THEGAYUK

Author: Paul Szabo

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Barber Shop Chronicles – National Tour

    ★★★ | Barber Shop Chronicles

    Masculinity and culture come sharply under the spotlight in Barber Shop Chronicles, as men go to their barbers to chat, seek advice, bare their soul or just pass the time of day in the company of friends. Presented as a series of snapshots, the play travels between six locations around the world – London, Johannesburg, Harare, Kampala, Lagos and Accra – to share conversations between African men and their barbers covering everything from history to homosexuality, from language to love and from family to fatherhood, all of which are tied together by one televised football match and one terrible joke.

    Set on a minimal stage, and featuring interludes filled with a mixture of traditional African music, grime and hip hop, the scenes are tied together by cape swishing, chair twirling choreographed movement; whilst the show is funny, poignant and political in equal measure, delving into the ordinary conversations held by men in barber shops every day in the six different African nations and holding them up as a mirror to the audience.

    Despite a slightly disjointed start, the show soon hits its stride with a range of characters – the businessman, the torn apart family, the local drunk, the ambitious youngster – all seemingly unconnected, but with an underlying association between them across the globe.  The ensemble cast, many of whom play multiple roles; draw in the crowd with a resonating warmth and humour, and bring into focus the importance of male bonding, community and communication.

    Barber Shop Chronicles is a comedy drama which is crammed with anecdotes, arguments and regrets, which come together to provide a thought-provoking, life-affirming piece of theatre which both celebrates and challenges African masculinity.

    Barber Shop Chronicles is currently at Sheffield Crucible Theatre until 1st June 2019, before continuing on its national tour.

  • Theatre Review | Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake – Sheffield Theatres

    Theatre Review | Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake – Sheffield Theatres

    ★★★★★ | Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake

    Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake beautifully reimagines the traditional and well- loved ballet. Bringing the story into modern, regal times, it tells the story of The Prince who struggles with the repression of his life, but this changes when he meets The Swan, a powerful yet tender figure who offers comfort, solace and the belonging that The Prince longs for.  But as The Prince struggles with his relationship with his icy mother, things start to unravel as a familiar looking stranger attends the Royal Ball.

    Bourne’s signature contemporary twist on the classic ballet is simply outstanding and leads to a beautiful, moving and breath-taking piece of theatre. This version is perhaps best known for using an all-male ensemble for the bevy of swans, but whilst there is no denying the spectacular and dramatic impact of that, there are so many other elements which elevate this piece of dance to the dizzying heights it reaches. From the almost monochrome opening scenes in the palatial bedchamber to the vibrant explosion of colour in the Swank Bar, the modern twists provided by Bourne culminate in a fresh and vivacious production which constantly surprises and delights in equal measures

    Utilising his flawless cast, Bourne’s choreography flows back and forth from the frenetic to the tender and from the comedic to the dramatic; infusing many different styles of dance seamlessly with the traditional Tchaikovsky score. Whilst the replacing of the female swans with a male ensemble brings with it a sensual homoeroticism to the piece, it also provides for a beautifully told love story between two men, something seldom seen in dance theatre.

    Both Will Bozier as The Swan and Dominic North as The Prince simply excelled in their lead performances, with Bozier’s strength and fierceness being beautifully counterbalanced by North’s vulnerability and yearning.  Equally Katrina Lyndon was utterly delightful as The Girlfriend, but it seems slightly unfair to single out any dancer from an ensemble who universally oozed such talent and charisma.

    From the opening scenes to the terrifying and tearful finale, this show has everything to recommend it including humour, style, spectacle, originality and genuine emotion; and as the curtain fell, I could have happily had them reset the stage and start again. As a piece of theatre, Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake is simply sublime.

    Swan Lake is rounding off its national tour at Sheffield Theatres, so don’t miss your last chance to see this magnificent production. Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures are also currently touring his new ballet, Romeo and Juliet, and his award winning The Red Shoes will be returning for another UK tour commencing in November 2019.  

