Stones,
Peter Newman, Tom Keeling, Adam Collisham, David Hurt,
Nigel Newton, Jenny Scott, Mike Newbold, Heidi Hargreaves,
Celine McKeown, Zie Scott-Smith, Michelle Smith.
There were, of course, also the two excellent canine performers, Hugo and Lady!
Heanor Musical Theatre Company
The Addams Family Musical
The Palace Theatre, Mansfield
Saturday April 25th 2015
There was a bit of a chill wind and a dark cloud above the Palace Theatre yesterday, despite the sun shining everywhere else in Mansfield. Later, when the blood red curtains opened it became obvious why. The Addams Family in all their glory was in town. That was, incidentally, after a single disembodied hand had been seen running up and down the theatre curtain! For the past 4 days The Heanor Musical Theatre Company have recreated possibly the strangest, weirdest, most macabre family in TV and comic book history. However, from the start it was obvious we were in for an enjoyable, hilarious and entertainingly good evening.
This show is a musical comedy based upon The Addams Family characters created by Charles Addams, which depict a ghoulish American family with an affinity for all things macabre. Numerous film and television adaptations of Addams' cartoons exist, but the musical, which is the first stage show based on the characters, is based upon the cartoons rather than the television and film characters.
The opening number introduced the main characters in the show with a catchy song called “When you’re an Addams.” The quality and power of the principals was very evident during this song. Leading the Addams clan was Kim Harris as Gomez and Yvonne Taylor as his wife, Morticia. Both were superb in their respective roles, being strong singers and great actors whose comic timing was perfect.
Their daughter Wednesday, who according to her Dad would soon grow up to be Thursday, was played by the outstandingly good Emily Marshall Sims. What a powerhouse of a singer and actor she is. Her rendition of “Pulled” was excellent and very much of a professional standard.
Brett Waller, who had actually shaved all his hair off, was hilarious as Uncle Fester, a very funny character in the show. He looked very much like the character in the cartoons and his vocal characterisation was spot on. He certainly wooed the audience with his talk of love and his infatuation with the moon.
A very important Addams Family character is Lurch, the Zombie butler, who, balancing on some very large shoes, entertained us with his strange noises (he doesn’t actually speak until right at the end of the show) and the very slow way he moved deliberately across the stage. Damon Hatton was marvellous in the role and as well as being ‘dead pan’ for most of the time he also occasionally sported a very cheeky smile!
Andrew Buxton was a charming and earnest Lucas Beinekes- Wednesday’s love interest- who, with the well cast Paul Whitworth and Trish Church who played his parents, made their ‘normal’ family a splendid contrast to the Addams. In particular, Trish’s fabulous solo in “Final Disclosure” was a real show stopper.
The youngest Addams member, the errant boy Pugsley, was played by the appropriately named, Billy Sweet. He has a lovely clear voice but also acted the part so well, staying in character as the not so sweet boy, who really enjoyed being tortured by his sister, Wednesday.
Sheila Warhurst who played Grandma, whose interaction with Pugsley was splendid. She was very funny in a number of cameo scenes.
The ensemble was very good and displayed the depth of talent in this company with some high quality singing and dancing. I really liked the dance and movement in two of the set piece numbers “Full Disclosure” and “The Moon and Me.” Well done to the choreographer, Helen Burton and the Musical Director, Charlotte Daniel. Incidentally I thought that the orchestra was very good and always at the right volume.
Adding to all this was the excellent use made of projections which were outstandingly good, in my view. I know that the jury is still out for many about using digital technology instead of traditional scenery but for me, in this case, it worked very well and contributed a lot to my enjoyment of the show. There were some traditional props used as well and the Stage crew under the direction of John Thompson moved these on and off the stage smoothly, quickly and almost invisibly.
The costumes were excellent and varied, making the Ancestors in particular look really good. A lot of make up was needed in this show as you can imagine and this looked excellent. Congratulations go to the make up designer Jessica Hill and also to Gemma Ryan who was responsible for the Ancestors.
Linked in with the excellent projections was a good lighting plot and excellent sound.
The show’s Director Damon Hatton and Technical Director, Paul Young have certainly produced a quality production which was appreciated by the audience, many of whom gave it a standing ovation. This is first time I have seen a show by this company and I certainly hope it will not be the last.
Having seen the show twice this week (in different venues) I have grown to like the music very much and the script is funny and generally well written. However, I felt that the second Act slows the action down somewhat as the plot is very much thinner. If it ever goes to the West End I suspect it will need some re writing to sustain a long run. However, that is no criticism of either production.
Supporting the Principal Actors very well in this show were:
Steve Radford, Michelle Vardy, Gemma Ryan, George Groom, Tracey Coope, Dorothy Platts, Lucy Stokes, Alison Woodruff, Kerry Van de Broucke, Josh Waldron, Stacey Hyndman, Emma Henshaw, Sara Ruston.
Well done to all concerned with this excellent production.
Centre Stage Theatre Arts
The Addams Family Musical
The Robert Ludlam Theatre, Derby
Thursday April 23rd 2015
A decided chill fell over the audience at the Robert Ludlam Theatre in Derby last night when the curtain opened to reveal The Addams Family in all their macabre glory. The opening song led by Gomez Addams, set the scene on what was to become a comical musical romp into the world of the infamous, dysfunctional dead and alive family we have grown to love over the years.
This show is a musical comedy based upon The Addams Family characters created by Charles Addams which depict a ghoulish American family with an affinity for all things macabre. Numerous film and television adaptations of Addams' cartoons exist, but the musical, which is the first stage show based on the characters, is based upon the cartoons rather than the television and film characters. However I am sure that fans of the stories will enjoy this musical adaptation – I certainly did.
This young cast produced some very good principal performances and there was a large ensemble that supported them well. Everyone in the cast contributed to what was a good performance, but in particular I was very impressed with Ryan Wiggins who played Gomez and Olivia Grace who played Morticia. Both of these young actors were outstanding in their respective roles and provided us with very powerful performances and extremely good and well-timed comedy. Their interpretation of the roles was outstanding and I am sure both of them will be seen again in many future shows.
Will Evans gave a polished performance as Fester, who for some reason was in love with the Moon – oh well, it is that sort of show! The star crossed lovers, Wednesday and Lucas played by Eleanor Wentworth and Jude Bush injected just the right level of emotion and drama into their roles. They are both good actors who remained in character throughout the story. Playing the young Addams boy, Pugsley, was Luke Preston-Davies who played his part very well and was extremely funny while being “tortured for pleasure” by his sister. His comedy timing was very good for such a young actor. He interacted well with Emma Merrey who played his Gran. She was delightfully funny in her role and again I was impressed with her comic timing. Lucas’ parents were well played by Lowri Spear and Sam Rowe. They are obviously developing well as actors and they played their parts in a very natural, mature and confident manner.
Finally Nic Gordon as the servant, Lurch, was magnificent in the role, making the audience laugh almost every time he appeared. He never came out of the role even during the Finale.
Visually this show was excellent with, a well-designed set, great costumes, garish and macabre makeup and good lighting from Brian Counter. The band was very good, both in quality of musicianship but also in the sympathetic way in which it supported the cast. The musical Directors, James Rayner and Bethan Davies have obviously worked very hard with musicians and cast to have achieved such a high standard.
The sound, directed by Dave Dallard, was very good and I could hear almost every word that was sung or spoken by the principals. Just one minor criticism – while the quality of the ensemble singing was fine, it seemed a little quiet at times but I am not sure if that was due to the acoustics of the theatre or lack of microphones. I am sure, though, that this will improve as the run goes on.
This show’s large cast was well directed by, Adam Guest, Lucy Bramley and the choreographer Josephine Walker. There were many examples where the ensemble was given individual or group actions, which were very effective and supported the principal action. The dance routines were exciting and inventive. Coming on and off the stage was smooth and without fuss. The staging of the show was good and the Stage Manager, Steve Thornhill and his team are to be congratulated on keeping the scene changes as short and unobtrusive as possible. Many of these were done during complete black outs which was impressive.
Overall, this was a great production of this new musical, which has some catchy songs and a witty script. The young cast threw themselves into it with enthusiasm and gave us all an entertaining and enjoyable evening. Well done everyone!
The supporting cast were:
Millie Eaton; Lucy Vickers; Romilly Das; Tabitha Hartshorn; Any Burchell; Lana Mihic; Christina Allen; Mia Thompson; Amelia Legg; Izaac Drew; Hannah Riley; Bailey West; Ella Holmes; Lucy Bennett; Lona Jackman-Hart; Tamara Morgan; Lilly Shields; Tiny Simbani; Joe Barker; Natasha Neale; Emelia Palfreyman; Phoebe Drew; Lily Morris; Charlotte Curran; Annie Young; Amber Lord; Bailey West; Nathan Wilson; Rose Mather; Mia Page; Lydia Walsh; Charlotte Gilliver; Chloe Merrey
The Chesterfield Operatic Society
Evita
The Pomegranate Theatre, Chesterfield
Tuesday April 21st 2015
Featuring music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice, The Chesterfield Operatic Society’s production of the iconic musical ‘Evita’ was very well received by the large audience at the Pomegranate Theatre last night.
Based on the life of actress and political powerhouse Eva Perón, the story depicts the rise and fall of this charismatic leader, as she became one of the most famous- and infamous- figures in the history of South America.This was a very polished production with some outstanding individual performances from the principals, supported by an excellent ensemble.
What immediately struck me was the very high standard of singing by all and as this show is almost completely sung and vocally challenging, this is most important.
The principal cast is very strong, led by Sue Higgins who is magnificent as Eva. She has a very powerful voice which never wavered and was always on key. Her interpretation of the Latino firecracker, who seduces and schemes her way to the very top of Argentine society, is riveting. She is able to sensitively portray a complex woman, driven by poverty and corrupted by power, who never forgot where she came from. Consequently, her superbly performed renditions of “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” were very moving.
Linking everything together is the engaging Davron Hicks as the narrator, Che. An insightful portrayal of a character who deeply despises the hypocrisy of the ruling elite, but is wryly amused by the course of events. Davron has just the right balance between sarcasm spitting passion and insouciance, never overplaying this vital pivotal role. His excellent voice opens the show and sets the scene perfectly.
Danny Winson plays Eva’s husband Juan Peron as a statesman like dictator: I was impressed by the emotion he injected into a character who could so easily become a caricature. Ably supporting the central characters are Andy Moore as Magaldi and Jessica Dharratt, in the cameo role of Peron’s mistress. Her rendition of the well-loved “Another Suitcase” was fabulous.
This production by Phil Simcox was accomplished and his direction of the large cast was outstanding. Supported by the choreographers, Julie Metcalf and Paula Wilson he has produced a vibrant and fresh version of the show. The set was simple but effective and was enhanced by good lighting by Shane Ayres and superb sound by Simon Birchall. I was delighted that I could clearly hear all that was being sung.
The Orchestra was exceptionally good under the baton of Jonathan Francis. It played well and was never over dominating. Having a “pit” helped. Jonathan also needs congratulating for the way he had trained the singers to such a high standard. The young peoples choir in the opening scene was excellent.
The costumes and hairstyles were very authentic which enhanced the feeling of reality.
Finally, the staging of the show was excellent with smooth scene and props changes under the control of the Society’s Stage Manager Keith Owen and his team.
This is the first time I have seen a production by this company or been inside the Pomegranate Theatre. After tonight I am sure I will be coming back to this lovely theatre very soon and also look forward to seeing Chesterfield Operatic Society’s next production. They are obviously a very good Musical Society.
In addition to the Principals above the excellent ensemble featured:
Bob Newton; Diane Povall; Helen Welch; Matt McGregor; Barbara Booth; Matt Rogers; Marlene Smith; Sam Widdowson; Gill Cook; Ryan Mitchell; Margaret Dring; Edward Telfer; Judith Doram; Robert Spencer; Kelly Wallhead; Alan Blair;
Tammy Marsh-Beresford; Danny Scott; Sue Basson; Wendy Barnett; Victoria Bond; Sally Roberts; Phoebe Wallington; Georgii Bailey; Jacqui Day; Sarah Bates;
Roseanna Sanderson; Alison Doram; Charlotte Wilbourn; Nicola Crossley;
Charlotte Gratton; Pauline Hindle; Neil Yewman
The Long Eaton Operatic Society
Oklahoma
The May Hall Theatre, Trent College, Long Eaton
April 15th 2015
"O what a beautiful morning" sings Curly at the start of the show and it certainly became a beautiful evening in the May Hall at Trent College. The Long Eaton Operatic Society energetically spirited us away to Oklahoma - that "brand new state!"
When the show opened on Broadway in 1943 it began a whole new genre of musical plays, which were so different to what had gone before that one famous critic wrote "No gags, no gals, no chance”. He was very wrong as proved by the record run of 2,212 performances it notched up in New York, a record that stood for fifteen years, before being beaten by My Fair Lady. It is considered by many to be the first musical comedy to have a plot, musical score and dances, which were not just incidental, but advanced the story line.
Set in Midwest America in 1906, the high-spirited rivalry between the local farmers and cowboys provides the colourful background against which Curly, a handsome cowboy, and Laurey, a winsome farm girl, play out their love story. Although the road to true love never runs smooth, with these two headstrong romantics holding the reins, love's journey is as bumpy as a cart ride down a country road.
The music and lyrics have proven to be some of the best in musical theatre with songs that include "Oh What a Beautiful Morning", "The Surrey with the Fringe on Top", People Will Say We're in Love, "I Can't Say No", "Oklahoma!” and many more, making this a musical treat for everyone.
Tonight The Long Eaton Operatic Society did absolute justice to the show and proved that after over 70 years Oklahoma can still be as bright, fresh and entertaining as ever, while also dealing with some serious dramatic themes.
The show was brought to life by uniformly excellent performances from the cast in singing, dancing and acting and some simply brilliant set pieces. The show’s producer Liz Woolley is to be congratulated for the way in which she directed a large cast around the stage with real flair and attention to detail. This show needs a vibrant, exciting and enthusiastic ensemble and they certainly were: they looked to me as if they were enjoying every minute of it. Liz has created an exciting, heart warming, rousing, toe tapping spectacle which, coupled with the well loved tunes, provides a wonderful evening of musical theatre for the audience.
Playing the part of Curly is the engaging Dave O’Neal, who brings charisma, spirit and humour to the role. He sings beautifully and puts expression and emotion into every line: I have never heard ‘Oh What a Beautiful Morning’ sung with such conviction. He is well cast opposite Anna McAuley, who plays Laurey with matching professionalism and flair. She portrays a headstrong lively girl who gradually reveals her vulnerability, yet loses nothing of her spirit. She has an absolutely lovely voice: her rendition of Many A New Day was delightful, as was the beautifully choreographed duet with Curly, “People will say we’re in Love.” Both these leading actors are to be congratulated on their understanding and interpretation of their roles- even their tiny mannerisms and facial expressions were perfect.
Aunt Eller is played so well by Kathryn McAuley, who completely convinces as an older woman who has led a hard physical life. She portrays Aunt Eller as strong, gritty and tough character, but also brings out her humour and love for those around her.
I have always loved the character of Ado Annie, the girl who can’t say No. Tonight the lively performance of Rachelle Bragg was captivating: her comedy timing is first class and she sings and dances brilliantly, too. Her partnership with Jack Draper as her longs-suffering boy friend Will Parker is a comedy highlight of the show. Jack completely inhabits his character and his dancing is a joy to watch. Both these young actors have the ability to engage an audience and have great stage presence.
I was very impressed with Kheenan Jones who plays the hard done by peddler, Ali Hakim. A much older actor usually plays this, but Kheenan took the role and made it his own, disguising his youthful years. Clear diction coupled with an understated but obvious roguishness make his performance a pleasure to watch.
Although the show is bright and funny it has some darker moments, especially surrounding the disturbed character, Judd Fry. This is not an easy role to take on, but Ben Woolley did a very good job, adopting a convincingly gruff and surly voice and a menacing delivery. He certainly alarmed me and others in the violent confrontation with Curly in the smoke house. Watch out for the loud gunshots, which made me jump and I knew they were coming!
This show features what many believe to be one of the greatest dance sequences in musical theatre, the 'dream ballet', in which dancers portray Laurey's anxiety over the choices she has made. Tonight’s very well choreographed performance of the ballet was beautifully performed and unusually they did not use dance doubles, which added to the reality of the scene.
It has to be said that Choreographer, Laurie Trott produced superb routines for the ensemble that were some of the best I have seen recently. I must particularly comment on “Kansas City’ and "The Farmer and the Cowman" which were spectacularly good. Well done to Laurie and the cast who must have worked incredibly hard to reach such a very high standard.
The set was simple but very effective indeed and combined with a lovely lighting plot by Tom Olding certainly made the show visually wonderful to watch. Scene changes were smooth and very quick which is down to the skill of Stage Manager, John Woolley and his crew. The sound in the hands of Andrew James was good and there was no problem hearing the cast over the orchestra, which under the expert baton of Lizzie Bullard, and was excellent. She has quite obviously worked very hard with the cast to produce vocals of such a high standard and they were universally so.
Oklahoma is one of my favourite shows and I am always a little nervous when I see a new production. I should have known better as Long Eaton Operatic rarely disappoint and certainly didn’t tonight. Well done to all concerned with this brilliant production which is well worth coming to see if you can get a ticket.
In addition to the principles mentioned above the excellent ensemble was comprised of:
Georgia Archer (Gertie Cummings), Lindsay Mould (Farmer Carnes),
Ann Woolley, Martin Briggs, Eleanor Harvey, Jack Woolley, John Fox,
Claire Collishaw, Carrie-Anne Corner, Tony Newton, Melissa Baston,
John Paxton, Mandy Walker, Sue Hagan, Martin Mould, Zach Foster,
Lydia Thacker, Joanna East, June Baston, John East, Maria Lawrence, Gemma Blake, Clare Toska
The Ripley and Alfreton Musical Theatre Company
Footloose
The Alfreton Grange Arts College
March 30th 2015
I am very pleased to report that Musical Theatre is alive and well in Ripley and Alfreton tonight. I have just witnessed an excellent performance of Footloose, which was energetic, exciting, and very entertaining.
Footloose The Musical was first performed in 1998 and adapted from a film of the same name in 1984. It concerns teenagers and their elders in a small American Town and the ways in which they at first clash and then come to understand each other by the end.
Although there were some excellent individual performances tonight I feel I must begin with the cast as a whole, because Footloose is very much an ensemble show. It needs the best choreography and best standard of dancing to make it work and this one had both.
I was very impressed with the choreography throughout by Chris Parkes who also the show’s Director. He is to be congratulated for the production which was slick and dynamic throughout. The dancing was often powerful and of a very high standard both from the boys and the girls. The big set piece dances where the cast often went off and came back onto the stage, sometimes from different sides, were excellent. Most of the major dancing was by the younger members of the cast, but to their credit there were times, particularly during the Finale, when the whole cast danced very well. Incidentally, the finale and curtain calls were very well produced and executed.
I said there were some excellent individual performances, so many in fact that I can’t mention them all.
Andrew Buxton was good in the role of Ren who eventually fell in love with Ariel Moore played by Helen Perry. They both sang well and together were well cast.
James Fearn was excellent as the over bearing Rev. Shaw Moore. He played the role powerfully, along with Yvonne Taylor, who played his wife, Vi. Their duet together was lovely and his rendition of Heaven Help Me was very moving.
Duncan Leech played Ariel’s bad boy boyfriend, Chuck Cranston. I was impressed by his characterization and he managed the short violent incidents very well indeed. I think it is worth mentioning that all the fight sequences were performed extremely well by various cast members.
I was particularly impressed with Joe Millward who played Willard Hewitt. His characterization of the rather slow country boy was just perfect and he was very funny. He also sang and danced very well. I am sure he will be in many leading roles in the future.
The standard of singing from the whole cast was exceptionally good and it is obvious that the MD, Morris Fisher has worked hard with everyone to achieve this. His excellent orchestra was very occasionally a little over powering, but on the whole was balanced well with the singers. I am sure this will be ok as the week continues.
The lighting and the sound were very good and although the set was simple the scenery and props were brought onto the stage very smoothly, mainly by the cast. There were times when this was done so well that I didn’t see it happen. The mark of a good show for me. Well done to the Stage Director, Ken Owen and “The A Team’ for making all this happen so smoothly.
This was another very good production from this company who did so well last year with Damn Yankees. The overall standard of acting, singing and dancing was very high and all involved in the production should be justly proud of what they have achieved on the stage of the Alfreton Grange Arts College.
The theatre was full tonight so getting tickets may be difficult, but if you can I would suggest you do. This was a performance that shows clearly what talent we have in our area -both young and older -and I look forward to next year’s show what ever it might be.
The Erewash Musical Society
South Pacific
The Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
March 24th 2015
Rogers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific is one of the best loved musicals of all time and has been performed frequently by Amateur and Professional companies since it first opened in 1949. It also spawned a very successful film version in 1958. Because of its age it is always a challenge to keep it fresh and relevant to modern audiences, but last night at the Duchess Theatre in Long Eaton the Erewash Musical Society did just that.
The excellent cast enthralled and entertained an almost full house for just over 2 and three quarter hours – yes this is a long show, which requires not just stamina from the cast, but also from the audience! It is full of well-known songs, some of which have become standards over time. “Some Enchanted Evening,” “Younger than Springtime,” “There is nothing like a Dame,” and “This Nearly was Mine” are just some of the glorious compositions from the pens of Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein II.
The story contains some very emotional scenes and explores some difficult issues such as racism and mixed race romance, which all add up to a show that is not easy to produce. However, Director Mark Birch and his production team did a splendid job of weaving all this together in ways that are still relevant and understandable today, while retaining the wonderful score and many comic moments. The production was fresh, vibrant and easy on the eye.
Playing the lead of Nelly Fourbush is the outstanding Stephanie Ure: her singing voice is delightful, her acting convincing and her dancing polished. She completely captured the character of the popular ditsy nurse who is confused by her feelings for the French Plantation owner, Emile Dubeck. He is played sympathetically by Steve Thornhill, who maintains an excellent French accent throughout and impresses with his calm stage presence. I thought they were very good together in the roles and their troubled relationship was well portrayed. They brought out the emotions of the songs through their performances and both stayed very much in character throughout the show.
Zak Charlesworth played the role of LT. Cable He is a natural actor, in complete command of the role and the stage with a superb singing voice. He was every inch the smart, committed officer and his performance of “Younger Than Springtime” was a joy to listen to. He also powerfully sang the song “You’ve Got To be Carefully Taught” which so very important to the story.
Fiona Wright was magnificent as Bloody Mary, the unscrupulous and hilarious Tonkinese trader. She turned in a very powerful performance throughout the show and completely inhabited the role: convincing in both her vocal delivery and her mannerisms. Her daughter Liat, played by Aleysha Gomez, was charming and innocently portrayed how much in love she was with Cable.
As well as the darker themes there is comedy in the show and Mark Perry, playing the “Arthur Dailey” of the South Seas- Luther Bisset- kept us entertained with his attempts to corner the souvenir market in the south Pacific. The affectionately known “Hinge and Bracket” of the show, Keith Butcher and Adrian Perkins, were excellent, had great timing and convincing American accents, as Captain George Brackett and Cmdr. William Harbison.
Carol Lawson’s choreography throughout the show was excellent and as usual was just right, not only for the show but also for abilities of the cast. Showstoppers such as There is nothing like a dame’ and ‘I’m gonna wash that man right out of my hair’ were beautifully staged, the ensemble putting huge effort into them. There was such enthusiasm on that stage tonight during these and other numbers – they were really enjoying themselves and that enhanced our enjoyment of the show. It was good to see the wide age span of this cast, which brought realism to the production and also showed that the future of this society is secure.
In tonight’s show Sophie and William Robbins played the children of Emile and they were charming. (At some performances they were played by Giselle Tavener and Ewan Hagan.)
In addition to the cast I need to say that the set was excellent and the use of projected backgrounds was great – no more about them as you need to see them to believe them. This was a technically challenging show but all went very smoothly thanks to Mark Robbins and his stage crew as quick scene changes helped keep the show moving, plus the excellent sound by by Ben Tennett, and the appropriate and subtle lighting by Dave Martin. A number of people commented to me after the show that they could hear every word from the stage.
The superb orchestra directed by Dave Dallard accompanied the performers very well indeed. This show does have a relatively long overture but it was played very well and sounded very good. Dave, incidentally, was also very involved with many of the technical aspects of the show, so well done to him for that as well. As Musical Director he had obviously worked hard with the cast to produce singing of very high standard.
The ensemble was Laura Blake; Joan Clark; Heather Howe, Cheryl Mills; Tracy Renshaw; Karen Robbins; Heather Ure;
Nick Buckthorpe; Hayden Fletcher; Gary Fowkes; Lewis Haycock; Martin Lewis; James Rayner; Ian Slack and Jack Warburton. Many of them also had smaller supporting roles.
Overall this was a great show from The Erewash Musical Society, which deserves considerable praise. This is an old show but one that is still popular today. When performed, as it was tonight, I am sure it will continue to delight audiences for many years to come as, I believe, will this Musical Society.
Well done to everyone who has been involved.
The Cast
Little Shop of Horrors
The Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
March 12th 2015
Little Shop of Horrors was described to me before I saw it tonight as "a very silly story." I would agree with that, but must add "but a very entertaining one”. The show is all about an alien plant that takes over a shop and the lives of those who come into contact with it. The songs are very catchy and really do capture the style of 1950’s America.
Once again The Cast have produced a show of exceptional quality, proving they can excel year after year.
This is my first experience of the show and wow, it certainly didn’t disappoint me. The Cast have assembled a very talented and enthusiastic group including puppeteers and special effects people.
Playing the lead of Seymour is Craig Arme. He was excellent in the role and his comic timing was a joy to watch. His manic descent into doing the wrong things in order to keep the plant alive was excellent. He can sing and dance well.
Emily Marshall-Sims plays Audrey and what a great actor and singer she is. Her characterisation of the badly done to woman, who eventually falls for Seymour, was outstanding,
John Maddison who plays the shop owner, Mr Mushnik, once again showed what a fine actor he is.
The nasty dentist is played with great relish by Christopher Collington: you could see that he was enjoying every moment of it, as was the audience.
Although there are very strong leads in the show I was very impressed by the three piece singing group of Carrie Anne Corner, Mina Machin and Katie Bird plus the three friends, played by Emily Corner, Claire Farrand Preston and Kathi Ludlow.
Then there was the ensemble, many of whom play more than one part and are all totally committed to their supporting roles. Well done to Laurie Trott, Rob Holsman, David Artiss, Christine Daykin and Lucy Stokes.
The special effects and the puppets in this show were incredible, as were their operators and the very powerful voice of the plant, Audrey 2. Adam Richmond has to be congratulated for the way he operated Audrey, coordinating absolutely perfectly with the voice of Kevin Chatten. What a different part this was and he did it brilliantly. The other puppeteers, Damon Pipes and John Carley also need a mention for their great work.
I think this was one of the most perfect technical shows I have seen recently and the Cast should be justly proud of their work in all areas.
The show’s excellent director, Martin Holton was very ably supported by Dave Dallard whose 4 piece band was great. Jennifer Chatton, the show’s choreographer ensured that the action created an accurate feeling of the 50’s. Movement around the stage had to be carefully plotted for reasons of scale (those who have seen the show will know what I mean.)
The attractive set was also designed by Martin and due to the nature of the show was quite a technical one. It all worked perfectly. It was complimented by the excellent lighting by Dave Martin and the very crisp and easy to listen to sound by Ben Tennett. The stage management of this show obviously needed great care and attention to detail and Lisa Smith and Gary Smith made everything go smoothly.
In all departments this was an outstanding production and yet another great success for this renowned local company. Well done to everyone and here’s to Acorn Antiques the Musical, which unfortunately we will have to wait until 2016 to see.
The Gatepost Theatre
Out There
The Guildhall Theatre
March 12th 2015
Writing in the Programme, Kate and Jim Baker said this:
“In many ways, this has been a challenging production … but as always we have hopefully solved the problems and offer you the opportunity to experience an original tale about fathers, families, love, loss, hope and never giving up on a dream.”
Well, there is absolutely no doubt that tonight the Gatepost Theatre Company did just that and once again showed what a great theatre group they are.
This is the second time I have seen this new show by Eliot Davis and James Bourne this year and I have to say that it is, surprisingly, becoming a bit of a favourite with me. It’s a well told story with some catchy music and engaging characters. It was interesting as this was an adult production, whereas the first one was a youth group one. Both shows were very good, but production wise quite different, showing that all age groups can stage it successfully.
The depth of talent of this company was shown by the fact that the relatively small cast had to play multiple roles with seemingly no problems. The show moved at a fast pace throughout and the incredibly efficient scene changes facilitated this. There are actually 37 scenes: a producer’s nightmare I would suggest!
The decision to use projections rather than traditional scenery throughout the show was a bold but brilliant one. Many of them were animated and I was particularly impressed by one showing a huge map of the USA, detailing the journey made by one of the characters to the town of Hope in Texas, where the main action takes place.
The part of Logan Carter was played by Luke Grainger who was excellent in the role of a wayward teenager despaired of by his father. He has a rich voice, great diction and expression and his stage persona is very engaging.
The part of his grandfather, Newman Carter/ Ned Thomas was superbly acted by Richard Pearson. The way in which he played both roles (a young and old man) convincingly and with sensitivity, was outstanding.
Simon Owen, who opened the show with the great song “A Weekend on the Moon”, played David Carter, Logan’s Father. He is a good actor who also sings very well.
Laura Howard played the part of the town mechanic, Jamie Pack with a captivating charm: she has a great voice and was able to show a range of emotions as she becomes involved with the troubled Logan.
One of the highlights of the show, and there were many, was the song and dance routine “I’m the law.” This was brilliantly performed by Josie Pearson (The Sheriff) who was fabulous throughout, Ryan Taylor (Billy) and Jon Dawkins (Stan). This was so well done I shall remember it for a long time. Well done for this and other memorable routines, to the choreographer, Laura Howard.
The whole cast deserve congratulations for their enthusiasm and great stage work tonight, but I must mention Hugo Carter, who was quite outstanding as the Young David and Young Newman. Here, I think, is a young boy who will be going places in the future on stage. He had fantastic stage presence, a belting voice, a convincing acting style and already has considerable dancing ability.
This was a technically difficult show and the use of the projection screen could have been a problem. However, it wasn’t. In fact, it was quite the reverse. The sound and lighting was spot on and John Cliff and his stage crew were first class. Being able to hear what is being said is so important to any audience.
I must congratulate Kate Baker and her 4-piece band, which was as usual, first class. They accompanied the cast well and never came near to being too over powering.
This was a production that showed what a super musical theatre company Gatepost are, but they are obviously very lucky to have such a brilliant production team led by Jim Baker. His vision, flair, production skills and eye for detail were obvious tonight.
Finally, I must comment on the Finale, which was one of the best I have seen locally for some considerable time. It was a kind of Mega Mix, somewhat on the lines of the ones at the end of Joseph and Billy Elliot. It gave the cast the opportunity to show how musically good they are and how much they enjoy being on stage. It also gave us, the audience the chance to show our appreciation for what they gave to us on stage tonight – a show very well done and one to be remembered for some time.
Once again, Gatepost, to quote a modern phrase, you smashed it on stage, and I for one can’t wait to see you do it again next time.
The Long Eaton Operatic Society Youth Group
Bugsy Malone
The Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
February 12th 2015
There was plenty of splurging going on tonight in Long Eaton when Bugsy Malone moved from the silver screen to the stage. This is the latest production from the award winning Long Eaton Operatic Youth Group and entertained a full house at the Duchess Theatre.
The show is about the ambitions of nightclub singer, Blousy Brown, set against the rivalry of gangs in prohibition era Chicago. Given that the show is written for young performers, the prohibition is against coca cola rather than whiskey.
Bugsy was played by Leighton Perry who gave a solid performance in his first leading role for LEOs. He had a good accent and interacted well with the audience. His prospective girlfriend ‘Blousey Brown’ played by Eleanor Carty gave a polished performance, with good stage presence and her song ‘Ordinary Fool’ was excellent and very emotional.
Another noticeable performance came from Lilli Woodhouse as the vampish Tallulah - wow can she belt out a song! I liked her performance throughout the show, as she kept up an air of mischief as well as mystery.
Josh Jones as Fat Sam was outstandingly good throughout the show, interacting well with his stupid gangsters. He showed tonight what a good actor he is and he displayed great comedy timing, not an easy thing for a young actor. His arch enemy, Dandy Dan, was played very well by Daniel Jones, the mobster boss. He was quite scary at times.
‘The Grand Slam Girls’ all caught the mood of the occasion well, along with Dandy’s girls who all worked very hard, as did ‘The Night Club Dancers.’ Bella Ridgeway as Fizzy sang and danced very well through the classic “Tomorrow.” I enjoyed her performance very much.
One young performer I must mention is the lead singer in the Boxing number Ryan Phelps whose microphone fell off at the start of the number. However, he sang and projected his voice so well that it didn’t matter: we at the back could still hear him. Well done, proving that microphones are not always needed, even with a live band.
The rest of the cast worked very hard to support the principles and many had small cameo roles as well. There was a lot of enthusiasm and energy from everyone on stage tonight which was good to see.
So well done to:
Charlie Briggs: Izzy Broadley: Isaac Brooks: Sarah Downing:
Jennifer Finlay: Hannah Glossop: Abbie Harper: Jamie Lane:
Grace Letherland: Jay Littlefair: Matthew McAuley: Robert McAuley Esme Parker: Ryan Phelps: Sammy Platkiw: Emma Roberts:
Tamzin Rowley: Olivia Savage: Lorley Shelton: Merrin Shelton:
Trinity Shelton: Zoe Thompson: Elise Thornhill: Elliot Weir.
The chorus numbers “Fat Sam’s Grand Slam,” “My Name is Tallulah” “So and “So You Wanna Be A Boxer,” were very well done and I particularly like “Down & Out” which was particularly well choreographed and performed.
The costumes, hairstyles and props looked very authentic, which added to the story that was being told.
It was good to see a live Orchestra for a Leos Youth show and this was a very good one under the tight and accomplished control of Sam Griffiths. I am delighted to say they accompanied the young performers well and as a consequence were never in danger of overwhelming them. Sam has also obviously worked hard with the young cast to ensure that their singing was of a good standard.
The sound by Dave Dallard was spot on and I could hear every word while the Lighting by Tom Olding was very imaginative and lit the set sympathetically; I liked the use of the follow spot.
I was very impressed by the background, used mainly in the nightclub scenes. I won’t say what it was but it was very evocative of the period in which the story is set and made the Duchess Stage look much bigger: it was very dramatic.
This is a technically tricky show as there are so many scenes, many of which are very short, which means the stage crew (and the cast) have to be on their toes to avoid too many pauses in the action. There were some such pauses, but I am sure these will be ironed out once the first night is over. Well done to John Woolley and his excellent crew for changing the scenes and props smoothly and unobtrusively.
The production team of Karen Woodhead, Siobhan Parker and Sam Griffiths have worked very hard with this relatively young cast to produce a show full of energy and enthusiasm. It certainly entertained the large and very appreciative audience who left the theatre smiling and making very positive comments.
The show itself is not the easiest to perform and I think needs rather more songs and less dialogue, both of which are out of the control of the company. Given that, they worked hard to make it flow and to keep it moving and they succeeded.
Finally, well done to the Cast, Crew and Production Team for all their hard work over 6 months, which made the first night of Bugsy a pleasure to watch.
The People's Theatre
Les Miserables
Nottingham Arts Theatre
February 12th 2015
This production of les Miserables is the Schools Edition, which is about 30 minutes shorter than the professional version, but no less powerful and engaging.
The young cast of tonight’s production produced a wonderful and impressive performance. From the opening lyrics of ‘Look Down’, it was obvious that this was going to be a highly professional show. Each of the vocal performances, from the lead soloists to more minor chorus members, were clear and unfaltering and the ensemble performances showed real energy, commitment and enthusiasm.
Curtis Taylor-Tipton played Jean Valjean and showed what a charismatic, skilful and versatile actor he is. I last saw him in “Grease” at The Guildhall Theatre in Derby, playing a very different character. He has a lovely voice and his tone, power and range are impressive. During his excellent rendition of “Bring Him Home” there was not a sound in the packed theatre, as the audience were transfixed. Curtis completed inhabited this challenging role with a compelling physical presence, emotional maturity and stage confidence that belie his years. I am certain we will be seeing much more of him in the future in major roles.
Luke Grainger, as Inspector Javert, was outstanding. I have seen him in a number of other productions with The Gatepost Theatre Company and have always had a high regard for his acting skills. Tonight he showed what a brilliant singer he is, as well. His voice is tonally very good and beautifully expressive. A highlight of the show was his performance of ‘Stars’, which was quite simply breathtaking. His interpretation of Javert was a clever portrait of a vengeful and bitter man who is driven by principle and a deep sense of moral duty. Luke is, I am sure, destined to play many great parts on the stage in the future.
Scarlett Wainwright as Fantine is a very competent actor and singer who really brought out the feistiness of this vulnerable character. Her rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream” was fabulous.
Natasha Brown played Eponine. She showed us a mistreated girl who has been brought up to grab what she can, but she was also able to bring out a softer side, as we see her sacrifice all for Marius. Her lovely ‘On my Own’ solo was much appreciated by the audience.
Zoe Garton played the grown Cosette with a captivating sweetness, she has a lovely voice, her words were very clear and her performance well pitched to complement the strength of Valjean.
Connah Porter as the tortured Marius was earnest and thoughtful, giving a moving performance of the emotional song ‘Empty Chairs and Empty Tables’ with a maturity beyond his years.
Paice Lees was thoroughly engaging as the student leader, Enjolrus, giving us convincing passion and idealism, plus beautifully sung spine tingling songs and rousing refrains.
Lucas Young and Celia Brown were very funny as the compelling but unpleasant Monsieur & Madame Thenardier – the smiling vipers. So much work must have gone into these characterisations, resulting in perfectly pitched performances. They combined excellent vocal delivery with well-judged physical comedy and their ‘Master of the House’ was a performance highlight.
Lennon Bradley as the young Gavroche was a breath of fresh air in the midst of the tension of the barricades. He commanded attention on the stage and sang and acted brilliantly. He was in complete control of the role and exuded huge amounts of talent and confidence for one so young.
One of the strengths of this show is the range of emotions that are portrayed through an exploration of the human condition in particular circumstances. Never once did I feel that these were sold short because the cast were so young. Desperation, vengefulness, selfishness, passion, redemption and love were beautifully expressed through their performances, taking the audience through a range of reactions. We had our heartstrings tugged, our spirits uplifted; we reflected on humanity, we despaired and, at times, we laughed. This is what theatre is about!
I was impressed with the way in which the cast as a whole had grown their hair into the style of the period, plus the variety and veracity of the splendid costumes. The minimal stage set was cleverly conceived and moved the action convincingly through several locations, including behind and in front of the barricades. Well done to the production team on this, which again shows the professionalism of this company.
Both the lighting and sound directed by College Street Technicians was first class and were highlights for me. The sound never faltered and was crisp and clear. I liked the use of the headsets, which were unobtrusive but picked up every word superbly. The lighting was very appropriate- particularly the evocative red hue- and the use of the follow spot was very effective. I would personally like to see more use of these at other shows.
The orchestra, directed by David Hails, was excellent and accompanied the performers sympathetically and at the right volume. There was never a moment when this was not the case. He had also obviously worked very hard with the cast in order to produce such high quality singing. The ensemble songs were very well sung, capturing the passion, desperation and pride of this wonderful score. While on the subject of the ensemble, I was particularly impressed by the dancing in the Wedding Scene – congratulations to Natalie Randall for that.
The stage Crew under the direction of Chris Collins produced very smooth and almost invisible scene changes, sometimes utilising the cast in an effective way.
Once again the brilliance of the director, Maggie Andrews, shone through She ensured that all on the stage were featured and effectively used, even if it was just a through a small action or an expression that added colour to a scene. This was a large cast, yet Maggie never left anyone out or allowed the space to become overcrowded. Every young person on that stage knew their character: easy to believe each had a back story that they used to inform their performance, giving nuance and credibility to every scene.
Although this was a very large cast I am going to mention all of the performers as they all played a huge part in making this show such a success.
Xenia Smith and Lottie Marshall (Young Eponine):
Izabela Keen and Jasmine Warder (Young Cosette):
Thomas Thorne (Gavroche): Sam Chell (Grantaire):
Callum Shay (Combeferre):
Alfie Sanders and Callum Battlemuch (Prouvaire)
Jamie Leigh Marley: Daisy Weston: Vivienne Tay: Charlotte Brailsford: Rianna Feghali: Courtney Kelham Giddy: Megan Ellis: Imogen Birkett: Evie Marlow: Milly Evans: Poppy Cook: Jenny Gray: Emily Wilkins: Lily Soteriou: Lauren O’Donoghue: Roberta Solbe: Lara Drew: Evie Klyman: Reuel Berg: Ryan Phelps: Ben Brown: Lily Palmer: Stan Cook: Harry Ilyk: Lorik Deliu: Danny Buttfield: Alex Pickard Brace: Oliver Brooking: Olivia Brooking: Olivia Rice: Ellen Lyon: India Roberts: Millie Botterill: Millie Tatham: Charlianne Sutcliffe: Chloe Wilson: Ema Ferjentsikova: Francesca Pajovic: Serena Eadon: Rosalind Montgomery: Elsie Archer: Jacob Caseley: Amy May Beach.
This was a thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable night’s theatre, showcasing some very impressive young talent. Well done to those countless people involved in producing this fabulous and highly professional show and of course to the production team whose hard work, talent and skill shone right through to the end.
The whole theatre rapturous standing ovation at the end says it all. “A great night, at a great show from a great Theatre Company.”
The Erewash Musical Society Youth Group (EMUs)
Out There
The Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
February 5th 2015
Last night at the Duchess Theatre, The Erewash Musical Society Youth Group once again showed what a spectacularly talented group of young people they are. Last year they hit the heights with a highly praised production of Les Miserables, while this year they have taken us into space with James Bourne’s original musical Out There.
The musical is set in the fictional town of Hope, Texas, and follows the story of Logan Carter, who is on the run from his hometown near Detroit, after committing a minor crime. Hope is a dead-end, one-horse town (even the horse has died) and its inhabitants are searching for ways to rescue the town from obscurity and financial ruin. Meanwhile, a few miles away in the desert, an old man is building something weird in his barn. What this is you need to find out for yourself, but suffice to say it might be the answer to their dreams and indeed the dreams of the central characters in the story.
The highly talented Hayden Fletcher, who’s brilliant singing voice, plays the central character of Logan, outstanding acting ability and comic timing were all on display during this show. Never straying from the character of Logan, he was supremely at home on the stage and exuded confidence throughout.
Turning in a very accomplished and mature performance as Logan’s Grandfather was Dylan Singfield. His characterisation of a much older man was impressive for a young actor and very accurate. His part demanded considerable concentration throughout and he certainly gave it his all.
Zak Charlesworth, playing the part of Logan’s Dad, the single minded business man who had no time for his son, once again impressed with the power of his acting and perfectly pitched singing. He also had the difficult task of also playing an older man, but he was totally believable in the role.
Katy Lawson, as the girl who helped Logan, and of course, fell in love with him, after all this is a musical, was just right for the part. She has a lovely singing voice and is an intuitive and sensitive actor who knows how to inhabit a part. She and Hayden were very well cast together in my opinion.
Lucy Judson was very good as the Hope Sheriff, finding the comedy in this rather unpleasant character, singing well and delivering her lines clearly. She was helped or should I say hindered, by a newly discovered comedy duo of Oliver Wheddon and Lewis Haycock: the hilariously bungling deputies. What movement from both of them!! I hope that partnership will return in future shows.
A great strength of this show and indeed this Youth Group is the number of multi talented youngsters who make up the ensemble and they all deserve recognition for the many excellent performances both individually and together. So well done to:
Rebecca Groombridge(Claudia Pointers), Jasper Males(Stuart Prince), Lucy Ledger, Holly Pilgrim, Joe Langley, Daisy Wright, Daya Khosse, Eliza Charnock, Emily Marshall, Ethan Fletcher, Ethan Lee, Georgia Green, Grace Deakin, Katie Baddiley, Libby Pilgrim, Lizzie Buckthorpe, Martin Lewis, Molly McCarthy, Rob Cattanach, Sophie Robbins, Tom Judson. Dan Langley, Megan Asher, Robyn Oleshko, Gabryl Oleshko, Emily Bridge, Michelle Blair, Callum Shay, Sam Eccles, Charlie Vallans.
Making her debut as a producer with EMS, Alysha Gomes must be congratulated in the way she brought this story to life. The result was a show full of energy, excitement and emotion and a cast of highly committed and enthusiastic young performers who were so obviously loving every minute and working so hard for her. Her stage design was very effective and well used by the cast. Her excellent stage direction also ensured that the large cast was in the right place at the right time and there was no overcrowding.
Carol Lawson choreographed the show and as always her routines were just right for the company. They looked great and were within the young peoples capabilities without looking too simple. It was particularly effective in an energetic dance complete with beautiful sequinned costumes and later, a touching dance hall scene.
It was great to see the multi talented musician, Josh Kemp working from the first time with EMUs as Musical Director. His excellent four-piece band was just right for the show and he carefully ensured that their accompaniment was sympathetic to the performers and was never dominating.
The lighting and sound, in the ever capable hands of Dave Dallard, Dave Martin and Ben Tennett, was well planned and executed. The importance of the lighting cannot be under estimated in this show as various scenes were often defined by the lights and this worked very well. The sound plot was good and I had no difficulty hearing what the cast were saying.
Last, but certainly not least, the Stage Management was, as always in the very capable hands of Mark Robbins and his dedicated crew. This show involved a considerable number of scene changes most involving large trucks and even a car. These were, however carried out smoothly and unobtrusively which is, of course, so very important.
Out There may be a new and fairly unknown show but the music is easy to listen to and is a great show for youngsters to get their teeth into and enjoy on so many levels. Of course it carries with it the message that we should “Never give up on our dreams.” Well, tonight at the Duchess Theatre these youngsters showed that “they never will.”
The show continues at the Duchess Theatre until Saturday evening.
The Young Performers
Cats
The Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
January 21st 2015
Tonight at the Duchess Theatre, The Young Performers did something that I was not expecting. They produced a version of Andrew Lloyd Webbers “Cats” that I actually enjoyed! Despite the show being one of the most popular musicals ever, it isn’t a favourite of mine. I have to say that I enjoyed it much more than the professional touring version I went to see at the Theatre Royal last year.
This production once again showed what a talented group of young people there are in this group. From the moment they came onto the stage from all directions during the Overture, they were entirely convincing cats and they stayed as cats until the very end. They were all fully inhabiting their roles and the individual characterizations were excellent. This was also helped by the stunning costumes and makeup, combined with a brilliant set, which they were able to crawl over, go under and explore, just like cats do.
The singing was good, both individually and as an ensemble although there was a little hesitation from time to time about starting together. I am sure this can be put down to nerves on the opening night and will not be a problem for the rest of the week.
I was very impressed with the high standard of dancing from a group that is not normally noted for dancing. They proved tonight that they can cope with some pretty difficult routines. Feline like movements had been explored and developed and were very effective. Congratulations to the choreographer, Alex Tavenor (assisted by Vicky Moran) who managed a very large cast in a relatively small space with ease: I was particularly impressed by a glorious tap routine.
This is an ensemble piece and it is difficult to single out individuals for praise, as there were so many I could mention. This was a large cast, but I felt that everyone had had a chance to excel, either on their own or in a group. However, there were some very good individual performances from the principal cats, Bradley McClean, Emily Owen, Dylan Singfield, Sky Marsden, Nicola Northcott, Vicky Moran, Phoebe Buxton, Ellie Simmonds, Natasha Grebby, Shannon Hickton, Liam Morris, Madeline Rawlings, Zak Charlesworth, George Parkinson, India Smith, Curtis Salmon, Oliver Wheddon and Abbey Kilford.
They were well supported by a large ensemble, which played a huge part in making this show such an obvious spectacle. Well done to Amy Parker, Harvey Tavener, Harvey Latter, Hazel Lawrence, Rebecca Cox, Giselle Tavener, Molly Parkinson, Caitlin Whitely, Lauren Riley, Hayley Watson, Harriet Slatcher, Lucy Kenyon, Ava Haylock, Amy Wilcox, Oliver Latter, Chloe Young, Joe Downing, Brooke Marsden, Erin Hill.
The lighting by Dave Martin was evocative and imaginative and the sound by David Sims was well regulated and delivered.
The set, designed by Simon Davy (who also stage managed the show) and built by a small but dedicated team (including Roydon Charlesworth, Paul Wheddon, Tom Etherington, The Turtons and The owens) was fantastic: it really contributed to the spectacular look of the show. There were many comments from the sell out audience about this.
Once again Victoria Garavan and Alison Davy costumed the show brilliantly. The cats all looked magnificent and combined with outstanding make up this caused an audible gasp from many in the audience around me at the start of the show.
This was a challenging piece to produce without a doubt and Elaine Clemerson, Victoria Garavan and Leon Wade managed to direct a very large cast with skill. I also commend them for adapting the show slightly, so that it moved with more pace and excitement. The touring show I saw last year was over long and slow in parts – this version certainly wasn’t.
Just a couple of minor criticisms. I did feel that the excellent 10-piece band was a little over powering at times, making some of the soloists hard to hear.
Also, I felt the finale was a little understated and the audience would have liked more opportunity to show their obvious delight at the end. It would also have been nice to hear one or two more of the popular tunes in the finale, which was a gentle purr rather than a big meow! I am a great believer in having as many curtain calls as the audience are prepared to support.
Once again, well done to the Young Performers (older and younger) who last night pulled off a remarkable achievement – making Cats enjoyable for this reviewer for the first time and showing what a great and talented group you are.
The Infra Red Comedy Company
Robin Hood's Christmas
The Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
December 19th 2014
Tonight’s performance was excellent and the exuberant applause and cheers from the audience at the end said it all. We all had a great time at the Duchess Theatre watching and joining in with what was an innovative, fresh and very funny retelling of this popular Pantomime story.
As I now expect from this very talented young company, there was good quality singing, dancing and acting. There was also great comedy, which is often difficult for young performers, but this group made it look easy.
On the whole they were all very comfortable on the stage and interacted very well with the audience. It was very obvious that they were enjoying what they were doing, which is essential in Pantomime. As a result we laughed a lot, applauded the songs with enthusiasm and appreciated the incredible amount of energy and vitality that was present throughout what was quite a long show.
Sara Lim-Smith who wrote the script and produced the show, certainly knows how to get the best out of her cast. Her script was witty, of today and yet maintained the traditional elements of Panto. “Oh yes it did.” Also I liked the way she managed, not only to include the usual colourful characters normally seen in this show, but included many other panto and fairy tale characters as well.
For example there was Jack and Jill but with a Jack who kept wanting to go up the hill, while Jill most certainly didn’t! The resulting interplay between them was superb. There were many other examples like that. Yes there were some windy and slightly crude jokes as well but that’s Panto!
The Dame – Mrs Hood- was excellent by the way and had a real connection with the audience, as did The Sheriff of Nottingham.
Unfortunately, I can’t mention the actors by name as there were no programmes, which I think was a pity. However, maybe that was deliberate as this was very much an ensemble piece, despite there being some excellent individual performances as well. The actor playing Robin Hood was very good. His characterisation was different. Rather than the traditional hero, he was a stressed out, camp and rather disturbed person who worried a lot about how he looked and what people would think about him! Then there was the Sheriff of Nottingham who could do nothing right until the end of the show when he became a singer in a Las Vegas night club. I am saying no more!!
I must make a comment about the young actress who played the part of a mischievous monkey – she was brilliant! The young man who played Little John was also very good and his underplayed asides were very funny. He has a very good grasp of comic timing. The irascible Maid Marion was fabulous and as it turned out had a great singing voice as well.
The production was great and the lighting and sound were very good. One thing has always impressed me with this group and that is that they do not generally use radio mics. I could, however hear every word both spoken and sung. Their voice projection was good and I suspect that is part of their training. This is obviously a group that doesn’t just rehearse for shows but who spend a lot of time being taught the tools needed for a good performance. They looked good as well – there was no corpsing or lack of attention.
The Finale was very impressive, involving almost the whole cast changing costumes very quickly and then changing back again for the curtain calls. These were very professionally done which something I think is the mark of a good production.
Pantomime is difficult for adults and can be more so for youngsters. This performance, however, showed that it can be done and done well by a cast ranging I guess from about 7 to 20ish.
A big well done to everyone – I can’t wait for your next show.
The People's Theatre Company
Robin Hood and the Babes in the Wood
Nottingham Arts Theatre
December 18th 2014
I am pleased to report that Pantomime is still alive and well in Nottingham and especially at the Arts Theatre.
This year’s production from The People’s Theatre, written and directed by Amanda Hall, was one of the best I have seen from this great local musical group.
It was a very well produced and high-energy show with lots of whole cast singing and dancing - songs of today and yesterday – which made for a very enjoyable musical experience.
It was, as tradition dictates, also full of the usual features such as awful, but funny jokes, set pieces involving cakes and cream, audience participation, local references and men dressed as women and women dressed as men. That is, of course what makes Panto so special.
Musically this show was of a high standard and Amanda made very good use of incidental music between scenes and during the action.
The cast was very strong and, as is normal with this group, spanned the age groups from young children to older members.
Taking the lead as Robin Hood was Sean Goodwin who played the part as I like it – an arrogant but rather silly Robin. He was ably supported by Adam Monk as Will Scarlet, Vernon Lloyd as Alan-a-Dale, Peter Newman as Little John (appropriately he was very tall), Barry Hobbs as Friar Tuck and a number of other “Merry Men” including Aston Fisher, who played the memorably named Merry Man No 7.
Musically, I must mention Ellie Monterosso who played Marian and Catherine Cunningham as Catherine. They both sang beautifully as well as being good actresses. Sophie Petruccio played the Fairy Clumber. She combined comedy, ably expressed through a cracking Nottingham accent with good singing and dancing.
Panto always has to have a baddie, who is usually supported by a couple of far from heavy “heavies’ and this show is no exception. Mike Newbold was excellent as the evil Sheriff of Nottingham: I thought he handled the booing audience really well. His two “heavies” were played by the excellent Christine Boothe and Danielle Hall who really were too nice to be “heavies’ – of course – and were very funny.
Laura Thurman was outstanding as Silly Billy: she kept the action moving with excellent comic timing and a thoroughly engaging stage presence. She is at ease on the stage and was able to deal with the necessary audience participation very well -nothing threw her -a very talented actress indeed. She played the son of another very talented member of the cast, Michael Pearson, who is the Dame, Nurse Goodbody. He was outstanding in the role and was in complete control of the stage whenever he was on, responding to the obvious delight of the audience. He has a clear and expressive voice and his perfectly pitched delivery of a saucy but well meaning Dame, who is full of mischief, was really entertaining. He also looked very good, in an assortment of beautifully produced costumes.
Well done also to other supporting principals. Kayleigh Philips as Mrs Dale, Joseph Smith as Much the Miller’s Son, Michelle Manning as David of Doncaster, Chris Brown as King Richard.
I must, of course mention the Babes played at this performance by Orla Beaven and Ruben Lawlor-Leckie. They acted, sang and danced really well, could always be heard and gave 100% concentration to their parts. Well done both. I expect we will see more of them in the future.
There was also a young ensemble of singers and dancers who were very good. There were two teams for the two-week run and I saw Team Acorn which featured James Murray, Cassie Hall, Billy Stockwell, Lizzy Ives, Georgia Hodgett-Young, Charleigh Hurst, Eva Sheppard, Katie Dudgeon, Holly Donson-Varley, Madi Smith, Lexie Brown, Xenia Smith, Anna King.
Technically this show was very good indeed. The moveable set was very effective and worked well thanks to Chris Brawn, and the lights were brilliant – well done to Tom Mowat and Richard Zamorski. The choreographer, Jessica Royce and the Fight Choreographer, Sean Goodwin produced some excellent whole cast routines. Incidentally, I was impressed by the sound quality – no problem hearing the cast above the music. Which brings me to the Musical Director, David Hails, who had obviously worked very hard with the cast and who accompanied them very sympathetically and skillfully.
The stage manager, Amy Rogers-Gee and her crew (helped often by cast members) ensured that scene changes were swift and smooth.
Finally the costumes were lovely: very bright and colourful throughout.
This was a great production enjoyed by an enthusiastic and involved audience. Well done once again to this talented group and to Amanda and her large production team – sorry I couldn’t mention them all. This show has been on since last week so it is a real tribute to the whole cast that it still looked fresh and full of energy last night.
Professional Production
The Sound of Music
The Curve, Leicester
December 17th 2014
The Sound of Music, the story of the Von Trapp Family Singers, set in the latter years of the 1930s in Austria, was first performed on stage in 1959. It then became a very successful film in 1965. Today at the Curve I saw the latest version which was outstanding.
The show starred Laura Pitt-Pulford as Maria and Michael French (Eastenders and Holby City) as Captain Von Trapp. They were both excellent and there was a real synergy between them. Laura sang and acted very well and was superb with the seven Von Trapp children. These children were extremely good and believable in their roles. The quality of their singing in particular was very high.
Michael French surprised me. I was only aware of him as a TV soap actor. He is, in fact an accomplished and experienced musical theatre performer. He reminded me of Christopher Plummer, who played Von Trap in the film version. He was, I think, the best actor I have seen in this role.
The supporting actors were all very good. I particularly liked Emma Clifford and Mark Inscoe as Elsa Schraeder and Max Detweiler. Their duet and trio number, along with Micheal French were great.
The Nuns sung the opening choruses (and others later) beautifully, and the outstanding rendition of "Climb Every Mountain" by the Mother Abbess was unbelievable: she hit the top note at the end with no problem.
The production, directed by Paul Kerryson, was fresh, exciting and moved with a good pace. The set design by Al Parkinson was just stunning. I actually gasped out loud when the first scene of the Von Trap house appeared and the Wedding Scene was wonderful.
There were also very impressive trees used in some of the outside scenes. The scene changes were smooth and slick, as one has come to expect at the Curve. Well done to the Stage Manager, Simon Gillies and his crew.
The orchestra, directed by Ben Atkinson, was backstage and the sound balance with the performers was absolutely right. The sound was actually very well managed. It was nice to see that they came onto the stage at the end to take their well deserved bows.
This is in my opinion the best version of the stage musical I have seen and I have seen a goodly number over the years. I even enjoyed it more than the Andrew Lloyd Webber revival at the London Palladium a few years ago.
The Curve has yet again produced a superb musical as good as most and better than many West End Shows.
Professional Production
A Christmas Carol
Derby Theatre
December 8th 2014
This is yet another great Christmas production at Derby Theatre. Before the show started the audience was treated to an impressive set consisting of a large clock and composite set. During the performance this was used in many innovative and interesting ways and on different levels.
This is very much an ensemble piece despite there being some excellent individual performances. Like the production of James and the Giant Peach many of the performers were actor/ musicians who accompanied the singing and dancing. The scene changes were also carried out by the cast and things like wooden boxes were used in many imaginative and effective ways. Interestingly two of the Stage Managers were also cast members and musicians. As I said this was certainly an ensemble piece involving everyone.
The scenes were often linked together by well known Christmas Carols. The arrangements and orchestrations were very good.
The role of Scrooge was played by Jim Barclay. I enjoyed his performance and the way in which he changed his personality and beliefs in positive ways during the show. He was not for too long the nasty miserable old man who appears traditionally in this story. He was actually quite jolly at times!
Christopher Price was also very good as the ghost of Jacob Marley, Mr Fizziwig and a number of other parts.
As has become quite common at Derby Theatre, a group of local youngsters took part in this production. They played their parts very well. This is very much part of the philosophy of the theatre which has a very strong educational arm to its work.
Just one thing to be aware of. This production might be a bit frightening for the youngest children especially during the scene when the Ghost of Jacob Marley makes an appearance at the start to warn Scrooge of what could happen to him if he doesn't change his ways. However, my young grandchildren (6 and 5) were ok with this and enjoyed the show overall.
Congratulations once again to the Shows Director, Sarah Brigham and her creative team, for producing this well know tale in a fresh, fast moving and exciting way. The use of the actor/ musicians was a brilliant idea which worked very well.
Cinderella
Ilkeston Theatre Company
The Seven Oaks Inn Marquee
December 6th 2014
This production of Cinderella by this popular local group was a traditional telling of the story of The Prince and the scullery maid who wants to go to the ball. It had all the essential elements of a traditional panto - A Fairy Godmother, a wicked Step Mother, Ugly Sisters, a love sick servant, a silly Father and loads of other colourful characters. Add to the mix popular songs of today and some of yesterday and you have the ideal recipe for a good afternoons entertainment for all the family.
The Ilkeston Theatre Company served this up on the recently enlarged stage of the Seven Oaks Inn Marquee Theatre which also has a new lighting system. The set and effects were good and the arrival on stage on a wonderful coach and horses was very exciting and impressive.
There were some good performances from Louise Bradley as Cinderella, Lauren Bull as The Prince, Steve Walton as Buttons and Courtney Fell as Dandini. Leonnie Mangan was a very booable Baroness Hardup, Adrian Thornley was a very hard done by Baron Hardup and Ben Mills and Ryan Pound were very funny as the Ugly Sisters.
Jennie Walker played the Fairy Godmother and she quite rightly described her role in the excellent Show Programme as "a rubbish fairy." Yes the fairy might have been rubbish at times but Jenni certainly wasn't. She was brilliant as always.
There was also an enthusiastic ensemble of young and "older' members of the company who supported the principals very well.
I can honestly say that we all enjoyed ourselves during the show not only watching what was going on on the stage but also during the audience participation sections of which there were many - Oh yes there were!
My only criticism was that there were times when the sound system did not do its job properly and the cast members could not be heard over the music. An investment in a better radio mic system would be well worth it as the venue at the Seven Oaks is a good one.
Congratulations go to the shows producer, Sue Golds , and her production team.
Well done to all who were involved in the production both on stage or off.
I am now looking forward to next year's panto! Oh yes I am!
Top Hat
Professional Touring Production
Theatre Royal Nottingham
November 8th 2014
What a fabulous show this was. The singing and dancing were fabulous. Acting wise it was good and the stage production was energetic and exciting.
The set was almost identical to the one I saw in London - based on designs of the 1930's. The script seemed remarkably fresh and very funny. Considering that the show, in film form, dates back to 1935 that is remarkable.
The costumes are authentic and colourful and the orchestra first rate. The sound which was of a very high standard. I could hear every word both in the libretto and the songs. The leads were all very strong and the ensemble supported them very well.
I cannot praise this production too highly. It was fantastic and up lifting. I for one left the theatre tapping my feet and singing some of the songs, to myself, of course.
The Rise and Fall of Little Voice
Professional Production
Derby Theatre
October 28th 2014
The Rise and Fall of Little Voice at Derby Theatre last night was a triumph of production and performance. The play written by Jim Cartwright and first performed in 1992 is very funny but also sad, poignant and challenging.
The set was brilliant and made very effective use of the Theatre's new rotating stage for the first time. The actors and the director, Sarah Brigham, were as a consequence able to bring the story to life in an exciting way.
There were universally strong performances from the cast and special mention must be made of Tracy Brabin who played Mari, the mother. She is an established TV, stage and film actress. She was funny, coarse, manic and yet touchingly sad. Her skill was both in her acting and brilliant slapstick shared with her best friend Sadie, played by Sue Vincent who was very funny indeed.
Rebecca Brierley as Little Voice was breathtakingly talented in what was her first professional stage appearance. The role required her to play sensitively a quiet and withdrawn teenager, while also being able to sing like the huge divas of the past like Shirley Bassey and Cilla Black to name but two! She was fantastic in all of the above.
As I said the whole cast was also very strong. George Dyer, who played Ray Say, the man who discovers LV, was very good as were Ged McKenna as Mr Boo and Tom Meredith as Billy.
This is a play not to be missed and Derby Theatre needs to be very proud of all involved in this production and the revolving stage is an awesome new addition to its resources.
The Rise and Fall of Little Voice plays at Derby Theatre until Saturday November 22nd.
Anything Goes
Beeston Musical Theatre Group
The Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
October 31st 2014
The Beeston Musical Theatre Group’s production of Anything Goes was a fun and light-hearted affair that stayed true to the show's roots and captured the feel of the time very well indeed.
The show is a musical comedy first performed in 1934 and is the typical ‘boy meets girl, girl is betrothed to another and the other is infatuated by a third’ affair played out on board a transatlantic cruise liner. On board we also find a confident American tycoon, a sassy ex-evangelist turned nightclub singer and America's public enemy #13. Complete with all the flimsy disguises, lucky coincidences and soft innuendo one expects, everything turns out all right in the end. Everybody ends up happy, including the audience at the Duchess.
Tonight’s show was a very good performance. The acting was by and large very good, and the musical numbers were sung well, with the group numbers being particularly well done. The show itself is a little weak in places and the story, really, is there to fill the spaces between the wonderful Cole Porter's songs. This show has many of his best songs such as “Anything Goes”, ‘ I Get A Kick Out of You”, “You’re The Top”, “It’s De-lovely’ and “Gabriel Dance.”
The energy level of the cast was commendable; they performed with great commitment and kept the audience thoroughly entertained. However, special mention has to go to Andrea Chapman who played Reno Sweeney. She has a strong belting voice, which was best showcased in her rendition of the hit song "I Get a Kick Out of You."
Zoe Brinklow (Hope Harcourt) sings beautifully and acted the part with great conviction.
Rob Charles, who played Billy Crocker, also has a great voice and can act well. He had very good stage presence and his characterization was very good.
Kev Chatten was wonderful as the stuffy British lord, Sir Evelyn Oakleigh, a role that seemed to be tailor made just for him.
As Moonface Martin, Chris Bryan shone. His characterization of the New York Mobster who wouldn't hurt a flea, kept the audience laughing throughout the show.
The rest of the principal line up was very strong as well, with Steph Gray-Best as Erma, Mina Machin as Evangeline, Keith Bird as Dobson, Rob Holsman as the Captain not to forget, of course, Mimi the dog played by La Vie Boheme – she stole the show!
The Orchestra was excellent under the direction of Chris Toon, who had also obviously worked very hard with the cast to produce singing of such a high standard. Incidentally the sound balance between the orchestra and the cast was pretty nigh perfect.
The shows director Nathan Truesdale and choreographer Rachael Rees together managed to capture the 1930s feel in every hat, gesture and hand swing. The costumes, set and movements were just right, and the dance routines revived the atmosphere and feel of 1930s. Nathan also made good use of the stage and set which was very impressive by the way. I was delighted to see that background action never detracted from the central focus of the scene.
The sound plot was excellent under the direction of Sean Renshaw and Dave Martin’s lighting was very good indeed. I really liked the use of the manual ‘follow spot’ which was absolutely right for this show.
The stage crew, under the direction of Lisa Smith, were good and scene changes were swift and unobtrusive.
This is a show with little substance in terms of plot but it is fast pacy and fun. The music is delightful and tonight the sum of all parts came together just as they should; everything seemed to work very well for the audience who, by their rapturous applause at the end, showed how much they had enjoyed the show.
The Beeston Musical Theatre have again shown that they can provide an evening of high quality entertainment with a great cast and musicians. Well done to everyone who has been involved.
West Side Story
The Long Eaton Operatic Society
The May Theatre, Trent College, Long Eaton
October 28th 2014
West Side Story is based on William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and coming home from Trent College tonight I wondered if he would have appreciated this musical production of his original play. I have come to the conclusion that he probably would. This is because the themes in the story are timeless and still resonate with us today in whatever genre or era they are presented. Sadly, the scourge of racial disharmony and a destructive tribal mentality, is all too easily recognizable to us today.
Shakespeare’s Montague and Capulet families are substituted by rival New York street gangs: the Jets from the Upper West Side and the Puerto Rican immigrant-based Sharks. It’s in one of the show’s early routines that pretty teenager Maria and ex-Jet Tony first meet and instantly become entranced by each other, on a crowded dance floor.
There were excellent performances from Rachel Fenn as a sassy and passionate Maria and Adam Daniels as the principled but tortured Tony, who sang Stephen Sondheim’s timeless lyrics in Tonight, Maria and One Hand, One Heart, beautifully.
Michael Daniels was compelling as an embittered Riff, the cocky leader of the Jets. He and his gang open the show patrolling their patch while snapping their fingers to Bernstein’s bluesy beat. Daniels and the Jets’ infectious “Cool” number included a cleverly choreographed routine. Small scenes involving members of the Jets gave individual actors the chance to convincingly portray their characters and enable us to glimpse the troubled teen behind the gang member: this was well done.
As for the Sharks, led with strut and convincing menace by Maria’s brother Bernardo (Adam Guest), they are equally talented; both groups gave us some lively and engaging dance routines.
West Side Story is, for much of the time a very serious piece, but there is also some fun and that comes in the Gee, Officer Krupke number. Just forget the political correctness, this was a fabulous slapstick song. The choreography was entertaining while Sondheim’s lyrics engaged and amused the audience.
Bernardo’s girlfriend Anita played beautifully by Emily Marshall – Sims gave us some excellent singing and dancing, in particular the duet with Maria, A Boy Like That / I have a Love, performed after they learn Tony has killed the Sharks leader, was in perfect harmony.
All the dance routines are dynamic – and that includes the brilliantly performed knife fight scene at the end of Act One, after which both Riff and Bernando lie dead in the street. There’s also a great number featuring the Sharks females who punchily deliver the vibrant song America. I did feel that this, although well done, needed a few more girls to bolster the singing, which was a little weak.
Playing the Jets and their girls were: Action (Ross Lowe), Baby John (Jack Woolley A-Rab (Zach Foster), Big Deal (Ben Woolley), Diesel (Dave O’Neil), Anybodys (Tayla Evans), Graziella (Emily Topham), Velma (Karen Woodhead), Pauline (Georgia Archer) and Minnie (Sheree Strickland), Clarice (Abbey Walker).
Meanwhile Bernardo’s Puerto Ricans were: Chino (Kheenan Jones), Pepe (Phil Brookes), Indio (Tim Meakin), Luis (Jack Draper), Juano (Josh Jones), Rosalia (Anna McAuley), Consuelo (Abigail Pigeon), Francicca (Emma Kelvey), Estella (Lucy Stokes) and Margarita (Kate Sleath)
The Drug Store owner, Doc, was played sympathetically by Martin Mould, Lieutenant Schrank by Lindsay Mould and Officer Krupke by Jason Parker and Glad Hand by Kathryn McAuley.
The set was atmospheric and there were plenty of interesting elements, which enabled the cast to go over, under and through it. The large stage crew handled the scene changes quickly and smoothly. The show’s 12-piece orchestra under the direction of Lizzie Bullard was not too overpowering and did not, for most of the show, drown the voices as can be the case at this venue, there being no pit.
However it’s the energy of the dance – from contemporary, cha cha, modern and classical ballet – which is quite remarkable in a show that’s more than half a century old: this production directed by Liz Woolley, along with her choreographer, Gemma Haigh, was pacy and fast moving. I did feel that on this opening night some of the large dance numbers such as The Dance in the Gym were crowded and a little chaotic at times. I am sure this will settle down though as the week proceeds.
The show does contain some of the best tunes in musical theatre history. It’s a show that leaves you wanting more with songs like, There’s a Place for Us, I Feel Pretty, Tonight and Somewhere.
I have no doubt that this is a difficult show which requires excellent singing and dancing in equal measure and from almost the whole cast which is not an easy task. Overall, this was achieved by the cast tonight, although there were a few wobbles in the full ensemble numbers that need to be corrected during the week.
The lighting, although effective, was not always changed quickly enough and there were some moments of darkness but again, I am sure this will be sorted out quickly.
Fans of West Side Story, and there are many of them, will really enjoy this production by The Long Eaton Operatic Society.
West Side Story runs for approximately 2 hours 10 minutes and plays at the May Hall Theatre, Trent College, until Saturday.
The Book of Morman
The Prince of Wales Theatre, London
October 15th 2014
Reflections on tonight's performance
As I said at the end of Act 1, while enjoying some of the songs and dances I was not yet sure if I liked the show as a whole. On reflection, I think it might be a "marmite show" one you either love or hate. Actually my feelings about it are neither.
It was interesting that throughout the show the couple on my left hardly laughed or clapped at all but the two women on my right were often convulsed with laughter - sometimes simply because someone came on stage. A Marmite Show?
I can't really put my finger on it yet but I just felt it was very ordinary and relied too often on swearing and puerile slapstick to get the laughs. It may appeal to a younger audience particularly fans of South Park, although there were many older people in the theatre tonight.
There were a few songs with very witty lyrics and good tunes that I would have to say were entertaining. The performances especially, the dance routines, were very good and the two leading Elders (names I don't know as I was not prepared to pay an exorbitant price for a souvenir programme) were excellent.
The staging of the show was very good and one number set in hell was very spectacular and I enjoyed that. Yes there were bits that made me laugh out loud and clap but overall my evening was ok but not too memorable. It is not a show I think I will go and see again. It is only fair to say that in general terms the audience reaction was pretty good so you might well enjoy it more than I did. I am glad I went to see it though and would certainly say go and give it a try as the theatre was full and I overheard many people saying how good it was on the way out. There was no standing ovation where I was in the Dress Circle but that may have been because it is terribly steep and most would not dare to stand up for fear of plumiting into the stalls.
Incidentally please don't think I didn't like it because of the bad language (and there was plenty of that) or the irreligious moments (and there was many of those) no it just didn't grab me. Perhaps I just wasn't in the mood tonight.
Everyone has different opinions - I just write my thoughts here very conscious that others are available. After all what do I know. I hated Wicked (and I tried it twice) when most people loved it.
Go and see Mormon but be warned it may offend or it may excite you. Who knows?
The Witches of Eastwick
The Erewash Musical Society
The Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
October 7th 2014
Last night at the Duchess Theatre I found myself “dancing with the devil” and I rather enjoyed it.
The Erewash Musical Society performed a sizzling version of the sometimes rather risqué musical, The Witches of Eastwick. It is loosely based on the 1987 film starring Jack Nicholson in the title role of Darryl Van Horne, and Cher, Susan Sarandon and Michelle Pfeiffer as his three 'witches.’
The show does have quite a lot of dialogue in the form of recitative, but there are also some great songs that tell the story and some big chorus numbers, which are catchy, energetic and toe tapping.
The excellent ensemble powered their way through well choreographed dance routines which filled the Duchess Theatre stage wonderfully. Routines like “Dirty Laundry,” “Darryl Van Horne” and “The Glory of Me” were excellent, but for me the best of them all was “Dancing with the Devil.” This was just wonderful and gave the whole cast the chance to let their hair down with skill, panache and enthusiasm.
The choreographer, Kris Cunnigham’s routines were fresh, exciting, energetic, lively and, although not easy, well performed by the whole cast. It was quite obvious that they were enjoying themselves, which for me, is one of the marks of a good show.
The three witches themselves – Alexandra Tavener (Alex), Stephanie Ure (Jane) and Rachael Brown (Sukie) – were absolutely sensational, moving from bored housewives living in a Stepford society to wickedly saucy mistresses dressed in corsets and slinky gear.
They sing beautifully, complementing each other with pleasing harmonies and very powerful solo numbers. Each plays her role with confidence: cleverly portraying the boredom and anxieties of the character, before they are all persuaded to let their desires run wild. And run wild they certainly do!
Their ensemble number “Make Him Mine” in the first half was particularly good, as the three women cast an unintentional spell for their ideal man, while raising martini glasses together. What they got when he arrived wasn't quite what they expected and that's where the fun really began.
Adam Richmond was incredible as the devil himself, oozing charm, smarm and downright evil in equal measures. I thought he made a wickedly charismatic Darryl Van Horne, belting out songs with plenty of bravado and a mischievous twinkle in his eye. His many well delivered ‘one liners’ were well appreciated by the audience, as was the energy and dynamism he brought to this challenging role.
There were a number of good individual performances in the show in addition to the main characters. Gill Cooke played the self important and officious Felicia and Martin Mould her hen pecked husband Clyde: both captured their characters in an engaging and amusing way. Zak Charlesworth and Gemma Blake as the star crossed teenage lovers were delightful and sang together beautifully. Jack Readyhoof as Daryll’s “manservant’ Fidel was very amusing, making the most of his role with a clever characterisation, unvoiced apart from one very effective word at the end!
The show’s Musical Director, Dave Dallard, conducting for the main society for the first time, did an excellent job, both with the orchestra and the company, resulting in musical performances of a very high standard throughout.
The whole show was very well directed by Laurie Trott, a well known performer, producer and choreographer. Her experience and creative talent was obvious tonight as she successfully produced this “big” show on a relatively small stage. Incidentally, the creative team produced some excellent special effects, one of which was a magnificent first at the Duchess - you need to go and see the show just for that - my lips are sealed!
This is a technically difficult show, but tonight it didn’t look so given the smooth and effective scene changes and the well designed lighting and sound plots. Well done to the Stage Manager, Mark Robbins and his crew, Simon Birchell (lights) and Ben Tennet (sound).
I really enjoyed tonight’s performance, despite this not being one of my favourite shows, because it was so well produced, so professionally performed and filled the Duchess Theatre with real quality.
It is a show with adult themes and some fruity language, hence the advisory age restriction. However, I think The Erewash Musical Society have stayed on the right side of risqué, with some very funny innuendo and the right measure of sauciness to provoke an amused reaction from the audience.
This was a devil of a good production at the Duchess Theatre: do go to see it if you can and have one hell of a night…
Why Me?
Infrared Comedy Theatre
The Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
September 12th 2014
Why Me is written and produced by Sara Lim-Smith, who leads the Infrared Comedy Theatre. Her productions are mostly original and this is one is no exception.
It is billed as a “Musical Comedy” and contains some great songs, some big ensemble numbers and a very funny script.
This production could be described as a 1920’s musical version of the 1970’s Comedy TV show Are You Being Served, one of my favourites. It is set in a family department store, following the death of the owner and is about what happens when her son Barty inherits it.
This performance has exceeded my expectations by miles. I like this group and have been impressed with their previous productions, but this one is stunning. The performance of the cast and in particular the principals, is outstanding. Jack Archer, playing the part of Barty, is quite brilliant. Such a good actor who can also sing and dance and is very at home on the stage. Maisie Ramsey as Florence and Becky Elliot as Hester were also outstanding - great actors and very funny. The manic Owen Todd as Walter was just wonderful. I also liked the performance of Liam Wilkinson who camped up his part of Morris with aplomb! By the way, not mentioning other individuals in no way implies they had less of a role in making this a brilliant and very funny show, there are just too many to mention.
The show was very funny indeed - comic timing was good from the whole cast, not easy for young actors, but they all did so well.
However, there were some more serious and poignant moments as demonstrated just before the interval when there was a very moving duet sung by Jack and Masie, showing the depth of these two young performers. This was a lovely song.
The ensemble numbers, including some “Bee Gee" themed numbers, were of a very high standard: I loved watching the whole cast dance and sing.
The original script and songs by Sara Lim Smith are very well written, witty and based on a very clever idea. The production was slick and moved with considerable pace. The 1920s set and costumes looked very authentic.
I was very impressed with the sound. I don't believe many mics were being used and yet I heard every word; diction and projection were excellent.
The first Act sped by leaving the almost full house wanting more.
Act 2 was just as good as Act 1 if not even more dynamic. What a brilliant, talented and hardworking cast and crew. Well done to the tech guys as well - Lauren and George. This was a show that all involved can be justifiably proud of; I wish I could see it again.
What made it for me, in addition to the very high standards of performance, was the obvious enjoyment all the cast had at being on the stage. They sparkled during the big numbers and were so obviously having a good time and so were we in the audience.
In my opinion this is a must see show - a great night at our local theatre.
The Cast:
Jack Archer; Maisie Ramsey; Becky Elliott; Scarlet Salsbury; Owen Todd; Kieron Fisher; Geirgia Salsbury; Daniel Robinson; Mahesh Parmer; Alicia Biffen; Bella Ramsy; Amber Mckeon; James Kerr; Sydney Goddard; Becky Kroon; Robin Dunsford; Liam Wilkinson; Catherine O’Brien; Zak Brewin.
Plus: ICODA Theatre School and Tiny Toes and Tiny Taps
Parade
AGF Performing Arts
The College Street Studio Theatre
August 8th 2014
Parade is based on a true story of a Jewish Factory Manager, Leo Frank, accused of the rape and murder of a 13 year old employee in 1913 in the southern USA. It tells of his arrest, trial, conviction and subsequent hanging by a lynch mob.
This may not seem a likely scenario for a musical and especially one performed by a youth group. However, it was written and presented in a sensitive and appropriate way that was suitable for the young cast.
This show was part of this year’s two week Summer School by AG Performing Arts and was produced in just 2 weeks - (10 working days). The result was a high quality show with no sign that it had been produced in such a short time. Obviously, the cast was a very talented group of young people who, in my view, didn't put a foot wrong. They sang, danced and acted with maturity beyond many of their ages.
The content of the show required them to inject considerable emotion into many of the scenes, which they did very well. The ensemble supported the leading roles confidently. There was an outstanding performance from Dave Richardon, who played Leo Frank and by Katy Smith, who played his wife. Their roles were particularly demanding and at times, harrowing. The rest of the cast comprising, Zak Charlesworth, Hannah Emms, Megan Leahy, Harry Cole, Tom Hopcroft, Jonny Edlin, Kaydon Brookes, Alexandra Crawford, Conor Lowry, Luchia Ecott, Lucy Slater, Jemima Rayner, Leah Wilson and Mia Hyland were fantastic. Most of them played more than one part and in some cases many more.
There was also a Junior Ensemble comprising of Amelia Hyland, Rhona Sleath, Edward Lenthall, Oliwia Smuga-Lumatz, Sophie Jackson and Ashley Hutchinson. They supported the rest of cast extremely well.
There were so many brilliant individual performances among the above it would be wrong to mention any in particular.
This was not an easy show and how the cast managed to learn all their lines and songs n such a short time, I have no idea. But they did and no prompting was required. The production team must be congratulated for their vision and skill in bringing the whole cast up to such a remarkably high standard of performance.
Musically, this show was challenging with the many of the songs being part of the narrative as well as some standing in their own right. Also, the accompanying score often did not help the singers with their notes. However, they coped very well and the standard of singing was high. Well done to Josh Kemp, the MD, for playing such a difficult score so fantastically on the piano - which was very effective, and for preparing the cast so well. Also, well done to Chris Smith who played the drums.
This production was very impressive. One minor criticism relates to the acoustics in the studio theatre. I did feel that the songs in particular required more amplification to enable us to hear all the words, but this was down to the building not the cast.
This was a very good production from an extremely talented cast. Well done to everyone who was involved and well done to AG Performing Arts who had the vision and may I say, courage, to produce such a difficult show in such a short time.
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Marvellous Productions
Chilwell School
July 26th 2014
I was not sure what I was going to see last night at Chilwell School when I went to “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” I had a vague idea what American Spelling Bees were, but they seemed an unlikely theme for a comedy musical. However, It soon became obvious that this was going to be a very interesting, amusing and entertaining evening.
The show is a musical comedy conceived by Rebecca Feldman with music and lyrics by William Finn, a book by Rachel Sheinkin and additional material by Jay Reiss. The show is about a fictional Spelling Bee Competition set in a geographically ambiguous Putnam Valley Middle School. Six quirky adolescents compete in the Bee, run by three equally quirky grown-ups. There are also some volunteer “spellers” from the audience, who compete along side the actors. When it opened on Broadway it received 6 Tony Nominations and won 2 including one for Best Book.
It is a play with music and the catchy songs were used to good effect, either to move the action on, explain the personalities of the children and adults or accompany flashbacks or indeed flashforwards!
The script is well written and witty allowing for a certain amount of freedom to add local or topical references. In this performance one of the young spellers mentioned a certain Mr Gove and his departure from the DFE. I guess you can’t get any more up to date or relevant than that!
A very amusing part of the show was listening and watching the Vice Principal, played very well and very dryly, by Douglas Panch. He was the one who asked the questions and provided ridiculous “usage-in-a-sentence” examples. Many of these were very funny and enjoyed by the audience. I loved the many and varied facial expressions he used during the show.
The cast, all adults, were excellent in their respective roles, which involved acting and singing. There were ensemble numbers including the infectious opening song “The Twenty-Fifth Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” and the “after each eviction” song, “Goodbye.” The individual characters all had solos to sing as well so there was a lot to learn and perform. I really enjoyed the individual performances from Kayrakise Evans, Rob Charles, Keli Wain, Abby Riddell, Sophie Kish and Chris Vaughan as the Spellers and Rob Holsman and Cat Tuckey as the other two adults. Cat, incidentally has an absolutely superb singing voice, which, was very well suited in her role as the teacher.
The action moved very quickly and the Director, George Lamb must be commended for this. However, there were other equally effective moments when things were slowed down to a snail’s pace, keeping us all wondering what was going to happen next!
Although the show was very funny, bright and lively there also some moments of sadness as some of the characters were eliminated. These were very well handled by the individual cast members. The way they behaved expressed that “winning isn’t everything and that losing doesn’t necessarily make you a loser.” Yes, the show did have a message and it came through loud and clear, due to the excellent writing and the convincing performances.
The music was superbly controlled by the MD, John Maddison and his pianist, the talented Joel Hall. I really enjoyed the sensitive piano accompaniment, which ensured that we could hear almost every word that was sung. It was very important in this show that this was the case as the songs are an integral part of telling the story.
The lighting and sound were very effective and enhanced the production.
The whole cast, under the superb direction of George Lamb did the script and the show proud and everyone involved should be very pleased with the result.
This was a very enjoyable evening and the show did spell “fabulous” for me!
Punk Rock
Magpie Drama
The Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
July 18th 2014
This was an outstandingly good production by an amazing cast and production team. The performance was followed by a Q and A session with the cast and producer Rachel Bates: a perfect end to the evening. There were some very good questions from an engaged and interested audience and equally good answers. The young actors had clearly thought carefully about the characters they were playing and spoke thoughtfully about the development of their character portrayals.
Rachel and the cast had obviously worked very hard and had an exciting and interesting time producing this riveting play; their understanding of it and enthusiasm for it shone through. Rachel’s staging emphasised and underscored roles in the play. We saw dominant characters establishing themselves at the front on a sofa and passive characters placed at the back. Clever use of a blackboard and a background soundtrack took us into new scenes and established timings. It’s not easy to show development and character change in a static setting, but Rachel achieved this admirably. The claustrophobia of the small upstairs library in an elite school, in which the play takes place, becomes central to the action.
Matthew Biddulph played the role of William and he was outstanding at portraying the self-doubting protagonist on the edge of a catastrophic breakdown. He was able to switch convincingly between normality and abnormality, ratcheting up the chilling menace as the play reached its disturbing climax. From mild mannered cheerfulness to cold-blooded destruction, Matthew took us on the journey with him, ending with the shrug of a deeply flawed character who really can’t see what all the fuss is about. A huge part to learn, understand and do justice to, Matthew gave a great performance.
Adam Richmond was the "bully - Bennett" who goaded some of the other characters, using both physical and psychological methods to establish his dominance over them. Adam put his all into this physically and vocally challenging part, giving us a riveting performance of a deeply unlikeable character. The part is strongly written and Adam took advantage of this, fully exploring a character who is unsure of his sexuality and needs to cover this up with bluster. He shouts, swears and threatens others, particularly Chadwick, a brilliant geek who cannot fully understand modern preoccupations.
This part of Chadwick was played wonderfully well by William Rogers. William gave an excellently pitched delivery and showed a complete understanding of how to express his character’s vulnerability through physical gestures. The audience could sense the confusion and pain this bullied boy felt when in the presence of the hectoring, abusive Bennett. His performance was a joy to watch, particularly his soliloquy.
Jack Eccles played Nicholas, the good-looking golden boy who does not have to try too hard at anything. Jack has good diction and projection and confidently portrayed a character who has little conscience, because he has no need to think deeply about anything. We see Nicholas as the character who will go far without much effort – until events unfold that change the course of his life.
In my opinion the female parts in this play are somewhat underwritten, but the three girls in this performance had worked hard to understand and flesh out their characters. One of the most unpleasant characters is Cissy, Bennett’s girlfriend, played excellently by Rebekeh Fearn. She shows no compassion, ignoring her boyfriend's incessant tormenting and bullying of Chadwick and gleefully humiliating him herself. Rebekah’s sultry smirks and confident posturing portrayed a girl who is hiding her fear - fear of letting both herself and her parents down- by asserting her sexuality.
Jessica Bridge played the part of the independent thinking and more mature Lilly. She played the character in an understated but confident way, managing large chunks of dialogue with ease. Her use of certain gestures and props established her character most convincingly. She and Matthew played well together, especially in the first scene, as their characters soon recognise each other’s intelligence and develop an affinity and repartee, which is as engaging for the audience as the characters. The sense of entitlement of these elite students is cleverly suggested in the writing and Matthew and Jessica conveyed this beautifully.
I was very impressed with Laura Davey who played the nervous and unconfident Tanya, a character who has insight and compassion, but is powerless to resist Bennett’s taunting and insults. Her use of physical gesture, facial expression and some deliberate hesitancy in delivery made her character immediately recognisable and sympathetic.
This play is genuinely shocking and makes uncomfortable listening and viewing at times. However, it tells a cracking story, gives us some engaging and complex characters and at the same time, really makes us laugh. It showed the depth of this great Drama Group, who use their outstanding skills as producers to recognise and showcase the large pool of talent in this area. I have seen performances in this play that engaged and excited me and made me think. This is what I want from drama and I want to see more. I look forward to both Magpie’s future productions and more performances from the talented young members of this cast.
David and Val Allen
RENT
Centre Stage Arts
The Robert Ludlam Theatre
July 15th 2014
Rent has been described as a "Marmite Show" some like it some don't. I have to say, I don't but I have no doubt in saying that this production by Centre Stage Theatre Arts did the show proud.
The production was excellent and there were some outstanding individual performances. The ensemble supported the principles very well and the casts rendition of Seasons of Love was absolutely brilliant. It is was certainly a show stopper and a crowd pleaser. The cast during the Finale sang their hearts out much to the delight of the audience and even I was moved by it!
The quality of the singing was high and this was appreciated on Tuesday evening by the capacity audience at The Robert Ludlam Theatre in Derby.
The band accompanied the cast sympathetically and was placed at the back of the stage. The balance between it and the performers was good and never over dominated the singers.
The musical directors, James Rayner and Bethan Davies are to be congratulated for that. Also I am sure they have worked very hard with the cast in order to produce such good vocals performances. The sound was very good throughout as was the lighting. The composite set was appropriate and well used by the cast.
The choreographer, Charlotte Robinson is to be congratulated for ensuring that the cast used the relatively small space on the stage so well.
The stage crew worked well and the scene changes were smooth and unobtrusive.
The production by Adam Guest was excellent and received a standing ovation at the end. This company showed in this performance that they have a considerable depth of talent and expertise.
As I said at the start, this is not a show I personally like but the cast and production crew should be congratulated for producing a show with energy, enthusiasm and emotion as demonstrated by the fact that many in the cast and some in the audience were in tears at the end.
Well done Centre Stage Theatre Arts. I look forward to seeing you again and hopefully next time the show will be one I like.
Emus Showcase 2014
Erewash Musical Society Youth Group
The Duchess Theatre
July 10th 2014
Where to begin with my review of the Emu’s Showcase tonight at the Duchess Theatre? Perhaps I should start by saying that as Vice President of this group I might be regarded as being biased, but when it comes to reviewing shows I do so without fear or favour!
So having said that I will start by saying that the performance I saw tonight has to be added very near to the top of my list of best youth performances I have ever seen.
This show had everything. Great singing, often in harmony, dancing of a very high standard, enthusiasm and commitment from the whole cast, plus fun and enjoyment thrown in for good measure. The energy being produced by the cast on the stage was phenomenal!
This show has been constructed by the large and talented production team to allow all the cast to shine both individually and as an ensemble. There were some very large ensemble numbers from shows such as “O what a Lovely War”, “Fame”, “Les Miserables”, “South Pacific” and “Mack and Mabel”. There were many others, in fact so many that it is a wonder that they were all so wonderfully performed. These young people have so obviously worked very hard indeed over the past 6 months to learn so many songs and routines.
There were also some smaller numbers and a few comedy sketches, which were well performed. In my experience young actors often find comedy difficult and do not really do them well, usually due to timing issues. Tonight, however, this was not the case and the sketches were very well performed with good timing and comic effect and the audience enjoyed them. The classic Four Yorkshire Men from Monty Python and the “Over the Top Sketch” from Black Adder were particularly good examples.
The dance routines were stunning, both in their visual appeal and in the quality and precision of their execution. In some cases, I felt many of the cast were moving very close to professional standards. Although they were concentrating on “getting it right”, they were also smiling and showing that they were really enjoying what they were doing. Their enthusiasm and enjoyment of the dances was infectious.
In amongst the obvious fun there were some poignant moments as well such as the performance of “Something Inside so strong”, celebrating the work and sacrifices of Nelson Mandela, while “Memories from the Trenches’ brought home the horror of the First World War. The young cast sensitively performed both and I am sure brought a few tears to the eyes of many in the theatre including mine.
Considerable use was made of overhead projections and these were first class. They were impressive and appropriate to the scenes. Well done to the technical and creative team for an excellent job. The lighting plot was also very effective.
The band was small but absolutely right for the venue and for this show. Mostly the balance between them and the singers was absolutely right, although occasionally it might have been a tad too loud, but without a pit this is probably inevitable. The Band was Dave Dallard (MD), Sean Garavan, Jeff Widdowson and Matt Biddulph.
The production of the show was impressive and the large cast was well handled and movement on the stage was well ordered and good to look at. Well done to Alysha Gomes, Kris Cunningham, Carol Lawson, Dave Dallard, Chris Renshaw, Grant Walker, Chrissie Oakden, Andrea Kemish, Hattie Kemish, Katy Maclaughlin, Matt Biddulph and Jack Readyhoof. Add to that the technical and back stage team of Dave Martin, Ben Tennett, Mark Robbins (Stage Manager) Sue Cox and friends of the Society.
