THEGAYUK

Author: Paul Szabo

  • THEATRE REVIEW | This Is My Family, Lyceum theatre Sheffield and National Tour

    ★★★ | This Is My Family, Lyceum theatre Sheffield and National Tour

    Nicky loves her family very much, so enters a competition to win a holiday by describing her family in less than three hundred words. However, her description does not include details of her mother’s boredom at her routine life, her father’s impending midlife crisis, her grandmother’s increasing forgetfulness and her Goth brother’s lovelorn angst. So when Nicky finds out she has won the competition and can chose any location in the world for her destination, she eventually decides on a holiday which none of her family would have ever expected.

    Following its debut last year, this new British musical comedy embarks on its first national tour. Written by Tim Firth, writer of Calendar Girls and Kinky Boots, the quick paced script is delivered at a matching speed and produces a number of genuinely funny one liners, with humour reminiscent of the family sitcoms “Outnumbered” and “”My Family”. The show is akin to a sing through musical, with the songs being part of the narrative and moving the story forward (with the cast, in essence, singing their lines) but with sufficient dialogue in between to break up the numbers and a script and story which balanced comedy, conflict and sentimentality very well.

    Evelyn Hoskins was every bit the star of the show, with her outstanding voice and upbeat performance as Nicky. But she was very closely followed by Terence Keeley, as Matt, whose singing voice had a mature, powerful and almost operatic quality for such a young performer and whose deadpan delivery was spot on. The entire company had good comic timing, playfully cutting across each other and delivering the wordy script with aplomb.

    In the newly refurbished Lyceum Theatre, the sound was crystal clear with every word being audible, despite how quickly the cast spoke. The static set was functional, as was the lighting, but this play is more about the writing than the staging.

    Where the play fell short was the songs; which sounded far too alike each other to ever really stand apart from the previous on, and the repeating refrains somehow making the first act seem very slow. In terms of the story, there felt as though there was very little narrative progression in the first act, and it was more about building up characters and relationships than driving the plot forward. But the second act brought everything together quite nicely, and in hindsight, it was clear why the slow build up was necessary, with the show just managing to keep on the right side of sentimentality to head towards a feel good ending.

    This is My Family is not your usual musical – if you go expecting show stopping routines and big, bold numbers, you will be disappointed. But if you want a sitcom with songs, with plenty of laugh out loud moments, you will no doubt find much to enjoy.

    This Is My Family is currently playing at the Sheffield Lyceum Theatre (www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/event/this-is-my-family-14/ ) before heading out on its first national tour, visiting Royal & Derngate, Northampton; Belgrade Theatre, Coventry; Liverpool Playhouse and The New Wolsey, Ipswich.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Great Gatsby – Northern Ballet

    ★★★★★ | The Great Gatsby – Northern Ballet

    In 1922, Nick Caraway moves to Long Island, hoping to take advantage of the economic upturn. He buys a house near to his cousin, Daisy, who is trapped in an unhappy marriage to Tom Buchannan as a result of Tom’s infidelity and quick temper. Entering into the decadent and indulgent world of 1920’s extravagance, Nick attends the lavish parties thrown by his reclusive neighbour, Gatsby. Gatsby longs for his lost love, Daisy, and as the two rekindle their love; a chain of events is set in motion which impacts upon all of them as their world of excess and glamour comes crashing down.

    Northern Ballet continues to surprise and delight in equal measure with this production. The show has an almost cinematic feel to it, combining detailed narrative, rich characterisations, sweeping scenes and a mixture of choreography, ranging from traditional ballet to the Charleston. The party scenes were an absolutely delightful, producing a genuine smile and conveying the fun and decadence of the era with the uplifting and joyous music and enthusiasm of the cast. This made the juxtaposition with the love story, the themes of loss and regret, loneliness and divided loyalties even more moving.

    Giuliano Contadini brought a wide eyed innocence to the role of Nick Carraway; and Kenneth Tindall has never been better than in his role as the scheming and thoroughly unpleasant Tom Buchanan. Tobias Batley brought an effective, subtle performance of loneliness and regret as Gatsby and Martha Leebolt was superb as Daisy Buchannan. The entire cast deserve credit for the way in which; expressed only through dance; they were able to garner such rich depth of character for those involved in the narrative.
    The music was very much in keeping with the time period, as were the cloche hats, flapper dresses and smart tuxedo’s, which filled out the cast’s wardrobe. The live orchestra once again played beautifully and the inclusion of two songs within the score added a twist which worked incredibly well, one of which immensely enhanced the beautifully poignant closing scenes.