  • Theatre Review | Rough Crossing – National Tour

    ★★☆☆☆ | Rough Crossing

    As a theatre company board a cruise ship to cross the Atlantic to New York for the premier of their new piece, it’s not just the waters that become choppy. Following the overhearing of an ill-timed romantic interlude between his two leads, Hungarian playwright Turai tries to keep his upcoming production on track, by re-writing parts of his script to cover up for their indiscretion. But with only four and a half days to rewrite and rehearse the play, it is all hands on deck to keep things afloat.

    Turai is played with an air of camp sophistication by John Partridge (EastEnders) and bounces nicely off Matthew Cottle (Spooks) as his downtrodden writing partner; whilst rising star Charlie Stemp outshines them both with a confident portrayal of the cabin boy, Dvornichek.

    Despite an impressive and lavish art deco set, sadly, the play holds little else in terms of appeal. The script is neither witty nor amusing, eliciting only the briefest isolated pockets of laughter (primarily from the same audience member); whilst the direction is lacklustre at best and inexplicably tacks on a wholly misplaced musical number at the end of each act. The whole thing doesn’t really know quite where to put itself – it is not quite sophisticated comedy, not quite farce, not quite “Carry On” and not quite musical comedy. Sadly, unlike the fictional ship, the whole story seems to go absolutely nowhere.

    Tom Stoppard’s play is a wordy affair with a rapidly delivered script which is awash with very gentile and outdated comedy and a smattering of physical slapstick thrown in; and fans of Stoppard’s work will no doubt relish the opportunity of seeing one of his lesser revived pieces performed in a professional, touring production.

    Despite a few issues with diction at times, the production is competently presented, but ultimately the show itself never really sets sail and ends up casting the audience member’s interest adrift.

    Rough Crossing is currently at the Sheffield Lyceum until 27th April 2019 before continuing on its national tour.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Calendar Girls The Musical – National Tour

    ★★★☆☆ | Calendar Girls The Musical

    When Annie’s husband John dies from leukaemia at an early age, her close friend Chris, suggests that they raise funds though their Women’s Institute group to purchase a comfortable sofa for the visitor’s lounge in the hospital where John was treated. But Chris’ plans are to forego the usual Jam and Jerusalem traditions of the organisation and to get the girls to agree to pose for a nude calendar with only WI pastimes to hide their modesty.

    Based on the well-known true story, Tim Firth’s script vacillates between tickling the funny bone and tugging on the heart strings as it works its way to a laughter inducing denouement and a touching closing scene; but never at the expense of (if you’ll pardon the pun) fleshing out the main characters and the supporting cast. Gary Barlow’s accompanying music is pleasant and carries forward the narrative with a mix of the catchy and the bittersweet, with Anna Jane Casey’s heart-breaking rendition of Kilimanjaro, a song about the struggle to carry on after the loss of a loved one, a real highlight.

    But the show is rightly all about the girls, and Casey is just superb playing the bereaved Annie, bouncing nicely off Rebecca Storm as her best friend Chris. Thrown into the mix, amongst others, are Denise Welch (TV’s Loose Women), Fern Britton (This Morning) and Karen Dunbar, who all come together to give you a group of ladies who form a formidable ensemble cast.

    Based on the true story, Calendar Girls follows in the footsteps of the film and original stage play in celebrating the remarkable achievement of the group of women. Whilst is it a little twee at times, it carries a strong story about friendship, challenging expectations and taking a risk, as conventions and traditions are dropped as quickly as the girls’ clothes.

    Calendar Girls The Musical is at the Sheffield Lyceum until 13.04.19 before continuing on its national tour.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | American Idiot – National Tour

    THEATRE REVIEW | American Idiot – National Tour

    ★★★☆☆ | American Idiot – National Tour

    In a post 9/11 America, three friends go their separate ways to try to find both themselves and where they belong in society. Will stays in suburbia to try and make his relationship with his pregnant girlfriend work, Tunny joins the army and Johnny stays in the city to find friendship but finds a part of himself he never expected. But it doesn’t take long for the American Dream to come crashing down around them as they become increasingly disenfranchised trying to fit into a world where they don’t seem to belong.