The 38 youngsters and the production and back stage teams have worked hard to produce a show of a very high standard. There were some outstanding individual performances, but over and above this it is about the whole company working together. So it is very well done to all in the company because it was them that turned the ideas of others into a rollicking good show.
Betsy Kirkland-Ball – Charlie Pierson – Charlie Vallans – Chloe Hopcroft – Daisy Wright – Daya Khosse – Dylan Singfield – Eliza Charnock – Ellie Simmonds – Emily Bridge – Emily Marshall – Emily Watts – Ethan Fletcher – Gabryl Oleshko – Georgia Marvin – Grace Peaston – Grace Deakin – Hattie Kemish – Hayden Fletcher – Holly Pilgrim – Jack Readyhoof – Jess Bridge – Joe Langley – Katie Lawson – Laura Allen – Lewis Haycock – Lizzie Buckthorpe – Lucy Judson – Lucy Ledger – Martin Lewis – Molly McCarthy – Oliver Wheddon – Robyn Oleshko – Sam Chell – Sophie Robbins – Tom Judson – Tom Martin – Zak Charlesworth
This is a must see show and certainly a shining example of what a good youth show should be like.
Seussical Jr
The Long Eaton Operatic Society Youth Group
The Duchess Theatre
July 4th 2014
I enjoyed the show very much and it brought back many great memories of the Dovedale version I produced in 2010. Well done to the cast and crew and it was great to see their obvious enjoyment of what they were doing in the Finale which was excellent.
This is a fun show but with a very complicated and obscure story. However, it never ceases to enthuse and entertain audiences of all ages.
The music is great and there is something for everyone to do. A truly ensemble piece but there were also some excellent individual performances as well. I liked the choreography which was simple but appropriate and the staging was good. The simple set was colourful as were the costumes.
One negative though was the sound which at times was not carrying the voices of some performers. I suspect more mics are needed by this group as there didn't seem to be many. The sound Also lacked some treble clarity.
However, that aside tonight at the Duchess there was great enthusiasm both on stage and in the auditorium.
Overall a good production from this popular local group and certainly a show not to miss.
April in Paris
Derby Theatre Production
Derby Theatre
June 30th 2014
(Coming Soon)
April in Paris tells the story of Bet (Shobna Gulati) & Al (Joe McGann), two middle aged people from Hull. Al is unemployed and bitter, Bet is feeling unloved and bogged down by routine. Their discontent and boredom leads to constant sniping and bickering, written and delivered with such lightness of touch that the audience is always amused and never embarrassed.
The couple win a one night trip to Paris and there's then a see-sawing between relief at having broken away from the boredom of Hull and an insecurity verging on paranoia about being in a strange country, where they don't know the culture and feel rather small.
The two actors in the play are excellent, although Shobna Gulati may look a little too young and attractive for the role! The two of them work hard to keep the audience engaged with a spirited and nuanced delivery of John Godber’s pithy Northern humour. Both are able to tell the story, not just through dialogue and narration, but also through sharply observed actions.
This play makes the audience work, as the simple set merely suggests where the action takes place and our imaginations fill in the rest. The clever use of decking and a moving backdrop in Act 1 takes us giddily from a back garden in Hull across the North Sea to Paris, for a colourful and evocative Act 2.
April in Paris is not full of profound insights or dramatic highs. Godber avoids sentimentality, so his characters do not find any clear resolutions to either their problems or their rocky relationship. The hint of optimism at the end of the play is welcome and nicely rounds off a cleverly written, very amusing and enjoyable piece of theatre.
Pick 'N Mix - Revenge of the Cast
The Young Performers
The Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
June 19th 2014
Pick ‘N Mix by The Young Performers was an evening of music, dance, song and short plays. An eclectic mix of performances to show off the talents of the resident youth group at the Duchess Theatre.
This show began with an explosive and exciting version of Pharrell Williams “Happy” and the broad smiles on the faces of this large cast of young people and their enthusiastic singing, set the stage alight and delighted the audience.
This was followed by a mixture of comedy and more serious drama in the form of 5 short plays interspersed with some music and dance.
There were some musical numbers, including a very well performed and choreographed version of Cell Block Tango from Chicago. I was impressed by an extract taken from Alan Bennett’s The History Boys: the boys who performed this were excellent.
The finale of the show was a collection of James Bond film themes played by the band and sung by the whole cast. Although sung in a static choir formation, this was an excellent performance with impressive harmony singing and a solo.
There is no doubt that the young cast put their hearts and souls into all the performances tonight and received a well deserved round of applause at the end. I did feel, however, that the band, although very good musically, was a little loud at times for the singers who didn’t generally have microphones and were, as a consequence, sometimes not heard clearly enough.
The set design was simple but effective and the sound and lighting effects were good.
Overall I enjoyed this show and cannot praise too much the commitment, talent and enthusiasm of these young people. They opened and closed the show with some glorious singing and I would have liked to have heard a little more of this during the show.
It is worth noting that much of this show was produced by the young people themselves, including the choice of material, arranging of rehearsals, supplying props and much more. Well done to them all.
If you have the chance go along to the Duchess Theatre and support these great young people and their adult producers and enjoy a Summer Pick ‘n mix with them.
Sister Act
Carlton Operatic Society
Theatre Royal Nottingham
May 28th 2014
Two words describe last night’s performance of Sister Act – “Fabulous Baby!”
That is the title of a song sung by the central character, Deloris Van Cartier, a nightclub singer, at the start of the show. She has to seek refuge in a convent, as she is a witness to a mob murder and needs police protection. While in the Convent she miraculously transforms the off key Nun’s choir into a fabulous gospel choir. She also transforms her own life and breaks free from the shady nightclub world she lived in before, she contributes to the arrest of the mob boss and saves the church from closure. Yes, all in just over 2 hours – that’s the wonderful world of stage musicals for you – fabulous, baby!
However, there are some twists and turns along the way and some great musical numbers and dance routines, which move the action along quickly and keep
the toes tapping. Songs like “Take Me To Heaven;” “Sunday Morning Fever;” “Raise Your Voice;” “Bless Our Show’ and “Spread the Love Around’ are feel good, happy clappy numbers that raise the rafters and guarantee smiles all round.
This was a very professional performance from an operatic society with a great pool of talent. There were no weak performances in my view; in fact I think this was as good a performance as the professional version I saw in London some time ago.
The show is, to a large extent, an ensemble piece, with the Nuns Choir taking the central role. They are on stage for much of the show and have several large-scale routines to master. This they did with great energy, polish and obvious enjoyment. Much credit for this must go to the choreographer, Lisa Lee, who has worked to the strengths of the group and created some exciting and visually striking set pieces. This show is her first with Carlton: I am sure she will be working on many more in the future.
There are some excellent cameo performances, notably the gangsters played with careful characterisation and just the right amount of threat combined with slapstick, by Lyndon Warnsby, Liam Hall, Mark Coffey-Bainbridge, Nigel Newton and Desrick Francis. Other notable supporting roles are played by Jackie Dunn, Hannah Rogers-Gee and Laura Thurman, all of whom have absolutely nailed their characters through voice and mannerisms.
Ray Mcleod, who is well known in the Nottingham area as an accomplished singer and dancer, plays Officer Eddie Souther. He gives an energetic and characterful performance with many witty and amusing touches, making him a favourite with the audience. Sarah Walker Smith plays the Mother Superior, who almost right to the end, disapproves of Deloris’s influence on the music in the convent. She played the part with great confidence and expression and has a lovely voice. Graham Ward plays Monsignor O’Hare, the sympathetic Parish Priest, and he brings warmth and gentle humour to the role.
And so to Monique Henry, who plays the leading role of Deloris Van Cartier. I think it is fair to say that she was outstanding in the part – her singing, dancing and acting are of a professional standard and yet this is her first major role in a musical. From the first notes of “Fabulous Baby” it was obvious that she had the voice, personality and stage presence to excel in this role. What a find for Carlton Operatic and indeed the Nottingham musical scene. This will not be her last leading role.
The show ended with a full theatre standing ovation, which is not all that common in local shows. The whole company thoroughly deserved that and I for one was dancing through the Finale.
Great credit for the obvious success of the show must go to the production team, led by the very talented director, Amanda Hall. Amanda’s experience and vision, plus her obvious understanding of stage spectacle, make this polished production a veritable feast for the senses.
The Musical Director, Christopher Rees, who is elevated to the Papacy during the Finale, led an excellent orchestra very well and sympathetically accompanied the singers throughout. The standard of singing was very high and a great deal of hard work and rehearsal must have gone in to making this so.
This is a show that moves along quickly and scene changes need to be very slick. They were just that under the management of the Stage Manager, Jon Higton, and his largish stage crew. Lighting and Sound were excellent and Tom Mowat must be complimented on his sympathetic Lighting design.
This was an outstanding production, which I loved. Yes, the plot and the story are a bit predictable, but the energy, excitement and talent injected into this production by all the cast made it a joy to watch. This is a must see show.
It really is “Fabulous Baby.” Go see it before it ends on Saturday evening.
Haunting Julia
Magpie Drama
Duchess Theatre Long Eaton
2014
Alan Ayckbourn – who is far better known for his chirpy, up-beat comedies than his portrayals of grief and desperate obsession, wrote this play in 1994. It has seen a number of revivals and had a national tour since then. Last night’s performance at the Duchess Theatre by Magpie Drama was the first by an amateur company in this area.
From the moment the curtain lifts, the scene is set: we’re in some kind of museum-style set-up, with a voice over playing: a young girl is on tape talking about the room, which, it turns out, was her bedroom whilst she was at college. It’s only as she gets to the end of her speech that she reveals that it was here, in this very room that she killed herself.
The effect is chilling, and things start to become very uncomfortable. This is good, old-fashioned suspense: Ayckbourn builds up the story slowly, adding in gradual layers, as the characters reveal the secrets that they’ve carried with them since Julia’s suicide. We learn how much (or how little) they knew about her and the parts they played in both her life and death. There are a few moments in the play that will make you genuinely gasp in surprise, at other times you’re uncomfortably aware that you’re waiting for something to happen. However, there are times when the clever dialogue and the actors’ timing bring wry smiles or even loud laughs.
That is as much of the plot as I am prepared to reveal. I don’t want to spoil it for anyone about to see it – and see it you really should; it’s excellent entertainment.
When the curtain opens we are treated to an beautifully realised set design by Dan Bates, which looks and feels authentic and places us where we need to be to anticipate the action. Some special effects are truly amazing.
Last night there were very strong performances from all three actors. Mike Evans plays Julia’s father Joe Larkin, Rick Law plays Julia’s boyfriend Andy Rollinson and Dan Bates plays the visitor. All three had large amounts of dialogue to learn as well as dealing with northern accents and some deeply felt, emotional scenes to interpret. Alongside these scenes of painful memories and unwelcome realisations are the usual Ayckbourn sparkles of humour and wit. The director has managed to balance these contrasts of mood extremely well and the actors show polish and finesse.
The “spooky” atmosphere in the show is, in some considerable part, developed and enhanced by the excellent lighting and sound plot devised by Simon Birchall. The Stage Manager, Lucy Young, and her crew ensured that the production went ahead smoothly with no obvious problems.
The production by Rachel Bates is thoughtful and thought provoking and she obviously has a deep understanding of the feelings and motivations of the characters. As she says in the programme “This has been the most rewarding and challenging play I have ever produced.” She and her cast certainly rose to that challenge tonight.
This is a play that needs to be seen rather than read about and I would urge you to go and see it if you can. The enthusiastic audience made their feelings known at the end and I for one would have like to have seen a few more than the single curtain call – the cast certainly deserved it.
Haunting Julia is another great success for Magpie Drama, a group which is making a name for itself in the area for producing exciting, innovative and high quality drama.
Go and see it if you can but don’t walk home alone!
Cats
National Tour
Nottingham Concert Hall
April 16th 2014
There is no doubting the popularity or the longevity of this Andrew Lloyd Webber show. It was after all one of the longest running shows in the West End and on Broadway.
The show is renowned for 3 things. Excellent singing and dancing, sparkling special effects and colourful costumes. All of these were present during this performance at the Nottingham Concert Hall. The cast as a whole was outstanding and there were also some excellent individual performances. At times the ensemble’s dancing was breathtaking, combining a number of dance styles with some spectacular gymnastics. The costumes and lighting effects were good and overall the production was excellent.
However, this show is a classic case of great production and performance against not so good material. Not that the poems of T.S. Eliot aren’t great, just that they are a little lost in this format. In my view it is too long, has some unnecessarily repetitious songs, a story that has little substance and is at times confusing. Lord Webber is extremely good at the use of two or three musical themes, which are used again and again and again! Even the one well known song, Memory, appears at least 3 times.
I am sure that fans of the show will be delighted with it, but for me and this was the first time I had seen it, it was, particularly in Act 1, very slow. The second Act was more meaty and did include the excellent song Mr. Mistoffelees, which featured some great ballet, gymnastics and special effects.
I may, of course, be a bit out on a limb with this one, but for me it needed reducing in length a bit and would be better if some of the repetition was removed.
I think that this is a show that will always divide opinion and there is nothing wrong with that. Other opinions are always available and to be welcomed.
Damn Yankees
The Ripley and Alfreton Musical Theatre Company
Alfreton Grange
April 14th 2014
Last night I went to see a “Damn Good Musical’ in Alfreton. I am talking about an absolutely first class production by the Ripley and Alfreton Musical Theatre Company of the 1950's baseball themed musical “Damn Yankees.”
In 1956 it won eleven Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Choreography. The book is by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop, with music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross who, also wrote the highly successful musical The Pyjama Game.
The producer and choreographer of the show, Chris Parkes, has created a production that is energetic, punchy, exciting and pure fun. The atmosphere of a baseball game is established as soon as the audience enter the venue, with adornments and merchandise that set the scene brilliantly. One felt transported across the Atlantic to another time and place - and the hot dog at half time was great!
The plot is not very complicated. The Yankees are perpetual winners, whereas the lowly Washington Senators are habitual losers. Washington fan Joe Boyd, played by Richard Levers, makes a pact with a stranger called Applegate (James Fearn), who is really the devil, for the chance to play for the Senators and beat the 'Damn' Yankees. To add some temptation for Joe, Applegate calls up 170 year old Lola to work her sexual magic on his potential new recruit. Rachel Clines plays the part brilliantly, she acts and sings well and is a highly skilled dancer. Her big number 'Whatever Lola Wants' was a highlight of the show.
Andy Quinn’s performance as the transformed Joe was excellent. When he appeared for the first time and sang it was certainly a “wow” moment for me. His voice is outstanding and his acting is of a high standard.
Four musical performances stand out for me: 'Heart' ('You gotta have heart') set in the Senators' locker room with the excellent David Ian Jones as the Senators' manager supported by his players.
'Goodbye, Old Girl' provided one of the most touching musical moments, during the clever transformation from Joe Boyd to Joe Hardy (Richard Leivers and Andy Quinn). Both performed well in this scene.
Then there was the fabulous James Fearn, an absolute delight as Applegate, who has great fun with his big solo 'Those Were the Good Old Days.' His performance throughout the show was incredibly strong and he was a commanding presence whenever he appeared on the stage. For me he was the undoubted star of the show.
Playing four important roles in the show were Yvonne Taylor who played Joe Boyd's long suffering wife, Meg, Charmain Hardy who played the investigative journalist, Gloria Thorpe and Helen Steel and Jane Oates who played Sister and Doris. All four were very good in their roles both from a singing and acting perspective.
Finally, the boys in the Washington Senators team sang and danced very well throughout the show, but excelled in particular during the song “The game.” These young actors were so enthusiastic and put everything they had got into both ensemble and individual work. The clever choreography enabled them all to achieve a high standard of performance, irrespective of their dancing experience. This was true of all the dancing scenes and shows the touch of a gifted choreographer.
The producer used his large ensemble to very good effect and he was not tempted to over crowd the stage. Changes were slick and the use of entrances from stage front as well as rear and the wings, kept the action lively. I think it is fair to say that the book of the show is a little lacking in substance and can be a bit slow at times. However, this production cleverly fills in some of the gaps and keeps things moving. Well done to Chris Parkes for that.
The combination of music from the excellent orchestra and the well rehearsed ensemble, under the musical direction of Morris Fisher, plus the vision and energy of Chris Parkes, brought this show up to major league standard.
Other features to note were the use of some very colourful and historically accurate costumes supervised by Molly Limpets, an excellent lighting plot from Stephen Greatorix and fabulous sound management from Total Theatre. There were a couple of slowish scene changes but Stage Manager, Ken Owen and his crew worked hard to make sure that this first night ran as smoothly as possible.
This is the first time I have seen this excellent company perform but it most certainly won’t be the last.
Jesus Christ Superstar
The Long Eaton Operatic Society
May Hall Theatre, Trent College, Long Eaton
April 9th 2014
Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd-Webbers Rock Opera is over 40 years old and yet this is the first time I have seen it live on stage. There are apparently almost as many versions of the show as years that have passed since its inception: this one is an up to date modern version. It was a bit of a surprise that right from the start the cast were wearing clothes of today, rather than the traditional garb of first century Palestine, but I soon got used to it. There were also mobile phones, and other modern electronic devices on show, but this did not detract from what is a timeless story of love, betrayal, faith and power.
From the start we were introduced to a sad and tortured Judas whose confusion about who Jesus really was led inevitably to disaster for them both. It is always good to see and hear Sam Barson, whose performance was powerful, dynamic and emotional. His splendid voice echoed out around the theatre, setting the scene for what was to come.
A new comer to Long Eaton, Mitch Gamble, plays Jesus as vulnerable, tortured and sadly accepting, as he approaches the final week of his life. He sang well, although on this occasion there was a problem with his microphone, which meant he could not always be heard. Thankfully this was corrected in the second Act and we were then able to fully appreciate his great voice. His performance in “Gethsemane” was excellent and his scourging and crucifixion were incredibly well done. He showed real agony in the way he both sang and spoke his final words. There was not a sound in the auditorium during this scene, which added to the at times, unbearable emotion.
The part of Mary Magdelene was played by Kathi Ludlow. She sang her part with understated but touching emotion, showing love towards Jesus as his agony became more intense. Her reactions to the hostility towards her from Judas showed that her sensitivity, calm and love cancelled out his anger.
An outstanding member of the cast for me was Graham Buchanan. His portrayal of Pilate was engaging, as he captured perfectly both the sympathy and anger he felt towards Jesus, plus an awareness of the threat to his own power. He switched between these brilliantly.
Keith Bird and Martin Briggs played the High Priests, Caiaphas and Annals very well, moving around the stage with great assurance and power. It was clever casting to use older performers to play the ruling elite against the younger, more idealistic disciples.
The actors playing the disciples were a talented mixed age group. They sang and moved with sensitivity, passion and enthusiasm throughout. They also showed a lot of emotional engagement with the events going on around them. Well done to Adam Collishaw, Zach Foster, Josh Jones, Keenan Jones, Alistair Langton, Tim Meakin, Martin Mould, Ben Woolley and Jack Wooley.
Peter Brooks played Peter and was excellent with a powerful voice that he used to great effect in the arrest and trial scenes. His agony at betraying Jesus was clearly seen in the expressive way he denied knowing him.
Zak Charlesworth, sang and acted the part of Simon very well. He has a great voice and was able to show raw emotion when urging Jesus to take on the authorities.
This show is pretty serious as you might expect, but my favourite song lifts the mood a bit and for that I think audiences are always grateful! That is ‘Herod’s Song’, which includes the immortal words of Tim Rice “Prove to me that you’re Divine, change this water into wine…Prove to me that you’re no fool, walk across my swimming pool.” Rob Byatt’s Herod was grotesquely amusing and he delivered these lines with some delicious gushing, leering and sneering.
In addition to the principals I have mentioned there was a large ensemble that the Director, Adam Guest, used to great effect. They were incredibly enthusiastic, dynamic and energetic and the show moved very quickly as a result.
The singing in the show was powerful, and the dancing was well executed, thanks to the choreography of Siobhan Parker. The Orchestra was ably directed by the Musical Director, Charlotte Daniel. She must have worked very hard to get such a large ensemble plus the principals to such a very high standard of performance.
The lighting and staging were good and once the problems with some of the mics were sorted during the interval, the sound was ok too.
Adam Guest made good use of both an impressive composite set and a projection screen on the side of the stage. The latter was used a number of times during the show to give a different view of some of the scenes and to widen and enhance the action.
One minor criticism is that I found the rather laid back finale too stark a contrast to the extreme emotion and sadness of the Crucifixion scene. I think I would like to have seen something a little more sombre and restrained, but then again the actors did deserve the sustained and enthusiastic applause they got from the audience.
This show had a Producer as well as a director: Margaret Butcher. She has obviously worked tirelessly to bring this musical to the stage and support Adam with such a big show and large cast.
To be honest this is not one of my favourite shows, but I think the Long Eaton Operatic Society did it proud and performed it brilliantly. They did enter truly into the spirit of the story and not for a moment did any of them lose concentration or go out of character.
Congratulations to Adam for his vision and the way he used and developed the many talents of his cast so well. Well done to everyone involved both on and off the stage and good luck for the rest of the week.
The Drowsy Chaperone
The Erewash Musical Society
Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
April 8th 2014
“The Man” sits in his armchair thumbing through his record collection when he finds his favourite record. He puts it on his record player, and when it starts to play, his apartment is turned into a stage for one of his favourite musicals. From that point on smiles, fancy costumes and happy show tunes burst forth and the performance of The Drowsy Chaperone begins.
The Drowsy Chaperone, the Spring production from the Erewash Musical Society, is a taste of 1920's musicals within a comedy play. 'The man” sits by the side of the stage interacting with the audience and guiding them through his favourite musical and injecting his own views on the show and indeed many other things besides.
The Drowsy Chaperone is a brilliantly written musical. It is also a hilarious comedy with intelligently sharp and sophisticated humour.
The undoubted star of the production is David Hewitt who plays “The Man”, our sometimes tipsy narrator, who guides us through his favourite musical. His humour is subtle and precise, with a very thorough grasp of the vacillations and nuances in the writing. His connection with the audience is impeccably strong. David addresses the audience directly and is required to take control of all our reactions to almost everything that unfolds on stage. It is a very tall order, but he does it brilliantly.
Louise O’Boyle as Janet van de Graaf impresses with a beautiful, strong and versatile singing voice. Her role is a demanding one, and she delivers on all fronts. Her work is full of conviction, and she looks very much the part.
Her fiancé Robert Martin is played by Mark Haigh, who has created a character that seems to be magically transported from the 1920s. It is a performance that is authentic and meticulously delivered. He is delightful in the part, with a strong singing voice and confident execution of choreography. Not only is his rendition of “Cold Feet” well sung, but his tap routine is impeccable. He also shows a talent for comic roller skating, which is not easy on this small stage. His best man in waiting, the very stressed and sometimes manic George, is played with skill, conviction and great humour by Andrew Honman.
As with many a musical of the period there is a comedy duo, who are gangsters are dressed as pastry cooks – don’t ask why - and Adam Richmond and Carl McGarrigle are superb in the roles. They have to act, sing and dance while maintaining an air of two rather stupid gangsters. I really enjoyed their performances.
There is much to be admired about the performance of Dan Bates as the ever suffering Butler (Underling) – very funny and he works very well with his crazy mistress, Mrs Tottendale, played with wit and charm by Christine Hewitt.
The Drowsy Chaperone herself was played by Alex Tavener whose rendition of the song “As we Stumble Along” was one of the many musical highlights of the show. The role itself demands that she acts like an old style musical star who dismisses others of a lesser position in show business. This she does very well and she has a great presence on the stage.
No musical comedy would be complete of course, without the Latin Lothario, in this show it is Adolpho -who plans to seduce the bride- played with brilliantly oily comic timing by Phil Deakin. He doesn’t manage a seduction exactly, but is very funny as he tries; I wont say who he ends up with at the end!
The role of the theatrical producer Feldzieg was played very well by Steve Thornhill. He has to deal not only with the two gangsters but also a brainless chorine called Kitty played by Gemma Blake. She is absolutely brilliant in the role and screeches, screams and totters around the stage throughout, bringing much humour to the show.
Finally I must mention Steph Ure, who plays the part of Trix The Aviatrix. She leads the company in another of the big numbers towards the end of the Show “I do I do in the Sky.” She has a great stage presence and sings very well.
Completing the outstanding cast is an ensemble that plays a big part in the show. Rachel Brown, Andrea Kemish, Carol Lawson, Katie Lawson, Jane Maltby and Steph Ure are maids who sing, dance and move furniture brilliantly, while Nick Buckthorpe, Kay Cocks, Gary Fowkes, Julie Philips and Fiona Wright do similar things very well.
One of the strengths of this cast is that they dance and sing so well. Not all of them are trained dancers, but they all joined in with a level of proficiency not always seen on the amateur stage. Well done to them all and to the choreographer, Laurie Trott who through her design and training produced routines of a very high standard.
Mark Birch’s direction was tight, imaginative and clearly used the various talents of the cast to great effect. He has made sure that the show moved at a swift pace and there are no delays for scene changes.
Here I must mention the stage crew and the Maids in particular who ensured that the scene changes, and there were many of them, were swift and unobtrusive. Mark Robbins, the stage manager, is to be congratulated for the organisation of this and for the splendidly adaptable set that was both visually and practically excellent.
The orchestra was led by the Musical Director, David Walker. It was excellent and supported the cast sympathetically and was never too loud. The quality of the singing particularly in ensemble songs was outstandingly good and David obviously worked very hard with the company.
Lighting and sound were good as ever with this Society.
This is a supremely entertaining show with clever humour. It is also a show about our love of performance. “Man in chair” has an obsession for stage performers in his record collection, and this production gives us many reasons to be enthralled in our seats, amused and awestruck.
Well done once again to the Erewash Musical Society for producing a show of such high quality in all areas.
The choice of this show was undoubtedly a risk for the group as it is not well known. However, I am sure that all who will see it will go away with a bit of a buzz, feeling “a little less blue’ and maybe wanting to hear the songs again as they are certainly infectious.
I did not know the show until recently but I just love it now and had an absolutely great evening at the Duchess and I hope many of you will go and see it before it ends on Saturday Evening.
The Drowsy Chaperone is at the Duchess Theatre in Long Eaton until Saturday April 12th.
Whatever You Want
Gatepost Theatre
The Guildhall Theatre, Derby
March 29th 2014
What a fantastic show this was and a World Premiere as well!
Written by Kate Baker (also the Musical Director) , it tells the story of a group of tourists who set off on a holiday in Ibiza. During the holiday many face major challenges to their lifestyles, dreams and beliefs which for some leads to a realisation that life on holiday really can be about "Whatever you want."
Jim Baker did a wonderful job as Artistic Director with this very talented cast. One striking feature of this show is that every member of the cast has a character role and almost everyone has solo vocal lines. Powerfully this makes for a superb ensemble piece but also allows for some outstanding individual performances and there were, in fact, many.
I must commend in particular, Luke Grainger who played the part of the tiresome yet endearing Jonny Marks for both his acting and singing skills (actually he can dance as well!). I guess he had one of the biggest parts in the show. Also Gemma Ryan who played his long lost mother who had a powerful voice and played the part with sympathy and understanding.
I also particularly liked Ryan Taylor who was very funny as among other characters, as a Spanish Waiter and the very funny Swedish Health Instructors played by Josephine and Richard Pearson. However as this was a truly ensemble piece I will also mention the rest of the cast who were great:
Richard Bonser, Kerry Evans, Harry Straw, Isobel Wayne, Jodie Smith, Brett Walker, Lucy Meakin, Stephanie Wright, Estelle Cumberworth, Simon Owen, Chris Collington (last seen in Bad Girls at the Duchess Theatre recently), Jon Dawkins, Hannah Measham, Victoria Palmer, Laura Howard, Jude Cliff, Ryan Taylor, Mary Blanco, George Taylor, Joy Taylor, Margaret Beasley and Catherine Hill.
The band was located on the stage throughout and had an authentic Quo sound, at least in my opinion. Both Kate and Jim play in the band with Kate conducting. Great Musicians, all!
The singing of the whole cast was outstandingly good and the choreography by Laura Howard, Stephanie Wright and Kate Baker was a joy to watch. In the main there was some very good synchronised dancing of the period (1970's) but there was also plenty of individualised and group dancing. That kept it fresh and exciting and the whole cast joined in with enthusiasm and some considerable skill.
The use of the Quo songs worked well, a bit in the style of other shows such as Mama Mia. I was amazed how many of the 28 songs I knew. So, many in the audience, including me, clapped, stamped and sang along with the cast especially during the Finale.
There were many scenes in this show and they were changed very well by the stage crew under the direction of John Cliff. The way in which the props and other items of furniture were changed with great speed and efficiency was very impressive. Having worked back stage my self recently, I know how important a good crew is. There contribution should never to underestimated but often is. So well done to Mark Green, Barbara Morgan, Danny Greaves, Matt Hillman, James Newton and Kane Hobster.
And so to the sound, lighting and technical aspects of the show. All very well handled by Jim Rolly, Chris Munn and Steve Greatorix of Derby Live. All were excellent.
This was an excellent show that was well written and performed. I would have stayed in my seat and watched the next performance had this been possible.
I would hope that it might soon be performed by other groups, with the necessary copyright remunerations of course!
Well done to everyone and thank you for making my Saturday Afternoon such a happy one. You really blew me away.
I am now looking forward to the Gatepost Theatre Company's next production which is Godspell, also at the Guildhall Theatre, from Wednesday July 9th to Saturday July 12th. Go and see it because on the basis of what I saw today it will be fabulous.
Bad Girls the Musical
The Cast
Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
March 4th 2014
I knew very little about this show until coming to see it tonight. I was not a fan of the TV series, although I did see one or two episodes. However, I certainly enjoyed what I saw tonight.
Set in a wing of a women’s prison, Bad Girls - the Musical is tough, brutal but also at times very funny. It has songs staged with panache and excitement and there are great performances from this very talented group.
Previous experience of the popular TV show on which it is based is not necessary. This musical has its own bold style. Not exactly camp, not exactly bad taste, but gloriously audacious.
Kath Gotts’ songs range from a Blues lament to a Garland/Astaire inspired duet, to a Busby Berkeley type routine. All Banged Up, a raunchy ditty lamenting the girls’ lack of sex, was fantastic - funny and frank with delightfully outrageous choreography. The Two Julie’s played by Carrie-Anne Corner and Claire Farrand-Preston, are brilliant throughout, but particularly excelled during this number.
The entry of glam gangster’s wife Yvonne, played by Alex Tavener, is an event in itself. She takes over and decides to have a boozy party, so the inmates- and the audience- have a rip roaring time.
Chris Collington, as scheming prisoner officer, Jim Fenner is as Machiavellian as he should be, excelling in his song and dance numbers. In contrast is Kevin Chatten, well known at the Duchess, playing the gauche Junior Officer, Justin Mattison. He wants to do good, despite being constantly teased and undermined by the inmates. He plays the part very well, with a cleverly understated charm and often very amusing diffidence.
Heather Weaver plays the part of the dominating Shell Dockley, the wing’s tough nut, with a gritty realism and engagingly saucy flair. Her tough but vulnerable sidekick, Denny Blood is played beautifully by Kathi Ludlow. Playing Nikki, a lesbian prisoner, is Emily Harris. She gave a great performance and has a powerful and expressive singing voice.
Gina Coventry, who plays the virtuous Wing Governor, Helen Stewart, sang and acted well, as did Emily Corner who plays the young new inmate, Rachel Hicks. This was not easy for a young actress, as she has to play the role of a scared and exploited teenager. She excelled, however, and received a substantial ovation from the enthusiastic audience at the end. Rachel Brown as the “bible bashing” Crystal Gordon gave a sweet and poignant rendition of Freedom Road.
I particularly liked Mina Machin, who plays the Senior Officer, Sylvia Hallamby. She combines some excellent comedy with a ruthless disdain for the prisoners. Adding considerable comedy, but also great acting is Lawrie Trott, as the old timer and professional prison inmate, Noreen Biggs. She has some short but pithy lines throughout the show. John Maddison, as the upright but unprincipled Prison Governor, convincingly portrays a man who only cares about appearances. The principals are very well supported by an excellent ensemble, who are engaged in the action throughout.
I suspect that few in the audience at the Duchess tonight will have seen or maybe even heard of this musical, but will have gone home with a smile on their faces and a desire to hear the music again.
The director, Rob Corner certainly captures the essence of this musical and as a result has produced a show of quality and depth. His production is slick and goes at a good pace. The use of some exceptionally good back projection gives many of the scenes a realistic feel.
Once again, Dave Dallard directs a good band, which accompanies the cast in a sympathetic and supportive way with quality musicianship.
The set, costumes and sound effects are just right and the sound balance between band and the cast is good. Rachel Brown’s choreography is witty and well executed.
The prolonged applause and cheering from the almost full house at the Duchess underlined the quality of this performance.
If you like a musical with good songs, saucy humour, a gritty story and a tear or two thrown in, go and see it before it ends on Saturday evening.
The Odyssey
Derby Theatre
I throughly enjoyed this latest in house production by the Theatre Director Sarah Brigham. In her programme notes she writes "The Odyssey is a sweeping epic tale of one soldier's return home. In the centenary year of World War I it is a fitting artistic tribute to commemorate and examine the consequences of war and the hard battle both soldiers and the community they live in, have when they return home."
Mike Kenny's commissioned work is therefore very relevant today hence the use of modern and World War 1 uniforms throughout the play.
This was a visually stunning production right from the start. The special effects were very interesting, often dramatic and well integrated into the play. The lighting and sound plots were excellent.
It was a very interesting and exciting production using a number of familiar Greek stories. The lighting and sound plots were great.
The cast of 8 was very strong indeed with Wolf Sawyerr playing the part of Odysseus brilliantly. All the other cast members played a number of roles making this a truly ensemble piece. They were all very good - Emma Beattie (Penelope), Rich Dolphin (Telemachus), Adam Horvath (Aeolus), Christopher Price (Eurymachus/ Cyclops), Ivan Stott (Alcinous), Ella Vale (Naussica) and Anna Westlake (Eurekleia).
While it is not a musical there were a few moments of appropriate and well performed singing and musical interludes of very good quality.
The set was imaginative and well used being set and unset very efficiently by the cast.
I am not really familiar with this drama but found it stimulating and thought provoking. It is wonderful to once again see a production of this quality being performed at the Derby Theatre. When you also consider it was commissioned by the theatre and Directed by the resident Artistic Director it has to be regarded as yet another great achievement for Derby Theatre.
Go and see it if you can - you will not regret it even if Greek drama is not really your thing. The loud and sustained applause from the full theatre at the end said it all.
Les Miserables
Erewash Musical Society Youth Group (Emus)
Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
February 6th 2014
Tonight at the Duchess Theatre I have watched the best youth production I’ve ever seen. It was simply stunning, mesmerizing and a triumph for the Erewash Musical Society Youth Group. (EMUs)
Although performed entirely by youngsters aged from 13 to 18, they handled the adult themes in this Schools’ version with ease and in a totally professional way.
The show, based on Victor Hugo’s novel, sees ex-convict Jean Valjean fight to care for adopted daughter Cosette, while being hunted by ruthless policeman Javert, in 19th Century France.
Wonderfully directed by Chris Renshaw and his hard working assistant Alysha Gomes, it was easy to forgot I was watching thirteen to 18 year olds, as they were completely in control. The singing was magnificent and the chorus numbers were fantastic both to listen to and to watch, thanks to the excellent Musical Director, Dave Dallard and the superb choreography of Carol Lawson.
It didn’t just sound great, it looked great too. The staging, costumes, lighting and sound fully enhanced the performances. Well done to Mark Robbins and his design and stage crew, plus excellent lighting and sound provided by Dave Dallard, Patrick Mackintosh, Dave Martin and Ben Tennett.
I’ve never seen an audience so stunned at the end of Act 1- it took them a while to get out of their seats at the start of the interval.
Packed with spine-tingling, goose-bump inducing, lump in the throat moments; honestly, I’ve seen semi and fully professional adult touring productions who could learn a lot from these youngsters.
Each of the vocal performances, from the lead principals, to the ensemble members, were clear and almost unfaltering. The energy and exuberance displayed from the ensemble was a joy to watch, most particularly in full-company numbers such as “One Day More.”
The whole cast was very strong both as singers and actors but I have to mention some individuals.
Zak Charlesworth as Valjean absolutely blew the audience away, particularly with his stunning rendition of “Bring Him Home” in Act 2. His interpretation of the character, who changes and ages considerably during the course of the show, was outstanding. Zak is only 16 and this is a huge part for any actor or singer, let alone one so young. He was fully in control of the part and dominated the stage whenever he was on.
Sam Chell, who played the policeman Javert, looked and sounded the part of someone who has an intense commitment to law, order and duty. He was menacing and yet at times showed moments of vulnerability and sadness. Sam produced a high quality performance, developing the character throughout the show. He is a powerful singer and his rendition of “Stars’ was very moving. Likewise, his suicide scene was strongly played and effective.
Ethan Fletcher, as the endearing young boy Gavroche, sang very well and has a voice that is exceptionally clear and expressive.
Oliver Wheedon was outstanding as Marius. His rendition of “Empty Chairs and Empty Tables” was fantastic. Not only was it sung well, but it was full of longing, sadness and anger.
Haydn Fletcher as Enjolras, a Student leader who led the rest into battle, gave a convincing depiction of the quest to win the battle against the French authorities. He was a commanding presence in the student scenes and sang with clarity and expression.
The bawdy and scene-stealing comedy of the delightfully vulgar Thénardiers, was played wonderfully by Hattie Kemish and Matt Biddulph. Their understanding of physical comedy, plus characterful vocal interpretation, made for rollickingly good performances - a little light relief from the tragic themes.
Also of particular note were the performances by the female members of the cast: Jess Bridge as Fantine sang ‘I Dreamed a Dream’, with range, control and evocative expression; Katie Lawson delivered a tragic and strong Eponine, particularly in her rendition of ‘I Love Him’; Laura Allen was very good in the role of the adult Cosette, with a lovely voice and Grace Deakin was a sweet and melodic Cosette. (This role is played also beautifully by Holly Pilgrim in some performances – I saw her on opening night).
Well done also to the ensemble within which there were many very good individual performances.
The orchestra provided excellent support for the cast. Considering how music-heavy ‘Les Mis’ is, they did a consistent and well-rehearsed job and sympathetically accompanied the soloists and chorus. The Musical Director, Dave Dallard, had trained the cast well and the result is quite remarkable, considering the extreme difficulty of much of the music in this show: there is no dialogue - it is all sung. This young cast certainly coped very well, often singing a melody line that was completely unrelated to the accompaniment being played by the orchestra. Fantastic stuff, indeed.
This was a superb production and the hugely deserved standing ovation at the end said it all. I have never seen any youth production as good as this. There was so much talent on the stage tonight and I expect to see some of this cast in leading roles on the West End in years to come.
This show sold out ages ago and now we all know why. Taking on the challenge of such a difficult and adult oriented show was I guess a risk for Erewash Musical Society, but it was one well worth taking.
Well done to all concerned. You were, to use a modern phrase, absolutely awesome - and that for me says it all.
Cinderella
The Young Performers
DuchessTheatre, Long Eaton
January 23rd 2014
Tonight at the Duchess Theatre the resident youth group, The Young Performers, entertained an almost full theatre with an enjoyable and traditional version of the pantomime, Cinderella. The title role was played with charming innocence by Rebecca Cox, a quietly determined Cinderella, who eventually overcomes her spiteful step-sisters to win the heart of the handsome Prince Charming. Rebecca looked and sounded just right for the part and had the audience willing her to go to the ball and meet the prince. She was comfortable on stage for what was, I believe her biggest role to date.
There were sparkling performances from Emily Owen as an excellent Principal Boy, Bradley Maclean as the very endearing and comedic Buttons, Curtis Salmon and Jonathan Higgins as the very Ugly Sisters, Dolche and Gabanna who made us laugh alot, and the very nasty twosome Doodle and Boo played by Brooke Marsden and India Smith. They certainly engendered considerable good natured booing from the audience. They were actually quite scary (as well as being good actors) – I wouldn’t like to meet them on a dark night in the enchanted forest!
Particular praise must go to Laura Davey in the cameo role of The Fairy Godmother. She acted the part so well it was easy to think she was a professional actress. Her plummy accent fitted the part well and she had complete control of the stage when she was on. She also was able to “work” the audience.
There were strong contributions, too from Natasha Grebby in the role of Dandini, Harvey Latter as the hen pecked Baron Hardup, Connie Turton as the quite nasty Baroness, Liam Morris as the equally hen pecked King and Amy Wilcox as the Queen. Phoebe Buxton completed the principals line up and was good as the amusing Lady Penelope.
There were some human animals in this show namely two brown mice played by Molly Parkinson and Chloe Young and the beautiful cow named Sir Loin (note the pun) played by Shannon Hickton and Victoria Garavan. I am afraid that I do not know who was at the front and who at the back!
Playing another strong cameo role was George Parkinson, who was Major Domo. His booming voice, both in an acting and singing role was fabulous and he entertained the audience throughout with his attention to detail and enthusiasm.
Simon and Zoe Davy’s set was bright and attractive while the costumes were very good indeed thanks to Alison Davey, Vicky Garavan and Jo Rogers. Simon Davey and his back stage crew worked hard to make sure all went smoothly on this opening night.
The show was written by Adam Stevenson and Leon Wade who also directed the band, which was in the wings but sounded great with the balance being just right, so that the actors were never drowned out.
The sound quality was very good controlled by Zak and Roydon Charlesworth and I have to say that few microphones were used but I could hear every word the actors were saying which was great. The lighting under the direction of Mike Beedham sensitively enhanced the production.
I particularly enjoyed the opening of Act 1, Act 2 and the Finale, when the whole ensemble were involved. There was some very good singing and dancing (well choreographed by Aishah Memet and Vicky Moran.)
I would have liked to have seen a few more songs in the show, as some of the scenes were somewhat dialogue heavy and the excellent supporting ensemble showed that they were more than capable of big singing and dancing numbers. Well done to the whole cast.
Finally, congratulations to Elaine Clemerson, the producer/ Director, and her production team, for the excellent management of what was a fairly large cast and for maintaining the traditional nature of the story and yet making this production unique and fresh.
It may not be Christmas time but tonight the Young Performers showed that at any time of the year traditional pantomime is still alive and well in Long Eaton.
Men of the World
Magpie Drama
DuchessTheatre, Long Eaton
January 9th 2014
John Godber’s Men of the World has been called “a Bouncers for the crinkly generation.”
The play is about three Sheffield coach drivers, who are getting ready for a bus tour. They recreate an incident and laughter-packed trip down the Rhine Valley, by bringing their past passengers to life.
Gary Lever plays Happy Larry, a driver with a penchant for Mario Lanza, who is about to retire; Howard Mackintosh plays a splendidly sardonic Stick, who is scathing about his elderly passengers and dreads being old. He would much rather be driving sixth formers down to Spain hoping ‘to get lucky’. Both actors are excellent, have brilliant diction and fluency and inhabit their initial roles with an easy charm. They are also able to become a range of other characters of different ages and personalities, with absolute conviction.
Rachel Bates makes up the trio as Frank, a girl who is ‘one of the boys’, able to temper excesses and mediate in any dispute. Rachel excels in her various adopted roles and effortlessly convinces us, among other personnas, that she is both a chain smoking pensioner of 78 and a glamorous nightclub singer.
I have to say that I admire all three actors for their ability to learn such a huge amount of dialogue. They did this with great skill and if they did add or take anything away from the script, it was not apparent tonight.
The actors multi-role play, which requires them to slip in and out of over twenty different parts. They introduce us to a memorable crowd of characters, including those comically referred to as The Beverley Sisters, The Marx Brothers and Mack and Mabel. Despite their best efforts, the inability of the long-suffering drivers to manage their comical senior passengers into an organised schedule is the plot of the play. The ability of these actors to slip seamlessly from one character to another and to delineate each convincingly, is a mark of their quality.
For most of the time they reached a professional standard of acting and interpretation. It was amazing how they were able to change the way they looked on stage when playing each character, by the use of carefully thought out physicality and minimal props. All their characterizations were very believable.
Men of the World is an engagingly funny play well performed by Magpie Drama and expertly directed by Dan Bates. His direction is full of energy, guiding us through the action without detracting from the characterisations and dialogue. His use of a basic black set, plus a large number of suitcases which the characters move around the stage at regular intervals, is very effective. He creates other places and times by simple suggestions that enable our imaginations to fill in the gaps; we could almost have been on that coach tour with them – heaven forbid!
Scene changes often involved lighting effects and these were very well realised by Simon Birchall. He was also responsible for the sound, which was well balanced. This clever use of lighting and sound effects stimulated our imaginations and took us where the director wanted us to be.
I really enjoyed the play and would recommend it to anyone who likes a well written script, a well directed show, lots of laughs and a very talented cast.
Magpie Drama is a new company and this is only their second show, but already they are making quite a mark on the local drama scene. I look forward to their next production in May, the spooky “Haunting Julia” by Alan Ayckbourn. Now that, I am sure, will have us on the edge of our seats.
Sleeping Beauty
The People's Theatre Company
Nottingham Arts Theatre
December 8th 2013
According to a recent article in a national newspaper, traditional pantomime is disappearing fast. Dames played by men, principal boys played by girls and beautiful Princesses are in serious decline. Well, this production at the Nottingham Arts Theatre proves this to be wrong, at least in the East Midlands!
Yesterday afternoon we were treated to a show that demonstrated that traditional pantomime is alive and well. Oh yes, we were.
There was a richly comic Dame- Nannie Nettie Nettle played by Gavin Alston, a dashing principal boy -Dandelion the Gardener played by Katie Inglis, a beautiful Princess played by Hannah Rogers-Gee and a vain and delightfully silly Prince Gorgeous played by Adam Tomas Monk wearing an outrageous wig. Fabulous!
There was also the charismatic Chester the Jester, played very well by Michael Pearson; a comedy duo played appealingly by Liam Hall and Laura Thurman, who worked very well together; a good fairy sweetly played by Sophie Petruccio; an evil fairy played by Maggie Andrew; a comically doddery King and Queen and a large ensemble of courtiers and village people.
Once again the Peoples Theatre Company showed what a talented group of adults and young people they are. They sang and danced well and there was enthusiasm and vitality in abundance. The use of many well known songs and tunes helped to move the show along and get everyone’s feet tapping. I was very pleased to hear one of my personal favourite Panto starters "On a wonderful day like today", belted out by the whole cast at the start of the show.
Of course, this Panto, like most, needed an evil character and this was Witch Black played by Maggie Andrews, who often produces shows for the company, but this time brought a delicious, cackling evil to the stage.
The Panto has a great original script by Amanda Hall who also directed the show. Like all good pantos there were many local and topical references, innuendo, word play and slapstick, all of which the audience could appreciate, whatever their age.
The Musical Director, Roy McLeod, kept the music moving and had obviously rehearsed the company well, as the singing was beautiful. Well done also to the choreographer, Jessica Royce, who produced some lively and expressive dancing from the large and mixed age cast.
Fans of the pantomime will be pleased to hear that there were also the usual elements of audience participation and slick physical humour, both of which you need to experience first hand to fully appreciate!
The costumes were stunning particularly in the finale, during which the stage and the cast sparkled .
Naturally, as you would expect, all lived happily ever after and if you like a traditional tale well told with lots of festive fun, I recommend that you go and see this. Well done to Amanda and all who appeared in or worked on this production.
A Christmas Carol
The Erewash Musical Society
The Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
December 3rd 2013
Charles Dickens, “A Christmas Carol”, is as synonymous with Christmas as pudding, presents, trees, decorations and mince pies.
It is the tale of a nasty, joyless miser, forced to see the error of his ways and repent in time for Christmas Day.
This popular story, in musical form, has been chosen by the highly regarded Erewash Musical Society as their Autumn show – and what a good choice it is.
The stage adaptation is an all-new version, with songs written by UK-based Chris Blackwood and Piers Chater Robinson.
This is a show full of tuneful songs performed by a very enthusiastic and talented cast. It is accompanied by great dancing, an innovative production and a very interesting set. It even has a shed full of snow!
Despite the story being dark and disturbing at times you can’t help being uplifted by the end.
The lead role of Ebenezer Scrooge is played by Dan Bates, a well known local actor, who dominates the stage throughout and very convincingly changes his character as the story progresses. He certainly convinced me that by the end Scrooge, was a totally reformed character.
As Ebenezer Scrooge is on stage for more than half the show, the actor filling the character’s shoes has the responsibility of delivering a convincing performance. Dan does this brilliantly.
There are so many other members of this cast that deserve a mention for their performances including Paul Norris who fills the role of Bob Cratchit, Scrooge’s right-hand man with a heart of gold, the impoverished ever suffering Tiny Tim, played on this occasion by Evan Hagan, and Gemma Blake, who plays the golden voiced Belle.
Jack Warburton as the Young Adult Scrooge, does so with sensitivity and has a great singing voice too. He is definitely an actor/ singer to look out for in future productions.
Mike Seed was a fabulous Ghost of Jacob Marley – frightening and imposing with Stephe Ure as The Chost of Christmas Past providing a lovely contrast. I also liked the Ghost of Christmas Present played by Carl McGarrigle who also played Mr Fezziwig with great humour accompanied by the ever popular Laurie Trott who played his very “silly” wife. They made a fabulous couple. Their wigs were fabulous, as well.
The two “ladies” who cleaned for Scrooge, Mrs Filch and Mrs Dilber, played by Rachel Bates and Tracey Renshaw were, and I hope they won’t mind me saying so, deliciously common. I love them!
Mike Evans, who has several parts in the play ranging from Charles Dickens himself to a peddler, was very convincing in all of them.
There are two teams of children sharing the roles the Cratchit and other children and they played their parts well.
The principles were well supported by a very strong ensemble cast who were fully involved throughout.
Elaina Evans, who directs and Carol Lawson who choreographs the show, have put a talented cast in place with an energetic and upbeat production that moves quickly over the course of two and a bit hours.
The amount of effort put into set design and construction is obvious with the very effective use of back projection. A smoke machine works to take the audience back to the dark old days of Victorian London, and a fantastic lighting plot, designed by Simon Birchall, brings the whole thing to life.
Mark Robbins, the Stage Manager, and his crew worked hard to make the scene changes smooth and unobtrusive. The sound was also well managed which is not always the case in this age of the dreaded radio mic! Helen Parker and her props crew are to be congratulated as well. We often forget how hard they work before, during and after the shows but without them shows would be much the poorer.
The production was very colourful with very authentic Victorian Costumes looked after by Helen Munns and her wardrobe assistants.
Mention must be made of Nathan Truesdale, the Musical Director, and his great orchestra. They sympathetically accompanied the show and were musically very good indeed. Nathan has quite obviously brought the company up to a very high standard of singing.
The Erewash Musical Societies Production ends on Saturday night. However, this makes for an ideal way for families to indulge in an early fix of Christmas spirit and stave off the inevitable festive fatigue.
I really enjoyed this production and, despite mentioning some individual cast members, I think everyone on that stage tonight and indeed those off stage were great. Well done for providing a full house at the Duchess Theatre with a very enjoyable Tuesday evening.
I, for one, can’t wait for their next production - “The Drowsy Chaperone” - in April next year.
The Pirates of Penzance
The Beeston Musical Theatre Group
The Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
October 29th 2013
As we have come to expect from the Beeston Theatre Group, tonight's performance of the Pirates of Penzance was excellent in so many ways.
This was a traditional production of the Gilbert and Sullivan favourite, complete with lavish Victorian style costumes, a simple but very attractive set and as far as I could tell, the original libretto. However, the production by Craig Butterworth, who produced and choreographed the show, sparkled in a vibrant and exciting way, with delightful touches of tongue in cheek humour.
Of course the story is, like most G and S operettas, a product of a time long gone - an early example of political and social satire - contrived and a trifle silly. However, it is still very funny and the music is blissful. One of the strengths of tonight's show was the outstandingly good singing from principals and chorus alike. The Duchess theatre was filled with the joy of G and S tunes, which certainly raised my spirits and left me humming all the way home.
There were outstanding personal performances that I want to mention. The part of Mabel was played by Beth Yearsley who was excellent - her singing was divine. Playing the pirate who fell in love with her, Frederic, was Sam Barson, whose fabulous tenor voice seems to get better and more powerful every time I hear him.
The Pirate King was played brilliantly by Kev Chatten, who I first saw in the role of Professor Higgins a few years ago. He nailed the character, sang lustily and worked the audience delightfully well.
Mina Machin played the part of Ruth -the spurned "older" woman- very well. She was not only serious when spurned but also very funny at times as well with effective facial expressions, a lovely voice and excellent acting skills.
The part of the Major General was played by Martin Holtom, who had to learn all the words of the difficult patter song "I am the very model of a modern Major General." So many words to learn and then sing at a very fast speed, but I have to say he did it brilliantly and never faltered.
There many others who had smaller parts and performed them well: in this production everyone on stage had a significant part to play. This was another strength of this excellent production- Craig gave everyone small cameo roles to perform across the stage while the principals were engaged in the plot. This incredible attention to detail and engagement with the story really made the stage come alive. Every one had a purpose at all times while on the stage.
Well done also to the Policemen and their sergeant, Rob Holsman. Again they were superbly directed and choreographed by Craig and were very funny.
The Orchestra led by Morris Fisher accompanied the cast very well and sympathetically. The balance with the singing was just right.
This was a show that I could very easily go and see again, because I love Gilbert and Sullivan and because it was so well done. Excellent singing, thoughtful and exciting direction which brought the best out of the cast and the script, plus very good staging in terms of scenery, lighting and sound.
Well done to everyone in the cast and crew and to the Director and his fantastic production team. Go see this show if you want to see amateur theatre at its best, hear fabulous singing and come out of the theatre humming those glorious melodies.
The Hired Man
Long Eaton Operatic Society
The May Hall Theatre, Trent College, Long Eaton
October 23rd 2013
The Hired Man, adapted by Melvyn Bragg from his own novel and with music by Howard Goodall, is a story of working class folk and the struggles they endured around the turn of the century.
Set in Cumbria, it's both a love story and a document of the dual effects of industrialisation and war on a tight-knit rural community. As earnest John Tallentire, played superbly by Adam Daniels, works tirelessly on the land and then under it in the mine to provide for his family, he fails to see that his wife Emily, played by the outstanding Hayley Martin, has caught the eye of his employer's son Jackson, played by the excellent Adam Guest.
Although the needless slaughter of the Great War provides a resolution of sorts, there is further heartache in store for the embattled Tallentires, when their underage son Harry, played endearingly by Jack Woolley, follows his father to the trenches.
Spanning the years 1898 to 1921, the story is epic and Goodall's score rises to match it. The excellent ensemble stomp their feet and raise their fists as they spit out the opening number “Song of the Hired Man”, filling the May Hall with an energy that continues throughout.
This production by the Long Eaton Operatic Society was excellent in all areas, including performance, direction, scene changes, sound and lighting. Director, Liz Woolley marshals the action with a large cast, fittingly, with military precision, aided by the neat and simple set, which was used effectively. This is an ensemble piece and Liz ensured that everyone played their part in the show so well.
In addition to the principals already mentioned, I was very impressed with Ross Lowe as Isaac, Michael Daniels as Seth, Rachel Fenn as May, Emma Kelvey as Sally and Daisy the Whippet.
The Orchestra under the baton of Chris Hoggarth was extremely good and the balance with the singing was perfect. Which brings me to the important fact that the singing of both of the principals and the chorus was outstandingly good. Why some of our local performers are not on the professional stage is a mystery to me.
Tonight in the May Hall Theatre we were treated to a production that was in the main of a professional standard.
Well done to Liz, her cast and the back stage crew.
Despite the fact that the narrative wobbles ever so slightly in the second act, this has been a barnstorming production of a British musical that boasts a wealth of performing and creative talent.
Our House
Derby Youth Musical Theatre
The Guildhall Theatre, Derby
September 28th 2013
Tonight I was blown away by the standard reached by the cast, production team and musicians.
To say it was a team effort is an understatement as that was so obvious by the quality of the show.
There were some fine and very professional performances by individuals. Harry Mead as the central character, Joe was outstanding - the boy can act, sing and dance to a high standard; Jessica Woods as Kath brought a great deal of emotion to the part and had a good and powerful voice; Curtis Taylor-Tipton as Dad was very good and looked much older than his 17 years; Josh Zen Right as the ganster Reecey was menacing but natural while Ruth Kniveton as Joe's girlfriend, Sarah had a lovely voice and acted well. Her friends, Billie and Angie played by Georgia Cholerton and Larel Morgan were very funny and were also great actors. The two friends of Joe Casey, Emmo and Lewis played by Cameron Macdonald and Jordan Honeyman were also very funny but showed that they could also play emotional parts as well especially during the funeral scene in Act 2.
Having noted the quality of the principals I must stress that the cast were phenomenal - on stage there was power, commitment combined with considerable talent. To choose just one example was their performance of the classic, Baggy Trousers. It was quite staggering both in its choreography and performance. As far as I could see they were all in time and in step and there was enormous power and vitality. The producer, choreographer and Musical Director need considerable congratulations for getting the company to such an incredibly high standard.
The music of Madness is, of course, wonderful but in addition to the fun, fast pieces, there were some poignant and emotional ones as well. The reoccurring song by Dad, Simple Equation, is a case in point and I was particularly moved by the trio, NW5, that was beautifully sung by Curtis, Jessica and Ruth. The lighting of this song was also very effective. At this point I must congratulate Stephen Greatorex of Derby Live for the excellent lighting design and operation along with his other technical responsibilities. The sound was also really good which is not always the case in amateur shows.
Three really important and obviously talented people must also be mentioned. They are the Director, Peter Waters, the Choreographer, Caroline Green and the Musical Director, Sam Griffiths. All three contributed enourmously to the success of this show. The stage plot and the use of the set were very effective, the dancing was sensational and that is down to the talent of Caroline. The whole cast looked so confident and well prepared in all the dances and many of them were by no means, simple. Boys and Girls danced and danced with great skill. There were also some excellent all girl routines which were a joy to behold and very well executed.
And so to the music. The band directed by Sam were superb and sounded great. Sam had also worked hard, I am sure, with the cast, to get the singing to such a high standard. You could hear every word and they were, as an ensemble, very strong indeed.
The set was excellent, combining an upper level which was interestingly lit and at times surrounded by little stars, and I don't mean the cast! Well done to Oliver Wright and Catherine Palfreyman.
What I think made this show so good for me was that acting, singing and dancing combined with huge amounts of enthusiasm and confidence born out of excellent and dedicated preparation. You really would not believe that this was a new group, that it was their first production together and that they were young. I am certain we will be seeing some great shows from them in the future.
I think "Our House" is ideal for youth groups combining as it does some great tunes but also a story which has meaning and is at times quite disturbing and challenging. There is something for the young people to get their teeth into as well as having huge amounts of fun and it is definitely not a "Youth" version. In my opinion many of these so called "Junior versions" of adult shows are frankly, quite dreadful!
And so, Derby Youth Musical Theatre have, in this one show, established themselves as a very good group indeed and have certainly raised the bar of performance to a high level. Their only problem is, that having done that they will be expected to maintain that level. However, I think they will, given what I have seen tonight. Bring on the next one!
I have had a ball tonight and loved every minute of it. Well done everyone!
The Vicar of Dibley
The People's Theatre Company
The Arts Theatre, Nottingham
September 24th 2013
If you are familiar with the smash hit TV serial, you will know that the scene is set when a new female Vicar arrives in Dibley, following the death of the old incumbent. She is immediately met with hostility from the Parish Council Chairman, David Horton, who wanted, and expected, a male vicar.
"“Instead you got a babe with a bob cut and a magnificent bosom!” declares the The Rev. Geraldine Grainger, which sets the tone for the rest of this very funny play.
I am a great fan of the TV series and, like most of the audience around me, was very pleased to see that all of the larger than life characters created by Richard Curtis for the original, are in the play.
This version has been adapted by directors Ian Gower and Paul Carpenter and it follows the format faithfully, giving a comic insight into small village life that is typified by the personalities that sit on their parish councils.
In the title role, Paula Smith was a powerful lead as the character made famous by Dawn French. She was very much in charge of the action, being on stage for most of the play. She never faltered in the role and her many facial expressions (often of desperation with Alice) were a joy to watch. Paula certainly had the bubbly charisma and personality of Geraldine Grainger, and the visual presence!
As with the TV show, however, much of the fun was provided by the supporting cast. Stern councillor David Horton was played by Phil Ashford, aghast that his son Hugo (Liam Hall) was set to wed barmy Alice (Hannah Rogers-Gee). Hugo and Alice overcoming their shyness was a joy to watch: both of these actors were excellent.
Some of the funniest moments in the play were when the full cast was assembled during meetings of the Dibley Parish Council, which allowed pedantic Frank Pickle (Cassandra Stone), dithering Jim Trott (John Uttley), eccentric cook Letitia Cropley (Gill Cook) and sweary farmer Owen Newitt (Glenn Murphy) to share some comic gems.
The stage was divided in three areas to allow for the Parish Council Meeting Hall, the Vicarage Living Room, and the vestry: lighting was used effectively to differentiate between them.
Because the majority of the scenes involving most of cast were set around the Council meeting table, they were a little static. This was not so much the case during the Second Act when characters moved around more and visited the Vicarage.
Overall, this delightful play again demonstrates the talent of The People's Theatre and their commitment to producing shows of a high calibre. I think that fans of The Vicar of Dibley will be satisfied with the result.
Well done to the Director, Robbie Robb (his first directing role with this company) and his production team.
Kiss Me Kate
The Lace Market Theatre, Nottingham
July 27th 2013
Having never been to the Lace Market Theatre before I was not sure what to expect. However, from the moment we walked into in the charming building just off Fletcher Gate it was obvious we were going to have an enjoyable evening.
Not only is there the Theatre Auditorium and a small studio but also a fair sized cafe/ bar upstairs offering a friendly and comfortable place to have a drink before, during and after the shows.
The Auditorium is not large, holding I guess about 120 people but it is very comfortable and the view of the stage is good from almost all angles.
And so what of the production of Kiss Me Kate?
It is one of my favourite shows written by Cole Porter and the last time I saw it was the London revival last year at the Old Vic which was excellent. I was therefore a little anxious that this amateur production might not come up to my expectations. I need not to have worried as from the moment the two pianos struck up at the start and the cast assembled on stage for the opening number it was obvious that this was going to be good. It turned out not to be just good but very, very good!
There were some notably fine principles in this cast including Jacky Dunn, who played a very convincing and fiery, Lily Vanessi, Kimberley Brook, who was outstanding as Lois Lane (a very fine actress, singer and dancer) and Alasdair Maughn who played Fred Graham. He was excellent and when you consider he stood in for Giles Pettit at very short notice (about 6 days) - Giles was unable to perform, following an road accident - and was word and acting perfect tonight - well what can I say but, amazing - and he was. How he managed to learn all the part in so few days I have no idea. He and Jacky Dunn were a dream together especially when they were arguing and fighting! Very convincing, I have to say. I should also say that Jacky sings beautifully as well.
The two comic gangsters played by Roger Newman and Max Bromley were very funny indeed and perfect in the roles. The audience loved them.
The whole cast were outstandingly good and made light work of moving the simple, yet effective set. Throughout the show they were completely believable in their respective roles and they were totally committed in what they were doing.
The set piece dance numbers, which are important elements of this show, were well produced and choreographed. Notable among these were "Tom, Dick and Harry,' and Too Darn Hot. Mention must be made here of Ray Mcleod who took the lead in the second of these and was excellent both as a singer and dancer.
One other mention and that is for Chris Ireson who played General Harrison Howell. Very good casting here as he was, in my opinion, perfect in the role.
The sound and lighting for the show were both great. As I said earlier there were no radio mice, at least I don't think there were but every word both in songs and in the dialogue were very clear. The acoustics of this theatre combined with good delivery made the acting seem very natural. In fact overall the standard of acting from the whole cast was very high.
Congratulations must go to the whole creative team led by the Director, Linda Croston and the Musical Director Piotr Wisniewski. The Choreographer was Lisa Lee who got the cast to make very good use of the stage with very effective routines. It was amazing how multi talented most of this cast were.
The musical accompaniment was provided by two Key Boards played very well by Piotr and his assistant James Tate. I did wonder if, for a show with so many "big" numbers, this would be enough but it was. I liked the sound and it was so well balanced with the singing on the stage.
The staging of the show was very good and at times quite innovative.
What a fabulous evening we had on our first visit to this theatre which must be one of Nottingham's lesser known entertainment venues. It is well worth a visit and their 2013/ 14 programme is now out and features a wide variety of plays from both adults and the Youth Group.
In conclusion this show certainly blurred the lines between amateur and professional so much so that I think I enjoyed it as much as the Old Vic version I saw in London.
Well done to all who were involved and I for one am looking forward to my next visit to the Lace Market Theatre which I hope will be sooner rather than later.
For more details of the 2013/ 2014 programme click the link below.
www.lacemarkettheatre.co.uk
Miss Saigon
The Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
June 20th 2013
The Young Performers
Tonight at the Duchess Theatre, The Young Performers production of Miss Saigon (Schools Edition) has taken Youth Theatre to a whole new level! From start to finish this show blurred the lines between adult and youth and amateur and professional.
The resident youth group have obviously worked very hard on this show, which is challenging for adults let alone young people.
Miss Saigon is set in Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War as the US army is withdrawing its troops.
The lead role of Kim, a 17 year-old Vietnamese orphan who falls in love with an American G.I, is played wonderfully by Laura Davey. Taking on a very demanding role, she combines a beautiful voice with an intensity of acting that is rarely seen off the professional stage. Her interpretation of the role is outstanding and throughout the show brought many audience members to tears.
Curtis Salmon, a long standing member of the group, plays Chris, a marine serving a tour of duty in Vietnam. In this very difficult role he convinces the audience he is falling in love with Kim with touching sincerity. He sings the part well and is a very accomplished actor. As the story unfolds, the anguish he conveys dealing with his return from war and the circumstances in which he now finds himself, is heart-wrenching. It must be said that casting Laura and Curtis in their respective roles was just right as the chemistry between them is obvious and natural.
His new wife, Ellen, played by Aishah Mehmet, attempts to rebuild a war-torn Chris. In this challenging role, she displayed a maturity well beyond her years. As Ellen and Kim sing from different sides of the world, we could not help but be moved by the desperateness of their situation.
John, Chris’ marine buddy, was played very well by Zak Charlesworth. A marine turned Bui-Doi charity worker, John seeks to find an acceptable solution for all parties. At only 15 years old, Zak plays this role with huge authority and his rousing rendition of ‘Bui-Doi’ at the start of the second act was very moving. He has a great singing voice and is already an accomplished actor. He is also very believable in the role. He had some difficult solo and group songs in the show, which he sang very well indeed.
Tom Etherington plays Thuy, a Commissar in the North Vietnamese army who has been promised Kim’s hand in marriage. He gave a very competent and affecting performance, suffering the ultimate sacrifice for his efforts.
Inevitably, the plot line is very intense, so it is a welcome relief when The Engineer arrives on stage. Matthew Biddulph, well-known as a talented performer in this and other youth groups, plays the role brilliantly with humour and just the right amount of self centered cynicism. I particularly liked his rendition of The American Dream. He is a great actor who has the ability to use every muscle in his face to express emotions. He was very funny tonight and a joy to watch.
The lead performances were complemented by a well rehearsed chorus who looked and sounded great. They had learned complicated choreography and difficult harmonies and we were treated to rousing renditions of ‘The Heat Is On In Saigon’, ‘The Morning of The Dragon’ and ‘The American Dream’.
The most memorable scene, however, has to be ‘Kim’s Nightmare’ when Chris is forced to join the military evacuation of Saigon. Without giving anything away, the scene was brilliantly produced and performed. The intensity of performance from the entire cast as Chris has to to leave Kim behind is remarkably real and very moving.
It should be said that this show has hardly any dialogue but a huge score. The challenge for this group was to be able to cope with so much complicated music and they succeeded brilliantly.
The costumes, 150+ of them, all made by Alison Davey and Vicky Garavan, were very effective and added to the reality of what we were seeing on stage. It was obvious that both of them have an eye for detail. Other props, including the very realistic guns, were made especially for the show.
This was a complicated show to stage and I have to praise the back stage crew who made the scene changes work so smoothly. Apparently back stage was described as Level 2 of Tetris!
The scenery, use of props and lighting was first class.
The whole production is underpinned by a 15 piece orchestra conducted by Leon Wade who also produced the show. It sounded great. The quality musicians added an extra touch of class and they did a fantastic job of providing the emotional score behind the voices.
To conclude I have to say that when I first heard that The Young Performers were doing Miss Saigon I thought ‘they will never do it because it is too hard and too adult in its themes’. Tonight they proved me wrong.
The heat was certainly on at the Duchess tonight. What I wonder is what will this brilliant group do next – I don’t know but ….. I will never doubt their ability to take on the most difficult shows again.
Many congratulations and well done to all concerned.
13 - The Musical
The Nottingham Arts Theatre
May 25th 2013
Spotlight Theatre School
Director Amanda Hall has done it again with this, the spotlight theatre school's least known musical, but probably the best thing they've done.
It's the story of a 12 and a half year old Jewish boy, Evan Goldman, dealing with his upcoming journey into becoming a man as well as his move to a new town, fitting in, being popular, as well as his parents split and all other things that a soon to be teenager has to deal with at that age.
James Murray is fantastic as Evan, totally believable and has a really good stage presence and sense of musicality.
Teaming him with Ella Greenwood, Patrice, the "freak" of his new town and the object of his teenage desires, was a master stroke as they worked so well together. At such a young age making an onstage partnership look realistic can be difficult, but this really worked, and what a voice Ella has. Definitely the strongest voice in the cast, she hit every note with ease, she has a voice that will work for her in her future of musical theatre, and in my opinion, as a recording artist.
Oliver Turnbull turned in another believable performance as Brett, the college jock all the girls want to date, and in true college jock type, not the sharpest knife in the box, Brett not Oliver. Brett is the one that Evan has to befriend to get all the cool kids to his Barmitzvah, and setting him up with a date with Kendra, Brett's choice of girl to give "the tongue" to.
Other notable performances in this very talented cast include Phillip Coe as Archie, the other "uncool" kid, just because he is disabled, who also has his eye, and tongue probably set on Kendra. Alex Reed and Miles Cliff as Eddie and Malcolm, Brett's right and left hand men, Charleigh Hurst as Lucy, Kendra's "best" friend and Callum Hall as the funkiest rabbi ever.
13 is a fairly new musical so I had no pre conceptions on what I was about to see, but from the first song to the last, my toes were tapping. A witty script, a group of actors who looked like they were enjoying what they were doing, good sound mix by Rob Kettridge, and a tidy six piece live band under the musical direction of Geoff Burnhill. Not forgetting all the hard work put in by choreographer Jessica Royce which paid off with some very entertaining dance routines.
Not even the odd out of tune vocal could detract from this wonderful coming of age musical by one truly under rated composer, Jason Robert-Brown and the very talented spotlight theatre school.
Review by Kev Castle May 25th 2013 (Reproduced with permission).
Billy Elliot
The Victoria Palace Theatre, London
Saturday May 11th 2013 and
Monday May 13th 2013
This review is reprinted here by permission of the author - Jacob
It was first published on the Billy Elliot Forum www.billyelliottheforum.me.uk
Saturday evening May 11th (Harrison, Joe, Macy) and Monday May 13th (Ali, Joe, Francesca)
These two Shows were kind of Exodus and Genesis
I will not add much to the excellent reviews that have already been posted for Saturday only to add a couple of my own thoughts. This was hardly celebrated as an eighth birthday apart from the Badges which were placed on all the booked seats in the auditorium and the cup cakes that Mary had provided for Forum fans. These were nice gestures and much appreciated. Having been to the other BETM birthdays I was somewhat surprised that David Massey did not speak from the stage. Nor was there any sign of Stephen Daldry. In fact the evening focussed on the cast members who were leaving and the speeches were given by Deka at the end of the performance. As has already been said, he was magnificent and he has surely now become Head of the family that makes this cast so special. His tributes were heartfelt especially to Barnaby who had been in the cast for five and a half years.
Monday was an exciting night Ali Rasul's debut was such a well kept secret that even the most regular of regulars did not know until it leaked out on Monday. His arrival coupled with that of so many adult cast members meant that one did not know where to look at times. On this occasion David Massey did make a speech from the stage emphasising the success of BETM and introducing Ali as the thirty-third Billy. Many of the audience had already spent time studying a new cast sheet that supplemented the (now) £6 programme! Interestingly, this listed everyone associated with the production.............apart from the Resident Director!
Joe Reynolds as Small Boy was wonderful. He delivered his lines clearly, with emphasis and gave an animated performance that deserved much credit. This character is not often mentioned in reviews but for he me plays a most significant part in the story of Billy Elliot. I hope Joe will be with us for many months to come.
It is unwise to express views on new cast members based on a single performance. I can only say that Mrs W, Tony, and George are presented in a fresh and original way. Ann-Jane Casey as Mrs W clearly enjoyed her dance teacher's costume of lurex hot pants and spangly top . Some might think that this would have been more realistic for a cabaret performer in a working men's club in Batley than in the ballet class at Easington Miners' Welfare! I could not possibly comment
Ali Rasul was introduced as from Hartlepool not far from the village that Easington is based on. He had been in rehearsal since February 2012. It must be difficult for a new Billy to break into a Show that already has four well establised boys playing the part. He is a 'street' Billy with an outstanding background in hip hop. This was illustrated by his clean, flowing dance movements and his immaculate sense of timing. He was able to adapt certain lines of dialogue to fit in with his own knowledge of local phraseology and intonation. Particularly interesting was his interpretation of the toilet scene with Debbie. Virtually everything he did worked well including a free-flowing Electricity with flip off the board. His performance had style and individuality as projected by his eyes and facial expressions. Ali is indeed a fine Billy.
Both Saturday and Monday were milestones for BETM.
Me and My Girl
The May Theatre - Trent College, Long Eaton
April 16th to 20th 2013
Long Eaton Operatic Society
The President of Long Eaton Operatic Society told us in the programme that the show stopper, “The Lambeth Walk,” prompted this comment in the Times in 1938: “While dictators rage and statesmen talk, all Europe dances to the Lambeth Walk.” It is indeed that type of song, which takes us out of ourselves and raises our spirits. The same is true of the whole show, which - although written in 1937 -has been revived many times, most recently in the West End by Stephen Fry, starring Ilkeston’s own Robert Lindsay.
It is a simple story that is perhaps a tad too long, about a cockney wise boy who by some strange twist of fate inherits a title and a fortune. This leads to problems with both his newly acquired aristocratic family and his cockney girlfriend. Predictably, all works out fine in the end and there are some sparkling songs to tell the story. Well known tunes include “The Sun has got it’s hat on,” “Leaning on a Lampost,” “Love Makes the world go round and” “Once You Lose your heart”. The fabulous “Lambeth Walk” ends the first act and this was a splendid whole cast routine that was very well choreographed .
This was a great production, as one has now come to expect from The Long Eaton Operatic Society. Tonight we were treated to great chorus work and some outstanding individual performances.
Martin Briggs and Sophie Baldry, who played the main characters of Bill and Sally, were excellent. Martin had to sing, dance and use some considerable gymnastics skills while being an engagingly comic character. This was a very demanding part and I guess he will be very tired by the end of the show. Sophie sang beautifully and also tap danced on a table with Martin, which must have taken some courage and balance! Sophie told me that she told the director, at the start of rehearsals, “tell us what you want and we will do it.” Dangerous talk, but they did it all with style.
There were other very good performances from Liz Woolley who played the Duchess of Dean, Lindsay Mould as Sir John Tremayne, Clare Toska as Lady Jaqueline, Tom Halton as Gerald and Adam Guest who camped up the role of the Family Solicitor Herbert Parchester wonderfully. The role of Charles the Butler was played by Ben Woolley who kept a very ‘professional’ straight face all the way through!
The rest of this large cast were very good and the many smaller parts were well covered. The chorus work throughout was of a high standard.
I must congratulate the Director, Ross Lowe, for working with such a large cast and involving them all in the action. The Choreographer, Siobhan Parker’s dance routines were excellent and again working with such a large cast, in what I guess was limited space, was not easy and yet the stage did not look crowded.
This large cast brought the house down with their final rendition of the Lambeth Walk, which I think we will all be singing in our sleep for some considerable time!The staging of the show was very effective with some attractive scenes, which were changed very efficiently. This show is technically quite difficult at times, but the cast and crew coped very well.
The Orchestra, directed by Chris Hogarth, was splendid and well balanced - at no time did it over power the singers.
Well done LEOS for another stunning production and I for one am looking forward to the next one. In the Autumn they are producing The Hired Man by Melvyn Bragg and Howard Goodhall. Then for the fans of Rogers and Hammerstein, next year will see a return to the plains of Oklahoma and I for one can’t wait for that!
We Will Rock You (Schools Edition)
The Long Eaton School
March 20th to 22nd
School Show 2013
We Will Rock You is this year's production at The Long Eaton School. I went to see it on the opening night.
It was a fast moving and exciting show and the students certainly had the School Theatre 'rocking' last night. Throughout the show the whole cast acted, danced and sang their hearts out.
From the volume of the applause it was very obvious from the start that the audience were really enjoying the show. The music of Queen is well known which added to the enjoyment. It is not however easy to perform but the young cast did very well. There were some particularly good individual performances but this is an ensemble piece which requires the whole cast to work together and they did.
The Long Eaton School should be very proud of the students and staff who were involved with the show. It was very well produced and performed. I had not seen the show before tonight and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I will be going to see it in London as soon as I can.
It is certainly not an easy show with the vocals in particular being pretty hard to sing. The band was good but the score is not always helpful to the soloists. However, this young cast did a good job matching the melodies to the harmonies.
Although the whole cast was excellent throughout I must mention some excellent performances from the principals:
Zak Charlesworth and Evie Adams were both excellent as Galileo and Scaramouche. Many of their songs were difficult to sing but they both did very well indeed. Zak's comedy timing was also very good and he had some of Ben Elton's best lines.
Jacob Smith was very good in the role of Pop which he played in a very laid back way that suited the character well.
Samuel Dorrington as the nasty yet funny Khashogg was a very competent actor although he said in the programme he is more used to being behind a drum kit! You would not have known that from his performance.
Ellie Simmonds as Meat and Lewis Haycock as Brit were good together, sang well and amused us while Evie Alliott was superb as the evil Killer Queen. She looked and sounded quite right in the part.
The supporting cast was also very good:
Madeleine Binding; Katie Breakwell; Sarah Collingham; Justine Moor; Lauren dairymple; Caitlan Rae Simmons (Super Yuppies)
Jessica Abel; Emma Dairymple; Jodie Docherty; Chelsea Mallard; Sophie Bentley; Sonali Dave; Jack Ford; Bradley McClean; Edward Binding; Liam Dexter; Abby Kilford; Ellie Weston (Bohemians)
Sophie Bentley; Rebecca Cox; Kirsty Hammond; Clarissa Hinman; Justine Moore; Rosie Verney (Dancers)
Megan Asher; Rachel Doroshenko; Bethany Freer; Esther Halford; Kirsten Haslam; Amber Newton; Coral Pegg; Rebecca West. (Chorus) - I must say that the Chorus added very good vocal support to the company.
The Band:
Tom Cartwright; Tom Mason; Alex Hather; Tyler Orton; Ben Allen; George Parkinson; Miriam Thmpson; Rob Burrows; Tertia Meakin; Alex Purnell.
The Production team worked well.
Jack B Hooley (Stage manager); Chloe Johnson (Assistant Stage Manager);
Dwane Eggleton; Rae-Anne Malthouse; Caitlyn Malthouse; Jacob Gingle (Stage Crew)
Jack Upton (Sound)
Alex Hummel (Microphones)
Ryan Cook (lights)
Kate Williams (Lighting Assistant)
Adam Nemeth (Projections)
Harry Pickering (Special Effects)
Jack Mason-Barton; Ben Bostock (Special Effects)
Sharna Burton; Jade Whitton (Camera Operators and Props)
Martha White (Props and Costume Manager)
Holly Whitt, Kirsty Hemsley, Jade Whitton (Props)
The adult production team was: Miss Adediran; Miss Clarke; Miss Winning and Mrs Price
The Production team worked well.
Jack B Hooley (Stage manager); Chloe Johnson (Assistant Stage Manager);
Dwane Eggleton; Rae-Anne Malthouse; Caitlyn Malthouse; Jacob Gingle (Stage Crew)
Jack Upton (Sound)
Alex Hummel (Microphones)
Ryan Cook (lights)
Kate Williams (Lighting Assistant)
Adam Nemeth (Projections)
Harry Pickering (Special Effects)
Jack Mason-Barton; Ben Bostock (Special Effects)
Sharna Burton; Jade Whitton (Camera Operators and Props)
Martha White (Props and Costume Manager)
Holly Whitt, Kirsty Hemsley, Jade Whitton (Props)
The adult production team was led by: Miss Adediran; Miss Clarke; Miss Winning and Mrs Price.
Also: Tom Mason; Tom Cartwright, Mrs Ford, Mr Boultbee; Mr Cox, Mr Woodward, Mr Sampson,Mrs Free, Mrs Freer.
The audience was very appreciative at the end of the show and although there was an emotional and quiet ending with Bohemian Rhapsody which was very moving, I think we would have all liked a reprise of "We will rock you" so we could clapped and stamped our feet. Had that happened I suspect that there would have been a well deserved standing ovation. I hope there will be when I go to see the show again on Friday.
Yes it was that good!
Miss Saigon (Schools Edition)
The Joseph Rowntree Theatre York
February 23rd to March 2nd 2013
Amateur Youth Production
When Miss Saigon opened at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London in September 1989 the Theatre Critic, Michael Billington (The Guardian) who is not generally a fan of musicals wrote:
"it is a first rate piece of popular theatre which proves that a musical can address a serious theme with sincerity, emotion and integrity."
Today's performance at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre in York proved that as well. Until this afternoon I was not convinced that a Youth Theatre Group could do justice to this 'huge' musical which deals with serious adult themes and is all sung. It requires all its cast to be good singers and dancers. There is no room for weak links and I have to say from what I saw today there were none.
Playing the lead roles of Kim and Chris were Lauren Sheriston (15) and George Stagnell (18), both of whom were outstanding. As the star crossed lovers they were superb and rung the last ounce of emotion from every song and every scene.
Joe Douglass as The Engineer was manipulative yet endearing as he plotted and planned to get himself a passage to the USA. His rendition (superbly supported by many in the ensemble) of American Dream was fantastic and very funny.
On this occasion the role of Ellen was played by Stephanie Bolsher. Her voice was lovely and suited the part. Ben Williams played John and opened the second act with the moving Bui-Doi. He has a very powerful voice which he used to very good effect.
The part of Kim's renegade cousin, Thuy, was played very well by Jed Berry. He was, in my opinion quite outstanding in this role, mixing malice with anger and political fanaticism. He strutted around the stage with just the right amount of maniacal hatred of the Americans and indeed anyone who got in his way. He never faltered once in this role and his singing was great. This is a very difficult role to sing.
The staging of the show was very good and full use was made of the largish stage. The famous arrival of the helicopter was handled by back projection and was very effective. The set was simple, mainly composed of moveable scaffolding that was used for a number of purposes. However, the actors were very comfortable with it and the stage crew moved it about with ease.
There was a large orchestra (16 piece) directed by Adam Tomlinson, which was at the back of the stage behind a curtain. It sounded pretty good and did not over power the singers.
I started by saying that I was not sure if a Youth Group could do justice to this show but they most certainly did. However, I think it should only be attempted with older teenagers due to its adult themes which, although adapted in this Schools Edition, still need to feature in most of the story. I think this production got the balance right.
Finally well done to the Director, Robert Readman and his large production team for producing a fantastic version of this popular show. There was a significant standing ovation at the end (including this reviewer) which was very well deserved.
This is obviously a very talented group of young people who performed at a very high standard. I would certainly like to see another of their performances in the near future.
The only down side of the day was the dreadful traffic we encountered trying to get to the theatre. York has a lot of very slow changing traffic lights! We, like the G I's, could have done with a helicopter!
Hello Dolly
The Curve Theatre, Leicester
From December to Saturday January 19th
Professional Production
"Hello, Dolly! at Leicester Curve is a musical so joyous you can scarcely bear to say goodbye to it" writes Dominic Cavendish.
That comment is so true and I for one would have liked to have stayed in the Curve and watched it again straight away. Unfortunately this was the last performance of this production.
It was indeed joyous in so many ways. The fabulous songs, the witty dialogue, the energetic dancing and the simple but meaningful story combined to make this a wonderfull evening.
Janie Dee was with out doubt the best Dolly I have seen and I have seen a few! She captured the heart not only of Horace Vandergelder but tonight's audience as well. Her warmth with all on stage and all in the theatre was fantastic.
At the end of the show I felt there was just a tinge of sadness on the stage that the show was over for the final time. Let's hope that Dolly is back in town again very soon.
I shall remember this wonderful show for a long time and it was most certainly worth braving the elements to get here.
One final thought. I would love to see one of our local youth groups producing this show. It is very suitable for young actors, singers and dancers and is such a happy and vibrant show. Of course some of the Adult groups have done it the most recent being Nottingham Operatic in November last year. (A very good production that was).
However, I saw it last year in Mansfield produced by youngsters from the ages of 7 to 20 and it was great. It was also the full version not a Junior one and that I like very much. Junior versions are often so cut down that they become a pale reflection of the original and some are not very good.
Finally a thought from Dolly and Vandergelder: "Money, if you pardon the expression, is like manure. It's no good if you don't spread it around encouraging young things to grow." Now there's a thought!
Review on Saturday January 19th 2013
Aladdin
The Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
Thursday January 17th to Saturday January 19th
The Young Performers
This review is for the opening performance on Thursday January 17th
The sights, sounds and glamour of old Peking arrived at the Duchess last night when “The Young Performers” presented their version of the traditional pantomime, Aladdin.
The script was written by Adam Stevenson and Leon Wade who also wrote the music. It has been performed before but has been updated with some new songs, added by Leon, who also re-arranged the score. The band, The Leonettes, was excellent and accompanied the cast sympathetically and at the right volume.
This was definitely a traditional telling of the story with an emphasis on dialogue, while still including song and dance. This worked well and gave the young cast an opportunity to practice their acting skills. For many there were a lot of lines to learn.
The whole cast worked hard to produce a good show of a high standard in all respects, as we have now come to expect from this talented and enthusiastic group. Panto is not an easy genre for young actors but they were very comfortable with it throughout. Up to date topical jokes have been included which made the script feel fresh and alive. Some must have been added at the last minute, such as references to Tesco Burgers, HMV and Blockbusters!
The set was really impressive and some very imaginative audio and visual special effects were included. The arrival of the Genie of the Ring accompanied by a flash and smoke was very effective. The Genie appeared as if by magic, which of course she did! There was also a magic cabinet in which a number of people disappeared – again by magic. Well done to the back stage boys and girls for building the set and changing the scenes so very smoothly, even on this first night.
The cave of treasures scene was quite superb - it was fluorescent and was a joy to look at. The lamp also descended from the roof. Also adding a touch of class were bubbles that cascaded down from the rafters whenever the laundry scene was being used. That and some smoke from the wings added that extra professional edge to the production. Well done to all who were involved. The costumes were brilliant as well and must have taken hours to make especially those worn by Widow Twankey!
The show ended with a very happy cast and audience.
This production is an ensemble piece but there were many outstanding individual performances. It would be wrong to single out specific roles for comment as they were all very good. I was particularly impressed with the way in which all the youngsters worked as a team which is, of course, very much the philosophy of the Young Performers. They were totally involved in the action and I saw no one who wasn’t engaged and reacting to what was going on.
The audience at the Duchess tonight (which was almost full, by the way) had a good time and left with smiles on their faces. As I said before, Panto can be difficult to get right, especially for youngsters. With that in mind credit must go to the Production team under the fine leadership of Elaine Clemerson and Rhianna Rogers.
I do, however, have one criticism. My favourite line from all productions of Aladdin was left out. “Nine months gone and still no sign of Aladdin”. Maybe Adam and Leon could include it next time. I jest, of course. Oh no I don’t!
This was a great show and those like me who were in the audience were left looking forward to the next one which, I understand, is in June: a Schools version of Miss Saigon. Now that should be interesting.
The Sound of Music
May Theatre, Trent College, Long Eaton
Tuesday October 23rd to Saturday October 27th 2012
The Long Eaton Operatic Society
This review is for the opening night of the show on Tuesday October 23rd 2012
Had Long Eaton been built on a hill it would have been alive with the Sound of Music on Tuesday night, when The Long Eaton Operatic Society presented this classic musical.
Rodgers and Hammerstein’s unforgettable score includes some of the most memorable songs ever performed on the musical stage, such as My Favourite Things, Do-Re-Me, Climb Every Mountain, Edelweiss, The Lonely Goatherd and of course The Sound of Music. This famous musical, made into an unforgettable film in 1965, is set in Austria in the run up to the Second World War. Widowed naval captain Georg Von Trapp has shunned his seven children, off-loading them onto a succession of governesses and a life of rigorous austerity while he struggles to come to terms with his wife’s death. The latest governess is Maria, a free-spirited novice nun, who has been sent by the Mother Abbess on a temporary transfer.
Julie Andrews won everyone’s heart in the film, thanks to one of the most melodic scores ever written and helped by the cuteness of her young charges. Nothing changes in this production: the seven children of Captain Von Trapp lit up the stage each time they appeared. There are two teams of 5 children sharing the roles, plus Abigail Pidgeon and Ed Hewes who are playing the two eldest children in each performance. The Elsa Team performed on the opening night and were all splendid.
The leading role of Maria is played by 24-year-old Emma Kelvey, who is taking her first leading role with the Society. She has a lovely voice and acted the part superbly. She was both timid and unsure as a young nun, but then brought the character alive as she became a confident and assertive governess working for the domineering and authoritarian Captain Von Trapp. Both sung and played well by Andrew Elcock, the rather unpleasant ex sea captain is transformed by Maria into a warm and loving husband and father. This was conveyed very effectively and the on stage chemistry was both convincing and involving.
The leads were ably supported by Angela Walters as the Mother Abbess, Laurie Trott as Faru Schmidt, Mandy Walker as Elsa Schraeder, Tony Newton as Max Detweiler, John Paxton as Franz the Butler, John East as Herr Zeller and Adam Collishaw as Admiral Von Schreiber.
The three main characters in the abbey, Maria Lawrence, Claire Collishaw and Melissa Baston sang very well and featured in the well known song “How do you solve a problem like Maria.”
Special mention should be made of both Curtis Salmon- who played the part of the young post boy who later becomes a Nazi sympathizer- and Abigail Pidgeon, who plays the eldest daughter Liesl. Their duet “I am Sixteen” was charming, well sung and danced. Well done to two talented young members of the cast. The rest of the cast supported the principals very well indeed.
One problem for Operatic Societies is that this show does not have many chorus songs. However the show’s producer Keith Butcher and his choreographer, Emily Berryman took every opportunity to use the supporting cast well.
The reasonably large orchestra was well directed by Lizzie Bullard and I was pleased that it did not dominate the singers – the balance was pretty much right. There is no pit at the May Theatre so the loudness of orchestras can sometimes be a problem.
I did, however, feel that the sound quality of the microphones needed attention as the dialogue was occasionally lost, especially when the actors moved to the back of the stage. Scene changes, and there were quite a number of them, were very well done and there were no noticeable delays. Well done to the Stage Manager John Woolley and his back stage team. The final set is very effective – you will have to go to the show to find out why I say that!
Overall, I really enjoyed the show which certainly left us all humming as we left the theatre. I did, however, feel that some scenes, especially in the Abbey were a little slow and needed speeding up. This may, of course, be because this was the opening night and will change as the week goes on.
I was very pleased to see that the Director decided to include one of my favourite songs in the show “I Have Confidence” which is in the film version but not the original stage show.
Well done, Long Eaton Operatic Society for cheering us up on a cold and damp Autumn evening in Derbyshire and transporting us to the beautiful mountains of Austria. This is a production that will please the paying public and deserves, as on the opening night, to play to full houses. Congratulations to all who are involved.
Other members of the Company are:
June Baston; Katie Bird; Carolyn Briggs; Margaret Butcher; Jenny Carty;
Susan Corner; Joanne East; Tayla Evans; Rachel Fenn; John Fox;
Eleanor Harvey; Kathryn McAuley; Tertia Meakin; Linsay Mould;
Jason Parker; Katherine Sleath; Lucy Stokes; Sheree Strickland;
Angela Swift; Abbey Walker; Ann Woolley; Jack Woolley; Liz Wooley.
Children’s Team Max
Anna McAuley; Alfie Foster; Hazel Lawrence; Chloe Brooks;
Olivia Warburton.
Children's Team Elsa
Rebecca Playfor; Joshua Jones; Grace Deakin; Beth Ward; Trinity Shelton.
Chess
The Duchess Theatre Long Eaton
Monday October 1st to Saturday October 6th
The Erewash Musical Society
This review is of the performance on Tuesday October 2nd 2012.
Even some of the most ardent fans of Chess the Musical would admit that the story is not the easiest to follow and not the easiest to perform. However the Erewash Musical Society showed us last night at the Duchess Theatre in Long Eaton, that they could make it reasonably understandable (although you might want to see it twice to be certain) and certainly did perform it well.
The story involves a romantic triangle between two players in a world chess championship, and a woman who manages one and falls in love with the other. Although the protagonists were not intended to represent any specific individuals, the characters’ personalities resemble those of chess grandmasters Victor Korchnoi and Bobby Fischer.
As I expected, Chess was another good production from this highly regarded Long Eaton based company.
There were some excellent individual performances as well. Chess is a difficult show with demanding parts for all in the company. The use of lighting and multi media was effective. One little criticism was the Opening Song in Act 2 - One Night in Bangkok - which seemed to me to be a bit lacking in Oomph. I am sure that will be sorted out as the week goes on. Perhaps there was a natural uncertainty in what was only the second performance.