    Northern Ballet was named Best Company at the inaugural Taglioni European Ballet Awards in October this year, and with the consistency and quality of their productions, it is not hard to see why. The running time for The Great Gatsby simply flew by and the show was not only utterly absorbing but was very difficult to fault. Very highly recommended.

    The Great Gatsby is currently on national tour, visiting Canterbury’s Marlow Theatre, The Alhambra Theatre; Bradford, Saddlers Wells in London and Norwich Theatre Royal.

    For more information visit www.northernballet.com

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Opera North La Traviata – National Tour

    ★★★★ | Opera North La Traviata – National Tour

    Set in Paris circa 1700, Alfredo Germont, a demure young man falls in love with Violetta, a courtesan, who is the toast of society because of her lavish, debauchery filled parties. But Violetta is dying and despite initially dismissing him, she falls for Alfredo and gives up her lifestyle to be with him. As they move to the country and with her fortune dwindling, Violetta is visited by Alfredo’s father, who is worried about the impact upon his daughter’s marriage prospects as a result of Violetta’s former profession, and he talks her into leaving Alfredo to secure the family’s future. But with Alfredo confused at why his love has abandoned him and with Violetta’s health failing quickly, can love bring the two back together before it is too late?

    Opera North has produced a simply sumptuous production of Verdi’s beautiful and heart-breaking opera, both in terms of performance and presentation. During the opening scene where Violetta appears, silhouetted by a full moon, the combination of modern theatricality and traditional opera makes it clear that you are about to watch something special. From the sexually charged ensemble piece of Violetta’s party during the opening, to the ghostly visitations voyeuristically poised over Violetta’s death bed, the director, Alessandro Talevi, provides a refreshing take in terms of the opera’s presentation.

    Hye-Youn Lee, as Violette and Ji-Min Parkas Alfredo were well matched in terms of their performances, with Lee providing a sweet and sensitive performance, whilst Roland Wood stood out from the remainder of the cast as Alfredo’s desperate and scheming father. It is only when you hear opera sung live you are hit with the sheer power of their voices, especially as the soaring sounds echoed around the opulence of the Leeds Grand Theatre. The live orchestra sent a shiver down the spine, from the opening notes played by the piercing strings to the swelling crescendos of the closing moments, and sounded exquisite.

    Opera is often overlooked by theatre goers because of the perception of it being impenetrable and highbrow, but Opera North have produced a theatrical piece which is beautifully put together, but accessible to all. La Traviata is embedded in popular culture and you will recognise it from the silver-clad roof top bus ride in Priscilla, Vivien’s first opera in Pretty Woman or the story of Satine and Christian in “Moulin Rouge!” Whether you are an opera novice or aficionado, this production oozes quality and has much to recommend it.

    Despite being sung in Italian, the show has surtitles; two screens which provide the audience with details of what is being said. These surtitles are detailed enough to enhance and drive forward the narrative, but do not translate every single word, thereby allowing you to easily understand the interactions of the characters without it ever preventing you from being able to watch the stage and to appreciate the music, staging or performances.

    La Travita is currently being performed alongside a two other productions, The Bartered Bride and The Coronation Of Poppea (the latter two being sung in English) which comprise Opera North’s Autumn season and are being performed at different venues around the country, including Leeds, Nottingham, Belfast, Manchester and Newcastle.

    For full details, visit their website at http://www.operanorth.co.uk

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Twelfth Night – Sheffield Crucible Theatre and National Tour

    ★★★ | Twelfth Night – Sheffield Crucible Theatre and National Tour 2014

    In Shakespeare’s gentle comedy about unrequited love, tomfoolery and cross-dressing; twins, Viola and Sebastian are separated in a shipwreck and believing each other to have drowned, Viola to disguises herself as a young man called Cesario who falls into the service of Orsino, a benevolent Duke. The Duke holds an unrequited love for grieving widow, Olivia, a wealthy countess, but Olivia falls for Cesario, not realising that “he” is Viola in disguise, whilst Viola’s affections are firmly set on the Duke. Meanwhile, Sir Toby Belch, Olivia’s drunken uncle, plots a cruel trick upon Malvolio, the head butler, to make him think that his mistress, Olivia, has fallen in love with him. As the confusion reigns, love begins to blossom and bloom.