    Based on the songs of pop-rock band Green Day, America Idiot presents itself as a sing-through rock opera, where the relentless barrage of songs tells the story and there is little room for any script. The show opens with the title song and, for the first act, literally doesn’t let up from there. Tom Milner (Waterloo Road) as Johnny is a charismatic lead with a performance brimming with cocksure swagger and confidence, whilst Joshua Downen portrays Tunny’s journey from angry young man to war veteran with subtlety.

    After exploding onto the stage, the first act is loud, bold, brash, rebellious, angry and exhilarating; and has an unyielding, in your face energy which carries the audience along for the ride, assaulting their senses and reverberating the bass guitar in their chest. However, the second act doesn’t maintain the energy of the first, and as they story grows very dark and the pace slows down, the show loses some momentum.

    America Idiot reflects a warts and all portrayal of a recent time in American politics and a biting attack on a divided society which will be recognisable to angst ridden teens; whilst Green Day’s music continues to speak to a generation and still maintains relevance in today’s current political climate.

    America Idiot is at the Sheffield Lyceum until 30th March 2019 before continuing on its national tour. The show contains adult themes and strong language.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Standing at the Sky’s Edge – Crucible Theatre, Sheffield

    THEATRE REVIEW | Standing at the Sky’s Edge – Crucible Theatre, Sheffield

    ★★★★ | Standing at the Sky’s Edge

    Standing on the Sky’s Edge is a new musical which centres around Sheffield’s Park Hill Flats housing estate, and cleverly overlays three stories of three families over three decades as they take residence in the now infamous building. From the ground breaking optimism of the buildings with “streets in the sky” in the early 70s; through the estates decline in the 80s and 90s and onto the current regeneration projects, the show delicately weaves the lives of the seemingly unconnected families together whilst looking at the social and economic changes faced by the city and its residents.

    Richard Hawley (known for his music with The Longpigs and Pulp) provide a mixture of new and old songs which melt seamlessly into the narrative and which are well spaced, well performed and slot nicely into the proceedings; whilst Chris Bush’s script is warm, witty and brims with northern charm and humour.

    But mostly, and at the show’s heart, are stories about love and how it can be tested in so many different ways; wrapped up in a love letter to any building which you can call home and to the city itself.  A husband who has given up, and a wife who won’t; a young couple who face tragedy and a young woman trying to break free of the ghost of girlfriends past all address the central issues with genuine emotion and a warmth radiating from the stage.

    The production is instantly accessible, with characters that feel familiar almost immediately, and some fast paced and assured direction from Robert Hastie, providing a feel of the business and hustle and bustle of the estate. The ensemble cast blend beautifully together as the years portrayed merge into one; and Faith Omole took everyone by surprise with a singing voice so serene, it quite literally stopped the show.

    Despite being a very local piece of theatre, there is enough in there to entertain those unfamiliar with the flats or its history; and makes the trip to Sheffield worthwhile, and being home the message, loudly and clearly, that home is where the heart really is.

    Standing on Sky’s Edge is at Sheffield Theatres until 6th April 2019.

  • Theatre Review | Northern Ballet’s Victoria – Leeds Grand Theatre and National Tour

    ✭✭✭ | Northern Ballet’s Victoria

    Photo Emma Kauldhar

    Following on from the award-winning historical piece, Casanova, Northern Ballet return to the history books for a brand new ballet. Victoria tells the story of the monarch and matriarch through the eyes of her daughter, Beatrice, as she edits her mother’s diaries shortly after Victoria’s death. The ballet looks at the relationship between Victoria and a number of the key figures in her life, including her husband, Albert, her daughter, Beatrice and her companion, John Brown.

    Cathy Marston’s choreography sparkles, switching between flowing movements and sprawling floor work to angular, precise and mechanical movements; and brims with symmetry and metaphor. In particular, the pas de deux between Victoria and John Brown in the first act was beautifully put together, aided by a stunning performance by Pippa Moore as Victoria and Mlindi Kulashe as John Brown, which conveyed a real moment of intimacy, vulnerability and emotion.  As always, the whole company’s performances were outstanding, the set was simple but effective and the costumes were impressive.