Particular mention should be made of Grant Walker who played Anatoly – the Russian Chessmaster; Phil Deakin who was Frederick – American Grand Master; Lynnette Stevenson who played the manager of Frederick and then the lover of the Russian - Florence and Mike Seed who was Alexander – a manipulative Russian politician.
They were well supported by the other principal players - Martin Mould (Walter); Kevin Riley (Arbiter) and Kelly Pearson (Svetlana). The Chorus, which was 24 strong, were excellent. Many played small parts during the show. Incidentally there was considerable strength and talent in the dancing both from the Men and Women. Well done to Laurie Trott and her assistant, Kriss Cunningham.
Congratulations go to the Producer Nigel Taylor and the Musical Director James Rayner. Nigel directed the cast well on the stage and brought his own flair to this rather sylised piece. James conducted the competent orchestra well throughout – there is a lot of music to play as there is little spoken dialogue in the show.
Finally the stage crew under the direction of the Stage Manager worked hard to make scene changes smooth and slick.
Overall this was a good production of a difficult and I feel rather over long show. However, it does contain some lovely music and songs like “One night in Bangkok,” “I Know Him So Well,” “Heaven Help My Heart,” “Pity the Child,” “You and I and many more.
West Side Story
The Duchess Theatre Long Eaton
Thursday July 12th to Saturday July 14th
The Erewash Musical Society Youth Group
A brilliant show with many outstanding performances…
When I heard that the Erewash Musical Society Youth Group were producing West Side Story as their next show, I thought "They will never do it." Tonight they proved me wrong.
This was a very good production in which the young cast took an essentially adult show and made it their own without compromising in any way. This was not a 'junior version' and it was a triumph.
The acting and singing was of a high standard and I was particularly impressed by the dancing.
The whole company was great but special mention must be made of Kristian Cunningham who took the role of Tony and Laura Allen who was Maria. Both were excellent, playing their parts with such passion and emotion that many in the audience were in tears after their beautiful duets of "Tonight" and "There's a Place for Us." Also deserving of a mention are Tom Hopcroft who played Riff and George Ramplin who played Bernado. They truly understood their characters and took us with them on their self made path to a tragic downfall.
There were many other excellent individual performances but needless to say, the show's strength lay in the fantastic support given to the principal actors by the whole cast.
The choreography by Carol Lawson was complex and inventive. In big dance numbers such as "The Jet Song," "Cool," and "Dance at the Gym' the cast excelled due, I have no doubt, to Carol’s skill in giving individuals and groups of actors well rehearsed and balanced routines. The dancing throughout was exciting and expressive.
The Director, Chris Renshaw, must also be commended for the way in which he plotted the show on the stage. The stage area was used well and to good effect. The actors knew where to be and what to do at all times. He combined the acting with the dancing and singing skilfully and had obviously impressed on the young cast the need to ‘be’ their characters at all times.
The singing was very good and was accompanied by a competent orchestra under the baton of Dave Dallard. It was good to see and hear a real orchestra, as opposed to the increasingly common use of a backing track. Dave also did a very good job with the cast who coped with the often difficult harmonies admirably. They sounded very good indeed. The final rendition of "There's a Place for Us' sung by the whole cast was outstanding: it sent shivers down my spine and I suspect those of many others. The standing ovation at the end was well deserved.
The set was simple but very effective leaving the actors as much of the stage area as possible, which they needed for the big set piece numbers.
I loved the show as a whole, but for me the most impressive part was the way in which the young cast expressed the emotional core of this very difficult piece. They made people laugh and cry in just the right places and they did it without any visible sign of nerves. They were wholly professional and I believe that many an adult group would look upon this production with some awe.
What we saw at the Duchess Theatre tonight was truly amazing. Well done to all who were involved. I don't know how you did it, but you most certainly did!
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
The Duchess Theatre Long Eaton
Thursday June 21st to Saturday June 23rd 2012
The Young Performers
"This was without doubt the best youth group production I have ever seen."
The Young Performers performed a stunning show of the highest quality.
"House Full" was the message at The Duchess Theatre in Long Eaton for all 4 performances of this great show, a testament to the popularity of the resident youth group at the theatre. The audience was captivated as soon as the curtain opened to reveal a beautifully designed set with the live band directed by Leon Wade in the centre. The set reflected the 'colourful themes' of the show including a yellow stage. There was a round of applause as the curtain opened, not just for the captivating scenery, but also for the cast who were beautifully dressed by Victoria Garavan.
The show starts with the Narrator setting the scene - Laura Davey was excellent in this part throughout. Unfortunately, there were some problems with her radio mic, but she carried on undaunted. Not only did she have a lovely voice, but her actions were appropriate and often very funny. She is to be commended on maintaining a superb standard of performance in this big, challenging role.
The singing from the whole cast was fantastic. They were enthusiastic and dynamic in performance. The balance between the band and the singing was just right. There is always a danger with bands on stage, that the singing might be drowned out. This was certainly not the case in this show.
The part of Joseph was played brilliantly by Zak Charlesworth. He sang beautifully and played the part of the boy who dreamed dreams and interpreted the dreams of others with sympathy, pathos and humour. He also looked the part being tall, self assured and an obvious charmer. The seduction scene with Potifer's wife, which can be difficult for young actors, was played out really well and the looks Zak gave to the audience during this were very funny. Well done to both Zak and Zoe Davey who played the very convincing seductress in the black dress!
Other notable performances came from Matt Biddulph as Pharaoh, George Parkinson as Jacob and Curtis Salmon as Reuben. All three played their parts with style and panache.
However, it has to be said that the whole company were also the stars of the show. They worked together well, sang with incredible power and enthusiasm and used the stage competently. They all knew where to be and when to be there. There was never any confusion and certainly no corpsing. Mention must also be made of Joseph's Brothers who were outstanding, particularly during the scene in which they disposed of the brother they hated. They were often very funny, displaying good timing and using the expressions on their faces to great effect - it was obvious that they had been well directed and choreographed.
The live band (and you don't always get those at youth shows these days) was very good as well. Good musicians who were sympathetic to the young voices around them. It was good to see some of The Young performers in the band this time as well as the adults.
The Producer and Musical Director, Leon Wade, said in the programme that this was a traditional version of the show and indeed it was. There were no Frenchmen in berets or Elvis lookalikes in this show. However there were some amusing visual moments such as the arrival of Joseph in a "Mobility Scooter made of gold" which brought the house down, plus the mouth moving sphinx which made up the stunning back cloth. The design and construction of the excellent set was down to the many volunteers that support the group. They certainly deserve a mention and considerable praise.
At the end of both performances I attended (Friday and Saturday evenings) there were standing ovations - 3 on the Saturday, which were justly deserved. Visually the final curtain calls were fantastic with Joseph standing at the front in a beautifully created golden lined coat, surrounded by all the colours of the rainbow and the incredibly talented cast.
Well done Young Performers for an outstanding show. One of them said to me afterwards "Don't know how we can top that." I don't know either, but I am sure they will try.
Their next main show in January is a pantomime. If you missed Joseph my advice would be get your tickets early for Aladdin. It will almost certainly be a sell out as well!
NODA Review of the show - Click here to read.
RENT
The Duchess Theatre Long Eaton
Monday May 14th to Saturday May 19th 2012
NODA Review by Phil WilliamsDistrict 3 - Nottingshire and Membership Secretary www.noda.org.uk/
One would not think that a musical set in New York among the homeless and drugs could be
inspiring, but this production certainly was. Russ made excellent use of the set providing ever
changing pictures which blended one into the other effortlessly. Morris gave just the right touch to
the music with great interpretation, especially for those moments when La Boheme briefly emerged.
There was talent in depth in the cast, with all providing super character portrayals, dramatically and vocally. Sam Barson and George Lamb as Roger and Mark interacted very well with each other and Sam also developed a strong relationship with Beth Yearsley, a lovely Mimi. Matt Fry and Ben Alvey linked up well together as Tom and Angel, as did Catherine Tuckey and Andrea Nicolaou as Maureen and Joanne, with a superb “Over The Moon” from Catherine. Dan Bates was a fine Benjamin, the “baddy” landlord. All the rest on stage gave their all with enthusiasm, certainly providing full support throughout. The lovely choreography and dancing blended in very well. The costumes were very appropriate as were the props. The set was excellent and the back stage work, lighting and sound fine, all adding to the occasion. To achieve such a standard required excellent preparation by all, vocally, dramatically and technically, not to mention working as a team. Great entertainment!
May 15th 2012
Equus
Derby Theatre
Tuesday May 8th to Saturday May 12th
Tuesday May 8th
Michael Cabot (the Director), summed up Equus in the programme by saying:
"The premise of Equus is chilling. A 17-year-old boy has been found guilty of blinding 6 horses with a metal spike. A senseless crime, that dismays and horrifies. In his search for understanding, a psychiatrist begins the task of unravelling the horror and trying to find answers. Not so much as Shaffer himself concluded, a 'whodunit' as a 'whydunit.'"
At Derby Theatre last night we were treated to an outstanding performance of this award winning play, which was first performed in 1973.
There is no doubt that Equus is dark and disturbing, but it is also compelling. There were brilliant performances from the whole cast, especially Matthew Pattimore, who plays the boy, Alan.
It is hard to take your eyes off him, as he is full of conflicting emotions which are powerfully portrayed. He is quite simply superb, swinging from moments of unbridled aggression to silently sitting and staring into nothing, from raging against those who try to help him, to tenderly embracing his favourite horse, Nugget. His performance is so good that, far from being revolted by him, the audience is encouraged to look past his crime and to see him for what he is, a confused boy overflowing with inner demons.
The psychiatrist, Martin, played by Malcolm Jones, is equally accomplished. He continues to display an outward professionalism, despite fighting some inner demons of his own. Held together by his desire to help the boy, he struggles with both his loveless marriage and his unexpected jealousy at the passion which burns brightly inside the teenager.
As a study into the way a teenager has been influenced by those around him, it is shocking and deeply disturbing, yet strangely sympathetic and moving. There was absolute silence at the end of both Acts, until the audience regained reality and applauded with appreciation. It's a chilling and compelling play that is intellectually and emotionally tough. Gradually, we discover that the boy has become sexually and religiously stimulated by the eroticism of horseflesh.
The play is certainly dark, has some bad language and nudity, but all that is weaved naturally into the telling of the story. A story that is about things human and things divine: the connection between religious and social attitudes is an important theme of the play.
Another fantastic, almost balletic performance, is that by Stuart Angell as the object of Alan’s intense passion, the horse Nugget.
We left the theatre nearly in silence, because that just seemed the right thing to do - the only thing to do. The play explored themes for all of us that at the end needed quiet contemplation.
My view is, go and see it - but don't expect to be quite the same at the end as you were at the start, at least for a while - as it certainly makes you think! Oh, and despite all I have said about it being dark and serious, there were some appropriately funny lines as well.
The atmospheric set by Kerry Bradley, an amphitheatre of mock marble curved seating and horses’ heads brilliantly lit by Paul Green, set before a suspended circle of hay and a vast crucifix, is brilliant. The cast remain on the stage throughout the play and create a strangely ritualistic atmosphere with their downcast faces.
This is a fabulous production of the highest quality: Derby Theatre shows once again that it’s the place to go for a first class theatrical experience.
The play is a production by The London Classic Theatre Company, Directed by Michael Cabot, Designed by Kerry Bradley with Lighting by Paul Green and Costumes by Katja Krzesinska.
It plays at Derby Theatre until Saturday.
Yes Prime Minister
Derby Theatre
Monday 30th April to Saturday May 5th
Monday April 30th
A very entertaining and enjoyable evening at Derby Theatre tonight. This stage version of "Yes Prime Minister" was beautifully crafted by the original writers of the TV Series, Anthony Jay and Jonathan Lynn. The script was witty throughout and gave the highly appreciative audience plenty of laughs. The play began life in 2010 at The Chichester Festival but is very much up to date. I guess there are additions and deletions made throughout the tour to ensure this is always the case and the result is a very fresh script.
The plot centres around the Prime Minister, Jim Hacker, who over the course of a couple of days at Chequers, has problem after problem piled upon him. There is a massive oil contract, global warming, European sovereign debt, the recession, joining the Euro and various financial crises to name just a few!
However, he was not alone in facing the problems as he is helped and guided by the Machiavellian career Civil Servant, Sir Humphrey Appleby, who frequently speaks long sentences of verbal ingenuity to delight the audience but which does nothing to make Jim's life any easier as for most of the time he has no idea what they mean! Neither, I suspect, do we which makes it all the more enjoyable!
His private secretary, Bernard Woolley, is also there but his suggestions are usually unhelpful but very amusing.
Add to these two characters, the PM's political advisor, who adds some glamour but very little help for Jim who becomes increasingly manic as the plot unfolds.
Of course, at the end solutions are found and the immortal line uttered by Sir Humphrey, "Yes, Prime Minister," ends the play as indeed it surely must.
The roles of Jim Hacker and Sir Humphrey are played magnificently by Graham Seed and Michael Simkins and Bernard Woolley by Clive Haywood. All three were perfect foils for each other.
The part of Claire Sutton was played well by Laura Murray.
The supporting cast were good in their respective roles, especially Sam Dastor who played the Ambassador from an oil rich Eastern European Country. His home spun morality was thought provoking while often being amusing as well.
This was a good production throughout in all areas and is well worth going to see at Derby Theatre this week.
Audiences are guaranteed a very good evening with lot's of laughs, a great script and for many, some nostalgia.
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Curve Theatre - Leicester
Sunday April 29th
I enjoyed this afternoon's performance which was the last at this theatre. It has been at the curve for a short season and is part of the National Tour produced by Bill Kenwright.
As always, the show was vibrant, exciting and full of great tunes and energetic dance routines. The actors who played the parts of Joseph's Brothers were excellent in both the singing and dancing departments.
Keith Jacks, who played Joseph was the runner up in Andrew Lloyd Webbers TV show "Any Dream Will Do." His performance was generally good but it lacked some engagement with the audience at times. Costumes were great and there were many amazingly quick changes.
Lighting, scenery and the band were very good. Jennifer Potts, the Narrator was excellent and the supporting cast was very good.
The children's Choir, made up of local children, was also very good.
There is no doubt that this musical is always loved by audiences and this afternoon was no exception. We all had a great time.
The show now moves on to The Winding Wheel in Chesterfield from the 1st to the 5th May and comes back to the Theatre Royal in Nottingham from October 23rd to 27th. If you haven't seen it yet we would say try and catch it as soon as you can.
Sweeney Todd
May Hall, Trent College
Long Eaton Operatic Society
Tuesday 17th April to Saturday 21st April
Sweeney Todd is a dark tale about the return of Benjamin Baker aka Sweeney Todd, from prison in Australia after he had been accused of a crime he didn’t commit. He was falsely accused of this crime by the corrupt Judge Turpin, who had taken a fancy to Baker’s daughter, Johanna. Upon his return and with a new name and identity, he vows to take revenge on those who robbed him of his freedom and family.
He takes up with a widow, Mrs Lovett -who runs a pie shop - and he opens a barber shop above it. The shop is in Fleet Street and so begins the tale of ‘Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street.’
It is indeed a dark and violent tale, although there are a few comic moments in the show for some light relief. There is also a rather silly sub plot involving Todd’s daughter and a young seaman whom he met on the way back to England. This contributes little to the overall story, in my opinion.
The Music and Lyrics are by Stephen Sondheim and in the show programme the President of the Long Eaton Operatic Society reminds us that ‘Stephen Sondheim is a bit like Marmite – you either love him or loathe him.’ I fall rather in the middle. While accepting that he has written some glorious tunes, for example, ‘Send in the Clowns’ there are other less memorable compositions. This show is nearly all sung and has a leaning towards opera rather than musical theatre.
However, The Long Eaton Operatic Society bravely, in my view, took up the challenge and produced an excellent show within the confines of the material. The singing from all is first class– powerful, technically competent and with passion. There are also some notable individual performances. Adam Guest as Sweeney has a great voice and he powerfully conveys the sheer villainy and deep rooted evil of the character. His deliciously wicked and uproariously unprincipled partner in crime, Mrs Lovett, is beautifully played and sung by Carrie-Anne Corner . They are ably supported by Mark Haigh as Anthony Hope, the Sailor and Rebekah Fearn as Johanna.
The part of the Judge is played by Andrew Elcock with conviction and his side kick, Beadle Bamford is menacing portrayed by Martin Briggs. Emily Berryman is very affecting as The Beggar Woman and Rob Byatt plays the rather silly Italian, Adolfo Pirelli, amusingly.
An outstanding newcomer from the youth group to the main society is Curtis Salmon. He plays the part of Tobias Ragg, who becomes unwittingly involved in the evil activities of Todd and Mrs Lovett. He is engaging and powerful in a big role that is quite demanding, particularly towards the end.
And so how do I feel about the show overall? I thought it was performed with the usual professionalism, dynamism and enthusiasm we have come to expect from what is one of the best amateur groups in the area. The production was expertly handled by producer Margaret Butcher, along with the Musical Director, David Walker and Choreographer, Julie Easter. The set was effective and evocative and the orchestra was excellent.
I have to say that the show itself is certainly not one of my favourites and while I do not loathe it like Marmite, I did feel it lacked some good melodies.The Long Eaton Operatic Society, who were performing their 100th show, looked at times like a professional company. They should be very proud of what they achieved on stage tonight.
Their next show will be a lighter than this one – The Sound of Music - in October. You can’t beat a good Rodgers & Hammerstein and I for one, can’t wait to see what they achieve.
David Allen
You can read another Review of the show from NODA. Click here to read
Funny PeculiarDerby Theatre, DerbyMonday, 16th April 2012 to Saturday, 21st April
I really enjoyed this play which was first performed in the 1970's and which launched the careers of a number of actors who are now household names such as Julie Walters and the late Richard Beckinsale. The original London production opened on January 30th 1976 and the cast included in addition to the two already mentioned, Bill Nighy, Matthew Kelly, and Kevin Lloyd (who later made his name in "The Bill.") It was a huge hit with audiences and critics on the whole - The Daily Mail described it as "Coronation Street with an X - Certificate. Interesting and maybe an accurate description depending on your point of view.
The Author of the Play, the late Mike Stott, is renowned for celebrating the quirkiness and robust charm of ‘ordinary life’. This he certainly does in this play.
The story revolves around Trevor Tinsley played by Craig Gazey who runs a small shop with his wife Irene, played by Suzanne Shaw. All Trevor thinks and talks about is free love, but his wife does not share his passion! So when the opportunity presents itself, he takes no persuading in delivering groceries to Shirley Smith (Gemma Bissix) as he is aware she shares his outlook on sex. What he does not know is, so does her husband Eric (Sam Nicoll), and busybody Mrs. Baldry (Vicky Entwistle) has been watching and will take no time at all to let everyone know what has happened.
Add into the mix Mrs. Baldry’s son with learning difficulties (played by Steven Blakeley) and a mad food fight in the shop with the baker (Simon Naylor) and you have enough mayhem to keep you happy. The food fight was performed really well with precise and effective comic timing.
The play has a lot of bad language, as well as full frontal male nudity, which in the contents of the play add to the story, and each actor makes the most of their role. All this fitted into the play and was done as Kenny Everrett might have said "In the best possible taste' - maybe!
Bob Tomson, the plays Director certainly developed the characters well. The Designer, Simon Scullion, produced a good composite set that was very effectively used by the cast.
TV favourites Craig Gazey, winner of the British Soaps Best Comedy Performer award, Gemma Bissix, two-time British Soapaward winner and Vicky Entwistle, best known for her role as the feisty Janice Battersby in Coronation Street, were very good in their respective roles along with Derbyshire's own Steven Blakeley who was very good.
The audience at Derby Theatre did enjoy the play and gave the cast an exuberant round of applause at the end, which the cast responded to with smiles and waves. The comments I heard on the way out were very positive indeed.
This is a play for adults as it deals with adult themes in an adult way. It is certainly not suitable for children under about sixteen or perhaps your Granny or Grandad although having said that there were many Grannies and Grandads in the audience who were enjoying it immensely as was I.
I would recommend you to go and see it if you like this kind of adult comedy before the show ends its run in Derby on Saturday.
April 16th 2012
Derby Theatre
Wednesday 4 April to Saturday 7 April 2012
A wonderful production of Children of Hercules has just finished its run at Derby Theatre.
Act 1 proved without any doubt that 'Derby has a huge amount of Talent.' Over 90 young people on stage for much of the time. Excellent acting and movement. The production is a play with songs - good quality songs sung with energy and precision. All the young actors are so focused. Every word can be heard clearly. The Greek play has been well updated and set in relatively modern times. The story is universal - force versus human values - good versus evil. There is a large slice of sadness here this afternoon as this is the last production by this incredibly talented group of young people. Let's hope something will rise in its place soon. There are too many superb and talented young people on this stage today for that not to happen.
The second act was so well acted by the entire cast that one wondered if this was actually a professional company in disguise. As an ensemble they were totally together. The movements had obviously been choreographed carefully and precisely. They moved as one and sang as one.
At the end good did triumph over evil in a spectacular yet poignant way,
A fabulous performance from an outstanding group of over 90 young people. Well done everyone, not forgetting the whole production and artistic team.
This afternoon had been quite an experience for everyone on stage and in the auditorium. I really can't believe that these young people could be so outstandingly good. However, they just were! Thank goodness I came to see them.
Saturday Matinee April 7th 2012
For other reviews click here
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High School Musical
Erewash Musical Society Youth Group
Dovedale Theatre, Long Eaton
February 8th 2018
Review courtesy of Kev Castle
“High School Musical” Erewash Musical Youth Society (EMUS)
Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton.
If you like your theatre pink and fluffy, then this is the one for you. It’s not meant to tax the brain but is there purely for entertainment purposes, and on that point it does not fail.
Disney’s “High School Musical” is a great vehicle for younger theatre groups because of the fun element and the catchy songs.
Loosely based on Shakesperare’s “Romeo & Juliet”, the story is of two High School juniors from rival cliques. Hunky Troy Bolton and the gorgeous Gabriella Montez are our modern day Romeo and Juliet who try out for lead parts in their school musical.
This causes a bit of a division between the two camps who try to thwart the pair’s romantic dreams. The High School diva Sharpay Evans and her twin brother Ryan will do anything to sabotage their relationship, as well as their school musical debuts.
I have three words to describe this show, fun, fun and FUN. I have a few more though, don't worry.
There are a few stars in the making here and they shine bright like Rihanna's diamond. Ethan Lee as Troy. I've seen Ethan before and he is so comfortable to watch on stage. And what a voice, as smooth as anything with the likeability of a young Justin Bieber. His relationship with his co stars are believable and his duets wuth Gabriella make your spine tingle.
Talking of which, Daya Khosse (Gabriella) is also the owner of a mighty fine and smooth set of tonsils, again really easy to listen to. She has a natural stage presence and makes her character instantly likeable.
Emily Bridge (Sharpay) is wonderfully sassy without being too bossy, and she has an amazing locker!
Ryan Evans, Sharpay's brother is played by Ethan Fletcher. this is one young actor who really throws himself into a role, making his character a fun watch. It is camp comedy and I loved the characterisation. And what a mover Ethan is as well!
Eliza Charnock (Ms Darbus) is another wonderful young actor who really got under the skin of her character. I've known some drama teachers like Ms Darbus, and Eliza makes this character a joy to watch. Again I loved the dancing at the end as well. Was it choreographed or was it free stylin'? Who cares it was great fun.
Reuben Gotts played Coach Bolton. Loved the way this character performance was more mature than some of the other adult characters as this set the character apart. But he softened when he knew his son, Troy, wasn't just a jock "playmaker" and had other talents to show. Lovely characterisation from Reuben.
Charlie Pearson, (Chad) again another actor I've seen in the past and enjoyed his work. he is another one that gives 100% every time and looks like he is having fun doing it as well. he is shaping up to be an all rounder with his deep singing tones and his nifty dance moves. He does comedy well.
Katie Baddiley (Taylor) is also a star in the making, and again a very confident performer who is easy to watch on stage.
William Robbins, who played DJ Jack Scott, can i sign you up as my replacement for when I'm on holiday from my radio show? Go you wild cat!
The ensemble are brilliant and they really come into play with the big choreography pieces. There are some very clever dance routines in this musical, especially the one for "Get Your Head In The Game" which introduces basketballs into the routine, all managed excellently by the cast. A choreographical smash by Georgie Kemish.
The music was, as it always is just lately at the Duchess, excellent. Musically Directed by James Bowden, his team of musicians kept this show fizzing and didn't overpower the singers.
A wonderful job done by Set Designer/Producer/Director and guitarist, Chris Renshaw, assisted in the Directing by Lucy Judson, making sure that this musical bounced along at a wonderful pace. The show was over quicker than I realised, I was having so much fun.
I always say that if you don't really notice the lights, unless there is a big light-show in the show, then the lighting team have done a good job. well I do notice these things and for all the good reasons. Great job done tonight with both sound (overlooking the odd mic) and light by Dave Martin, Matthew Cook and Dave Dallard.
It's always a test of a good musical if you can leave the theatre and be able to hum at least one of the songs, and i could. Some really catchy numbers like "Breaking Free" and "We're All In This Together" will have you earwormed for hours to come.
Great to see that this show is a sell out because it is proof that local theatre is booming and a wonderful recognition of all the hard work that everyone involved in putting on these shows does. This was also echoed by the standing ovation the cast received and richly deserved at the end.
“High School Musical – On Stage” is on stage at the Duchess Theatre in Long Eaton until Saturday 10 February 2018
Private Lives
National Tour
Derby Theatre
January 30th 2018
I really enjoyed last night’s production of Private Lives at Derby Theatre.
It is about two couples on honeymoon on the French Riviera. Elyot Chase is married to Sibyl and is horrified when he discovers his previous wife, Amanda, and her new husband, in the next room. This sudden realisation causes emotions to rise and sparks to fly!
Private Lives is a tale of cruelty; emotional and physical but in this production by London Classic Theatre, the emphasis is squarely on the wonderful writing of the playwright, Noel Coward.
The cast of Olivia Beardsley as Sibyl Chase, Gareth Bennett-Ryan as Elyot Chase, Helen Keeley as Amanda Prynne, Paul Sandys as Victor Prynne and Rachael Holmes-Brown as Louise worked very well together and delivered the lines and handled the physical demands of the play very well indeed. All were very much at home with the genre. The performances were uniformly good.
The staging of the play including the understated French sets were appropriate and again left the words to tell the story.
This production shows what a skilled writer Coward was. This is a production that may not contain big-budget, high-profile names, but reveals a play written in 1930 that is still an important lesson in love, cruelty and desire.
The production received a well-deserved and enthusiastic ovation at the end and continues at Derby Theatre until Saturday.
Priscilla Queen of the Desert
CTC
Loughborough Town Hall
January 23rd 2018
From the moment the show started and four beautifully dressed Divas in flowing white dresses appeared and started to sing, I knew we were in for a great night at the Town Hall Theatre in Loughborough.
Having seen this show before I knew what it was like, but I was quickly blown away by the opening number performed by the Christchurch Theatre Club.
This wonderful show is packed full of hits including It’s Raining Men, Venus, Go West, I Will Survive, Hot Stuff and Boogie Wonderland, and began with a high energy opening number, giving the cast the chance to showcase some seriously impressive vocals – namely from Ashley Bright (Tick/ Mitzi) and Nick Sutcliffe (Bernadette) and the four Divas.
Based on the 1994 Oscar-winning movie of the same name, the show follows the journey of two drag queens and a transgender woman as they travel across Australia in an old bus, named Priscilla. I have to say from the outset that this is one of my favourite shows and was a little concerned about an amateur company producing it, but I soon realised I had nothing to worry about. There was an absolute professionalism about this amateur production thanks to the show’s Director and Choreographer, Michael Gamble, and his fantastically talented cast.
The three main characters were brilliant. Ashely played Tick in a way very reminiscent of Jason Donavan, who played the role in London and on tour, but bringing a depth and sensitivity that gave the character an engaging warmth. He sang well, acted the part with conviction and was able to move convincingly from the flamboyant world of the drag queen to the world of an absentee father.
Nick Sutcliffe was quite superb as Bernadette and showed what a consummate actor he is. He completely inhabited the role throughout and his comedy timing was wonderful. The looks and mannerisms, as well as the words, particularly when in conversation with Felicia, were delightfully trenchant and often very funny, due to perfect delivery.
Craig Butterworth, who I have seen many times before was, in his element as Felicia. He was clearly born to play the part of outrageous Adam. He dominated the action and he was totally transformed by the part: his singing, dancing and superb comedy ability were a joy to watch. His solo of Sempere Libera was one of the highlights of this dazzling show. Dare I say that he has pretty good legs too!!
All three principals owned the stage, threw everything they’ve got into what must be exhausting roles and at the same time, seemed to be having an absolute ball!
All the above principals were very well supported by the thoroughly entertaining antics of Duncan Gadsby as Bob, Jack Hardy as Miss Understanding/Young Bernadette, Anita Benson as Shirley, Louise Smith as Marion, Hannah Osgood as Cynthia, and Oliver Pinchess/ Finn Sibson as the young boy Benji.
There was a very hard working ensemble who sang and danced with fantastic enthusiasm and skill and there was no doubt that they were enjoying every moment on stage.
Well done to:
Finan Archbold, Gut Benson, Bobbie Da Bell, Sophie Draycott, Kevin Gould, Vicky Mee, Aaron Murray, Julie Robinson, Jayne Sanderson, Alex Singh, Mel Swift and Carl Unwin.
Belting out many a fine Standard were the four outstanding Divas - Lucy Banks, Lucy Maden, Anka Palmer and Hannah Parker. They not only sounded great, but looked it too, in a variety of splendid dresses and costumes.
The costumes play a large part in the show and just consider this. There were 196 costumes, 20 wigs, 94 hats and headdresses plus many different shoes, boots, heels and eye masks, over 60 of them. Colourful, bright and imaginative describes them. Congratulations to those backstage who helped the cast with the quick, but often complex changes and well done to the whole cast for the ease at which they managed the costumes, scenery and props after what must have been limited rehearsal time.
The standard of dancing was very high indeed and the whole cast danced with great skill and total commitment. Michael Gamble’s choreography along with his direction of the show was a joy to watch. The large set numbers such as “It’s Raining Men and Macarthur park were superb.
The lighting design by Robert Bridges was dynamic and well suited to the production and the sound by Total Theatre Ltd was everything it should be.
At the end of the show, when the whole cast were assembled on the stage the effect was stunning. Incidentally, I loved the finale which for me is always an important part of any show.
The band was excellent, managing the big range of musical styles, directed by Vicki Hing. I am sure she has worked very hard with the cast as the vocal standard was very high indeed. The balance between the band and the cast was generally good.
Thank you, CTC for making my night and setting the bar so high for the rest of 2018. I will be surprised if I see anything better this year.
Priscilla is a wonderful show full of great songs, a very funny script, larger than life colourful characters and is an inspiration to us all. CTC in their usual way made it their own tonight and added yet another superb performance to their long list of musical theatre successes.
Two hours of good, not particularly clean fun, loads of laughs, wonderful songs and dance routines, as well as some more poignant moments, earned this excellent cast a very well-deserved standing ovation.
Dick Whittington
The Young Performers
The Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
January 19th 2018
Dick Whittington is a traditional pantomime about a boy, who with his loveable cat, goes to London, where the Streets are paved with gold, to seek his fortune. Tonight, I saw many Young Performers on stage who I think may well, in the future, seek their fortunes in the world of Musical Theatre.
There was excellent singing, dancing and acting on the stage at the Duchess tonight. I have often said that pantomime is hard for adults, let alone youngsters, but tonight this cast made it look easy. The well written and witty script written by one of the Young Performers, Lauren Riley, was outstandingly good, full of original jokes and asides and suitable for all ages. Well done Lauren. You certainly made me laugh a lot.
This very talented cast was led by Millen Scrivener in the role of Dick. She gave a very confident performance and was well cast alongside Emma Jayne Peel as her cat Tommy. Millen has a good singing voice and acted her part well with lots of power and emotion. Emma’s movements around the stage were a joy to watch - she was very catlike and has good dancing and movement skills.
Megan Thomas as Dick’s love interest, Alice, showed herself to be an excellent actress in so many ways and she has a very nice singing voice. Her duet with Millen was very special and I was very pleased that it was reprised.
Molly Parkinson as the Good Fairy looked great in her all white costume and was very commanding and confident as she countered the badness of
Jake Truman whose excellent performance as King Rat was a classic example of a bad pantomime villain. His makeup was superb, so much so that I didn’t recognise him at first.
The ever popular, George Parkinson, played the pantomime Dame, Geraldine. I have seen George many times before and tonight he was well suited to this part. He worked the audience well and was a commanding presence whenever he was on the stage. I was impressed with the way he led the audience in the audience participation song.
Harvey Tavener as Geraldine’s son, Jammy, was superb. His acting ability at the age of 14 is amazing. He sang well, danced with great precision and he was completely at home on the stage throughout the show. His comic timing was spot on and the facial expressions he used were just right. His partnership with George for the audience participation song was great. A star in the making? I think so.
I was very impressed with Joe Downing as Alice’s Father, Mr Fitzwarren. He played the part in a very understated way that was perfect for the character.
Finally there was a well-cast partnership between Ryan Yates and
Finlay Dilkes as the Island Sultans. Individually they were good and together they were excellent. I loved the names given to them by Lauren but I won’t spoil the joke on here.
There was an excellent Ensemble providing some good cameo and group support. They were:
Eleanor Meakin, Henry Icke, Lenny Ante, Libby Hallacher, Phoebe Clarke, Ruby Garrison, Erin Byrne, Cassie Flowers, Drew Boswell, Skye Maguire, Emilia Buxton and Milly Weston.
There were also some excellent dancers - Siena McQuade, Harriet Slatcher, Brooke Marsden, Isla Dawes, Caitlin Oldham, Hayley Watson, Ava Haylock, Skye Maguire, Emilia Buxton and Milly Weston.
The production was very well directed by Zak Charlesworth in what was his first complete show. He ensured that the action moved quickly and that kept everyone’s interest. I was delighted to see that he placed his ensemble well around the stage and gave everyone plenty of things to do. He was assisted by Trisha Freer.
Being a pantomime it was essential that the big song numbers were well choreographed and Lauren Riley did a splendid job with both the dancers and the ensemble. There was plenty of energy and excitement from the cast throughout. There was real quality here.
The band under the direction of Leon Wade was excellent and accompanied the cast sympathetically and at the right level throughout. Incidentally, I was very impressed with the general sound quality during this performance, controlled by Dave Sims with design by Harvey Latter.
Pantomime should always be colourful and the Costumes by Victoria Garavan, the wonderful set by Roydon Charlesworth and the lighting by Dave Martin (designed by Harvey Latter) certainly ensured that this was the case. Also, scene changes and the appearance of props were swift and almost unnoticed.
I am sure that Zak and his production team will be very pleased with the performances tonight and it was obvious that on stage and off all worked very hard.
I really enjoyed the show and have to commend the many young members of the group who contributed to its success. This group relies on many adults to support the show, but also encourages its own members to be involved as well. This is what a good youth group should do.
I am sure that this production by Zak will be the first of many both for this company and I suspect others too.
The audience gave the cast a well deserved prolonged ovation at the end.
Well done to all concerned in this excellent youth group pantomime.
Jack and the Beanstalk
The People's Theatre Company
The Arts Theatre, Nottingham
December 2017
Once again Amanda Hall and The People’s Theatre Company have produced a high quality pantomime which has a brilliant script, very talented principals and a hard-working and well directed ensemble.
The script by Amanda was, as always, superbly crafted, very clever, witty and enormously entertaining. It was based on the traditional pantomime story, but had that extra special magic that she always injects into her shows. While the broad strokes will appeal to the younger members of the audience, the fine touches of some lovely puns and topical references will delight the adults. To appreciate what I mean you need to see the show!
There was a very strong principal cast featuring a number of well-known and respected members of this award winning theatre group. They all contributed to the success of this production, putting a great deal of energy and fun into their performances.
They were Matt Wesson as the splendidly effusive Vegetable Fairy, Patrick McChrystal as the show’s lively and likeable hero Jack Trott, Michael Pearson as the delightfully vulgar Dame Mary Trott, Danielle Hall as a cheeky and endearing Simple Simon, and Rob Goll as the wonderfully malevolent Fleshcreep.
Also in the talented principal line up were Charlie Evans and Jessica Gale as Pat the Cow, Cassie Hall as Prince Bill, Joseph Smith as Prince Ben, Soleil Quarless as Princess Jill, Laura Ellis as Princess Daisy, Mike Newbold as King Bumble, Cliff Hart as the Giant Blunderbore, Alison Sheppard as his wife Mrs Blunderbore, Serena Eadon as the Magic Harp and an entertaining cameo performance from Marie Rogers as the Giant’s Hen.
There was an excellent ensemble of dancers, singers and children who sang and danced with obvious enthusiasm and commitment:
Anna King - Lucie Conroy - Kimberley Allsopp - Stephanie Holmes
Emily Townsend - Emily Wilkins - Nikki Jarvis - Tano Gangera - Orla Beaven Jonah Williams - Emma Gregory - Tanya Stobbs
Maddie Keown - George Young - Caitlin Young - Lily Proudlove
Emily Holder - Esther Mole - Isobel Mason - Hattie Campion
I was very impressed by the choreography of Amy Rogers-Gee, that was well executed by the whole cast. The big routines were very well performed with high energy singing and dancing.
The costumes were superb throughout, but looked particularly outstanding during the wedding finale.
I was very impressed by the use of all kinds of incidental music and sound effects throughout the show. This really did enhance the action. As far as I could tell it was always on cue and just right in terms of volume and effect. The performers were also very well aware of where it was coming in and how to respond to it. Very impressive all round.
The songs used in this production were well chosen and performed. I particularly liked the performance of the wonderful song “This is the moment” sung by Jack and the whole company at the end of Act 1 The standard of singing was very high throughout and I am sure the musical direction of Ray McLeod had a great deal to do with that.
Throughout, the lighting and sound were great - I could hear every word from the stage and the music was always at the right level.
Amanda Hall (Director and writer), Amy Rogers-Gee (choreographer), Mike Pearson (Producer), Ray Mcleod (Music), David Price (Stage Manager), Tom Mowat (lighting design and sound), Rob Kettridge (Sound No.1) and the large PTC team are to be congratulated for once again bringing a show of such high quality to the Arts Theatre.
I can certainly recommend this pantomime for all ages as the script is suitable for all.
If you can only go to one panto this year (and there are many good ones around) I would suggest you consider making it this one. I simply loved it.
Beauty and The Beast
Annual Pantomime
Theatre Royal, Nottingham
December 10th 2017
Tonight's production of Beauty and the Beast has been my 5th pantomime or Christmas show in just over a week, and like the first four this one did not disappoint.
It was a very good show in all respects and had the audience clapping and cheering enthusiastically at the end. There were many high spots in the production some of which I can't mention here as you need to see them for yourself.
But I can say that one of those high spots for me was the excellent script by Alan McHugh. It was very well written, was witty, clever and very funny. I frequently had tears of laughter in my eyes.
A good pantomime script has to be suitable and appeal to children and adults. Alan's script was perfect in this respect. There were the usual adult references combined with child friendly jokes. There were also the usual local references which delighted the audience (you need to be a forest or county supporter by the way) and there were a few passing mentions of Benidorm. I wonder why that was?
Another high spot was the strong principal line up led by Sherrie Hewson (Mrs Potts-Temple-Savage) and featuring Ben Richards (The Beast/Prince), Ben Nickless (Benny), Andrew Ryan (Dame Betty), Danny Bayne (Trent),
Naomi Slights (Belle) and Natalie Spriggs (Deadly Nightshade). They were all very good indeed.
There was also a very hard working ensemble featuring Mason Boyce, Grace Cinque-White, Harrison Dowzell, Curtisha Kruythoff, Aislinn Oakley, Matt Pethers, Hannah Rose and Alfie Williams. It was great to see local performer Harrison Dowzell again - last time he was playing Billy Elliot in London.
The singing, dancing and musical interludes were of a very high standard and very enjoyable.
There were also some young dancers - The Theatre Royal Babes - who were very good and joined in well with some of the full cast routines. There are two teams performing during the run - The Blue Team and the Pink Team. Sorry but I don't know which was performing tonight but well done to which ever it was. You were fabulous.
There were many special effects which contributed to making this production excellent. There was a 3D sequence (glasses provided) and it was the best I have seen on stage - very impressive.
The costumes and set were very colourful and bright.
This production, directed by Andrew Ryan and choreographed by Christian Storm with Musical Direction by Olly Ashmore was fast paced, lively, fresh and full of great comedy.
It was certainly one of the best professional pantomimes I have seen in a long time and will, I am sure, delight Nottingham audiences throughout the run which continues until January 14th.
If you love panto you will certainly love this one. I can certainly recommend it.
Beauty and The Beast
Annual Pantomime
Derby Arena
December 8th 2017
This was the third Pantomime that I have seen this week and I really enjoyed it. It was a scintillating production with a great cast, a well developed and well written script, a very attractive set and appropriate music. My comments from Act 1 remain true for Act 2 but I can say there was an impressive end that you need to see for yourself (I won't spoil the effect!)
There was a good reaction from the audience tonight and the two youngsters who came to see it with me enjoyed it.
Over and above the good singing and dancing the staging in which I include the wonderful set, lighting and sound, was excellent.
The cast of Gwen Taylor (The Enchantress), Nathan Turner (Prince/ Beast), Aston Dobson (Gaston), Thomas Bird (Le Fool), Louise Olley (Belle), Ben Faulks (Idle Jacques), Robert Traynor (Marcel) and Morgan Brind (Betty Brioche) were excellent and well cast.
They were well supported in the ensemble by Isaac Bowry, Sorrel De Paula Hanika, Jordanna Hemingway, Sammy Hemmings, Sophie Lowe and Thomas Mark.
There was also a junior ensemble which I assume was made up of local young dancers. There are three teams working in this production and tonight’s was Team Croissants. They were very good indeed and looked very professional - well done Samuel Reed, Tierney Campbell, Serena Newell, Eva Seaton, Molly Birkenshaw, Thea Perry, Niamh Eagles and Isla Taylor.
I said earlier that the script was very good but didn’t realise until now that it was written by Morgan Brind who also played the dame so brilliantly. I should have known though watching his performance and asides to the audience. He is also the co-founder founder of Little Wolf Entertainment Ltd that has produced this show. He is obviously a very busy person being involved currently with a number of other productions.
I need to say that the staging was excellent and Stage Managers Chris McNeil, Alan Bowles, Sharlene Harvard Young and their team ensured that the scene changes were swift and smooth.
The Sound design by Sam Glossop was first rate as was the lovely lighting by Alistair Grant.
The production team of Owen Calvert-Lyons (Director), Tom Bond (Musical Director) and Paul Chantry/ Rae Piper (Choreographers) certainly succeeded in ensuring that this a very enjoyable production.
I must also mention the fight director, Ian Stapleton who had obviously worked hard with the actors and dancers who were in some pretty realistic fight sequences.
This year’s panto at the arena is a good one and I think will be a great hit with the audiences this Christmas.
Humbug
Ilkeston Theatre Company
Seven Oaks Marquee Theatre
December 2nd 2017
Well done to Ilkeston Theatre Company for a very entertaining evening at the Seven Oaks Theatre. I really enjoyed, what was a very funny and refreshing version of the Dicken’s story “A Christmas Carol.”
This pantomime version was written by Tina and Rob Burbidge and was described as “a retelling of 'A Christmas Carol', panto-fashion, with well-known songs merrily re-worded to suit the script.” This turned out to be exactly what it was and I have to say that the choice of songs to accompany the story was excellent and very fitting. The script itself was indeed very witty and had the audience and me laughing for much of the time.
Ebenezer Scrooge is still a miserly old businessman who believes Christmas is all 'humbug' and the ghost of his long deceased partner, and three Christmas spirits, visit him to teach him the error of his ways. But outside of that there were some alterations and panto additions to the story that made this an excellent piece of pantomime theatre.
Leading the cast was Paul Ensor playing the central role of Ebenezer Scrooge. This he did with aplomb and very successfully transformed the miserable old miser at the start of the show into a kind and caring man by the end. His performance was very powerful and believable. He was supported by a great cast of assorted characters.
Ben Mills played Belle, which in this production equated to the traditional pantomime Dame. He has played this kind of role before and was skilful in natural interactions with the audience and had good comedy timing.
The comedy duo of Codgit and Beggit played by Jacqueline Dixon and Marilyn Lucia Keates were also very good at working the audience. They were very well liked by the audience especially the children. They handled the traditional sing a long at the end well.
There were polished performances from Steve Walton (The Ghost of Jacob Marley), Justine Haywood (The Ghost of Christmas Past), Becks Macey (The Ghost of Christmas Present) and Tracey Dean (The Ghost of Christmas Future). They were all excellent and their contrasting personalities were well defined.
The Cratchit family played by Ryan Feltcher (Bob Cratchit), Jenni Walker (Mrs Cratchit), Laura Webster (Jim Cratchit), Lucy Tanner(Kim Cratchit) and Penny Courtney (Tiny Time) were well cast and performed the lovely song “With A Thankful heart” superbly and with considerable emotion.
Penny Courtney’s characterisation of the usually simpering tiny Tim was very refreshing and was played with great gusto and boyish humour.
Complementing the story well were Adrian Thornley as Mr Fezziwig, Angie Jacks as Mrs Fezziwig, Mandy Bull as the Policemen and Any Fletcher as the Pianist.
Adding to what was quite a large and hard working ensemble cast were Sue Arkley, Jenny Reynolds, Brandon Arkley-Marshall, Elena Courtney.
I did particularly like the whole cast ensemble numbers which were well choreographed and performed. These included “It Feels Like Christmas,” “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” “Thank you very much,” and an outstandingly well done version of "Bohemian Rhapsody.” Well done to everyone for what was a highly complex and I guess difficult song.
There were also some excellent performances from young dancers from The Tamz Dance Studios. They actually opened the show with great energy and enthusiasm giving a good start to the show.
The pantomime was well produced by Rachael Flewitt and Ryan Pound with choreography the same, plus Tammy Mason and Sharon Ensor. I am sure they will have been very pleased with the performances of their cast tonight. They have obviously worked hard on all aspects of this production.
I was very impressed by the scenery and technical production of the show and have to say that each time I come here the standards have been raised. The scenery was the best I have seen at this theatre so far. Some of the sets were just magical to look at and must have taken quite a time to create. There were some special effects used to enhance the sets which were very effective.
The scene changes were well executed by the Stage Manager, Adrian Fletcher and his crew who were Adam White, Rachael Flewitt and Sharon Ensor plus the Technical Manager, Louis Beardsley.
The costumes were excellent and very appropriate for the production, so well done to Rachael Flewitt and Angie Jacks. Also, I thought the make up by Lexie Walters was very good too, especially that for Scrooge and Belle.
There were some very atmospheric moments throughout the show produced by Steve Flavill’s lighting and Chloe Hatton’s sound.
This was one of the best productions I have seen from The Ilkeston Theatre Company and they deserve sell out audiences this weekend and next. The whole cast have obviously worked very hard to produce this very entertaining version of the well known Christmas story. The cast very obviously enjoyed what they were doing on stage tonight and that is an essential element of Pantomime. They involved us, the audience, as well in a very bright and happy way throughout the show
The Christmas Season has now started for me and this production was an excellent start to the festivities.
Oh and do buy the excellent Souvenir Programme (well done Tracy Dean) which tells you a lot about the cast and the company and is priced at only £1. Great value for money.
Blood Brothers
National Tour
Nottingham Theatre Royal
November 21st 2017
Written by Willy Russell, the legendary “Blood Brothers” tells the captivating and moving tale of twins who, separated at birth, grow up on opposite sides of the tracks, only to meet again with fateful consequences.
It ended at the Theatre Royal with an instantaneous whole theatre standing ovation. It has been described as “The Standing Ovation Musical” which is not surprising as it is brilliant production with a superb cast.
Lyn Paul excelled as Mrs Johnstone and I can now see why she has been described as "the definitive Mrs Johnstone." Dean Chisnall as the narrator was very good indeed. With a powerful voice he dominated the proceedings on the stage whenever he was on it.
There were some other outstandingly good individual performances especially from Sean Jones as Mickey, Mark Hutchinson as Eddie, Danny Taylor as Sammy, Danielle Corlass as Linda, Tim Churchill as Mr Lyons, Graham Martin as Policeman/Teacher, Alison Crawford as Brenda, Amy-Jane Ollies as Donna Marie, Graeme Kinniburgh as the Bus conductor, Sarah Jane Buckley as Mrs Lyons, Andy Owens as Perkins and Josh Capper as the Neighbour.
This is only the third time I have seen this show and I am enjoying it much more each time. This production is very fast paced and full of energy as well as being emotive and emotional. The singing and movement is first class as is the set, lighting, sound and stage production.
The final scene and rendition of "Tell Me It's not Not True" by the whole cast was spellbinding and they took a number of bows to the delight of the packed theatre.
The show is powerful and emotional and yet also has many humorous episodes. When I first saw it in London I thought "this is ok" but tonight I thought "Wow! This is something special!"
To add detail to the above the excellent production team for this 2017 National Tour is:
Writer: Willy Russell - Directed by Bob Tomson and Bill Kenwright - Musical Direction by Phil Gostelow - Sound Design by Dan Samson
Blithe Spirit
The Greasley Players
St. Mary's Church Hall, Greasley
November 18th 2017
Blithe Spirit has ended and I am very impressed by what I have seen tonight.The play is a long one and needs to move at a fast pace in order to keep the interest of the audience. There are some brilliantly witty and pithy lines from the pen of Noel Coward, which need to be clearly heard and appropriately expressed. Tonight the producer, Pat Samuels and her excellent cast achieved all of these things - good pace, clear diction and well pitched expression.
There was some excellent acting in the play from Helen Smith (Edith), Deborah Porter-Walker(Ruth), Mark Anderson (Charles), Andrew Plumb(Dr. Broadman), Lindy Whittaker (Mrs Broadman), Katrine Hockenhall (Madame Arcati), Rhionna Holland-Glen(Elvira) and Isobel Mason (voice of Daphne).
All of the principals must have worked hard with the director to understand their characters and decide upon the nuances of their delivery. From the chirpiness of the maid, through the plummy and laconic tones of the Condomines, to the earnest excitement of Madame Acarti, all created believable, engaging and amusing characters. There was some very accomplished acting on stage tonight.
I was also very impressed by the set changes that were executed by the maids, fitting in naturally with the action. Time changes were suggested by variations in light and by refreshing the drinks and flowers: subtle but effective. During each scene characters were carefully placed to ensure they could all be seen and heard and their actions were naturalistic and fluid.
Stage Manager and set builder Colin Fletcher, assisted by Jon Evans, brought us a beautifully evocative set that was cleverly designed to work very effectively for some complicated entrances and exits. The lighting by Frank Queripel and sound by Lisa Brockwoy helped to bring everything to life and really enhanced the production.
The costumes were pleasingly reminiscent of the period; Elvira's custom made grey gown, along with her ghostly make up, was perfect. Lindy Whittaker should be congratulated for her excellent work.
The play, although full of comedy, had moments of genuine tension, which built up at the end to the revenge of the ghosts and a climax of some very clever special effects. The last time I saw this play- performed professionally- it dragged somewhat because of its length: this one moved quickly and did complete justice to the genius of the playwright. This was one of the best productions I have seen from the Greasley Players and they should all be proud of what they have achieved.
I am glad to report that many in the audience gave the cast a standing ovation at the end, which was well deserved.
Unfortunately, that was the last night. However, their next play is Death in High Heels which is in May 2018, so keep an eye out here for more details about that in a few months time.
White Christmas
The Present Company
Derby Theatre
November 17th 2017
I enjoyed tonight’s performance of Irving Berlin’s Classic Musical which originally starred Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye in the 1954 film of the same name.In many ways it is just a vehicle for the very well known songs. But there is a story in which, in true musical theatre fashion, everything ends happily.
Well done to the Present Company for bringing some Christmas spirit into the theatre tonight. This was their first performance and despite one or two minor technical issues all went very well. The standard of singing from everyone was very high and a joy to listen to.
There were good performances from the principal performers supported by the usual hard working ensemble. There were some quite difficult whole cast dance and singing numbers and these were well performed by everyone.
I enjoyed the joyous finale which included the worlds most popular song “White Christmas” itself. The audience enjoyed joining and The cast all looked splendid in their colourful costumes. There was a well deserved ovation at the end.
It looked to me as if the theatre was full tonight and I detected quite a buzz of pleasure on the way out. If you can get a ticket go and see it.
Well done to all involved with this show
Acorn Antiques
Masque Productions
The Palace Theatre, Mansfield
November 9th 2017
There were some very good performances from the very hard working cast.
This is a joyous musical and it was obvious that the cast enjoyed every minute of it. Lot’s of humour very witty songs and good choreography. As you would expect from the pen of the much missed Victoria Wood there are some very tuneful and well crafted songs. Her score is derivative: you can hear strains similar to those from many popular musicals, but it has a life of its own and can be genuinely moving and very uplifting.
There were a number of well performed whole cast routines and the standard of the singing and dancing was high.
Very well done to the shows Director Garry Hill for his imaginative and tight direction, The Musical Director Delph Richards for producing a high standard of musicianship on and off stage and Jill Benson for her excellent choreography which gave all the cast appropriate things to do. Congratulations also to the Producer Andrew Wolden.
As I said earlier there was a very strong principal cast with Rosanna Hill as Mrs O, Kelly Marsh as Miss Babs, Alison Carter as Miss Berta, Maxine Dillon as Miss Bonnie, Andrew Wolden as Mr Clifford, Kevin Wetton as Tony, Ami Fitzpatrick as Mimi, Thomas Slack as Hugh, Matt Jayes as Derek and Adrian Toon as Mr Watkins.
In addition a number of the ensemble had cameo roles throughout the show. They supported the principles very well indeed. They all contributed to making this a very enjoyable production.
They were:
Elizabeth Wolden, Brian Brooks, Steven Ratcliffe, Justine Wells, Jonathan Cooper, Jan Hodgetts, Brooke Spedding, Helen Paterson, Jo Worthington, Sarah Neale, Laurey Buckland, Lauren Herbert, Sarah Herbert and Lynn Roberts.
The costumes were really nice especially the sparkly ones used in some of the big dance numbers. The whole production was greatly enhanced by excellent lighting and sound.
Finally I was very impressed with the orchestra which sounded excellent throughout.
This was a very good production and the standing ovation from many in the audience at the end was well deserved.
This is the first time I have seen Masque Productions but it most certainly will not be the last. I am looking forward to their next two shows. They will be Dirty Dusting next February and Spamalot next November.
The Little Mermaid
National Tour
The Theatre Royal, Nottingham
November 8th 2017
At the end of The Little Mermaid there was very enthusiastic applause which was well deserved.
Great dancing from Northern Ballet’s principals and ensemble. The start of Act 2 was, I think, my favourite part of the piece with a great whole cast routine. Superb dancing and choreography.
The staging of the ballet was particularly impressive with the set being moved and rotated by the cast often as part of the action.
The lighting was great and helped create the atmosphere particularly in the under water scenes.
The costumes were stars of the show too - chosen often to enhance the dances and in particular the swirling movements underwater. The costumes almost became part of the water themselves.
The score was, as I said earlier, complex and varied in its nature which complimented very well the various elements of the story. I liked much of it especially the Scottish themes that appeared from time to time.
Overall this production of The Little Mermaid is, at times, a masterclass in contrasting scenes and emotions and watching the superb use of costume and movement was a joy to watch.
Although this story is in many ways tragic and sad there are also many joyous moments throughout which raised the spirits of all of us.
A very good production by David Dixon OBE (Director, Choreographer, Costume Designer & Scenario), Sally Beamish (Composer), Mimie Nakano(Set), Tim Mitchell (Lights) and Julie Anderson (Costume).
I really enjoyed it and I am not a great ballet fan.
Spamalot
Beeston Musical Theatre Group
Duchess Theatre
October 28th 2017
Yet another great success for BMTG. A brilliant production in all respects which delighted a packed theatre tonight. I love this show to bits and this production did not disappoint me at all in fact quite the opposite. I just can’t get over how good it was.
Well done to the cast, production team, back stage crew, Sound and lighting guys and a fabulous orchestra.
It was all great but in particular thanks so much BMTG for including the Broadway Number in its original “Jewish” arrangement. It was just so good.
Another fabulous evening with this fantastic group. Bring on the next one.
And Then There Were None
Encore Performing Arts
The Space, Nottingham High School
October 18th 2017
Staging one of the best-known crime stories in modern fiction is by no means an easy thing to do, especially as “And Then There Were None” is one of the greatest works from the pen of Agatha Christie, the undoubted Queen of suspense. However, the cast on stage - in the excellent new venue of the Space at Nottingham High School - succeeded in doing a very good job of bringing this splendid story to life.
Although I have seen the play before, I have to admit to not remembering much of it and certainly not the identity of the murderer, so I was very surprised when I found out at the very end!
In the play ten people are gathered together on an island at the invitation of a mysterious and absent host. It soon turns out that the only common connection between them is being accused of murder. Suddenly, someone starts to hunt them one by one, while there is no escape from the island.
The atmosphere created in the theatre by the excellent direction of Adam Guest (who also played a small cameo part as usual) was intense, captivating and mysterious. It was almost impossible in my view to work out who the murderer was because of the twists and turns of the story and the excellent acting of the cast.
Adam and his assistant, Sam Griffiths achieved much of the success of this production by assembling an excellent cast of talented local actors. Many have been seen in Encore productions before, but there were also some new faces.
This is an ensemble production, that relies on the creation of atmosphere, period and character. Adam and his team achieved this in spades- we were transported back to the Thirties and thoroughly engaged, not just by the clever writing and the intrigue, but by the personalities of these diverse characters.
A lot of work from both the director and the actors must have gone into creating this production: it was obvious that every actor knew their character extremely well. Glancing around the stage in every scene one could see each character behaving just as they should: the wry expression, the clack of the knitting needles, the drag on the cigarette. Incidental music took us back to the period, the crash of waves and whistle of the wind presaged not just the drama that was about to unfold, but also, somehow, the oppressive atmosphere of a country that less than a month later, would be plunged into a World War. Clever stuff.
This attention to atmosphere was present throughout, the mannered staging suggested the stiff formality of the Thirties and gave pleasing tableaux in scenes that so easily could have been untidy, with so many characters on stage. This was facilitated by Richard Heappey’s wonderful set: two levels, two entrances, an offset balcony, beautifully constructed and detailed, deliciously redolent of the period. It’s not easy to tell this story on one set- the television version had the luxury of several sets and outside scenes- but Adam and his team rose to this challenge and succeeded. We were kept fully aware of what was happening off stage, enhanced by clever scene shifts and a mixture of subtle and dramatic lighting changes.
Another strong contributory factor to the feel of this production was the styling: lovely costumes…the cloche hat, the wrap dress, the pin stripe suit etc… appropriate hairstyles and a range of well chosen props. Congratulations to Mina Machin and Katie Bird.
I won’t single out individual actors, as I was so impressed by the skill of all of them. It is a delight to attend a production where you feel at ease with every actor - no worrying that someone has forgotten a line, no wishing that projection was just a bit better, no discontent with a missed opportunity to get the most out of the writing. Congratulations to all of them and especially to the last two standing, who have to negotiate a particularly grisly end for one of them, very well executed!
The stellar cast are: Chris Mundy (Roger), Milly Shawcross (Mrs Rogers), Adam Guest (Fred Naracott), Aston Fisher (Vera Claythorne), Mik Horvath (Philip Lombard), George Johnson (Anthony Marston), Duncan Leech (William Blore), Terry Stevenson (General Mackenzie), Kathryn McAuley), Steve Dunning (Sir Lawrence Wargrave), Graham Buchanan (Dr. Armstrong).
Thanks to Encore for producing a good old fashioned three act play that, done so skilfully, can still grip and thrill a modern audience. It keeps you thinking throughout and the uncompromising ending does not disappoint.
An excellently managed finale continued with the spot-on staging: a haunting tableau that makes a perfect ending. This is a great piece of theatre produced by people who clearly love what they do and want to take us along with the thrill.
Oh, before I finish I can reveal that the murderer is @£$%^&
The Boy who fell into a book
People's Theatre Company
Nottingham Arts Theatre
September 28th 2017
This play by Alan Ayckbourn is about a boy, Kevin, who finds himself teamed up with a fictional detective, Rockfist Slim, from one of his favourite books. They embark on a journey through the books on Kevin’s shelves, being chased by a rather nasty female gangster.
The cast was led by Sophie Owen who played the part of the 10 year old boy of the title, Kevin. She is a very talented actor who was totally absorbed in the role: she really made me believe in the character. Her performance reminded me of the consummate skills of those who voice well known young male characters, such as Horrid Henry and Rupert the Bear. However, playing a character like this on stage takes not only an understanding of that particular pitch and delivery, but also an ability to adopt suitable movements and mannerisms. Sophie did just this: her characterisation was very much that of an imaginative, adventurous, bright little boy. Her comedy timing and facial expressions were excellent and she completely inhabited the character. A very confident, engaging and fresh performance.
Rob Suttle, played the part of the detective, Rockfist. I have seen him a number of times before and he is an excellent serious actor, but in this part he showed he also has a talent for comedy. He brought the character of the hard bitten, but gentle, New Yorker with a dry sense of humour, to life. He worked very well with Sophie as they romped their way through the books, making the most of Ayckbourn’s witty asides that keep adults as engaged as the younger target audience. Both Rob and Sophie had a huge amount of text to memorise, but were word perfect and this gave them the confidence to have a ball with their roles.
As a contrast, Kayleigh Luton’s performance as the evil female gangster was suitably menacing, performed with a delightfully manic laugh and a lovely marching strut that almost drew boos from the audience.
Adding some great comedy moments as the Woobly family were Christine Boothe (Mummy) Roy Smith (Daddy) and Paul Duffy (baby). I really enjoyed their performances, as did all those around me, judging by the appreciative laughter. Playing large round characters wearing red & white stripes, dancing, eating jelly and saying nothing but ‘Woobly,’ must be a challenge, but these three made the most of the silliness and triumphed. Christine also played the wolf and I was impressed by the way she used her voice and bearing to change from being a nice granny to a very nasty wolf.
There were also good performances from Adam Chapman (narrator for the Wooblys), Glenn Murphy (Monk and Gareth), Richard Fife (The Red Knight), Charlie Evans (Red Riding Hood), Leilani Papworth (White Queen), Charlie Evans, Molly Fitches and Barbara Benner (White Pawns), Mike Pearson, (The voice of Kevin's dad) and Paul Duffy (The Red Bishop). Everyone on the stage seemed to really be enjoying themselves and had obviously worked very hard and with energy, to create their characters.
The set was designed by Chris Mercer and built by Bob Wood and was very suitable for the play. It also allowed the characters to move smoothly from one book to the next, with the back projection setting each scene effectively. The interesting lighting design by Chris Mercer added to the different effects that were needed. The stage crew changed the scenes quickly and without fuss throughout. Well done to Stage Managers Rob Goll, Sally Nix and their team.
The sound design by Melissa Marriott was very good and suitably enhanced the story and the action.
The costumes and make up were excellent and provided by Blind Eye Productions; I particularly liked the costume and amazing make-up of the White Queen
This play by Alan Ayckbourn is suitable for all the family. I enjoyed it very much; it was most entertaining and, as I have come to expect from PTC, very well performed. It has been given the sparkle the writing deserves by the Director Chris Mercer, assisted by Mike Pearson, his hardworking cast, production team and stage crew.
I can certainly recommend you go and see it with all the family. It is an enjoyable piece of theatre which is not just enormous fun, but also explores deeper themes, such as the power of the imagination and our ability to confront and diminish our fears.
Well done once again to PTC for producing a good quality drama on the stage of The Arts Theatre.
The Sorceror
Derby Gilbert and Sullivan Company
Duchess Theatre
September 21st 2017
The enthusiastic and prolonged ovation at the end showed how much we have all enjoyed this rarely performed operetta. What a great way to celebrate the Company’s 50th Anniversary.
There were excellent performances from the very professional cast and orchestra supported by good stage work, lighting and sound.
I now want to listen to a recording of this operetta as I really the songs and on first hearing and want to listen to it again.
The set was bright and colourful, the lighting was effective and the sound was crisp and clear.
A very enjoyable night here at the Duchess. It was brilliant and was extremely funny as well with superb direction.
A very professional production which was immaculately performed by this very talented group of performers.
Well done to Andrew Nicklin and his very talented cast for such a good performance of the Sorcerer which I hope I will have another opportunity to see some time in the not too distant future.
Down Pompeii
Infra Red Comedy Theatre
Duchess Theatre
September 15th 2017
A very well produced and presented show which I recommend you to come and see. It certainly raised my spirits. A very talented and hardworking cast along with a very witty script, good music, superb dance routines and the magic of its Director combined to make this a very good production indeed.
Act 2 was equally as good as Act 1. Very pacy and well developed. Superb individual and group performances. I am still laughing at many parts of the show and marvelling at the high standard of many of the performances.
This was a show in which every one played a vital part and all were excellent. The cast obviously enjoyed every moment on the stage and this was obviously translated to all of us in the audience.
However the cast and production credits are:
Cast:
Emperor. Liam Wilkinson
Secondus. Jack Archer
Mini (Emperors wife) Poppy Lawson
Captain. Owen Todd.
Pipi (French spacey) Catherine O'Brien.
Randy (Green hair spacey) Ben Hewson.
Maggie (gossip) Jenny Trafford.
Dickus (solder) James Kerr
Flattus Tittius (Blond) Izzy Sibson
Assassin Izzy Senior
Biggus Georgie Harries
Viagrus Becky Kroon
Mrs Floppus Rachel Wilson
Children from school ICODA Theatre School.
Lights and sound George Fall and Lauren Frost.
Director producer writer choreographer: Sarah Lim-Smith
Children from my school ICODA Theatre School.
Thank you Sara for including one of my favourite songs “I will survive.” This was so well sung and the dancing and movement that went with it was excellent.
There was a sustained ovation at the end with lots of cheering.
The show ended with a good finale and it was great to see Sara included in the final line up. So often directors do not get the praise they deserve. Sara wrote the script, the songs (minus I will survive) and choreographed the wonderful routines. Brilliant.
I think it is a fact that those who have the opportunity to perform in Infrared are fortunate indeed and will learn so much Stage craft as a result and who knows where this may lead some of them.
If I wasn’t elsewhere tomorrow night I would have come and seen this show again. I loved it.
Reasons To Be Cheerful
National Tour
Derby Theatre
September 12th 2017
Reasons to be Cheerful has now finished at Derby Theatre. I really enjoyed what was described as “A Raucous Musical featuring the music of Ian Dury and the Blockheads.”
It was certainly very vibrant, exciting and full of excitement and energy. The performances of the 14 cast members were excellent. It was very funny at times but also had serious messages particularly at the end about supporting those who need help and support from government and society at large.
Stephen Lloyd who played the Central character of Vinnie and his friend Colin played by Stephen Collins were fantastic. They worked very well together and provided great singing and comedy.
Also great performers were Beth Hinton Lever as Janine, Karen Spicer as Pat, Gerald McDermott as Bill and Bobby, Max Runham as Nick/Dave, Jude Mahon as Debbie and Wayne Norman as Pickles.
The musicians were fantastic providing a quality soundtrack to the story and often sounding very much like Ian Dury and the Blockheads. Some of them also took part in routines drama and songs.
They were Joey Hickman, Nixon Rosenberg, Paul Sirett, Paula Stanbridge-Faircloth and Louis Schultz Wiremu.
The lead vocalist, John Kelly had a brilliant voice.
Quoting from the Press Information the company, Graeae “is a force for change in world - breaking down barriers, challenging preconceptions and boldly placing deaf and disabled artists centre stage.” This was certainly achieved in this production.
It was a quality show in all areas and the Director and CEO, Jenny Sealey MBE has achieved this with her fantastic cast. The way in which she integrated sign language, audio description and captioning so brilliantly made for a spectacular show that suited both disabled and non disabled people in the audience.
There were so many Reasons to be cheerful in this show tonight and in fact there were many smiling faces to be seen coming out of the auditorium at the end of the show. Prior to that that the company received an enthusiastic and sustained ovation at the end.
For so many reasons this is a show that needs to be seen by as many people as possible and I would suggest that it is a very good example of high quality performance with absolute accessibility for all.
West Side Story
Derby Youth Theatre
Derby Theatre
September 7th 2017
ACT 1
This show is not an easy one especially for a young cast. However, they have just done a brilliant job in all respects.
The principals are well cast led by Lucas Young as Riff, Ryan Wiggins as Tony, Curtis Taylor-Tipton as Action, Sam Fretwell as Bernardo, Mia Mitchell as Maria, Holly Twells as Anita and William Evans as Chino. They, plus the rest of the cast, are showing themselves to be highly talented performers and the standard of singing and dancing is extremely high. There have been some outstanding individual performances. More about that in the review.
The dancing by Choreographer Caroline Green is fast paced, fresh, dynamic and has been executed superbly.
The ensemble is excellent, again proving that youngsters can sing and dance in a very professional and adult way.
The Orchestra conducted by Musical Director Charlotte Daniel is outstanding and is accompanying the performers sympathetically; the sound balance is excellent.
The composite set is very well designed and is being seamlessly transformed for the different scenes. The use of flying curtains adds to the effect.
The production by Director Peter Waters is exciting and is giving everyone plenty to do. There is tremendous concentration to be seen on the faces of all the performers. All have been totally focused.
The dialogue is coming over very well and has been effectively slowed down and I have heard every word.
There was an enthusiastic level of applause at throughout and at the end of the act from an almost full house here at Derby Theatre.
Act 2
The second Act is much shorter than the first but is charged with emotion following the deaths at the end of Act 1. The cast coped with this well and the high standards of presentation seen in Act 1 continued.
The ballet sequence was very well performed and all involved are to be congratulated for obviously working so very hard on what is not an easy sequence.
Another highlight was the Officer Krupke routine which was cleverly choreographed and well performed by the Jet Boys. It always brings humour to what is a fairly serious show and this performance was no exception. I loved it.
The finale was different to any I have seen before with a moving and very well sung arrangement of Somewhere.
The audience were keen to stand through the curtain calls of which there were 3. Keep the curtain opening and shutting as long as the audience are clapping say I. I wish some other local companies would do the same!
This was an excellent production and all involved are to be congratulated. It is not an easy show both musically and dramatically but this young cast made it look so. All were good but I must say that The partnership of Ryan Wiggins (Tony) and Mia Mitchell as Maria was magical and both sang sublimely and acted very well too. I will be mentioning others in my review which will be published in due course.
I have already mentioned how good the Orchestra was conducted by Charlotte Daniel.
One of the strengths of this production was how good the cast looked in terms of age, character and how realistic the accents of both Jets and Sharks were. It brought a sense of realism to the story. The costumes were very realistic as well.
The excellent cast were:
JETS
Lucas Young (Riff), Ryan Wiggins(Tony), Curtis Taylor-Tipton (Action), Liam Ellis (Diesel),Callum Reilly (A Rab), Bailey West (Baby John), Thomas Davies (Snowboy), Callum Davis (Big Deal)Emma Balderston (Anybodys), Laura Wilson(Grazziella), Lauren Owen (Velma).
Jet Girls Ensemble
Edith Burton, Bryony Camm, Bethany Lewis, Katherine Leigh Welsh, Emma Balderston ,Sanchia Taylor, Isabelle Hastings, Chloe Topliss,Amelia Maskrey, Izzy Hastings, Sarah Page.
SHARKS
Sam Fretwell (Bernardo), Mia Mitchell (Maria), Holly Ann Twells (Anita), William Evans (Chino),Luke Preston-Davies (Pepe), Sam Sinclair (Indio), Haydn Luc is Robe (Luis), Billy Sweet (Nibbles),Rachel Bayliss (Rosalia), Tammie Morgan (Consuelo), Emily Redlaff (Francesca), Jessica Henshaw (Carmen), Hope Redfern (Estella)
Shark Girls Ensemble
Amy Burchell, Danny Evans, Natasha Neale, Danniella Stringer
ADULTS
Russell Hughes (Doc), Jude Sinclair (Shrank), Danny Evans (Krupke), Katherine Welsh (Glad Hand)
SOLOIST (Somewhere) Hope Redfern
The production team led by Director Peter Waters were Choreographer Caroline Green, Musical Director Charlotte Daniel, Stage Manager Pete Roberts, Lighting Chris Finch / Jamie Vella and
Sound Harry Greatorex.
Well done all for producing yet another excellent show with this very talented company.
Spamalot
Big Adventures Youth Theatre
Guildhall Theatre, Derby
July 7th 2017
Well well!! Tonight a youth group proved they could do comedy with the best of them. Act 1 of Spamalot here at the Guildhall theatre was excellent. A very large cast put a huge amount of energy into this production. Well done to all concerned.
I am always nervous of seeing amateur versions of this my favourite show but I need not have worried tonight. Good comedy timing is needed for this show and they all had it.
The singing and dancing was excellent and the enthusiasm of the cast was infectious. The production was vibrant and the necessary changes needed for doing this show in a smaller theatre was very appropriate.
The music was on a track but it was hard to believe that. The show needs a big orchestra and the track provides it. Consequently the sound was clear and the balance with the performers just right. The costumes were very colourful and appropriate for the show. The ages of the performers was wide but the way the Director used them did not make this an issue.
The main characters were played by older members of the cast, I guess, but this was needed to carry the parts. I was very impressed with all the principals.
The audience had a ball and so did the cast.For me the show was made in Act 2 with the return of the original arrangement of The Broadway number which is a glorious tongue in cheek description of what you need to produce a succession Broadway Show - the missing ingredient is Jews. This was changed in the professional touring version of the show, wrongly in my opinion. The song tonight allowed for classic Jewish dancing and singing which were delivered amazingly by the whole cast. It was simply breathtaking. I had to suspend my knowledge that this was a youth group. All the large set piece numbers were the same - brilliant!
There were so many great principal and ensemble members that I cannot mention them all. I will add some to these notes later. However this production just shows what a great ensemble piece Spamalot is which I was not really aware of before.
I nearly did die of laughter many times during this production and I must just say that it is quite obvious to me that the show has a very talented production team of Caroline Reader (Director), Dave Culling(MD) and Fiona Carratu (Choreographer).
My only slight gripe is that the Finale, which was good, did not include a reprise of Always Look on the Bright Side of Life and a chance for us all to give this brilliant cast a well deserved Standing Ovation.
This was a truly excellent production and the very talented cast were just phenomenal.
This has been quite a night for me here at the Guildhall in Derby - Thank you all of you for such a wonderful evening. I can't wait for their next show.
Boogie Nights
Erewash Musical Society
Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
July 6th 2017
(Review by Kev Castle - reprinted here by permission)
"Boogie Nights" is one of those "jukebox musicals" where the plot comes second to the music. That in itself isn't a bad thing when the musical soundtrack is as good as this. You'll know every single song in "Boogie Nights".
The story is fluffy and goes as follows.....
We open the scene at a wedding and Roddie is being told by Debs that this is the happiest day of her life. Flashback a few years and Debs and Roddie meet and Roddie, as part of the truth/dare game is dared by his best mate, Terry, to ask Debs out, and the rest is, as they say, history.
The thing is, Roddie is a jack the lad and has an eye for the ladies and soon is distracted by Lorraine, who is going steady with Spencer, who is Roddie's boss, well Roddie is roadie for him as Spencer is a singer in a disco band.
Well, all must have turned out OK in the end as they were at their wedding, weren't they?.....
This isn't Shakespeare, more Shake Your Body Down, and that's OK by me because it has great entertainment value and a soundtrack that defies you to keep your feet still, and fails.
Charlie Pierson plays Roddie and what a performance he gives. Charlie is a confident comedy actor. He plays up to the audience and Roddie's sexist pig attitude attracts some reaction from the audience, all in the best possible taste though, lapping up the audience's response with great fun. He has a good bassy voice and in a few years will have trained that voice to be a useful asset in musical theatre. A good fun performer.
Debs is played by Holly Pilgrim. At first being the under the thumb, know your place woman but soon gains the strength to break that image to turn things around after she miscarries Roddie's baby. A lovely confident performer.
Terry, Roddie's mate, is played by James Christian. Another fun character who is there at the start for Roddie and Debs and gets to double date with Trish, but unlike Roddie and Debs only get as far as "fiddling", and we ain't talking Stradivarius here! Great ending for these two though. James also gets to sing all of the falsetto songs like "Sugar Baby Love", a nice contrast to Charlie's lower register.
Trish is played by Rebecca Groombridge. These EMUS are packed with confident actors and Rebecca is yet another one. She has been let in to Debs's secret but soon lets the secret slip, but is still a faithful friend to Debs throughout.
DJ Dean, who has the hots for Debs is played by Ethan Fletcher. As a former 1970's mobile jock, I loved his interpretation of a 70's mobile jock, and he looked the part as he whipped the dancers up into a Disco Inferno.
The disco band singer, Spencer is another one to keep your eye on. Reuben Gotts is a young actor who can pull off the older character swagger, well when I say older, he's not that much younger than the character himself. Some good emotional outbursts of sexist pig (were all males in the 70's sexist pigs?). Reuben can move well in the choreography stakes and he looked totally at ease in this field.
Lorraine, who is Spencer's woman aka his property, is played by Jorja Foster. What can I say about Jorja's voice? Only that it's one of the strongest on stage last night. Some of the songs that she had to tackle weren't the easiest, especially the Donna Summer songs like "Last Dance" and "No More Tears", but she took these difficult songs and sung her heart out.
Roddie's Dad, Eammon, is an Elvis disciple and when The King dies in 1977, he is distraught and takes his anger out on his son. Joe Langley plays Eammon with a lot of passion.
It takes a large ensemble to fill out the disco scenes and they all capture the feel of 1970's night clubs really well. They embraced the different dances of the era really well and filled the stage with some great backing vocals.
With this being a musical about disco music, in the words of 80's funk band Imagination, you gotta have music and lights, and both these help make this musical the exciting success it is.
Partly backing tracks and part, but mostly live orchestra, under the guidance of Martin Lewis. I was quite surprised that there were only four musicians involved in creating that wonderful 70's music vibe. Luis Orgando (guitar), Marcus Cain (bass) and the flying sticks of one of the best drummers I've heard at The Duchess, Will Raybould.
From the very first scene in the disco, the lights transformed that stage to a place you wanted to shake your groove thang down to. Thanks to Matthew Cook who, I have on very good authority, has only just left school and this is his first lighting gig at The Duchess. Well that is the way to make your mark. a case of not hiding your lights under a bushel. Brilliant atmosphere.
A nice clear sound mix by Dave Martin.
The costumes will also take you back in time. Leathers and flares a plenty, wide collared shirts and Saturday Night Fever suits, lycra and crop tops. it could even be my wardrobe they raided, but no, the costumes were all provided by the committee and family and friends.
Choreography is by Carol Lawson and what an amazing job she did. I wanted to be on that stage as they looked like they were having so much fun. So many classic 70's disco moves, and when you think that all of these moves and the music would have been quite new to many of these young actors, they did Carol proud with their energy and enthusiasm.
Produced and Directed by Chrissie Oakden, she kept the all important energy going throughout.
I noted as well that Erewash Sound got a mention from Roddie. i wonder whose decision it was to include that in the script?
I now have a couple of gripes which, i imagine aren't anything this group could change.
This musical was released for youth groups to perform but there are certain words and phrases which I personally thought were not suitable for some of the young actors and came across as a bit embarrassing.
I have a feeling that when the script and the musical is released, the group performing has to stick to the script verbatim, being unable to change anything, not even odd words. I feel that by changing some of the more adult words and turn of phrases, the delivery of phrases like "tossing" could have been removed or changed to something less explicit. I am by no means a prude but for such young actors, it may be that they were not even aware of the meanings within this script. This I feel may be in the contract in leasing the rights to perform not to change or alter the script and not with the theatre group performing it.
Secondly, and again nothing at all to do with EMUS, the year the musical is set is 1977 and a couple of timelined years prior to 1977. You'd have thought that Shane Richie, Jon Conway and Terry Morrison may have done their musical history as several of the songs featured weren't even written until later that decade and some not until the 1980s.
That aside, the music is like being at the best disco in the world, "You Sexy Thing", "Celebration", "Disco Inferno", "YMCA", "Can You Feel It", "The Hustle", "Sugar Baby Love", "Lady Marmalade", "I Will Survive", "Don't Go Breaking My Heart", "Play that Funky Music" as well as some nice 70's ballads "Sorry Seems To be The Hardest Word", "If You Leave Me Now", "Yesterday Once More" and "Always On My Mind".
A few issues with mics but nothing that could mar this celebration of all things fun and 70's, plus spotting all of those 70's references including a comic segment of Simon Bates' "Our Tune" with Roddie's story.
Being involved in radio i happen to know that this segment in Simon Bates' show didn't start until 1979 and the song that was played wasn't recorded until 1981. Shane Richie if you need any music research done for your next musical, give me a call!
"Boogie Nights" is night of fun with some of the best music from the 70's and 80's and a wonderful cast with boundless energy and great enthusiasm throughout the whole show.
You can see this show at The Duchess Theatre in Long Eaton until Saturday 8 July 2017 and don't forget to take your boogie shows with you, because you should be dancing by the end of the last dance.
Oklahoma
Ripley and Alfreton Musical Theatre Company
Palace Theatre, Mansfield
July 5th 2017
I have seen Oklahoma many times and this production confirmed my love of it- familiar tunes, beautiful melodies and foot tapping choruses, belted out by a strong cast.
Set in the Oklahoma territory in the early 1900s, the show tells the story of two pairs of lovers. Curly is a cowboy who has trouble admitting his feelings to Laurey, as she does to him, because of their stubbornness. Judd, the hired hand at Laurey's farm, tries to come between them. Ado Annie is torn between Will, a cowboy who has strong feelings for her, and Ali Hakim, a peddler who's a ladies' man and doesn't want to marry her. These plotlines are supported by a number of well-known songs and routines.
The Principal Actors were led by the excellent Andy Quinn and Helen Perry as Curly and Laurey.
Laurey is a character who is feisty to the point of stubbornness- after all it is her ill judged fit of pique at Curly that precipitates the action- but she must be played as sweet and vulnerable, too. Helen achieved this with sensitive and nuanced acting and her beautiful voice was a joy to listen to.
Andy’s Curly is strong and determined with plenty of charm to enthral both Laurey and the audience. Not an easy characterisation to get right- this is someone who sets out to encourage a rival to commit suicide and, later, sells all his belongings just to prove a point- but we’re supposed to love him and Andy made sure we did. Another beautiful rich voice which stole the show.
The pairing of Joe Millward as Will Parker and Kelly Beniston as Ado Annie was enchanting, beautifully played by both for maximum humour. Joe fully exploited Will’s empty headed charm and treated us to some excellent acting, singing and dancing- a real triple threat! Kelly’s Ado was sheer fun and her rendition of ‘I cain’t say no’ was one of the best I’ve heard: she made every word count and gave a fine example of how to perform a song, not just sing it.
Roger Bode, as Ali Hakim, had the unenviable task of delivering lines and a humour filled characterisation while maintaining a Turkish accent, and he did this splendidly. Other good performances came from Paul Mills as Judd Fry - lovely menacing swagger and delivery, Sinead Parkin as a feisty but warm Aunt Ellen, Cameron Trail as the fearsome shotgun-toting Andrew Carnes and Kate Viles as the delightfully shrill giggler, Gertie Cummings.
They were very well supported by the ensemble – Marie Madej, Emily Coxhead, Jonny Cox, Helen Hardy, Charmian McBernie, Carys Tudor, Roger Davis, Charlotte Bond, Alison Bond, Ross Trail, Nigel Grundy and Eloise Oats.
I must congratulate the director, Duncan Leech and the choreographer Rachael-Louisa Bray, on their ability to stage chorus scenes that filled the stage with interest and movement, with only around 20 performers. The set piece ‘Oklahoma’ looked magnificent and sounded beautiful. Intelligent compromises meant that the lack of men in the chorus was overcome.
Lisa Mills (Musical Director) must also be congratulated for the hard work that must have gone into helping the cast and orchestra achieve the high standard of musical performance.
I particularly enjoyed the "Dream Sequence" (never easy to do) and the big show numbers such as "The Farmer and the Cowman Should be Friends" and "Kansas City", which were all excellent. The staging was effective with a lovely windmill, evocative back drops and a cleverly constructed smokehouse.
It is always good to hear the great Rogers and Hammerstein tunes, but this show also has a strong narrative arc and was one of the first of the new breed of shows which were stories with music rather than songs loosely linked by a story. As a consequence, the show not only needs good singers and dancers but also good actors: Ripley and Alfreton Musical Theatre Company have this talent. Congratulations to all of them for working so hard to bring this old favourite to life.
Scene changes were rapid and smooth, but there were times when some scenes did not start quickly enough, which slowed the pace down, probably a first night glitch. Also, there was some over amplification which affected the purity and quality of the sound, particularly during some of the songs.
The audience showed its appreciation by giving the cast a well deserved prolonged ovation at the end with a number standing, including me. We all went out humming and with smiles on our faces.
The Show That Goes Wrong
National Tour
Theatre Royal Nottingham
July 3rd 2017
The Play That Goes Wrong (the play within the play) certainly did!! It was full of the excellent special effects and actors who excelled in physical and spoken comedy. I cannot tell you about what actually happens during the play as that would quite definitely spoil your enjoyment if you are planning to come along and see it.
However, what you will see is some superb acting and in Particular physical acting of a very high order. Actually some elements of what they did was difficult to work out.
There were moments when it looked as though the actors were actually in real danger. There was superb choreographed movements and incredible staging which often led to gasps from the audience.
The set plays an important part in the play and I think you will marvel at how it is used and how it works. Although the "show" went wrong, the staging never did.
Some of the funniest moments for me were the two monologues at the start of each act. These were given by the "shows" director played by Patrick Warner. He is a great character actor and was very funny as were the two monologues.
The rest of the cast were very good too. They were:
Graeme Rooney (Trevor), Katie Bernstein (Annie), Jason Callender(Jonathan), Adam Byron (Robert), Edward Howells (Dennis), Meg Mortell (Sandra), Alastair Kirton (Max), Natasha Culley (Claire Rice), Jams Watterson (Arthur), Helena Muir (Doris), Matthew Howell (Jimbo).
The production was good and Director Mark Bell and his creative team are to be congratulated on putting such a complicated technical show together so well.
The show itself is reliant on slapstick humour, physical comedy and technical use of the set and lights. These elements all came together well which is why this show has received much acclaim from audiences and critics alike. The cast received a prolonged ovation from the audience at the end of tonight's performance.
If you like this kind of comedy you will most certainly like this show which continues at the Theatre Royal until Saturday.
The Addams Family
National Tour
Theatre Royal Nottingham
June 27th 2017
Tonight we have been entertained by a very enjoyable production of the Addams Family Musical.
A very good cast performed this musical with aplomb. The songs were tuneful and the script was very funny. The production was good and the set, lighting and sound contributed significantly to my enjoyment of the show. It was a very fresh and dynamic production. It has a decent story which combined with the songs moved the show along a a good pace.
The special effects were just right - not too over the top but never the less effective.
It was good to see this TV favourite of the 1960’s adapted for the stage so well - retaining the essence of the story and the characters and combining it with songs, music and dancing added to the charm.
I enjoyed all the performances of this professional cast but in particular those of Samantha Womack as Morticia, Les Dennis as Fester, Carrie Hope Fletcher as Wednesday Addams and Cameron Blakely as Gomez.
Also very good were Valda Avils as Grandma Addams, Charlotte Page as Alice Beineke, Dale Rapley as Mal Beineke, Grant McIntyre as Pugsley Addams, Dickon Gough as Lurch and Oliver Ormson as Lucas Beineke.
There was also a very good ensemble who sang and danced very well. The choreography was excellent and well executed.
The show ended with a standing ovation Plus prolonged and sustained applause from the pretty full theatre.
I can certainly recommend this version of the show whether you were a fan of the original tv series (in Black and White) or not. It plays until Saturday.
Next week will be very busy one, theatre wise, with The Show That Goes Wrong, here at the Royal on Monday, Oklahoma at The Palace Mansfield on Wednesday, Boogie Nights at the Duchess in Long Eaton on Thursday and The Pirates of Penzance at the Nottingham Arts Theatre on Saturday. Reports on them all here on Theatre Online
Funny Girl
National Tour
Theatre Royal Nottingham
June 13th 2017
Funny Girl at the Royal was excellent and ended with an instant whole theatre standing ovation along with prolonged applause and cheering.
Natasha J Barnes was brilliant accompanied by an excellent cast and orchestra. She was well liked by the audience and proved herself to be a very versatile actor, singer and dancer. Darius Campbell in the role of Nick Arnstein supported her well singing and dancing to a good standard and by providing a contrasting character to that of Fanny.
The excellent cast included Nigel Barber (Florenz Ziegfeld), Zoe Ann Bown (Mrs Meeker), Kit Benjamin (Mr keeney), Jennifer Harding( Emma),
Nova Skipp (Mrs Brice), Joshua lay (Eddie Ryan) and Myra Sands
(Mrs Strakosh) and Rianne Alleyne, Kit Benjamin, lloyd Davies, Flora Dawson, Joseph Dockree, Abigayle Honeywill, Bronte Lavine, David McIntosh, Peter Nash, Gillian Parkhouse, Tom Partridge, Nova Skipp, Alexandra Waite-Roberts, Sam Wingfield, Alexandra Wright.
The show itself has some wonderful songs in it for both the soloists and ensemble including, People, Don't Rain on My Parade, Funny Girl, Sadie, Sadie, I'm The Greatest Star and a number of others.
It moves at quite a pace and combines comedy with some more serious and poignant scenes. There were some excellent whole cast set pieces such as the hilarious Bridal Scene - His Love Makes Me Beautiful - and the very well choreographed military routine - Rat - Tat - Tat - Tat.
The set, lighting and sound were all good and scene and prop changes were smooth quick and mainly in the hands of the cast.
I enjoyed this show in London and I think maybe even more so here in Nottingham.
Zak Scott and Guests
A Stage for All
Duchess Theatre Long Eaton
June 1st 2017
Tonight at the Duchess Theatre in Long Eaton, Zak Scott and Emily Cox entertained us with a varied programme of musical theatre songs. There was a mixture of well known classics with some lesser known but interesting modern pieces.
Both have strong voices and were confident in their performances throughout. Zak's powerful tenor voice is well suited to some of musical theatres best loved ballads such as Bring Him Home from Les Miss and Younger Than Springtime from South Pacific. Zak has been performing now for over 10 years and took this opportunity to talk about some of the shows he had been in during the evening.
Emily has a lovely operatic voice and thrilled us with songs from Les Miss and Phantom of the Opera to name just 2. In a complete change of style she also sang a song from The Little Mermaid which was lovely. She proved by doing this her versatility as a singer.
During the show Zak's natural style of presentation came through and some banter with Leon Wade (MD) and the band was very funny. He also worked the audience well.
Zak also talked about his work as a first responder and with the help of some "willing" volunteers and equipment taught us all a bit of first aid.
Both Zak and Emily are singers of considerable quality and the audience were happy to show their appreciation at the end. We all enjoyed joining in with the final song - Any Dream Will Do from Joseph.
Zak and Emily were accompanied by a three piece band led by Leon Wade. They sounded very good and were just right for the programme Zak had put together.
Well done to both artists for their superb singing and to Zak for devising the idea for the show.
This was a one night only production but I suspect we may see more in the future.
Little Shop of Horrors
The Kristian Thomas Company
The Bonnington Theatre, Arnold
May 31st 2017
Little Shop finished at the Bonnington Theatre to a resounding and prolonged ovation.
This is one of the best versions of this show that I have seen. In addition to my comments on Act 1 I offer these.
The performances of this very talented cast were great and I felt that the choreography of Kristian was incredibly good. Very tight and exciting routines throughout which were very impressive. Very well executed as well.
I was very impressed with the sound of the backing singers if that's what we call them featuring Georgie Bond, Emily Corner, Emily Gent, Tayla Evans and Kirsty Rice. What a sound they made together and individually.
The excellent singing, Dancing and Acting Ensemble were Anna Cousins, Andrew Buxton, Benito Preite, Charlotte Bond, George Kemish, Katie Lawson, Laura Powell and Rob Chilton.
The Direction by Alysha Gomes was equally tight and allowed the whole cast to be part of the action. She obviously made sure that everyone had something to do and a place to go. Tom Bond is also to be congratulated for the quality of the band but also the high standard of the vocals.
Sound by Harry Greatorex was sharp and clear and the lighting by Stephen Greatorex was dynamic and atmospheric.
The staging was good throughout.
Vocally all were very good and there was a good balance between the band and the performers.
A good example of this was a routine in front of the curtains at the start of Act 2. This involved most of the ensemble and was fantastic. Tight and very fast choreography that had many in the audience clapping and cheering.
I am not saying much about Audrey 2 (the plant) except that you need to come and see it for yourself. I fact you need to come and see the show as it is one I am sure most people will enjoy.
Well done to The Kristian Thomas Company - I shall certainly becoming to future shows.
West Side Story
Carlton Operatic Society
Theatre Royal Nottingham
May 30th 2017
I have seen this show many times over the years and have grown to love it but tonight I saw a production that rocked me to my very core. The Carlton Operatic Society once more proved themselves to be one of the finest amateur groups in the midlands. But this was no amateur production – it was professional in all the elements that make this musical one of the finest in the 20th century.
West Side Story is a musical with a book by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and conception and choreography by Jerome Robbins. It was inspired by William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet.
The musical is about the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks, two teenage street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds. Tony, a former member of the Jets and best friend of the gang leader, Riff, falls in love with Maria, the sister of Bernardo, the leader of the Sharks. The dark theme, sophisticated music, extended dance scenes, and focus on social problems marked a turning point in American musical theatre.