    Shakespeare can be considered a little heavy by many, but this production felt light and accessible, with a number of genuinely funny moments. Focussing more on the comedy of the play, the show feels surprisingly contemporary whilst remaining faithful to the original use of language. Shakespeare aficionados will no doubt appreciate the text, dialogue and rich characterizations which are ably provided by the cast, whilst those who are not so familiar with the Bards work will find much to entertain them in this fresh take on the classic play and easily lose themselves in the story.

    Director, Jonathan Mumby neatly nestles charm and romance in amongst the comedy; using a flurry of rose petals quite literally bursting out from the characters, a scattering of musical interludes and a delightful, grin-inducing opening to the second act. The static, shabby chic set provided an unobtrusive backdrop for the piece, allowing for the performances to take centre stage. As an ensemble, the cast worked remarkably well together. In the straighter roles, Jake Fairbrother stood out with his perfect diction and charismatic persona as Orsinio being matched only by Rebecca Johnson, who provided a commanding performance as the headstrong and determined Olivia. David Fielder garnered the most laughs out of the comedy roles, as he delightfully swayed and staggered his way through his turn as the drunken Sir Toby Belch and Hugh Ross easily demonstrated his mastery of the text with his portrayal as Malvolio.

    The play’s most often quoted line; “If music be the food of love …. play on” is taken quite literally with the score, coupled with the well thought out lighting, adding depth and atmosphere to the theatre and enhancing the feel of the piece. Despite a couple of the scenes feeling a little overlong, the blend of drama, physical comedy and music all combined together to make for an enjoyable evening, and a surprisingly short feel to the 3-hour running time.

    Twelfth Night is currently playing at Sheffield Crucible Theatre until the 18th October 2014. For further information and to book tickets, visit http://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/event/twelfth-night-14/?tab=1#unit-production-dates . The production then heads out on national tour, details of the venues and how to book tickets can be found at http://www.ett.org.uk/productions/81/twelfth-night

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Ballad of the Burning Star – National Tour

    ★★★ | Ballad of the Burning Star – National Tour

    Glamorous drag queen, Star, invites you to join her on a cabaret filled journey into the heart of the Middle East. Armed with a pair of killer heels, a deadly troupe of dancers and a handful of stories from both sides of the conflict, you are taken on a journey like no other to examine the individuals, families and communities who find themselves in the Ballad of the Burning Star is undeniably a bold piece of theatre. Credit is due to anyone who attempts to explain the complexities of the Middle East conflict via the medium of Cabaret, using a drag queen, a Star of David mirror ball, a musician called “Camp David” and a troupe of military dressed Diva’s. It was also undeniably confrontational, never shying away from its explosive, in your face style and being uncompromising in its portrayal of both sides of the conflict. It is equally bold in its physical, stripped back presentation – it is a show which stands on its own two feet, without the need for a set, props or a multitude of elaborate costumes.

    There were a number of very good ideas contained within the piece and as you peel back the layers, you begin to realise what an incredibly smart piece of writing this is. The way in which Star vacillates between caring host and dictator-like dominator of the Starlets, the way in which taboos are openly challenged, and the almost military precision drills of the dance routines are all reflective of the subject matter of the piece, and make the point with a sarcastic overtone and dark undertone. There is also the way in which the story comes full circle, how the events culminate at the end and how the circular narrative of the piece mirrors why the ongoing conflict still rages.

    But unfortunately, it the show never comes together in a way which allows it to reach the full potential of those good ideas. There were a number of aspects of the production which pulled it down – the almost identical troupe of Starletts playing different roles within the story led to poorly defined characters which were not always easy to identify during the narrative. The choreography became very repetitive very quickly and the majority of the presentation was reduced to nothing more than people shouting loudly, wailing or screeching at each other, which led to the loss of any actual dramatic impact. But as the closing lines of the show were delivered (in complete contrast to what had gone before and in a very powerful way) you realise what this show perhaps could have been with a little more restraint.

    That said, whilst not being particularly impressed upon immediately leaving the theatre, this show has really stayed with me for the last few days and for some reason, I have not been able to stop thinking about it. The more I have thought about it, the more I have realised what a clever piece of theatre this really was. It is just a real shame that the constant shouting and screaming undermined the value of the subject matter and the presentation of what was actually a very powerful, thought provoking, inventive and intelligent piece of theatre.