    Despite the strength of the performances, the movement and the technical aspects of the ballet, where the piece stumbles slightly is in the narrative, which at times lacks clarity; as it tries to cram in so much of Victoria’s life that it sometimes overreaches, glossing over key points which could have been really interesting. The thrust of the first act features heavily on the backstory of Beatrice and her relationship with her mother, whilst the slightly overlong second act focuses primarily on Victoria’s family life and her relationship with Albert. The complexity of the narrative, the flitting between past and present and the brevity of some aspects of the story mean that it is well worth purchasing a programme to enable you to keep an eye on the synopsis.

    Victoria is a visually sumptuous ballet, which can be enjoyed on two levels, either as a beautifully crafted piece of dance, or, with a careful focus and concentration, an interesting glimpse into the life of a historically influential figure.

    Victoria is at Leeds Grand Theatre until 16.03.19 before undertaking a national tour. It is also being filmed for a forthcoming cinema release.

  • Theatre Review | Club Tropicana – National Tour

    Theatre Review | Club Tropicana – National Tour

    ★★☆☆☆ | Club Tropicana – National Tour

    After being jilted at the altar, lovelorn Ollie embarks on the planned honeymoon with his friends, arriving at Hotel Club Tropicana. However, unbeknown to him, his bride-to-be also had the same idea and arrives with her bridal party.  Meanwhile, overly camp entertainments manager, Gary, (X-Factor’s Joe McElderry) and hotel managers Robert and Serena have entered the hotel into a competition, and are in the midst of trying to butter up the hotel inspector, Christine, by any means necessary.

    Like many jukebox musicals, the wafer-thin story is used solely to wrap around the string of the Eighties hits, which are perhaps the show’s strengths, comprising primarily of upbeat classic pop which you can’t help but clap along to; whilst a bit of forced audience participation and a manic energy throughout the show resonated with the audience and created a party atmosphere in the theatre.

    The show sits somewhere between dated sit-com and pantomime, but with an added abundance of crass innuendo, stereotyped characters which belong firmly in the Eighties and plenty of jokes about bodily functions. Written with every cliché in the book, from the characters to the story and from the jokes to the borderline offensive stereotypes, there is nothing here by way of originality.

    But the show is silly enough to just about get away with it, and there are a handful of genuinely funny moments and some decent one-liners. Kate Robbins steals the laughs as Spanish maid, Consuela (yes, it really is that clichéd), McElderry camps it up whilst the ensemble cast dance their neon Day-Glo socks off. With plenty of nods to the decade that fashion forgot, and songs which you know all the words to, Club Tropicana is crowd-pleasing nonsense, provided you take it on face value and enjoy it for what it is.

    Club Tropicana is at Sheffield Theatres until 9th March 2019 before continuing its national tour.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Saturday Night Fever – National Tour

    THEATRE REVIEW | Saturday Night Fever – National Tour

    ★★★☆☆ | Saturday Night Fever – National Tour

    Stuck in a dead end job and in a deadbeat family, Tony Manero escapes the dull routine of his life by gathering the adoration of the crown as he struts his stuff on the dance floors of Brooklyn’s discos. But whilst practising with new dance partner, Stephanie Mana, his eyes are opened up to a world beyond the Brooklyn Bridge, and Tony slowly realises that his life has to change.

    Richard Winsor (Casualty) is affable enough as Tony Manero and is well matched by Kate Parr as Stephanie, whilst the ensemble cast fills the stage and brims with energy and enthusiasm during the dance numbers.

    Overall, the production has its faults. The set intrudes on stage leaving little room for the cast; the second act is narrative heavy with a storyline which all gets rather gloomy, the rapid flicking between brief scenes made the proceedings feel disjointed and the faux Brooklyn accents made the script difficult to decipher at times.

    But as you would expect, where this show comes alive is in the disco scenes, and these sections of the show are vibrant, colourful and full of life; and as they explode onto the stage they are a pure joy to watch. Featuring a soundtrack which defined a generation, the live band and singers were one of the show’s strongest features, as they brilliantly captured the look, sound, feel and falsetto harmonies of the Bee Gee’s, and belted out a string of songs which are deeply embedded in popular culture, including ‘Stayin’ Alive’, ‘Jive Talkin’’, ‘If I Can’t Have You’ and ‘How Deep Is Your Love’.