There is so much fine music in Bernstein's blistering score including "Something's Coming", "Maria", "America", "Somewhere", "Tonight", "Jet Song", "I Feel Pretty", "A Boy Like That", "One Hand, One Heart", "Gee, Officer Krupke", and "Cool". Dance is at the heart of the show and there is also some very fine instrumental to accompany it.
By the interval I was totally overcome by the standard of this production from the wonderful set piece dance routines to the superbly performed vocals of both principals and ensemble.
The Principal line up was incredibly strong led by Matt Wesson who played Tony who fell in love with Maria, a young girl from Puerto Rico played by Ella Greenwood. Both of these actors have incredible voices and their solos and duets were sublime. Matt has an extraordinary voice with a wide vocal range but he never once strained to hit the top notes while maintaining a smooth and very calm tone. Ella sang beautifully and her duet with Matt, “One Hand One Heart was quite frankly sublime. Both of them are also very skilled actors whose characterisations were spot on.
Another superb actress and singer is Judie Matthews who played Maria’s sister Anita. Her voice so powerful and her rendition of America and A boy like that was a good as you will ever hear.
Playing the role of the leader of the Jets, Riff, was Patrick McChrystal a well-known local performer. His characterisation was excellent as was Paice Lees as his rival from the Sharks, Bernado.
I cannot mention in detail all the rest of the cast as there are too many and in many respects this is an ensemble piece and all are important and many have small cameo roles. They do deserve a mention though as this was one of the best ensemble casts I have seen.
The Jets were: Patrick McChrystal (Riff), Liam Hall (Action), James Murray (A-Rab), Matty Collins (Baby John), Alex Tilley (Showboy), Sam Ward (Big Deal), Joseph Smith (Diesel), Rosie Cotter (Anybodys) – Their Girls: Amy Rogers Gee (Graziella), Sophie Petruccio (Velma), Charlotte Barrington (Minnie), Celine McKeown (Clarice), Abby Wells (Joanne), Katherine McNamara(Pauline), Sarah Millington (Marilyn), Eva Shappard (Diana), Laura Thurman (Delores), Beth Wear (Julia).
The Sharks were: Paice Lees (Bernado), AlexHuntley (Chino), Ray Mcleod (Pepe), Khalil Derrache- Thompson) (Indio), Callum Hall (Juano), Andrew Dennis (Nibbles). The Shark Girls were: Helen Tunnicliff (Rosalia), Charleigh Hurst (Francisca), Jess Royce (Consuelo), Laura Ellis (Conchita), Sarah Hill (Josephina), Georgia Hodgett-Young (Isabel), Ellie Monterosso (Carmen), Soliel Quarless (Catalina), Bekki Wilson (Teresa).
The Adults were: Mike Newbold (Officer Krupke), Graham Ward (Lieutenant Shrank) and Adam Collishaw (Doc).
The choreography was stunning throughout and its execution by the whole cast would take some beating even by professional performers. The routines were challenging and there was no dumbing down at all. The dancing was often accompanied by difficult gymnastic movements and within the set piece dance scenes there was considerable individual choreography which was very effective. The choreographer, Rachel Rees did a stunning job.
Although I enjoyed all of the scenes I want to particularly mention how good The Gee Officer Krupke number was. I think it was probably the best I have ever seen both in its choreography and performance. Also the dream sequence was beautifully choreographed and danced.
The power of the performances certainly matched the power of Bernstein's amazing score and with that in mind I cannot praise enough the 28 piece orchestra conducted by Chris Rees. It was quite simply one of the best I have heard for some time. The orchestra was behind the set I could hear every word that was said or sung. Despite the power of the score the orchestra never over powered the singers.
Another very impressive element was the lighting plot by Tom Mowat. It was very imaginative and greatly enhanced the atmosphere of the scenes.
The scene changes were very quick and very smooth under the control of the Stage Manager Vicky Johnson and her excellent crew.
The way the "Officer Krupke" number was performed was the best I have seen. Also the dream sequence was beautifully choreographed and danced.
Much praise must go to the production team of Amanda Hall (Director), Chris Rees (Musical Director), Rachael Rees (Choreographer) and Ross Lowe (Assistant Director) for creating a production of such high quality in all departments.
Amanda Hall has produced many outstandingly good shows in a number of local theatres but this must rate as one of her finest to date. He incredible directorial ability shone through the whole show. She was, of course, very well supported by her team of Chris Rees (Musical Director), Rachael Rees(Choreographer) and Ross Lowe (Assistant Director). Together they have most certainly for created a production of such high quality that will be talked about for a long time to come.
And so The Carlton Operatic Society has once again a hit on its hands such that the audience gave the show a prolonged and enthusiastic ovation at the end which was very well deserved.
In my opinion this is a production that all fans of musical theatre need to see before it ends at the Theatre Royal on Saturday. Get your tickets soon as when the word gets around there will not be many tickets left.
Punk Rock
Creatio Arts
Guildhall Derby
May 26th 2017
Punk Rock is the story of tensions at a grammar school amongst seven high-achieving teenagers. They are holed up in the Upper School library, tucked away from supervision, revising — or not, as the case may be — for their mock A-Levels. It explores themes easily recognisable in a school context: bullying, anxiety and confusion, with each character’s pain and uncertainty explored. As exam pressure builds and relationships alter, a raw undercurrent of extraordinary hostility is revealed, leading to dire consequences for them all.
It is not an easy play for a young cast to perform, but they did it well, with all of the actors showing confidence while on stage and performing their roles thoughtfully and with good characterisation. However, some of the witty and humorous lines embedded in the script were not always delivered slowly or clearly enough and they were then occasionally lost on the audience.
The cast all gave strong performances. They were Morgan Radcliffe (William), Lucy Judson (Lilly), Keenan Jones (Bennett), Lewis Haycock (Nicholas), Emily Cox (Cissy), Lowry Spear (Tanya) and Jack Ready hoof (Chadwick). They are all to be congratulated for the way in which they brought life to their respective characters. Both physical and vocal mannerisms had been explored to add depth and a naturalistic style enabled us to believe in all the characters. The writing is derivative –we’ve met similar scenarios in other plays before- and the characters could be mere stereotypes, but clever direction and attention to detail by the actors overcame this. There was a huge amount of text to analyse, practise and commit to memory, as well as some complicated physical stuff, so I am full of admiration for the work that must have gone in to get it all right. I enjoyed watching all of the cast, particularly those I have seen grow and mature as actors over the past few years.
The set was good and used well throughout; lighting and a cacophony of sound was effective and well managed to create a sense of growing menace.
Congratulations to Matt Powell (assisted by Lisa Judson, who also played the part of
Dr. Rachael Harvey), for taking on the challenge of this play and for working so dynamically with the cast to bring it to life. They were well supported by Producers, Andrea Peacock and Katie Wendorff, who were also the Stage Managers. The audience appreciated all their work tonight with sustained applause at the end, which was well deserved.
There was no curtain call, which I really missed, as I like to applaud actors for the entertainment they have provided. However, I was able to express my appreciation personally with some of the cast afterwards.
The themes in the play are thought provoking and sadly relevant today: this in itself made it worth going to see. It doesn’t provide any answers, but rather leads us to ask more questions and ponder how, as a society, we should address and try to prevent disaffection.
Well done to all who were involved in the production, which again showed us the strength, depth and range of this young but talented company.
Shirley Valentine
National Tour
Nottingham Theatre Royal
May 22nd 2017
It's thirty years since Willy Russell introduced audiences to Shirley Valentine, the bored and taken for granted wife who rediscovers her love of life on a secret holiday in Greece. The part was originally played on stage and screen by Pauline Collins. The play has been revived over the years, including a return to the West End with Meera Syal in 2010. This current tour starring Jodie Prenger gives us another chance to enjoy a sharp witted and edgy script, delivered by an amusing and likeable heroine.
Jodie brilliantly characterises the many characters that make up Shirley's world, with a range of lovely accents, some hilarious posturing and perfect comic timing. Dominating the stage, she appears as a force to be reckoned with, but she also manages to convey vulnerability and a simmering resentment, plus the sense of wasted time that galvanises Shirley into action. Things may have changed over the past 30 years, but many of the themes covered in this play are still relevant today: relationships tire, midlife can bring crisis and empty nests can cause a loss of focus. These rather sad themes are delivered with such witty observation and sharp humour that we laugh along with Shirley and never pity her.
Glen Walford's direction is well paced and keeps the audience engaged with plenty of action to accompany the monologue. We’re fascinated but not distracted by Shirley’s cooking (the smell of chips adding another sensory delight!) and Amy Yardley's comfortable kitchen scene is richly detailed. The Greek Beach scene is minimal but atmospheric, with gentle background sounds, and it makes a stark contrast between life at home and living the dream. Both the director and designer have left many things to our imagination, their skill and that of the actor enable us to draw our own pictures of unseen characters and scenes.
I really enjoyed this play (I have never seen it before) and would recommend you see it, not just for Russell’s superb script but also for Jodie’s skilful, comedic and emotional performance.
Rent
National Tour
Nottingham Playhouse
May 19th 2017
Rent at Nottingham Playhouse was .... sensational. I have until tonight not enjoyed this show but so far that opinion has been turned upside down.
Fantastic production in all departments - fast and furious choreography accompanied by outstanding singing. This is a rock style musical but unlike others I have seen the sound of the band is not overwhelming. It is loud but just right.
Layton Williams, playing Angel is just unbelievable. His characterisation is powerful yet there are tender moments in his performance too. He sings so beautifully but the sheer physicality of performance is unbelievable. His first big number was accompanied by gymnastic moves and "the splits." I am overwhelmed by the magic of his skill at playing this part. From Billy Elliot as a non dancer to this is spellbinding.
However good Layton's performance is I have to say that the rest of the cast, both principals and ensemble are stepping up to the mark and often exceeding it. This is a show which such a talented cast that it at times takes my breath away. I can't believe how my attitude to the show has changed. I am literally loving every moment of it.
There were very strong performances from all the principal cast including: Billy Cullum (Mark), Ross Hunter (Roger),
Ryan O'Gorham (Tom), Philippa Stephani (Mimi), Lucie Jones (Maureen) and Shanay Holmes (Joanne). I think there was an understudy for the part of Benjamin but if I am wrong sorry to Javar La'Trail Parker. (Disclaimer - I did not have a programme so I hope I have got the names and roles correct but if not I apologise!).
This show does require a strong ensemble and this production provides it. Full of energy and power they provided excellent vocals and dance of an extraordinary quality. Sometimes it was hard to know where to look as they moved often at great speed around the composite set. This was excellent and provided performance areas on different levels. The lighting was effectively used to show these area when required.
There was all kind of movement during the show including ballet and gymnastic choreography - very interesting and exciting at times.
The scene changes were as fast, I think, as I have ever seen. Large and small areas of the set were moved by the cast and props came and went very smoothly and with speed.
The Director, Bruce Guthrie, along with Musical Director Phil Cornwall and Choreographer Lee Proud have done a wonderful job bringing this 20th anniversary production back to the stage.
Just one minor niggle. I would have liked to have seen Seasons of Love performed again at the end but appreciate maybe the Director felt it better to end just with the bows to retain the atmosphere of the ending. There was a full theatre standing ovation as I predicted at the end. I was very glad about that as the cast certainly deserved it.
To conclude tonight has been very special for me as it has quite simply turned me into a big fan of the show. Before I went I wasn't that keen but I left wanting to see it again soon. Unfortunately, it won't be at the Playhouse this week.
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Greasepaint Productions UK
Loughborough Town Hall
May 16th 2017
It was good to be back at the Town Hall Theatre in Loughborough to see a local theatre company - one I had not seen before - producing a musical that was also unknown to me. This was a Regional Premiere of the musical that was performed in the West End in 2004, so I was looking forward to seeing it. I have to say I had a great evening and was most impressed by both the show and Greasepaint Productions.
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels the Musical is based on the classic comedy film starring Sir Michael Caine and Steve Martin. We are transported to the French Riviera and its decadent underworld, as two seasoned swindlers attempt to hoodwink a millionaire heiress. As the pair compete in the true art of the con, they discover there is only room for one of them. I will say no more about the plot, so as not to spoil it. The script has been updated for current personalities and events, which gives it added humour and freshness.
The standard of performance of both Principals and ensemble was very high indeed. The Principal roles are very demanding, but the challenge was met and then exceeded by all of them. Nearly the whole cast were involved in some high energy dance routines throughout the show and they were excellent. A satisfying and very funny story, complete with touches of the absurd and wry nods to the audience, kept us thoroughly engaged and entertained.
Lyndon Perry was excellent in the role of Lawrence Jameson: he is an accomplished actor, singer and dancer who oozes charm. His characterisation of the suave, sophisticated and charismatic scoundrel was spot on. Audiences adore a loveable rogue and Lyndon got us on side immediately, ignoring the dubious nature of his activities and rooting for his success!
James Nelson just excelled as the other loveable rogue, Freddy Benson. He was thoroughly convincing as the small time con artist with big ambitions; his diction, delivery and comic timing were brilliant. He is also a great singer and dancer and a master of physical comedy: his loose limbed cavorting was a joy to watch.
The relationship between Freddy and Lawrence was beautifully portrayed, owing to skilled direction and the charisma of- and chemistry between - the actors.
Erica Makin played the alleged soap heiress Christine Colgate. She has a great voice and perfectly portrayed the innocent and clumsy small town girl who is hiding a secret. Another great all-rounder who understands comic timing and projection, her performance was thoroughly engaging.
Also playing principal roles with great skill were Sean Hicking (Andre Thibault), Jodie Blowfield (Muriel Eubanks) and Jenny Nelson (Jolene Oakes). All gave us wonderful comic moments, such as the developing relationship between Andre & Muriel and Jolene’s attempts to lure Lawrence to Oklahoma.
The excellent ensemble were in a number of dance routines, some complicated, and they all performed them very well. A number of them played small cameo roles as well. The choreography by Jeanette Patrick-Cooper and Shane Perry was beautifully paced, energetic and attractive - and evocative of the Riviera film genre from which the story originates.
The ensemble was: Alan Clark, Aux Larter, Bryony Lovett, Gazz Lander, Gareth Wynne, Gemma Landers, Gillian Leeson, Ian Dean, Jade Waltham, James Courtney, Jessica Ruth, Jonny Painting, Judith Coles, Keith Reynolds, Linda Moulton, Natalie Hallam, Paul Hopkin, Paul Leeming, Rachael Gunn, Sarah Hender, Scott Tomkins, Shane Perry, Tania Smith and Valerie Schmitt-Li.
The orchestra was very good and accompanied the performers sympathetically. There was clever incidental music played underneath and between certain moments, which complemented the action effectively. The Musical Director, James Stevens, did a very good job ensuring that the standards of music and singing were as high as the standard of acting.
There were a lot of scene changes in the show, which were effectively dealt with by the Stage Manager, Lynsey Bloomfield and an excellent stage crew. The set was cleverly constructed and versatile and effectively conveyed the sunlit, luxurious atmosphere of the Riviera. The same applies to the costumes: both set and costumes were effective in transporting us to the South of France.
The show ended with a well deserved and prolonged ovation; the Finale was first class and ended post curtain calls with the cast informally dancing off stage. Great stuff.
This production was hugely entertaining, sharp and fresh and contained some of the best comic moments I have seen. The Director, Shane Perry and his production team are to be congratulated for bringing a less well known musical to the stage and making a huge success of the Regional Premiere.
The sound directed by Dave Cooper and Jack Harper was crisp and clear and overall so was the lighting designed by Kevin Cutts.
I am now looking forward to seeing more productions from this high quality local theatre company.
All Shook Up
Beeston Musical Theatre Group
Duchess Theatre Long Eaton
May 9th 2017
The audience at last night’s opening performance of their 50th Anniversary year from the highly regarded Beeston Musical Theatre Group were suitably “All Shook Up” from the start of the show to its excellent finale.
The production team of Chris Collington (Director), Jodie Cresdee (Choreographer), Nathan Truesdale (Musical Director) with Lisa Smith and Gary Smith (Staging) are to be congratulated for a show of the highest quality in all departments.
All Shook Up is a 2004 American jukebox musical with Elvis Presley music and with a book by Joe DiPietro. The story is very loosely based on William Shakespeare's 1602 play Twelfth Night. There is only a little of Shakespeare’s original story in it, although it pays homage to some of the universal themes, and is a very witty and well structured musical in its own right.
It uses many of Elvis’ hits such as "Jailhouse Rock," "Love Me Tender," Heartbreak Hotel," Blue Suede Shoes," plus the title song "All Shook Up." I thought they were very well adapted to help tell what is a good story of love in a small American town. The story concerns Chad, a hip-swivelling, guitar-playing roustabout, being released from a short spell in prison and what subsequently happens to him and the people he meets - many of whom find love unexpectedly!
The standard of singing of both the principals and the excellent ensemble was very high indeed. Accompanied by the great orchestra conducted by the musical director, Nathan Truesdale, the cast excelled and filled the theatre with the great melodies and toe tapping tunes made famous by Elvis Presley.
I have never seen this show before and I thought it was very well written, had a solid story and the various themes came together well at the end. It was also very funny in parts and laughs at itself; it is obviously a show that the cast really enjoy performing.
The principal cast was very strong with Chris Bryan as a confident and beguiling Chad, David Hunt as the perfectly pitched nerd Dennis and Laura Such as a delightfully endearing Natalie. Abby Riddell is a warm and feisty Sylvia, John Hand a naïve but self aware Dean and Claire Rybicki a sweet and lively Lorraine. Keli Wain plays a deliciously vampish Sandra, Simon Owen a gruffly lovesick Jim, Cat Tuckey a wonderfully uptight Matilda and Rob Holsman a hilariously vacant Earl. All excellently characterised and fully believable, with the power and projection to keep the audience fully engaged.
They were supported by an outstanding ensemble that sang and danced with conviction, precision and joy. Well done to Ronja Breitkopf, Andy Bulmer, Jennifer Chatten, Jane Cottee, Daniel Da’Bell, Alex Grosse, Martin Holton, Mariko Jones, Mina Machin, John Maddison, Cheryl Mills, Rachel Maddison, Ruth Norris-Maddison, Lottie Valks and Christine Walton.
The imaginative direction and tight choreography ensures that every song is enlivened by movement and each scene is visually interesting. The show moves with considerable pace and this production has capitalised on that with energy and excitement - and a knowing self-deprecation. Breaking the fourth wall doesn’t always work, but in this show the nods to the audience and the sheer delight the performers have in their characters’ foibles add a lot of fun.
The choreography is so evocative of the time in which the action is set and each move and every hand gesture beautifully thought out. Comic highlights abound: a scene with the Mayor and several bearded elderly ladies of the town brought the house down; it isn’t just the youngsters in this group who can dance and sing up a storm!
The lighting by Dave Martin and the sound by Harry Greatorex (tonight controlled by Chris Collington) were very good and the theatre's new sound system worked well.
The show was stage managed by Lisa Smith and Garry Smith and their stage crew changed the set with speed, efficiency and near invisibility. The set itself was simple but appropriate and was used well to enhance the story and keep the action moving. Well done also to Mina Machin for the colourful and hugely evocative costumes, which add so much to the overall look.
The band was excellent and given that the show has an often powerful rock and roll sound, the balance between them and the performers was very good.
I loved this show from start to finish and would be very happy to see it again! It ended with one of the best managed finale/ curtain calls I have seen for quite a while, performed with huge energy by the entire cast. Many in the theatre tonight stood up at the end (including me) and gave the cast a prolonged and enthusiastic ovation, which they so richly deserved.
I am delighted that BMTG’s next production is ‘Spamalot’: from what I have seen tonight their talent for energetic high comedy will ensure that we are in for another treat.
I have no doubt that you too will be genuinely “All Shook Up” if you go and see this excellent production, but you need to get your tickets quickly as it is “Now or Never” – well certainly after Saturday evening!
Gypsy
Christchurch Theatre Club
Lougborough Town Hall
May 1st 2017
What a fantastic show this was tonight from a renowned Musical Theatre Club that, for some reason, I have never seen before. One thing is certain though, it will not be my last time watching this company, who tonight produced a highly polished performance of a professional standard. There was a very strong cast overall, plus some exceptionally good principals.
Gypsy was first performed on Broadway in 1959 and has music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by Arthur Laurent.
It is loosely based on the 1957 memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee the famous striptease artist, and focuses on her mother, Rose whose name has become synonymous with "the ultimate show business mother." It follows the dreams and efforts of Rose to raise two daughters to perform onstage and casts an affectionate eye on the hardships of show business life.
The musical contains many songs that have become popular standards, including "Everything's Coming up Roses”, "Together (Wherever We Go)”, "Small World", "Let Me Entertain You", "All I Need Is the Girl", and "Rose's Turn".
The part of Momma Rose was played by the wonderful Liz Berrisford. She ended Act 1 with a brilliant rendition of the well loved standard Every Things Coming Up Roses: this was a real show stopper and a thrilling experience. Her dynamic performance was thoroughly engaging and beautifully acted throughout, putting her up there with the many others who have played this powerful and demanding role. The intensity of her passion to live her own dreams and make a star of one of her daughters - at any expense -was expertly characterised. Liz managed to retain our sympathy even at her ‘stage mom’ worst, by investing her character with humour and warmth and an irresistible drive.
Lee Costelow played Herbie who falls in love with Rose and then has to put up with her obsession with the theatre. He is an excellent actor, another one who can characterise his performance with an engaging warmth and humanity; he also has a lovely singing voice.
I loved the performances of the youngsters in the first part of Act One, which included some well performed gymnastics from one of the boys. A huge well done to Beth Barber (Baby June) and Lauren Honeysett (Baby Louise) who are both very talented young performers. The other young performers were Harriet Woodward, Charlie Ann Mudge, Matthew Leeming, Luca Anastassiades, Noah Anastassiades, Scott Millar, Tommy Mudge and Charlie Ward. The transition between the children and their adult counterparts was smoothly achieved during a dance number; our delight at the youngsters’ performances was even further increased by their adult counterparts.
Both the adult June played by Anja Palmer and her adult sister Louise played by Lucy Maden are excellent performers. I loved their duet, "If Moma was married." The adult “boys” all played their respective parts well. Their dancing, when not deliberately ‘off beat’ was very good and their comedy timing was spot on.
Among many good performances I particularly liked “All I need is the girl” performed by Ashley Bright (Tulsa) and Lucy Maden (Louise).
The choreography must have been thoroughly researched to replicate the dances of the period in which the musical is set. It was a delight to sample some old vaudeville routines- complete with pantomime cow- and some stirringly patriotic set pieces, all executed to an impressive standard. Some of the dancing needed to be deliberately bad, which isn’t easy to do; everybody involved must have worked their socks off to achieve all this so convincingly.
Stage management was polished and the sets, ranging from shabby rooms and backstage theatre to swanky hotel rooms and New York stages, was very appropriate. Impressively, no back stage personnel were seen on stage during the performance, at least I didn’t see any. The use of the captions on a front screen between quick changing scenes was extremely effective. This, plus the use of gauze, gave the whole production a filmic quality and helped me to feel totally engaged in the story that was being told. The company, of course, is lucky to be in a theatre that has the facility of flying curtains and set, which was enhanced by the sympathetic lighting (Robert Bridges) and excellent sound (Total Theatre).
The production team led by John R Lewin, the Director, Vicki Hing, the Musical Director, Louise Smith, the choreographer and Adrian Wray, the Stage Manager should be congratulated for producing a hugely enjoyable and slick show of a professional quality. They had a good show, great tunes and a lot of talent, but it is the way they have combined those elements that has given this particular production a touch of magic.
The Orchestra conducted by Vicki Hing was excellent throughout and the balance between it and the performers was perfect.
Everyone who enjoys high quality musical theatre should go and see this production. The audience here tonight gave the cast a very well deserved and prolonged ovation at the end with many including me, standing.
Sardined Shakespeare
Bear Left Theatre Company
Lee Rosy's
April 26th 2017
We all like surprises and last night I had a few. I was delighted to have been invited to see Bear Left Theatre’s performance of Sardined Shakespeare, but was unsure as to what it was going to be like. As I cannot claim to be a fan of the Bard, I wondered if it would be “Much Ado About Nothing.” However, my first surprise was that I had a really good and enjoyable evening, being entertained by this excellent company.My second surprise was how enjoyable it was to be in the basement of Lee Rosy’s Tea and Coffee house in the Lace Market, a small and intimate venue with a very pleasant atmosphere and great tasting coffee!
Sardined Shakespeare, devised by Sally Nix, consisted of extracts from many of Shakespeare’s well known plays, performed by Christopher Collins, Carly Smith, Stephi Durand and Sally Nix. There was a mixture of well known plays such as Henry V, Hamlet, Much Ado about Nothing, The Merry Wives of Windsor and Henry VI Part 1. There were others from less perfomed plays, such as The Two Gentlemen of Verona and King John.
I was very engaged by the performances of these extracts and really enjoyed getting a feel for the words and stories. It was rewarding to concentrate on specific scenes, which can be overlooked as part of a whole play. Even well known and familiar extracts offer something new when you have the chance to really listen to the words as a set piece. We were very close to the actors in this venue and I found that very engaging and felt very much part of the action.
The extracts followed each other very quickly and I was impressed by the way in which all four actors rapidly switched characters and in some cases, costumes and simple props. I felt there was a very good rapport between them. They had to play many roles and often of different sexes; the characterisations were convincing and they had all learned a huge number of words. No prompting was needed, and their confident delivery showed that they had analysed the texts and fully understood them. A mixture of natural delivery and some wonderful dramatic posturing kept the pace moving effectively. There were times when diction was lost due to speed of delivery, but this can easily be adjusted in subsequent performances.
There was no scenery of note, but that helped to concentrate our minds on the poetry of the words. The extracts chosen were performed as the words dictated, but there were a few moments of comedy injected between scenes and some audience interaction, which I also enjoyed.
While appreciating all the extracts, I particularly enjoyed the scene from Henry V when the King, having won the war, sets about wooing the daughter of the French King. This was very well done and the clever direction of the maid’s disapproval was very amusing.
When arriving at the venue we were given a sheet containing simple information about each scene. I found this most useful and certainly helped me understand and enjoy the scenes more than I would have done without it.
Well, that was my surprising evening, although thinking about it I should have known that Sally Nix and her cast would have something special for us.
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
National Tour
The Theatre Royal, Nottingham
April 25th 2017
This production is as fresh and entertaining as ever.
The story is based on the Biblical story of Joseph, in the Book of Genesis with a Narrator guiding us all through the adventures of the ‘dreamer’ who makes it in the end.
I enjoyed last night's performance of this popular family show which starred Joe McElderry as the dreamer Joseph, Lucy Kay as the Narrator, Ben James-Ellis as Pharaoh and Henry Metcalfe as Jacob/Potiphar. All gave solid and well-rounded performances that were enjoyed by a pretty full theatre.
It was, as often with this show, very impressed by the ensemble cast that played the brothers and many other parts as well. They provided excellent singing, dynamic dancing and incredible quick and often invisible changes of costume and scenery.
They were Lewis Asquith (Reubin/ Butler), Will Breckin (Zebulun), Darren Charles (Asher), Michael Colbourne (Napthali), Lloyd Green (Simeon), Richard J Hunt (Judah/Baker), Matt Jolly (Gad), Amanda Jones (Handmaiden), George Knapper (Benjamin),
Michael Lapham (Dan), Matthew McCabe (Levi), Sallie-Beth Lawless (Mrs Potiphar), Gemma Pipe (Handmaiden), Kevin Grogan (Swing).
The show also relies on a children's chorus that sings through a lot of the songs. They sounded very good and were from AGF Performing Arts in Nottingham. I particularly enjoyed their performance on their own at the start of Act 2. Well done to which team it was last night – Blue or Red?
I have seen many productions of this show and this was certainly up with the best of them. It was fast moving and powerful and very well-choreographed by Henry Metcalfe and Directed by the great Bill Kenwright (is there a show he hasn't produced or directed?) This production certainly has all of the elements that made it a success originally but with some newish musical arrangements of some of the songs. I loved them all but Joe's rendition of "Close Every Door" and "Any Dream will do" were particularly memorable.
This is a colourful show and the lighting, scenery and costumes were very good to look at. All scene changes were very well done and usually performed by the cast. This made for a show with considerable pace.
The show ended with a standing ovation with most remaining on their feet throughout the ever popular "Joseph Mega Mix" at the end. All were clapping and singing along proving the long lasting appeal of this family show which is now well over 40 years old. It never fails to attract audiences of both young and old. That is not surprising given the ageless story, the very catchy music and the very well written and witty lyrics.
There is really nothing to criticise this show except perhaps Andrew Lloyd Webbers propensity for repeating songs rather a lot but he can be forgiven for that given the quality and lasting appeal of many of them.
The Full Monty
The Heanor Musical Theatre Company
The Palace Theatre, Mansfield
April 20th 2017
Back home after a very enjoyable evening at the Palace Theatre in Mansfield. The show was quite long but the time sped by. It was actually 10.30pm when the curtain fell but it certainly didnt seem that late. Always a sign of a good show.
This musical version of what had first been a British film is about six unemployed Buffalo (USA) steelworkers, low on both cash and prospects who decide to perform a striptease act at a local club after seeing their wives' enthusiasm for a touring company of Chippendales. One of them, Jerry, declares that their show will be better than the Chippendales because they'll go "the full monty"—in other words strip naked. There are some good songs that help tell, what is, a strong story.
This highly professional performance was very enjoyable largely because of the excellent cast, both Principal, other parts plus Ensemble and had good direction. There were outstanding performances from:
Paul Mills (Jerry), Ben Sherwin (Harold), , Matt Fry (Dave),
Ben Jones (Malcolm), Alex McLaren (Horse), Tom Lucking (Ethan), Adela Green (Vicki), Katie Gaskin (Georgie),
Trish Church (Jeanette), Katie Richmond Ward (Pam) and
Al Tandy as Teddy. Also playing the role of the boy, Nathan was the excellent Bailey West.
The strength of any show is how everyone works together principals and ensemble. No more so than in tonight's production. It was obvious that all in the cast worked very hard and the result was a quality show.
It is therefore well done to Alana Moran, Aine O'Neil-Mason, Lydia Fry, Lauren Wells, Roger Bode, Simon Ward, Adam Carpenter,
Jonny Cox, Catherine Baker, Dorothy Platts, Suzy Meeson,
Reema Udeshi, Lucy Stokes and Sabine Bensley.
This show looked very profesional throughout and the Production team of Kim Harris (Director), Lisa Mills (Musical Director), Laura-Jane Jacobs (Choreographer) and Paul Young (Technical Director) were most certainly responsible for this. The Direction was tight fast moving and exciting, the quality of singing was high, the choreography was well planned and executed and the set was very cleverly designed and was imaginatively used.
I was delighted by the quality of the Band which from the start sounded great plus the excellent sound in the theatre. The lighting was very good as well and worked a treat in some very important scenes! Sorry but I don't know who was in charge of lighting and sound.
The staging of the show was in the hands of the Stage Manager, John Thompson and his excellent crew. Swift and very competant scene changes helped kept the show moving quickly. Infact there were 27 scenes which kept the crew pretty busy. Well done to them all.
Once again HMTC have a hit production on their hands and all concerned should be rightly proud of the result of their hard work. This is a quality company producing quality shows and I have no hesitation in saying go and support them and have a great night out before this show ends on Saturday.
You may be wondering if the lads did perform "The Full Monty at the end - well ..... I am not saying so you will have to go and see for yourself! Let's just say that many of the audience stood at the at the end to give the cast a well deserved and prolonged ovation.
Northanger Abbey
Tour from Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds
Derby Theatre
April 2017
I am delighted to say that I might not yet be a paid up member of The Jane Austen Fan Club but after tonight's performance of Northanger Abbey who knows what the future may bring.
A very enjoyable adaptation of the classic novel which I have never read or indeed never seen the film. Therefore I was not sure what I was going to see.
I was surprised to find that this is not only a very cleverly written play but very funny as well. Some great lines and characters that the cast of just 8 were able to get their teeth into.
This is an ensemble piece with all but one playing multiple roles. Actually the whole cast did everything including set changes which were very well executed.
The production moved with considerable pace and was slick and often very dramatic. The lighting and sound contributed greatly to this. I really liked the use of a piano to provide very effective and atmospheric background music and well as "jolly tunes" for the dances of which there were a few.
The set was simple but just right and was easily adapted to suit the story.
The cast were all extremely good actors led by Eva Feiler (Catherine Moreland) with Emma Ballantine, Jonathan Hansler, Harry Livingstone, Joe Parker, Annabelle Terry, Hilary Tones and Joseph Tweedale.
The play was well written by Tim Luscombe who has also adapted Persuasion and Mansfield Park plus others.
The Play was well directed by Karen Simpson along with her production team of Dawn Allsopp (Design), Julia Cave (Movement), Mark Dymock (Lighting) and Matthew Bugg (Music).
This touring production is produced by the Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds and has two more venues, Ipswich and Lancaster before finishing in May.
The large audience at Derby Theatre tonight gave the performers a very well deserved ovation at the end. I am certain that Austen Fans will love it and many like me will also.
It is 200 years this year since Jane Austen died but going by what I saw her thoughts, opinions and writings are still relevant today.
Legally Blonde
Centre Stage
Robert Ludlam Theatre Derby
April 2017
OMG - what a fabulous night at the Robert Ludlum Theatre in Derby.
Centre Stage's production of Legally Blonde was brilliant and oh so enjoyable. What a large and talented young cast too! As I said earlier they all worked so hard from start to finish. Very talented and strong principals who inhabited their roles very well, were superbly supported by a very large ensemble made up of young people from 11 to 18. It was really difficult to believe that some of them were so young.
The singing and dancing was of a very high standard and despite some of the songs being difficult they all coped very well. I was particularly impressed by some of the harmony and background singing of the ensemble. There was real power and energy in much of the singing as well. The dance routines were well choreographed and executed and the limited space was well used.
The Jail routine involving skipping was fabulous.
I enjoyed all of the big routines but must mention one in particular which was quite superbly produced, choreographed and performed - "Gay or European." This was as good if not better than any other version I have seen. So good to be able to see youngsters who can sing and perform such a song with no embarrassment. It was just performed for what it is a very funny song with great lyrics. I adored it and laughed throughout.
I was delighted to standup at the end and give these young performers the standing ovation they truly deserved.
As I said all the young performers were great and there was talent in abundance on the stage but I must mention Charlotte Crane who played the Legally Blonde, Elle Woods. What a performer who I am sure we will be see lots more of in the future. She made the part her own and dominated the stage from the moment she came on stage. Brilliant performance from such a young actor. Dancing, singing and dancing - she has it all!
In addition there were great performances from Alice Proudler (Paulette), Marcus Bush (Emmett), Luke Preston David (Professor Callahan), Bailey West( Warner), Lilja-Mai Mckevitt (Viv), Nadia Potter (Margot), Amy Burchell(Serena), Zawadi Odari (Pilar), Tabitha Hartshorn (Enid), Natasha Neal (Brooke), Iggi Duncan (Kyle). Eleanor Wentworth (Kate), Emmy Jones (Gaelen), Amber Lord ( Lellani), Hannah Riley (Judge),
Leo Duncan ( Nikos), Daniel Lane (Carlos), Ellie Abbott (Aaron), Samsher Sekhon (Sundeep), Amber Scales ( Chutney), Daniel Evans (Dewey).
The excellent Ensemble, some of whom had supporting roles, were Christina Allen, Amy Brownhill, Holly Burchell, Matthew Carrington, Isaac Drew, Phoebe Drew, Megan Frisby, Bethan Hall, Lucy Hall, Jasmine Harrison, Alisha Hunter, Ethan Jones (Grandmaster), Ella Kirk, Isaac Levitt, Indra McNaughton, Emma Merry.
To conclude there was also a great band, good staging, lighting and sound. Director: Bethany Walker and her production team (MD: Emily Marshall-Sims, Choreographer: Josephine Walker - SM: Lee Hartshorn) - should be congratulated for working with these youngsters and bringing them up to such a high standard.
It's a big well done from me to everyone involved with the show. There are two more performances tomorrow to give you such pleasure. So if you haven't got a ticket try and get one do you too can say at the end "OMG - what a show. Glad I didn't miss it!"
42nd Street
Long Eaton Operatic Society
May Hall Theatre, Trent College
April 2017
Long Eaton Operatic Society's production of 42nd Street has ended at Trent College. I must apologise for a lack of an interval report. I did write and send one but it has apparently vanished into the ether - lost for ever.
Never mind. This production is lively, luscious, fast paced and full of excellent dancing. The costumes are beautiful, the set is great, the lighting is fabulous, the sound is good and the Orchestra is excellent.
The standard of tap dancing from all involved is incredibly high and the choreographer, Laurie Trott, and the cast should accept high praise indeed.
This show is not for the feint hearted due in the main to the amount of dancing and musical routines. It demands huge amounts of commitment and indeed talent to make it work. Tonight this cast stepped up to the plate and succeeded where others might well have failed.
There are a number of good songs in the show but I particularly enjoyed "Lullaby of Broadway," "42nd Street," We're in the Money," and "Dames."
The atmosphere of 1930's musicals was well captured in this production and its well done to Director Liz Woolley and her production team.
I will be talking about the Show on Erewash Sound (96.8fm) at 11.40 am tomorrow (Thursday).
To conclude tonight though - I have recently had a hip replacement operation and I asked my surgeon this week if I could now tap dance. He said "of course" to which I replied "well I couldn't before." I am glad to say that, unlike me, the talented dancers on stage tonight could and brilliantly so.
Congratulations to LEOs for taking on the challenge of this show and doing a very good job.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime
National Tour
Theatre Royal Nottingham
The Curious Incident of the dog in the Nighttime is certainly lived up to expectations. It was superb as indeed it was when I saw it in London.
All aspiring actors should go and see this just for the experience of superb performance in its widest sense. It is impossible to describe this production as it needs to be seen and admired. The acting was of a very high standard as were the visual effects and the sound quality. What a play!
The Crucible
People's Theatre Company
Nottingham Arts Theatre
March 2017
A superb production of The Crucible tonight at the Arts Theatre in Nottingham. Well done to all who were involved.
The standard of acting was very high and the production kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. It is quite a long play but time flew by.
I have not seen the play before but can see why it has become an American classic.
This production was fast moving and full of emotion. It ended with a well deserved and prolonged ovation.
I have said it before and will say it again I never cease to admire this company and what ever they do is always well worth seeing and of a professional standard. This was no exception.
I am more of a musicals kind of person but really enjoyed this straight play.
Hello Dolly
Erewash Musical Society
Duchess Theatre Long Eaton
March 2017
Review by kind permission of Kev Castle
“Hello Dolly” by Erewash Musical Society.
Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton.
The show has become one of the most enduring musical theatre hits, enjoying three Broadway revivals and international success. It was also made into the 1969 film Hello Dolly! that was nominated for seven Academy Awards, and won three.
It’s so nice to have this musical back where it belongs, on the stage, be it local or National, it’s one of the great feel good musicals of our time, and it’s definitely looking swell and going strong if this production was anything to go by..
It’s the story of Dolly Levi,a professional match-maker, some would say meddler who is hired by Horace Vandergelder, a “rich” hay and feed dealer to find him a second wife. Dolly sets him up with Irene Molloy, but she has no intention of letting this blind date go ahead successfully because she has other plans for Mr Vandergelder which are purely selfish.
While the fat cat is away the underlings will do what they like and his clerks, Cornelius Hackl and Barnaby Tucker, decide to take an unauthorized holiday and end up aiding and abetting Dolly in her quest, quite unaware of what's unfolding.
There are various comical incidents which occur but there are happy endings all round.
Erewash Musical Society have the perfect cast for this show and I can't think of anyone who could play Dolly Levi better that Alex Tavener. her comic delivery is wonderful and the scene where Dolly and Horace are having a meal is just comedy heaven. Dolly's clothes are gorgeous in the "Hello Dolly" routine. They sparkle almost as bright as Alex's smile.
Grumpy tightwad Horace is played by Keith Butcher, and another excellent piece of casting if you ask me. Again some lovely comedy lines and brilliant characterisation.
Vandergelder's shop assistants, Cornelius Hackl and Barnaby Tucker are played by James Bowden and Martin Lewis and another well paired duo all round. the contrasting confident, but older Hackl and the 17 year old Tucker were great on their trip out of town to see the Barnum whale and kiss a girl. Well one out of two ain't bad.
Playing Vandergelder original set up, Irene Molloy was Tracey Renshaw. Irene runs the hat shop in New York with her assistant Minnie fay, played by Becki Charnley. One of the strengrhs of this musical is the pairings and this is another lovely, believable pairing.
It's been a very good year for Tom Preston, who plays the artist Ambrose Kemper in "Dolly". I saw him first last March in his very first production in "Copacabana" for EMS. He was so nervous in that show but since then his confidence has sky rocketed and his role in this show, shows how far he has come in local theatre. he oozed confidence in his acting, singing and dancing and is a natural comedy actor.
Another lovely comedy role is that of Kemper's intended, the weepy Ermengarde with the annoying, but comical wailings. Played with great gusto by Gem Blake.
The ensemble here is large but very, very good. They move as one and the choreography they are given is excellently executed, thanks to an excellent choreographer Siân Scattergood. I especially loved the work for "The Waiter's Gallop" which was timed to perfection and "Hello Dolly", both pure Hollywood glamour.
I also loved the close harmonies, especially the male ensemble who sounded quite barber shop at times. Just magical.
There were some notes that weren't quite hit though but I know that there are a few nasty bugs going around which would affect the voices on stage but on the whole the cast did a wonderful job, and those who were blighted by the bugs got through their songs admirably. The sign of professionalism.
Really good use of backdrop scenery projection, and while this can sometimes be a bit over the top if not paired with other scenery, this show played to their advantage with the projection and it only added to the extra props and scenery, giving a cinematic feel to the musical.
I mentioned the costumes earlier and they looked marvellous on all the cast.Thanks to Stageworld at Wolverhampton this production provided the glamour and decadence of the period and added yet another professional veneer to the show.
The band, under the direction of Lizzie Bullard were, as usual excellent, tight and tuneful. Never swamping the actors who were mic'd up, making sure that the mix between the band and the actors were heard perfectly. Credit to the sound guys Dave Dallard and Ben Tennett.
Some lovely songs in this musical, not only the rousing title track but the jaunty "It Takes A Woman", "Put On Your Sunday Clothes","Before The Parade Passes By" and "So Long Dearie" as well as some slower moments such as the elegant "Ribbons Down My Back". A lovely soundtrack.
Another guy who is always on top of his game making the actors look their best is Dave Martin who controls the lighting.
Unobtrusive stage management meant that, although you could see the scenery being moved, they did it while the action was ongoing, meaning that these stage ninjas did their job with the minimum of fuss.
I said at the start that this is a wonderful feel good musical and you will leave the Duchess feeling very good about the time you've spent watching this lovely light hearted show.
Spamalot
Esna
Loughborough Town Hall Theatre
November 19th 2016
"This is overall the best local show I have seen so far this year."
I have seen this wonderful show three times in London and twice at the Theatre Royal in Nottingham. This production from Esna was undoubtedly the best of them all. I have loved this show from the first time I saw it at the Palace Theatre but this production seemed somehow fresh and new. The script has been tweaked with some up to date references added such as the election of Donald Trump. Patsy made the fabulous comment in relation to that which was "orange is the new black." Think about it. All the performances tonight were examples of the very best you will see in amateur shows making them professional in all but name.
My congratulations for fine performances go to David Lovell as King Arthur, Dan Grooms as his loyal servant Patsy, Emma Adcock as the Lady of The Lake, and Benjamin Hardy as Sir Galahad. They were brilliantly supported by the Knights played by Richard French as Sir Lancelot, James Daw as Sir Belvedere and Jarrod Makin as Sir Robin and Daniel Robinson as Prince Herbert and Jonny Painting as the Historian.
The ensemble was great and performed with incredible energy and skill and many of them had small cameo roles. Their dancing was phenominal.The set was very attractive and appropriately designed by "Scenic Design" and it was enhanced by great lighting controlled by Andy Harding.The sound was very good thanks to Rob Temperton and Mark Di Martino Marriott.
The choreography was simple fantastic and choreographer, James Nelson did a brilliant job with the whole cast.
The musical standard was very high and the very large orchestra sounded wonderful under the baton of Jon Orton.
The costumes were great under the supervision of Nicola Scoggins and Molly Limpets and the many quick changes were executed with aplomb. The Stage Manager and crew ensured that scene changes were seamless and invisible.
Finally, the show's director, James Nelson has produced a show that is worthy of the label professional in all respects. I am sure he will be very proud of what everyone involved has achieved in this outstanding production.
I am very happy to say that this is overall the best local show I have seen so far this year.
Creatio Arts
One Voice (Concert)
Derby Theatre
November 12th 2016
Well done to the young people of Creatio Arts (and some older ones) for producing a show of quality that was performed with high energy, enthusiasm and certainly showcased their many talents. I enjoyed hearing some familiar songs along with unfamiliar ones some, but not all, I liked.
There were many great performances in Act 2 including a really exciting opening from the whole cast of "When I grow up" from Matilda including a variety of scooters. During the rest of the Act there were songs from other shows including Miss Saigon, Sister Act, Anything Goes, Toy Story, Wicked, Chess, Grease and Chicago.
The show ended with an excellent perfomance of another song I have not heard before but which was very suitable for this charity show, “Actions Speak Louder Than Words.”
Well done to the large cast of:
Adam Griffirhs-Vernon, Adam Guest, Aine O'Neil-Mason, Alana Morgan, Andrea Pocock, Bailey West, Ben Jones, Bradley McClean, Eleanor Carty, Elin Haycock, Emily Cox, Emily Gent, Erin Hill, Erin Keogh, Georgie Bond, Grace Orgill, Hope Redfern, Jack Readyhoof, Katie Wendorf, Katy Gaskin, Kheenan Jones, Laura Jones, Lewis Haycock, Lowry Spear, Lucas Young, Lucy Bennett, Martin Lewis, Molly Hewitt-Richards, Morgan Ratcliffe,
Nic Gordon, Oliver Wheddon, Olivia Savage, Oscar Hewitt-Richards, Paddy Stafford, Rachael Webb, Ryan Wiggins, Sky Marsden, Sophie Robbins, Tammie Morgan and Zak Charlesworth.
The whole cast and the production team led by Matt Powell, the Director of Creatio, should be very proud of their work tonight on this large stage at this impressive professional theatre. There was a considerable standing ovation at the end. Hopefully the show will have raised lots of money for the two charities.
National Tour
The Commitments - Theatre Royal, Nottingham
November 7th 2016
I enjoyed listening to the 18 or so full musical numbers - from the Motown medley of What Becomes of the Broken Hearted and I Heard It Through the Grapevine to rock’n’roll classics such as You Keep Me Hanging On and (I Can’t Get No)
Satisfaction – and at least as many snippets of other familiar songs. However, the songs were more memorable than the drama of which there was little.
It was difficult to care about the characters as there was not enough in the writing to allow us to do so. Act 2 was particularly weak in this respect. It was only the songs that really held it together.
The songs were performed at a very fast pace, leaving little room at all for pauses or silence. The hard working actor musicians were fantastic with the songs acting as a showcase for their talents. Sets and props were in the main changed by the cast and that was done very well.
There was a sustained ovation at the end with many standing.
If you like the classics of soul and Motown and good performances of the same you will enjoy this show. If however, you like something with a good narrative arc you may feel differently.
Love's labours Wonne (End of show notes)
Riverside Drama
Duchess Theatre Long Eaton.
Another enjoyable evening at the Duchess Theatre has ended. Well done to Riverside Drama for producing an imaginative, amusing and thought provoking drama.The cast of James Billington, Paul Norris, Amy Cannon, Sarah Terry, Donna Chinn, Celia Billau, Dave Wilson and Sam Norris worked well together to bring the story to life. Paul Norris who played the time travelling Will Shakespeare was particularly good in the role.
Well done to the writer, Liz Turner who also directed the play which not only explored the possible existence of "the lost play" but also how Will might have come to terms with modern life. There was some particularly good writing in regard to this.
The staging of the play was good and the set was impressive to say the least.I did feel that Act 3 was a little too long and would have benefitted from some editing to tighten up the final scenes.
Overall this was a good production and all involved are to be congratulated.
The Good Companions
9 to 5
Derby Theatre
November 2nd 2016
This was a show I enjoyed very much. Act 1 and Act 2 moved with a pretty fast pace. The songs of "Dolly Parton entertained a very appreciative audience. The show was very well performed by the excellent principals and a well directed ensemble who coped well with some interesting and lively choreography.
The three principal female leads, Deborah McPherson as Violet, Anna Cousins as Judy and Louise Simcox in the Dolly Parton role as Doralee Rhodes gave outstanding performances. They were all great singers plus being confident and expressive actors who dominated the stage. Also excellent were Damon Hatton as Franklin Hart Jr., the wicked boss, Emma Woodyet as Roz Keith and Andrew Buxton as Joe the office worker.
The band, that I have been informed was at the side of the stage, sounded really good all the way through and the balance between them and the performers was just right.
The very flexible set was changed with millitary precision and there was no delay between scenes. It is, of course, very good to be able to fly sets at this theatre.
Overall this was a good performance and I think I would like to see it again. Well done to all involved and congratulations to the Production Team of Phil Simcox the Director, Pauline Reader, the choreographer and the Musical Director Dave Adey who have produced a show of some considerable quality.
The show ended with a very enjoyable finale which led to a well deserved and prolonged ovation with many standing.
Nottingham Operatic Society
The Producers - Theatre Royal, Nottingham
October 27th 2016
A Triumph for The Nottingham Operatic Society
What can I say? This show is an absolute smash hit for NOS. I will stick my neck out by saying this is the best amateur show I have ever seen. It was of a professional standard in all aspects and a touring company could not have been any better. In fact, touring companies do not have as many people in the cast as there was on the stage tonight, in this sumptuous production.
In case you haven’t seen it before it is by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan from Brooks' 1968 film of the same name, with lyrics written by Brooks and music composed by Brooks and arranged by Glen Kelly and Doug Besterman.
As in the film, the story concerns two theatrical producers who scheme to get rich by overselling interests in a Broadway flop. Complications arise when the show unexpectedly turns out to be successful. The humour of the show draws on ridiculous accents, caricatures of homosexuals and Nazis, and many show business in-jokes. It is very funny and contains some very tuneful songs and large scale dance routines.
Simon Theobald was magnificent in the lead role of Max Bialystock, the first producer. It is hard to describe how good he was, both as an actor and singer. He would certainly not be out of place in a West End production. His performance was sheer perfection throughout and he received a big ovation at the end. The part he played was hugely demanding and he was on the stage for most of the time, showing a ceaseless energy and magnetic charisma. Mark Coffey–Bainbridge, who played Max's would be co-producer, was the perfect partner, their on stage chemistry was simply terrific. Mark is a fantastic actor, singer and dancer and his physical comedy in this role was brilliant. He was a joy to watch, especially when he was racing around the stage in various forms of panic, which was quite often.
Amanda Bruce who played Ulla, The Swedish Secretary with an impossibly long name, has a lovely voice. She was very funny and engaging in the role, combining a sassy physical presence with beautifully delivered lines.
Also very worthy of high praise are Ian Pottage (Franz), Dan Armstrong (Roger De Bris), Jarrod Makin (Carmen Ghia), Rob Harrison (Bryan) and Joanne Lale (Hold Me). All of these important characters were highly amusing and their characterisations had been honed to perfection. Both physical and vocal mannerisms were sublime, making any scene they were in highly entertaining.
The superb ensemble, many of whom played small parts were:
Aadyl Muller, Adele Lee, Alison Hope, Amanda Dixon-Smith, Antony Watson, Aston Fisher, Biba Tribensee, Cathy Hyde, Christine Boothe, Chris Sims, David Hargreaves, Drew Dennis, Fay Springthorpe, Fiona McHugh, Frank Nicholson, Hatty Hollowell, James Murray, Janet Wootton, Justine Lee, Laura Ellis, Laurel Fiddes, Louise Fiddes, Louise Johnson, Lucy Castle, Luke Grainger, Matthew Finkel, Nick Smith, Paul Johnson, Paul McPherson, Samantha Thorpe, Sam Jones, Sarah Millington. Well done to all.
Other stars of the show were the glorious set, very effective lighting (Tom Mowat) and very impressive and clear sharp sound (Michael Donoghue) that enabled us to hear every word that was said or sung, even when the 22 piece orchestra was playing at full volume.
Scene changes were swift and near invisible, so well done to Stage Manager Michelle Smith and her team.
The Director and Choreographer, Lisa Lee, did a brilliant job on this production. Her direction was tight and imaginative and every movement sequence was relevant, inventive and pleasing to watch. There were a number of big dance numbers that I enjoyed, but my favourite undoubtedly was “Springtime for Hitler.” This huge dance number was very well put together and danced brilliantly by the ensemble. The set used was incredible but you need to come to the show to see why.
The Orchestra sounded wonderful under the direction of the Musical Director, Stephen Williams. The vocal standard of the cast was very high: months of work must have gone into achieving this exacting standard.
This was just such an enjoyable night at the theatre. I loved the show, including the very tuneful songs and was continually amazed at the very high standard of performance. Any keen fan of musical theatre needs to see this show before it finishes on Saturday. I think this may well be the best show of the year in the East Midlands and you wouldn’t want to miss that, would you?
Nowmads
Footloose - Kimberley School
October 26th 2016
Back tonight to a musical I have seen a number of times and like very much – Footloose. It is apparently loosely based on true events.
The story revolves around Ren and his mother, who are forced to move to Bomont to live with his uncle. They arrive to find a town that has banned dancing, following a car accident that killed four teens. It’s a classic ‘youth against the establishment’ drama that has been played out many times, and in the case of Footloose, was strong enough to allow a recent remake of the film.
The show is full of fast moving, high energy musical numbers, ideally suited to musical theatre groups, especially the youth ones. However, there are enough adult and older teen parts to make this perfectly appropriate for mixed age groups as well, like Nowmads.
The last time I saw NOWMADs, which is the acronym for The Nottingham West Music and Drama Society, was for their pantomime Mother Goose. That was a great show and this one certainly continued in the same vein.
As soon as the show started with the title song “Footloose”, sung by the “kids”, followed by the spectacular “On any Sunday”, I knew it was going to be a very enjoyable production. The sound of the whole cast singing was fantastic.
There were some excellent performances from the principal cast.
Playing the part of Ren, the boy from Chicago was Danny De Martino. His acting was impressive, as was his lovely singing and confident dancing, an all round great performance. He fully inhabited the role and played it in a way that suggested a rebellious nature and deeply held convictions, but with a light touch that was very engaging. He was probably older than other actors I have seen play the part, but I was impressed with the way he was able to make the character absolutely believable.
The girl Ren eventually ended up with, Ariel, the preacher’s daughter, was played brilliantly by Merle Harrison. She gave a well-honed performance, really “strutting her stuff” and, through a range of acting skills, successfully portraying a girl who is nursing hurt and need under a tough exterior. Her singing was beautiful and she also showed what a good dancer she is in a number of the routines, a joy to watch.
Her friends Rusty, Urleen and Wendy-Jo played by Emma Heydon, Laura Collins and Lauren Belcher respectively, all did a fine job: a very strong trio who lit up the stage. In particular, I was impressed with Emma Heydon, lovesick for Willard, showing her comic timing as well as an excellent voice, especially in “Somebody’s Eyes” and “Let’s Hear it for the Boy.”
There were other fine performances from Haydn Taylor & Joanne Needham as the Rev & Mrs Moore and Lis Hipkiss as Ren’s mother Ethel. Also Jaiden Ragozins was good in the role of the bad boy of Bomont, Chuck Cranston. Through careful posturing and delivery, he brought am atmosphere of menace whenever he was on stage,
Ollie Goodman as Willard Hewitt, the thick as a brick hick, deservedly took an encore with “Mama Says”. He had obviously worked hard on the physical mannerisms of his character, as well as making the absolute most of the comic potential. His slow, Southern drawl and measured pauses got all the humour possible out of the lines, a really lovely portrayal.
There was a lot for the excellent ensemble to do, including some great numbers such as “Holding Out For A Hero,” “Mama Says,” “Still Rockin’” and of course the title song, “Footloose.”
In addition to the actors already mentioned there were also
Neil Thompson (Wes), Graham Lambert Coach Dunbar), Claire Hawksworth (Eleanor Dunbar), Richard Harvey (Traffic Cop), Carole De Martino (Betty), Gillian Williams (Principal) and Tom Bailey (Cowboy Bob), Kathy Taylor (Lulu Warnicker). All were thoroughly committed and working to a high standard.
The Director, Martin Belcher, Choreographers, Jane Clark and Merle Harrison and the Musical Director, Roger David, are I am sure, very proud of this cast who achieved such a stonking success in all areas tonight.
The direction by Martin was tight and pacey and so carefully plotted that the action moved seamlessly: the attention of the audience remained riveted throughout. Clever use of the auditorium, set and lighting meant that we always knew where to look and were transported from one scene to another effortlessly.
The same attention to detail in the choreography was obvious: every dance or movement sequence was lively, appropriate and engaging and thoroughly complemented the music. The band, directed by Roger, sounded great and never over dominated the performers; it was wonderful to be able to hear every word and every lyric!
The whole show was very slick with swift scene changes - well done to Jo Chamberlain and his crew - a bright set, excellent lighting, clear sound and some very imaginative costumes, all of which helped to make this theatre experience a delight from beginning to end.
If you want a great night out which will have you clapping, tapping your feet, laughing and maybe singing along with hits like “Holding Out for a hero,” get along to Kimberley School before the show ends on Saturday.
Beeston Musical Theatre Group
The Wedding Singer - Duchess Theatre
October 25th 2016
Review of the Wedding Singer - Beeston Musical Theatre Group - Duchess Theatre October 25th 2016
Last night at the Duchess Theatre we were taken back to the 1980’s and reminded of big hairstyles, shoulder pads and brightly coloured clothes. The Wedding Singer is based on the 1998 Adam Sandler movie of the same name and follows the story of Robbie Hart, a charming and entertaining musician from Ridgefield, New Jersey. Left at the altar by his long-time fiancé and having developed feelings for his unhappily engaged co-worker Julia, Robbie’s story explores the confusion and temptations of a forbidden love with a humorous script and a robust musical score.
The Beeston Musical Theatre Group worked hard to produce an evening of enjoyable musical theatre.
The principals were well cast giving excellent performances. The somewhat sketchily drawn characters were brought to life by their attention to detail, expressive delivery and infectious humour. The quality of the acting shone throughout, along with excellent singing, plus well-rehearsed and energetic dancing routines.
Chris Bryan played Robbie Hart, with Claire Rybicki as Julia Sullivan. Chris portrayed the role of the failed romantic who is turned bitter by a jilting, in a thoroughly engaging and entertaining way. He has great stage presence and his easy amiability and amusing descent into comic self pity, ably expressed in the wonderful ‘Somebody Kill Me’, were a joy to watch. His ability to perform a range of different singing styles is also perfect for this role. Claire, as the female lead was the same pleasing combination of good humour and innocent goofiness, coupled with a beautiful voice: a captivating performance. Both actors used facial expressions, mannerisms and clear nuanced delivery to great effect. Their duets, particularly ‘If I Told You’, were lovely to listen to.
The two boys in Robbie’s band were played well by Rob Holman as Sammy and David Hurt as George. Both had obviously worked hard on their characterisations, physical style and lively delivery. They delighted with many humorous moments, and, in David’s case, some excellent gymnastics!
Zoe Brinklow as Holly, Julia’s friend had an incredible impact on stage. She sang and danced her heart out and showed real acting flair, bringing the part of the brassy but compassionate Holly to life.
Rob Charles as the sleazy womaniser, Glen Guglia, was as suave and nastily materialistic as you would expect, giving contrast to the leading couple. His big number All About the Green’ was a delight.
Abby Riddell as Linda portrayed a calculating vamp with great panache. She has real self assurance on stage and performed her two solos, which were much appreciated by the audience, with wonderful style.
I have to say that one of my favourite characters was played by Mina Machin: Robbie’s Grandma Rosie. She brought the character of the raunchy and cringe inducing senior citizen to life: through excellent acting and a spot on accent. The audience were highly amused by her singing, rapping and dancing; her duet with ‘George’ was a highlight.
The ensemble gave excellent support, not only to the leading players, but also to the show as a whole, they were used very effectively throughout. Many of them played interesting cameo roles. They were David Artiss, Katie Bird, Ronja Breitkopf, Craig Butterworth, Jenny Chatten, Jane Cottee, Jodie Cresdee, Kayrakise Evans, Claire Ferrand-Preston, Laura Henson,
Rachel Maddison, Ruth Maddison, Cheryl Mills, Simon Owen and Christine Walton.
The show’s choreographer, Craig Butterworth, ensured that the set piece dance numbers were fast, slick and highly energetic. The big numbers like “Saturday Night in the City” and “All About the Green” involving the whole cast, were exciting and very evocative of the period.
The Director, Lisa Smith, is to be congratulated for the way in which she handled the big group scenes, alongside some small intimate moments, plus her obvious attention to developing the relationships between the main characters. Given the complicated logistics involved throughout the show, the stage management was seamless. Entries and exits worked almost like clockwork. The excellent set was used extremely well and the props were to hand with impeccable timing and organisation throughout. The Stage Managers, Lisa Smith and Garry Smith, plus their team, are to be congratulated for their excellent work. The costume changes were numerous and well-coordinated in typical 80s style, which gave the performance an authentic throwback feel. Well done to Mina Machin for that.
Nathan Truesdale (Musical Director) effectively managed the music as an integral part of the show. This is demanding production, as the songs flow thick and fast and there is a lot of incidental music to be managed throughout. The orchestra sounded good and supported the cast well throughout. The sound was in the capable hands of Sean Renshaw.
The lighting director, Dave Martin provided the show with some beautiful moments which enhanced the overall feel of the show.
The Director, Choreographer and MD plus the whole company are to be congratulated for the high standard of tonight's performances.
This was a feel-good, heart-warming, smile-inducing show and, as I have come to expect from BMTG, a high-quality performance.
The show continues at the Duchess Theatre until Saturday.
Long Eaton Operatic Society
Oliver - May Hall Theatre
October 19th 2016
Consider yourself well off if you can get a ticket for this show, which I really enjoyed last night at Trent College. Once again The Long Eaton Operatic Society have produced a highly professional and very well produced show.
Oliver is a well-known and popular show, both with adult and youth group societies. It has also been produced in the West End many times and on national tours.It is based on the classic story of the orphan boy, Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens, although the stage musical by Lionel Bart does depart somewhat from the original book, particularly in Act 2. It is full of many colourful characters, who are brimming with potential for actors, singers and dancers. In the show tonight this potential was reached and sometimes exceeded.
From the opening chorus of “Food Glorious Food” and through super choruses such as “Consider Yourself,” “Who will buy” and “0om-Pah-Pah”, there was a real energy and passion from the whole cast. I must mention the 4 street vendors who introduced one of my favourite songs from the show, “Who will Buy.” They were Sian Scattergood, Emma Collins, Anna McAuley and Hadrian Munroe. They sang beautifully.
There are a number of demanding roles in the show and one of the most is that of ‘the Jew’, Fagin. This was performed brilliantly by Lewis Haycock, who I have seen perform a number of roles: this was, in my opinion, his best so far. His characterisation was totally believable, as he skilfully played the part of a much older man. He acted and sang really well and was a commanding presence on the stage throughout.
Playing the role of Nancy, the girlfriend of local villain, Bill Sikes, was Abigail Pidgeon. She was wonderful in the role, having not only a fabulous voice, but she is also a skilled actor. Her rendition of "As Long as he needs me" was excellent being full of emotion and raw power, with every note sung with absolute perfection.
I was also impressed by Katie Macdonald who played Bet, Nancy's friend. She also has a lovely voice and shone in the excellent “Oom Pah Pah”.
The show begins with the entry of the orphan boys into the dining hall. As they entered and began to sing the sound was terrific; it was obvious they have been well rehearsed and this high standard continued throughout the show. I understand that some of them are seasoned performers, while others were making their first appearances on stage. However, it was impossible to tell the difference.
Well done to Abraham Collishaw, Harley Fennell, Alfie Foster, Evan Hagen, Matthew McAuley, Robert McAuley, Ryan Phelps, Jake Reynolds, Charlie Sharp and Billy Sweet.
Amongst the boys was Dominic Wood playing the orphan Oliver. He has a lovely singing voice and his apt facial expressions plus the sweet delivery of his lines, captured the character perfectly. I was impressed by the way in which he completely inhabited the role and looked very comfortable on the stage.
When Oliver arrives in London he meets the Artful Dodger, played by Bailey West who I last saw in Les Miserable as Garoche. He was thoroughly engaging, bringing a chirpy warmth and humour to the role of a child criminal, old before his time and totally corrupted by circumstances. Both boys acted, sang and danced beautifully and must surely be seen in many other roles in the future.
The main comedy element of this show is provided by Mr Bumble, The Town Beadle and his love interest, the Widow Corney. They were played by Jack Draper and Claire Collishaw, who had obviously worked very hard on creating the physical presence of their characters, as well as the splendid delivery of their lines. They captured both the comic and nastier sides of their characters and played very well together.
Playing the two characters who have few redeeming features, the Undertaker Mr Sowerbury and his wife, Mrs Sowerberry, were Rob Byatt & Liz Woolley. Their characterisations were spot on and although they are nasty characters, they also brought out considerable humour. They made us laugh with the song "That's your Funeral," which is a great example of the skilled and witty writing of Lionel Bart.
Supporting well in the undertakers were Jack Woolley (Noah) and Tayla Evans (Charlotte). They ably created the awfulness of their characters and Jack's brash unpleasantness was well complemented by Tayla's incredible screams!
John Paxton played Bill Sikes really well and he certainly chilled me during his rendition of “My Name.” As is traditional, he received many boos during the curtain calls, which is a well deserved compliment of his sinister and gritty performance. I would perhaps have like to have seen more of the action during his murder of Nancy and his own death, as both of these were mostly off stage.
There were also some nice cameo roles in the show, which were well played by Lindsay Mould (Mr Brownlow), Angela Walters (Mrs Bedwin), Martin Mould (Dr Grimwig), and Aiden Carson (Charley Bates).
I must also mention the names of those in the adult ensemble who were great in the set piece numbers. They were Jenny Carty, Emily Corner, Sue Corner, James Dalrymple, Joanna East, John East, Megan Fennell, Zach Foster, John Fox, Eleanor Harvey, Kathi Ludlow, Tony Newton, Dave O’Neal, Lydia Thacker and Ann Woolley.
Every scene was visually pleasing, owing to good stage design and very appropriate costumes and props- well done to those responsible for this.
The set was very well built and had great flexibility enabling the excellent stage crew, under the direction of Stage Manager John Woolley, to change the sets swiftly and often invisibly. The Lighting under the direction of Tom Olding and the sound by Andrew James was first class. Sound has in the past been a bit of an issue at this venue but tonight it was crisp, clear and well balanced with the excellent orchestra, which was never over powering.
The production team of Siobhan Parker (Director), Karen Woodhead (choreography) and Sam Griffiths (Musical Director) have done a magnificent job to produce this great production and should be justifiably proud of the results of their work.
The May Hall was pretty full tonight so tickets may be in short supply but I would suggest that "Who will buy?" should be you!
National Tour
Million Dollar Quartet- Theatre Royal Nottingham
October 7th 2016
Review of Million Dollar Quartet - National Tour – Theatre Royal Nottingham
Tuesday October 11th 2016
Million Dollar Quartet is a jukebox musical written by Floyd Mutrux and Colin Escott and it tells the story of a recording session on December 4, 1956, when the Rock and Roll stars Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and newcomer Jerry Lee Lewis met with Sun records producer, Sam Philip .The show brings that legendary night to life, featuring a score of rock hits including Blue Suede Shoes, Fever, That’s All Right, Sixteen Tons, Great Balls of Fire, Walk the Line, Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On, Who Do You Love?, Matchbox, Folsom Prison Blues, Hound Dog and many more. It also tells the story of how these singers were discovered and how their careers were forged and developed by “Mr Philip,”
All the performers sang and played live and there were superb performances from Martin Kaye as Jerry Lee Lewis, Ross William Wild as Elvis Presley, Robbie Durham as Johnny Cash, Matt Wycliffe as Carl Perkins, Katie Ray as Dyanne and Jason Donovan who played the part of Sam Phillip, the record producer. There were also some other excellent musicians providing complimentary accompaniments but their names were not mentioned in the programme.
This was a fabulous night of 50's rock at the Theatre Royal. The show itself was very well constructed and the producer xxxxx ensured that the show moved very quickly and as a consequence my attention never wandered. The sound and lighting were excellent. In addition to the great songs I now know much more about the singers and their early lives. There was much joy in the story, but a hint of sadness too.
Although the audience was predominantly composed of, shall we say "older people," I am certain all ages would enjoy it. Great songs are timeless and never age and that was proved last night at the Royal. The Finale brought the whole theatre to its feet and there was much clapping, singing and tapping of feet.
I didn't really know what this show was going to be like but I thought it was absolutely great. So pleased I had the chance to see it. On the way out I heard lots of audience members saying how great the show was.
Well worth going to see it before it ends on Saturday.
Derby Theatre Production
Sweeney Todd- Derby Theatre
October 11th 2016
This review is by Zak Charlesworth
Sweeney Todd has never really caught my eye and is a show I've never been able to get into, but last night that was all changed by this dark production directed by Daniel Buckroyd. It hit every nail on the head. From the moment the lights started to dim I knew this was going to be a fantastic show.
As you enter the auditorium you see a hanging dirty cloth, with the set behind it. There are two balconies either side with a revolving stage. A few years ago I saw a production of Sweeney Todd with a revolving stage and personally didn’t think it worked with this, so I was interested to see how Sara Perks’ design was going to work.
Hugh Maynard as Sweeney Todd was incredible. I've seen Hugh in many productions from Simon in Jesus Christ Superstar and John in Miss Saigon, so I was interested how he would portray the role of Sweeney Todd and whether he would add his classic soul and rock tones to the role. However he didn’t and his portrayal of Sweeney was just right, showing every emotion that Todd goes through.
Jack Wilcox as Anthony Hope sang with his heart and soul as he tried to free his love of his life Johanna. She was played by Christina Bennington, who has clean crisp vocals and acts with convincing innocence. Jack's version of the song “Johanna” was sweet and perfect and for me, better than any that are on Sweeney soundtrack recordings I have heard.
David Durham had for me one of the most difficult scenes of the show when he had to whip himself because of his feelings for his 'daughter', but he didn’t hold back and his commitment to the role of Judge Turpin was strong. Julian Hoult who played Beadle Bamford added some humour to the role and it worked very well. Mr Fogg was played by Daniel Buckley and his character stood out especially in the Mental Asylum scene – which has to be praised as it worked incredibly well. Kara Lane as the Beggar woman added great comedy and also let you empathise with her character shortly before going off to ply her trade on the streets. Signor Pirelli (Simon Shorten) was a great character throughout the show and I was amazed by how quickly and easily Simon could switch between accents.
The two characters that added the hotness to the pies were Ryan Heenan (Tobias) and Sophie-Louise Dann (Mrs Lovett). Ryan’s portrayal of Tobias Ragg was engaging and vocally perfect. You felt his love for Mrs Lovett and his worry for her especially throughout “Not while I'm around”. Sophie-Louise had everything Mrs Lovett needed for the character which was outstanding and added comedy and laughter to the production.
The community cast added a nice touch to the production. The revolving stage was used perfectly and let the audience see every angle of the building in Fleet Street and it enabled the lighting team to use shadows and silhouettes, which worked very well. Smells are used in the production and they worked very well: I've never seen a production use this effect before.
Daniel Buckroyd’s direction was good, sharp and well executed by the cast. Michael Haslam controlled the band very well and the band volume level was just right throughout the performance.
This production is a must see especially for anyone wanting to go into the industry, but also go see it if you enjoy well produced theatre as this was as good, if not better, a production than you might see in London's West End.
Erewash Musical Society
Sister Act- Duchess Theatre
October 7th 2016
This review is by Kev Castle
Here is one musical which, if you don't leave the theatre with a smile on your face, you've already met your maker and no one told you about it. And from where I stood, I saw no walking corpses. What a heavenly show and what a wonderful cast graced the Duchess Theatre in Long Eaton, and has done all this week.
"Sister Act", which is based on the film of the same name and starred Whoopi Goldberg is all about Deloris, a club singer in the 1970's trying to make it big in her boyfriend Curtis's club. She sees Curtis kill one of his henchmen and reports it to the police, who just happens to be her old college mate "Sweaty" Eddie. Eddie has the idea of hiding her among a convent of nuns until the court date.
This is a whole culture shock for Deloris, so to keep her out of trouble, Mother Superior puts her in charge of the choir, who's singing aptitude is described by Mother Superior as "having no words" to describe them. With Deloris' help they are transformed into a choir Gareth Malone would be proud of and by doing so saves the nunnery from being closed down.Curtis and his friends in the meantime though are determined to find Deloris and intend to make sure that she doesn't tell anyone else about what she had seen...ever!
There are quite a few new faces and names in the Erewash Musical Society's production and they fit in like a musical jigsaw puzzle.
Taking on the role of Deloris and filling those funky FM boots is the funky and fabulous Dionne Reid. Dripping with soul and 70's sexiness she belted out those heaven sent retro disco belters, despite just recently being struck down with laryngitis. Worthy of that Donna Summer white fox fur if you ask me! Dionne had some fabulous costumes to wear but saved the best till the curtain call. Great glamour and style all wrapped around a voice that reminded me of soul singer Oleta Adams. Take Me To Heaven... yes she did. Fabulous Baby...yes she was.
Curtis, the nasty man boyfriend and mobster was played with true devilish delight by Adam Richmond. Loved the way he relished telling us all about what he would do to Deloris when he found her in his song "When I Find My Baby". Oozing evilness with that nasty grin (Curtis that is not Adam), I even heard someone booing at the curtain call. A tribute to the acting skills of the very nice in real life, Adam.
I've always loved the comedy provided by Curtis' henchmen Pablo (Lewis Haycock), Joey (Kheenan Jones) and his roped in nephew T.J (Jack Readyhoof). Their song, "Lady In The Long Black Dress" is a comical classic in musical theatre and they milked the comedy value to the max, getting the ladies in the audience screaming with delight. I half expected a pair of knickers to be tossed on stage. Loved the cheesy choreography for their routine, which by the looks of it, they also rather enjoyed.
Eddie was played by Phil Brookes. I'm not sure if Phil is one of the new members as I don't think I can remember seeing him in the past, but if he is, what a find! Lovely characterisation of the policeman who has dreams of being "that guy", and what a lovely tone to his singing voice. i apologise if Phil has been in past productions and I didn't remember, but after this performance, I won't forget Mr Brookes.
Tracey Renshaw (Mother Superior) was just sublime to watch, as were all the nuns. Loved Chrissie Oakden as Sister Mary Lazarus, the leader of the choir and Ellie Simmonds as Sister Mary Robert, who did a gorgeous version of "The Life I Never Led".
A very entertaining cast of nuns which were made up of Fiona Wright, Joan Clarke, Maria Lawrence, Alysha Gomes, Clare Toska, Alex Tavener,Christine Hewitt, Emily Oakden, Erin Keogh,Karen Robbins, Heather Howe, Gill Cooke. Laurie Trott, Leah Thompson, Kay Cocks, Sophie Robbins and Sue Hagan. Keith Butcher played a very funky Monsignor O'Hara.
Other cast members were Martin Lewis, Gary Lever, Martin Mould, James Rayner and Nick Buckthorpe.
The music is always really good at the Duchess and tonight really captured that 1970's feel with the orchestra directed by musical theatre's equivalent of the incredible shrinking man, Dave Dallard. I felt like busting out an afro and flares listening to the evocative musical tracks. You could almost imagine John Shaft aka Richard Roundtree walking through the doors. Wonderful.
The sets came alive before your very eyes. It was if you were on a film set with the wonderful projections designed by Paul Young from Scenery Projections. You could often forget that you weren't in a nunnery or on that San Franciscan sidewalk outside the Dive Bar.
Twin that with the disco style, lighting from Dave Martin and Matthew Cook and the sound production of Ben Tennett and this production didn't just come alive, it exploded in a visual and aural extravaganza which had the audience clapping along.
Must not forget the magical retro choreography from Carol Lawson who made the party swing as well as the wonderful costumes, not just for Deloris but for the whole cast from Triple C Costumiers.
If you've nothing to do on Saturday, and that is if you're lucky enough to get a ticket because this week has been a sell out, go and see "Sister Act" because, brother, you're in for the most heavenly of musicals. Did i love it? It was Fabulous Baby!!
Sarah Walker Smith
The Legend of Lady Rock - Nottingham Contemporary
October 6th 2016
Last night I was delighted to have been in the audience for the World Premiere of a locally written and produced musical drama, The Legend of Lady Rock. The story has been around for a very long time in distant parts of Scotland, although not much is known about the accuracy of the legend. In essence it concerns the dark deed of Lachlan Cattanach, Chief of the Clan Mclean, who left his new wife on a tidal rock in the Firth of Lorne, around the turn of the century. This inspired the author of this production, Sarah Walker Smith, to fill in some of the gaps in the story and produce the version of the dark tale we saw here tonight.
The story is told in words, music and songs by a cast of very talented actors. Playing the lead of Lachlan is Joe Heap, who has in the past performed in the West End and toured in a number of musicals. His performance was dynamic and full of emotion and his singing voice is excellent. His portrayal of the chief who spiralled into despair was powerful and completely engaging.
His first wife Catherine, who disappointed him by not providing him with a son, is played by Lindsey Hancock. Her characterisation is brilliant, mixing a kind and loving personality with a touch of Shakespeare's Shrew. Her singing voice was a joy to listen to.
Julie Matthews plays the scheming sister of Catherine and she brilliantly combines the personality of a devoted servant with an evil woman who plots the downfall of several characters. She sang "Its Time Now" powerfully, which showcased her fabulous voice.
I loved the voice of Rosie Carter who played Lachlan first love, Megan. She sang beautifully, portraying the character of the dumped girl with sincerity and a natural warmth.
Matt Wesson was impressive as the constantly worried servant who reminded everyone that there can be love and peace alongside hatred and violence.
The rest of the cast were also superb singers and high quality actors. They were Jackie Dunn (Meghan's Sister), Abby Wells (Marion), Graham Ward (Campbell, Earl of Argyll), Rob Goll (Jon, Catherine's Brother), Sean Goodwin (Hector, Lachlan's son).
This is very much an ensemble piece, with some of the story being told by the excellent story tellers, Ali Biller, Monique Henry, Gareth Morris, Doug Smith, and Laura Thurman.
Having noted the high quality of all in the cast, I have to say that the superb set, fantastic wall projections and the very well devised lighting plot by Nick Gale and the crisp sound by Simon Carter, contributed greatly to the power, quality and atmosphere of the show. I don't think I was the only one who was struck by the set by Mark James as soon as entering the auditorium. The projections on the huge back wall were by Peter Hodgkinson and were very impressive indeed. They were often subtle and only complemented the action in front and did not, as some I have seen, distract. The Stage Management by Tim Biller and Amy Rogers Gee was excellent. Congratulations also to Rachael Rees the Assistant Producer and Rebecca Gale, the Production Assistant.
The writer and director, Sarah Walker-Smith certainly chose this performance space well. There is no stage, no wings, just a very large and adaptable space; it suited the setting of the drama perfectly as did the props and set. The "Rock" was the centre piece of the stage and was used for a number of dramatic scenes. The only thing that very slightly detracted from its use was rather loud noises from the wheels when it was rotated.
The costumes throughout the production were very attractive and looked authentic to the times, as did the props. Ali Shepherd and Heidi Hargreaves were responsible for this.
The musical director, Chris Rees, interpreted Sarah's music brilliantly and must be congratulated for ensuring that the whole cast were vocally excellent. When they opened the show with "The Sons of Gilean”, the whole space reverberated with a most wonderful sound. Throughout the piece there is a joyous combination of operatic style narrative and beautiful, more modern melodies. I hope there might be a CD eventually.
So it's well done to all involved for producing such a powerful and meaningful drama.
Just one suggestion. Although I was immersed in the story for most of the time I think the second act might be a little on the long side and could benefit from a little editing to keep up the fast pace of Act 1. That said I still loved it. It is a production of quality in all areas and I would strongly recommend getting here to see it before it ends.
Finally, I must once again mention Sarah, whose project this has been for the past 15 years. She conceived the story, wrote the script, composed the music and directed the show, a mammoth labour of love. How she did all that is a story in itself.
Please support her and the exceptionally talented and hard working cast and production team. You will not be disappointed, as this is something rather different and of great quality.
Encore Performing Arts
Singing In The Rain- Arts Theatre
September 27th 2016
The 1952 Singin’ in the Rain musical is one of the most well known, well-loved films of all time, so adapting it for the stage could be a bit of a risk. But Encore Performing Arts have managed brilliantly at the Nottingham Arts Theatre. They have once again (this is there 4th show since launching) proved what a highly professional company they are. This, in my opinion, is their best production to date with almost perfection in every department.
It is set in Hollywood in the late twenties, when Don Lockwood and Lina Lamont are the stars of the silver screen with the silent film company, Monumental Pictures. However, disaster almost strikes with the arrival of the new-fangled invention (it will never catch on), the Talking Picture.
But as the transition to ‘talkies’ proves difficult for the golden couple, as their first foray, ‘The Duelling Cavalier’ is beset with difficulties most notably being Miss Lamont’s hugely irritating voice and inability to sing.
It takes a disastrous test screening for Lockwood’s best friend and partner in crime Cosmo Brown to suggest turning the show into a musical, and for Lina’s voice to be overdubbed by the hotshot starlet Kathy Selden. The rest, as they say, is history.
I am delighted to say that Encore stayed close to the film for this stage adaptation. The Director, the very talented Adam Guest, who I am pleased to say played two cameo roles, is to be congratulated for the way he did this while making it feel lively and fresh.
There are many fabulous songs and dance routines in this show but for me “Make ‘em Laugh,” “Good Morning,” “Beautiful Girl,” “Broadway Rhythm” and the title song “Singing in the Rain,” were simply the best.
The leading quartet of principal performers got their performances absolutely spot on, with Mitch Gamble as Don Lockward sounding very much like the much beloved Gene Kelly who played the part in the film. He danced very well coping with some complex tap routines with aplomb. He was very at home on the stage and his performance of “Singing In The Rain” was superb despite him being soaked. This was, I feel, Mitch’s finest performance to date.
Lisa Ambalavanar as Don’s love interest Kathy Seldon has a superb singing voice and looked so good on stage, bringing considerable emotion to the role when it was needed. She is also a very good dancer with a natural acting style and good comedy timing.
Lucas Young as Cosmo, Don’s friend, was quite superb and for a 17-year-old was quite exceptional. He inhabited this incredibly difficult role and never came out of character. He had to sing, dance and produce well timed physical comedy which he did with a magic that transfixed me and I guess the rest of the audience. He has to be a performer to look out for in the future on the professional stage.
Alice Wright certainly brought the part of Lina Lamount to life and had (I hope acted) a fantastically awful voice, often screeching like a demented creature from the lagoon! She also brought out the nasty side of the sugary film star very well indeed. I did like her great performance of the song “What’s Wrong With Me” which was very well sung in Act 2.
This show had an incredibly rich variety of talented performers many of whom played cameo roles as well as being in some dance routines. Well done to them all. Mike Evans (RF Simpson), Tom Preston (Roscoe Dexter) – I loved the beard and moustache by the way, Jacob Lloyd (Sid Philips), Adam Guest (Vocal Coach), Sam Ward (production Tenor), Brent Lloyd (Little Cosmo) and Kian Lloyd (Little Don).
I must mention Sandy Lane as the Hollywood Radio reporter. This was another superb performance from this very talented performer. You may remember her in Fawty Towers as Mrs Richards? Need I say more?
This show to succeed needs a very strong ensemble which has to dance well. This group certainly had that and the choreographer Sian Scattergood did a brilliant job bringing it often up to a professional standard. They were:
Lucy Bailey, Rachel Barry, Rebecca Drysdale, Dan Gribbin, Harry Ilyk, Jess Lacy, Becky Morley, Cibele Ponces-Alvarenga, Sam Ward, Helen Whittle and Jess Woods.
This show is by no means an easy one to stage particularly as it requires considerable technical expertise in a number of areas not least in providing gallons of water in the final scene of Act 1. Stage Manager Matt Womble and his crew of Aston Fisher, Chris Kirby, Milly Shawcross, Andrew Bould, Katie Bird, Nick Chuter and Rebecca Smith all need considerable recognition for their superb work. The rain storm was superb. The show also needed black and white film sequences and this was well projected on to a large screen. This really helped to take us all back to the era of silent films and the early talkies.
The direction from Adam Guest, assisted by Andrew Bould, was very good indeed and Musical Director and Producer Sam Griffiths and the Choreographer, Sian Scattergood, ensured this classic musical was every bit as dazzling as it deserves to be. I should say that the Orchestra was brilliant too and sounded just right for the show and the period in which it was set.
All-time greats like Singin’ in the Rain are great for a reason, and this production ensured that they will remain great. I hope it may also introduce new theatre goers to this timeless classic which few modern shows come anywhere near to beating.
I loved every minute of it and if I had time this week would like to go and see it again – yes it was that good! DO NOT MISS THIS ONE. Go and see at the Arts Theatre before it closes on Saturday October 1st.
The Full Monty (National Tour)
Theatre Royal Nottingham
September 26th 2016
And so the boys have performed "The Full Monty" and it was very good indeed. The show has been wooing audiences across the land and has done so here in Nottingham as well. It was very funny, well performed. There were very strong performances from the principal players Gary Lucy, Andrew Dunn, Louis Emerick, Chris Fountain, Anthony Lewis and Kai Owen. I must mention the young boy Nathan played by Felix Yates. He is I think a good actor in the making and his scenes with his Dad were very poignant as well as often funny.
However, all the principals developed their characters well so we were able to care about them. There were some moments of seriousness but these were combined very well with great spoken and visual comedy. The supporting cast was also excellent. The Director Jack Ryder is to be congratulated for this exciting production which was enhanced by a good set, lights and sound. As I said during the interval I liked the fact that this stage production followed the film and was set in Sheffield not in the US.
There was a prolonged ovation at the end that was well deserved and many stood as well. Tonight there was a second "display" of the boys so a photo could be taken with the audience standing and cheering in the background. What a great way of ensuring a standing ovation! Haha!
Did they really perform "the full Monty?" Well you should certainly come and see for yourself.
Creatio Arts
"bear"- Duchess Theatre
September 15th 2016
Bare, is a pop opera with a book by Jon Hartmere, Jr. and Damon Intrabartolo, lyrics by Hartmere and music by Intrabartolo. The story centres on two gay high school students Peter and Jason, and their struggles at a private Catholic Boarding School. Running alongside this are sub plots introducing other teenage issues.
This was an incredibly powerful production of a show that some groups might have avoided attempting. However, the Director, Matt Powell is to be congratulated for having the courage to take this on with enthusiasm and passion, and for the success he and the highly talented cast made of it.
Hayden Fletcher in the role of Peter, the secret boyfriend of Jason, showed what a great all round actor and singer he is. Hayden does not just sing and act, he performs with 100% commitment and conviction and he thoroughly inhabited this character. I have seen him in many shows and this was no doubt his most accomplished performance yet. He sang a number of solo pieces, but the tortured duet with his Mum, played excellently by Claire Simmonds, was a particular high spot of the show.
Georgie Bond played the part of Nadia, Jason’s sister, and she was wonderful, displaying her talent for comedy, as well as showcasing her beautiful singing. She lit up the stage whenever she appeared and her rude physicality, hilarious posturing and comic timing were perfect. I particularly liked her rendition of “Spring.” It was hugely entertaining!
Oliver Wheddon played the part of Jason and showed his considerable acting and singing skills throughout the show. He ably portrayed Jason as a mixed up and selfish teenager who wants it all, yet begins to realise that feeling forced to live a lie is too huge a burden to face. His rendition of “Once Upon A Time” was heartwrenching.
Emily Gent, who plays Ivy, has a wonderful voice and she used it to great effect in a number of songs, and she also showed what a good actress she is. She brought a gentle sensitivity to her part, showing the confusion of a popular girl who has a reputation to live up to, which she is not really equipped to handle. Her rendition of “All Grown Up,” was superb.
Andrew Bould, as the spurned lover of Ivy, made the most of his part. He gave depth to a restrained and rather underwritten character by a compelling stage presence and excellent singing and acting ability. A duet with Peter was a highlight of the show for me.
Jack Readyhoof played the dim jock of the school: a character with no cares and little regard for the consequences of his actions. Jack brought just the right level of insouciance, coupled with the subtle arrogance that leads ultimately to an act that has tragic consequences.
Supporting the above so very well indeed was Lowri Spear, Erin Keogh, Rebekah Fearn
Ryan Wiggins, Josh Birchall, Ben Jones, Sophie Robbins, Sky Marsden and Rachael Webb.
Monique Henry as one of the sister school teachers and Adam Guest as a priest were both excellent: one supportive, despite her calling and the other unable to think past the restraints of church dogma. Monique’s loud, cheerful and honest demeanour contrasted well with Adam’s steely insistence on remaining true to church law, regardless of emotional cost.
There was a live band surreptitiously hidden behind the set, which produced a really great sound, directed by Morris Foster and Martin Lewis.
Completing the production team was Stephanie Ure, whose choreography was effective and appropriate for the story and it was well executed by the cast.
The set was very good to look at (designed by Matt Powell and a number of helpers) was enhanced by good lighting directed by Dave Martin. The sound was also well designed by Simon Birchall and Harry Greatorex. Stage Management was smooth, organised by Milly Shawcross, aided by Katie Wendorf and the cast.
I have never seen "Bare" before and while I was very impressed by the production and some of the music, I cannot say that I liked it all. Also, I felt that some of the narrative is weak, relying on stereotypes and perhaps leaving an audience with some unanswered questions about the plot. However, the whole cast and the Musical Director of this particular production must be congratulated for attaining a very high quality of musicianship during the almost completely sung dialogue. The emotional richness and sheer power of the performances that the director has achieved make a very strong impact.
This is a show which delivers a powerful message that provokes reflection afterwards. There is no doubt that it was very well produced and performed and all concerned should be congratulated for what they have achieved.
National Tour
The Glenn Miller Story - Theatre Royal, Nottingham
September 13th 2016
I really enjoyed the Glenn Miller Story at the Royal tonight. I suppose, as I am a great fan of big bands, it was going to appeal to me. I have also always liked the distinctive sound that Glenn Miller produced during the 1940s.
This was actually pure entertainment which is what Tommy Steele has been involved in for so long. He is in his 79th year and has been an entertainer for much of that time. I can say that he still sings very well and can still appeal to an audience as was demonstrated by the applause he received when he first walked on to the stage. The description of him as "Britain's Greatest Song and Dance Man" is pretty accurate. Incidentally he was on stage for almost the whole of the show but by the end he seemed as fresh as at the start!
There was a great supporting cast led by Abigail Jaye playing the part of Helen, his wife. She has a lovely voice and a personality that was just right for the part.
Ashley Knight played the role of Chummy MacGregor, Glenn's friend. He is a good actor, singer and can dance pretty well also.
There was a singing and dancing ensemble who worked very hard and produced routines which were very well sung and danced. They were a joy to watch and were full of energy throughout. The other cameo roles were played very well by members of the orchestra.
The orchestra itself made a grand entrance at the end of Act 1 and sounded and looked very much like the original Glenn Miller Orchestra. There were 16 musicians who were firstly dressed in formal evening wear and later as members of the army. Again they looked very realistic. More important though was the sound that filled the theatre magnificently.
After the story had been told and after the bows had been taken there were a few more numbers sung by the cast and the enthusiastic audience were encouraged to join in. Some left their seats to dance in the aisles. This was all led by Tommy who seemed to have boundless energy and was obviously enjoying every minute of it.
This was followed by a very well deserved whole theatre standing ovation that appeared to be very well received by the cast and Tommy in particular who stayed on stage for quiet a while at the end.
This was a night of top quality entertainment that I really enjoyed. If you like shows that send you out at the end feeling uplifted go and see this one. But how can this not be the case with songs like "In the mood," "Zing went the strings of My Heart," "Sing Sing Sing," "Get Happy," "Chattanooga Choo Choo" and "Pennsylvania 6-5000."
The People's Theatre Company
Jesus Christ Superstar- Nottingham Arts Theatre
September 6th 2016
This show was first performed in 1971 and at the time was ground breaking in the world of musical theatre. Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s rock opera tells the story of the last seven days in the life of Jesus through an extraordinary and exciting score. As compelling today as it was at its inception over 40 years ago, Jesus Christ Superstar has some of musical theatre’s most legendary songs from I Don’t Know How to Love Him, Everything’s Alright and Gethsemane through to, of course, Superstar.
Last night at the Nottingham Arts Theatre, the People’s Theatre Company once again produced a fine production of this very popular show. This version was performed in a simple and straightforward way and in modern dress, emphasising the timeless nature of the story. The set was bare, apart from a small podium at the back of the stage with a few piles of scaffolding that was used for various purposes. The fairly large stage area in front allowed the cast to move around smoothly and often as a large crowd. This made for some very energetic and exciting ensemble work both in terms of singing and dancing.
From the very first entrance of the ensemble it was obvious that this was going to be a dynamic and interesting production. Throughout, every member of the cast was involved in the action and maintained their characters. They were all comfortable on stage and the director ensured that they all had something to do: there was never a dull moment and always something to take your eye.
The show focuses to a large extent on the troubled character of Judas played magnificently by Sam Barson. He has a very strong and dynamic voice, which he used brilliantly to show how tortured he was. He also showed how he felt throughout the show by the way he moved around the stage – he is a very good physical actor as well as singer.
Playing the part of Jesus was Patrick McCrystal and he complimented Sam well by being so opposite in character. While Sam was railing and shouting, Patrick was naturally calm and thoughtful. His performance was utterly convincing as a puzzled, vulnerable and ultimately broken Jesus, with his emotional Gethsemane a particular highlight for me.