    Ballad of the Burning Star is now on national tour. Further information, details of the tour and booking details can be found at http://www.theatreadinfinitum.co.uk/productions/ballad-of-the-burning-star

  • INTERVIEW | Christopher Green, Mashing Up Ida

    Christopher Green has been described as “part politician, part showman, part sociologist, part healer and an entertainer”. Having won a multitude of awards, travelled the globe performing his wonderful characters and writing for and appearing on Radio 4, he remains not only grounded but as someone who utilises his art to bring people together.

    His character, Ida Barr, is gaining not only popularity but also a reputation for being one of the “must see” acts that is currently bringing communities together. Working alongside Sheffield University and Home Live Art, Christopher is bringing his unique and ridiculously entertaining character to Sheffield for the Festival of the Mind. By bringing a 130-year-old music hall star to embrace modern music, and taking the mash up far beyond anything that Glee could ever hope to achieve, the irrepressible Ida Barr is about to bring generations together.

    Christopher very kindly spoke to THEGAYUK about his forthcoming project, why character is more important than drag and about meeting Her Royal Highness Anni Frid of Abba.

    And where did the character come from?
    I was putting together a series of events at the Cafe Du Paris in London, and I was researching in the National Sound Archives of the British Library. I heard a live recording of a minor musical star, Ida Barr, and I immediately thought “that’s it”. I thought, I’m going to resurrect this woman. She had two big hits, “Everybody’s Doing It” and “Oh, You Beautiful Doll”. I put together the basics of the character and referenced (i.e. nicked) some of Ida’s creaky gags. The character then developed from there. I was born just over nine months after Ida had died and I wondered how, if she was alive, she would view things now. At the end of last year, thanks to the British Music Hall Society, I spent a couple of weeks in the company of the trunk that Ida had donated to the Society upon her death. Ida Barr has simply grown from there and I am proud to be respectfully giving Ida a new lease of life.

    Ida is going to be travelling north to Sheffield this weekend for Sheffield University’s “Festival of the Mind”. How did your involvement with this start?
    It started with a lady called Professor Vanessa Toolman. She is both an Academic and an amazing person. She has worked alongside me, and Home Live Art (the producers of Ida Barr’s Mash Up). They are a force of nature together and they make for a dynamic pairing. We’ve done a number of projects together and the Festival of the Mind is an event which aims to link academics and artists with members of the community on an intellectual level. There are a significant number of free events over the course of the festival, such as lectures, exhibitions and participatory art events. I have had a long involvement with Sheffield University and with Sheffield as a place. I was born in Sheffield and moved out to Matlock in Derbyshire where I grew up. I still have extended family in Sheffield and it is a great place to be. As a town it’s incredibly productive artistically, in particular there continues to be some really great bands coming out of Sheffield, but as a city it gets on with things itself and is beautifully and quietly understated.

    So as you grew up in Matlock, why hasn’t Ida been invited to turn on the Matlock illuminations?
    [Laughs]. That’s a very good question. I guess the answer is that she won’t be until you get the petition out there. Perhaps you could collude with the Matlock Mercury to get the ball rolling?

    I would imagine that the Derbyshire community would either stand there laughing themselves to bits, or simply gaze on with their mouths open not really knowing what to think!
    Quite probably.

    So, Ida is down to perform her infamous mash up at the Festival of the Mind on Sunday, 24 September . What is she going to do?
    The show is going to be a community mash up of old and new songs. There will be an hour or so of a show and then Ida facilitating the singing and bringing together the audience. There is the notion of it being a sing-along with people being genuinely asked to join in and for them to bring to the show what they can bring. For example, we are going to be mashing up First World War songs with Rhianna. It doesn’t matter whether or not the audience know all of the words to “Jerusalem”; even if they can only join in with a few words or a couple of lines of the chorus, then that’s all that they are asked to do. There is a choir there who will be assisting in the sing-along and it is going to be a participatory event in good spirits, not one of those comedic events where people in the audience are picked on or ridiculed. The whole thing has an immense sense of fun.

    So, who is the delightful Ida Barr?
    Ida is probably the UK’s only music hall star/R&B hip hop icon. Having had a successful career as a music hall singer, she has transcended generations to embrace modern music and the culturally diverse landscape of London’s East End where she’s been in retirement for several decades. Whilst her glory days may be behind her, her creativity is still blossoming, following the release of her multi-selling albums, “Artificial Hip Hop”, “Slipped Disco” and “Get Old or Die Tryin”; she is the “People’s Pensioner”

    So are we talking “Knees Up Mother Brown” mixed with “The Only Girl in the World”?
    Yes, these songs are part of our heritage and part of our psyche. It’s important that we continue to sing them. They are fun and they are part of our culture. Some songs are passed down from generation to generation. Look at “White Christmas”, it’s still selling copies and it’s over half a century old. Historically, songs have been passed down by people singing them to each other and singing together as a community. That is really important.