    Overall, Saturday Night Fever is a bit of a mixed bag, albeit one which is lifted by its strong and infectious musical numbers, the enthusiasm of the cast and a heavy dose of nostalgia.

    Saturday Night Fever is currently at Sheffield Theatres until Saturday 2nd March 2019 before continuing on its national tour. 

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Mousetrap – National Tour, 2019

    THEATRE REVIEW | The Mousetrap – National Tour, 2019

    ★★★☆☆ | The Mousetrap, National Tour

    After a murder in London, and with the snow falling heavily outside, Monkswell Manor, a guest house, opens its doors to welcome its first five seemingly unconnected, guests, some of whom are expected, some of whom aren’t. But the night is interrupted by a phone call and the arrival of the police warning that there is a killer on the loose and that there more murders expected in the isolated house. But who is the murderer, who are the victims and who will survive?

    The Mousetrap is the longest running show in the West End and when I first saw it in 2013, having not read or seen any Agatha Christie and with a curiosity to see what made this theatrical legend so special, I found it suitably engaging, and seeing it again on this new tour was just as enjoyable.

    As one would expect with Agatha Christie, the story is one of a mixed bunch of characters; including the grumpy old woman, the retired army general and the delightfully camp young bachelor; and the intelligent writing had you casting doubt on each of the characters in turn, as their secrets slowly surface. But the fun comes in the last twenty minutes or so, as the killer’s identity is revealed and you can see whether you were right in your deductions.

    On this tour, there are high spec production values, with a sturdy and detailed set and an ambient sound and lighting design; and there are good central performances from Geoff Arnold as Sergeant Trotter, Gwyneth Strong as Mrs Boyle; and in particular, Lewis Chandler standing out from the crowd as  Christopher Wren.

    Despite the show being somewhat of its time and harbouring a terribly twee closing scene, The Mousetrap retains its ability to engage the audience without flashy visuals or an over the top production, and simply allows some good performances and classic story writing to shine through in a night of old fashioned entertainment.

    The Mousetrap is on national tour and details can be found at the show’s website.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Rocky Horror Show – National Tour 2019

    THEATRE REVIEW | The Rocky Horror Show – National Tour 2019

    ★★★★★ | The Rocky Horror Show

    Nearly 45 years on from its debut, Richard O’Brien’s cult musical needs very little introduction. The show follows Brad and Janet, two 50’s Americana sweethearts who stumble upon the castle of Frank-N-Furter; a cross dressing scientist cum force of nature, on the evening that he is to bring his Frankenstein-esque playmate to life.

    As a musical it remains larger than life; and like Frank’s creation himself, the show has taken on a life of its own. With its affectionate nod to the B-Movie science fiction genre of the 50’s, it’s cult following is unparalleled and its fans amongst the most fiercely loyal you will find.

    The role of Frank-N-Furter is so iconic, that you need a larger than life personality to fill the fishnets, and Stephen Webb does a great job blending Frank’s camptastic alluring persona whilst maintaining an underlying gruffness to his vocal performance, along with Philip Franks as the narrator, brilliantly trading quips with the audience. But to be fair, you would be hard pressed to find a weak link within the cast in this top-notch production.

    Rocky Horror is presented here in all its gloriously loud, brash, colourful, neon day-glo garishness, with a set which looks luxurious and holds an almost cartoon-like feel to it; all accompanied by an excellent lighting design by Nick Richings which flooded the stage in reds, greens and purples, and some steady direction by Christopher Luscombe.

    Rocky Horror is a phenomenon, and the atmosphere at any Rocky Horror performance is one which has to be experienced. This production provides a fresh feel to a classic show and one which engages the audience like no other. So pull on your fishnet stockings, warm up your vocal cords, leave your inhibitions in the foyer and go and “give yourself over to absolute pleasure”.

    Rocky Horror is at the Sheffield Lyceum until Saturday 23rd February 2019, before continuing on its national tour. For details visit the show’s official website.