Playing the sad and sometimes confused Mary Magdalene was Vivienne Tay whose voice was lovely and just right for the character. Her performance of I don’t Know How To Love Him was very well sung
There were many other good performances that need a mention. Jason Wrightman’s portrayal of Pilate was suitably dramatic and displayed genuine stagecraft and presence. Laura Ellis as Simon the Zealot and Connah Porter as the anguished Peter gave accomplished performances. John Gill as a very camp Herod provided an object lesson in playing a one-scene role – clever and funny without going over the top too much. He also combined humour with absolute evil.
The Role of the High Priest, Caiaphas was played very powerfully by Meng Khaw who was pretty frightening and his assistant, Annas was played by Luke Grainger, who was so at home and believable in the role. His facial expressions were captivating.
The ensemble is very important in this show and this one was particularly remarkable. The choruses were performed with a considerable degree of drive and clarity, with the togetherness of the dancing being very impressive. Every one of them deserves great praise – as do the backstage team that has brought them to this high standard.
They were: Ted Ball, Imogen Birkett, Danny Buttfield, Adam Chapman, Serena Eadon, Courtney Giddy, Barry Hobbs, Isabella Keen, Jenny Pike, Joseph Smith, Roy Smith, Tianya Stokes, Daisy Weston, Michael Wood.
The sound and lighting by Tom Mowatt and Richard Zamorski was just right, as was the simple set design by Laura Ellis and Francis Lowe.
The Orchestra directed by the Musical Director David Hails was very good and just right for the show, although there were just one or two times when the rock nature of score was just a little overpowering for the soloists. This was rare though.
The production team of Chris Teasdale (Director), Luke Grainger (Assistant Director), David Hails, (Musical Director) and Jenny Scott (Choreographer), Amy Rogers Gee (Stage Manager) is to be congratulated for producing an exciting, vibrant, dynamic and thoughtful version of the show. I was pleased that the scourging of Jesus and the crucifixion scenes were sensitively directed so as to make it meaningful rather than gory, as I have seen in some other productions.
This is not one of my favourite shows but this production was the best I have seen and the whole cast should be justly proud of the success they made of it. They will, I am sure be very tired at the end of the run as the effort and power they all put into it was enormous. That is what made me enjoy it more than I have before. Well done everyone.
The Present Company
The Scarlet Pimpernel - Buxton Opera House
September 3rd
Well done to all involved for this excellent production. The music was great and the orchestra was first class. They accompanied the action very well.
The three leading actors, Rachel Louisa Bray (Marguerite St Just), David Partridge (Sir Percy Blakeney alias the Pimpernel) and Craig Arme (Chauvelin) were excellent. They were very well supported by the rest of the cast and mention must be made of "The League of The Scarlet Pimpernel" men, whose two main song routines "Into the Fire" and "The Creation of Man" were superb. I also liked the very effective and very complicated whole cast number "They seek him here." You need to see that to appreciate just how good it was.
Well done to the Director, Jean Gemmell, the Musical Director, Morris Fisher, The Stage Manager, Ken Owen and the rest of the production team.
Sound and lighting by Simon Birchall and David Marsden were excellent and I was very impressed by the set and costumes (Marion Fisher).
I was not sure what I was going to see tonight but I was very impressed and certainly intend to see the production again when the Present Company perform it at Derby Theatre in October.
The People's Theatre Company
Brassed Off - Nottingham Arts Theatre
July 9th 2016
Based on the film of the same name, this stage production of Mark Herman’s screenplay by Paul Allen is about Grimley Colliery, which is set to close as the accountants say there's more money in it shut than open. It means 1200 job losses, a dying town and the loss of its brass band. But under the leadership of Danny, coughing with coal-dusted lungs, the band is somehow transformed into British Champions, with ex local lass Gloria whipping up the money needed to get them to the Albert Hall.
The play is seen through the eyes of Shane Ormonroyd, played by Marcus Whybrow, who had the not so easy task of taking us back in time by becoming his 8 years old self. This he did very well indeed, his mannerisms and delivery were so accurate that he was totally believable as a small boy. Even in the last scene, at the side of the stage, he was thoughtfully chewing the top of his flag, fully immersed in his characterisation. He is obviously an actor with talent who was playing for the first time, but I am sure not the last, with this company.
Playing the part of Danny was Graham Lambert, who is another new member of People’s, although he is a well known Director and performer with NOMADs and other groups. As Shane’s Grandfather and leader of the colliery brass band, he provided a very strong and sensitive performance of a man full of determination to continue with the band that means so much to him and the community. His natural, convincing delivery and ability to express a range of emotions were a joy to listen to.
The play deals with many social and political issues, but often does this through sharp observation, wit and humour. Providing much of this was Robert Suttle as Jim and Gary Thorne as Harry, along with Marie Rogers as Vera and Jennie Scott as Rita, their wives. Excellent, well-rounded performances here, good diction, complete understanding of the text and the characters and perfect comedy timing.
There were very strong and emotional performances from Jonathan Allen as Phil and Bushra Greaves as his wife Sandra. Phil is a tormented character and Jonathan captured the slow burn of his descent from denial and defiance into utter hopelessness. Bushra’s cleverly low key and often humorous performance gave us a strong and resigned woman who puts up with a lot before giving up.
Christopher Collins played Andy, a young miner and Amy Mondschein was Gloria, his old flame, who has returned to the village to work for the coal board management. Chris is an excellent actor and was completely engaging as the principled but hot headed Andy. And what a find is Amy Mondschein playing Gloria! She not only acted absolutely brilliantly but also played the Flugelhorn superbly in a solo with the Newstead Brass Band!
Talking of the band, they were wonderful. The way in which the Director integrated the actors into the band was convincing and there was no sense of them being apart, which added to the realism. We all enjoyed listening to a selection of lovely rousing and moving pieces; many people in the audience must be hoping to hear some more performances by this talented brass band. There were fine supporting performances from Molly Benner, Alex Williams, Jude Forsey, Molly Fitches, Barbara Benner, Mike Newbold, Lucy Wakefield, Tina Valambhia, Roy Smith, Vernon Lloyd and Mark "Sev" Davies.
The play was very well directed by Chris Mercer, assisted by Mike Pearson. A lot of work with the cast must have gone into analysing the text and developing the profiles of these wholly believable characters. Such naturalistic delivery is hard to achieve and both this and the pacing of the story telling was flawless. The logistics of getting a band on and off the stage regularly was also very well handled.
The cleverly designed and constructed set by Chris Mercer and members of the company was well used to keep the action moving.
The excellent and effective sound and lighting design was produced by Rob Kettridge and Richard Zamorski.
This was yet another high quality performance by The People’s Theatre Company, who have again proved they can perform plays and musicals which are of a professional standard.
The audience gave the cast a whole theatre standing ovation, which was so very well deserved. Another great night at the Arts Theatre.
Erewash Musical Society Youth Group
Summer Holiday - The Duchess Theatre
July 7th 2016
After a couple of rather serious shows this week for this reviewer, i was looking, as a contrast, to seeing some out and out fun musical and "Summer Holiday" fitted that bill just right. I'd forgotten what a really fun musical this was but it didn't take this talented group long to remind me of what a wonderful vehicle for fun this was.
Based on the film starring Cliff Richard about a group of bus mechanics who get a double decker bus to go on holiday with to France. Along the way they pick up a trio of lovelies on their way to a gig in Athens whose car has broken down. They also get a stowaway who isn't quite who they seem.
Our four leading men Hayden Fletcher (Don), Thomas Judson (Steve), Dylan Singfield (Cyril) and Ethan Lee (Edwin) are a brilliantly entertaining quartet and gel well. They are totally believable as a group of friends, which i imagine that they are away from the stage, and it's great fun to see them work together.
"Do Re Mi", the trio of girl singers who are rescued by our intrepid heroes are Lucy Judson (Alma), Lucy Ledger (Angie) and Chloe Hopcroft (Mimsie) are another group of well cast members , again great fun to watch and sound great together as well.
Barbara/Bobby, the runaway star is played by Sophie Robbins. i loved the way she played the Bobby side of her character with fake macho-ism.
Two actors who I thought were just brilliant were Charlie Pierson who played Barbara's agent, Jerry. A lovely natural comic flair and a really confident stage presence. The other was Barbara's mother, Stella, played by Michelle Blair. Again a lovely comedy feel and great pompousness, and an accent that didn't waver once. As a comedy pairing they bounced off each other very well.
There were 30 other members of the cast and chorus who all did a brilliant job in their various roles, and I must single out Rebecca Groombridge as the wedding soloist for her wonderful voice. Only a minor part but she made an impression on me.
What i also must mention is the ever increasing tennis racket.guitar players who entertained us with the instrumental sections between the scenes. Great fun to see the younger members of the group having a real blast and letting rip with their imaginary guitar riffs and dance routines made famous by The Shadows.
Providing the music, and may I say they really captured the whole feel and sound of the Hank Marvin guitar sound and Brian Bennett drum sound, were the very tight band, musically directed by Martin Lewis. After performing on stage for many years, Martin debuts as MD and keeps the music swinging. Special mention to Chris Renshaw on guitar and Will Raybould on drums.
The set was great with the cinematic backdrops and the bus, Yes there was a bus on stage as well as a real scooter. The bus made a real impact because I was not expecting it.
As usual for The Duchess, the sound and lighting were of a high standard, thanks to Dave Martin, Ben Tennett and Dave Dallard.
A wonderful trip down memory lane with this fluffy, feel good musical which will have you singing and clapping along with all of the tunes you know and love. Brilliant cast, who looked like they were having a ball out there and some brilliant choreography, thanks to Carol Lawson. The pacy continuity and party atmosphere is thanks to the directing of Chris Renshaw.
You've still got a chance to catch this wonderful show on Saturday 9 July 2016 at the Duchess Theatre in Long Eaton, so hurry up, you wouldn't want to miss the bus now would you?
(Coutesy of Kev Castle)
Creatio Theatre Arts
Les Miserables - Derby Theatre
July 5th 2016
Last night at Derby we all joined the revolution with a very talented group of young performers, who stormed the barricades and scored a decisive musical victory. Les Miserables is one of the longest running stage musicals in the world and is loved by so many. Therefore, any amateur theatre group needs to perform it very well and last night Creatio Arts did just that.
Set in early 19th-century France, it is the story of Jean Valjean, a French peasant, and his quest for redemption after serving nineteen years in jail for having stolen a loaf of bread for his sister's starving child. Valjean decides to break his parole and start his life anew after a kindly bishop inspires him by a tremendous act of mercy, but he is relentlessly tracked down by a police inspector named Javert. Along the way, Valjean and a slew of characters are swept into a revolutionary period in France, where a group of young idealists make their last stand at a street barricade.
There were some excellent performances, both from the principal actors and the impressive and very hard working ensemble. From the first chorus, sung incredibly powerfully by the convicts, it was clear that the vocal standard of the cast was going to be very high indeed.
Leading the cast was Zak Charlesworth, playing the part of Jean Valjean. This is the third time I have seen him play the part and it was unquestionably his best performance to date; he has developed and honed this character into something very special. His voice is brilliant, with every note performed perfectly. His rendition in particular, of “Bring Him Home” was sensational and for me, sung as well as any version professional or amateur I have heard. He injected just the right level of emotion throughout the show, successfully depicting a bitter man who is transformed by an act of forgiveness into one driven by compassion and honour. This is a huge role for any performer, let alone one so young, but he was a commanding figure on stage throughout and was able to effectively suggest the aging process simply by mannerisms and movement.
Ryan Wiggins played Javert, the police inspector who devotes his life to tracking down Valjean. He played the part with conviction and had obviously thought very carefully about how to portray this tortured personality. He maintained a stiff demeanor and measured movements throughout, which perfectly captured the inflexibility of a blinkered individual who is driven by duty. I liked his rendition of “Stars”, which was performed with just the right level of emotion.
Lizzy Ives as Fantine was superb, having a brilliant voice and a range of acting skills. She successfully portrayed the tragic victim who finds the strength to fight for her child: a sensitive performance with beautiful diction. Could anyone not be moved by the way she sang the beautiful “I Dreamed A Dream” – a real vocal highlight.
This show does not have many laughs, but playing the two characters who do lighten the mood from time to time, Thenardier and his wife, were Alex Dickenson and Grace Orgill, who threw themselves (at times literally) into the roles. Grace employed a range of vocal and facial expressions and mannerisms to suggest the delightful coarseness of her character: these were well appreciated by the audience. Both were very entertaining during the song “Master of the House”, which Alex sang with engaging gusto.
The role of the tragic Eponine was played brilliantly by Georgie Bond, who has a voice of superb quality: her performance of “On My Own” was very moving, a real showstopper. Her scenes with Nic Gordon who played Marius, for whom she has unrequited love, were sensitive and involving. Nic acted and sang well, performing the song “Empty Chairs and Empty Tables” beautifully, with maturity and emotion.
Hope Redfern played the adult Cosette, showing her considerable acting and singing ability and bringing the rather one-dimensional character to life with a range of expressions.
Paddy Stafford was a powerful Enjolras, the student leader. I understand this was his first performance in a stage musical and he did very well indeed, coping well with the never easy music and acting with conviction and passion.
There was a very endearing and powerful performance from Bailey West as the young boy, Gavroche. He sang with feeling (Little People) and has a beautifully clear speaking voice with excellent diction and projection.
Supporting the above brilliantly in a number of other roles and in the ensemble were Nadia Potter (Young Cosette), Lewis Haycock (Bishop), Adam Griffiths Vernon (Bambatois), Aaron Titterton (Combferre), Andrea Pocock (Pouvaire), Erin Keogh (Joly), Jonathan Banks (Feuilly), and Natasha Neale (Young Eponine).
Although there are very important principal parts in this show, its success depends on having a strong and high quality ensemble and this production had just that. They sang, acted and moved well. They were:
Bianca Undy, Eleanor Carty, Ella Holmes, Erin Hill,
Gemma Strange, Jenna Gregory, Katie Wendorf, Lowri Spear,
Lucy Bennett, Lucy Chapman, Philippa Gurney, Olivia Grace, Rachael Webb, Rhiannon Bown, Shannon Blake, Tammie Morgan, and Tayla Evans. Well done to you all.
The Creatio Production Team are to be congratulated for taking this cast to such high levels of performance. They were Matt Powell (Director), Oliver Weddon (Assistant Director), Sam Griffiths (Musical Director), Josh Kemp (Assistant Musical Director), Charlotte Richardson-Astle (Choreographer) and Stage Manager, Lucy Young.
There was a very large orchestra in the pit, which accompanied the cast effectively and sympathetically under the accomplished baton of Sam Griffiths.
The show featured an innovative set involving a revolving stage and a multi purpose “barricade” centre piece that was used in a number of ways. It was effective in keeping the action moving, but did take up quite a lot of the available stage and this restricted the movement of the cast in the big ensemble songs. Also, cast members and stage crew could sometimes be seen taking their places behind on the revolve, which was a little distracting during some solo items. There were some problems with microphones last night, but I am sure that will be sorted before tonight’s performance.
Finally, this was a quality performance from a talented cast, crew and production team and all need to be congratulated for their hard work. The show ended with a sustained standing ovation, which was very well deserved.
Fans of Les Miserables will, I am sure, be very happy with this excellent production, which I would recommend you go to see before it ends on Friday.
Long Eaton Operatic Society Youth Group
Joseph - The Duchess Theatre Long Eaton
June 30th 2016
" Way way back many centuries ago," Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice wrote a short Cantata for performance at Colet School, followed by a concept album a year later. At that time it was only 15 minutes long. Its success then, plus the rather larger Jesus Christ Superstar that preceded it, led to a longer and bigger version, which is the much loved show performed tonight at the Duchess Theatre.
The story is based on the "coat of many colours" story of Joseph from the Book of Genesis. It is totally sung through and alongside the great Lloyd Webber music there are the very witty lyrics of Tim Rice, which are among his best. The show has had considerable success in London's West End and on Broadway, leading it to be a favourite of schools, Youth Groups and indeed adult musical societies around the country.
Tonight's performance was an excellent, exciting and fresh version by this hardworking and talented group of youngsters. It was musically of a high standard and was visually stunning, with great costumes and fantastic lighting. A fine sounding orchestra complemented the cast and was well balanced along with the vocals. The visual quality was enhanced by some very well designed scenic projections and a simple set with appropriate props.
This is very much an ensemble piece and I was blown away by the Chorus, who not only provided singing accompaniment, but also moved and danced their hearts out. The choreography was well designed and there was never a moment when they were not employed effectively as part of the story telling.
This is also true of the very strong group playing Joseph's bothers. Sharp and amusing routines were extremely well performed and they sang and acted with conviction and obvious enthusiasm. They are:
Oliver Ridgway, Kian Booth, Hannah Pettit, Issac Brooks, Lorley Shelton, Sammy Platkiw, Emily Scott, Grace Collishaw, Jennifer Finlay, Trinity Shelton, Billy Stewart.
There are, of course, principals in the show who played their parts beautifully. Leading the cast was Rob McAuley, playing Joseph. I liked his characterisation of the role in which he maintained Joseph’s air of smug confidence and yet hinted at his vulnerability. His singing voice was tuneful and clear and he looked very comfortable on stage.
There were other strong performances from Ryan Phelps as Pharaoh, with the great Elvis voice, Matthew McAuley as Jacob, Izzy Broadley as Mrs Pottifer, Grace Collishaw as the Baker and Kian Booth as the Butler.
I was particularly impressed by Oliver Ridgway who played Pottifer and one of the brothers. He was constantly reacting to what was going on and his facial expressions, excellent dancing and enthusiasm were a joy to watch.
As I said earlier I very much enjoyed the work of the ensemble and they all need a mention for the way they put in so much effort and concentration and always remembered to smile! They are:
Emma Lowe, Megan Trindell, Patricia Holmer, Emma Roberts, Elise Thornhill, Lydia Cumley, Hannah Glossop, Lottie Ludlow, Chloe Patterson, Jamie Lane, Izzy Broadley, Chloe Brooks and Todd Oliver.
The part of the Narrator in this show is a vital one and in this production it was shared. Abi Barker led – what a beautiful voice she has – and she was ably supported by the lovely voices of Ezzy Parker and Bella Ridgeway. All three told the story clearly and with expression and placed themselves in the action with perfect timing.
Congratulations to the Production Team of Karen Woodhead (Director/choreographer), Siobhan Parker (Producer/choreographer), Sam Griffiths (Musical Director), Rob Corner (Stage Manager), Tom Olding (Lights), Dave Dallard (Sound), Jackie Roberts / Sara Glossop (wardrobe) and the many other back and front stage helpers. All contributed to a fast moving and highly enjoyable production.
Derby Gilbert and Sullivan Company
The Mikado - Derby Theatre
June 26th 2016
The Director of the show Andrew Nicklin wrote this in the Programme:
“ Arguably the most popular show in the Gilbert and Sullivan canon, The Mikado represents them both at the peak of their creativity – Sullivan has found his own unique musical voice and Gilbert is never happier than when poking fun at the Establishment.” On Saturday night the Derby G & S Company brought a modern audience some very up to date political references and some glorious tunes, in a fresh, very funny and thoroughly entertaining production.
The production was brilliantly conceived by the Director (stage and musical) Andrew Nicklin and performed by a very talented cast that included some professional performers.
In the central role of Nanki Poo was Gari Glaysher, who endeared himself to us all from the start as he performed the well known song “A Wandering Minstrel I.” I very much liked his fey ‘posh boy’ characterization of the rather simple ‘2nd Trombone,’ who is actually the Son of the Mikado. His love interest, Yum Yum, was played by the very expressive Sharon Cutworth. She has a lovely voice and along with Nanki-Poo and Ko-Ko, showed her comic versatility in the amusing and beautifully performed, “Here’s A How De Do”.
It was great to see one of my favourite G and S performers, Stephen Godward back in the role of The Lord High Every Thing” Pooh Bah. Stephen is an actor of enormous experience and talent and his performances never disappoint. His voice is very good and his comedy timing and range of accents are pure perfection.
The two school girl friends of Yum Yum were very well cast – Elaine Bishop as Pitti Sing, who was delightfully mischievous and funny and Beth Bucknall, who brought charm and fun to the role of Peep-Bo.
John Carter played Pish – Tush the Civil Servant, with a great Yorkshire accent and deadpan expression, really bringing the part of the disillusioned official to life.
The pivotal role of Katisha, who has unrequited love for Nanki Poo, was played superbly by Jean Krzeminski. She sang and acted with passion, but was also very amusing in the role of the angry harridan. Her rendition of “Alone, and yet alive” was beautifully and poignantly sung.
The Mikado, who only appears in Act 2, was played by professional actor and singer, Matthew Siveter, who is well known in the production and concert world of G and S. He commands the stage and has a beautiful voice and
perfect delivery. His range of swaggers and expressions perfectly conveyed the ridiculous nature of the overblown absolute ruler, who is nevertheless constantly irritated by Katisha.
Last but not least, the star of the show for me was Alan Smith, as The Lord High Executioner, Ko Ko. He just made the part his own with a lot of physical comedy, as well as engaging and expressive delivery of his lines and songs: his comic timing was perfect. I look forward to seeing him again in the future.
The ensemble, charmingly described in the programme as “Chorus of Gentlemen and Chorus of School Girls and Chaperones” was excellent and included performers of all ages. They were given very appropriate moves and dances, which were performed very well. In particular I just loved the Finale of Act 1, which was sung and danced with tremendous skill, enthusiasm and passion. Brilliant!
This was a superb production and the team of Andrew Nicklin and his choreographer, Jackie O’Brian, are to be congratulated for producing a show of such high quality. The Orchestra, under Andrew’s direction, was excellent and well balanced with the performers - none of whom were wearing microphones. It is always good to be able to hear pure rather than amplified sound, especially with such a good group of singers.
The lighting plot by David Marsden enhanced the simple but effective set, which was well used by the cast throughout the show.
I really did enjoy this production and commend everyone who was involved and to quote the programme once again “it all works out in the end and everything is most satisfactory.” Well, for me the show was definitely not “satisfactory” it was “outstanding.”
The production was at Derby Theatre between June 24th and 25th 2016. (There were 3 performances].
Chesterfield College Students
Rent - Pomegranate Theatre
June 22nd 2016
This afternoon at the Pomegranate theatre in Chesterfield I watched a performance of a show that I have never really liked. However, thanks to a brilliant production and equally brilliant performances, I have had to change my mind.
Rent is a rock musical with music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson, loosely based on Giacomo Puccini's opera La Bohème. It tells the story of a group of impoverished young artists struggling to survive and create a life in New York City's East Village, in the thriving days of Bohemian Alphabet City, under the shadow of HIV/AIDS.
From the very start of the show it was obvious that it was going to be a very powerful production. What struck me straight away was the exceptionally high standard of singing and acting from both principals and the ensemble. This is not an easy show to perform, given its roots in opera and narrative singing, meaning that there are sometimes short pieces of recitative, often with non-melodic accompaniment. The cast took on this challenge and made it look easy, which is impressive for young performers.
There were very strong performances from Lucy Jenkinson as Mimi, whose voice is fantastic, Ben Featherstone as her on off lover, Roger, with an equally fantastic voice and Jacob Wolstenholme as the film maker, Mark, who very ably combined an on the surface optimistic personality with deep down sadness and loneliness. All three must have very worked hard on understanding and becoming their characters as well as the brilliant voice work.
I was very impressed with the lovely voice and powerful acting of Chloe Blake as Joanna and the incredibly expressive performance from Jasmine Elliot as Maureen. Her solo performance at the concert was simply stunning. The relationship between Tom, played by Jordan Stanbrook, and the drag queen Angel, played by Tyler Brealey, was tenderly and sensitively acted: both are very proficient actors and singers. Angel’s death and the aftermath were particularly moving; I am sure that Jordan had real tears in his eyes at Angel’s funeral. Last but not least, Luke Hutchinson played the part of Benny well, showing with the conflict between commercialism and compassion.
Although the show does require some very strong singers and actors in the principal roles, it is also very much an ensemble piece and requires a solid group of performers to make it work. This was the case this afternoon. There were some very impressive performances of ensemble songs like “La Vie Boheme,” “Rent,” “Season’s of Love and “The Finale.” The excellent ensemble performers were:
Tom Allmark, Amy Norton, Chelsea Astell (also assistant choreographer), Danielle Turner, Connor Brown, Sally Anne Kerry, Chloe Ragget, Chris Blackshaw, Kerry Anne Woodhead, Becky Burton, April Parker, Leah Hibbard, Rebecca Wilkes, Chantelle Ruston, Isabelle Allen, Beth Smith, Lucy Campbell, Charlotte Bingham and Matt Parker.
The production under the direction of Kerry Dooley, Becky Parker (Assistant Director and Choreographer), David Price (Technical Manager – lighting design), Matt McGregor (Lighting) was faultless. There was very good use of a very appropriate multi level set that brought the action to life and there were never any moments when the cast were not fully in character and purposefully employed. A scene featuring a long table, which required the ensemble to co-ordinate singing, dancing, lifting and jumping was particularly well executed.
The musical director, Jonathan Francis, has to be congratulated for working with the cast to produce singing of such a very high standard. His excellent band (Chris Flint, Katy Strudwick, Matt Chambers was) just right for the show and the venue. It never dominated the performers: in fact the sound overall was very good indeed, under the direction of Andy Onion.
This was a sensational production of Rent performed like professionals. That is no over statement. Thank you Chesterfield College for making me re-appraise my attitude to this show. Still can’t say it is one of my favourites yet but it certainly is now in my "like" bucket.
Encore Theatre Arts
One Man Two Guvnors - Arts Theatre, Nottingham
June 21st 2016
Described by The Guardian as 'A triumph of visual and verbal comedy, One Man, Two Guvnors is a glorious celebration of British comedy: a unique, laugh-out-loud mix of satire, slapstick and glittering one-liners."
This play is based on Goldoni's 18th-century comedy, The Servant of Two Masters. It concerns Francis Henshall, who has been fired from his skiffle band and taken a job as minder to Roscoe Crabbe, a small time East End hood, now in Brighton to collect £6,000 from his fiancée’s brother. But in fact Roscoe’s sister Rachel is posing as her brother, as he’s been killed by her boyfriend, Stanley Stubbers. Holed up at The Cricketers' Arms, the permanently ravenous Francis spots the chance of an extra meal ticket and takes a second job with Stanley Stubbers, who is hiding from the police and waiting to be re-united with Rachel. To prevent discovery, Francis must keep his two guvnors apart. Simples!
Well, as you might guess, it is definitely not simples and the result is a catalogue of misunderstandings, riotous goings on and what might be described as manic farce.
Encore have gathered together an exceptionally talented cast to present this play that began its life at the National Theatre, before moving into the West End.
The show was very slick and the cast obviously know the production inside out, meaning that the lines flow at a perfect pace, which is vital with a farce. I could clearly hear and understand all of the dialogue, even if the machinations of the plot are occasionally delightfully unfathomable.
The cast handled both the vocal and physical demands of this play with ease. Adam Guest is simply brilliant as the man with two guvnors and throws himself into his performance with engaging gusto. He has enormous stage presence and is so comfortable with the role that he is entirely believable and able to work the audience with ease. This all takes tremendous energy and huge skill, as it involves a lot of riotous physical comedy, exquisite timing and very quick thinking.
Fast paced dialogue and witty banter come from all the cast and each brings something extra to their character. Emma Collins is a jaunty but steely ‘Roscoe’ – a real twinkle in her eye - and Ross Lowe shines as the public school buffoon, with absolutely spot on delivery and diction. Jack Readyhoof is a gloriously over the top aspiring actor – his arms must surely ache the next day - and Aston Fisher is brilliant as a captivatingly dense Pauline Clench. Special mention to Lewis Haycock, who took over the part of her shady brother, Charlie Clench, late on and absolutely nailed the character, a fine piece of acting. Amy Clover is simply delightful as the man eating Dolly, Clive Williamson gives a beautifully balanced performance as Lloyd Boatang and Kathryn McCauley brings just the right level of dignity, barely contained restraint and consequently humour, to Gareth, the waiter. Last, but by no means least, especially as he played not only Harry Dangle, the family solicitor, but also a number of other cameo roles was Gary Lever. He is an extremely versatile and talented actor who brought so much to the play in so many ways.
Special mention must also go to Kheenan Jones who delighted the audience with his portrayal of slow - moving geriatric waiter Alfie. For a 19 year old to play an 86 year old so believably is impressive indeed: a great example of how physicality can create a character.
The set design was impressive for a relatively small space and well thought out, turning Charlie’s House into the Cricketer’s Arms smoothly and quickly, albeit behind the red curtain. The “acts’ that filled the time were varied, quirky, and very entertaining. They kept the action moving.
The production team led by Ollie Turner (Director) ably supported by Verna Bayliss (Assistant Director) and Sam Griffiths (Producer) can be justifiably proud of the result. So much thought had obviously gone in to staging the action, managing the set pieces, honing the performances and simply capturing the energy of the piece: evidence of great direction. There were also many others who contributed to this very well produced show.
There was a well-deserved ovation at the end, which the cast were obviously delighted with. I hope they survive the week though, given the amount of energy they used, as this is a high-energy show. It is refreshingly different and often packs a punch; there really isn’t a dull moment.
If you like slapstick comedy combined with audience participation, great one liners, a crazy but clever plot and a superb cast, you really need to go and see it before it ends on Saturday.
Ilkeston Theatre Company
Ax for Murder - Seven Oaks Marquee Theatre
June 10th 2016
I really enjoyed this play - a well crafted murder mystery written by Pat Cook. It concerns a haunted play, or does it? There are things to work out but I did not guess "who done it." It is a complicated and difficult ensemble play that Ilkeston Theatre Company obviously had worked very hard on. There were some good individual performances and I was impressed by the way they all worked so well together. They all need to be mentioned:
Jennie Walker; Paul Ensor, Becks Harrison-Mace; Jacqueline Dixon; Adrian Thornley; Angie Jacks; Sharon Ensor; Lucy Tanner; Ryan Fletcher;
Tracey Dean; Sue Arkley; Mary Bryant;
Rachael Flewitt; Ben Mills; Mandy Bull;
Steve Walton; Marilyn Keates; Joey Norman;
Lena Bryant.
Most of the cast were on stage for the whole of the play which means they had to keep in character for a long time. This they coped with well. The play also required good lighting and sound effects and tonight both were excellent thanks to Louis Beardsley(lighting), Ryan Pound (sound) and Tracey Dean (effects). The set was excellent, thanks to the Stage Manager, Ady Fletcher and the cast. The costumes were very appropriate thanks to Jennie Walker and Mary Bryant.
Finally congratulations on managing this complex play so well go to the producers, Ben Mills and Rachael Flewitt.
I cannot say any more about the play as I must not give anything away to spoil it. It would be great to give your support to this very hard working local theatre company and I am looking forward to seeing their next Panto later this year - Snow White.
Finally if you haven't been to the Seven Oaks Theatre go when you have a chance. It is a very nice venue with good lighting and sound.
Derby Theatre - National Tour
The Mousetrap
June 6th 2016
The Mousetrap has been the world’s longest running stage production, now based in St Martin’s theatre, London. The 60th Anniversary – and first ever – UK tour of this well loved murder mystery has been seen by nearly 1 million people, having broken box office records in many of its tour venues.
The play opens at Monkswell Manor, the home of Giles and Mollie Ralston (Nick Barclay and Anna Andresen), who have only been married a year and have decided to set up a guest house. Heavy snow is falling outside as their first ever guests arrive: Christopher Wren, (Oliver Gully), the rude battleaxe Mrs Boyle (Louise Jameson) Major (Tony Boncza) and Miss Casewell (Amy Downham) and the unexpected foreigner Mr Paravicini (Gregory Cox). In addition to the guests a policeman, Sgt. Trotter (Lewis Collier), arrives later.
When the action begins there’s already been a shocking murder just 30 miles away in London (which we hear about via the wireless) and by apparent coincidence, several people who turn up at the guest house are dressed in outer clothing matching the description of the murderer.
Like all of Agatha Christie’s plays, this is an ensemble piece and the whole cast shine with strong and engaging performances. This is an excellent production (with a superb set and good lighting and sound), which kept me on the edge of my seat, trying to work it all out right through to the end.
So what connection is there between the current murder and a death that occurred some years ago and who is the murderer? Sorry, but I can't tell you as at the end of the play, as tradition dictates, all of us in Derby Theatre were asked not to divulge the ending. To find out you will have to go and see for yourself, but remember that you will then also become a guardian of the Mousetrap secret.
All I can say is, that like many of Agatha Christies plays, there are many twists in the plot before all is revealed at the end. This was a good traditional night out at the theatre which I am sure will delight many. It certainly did me.
Carlton Operatic Society
Grease - Theatre Royal, Nottingham
June 1st 2016
Grease was certainly the word last night at the Theatre Royal, as this award winning society scored another triumph with a dynamic, energetic and stunning performance of this feel good show. The show ended with a brilliant finale and sustained applause from an enthralled audience.
Grease is a high octane, fun musical loved by many: it’s set in 1959 at fictional Rydell High School and follows ten working-class teenagers, as they navigate the complexities of peer pressure, politics, personal core values and love. The score attempts to recreate the sounds of early rock and roll. Although it is a fun show, it also mentions some more serious topics, such as teenage pregnancy, peer pressure and gang violence; its themes include love, friendship, teenage rebellion, sexual exploration during adolescence, and, to some extent, class consciousness/class conflict.
It has many foot tapping tunes and big dance numbers that lighten the spirit and lift the mood. Well known songs include: "Summer Nights", "Freddy, My Love", "Greased Lightnin", "Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee" and "We Go Together." The talent and skill of the performers meant that all of these numbers were beautifully executed; in fact this whole production was rivetingly good and would be worthy of the professional stage.
There were very strong and engaging principal performances from Mark Coffey-Bainbridge as Danny, Catherine Cunningham as Sandy, Judie Matthews as Betty, Sarah Millington as Frenchy, Abby Wells as Marty, and Aston Fisher as Jan. They were very well supported by Sam Hutchinson as Kenickie, Patrick McChrystal as Doody, Liam Hall as Roger, Paice Lees as Sonny, Amy Rogers-Gee as Patty, Sophie Petruccio as Cha-Cha DiGregorio, James Murray as Eugene, Ross Lowe as Vince Fontaine, Graham Ward as Johnny Casino, Matt Wesson as Teen Angel, Michelle Smith as Miss Lynch and Zoe Scott-Smith as Blanche.
The excellent ensemble (some cameo performances as well) delighted us with the high quality song and dance routines. They were, Adam Collishaw, Helen Tunnicliff, Rosie Carter, Gareth Morris, Laura Thurman, Alison Stones, Hannah Rogers-Gee, Bethany Wear, Celine McKeown, Katherine McNamara, Sarah Hill, Tia Elvidge, Ellie Monterosso, Lucy Bailey, Laurence Grandy, Emily Newsome, Bekki Wilson, Maya Thompson, Eva Sheppard, Alice Wright, Olivia Jones, Charleigh Hurst, David Hurt.
Well done to Amanda Hall, the Director and her talented production team, Jessica Royce (the Assistant Director and Assistant Choreography), Rachael Rees (the choreographer), Chris Rees (the Musical Director) - for producing a show of great quality and with a freshness that made this interpretation their very own. The band was superb and accompanied the cast sympathetically.
The simple but effective tiered set designed by Amanda Hall and Tom Mowat was just right for the needs of the production. The lighting plot by Tom Mowat and the sound controlled by Rob Kettridge was excellent. Scene changes were very smooth under the direction of the Stage Manager, Vicky Johnson and her large and obviously well drilled stage crew. The costume designs by Alison Stones were most evocative of the period and were complemented by appropriate hairstyles and well chosen contemporary props.
The show ended with a breathtaking finale - one of the best I have seen for a very long time. You can't beat a good finale and this one gave us all the chance to join in with the songs again and to clap for all we were worth, to give the cast all the credit they deserved. It was fully choreographed and performed with remarkably high energy and enthusiasm. It was worth coming to see the show just for that.
Go and see this show - you will love it!! Tonight’s audience left the theatre with lots of smiles and that is what going to the theatre is about isn't it? Enjoying yourself. I love to listen to the buzz of conversation when leaving the theatre and to pick up some words. Tonight the words were "brilliant." "really good," "great singing" and from one younger person, "can we come again?."
Croatio Arts (Community)
Little Shop of Horrors - Nottingham Arts Theatre
April 22nd 2016
Last night I went to see a performance of one of my favourite musicals, Little Shop of Horrors and once again, I loved it.
This high-energy show was performed very well by an enthusiastic and talented cast.
Little Shop is about a florist shop worker who raises a plant that feeds on human blood and flesh. The music, is composed in the style of early 1960s rock and roll, doo-wop and early Motown, includes several well-known tunes, including the title song, "Skid Row (Downtown)", "Somewhere That's Green", and "Suddenly, Seymour".
The lead role of Seymour was played to perfection by Tom Stanley. He was excellent in the role and his comic timing was a joy to watch. His manic descent into doing the wrong things in order to keep the plant alive was excellent. He has a great singing voice as well and I particularly liked his performance of “Grow for me” - There was a lot of emotion in that.
Audrey was played by Katy Freeman. Her characterisation of the badly done to woman, who eventually falls for Seymour, was outstanding, Her acting and singing was first class and her performance of “Somewhere that's green” was superb.
Mushnik, the owner of the flower shop in which most of the action takes place, was played by Adam Guest. Adam always excels in all the roles he plays and tonight was no exception. His duet, “Mushnik and Son” with Tom was extremely well done and was very funny.
I was particularly impressed by Jack Readyhoof, who played Audrey’s violent boyfriend and a sadistic dentist. He was outstanding in the role. His interpretation of what could be a shallow caricature was dynamic, exciting and interesting. His comedy timing was exact, but he was also very scary at times. I think I may well think about him with some trepidation when I next get to the dentists!
A special mention must be made of the girls singing some of the backing vocals Laura Jones (Crystal), Georgie Bond (Ronnette), Aine O'Neil(Chiffon) plus The Rockets who also sang very well - Laura Jacobs, Eleanor Mallinson, Rebekah Fearn. They were all fabulous and looked good in assorted colourful 60’s costumes.
The standard of singing throughout was excellent, some wonderfully powerful solos and lovely ensemble work from the talented group of singers and dancers. The excellent dancers, singers and ensemble members complimented the principles in so many ways and deserve a name check, each and every one of them. They were ….. Charlotte Richardson, Alex Richardson, Laura Tracey, Josephine Walker, Josh Birchall, Kheenan Jones, Andrew Bould and Ray Elliott. There were also a few guest appearances from the director – Matt Powell. Well, I suppose he has to keep an eye on everyone!
Praise indeed must go to the hard work of the Musical Director Martin Lewis for helping the whole cast to achieve such a high vocal standard. His band was first class and the balance between them and the performers was just perfect.
The star of this show is, of course, Audrey 2, the plant that grows into a blood-eating monster. This is achieved by models of different sizes concluding with a very large one, which can consume human bodies and does so with great pleasure. Achieving this is not an easy matter, but in this production the operator, Milly Shawcross, did a great job as did the “voice of Audrey 2,” Phil Stanley.
This was a polished production, with good lighting and sound, an appropriate and well-used set, barely noticeable set changes, good movement and dance routines, some splendid costumes and a very committed and talented cast. Congratulations go to the show’s production team of Matt Powell, the Director, Kheenan Jones, Assistant Director, Charli Ricoh, the choreographer and those many others who were involved in the technical aspects of the show under the direction of the Stage Manager, Andrew Bould.
Overall this was a seamless production with a ‘wow’ factor, which delighted the audience. This was Creatio’s first production and it has certainly raised the bar to a very high level. After tonight I can’t wait for their next two productions of Les Miserables, Schools Edition, at Derby Theatre in July and bare at the Duchess Theatre in Long Eaton in September.
Well done to Matt Powell who not only directed this production brilliantly but is also is the brains and powerhouse behind Creatio Theatre Arts. This is a show that I would recommend everyone goes and sees.
Centre Stage
Fame - Robert Ludlum Theatre
April 22nd 2016
Fame “remember my name” – I for one will certainly remember it after tonight’s excellent performance by Centre Stage Theatre Arts at The Robert Ludlam Theatre in Derby. The cast were I, I think, aged between 12 and 16 (sorry if that is wrong).
The musical, based on the 1980 film of the same name, tells the story of students who go to the High School of Performing Arts, among them fame-obsessed Carmen, ambitious actress Serena, wisecracking comedian/bad boy Joe, quiet flute playing Schlomo, talented but dyslexic dancer Tyrone, determined actor Nick, overweight dancer Mabel, and dancer Iris.
There are some great toe tapping songs featured in the show which include: Hard Work, There She Goes!, Fame, Bring on Tomorrow, Mabel's Prayer and Let's Play a Love Scene.
In tonight’s performance there were some very strong performances from the principals, led by Tamara Morgan as Carmen Diaz, Marcus Bush as Schlomo Metzenbaum, Natasha Neale as Serena Katz, Joe Barker as Tyrone Jackson, Will Evans as Nick Piazza, Iggi Duncan as Jose ‘Joe’ Vegas, Ruby Newcombe as Mabel Washington and Hanna Bricklebank as Iris Kelly. There is a range of great talent here, including exceptionally strong vocals, playing of individual instruments and fine delivery of lines.
They were very well supported by Alice Proudler as Grace ‘Lambchops’ Lamb, Isaac Levitt as Goodman ‘Goody’ King, Emilia Palfreyman as Miss Sherman, Emma Merrey as Miss Bell, Nic Gordon as Mr Myers and Christina Allen as Ms Sheinkopf. Again, engaging individual performances and some lovely solos.
There was an impressively supportive and talented ensemble of singers and dancers:
Amy Brownhill, Amy Burchell, Holly Burchell, Matthew Carrington, Charlotte Crane, Romilly Das, Izaac Drew, Phoebe Drew,
Megan Frisby, Jasmine Harrison, Tabitha Hartshorn, Alisha Hunter, Ethan Jones, Amber Lord, Lilja-Mai McKevitt, Chloe Merrey,
Lily Morris, Nadia Potter, Luke Preston-Davies, Hannah Riley, Katie Ringer, James Spink, Eleanor Wentworth, Bailey West, Nathan Wilson
The Creative team of Bethany Bennet (Director), Bethan Davies, James Rayner (Musical Directors), Josephine Walker and James Rayner (choreographers), are to be congratulated on producing a show of such high quality. Not only was there some excellent dancing and singing but some very powerful and moving drama, as well. This was particularly impressive as the cast were so young; a lot of work must have gone in to developing character and honing delivery.
I must at this point mention the “Fame Band” that was brilliant and never once overpowered the singers.
The sound, under the control of Dave Dallard and Harry Greatorex was just right and there was excellent lighting from Brian Counter and Richard Eymes. The Stage Management/ set crew of Steve Thornhill, Mark Birch and Lee Hartshorn had obviously worked hard to make everything look good and the production move so smoothly.
I really enjoyed this show, which was punchy, exciting, energetic, exuberant and provided superb entertainment. It was great to see young actors of such talent working with each other to produce something so impressive.
Fame has as an important message for young and old – never give up, believe in yourself, always having a go, support each other and you will achieve what you want. The cast did that tonight and brought the message alive for us all.
Well done to all involved and for giving me another (the third this week) great night out at the theatre.
The Heanor Musical Theatre Company
Rock of Ages - Palace Theatre, Mansfield
April 21st 2016
The Palace Theatre in Mansfield rocked for ages last night with the presence of the Heanor Musical Theatre Company and great rock songs such as Cum On Feel the Noise, We Built This City, Waiting for a girl like you, Here I Go Again and The Final Countdown.
Rock of Ages is about Drew, an aspiring rock singer, who at the start of the show works as a bartender at the Bourbon Rooms club; he falls for Sherrie who wants to be an actress. However, as always, the course of true love, especially in rock musicals, never runs smooth! Throw into the mix a German developer who arrives to demolish the area in which the characters live, an over sexed fading rock star who also fancies Sherrie and you have the basis for a ….. rock musical.
There follows lots of great songs, dancing, movement, comedy and drama, which all combine to keep the story moving at a fast pace, although some of the songs did end rather suddenly but that is, of course, in the writing.
There were some very strong performances from the principals.
Ben Jones, as Lonny, was very funny throughout, making the most of his role as narrator, dominating the stage every time he came on and usually making us laugh. Paul Mills, as Dennis Dupree excelled in the role of club owner with his great voice and spot on comedy timing. The Song, "I Can't fight this feeling," was brilliantly performed by Ben and Paul and was uproariously funny and almost brought the house down. We all loved it!
Tom Lucking, as the rock singer Drew and suitor of Sherrie, was ideally cast and made the most of the opportunity to sing some great tunes using his lovely voice. Gemma Blake, in her first leading lady role as Sherrie, was absolutely wonderful. Her voice was fabulous and she acted with sincerity, passion, pathos and understanding.
Paul Whitworth as Hertz Klineman, the German Developer and Brett Walkeras as Franz Klineman as his son, who spoke these immortal words “I’m not gay, I’m just German,” were very well cast and worked well together. The audience loved Brett and in particular his physical comedy, which was great.
Aine O'Neil-Mason as Regina, the leader of the anti development group was fantastic in her role and sang with incredible power and commitment. You really did get the feeling that no one was going to demolish anything while she was around!
Al Tandy in the role of the Stacee Jaxx, the over sexed, yet lacking in real confidence, singer and Kathy Freeman as Justice the strip club madam were perfectly and really brought their respective roles to life.
Everyone in the cast played important parts in the action, some in cameo roles. They were Katie Ward, Laura-Jane Jacobs, Alana Moran, Julia Harris, Ben Sherwin, Kerry Van de Broucke, Tracy Coope, Lucy Stokes, Alison woodruff, Lauren Victoria Wells, Molly Hewitt-Richards, Brianna Undy and Tom Clay.
The shows Director, Kim Harris, along with his technical director, Paul Young, succeeded tonight in producing a show of considerable quality. It was full of excitement, energy, fun and powerful performances. The choreographer, Josephine Walker successfully combined rock informality with some carefully plotted dance and movement sequences.
The Musical Director, Emily Marshall-Sims led a fine sounding band although there were a few times especially in Act 2, when they slightly overpowered the performers. This, I feel, was a problem more with the sound amplification and balance with the microphones rather than with the performers or musicians. This is, of course, a very loud show and I guess will always have this as a potential problem. However, the overall musical standard was very high throughout and Emily has obviously worked very hard with the cast to produce this.
Scene changes were smooth and well handled by Stage Manager, John Thompson and his assistant Nathan Hird. The simple set and back projections complemented the production well, as did the lighting plot.
The final ensemble song "Don't Stop believing" was sung with power and spirit. The cast were obviously enjoying themselves and this was infectiously transmitted to the audience, who responded with an enthusiastic and prolonged ovation. Many were standing.
Well done to everyone involved in this production which was very well received by all at the Palace. The show continues until Saturday and is well worth buying tickets for.
Matthew Bourne's New Adventures
Sleeping Beauty - Theatre Royal Nottingham
April 19th 2016
Sleeping Beauty at the Theatre Royal in Nottingham was a fabulous show with Brilliant principal dancers and an equally brilliant supporting cast.
The staging was out of this world with a set to die for - I can't think of a better word to describe it other than sumptuous. It was often magical but also impressive in its scale and design.
I was delighted to see ex Billy Elliot, Liam Mower in the role of Count Lilac, the King of the Fairies. He was excellent and is surely becoming one of the UK’s best principal male dancers. Ashley Shaw as Sleeping Beauty was enchanting and Adam Maskell as Carabosse, the Dark Fairy and her son, Caradoc was evil personified, malevolent and magnificent. Dominic North, as Leo who I first saw in Carman, was wonderful!.
The other excellent cast members were Chris Trenfield (King Benedict), Daisy May Kemp (Queen Eleanor), The Fairies - Mari Kanata (Ardor), Kate Lyons (Hibernia), Luke Murphy (Autumnus), Katie Webb (Feral), Philip King (Tantrum), Dominic Lamb (Lord Rupert), Glenn Graham (Viscount Aubrey), Nicole Kabera (Aurora’s brilliant Nanny), Jamie McDonald (Flossie), Andrew Monaghan (Archie) and Jack Jones (Bertie).
There was much comedy in this production as well including a prop I will not mention as it might spoil the surprise for anyone coming to the show.
You have to see this show to appreciate the brilliance of it. Of course every member of the cast contributed to the phenomenal production and were quite superb. I have rarely been so entranced and involved in what was going on before my eyes at a theatre. At one point I almost shouted out. "don't touch the Rose!"
Congratulations once again to Sir Matthew and his creative team who brought this traditional tale to life in such a fresh, dynamic and innovative way. It was full of such exciting movement and dance of all genres and was quite simply, beautiful. Breathtaking is the word and I have to say my mouth was open quite a lot in amazement of how it had been choreographed and performed with such artistry, passion and skill. Nothing was left to chance and every movement, facial expression and gesture was part of telling the story.
I have never been disappointed by a Matthew Bourne Ballet before and this was no exception. This is a production that should be seen by all theatre goers whether ballet fans or not. It was superb theatre in all respects.
National Tour
Flare Path - Derby Theatre
April 19th 2016
Can highly recommend this play - comfortably old fashioned yes, but with timeless themes that are both evocative and thoroughly engaging. It’s quite simply a good story well told, with beautifully drawn characters, nuanced and often amusing dialogue and emotional depth. Fine acting from all the cast gives the text the life it deserves; I could hear every word and felt totally absorbed throughout the play.
The wartime music, background of fighter jets and clever lighting take us back to 1942- to a small hotel near a Lincolnshire airfield, where bomber crews are based. For a brief respite from their terrifying nightly missions, three of the crew meet with their wives - plus a mystery guest - and we follow their stories of love, loss and potential betrayal. Not giving too much away to say that in true Rattigan style, love wins out in the end. Go and see it, it’s great.
Long Eaton Operatic Society
Grease - May Hall Theatre, Long Eaton
April 7th 2016
Grease certainly was the word this week in Long Eaton, as Leos stormed onto the stage with a great production of the popular teenage musical, featuring toe tapping songs such as "Grease Lightening," "You're The One That I Want," and "Summer Nights."
From curtain up it was clear that the relatively young cast was going to produce something rather special. After the opening chorus, which was delightfully off beat, the quality of the singing and dancing was very high indeed. There was instant energy and enthusiasm on the stage from the whole cast.
Grease tells the story of an awkward on off teenage romance between the central characters of Sandy and Danny and the reactions of their school friends at the fictional Rydell High School in Chicago. As you might expect, there was a goodly mix of fun, messing about, angst and ribbing amongst the youngsters, but also heartwarming support for each other through the trials of adolescence, so all ends happily in the end.
There were very strong principal performers: George Groom is a swaggeringly self-assured Danny, yet he manages to perfectly portray the character’s developing integrity. Lydia Thacker is a charming Sandy: her sweet voice and unassuming demeanour make her ultimate makeover into the leather clad vamp of the final scene quite spectacular. Zach Foster is engaging as a charismatic Kenicki, Lewis Haycock is a delightfully cocky Sonny, and both Jack Draper as Roger and George Mercer as Doody are wonderfully comedic: George’s solo “Those Magic Changes’ is a real highlight. The Pink Ladies are equally well cast: Emily Corner uses her face so well to show both Rizzo’s bitterness and vulnerability, Kaa Wood is a beautifully frothy Frenchy, Katie McDonald has perfect comic timing as Jan and Rachelle Bragg brings just the right amount of faux sophistication to Marty. In supporting roles are Rob Chilton as a charmingly gormless Eugene, Georgia Archer as the earnest Patty, Andrew Bould as Teen Angel (loved his solo), the excellent Angela Waters as Miss Lynch, plus very lively performances from Kheenan Jones as Jonny, Abigail Pidgeon as Cha Cha and Jason Parker as Vince Fontaine.
However, this show only works when there is a strong ensemble and a clear connection between everyone on stage. This was absolutely what there was in this production and director Adam Guest must be lauded for achieving this in such spectacular fashion. His flair for working with this kind of cast and show was very apparent.
The ensemble, comprising of young and older members of the society was Amy Clover, Claire Collishaw, Tayla Evans, Eleanor Harvey, Josh Jones, Kathi Ludlow, Tertia Meakin, Milly Shawcross and Melissa Vickerstaff. They all sang and danced with great commitment and enthusiasm.
Grease is a song and dance show with a number of big routines. These were super and the choreography of Sian Scattergood was outstanding, allowing all the cast to perform with confidence and it appeared, ease. The smiles on their faces during these routines were a joy to watch.
Musically this show was of a high standard with a great band directed by Charlotte Daniel. As musical director she needs to be congratulated for her work with the cast to achieve such a high standard. Her orchestra was never over dominant and supported the cast well.
The staging of the show was very smooth with very fast and almost invisible scene changes, which I have come to expect from this company. John Woolley and his stage crew were excellent and the set by Proscenium was bright, colourful and appropriate.
The costumes from Nottingham Community Wardrobe and Leos were very realistic and really added to the feel of the piece, likewise the hairstyles of both boys and girls were in keeping with the times.
Lighting under the direction of Tom and Laura Olding was good and the sound directed by Andrew James was generally good but there were one or two moments when I could not hear some of the principals when they were at the back of the stage.
To sum up, there were excellent performances all round and it is quite obvious how much this relatively young cast are enjoying what they are doing. The singing was great and the dynamic dancing was full of excitement and enthusiasm. The cast quite simply sparkled throughout and the audience loved every minute of it, the smiles and the foot tapping were evidence of that.
Well done to all involved in this excellent production.
The Peoples Theatre Company
Jekyll and Hyde, The Musical - Nottingham Arts Theatre
March 23rd 2016
Dark, delicious and dangerous, I think, is a suitable description of last night’s performance of Jekyll and Hyde from the People’s Theatre Company at the Arts Theatre. It was indeed dark with minimal lighting, a simple yet effective set, including the frequent use of black curtains and smoke. It took us back to the dreary and decadent days of Victorian England, with some excellent period appropriate costumes and it dealt with the timelessly dangerous notions of good and evil.
Once again the People’s Theatre Company have produced a show of great quality, with many professional touches. From start to finish the audience were spellbound by the dramatic story of the tortured Dr. Jekyll, who in the interests of science, turns into a monster. He then wreaks his vengeance on those around him, especially those who do not understand what he is trying to do. There were times when the fear and anticipation of what was going to happen next filled the theatre and kept the audience absolutely silent.
The part of Dr. Jekyll is a demanding one, both vocally and dramatically, but Curtis Taylor-Tipton coped with both elements magnificently. His voice is well suited to the part and he rampaged across the stage, giving an incredibly powerful performance as Mr. Hyde. I was impressed by the way he did this, not relying on any artificial make up or other aids to transform himself between the two characters. He did it entirely by the way he acted – his voice, his demeanor and the physicality of his characterization. By the end of the week I would guess he will be exhausted, but not before thrilling more audiences at the Arts Theatre. This young actor is certainly gaining quite a reputation for excellent performances in the area and I can quite understand why.
Rachel Barry, who played Dr Jekyll’s prospective bride Emma, has a truly wonderful voice and a very natural acting style, which impressed me. Her agony and disbelief as she finally realized that all was not well in the laboratory was brilliantly acted. I particularly liked the duet “In His Eyes,” that she sang with Lauren Gill, who played the prostitute Lucy Harris. At this performance, because of illness, her songs were voiced by of Morven Harrison, who also has a great voice and sang live from the Orchestra Pit. However, Lauren coped well with miming and maintained her dramatic persona throughout. She received a well-deserved ovation at the end of the show.
It was good once again to see Luke Grainger back with People’s, playing Jekyll’s friend, John. As always he thoroughly inhabited the character he was playing and his stage presence was outstanding. He sensitively portrayed the confusion and concern of a friend of Jekyll, watching the shocking events unfold. He has a great singing voice and he was also involved in some really dramatic scenes with Jekyll… or was it Hyde?
Supporting the four main characters very well was a group of talented and skilful actors: Luc Chigwell as Sir Danvers, Rob Harrison as Simon Stride; Harriett Hollowell as Lady Beaconsfield; Lucas Young as Sir Archibald Proops; Barry Hobbs as General Glossop; Paul Rice as The Bishop of Basingstoke; Paice Lees as Lord Savage; Jenny Scott as Nellie; Jason Wrightman; Michael Wood as Bissett, Aaron Hayes as Minister and Harry Illyk.
There were some excellent whole cast and ensemble scenes that were very well directed and choreographed by Chris Teasdale (Director), Lindsey Rice (Assistant Director) and Stephanie Wright with Jenny Scott and Lucas Young (Choreography). I particularly liked the fabulous opening chorus, Façade, Bring on the Men and Murder, Murder, which were particularly good. The production team ensured that these big and dramatic scenes involved everyone.
The Ensemble was: Marisol Fokes, Christine Boothe, Imogin Birkett, Fional Huberry, Barbara, Benner, Vivenne Tay, Michael Wood, Arun Hayes, Harry ILyk, Joe Smith, Olivia Rice, Callum Barr and Courtney Giddy.
There was also a young ensemble that performed well often alongside the adults which was impressive. They were Xenia Smith, Chloe Wilson, Molly Benner, Maddie Smith and Alex Williams.
Vocally this show was of a very high standard. David Hails, The Musical Director, has done a fantastic job with the cast and a score that is by no means easy. His fabulous orchestra accompanied the show brilliantly throughout. The volume was just right and its musical proficiency was very high. With that in mind I would add that overall the sound and lighting was excellent in the hands of College Street Technicians.
The Stage Managers, Chris Brawn, Paul Rice and their team were effective in the scene changes and I liked the simplicity of the set design, which along with the two sets of black curtains, supported the story well and contributed to the chilling atmosphere of the story.
The Director, Chris Teasdale’s tightly produced show was a joy to watch, despite a couple of minor scenery malfunctions, which I am sure will not happen again. He used his cast well and created a fast paced and exciting spectacle, which was thoroughly engaging. I am sure he will be very proud of the achievement of his cast to produce a difficult show with such ease, at least that’s how it looked from the audience, as it should.
And so this was yet another first class production from People’s Theatre and all concerned should be justifiably proud of their achievements. The audience certainly showed their appreciation at the end.
The Cast
Acorn Antiques - The Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
March 17th 2016
Mrs Overall or Mrs O, as she is referred to in this show, is one of my favourite Victoria Wood characters from her spoof TV Soap, Acorn Antiques. As a consequence, I was a little nervous before the show started, as I was afraid I might be disappointed: for me Julie Walters is Mrs O. However, I need not have worried as Mina Machin played her brilliantly, capturing perfectly the heart and soul of the character. She also showed what a fabulous singer, actor and comedian she is. Not only did she have the Brummie accent that is so much part of the character, but also wonderful comic timing, coupled with hilarious physicality. She was a sheer delight to watch, but she was aided and abetted by other very gifted actors: there was an abundance of talent on the stage tonight.
Acorn Antiques is a fictional shop based in the equally fictitious town of … wait for it … Manchesterford. Through the shop passed all the well-known characters from the TV show and others beside, as they sang, danced and generally had a good time.
There were very strong performances from Carrie-Anne Corner as the man hungry comic caricature, Miss Babs, and Carolyn Smith as the bumbling but engaging Miss Berta, Both brought their characters to life with beautifully delivered dialogue and perfect comic timing. Their solo songs were a delight: ‘Remind Him’ by Miss Berta was particularly pleasing. Alex Tavener chilled and thrilled as the scheming Miss Bonnie and Jason Parker was perfect as the hapless Mr. Clifford. They were all a joy to watch and listen to: their characterisations, delivery and timing were excellent.
Supporting them equally strongly was Adam Richman as a nasty loan shark with a carbohydrate deficiency, Keith Butcher as the earnest Mr. Watkins and Chris Collington as his charming friend, Derek.
I was also very impressed with the two younger members of the principal cast, Zach Foster as Hugh and Emily Corner as Mimi. They used gestures, vocal mannerisms and facial expressions so well to develop their characters of monosyllabic, slightly baffled, teens.
The show had some witty and smutty Victoria Wood lines in it - her fans will know what I mean – and these were given the delivery they deserve by the cast. However, for me it was the songs and great dance numbers, choreographed brilliantly by Laurie Trott, which thrilled me most. They were danced with vigour and vitality by a super ensemble, many of whom played small cameo roles as well.
The ensemble was: Claire Farrand-Preston, Rob Holsman, David Artiss, Siobhan Parker, Jack Draper, Katie Bird, Christine Dakin, Laurie Trott, Kathi Ludlow, Lucy Stokes and Cheryl Camm
The orchestra was excellent and accompanied the singers very well indeed. The Musical Director, Dave Dallard, had obviously also worked hard with the cast, as the vocal standard was very high indeed. Victoria Wood’s score is derivative: you can hear strains similar to those from many popular musicals, but it has a life of its own and can be genuinely moving and very uplifting.
The lighting and sound by Dave Martin and Ben Tennett was sympathetic and the set was well designed and visually pleasing. Scene changes were smooth, when they were supposed to be and there was a spectacular prop in the second act, which brought the house down. However, you need to go and see the show to find out what that is: it does involve the wonderful Mrs O!
Finally, I must say that the Director (and Stage Manager), Rob Corner did a wonderful job, as he always does. Although this is a bright and breezy musical, is not easy, particularly in terms of the narrative arc and pacing. His cast appeared at all times very comfortable with their parts on stage, were tightly directed and were obviously enjoying every moment of it. The whole cast ensemble numbers were a joy to watch and I will remember some of them for a long time.
I have to say that the show itself is perhaps not the best I have seen from the pen of Victoria Wood, in terms of the story and its construction, but the wonderful songs, great one liners, fab dance routines and the absolute joy of it all, made up for that. To put it simply, it was just a very enjoyable night at the theatre. Thank you – The Cast.
I was expecting a great show from this popular local group and as always I was not disappointed. Well done to everyone involved and I can’t wait for Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5 next year. Going by this one it is going to be brilliant!
The Erewash Musical Society
Copacabana - The Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
March 8th 2015
(Written by Kev Castle - used with permission)
Now here's a musical that isn't performed frequently by either professionals or amateurs. It's a good musical, just not a great musical, and while I can see the attraction in choosing this one because of the glitter, glitz and glamour, you need a little more than this to pull it off. It's not a case that I didn't not enjoy "Copacabana", I just didn't enjoy it as much as I had hoped I would. Maybe I set my own expectations too high.
"Copacabana" is all about Stephen who is a struggling songwriter, trying to write that one song that will make his name. He dreams about the song while he is getting ready to celebrate his wedding anniversary, and his thoughts run away with him. he is transported back to 1947 with all the glamour of the nightclubs of the period. He is Tony and Lola comes into his life as a struggling singer. he gets her a job at the club he works at, the Copacabana, but when Rico comes on the scene, she is kidnapped and whisked away to perform at Rico's club, the Tropicana, and she is set to replace Rico's latest starlet squeeze, Conchita.
Sam Griffiths is the musical director and under his guidance, the orchestra of eleven, plus Sam on keyboards, are their usual powerhouse of crispness. With such a big sound this meant that some of the vocals from the actors suffered slightly and in an attempt to sing over the orchestra there were some strained notes. I don't mind a loud orchestra because it gives impact to the show, no issues at all from me with the sound.
The choreography, by Laurie Trott, was brilliant and quite complex at times with loads of Hollywood style glamour, but I noticed that the dancers were not as tight as they maybe could have been. if you think of the Busby Berkeley films of the 1940s, everything and every dancer was synchronised and this was lacking in parts here. Some of the dancers even looked like they were just going through the motions.
Some of the dancers were brilliant and embraced the magical choreography, and they outshone the others. For some there was a lack of passion and commitment, I felt. I did however love the Bolero section as well as the glamour girls, despite the fact that some forgot to smile, and there was the occasional looking at their feet when the heads should have been held up. I can remember hearing the phrase "eyes and teeth" as these were what needed to be on show most; I saw plenty of eyes, and read what was behind them, but I didn't see an over abundance of teeth. if you're not enjoying being there on stage, at least mask it by smiling, that way the audience will feel comfortable in knowing that you're enjoying it as much as they are.
I loved the cinematic back drops which made for a simple and efficient scene change and brought the stage to life. I also loved the amazing costumes which gave the era its' glamour and decadent feel.
I loved the lights and the lighting effects and I loved the musical arrangements of Manilow's music. Barry's music isn't the easiest of musical pieces to sing, a bit like Abba. There are complex key changes and with Manilow's background in jazz and classical music, some of his pieces of work can be difficult to master, another reason why "Copa" isn't one of the most performed musicals.
Directed by Matt Powell, you can tell he has enjoyed this experience and he has been passionate about this show.
Lewis Haycock played Tony/Stephen and while I've seen Lewis perform better than this, he did make a convincing leading man and managed to hit all the big notes, which I was really impressed with. There were a few odd notes though and I know that if he is honest with himself, would agree. Lewis is a really confident performer and that's why I couldn't work out when he sung the songs, he didn't, for me, perform them. There is a difference. I used to teach and do judo and you could tell by looking in your opponent's eyes and at their body language what his/her next move would be, and I could see that level of telegraphing with Lewis. Don't get me wrong, i look for these things and any one who wasn't looking out for it would not notice a thing, so I'm sorry if this seems over critical. He did a cracking job though on the whole and I finally got to see the full passion in his performance right at the end when he performed "Copacabana".
Stephanie Ure was lovely as Lola/Samantha (Stephen's wife) and she has a really easy on the ear voice. Her dance steps were well executed and graceful and she has some really nice comedy bits in the show.
I absolutely loved Gary Lever as Sam, the boss of the Copacabana. Here is someone who really performed his songs and created a totally believable character. He reminded me a great deal of Melvyn Hayes, especially in his Hawaiian outfit, and what about that wig? The comedy in Sam really lifted the show.
As did the gorgeous Clare Toska as Rico's "old" starlet Conchita. Clare was brilliant in this role and she lit the stage up with her smile. Her accent didn't stray and was believable. She danced and sung brilliantly and she made me smile every time she appeared on stage.
Another wonderful character part was Gladys, the cigarette seller who travelled round the Copacabana selling tobacco, cigarettes etc. Fiona Wright I absolutely adored you and you really brought Gladys' character out, even down to that walk. I loved Gladys.Steve Wood was the nasty Rico and another really well executed character part which i enjoyed.
Although I enjoyed the show, this wasn't the best I've seen the Erewash Musical Society perform and that's what irked me as I know what a talented group they are and how much hard work goes into every show they put on. I feel that maybe the choice of musical could have been wrong, but you have to take that chance. For me there was plenty of great music but, sadly in some performances, a little lacking in passion needed to pull off a convincing performance down at the Copa.
The West Bridgford Operatic Society
Sweeney Todd - The Nottingham Arts Theatre
March 2nd 2015
Whether you are a fan of Stephen Sondheim’s most operatic score or not you cannot fail to admire the complexity of both the words and music and accept what a challenge it is to professionals, let alone amateurs. With this in mind many congratulations must go to the cast and production team of the West Bridgford Operatic Society for taking on the challenge and meeting it with such a resounding success in this, their 70th year.
The story is about Benjamin Barker, a barber falsely charged, sentenced and transported to Australia by a corrupt and evil judge. Fifteen years later, he returns to London to find that he has lost his wife and daughter; he changes his identity to Sweeney Todd and looks for a way to wreak his revenge on all and sundry.
Fortunately for him, but not for some others, he meets up with former landlady, Mrs Lovett who sets him up as a barber above her pie shop. This suits both of them, as Sweeney finds an outlet for his murderous urges and Mrs Lovett finds a cheap supply of fillings for her pies!
Meng Khaw gave a fantastic performance as the tortured Sweeney, hell bent on revenge against almost everyone. He built the intensity and drama up to a terrifying crescendo at the end of the show. This was shown in his every move and expression. His characterization was as dramatic as any I have seen on the amateur stage. The change from the Sweeney who returned from Australia to the mass murderer at the end of the show was impressive to say the least.
Although this is a very dark piece by anyone’s standards there are some excellent moments of comedy genius particularly provided by Sam Thorne as the pie maker, Mrs Lovett. Her comic timing was first class and her rendition of A Little Priest with Sweeney was stunning and very funny. I would describe her as an operatic Jennifer Saunders.
Stephen Godward gave an excellent, powerful and dominating performance as the sinister and evil Judge Turpin. He oiled his way across the stage while in pursuit of his ward Joanna, played by Lauren Gill, while also barking threats of all kinds to others. His performance of the flagellation song, Johanna, was particularly well done.
Curtis Taylor-Tipton gave an exciting and confident portrayal of Tobias Ragg, the young man befriended by Mrs Lovett. His rendition of Not While I’m Around was fantastic and very moving.
Although this show is uncompromisingly dark, there are nevertheless, some lighter romantic moments in it, mainly between Anthony Hope, played by Drew Dennis and Sweeney’s daughter Johanna, played by Lauren Gill. Both of them bonded well together and acted and sang well.
Other supporting actors in cameo roles played their parts very well. Julie Fowler was the Beggar Woman whose frequent “screaming” appearances on stage were brilliant. By the end of the show incidentally, she is revealed to be not who she appears to be. Paul McPherson played the very nasty Beadle well and was well suited to be an excellent foil for Judge Turpin. Dan Armstrong was a very amusing Aldolfo Pirelli. His comic timing was very good.
The large ensemble was brilliant and sang through this operatic piece seemingly with ease. The sound they made in the few chorus numbers was outstanding.
The ensemble: Helen Belcher; Clare Boxer; Natasha Brown; Sarah Carlin; Richard Ives; Jean Krzeminski; Alasdair Maughan; Anne McCarroll; Lesley Cassidy; Malcolm Cocking; Sean Collins; Michael Durnell; Tom Parry; Ian Pottage; Siobhan Sands; Wendy Silver; David Gyles; Jonathan Hall; Shaun Hanrahan; Melanie Harris; Rob Harrison; Helen Heeley; Jill Hemington; Jo Hooper; Biba Tribbensee; Emily Wright
A very clever and good looking metallic set was chillingly appropriate and well used by the cast. Director, Morven Harrison’s, tight direction made the most of all areas of the stage. The “Sweeney Barbers Chair” and associated scenery was excellent, but you need to go to the show to see why. All the scene changes were in the hands of the cast and this meant that the action flowed smoothly from one scene to the next. This was also greatly enhanced by the fantastic lighting plot designed by Nick Gale and the superb lighting and sound provided by the Arts Theatre. It is so good to be at this theatre as you can always hear every word – sung or spoken.
With the orchestra in mind, the Musical Director Stephen Williams must be highly commended for his brilliant orchestra and the very high standard of singing from the whole cast.
To sum up Sweeney Todd it is still not one of my favourites, but I doubt I will see a finer production of it on the amateur stage. I did rather enjoy the experience and it is very well done to all in the company, the production team and the orchestra.
This was a fantastic production for the 70th Anniversary of this highly regarded local company. Let’s hope there are lots more of them.
I would recommend you come to see this version before it closes on Saturday evening.
Gatepost Theatre Company
Rock of Ages
February 26th 2015
The Guildhall Theatre, Derby
“We built this city on Rock and Roll,” “The Final Countdown” and “Here I Go Again,” were just three of the great rock tunes that were blasted out at the Guildhall Theatre on Friday and wow did we all enjoy them!
The show is a rock/jukebox musical, with a book by Chris D'Arienzo, built around classic rock hits from the 1980s, especially from the famous glam metal bands of the decade. The musical features songs from Styx, Journey, Bon Jovi, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister, Steve Perry, Poison and Europe among other well-known rock bands. It tells the story of a “battle” between a property developer and a group of colourful local residents with a variety of life styles.
This was another first class production from Gatepost Theatre, which could so easily have been mistaken for a professional touring company. There were so many excellent performances from both the principals in the cast and the first class ensemble. There were no weak links in the cast at all, quite the reverse.
Outstanding in their respective roles were Daniel Collington as Drew, Sarah Knight as Sherrie, Richard Pearson as Lenny, Chris Collington as Stacee Jaxx, Simon Owen as Dennis Dupree, Josephine Pearson as Justice, Jude Cliff as Regina Kuntz, Luke Grainger as Franz and Martin Holton as Hortz. Although these principals were excellent they were supported incredibly well by the rest of cast, comprising of Julia Booth, Rhiannon Brown, Michelle Bruce, Simon Collington, Emma Louise Fowler, Ben Gray, Victoria Palmer, Stephanie Wright, Ryan Taylor and Gemma Ryan. Many of these also played some excellent cameo roles.
The production team of Chris Collington (Artistic Director), Morven Harrison (Musical Director) Stephanie Wright (choreographer) and John Dawkins (Producer) have obviously worked very hard with the cast and musicians to produce an overall production of such a high standard. The singing was vibrant and alive and the dancing was energetic, lively and imaginative. The stage was used very creatively and worked well in all scenes.
The lighting and sound were brilliant and, given that this is a loud and noisy show, I could hear all the dialogue and singing. There was a superb band consisting of three guitars, a drummer and a keyboard. They played with great gusto and the sound was just right.
The stage crew under the direction of Stage Manager, John Cliff, ensured that scene and prop changes were smooth and unobtrusive, which contributed in no small part to keeping this show moving at quite a pace.
This was a great night and the standing ovation at the end was well deserved and appreciated by the cast and the audience, because it gave us all a chance to clap along with numbers at the end with great excitement. The show was very funny as well which, combined with many great rock numbers, made it a fabulous evening. There were many great lines in the show but my favourite spoken by Luke Grainger was “ I’m not Gay! … I’m just German!” Brilliant!
Well done everyone!
Can’t wait for the next show, from what is one of the best theatre groups in the East Midlands.
Encore Performing Arts
Fawlty Towers
February 22nd 2016
The Nottingham Arts Theatre
“Basil ….. Basil …… Basil! The shrill tones of Sybil Fawlty echoed insistently across the auditorium of the Arts Theatre last night, ensuring that no one went to sleep while she was on! Not that any of us wanted to fall asleep: this stage production of the iconic 1970’s TV show about the manic Torquay hotelier Basil Fawlty, was one of those very special events not to be missed.
Encore Performing Arts followed up their first acclaimed performance last year of A Chorus Line with another excellent production, which certainly had “A Touch of Class.” Actually, that was the title of the first of three episodes of Fawlty Towers that the group chose to perform. The other two were “The Hotel Inspectors” and my favourite, “Communication Problems.”
The hilarious goings-on in this Torquay hotel contained all the necessary elements for a great evening and, overall the cast looked remarkably like the well-known TV characters that viewers have come to know well.
Graham Buchanan, as the manic Basil Fawlty, was perfection, not trying to impersonate the great John Cleese, but rather, with consummate skill, using the words in the script to characterize the role for himself. He was central to all three episodes and the role not only demanded the learning of huge amounts of dialogue, but also considerable amounts of “physical theatre.” Graham doesn’t have John Cleese’s abnormally long legs, but he brought a fluidity and exaggeration to his movement that was just as funny. He worked very well with Adam Guest as the idiotic Spanish “he’s from Barcelona,” Manuel. Adam was also just perfect in the role, bringing laughs from the audience every time he appeared. His Spanish accent, earnest confusion and innocent affability were spot on. He and Graham made an outstanding duo as Manuel bore the brunt of Basil’s frustration in rough, knockabout comedy. This is hard to do, but was a great success and along with cleverly staged accidents and falls, made for a visual treat.
Claire Farrand Preston showed great timing as Sybil Fawlty, bringing a quiet but scathing disdain for the antics of her husband, plus an air of resigned detachment that only occasionally erupted into frenzied shrieks. Zoe Stebbings, in her in the role of the waitress Polly, struck just the right note of dry humour, coupled with an engaging ditziness. Terry Stevenson was amusing as the dithering Major and the Miss Gatsby and Miss Tibbs roles were charmingly well done by Angela Walters and Jenny Carty. Ross Lowe was absolutely splendid as the irascible Mr Hutchinson and Martin Briggs played a very credible Lord Melbury.
In addition to the above, I must give a huge amount of praise to Sandy Lane who played Mrs Richards, the elderly lady with hearing problems. She was just unbelievably good, even looking and sounding like Joan Sanderson, who played the role on TV. She completely inhabited the character and her comedy timing was spot on throughout. Mrs Richards is my favourite Fawlty Towers character and Sandy certainly lived up to the role.
The large supporting cast was also of a high calibre. Jack Readyhoof as Danny Brown, Al Grant as Mr Mackenzie, Andrew Bould as Mr Wareing, Amy Clover as Mrs Wareing, Kathryn Mcauley as Mrs Walt, Josh Birchall as John, Arun Hayes as Terry, Vernas Bayliss as Lady Morris and Blaine Molloy as Steve.
The composite set was very good and appropriate for the production and worked well. The Director, Ollie Turner did a great job, bringing vitality to the scenes, adding touches of originality and plotting smooth but dynamic movements. Some clever direction had us looking in the right place at the right time to maximize impact. This was a tight, well-rehearsed show with 100% commitment from all involved, so well done to the director for leading this.
The lighting was simple but just right and I heard the dialogue very well throughout.
This was an excellent production, which I enjoyed greatly. There was so much to admire, but to appreciate that you need to come and see it for yourself. If you are a Fawlty Towers TV fan you might be hesitant to come and see a stage version for fear it might disappoint, but this huge fan of the series was very impressed and found it a joy to watch.
Well done to Ollie and his production team for what was a triumphant opening night at the Nottingham Arts Theatre.
Long Eaton Operatic Youth Group
The Wizard of Oz
February 18th 2016
The Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
It was off on the Yellow Brick Road last night, to find the Wizard of Oz at the Duchess Theatre. This was the spring show from the well respected Long Eaton Operatic Society (Leos) Youth Group. Always a favourite with adults and children, the theatre was full for this opening performance and is for the rest of the run.
Based on the 1939 film that was one of the first to be made in colour, this version was actually a revival at the Barbican Theatre in London by The Royal Shakespeare Company in 1987. It tells the story of Dorothy from Kansas who finds herself whisked off during a storm to the magical world of Oz where she encounters a Witch or two, A Scarecrow with no brain, a Tin Man with no heart and a Lion who has no courage, and a number of other colourful characters. Her aim is to find a way home and find the things her friends need from the mysterious Wizard of Oz. On the way there is much drama and singing and dancing.
The main character of Dorothy was played Beth Ward, who has a lovely voice and a stage presence beyond her years. She also handled her dog Toto played by Osca very well. Osca works at Treetops Hospice as a therapy dog, but has found time to star (his words) in his own little show! The first character Dorothy meets is the Scarecrow, played wonderfully by Oliver Ridgway – his characterization was very good and he played the part with an engaging confidence. I suspect we will be seeing more of Oliver in future productions.
The second character she met was a Tin Man played by Robert McAuley. He handled the many physical demands of the part exceptionally well and showcased his considerable ability to sing and dance.
The third main character was a cowardly Lion played with great depth and understanding by regular Josh Jones. He was very funny and had obviously thought very carefully about how to move as an easily frightened animal. The audience loved him.
Supporting the four main characters very well were Elise Thornhill as the delightfully evil Wicked Witch of the West and Abbie Harper as Glinda, the reassuringly good witch. There were also a number of cameo and group roles in the show and these gave others in the company a chance to shine. Many of them were also in the excellent ensemble. They were Matthew McAuley (Uncle Henry), Emily Scott (Aunt Em), Ryan Phelps (professor Marvel), Izzy Gultch (Almira Gultch), Lilli White( Emerald City Guard), Charlie Briggs (Commander of the Monkeys). There were also some excellent trees played Grace Collishaw , Eleanor Carty, Bella Ridgeway and some fine crows played by Jennifer Finley, Esme Parker and Patricia Holmer.
By the end of the show the friends had made their way to the palace of the Wizard of Oz and eventually met him, although he was not really what they expected. Daniel Jones, one the older members, of the group played the wizard with power and sensitivity.
As I have said, this cast did contain some excellent individual performers but I was particularly impressed by the standard of the ensemble, which had so obviously been well directed by the production team of Siobhan Parker (Director/ choreographer), Karen Woodhead (Producer/ choreography) and Sam Griffiths (Musical Director). The set piece routines for example, The Munchkin Sequence, The Poppy Field and The Haunted Forest were excellent. They were all enhanced, as was the show in general, by excellent Animated Backgrounds, provided by Small Wonder Studio. They were not just static scenes but were often part of the action; they and the excellent lighting plot by Tom Olding gave the stage at times, a filmic quality. The use of black and white backgrounds at the start and finish also resonated nicely with memories of the 1939 film: imaginative stuff. I must not forget to mention the costumes that were very colourful and appropriate to the look of this iconic show.
Accompanying the songs and dances very sympathetically was an excellent 12 piece band conducted by Sam Griffiths. It was never too loud and along with excellent sound directed by Dave Dallard, I could hear almost every word both sung and spoken. Incidentally, it is not long since this group used backing tracks for their shows and I suspect that this orchestra is the largest they have ever had, which is a great experience for the young performers.
Although the animated backgrounds were very effective, other appropriate scenery was used and changed very efficiently by Stage Manager Heath Parkin and his largish stage crew.
Finally, this was an excellent production and the production team and the cast should be justifiably proud of the result. A good production well produced and performed.
For Information The excellent ensemble (some played other parts as well) was:
Kian Booth, Charlie Briggs, Izzy Broadley. Isaac Brooks, Eleanor Carty, Grace Collishaw, Jennifer Finley, Hannah Glossop, Abbie Harper, Patricia Holmer, Jamie Lane, Jay Littlefair, Lottie Ludlow, Matthew McAuley, Sam Norris, Esme Parker, Ryan Phelps Sammy Platkiw, Bella Ridgway, Emma Roberts, Olivia Savage, Lorley Shelton, Trinity Sheldon, Emily Scott, Megan Trindell, Katie Young, Kian Booth, Ryan Phelps, Katy Young, Matthew McAuley, Sam Norris, Emma Roberts.
Nomads
Mother Goose
February 17th 2016
Kimberley School Theatre
It doesn’t matter at what time of the year you go to see a pantomime as long as it is well produced, well performed, funny and entertaining. Tonight at Kimberley School Nowmads fulfilled all that and I loved it!
It was a traditional staging of the story of Mother Goose and her family, who go from being poor to very rich upon the arrival of a Goose that lays golden eggs. Unfortunately, the wealth brings no lasting good to the family who almost lose everything as a consequence of Mother Goose’s vanity. However, as in all good pantomimes, everything works out well for almost everyone at the end. The story was brought up to date with the usual topical jokes and local references and a really good selection of well known songs from today and yesterday.
There were many very strong performances from the principal cast members. Playing Mother Goose was Steve Clarke who was a cross between Les Dawson and Ken Dodd, with some other famous comics thrown in, with a panache all of his own. His timing and stage presence was outstanding and his awful pantomime jokes were well appreciated by us all. Playing against each other with some skill were Merle Harrison as the good Fairy Paxo (an interesting name) and Danny De Martino as The Demon King. Their performances were in rhyme and there was just something special in the way they worked with and against each other. Merle charmed the audience from the start and has a lovely singing voice and Danny encouraged the usual boos and hisses from the audience whenever he appeared. His costume was quite spectacular, as well.
The rather nasty Squire of the Village was played magnificently by Graham Lambert, a very familiar member of the group who has been in many previous shows: his ability as an experienced actor was obvious. Assisting him in his plans to evict Mother Goose from her home and steal the goose were Hannah Lishman as Ella and Ashely Smith as Sam, who were very funny indeed and played their parts in a beautifully deadpan way. Their characterizations and comedy routines were very sharp and well received by the audience.
Also deserving of considerable recognition were Thomas Bailey as Billy Goose, the traditional cheeky chappie of panto who worked the audience well, Laura Collins as Jill Goose who has a lovely voice; she was involved in a number of pleasing duets with her on stage fiancé, Jack Horner. He was played by Jaiden Ragozins who also had a great voice.
The largish ensemble was excellent and I have to say that when the curtain opened at the start of the show and the ensemble began to sing and dance I was blown away. This happened throughout the show and actually I would have liked one or two more ensemble numbers.
The ensemble was: Jane Clark, Emma Heydon and Lauren Belcher (all great dancers) – Abi Harvey, Emily Coulter, Lucy Coulter and Rowan Smith (Youth Chorus).
Carole De Martino, Elaine Oldham, Lucy Hardy, Evelyn Skellett, Irene Berridge, Clare Hawksworth, Lis Hipkiss, Philippa Taylor, Alison Reeves and Jo Needham (Ladies Chorus). Philip Robertson, Pete Crofts, Robert Livermoore and Oliver Goodman (Male Chorus)
Finally, I must further mention Oliver Goodman whose training for Priscilla the Goose was excellent.
This was a very colourful and entertaining production with very bright and attractive sets (constructed by Steve Clarke and Thomas Bailey) that were changed very smoothly and discretely by Sue Campbell, Debbie Draper and the stage crew (Joe Chamberlain, Luke Tantum, Andy Henderson and Richard Harvey). The costumes, under the direction of Molly Limpets Sheffield and Sue Lowe, were fantastic and there were many changes during the show. The sound by Rob Beech and lighting by Phil Herriott was good (I liked the spot as well operated by David Draper) and I thought the sound effects were particularly good throughout. The make up by Gilly Williams was good and I am pleased to say that the prompt Pam Culshaw had little to do!
The band under the direction of the Musical Director, John Wilson, was excellent and just right for the size of the theatre, its acoustics and the cast. At no time was it over dominant and along with the good sound system ensured that I could hear every word. I liked the incidental music as well.
The stage at Kimberley School is not over large and there was a danger of the cast looking a bit squashed, but overall this was not the case. The excellent direction of Gillian Williams and the great choreography by Jane Clark and Merle Harrison ensured that the space was well used and shared out creatively amongst the ensemble.
This was a thoroughly engaging production that was enjoyed by the full house in the theatre, who showed their appreciation at the end with an enthusiastic and sustained ovation, which was well deserved.
A big well done to the Director/ Producer, Gillian Williams, who brought this traditional story to life with directorial skills that were very apparent in so many ways during the show. I loved the way in which each Act began and ended with vibrant and bright ensemble musical numbers.
Bill Kenwright Productions
Blood Brothers
February 15th 2016
Theatre Royal, Nottingham
Blood Brothers ended with an instantaneous whole theatre standing ovation which was so justly deserved. A brilliant production with a superb cast. Lyn Paul excelled as Mrs Johnstone and I can now see why she has been described as "the definitive Mrs Johnstone." Kristopher Harding as the narrator was also unbelievably good. With a powerful voice he dominated the proceedings on the stage whenever he was on it. Actually the whole cast was very good indeed. There were some other outstandingly good individual performances especially from Sean Jones as Mickey, Joel Benedict as Eddie, Paula Tappenden as Mrs Lyons, Danielle Corglass as Linda and Peter Washington as Sammy.They were very well supported by Tim Churchill as Mr Lyons, Graham Martin as the policeman, Laura Harrison as Donna and Henry Regan as Perkins. Other parts were played well by Josh Capper, Lois Molloy, Graeme Kinniburgh.
This is only the second time I have seen this show and I am enjoying it much more than the first. The production is very fast paced and full of energy. The singing and movement is first class as is the set, lighting, sound and stage production.
The final scene and rendition of "Tell Me It's not Not True" by the whole cast was spellbinding and they took a number of bows to the delight of the packed theatre.
The show is powerful and emotional and yet also has many humorous episodes. When I first saw it in London I thought "this is ok" but tonight I thought "Wow! This was something special!"
Wilsthorpe Theatre Group
The Sound of Music
February 9th 2016
Wilsthorpe School, Long Eaton
Just back from a smashing production of The Sound of Music at Wilsthorpe School which I thoroughly enjoyed. It was a joyous and charming production and all involved should be justly proud of their contributions.
This is a challenging show in many ways especially for young performers but the large and multi aged cast coped with it very well. It was good to hear the glorious music of Rogers and Hammerstein in Long Eaton once again.
There were some good performances from the principals who were well supported by the ensemble and the band.
The use of the projection screen at the side was excellent and I was very impressed with the way it added to the impact of many parts of the production.
There was a well deserved ovation from the audience (some standing) at the end of the show which continues until Friday.
(David)
The Erewash Musical Society
Hairspray
February 4th 2016
Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
(Review by kind permission of Kev. Castle)
"You Can't Stop The Beat" so the song goes, well you can add to that "You Can't Stop The Fun", "You Can't Stop The Energy" and "You Can't Stop The Enthusiasm" with the latest offering from the Erewash Musical Society's Youth section.
Now I'll be brutally honest here, because by the end of the first act, I was less than impressed but not with the actors, but with the sound. At times you couldn't hear the singing or talking; it made me think that that the actors weren't rigged up with a back-pack microphone and the audience missed out on many of the very funny lines in the brilliantly funny script. so i thought, "I've got to find out what's going on here!" and found out that there was an issue with the sound mixing desk. Not human error at all. Ben Tennett, the sound tech, managed to get it all sorted out for Act 2. I imagine Ben was sweating buckets up at the sound mixing desk while fixing it up while the show went on.
I've said this in the past, but it's the way that theatre people deal with unforeseen issues like this that gain my respect, and my respect was given to Ben on opening night for turning it around, and changing my outlook on the show. Frustrating as it was for the audience, it must have been more frustrating for the actors on stage as they had no control over the situation but carried on like troopers. I can only imagine the adrenalin coursing through their veins!
"Hairspray" is one of my Top 10 favourite musicals because it's great fun as well as presenting a brilliant message. Dealing with racism, class, weight issues and self appreciation among other issues, it presents these in an enjoyable and fun way while getting the seriousness of the 1960's segregation problems to the fore. And there are some brilliant characters here.
Tracy Turnblad was played with great enthusiasm and gusto by Eliza Charnock with her mum, Edna, played by Benito Preite. This must be one of the hardest roles for a younger actor to play but Benito pulled off the role admirably. Wilbur Turnblad was played by Dylan Springfield.
Link, the teen heart-throb of The Corny Collins Show was played by Oliver Wheddon. Ollie showing another side of his acting, and different from his last role I saw him in as St Jimmy in "American Idiot". He twinkled as the 60's equivalent of Justin Bieber, occasionally winking at the audience showing a confident character, comfortable in his role as a teen idol, but bringing that sheen down in his scenes with Tracy to show his real side. Nicely done by one of local theatre's Mr Nice Guys.
Another young actor I have tons of respect for, and have seen in several roles, and always gives sterling performances is Hayden Fletcher as Seaweed. Seaweed is one of the main black characters but all the black characters in this production are white. At first this is a bit of a mindbender but through the acting talents of these young actors, you forget all about this. Hayden should have the middle name of "snakehips" as he can groove with soul. No surprise there as he's a bit of a ballroom master away from the stage. Again one of the nicest blokes you could meet on and off the stage.
I love the role of Penny, and Lucy Ledger teased all the laughs out of the character possible. A fun and zany role for a lovely comedy actress.
Amber, the daughter of Velma, and a chip of the old block here is typically bossy and aloof; with a role model like Velma, what else would you expect? Amber is Link's TV girlfriend who loses out to Link's affections for Tracy. Loved the pinnacle of bossiness when Amber orders Link to her side and out of Motormouth's record shop, He chooses to stay with Tracy. Classic! Amber is played by Chloe Hopcroft and Velma is played by Emily Marshall. Both characters miles away from Chloe's and Emily's own.
Grace Deakin (Little Inez) has a brilliant soul dripping voice, as does Paige Sisson (Motormouth). Paige gets to perform one of my favourite songs in the musical "I Know Where I've Been" and gave me goose bumps.
Corny Collins, the presenter of The Corny Collins Show, is played with ultimate cool by Tom Judson; a new(ish) name to me, but shows great promise as the unflappable TV host.
A big ensemble cast consisting of a further 23 actors. The ensemble choreography was of a high standard especially when you discover that this is Stephanie Ure's choreography debut. She took on a mammoth job and smashed it!
Carol Lawson produced and directed the musical and she must be a very proud lady at the results of this sell out show.
Dave Dallard was the musical director, assisted by Martin Lewis. An orchestra of eleven created a powerhouse of sound which at times overpowered the singers but this was on opening night and the sound mix of orchestra and actor will be different when the theatre is full of bodies. Again by Act 2 Dave and co. had just about got this sorted. Clear and crisp with an amazing rhythm section.
Great costumes, and I was especially impressed by Edna's final dress which shone as bright as the actor wearing it. When the lights caught the dress it looked almost alight. Talking of the lights, despite a few missed spots, the lights were, if you'll pardon the pun, spot on. The stage at times awash with colour, thanks to Dave Martin.
Despite my initial outlook, this production, thanks to the cast and production people, turned me around and gave me a wonderful and fun night out. A hard working and talented cast with some brilliantly catchy songs that will have you singing as you leave, but leave you with your social conscience well and truly pricked.
Another massive success for the Erewash Musical Society Youth Group. the show is on until Saturday 6 February 2016 but check first if there are any tickets left because rumour has it that it's just about sold out.
The People’s Theatre Company
Cinderella
December 5th 2015
Nottingham Arts Theatre
Wow! What a wonderful production this afternoon at the Nottingham Arts Theatre: another triumph for The People’s Theatre Company.
This performance of Cinderella was brilliant from the start and featured a very talented all age cast, a beautifully crafted script, excellent special effects, very attractive costumes, a wonderful set and a breathtaking transformation scene, which brought gasps from many in the audience.
The whole cast were just perfect - great singing and acting, plus stunning choreography by Amy Rogers Gee, that was so well executed by everyone.
The principal part of Cinderella was played beautifully by Lauren Stephenson, who has a great voice and really looked the part. She was adored by the love sick Buttons, played brilliantly by Sean Goodwin. He worked the audience very well throughout the show and played the part in a very physical way. His grimaces and asides both physical and verbal were outstanding.
Holding the whole show together was Laura Thurman, as the Fairy Godmother. Her vivacious and humorous characterisation was loved by everyone. She also sang well and I was delighted when she sang one of my favourite Christmas tunes “We Need A little Christmas” from Mame. I was very impressed with the way she and Sean worked with the children that were brought up on to the stage for the traditional singsong at the end.