    You have done a lot of work within the gay community. How did that come about and what has been the motivation behind that work?
    I started in “Duckie” in London and really came out of the mid-1990s “queer movement”. My early shows did contain a healthy community aspect but I believe that performance should be open to everyone and that anyone who wants to come can come, regardless of gender, sexuality, race, religion, age or any other features which can be used to define them. For me, since being around 30 years old, being gay has not been an issue. We are very lucky that that is the case, and I certainly consider myself lucky. However, being gay is still an issue for a lot of people. It’s important sometimes to get out there and say “It’s ok to be gay – it can be easy and it can be straightforward”. In my view, it is not my aim to say “look, I’m playing to a gay crowd”. What I don’t want is to leave anybody feeling alienated. My art is open to everyone who wishes to access it. Saying that you will play specifically to a gay crowd is simply segregating a community when it doesn’t need to be segregated. I’m not interested in segregating an audience. I’m more interested in bringing an audience together. I’m not sure I have anything that important to say to such a niche group.

    Do you feel that there is a shift in the way that the gay community and different generations are coming together?
    I get to do a lot of weddings and recently have been doing an increasing number of same-sex weddings. What I have seen is that there are so many families out there, from Auntie Doris who is 93; right down to the children running round aged four and five, and for them being gay is simply not an issue. They have fully embraced having a lesbian or gay daughter or son, or having a lesbian or gay member of the family. We are fortunate that this is happened really quickly.

    So, if this is not specifically about a gay audience and more about bringing people together through art, what influences you in terms of your work and characters?
    There are very few aspects of my work which have not been influenced by my life but my work is not simply gay orientated. I like to connect with people on different levels. For example one of my characters, Tina C, is a very political country and western singer. As her, I have lots of different pokes and jibes at politics and that is probably what the gay and lesbian community may pick up on more than other sections of the community, but then someone who is a hard-core country and western fan will get something else out of the character that the lesbian and gay community might not; unless of course they are lesbian and gay hard-core country music fans. I was asked to present Peter Tatchell with an award from Gay Times Magazine as the character, Tina C. Whilst this was immense fun, Tina is a character who simply is uncaring and it was a challenge in some ways for me to maintain that character. I had a choice either to come across as incredibly uncaring or to step out of character. I feel things like this are important as the gay community, as do all aspects of the community, need people who are dedicated to work for them and push matters forward.

    Would you class Ida Barr as a drag act or as a female impersonator?
    The answer is neither. I would describe Ida as a character. I find that the characters most different from me are the ones who are most useful. For example, Tina C is highly successful, rich and is completely diametrically opposed to me. With Ida, she is old and disenfranchised. They are, in my eyes, characters who just happened to be female. They are not characters born out of drag as you would traditionally define that medium, nor are they female impersonators as you may associate with the likes of Danny La Rue. Being in character should free you up to be able to say and do things that you perhaps normally wouldn’t.

    You mean, for example, like Caroline Ahern? She can put on a wig and make up, transform into Mrs Merton and get away with asking questions that you would never normally get away with on a chat show?
    Absolutely. It’s like with Ida Barr’s Mash Up, I have undertaken the show with such broad sectors of the community including children, older people, vulnerable young people and those who are socially excluded. If I bounded in as myself and said “so how’s everyone feeling today? Let’s have a singsong” I would simply alienate my audience but having a character such as Ida that they can relate to and who puts them at ease not only liberates you as a performer but liberates the audience as well.

    So what is it that makes the public so drawn to characters such as Ida Barr, Dame Edna and hinge and bracket?
    It’s about the quality of the performance. Artists can be really amazing and incredible things happen when they are liberated as artists, and that is exactly what these characters do. But equally, with the audience liberated, as well as the artist, it makes for a really appealing combination.

    Benny and Bjorn from Abba are quoted as saying “Christopher Green’s work is funny and intelligent”. High praise indeed, but how did that come about?
    I had prepared a piece called Pop Junkie which was quite early on in my career. They had to be contacted as I had put in an Abba song and had to contact them for permission. They were sent a copy of the script and that’s how the quote came about. Out of all of the positive press that I have received, that has to be one of my all-time favourite quotes

    You recorded a piece for Radio 4 called “Like An Angel Passing Through My Room. It’s a really touching piece of work. Is Abba a huge part of your life?
    Yes, and that piece is all about how I got to meet Anni Frid herself. It was funny, as she vaguely remembered the script for Pop Junkie, which was my first direct contact with the band that I had grown up absolutely loving. Meeting Anni Frid was an experience I will never forget.

    Ida Barr’s Mash Up will take place at 2pm and 6pm on Sunday 21st September 2014 at The Spiegeltent in Barkers Pool, Sheffield (outside the City Hall). The show is free and promises to be great fun.

    Further details of the show can be found at here along with other information about the Festival of the Mind.

  • German Gay Rights Activist Attacked in Belgrade.

    German gay rights activist who took part in a gay rights conference in Belgrade, Serbia, was severely beaten on Saturday 13th September 2014, suffering life threatening head injuries. The name of the victim has not yet been released, but reports from the Serbian Police, gay rights activists and the German Ambassador confirm the story, according to the Associated Press.

    Jovanka Todorovic, from the Labris Gay and Lesbian Group, told the Associated Press that the man was attacked and beaten around the head with a glass ashtray, whilst his attackers shouted “we don’t want foreigners in Belgrade”. The attack left him with internal bleeding and head injuries.

    Heinz Georg Wilhelm, the German ambassador to Serbia, stated that the man was “awake, but that it [was] still too early to say something”. He added that “If it’s true that the attacker said that he does not want foreigners in Serbia; that gives a new xenophobic dimension to the whole incident”.

    Protesting the attack, hundreds of gay rights supported marched in downtown Belgrade on Saturday, carrying signs saying “Stop the Violence” and “Your Policies, Our Blood”. Anti-riot police were present to protect the demonstrators.

    The incident comes two weeks before the first gay pride march to take place in the city since disturbances between police and anti-gay far-right groups halted the events four years ago.

    The Interior minister, Nebojsa Stefanovic pledged that police will identify the attackers, confirming that he has ordered an intensive investigation so that the attackers are brought to justice. The BBC reports that three men have been arrested, but no further details are known.

    Serbia has repeatedly pledged to protect human rights as it seeks membership of the European Union.

    Serbian officials have previously prevented LGBT-Rights demonstrations, claiming that they could not control the anti-LGBT violence, but whether this may impact on their inclusion in the EU remains to be seen.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Kes, Doncaster Cast Theatre

    ★★★ | Kes, Doncaster Cast Theatre

    In a small, northern working class community in the 1960s, Billy Casper’s life is not the easiest. He struggles with reading and writing, is picked on at school, bullied by his older brother and neglected by his uncaring mother. With nothing in his future but the prospect of leaving school and working in the coal mine, his future is bleak. When Billy finds and trains a wild kestrel, his life begins to find a purpose and meaning. But the cruelty of life strikes him a devastating blow.

    Produced by Cast Theatre and combining a mix of professional actors and amateur performers from the area, this new production of Barry Hines’ classic novel was adapted and performed to mark Cast Theatre’s first birthday.

    Jacob James Beswick stood out as young Billy Casper, looking every bit the part of the downtrodden youngster and filling the character with a balance of dread, pessimism towards the future and occasional glimmers of optimism. Beswick garnered a genuine empathy from the audience, especially during the shows closing scenes. Sally Carman, best known as Kelly McGuire in Shameless, was in familiar territory with her performance as Mrs Casper, and the incredibly handsome Ben Burman rounded off the family as vindictive half-brother, Jud. The majority of the cast were made up of amateur performers, making this local theatre in more ways than one and providing a cast who, as a whole, were pleasingly slick and polished and who had clearly honed their skills with the assistance of their professional contemporaries.

    The set was detailed, using a combination of projected backdrops and sliding panels to create different parts of the town, keeping the presentation simple but effective. The transitions between scenes were smoothly done and the original music, composed by Dom Coyote, added just the right amount of atmosphere. The lighting was kept low key, complementing the play’s gritty and dark subject matter and the story nicely gathered pace as it progressed. However, even in the intimate theatre space, the lack of microphones led to a few moments where it was difficult to hear what was being said, but this is a minor criticism of the production overall. The show has occasional moments of light humour, which were a welcome relief but which never detracted from the story or mood of the piece and the handful of local references added a nice touch. The show was engaging, enjoyable and a worthy choice and adaptation to celebrate the success of the theatre over the last 12 months.