There were terrific performances from Michael Pearson and Rob Goll as The Ugly Sisters. They were certainly ugly, delightfully over the top, very funny indeed and their dresses were magnificently gaudy. Oh yes they were!
Hannah Rogers Gee as Prince Charming and Catherine Cunningham as his servant, Dandini, were perfect and had fabulous singing voices. They acted their parts well and did a convincing job of thigh slapping!
There were also excellent performances from Cliff Hart as Baron Hardup, Marie Rogers as Baroness Hardup, Cassie Hall as Mozzarella and Roy Smith as Major Domo.
Supporting all the above was a terrific mixed aged ensemble, whose enjoyment of what they were doing was obvious from the start. They performed with enthusiasm, great energy and panache. What a talented group!
The adult ensemble was Christine Boothe, Poppy Cook, Katie Dudgeon, Laura Ellis, Charleigh Hurst, James Murray, Peter Newman, Natalie Randall, Vicki Reckless, Kacey Scrimshaw, Joseph Smith and Billy Stockwell.
The Juniors on Saturday were in Team Pumpkin: Elsie Archer, Callum Barr, Hattie Campion, Mia Carey, Tamzin Forrester, Ben Gregory, Emma Gregory, Grace Hodgett-Young, Jonathan Jaycock, Maddie Keown, Anna King, Darcey Yeomans, Lily Proudlove, Elissa Reeve, Jasmine Smith and Madi Smith.
Amanda Hall's script was just so good that I was in danger of dying of laughter. Her production was also wonderful, allowing the whole cast to excel in whatever parts they had. Amada obviously demanded a high standard of performance and got it from this committed cast.
The staging was outstanding along with great lighting by Tom Mowat, and crystal clear sound by Rob Kettridge, who ensured that the music balance was perfect. The back stage crew, directed by the Stage Manager Amy Rogers Gee and her assistant Nigel Newton, made sure that scene changes were smooth and unobtrusive. The set was bright and attractive - well done to the large team who worked on it.
The singing was a joy to listen to and the Musical Director, Ray McLeod, is to be congratulated for all the work he had obviously done to ensure such high quality. The choice of songs was excellent and many were well known favourites that fitted very well into the script.
This was an absolutely brilliant show performed by a very talented cast of young and older performers. In fact this is one of the best amateur shows I have seen.
If you only go to one pantomime this year I would suggest that you make it this one. Well done to everyone involved.
The show continues at the Nottingham Arts Theatre until Sunday December 20th.
Derby Theatre Production
Cinderella
Derby Theatre
December 8th 2015
Reflections on Cinderella at Derby Theatre on Monday December 7th.
There was enthusiastic applause at the end of the performance. I enjoyed the show and appreciated the talented cast and their ability to act, sing, dance and play a variety of musical instruments.
The staging of the show was excellent and the use of the theatre's flying features and deep stage enhanced the production. The lighting and sound were good.
It is important to remember that this is not a pantomime but a retelling of the story based on the fairy tale of the Grimm Brothers. It is therefore not suitable for young children who may find understanding what is going on difficult. The theatre has put an advisory on the play of 6+. There are some young performers in the cast who were very good. (There are 4 at each performance taken from Ayanna Asafu-Adjei; Niamh Atkinson; Emma Balderston; Daisy Chell; Amber Child-Cavill; Molly Child-Cavill; Joshua Gill; Serena Madden; Bailey West; Alfie Williams and Freya Youngman.)
Seeing the story from the rats point of view is interesting and I felt it worked well. I liked most of the music and songs which were of varied styles. This was very much an ensemble production in which everyone was important. However, I must mention in particular Esme Sears who played Cinderella. What a great performer with a lovely and powerful voice.
The ensemble of actor musicians was Nicholas Coutu-Langmead; Chris Lindon; Rebecca Naylor, Christopher Price; Stephanie Rutherford; Katherine Toy and Jake Waring.
The play was directed by the theatre's creative director, Sarah Brigham and was written by Mike Kenny. The songs which were very tuneful were composed by Ivan Stott who was all responsible for the excellent sound design.
Chichester Festival Production (National Tour)
Mack and Mabel
Theatre Royal, Nottingham
November 24th 2015
Mack and Mabel ended with a full theatre standing ovation which said it all. This was a great show with a superb cast and some extremely effective scenery and props.
As I said in the interval Michael Ball and. Rebecca LeChance in the title rolls were excellent and very well cast. There were many other cameo rolls of great quality including Anna-Jane Casey as Lottie Ames, Gunnar Cauthery as Frank, Alex Giannini as Mr Baumann, Mark Inscoe as William Taylor and Timothy Quinlan as Mr Kessel.
The all singing, all dancing ensemble was brilliant and very hard working. The fifteen piece orchestra accompanied the soloists and chorus well and sounded great.
The exciting choreography by Stephen Mear was brilliantly executed by the whole cast.
I was also very impressed by the excellent work of a well organised stage crew.
This production originated at The Chichester Festival and was directed by the Festival's artistic director, Jonathan Church. His creative ability was there to see throughout the show and incidentally he trained as Assistant Director at the Nottingham and Derby Playhouses.
Overall this has been a great night at the Theatre Royal and I hope my first viewing of this lovely show will not be my last. The music of Jerry Herman (who also wrote my favourite, Hello Dolly) is blissful with what I like, great tunes.
I would certainly say without reservation go and see this show if you can catch it during the national tour.
Fourblokes Theatre Company
All My Sons
The Guildhall Theatre, Derby
Friday November 20th 2015
Thursday November 5th 2015All My Sons by American playwright Arthur Miller was written in 1947 and premiered in New York the same year - a production which won two Tony Awards. A popular play, it was adapted for film twice and is based on a true story which Miller's mother read to him one day from an Ohio newspaper.
It is 1947 and Joe and Kate Keller, an all-American couple, are living with the ghosts of World War II.
Joe is a successful, self-made businessman, a loving family man and a pillar of the community. He is a partner in a machine shop, building fighter plane parts. Joe and Kate’s happiness is clouded by one thing – their son is missing in action, presumed dead by all but his mother …
All My Sons is a searing investigation of honesty, guilt and the corrupting power of greed. The play was Arthur Miller’s first success, establishing him as a leading voice in theatre.
All the performances were brilliant and the direction was outstanding. Four Blokes have done it again - produced a play which was of a very high standard indeed.
The cast was Thomas Farthing as Chris, Emily Marshall-Sims as Chris’ lover Ann Deever, Marie Stone as neighbour Sue Bayliss, Mik Horvath as Jim Bayliss, Adam Guest as Ann's brother George,
Verna Bayliss as Kate, Jeff Foster as Joe Keller, Ben Sherwin as Frank Lubey, Gemma Blake as Lydia Lubey and Billy Sweet as Bert.
The excellent set was imaginative and well constructed, entirely suitable for the era of the play and well used by the cast. Lighting and sound were excellent. Congratulations go to Stephen Greatorex and Harry Greatorex (lighting), Barry Taylor and Harry Greatorex (sound) and Lucy Young for stage management.
The costumes and hairstyles were very authentic as were the props, organised by Marie Stone.
I was also very impressed by the sound effects and use of suitable incidental music to create different atmospheres during the performance. The hum of overhead planes became an effective sound motif for both Joe’s guilt and his missing son.
All my sons is a powerful drama and the cast rose to the occasion, giving us emotionally taut, gripping and nuanced performances with excellent diction and projection. The audience were rapt and fully engaged throughout.
Well done to the Director, Barry Taylor, his very talented cast and the production team. This production has confirmed what I guess we knew, that Four Blokes is one of the leading drama companies in this area and I suspect, way beyond.
Streetlight Theatre Arts
American Idiot
Derby Theatre
Thursday November 5th 2015
It was good to be back at Derby Theatre after a short break and what a great way to return: to see Street Light Theatre Arts set the stage alight with noise, colour, excitement, great movement and dance in their final production, American Idiot.
The show is an adaptation of punk rock band Green Day’s rock opera of the same name and is set in the recent past. It opens on a group of suburban kids living unhappily in "Jingletown, USA", being saturated with TV and little else.
The story, revolves around three disaffected young men played superbly by Kyle Lamley as Johnny, Andrew Bould as Will and Mitch Gamble as Tunny. Johnny and Tunny escape from a stifling suburban lifestyle and parental restrictions, while Will stays home to work out his relationship with his pregnant girlfriend, Heather. The runaway pair look for meaning in life and try out the freedom and excitement of the city. Tunny quickly gives up on life in the city, joins the military, and is shipped off to war. Johnny turns to drugs and finds a part of himself that he grows to dislike, meets and is influenced by St. Jimmy played powerfully by Oliver Wheedon, and has a relationship and experiences lost love. More follows but you need to come and see that for yourself!
In addition to the four leads mentioned above, there were very strong performances from Katy Freeman as Heather, Aine O’Neill Mason as Whatsername, and Alana Moran as Extraordinary Girl.
These performers were very well supported by exciting and vibrant supporting actors comprising of Kheenan Jones, Becky Morley, Ben Jones, Lucy Bramley, Jack Readyhoof, Laura Jacobs, Andrew Smyth, Eleanor Mallinson, Tom Stanley, Cat Budworth, Andrew Buxton, Josephine Walker, Jack Warburton, Rob Chilton, Josh Birchall, Lowri Spear, Iona Jackman-Hart, Kat Adey, Alex Dickenson, Ollie Hand and Ethiopioni Bramley(!)
This is a high-octane show, which includes every song from Green Day's album “American Idiot”, as well as several songs from follow-up release, “21st Century Breakdown.”
The show opened with the dramatic number, American Idiot, which sets the scene for the show. This was one of the most dramatic and exciting starts to a show I have seen for a long time. It was obvious from this point that this was going to be an exciting production. It continued so throughout and praise must go to the Director, Matt Powell and his production team, for a show that moved with thrilling pace and left the cast and the audience breathless at the end. His tight direction, aided by the choreographer, Charlotte Richo, enabled all the cast to be involved throughout. Sometimes it was difficult to know where to look on the stage, as there was always something happening, which added to the excitement. It was obvious throughout that the cast were thoroughly enjoying all they were doing.
The excellent 7 piece band was on the stage and were not too dominant over the singers for most of the time. The Musical Director, Dave Adey, had obviously worked hard with the cast to produce vocals of such a high standard.
The sound, directed by Simon Birchall, was good, which in a rock opera is not always easy to achieve. The lighting design by Kevin Greene was complementary to the action, although there were a few times when I thought it was a little dark on the periphery of the stage, but overall it was well planned, dynamic and added to the vibrancy of the action. The staging of the show was very good and the scene changes were slick and unobtrusive thanks to the Stage Manager, Ollie Turner -who also produced the show- and his crew.
The show ended with an enthusiastic standing ovation from the audience, which was well deserved, as this was a remarkable performance full of passion, energy and enthusiasm. The whole cast sang their hearts out and the music of Green Day, the American Punk band, certainly rang out around the theatre and was enjoyed by many. It was the first time I have heard the songs and while I didn't like them all, there were some very pleasing numbers. I particularly liked "Wake me up when September ends.” It was lovely and so well performed. Kyle Lamley in particular sang very well and I loved his performance of Boulevard of Broken Dreams.
There is little doubt that Matt and Streetlight Arts were very brave to attempt this show, but they did it proud and should be very pleased with the result. The company will be missed on the local musical scene, but I understand that there will be more to look forward to, albeit in a different form, next year.
The Beeston Musical Theatre Group
Into the Woods
The Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
Thursday October 27th 2015
“Be careful what you wish for” is one of the main themes of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s fairy tale inspired musical, Into the Woods. Well, I was wishing for an enjoyable night out at the Duchess but did I get it? Read on ….
The story is about a Baker and his wife, who is desperate to have a child, Cinderella who wishes to go the King’s Festival, and Jack who wishes his cow would give some milk. When the neighbourhood witch, who reveals to them that she placed a curse on their family, visits the Baker and his wife, the two set off on a journey into the woods to reverse the curse. While in the woods other well known characters appear - Little Red, who is trying to visit her grandmother, the Wolf who loves tasty little girls, the Witch’s daughter Rapunzel, and the Princes chasing after their loves. By the end of Act I, everyone has received their wish and will presumably live happily ever after?
However in Act II the consequences of their actions haunt them in disastrous ways. The community must come together to save each other and their kingdom, but sacrifices must be made. Does it end happily after all? Well, you need to go and see it to find out.
I have only seen the Junior version of this musical before and I am not at all a fan of the “Marmite” composer, Stephen Sondheim – so I was wondering what tonight was going to be like. However, from the opening scene I was entranced by this outstanding production from the Beeston Musical Theatre Group.
Everything about it was of an incredibly high standard – the acting, the movement, the singing and the orchestra. All combined seamlessly to bring this complex story to life. The atmosphere throughout the show was enhanced by the wonderful set, designed by Craig Butterworth and Lisa Smith. The outstandingly good lighting, designed by Dave Martin, was absolutely right for the show and the set. This was enhanced by the sound, engineered by Sean Renshaw.
There were very strong performances from all the main characters: Rob Charles as the Baker, Cat Tuckey as his wife, George Lamb as Jack, Zoe Brinklow as Little Red Riding Hood, Claire Rybicki as Cinderella, Andrea Chapman as the Witch, Mina Machin as Jack’s Mum, Anna McAuley as the Narrator who kept things moving throughout both in words, song and actions. Kevin Chatten and Tim Yearsley played the two Princes whose duet, Agony, was wonderfully performed and was very funny indeed! Also impressing were Steph Gray-Blest as Cinderella’s Evil Step Mother, Ronja Breitkopf as Florinda, Keli Wain as Lucinda, Alex Grosse as the pretty scary Big Bad Wolf, Kendra Korte as Cinderella’s Mother and Beth Yearsley as Rapunzel.
In addition to the above the rest of the cast were outstandingly good. Well done to Irina Veleanu, Keith Bird as the Mysterious Man, Ruth Maddison as Granny, Lisa Smith as the Giant, Laura Walton as Snow White, Kayrakise Evans as Sleeping Beauty and Josh McGregor as the Steward.
One other group of this large cast that I liked very much were the Woodlanders / Puppeteers. Their excellent use of props and puppets to enhance the story was a joy to watch. Well done to Jane Cottee, Naomi Cumming, Kendra Korte, Christine Walton, Chris Bryan, Andy Bulmer and Dave Henderson.
Huge congratulations must go to the Director, Craig Butterworth for his fantastic realisation of this complex and difficult show. He ensured that it moved with considerable pace and energy, provided constant action for the cast to be involved in and he also made the complex plot line understandable and believable. I actually now understand what this show is all about and indeed how cleverly written it actually is. Thank you, Craig.
Musically this production was quite simply faultless. The Musical Director, Morven Harrison, managed to combine a great orchestra with a very high standard of singing from the entire cast. There is no doubt that the score, as with all Sondheim’s works, is far from easy, but tonight they made it sound so which is a massive achievement.
Scene changes were smooth and unobtrusive thanks to Lisa Smith and her crew helped by the superb set, which was built on three levels and enabled the actors to smoothly move from place to place and through time.
The costumes, controlled by Mina Machin, were very well matched to the characters and looked great.
The use of simple but effective props was brilliant. I am not going to say what they were as this will spoil the surprise and the enjoyment of the production, but I will say watch out for a very interesting Giant!
I have to say that tonight the Beeston Musical Theatre Group have shown me that I can actually enjoy a musical by Sondheim, in fact surprisingly I loved it. Maybe I need to listen to more of his music?
If you can get a ticket, do, and go along and enjoy a fabulous trip Into The Woods and hopefully out again. I can guarantee that Sondheim, fan or not, you will be amazed and delighted by this production that has all the qualities of a professional show in the West End.
Well done to all who have been involved in this phenomenal production and The Beeston Musical Theatre Group should be justifiably proud of what they have achieved tonight. Brilliant hardly comes near to describing it!
The Long Eaton Operatic Society
White Christmas
May Hall Theatre, Trent College, Long Eaton
Wednesday October 21st 2015
It may only be October, but Long Eaton Operatic Society certainly brought the magic of Christmas to Trent College tonight. From the Overture to the play out music at the end, this was a splendid evening of entertainment. The show is packed with well-known songs by the legendary Irving Berlin, which were well appreciated by the audience: many of whom joined in enthusiastically with the title song at the end of the show.
White Christmas is based on the 1954 film staring Bing Crosby and Danny Kay -which in turn was based on the 1942 film Holiday Inn- and was first performed in 2004. It tells the story of two ex-army pals who team up with a pair of singing sisters to put on a show to save a remote Vermont ski lodge, which has fallen on hard times.
A little mischief, a few misunderstandings and a whole lot of romance are the perfect excuse for a magical evening of laughter, tears, great dance numbers and some of the greatest songs ever written, including Sisters, Blue Skies and, of course, the legendary White Christmas.
There were good performances from Martin Mould (Bob), and Jack Draper (Phil) who took the demanding leading roles and gave us a variety of powerful song and dance numbers. Sian Scattergood (Judy) and Claire Collishaw (Betty) played the singing sisters with excellent characterisations and both have beautiful voices.
Ross Lowe (General Waverley) was excellent in his expressive portrayal of the strict general with a soft heart. The part of his granddaughter, Susan, was played by the charming Megan Taylor, who has stage presence, good comedy timing and a very nice voice. The delightful Georgia Archer and Lydia Thacker played the comedy roles of the ditzy but talented dancers, Rita and Rhoda. Jack Woolley made the part of the stressed stage manager Mark his own, with flamboyant characterisation. Ralph Sheldrake played the role of the TV Executive confidently while Ben Woolley was amusing as Ezekiel.
I particularly enjoyed the performance of Carrie-Ann Corner (Martha) who was outstanding as the “Ethel Merman’ style hotel receptionist: she lit up the stage with her amazingly powerful singing and speaking voice, coupled with immaculate comic timing. She and Ross Lowe were perfect foils for each other.
The principals were supported by an excellent ensemble, who performed the superb choreography by Laurie Trott with style and enthusiasm. There are several spectacular set piece song and dance routines, which are a visual and auditory delight.
The ensemble were:
June Baston, Kate Beer, Gemma Blake, Rachelle Bragg, Carolyn Briggs, Jenny Carty, Grace Collinshaw, Joanna East, Tayla Evans, Zach Foster, John Fox, Adam Guest, Ruth Hansard, Eleanor Harvey, Emma Kelvey, Helena Keys, Josh Jones, Alistair Langton, Kathie Ludlow, Kheenan Jones, Katie MacDonald, Kathryn McAuley, Tony Newton, David O’Neil, Siobhan Parker, Melissa Vickerstaff, Mandy Walker, Angela Walters, Karen Woodhead, Ann Woolley.
The quality of the singing overall was of a good standard, as I have come to expect from this well regarded company. The staging of the show was lively and the director, Liz Wolley, ensured that the large cast made full use of their time on stage. Her eye for detail and spectacle was evident throughout the production. I particularly liked the device of using small groups of singers around radio mikes at the side of the stage, to provide backing.
The scene changes were quick and efficiently undertaken by the large and well organised stage crew and the scenery was bright and colourful. I was particularly impressed by the inside of a railway carriage that was used in Act 1. There was no use of projections in this show, but the more traditional forms of backcloths and curtains were very effective and pleasant to look at.
The Orchestra, conducted by Sam Griffiths, was excellent and accompanied the cast sympathetically. Lizzie Bullard, the MD and Sam the Assistant MD, had obviously worked hard with the cast to achieve the high musical standard.
Unfortunately, there were times when it was difficult to hear some of the words being delivered and sung, due to the sound system being somewhat muffled. Things were much better when ensemble numbers were being sung.
However, the overall production was good and very enjoyable. I really enjoyed the show and for once it was great to be able to sit and watch a show that was entertaining, fun and lively. So often today, musical theatre seems to be becoming far too deep and serious for my liking.
There is no doubt that the large audience in the May Hall had a great time tonight and left the theatre feeling uplifted, happy and maybe even looking forward to Christmas.
Well done to all involved in the show and carry on enjoying yourselves on stage right through the week.
The Erewash Musical Society
Aspects of Love
The DuchessTheatre
Wednesday October 7th 2015
Andrew Lloyd Webbers “Aspects Of Love” tells a story of passion, love and loss across three generations of a family, set against the background of Paris, the mountains of the Pyrenees and Venice. It centres on Alex Dillingham, a 17 year old student travelling through France, who falls in love with the alluring but fickle actress, Rose Vibert.
As the pair embark on a passionate affair, the unexpected arrival of Alex's uncle George, affects their lives forever, as they come to appreciate how love changes everything.
Tonight’s performance by this award winning Musical Society was breathtaking in so many ways and all involved deserve considerable praise for what was a highly enjoyable and polished production.
Zak Charlesworth played the central role of Alex in his first leading role for the adult group. His portrayal of this complex, obsessive and often confused character was outstanding. Zak has a lovely singing voice, but tonight his acting skills shone brightly, too. He was fully engaged in the role and was able to express the many conflicting emotions that Alex goes through with passion and absolute conviction. I was delighted that he hit the very high top notes in the featured song, “Love Changes Everything” perfectly and as Michael Ball once said, “that is not easy!”
His relationship with Rose, played by the excellent Tracey Renshaw, was fully believable and captivating. Tracey gave an engaging and sympathetic portrayal of a woman who is terrified of being alone and driven to seek love and solace, regardless of the consequences. Her singing voice is superb and she is a pleasure to watch and listen to, compelling whenever she appears on stage. She ages convincingly through the 17year time span of the action, through appropriate styling and mannerisms.
Playing the part of George was Mark Birch whose excellent singing voice and powerful acting was superb. He brought appropriate gravitas to the role while maintaining George’s charm, joie de vivre and complete disregard for convention. I really liked his performance of “The first man you remember” sung beautifully and with such feeling.
Sue Hagan played George’s Italian friend, Giulietta. Her voice is excellent and she sympathetically portrays this damaged but passionate character who, like Rose, regards loving and being loved as the most important part of life. She brings some notes of humour to the often angst ridden proceedings and Sue adds real sparkle to these.
The role of the 12 year old Jenny was played on this occasion by Grace Deakin (at some other performances by Nadia Potter). She sang beautifully throughout her scenes, looked delightful and fully captured the naïve charm of an innocent girl.
Gemma Blake played the older Jenny, cleverly maintaining the innocence of youth, while artfully involving herself in the tangled web of family relationships and convincingly suffering the loss of love. Gemma has a beautiful voice and is an absolute pleasure to listen to. Clever styling and a nifty footwork made the transition from the younger Jenny to the older quite believable.
There were other excellent performances from the supporting principals. They were Dan Bates as Marcel, Heather Howe as Elizabeth, Andy Honman as Hugo and Martin Lewis as Jerome.
The small, but highly involved ensemble was excellent and featured Rachel Bates, Kay Cocks, Hayden Fletcher, Andrea Kemish, Mark Perry, Sophie Robbins, Karen Robbins, Alex Tavener, Claire Toska and Laurie Trott.
This show does not have many chorus numbers but those there were, including the dramatic and brilliant “Hand me the Wine and the Dice” were very well sung and performed; James Rayner, the choreographer, did a great job with them.
The orchestra, directed by Nathan Truesdale, was very good. Nathan ensured that it was never over dominant and supported the singers well. I could hear every word. This show is almost all music and Nathan and the cast are to be congratulated for the quality of the vocals throughout. Incidentally, it is incredible how much music and how many words there are to learn in this show and it is a measure of the talent of the performers that they achieved this so successfully.
Projections designed by Paul Young were used for back scenery and they worked well and looked fantastic. The show has a large number of scenes, some of which are very short. However, scene changes, often using an assortment of furniture and props, were expertly executed by Stage Manager, Mark Robbins and his excellent stage crew.
The costumes were appropriate for the location and period, with well-focussed and controlled lighting by Dave Dallard, which greatly added to the atmosphere of the production. I particularly enjoyed the circus scene, although quite short, and as it was so colourful, well dressed and tightly choreographed.
The sound by Ben Tennett was well controlled and sounded very natural.
Finally, I must commend the shows Director, Nigel Taylor. His vision and attention to detail was present in every scene. The cast, both principals and ensemble, were obviously very well rehearsed, knew exactly what they needed to do and were fully in command of their roles. There was a palpable confidence amongst the cast and much of this must be down to Nigel’s skill as a well renowned Director.
This was a great production of a favourite show of mine, which was of a professional standard in all departments. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s not so well known piece has some flaws in it from a musical and dramatic perspective, but this was never the less a joy to watch and listen to. The plot may at times be a little difficult to follow, especially when seeing it for the first time, but the music is wonderful and the story is full of romance, proving that love really does change everything.
Well done to all involved in this production; my advice would be to get a ticket to see it before it closes on Saturday night.
The People's Theatre Company
Much Ado About Nothing
The Nottingham Arts Theatre
Thursday September 17th 2015
Much Ado About Nothing is considered to be one of Shakespeare’s most popular comedies and with good reason. It’s a play about young impetuous love, contrasted with the revival of an old attraction. Darker themes of jealousy, revenge and bitter mistrust are balanced by the portrayal of love and humour and sparkling, witty dialogue.
I must admit to previously having some reservations about an amateur performance of Shakespeare. Could they learn all those lines of unfamiliar language – some of it in huge chunks- and then deliver them with understanding and conviction? Could the director balance the timeless but often difficult themes and make them accessible to a modern audience? Well, the answer to all my questions is quite simply…yes. And how- this marvellous production is fresh, lively, thought provoking and full of fun. The actors are confident, well rehearsed and word perfect and have obviously worked hard to hone their delivery and diction.
Sally Nix’s skilful direction sees the action set in modern times, which puts us at ease immediately. We recognise these characters and enjoy the present day resonance of the interplay between them. The action moves at a cracking pace and there is always something interesting happening, to keep us watching and listening. Scenes of dialogue between two or three characters, that could be static, are enlivened by carefully planned movements and the clever use of props.
Shakespeare’s scenes of comic relief are a gift to any producer and Sally makes full use of these. The Watch, led by the befuddled Dogberry played excellently by Stuart Williams are portrayed as a ragged Neighbourhood Watch of broadly comic, but finely detailed characters. The scene in which they arrest two villains is a beautifully choreographed caper and a highlight of the play.
At the heart of the play and much of the humour is the battle of wits and change of hearts between the lovers Beatrice and Benedick. Two of Shakespeare’s liveliest characters, they conduct a war of words, each fighting to match the wit of the other and each finally defeated by having to admit their true feelings for one another.
Hannah Rose is a fine, feisty Beatrice, conveying as much in her facial expressions and body language as in the fluent and spirited delivery of her lines. This Beatrice can be flattered, but not won over or defeated easily; Hannah maintains her strength throughout. Benedick is equally strong: Ryan Chadwick splendidly conveying his confidence with well-timed swaggers, expansive gestures and a wide tonal range. Both actors have nailed their characters and manage the development of two brash loud mouths into mutually respectful lovers, with absolute conviction.
I was also impressed with the performances of the young lovers: Claudio played by Jak Truswell and Hero played by Lauren Stephenson. Claudio has to seek redemption from a modern audience, as he shows a serious lack of moral fibre, being easily persuaded to quickly doubt the behaviour of both his best friend and his intended wife. Jak is a suggestible but very earnest Claudio and he manages to convince that his sorrow and regret on learning of his mistake, is real.
Lauren’s Hero has some spirit about her, not easy to achieve with a character who is gentle and kind, even when horribly wronged. Lauren’s characterisation is lovely to watch and full of fun: her lines are delivered with plenty of punch and this, coupled with lively direction, gives Hero some depth.
Other members of the cast are equally good: as well as the wonderful ‘rude mechanicals’, the villains of the piece – Don John, Borachio and Conrad, are beautifully executed. Liam Dexter gives us a quietly villainous Don John, his restrained and mannered demeanour and controlled delivery striking a clever contrast to Benedick.
Congratulations to other members of the cast, all of whom impressed with their fluency and confident characterisations. They are:
Leonato: Richard Fife – Antonio/ Friar: Robbie Robb – Don Pedro: Tom Spencer – Borachio: Chris Collins – Margaret: Marina Kyriacou – Ursula: Corrine Welford-Proctor – Balthasar: Carly Smith – Conrad: Danielle Hall.
The rest of the ensemble must also be commended for their performances along with the production team for their excellent contributions.
Sally Nix’s production is fresh and exciting and she surely achieves more than her aim -as stated in the programme - to interpret the play in modern times, but still relying on “the text and the craftsmanship of the characters to have their own life when put on stage.” This production has a vibrant life all of its own.
The play is all about overcoming the obstacles to true love, and cheers greeted the satisfying ending, in which, to quote what many regard as an alternative title for the play, we see… Love’s Labours Won!
Gatepost Theatre Company
Rent
The Guildhall Theatre, Derby
Wednesday September 16th 2015
Gatepost Theatre Company have done it again …. produced a superb show of a very high standard. Well up there with the previous shows I have seen, this one brought the audience to their feet at the end with ecstatic applause.
Rent is a rock musical with music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson, loosely based on Puccini's La Boheme. It tells the story of a group of impoverished young artists. They are struggling to survive and create a life in New Your City's East Village in the thriving days of Bohemian Alaphabet City under the shadow of HIV/AIDS.
This production was excellent and there were some quite outstanding individual performances. The ensemble supported the principals very well; the cast’s rendition of Seasons of Love was wonderful, a show stopper and a crowd pleaser. The cast during the Finale sang their hearts out, much to the delight of the audience: even I was moved by it! The fantastic ensemble was a major force in the success of this show.
The quality of the singing was high and musical director, Emily Marshall – Simms, had obviously worked very hard with the cast to achieve such a professional standard. Her small band was just right for the show and despite being at the front of the stage, never got near to dominating the performers.
The principal performers were all very strong as is required by this rock opera. Jon Dawkins, who also produced the show, played the part of Mark. His sympathetic and often humourous portrayal of the guy who kind of narrates the action was engaging and well received.
Josephine Pearson as Joanne, Gemma Ryan as Maureen and Richard Pearson as Benny powerfully portrayed their respective characters and sang and acted very well.
Simon Collington as Roger and Laura Howard as Mimi were very well cast and brought so much emotion to their roles that sometime you could cut the atmosphere they generated with a knife.
Daniel Collington and Luke Grainger were superb in their roles of Angel and Collins. Not easy roles to play given the subject matter, but they worked well together and their “romantic moments’ as well as the very energetic and exciting songs, were very sensitively done.
This innovative production was in the creative hands of Christopher Collington. He brought the story alive for me and, as I joked with him afterwards, although I still don’t completely understand the plot, I am getting there! Thanks, Chris for that. His production is tight and shows both a sympathetic understanding of the individual characters and a strong vision of the piece as a whole. The use of doors around three sides of the stage was very effective and certainly enhanced the dramatic effect. Well done to Chris and John Cliff for the set design and and to Chris Munn for his excellent and complimentary lighting plot and Harry Greatorex for outstandingly good sound. I could hear every word!
Well done also to Stephanie Wright, the show’s choreographer. The dance routines were exciting, powerful and well performed.
Congratulations to all involved with this outstanding production, proving once again that Gatepost are one of the best Theatre Groups around.
The excellent Ensemble was made up of
Ben Gray, Brett Waller, Jude Cliff, Lucy Newton, Lucy Stokes, Martin Holtom. Matthew Sharratt, Milly Victoria, Richard Symes, Ryan Taylor, Stephanie Wright, Victoria Palmer.
Spotlight Theatre Company
Our House
The Nottingham Arts Theatre
Saturday July 11th 2015
From start to finish this production of the Madness Musical, “Our House,’ was a triumph for Amanda Hall’s popular Theatre Company. The production featured the older members of the company and there were some very talented performers. There were strong performances from the principals, but the show relies on a very strong ensemble and this was certainly the case.
This is a musical featuring the well known and catchy music of Madness, but telling the story of 16-year-old Joe Casey. On one fateful night he has to decide whether to run away or face punishment: the story then charts his subsequent life, showing the results of both choices concurrently.
The role of Joe Casey is a demanding one, as the actor must clearly show how the character reacts and changes in different circumstances, following each choice. Sean Goodwin played this part superbly and was completely engaging. He was able to show us a Joe who, although often in a mess of his own making, was sweet and likeable and eventually got the happy ending he deserved. Alongside this he portrayed the other Joe, who appeared to have everything, but was gradually hardened and eventually destroyed by dishonesty and greed. No small feat to show these concurrently, frequently with very rapid changes of costume: Sean cleverly used subtle changes in delivery, the varying warmth of his smile and a quick tousle of his hair to embed each part. His acting and dancing was of a very high standard and his singing heartfelt.
Joe’s love interest, Sarah was played by Catherine Cunningham who has a beautiful voice: powerful and yet pure as well. She also had to play her part in different situations and with subtle changes, according to which Joe she was with and this she did with great confidence. She is a talented singer, dancer and actress who, I feel, will go far.
Kayleigh Philips played Joe’s Mum, in what was her first musical. That is something I would not have known had it not been in the programme. She sang confidently with a good voice and played the part with emotion.
The story features Joe’s Dad who acts as an “invisible advisor” to Joe throughout and has to keep the story moving through pieces of narration. Nigel Newton is well known in Nottingham both as a performer with the Nottingham Operatic Society but also as a producer and Stage Manager. His performance confidently linked the story and brought out the character’s deep regret for the way he had messed up his own life.
Matty Collins who is only 15, was outstanding in the role of the wise boy Reecey. He sang very well and danced with tremendous power and skill. His facial reactions were great and he maintained the characterization throughout. He played the role with just the right amount of smarm and the showed the development of a very nasty piece of work. I have little doubt that Matty will be seen often in the area in a range of roles.
Joe and Sarah have supportive friends who play comedy roles for most of the show. The casting for this show was perfect as James Murray (Lewis), Adam Monk (Emmo), Georgia Hodgett-Young (Billie) and Aston Fisher (Angie) were all excellent. Comedy timing was great and they sang and danced well. There were also times in the show when they had to show emotion, anger, concern and fear. This they also did convincingly, showing how much hard work must have gone into developing their characterisations.
Joseph Smith played the role of Callum, who sort of got in the way of the relationship between Joe and Sarah. He is a competent actor who paced his delivery well and he has a lovely voice.
The large ensemble excelled particularly in the big scale dance routines which were performed to great Madness songs including “Our House,’ “Baggy Trousers,” “Tomorrow’s Just Another Day,’ “Wings of a Dove,” and more. The choreography of all of these was quite simply, superb. They were all exciting, powerful, innovative, startling and fun. The choreographer, Jessica Royce produced these in such a way as to often leave us with our mouths open in admiration. The cast, and that is all the cast, danced their hearts out and were all together and in time. There were a number of gymnastic moves included as well. Breathtaking stuff!
The excellent ensemble was:
Barbara Benner, Ben Gregory, Bethany Wear, Billy Stockwell,
Cassie Hall, Charleigh Hurst, Daisy Whittle, Ella Rotton,
Ellie Monterosso, Elissa Reeve, Eva Sheppard,
Grace Hogett-Young, Gvansta Saneblidze, Hannah Tasker,
Laura Ellis, Lizzy Ives, Molly O’Driscoll, Peter Newman,
Serena Eadon, Tamzin Forrester.
All of this was greatly enhanced by some terrific lighting designed by Tom Mowat. It was at times very atmospheric, using lights both on and off the stage. It was also good to see the use of two follow spots. The sound was good, although there were a few times when perhaps the band was slightly dominant over the voices. The band itself was very good under the direction of Chris Rees and overall there was not a problem. Scene changes were swift and well done by the crew under the direction of Stage Manager Amy Rogers – Gee.
Chris also needs to be congratulated on bringing the cast up to a very high standard of vocal performance.
The Director, Amanda Hall, has once again produced a show of exceptional quality. Her creative expertise and vision shone through this production, which is a tricky one to get right, as it has the potential to be confusing for the audience. Amanda’s use of a rotating black and white door, which matched the colours worn by each Joe, was simple and effective. Quick scene changes, simple props and great use of the curtains kept up with the exciting pace set by the dance numbers; there was never a dull moment.
The show ended with a huge song and dance mash up that was brilliant and brought many in the audience to their feet. It was good to see a finale and curtain calls that allowed the audience to show their appreciation. In my view too many local shows end with too few curtain calls. As I have said before, milk the audience for all they are worth if the performers deserve it and these most certainly did.
My only negative comment has to be that this show should have run for more performances, as it was so good!
Well done to all who were involved with this outstanding production, which was full of talent, joy and energy: I enjoyed it immensely and can’t wait to see what is next.
Erewash Musical Society Youth Group
Oliver
The Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
Thursday July 2nd 2015
“I'm reviewing the situation, I must quickly look up ev'ryone I know. Who can help me make a real impressive show!”
Well, tonight at the Duchess Theatre this talented cast certainly did perform a ‘real impressive show.’ From the moment the curtain opened and the boys and girls in the workhouse marched on to the stage singing the ever popular, “Food Glorious Food” it was clear this was going to be a great show.
In front of an impressive set, the story unfolded of the orphan who is sold to an undertaker and then finds himself embroiled in the shady world of Victorian street children, eventually being reunited with his rich grandfather. Along the way he comes across an assortment of colourful characters, giving a large number of cast the chance to show us their impressive acting, singing and dancing skills.
There were some very big chorus numbers in this show including “Consider Yourself.” “I’d Do Anything,” “Who Will Buy,” “"Oom-Pah-Pah,” and “"You've Got to Pick a Pocket or Two.” These were all superbly done and wonderful spectacles to watch.
Oliver was played sensitively by Joe Langley who impressed me with his rendition of “Where is Love.” This was sung well and with feeling. Joe also looked the part and had just the right amount of innocence and vulnerability.
It was good to see Haydn Fletcher, complete with impressive girth, playing the Beadle, Mr Bumble. I loved his sterling performance, which was very well observed. He added highly amusing theatricality to a man who has few redeeming features; even managing to make us feel sorry for the bumbling bully when he gets his comeuppance. His partnership with Ellie Simmonds as Widow Corney was perfect: their scenes are the comic highlight of the show. Ellie was simply magnificent in the role and shone both as a singer and a comic actor.
As I said earlier there were many cameo roles in the show and they were all great. In particular I appreciated, Mr Sowerberry played by Ethan Lee, Mrs Sowerberry played by Emily Marshall, Noah by Ethan Fletcher and Charlotte by Michelle Blair.
One of the most important roles in this show is that of the Artful Dodger, Tom Judson. He looked good and had a twinkle in his eye. His characterization of the wise street boy, hardened but not demeaned by poverty, was lively and engaging. In particular his singing in “Consider yourself” was very good.
Fagin was played by Dylan Singfield, who portrayed the old man superbly. He maintained the persona of the Jew throughout the show. This was impressive for such a young actor. He also sang the songs very well and his movements around stage were carefully judged and sustained, which added to his characterisation. It was easy to forget that this role of a middle-aged man was being played by a teenager: this was true of all the ‘adult’ roles- our disbelief was well and truly suspended by great acting and characterisation.
Katie Lawson made the role of Nancy her own, convincingly portraying the strength and spirit of this abused character, as well as her warmth and compassion. Her rendition of “When He Needs Me” was beautifully sung and phrased. She was well supported by her friend, Bet, played by Sophie Robbins.
Finally, Lewis Haycock was quite brilliant as the violent bully, Bill Sykes. He stomped around the stage frightening everyone and singing with great power. Lewis is a very talented singer and actor and he showed this tonight every time he came on stage.
Cameo roles were well performed by Charlie Bates as Rob, Mr Brownlow by Zak Charlesworth, Dr. Grimwig by Reuben Gotts, Mrs Bed win by Rebecca Groombridge, Old Annie by Megan Asher and Old Sally / Meg by Grace Deakin.
The supporting cast was outstandingly good and were:
Lizzie Buckthorpe, Daya Khosse, Lucy Ledger, Lucy Judson, Holly Pilgrim, Daisy Wright, Charlie Pierson,
Libby Pilgrim, Molly McCarthy, Eliza Charnock, Katie Baddiley, Robyn Oleshko, Kai Cox, Tom Baddiley,
Emily Bridge, Gabryl Oleshko, Sam Eccles and not forgetting Bullseye the dog, played by Ziggy.
The staging of this show was excellent and the design and use of the composite set was outstanding. The Director, Chris Renshaw’s strong vision was translated into a show that moved with pace, variety and excitement. Dickens shone a light on appalling social injustice in his times, but he did so with humour and a keen sense of the absurd. Chris captured all of this in his production. He was also ably supported by Jack Readyhoof as Assistant Director and Martin Lewis as Rehearsal pianist.
The performance was well supported by the stage crew led by Stage Manager Mark Robbins, who did their work quickly, without fuss and often almost invisibly.
One of my biggest delights in this show was the outstanding quality of the dancing both in terms of choreography and performance. Carol Lawson and Katie MacLaughlin, the choreographers, produced a dance plan that was impressive, while being just right for the skill and age of the cast. All the big musical items were lovely to look at despite working with a large cast on a smallish stage.
The Orchestra under the baton of the show’s Musical Director, Mitch Gambon, was fantastic and I have to say it was one of the best I have heard of late at the Duchess. The accompaniment was sensitive to the needs of the performers throughout the show. Well done, incidentally to the Violinist, Karen Eveson, whose playing in “Reviewing “ was beautiful.
Sound and Lighting by Ben Tennent, Dave Martin and Dave Dallard was well plotted.
This was yet another blistering performance by the Erewash Musical Society Youth Group. Fantastic singing and dancing and some outstanding individual performances supported by a superb ensemble who worked very hard and were always completely focused.
This is a very popular show and tonight's fresh and vibrant production shows why that is. Well done to all involved with this outstanding production, which I really enjoyed. Well done Emus!
Long Eaton Operatic Society Youth Group
Beauty and the Beast
The Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
Thursday July 2nd 2015
BEAUTY and the Beast was first an animated film, followed by a large-scale theatre musical and then there was the junior version. It has proved be successful in all three incarnations and watching the Long Eaton Operatic Youth Group’s delightfully staged production last night it is easy to see why.
This shorter production still follows the basic story, which is engaging for both youngsters and adults. It is about Belle, a village girl and the Beast, a prince who was transformed into a hideous creature by an angry enchantress. Their lives change after initially being at loggerheads when Belle takes her father’s place as a prisoner of the Beast.
In this production Belle was played by Olivia Hill who was performing for the first time with this group and what a find she is for them. Her voice was enchanting and she combined that with emotional and thoughtful acting.
The Beast was played powerfully by Daniel Jones. He confidently managed the dual roles of the prince and the beast and the transformation scenes were impressive and well acted.
Surrounding Belle and the Beast were many colourful characters, including the self-centred huntsman, Gaston, played with passion and humour by Josh Jones, a well-known face on the Duchess Stage. He portrayed the character as an arrogant and obsessed lad who thinks Belle won’t be able to resist his good looks. With him was his sidekick, Lefou, played by Matthew McAuley whose comedy timing was great.
In a similar vein there was Ryan Phelps as Lumiere and Oliver Ridgway as Cogsworth who were both fantastic in their respective roles – very funny and in complete control of their parts. Oliver reminded me of a young Eric Morecambe!
Isaac Brookes as Belle’s father was confident in the role of an older man and during scenes in the castle with the beast he acted with some considerable power and emotion.
There were lots of other great chorus and cameo roles performed well by Esme Parker, Jennifer Finlay, Eleanor Carty,
Emma Roberts, Beth Ward, Bella Ridgway, Charlie Briggs, Robert McAuley, Elliot Weir, Lorley Shelton, Elise Thornhill,
Zoe Thompson, Megan Trindell, Hannah Glossop, Izzy Broadley and Tamzin Rowley.
I was also very impressed with the Narrators who were Sammy Platkiw, Olivia Savage, Emily Scott and Trinity Shelton.
The show’s songs, with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman or Tim Rice, brought out the problems facing Belle and the Beast, including the lively “Belle” by the villagers, and Gaston’s bragging song about himself. These were very well sung by the musically excellent chorus and the soloists.
The bright “Be Our Guest,” in which the servants try to make Belle feel at home was particularly well performed and the audience showed their appreciation with sustained enthusiastic applause. Also, The show’s beautiful title song, “Beauty and the Beast,” was fabulously performed by the servants.
The show also had great dance routines. The show’s choreographer, Siobhan Parker must be congratulated for devising such impressive routines that were so well performed by the ensemble.
Directors Karen Woodhead, Siobhan Parker and the Musical Director Sam Griffiths, kept the show flowing seamlessly and the colourful costumes and Tom Olding’s lighting were a joy to watch. Incidentally, well done to Sam and his assistant Anna McAuley for enabling the cast to reach such a high standard of musicality. The singing was very good indeed.
The show made use of up to date technology, which was fabulous. You need to go and see it to understand what I mean. The staging of the show was great and scene changes were very swift and unobtrusive under the direction of John Wooley and his stage crew.
This was a very enjoyable performance of a relatively short version of the well-known story, but packed with great songs and a moving story with a happy ending. The audience expressed their delight at this show with great applause and cheering at the end. My only criticism is that there should have been more curtain calls, as this cast of talented youngsters genuinely more!
Chesterfield College
Little Shop of Horrors
The Pomegranate Theatre, Chesterfield
Tuesday June 23rd 2015
Last night I went to see the opening performance of Chesterfield College’s latest production, Little Shop of Horrors and I loved it.
This high-energy show was performed very well by an enthusiastic and talented cast. The lead role of Seymour was played to perfection by Matt Parker, a performer who has everything – fantastic stage presence, great acting skills, a good singing voice and the ability to dance. This young man will surely go far in the acting profession. He played the role of the down-and-out shop assistant who unwittingly propagates a monster, with such confidence, clarity and humour that he was a joy to watch.
Audrey was played by a powerhouse of an actress and singer, Anisha Ismail. Her fantastic singing voice filled the Pomegranate Theatre: her rendition of ‘Somewhere that’s Green’ was so beautifully phrased it was truly moving. Her brilliant American accent never faltered and her ability to deliver cleverly nuanced lines with absolute clarity is impressive. She was just perfect in the part and will most surely be seen in many other roles in the years to come.
Mushnik, the owner of the flower shop in which most of the action takes place, was played by Jordan Stanbrook; his characterisation of a much older man was outstandingly good. He had obviously worked hard on the physical and vocal mannerisms of middle aged man and portrayed these effortlessly on stage to great comic effect.
I was particularly impressed by Luke Hutchinson, who played Audrey’s violent boyfriend and a sadistic dentist. He was outstanding in the role. His interpretation of what could be a shallow caricature was dynamic and interesting. His comedy timing was exact, but he was also rather scary at times. One particular scene in the dentist’s surgery, shared with another great actor Ollie Green, was outstanding. These two played the scene just right and to the right level of manic insanity without being silly. Well done to them, a lot of rehearsal must have gone into perfecting that scene.
A special mention must be made to the three girls playing the backing vocals of The Ronnettes: April Parker, Freya King and Ellie Scott who played their roles perfectly. The standard of singing throughout was excellent, some wonderfully powerful solos and lovely ensemble work from a talented group of singers and dancers. Praise indeed must go to the hard work of the Musical Director Jonathan Francis for helping the whole cast to achieve such a high standard.
The star of this show is, of course, Audrey 2, the plant that grows into a blood-eating monster. This is achieved by models of different sizes concluding with a very large one, which can consume human bodies and does so with great pleasure. Achieving this is not an easy matter, but in this production the operators Daniel Fessey and Levi Daines, plus the wonderful voice of Mark Page were excellent.
It was a polished production, with good lighting and sound, an appropriate and well-used set, barely noticeable set changes, good dance routines, some stunning costumes and a very committed and talented cast.
Congratulations also to the show’s production team of Sam Rowlands, the director, Becky Parker, the choreographer and those students involved in the technical aspects of the show under the direction of the Stage Manager, Georgii Bailey. Your hard work has certainly paid off.
Overall this was a seamless production with a ‘wow’ factor, which delighted the audience. I am delighted that these very talented students are leaving the college with such great performances to look back on. I know that many of them are going on to continue their drama studies and I am sure they will do very well in the future. Good luck to you all, musical theatre will be the richer for your contribution.
The Young Performers
Planet Rock/ Journey to the centre of the Earth
The Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
Thursday June 18th
Review of Planet Rock/ Journey to the Centre of the Earth – The Young Performers – Duchess Theatre – June 18th 2015
Last night at the Duchess Theatre in Long Eaton was a very special one for all of us, as we witnessed a truly breathtaking performance of Journey to the Centre of the Earth and a showcase of great acting, singing and dance – Planet Rock.
“Planet Rock” certainly showed us the many talents of this large theatre group. There were songs, sketches and dance routines, linked together well by Zak Charlesworth whose lively and humorous interjections kept things moving well. He also produced the sketches.
There were some very funny, well written and well performed sketches during this first Act and I was very impressed by the quality of the acting. A dance sequence involving most of the cast was great and was well performed; this was beautifully choreographed by Alex Tavener.
Act 2 was a stunning arrangement by Leon Wade of Rick Wakeman's Fantasy choral rock composition: the performance of the Orchestra and the Young Performers Choir and soloists was excellent.
This is by no means an easy piece and the youngsters must have worked so hard to achieve this standard of singing. The soloists in the piece (Rebecca Cox, Nicola Northcott, Emily Owen and Zak Charlesworth) were very good and came in perfectly at the start of their pieces – not an easy thing to do with this type of music. The young chorus sang as well as I have ever heard them and their concentration and professionalism was impressive.
I feel I must mention the narrator of the piece, Jonathan Higgins, whose dramatic interpretation of the script was superb.
Having seen this performance tonight I have no doubt that if Rick Wakeman comes to see this he will be impressed and very pleased indeed.
I loved the end of Act I in particular, when the whole cast, accompanied by the full 16-piece orchestra, performed a wonderful version of Bohemian Rhapsody. The quality of the performance of this iconic piece was very high indeed. A performance of Palladio by the orchestra - The Leonettes was also very good – a thrilling experience.
When singing together as a chorus the Young Performers were fantastic and the concentration and love of what they are doing was very pleasing: you can just see on their faces how much they all love performing! This is what it's all about.
The sound and lighting for the show was in the very creative hands of Dave Martin and certainly enhanced the drama, of Act 2 in particular. The production team of Elaine Clemerson, Victoria Garavan, Vicky Moran, Alex Tavener and Leon Wade (also the Musical Director) must also be congratulated for their hard work and creative flair.
I could go on but I will simply say thank you to all in The Young Performers and all in the Orchestra - you were brilliant tonight and yet I suspect you will be even more brilliant by the end of the run and very tired indeed!
The Young Performers are: Phoebe Buxton, Rebecca Cox,
Harriett Slatcher, India Smith, Ellie Simmonds, Giselle Tavener,
Tayla Evans, Tasha Grebby, Ava Jaylock, Shannon Hickton,
Megan Thomas, Hayley Watson, Caitlin Whiteley-Blundell, Amy Wilcox, Erin Hill, Lucy Kenyon, Abby Kilford, Hazel Lawrence, Chloe Young,
Zak Charlesworth, Joe Downing, Harvey Latter, May Lee, Chloe Manley, Brooke Marsden, Siena McQuade, Oliver Latter, Bradley McClean,
Liam Morris, George Parkinson, Niclola Northcott, Emily Owen,
Molly Parkinson, Lauren Riley, Curtis Salmon, Joe Scard,
Daniel Smith-Barnes and Harvey Taverner.
Ilkeston Theatre Company
Dracula The Final Countdown
The Seven Oaks Marquee
Thursday June 4th
There was fright and delight last night in the Seven Oaks Marquee, plus many opportunities to die of laughter when the Ilkeston Theatre Company presented Dracula – The Final Countdown.
This play by Geoff Bamber is a humorous interpretation of Bram Stokers gothic horror story. In this version Count Dracula is not quite the terrifying monster that haunts our worst nightmares and the other characters in the story were not exactly the Victorian heroes and heroines we thought we knew. This re-telling of the immortal story was, most decidedly, a comedy. The cast included zombies, Brides of Dracula, a dotty Professor, some unsuspecting and assorted humans and of course, Count Dracula himself.
The Narrator for the evening, Sue Golds, put our fears to bed at the start by saying we need fear nothing except perhaps laughter. She kept the action moving well and was very amusing in the role.
There were 6 scenes that transported us from York to Sigipitesti in Transylvania to Castle Dracula then back to Whitby and finally ending up on the Yorkshire Moors. This meant quite a few scene changes that were done mainly by the cast quickly and smoothly.
There were some good individual performances and characterisations. In particular Rachael Flewitt was fantastic as Igoretta, the Count’s servant – her comic timing and delivery of backhanded comments were excellent and very funny. The three Brides of Dracula, played by Jenni Walker, Lena Bryant and Angie Jacks were deliciously awful (characters not actors!) The two soppy Victorian ladies were played by Jodie Spall and Becks Harrison-Mace, who were ideal in the parts, maintaining an air of simpering silliness throughout the play. Steve Watson, who played the role of the solicitor, was well liked by the audience, especially when dressed only in a towel!
Paul Ensor played Count Dracula and his characterisation was engaging as he skilfully combined feigned niceness with pure evil. His comic timing was effective and well appreciated by the audience. Sharon Ensor played Dottie Van Helsing as a kind of crazy female Sherlock Homes and did it very well, causing great amusement.
The rest of the hard working cast were Ryan Pound as Andrew Remington, Adrian Thornley as Peter Hawkins, Danielle White as Beatrice the maid, Jaqueline Dixon as Sergeant Crabtree, Sue Preston as the Harbourmaster, Mandy Bull as the Innkeeper, Cairon Shea as the shepherd and Kitty Bailey as a Cabin Girl. Many of the cast also played other parts and at times also worked as stage crew. In addition to the above Ivor Usher, Maggie White, Tracey Dean, Gabby Faulkner, and Jake Penlington were also involved on stage in a variety of roles.
The set was good and the use of true back projection was excellent and contributed to the effectiveness of the scenes. Lighting and sound were good thanks to Michael Jacks and Tracey Dean with some excellent costumes produced by Mary Bryant and Jenni Walker.
Well done to everyone who took part along with the show’s Producer, Angie Jacks. This was truly a group production with every member of cast involved in performance and production.
Go see it if you can before it ends on Sunday.
The People's Theatre Company
Madame Butterfly
The Nottingham Arts Theatre
Wednesday June 3rd
Tonight at the Arts Theatre was very special for me as I think it is the first full opera I have seen live and despite not always knowing who was who and what was going on, I simply loved it.
It was indeed another triumph for the People's Theatre Company. After Tuesday’s wonderful performance of the Mikado by the same group I was not sure what this would be like, but Madame Butterfly was simply sensational. I should have known it would be.
Everyone involved contributed to a superb performance of this well known opera at Nottingham’s Arts Theatre. I am not really a fan of opera, but tonight I think I may have been converted. There is no doubt that the whole audience was totally immersed in the unbelievably tuneful music, a sumptuous set and fantastic lighting. Apart from rapturous applause, it was very quiet in the auditorium from start to finish.
All the soloists led by Sarah Helsby Hughes as Butterfly and Nick Hardy as Captain Pinkerton were outstandingly good. Beautiful, expressive and emotional singing was the order of the day. The ensemble was not featured very much in this opera, but when they were on stage they were a joy to listen to. Their rendition of “The Humming Song” was excellent, both moving and emotive.
Madame Butterfly’s iconic and magnificent aria “One Fine Day” was beautifully sung by Sarah and followed by rapt applause. She also directed the show. Well done to her and the production team for their obvious creative talents and hard work.
The set was very attractive and it was enhanced by some excellent lighting changes which were very much mood setters for the different scenes in the opera.
The 17 piece orchestra conducted by Andrew Nicklin was excellent and again there was so sign of a keyboard – real instruments only, I am glad to say. As with last night the sound was enhanced by not having or needing microphones. Would that we saw more of this in other theatres.
This was a professional production in every way. I shall not forget tonight for a very long time. Opera fan or not get along to the Arts Theatre this week and experience something very special. The People’s Theatre Company are certainly a musical force to be very much admired in the East Midlands.
The People's Theatre Company
The Mikado
The Nottingham Arts Theatre
Tuesday June 2nd
Call me “old fashioned” but last night at the Arts Theatre I had a fantastic time, watching a brilliant performance of an operetta first performed in 1885. It had everything that makes for a really enjoyable night at the theatre. Very professional acting and singing, some extremely good individual performances and a crisp and well-rehearsed ensemble. Add to that a simple but very appropriate set and lighting plot and you have the latest production from the People’s Theatre Company of Gilbert and Sullivan’s best loved operetta, The Mikado.
Although it was basically still the same work as first performed, it had freshness and vitality about it, due to some minor changes to the script to bring it up to date. It is set in modern times and all the performances are freshly nuanced and contemporary. This could have been a professional performance, it was so well done.
The story is, as with most G & S operettas, somewhat fanciful and contrived. It revolves around a young man named Nanki-Poo, who has banished himself from the little town of Titipu. Nanki-Poo, it seems, has fallen in love with a beautiful girl called Yum-Yum. Unfortunately, Yum-Yum is engaged to be married to her guardian, the tailor Ko-Ko. However, when Nanki-Poo hears that Ko-Ko has been condemned to death for the capital crime of flirting, he hastily returns to Titipu, only to learn that Ko-Ko has not only been granted a reprieve, but has been promoted to the post of Lord High Executioner a role that requires some action…
The plot unravels from this point and, as with all G and S operettas, comes to a satisfactory conclusion at the end, but not until lots of twists and turns occur!
The casting for the operetta was excellent, with Stephen Godward playing the central role of Pooh-Bah, The Lord High Everything Else. The role required him to allude to being many different characters, which he did very well, employing an impressive and highly amusing range of accents. He was physically very funny, as well being dressed in what I am sure was a “fat suit,” which comically impeded his movements. Stephen is a very well known and experienced local actor whose singing and acting skills, diction and delivery are absolutely first rate. He is a joy to watch and listen to.
The part of the Lord High Executioner was played by a very accomplished actor and singer, Tom Parry. It is pure genius to play the part as a Cockney Arthur Daley type character, with a superb accent and the cocksure confidence of a spiv. He brought the house down with a very witty and hilariously tweaked version of The Little List Patter Song, which was completely up to date, even including mention of a certain international football president…
Nanki-Pooh was played by Drew Dennis, who sang the part so well: a tenor voice that many a singer would die for. He is also an expressive actor who was able to bring life to a mercurial character, who is not to be taken seriously as he dices with love, life and death. Along with Alexandra Hazard as Yum-Yum and Tom Parry, he was excellent in the comedy trio “ Here’s a how-de-do.” The audience loved that.
Alexandra has a superb singing voice and also acted the part of Yum-Yum exceedingly well. She managed to convey a coy but self-assured schoolgirl who finds herself in an unexpected and rather tiresome dilemma, which may result in her being buried alive. She was very well supported by the other two “Three Little Girls from School,” Pitti-Sing played by Elaine Bishop and Alice Hands as Peep-Bo. The famous trio was sung and performed to perfection by the three of them. Each girl knew her character well and brought life to her through convincing physical and vocal mannerisms, showing an admirable level of preparation.
Playing the role of Pish-Tush, the other village official, was John Carter, who also sang beautifully and was very amusing with a good sense of comic timing.
The operetta has a sub plot involving an elderly lady of the Mikado’s Court, Katisha, who is desperate to marry Nanki-Pooh. She was played powerfully by Jean Krzeminski, who expressed her anger and annoyance so well in both song and facial expressions, when she discovered that Nanki-Pooh was to marry Yum-Yum instead. This complex singing role was performed brilliantly.
The Ladies and Gentlemen of the Chorus were great and the stage production by Andrew Nicklin was meticulous, ensuring that they all had things to do while on stage. This production has such energy and great attention to detail- look anywhere on the stage and you will see little comic cameos, bringing life to each scene.
Two comments I must make about this production. There were no microphones used in this performance and in the orchestra there were no keyboards just “real” instruments. This ensured a superb sound from performers and instrumentalists, who were completely balanced. Just goes to show that modern technology is not always needed on the stage.
When the full cast sang together the sounds were blissful. When the orchestra played as in the overture the sound was excellent. Well done to all.
This was a production of great quality in all departments and all involved need to be congratulated.
The Beaston Theatre Company
New York, New York
The Duchess Theatre
Wednesday May 27th
Last night at the Duchess Theatre in Long Eaton I found myself on a very enjoyable musical journey to New York and back. This was courtesy of The Beeston Musical Theatre Group who, with great energy, passion and style entertained us with songs, routines and dances from many famous shows first seen on Broadway.
The show moved very quickly and smoothly from solos to duets to large cast ensemble routines with an ease that was a joy to watch. It was great to listen to songs from shows such as “West Side Story,” Funny Girl,” Little Shop of Horrors,” “Guys and Dolls,” “Annie and “Sweet Charity” to name just a few.
It is impossible to pick out any one performer for praise as this was an ensemble show in which everyone was fantastic. However, using great skill and expertise, Keli Wayne, the choreographer and some members of the cast deserve considerable praise for the very well choreographed dance routines.
There were, of course, some excellent individual performances, but many of these were also supported and enhanced by the talented ensemble.
The lighting by Dave Martin assisted by Garry Smith and the sound by “Sounds-Technical” were very well designed as were the costumes, which were bright and easy on the eye.
The 4-piece band conducted by Nathan Truesdale accompanied the soloists and ensemble members very well and was never over loud.
Lisa Smith and her production team are to be congratulated for very creatively linking all the acts together and making sure that the show moved at a good pace.
The finale, which was appropriately comprised of songs related to New York, demonstrated the wonderful sound that this group makes when singing as a whole company. The standard of the singing throughout was very high indeed.
This excellent show spotlighted the considerable range of talent that this group has within its membership. A big well done to everyone, including the stage crew and other members of the team who worked hard to make sure that everything went very smoothly.
This journey to the Big Apple is worth the ticket price and more, so for a very enjoyable and comfy ride across the Atlantic and back get along to the Duchess Theatre before the journey ends on Saturday evening.
The Cast was:
Ian Baggott; Hannah Baird; Ronja Breitkopf; Keith Bird; Chris Bryan; Cheryl Camm; James Capel; Cathy Chatten; Kev Chatten; Rob Charles; Jane Cottee; Laura Cotton; Jodie Cresdee; Kayrakisse Evans; Paul Gardner; Steph Gray-Blest; Alex Grosse; Mollie Harwood; Mina Machin; Ruth Madison; Claire Rybicki; Cat Tuckey; Rachel Van Krimpen; Keli Wain; Christine Walton; Beth Yearsley
The Orchestra, directed by Nathan Truesdale, comprised of Ron Newsham, Jeff Widdowson, Louis Ogando and Jonathan Curtis
The Company’s next production is “Into the Woods” in October.
Streetlight Theatre Arts
Sweeney Todd
The Robert Ludlam Theatre
Tuesday May 26th
Last night at the Robert Ludlam Theatre there was considerable blood on the floor by the end of what was a stunning performance of Sweeney Todd by Stephen Sondheim. This musical is considered by Sondheim aficionados to be his greatest work to date and it certainly is a big brute of a musical.
Set in 19th century England, the musical tells the story of Benjamin Barker, alias Sweeney Todd, who returns to London after 15 years' transportation, on trumped-up charges, to take revenge on the judge who banished him. As his madness and obsession increases he, in league with a Mrs Lovett, who runs a failing pie shop, murders many people. They end up in her pies, which become a great success!
All the leading roles in this show are highly demanding and none so more than the part of Sweeney, who was played brilliantly by Mitch Gamble. He embraced the role of the tortured ex convict with a violent energy, capturing the essence of a grimly determined man who is relentless in his quest for vengeance. He sang his part beautifully, impressing with the intensity of feeling he conveyed.
Alongside him was Eleanor Mallinson, as the charming and yet evil owner of the pie shop who joins eagerly in the carnage, yet retains her grisly sense of humour. This is also a demanding part that requires a great singer and an actor with a well-developed sense of comic timing. She has both these skills and was quite superb in the role.
Playing the role of the lovesick friend of Sweeney, Anthony Hope, was Andrew Smyth - this role was his first in a musical, although he is an experienced local singer. He played the part with an engaging earnestness and was very convincing in his obsession with Joanna, Sweeney’s long lost daughter. He has a super voice, well matched by that of Emily Cox who played Joanna. She looked and sounded lovely and was able to convincingly convey the desperation of the situation she was in.
It was good to see Adam Guest on stage again in the role of Judge Turpin. He also played the role of Sweeney in the Long Eaton Operatic Society production of the show I saw a few years ago: tonight the roles were reversed. He is an excellent all round actor, singer and director and he brought his wide range of skills to the role. He was convincingly evil and yet touchingly vulnerable in his obsessive love for his ward, Joanna. In the programme he said the role was challenging both vocally and in terms of interpretation. However, he rose to both challenges and fully succeeded.
The youngest member of the cast, 15 year old Oliver Wheddon played the part of Tobias Ragg with confidence. This is no easy part, as it involves high quality singing, comic timing and considerable emotion. For any actor this would prove difficult, but his portrayal of the character was outstanding. He was a joy to watch and listen to and I am sure this accomplished young man has a very bright future ahead of him on the stage.
I also enjoyed the performances of Josephine Walker as the crazy Beggar woman who was quite mad- with a teasing ambiguity -and Ollie Hand as Beadle Bamford, who supported Judge Turpin in a very powerful way.
This was a well produced show with some outstanding individual performances and a polished ensemble. This comprised of: Tom Stanley, Rob Chilton, Kheenan Jones, Becky Morley, Emily Bramley, Amy Haley, Heidi Lewin and Daniel Woolley.
Such a powerful piece of musical theatre demands a high production values to enable it work. The Director, Matt Powell did a splendid job with it and had obviously overcome a number of technical challenges. The use of the theatre’s revolving stage was excellent and kept the show moving with pace. His stage direction was also tight, engaging and eye catching. He describes himself as “a slightly crazy young adult” and” a Sondheim fanatic.” I guess putting the two together is the reason why this show was so good.
Sondheim’s music is well known for being incredibly difficult, both for the musicians and the performers. However, tonight the orchestra conducted by the Musical Director, Sam Griffiths was excellent and was, as far as I could tell, in perfect synchronisation with the performers, not easy with this typically discordant, edgy music. Sam has obviously worked very hard with the cast who achieved a good vocal standard throughout.
Finally, the set was authentic and changed with great speed by Ollie Turner and his stage crew.
Matt Powell and his cast, creative team, musicians deserve considerable praise for what is an outstanding production and performance.
People's Theatre Company
The Government Inspector
Nottingham Arts Theatre
Friday May 15th
The Government Inspector by Nikolai Gogol has been described as one of the most famous comedies in World Theatre and has been performed worldwide since the 1830’s. It is all about mistaken identity in the context of a corrupt establishment in a small Russian Town and the consequences of being greedy, stupid and selfish.
Last night it was performed very well by the People’s Theatre Company at the Nottingham Arts Theatre. We were put in the mood as soon as we entered the theatre by some splendid Russian music, which set the scene perfectly and got our toes tapping.
It is a very funny play: the script is amazingly fresh and still reflective of life in many parts of the world today. The Director, Robbie Robb, had set his version of the play in a modern day provincial town in Russia. His production succeeded in giving us, as many modern takes on Shakespeare do, a comic exploration of universal and timeless themes in a contemporary context.
This play has a large cast. There were 18 actors playing 22 parts, many of who were on stage for much of the time, especially the Mayor and the visitor, Khlestakov. There were many very strong performances from the cast, who had obviously worked very hard. Some had to work even harder with their characterizations, as they were playing roles of characters intended to be much older.
The leading actors were very strong indeed and turned in some excellent performances. Rob Shuttle as the Mayor was outstanding, very much making the character his own: giving the audience the pleasure of hearing a beautifully modulated and well projected voice and perfectly pitched delivery. Richard Fife in the role of the visitor gave us a smoothly arch roué who used his charm and an unexpected run of luck to manipulate the townspeople to great comic effect. Both these actors had huge amounts of text to learn and never faltered once; great work from both of them.
The Mayor’s wife, played by a great character actress, Sarah – Lee Reed, was a joy to watch and listen to, as she played this magnificently haughty character who spat venom at every opportunity, while amusingly trying to retain poise and dignity. She was complemented by a long-suffering daughter, played with just the right amount of anguished naivety by Kerry Leibrick. Luke Grainger as the Health Commisioner, Matthew Humphries as the Director of Education, Wendy McLoughlin as the Magistrate and Alex Mead as the scatty Post Mistress were very entertaining in their respective roles and had obviously worked hard on their well-developed characterizations. The director and actors must have spent a long time discussing how vocal and physical mannerisms can build a character and bring it to life. I can imagine that this may have involved creating back stories, as each character was strongly and consistently portrayed.
The comedy duo in the play, Dobchinsky and Bobchinsky were perfectly cast – Chris Teasdale and Malcolm Todd: hilarious as they bumbled their way around the stage adding some witty lines, slapstick comedy and pithy comments on corruption.
Chris Collins, who played the visitors servant, Osip, inhabited the role of the “cheeky chappie’ with some considerable skill. He remained in his character at all times while he was on the stage and his wry observations on his master’s folly were beautifully delivered. This character reminded me of the one that James Corden made famous in One Man Two Guvnors- so look out for that role in the future, Chris!
Without giving anything away, the play ends with a frenetic scene involving almost all the cast, which was very well performed and funny. Robbie is to be congratulated for managing to line up a lot of characters, yet retain focus and movement.
There was a simple set that did the business, although I think it would have been enhanced by a few more pieces of furniture and props in some scenes. However, the play did move very quickly from scene to scene, which gave the production some considerable pace. I would also liked to have seen a little more contrast with the lights, but overall this did not detract from the performance.
I enjoyed this lively performance from this excellent company, as did the small but very enthusiastic audience. The sustained applause at the end was indicative of this.
Well done to the Director, Robbie Robb his production team and all involved in the play. Once again The People’s Theatre Company have produced a show of some considerable quality and reminded us how lucky we are in this area to be able to see such talent in action on a regular basis.
In addition to the actors mentioned above the excellent ensemble consisted of:
Roy Smith; Glen Murphy; Alex Meade; Laura Ellis; Glenn Murphy; Barry Hobbs; Mike Baker; Cassandra Stone; Jessica Mclean.
Carlton Operatic Society
Legally Blonde
Theatre Royal, Nottingham
Tuesday May 5th 2015
At the Theatre Royal, Carlton Operatic Society once again showed that they produce excellent and professional musical productions. Legally Blonde was a regional premiere for this popular company and they did it proud.
The production had a very strong cast, a bright colourful set, great costumes and very good music.
It tells the story of Elle Woods a girl who enrols at Harvard Law School to win back her ex-boyfriend, Warner. She then finds that her knowledge of the law can help others, and successfully defends exercise queen Brooke Wyndham in a murder trial. Throughout the show, no one has faith in Elle Woods, but she manages to surprise them when she defies expectations while staying true to herself.
In the leading role of Elle Woods was the quite brilliant, Rosie Wade. What a fantastic performer she is- a very strong actor, wonderful singer and proficient dancer. She certainly made the role her own and sparkled throughout. He comedy timing was first rate and she was an utter joy to watch.
The rest of the principal line up was also very strong with Mark Coffey-Bainbridge as Emmett Forest, Rob Holsman as Warner Huntingdon II, Graham Ward as Professor Callahan, Sarah Kelly as Vivienne Kensington and Jessica Royce as Brooke Wyndham.
Helen Eadsforth was a fantastic Paulette, the hairdresser. She entranced the audience with her superb comedy style as well as being a great singer and dancer.
The ensemble supported the principals well and there were some good set piece dance routines. I particularly enjoyed the “Irish Dancing Scene” which was well choreographed and performed. The choreographer, Rachael Rees, is to be congratulated for her work with the whole cast.
As always, the Director, Amanda Hall, ensured that this was a show that moved with cracking pace and her direction was tight and imaginative. In particular, I loved her direction of the “Gay or European” song, which was brilliant, packed with action and very funny.
Musically this production was excellent and I must compliment the Musical Director, Christopher Rees. Everyone sang very well and the orchestra was first class.
Technically this show wasn’t easy, having many scene changes often after short scenes. However, the changes were very smooth, quick and unobtrusive, thanks to the excellent work of the Stage Manager, Jon Higton and his first class crew.
One important feature of this production is that the cast looked throughout as though they were having a great time, happily taking the audience with them to another time and place. There was certainly an enthusiastic ovation at the end.
If you enjoy watching bright, feel good and happy shows and ones that are performed with great enthusiasm and at a professional standard, you will have loved this.
The excellent ensemble featured:
Andrea Chapman, Lucy Bailey, Ella Greenwood, Hannah Rogers-Gee, Aston Fisher, Catherine Cunnigham, Sarah Hill, Laura Thurman,
Sophie Petruccio, Gareth Morris, Ross Lowe, Alison Stones,
Peter Newman, Tom Keeling, Adam Collisham, David Hurt,
Nigel Newton, Jenny Scott, Mike Newbold, Heidi Hargreaves,
Celine McKeown, Zie Scott-Smith, Michelle Smith.
There were, of course, also the two excellent canine performers, Hugo and Lady!
Heanor Musical Theatre Company
The Addams Family Musical
The Palace Theatre, Mansfield
Saturday April 25th 2015
There was a bit of a chill wind and a dark cloud above the Palace Theatre yesterday, despite the sun shining everywhere else in Mansfield. Later, when the blood red curtains opened it became obvious why. The Addams Family in all their glory was in town. That was, incidentally, after a single disembodied hand had been seen running up and down the theatre curtain! For the past 4 days The Heanor Musical Theatre Company have recreated possibly the strangest, weirdest, most macabre family in TV and comic book history. However, from the start it was obvious we were in for an enjoyable, hilarious and entertainingly good evening.
This show is a musical comedy based upon The Addams Family characters created by Charles Addams, which depict a ghoulish American family with an affinity for all things macabre. Numerous film and television adaptations of Addams' cartoons exist, but the musical, which is the first stage show based on the characters, is based upon the cartoons rather than the television and film characters.
The opening number introduced the main characters in the show with a catchy song called “When you’re an Addams.” The quality and power of the principals was very evident during this song. Leading the Addams clan was Kim Harris as Gomez and Yvonne Taylor as his wife, Morticia. Both were superb in their respective roles, being strong singers and great actors whose comic timing was perfect.
Their daughter Wednesday, who according to her Dad would soon grow up to be Thursday, was played by the outstandingly good Emily Marshall Sims. What a powerhouse of a singer and actor she is. Her rendition of “Pulled” was excellent and very much of a professional standard.
Brett Waller, who had actually shaved all his hair off, was hilarious as Uncle Fester, a very funny character in the show. He looked very much like the character in the cartoons and his vocal characterisation was spot on. He certainly wooed the audience with his talk of love and his infatuation with the moon.
A very important Addams Family character is Lurch, the Zombie butler, who, balancing on some very large shoes, entertained us with his strange noises (he doesn’t actually speak until right at the end of the show) and the very slow way he moved deliberately across the stage. Damon Hatton was marvellous in the role and as well as being ‘dead pan’ for most of the time he also occasionally sported a very cheeky smile!
Andrew Buxton was a charming and earnest Lucas Beinekes- Wednesday’s love interest- who, with the well cast Paul Whitworth and Trish Church who played his parents, made their ‘normal’ family a splendid contrast to the Addams. In particular, Trish’s fabulous solo in “Final Disclosure” was a real show stopper.
The youngest Addams member, the errant boy Pugsley, was played by the appropriately named, Billy Sweet. He has a lovely clear voice but also acted the part so well, staying in character as the not so sweet boy, who really enjoyed being tortured by his sister, Wednesday.
Sheila Warhurst who played Grandma, whose interaction with Pugsley was splendid. She was very funny in a number of cameo scenes.
The ensemble was very good and displayed the depth of talent in this company with some high quality singing and dancing. I really liked the dance and movement in two of the set piece numbers “Full Disclosure” and “The Moon and Me.” Well done to the choreographer, Helen Burton and the Musical Director, Charlotte Daniel. Incidentally I thought that the orchestra was very good and always at the right volume.
Adding to all this was the excellent use made of projections which were outstandingly good, in my view. I know that the jury is still out for many about using digital technology instead of traditional scenery but for me, in this case, it worked very well and contributed a lot to my enjoyment of the show. There were some traditional props used as well and the Stage crew under the direction of John Thompson moved these on and off the stage smoothly, quickly and almost invisibly.
The costumes were excellent and varied, making the Ancestors in particular look really good. A lot of make up was needed in this show as you can imagine and this looked excellent. Congratulations go to the make up designer Jessica Hill and also to Gemma Ryan who was responsible for the Ancestors.
Linked in with the excellent projections was a good lighting plot and excellent sound.
The show’s Director Damon Hatton and Technical Director, Paul Young have certainly produced a quality production which was appreciated by the audience, many of whom gave it a standing ovation. This is first time I have seen a show by this company and I certainly hope it will not be the last.
Having seen the show twice this week (in different venues) I have grown to like the music very much and the script is funny and generally well written. However, I felt that the second Act slows the action down somewhat as the plot is very much thinner. If it ever goes to the West End I suspect it will need some re writing to sustain a long run. However, that is no criticism of either production.
Supporting the Principal Actors very well in this show were:
Steve Radford, Michelle Vardy, Gemma Ryan, George Groom, Tracey Coope, Dorothy Platts, Lucy Stokes, Alison Woodruff, Kerry Van de Broucke, Josh Waldron, Stacey Hyndman, Emma Henshaw, Sara Ruston.
Well done to all concerned with this excellent production.
Centre Stage Theatre Arts
The Addams Family Musical
The Robert Ludlam Theatre, Derby
Thursday April 23rd 2015
A decided chill fell over the audience at the Robert Ludlam Theatre in Derby last night when the curtain opened to reveal The Addams Family in all their macabre glory. The opening song led by Gomez Addams, set the scene on what was to become a comical musical romp into the world of the infamous, dysfunctional dead and alive family we have grown to love over the years.
This show is a musical comedy based upon The Addams Family characters created by Charles Addams which depict a ghoulish American family with an affinity for all things macabre. Numerous film and television adaptations of Addams' cartoons exist, but the musical, which is the first stage show based on the characters, is based upon the cartoons rather than the television and film characters. However I am sure that fans of the stories will enjoy this musical adaptation – I certainly did.
This young cast produced some very good principal performances and there was a large ensemble that supported them well. Everyone in the cast contributed to what was a good performance, but in particular I was very impressed with Ryan Wiggins who played Gomez and Olivia Grace who played Morticia. Both of these young actors were outstanding in their respective roles and provided us with very powerful performances and extremely good and well-timed comedy. Their interpretation of the roles was outstanding and I am sure both of them will be seen again in many future shows.
Will Evans gave a polished performance as Fester, who for some reason was in love with the Moon – oh well, it is that sort of show! The star crossed lovers, Wednesday and Lucas played by Eleanor Wentworth and Jude Bush injected just the right level of emotion and drama into their roles. They are both good actors who remained in character throughout the story. Playing the young Addams boy, Pugsley, was Luke Preston-Davies who played his part very well and was extremely funny while being “tortured for pleasure” by his sister. His comedy timing was very good for such a young actor. He interacted well with Emma Merrey who played his Gran. She was delightfully funny in her role and again I was impressed with her comic timing. Lucas’ parents were well played by Lowri Spear and Sam Rowe. They are obviously developing well as actors and they played their parts in a very natural, mature and confident manner.
Finally Nic Gordon as the servant, Lurch, was magnificent in the role, making the audience laugh almost every time he appeared. He never came out of the role even during the Finale.
Visually this show was excellent with, a well-designed set, great costumes, garish and macabre makeup and good lighting from Brian Counter. The band was very good, both in quality of musicianship but also in the sympathetic way in which it supported the cast. The musical Directors, James Rayner and Bethan Davies have obviously worked very hard with musicians and cast to have achieved such a high standard.
The sound, directed by Dave Dallard, was very good and I could hear almost every word that was sung or spoken by the principals. Just one minor criticism – while the quality of the ensemble singing was fine, it seemed a little quiet at times but I am not sure if that was due to the acoustics of the theatre or lack of microphones. I am sure, though, that this will improve as the run goes on.
This show’s large cast was well directed by, Adam Guest, Lucy Bramley and the choreographer Josephine Walker. There were many examples where the ensemble was given individual or group actions, which were very effective and supported the principal action. The dance routines were exciting and inventive. Coming on and off the stage was smooth and without fuss. The staging of the show was good and the Stage Manager, Steve Thornhill and his team are to be congratulated on keeping the scene changes as short and unobtrusive as possible. Many of these were done during complete black outs which was impressive.
Overall, this was a great production of this new musical, which has some catchy songs and a witty script. The young cast threw themselves into it with enthusiasm and gave us all an entertaining and enjoyable evening. Well done everyone!
The supporting cast were:
Millie Eaton; Lucy Vickers; Romilly Das; Tabitha Hartshorn; Any Burchell; Lana Mihic; Christina Allen; Mia Thompson; Amelia Legg; Izaac Drew; Hannah Riley; Bailey West; Ella Holmes; Lucy Bennett; Lona Jackman-Hart; Tamara Morgan; Lilly Shields; Tiny Simbani; Joe Barker; Natasha Neale; Emelia Palfreyman; Phoebe Drew; Lily Morris; Charlotte Curran; Annie Young; Amber Lord; Bailey West; Nathan Wilson; Rose Mather; Mia Page; Lydia Walsh; Charlotte Gilliver; Chloe Merrey
The Chesterfield Operatic Society
Evita
The Pomegranate Theatre, Chesterfield
Tuesday April 21st 2015
Featuring music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice, The Chesterfield Operatic Society’s production of the iconic musical ‘Evita’ was very well received by the large audience at the Pomegranate Theatre last night.
Based on the life of actress and political powerhouse Eva Perón, the story depicts the rise and fall of this charismatic leader, as she became one of the most famous- and infamous- figures in the history of South America.This was a very polished production with some outstanding individual performances from the principals, supported by an excellent ensemble.
What immediately struck me was the very high standard of singing by all and as this show is almost completely sung and vocally challenging, this is most important.
The principal cast is very strong, led by Sue Higgins who is magnificent as Eva. She has a very powerful voice which never wavered and was always on key. Her interpretation of the Latino firecracker, who seduces and schemes her way to the very top of Argentine society, is riveting. She is able to sensitively portray a complex woman, driven by poverty and corrupted by power, who never forgot where she came from. Consequently, her superbly performed renditions of “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” were very moving.
Linking everything together is the engaging Davron Hicks as the narrator, Che. An insightful portrayal of a character who deeply despises the hypocrisy of the ruling elite, but is wryly amused by the course of events. Davron has just the right balance between sarcasm spitting passion and insouciance, never overplaying this vital pivotal role. His excellent voice opens the show and sets the scene perfectly.
Danny Winson plays Eva’s husband Juan Peron as a statesman like dictator: I was impressed by the emotion he injected into a character who could so easily become a caricature. Ably supporting the central characters are Andy Moore as Magaldi and Jessica Dharratt, in the cameo role of Peron’s mistress. Her rendition of the well-loved “Another Suitcase” was fabulous.
This production by Phil Simcox was accomplished and his direction of the large cast was outstanding. Supported by the choreographers, Julie Metcalf and Paula Wilson he has produced a vibrant and fresh version of the show. The set was simple but effective and was enhanced by good lighting by Shane Ayres and superb sound by Simon Birchall. I was delighted that I could clearly hear all that was being sung.
The Orchestra was exceptionally good under the baton of Jonathan Francis. It played well and was never over dominating. Having a “pit” helped. Jonathan also needs congratulating for the way he had trained the singers to such a high standard. The young peoples choir in the opening scene was excellent.
The costumes and hairstyles were very authentic which enhanced the feeling of reality.
Finally, the staging of the show was excellent with smooth scene and props changes under the control of the Society’s Stage Manager Keith Owen and his team.
This is the first time I have seen a production by this company or been inside the Pomegranate Theatre. After tonight I am sure I will be coming back to this lovely theatre very soon and also look forward to seeing Chesterfield Operatic Society’s next production. They are obviously a very good Musical Society.
In addition to the Principals above the excellent ensemble featured:
Bob Newton; Diane Povall; Helen Welch; Matt McGregor; Barbara Booth; Matt Rogers; Marlene Smith; Sam Widdowson; Gill Cook; Ryan Mitchell; Margaret Dring; Edward Telfer; Judith Doram; Robert Spencer; Kelly Wallhead; Alan Blair;
Tammy Marsh-Beresford; Danny Scott; Sue Basson; Wendy Barnett; Victoria Bond; Sally Roberts; Phoebe Wallington; Georgii Bailey; Jacqui Day; Sarah Bates;
Roseanna Sanderson; Alison Doram; Charlotte Wilbourn; Nicola Crossley;
Charlotte Gratton; Pauline Hindle; Neil Yewman
The Long Eaton Operatic Society
Oklahoma
The May Hall Theatre, Trent College, Long Eaton
April 15th 2015
"O what a beautiful morning" sings Curly at the start of the show and it certainly became a beautiful evening in the May Hall at Trent College. The Long Eaton Operatic Society energetically spirited us away to Oklahoma - that "brand new state!"
When the show opened on Broadway in 1943 it began a whole new genre of musical plays, which were so different to what had gone before that one famous critic wrote "No gags, no gals, no chance”. He was very wrong as proved by the record run of 2,212 performances it notched up in New York, a record that stood for fifteen years, before being beaten by My Fair Lady. It is considered by many to be the first musical comedy to have a plot, musical score and dances, which were not just incidental, but advanced the story line.
Set in Midwest America in 1906, the high-spirited rivalry between the local farmers and cowboys provides the colourful background against which Curly, a handsome cowboy, and Laurey, a winsome farm girl, play out their love story. Although the road to true love never runs smooth, with these two headstrong romantics holding the reins, love's journey is as bumpy as a cart ride down a country road.
The music and lyrics have proven to be some of the best in musical theatre with songs that include "Oh What a Beautiful Morning", "The Surrey with the Fringe on Top", People Will Say We're in Love, "I Can't Say No", "Oklahoma!” and many more, making this a musical treat for everyone.
Tonight The Long Eaton Operatic Society did absolute justice to the show and proved that after over 70 years Oklahoma can still be as bright, fresh and entertaining as ever, while also dealing with some serious dramatic themes.
The show was brought to life by uniformly excellent performances from the cast in singing, dancing and acting and some simply brilliant set pieces. The show’s producer Liz Woolley is to be congratulated for the way in which she directed a large cast around the stage with real flair and attention to detail. This show needs a vibrant, exciting and enthusiastic ensemble and they certainly were: they looked to me as if they were enjoying every minute of it. Liz has created an exciting, heart warming, rousing, toe tapping spectacle which, coupled with the well loved tunes, provides a wonderful evening of musical theatre for the audience.
Playing the part of Curly is the engaging Dave O’Neal, who brings charisma, spirit and humour to the role. He sings beautifully and puts expression and emotion into every line: I have never heard ‘Oh What a Beautiful Morning’ sung with such conviction. He is well cast opposite Anna McAuley, who plays Laurey with matching professionalism and flair. She portrays a headstrong lively girl who gradually reveals her vulnerability, yet loses nothing of her spirit. She has an absolutely lovely voice: her rendition of Many A New Day was delightful, as was the beautifully choreographed duet with Curly, “People will say we’re in Love.” Both these leading actors are to be congratulated on their understanding and interpretation of their roles- even their tiny mannerisms and facial expressions were perfect.
Aunt Eller is played so well by Kathryn McAuley, who completely convinces as an older woman who has led a hard physical life. She portrays Aunt Eller as strong, gritty and tough character, but also brings out her humour and love for those around her.
I have always loved the character of Ado Annie, the girl who can’t say No. Tonight the lively performance of Rachelle Bragg was captivating: her comedy timing is first class and she sings and dances brilliantly, too. Her partnership with Jack Draper as her longs-suffering boy friend Will Parker is a comedy highlight of the show. Jack completely inhabits his character and his dancing is a joy to watch. Both these young actors have the ability to engage an audience and have great stage presence.
I was very impressed with Kheenan Jones who plays the hard done by peddler, Ali Hakim. A much older actor usually plays this, but Kheenan took the role and made it his own, disguising his youthful years. Clear diction coupled with an understated but obvious roguishness make his performance a pleasure to watch.
Although the show is bright and funny it has some darker moments, especially surrounding the disturbed character, Judd Fry. This is not an easy role to take on, but Ben Woolley did a very good job, adopting a convincingly gruff and surly voice and a menacing delivery. He certainly alarmed me and others in the violent confrontation with Curly in the smoke house. Watch out for the loud gunshots, which made me jump and I knew they were coming!
This show features what many believe to be one of the greatest dance sequences in musical theatre, the 'dream ballet', in which dancers portray Laurey's anxiety over the choices she has made. Tonight’s very well choreographed performance of the ballet was beautifully performed and unusually they did not use dance doubles, which added to the reality of the scene.
It has to be said that Choreographer, Laurie Trott produced superb routines for the ensemble that were some of the best I have seen recently. I must particularly comment on “Kansas City’ and "The Farmer and the Cowman" which were spectacularly good. Well done to Laurie and the cast who must have worked incredibly hard to reach such a very high standard.
The set was simple but very effective indeed and combined with a lovely lighting plot by Tom Olding certainly made the show visually wonderful to watch. Scene changes were smooth and very quick which is down to the skill of Stage Manager, John Woolley and his crew. The sound in the hands of Andrew James was good and there was no problem hearing the cast over the orchestra, which under the expert baton of Lizzie Bullard, and was excellent. She has quite obviously worked very hard with the cast to produce vocals of such a high standard and they were universally so.
Oklahoma is one of my favourite shows and I am always a little nervous when I see a new production. I should have known better as Long Eaton Operatic rarely disappoint and certainly didn’t tonight. Well done to all concerned with this brilliant production which is well worth coming to see if you can get a ticket.
In addition to the principles mentioned above the excellent ensemble was comprised of:
Georgia Archer (Gertie Cummings), Lindsay Mould (Farmer Carnes),
Ann Woolley, Martin Briggs, Eleanor Harvey, Jack Woolley, John Fox,
Claire Collishaw, Carrie-Anne Corner, Tony Newton, Melissa Baston,
John Paxton, Mandy Walker, Sue Hagan, Martin Mould, Zach Foster,
Lydia Thacker, Joanna East, June Baston, John East, Maria Lawrence, Gemma Blake, Clare Toska
The Ripley and Alfreton Musical Theatre Company
Footloose
The Alfreton Grange Arts College
March 30th 2015
I am very pleased to report that Musical Theatre is alive and well in Ripley and Alfreton tonight. I have just witnessed an excellent performance of Footloose, which was energetic, exciting, and very entertaining.
Footloose The Musical was first performed in 1998 and adapted from a film of the same name in 1984. It concerns teenagers and their elders in a small American Town and the ways in which they at first clash and then come to understand each other by the end.
Although there were some excellent individual performances tonight I feel I must begin with the cast as a whole, because Footloose is very much an ensemble show. It needs the best choreography and best standard of dancing to make it work and this one had both.
I was very impressed with the choreography throughout by Chris Parkes who also the show’s Director. He is to be congratulated for the production which was slick and dynamic throughout. The dancing was often powerful and of a very high standard both from the boys and the girls. The big set piece dances where the cast often went off and came back onto the stage, sometimes from different sides, were excellent. Most of the major dancing was by the younger members of the cast, but to their credit there were times, particularly during the Finale, when the whole cast danced very well. Incidentally, the finale and curtain calls were very well produced and executed.
I said there were some excellent individual performances, so many in fact that I can’t mention them all.
Andrew Buxton was good in the role of Ren who eventually fell in love with Ariel Moore played by Helen Perry. They both sang well and together were well cast.
James Fearn was excellent as the over bearing Rev. Shaw Moore. He played the role powerfully, along with Yvonne Taylor, who played his wife, Vi. Their duet together was lovely and his rendition of Heaven Help Me was very moving.
Duncan Leech played Ariel’s bad boy boyfriend, Chuck Cranston. I was impressed by his characterization and he managed the short violent incidents very well indeed. I think it is worth mentioning that all the fight sequences were performed extremely well by various cast members.
I was particularly impressed with Joe Millward who played Willard Hewitt. His characterization of the rather slow country boy was just perfect and he was very funny. He also sang and danced very well. I am sure he will be in many leading roles in the future.
The standard of singing from the whole cast was exceptionally good and it is obvious that the MD, Morris Fisher has worked hard with everyone to achieve this. His excellent orchestra was very occasionally a little over powering, but on the whole was balanced well with the singers. I am sure this will be ok as the week continues.
The lighting and the sound were very good and although the set was simple the scenery and props were brought onto the stage very smoothly, mainly by the cast. There were times when this was done so well that I didn’t see it happen. The mark of a good show for me. Well done to the Stage Director, Ken Owen and “The A Team’ for making all this happen so smoothly.
This was another very good production from this company who did so well last year with Damn Yankees. The overall standard of acting, singing and dancing was very high and all involved in the production should be justly proud of what they have achieved on the stage of the Alfreton Grange Arts College.
The theatre was full tonight so getting tickets may be difficult, but if you can I would suggest you do. This was a performance that shows clearly what talent we have in our area -both young and older -and I look forward to next year’s show what ever it might be.
The Erewash Musical Society
South Pacific
The Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
March 24th 2015
Rogers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific is one of the best loved musicals of all time and has been performed frequently by Amateur and Professional companies since it first opened in 1949. It also spawned a very successful film version in 1958. Because of its age it is always a challenge to keep it fresh and relevant to modern audiences, but last night at the Duchess Theatre in Long Eaton the Erewash Musical Society did just that.
The excellent cast enthralled and entertained an almost full house for just over 2 and three quarter hours – yes this is a long show, which requires not just stamina from the cast, but also from the audience! It is full of well-known songs, some of which have become standards over time. “Some Enchanted Evening,” “Younger than Springtime,” “There is nothing like a Dame,” and “This Nearly was Mine” are just some of the glorious compositions from the pens of Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein II.