    Kes is currently playing at Doncaster Cast until the 13th September 2014. Tickets can be booked online at http://castindoncaster.com , in person at the box office or on the telephone on 01302 303959.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Dracula, Northern Ballet, West Yorkshire Playhouse

    ★★★★ | Dracula, Northern Ballet, West Yorkshire Playhouse

    Jonathan Harker is a young lawyer in the employ of Dracula, who shows the Count his beautiful fiancé, Mina, and upon becoming obsessed by her, Dracula heads to the shores of England to seek her out. But following the murder of her best friend, Lucy, by the Count, Mina falls under his spell. But in an attempt to avenge the death of Lucy, Lucy’s suitors and Harker are assisted by vampire hunter, Van Helsing, to track down Dracula in a desperate attempt to save Mina from an undead eternity.

    In this deliciously dark version of Dracula, from the opening moments of a naked Dracula stepping out of a coffin swirling in mist; through to the exhilarating and dramatic ending, Bram Stoker’s tale of obsessive love is brought to life by Northern Ballet who treat audiences to a lavish and spectacular gothic production.
    The atmosphere created in the theatre was superb with the lavishly detailed, Tim Burton-esqe sets providing a beautiful and visually stimulating backdrop to the dancers, which included performers being lowered from the ceiling and raised up from the ground. The cleverly designed low level lighting added to the gothic gloom of the piece and the music further complimented the ambience with a mixture of sharp strings and angular sounds akin to the soundtrack to “Psycho”; set against a host of choral orchestrations, reminiscent of “The Omen”. As always the costumes were beautifully put together, with the female dancers flowing gowns adding to the almost dreamlike quality of the show.

    Kevin Poeung provided the performance of the evening as asylum dweller, Renfield, who seems to have a strange connection with the Count. Poeung’s physical performance was energetic and contorted and contributed to one of the highlights of the show, namely the initial scene in Dr Jack Seward’s asylum. The engagement party was also a highlight, with the company dancing beautifully together. But the crescendo of the second act was the outstanding moment of the production with an ending which proved to be a breath-taking conclusion to the piece. Ashely Dixon also impressed throughout with his performance as Jonathan Hawker.

    The ballet was a lot darker and slightly heavier going than Northern Ballet’s usual fare, but the slow burn of the first act and the drama of the second act make this a rewarding watch. For an exhilarating piece of theatre told with an accessible narrative, Dracula is a visually rich and beautifully gothic piece of ballet.

    Dracula is currently being performed at West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds until 13th September 2014. Tickets for Dracula can be booked at http://northernballet.com where you can also find out information about their upcoming productions for the Autumn/Winter season, many of which will be performed at different venues around the country.

  • COLUMN | Growing old (dis) gracefully

    I have concluded that I am officially growing old. The use of my reading glasses is causing a massive internal struggle between resistance to ageing and the reality that they really do make a difference. Equally middle aged spread is spreading rather too rapidly and the hair on my head is getting thinner, whiter and further back and even my beard is showing signs of salt and pepper colouring. But most of all, it is the fact that I seem to be turning into my mother. Now, I do not mean that in any derogatory way at all, but, scarily, I can see so many of her ways starting to emerge in my own behaviour.

    Recently, I went to the theatre in Manchester. My first realisation of the day was standing at the kitchen sink, filling a water bottle with orange cordial to take with me, as I couldn’t see the point of paying for a bottle of pop to take into the theatre. As I glanced at my reflection in the kitchen window, I could see my face morph into my mother’s face; staring back at me and giving me a wry smile.

    On the train journey over the Pennines, there were three young girls on the table opposite who spent the majority of the journey complaining about a faux hangover (they were far too young to drink), preening themselves with make-up which was applied whilst using the back of their iPhone as an impromptu mirror and talking giddily about grown up things like how exciting the sixth-form was. The way that they were talking, anyone would think that they had invented doing A-Levels and going out and getting drunk. My days of college tuition and wondering if I looked old enough to get served at the bar seemed a very long way away. This was coupled with my ongoing old(er) person’s amazement at the progress of technology. I was actually sat on the train using my mobile phone, which is not that much bigger than a box of Swan Vesta, to send a birthday message to my friend in Australia and knew that it would be there in a matter of milliseconds. The Atari 2600 was never like this.