The story contains some very emotional scenes and explores some difficult issues such as racism and mixed race romance, which all add up to a show that is not easy to produce. However, Director Mark Birch and his production team did a splendid job of weaving all this together in ways that are still relevant and understandable today, while retaining the wonderful score and many comic moments. The production was fresh, vibrant and easy on the eye.
Playing the lead of Nelly Fourbush is the outstanding Stephanie Ure: her singing voice is delightful, her acting convincing and her dancing polished. She completely captured the character of the popular ditsy nurse who is confused by her feelings for the French Plantation owner, Emile Dubeck. He is played sympathetically by Steve Thornhill, who maintains an excellent French accent throughout and impresses with his calm stage presence. I thought they were very good together in the roles and their troubled relationship was well portrayed. They brought out the emotions of the songs through their performances and both stayed very much in character throughout the show.
Zak Charlesworth played the role of LT. Cable He is a natural actor, in complete command of the role and the stage with a superb singing voice. He was every inch the smart, committed officer and his performance of “Younger Than Springtime” was a joy to listen to. He also powerfully sang the song “You’ve Got To be Carefully Taught” which so very important to the story.
Fiona Wright was magnificent as Bloody Mary, the unscrupulous and hilarious Tonkinese trader. She turned in a very powerful performance throughout the show and completely inhabited the role: convincing in both her vocal delivery and her mannerisms. Her daughter Liat, played by Aleysha Gomez, was charming and innocently portrayed how much in love she was with Cable.
As well as the darker themes there is comedy in the show and Mark Perry, playing the “Arthur Dailey” of the South Seas- Luther Bisset- kept us entertained with his attempts to corner the souvenir market in the south Pacific. The affectionately known “Hinge and Bracket” of the show, Keith Butcher and Adrian Perkins, were excellent, had great timing and convincing American accents, as Captain George Brackett and Cmdr. William Harbison.
Carol Lawson’s choreography throughout the show was excellent and as usual was just right, not only for the show but also for abilities of the cast. Showstoppers such as There is nothing like a dame’ and ‘I’m gonna wash that man right out of my hair’ were beautifully staged, the ensemble putting huge effort into them. There was such enthusiasm on that stage tonight during these and other numbers – they were really enjoying themselves and that enhanced our enjoyment of the show. It was good to see the wide age span of this cast, which brought realism to the production and also showed that the future of this society is secure.
In tonight’s show Sophie and William Robbins played the children of Emile and they were charming. (At some performances they were played by Giselle Tavener and Ewan Hagan.)
In addition to the cast I need to say that the set was excellent and the use of projected backgrounds was great – no more about them as you need to see them to believe them. This was a technically challenging show but all went very smoothly thanks to Mark Robbins and his stage crew as quick scene changes helped keep the show moving, plus the excellent sound by by Ben Tennett, and the appropriate and subtle lighting by Dave Martin. A number of people commented to me after the show that they could hear every word from the stage.
The superb orchestra directed by Dave Dallard accompanied the performers very well indeed. This show does have a relatively long overture but it was played very well and sounded very good. Dave, incidentally, was also very involved with many of the technical aspects of the show, so well done to him for that as well. As Musical Director he had obviously worked hard with the cast to produce singing of very high standard.
The ensemble was Laura Blake; Joan Clark; Heather Howe, Cheryl Mills; Tracy Renshaw; Karen Robbins; Heather Ure;
Nick Buckthorpe; Hayden Fletcher; Gary Fowkes; Lewis Haycock; Martin Lewis; James Rayner; Ian Slack and Jack Warburton. Many of them also had smaller supporting roles.
Overall this was a great show from The Erewash Musical Society, which deserves considerable praise. This is an old show but one that is still popular today. When performed, as it was tonight, I am sure it will continue to delight audiences for many years to come as, I believe, will this Musical Society.
Well done to everyone who has been involved.
The Cast
Little Shop of Horrors
The Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
March 12th 2015
Little Shop of Horrors was described to me before I saw it tonight as "a very silly story." I would agree with that, but must add "but a very entertaining one”. The show is all about an alien plant that takes over a shop and the lives of those who come into contact with it. The songs are very catchy and really do capture the style of 1950’s America.
Once again The Cast have produced a show of exceptional quality, proving they can excel year after year.
This is my first experience of the show and wow, it certainly didn’t disappoint me. The Cast have assembled a very talented and enthusiastic group including puppeteers and special effects people.
Playing the lead of Seymour is Craig Arme. He was excellent in the role and his comic timing was a joy to watch. His manic descent into doing the wrong things in order to keep the plant alive was excellent. He can sing and dance well.
Emily Marshall-Sims plays Audrey and what a great actor and singer she is. Her characterisation of the badly done to woman, who eventually falls for Seymour, was outstanding,
John Maddison who plays the shop owner, Mr Mushnik, once again showed what a fine actor he is.
The nasty dentist is played with great relish by Christopher Collington: you could see that he was enjoying every moment of it, as was the audience.
Although there are very strong leads in the show I was very impressed by the three piece singing group of Carrie Anne Corner, Mina Machin and Katie Bird plus the three friends, played by Emily Corner, Claire Farrand Preston and Kathi Ludlow.
Then there was the ensemble, many of whom play more than one part and are all totally committed to their supporting roles. Well done to Laurie Trott, Rob Holsman, David Artiss, Christine Daykin and Lucy Stokes.
The special effects and the puppets in this show were incredible, as were their operators and the very powerful voice of the plant, Audrey 2. Adam Richmond has to be congratulated for the way he operated Audrey, coordinating absolutely perfectly with the voice of Kevin Chatten. What a different part this was and he did it brilliantly. The other puppeteers, Damon Pipes and John Carley also need a mention for their great work.
I think this was one of the most perfect technical shows I have seen recently and the Cast should be justly proud of their work in all areas.
The show’s excellent director, Martin Holton was very ably supported by Dave Dallard whose 4 piece band was great. Jennifer Chatton, the show’s choreographer ensured that the action created an accurate feeling of the 50’s. Movement around the stage had to be carefully plotted for reasons of scale (those who have seen the show will know what I mean.)
The attractive set was also designed by Martin and due to the nature of the show was quite a technical one. It all worked perfectly. It was complimented by the excellent lighting by Dave Martin and the very crisp and easy to listen to sound by Ben Tennett. The stage management of this show obviously needed great care and attention to detail and Lisa Smith and Gary Smith made everything go smoothly.
In all departments this was an outstanding production and yet another great success for this renowned local company. Well done to everyone and here’s to Acorn Antiques the Musical, which unfortunately we will have to wait until 2016 to see.
The Gatepost Theatre
Out There
The Guildhall Theatre
March 12th 2015
Writing in the Programme, Kate and Jim Baker said this:
“In many ways, this has been a challenging production … but as always we have hopefully solved the problems and offer you the opportunity to experience an original tale about fathers, families, love, loss, hope and never giving up on a dream.”
Well, there is absolutely no doubt that tonight the Gatepost Theatre Company did just that and once again showed what a great theatre group they are.
This is the second time I have seen this new show by Eliot Davis and James Bourne this year and I have to say that it is, surprisingly, becoming a bit of a favourite with me. It’s a well told story with some catchy music and engaging characters. It was interesting as this was an adult production, whereas the first one was a youth group one. Both shows were very good, but production wise quite different, showing that all age groups can stage it successfully.
The depth of talent of this company was shown by the fact that the relatively small cast had to play multiple roles with seemingly no problems. The show moved at a fast pace throughout and the incredibly efficient scene changes facilitated this. There are actually 37 scenes: a producer’s nightmare I would suggest!
The decision to use projections rather than traditional scenery throughout the show was a bold but brilliant one. Many of them were animated and I was particularly impressed by one showing a huge map of the USA, detailing the journey made by one of the characters to the town of Hope in Texas, where the main action takes place.
The part of Logan Carter was played by Luke Grainger who was excellent in the role of a wayward teenager despaired of by his father. He has a rich voice, great diction and expression and his stage persona is very engaging.
The part of his grandfather, Newman Carter/ Ned Thomas was superbly acted by Richard Pearson. The way in which he played both roles (a young and old man) convincingly and with sensitivity, was outstanding.
Simon Owen, who opened the show with the great song “A Weekend on the Moon”, played David Carter, Logan’s Father. He is a good actor who also sings very well.
Laura Howard played the part of the town mechanic, Jamie Pack with a captivating charm: she has a great voice and was able to show a range of emotions as she becomes involved with the troubled Logan.
One of the highlights of the show, and there were many, was the song and dance routine “I’m the law.” This was brilliantly performed by Josie Pearson (The Sheriff) who was fabulous throughout, Ryan Taylor (Billy) and Jon Dawkins (Stan). This was so well done I shall remember it for a long time. Well done for this and other memorable routines, to the choreographer, Laura Howard.
The whole cast deserve congratulations for their enthusiasm and great stage work tonight, but I must mention Hugo Carter, who was quite outstanding as the Young David and Young Newman. Here, I think, is a young boy who will be going places in the future on stage. He had fantastic stage presence, a belting voice, a convincing acting style and already has considerable dancing ability.
This was a technically difficult show and the use of the projection screen could have been a problem. However, it wasn’t. In fact, it was quite the reverse. The sound and lighting was spot on and John Cliff and his stage crew were first class. Being able to hear what is being said is so important to any audience.
I must congratulate Kate Baker and her 4-piece band, which was as usual, first class. They accompanied the cast well and never came near to being too over powering.
This was a production that showed what a super musical theatre company Gatepost are, but they are obviously very lucky to have such a brilliant production team led by Jim Baker. His vision, flair, production skills and eye for detail were obvious tonight.
Finally, I must comment on the Finale, which was one of the best I have seen locally for some considerable time. It was a kind of Mega Mix, somewhat on the lines of the ones at the end of Joseph and Billy Elliot. It gave the cast the opportunity to show how musically good they are and how much they enjoy being on stage. It also gave us, the audience the chance to show our appreciation for what they gave to us on stage tonight – a show very well done and one to be remembered for some time.
Once again, Gatepost, to quote a modern phrase, you smashed it on stage, and I for one can’t wait to see you do it again next time.
The Long Eaton Operatic Society Youth Group
Bugsy Malone
The Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
February 12th 2015
There was plenty of splurging going on tonight in Long Eaton when Bugsy Malone moved from the silver screen to the stage. This is the latest production from the award winning Long Eaton Operatic Youth Group and entertained a full house at the Duchess Theatre.
The show is about the ambitions of nightclub singer, Blousy Brown, set against the rivalry of gangs in prohibition era Chicago. Given that the show is written for young performers, the prohibition is against coca cola rather than whiskey.
Bugsy was played by Leighton Perry who gave a solid performance in his first leading role for LEOs. He had a good accent and interacted well with the audience. His prospective girlfriend ‘Blousey Brown’ played by Eleanor Carty gave a polished performance, with good stage presence and her song ‘Ordinary Fool’ was excellent and very emotional.
Another noticeable performance came from Lilli Woodhouse as the vampish Tallulah - wow can she belt out a song! I liked her performance throughout the show, as she kept up an air of mischief as well as mystery.
Josh Jones as Fat Sam was outstandingly good throughout the show, interacting well with his stupid gangsters. He showed tonight what a good actor he is and he displayed great comedy timing, not an easy thing for a young actor. His arch enemy, Dandy Dan, was played very well by Daniel Jones, the mobster boss. He was quite scary at times.
‘The Grand Slam Girls’ all caught the mood of the occasion well, along with Dandy’s girls who all worked very hard, as did ‘The Night Club Dancers.’ Bella Ridgeway as Fizzy sang and danced very well through the classic “Tomorrow.” I enjoyed her performance very much.
One young performer I must mention is the lead singer in the Boxing number Ryan Phelps whose microphone fell off at the start of the number. However, he sang and projected his voice so well that it didn’t matter: we at the back could still hear him. Well done, proving that microphones are not always needed, even with a live band.
The rest of the cast worked very hard to support the principles and many had small cameo roles as well. There was a lot of enthusiasm and energy from everyone on stage tonight which was good to see.
So well done to:
Charlie Briggs: Izzy Broadley: Isaac Brooks: Sarah Downing:
Jennifer Finlay: Hannah Glossop: Abbie Harper: Jamie Lane:
Grace Letherland: Jay Littlefair: Matthew McAuley: Robert McAuley Esme Parker: Ryan Phelps: Sammy Platkiw: Emma Roberts:
Tamzin Rowley: Olivia Savage: Lorley Shelton: Merrin Shelton:
Trinity Shelton: Zoe Thompson: Elise Thornhill: Elliot Weir.
The chorus numbers “Fat Sam’s Grand Slam,” “My Name is Tallulah” “So and “So You Wanna Be A Boxer,” were very well done and I particularly like “Down & Out” which was particularly well choreographed and performed.
The costumes, hairstyles and props looked very authentic, which added to the story that was being told.
It was good to see a live Orchestra for a Leos Youth show and this was a very good one under the tight and accomplished control of Sam Griffiths. I am delighted to say they accompanied the young performers well and as a consequence were never in danger of overwhelming them. Sam has also obviously worked hard with the young cast to ensure that their singing was of a good standard.
The sound by Dave Dallard was spot on and I could hear every word while the Lighting by Tom Olding was very imaginative and lit the set sympathetically; I liked the use of the follow spot.
I was very impressed by the background, used mainly in the nightclub scenes. I won’t say what it was but it was very evocative of the period in which the story is set and made the Duchess Stage look much bigger: it was very dramatic.
This is a technically tricky show as there are so many scenes, many of which are very short, which means the stage crew (and the cast) have to be on their toes to avoid too many pauses in the action. There were some such pauses, but I am sure these will be ironed out once the first night is over. Well done to John Woolley and his excellent crew for changing the scenes and props smoothly and unobtrusively.
The production team of Karen Woodhead, Siobhan Parker and Sam Griffiths have worked very hard with this relatively young cast to produce a show full of energy and enthusiasm. It certainly entertained the large and very appreciative audience who left the theatre smiling and making very positive comments.
The show itself is not the easiest to perform and I think needs rather more songs and less dialogue, both of which are out of the control of the company. Given that, they worked hard to make it flow and to keep it moving and they succeeded.
Finally, well done to the Cast, Crew and Production Team for all their hard work over 6 months, which made the first night of Bugsy a pleasure to watch.
The People's Theatre
Les Miserables
Nottingham Arts Theatre
February 12th 2015
This production of les Miserables is the Schools Edition, which is about 30 minutes shorter than the professional version, but no less powerful and engaging.
The young cast of tonight’s production produced a wonderful and impressive performance. From the opening lyrics of ‘Look Down’, it was obvious that this was going to be a highly professional show. Each of the vocal performances, from the lead soloists to more minor chorus members, were clear and unfaltering and the ensemble performances showed real energy, commitment and enthusiasm.
Curtis Taylor-Tipton played Jean Valjean and showed what a charismatic, skilful and versatile actor he is. I last saw him in “Grease” at The Guildhall Theatre in Derby, playing a very different character. He has a lovely voice and his tone, power and range are impressive. During his excellent rendition of “Bring Him Home” there was not a sound in the packed theatre, as the audience were transfixed. Curtis completed inhabited this challenging role with a compelling physical presence, emotional maturity and stage confidence that belie his years. I am certain we will be seeing much more of him in the future in major roles.
Luke Grainger, as Inspector Javert, was outstanding. I have seen him in a number of other productions with The Gatepost Theatre Company and have always had a high regard for his acting skills. Tonight he showed what a brilliant singer he is, as well. His voice is tonally very good and beautifully expressive. A highlight of the show was his performance of ‘Stars’, which was quite simply breathtaking. His interpretation of Javert was a clever portrait of a vengeful and bitter man who is driven by principle and a deep sense of moral duty. Luke is, I am sure, destined to play many great parts on the stage in the future.
Scarlett Wainwright as Fantine is a very competent actor and singer who really brought out the feistiness of this vulnerable character. Her rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream” was fabulous.
Natasha Brown played Eponine. She showed us a mistreated girl who has been brought up to grab what she can, but she was also able to bring out a softer side, as we see her sacrifice all for Marius. Her lovely ‘On my Own’ solo was much appreciated by the audience.
Zoe Garton played the grown Cosette with a captivating sweetness, she has a lovely voice, her words were very clear and her performance well pitched to complement the strength of Valjean.
Connah Porter as the tortured Marius was earnest and thoughtful, giving a moving performance of the emotional song ‘Empty Chairs and Empty Tables’ with a maturity beyond his years.
Paice Lees was thoroughly engaging as the student leader, Enjolrus, giving us convincing passion and idealism, plus beautifully sung spine tingling songs and rousing refrains.
Lucas Young and Celia Brown were very funny as the compelling but unpleasant Monsieur & Madame Thenardier – the smiling vipers. So much work must have gone into these characterisations, resulting in perfectly pitched performances. They combined excellent vocal delivery with well-judged physical comedy and their ‘Master of the House’ was a performance highlight.
Lennon Bradley as the young Gavroche was a breath of fresh air in the midst of the tension of the barricades. He commanded attention on the stage and sang and acted brilliantly. He was in complete control of the role and exuded huge amounts of talent and confidence for one so young.
One of the strengths of this show is the range of emotions that are portrayed through an exploration of the human condition in particular circumstances. Never once did I feel that these were sold short because the cast were so young. Desperation, vengefulness, selfishness, passion, redemption and love were beautifully expressed through their performances, taking the audience through a range of reactions. We had our heartstrings tugged, our spirits uplifted; we reflected on humanity, we despaired and, at times, we laughed. This is what theatre is about!
I was impressed with the way in which the cast as a whole had grown their hair into the style of the period, plus the variety and veracity of the splendid costumes. The minimal stage set was cleverly conceived and moved the action convincingly through several locations, including behind and in front of the barricades. Well done to the production team on this, which again shows the professionalism of this company.
Both the lighting and sound directed by College Street Technicians was first class and were highlights for me. The sound never faltered and was crisp and clear. I liked the use of the headsets, which were unobtrusive but picked up every word superbly. The lighting was very appropriate- particularly the evocative red hue- and the use of the follow spot was very effective. I would personally like to see more use of these at other shows.
The orchestra, directed by David Hails, was excellent and accompanied the performers sympathetically and at the right volume. There was never a moment when this was not the case. He had also obviously worked very hard with the cast in order to produce such high quality singing. The ensemble songs were very well sung, capturing the passion, desperation and pride of this wonderful score. While on the subject of the ensemble, I was particularly impressed by the dancing in the Wedding Scene – congratulations to Natalie Randall for that.
The stage Crew under the direction of Chris Collins produced very smooth and almost invisible scene changes, sometimes utilising the cast in an effective way.
Once again the brilliance of the director, Maggie Andrews, shone through She ensured that all on the stage were featured and effectively used, even if it was just a through a small action or an expression that added colour to a scene. This was a large cast, yet Maggie never left anyone out or allowed the space to become overcrowded. Every young person on that stage knew their character: easy to believe each had a back story that they used to inform their performance, giving nuance and credibility to every scene.
Although this was a very large cast I am going to mention all of the performers as they all played a huge part in making this show such a success.
Xenia Smith and Lottie Marshall (Young Eponine):
Izabela Keen and Jasmine Warder (Young Cosette):
Thomas Thorne (Gavroche): Sam Chell (Grantaire):
Callum Shay (Combeferre):
Alfie Sanders and Callum Battlemuch (Prouvaire)
Jamie Leigh Marley: Daisy Weston: Vivienne Tay: Charlotte Brailsford: Rianna Feghali: Courtney Kelham Giddy: Megan Ellis: Imogen Birkett: Evie Marlow: Milly Evans: Poppy Cook: Jenny Gray: Emily Wilkins: Lily Soteriou: Lauren O’Donoghue: Roberta Solbe: Lara Drew: Evie Klyman: Reuel Berg: Ryan Phelps: Ben Brown: Lily Palmer: Stan Cook: Harry Ilyk: Lorik Deliu: Danny Buttfield: Alex Pickard Brace: Oliver Brooking: Olivia Brooking: Olivia Rice: Ellen Lyon: India Roberts: Millie Botterill: Millie Tatham: Charlianne Sutcliffe: Chloe Wilson: Ema Ferjentsikova: Francesca Pajovic: Serena Eadon: Rosalind Montgomery: Elsie Archer: Jacob Caseley: Amy May Beach.
This was a thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable night’s theatre, showcasing some very impressive young talent. Well done to those countless people involved in producing this fabulous and highly professional show and of course to the production team whose hard work, talent and skill shone right through to the end.
The whole theatre rapturous standing ovation at the end says it all. “A great night, at a great show from a great Theatre Company.”
The Erewash Musical Society Youth Group (EMUs)
Out There
The Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
February 5th 2015
Last night at the Duchess Theatre, The Erewash Musical Society Youth Group once again showed what a spectacularly talented group of young people they are. Last year they hit the heights with a highly praised production of Les Miserables, while this year they have taken us into space with James Bourne’s original musical Out There.
The musical is set in the fictional town of Hope, Texas, and follows the story of Logan Carter, who is on the run from his hometown near Detroit, after committing a minor crime. Hope is a dead-end, one-horse town (even the horse has died) and its inhabitants are searching for ways to rescue the town from obscurity and financial ruin. Meanwhile, a few miles away in the desert, an old man is building something weird in his barn. What this is you need to find out for yourself, but suffice to say it might be the answer to their dreams and indeed the dreams of the central characters in the story.
The highly talented Hayden Fletcher, who’s brilliant singing voice, plays the central character of Logan, outstanding acting ability and comic timing were all on display during this show. Never straying from the character of Logan, he was supremely at home on the stage and exuded confidence throughout.
Turning in a very accomplished and mature performance as Logan’s Grandfather was Dylan Singfield. His characterisation of a much older man was impressive for a young actor and very accurate. His part demanded considerable concentration throughout and he certainly gave it his all.
Zak Charlesworth, playing the part of Logan’s Dad, the single minded business man who had no time for his son, once again impressed with the power of his acting and perfectly pitched singing. He also had the difficult task of also playing an older man, but he was totally believable in the role.
Katy Lawson, as the girl who helped Logan, and of course, fell in love with him, after all this is a musical, was just right for the part. She has a lovely singing voice and is an intuitive and sensitive actor who knows how to inhabit a part. She and Hayden were very well cast together in my opinion.
Lucy Judson was very good as the Hope Sheriff, finding the comedy in this rather unpleasant character, singing well and delivering her lines clearly. She was helped or should I say hindered, by a newly discovered comedy duo of Oliver Wheddon and Lewis Haycock: the hilariously bungling deputies. What movement from both of them!! I hope that partnership will return in future shows.
A great strength of this show and indeed this Youth Group is the number of multi talented youngsters who make up the ensemble and they all deserve recognition for the many excellent performances both individually and together. So well done to:
Rebecca Groombridge(Claudia Pointers), Jasper Males(Stuart Prince), Lucy Ledger, Holly Pilgrim, Joe Langley, Daisy Wright, Daya Khosse, Eliza Charnock, Emily Marshall, Ethan Fletcher, Ethan Lee, Georgia Green, Grace Deakin, Katie Baddiley, Libby Pilgrim, Lizzie Buckthorpe, Martin Lewis, Molly McCarthy, Rob Cattanach, Sophie Robbins, Tom Judson. Dan Langley, Megan Asher, Robyn Oleshko, Gabryl Oleshko, Emily Bridge, Michelle Blair, Callum Shay, Sam Eccles, Charlie Vallans.
Making her debut as a producer with EMS, Alysha Gomes must be congratulated in the way she brought this story to life. The result was a show full of energy, excitement and emotion and a cast of highly committed and enthusiastic young performers who were so obviously loving every minute and working so hard for her. Her stage design was very effective and well used by the cast. Her excellent stage direction also ensured that the large cast was in the right place at the right time and there was no overcrowding.
Carol Lawson choreographed the show and as always her routines were just right for the company. They looked great and were within the young peoples capabilities without looking too simple. It was particularly effective in an energetic dance complete with beautiful sequinned costumes and later, a touching dance hall scene.
It was great to see the multi talented musician, Josh Kemp working from the first time with EMUs as Musical Director. His excellent four-piece band was just right for the show and he carefully ensured that their accompaniment was sympathetic to the performers and was never dominating.
The lighting and sound, in the ever capable hands of Dave Dallard, Dave Martin and Ben Tennett, was well planned and executed. The importance of the lighting cannot be under estimated in this show as various scenes were often defined by the lights and this worked very well. The sound plot was good and I had no difficulty hearing what the cast were saying.
Last, but certainly not least, the Stage Management was, as always in the very capable hands of Mark Robbins and his dedicated crew. This show involved a considerable number of scene changes most involving large trucks and even a car. These were, however carried out smoothly and unobtrusively which is, of course, so very important.
Out There may be a new and fairly unknown show but the music is easy to listen to and is a great show for youngsters to get their teeth into and enjoy on so many levels. Of course it carries with it the message that we should “Never give up on our dreams.” Well, tonight at the Duchess Theatre these youngsters showed that “they never will.”
The show continues at the Duchess Theatre until Saturday evening.
The Young Performers
Cats
The Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
January 21st 2015
Tonight at the Duchess Theatre, The Young Performers did something that I was not expecting. They produced a version of Andrew Lloyd Webbers “Cats” that I actually enjoyed! Despite the show being one of the most popular musicals ever, it isn’t a favourite of mine. I have to say that I enjoyed it much more than the professional touring version I went to see at the Theatre Royal last year.
This production once again showed what a talented group of young people there are in this group. From the moment they came onto the stage from all directions during the Overture, they were entirely convincing cats and they stayed as cats until the very end. They were all fully inhabiting their roles and the individual characterizations were excellent. This was also helped by the stunning costumes and makeup, combined with a brilliant set, which they were able to crawl over, go under and explore, just like cats do.
The singing was good, both individually and as an ensemble although there was a little hesitation from time to time about starting together. I am sure this can be put down to nerves on the opening night and will not be a problem for the rest of the week.
I was very impressed with the high standard of dancing from a group that is not normally noted for dancing. They proved tonight that they can cope with some pretty difficult routines. Feline like movements had been explored and developed and were very effective. Congratulations to the choreographer, Alex Tavenor (assisted by Vicky Moran) who managed a very large cast in a relatively small space with ease: I was particularly impressed by a glorious tap routine.
This is an ensemble piece and it is difficult to single out individuals for praise, as there were so many I could mention. This was a large cast, but I felt that everyone had had a chance to excel, either on their own or in a group. However, there were some very good individual performances from the principal cats, Bradley McClean, Emily Owen, Dylan Singfield, Sky Marsden, Nicola Northcott, Vicky Moran, Phoebe Buxton, Ellie Simmonds, Natasha Grebby, Shannon Hickton, Liam Morris, Madeline Rawlings, Zak Charlesworth, George Parkinson, India Smith, Curtis Salmon, Oliver Wheddon and Abbey Kilford.
They were well supported by a large ensemble, which played a huge part in making this show such an obvious spectacle. Well done to Amy Parker, Harvey Tavener, Harvey Latter, Hazel Lawrence, Rebecca Cox, Giselle Tavener, Molly Parkinson, Caitlin Whitely, Lauren Riley, Hayley Watson, Harriet Slatcher, Lucy Kenyon, Ava Haylock, Amy Wilcox, Oliver Latter, Chloe Young, Joe Downing, Brooke Marsden, Erin Hill.
The lighting by Dave Martin was evocative and imaginative and the sound by David Sims was well regulated and delivered.
The set, designed by Simon Davy (who also stage managed the show) and built by a small but dedicated team (including Roydon Charlesworth, Paul Wheddon, Tom Etherington, The Turtons and The owens) was fantastic: it really contributed to the spectacular look of the show. There were many comments from the sell out audience about this.
Once again Victoria Garavan and Alison Davy costumed the show brilliantly. The cats all looked magnificent and combined with outstanding make up this caused an audible gasp from many in the audience around me at the start of the show.
This was a challenging piece to produce without a doubt and Elaine Clemerson, Victoria Garavan and Leon Wade managed to direct a very large cast with skill. I also commend them for adapting the show slightly, so that it moved with more pace and excitement. The touring show I saw last year was over long and slow in parts – this version certainly wasn’t.
Just a couple of minor criticisms. I did feel that the excellent 10-piece band was a little over powering at times, making some of the soloists hard to hear.
Also, I felt the finale was a little understated and the audience would have liked more opportunity to show their obvious delight at the end. It would also have been nice to hear one or two more of the popular tunes in the finale, which was a gentle purr rather than a big meow! I am a great believer in having as many curtain calls as the audience are prepared to support.
Once again, well done to the Young Performers (older and younger) who last night pulled off a remarkable achievement – making Cats enjoyable for this reviewer for the first time and showing what a great and talented group you are.
The Infra Red Comedy Company
Robin Hood's Christmas
The Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
December 19th 2014
Tonight’s performance was excellent and the exuberant applause and cheers from the audience at the end said it all. We all had a great time at the Duchess Theatre watching and joining in with what was an innovative, fresh and very funny retelling of this popular Pantomime story.
As I now expect from this very talented young company, there was good quality singing, dancing and acting. There was also great comedy, which is often difficult for young performers, but this group made it look easy.
On the whole they were all very comfortable on the stage and interacted very well with the audience. It was very obvious that they were enjoying what they were doing, which is essential in Pantomime. As a result we laughed a lot, applauded the songs with enthusiasm and appreciated the incredible amount of energy and vitality that was present throughout what was quite a long show.
Sara Lim-Smith who wrote the script and produced the show, certainly knows how to get the best out of her cast. Her script was witty, of today and yet maintained the traditional elements of Panto. “Oh yes it did.” Also I liked the way she managed, not only to include the usual colourful characters normally seen in this show, but included many other panto and fairy tale characters as well.
For example there was Jack and Jill but with a Jack who kept wanting to go up the hill, while Jill most certainly didn’t! The resulting interplay between them was superb. There were many other examples like that. Yes there were some windy and slightly crude jokes as well but that’s Panto!
The Dame – Mrs Hood- was excellent by the way and had a real connection with the audience, as did The Sheriff of Nottingham.
Unfortunately, I can’t mention the actors by name as there were no programmes, which I think was a pity. However, maybe that was deliberate as this was very much an ensemble piece, despite there being some excellent individual performances as well. The actor playing Robin Hood was very good. His characterisation was different. Rather than the traditional hero, he was a stressed out, camp and rather disturbed person who worried a lot about how he looked and what people would think about him! Then there was the Sheriff of Nottingham who could do nothing right until the end of the show when he became a singer in a Las Vegas night club. I am saying no more!!
I must make a comment about the young actress who played the part of a mischievous monkey – she was brilliant! The young man who played Little John was also very good and his underplayed asides were very funny. He has a very good grasp of comic timing. The irascible Maid Marion was fabulous and as it turned out had a great singing voice as well.
The production was great and the lighting and sound were very good. One thing has always impressed me with this group and that is that they do not generally use radio mics. I could, however hear every word both spoken and sung. Their voice projection was good and I suspect that is part of their training. This is obviously a group that doesn’t just rehearse for shows but who spend a lot of time being taught the tools needed for a good performance. They looked good as well – there was no corpsing or lack of attention.
The Finale was very impressive, involving almost the whole cast changing costumes very quickly and then changing back again for the curtain calls. These were very professionally done which something I think is the mark of a good production.
Pantomime is difficult for adults and can be more so for youngsters. This performance, however, showed that it can be done and done well by a cast ranging I guess from about 7 to 20ish.
A big well done to everyone – I can’t wait for your next show.
The People's Theatre Company
Robin Hood and the Babes in the Wood
Nottingham Arts Theatre
December 18th 2014
I am pleased to report that Pantomime is still alive and well in Nottingham and especially at the Arts Theatre.
This year’s production from The People’s Theatre, written and directed by Amanda Hall, was one of the best I have seen from this great local musical group.
It was a very well produced and high-energy show with lots of whole cast singing and dancing - songs of today and yesterday – which made for a very enjoyable musical experience.
It was, as tradition dictates, also full of the usual features such as awful, but funny jokes, set pieces involving cakes and cream, audience participation, local references and men dressed as women and women dressed as men. That is, of course what makes Panto so special.
Musically this show was of a high standard and Amanda made very good use of incidental music between scenes and during the action.
The cast was very strong and, as is normal with this group, spanned the age groups from young children to older members.
Taking the lead as Robin Hood was Sean Goodwin who played the part as I like it – an arrogant but rather silly Robin. He was ably supported by Adam Monk as Will Scarlet, Vernon Lloyd as Alan-a-Dale, Peter Newman as Little John (appropriately he was very tall), Barry Hobbs as Friar Tuck and a number of other “Merry Men” including Aston Fisher, who played the memorably named Merry Man No 7.
Musically, I must mention Ellie Monterosso who played Marian and Catherine Cunningham as Catherine. They both sang beautifully as well as being good actresses. Sophie Petruccio played the Fairy Clumber. She combined comedy, ably expressed through a cracking Nottingham accent with good singing and dancing.
Panto always has to have a baddie, who is usually supported by a couple of far from heavy “heavies’ and this show is no exception. Mike Newbold was excellent as the evil Sheriff of Nottingham: I thought he handled the booing audience really well. His two “heavies” were played by the excellent Christine Boothe and Danielle Hall who really were too nice to be “heavies’ – of course – and were very funny.
Laura Thurman was outstanding as Silly Billy: she kept the action moving with excellent comic timing and a thoroughly engaging stage presence. She is at ease on the stage and was able to deal with the necessary audience participation very well -nothing threw her -a very talented actress indeed. She played the son of another very talented member of the cast, Michael Pearson, who is the Dame, Nurse Goodbody. He was outstanding in the role and was in complete control of the stage whenever he was on, responding to the obvious delight of the audience. He has a clear and expressive voice and his perfectly pitched delivery of a saucy but well meaning Dame, who is full of mischief, was really entertaining. He also looked very good, in an assortment of beautifully produced costumes.
Well done also to other supporting principals. Kayleigh Philips as Mrs Dale, Joseph Smith as Much the Miller’s Son, Michelle Manning as David of Doncaster, Chris Brown as King Richard.
I must, of course mention the Babes played at this performance by Orla Beaven and Ruben Lawlor-Leckie. They acted, sang and danced really well, could always be heard and gave 100% concentration to their parts. Well done both. I expect we will see more of them in the future.
There was also a young ensemble of singers and dancers who were very good. There were two teams for the two-week run and I saw Team Acorn which featured James Murray, Cassie Hall, Billy Stockwell, Lizzy Ives, Georgia Hodgett-Young, Charleigh Hurst, Eva Sheppard, Katie Dudgeon, Holly Donson-Varley, Madi Smith, Lexie Brown, Xenia Smith, Anna King.
Technically this show was very good indeed. The moveable set was very effective and worked well thanks to Chris Brawn, and the lights were brilliant – well done to Tom Mowat and Richard Zamorski. The choreographer, Jessica Royce and the Fight Choreographer, Sean Goodwin produced some excellent whole cast routines. Incidentally, I was impressed by the sound quality – no problem hearing the cast above the music. Which brings me to the Musical Director, David Hails, who had obviously worked very hard with the cast and who accompanied them very sympathetically and skillfully.
The stage manager, Amy Rogers-Gee and her crew (helped often by cast members) ensured that scene changes were swift and smooth.
Finally the costumes were lovely: very bright and colourful throughout.
This was a great production enjoyed by an enthusiastic and involved audience. Well done once again to this talented group and to Amanda and her large production team – sorry I couldn’t mention them all. This show has been on since last week so it is a real tribute to the whole cast that it still looked fresh and full of energy last night.
Professional Production
The Sound of Music
The Curve, Leicester
December 17th 2014
The Sound of Music, the story of the Von Trapp Family Singers, set in the latter years of the 1930s in Austria, was first performed on stage in 1959. It then became a very successful film in 1965. Today at the Curve I saw the latest version which was outstanding.
The show starred Laura Pitt-Pulford as Maria and Michael French (Eastenders and Holby City) as Captain Von Trapp. They were both excellent and there was a real synergy between them. Laura sang and acted very well and was superb with the seven Von Trapp children. These children were extremely good and believable in their roles. The quality of their singing in particular was very high.
Michael French surprised me. I was only aware of him as a TV soap actor. He is, in fact an accomplished and experienced musical theatre performer. He reminded me of Christopher Plummer, who played Von Trap in the film version. He was, I think, the best actor I have seen in this role.
The supporting actors were all very good. I particularly liked Emma Clifford and Mark Inscoe as Elsa Schraeder and Max Detweiler. Their duet and trio number, along with Micheal French were great.
The Nuns sung the opening choruses (and others later) beautifully, and the outstanding rendition of "Climb Every Mountain" by the Mother Abbess was unbelievable: she hit the top note at the end with no problem.
The production, directed by Paul Kerryson, was fresh, exciting and moved with a good pace. The set design by Al Parkinson was just stunning. I actually gasped out loud when the first scene of the Von Trap house appeared and the Wedding Scene was wonderful.
There were also very impressive trees used in some of the outside scenes. The scene changes were smooth and slick, as one has come to expect at the Curve. Well done to the Stage Manager, Simon Gillies and his crew.
The orchestra, directed by Ben Atkinson, was backstage and the sound balance with the performers was absolutely right. The sound was actually very well managed. It was nice to see that they came onto the stage at the end to take their well deserved bows.
This is in my opinion the best version of the stage musical I have seen and I have seen a goodly number over the years. I even enjoyed it more than the Andrew Lloyd Webber revival at the London Palladium a few years ago.
The Curve has yet again produced a superb musical as good as most and better than many West End Shows.
Professional Production
A Christmas Carol
Derby Theatre
December 8th 2014
This is yet another great Christmas production at Derby Theatre. Before the show started the audience was treated to an impressive set consisting of a large clock and composite set. During the performance this was used in many innovative and interesting ways and on different levels.
This is very much an ensemble piece despite there being some excellent individual performances. Like the production of James and the Giant Peach many of the performers were actor/ musicians who accompanied the singing and dancing. The scene changes were also carried out by the cast and things like wooden boxes were used in many imaginative and effective ways. Interestingly two of the Stage Managers were also cast members and musicians. As I said this was certainly an ensemble piece involving everyone.
The scenes were often linked together by well known Christmas Carols. The arrangements and orchestrations were very good.
The role of Scrooge was played by Jim Barclay. I enjoyed his performance and the way in which he changed his personality and beliefs in positive ways during the show. He was not for too long the nasty miserable old man who appears traditionally in this story. He was actually quite jolly at times!
Christopher Price was also very good as the ghost of Jacob Marley, Mr Fizziwig and a number of other parts.
As has become quite common at Derby Theatre, a group of local youngsters took part in this production. They played their parts very well. This is very much part of the philosophy of the theatre which has a very strong educational arm to its work.
Just one thing to be aware of. This production might be a bit frightening for the youngest children especially during the scene when the Ghost of Jacob Marley makes an appearance at the start to warn Scrooge of what could happen to him if he doesn't change his ways. However, my young grandchildren (6 and 5) were ok with this and enjoyed the show overall.
Congratulations once again to the Shows Director, Sarah Brigham and her creative team, for producing this well know tale in a fresh, fast moving and exciting way. The use of the actor/ musicians was a brilliant idea which worked very well.
Cinderella
Ilkeston Theatre Company
The Seven Oaks Inn Marquee
December 6th 2014
This production of Cinderella by this popular local group was a traditional telling of the story of The Prince and the scullery maid who wants to go to the ball. It had all the essential elements of a traditional panto - A Fairy Godmother, a wicked Step Mother, Ugly Sisters, a love sick servant, a silly Father and loads of other colourful characters. Add to the mix popular songs of today and some of yesterday and you have the ideal recipe for a good afternoons entertainment for all the family.
The Ilkeston Theatre Company served this up on the recently enlarged stage of the Seven Oaks Inn Marquee Theatre which also has a new lighting system. The set and effects were good and the arrival on stage on a wonderful coach and horses was very exciting and impressive.
There were some good performances from Louise Bradley as Cinderella, Lauren Bull as The Prince, Steve Walton as Buttons and Courtney Fell as Dandini. Leonnie Mangan was a very booable Baroness Hardup, Adrian Thornley was a very hard done by Baron Hardup and Ben Mills and Ryan Pound were very funny as the Ugly Sisters.
Jennie Walker played the Fairy Godmother and she quite rightly described her role in the excellent Show Programme as "a rubbish fairy." Yes the fairy might have been rubbish at times but Jenni certainly wasn't. She was brilliant as always.
There was also an enthusiastic ensemble of young and "older' members of the company who supported the principals very well.
I can honestly say that we all enjoyed ourselves during the show not only watching what was going on on the stage but also during the audience participation sections of which there were many - Oh yes there were!
My only criticism was that there were times when the sound system did not do its job properly and the cast members could not be heard over the music. An investment in a better radio mic system would be well worth it as the venue at the Seven Oaks is a good one.
Congratulations go to the shows producer, Sue Golds , and her production team.
Well done to all who were involved in the production both on stage or off.
I am now looking forward to next year's panto! Oh yes I am!
Top Hat
Professional Touring Production
Theatre Royal Nottingham
November 8th 2014
What a fabulous show this was. The singing and dancing were fabulous. Acting wise it was good and the stage production was energetic and exciting.
The set was almost identical to the one I saw in London - based on designs of the 1930's. The script seemed remarkably fresh and very funny. Considering that the show, in film form, dates back to 1935 that is remarkable.
The costumes are authentic and colourful and the orchestra first rate. The sound which was of a very high standard. I could hear every word both in the libretto and the songs. The leads were all very strong and the ensemble supported them very well.
I cannot praise this production too highly. It was fantastic and up lifting. I for one left the theatre tapping my feet and singing some of the songs, to myself, of course.
The Rise and Fall of Little Voice
Professional Production
Derby Theatre
October 28th 2014
The Rise and Fall of Little Voice at Derby Theatre last night was a triumph of production and performance. The play written by Jim Cartwright and first performed in 1992 is very funny but also sad, poignant and challenging.
The set was brilliant and made very effective use of the Theatre's new rotating stage for the first time. The actors and the director, Sarah Brigham, were as a consequence able to bring the story to life in an exciting way.
There were universally strong performances from the cast and special mention must be made of Tracy Brabin who played Mari, the mother. She is an established TV, stage and film actress. She was funny, coarse, manic and yet touchingly sad. Her skill was both in her acting and brilliant slapstick shared with her best friend Sadie, played by Sue Vincent who was very funny indeed.
Rebecca Brierley as Little Voice was breathtakingly talented in what was her first professional stage appearance. The role required her to play sensitively a quiet and withdrawn teenager, while also being able to sing like the huge divas of the past like Shirley Bassey and Cilla Black to name but two! She was fantastic in all of the above.
As I said the whole cast was also very strong. George Dyer, who played Ray Say, the man who discovers LV, was very good as were Ged McKenna as Mr Boo and Tom Meredith as Billy.
This is a play not to be missed and Derby Theatre needs to be very proud of all involved in this production and the revolving stage is an awesome new addition to its resources.
The Rise and Fall of Little Voice plays at Derby Theatre until Saturday November 22nd.
Anything Goes
Beeston Musical Theatre Group
The Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
October 31st 2014
The Beeston Musical Theatre Group’s production of Anything Goes was a fun and light-hearted affair that stayed true to the show's roots and captured the feel of the time very well indeed.
The show is a musical comedy first performed in 1934 and is the typical ‘boy meets girl, girl is betrothed to another and the other is infatuated by a third’ affair played out on board a transatlantic cruise liner. On board we also find a confident American tycoon, a sassy ex-evangelist turned nightclub singer and America's public enemy #13. Complete with all the flimsy disguises, lucky coincidences and soft innuendo one expects, everything turns out all right in the end. Everybody ends up happy, including the audience at the Duchess.
Tonight’s show was a very good performance. The acting was by and large very good, and the musical numbers were sung well, with the group numbers being particularly well done. The show itself is a little weak in places and the story, really, is there to fill the spaces between the wonderful Cole Porter's songs. This show has many of his best songs such as “Anything Goes”, ‘ I Get A Kick Out of You”, “You’re The Top”, “It’s De-lovely’ and “Gabriel Dance.”
The energy level of the cast was commendable; they performed with great commitment and kept the audience thoroughly entertained. However, special mention has to go to Andrea Chapman who played Reno Sweeney. She has a strong belting voice, which was best showcased in her rendition of the hit song "I Get a Kick Out of You."
Zoe Brinklow (Hope Harcourt) sings beautifully and acted the part with great conviction.
Rob Charles, who played Billy Crocker, also has a great voice and can act well. He had very good stage presence and his characterization was very good.
Kev Chatten was wonderful as the stuffy British lord, Sir Evelyn Oakleigh, a role that seemed to be tailor made just for him.
As Moonface Martin, Chris Bryan shone. His characterization of the New York Mobster who wouldn't hurt a flea, kept the audience laughing throughout the show.
The rest of the principal line up was very strong as well, with Steph Gray-Best as Erma, Mina Machin as Evangeline, Keith Bird as Dobson, Rob Holsman as the Captain not to forget, of course, Mimi the dog played by La Vie Boheme – she stole the show!
The Orchestra was excellent under the direction of Chris Toon, who had also obviously worked very hard with the cast to produce singing of such a high standard. Incidentally the sound balance between the orchestra and the cast was pretty nigh perfect.
The shows director Nathan Truesdale and choreographer Rachael Rees together managed to capture the 1930s feel in every hat, gesture and hand swing. The costumes, set and movements were just right, and the dance routines revived the atmosphere and feel of 1930s. Nathan also made good use of the stage and set which was very impressive by the way. I was delighted to see that background action never detracted from the central focus of the scene.
The sound plot was excellent under the direction of Sean Renshaw and Dave Martin’s lighting was very good indeed. I really liked the use of the manual ‘follow spot’ which was absolutely right for this show.
The stage crew, under the direction of Lisa Smith, were good and scene changes were swift and unobtrusive.
This is a show with little substance in terms of plot but it is fast pacy and fun. The music is delightful and tonight the sum of all parts came together just as they should; everything seemed to work very well for the audience who, by their rapturous applause at the end, showed how much they had enjoyed the show.
The Beeston Musical Theatre have again shown that they can provide an evening of high quality entertainment with a great cast and musicians. Well done to everyone who has been involved.
West Side Story
The Long Eaton Operatic Society
The May Theatre, Trent College, Long Eaton
October 28th 2014
West Side Story is based on William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and coming home from Trent College tonight I wondered if he would have appreciated this musical production of his original play. I have come to the conclusion that he probably would. This is because the themes in the story are timeless and still resonate with us today in whatever genre or era they are presented. Sadly, the scourge of racial disharmony and a destructive tribal mentality, is all too easily recognizable to us today.
Shakespeare’s Montague and Capulet families are substituted by rival New York street gangs: the Jets from the Upper West Side and the Puerto Rican immigrant-based Sharks. It’s in one of the show’s early routines that pretty teenager Maria and ex-Jet Tony first meet and instantly become entranced by each other, on a crowded dance floor.
There were excellent performances from Rachel Fenn as a sassy and passionate Maria and Adam Daniels as the principled but tortured Tony, who sang Stephen Sondheim’s timeless lyrics in Tonight, Maria and One Hand, One Heart, beautifully.
Michael Daniels was compelling as an embittered Riff, the cocky leader of the Jets. He and his gang open the show patrolling their patch while snapping their fingers to Bernstein’s bluesy beat. Daniels and the Jets’ infectious “Cool” number included a cleverly choreographed routine. Small scenes involving members of the Jets gave individual actors the chance to convincingly portray their characters and enable us to glimpse the troubled teen behind the gang member: this was well done.
As for the Sharks, led with strut and convincing menace by Maria’s brother Bernardo (Adam Guest), they are equally talented; both groups gave us some lively and engaging dance routines.
West Side Story is, for much of the time a very serious piece, but there is also some fun and that comes in the Gee, Officer Krupke number. Just forget the political correctness, this was a fabulous slapstick song. The choreography was entertaining while Sondheim’s lyrics engaged and amused the audience.
Bernardo’s girlfriend Anita played beautifully by Emily Marshall – Sims gave us some excellent singing and dancing, in particular the duet with Maria, A Boy Like That / I have a Love, performed after they learn Tony has killed the Sharks leader, was in perfect harmony.
All the dance routines are dynamic – and that includes the brilliantly performed knife fight scene at the end of Act One, after which both Riff and Bernando lie dead in the street. There’s also a great number featuring the Sharks females who punchily deliver the vibrant song America. I did feel that this, although well done, needed a few more girls to bolster the singing, which was a little weak.
Playing the Jets and their girls were: Action (Ross Lowe), Baby John (Jack Woolley A-Rab (Zach Foster), Big Deal (Ben Woolley), Diesel (Dave O’Neil), Anybodys (Tayla Evans), Graziella (Emily Topham), Velma (Karen Woodhead), Pauline (Georgia Archer) and Minnie (Sheree Strickland), Clarice (Abbey Walker).
Meanwhile Bernardo’s Puerto Ricans were: Chino (Kheenan Jones), Pepe (Phil Brookes), Indio (Tim Meakin), Luis (Jack Draper), Juano (Josh Jones), Rosalia (Anna McAuley), Consuelo (Abigail Pigeon), Francicca (Emma Kelvey), Estella (Lucy Stokes) and Margarita (Kate Sleath)
The Drug Store owner, Doc, was played sympathetically by Martin Mould, Lieutenant Schrank by Lindsay Mould and Officer Krupke by Jason Parker and Glad Hand by Kathryn McAuley.
The set was atmospheric and there were plenty of interesting elements, which enabled the cast to go over, under and through it. The large stage crew handled the scene changes quickly and smoothly. The show’s 12-piece orchestra under the direction of Lizzie Bullard was not too overpowering and did not, for most of the show, drown the voices as can be the case at this venue, there being no pit.
However it’s the energy of the dance – from contemporary, cha cha, modern and classical ballet – which is quite remarkable in a show that’s more than half a century old: this production directed by Liz Woolley, along with her choreographer, Gemma Haigh, was pacy and fast moving. I did feel that on this opening night some of the large dance numbers such as The Dance in the Gym were crowded and a little chaotic at times. I am sure this will settle down though as the week proceeds.
The show does contain some of the best tunes in musical theatre history. It’s a show that leaves you wanting more with songs like, There’s a Place for Us, I Feel Pretty, Tonight and Somewhere.
I have no doubt that this is a difficult show which requires excellent singing and dancing in equal measure and from almost the whole cast which is not an easy task. Overall, this was achieved by the cast tonight, although there were a few wobbles in the full ensemble numbers that need to be corrected during the week.
The lighting, although effective, was not always changed quickly enough and there were some moments of darkness but again, I am sure this will be sorted out quickly.
Fans of West Side Story, and there are many of them, will really enjoy this production by The Long Eaton Operatic Society.
West Side Story runs for approximately 2 hours 10 minutes and plays at the May Hall Theatre, Trent College, until Saturday.
The Book of Morman
The Prince of Wales Theatre, London
October 15th 2014
Reflections on tonight's performance
As I said at the end of Act 1, while enjoying some of the songs and dances I was not yet sure if I liked the show as a whole. On reflection, I think it might be a "marmite show" one you either love or hate. Actually my feelings about it are neither.
It was interesting that throughout the show the couple on my left hardly laughed or clapped at all but the two women on my right were often convulsed with laughter - sometimes simply because someone came on stage. A Marmite Show?
I can't really put my finger on it yet but I just felt it was very ordinary and relied too often on swearing and puerile slapstick to get the laughs. It may appeal to a younger audience particularly fans of South Park, although there were many older people in the theatre tonight.
There were a few songs with very witty lyrics and good tunes that I would have to say were entertaining. The performances especially, the dance routines, were very good and the two leading Elders (names I don't know as I was not prepared to pay an exorbitant price for a souvenir programme) were excellent.
The staging of the show was very good and one number set in hell was very spectacular and I enjoyed that. Yes there were bits that made me laugh out loud and clap but overall my evening was ok but not too memorable. It is not a show I think I will go and see again. It is only fair to say that in general terms the audience reaction was pretty good so you might well enjoy it more than I did. I am glad I went to see it though and would certainly say go and give it a try as the theatre was full and I overheard many people saying how good it was on the way out. There was no standing ovation where I was in the Dress Circle but that may have been because it is terribly steep and most would not dare to stand up for fear of plumiting into the stalls.
Incidentally please don't think I didn't like it because of the bad language (and there was plenty of that) or the irreligious moments (and there was many of those) no it just didn't grab me. Perhaps I just wasn't in the mood tonight.
Everyone has different opinions - I just write my thoughts here very conscious that others are available. After all what do I know. I hated Wicked (and I tried it twice) when most people loved it.
Go and see Mormon but be warned it may offend or it may excite you. Who knows?
The Witches of Eastwick
The Erewash Musical Society
The Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
October 7th 2014
Last night at the Duchess Theatre I found myself “dancing with the devil” and I rather enjoyed it.
The Erewash Musical Society performed a sizzling version of the sometimes rather risqué musical, The Witches of Eastwick. It is loosely based on the 1987 film starring Jack Nicholson in the title role of Darryl Van Horne, and Cher, Susan Sarandon and Michelle Pfeiffer as his three 'witches.’
The show does have quite a lot of dialogue in the form of recitative, but there are also some great songs that tell the story and some big chorus numbers, which are catchy, energetic and toe tapping.
The excellent ensemble powered their way through well choreographed dance routines which filled the Duchess Theatre stage wonderfully. Routines like “Dirty Laundry,” “Darryl Van Horne” and “The Glory of Me” were excellent, but for me the best of them all was “Dancing with the Devil.” This was just wonderful and gave the whole cast the chance to let their hair down with skill, panache and enthusiasm.
The choreographer, Kris Cunnigham’s routines were fresh, exciting, energetic, lively and, although not easy, well performed by the whole cast. It was quite obvious that they were enjoying themselves, which for me, is one of the marks of a good show.
The three witches themselves – Alexandra Tavener (Alex), Stephanie Ure (Jane) and Rachael Brown (Sukie) – were absolutely sensational, moving from bored housewives living in a Stepford society to wickedly saucy mistresses dressed in corsets and slinky gear.
They sing beautifully, complementing each other with pleasing harmonies and very powerful solo numbers. Each plays her role with confidence: cleverly portraying the boredom and anxieties of the character, before they are all persuaded to let their desires run wild. And run wild they certainly do!
Their ensemble number “Make Him Mine” in the first half was particularly good, as the three women cast an unintentional spell for their ideal man, while raising martini glasses together. What they got when he arrived wasn't quite what they expected and that's where the fun really began.
Adam Richmond was incredible as the devil himself, oozing charm, smarm and downright evil in equal measures. I thought he made a wickedly charismatic Darryl Van Horne, belting out songs with plenty of bravado and a mischievous twinkle in his eye. His many well delivered ‘one liners’ were well appreciated by the audience, as was the energy and dynamism he brought to this challenging role.
There were a number of good individual performances in the show in addition to the main characters. Gill Cooke played the self important and officious Felicia and Martin Mould her hen pecked husband Clyde: both captured their characters in an engaging and amusing way. Zak Charlesworth and Gemma Blake as the star crossed teenage lovers were delightful and sang together beautifully. Jack Readyhoof as Daryll’s “manservant’ Fidel was very amusing, making the most of his role with a clever characterisation, unvoiced apart from one very effective word at the end!
The show’s Musical Director, Dave Dallard, conducting for the main society for the first time, did an excellent job, both with the orchestra and the company, resulting in musical performances of a very high standard throughout.
The whole show was very well directed by Laurie Trott, a well known performer, producer and choreographer. Her experience and creative talent was obvious tonight as she successfully produced this “big” show on a relatively small stage. Incidentally, the creative team produced some excellent special effects, one of which was a magnificent first at the Duchess - you need to go and see the show just for that - my lips are sealed!
This is a technically difficult show, but tonight it didn’t look so given the smooth and effective scene changes and the well designed lighting and sound plots. Well done to the Stage Manager, Mark Robbins and his crew, Simon Birchell (lights) and Ben Tennet (sound).
I really enjoyed tonight’s performance, despite this not being one of my favourite shows, because it was so well produced, so professionally performed and filled the Duchess Theatre with real quality.
It is a show with adult themes and some fruity language, hence the advisory age restriction. However, I think The Erewash Musical Society have stayed on the right side of risqué, with some very funny innuendo and the right measure of sauciness to provoke an amused reaction from the audience.
This was a devil of a good production at the Duchess Theatre: do go to see it if you can and have one hell of a night…
Why Me?
Infrared Comedy Theatre
The Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
September 12th 2014
Why Me is written and produced by Sara Lim-Smith, who leads the Infrared Comedy Theatre. Her productions are mostly original and this is one is no exception.
It is billed as a “Musical Comedy” and contains some great songs, some big ensemble numbers and a very funny script.
This production could be described as a 1920’s musical version of the 1970’s Comedy TV show Are You Being Served, one of my favourites. It is set in a family department store, following the death of the owner and is about what happens when her son Barty inherits it.
This performance has exceeded my expectations by miles. I like this group and have been impressed with their previous productions, but this one is stunning. The performance of the cast and in particular the principals, is outstanding. Jack Archer, playing the part of Barty, is quite brilliant. Such a good actor who can also sing and dance and is very at home on the stage. Maisie Ramsey as Florence and Becky Elliot as Hester were also outstanding - great actors and very funny. The manic Owen Todd as Walter was just wonderful. I also liked the performance of Liam Wilkinson who camped up his part of Morris with aplomb! By the way, not mentioning other individuals in no way implies they had less of a role in making this a brilliant and very funny show, there are just too many to mention.
The show was very funny indeed - comic timing was good from the whole cast, not easy for young actors, but they all did so well.
However, there were some more serious and poignant moments as demonstrated just before the interval when there was a very moving duet sung by Jack and Masie, showing the depth of these two young performers. This was a lovely song.
The ensemble numbers, including some “Bee Gee" themed numbers, were of a very high standard: I loved watching the whole cast dance and sing.
The original script and songs by Sara Lim Smith are very well written, witty and based on a very clever idea. The production was slick and moved with considerable pace. The 1920s set and costumes looked very authentic.
I was very impressed with the sound. I don't believe many mics were being used and yet I heard every word; diction and projection were excellent.
The first Act sped by leaving the almost full house wanting more.
Act 2 was just as good as Act 1 if not even more dynamic. What a brilliant, talented and hardworking cast and crew. Well done to the tech guys as well - Lauren and George. This was a show that all involved can be justifiably proud of; I wish I could see it again.
What made it for me, in addition to the very high standards of performance, was the obvious enjoyment all the cast had at being on the stage. They sparkled during the big numbers and were so obviously having a good time and so were we in the audience.
In my opinion this is a must see show - a great night at our local theatre.
The Cast:
Jack Archer; Maisie Ramsey; Becky Elliott; Scarlet Salsbury; Owen Todd; Kieron Fisher; Geirgia Salsbury; Daniel Robinson; Mahesh Parmer; Alicia Biffen; Bella Ramsy; Amber Mckeon; James Kerr; Sydney Goddard; Becky Kroon; Robin Dunsford; Liam Wilkinson; Catherine O’Brien; Zak Brewin.
Plus: ICODA Theatre School and Tiny Toes and Tiny Taps
Parade
AGF Performing Arts
The College Street Studio Theatre
August 8th 2014
Parade is based on a true story of a Jewish Factory Manager, Leo Frank, accused of the rape and murder of a 13 year old employee in 1913 in the southern USA. It tells of his arrest, trial, conviction and subsequent hanging by a lynch mob.
This may not seem a likely scenario for a musical and especially one performed by a youth group. However, it was written and presented in a sensitive and appropriate way that was suitable for the young cast.
This show was part of this year’s two week Summer School by AG Performing Arts and was produced in just 2 weeks - (10 working days). The result was a high quality show with no sign that it had been produced in such a short time. Obviously, the cast was a very talented group of young people who, in my view, didn't put a foot wrong. They sang, danced and acted with maturity beyond many of their ages.
The content of the show required them to inject considerable emotion into many of the scenes, which they did very well. The ensemble supported the leading roles confidently. There was an outstanding performance from Dave Richardon, who played Leo Frank and by Katy Smith, who played his wife. Their roles were particularly demanding and at times, harrowing. The rest of the cast comprising, Zak Charlesworth, Hannah Emms, Megan Leahy, Harry Cole, Tom Hopcroft, Jonny Edlin, Kaydon Brookes, Alexandra Crawford, Conor Lowry, Luchia Ecott, Lucy Slater, Jemima Rayner, Leah Wilson and Mia Hyland were fantastic. Most of them played more than one part and in some cases many more.
There was also a Junior Ensemble comprising of Amelia Hyland, Rhona Sleath, Edward Lenthall, Oliwia Smuga-Lumatz, Sophie Jackson and Ashley Hutchinson. They supported the rest of cast extremely well.
There were so many brilliant individual performances among the above it would be wrong to mention any in particular.
This was not an easy show and how the cast managed to learn all their lines and songs n such a short time, I have no idea. But they did and no prompting was required. The production team must be congratulated for their vision and skill in bringing the whole cast up to such a remarkably high standard of performance.
Musically, this show was challenging with the many of the songs being part of the narrative as well as some standing in their own right. Also, the accompanying score often did not help the singers with their notes. However, they coped very well and the standard of singing was high. Well done to Josh Kemp, the MD, for playing such a difficult score so fantastically on the piano - which was very effective, and for preparing the cast so well. Also, well done to Chris Smith who played the drums.
This production was very impressive. One minor criticism relates to the acoustics in the studio theatre. I did feel that the songs in particular required more amplification to enable us to hear all the words, but this was down to the building not the cast.
This was a very good production from an extremely talented cast. Well done to everyone who was involved and well done to AG Performing Arts who had the vision and may I say, courage, to produce such a difficult show in such a short time.
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Marvellous Productions
Chilwell School
July 26th 2014
I was not sure what I was going to see last night at Chilwell School when I went to “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” I had a vague idea what American Spelling Bees were, but they seemed an unlikely theme for a comedy musical. However, It soon became obvious that this was going to be a very interesting, amusing and entertaining evening.
The show is a musical comedy conceived by Rebecca Feldman with music and lyrics by William Finn, a book by Rachel Sheinkin and additional material by Jay Reiss. The show is about a fictional Spelling Bee Competition set in a geographically ambiguous Putnam Valley Middle School. Six quirky adolescents compete in the Bee, run by three equally quirky grown-ups. There are also some volunteer “spellers” from the audience, who compete along side the actors. When it opened on Broadway it received 6 Tony Nominations and won 2 including one for Best Book.
It is a play with music and the catchy songs were used to good effect, either to move the action on, explain the personalities of the children and adults or accompany flashbacks or indeed flashforwards!
The script is well written and witty allowing for a certain amount of freedom to add local or topical references. In this performance one of the young spellers mentioned a certain Mr Gove and his departure from the DFE. I guess you can’t get any more up to date or relevant than that!
A very amusing part of the show was listening and watching the Vice Principal, played very well and very dryly, by Douglas Panch. He was the one who asked the questions and provided ridiculous “usage-in-a-sentence” examples. Many of these were very funny and enjoyed by the audience. I loved the many and varied facial expressions he used during the show.
The cast, all adults, were excellent in their respective roles, which involved acting and singing. There were ensemble numbers including the infectious opening song “The Twenty-Fifth Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” and the “after each eviction” song, “Goodbye.” The individual characters all had solos to sing as well so there was a lot to learn and perform. I really enjoyed the individual performances from Kayrakise Evans, Rob Charles, Keli Wain, Abby Riddell, Sophie Kish and Chris Vaughan as the Spellers and Rob Holsman and Cat Tuckey as the other two adults. Cat, incidentally has an absolutely superb singing voice, which, was very well suited in her role as the teacher.
The action moved very quickly and the Director, George Lamb must be commended for this. However, there were other equally effective moments when things were slowed down to a snail’s pace, keeping us all wondering what was going to happen next!
Although the show was very funny, bright and lively there also some moments of sadness as some of the characters were eliminated. These were very well handled by the individual cast members. The way they behaved expressed that “winning isn’t everything and that losing doesn’t necessarily make you a loser.” Yes, the show did have a message and it came through loud and clear, due to the excellent writing and the convincing performances.
The music was superbly controlled by the MD, John Maddison and his pianist, the talented Joel Hall. I really enjoyed the sensitive piano accompaniment, which ensured that we could hear almost every word that was sung. It was very important in this show that this was the case as the songs are an integral part of telling the story.
The lighting and sound were very effective and enhanced the production.
The whole cast, under the superb direction of George Lamb did the script and the show proud and everyone involved should be very pleased with the result.
This was a very enjoyable evening and the show did spell “fabulous” for me!
Punk Rock
Magpie Drama
The Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
July 18th 2014
This was an outstandingly good production by an amazing cast and production team. The performance was followed by a Q and A session with the cast and producer Rachel Bates: a perfect end to the evening. There were some very good questions from an engaged and interested audience and equally good answers. The young actors had clearly thought carefully about the characters they were playing and spoke thoughtfully about the development of their character portrayals.
Rachel and the cast had obviously worked very hard and had an exciting and interesting time producing this riveting play; their understanding of it and enthusiasm for it shone through. Rachel’s staging emphasised and underscored roles in the play. We saw dominant characters establishing themselves at the front on a sofa and passive characters placed at the back. Clever use of a blackboard and a background soundtrack took us into new scenes and established timings. It’s not easy to show development and character change in a static setting, but Rachel achieved this admirably. The claustrophobia of the small upstairs library in an elite school, in which the play takes place, becomes central to the action.
Matthew Biddulph played the role of William and he was outstanding at portraying the self-doubting protagonist on the edge of a catastrophic breakdown. He was able to switch convincingly between normality and abnormality, ratcheting up the chilling menace as the play reached its disturbing climax. From mild mannered cheerfulness to cold-blooded destruction, Matthew took us on the journey with him, ending with the shrug of a deeply flawed character who really can’t see what all the fuss is about. A huge part to learn, understand and do justice to, Matthew gave a great performance.
Adam Richmond was the "bully - Bennett" who goaded some of the other characters, using both physical and psychological methods to establish his dominance over them. Adam put his all into this physically and vocally challenging part, giving us a riveting performance of a deeply unlikeable character. The part is strongly written and Adam took advantage of this, fully exploring a character who is unsure of his sexuality and needs to cover this up with bluster. He shouts, swears and threatens others, particularly Chadwick, a brilliant geek who cannot fully understand modern preoccupations.
This part of Chadwick was played wonderfully well by William Rogers. William gave an excellently pitched delivery and showed a complete understanding of how to express his character’s vulnerability through physical gestures. The audience could sense the confusion and pain this bullied boy felt when in the presence of the hectoring, abusive Bennett. His performance was a joy to watch, particularly his soliloquy.
Jack Eccles played Nicholas, the good-looking golden boy who does not have to try too hard at anything. Jack has good diction and projection and confidently portrayed a character who has little conscience, because he has no need to think deeply about anything. We see Nicholas as the character who will go far without much effort – until events unfold that change the course of his life.
In my opinion the female parts in this play are somewhat underwritten, but the three girls in this performance had worked hard to understand and flesh out their characters. One of the most unpleasant characters is Cissy, Bennett’s girlfriend, played excellently by Rebekeh Fearn. She shows no compassion, ignoring her boyfriend's incessant tormenting and bullying of Chadwick and gleefully humiliating him herself. Rebekah’s sultry smirks and confident posturing portrayed a girl who is hiding her fear - fear of letting both herself and her parents down- by asserting her sexuality.
Jessica Bridge played the part of the independent thinking and more mature Lilly. She played the character in an understated but confident way, managing large chunks of dialogue with ease. Her use of certain gestures and props established her character most convincingly. She and Matthew played well together, especially in the first scene, as their characters soon recognise each other’s intelligence and develop an affinity and repartee, which is as engaging for the audience as the characters. The sense of entitlement of these elite students is cleverly suggested in the writing and Matthew and Jessica conveyed this beautifully.
I was very impressed with Laura Davey who played the nervous and unconfident Tanya, a character who has insight and compassion, but is powerless to resist Bennett’s taunting and insults. Her use of physical gesture, facial expression and some deliberate hesitancy in delivery made her character immediately recognisable and sympathetic.
This play is genuinely shocking and makes uncomfortable listening and viewing at times. However, it tells a cracking story, gives us some engaging and complex characters and at the same time, really makes us laugh. It showed the depth of this great Drama Group, who use their outstanding skills as producers to recognise and showcase the large pool of talent in this area. I have seen performances in this play that engaged and excited me and made me think. This is what I want from drama and I want to see more. I look forward to both Magpie’s future productions and more performances from the talented young members of this cast.
David and Val Allen
RENT
Centre Stage Arts
The Robert Ludlam Theatre
July 15th 2014
Rent has been described as a "Marmite Show" some like it some don't. I have to say, I don't but I have no doubt in saying that this production by Centre Stage Theatre Arts did the show proud.
The production was excellent and there were some outstanding individual performances. The ensemble supported the principles very well and the casts rendition of Seasons of Love was absolutely brilliant. It is was certainly a show stopper and a crowd pleaser. The cast during the Finale sang their hearts out much to the delight of the audience and even I was moved by it!
The quality of the singing was high and this was appreciated on Tuesday evening by the capacity audience at The Robert Ludlam Theatre in Derby.
The band accompanied the cast sympathetically and was placed at the back of the stage. The balance between it and the performers was good and never over dominated the singers.
The musical directors, James Rayner and Bethan Davies are to be congratulated for that. Also I am sure they have worked very hard with the cast in order to produce such good vocals performances. The sound was very good throughout as was the lighting. The composite set was appropriate and well used by the cast.
The choreographer, Charlotte Robinson is to be congratulated for ensuring that the cast used the relatively small space on the stage so well.
The stage crew worked well and the scene changes were smooth and unobtrusive.
The production by Adam Guest was excellent and received a standing ovation at the end. This company showed in this performance that they have a considerable depth of talent and expertise.
As I said at the start, this is not a show I personally like but the cast and production crew should be congratulated for producing a show with energy, enthusiasm and emotion as demonstrated by the fact that many in the cast and some in the audience were in tears at the end.
Well done Centre Stage Theatre Arts. I look forward to seeing you again and hopefully next time the show will be one I like.
Emus Showcase 2014
Erewash Musical Society Youth Group
The Duchess Theatre
July 10th 2014
Where to begin with my review of the Emu’s Showcase tonight at the Duchess Theatre? Perhaps I should start by saying that as Vice President of this group I might be regarded as being biased, but when it comes to reviewing shows I do so without fear or favour!
So having said that I will start by saying that the performance I saw tonight has to be added very near to the top of my list of best youth performances I have ever seen.
This show had everything. Great singing, often in harmony, dancing of a very high standard, enthusiasm and commitment from the whole cast, plus fun and enjoyment thrown in for good measure. The energy being produced by the cast on the stage was phenomenal!
This show has been constructed by the large and talented production team to allow all the cast to shine both individually and as an ensemble. There were some very large ensemble numbers from shows such as “O what a Lovely War”, “Fame”, “Les Miserables”, “South Pacific” and “Mack and Mabel”. There were many others, in fact so many that it is a wonder that they were all so wonderfully performed. These young people have so obviously worked very hard indeed over the past 6 months to learn so many songs and routines.
There were also some smaller numbers and a few comedy sketches, which were well performed. In my experience young actors often find comedy difficult and do not really do them well, usually due to timing issues. Tonight, however, this was not the case and the sketches were very well performed with good timing and comic effect and the audience enjoyed them. The classic Four Yorkshire Men from Monty Python and the “Over the Top Sketch” from Black Adder were particularly good examples.
The dance routines were stunning, both in their visual appeal and in the quality and precision of their execution. In some cases, I felt many of the cast were moving very close to professional standards. Although they were concentrating on “getting it right”, they were also smiling and showing that they were really enjoying what they were doing. Their enthusiasm and enjoyment of the dances was infectious.
In amongst the obvious fun there were some poignant moments as well such as the performance of “Something Inside so strong”, celebrating the work and sacrifices of Nelson Mandela, while “Memories from the Trenches’ brought home the horror of the First World War. The young cast sensitively performed both and I am sure brought a few tears to the eyes of many in the theatre including mine.
Considerable use was made of overhead projections and these were first class. They were impressive and appropriate to the scenes. Well done to the technical and creative team for an excellent job. The lighting plot was also very effective.
The band was small but absolutely right for the venue and for this show. Mostly the balance between them and the singers was absolutely right, although occasionally it might have been a tad too loud, but without a pit this is probably inevitable. The Band was Dave Dallard (MD), Sean Garavan, Jeff Widdowson and Matt Biddulph.
The production of the show was impressive and the large cast was well handled and movement on the stage was well ordered and good to look at. Well done to Alysha Gomes, Kris Cunningham, Carol Lawson, Dave Dallard, Chris Renshaw, Grant Walker, Chrissie Oakden, Andrea Kemish, Hattie Kemish, Katy Maclaughlin, Matt Biddulph and Jack Readyhoof. Add to that the technical and back stage team of Dave Martin, Ben Tennett, Mark Robbins (Stage Manager) Sue Cox and friends of the Society.
The 38 youngsters and the production and back stage teams have worked hard to produce a show of a very high standard. There were some outstanding individual performances, but over and above this it is about the whole company working together. So it is very well done to all in the company because it was them that turned the ideas of others into a rollicking good show.
Betsy Kirkland-Ball – Charlie Pierson – Charlie Vallans – Chloe Hopcroft – Daisy Wright – Daya Khosse – Dylan Singfield – Eliza Charnock – Ellie Simmonds – Emily Bridge – Emily Marshall – Emily Watts – Ethan Fletcher – Gabryl Oleshko – Georgia Marvin – Grace Peaston – Grace Deakin – Hattie Kemish – Hayden Fletcher – Holly Pilgrim – Jack Readyhoof – Jess Bridge – Joe Langley – Katie Lawson – Laura Allen – Lewis Haycock – Lizzie Buckthorpe – Lucy Judson – Lucy Ledger – Martin Lewis – Molly McCarthy – Oliver Wheddon – Robyn Oleshko – Sam Chell – Sophie Robbins – Tom Judson – Tom Martin – Zak Charlesworth
This is a must see show and certainly a shining example of what a good youth show should be like.
Seussical Jr
The Long Eaton Operatic Society Youth Group
The Duchess Theatre
July 4th 2014
I enjoyed the show very much and it brought back many great memories of the Dovedale version I produced in 2010. Well done to the cast and crew and it was great to see their obvious enjoyment of what they were doing in the Finale which was excellent.
This is a fun show but with a very complicated and obscure story. However, it never ceases to enthuse and entertain audiences of all ages.
The music is great and there is something for everyone to do. A truly ensemble piece but there were also some excellent individual performances as well. I liked the choreography which was simple but appropriate and the staging was good. The simple set was colourful as were the costumes.
One negative though was the sound which at times was not carrying the voices of some performers. I suspect more mics are needed by this group as there didn't seem to be many. The sound Also lacked some treble clarity.
However, that aside tonight at the Duchess there was great enthusiasm both on stage and in the auditorium.
Overall a good production from this popular local group and certainly a show not to miss.
April in Paris
Derby Theatre Production
Derby Theatre
June 30th 2014
(Coming Soon)
April in Paris tells the story of Bet (Shobna Gulati) & Al (Joe McGann), two middle aged people from Hull. Al is unemployed and bitter, Bet is feeling unloved and bogged down by routine. Their discontent and boredom leads to constant sniping and bickering, written and delivered with such lightness of touch that the audience is always amused and never embarrassed.
The couple win a one night trip to Paris and there's then a see-sawing between relief at having broken away from the boredom of Hull and an insecurity verging on paranoia about being in a strange country, where they don't know the culture and feel rather small.
The two actors in the play are excellent, although Shobna Gulati may look a little too young and attractive for the role! The two of them work hard to keep the audience engaged with a spirited and nuanced delivery of John Godber’s pithy Northern humour. Both are able to tell the story, not just through dialogue and narration, but also through sharply observed actions.
This play makes the audience work, as the simple set merely suggests where the action takes place and our imaginations fill in the rest. The clever use of decking and a moving backdrop in Act 1 takes us giddily from a back garden in Hull across the North Sea to Paris, for a colourful and evocative Act 2.
April in Paris is not full of profound insights or dramatic highs. Godber avoids sentimentality, so his characters do not find any clear resolutions to either their problems or their rocky relationship. The hint of optimism at the end of the play is welcome and nicely rounds off a cleverly written, very amusing and enjoyable piece of theatre.
Pick 'N Mix - Revenge of the Cast
The Young Performers
The Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
June 19th 2014
Pick ‘N Mix by The Young Performers was an evening of music, dance, song and short plays. An eclectic mix of performances to show off the talents of the resident youth group at the Duchess Theatre.
This show began with an explosive and exciting version of Pharrell Williams “Happy” and the broad smiles on the faces of this large cast of young people and their enthusiastic singing, set the stage alight and delighted the audience.
This was followed by a mixture of comedy and more serious drama in the form of 5 short plays interspersed with some music and dance.
There were some musical numbers, including a very well performed and choreographed version of Cell Block Tango from Chicago. I was impressed by an extract taken from Alan Bennett’s The History Boys: the boys who performed this were excellent.
The finale of the show was a collection of James Bond film themes played by the band and sung by the whole cast. Although sung in a static choir formation, this was an excellent performance with impressive harmony singing and a solo.
There is no doubt that the young cast put their hearts and souls into all the performances tonight and received a well deserved round of applause at the end. I did feel, however, that the band, although very good musically, was a little loud at times for the singers who didn’t generally have microphones and were, as a consequence, sometimes not heard clearly enough.
The set design was simple but effective and the sound and lighting effects were good.
Overall I enjoyed this show and cannot praise too much the commitment, talent and enthusiasm of these young people. They opened and closed the show with some glorious singing and I would have liked to have heard a little more of this during the show.
It is worth noting that much of this show was produced by the young people themselves, including the choice of material, arranging of rehearsals, supplying props and much more. Well done to them all.
If you have the chance go along to the Duchess Theatre and support these great young people and their adult producers and enjoy a Summer Pick ‘n mix with them.
Sister Act
Carlton Operatic Society
Theatre Royal Nottingham
May 28th 2014
Two words describe last night’s performance of Sister Act – “Fabulous Baby!”
That is the title of a song sung by the central character, Deloris Van Cartier, a nightclub singer, at the start of the show. She has to seek refuge in a convent, as she is a witness to a mob murder and needs police protection. While in the Convent she miraculously transforms the off key Nun’s choir into a fabulous gospel choir. She also transforms her own life and breaks free from the shady nightclub world she lived in before, she contributes to the arrest of the mob boss and saves the church from closure. Yes, all in just over 2 hours – that’s the wonderful world of stage musicals for you – fabulous, baby!
However, there are some twists and turns along the way and some great musical numbers and dance routines, which move the action along quickly and keep
the toes tapping. Songs like “Take Me To Heaven;” “Sunday Morning Fever;” “Raise Your Voice;” “Bless Our Show’ and “Spread the Love Around’ are feel good, happy clappy numbers that raise the rafters and guarantee smiles all round.
This was a very professional performance from an operatic society with a great pool of talent. There were no weak performances in my view; in fact I think this was as good a performance as the professional version I saw in London some time ago.
The show is, to a large extent, an ensemble piece, with the Nuns Choir taking the central role. They are on stage for much of the show and have several large-scale routines to master. This they did with great energy, polish and obvious enjoyment. Much credit for this must go to the choreographer, Lisa Lee, who has worked to the strengths of the group and created some exciting and visually striking set pieces. This show is her first with Carlton: I am sure she will be working on many more in the future.
There are some excellent cameo performances, notably the gangsters played with careful characterisation and just the right amount of threat combined with slapstick, by Lyndon Warnsby, Liam Hall, Mark Coffey-Bainbridge, Nigel Newton and Desrick Francis. Other notable supporting roles are played by Jackie Dunn, Hannah Rogers-Gee and Laura Thurman, all of whom have absolutely nailed their characters through voice and mannerisms.
Ray Mcleod, who is well known in the Nottingham area as an accomplished singer and dancer, plays Officer Eddie Souther. He gives an energetic and characterful performance with many witty and amusing touches, making him a favourite with the audience. Sarah Walker Smith plays the Mother Superior, who almost right to the end, disapproves of Deloris’s influence on the music in the convent. She played the part with great confidence and expression and has a lovely voice. Graham Ward plays Monsignor O’Hare, the sympathetic Parish Priest, and he brings warmth and gentle humour to the role.
And so to Monique Henry, who plays the leading role of Deloris Van Cartier. I think it is fair to say that she was outstanding in the part – her singing, dancing and acting are of a professional standard and yet this is her first major role in a musical. From the first notes of “Fabulous Baby” it was obvious that she had the voice, personality and stage presence to excel in this role. What a find for Carlton Operatic and indeed the Nottingham musical scene. This will not be her last leading role.
The show ended with a full theatre standing ovation, which is not all that common in local shows. The whole company thoroughly deserved that and I for one was dancing through the Finale.
Great credit for the obvious success of the show must go to the production team, led by the very talented director, Amanda Hall. Amanda’s experience and vision, plus her obvious understanding of stage spectacle, make this polished production a veritable feast for the senses.
The Musical Director, Christopher Rees, who is elevated to the Papacy during the Finale, led an excellent orchestra very well and sympathetically accompanied the singers throughout. The standard of singing was very high and a great deal of hard work and rehearsal must have gone in to making this so.
This is a show that moves along quickly and scene changes need to be very slick. They were just that under the management of the Stage Manager, Jon Higton, and his largish stage crew. Lighting and Sound were excellent and Tom Mowat must be complimented on his sympathetic Lighting design.
This was an outstanding production, which I loved. Yes, the plot and the story are a bit predictable, but the energy, excitement and talent injected into this production by all the cast made it a joy to watch. This is a must see show.
It really is “Fabulous Baby.” Go see it before it ends on Saturday evening.
Haunting Julia
Magpie Drama
Duchess Theatre Long Eaton
2014
Alan Ayckbourn – who is far better known for his chirpy, up-beat comedies than his portrayals of grief and desperate obsession, wrote this play in 1994. It has seen a number of revivals and had a national tour since then. Last night’s performance at the Duchess Theatre by Magpie Drama was the first by an amateur company in this area.
From the moment the curtain lifts, the scene is set: we’re in some kind of museum-style set-up, with a voice over playing: a young girl is on tape talking about the room, which, it turns out, was her bedroom whilst she was at college. It’s only as she gets to the end of her speech that she reveals that it was here, in this very room that she killed herself.
The effect is chilling, and things start to become very uncomfortable. This is good, old-fashioned suspense: Ayckbourn builds up the story slowly, adding in gradual layers, as the characters reveal the secrets that they’ve carried with them since Julia’s suicide. We learn how much (or how little) they knew about her and the parts they played in both her life and death. There are a few moments in the play that will make you genuinely gasp in surprise, at other times you’re uncomfortably aware that you’re waiting for something to happen. However, there are times when the clever dialogue and the actors’ timing bring wry smiles or even loud laughs.
That is as much of the plot as I am prepared to reveal. I don’t want to spoil it for anyone about to see it – and see it you really should; it’s excellent entertainment.
When the curtain opens we are treated to an beautifully realised set design by Dan Bates, which looks and feels authentic and places us where we need to be to anticipate the action. Some special effects are truly amazing.
Last night there were very strong performances from all three actors. Mike Evans plays Julia’s father Joe Larkin, Rick Law plays Julia’s boyfriend Andy Rollinson and Dan Bates plays the visitor. All three had large amounts of dialogue to learn as well as dealing with northern accents and some deeply felt, emotional scenes to interpret. Alongside these scenes of painful memories and unwelcome realisations are the usual Ayckbourn sparkles of humour and wit. The director has managed to balance these contrasts of mood extremely well and the actors show polish and finesse.
The “spooky” atmosphere in the show is, in some considerable part, developed and enhanced by the excellent lighting and sound plot devised by Simon Birchall. The Stage Manager, Lucy Young, and her crew ensured that the production went ahead smoothly with no obvious problems.
The production by Rachel Bates is thoughtful and thought provoking and she obviously has a deep understanding of the feelings and motivations of the characters. As she says in the programme “This has been the most rewarding and challenging play I have ever produced.” She and her cast certainly rose to that challenge tonight.
This is a play that needs to be seen rather than read about and I would urge you to go and see it if you can. The enthusiastic audience made their feelings known at the end and I for one would have like to have seen a few more than the single curtain call – the cast certainly deserved it.
Haunting Julia is another great success for Magpie Drama, a group which is making a name for itself in the area for producing exciting, innovative and high quality drama.
Go and see it if you can but don’t walk home alone!
Cats
National Tour
Nottingham Concert Hall
April 16th 2014
There is no doubting the popularity or the longevity of this Andrew Lloyd Webber show. It was after all one of the longest running shows in the West End and on Broadway.
The show is renowned for 3 things. Excellent singing and dancing, sparkling special effects and colourful costumes. All of these were present during this performance at the Nottingham Concert Hall. The cast as a whole was outstanding and there were also some excellent individual performances. At times the ensemble’s dancing was breathtaking, combining a number of dance styles with some spectacular gymnastics. The costumes and lighting effects were good and overall the production was excellent.
However, this show is a classic case of great production and performance against not so good material. Not that the poems of T.S. Eliot aren’t great, just that they are a little lost in this format. In my view it is too long, has some unnecessarily repetitious songs, a story that has little substance and is at times confusing. Lord Webber is extremely good at the use of two or three musical themes, which are used again and again and again! Even the one well known song, Memory, appears at least 3 times.
I am sure that fans of the show will be delighted with it, but for me and this was the first time I had seen it, it was, particularly in Act 1, very slow. The second Act was more meaty and did include the excellent song Mr. Mistoffelees, which featured some great ballet, gymnastics and special effects.
I may, of course, be a bit out on a limb with this one, but for me it needed reducing in length a bit and would be better if some of the repetition was removed.
I think that this is a show that will always divide opinion and there is nothing wrong with that. Other opinions are always available and to be welcomed.
Damn Yankees
The Ripley and Alfreton Musical Theatre Company
Alfreton Grange
April 14th 2014
Last night I went to see a “Damn Good Musical’ in Alfreton. I am talking about an absolutely first class production by the Ripley and Alfreton Musical Theatre Company of the 1950's baseball themed musical “Damn Yankees.”
In 1956 it won eleven Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Choreography. The book is by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop, with music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross who, also wrote the highly successful musical The Pyjama Game.
The producer and choreographer of the show, Chris Parkes, has created a production that is energetic, punchy, exciting and pure fun. The atmosphere of a baseball game is established as soon as the audience enter the venue, with adornments and merchandise that set the scene brilliantly. One felt transported across the Atlantic to another time and place - and the hot dog at half time was great!
The plot is not very complicated. The Yankees are perpetual winners, whereas the lowly Washington Senators are habitual losers. Washington fan Joe Boyd, played by Richard Levers, makes a pact with a stranger called Applegate (James Fearn), who is really the devil, for the chance to play for the Senators and beat the 'Damn' Yankees. To add some temptation for Joe, Applegate calls up 170 year old Lola to work her sexual magic on his potential new recruit. Rachel Clines plays the part brilliantly, she acts and sings well and is a highly skilled dancer. Her big number 'Whatever Lola Wants' was a highlight of the show.
Andy Quinn’s performance as the transformed Joe was excellent. When he appeared for the first time and sang it was certainly a “wow” moment for me. His voice is outstanding and his acting is of a high standard.
Four musical performances stand out for me: 'Heart' ('You gotta have heart') set in the Senators' locker room with the excellent David Ian Jones as the Senators' manager supported by his players.
'Goodbye, Old Girl' provided one of the most touching musical moments, during the clever transformation from Joe Boyd to Joe Hardy (Richard Leivers and Andy Quinn). Both performed well in this scene.
Then there was the fabulous James Fearn, an absolute delight as Applegate, who has great fun with his big solo 'Those Were the Good Old Days.' His performance throughout the show was incredibly strong and he was a commanding presence whenever he appeared on the stage. For me he was the undoubted star of the show.
Playing four important roles in the show were Yvonne Taylor who played Joe Boyd's long suffering wife, Meg, Charmain Hardy who played the investigative journalist, Gloria Thorpe and Helen Steel and Jane Oates who played Sister and Doris. All four were very good in their roles both from a singing and acting perspective.
Finally, the boys in the Washington Senators team sang and danced very well throughout the show, but excelled in particular during the song “The game.” These young actors were so enthusiastic and put everything they had got into both ensemble and individual work. The clever choreography enabled them all to achieve a high standard of performance, irrespective of their dancing experience. This was true of all the dancing scenes and shows the touch of a gifted choreographer.
The producer used his large ensemble to very good effect and he was not tempted to over crowd the stage. Changes were slick and the use of entrances from stage front as well as rear and the wings, kept the action lively. I think it is fair to say that the book of the show is a little lacking in substance and can be a bit slow at times. However, this production cleverly fills in some of the gaps and keeps things moving. Well done to Chris Parkes for that.
The combination of music from the excellent orchestra and the well rehearsed ensemble, under the musical direction of Morris Fisher, plus the vision and energy of Chris Parkes, brought this show up to major league standard.
Other features to note were the use of some very colourful and historically accurate costumes supervised by Molly Limpets, an excellent lighting plot from Stephen Greatorix and fabulous sound management from Total Theatre. There were a couple of slowish scene changes but Stage Manager, Ken Owen and his crew worked hard to make sure that this first night ran as smoothly as possible.
This is the first time I have seen this excellent company perform but it most certainly won’t be the last.
Jesus Christ Superstar
The Long Eaton Operatic Society
May Hall Theatre, Trent College, Long Eaton
April 9th 2014
Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd-Webbers Rock Opera is over 40 years old and yet this is the first time I have seen it live on stage. There are apparently almost as many versions of the show as years that have passed since its inception: this one is an up to date modern version. It was a bit of a surprise that right from the start the cast were wearing clothes of today, rather than the traditional garb of first century Palestine, but I soon got used to it. There were also mobile phones, and other modern electronic devices on show, but this did not detract from what is a timeless story of love, betrayal, faith and power.
From the start we were introduced to a sad and tortured Judas whose confusion about who Jesus really was led inevitably to disaster for them both. It is always good to see and hear Sam Barson, whose performance was powerful, dynamic and emotional. His splendid voice echoed out around the theatre, setting the scene for what was to come.
A new comer to Long Eaton, Mitch Gamble, plays Jesus as vulnerable, tortured and sadly accepting, as he approaches the final week of his life. He sang well, although on this occasion there was a problem with his microphone, which meant he could not always be heard. Thankfully this was corrected in the second Act and we were then able to fully appreciate his great voice. His performance in “Gethsemane” was excellent and his scourging and crucifixion were incredibly well done. He showed real agony in the way he both sang and spoke his final words. There was not a sound in the auditorium during this scene, which added to the at times, unbearable emotion.
The part of Mary Magdelene was played by Kathi Ludlow. She sang her part with understated but touching emotion, showing love towards Jesus as his agony became more intense. Her reactions to the hostility towards her from Judas showed that her sensitivity, calm and love cancelled out his anger.
An outstanding member of the cast for me was Graham Buchanan. His portrayal of Pilate was engaging, as he captured perfectly both the sympathy and anger he felt towards Jesus, plus an awareness of the threat to his own power. He switched between these brilliantly.
Keith Bird and Martin Briggs played the High Priests, Caiaphas and Annals very well, moving around the stage with great assurance and power. It was clever casting to use older performers to play the ruling elite against the younger, more idealistic disciples.
The actors playing the disciples were a talented mixed age group. They sang and moved with sensitivity, passion and enthusiasm throughout. They also showed a lot of emotional engagement with the events going on around them. Well done to Adam Collishaw, Zach Foster, Josh Jones, Keenan Jones, Alistair Langton, Tim Meakin, Martin Mould, Ben Woolley and Jack Wooley.
Peter Brooks played Peter and was excellent with a powerful voice that he used to great effect in the arrest and trial scenes. His agony at betraying Jesus was clearly seen in the expressive way he denied knowing him.
Zak Charlesworth, sang and acted the part of Simon very well. He has a great voice and was able to show raw emotion when urging Jesus to take on the authorities.
This show is pretty serious as you might expect, but my favourite song lifts the mood a bit and for that I think audiences are always grateful! That is ‘Herod’s Song’, which includes the immortal words of Tim Rice “Prove to me that you’re Divine, change this water into wine…Prove to me that you’re no fool, walk across my swimming pool.” Rob Byatt’s Herod was grotesquely amusing and he delivered these lines with some delicious gushing, leering and sneering.
In addition to the principals I have mentioned there was a large ensemble that the Director, Adam Guest, used to great effect. They were incredibly enthusiastic, dynamic and energetic and the show moved very quickly as a result.
The singing in the show was powerful, and the dancing was well executed, thanks to the choreography of Siobhan Parker. The Orchestra was ably directed by the Musical Director, Charlotte Daniel. She must have worked very hard to get such a large ensemble plus the principals to such a very high standard of performance.
The lighting and staging were good and once the problems with some of the mics were sorted during the interval, the sound was ok too.
Adam Guest made good use of both an impressive composite set and a projection screen on the side of the stage. The latter was used a number of times during the show to give a different view of some of the scenes and to widen and enhance the action.
One minor criticism is that I found the rather laid back finale too stark a contrast to the extreme emotion and sadness of the Crucifixion scene. I think I would like to have seen something a little more sombre and restrained, but then again the actors did deserve the sustained and enthusiastic applause they got from the audience.
This show had a Producer as well as a director: Margaret Butcher. She has obviously worked tirelessly to bring this musical to the stage and support Adam with such a big show and large cast.
To be honest this is not one of my favourite shows, but I think the Long Eaton Operatic Society did it proud and performed it brilliantly. They did enter truly into the spirit of the story and not for a moment did any of them lose concentration or go out of character.
Congratulations to Adam for his vision and the way he used and developed the many talents of his cast so well. Well done to everyone involved both on and off the stage and good luck for the rest of the week.
The Drowsy Chaperone
The Erewash Musical Society
Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
April 8th 2014
“The Man” sits in his armchair thumbing through his record collection when he finds his favourite record. He puts it on his record player, and when it starts to play, his apartment is turned into a stage for one of his favourite musicals. From that point on smiles, fancy costumes and happy show tunes burst forth and the performance of The Drowsy Chaperone begins.
The Drowsy Chaperone, the Spring production from the Erewash Musical Society, is a taste of 1920's musicals within a comedy play. 'The man” sits by the side of the stage interacting with the audience and guiding them through his favourite musical and injecting his own views on the show and indeed many other things besides.
The Drowsy Chaperone is a brilliantly written musical. It is also a hilarious comedy with intelligently sharp and sophisticated humour.
The undoubted star of the production is David Hewitt who plays “The Man”, our sometimes tipsy narrator, who guides us through his favourite musical. His humour is subtle and precise, with a very thorough grasp of the vacillations and nuances in the writing. His connection with the audience is impeccably strong. David addresses the audience directly and is required to take control of all our reactions to almost everything that unfolds on stage. It is a very tall order, but he does it brilliantly.
Louise O’Boyle as Janet van de Graaf impresses with a beautiful, strong and versatile singing voice. Her role is a demanding one, and she delivers on all fronts. Her work is full of conviction, and she looks very much the part.
Her fiancé Robert Martin is played by Mark Haigh, who has created a character that seems to be magically transported from the 1920s. It is a performance that is authentic and meticulously delivered. He is delightful in the part, with a strong singing voice and confident execution of choreography. Not only is his rendition of “Cold Feet” well sung, but his tap routine is impeccable. He also shows a talent for comic roller skating, which is not easy on this small stage. His best man in waiting, the very stressed and sometimes manic George, is played with skill, conviction and great humour by Andrew Honman.
As with many a musical of the period there is a comedy duo, who are gangsters are dressed as pastry cooks – don’t ask why - and Adam Richmond and Carl McGarrigle are superb in the roles. They have to act, sing and dance while maintaining an air of two rather stupid gangsters. I really enjoyed their performances.
There is much to be admired about the performance of Dan Bates as the ever suffering Butler (Underling) – very funny and he works very well with his crazy mistress, Mrs Tottendale, played with wit and charm by Christine Hewitt.
The Drowsy Chaperone herself was played by Alex Tavener whose rendition of the song “As we Stumble Along” was one of the many musical highlights of the show. The role itself demands that she acts like an old style musical star who dismisses others of a lesser position in show business. This she does very well and she has a great presence on the stage.
No musical comedy would be complete of course, without the Latin Lothario, in this show it is Adolpho -who plans to seduce the bride- played with brilliantly oily comic timing by Phil Deakin. He doesn’t manage a seduction exactly, but is very funny as he tries; I wont say who he ends up with at the end!
The role of the theatrical producer Feldzieg was played very well by Steve Thornhill. He has to deal not only with the two gangsters but also a brainless chorine called Kitty played by Gemma Blake. She is absolutely brilliant in the role and screeches, screams and totters around the stage throughout, bringing much humour to the show.
Finally I must mention Steph Ure, who plays the part of Trix The Aviatrix. She leads the company in another of the big numbers towards the end of the Show “I do I do in the Sky.” She has a great stage presence and sings very well.
Completing the outstanding cast is an ensemble that plays a big part in the show. Rachel Brown, Andrea Kemish, Carol Lawson, Katie Lawson, Jane Maltby and Steph Ure are maids who sing, dance and move furniture brilliantly, while Nick Buckthorpe, Kay Cocks, Gary Fowkes, Julie Philips and Fiona Wright do similar things very well.
One of the strengths of this cast is that they dance and sing so well. Not all of them are trained dancers, but they all joined in with a level of proficiency not always seen on the amateur stage. Well done to them all and to the choreographer, Laurie Trott who through her design and training produced routines of a very high standard.
Mark Birch’s direction was tight, imaginative and clearly used the various talents of the cast to great effect. He has made sure that the show moved at a swift pace and there are no delays for scene changes.
Here I must mention the stage crew and the Maids in particular who ensured that the scene changes, and there were many of them, were swift and unobtrusive. Mark Robbins, the stage manager, is to be congratulated for the organisation of this and for the splendidly adaptable set that was both visually and practically excellent.
The orchestra was led by the Musical Director, David Walker. It was excellent and supported the cast sympathetically and was never too loud. The quality of the singing particularly in ensemble songs was outstandingly good and David obviously worked very hard with the company.
Lighting and sound were good as ever with this Society.
This is a supremely entertaining show with clever humour. It is also a show about our love of performance. “Man in chair” has an obsession for stage performers in his record collection, and this production gives us many reasons to be enthralled in our seats, amused and awestruck.
Well done once again to the Erewash Musical Society for producing a show of such high quality in all areas.
The choice of this show was undoubtedly a risk for the group as it is not well known. However, I am sure that all who will see it will go away with a bit of a buzz, feeling “a little less blue’ and maybe wanting to hear the songs again as they are certainly infectious.
I did not know the show until recently but I just love it now and had an absolutely great evening at the Duchess and I hope many of you will go and see it before it ends on Saturday Evening.
The Drowsy Chaperone is at the Duchess Theatre in Long Eaton until Saturday April 12th.
Whatever You Want
Gatepost Theatre
The Guildhall Theatre, Derby
March 29th 2014
What a fantastic show this was and a World Premiere as well!
Written by Kate Baker (also the Musical Director) , it tells the story of a group of tourists who set off on a holiday in Ibiza. During the holiday many face major challenges to their lifestyles, dreams and beliefs which for some leads to a realisation that life on holiday really can be about "Whatever you want."
Jim Baker did a wonderful job as Artistic Director with this very talented cast. One striking feature of this show is that every member of the cast has a character role and almost everyone has solo vocal lines. Powerfully this makes for a superb ensemble piece but also allows for some outstanding individual performances and there were, in fact, many.
I must commend in particular, Luke Grainger who played the part of the tiresome yet endearing Jonny Marks for both his acting and singing skills (actually he can dance as well!). I guess he had one of the biggest parts in the show. Also Gemma Ryan who played his long lost mother who had a powerful voice and played the part with sympathy and understanding.
I also particularly liked Ryan Taylor who was very funny as among other characters, as a Spanish Waiter and the very funny Swedish Health Instructors played by Josephine and Richard Pearson. However as this was a truly ensemble piece I will also mention the rest of the cast who were great:
Richard Bonser, Kerry Evans, Harry Straw, Isobel Wayne, Jodie Smith, Brett Walker, Lucy Meakin, Stephanie Wright, Estelle Cumberworth, Simon Owen, Chris Collington (last seen in Bad Girls at the Duchess Theatre recently), Jon Dawkins, Hannah Measham, Victoria Palmer, Laura Howard, Jude Cliff, Ryan Taylor, Mary Blanco, George Taylor, Joy Taylor, Margaret Beasley and Catherine Hill.
The band was located on the stage throughout and had an authentic Quo sound, at least in my opinion. Both Kate and Jim play in the band with Kate conducting. Great Musicians, all!
The singing of the whole cast was outstandingly good and the choreography by Laura Howard, Stephanie Wright and Kate Baker was a joy to watch. In the main there was some very good synchronised dancing of the period (1970's) but there was also plenty of individualised and group dancing. That kept it fresh and exciting and the whole cast joined in with enthusiasm and some considerable skill.
The use of the Quo songs worked well, a bit in the style of other shows such as Mama Mia. I was amazed how many of the 28 songs I knew. So, many in the audience, including me, clapped, stamped and sang along with the cast especially during the Finale.
There were many scenes in this show and they were changed very well by the stage crew under the direction of John Cliff. The way in which the props and other items of furniture were changed with great speed and efficiency was very impressive. Having worked back stage my self recently, I know how important a good crew is. There contribution should never to underestimated but often is. So well done to Mark Green, Barbara Morgan, Danny Greaves, Matt Hillman, James Newton and Kane Hobster.
And so to the sound, lighting and technical aspects of the show. All very well handled by Jim Rolly, Chris Munn and Steve Greatorix of Derby Live. All were excellent.
This was an excellent show that was well written and performed. I would have stayed in my seat and watched the next performance had this been possible.
I would hope that it might soon be performed by other groups, with the necessary copyright remunerations of course!
Well done to everyone and thank you for making my Saturday Afternoon such a happy one. You really blew me away.
I am now looking forward to the Gatepost Theatre Company's next production which is Godspell, also at the Guildhall Theatre, from Wednesday July 9th to Saturday July 12th. Go and see it because on the basis of what I saw today it will be fabulous.
Bad Girls the Musical
The Cast
Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
March 4th 2014
I knew very little about this show until coming to see it tonight. I was not a fan of the TV series, although I did see one or two episodes. However, I certainly enjoyed what I saw tonight.
Set in a wing of a women’s prison, Bad Girls - the Musical is tough, brutal but also at times very funny. It has songs staged with panache and excitement and there are great performances from this very talented group.
Previous experience of the popular TV show on which it is based is not necessary. This musical has its own bold style. Not exactly camp, not exactly bad taste, but gloriously audacious.
Kath Gotts’ songs range from a Blues lament to a Garland/Astaire inspired duet, to a Busby Berkeley type routine. All Banged Up, a raunchy ditty lamenting the girls’ lack of sex, was fantastic - funny and frank with delightfully outrageous choreography. The Two Julie’s played by Carrie-Anne Corner and Claire Farrand-Preston, are brilliant throughout, but particularly excelled during this number.
The entry of glam gangster’s wife Yvonne, played by Alex Tavener, is an event in itself. She takes over and decides to have a boozy party, so the inmates- and the audience- have a rip roaring time.
Chris Collington, as scheming prisoner officer, Jim Fenner is as Machiavellian as he should be, excelling in his song and dance numbers. In contrast is Kevin Chatten, well known at the Duchess, playing the gauche Junior Officer, Justin Mattison. He wants to do good, despite being constantly teased and undermined by the inmates. He plays the part very well, with a cleverly understated charm and often very amusing diffidence.
Heather Weaver plays the part of the dominating Shell Dockley, the wing’s tough nut, with a gritty realism and engagingly saucy flair. Her tough but vulnerable sidekick, Denny Blood is played beautifully by Kathi Ludlow. Playing Nikki, a lesbian prisoner, is Emily Harris. She gave a great performance and has a powerful and expressive singing voice.
Gina Coventry, who plays the virtuous Wing Governor, Helen Stewart, sang and acted well, as did Emily Corner who plays the young new inmate, Rachel Hicks. This was not easy for a young actress, as she has to play the role of a scared and exploited teenager. She excelled, however, and received a substantial ovation from the enthusiastic audience at the end. Rachel Brown as the “bible bashing” Crystal Gordon gave a sweet and poignant rendition of Freedom Road.
I particularly liked Mina Machin, who plays the Senior Officer, Sylvia Hallamby. She combines some excellent comedy with a ruthless disdain for the prisoners. Adding considerable comedy, but also great acting is Lawrie Trott, as the old timer and professional prison inmate, Noreen Biggs. She has some short but pithy lines throughout the show. John Maddison, as the upright but unprincipled Prison Governor, convincingly portrays a man who only cares about appearances. The principals are very well supported by an excellent ensemble, who are engaged in the action throughout.
I suspect that few in the audience at the Duchess tonight will have seen or maybe even heard of this musical, but will have gone home with a smile on their faces and a desire to hear the music again.
The director, Rob Corner certainly captures the essence of this musical and as a result has produced a show of quality and depth. His production is slick and goes at a good pace. The use of some exceptionally good back projection gives many of the scenes a realistic feel.
Once again, Dave Dallard directs a good band, which accompanies the cast in a sympathetic and supportive way with quality musicianship.
The set, costumes and sound effects are just right and the sound balance between band and the cast is good. Rachel Brown’s choreography is witty and well executed.
The prolonged applause and cheering from the almost full house at the Duchess underlined the quality of this performance.
If you like a musical with good songs, saucy humour, a gritty story and a tear or two thrown in, go and see it before it ends on Saturday evening.
The Odyssey
Derby Theatre
I throughly enjoyed this latest in house production by the Theatre Director Sarah Brigham. In her programme notes she writes "The Odyssey is a sweeping epic tale of one soldier's return home. In the centenary year of World War I it is a fitting artistic tribute to commemorate and examine the consequences of war and the hard battle both soldiers and the community they live in, have when they return home."
Mike Kenny's commissioned work is therefore very relevant today hence the use of modern and World War 1 uniforms throughout the play.
This was a visually stunning production right from the start. The special effects were very interesting, often dramatic and well integrated into the play. The lighting and sound plots were excellent.
It was a very interesting and exciting production using a number of familiar Greek stories. The lighting and sound plots were great.
The cast of 8 was very strong indeed with Wolf Sawyerr playing the part of Odysseus brilliantly. All the other cast members played a number of roles making this a truly ensemble piece. They were all very good - Emma Beattie (Penelope), Rich Dolphin (Telemachus), Adam Horvath (Aeolus), Christopher Price (Eurymachus/ Cyclops), Ivan Stott (Alcinous), Ella Vale (Naussica) and Anna Westlake (Eurekleia).
While it is not a musical there were a few moments of appropriate and well performed singing and musical interludes of very good quality.
The set was imaginative and well used being set and unset very efficiently by the cast.
I am not really familiar with this drama but found it stimulating and thought provoking. It is wonderful to once again see a production of this quality being performed at the Derby Theatre. When you also consider it was commissioned by the theatre and Directed by the resident Artistic Director it has to be regarded as yet another great achievement for Derby Theatre.
Go and see it if you can - you will not regret it even if Greek drama is not really your thing. The loud and sustained applause from the full theatre at the end said it all.
Les Miserables
Erewash Musical Society Youth Group (Emus)
Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
February 6th 2014
Tonight at the Duchess Theatre I have watched the best youth production I’ve ever seen. It was simply stunning, mesmerizing and a triumph for the Erewash Musical Society Youth Group. (EMUs)
Although performed entirely by youngsters aged from 13 to 18, they handled the adult themes in this Schools’ version with ease and in a totally professional way.
The show, based on Victor Hugo’s novel, sees ex-convict Jean Valjean fight to care for adopted daughter Cosette, while being hunted by ruthless policeman Javert, in 19th Century France.
Wonderfully directed by Chris Renshaw and his hard working assistant Alysha Gomes, it was easy to forgot I was watching thirteen to 18 year olds, as they were completely in control. The singing was magnificent and the chorus numbers were fantastic both to listen to and to watch, thanks to the excellent Musical Director, Dave Dallard and the superb choreography of Carol Lawson.
It didn’t just sound great, it looked great too. The staging, costumes, lighting and sound fully enhanced the performances. Well done to Mark Robbins and his design and stage crew, plus excellent lighting and sound provided by Dave Dallard, Patrick Mackintosh, Dave Martin and Ben Tennett.
I’ve never seen an audience so stunned at the end of Act 1- it took them a while to get out of their seats at the start of the interval.
Packed with spine-tingling, goose-bump inducing, lump in the throat moments; honestly, I’ve seen semi and fully professional adult touring productions who could learn a lot from these youngsters.
Each of the vocal performances, from the lead principals, to the ensemble members, were clear and almost unfaltering. The energy and exuberance displayed from the ensemble was a joy to watch, most particularly in full-company numbers such as “One Day More.”
The whole cast was very strong both as singers and actors but I have to mention some individuals.
Zak Charlesworth as Valjean absolutely blew the audience away, particularly with his stunning rendition of “Bring Him Home” in Act 2. His interpretation of the character, who changes and ages considerably during the course of the show, was outstanding. Zak is only 16 and this is a huge part for any actor or singer, let alone one so young. He was fully in control of the part and dominated the stage whenever he was on.
Sam Chell, who played the policeman Javert, looked and sounded the part of someone who has an intense commitment to law, order and duty. He was menacing and yet at times showed moments of vulnerability and sadness. Sam produced a high quality performance, developing the character throughout the show. He is a powerful singer and his rendition of “Stars’ was very moving. Likewise, his suicide scene was strongly played and effective.
Ethan Fletcher, as the endearing young boy Gavroche, sang very well and has a voice that is exceptionally clear and expressive.
Oliver Wheedon was outstanding as Marius. His rendition of “Empty Chairs and Empty Tables” was fantastic. Not only was it sung well, but it was full of longing, sadness and anger.
Haydn Fletcher as Enjolras, a Student leader who led the rest into battle, gave a convincing depiction of the quest to win the battle against the French authorities. He was a commanding presence in the student scenes and sang with clarity and expression.
The bawdy and scene-stealing comedy of the delightfully vulgar Thénardiers, was played wonderfully by Hattie Kemish and Matt Biddulph. Their understanding of physical comedy, plus characterful vocal interpretation, made for rollickingly good performances - a little light relief from the tragic themes.
Also of particular note were the performances by the female members of the cast: Jess Bridge as Fantine sang ‘I Dreamed a Dream’, with range, control and evocative expression; Katie Lawson delivered a tragic and strong Eponine, particularly in her rendition of ‘I Love Him’; Laura Allen was very good in the role of the adult Cosette, with a lovely voice and Grace Deakin was a sweet and melodic Cosette. (This role is played also beautifully by Holly Pilgrim in some performances – I saw her on opening night).
Well done also to the ensemble within which there were many very good individual performances.
The orchestra provided excellent support for the cast. Considering how music-heavy ‘Les Mis’ is, they did a consistent and well-rehearsed job and sympathetically accompanied the soloists and chorus. The Musical Director, Dave Dallard, had trained the cast well and the result is quite remarkable, considering the extreme difficulty of much of the music in this show: there is no dialogue - it is all sung. This young cast certainly coped very well, often singing a melody line that was completely unrelated to the accompaniment being played by the orchestra. Fantastic stuff, indeed.
This was a superb production and the hugely deserved standing ovation at the end said it all. I have never seen any youth production as good as this. There was so much talent on the stage tonight and I expect to see some of this cast in leading roles on the West End in years to come.
This show sold out ages ago and now we all know why. Taking on the challenge of such a difficult and adult oriented show was I guess a risk for Erewash Musical Society, but it was one well worth taking.
Well done to all concerned. You were, to use a modern phrase, absolutely awesome - and that for me says it all.
Cinderella
The Young Performers
DuchessTheatre, Long Eaton
January 23rd 2014
Tonight at the Duchess Theatre the resident youth group, The Young Performers, entertained an almost full theatre with an enjoyable and traditional version of the pantomime, Cinderella. The title role was played with charming innocence by Rebecca Cox, a quietly determined Cinderella, who eventually overcomes her spiteful step-sisters to win the heart of the handsome Prince Charming. Rebecca looked and sounded just right for the part and had the audience willing her to go to the ball and meet the prince. She was comfortable on stage for what was, I believe her biggest role to date.
There were sparkling performances from Emily Owen as an excellent Principal Boy, Bradley Maclean as the very endearing and comedic Buttons, Curtis Salmon and Jonathan Higgins as the very Ugly Sisters, Dolche and Gabanna who made us laugh alot, and the very nasty twosome Doodle and Boo played by Brooke Marsden and India Smith. They certainly engendered considerable good natured booing from the audience. They were actually quite scary (as well as being good actors) – I wouldn’t like to meet them on a dark night in the enchanted forest!
Particular praise must go to Laura Davey in the cameo role of The Fairy Godmother. She acted the part so well it was easy to think she was a professional actress. Her plummy accent fitted the part well and she had complete control of the stage when she was on. She also was able to “work” the audience.
There were strong contributions, too from Natasha Grebby in the role of Dandini, Harvey Latter as the hen pecked Baron Hardup, Connie Turton as the quite nasty Baroness, Liam Morris as the equally hen pecked King and Amy Wilcox as the Queen. Phoebe Buxton completed the principals line up and was good as the amusing Lady Penelope.
There were some human animals in this show namely two brown mice played by Molly Parkinson and Chloe Young and the beautiful cow named Sir Loin (note the pun) played by Shannon Hickton and Victoria Garavan. I am afraid that I do not know who was at the front and who at the back!
Playing another strong cameo role was George Parkinson, who was Major Domo. His booming voice, both in an acting and singing role was fabulous and he entertained the audience throughout with his attention to detail and enthusiasm.
Simon and Zoe Davy’s set was bright and attractive while the costumes were very good indeed thanks to Alison Davey, Vicky Garavan and Jo Rogers. Simon Davey and his back stage crew worked hard to make sure all went smoothly on this opening night.
The show was written by Adam Stevenson and Leon Wade who also directed the band, which was in the wings but sounded great with the balance being just right, so that the actors were never drowned out.
The sound quality was very good controlled by Zak and Roydon Charlesworth and I have to say that few microphones were used but I could hear every word the actors were saying which was great. The lighting under the direction of Mike Beedham sensitively enhanced the production.
I particularly enjoyed the opening of Act 1, Act 2 and the Finale, when the whole ensemble were involved. There was some very good singing and dancing (well choreographed by Aishah Memet and Vicky Moran.)
I would have liked to have seen a few more songs in the show, as some of the scenes were somewhat dialogue heavy and the excellent supporting ensemble showed that they were more than capable of big singing and dancing numbers. Well done to the whole cast.
Finally, congratulations to Elaine Clemerson, the producer/ Director, and her production team, for the excellent management of what was a fairly large cast and for maintaining the traditional nature of the story and yet making this production unique and fresh.
It may not be Christmas time but tonight the Young Performers showed that at any time of the year traditional pantomime is still alive and well in Long Eaton.
Men of the World
Magpie Drama
DuchessTheatre, Long Eaton
January 9th 2014
John Godber’s Men of the World has been called “a Bouncers for the crinkly generation.”
The play is about three Sheffield coach drivers, who are getting ready for a bus tour. They recreate an incident and laughter-packed trip down the Rhine Valley, by bringing their past passengers to life.
Gary Lever plays Happy Larry, a driver with a penchant for Mario Lanza, who is about to retire; Howard Mackintosh plays a splendidly sardonic Stick, who is scathing about his elderly passengers and dreads being old. He would much rather be driving sixth formers down to Spain hoping ‘to get lucky’. Both actors are excellent, have brilliant diction and fluency and inhabit their initial roles with an easy charm. They are also able to become a range of other characters of different ages and personalities, with absolute conviction.
Rachel Bates makes up the trio as Frank, a girl who is ‘one of the boys’, able to temper excesses and mediate in any dispute. Rachel excels in her various adopted roles and effortlessly convinces us, among other personnas, that she is both a chain smoking pensioner of 78 and a glamorous nightclub singer.
I have to say that I admire all three actors for their ability to learn such a huge amount of dialogue. They did this with great skill and if they did add or take anything away from the script, it was not apparent tonight.
The actors multi-role play, which requires them to slip in and out of over twenty different parts. They introduce us to a memorable crowd of characters, including those comically referred to as The Beverley Sisters, The Marx Brothers and Mack and Mabel. Despite their best efforts, the inability of the long-suffering drivers to manage their comical senior passengers into an organised schedule is the plot of the play. The ability of these actors to slip seamlessly from one character to another and to delineate each convincingly, is a mark of their quality.
For most of the time they reached a professional standard of acting and interpretation. It was amazing how they were able to change the way they looked on stage when playing each character, by the use of carefully thought out physicality and minimal props. All their characterizations were very believable.
Men of the World is an engagingly funny play well performed by Magpie Drama and expertly directed by Dan Bates. His direction is full of energy, guiding us through the action without detracting from the characterisations and dialogue. His use of a basic black set, plus a large number of suitcases which the characters move around the stage at regular intervals, is very effective. He creates other places and times by simple suggestions that enable our imaginations to fill in the gaps; we could almost have been on that coach tour with them – heaven forbid!
Scene changes often involved lighting effects and these were very well realised by Simon Birchall. He was also responsible for the sound, which was well balanced. This clever use of lighting and sound effects stimulated our imaginations and took us where the director wanted us to be.
I really enjoyed the play and would recommend it to anyone who likes a well written script, a well directed show, lots of laughs and a very talented cast.
Magpie Drama is a new company and this is only their second show, but already they are making quite a mark on the local drama scene. I look forward to their next production in May, the spooky “Haunting Julia” by Alan Ayckbourn. Now that, I am sure, will have us on the edge of our seats.
Sleeping Beauty
The People's Theatre Company
Nottingham Arts Theatre
December 8th 2013
According to a recent article in a national newspaper, traditional pantomime is disappearing fast. Dames played by men, principal boys played by girls and beautiful Princesses are in serious decline. Well, this production at the Nottingham Arts Theatre proves this to be wrong, at least in the East Midlands!
Yesterday afternoon we were treated to a show that demonstrated that traditional pantomime is alive and well. Oh yes, we were.
There was a richly comic Dame- Nannie Nettie Nettle played by Gavin Alston, a dashing principal boy -Dandelion the Gardener played by Katie Inglis, a beautiful Princess played by Hannah Rogers-Gee and a vain and delightfully silly Prince Gorgeous played by Adam Tomas Monk wearing an outrageous wig. Fabulous!
There was also the charismatic Chester the Jester, played very well by Michael Pearson; a comedy duo played appealingly by Liam Hall and Laura Thurman, who worked very well together; a good fairy sweetly played by Sophie Petruccio; an evil fairy played by Maggie Andrew; a comically doddery King and Queen and a large ensemble of courtiers and village people.
Once again the Peoples Theatre Company showed what a talented group of adults and young people they are. They sang and danced well and there was enthusiasm and vitality in abundance. The use of many well known songs and tunes helped to move the show along and get everyone’s feet tapping. I was very pleased to hear one of my personal favourite Panto starters "On a wonderful day like today", belted out by the whole cast at the start of the show.
Of course, this Panto, like most, needed an evil character and this was Witch Black played by Maggie Andrews, who often produces shows for the company, but this time brought a delicious, cackling evil to the stage.
The Panto has a great original script by Amanda Hall who also directed the show. Like all good pantos there were many local and topical references, innuendo, word play and slapstick, all of which the audience could appreciate, whatever their age.
The Musical Director, Roy McLeod, kept the music moving and had obviously rehearsed the company well, as the singing was beautiful. Well done also to the choreographer, Jessica Royce, who produced some lively and expressive dancing from the large and mixed age cast.
Fans of the pantomime will be pleased to hear that there were also the usual elements of audience participation and slick physical humour, both of which you need to experience first hand to fully appreciate!
The costumes were stunning particularly in the finale, during which the stage and the cast sparkled .
Naturally, as you would expect, all lived happily ever after and if you like a traditional tale well told with lots of festive fun, I recommend that you go and see this. Well done to Amanda and all who appeared in or worked on this production.
A Christmas Carol
The Erewash Musical Society
The Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
December 3rd 2013
Charles Dickens, “A Christmas Carol”, is as synonymous with Christmas as pudding, presents, trees, decorations and mince pies.
It is the tale of a nasty, joyless miser, forced to see the error of his ways and repent in time for Christmas Day.
This popular story, in musical form, has been chosen by the highly regarded Erewash Musical Society as their Autumn show – and what a good choice it is.
The stage adaptation is an all-new version, with songs written by UK-based Chris Blackwood and Piers Chater Robinson.
This is a show full of tuneful songs performed by a very enthusiastic and talented cast. It is accompanied by great dancing, an innovative production and a very interesting set. It even has a shed full of snow!
Despite the story being dark and disturbing at times you can’t help being uplifted by the end.
The lead role of Ebenezer Scrooge is played by Dan Bates, a well known local actor, who dominates the stage throughout and very convincingly changes his character as the story progresses. He certainly convinced me that by the end Scrooge, was a totally reformed character.
As Ebenezer Scrooge is on stage for more than half the show, the actor filling the character’s shoes has the responsibility of delivering a convincing performance. Dan does this brilliantly.
There are so many other members of this cast that deserve a mention for their performances including Paul Norris who fills the role of Bob Cratchit, Scrooge’s right-hand man with a heart of gold, the impoverished ever suffering Tiny Tim, played on this occasion by Evan Hagan, and Gemma Blake, who plays the golden voiced Belle.
Jack Warburton as the Young Adult Scrooge, does so with sensitivity and has a great singing voice too. He is definitely an actor/ singer to look out for in future productions.
Mike Seed was a fabulous Ghost of Jacob Marley – frightening and imposing with Stephe Ure as The Chost of Christmas Past providing a lovely contrast. I also liked the Ghost of Christmas Present played by Carl McGarrigle who also played Mr Fezziwig with great humour accompanied by the ever popular Laurie Trott who played his very “silly” wife. They made a fabulous couple. Their wigs were fabulous, as well.
The two “ladies” who cleaned for Scrooge, Mrs Filch and Mrs Dilber, played by Rachel Bates and Tracey Renshaw were, and I hope they won’t mind me saying so, deliciously common. I love them!
Mike Evans, who has several parts in the play ranging from Charles Dickens himself to a peddler, was very convincing in all of them.
There are two teams of children sharing the roles the Cratchit and other children and they played their parts well.
The principles were well supported by a very strong ensemble cast who were fully involved throughout.
Elaina Evans, who directs and Carol Lawson who choreographs the show, have put a talented cast in place with an energetic and upbeat production that moves quickly over the course of two and a bit hours.
The amount of effort put into set design and construction is obvious with the very effective use of back projection. A smoke machine works to take the audience back to the dark old days of Victorian London, and a fantastic lighting plot, designed by Simon Birchall, brings the whole thing to life.
Mark Robbins, the Stage Manager, and his crew worked hard to make the scene changes smooth and unobtrusive. The sound was also well managed which is not always the case in this age of the dreaded radio mic! Helen Parker and her props crew are to be congratulated as well. We often forget how hard they work before, during and after the shows but without them shows would be much the poorer.
The production was very colourful with very authentic Victorian Costumes looked after by Helen Munns and her wardrobe assistants.
Mention must be made of Nathan Truesdale, the Musical Director, and his great orchestra. They sympathetically accompanied the show and were musically very good indeed. Nathan has quite obviously brought the company up to a very high standard of singing.
The Erewash Musical Societies Production ends on Saturday night. However, this makes for an ideal way for families to indulge in an early fix of Christmas spirit and stave off the inevitable festive fatigue.
I really enjoyed this production and, despite mentioning some individual cast members, I think everyone on that stage tonight and indeed those off stage were great. Well done for providing a full house at the Duchess Theatre with a very enjoyable Tuesday evening.
I, for one, can’t wait for their next production - “The Drowsy Chaperone” - in April next year.
The Pirates of Penzance
The Beeston Musical Theatre Group
The Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
October 29th 2013
As we have come to expect from the Beeston Theatre Group, tonight's performance of the Pirates of Penzance was excellent in so many ways.
This was a traditional production of the Gilbert and Sullivan favourite, complete with lavish Victorian style costumes, a simple but very attractive set and as far as I could tell, the original libretto. However, the production by Craig Butterworth, who produced and choreographed the show, sparkled in a vibrant and exciting way, with delightful touches of tongue in cheek humour.
Of course the story is, like most G and S operettas, a product of a time long gone - an early example of political and social satire - contrived and a trifle silly. However, it is still very funny and the music is blissful. One of the strengths of tonight's show was the outstandingly good singing from principals and chorus alike. The Duchess theatre was filled with the joy of G and S tunes, which certainly raised my spirits and left me humming all the way home.
There were outstanding personal performances that I want to mention. The part of Mabel was played by Beth Yearsley who was excellent - her singing was divine. Playing the pirate who fell in love with her, Frederic, was Sam Barson, whose fabulous tenor voice seems to get better and more powerful every time I hear him.
The Pirate King was played brilliantly by Kev Chatten, who I first saw in the role of Professor Higgins a few years ago. He nailed the character, sang lustily and worked the audience delightfully well.
Mina Machin played the part of Ruth -the spurned "older" woman- very well. She was not only serious when spurned but also very funny at times as well with effective facial expressions, a lovely voice and excellent acting skills.
The part of the Major General was played by Martin Holtom, who had to learn all the words of the difficult patter song "I am the very model of a modern Major General." So many words to learn and then sing at a very fast speed, but I have to say he did it brilliantly and never faltered.
There many others who had smaller parts and performed them well: in this production everyone on stage had a significant part to play. This was another strength of this excellent production- Craig gave everyone small cameo roles to perform across the stage while the principals were engaged in the plot. This incredible attention to detail and engagement with the story really made the stage come alive. Every one had a purpose at all times while on the stage.
Well done also to the Policemen and their sergeant, Rob Holsman. Again they were superbly directed and choreographed by Craig and were very funny.
The Orchestra led by Morris Fisher accompanied the cast very well and sympathetically. The balance with the singing was just right.
This was a show that I could very easily go and see again, because I love Gilbert and Sullivan and because it was so well done. Excellent singing, thoughtful and exciting direction which brought the best out of the cast and the script, plus very good staging in terms of scenery, lighting and sound.
Well done to everyone in the cast and crew and to the Director and his fantastic production team. Go see this show if you want to see amateur theatre at its best, hear fabulous singing and come out of the theatre humming those glorious melodies.
The Hired Man
Long Eaton Operatic Society
The May Hall Theatre, Trent College, Long Eaton
October 23rd 2013
The Hired Man, adapted by Melvyn Bragg from his own novel and with music by Howard Goodall, is a story of working class folk and the struggles they endured around the turn of the century.
Set in Cumbria, it's both a love story and a document of the dual effects of industrialisation and war on a tight-knit rural community. As earnest John Tallentire, played superbly by Adam Daniels, works tirelessly on the land and then under it in the mine to provide for his family, he fails to see that his wife Emily, played by the outstanding Hayley Martin, has caught the eye of his employer's son Jackson, played by the excellent Adam Guest.
Although the needless slaughter of the Great War provides a resolution of sorts, there is further heartache in store for the embattled Tallentires, when their underage son Harry, played endearingly by Jack Woolley, follows his father to the trenches.
Spanning the years 1898 to 1921, the story is epic and Goodall's score rises to match it. The excellent ensemble stomp their feet and raise their fists as they spit out the opening number “Song of the Hired Man”, filling the May Hall with an energy that continues throughout.
This production by the Long Eaton Operatic Society was excellent in all areas, including performance, direction, scene changes, sound and lighting. Director, Liz Woolley marshals the action with a large cast, fittingly, with military precision, aided by the neat and simple set, which was used effectively. This is an ensemble piece and Liz ensured that everyone played their part in the show so well.
In addition to the principals already mentioned, I was very impressed with Ross Lowe as Isaac, Michael Daniels as Seth, Rachel Fenn as May, Emma Kelvey as Sally and Daisy the Whippet.
The Orchestra under the baton of Chris Hoggarth was extremely good and the balance with the singing was perfect. Which brings me to the important fact that the singing of both of the principals and the chorus was outstandingly good. Why some of our local performers are not on the professional stage is a mystery to me.
Tonight in the May Hall Theatre we were treated to a production that was in the main of a professional standard.
Well done to Liz, her cast and the back stage crew.
Despite the fact that the narrative wobbles ever so slightly in the second act, this has been a barnstorming production of a British musical that boasts a wealth of performing and creative talent.
Our House
Derby Youth Musical Theatre
The Guildhall Theatre, Derby
September 28th 2013
Tonight I was blown away by the standard reached by the cast, production team and musicians.
To say it was a team effort is an understatement as that was so obvious by the quality of the show.
There were some fine and very professional performances by individuals. Harry Mead as the central character, Joe was outstanding - the boy can act, sing and dance to a high standard; Jessica Woods as Kath brought a great deal of emotion to the part and had a good and powerful voice; Curtis Taylor-Tipton as Dad was very good and looked much older than his 17 years; Josh Zen Right as the ganster Reecey was menacing but natural while Ruth Kniveton as Joe's girlfriend, Sarah had a lovely voice and acted well. Her friends, Billie and Angie played by Georgia Cholerton and Larel Morgan were very funny and were also great actors. The two friends of Joe Casey, Emmo and Lewis played by Cameron Macdonald and Jordan Honeyman were also very funny but showed that they could also play emotional parts as well especially during the funeral scene in Act 2.
Having noted the quality of the principals I must stress that the cast were phenomenal - on stage there was power, commitment combined with considerable talent. To choose just one example was their performance of the classic, Baggy Trousers. It was quite staggering both in its choreography and performance. As far as I could see they were all in time and in step and there was enormous power and vitality. The producer, choreographer and Musical Director need considerable congratulations for getting the company to such an incredibly high standard.
The music of Madness is, of course, wonderful but in addition to the fun, fast pieces, there were some poignant and emotional ones as well. The reoccurring song by Dad, Simple Equation, is a case in point and I was particularly moved by the trio, NW5, that was beautifully sung by Curtis, Jessica and Ruth. The lighting of this song was also very effective. At this point I must congratulate Stephen Greatorex of Derby Live for the excellent lighting design and operation along with his other technical responsibilities. The sound was also really good which is not always the case in amateur shows.
Three really important and obviously talented people must also be mentioned. They are the Director, Peter Waters, the Choreographer, Caroline Green and the Musical Director, Sam Griffiths. All three contributed enourmously to the success of this show. The stage plot and the use of the set were very effective, the dancing was sensational and that is down to the talent of Caroline. The whole cast looked so confident and well prepared in all the dances and many of them were by no means, simple. Boys and Girls danced and danced with great skill. There were also some excellent all girl routines which were a joy to behold and very well executed.
And so to the music. The band directed by Sam were superb and sounded great. Sam had also worked hard, I am sure, with the cast, to get the singing to such a high standard. You could hear every word and they were, as an ensemble, very strong indeed.
The set was excellent, combining an upper level which was interestingly lit and at times surrounded by little stars, and I don't mean the cast! Well done to Oliver Wright and Catherine Palfreyman.
What I think made this show so good for me was that acting, singing and dancing combined with huge amounts of enthusiasm and confidence born out of excellent and dedicated preparation. You really would not believe that this was a new group, that it was their first production together and that they were young. I am certain we will be seeing some great shows from them in the future.
I think "Our House" is ideal for youth groups combining as it does some great tunes but also a story which has meaning and is at times quite disturbing and challenging. There is something for the young people to get their teeth into as well as having huge amounts of fun and it is definitely not a "Youth" version. In my opinion many of these so called "Junior versions" of adult shows are frankly, quite dreadful!
And so, Derby Youth Musical Theatre have, in this one show, established themselves as a very good group indeed and have certainly raised the bar of performance to a high level. Their only problem is, that having done that they will be expected to maintain that level. However, I think they will, given what I have seen tonight. Bring on the next one!
I have had a ball tonight and loved every minute of it. Well done everyone!
The Vicar of Dibley
The People's Theatre Company
The Arts Theatre, Nottingham
September 24th 2013
If you are familiar with the smash hit TV serial, you will know that the scene is set when a new female Vicar arrives in Dibley, following the death of the old incumbent. She is immediately met with hostility from the Parish Council Chairman, David Horton, who wanted, and expected, a male vicar.
"“Instead you got a babe with a bob cut and a magnificent bosom!” declares the The Rev. Geraldine Grainger, which sets the tone for the rest of this very funny play.
I am a great fan of the TV series and, like most of the audience around me, was very pleased to see that all of the larger than life characters created by Richard Curtis for the original, are in the play.
This version has been adapted by directors Ian Gower and Paul Carpenter and it follows the format faithfully, giving a comic insight into small village life that is typified by the personalities that sit on their parish councils.
In the title role, Paula Smith was a powerful lead as the character made famous by Dawn French. She was very much in charge of the action, being on stage for most of the play. She never faltered in the role and her many facial expressions (often of desperation with Alice) were a joy to watch. Paula certainly had the bubbly charisma and personality of Geraldine Grainger, and the visual presence!
As with the TV show, however, much of the fun was provided by the supporting cast. Stern councillor David Horton was played by Phil Ashford, aghast that his son Hugo (Liam Hall) was set to wed barmy Alice (Hannah Rogers-Gee). Hugo and Alice overcoming their shyness was a joy to watch: both of these actors were excellent.
Some of the funniest moments in the play were when the full cast was assembled during meetings of the Dibley Parish Council, which allowed pedantic Frank Pickle (Cassandra Stone), dithering Jim Trott (John Uttley), eccentric cook Letitia Cropley (Gill Cook) and sweary farmer Owen Newitt (Glenn Murphy) to share some comic gems.
The stage was divided in three areas to allow for the Parish Council Meeting Hall, the Vicarage Living Room, and the vestry: lighting was used effectively to differentiate between them.
Because the majority of the scenes involving most of cast were set around the Council meeting table, they were a little static. This was not so much the case during the Second Act when characters moved around more and visited the Vicarage.
Overall, this delightful play again demonstrates the talent of The People's Theatre and their commitment to producing shows of a high calibre. I think that fans of The Vicar of Dibley will be satisfied with the result.
Well done to the Director, Robbie Robb (his first directing role with this company) and his production team.
Kiss Me Kate
The Lace Market Theatre, Nottingham
July 27th 2013
Having never been to the Lace Market Theatre before I was not sure what to expect. However, from the moment we walked into in the charming building just off Fletcher Gate it was obvious we were going to have an enjoyable evening.
Not only is there the Theatre Auditorium and a small studio but also a fair sized cafe/ bar upstairs offering a friendly and comfortable place to have a drink before, during and after the shows.
The Auditorium is not large, holding I guess about 120 people but it is very comfortable and the view of the stage is good from almost all angles.
And so what of the production of Kiss Me Kate?
It is one of my favourite shows written by Cole Porter and the last time I saw it was the London revival last year at the Old Vic which was excellent. I was therefore a little anxious that this amateur production might not come up to my expectations. I need not to have worried as from the moment the two pianos struck up at the start and the cast assembled on stage for the opening number it was obvious that this was going to be good. It turned out not to be just good but very, very good!
There were some notably fine principles in this cast including Jacky Dunn, who played a very convincing and fiery, Lily Vanessi, Kimberley Brook, who was outstanding as Lois Lane (a very fine actress, singer and dancer) and Alasdair Maughn who played Fred Graham. He was excellent and when you consider he stood in for Giles Pettit at very short notice (about 6 days) - Giles was unable to perform, following an road accident - and was word and acting perfect tonight - well what can I say but, amazing - and he was. How he managed to learn all the part in so few days I have no idea. He and Jacky Dunn were a dream together especially when they were arguing and fighting! Very convincing, I have to say. I should also say that Jacky sings beautifully as well.
The two comic gangsters played by Roger Newman and Max Bromley were very funny indeed and perfect in the roles. The audience loved them.
The whole cast were outstandingly good and made light work of moving the simple, yet effective set. Throughout the show they were completely believable in their respective roles and they were totally committed in what they were doing.
The set piece dance numbers, which are important elements of this show, were well produced and choreographed. Notable among these were "Tom, Dick and Harry,' and Too Darn Hot. Mention must be made here of Ray Mcleod who took the lead in the second of these and was excellent both as a singer and dancer.
One other mention and that is for Chris Ireson who played General Harrison Howell. Very good casting here as he was, in my opinion, perfect in the role.
The sound and lighting for the show were both great. As I said earlier there were no radio mice, at least I don't think there were but every word both in songs and in the dialogue were very clear. The acoustics of this theatre combined with good delivery made the acting seem very natural. In fact overall the standard of acting from the whole cast was very high.
Congratulations must go to the whole creative team led by the Director, Linda Croston and the Musical Director Piotr Wisniewski. The Choreographer was Lisa Lee who got the cast to make very good use of the stage with very effective routines. It was amazing how multi talented most of this cast were.
The musical accompaniment was provided by two Key Boards played very well by Piotr and his assistant James Tate. I did wonder if, for a show with so many "big" numbers, this would be enough but it was. I liked the sound and it was so well balanced with the singing on the stage.
The staging of the show was very good and at times quite innovative.
What a fabulous evening we had on our first visit to this theatre which must be one of Nottingham's lesser known entertainment venues. It is well worth a visit and their 2013/ 14 programme is now out and features a wide variety of plays from both adults and the Youth Group.
In conclusion this show certainly blurred the lines between amateur and professional so much so that I think I enjoyed it as much as the Old Vic version I saw in London.
Well done to all who were involved and I for one am looking forward to my next visit to the Lace Market Theatre which I hope will be sooner rather than later.
For more details of the 2013/ 2014 programme click the link below.
www.lacemarkettheatre.co.uk
Miss Saigon
The Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
June 20th 2013
The Young Performers
Tonight at the Duchess Theatre, The Young Performers production of Miss Saigon (Schools Edition) has taken Youth Theatre to a whole new level! From start to finish this show blurred the lines between adult and youth and amateur and professional.
The resident youth group have obviously worked very hard on this show, which is challenging for adults let alone young people.
Miss Saigon is set in Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War as the US army is withdrawing its troops.
The lead role of Kim, a 17 year-old Vietnamese orphan who falls in love with an American G.I, is played wonderfully by Laura Davey. Taking on a very demanding role, she combines a beautiful voice with an intensity of acting that is rarely seen off the professional stage. Her interpretation of the role is outstanding and throughout the show brought many audience members to tears.
Curtis Salmon, a long standing member of the group, plays Chris, a marine serving a tour of duty in Vietnam. In this very difficult role he convinces the audience he is falling in love with Kim with touching sincerity. He sings the part well and is a very accomplished actor. As the story unfolds, the anguish he conveys dealing with his return from war and the circumstances in which he now finds himself, is heart-wrenching. It must be said that casting Laura and Curtis in their respective roles was just right as the chemistry between them is obvious and natural.
His new wife, Ellen, played by Aishah Mehmet, attempts to rebuild a war-torn Chris. In this challenging role, she displayed a maturity well beyond her years. As Ellen and Kim sing from different sides of the world, we could not help but be moved by the desperateness of their situation.
John, Chris’ marine buddy, was played very well by Zak Charlesworth. A marine turned Bui-Doi charity worker, John seeks to find an acceptable solution for all parties. At only 15 years old, Zak plays this role with huge authority and his rousing rendition of ‘Bui-Doi’ at the start of the second act was very moving. He has a great singing voice and is already an accomplished actor. He is also very believable in the role. He had some difficult solo and group songs in the show, which he sang very well indeed.
Tom Etherington plays Thuy, a Commissar in the North Vietnamese army who has been promised Kim’s hand in marriage. He gave a very competent and affecting performance, suffering the ultimate sacrifice for his efforts.
Inevitably, the plot line is very intense, so it is a welcome relief when The Engineer arrives on stage. Matthew Biddulph, well-known as a talented performer in this and other youth groups, plays the role brilliantly with humour and just the right amount of self centered cynicism. I particularly liked his rendition of The American Dream. He is a great actor who has the ability to use every muscle in his face to express emotions. He was very funny tonight and a joy to watch.
The lead performances were complemented by a well rehearsed chorus who looked and sounded great. They had learned complicated choreography and difficult harmonies and we were treated to rousing renditions of ‘The Heat Is On In Saigon’, ‘The Morning of The Dragon’ and ‘The American Dream’.
The most memorable scene, however, has to be ‘Kim’s Nightmare’ when Chris is forced to join the military evacuation of Saigon. Without giving anything away, the scene was brilliantly produced and performed. The intensity of performance from the entire cast as Chris has to to leave Kim behind is remarkably real and very moving.
It should be said that this show has hardly any dialogue but a huge score. The challenge for this group was to be able to cope with so much complicated music and they succeeded brilliantly.
The costumes, 150+ of them, all made by Alison Davey and Vicky Garavan, were very effective and added to the reality of what we were seeing on stage. It was obvious that both of them have an eye for detail. Other props, including the very realistic guns, were made especially for the show.
This was a complicated show to stage and I have to praise the back stage crew who made the scene changes work so smoothly. Apparently back stage was described as Level 2 of Tetris!
The scenery, use of props and lighting was first class.
The whole production is underpinned by a 15 piece orchestra conducted by Leon Wade who also produced the show. It sounded great. The quality musicians added an extra touch of class and they did a fantastic job of providing the emotional score behind the voices.
To conclude I have to say that when I first heard that The Young Performers were doing Miss Saigon I thought ‘they will never do it because it is too hard and too adult in its themes’. Tonight they proved me wrong.
The heat was certainly on at the Duchess tonight. What I wonder is what will this brilliant group do next – I don’t know but ….. I will never doubt their ability to take on the most difficult shows again.
Many congratulations and well done to all concerned.
13 - The Musical
The Nottingham Arts Theatre
May 25th 2013
Spotlight Theatre School
Director Amanda Hall has done it again with this, the spotlight theatre school's least known musical, but probably the best thing they've done.
It's the story of a 12 and a half year old Jewish boy, Evan Goldman, dealing with his upcoming journey into becoming a man as well as his move to a new town, fitting in, being popular, as well as his parents split and all other things that a soon to be teenager has to deal with at that age.
James Murray is fantastic as Evan, totally believable and has a really good stage presence and sense of musicality.
Teaming him with Ella Greenwood, Patrice, the "freak" of his new town and the object of his teenage desires, was a master stroke as they worked so well together. At such a young age making an onstage partnership look realistic can be difficult, but this really worked, and what a voice Ella has. Definitely the strongest voice in the cast, she hit every note with ease, she has a voice that will work for her in her future of musical theatre, and in my opinion, as a recording artist.
Oliver Turnbull turned in another believable performance as Brett, the college jock all the girls want to date, and in true college jock type, not the sharpest knife in the box, Brett not Oliver. Brett is the one that Evan has to befriend to get all the cool kids to his Barmitzvah, and setting him up with a date with Kendra, Brett's choice of girl to give "the tongue" to.
Other notable performances in this very talented cast include Phillip Coe as Archie, the other "uncool" kid, just because he is disabled, who also has his eye, and tongue probably set on Kendra. Alex Reed and Miles Cliff as Eddie and Malcolm, Brett's right and left hand men, Charleigh Hurst as Lucy, Kendra's "best" friend and Callum Hall as the funkiest rabbi ever.
13 is a fairly new musical so I had no pre conceptions on what I was about to see, but from the first song to the last, my toes were tapping. A witty script, a group of actors who looked like they were enjoying what they were doing, good sound mix by Rob Kettridge, and a tidy six piece live band under the musical direction of Geoff Burnhill. Not forgetting all the hard work put in by choreographer Jessica Royce which paid off with some very entertaining dance routines.
Not even the odd out of tune vocal could detract from this wonderful coming of age musical by one truly under rated composer, Jason Robert-Brown and the very talented spotlight theatre school.
Review by Kev Castle May 25th 2013 (Reproduced with permission).
Billy Elliot
The Victoria Palace Theatre, London
Saturday May 11th 2013 and
Monday May 13th 2013
This review is reprinted here by permission of the author - Jacob
It was first published on the Billy Elliot Forum www.billyelliottheforum.me.uk
Saturday evening May 11th (Harrison, Joe, Macy) and Monday May 13th (Ali, Joe, Francesca)
These two Shows were kind of Exodus and Genesis
I will not add much to the excellent reviews that have already been posted for Saturday only to add a couple of my own thoughts. This was hardly celebrated as an eighth birthday apart from the Badges which were placed on all the booked seats in the auditorium and the cup cakes that Mary had provided for Forum fans. These were nice gestures and much appreciated. Having been to the other BETM birthdays I was somewhat surprised that David Massey did not speak from the stage. Nor was there any sign of Stephen Daldry. In fact the evening focussed on the cast members who were leaving and the speeches were given by Deka at the end of the performance. As has already been said, he was magnificent and he has surely now become Head of the family that makes this cast so special. His tributes were heartfelt especially to Barnaby who had been in the cast for five and a half years.
Monday was an exciting night Ali Rasul's debut was such a well kept secret that even the most regular of regulars did not know until it leaked out on Monday. His arrival coupled with that of so many adult cast members meant that one did not know where to look at times. On this occasion David Massey did make a speech from the stage emphasising the success of BETM and introducing Ali as the thirty-third Billy. Many of the audience had already spent time studying a new cast sheet that supplemented the (now) £6 programme! Interestingly, this listed everyone associated with the production.............apart from the Resident Director!
Joe Reynolds as Small Boy was wonderful. He delivered his lines clearly, with emphasis and gave an animated performance that deserved much credit. This character is not often mentioned in reviews but for he me plays a most significant part in the story of Billy Elliot. I hope Joe will be with us for many months to come.
It is unwise to express views on new cast members based on a single performance. I can only say that Mrs W, Tony, and George are presented in a fresh and original way. Ann-Jane Casey as Mrs W clearly enjoyed her dance teacher's costume of lurex hot pants and spangly top . Some might think that this would have been more realistic for a cabaret performer in a working men's club in Batley than in the ballet class at Easington Miners' Welfare! I could not possibly comment
Ali Rasul was introduced as from Hartlepool not far from the village that Easington is based on. He had been in rehearsal since February 2012. It must be difficult for a new Billy to break into a Show that already has four well establised boys playing the part. He is a 'street' Billy with an outstanding background in hip hop. This was illustrated by his clean, flowing dance movements and his immaculate sense of timing. He was able to adapt certain lines of dialogue to fit in with his own knowledge of local phraseology and intonation. Particularly interesting was his interpretation of the toilet scene with Debbie. Virtually everything he did worked well including a free-flowing Electricity with flip off the board. His performance had style and individuality as projected by his eyes and facial expressions. Ali is indeed a fine Billy.
Both Saturday and Monday were milestones for BETM.
Me and My Girl
The May Theatre - Trent College, Long Eaton
April 16th to 20th 2013
Long Eaton Operatic Society
The President of Long Eaton Operatic Society told us in the programme that the show stopper, “The Lambeth Walk,” prompted this comment in the Times in 1938: “While dictators rage and statesmen talk, all Europe dances to the Lambeth Walk.” It is indeed that type of song, which takes us out of ourselves and raises our spirits. The same is true of the whole show, which - although written in 1937 -has been revived many times, most recently in the West End by Stephen Fry, starring Ilkeston’s own Robert Lindsay.
It is a simple story that is perhaps a tad too long, about a cockney wise boy who by some strange twist of fate inherits a title and a fortune. This leads to problems with both his newly acquired aristocratic family and his cockney girlfriend. Predictably, all works out fine in the end and there are some sparkling songs to tell the story. Well known tunes include “The Sun has got it’s hat on,” “Leaning on a Lampost,” “Love Makes the world go round and” “Once You Lose your heart”. The fabulous “Lambeth Walk” ends the first act and this was a splendid whole cast routine that was very well choreographed .
This was a great production, as one has now come to expect from The Long Eaton Operatic Society. Tonight we were treated to great chorus work and some outstanding individual performances.
Martin Briggs and Sophie Baldry, who played the main characters of Bill and Sally, were excellent. Martin had to sing, dance and use some considerable gymnastics skills while being an engagingly comic character. This was a very demanding part and I guess he will be very tired by the end of the show. Sophie sang beautifully and also tap danced on a table with Martin, which must have taken some courage and balance! Sophie told me that she told the director, at the start of rehearsals, “tell us what you want and we will do it.” Dangerous talk, but they did it all with style.
There were other very good performances from Liz Woolley who played the Duchess of Dean, Lindsay Mould as Sir John Tremayne, Clare Toska as Lady Jaqueline, Tom Halton as Gerald and Adam Guest who camped up the role of the Family Solicitor Herbert Parchester wonderfully. The role of Charles the Butler was played by Ben Woolley who kept a very ‘professional’ straight face all the way through!
The rest of this large cast were very good and the many smaller parts were well covered. The chorus work throughout was of a high standard.
I must congratulate the Director, Ross Lowe, for working with such a large cast and involving them all in the action. The Choreographer, Siobhan Parker’s dance routines were excellent and again working with such a large cast, in what I guess was limited space, was not easy and yet the stage did not look crowded.
This large cast brought the house down with their final rendition of the Lambeth Walk, which I think we will all be singing in our sleep for some considerable time!The staging of the show was very effective with some attractive scenes, which were changed very efficiently. This show is technically quite difficult at times, but the cast and crew coped very well.
The Orchestra, directed by Chris Hogarth, was splendid and well balanced - at no time did it over power the singers.
Well done LEOS for another stunning production and I for one am looking forward to the next one. In the Autumn they are producing The Hired Man by Melvyn Bragg and Howard Goodhall. Then for the fans of Rogers and Hammerstein, next year will see a return to the plains of Oklahoma and I for one can’t wait for that!
We Will Rock You (Schools Edition)
The Long Eaton School
March 20th to 22nd
School Show 2013
We Will Rock You is this year's production at The Long Eaton School. I went to see it on the opening night.
It was a fast moving and exciting show and the students certainly had the School Theatre 'rocking' last night. Throughout the show the whole cast acted, danced and sang their hearts out.
From the volume of the applause it was very obvious from the start that the audience were really enjoying the show. The music of Queen is well known which added to the enjoyment. It is not however easy to perform but the young cast did very well. There were some particularly good individual performances but this is an ensemble piece which requires the whole cast to work together and they did.
The Long Eaton School should be very proud of the students and staff who were involved with the show. It was very well produced and performed. I had not seen the show before tonight and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I will be going to see it in London as soon as I can.
It is certainly not an easy show with the vocals in particular being pretty hard to sing. The band was good but the score is not always helpful to the soloists. However, this young cast did a good job matching the melodies to the harmonies.
Although the whole cast was excellent throughout I must mention some excellent performances from the principals:
Zak Charlesworth and Evie Adams were both excellent as Galileo and Scaramouche. Many of their songs were difficult to sing but they both did very well indeed. Zak's comedy timing was also very good and he had some of Ben Elton's best lines.
Jacob Smith was very good in the role of Pop which he played in a very laid back way that suited the character well.
Samuel Dorrington as the nasty yet funny Khashogg was a very competent actor although he said in the programme he is more used to being behind a drum kit! You would not have known that from his performance.
Ellie Simmonds as Meat and Lewis Haycock as Brit were good together, sang well and amused us while Evie Alliott was superb as the evil Killer Queen. She looked and sounded quite right in the part.
The supporting cast was also very good:
Madeleine Binding; Katie Breakwell; Sarah Collingham; Justine Moor; Lauren dairymple; Caitlan Rae Simmons (Super Yuppies)
Jessica Abel; Emma Dairymple; Jodie Docherty; Chelsea Mallard; Sophie Bentley; Sonali Dave; Jack Ford; Bradley McClean; Edward Binding; Liam Dexter; Abby Kilford; Ellie Weston (Bohemians)
Sophie Bentley; Rebecca Cox; Kirsty Hammond; Clarissa Hinman; Justine Moore; Rosie Verney (Dancers)
Megan Asher; Rachel Doroshenko; Bethany Freer; Esther Halford; Kirsten Haslam; Amber Newton; Coral Pegg; Rebecca West. (Chorus) - I must say that the Chorus added very good vocal support to the company.
The Band:
Tom Cartwright; Tom Mason; Alex Hather; Tyler Orton; Ben Allen; George Parkinson; Miriam Thmpson; Rob Burrows; Tertia Meakin; Alex Purnell.
The Production team worked well.
Jack B Hooley (Stage manager); Chloe Johnson (Assistant Stage Manager);
Dwane Eggleton; Rae-Anne Malthouse; Caitlyn Malthouse; Jacob Gingle (Stage Crew)
Jack Upton (Sound)
Alex Hummel (Microphones)
Ryan Cook (lights)
Kate Williams (Lighting Assistant)
Adam Nemeth (Projections)
Harry Pickering (Special Effects)
Jack Mason-Barton; Ben Bostock (Special Effects)
Sharna Burton; Jade Whitton (Camera Operators and Props)
Martha White (Props and Costume Manager)
Holly Whitt, Kirsty Hemsley, Jade Whitton (Props)
The adult production team was: Miss Adediran; Miss Clarke; Miss Winning and Mrs Price
The Production team worked well.
Jack B Hooley (Stage manager); Chloe Johnson (Assistant Stage Manager);
Dwane Eggleton; Rae-Anne Malthouse; Caitlyn Malthouse; Jacob Gingle (Stage Crew)
Jack Upton (Sound)
Alex Hummel (Microphones)
Ryan Cook (lights)
Kate Williams (Lighting Assistant)
Adam Nemeth (Projections)
Harry Pickering (Special Effects)
Jack Mason-Barton; Ben Bostock (Special Effects)
Sharna Burton; Jade Whitton (Camera Operators and Props)
Martha White (Props and Costume Manager)
Holly Whitt, Kirsty Hemsley, Jade Whitton (Props)
The adult production team was led by: Miss Adediran; Miss Clarke; Miss Winning and Mrs Price.
Also: Tom Mason; Tom Cartwright, Mrs Ford, Mr Boultbee; Mr Cox, Mr Woodward, Mr Sampson,Mrs Free, Mrs Freer.
The audience was very appreciative at the end of the show and although there was an emotional and quiet ending with Bohemian Rhapsody which was very moving, I think we would have all liked a reprise of "We will rock you" so we could clapped and stamped our feet. Had that happened I suspect that there would have been a well deserved standing ovation. I hope there will be when I go to see the show again on Friday.
Yes it was that good!
Miss Saigon (Schools Edition)
The Joseph Rowntree Theatre York
February 23rd to March 2nd 2013
Amateur Youth Production
When Miss Saigon opened at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London in September 1989 the Theatre Critic, Michael Billington (The Guardian) who is not generally a fan of musicals wrote:
"it is a first rate piece of popular theatre which proves that a musical can address a serious theme with sincerity, emotion and integrity."
Today's performance at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre in York proved that as well. Until this afternoon I was not convinced that a Youth Theatre Group could do justice to this 'huge' musical which deals with serious adult themes and is all sung. It requires all its cast to be good singers and dancers. There is no room for weak links and I have to say from what I saw today there were none.
Playing the lead roles of Kim and Chris were Lauren Sheriston (15) and George Stagnell (18), both of whom were outstanding. As the star crossed lovers they were superb and rung the last ounce of emotion from every song and every scene.
Joe Douglass as The Engineer was manipulative yet endearing as he plotted and planned to get himself a passage to the USA. His rendition (superbly supported by many in the ensemble) of American Dream was fantastic and very funny.
On this occasion the role of Ellen was played by Stephanie Bolsher. Her voice was lovely and suited the part. Ben Williams played John and opened the second act with the moving Bui-Doi. He has a very powerful voice which he used to very good effect.
The part of Kim's renegade cousin, Thuy, was played very well by Jed Berry. He was, in my opinion quite outstanding in this role, mixing malice with anger and political fanaticism. He strutted around the stage with just the right amount of maniacal hatred of the Americans and indeed anyone who got in his way. He never faltered once in this role and his singing was great. This is a very difficult role to sing.
The staging of the show was very good and full use was made of the largish stage. The famous arrival of the helicopter was handled by back projection and was very effective. The set was simple, mainly composed of moveable scaffolding that was used for a number of purposes. However, the actors were very comfortable with it and the stage crew moved it about with ease.
There was a large orchestra (16 piece) directed by Adam Tomlinson, which was at the back of the stage behind a curtain. It sounded pretty good and did not over power the singers.
I started by saying that I was not sure if a Youth Group could do justice to this show but they most certainly did. However, I think it should only be attempted with older teenagers due to its adult themes which, although adapted in this Schools Edition, still need to feature in most of the story. I think this production got the balance right.
Finally well done to the Director, Robert Readman and his large production team for producing a fantastic version of this popular show. There was a significant standing ovation at the end (including this reviewer) which was very well deserved.
This is obviously a very talented group of young people who performed at a very high standard. I would certainly like to see another of their performances in the near future.
The only down side of the day was the dreadful traffic we encountered trying to get to the theatre. York has a lot of very slow changing traffic lights! We, like the G I's, could have done with a helicopter!
Hello Dolly
The Curve Theatre, Leicester
From December to Saturday January 19th
Professional Production
"Hello, Dolly! at Leicester Curve is a musical so joyous you can scarcely bear to say goodbye to it" writes Dominic Cavendish.
That comment is so true and I for one would have liked to have stayed in the Curve and watched it again straight away. Unfortunately this was the last performance of this production.
It was indeed joyous in so many ways. The fabulous songs, the witty dialogue, the energetic dancing and the simple but meaningful story combined to make this a wonderfull evening.
Janie Dee was with out doubt the best Dolly I have seen and I have seen a few! She captured the heart not only of Horace Vandergelder but tonight's audience as well. Her warmth with all on stage and all in the theatre was fantastic.
At the end of the show I felt there was just a tinge of sadness on the stage that the show was over for the final time. Let's hope that Dolly is back in town again very soon.
I shall remember this wonderful show for a long time and it was most certainly worth braving the elements to get here.
One final thought. I would love to see one of our local youth groups producing this show. It is very suitable for young actors, singers and dancers and is such a happy and vibrant show. Of course some of the Adult groups have done it the most recent being Nottingham Operatic in November last year. (A very good production that was).
However, I saw it last year in Mansfield produced by youngsters from the ages of 7 to 20 and it was great. It was also the full version not a Junior one and that I like very much. Junior versions are often so cut down that they become a pale reflection of the original and some are not very good.
Finally a thought from Dolly and Vandergelder: "Money, if you pardon the expression, is like manure. It's no good if you don't spread it around encouraging young things to grow." Now there's a thought!
Review on Saturday January 19th 2013
Aladdin
The Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton
Thursday January 17th to Saturday January 19th
The Young Performers
This review is for the opening performance on Thursday January 17th
The sights, sounds and glamour of old Peking arrived at the Duchess last night when “The Young Performers” presented their version of the traditional pantomime, Aladdin.
The script was written by Adam Stevenson and Leon Wade who also wrote the music. It has been performed before but has been updated with some new songs, added by Leon, who also re-arranged the score. The band, The Leonettes, was excellent and accompanied the cast sympathetically and at the right volume.
This was definitely a traditional telling of the story with an emphasis on dialogue, while still including song and dance. This worked well and gave the young cast an opportunity to practice their acting skills. For many there were a lot of lines to learn.
The whole cast worked hard to produce a good show of a high standard in all respects, as we have now come to expect from this talented and enthusiastic group. Panto is not an easy genre for young actors but they were very comfortable with it throughout. Up to date topical jokes have been included which made the script feel fresh and alive. Some must have been added at the last minute, such as references to Tesco Burgers, HMV and Blockbusters!
The set was really impressive and some very imaginative audio and visual special effects were included. The arrival of the Genie of the Ring accompanied by a flash and smoke was very effective. The Genie appeared as if by magic, which of course she did! There was also a magic cabinet in which a number of people disappeared – again by magic. Well done to the back stage boys and girls for building the set and changing the scenes so very smoothly, even on this first night.
The cave of treasures scene was quite superb - it was fluorescent and was a joy to look at. The lamp also descended from the roof. Also adding a touch of class were bubbles that cascaded down from the rafters whenever the laundry scene was being used. That and some smoke from the wings added that extra professional edge to the production. Well done to all who were involved. The costumes were brilliant as well and must have taken hours to make especially those worn by Widow Twankey!
The show ended with a very happy cast and audience.
This production is an ensemble piece but there were many outstanding individual performances. It would be wrong to single out specific roles for comment as they were all very good. I was particularly impressed with the way in which all the youngsters worked as a team which is, of course, very much the philosophy of the Young Performers. They were totally involved in the action and I saw no one who wasn’t engaged and reacting to what was going on.
The audience at the Duchess tonight (which was almost full, by the way) had a good time and left with smiles on their faces. As I said before, Panto can be difficult to get right, especially for youngsters. With that in mind credit must go to the Production team under the fine leadership of Elaine Clemerson and Rhianna Rogers.
I do, however, have one criticism. My favourite line from all productions of Aladdin was left out. “Nine months gone and still no sign of Aladdin”. Maybe Adam and Leon could include it next time. I jest, of course. Oh no I don’t!
This was a great show and those like me who were in the audience were left looking forward to the next one which, I understand, is in June: a Schools version of Miss Saigon. Now that should be interesting.
The Sound of Music
May Theatre, Trent College, Long Eaton
Tuesday October 23rd to Saturday October 27th 2012
The Long Eaton Operatic Society
This review is for the opening night of the show on Tuesday October 23rd 2012
Had Long Eaton been built on a hill it would have been alive with the Sound of Music on Tuesday night, when The Long Eaton Operatic Society presented this classic musical.
Rodgers and Hammerstein’s unforgettable score includes some of the most memorable songs ever performed on the musical stage, such as My Favourite Things, Do-Re-Me, Climb Every Mountain, Edelweiss, The Lonely Goatherd and of course The Sound of Music. This famous musical, made into an unforgettable film in 1965, is set in Austria in the run up to the Second World War. Widowed naval captain Georg Von Trapp has shunned his seven children, off-loading them onto a succession of governesses and a life of rigorous austerity while he struggles to come to terms with his wife’s death. The latest governess is Maria, a free-spirited novice nun, who has been sent by the Mother Abbess on a temporary transfer.
Julie Andrews won everyone’s heart in the film, thanks to one of the most melodic scores ever written and helped by the cuteness of her young charges. Nothing changes in this production: the seven children of Captain Von Trapp lit up the stage each time they appeared. There are two teams of 5 children sharing the roles, plus Abigail Pidgeon and Ed Hewes who are playing the two eldest children in each performance. The Elsa Team performed on the opening night and were all splendid.
The leading role of Maria is played by 24-year-old Emma Kelvey, who is taking her first leading role with the Society. She has a lovely voice and acted the part superbly. She was both timid and unsure as a young nun, but then brought the character alive as she became a confident and assertive governess working for the domineering and authoritarian Captain Von Trapp. Both sung and played well by Andrew Elcock, the rather unpleasant ex sea captain is transformed by Maria into a warm and loving husband and father. This was conveyed very effectively and the on stage chemistry was both convincing and involving.
The leads were ably supported by Angela Walters as the Mother Abbess, Laurie Trott as Faru Schmidt, Mandy Walker as Elsa Schraeder, Tony Newton as Max Detweiler, John Paxton as Franz the Butler, John East as Herr Zeller and Adam Collishaw as Admiral Von Schreiber.
The three main characters in the abbey, Maria Lawrence, Claire Collishaw and Melissa Baston sang very well and featured in the well known song “How do you solve a problem like Maria.”
Special mention should be made of both Curtis Salmon- who played the part of the young post boy who later becomes a Nazi sympathizer- and Abigail Pidgeon, who plays the eldest daughter Liesl. Their duet “I am Sixteen” was charming, well sung and danced. Well done to two talented young members of the cast. The rest of the cast supported the principals very well indeed.
One problem for Operatic Societies is that this show does not have many chorus songs. However the show’s producer Keith Butcher and his choreographer, Emily Berryman took every opportunity to use the supporting cast well.
The reasonably large orchestra was well directed by Lizzie Bullard and I was pleased that it did not dominate the singers – the balance was pretty much right. There is no pit at the May Theatre so the loudness of orchestras can sometimes be a problem.
I did, however, feel that the sound quality of the microphones needed attention as the dialogue was occasionally lost, especially when the actors moved to the back of the stage. Scene changes, and there were quite a number of them, were very well done and there were no noticeable delays. Well done to the Stage Manager John Woolley and his back stage team. The final set is very effective – you will have to go to the show to find out why I say that!
Overall, I really enjoyed the show which certainly left us all humming as we left the theatre. I did, however, feel that some scenes, especially in the Abbey were a little slow and needed speeding up. This may, of course, be because this was the opening night and will change as the week goes on.
I was very pleased to see that the Director decided to include one of my favourite songs in the show “I Have Confidence” which is in the film version but not the original stage show.
Well done, Long Eaton Operatic Society for cheering us up on a cold and damp Autumn evening in Derbyshire and transporting us to the beautiful mountains of Austria. This is a production that will please the paying public and deserves, as on the opening night, to play to full houses. Congratulations to all who are involved.
Other members of the Company are:
June Baston; Katie Bird; Carolyn Briggs; Margaret Butcher; Jenny Carty;
Susan Corner; Joanne East; Tayla Evans; Rachel Fenn; John Fox;
Eleanor Harvey; Kathryn McAuley; Tertia Meakin; Linsay Mould;
Jason Parker; Katherine Sleath; Lucy Stokes; Sheree Strickland;
Angela Swift; Abbey Walker; Ann Woolley; Jack Woolley; Liz Wooley.
Children’s Team Max
Anna McAuley; Alfie Foster; Hazel Lawrence; Chloe Brooks;
Olivia Warburton.
Children's Team Elsa
Rebecca Playfor; Joshua Jones; Grace Deakin; Beth Ward; Trinity Shelton.
Chess
The Duchess Theatre Long Eaton
Monday October 1st to Saturday October 6th
The Erewash Musical Society
This review is of the performance on Tuesday October 2nd 2012.
Even some of the most ardent fans of Chess the Musical would admit that the story is not the easiest to follow and not the easiest to perform. However the Erewash Musical Society showed us last night at the Duchess Theatre in Long Eaton, that they could make it reasonably understandable (although you might want to see it twice to be certain) and certainly did perform it well.
The story involves a romantic triangle between two players in a world chess championship, and a woman who manages one and falls in love with the other. Although the protagonists were not intended to represent any specific individuals, the characters’ personalities resemble those of chess grandmasters Victor Korchnoi and Bobby Fischer.
As I expected, Chess was another good production from this highly regarded Long Eaton based company.
There were some excellent individual performances as well. Chess is a difficult show with demanding parts for all in the company. The use of lighting and multi media was effective. One little criticism was the Opening Song in Act 2 - One Night in Bangkok - which seemed to me to be a bit lacking in Oomph. I am sure that will be sorted out as the week goes on. Perhaps there was a natural uncertainty in what was only the second performance.
Particular mention should be made of Grant Walker who played Anatoly – the Russian Chessmaster; Phil Deakin who was Frederick – American Grand Master; Lynnette Stevenson who played the manager of Frederick and then the lover of the Russian - Florence and Mike Seed who was Alexander – a manipulative Russian politician.
They were well supported by the other principal players - Martin Mould (Walter); Kevin Riley (Arbiter) and Kelly Pearson (Svetlana). The Chorus, which was 24 strong, were excellent. Many played small parts during the show. Incidentally there was considerable strength and talent in the dancing both from the Men and Women. Well done to Laurie Trott and her assistant, Kriss Cunningham.
Congratulations go to the Producer Nigel Taylor and the Musical Director James Rayner. Nigel directed the cast well on the stage and brought his own flair to this rather sylised piece. James conducted the competent orchestra well throughout – there is a lot of music to play as there is little spoken dialogue in the show.
Finally the stage crew under the direction of the Stage Manager worked hard to make scene changes smooth and slick.
Overall this was a good production of a difficult and I feel rather over long show. However, it does contain some lovely music and songs like “One night in Bangkok,” “I Know Him So Well,” “Heaven Help My Heart,” “Pity the Child,” “You and I and many more.
West Side Story
The Duchess Theatre Long Eaton
Thursday July 12th to Saturday July 14th
The Erewash Musical Society Youth Group
A brilliant show with many outstanding performances…
When I heard that the Erewash Musical Society Youth Group were producing West Side Story as their next show, I thought "They will never do it." Tonight they proved me wrong.
This was a very good production in which the young cast took an essentially adult show and made it their own without compromising in any way. This was not a 'junior version' and it was a triumph.
The acting and singing was of a high standard and I was particularly impressed by the dancing.
The whole company was great but special mention must be made of Kristian Cunningham who took the role of Tony and Laura Allen who was Maria. Both were excellent, playing their parts with such passion and emotion that many in the audience were in tears after their beautiful duets of "Tonight" and "There's a Place for Us." Also deserving of a mention are Tom Hopcroft who played Riff and George Ramplin who played Bernado. They truly understood their characters and took us with them on their self made path to a tragic downfall.
There were many other excellent individual performances but needless to say, the show's strength lay in the fantastic support given to the principal actors by the whole cast.
The choreography by Carol Lawson was complex and inventive. In big dance numbers such as "The Jet Song," "Cool," and "Dance at the Gym' the cast excelled due, I have no doubt, to Carol’s skill in giving individuals and groups of actors well rehearsed and balanced routines. The dancing throughout was exciting and expressive.
The Director, Chris Renshaw, must also be commended for the way in which he plotted the show on the stage. The stage area was used well and to good effect. The actors knew where to be and what to do at all times. He combined the acting with the dancing and singing skilfully and had obviously impressed on the young cast the need to ‘be’ their characters at all times.
The singing was very good and was accompanied by a competent orchestra under the baton of Dave Dallard. It was good to see and hear a real orchestra, as opposed to the increasingly common use of a backing track. Dave also did a very good job with the cast who coped with the often difficult harmonies admirably. They sounded very good indeed. The final rendition of "There's a Place for Us' sung by the whole cast was outstanding: it sent shivers down my spine and I suspect those of many others. The standing ovation at the end was well deserved.
The set was simple but very effective leaving the actors as much of the stage area as possible, which they needed for the big set piece numbers.
I loved the show as a whole, but for me the most impressive part was the way in which the young cast expressed the emotional core of this very difficult piece. They made people laugh and cry in just the right places and they did it without any visible sign of nerves. They were wholly professional and I believe that many an adult group would look upon this production with some awe.
What we saw at the Duchess Theatre tonight was truly amazing. Well done to all who were involved. I don't know how you did it, but you most certainly did!
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
The Duchess Theatre Long Eaton
Thursday June 21st to Saturday June 23rd 2012
The Young Performers
"This was without doubt the best youth group production I have ever seen."
The Young Performers performed a stunning show of the highest quality.
"House Full" was the message at The Duchess Theatre in Long Eaton for all 4 performances of this great show, a testament to the popularity of the resident youth group at the theatre. The audience was captivated as soon as the curtain opened to reveal a beautifully designed set with the live band directed by Leon Wade in the centre. The set reflected the 'colourful themes' of the show including a yellow stage. There was a round of applause as the curtain opened, not just for the captivating scenery, but also for the cast who were beautifully dressed by Victoria Garavan.
The show starts with the Narrator setting the scene - Laura Davey was excellent in this part throughout. Unfortunately, there were some problems with her radio mic, but she carried on undaunted. Not only did she have a lovely voice, but her actions were appropriate and often very funny. She is to be commended on maintaining a superb standard of performance in this big, challenging role.
The singing from the whole cast was fantastic. They were enthusiastic and dynamic in performance. The balance between the band and the singing was just right. There is always a danger with bands on stage, that the singing might be drowned out. This was certainly not the case in this show.
The part of Joseph was played brilliantly by Zak Charlesworth. He sang beautifully and played the part of the boy who dreamed dreams and interpreted the dreams of others with sympathy, pathos and humour. He also looked the part being tall, self assured and an obvious charmer. The seduction scene with Potifer's wife, which can be difficult for young actors, was played out really well and the looks Zak gave to the audience during this were very funny. Well done to both Zak and Zoe Davey who played the very convincing seductress in the black dress!
Other notable performances came from Matt Biddulph as Pharaoh, George Parkinson as Jacob and Curtis Salmon as Reuben. All three played their parts with style and panache.
However, it has to be said that the whole company were also the stars of the show. They worked together well, sang with incredible power and enthusiasm and used the stage competently. They all knew where to be and when to be there. There was never any confusion and certainly no corpsing. Mention must also be made of Joseph's Brothers who were outstanding, particularly during the scene in which they disposed of the brother they hated. They were often very funny, displaying good timing and using the expressions on their faces to great effect - it was obvious that they had been well directed and choreographed.
The live band (and you don't always get those at youth shows these days) was very good as well. Good musicians who were sympathetic to the young voices around them. It was good to see some of The Young performers in the band this time as well as the adults.
The Producer and Musical Director, Leon Wade, said in the programme that this was a traditional version of the show and indeed it was. There were no Frenchmen in berets or Elvis lookalikes in this show. However there were some amusing visual moments such as the arrival of Joseph in a "Mobility Scooter made of gold" which brought the house down, plus the mouth moving sphinx which made up the stunning back cloth. The design and construction of the excellent set was down to the many volunteers that support the group. They certainly deserve a mention and considerable praise.
At the end of both performances I attended (Friday and Saturday evenings) there were standing ovations - 3 on the Saturday, which were justly deserved. Visually the final curtain calls were fantastic with Joseph standing at the front in a beautifully created golden lined coat, surrounded by all the colours of the rainbow and the incredibly talented cast.
Well done Young Performers for an outstanding show. One of them said to me afterwards "Don't know how we can top that." I don't know either, but I am sure they will try.
Their next main show in January is a pantomime. If you missed Joseph my advice would be get your tickets early for Aladdin. It will almost certainly be a sell out as well!
NODA Review of the show - Click here to read.
RENT
The Duchess Theatre Long Eaton
Monday May 14th to Saturday May 19th 2012
NODA Review by Phil WilliamsDistrict 3 - Nottingshire and Membership Secretary www.noda.org.uk/
One would not think that a musical set in New York among the homeless and drugs could be
inspiring, but this production certainly was. Russ made excellent use of the set providing ever
changing pictures which blended one into the other effortlessly. Morris gave just the right touch to
the music with great interpretation, especially for those moments when La Boheme briefly emerged.
There was talent in depth in the cast, with all providing super character portrayals, dramatically and vocally. Sam Barson and George Lamb as Roger and Mark interacted very well with each other and Sam also developed a strong relationship with Beth Yearsley, a lovely Mimi. Matt Fry and Ben Alvey linked up well together as Tom and Angel, as did Catherine Tuckey and Andrea Nicolaou as Maureen and Joanne, with a superb “Over The Moon” from Catherine. Dan Bates was a fine Benjamin, the “baddy” landlord. All the rest on stage gave their all with enthusiasm, certainly providing full support throughout. The lovely choreography and dancing blended in very well. The costumes were very appropriate as were the props. The set was excellent and the back stage work, lighting and sound fine, all adding to the occasion. To achieve such a standard required excellent preparation by all, vocally, dramatically and technically, not to mention working as a team. Great entertainment!
May 15th 2012
Equus
Derby Theatre
Tuesday May 8th to Saturday May 12th
Tuesday May 8th
Michael Cabot (the Director), summed up Equus in the programme by saying:
"The premise of Equus is chilling. A 17-year-old boy has been found guilty of blinding 6 horses with a metal spike. A senseless crime, that dismays and horrifies. In his search for understanding, a psychiatrist begins the task of unravelling the horror and trying to find answers. Not so much as Shaffer himself concluded, a 'whodunit' as a 'whydunit.'"
At Derby Theatre last night we were treated to an outstanding performance of this award winning play, which was first performed in 1973.
There is no doubt that Equus is dark and disturbing, but it is also compelling. There were brilliant performances from the whole cast, especially Matthew Pattimore, who plays the boy, Alan.
It is hard to take your eyes off him, as he is full of conflicting emotions which are powerfully portrayed. He is quite simply superb, swinging from moments of unbridled aggression to silently sitting and staring into nothing, from raging against those who try to help him, to tenderly embracing his favourite horse, Nugget. His performance is so good that, far from being revolted by him, the audience is encouraged to look past his crime and to see him for what he is, a confused boy overflowing with inner demons.
The psychiatrist, Martin, played by Malcolm Jones, is equally accomplished. He continues to display an outward professionalism, despite fighting some inner demons of his own. Held together by his desire to help the boy, he struggles with both his loveless marriage and his unexpected jealousy at the passion which burns brightly inside the teenager.
As a study into the way a teenager has been influenced by those around him, it is shocking and deeply disturbing, yet strangely sympathetic and moving. There was absolute silence at the end of both Acts, until the audience regained reality and applauded with appreciation. It's a chilling and compelling play that is intellectually and emotionally tough. Gradually, we discover that the boy has become sexually and religiously stimulated by the eroticism of horseflesh.
The play is certainly dark, has some bad language and nudity, but all that is weaved naturally into the telling of the story. A story that is about things human and things divine: the connection between religious and social attitudes is an important theme of the play.
Another fantastic, almost balletic performance, is that by Stuart Angell as the object of Alan’s intense passion, the horse Nugget.
We left the theatre nearly in silence, because that just seemed the right thing to do - the only thing to do. The play explored themes for all of us that at the end needed quiet contemplation.
My view is, go and see it - but don't expect to be quite the same at the end as you were at the start, at least for a while - as it certainly makes you think! Oh, and despite all I have said about it being dark and serious, there were some appropriately funny lines as well.
The atmospheric set by Kerry Bradley, an amphitheatre of mock marble curved seating and horses’ heads brilliantly lit by Paul Green, set before a suspended circle of hay and a vast crucifix, is brilliant. The cast remain on the stage throughout the play and create a strangely ritualistic atmosphere with their downcast faces.
This is a fabulous production of the highest quality: Derby Theatre shows once again that it’s the place to go for a first class theatrical experience.
The play is a production by The London Classic Theatre Company, Directed by Michael Cabot, Designed by Kerry Bradley with Lighting by Paul Green and Costumes by Katja Krzesinska.
It plays at Derby Theatre until Saturday.
Yes Prime Minister
Derby Theatre
Monday 30th April to Saturday May 5th
Monday April 30th
A very entertaining and enjoyable evening at Derby Theatre tonight. This stage version of "Yes Prime Minister" was beautifully crafted by the original writers of the TV Series, Anthony Jay and Jonathan Lynn. The script was witty throughout and gave the highly appreciative audience plenty of laughs. The play began life in 2010 at The Chichester Festival but is very much up to date. I guess there are additions and deletions made throughout the tour to ensure this is always the case and the result is a very fresh script.
The plot centres around the Prime Minister, Jim Hacker, who over the course of a couple of days at Chequers, has problem after problem piled upon him. There is a massive oil contract, global warming, European sovereign debt, the recession, joining the Euro and various financial crises to name just a few!
However, he was not alone in facing the problems as he is helped and guided by the Machiavellian career Civil Servant, Sir Humphrey Appleby, who frequently speaks long sentences of verbal ingenuity to delight the audience but which does nothing to make Jim's life any easier as for most of the time he has no idea what they mean! Neither, I suspect, do we which makes it all the more enjoyable!
His private secretary, Bernard Woolley, is also there but his suggestions are usually unhelpful but very amusing.
Add to these two characters, the PM's political advisor, who adds some glamour but very little help for Jim who becomes increasingly manic as the plot unfolds.
Of course, at the end solutions are found and the immortal line uttered by Sir Humphrey, "Yes, Prime Minister," ends the play as indeed it surely must.
The roles of Jim Hacker and Sir Humphrey are played magnificently by Graham Seed and Michael Simkins and Bernard Woolley by Clive Haywood. All three were perfect foils for each other.
The part of Claire Sutton was played well by Laura Murray.
The supporting cast were good in their respective roles, especially Sam Dastor who played the Ambassador from an oil rich Eastern European Country. His home spun morality was thought provoking while often being amusing as well.
This was a good production throughout in all areas and is well worth going to see at Derby Theatre this week.
Audiences are guaranteed a very good evening with lot's of laughs, a great script and for many, some nostalgia.
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Curve Theatre - Leicester
Sunday April 29th
I enjoyed this afternoon's performance which was the last at this theatre. It has been at the curve for a short season and is part of the National Tour produced by Bill Kenwright.
As always, the show was vibrant, exciting and full of great tunes and energetic dance routines. The actors who played the parts of Joseph's Brothers were excellent in both the singing and dancing departments.
Keith Jacks, who played Joseph was the runner up in Andrew Lloyd Webbers TV show "Any Dream Will Do." His performance was generally good but it lacked some engagement with the audience at times. Costumes were great and there were many amazingly quick changes.
Lighting, scenery and the band were very good. Jennifer Potts, the Narrator was excellent and the supporting cast was very good.
The children's Choir, made up of local children, was also very good.
There is no doubt that this musical is always loved by audiences and this afternoon was no exception. We all had a great time.
The show now moves on to The Winding Wheel in Chesterfield from the 1st to the 5th May and comes back to the Theatre Royal in Nottingham from October 23rd to 27th. If you haven't seen it yet we would say try and catch it as soon as you can.
Sweeney Todd
May Hall, Trent College
Long Eaton Operatic Society
Tuesday 17th April to Saturday 21st April
Sweeney Todd is a dark tale about the return of Benjamin Baker aka Sweeney Todd, from prison in Australia after he had been accused of a crime he didn’t commit. He was falsely accused of this crime by the corrupt Judge Turpin, who had taken a fancy to Baker’s daughter, Johanna. Upon his return and with a new name and identity, he vows to take revenge on those who robbed him of his freedom and family.
He takes up with a widow, Mrs Lovett -who runs a pie shop - and he opens a barber shop above it. The shop is in Fleet Street and so begins the tale of ‘Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street.’
It is indeed a dark and violent tale, although there are a few comic moments in the show for some light relief. There is also a rather silly sub plot involving Todd’s daughter and a young seaman whom he met on the way back to England. This contributes little to the overall story, in my opinion.
The Music and Lyrics are by Stephen Sondheim and in the show programme the President of the Long Eaton Operatic Society reminds us that ‘Stephen Sondheim is a bit like Marmite – you either love him or loathe him.’ I fall rather in the middle. While accepting that he has written some glorious tunes, for example, ‘Send in the Clowns’ there are other less memorable compositions. This show is nearly all sung and has a leaning towards opera rather than musical theatre.
However, The Long Eaton Operatic Society bravely, in my view, took up the challenge and produced an excellent show within the confines of the material. The singing from all is first class– powerful, technically competent and with passion. There are also some notable individual performances. Adam Guest as Sweeney has a great voice and he powerfully conveys the sheer villainy and deep rooted evil of the character. His deliciously wicked and uproariously unprincipled partner in crime, Mrs Lovett, is beautifully played and sung by Carrie-Anne Corner . They are ably supported by Mark Haigh as Anthony Hope, the Sailor and Rebekah Fearn as Johanna.
The part of the Judge is played by Andrew Elcock with conviction and his side kick, Beadle Bamford is menacing portrayed by Martin Briggs. Emily Berryman is very affecting as The Beggar Woman and Rob Byatt plays the rather silly Italian, Adolfo Pirelli, amusingly.
An outstanding newcomer from the youth group to the main society is Curtis Salmon. He plays the part of Tobias Ragg, who becomes unwittingly involved in the evil activities of Todd and Mrs Lovett. He is engaging and powerful in a big role that is quite demanding, particularly towards the end.
And so how do I feel about the show overall? I thought it was performed with the usual professionalism, dynamism and enthusiasm we have come to expect from what is one of the best amateur groups in the area. The production was expertly handled by producer Margaret Butcher, along with the Musical Director, David Walker and Choreographer, Julie Easter. The set was effective and evocative and the orchestra was excellent.
I have to say that the show itself is certainly not one of my favourites and while I do not loathe it like Marmite, I did feel it lacked some good melodies.The Long Eaton Operatic Society, who were performing their 100th show, looked at times like a professional company. They should be very proud of what they achieved on stage tonight.
Their next show will be a lighter than this one – The Sound of Music - in October. You can’t beat a good Rodgers & Hammerstein and I for one, can’t wait to see what they achieve.
David Allen
You can read another Review of the show from NODA. Click here to read
Funny PeculiarDerby Theatre, DerbyMonday, 16th April 2012 to Saturday, 21st April
I really enjoyed this play which was first performed in the 1970's and which launched the careers of a number of actors who are now household names such as Julie Walters and the late Richard Beckinsale. The original London production opened on January 30th 1976 and the cast included in addition to the two already mentioned, Bill Nighy, Matthew Kelly, and Kevin Lloyd (who later made his name in "The Bill.") It was a huge hit with audiences and critics on the whole - The Daily Mail described it as "Coronation Street with an X - Certificate. Interesting and maybe an accurate description depending on your point of view.
The Author of the Play, the late Mike Stott, is renowned for celebrating the quirkiness and robust charm of ‘ordinary life’. This he certainly does in this play.
The story revolves around Trevor Tinsley played by Craig Gazey who runs a small shop with his wife Irene, played by Suzanne Shaw. All Trevor thinks and talks about is free love, but his wife does not share his passion! So when the opportunity presents itself, he takes no persuading in delivering groceries to Shirley Smith (Gemma Bissix) as he is aware she shares his outlook on sex. What he does not know is, so does her husband Eric (Sam Nicoll), and busybody Mrs. Baldry (Vicky Entwistle) has been watching and will take no time at all to let everyone know what has happened.
Add into the mix Mrs. Baldry’s son with learning difficulties (played by Steven Blakeley) and a mad food fight in the shop with the baker (Simon Naylor) and you have enough mayhem to keep you happy. The food fight was performed really well with precise and effective comic timing.
The play has a lot of bad language, as well as full frontal male nudity, which in the contents of the play add to the story, and each actor makes the most of their role. All this fitted into the play and was done as Kenny Everrett might have said "In the best possible taste' - maybe!
Bob Tomson, the plays Director certainly developed the characters well. The Designer, Simon Scullion, produced a good composite set that was very effectively used by the cast.
TV favourites Craig Gazey, winner of the British Soaps Best Comedy Performer award, Gemma Bissix, two-time British Soapaward winner and Vicky Entwistle, best known for her role as the feisty Janice Battersby in Coronation Street, were very good in their respective roles along with Derbyshire's own Steven Blakeley who was very good.
The audience at Derby Theatre did enjoy the play and gave the cast an exuberant round of applause at the end, which the cast responded to with smiles and waves. The comments I heard on the way out were very positive indeed.
This is a play for adults as it deals with adult themes in an adult way. It is certainly not suitable for children under about sixteen or perhaps your Granny or Grandad although having said that there were many Grannies and Grandads in the audience who were enjoying it immensely as was I.
I would recommend you to go and see it if you like this kind of adult comedy before the show ends its run in Derby on Saturday.
April 16th 2012
Derby Theatre
Wednesday 4 April to Saturday 7 April 2012
A wonderful production of Children of Hercules has just finished its run at Derby Theatre.
Act 1 proved without any doubt that 'Derby has a huge amount of Talent.' Over 90 young people on stage for much of the time. Excellent acting and movement. The production is a play with songs - good quality songs sung with energy and precision. All the young actors are so focused. Every word can be heard clearly. The Greek play has been well updated and set in relatively modern times. The story is universal - force versus human values - good versus evil. There is a large slice of sadness here this afternoon as this is the last production by this incredibly talented group of young people. Let's hope something will rise in its place soon. There are too many superb and talented young people on this stage today for that not to happen.
The second act was so well acted by the entire cast that one wondered if this was actually a professional company in disguise. As an ensemble they were totally together. The movements had obviously been choreographed carefully and precisely. They moved as one and sang as one.
At the end good did triumph over evil in a spectacular yet poignant way,
A fabulous performance from an outstanding group of over 90 young people. Well done everyone, not forgetting the whole production and artistic team.
This afternoon had been quite an experience for everyone on stage and in the auditorium. I really can't believe that these young people could be so outstandingly good. However, they just were! Thank goodness I came to see them.
Saturday Matinee April 7th 2012
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