    Over the course of the day, there was a plethora of further realisations of my progression in life. The value of the Tupperware in the pound shop. Discussing how I would much rather stay in on a Friday night with a bottle of wine and a DVD than go out to a pub. Standing in a shop listening to thrash metal blare out over the speakers, whilst, in my head, being able to hear my mother’s voice saying in unison with mine “how on Earth can you call that noise music?”. Insisting on using the toilets in Debenhams as “at least you know they will be clean”. Baulking at the youngsters over the top / borderline pornographic displays of public affection. And finally, bemoaning the fact that that I would not have bought any of the olives from the street market, because they were in open baskets and everyone had been coughing and spluttering over them all day.

    But the final realisation came as I left the theatre; given that I had been the first person on my feet, singing and dancing awkwardly in the narrow space between the rows of seats at the finale, without recourse to what anyone who was seated behind me and viewing this disturbing spectacle actually thought. The thing was, I didn’t actually care. I used to sink into my theatre seat, wholly overcome by shame and embarrassment, when my mother used to shout “He’s behind you” at the pantomime when I was younger.

    But here I was, doing exactly what my mother would have done – dancing and clapping along like a demented loon in the theatre and I was thoroughly enjoying myself.

    As I headed to the train station, I glared at the young things heading out for their night out on the town, when all I could think about was getting on the sofa for a nap. But I happily felt comfortable and content in the knowledge that, as I entered the station and got on the train, my bottle of wine and DVD was waiting for me at home… and comfortable and content in the knowledge that I wouldn’t want to swap their evening for mine. This growing old thing isn’t so bad after all.

     

     

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  • GIG REVIEW | James Blunt, Moon Landing Tour, Doncaster Racecourse

    ★★★★ | James Blunt, Moon Landing Tour, Doncaster Racecourse

    On a warm summer evening, Doncaster Racecourse presented the closing concert of James Blunt’s Moon Landing tour. Without the need for flashy pyrotechnics, elaborate sets or backing dancers James Blunt kept the crowd entertained for his 90 minute set with just his voice, his guitar and a four piece backing band.

    Blunt rattled through some of his singles and a number of fan favourites from his four multi-million selling albums. He quite rightly concentrated on the more up-tempo songs with only a few of his slower songs nestled neatly between the upbeat numbers. Blunt casually chatted with the audience and encouraged them to join in with a number of the songs. The crowd absolutely relished in singing along to “You’re Beautiful”, “Carry You Home” and his closing numbers “Bonfire Heart” and “1973”. But there were very few songs where the audience couldn’t help singing along, mainly encouraged by Blunt, which led to the crowd feeling part of the experience as opposed to detached observers.

    “High”, “Wisemen”, “Goodbye My Lover”, “Stay the Night”, “I’ll Be Your Man”, “Satellites” and “Same Mistake” were amongst some of the songs performed over the course of the show. Blunt defied the media persona that has been created around him by coming across as charismatic, enthusiastic and as someone who clearly loved every minute of being on stage. His band was fairly note perfect and the mixture of sound between the vocals and the instruments was perfectly balanced, meaning each instrument could be easily heard. The stage and lighting were functional, with a simple presentation enhanced only by a few projected backdrops. But, to be fair, the show was more about music than spectacular presentation and the straight forward staging served to allow focus on the musicians and song writing, rather than being style over substance.

    It is unfortunate that James Blunt is really a victim of his own success. Having the biggest selling album of the last decade, selling 20 million singles and 17 million albums is no mean feat, but for some reason, the media and the public have seemed to taken a dislike to him. However that does not necessarily detract from the quality of his music, the surprisingly good live performer that he is and how much the huge crowd genuinely enjoyed the show.

    James Blunt was the final concert in Doncaster Racecourses Music Live events, which has also seen the Kaiser Chiefs playing earlier this year. Having never been to a concert with a dress code before, the whole day was incredibly enjoyable with 7 flat races presented over the course of the afternoon followed by the concert. There was the opportunity of being able to enjoy dressing up for the occasion, mixing with the smartly dressed crowd and enjoying the relaxed atmosphere of the day at the recently refurbished venue; even without any knowledge of horse racing or a desire to have a flutter.

    James blunt is touring the UK later in the year and details can be found on his website at http://www.jamesblunt.com/home.htm?force=show

    Doncaster Racecourse hold a number of racing events throughout the year, the next one being on the 24th august to raise money for breast cancer charities. Details can be found at http://www.doncaster-racecourse.co.uk/