THEGAYUK

Author: Paul Szabo

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, Milton Keynes Theatre

    ★★★| The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, UK Tour

    REVIEW | The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, Milton Keynes Theatre width=

    Christopher Boone, a 15-year-old boy, discovers that his neighbour’s dog, Wellington, has been killed by someone (the poor dog having been stabbed with a garden fork), and sets off to find out who the culprit is. But Christopher has Asperger’s syndrome, which makes his perception and functioning very different to other boys his age and as the truth behind Wellington’s death starts to be revealed, it leads Christopher to embark on a remarkable adventure.

    The show is based on the hugely successful book by Mark Haddon and has been a West End and Broadway hit. Utilising a virtually empty stage, the presentation of the show was intriguing, using screens on the back and sides of the stage, almost framing the show in a cube, reflective of Christopher’s constraints in his functioning. Lights flicker like the firing of neurons in his brain, and black and white projections are used to show both his thought process and to set the scene. The show, like the book, is written from Christopher’s point of view and the presentation effectively places the audience members squarely into the centre of his mind and thoughts. The simplicity of the set is reflective of the way in which Christopher perceives the world and worked very well. There were pieces of carefully choreographed movement throughout, and the scene where Christopher arrives in London and is overwhelmed by the overstimulation of his environment is very well done. In this show, less certainly is more, and the monochrome set nicely mirrored Christopher’s rather binary thinking.

    But placing the style and presentation to one side, the most impressive aspect of the show was the central performance of Scott Reid. Reid’s portrayal of Christopher Boone was highly accomplished – mixing the complexities of the characters personality, his physical traits and a childlike innocence which combined to provide a rounded and believable performance

    The show, and in particular, the first act, is very well written, with a script which imports large chunks of text from the book to provide a faithful adaptation of the source material. Despite being bleak at times, the show was filled with gentle humour; and created a world with a myriad of characters that come in and out of Christopher’s life which nestle alongside the well-crafted moments of dramatic tension and emotionally powerful scenes.

    The show has won a slew of awards, including 7 Olivier Awards and 5 Tony Awards, and it is easy to see why. There is a lot of depth to the play, exploring the adult world of interpersonal relationships through a simplistic and innocent perspective.

    The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time is playing at the Milton Keynes Theatre until 16th September 2017

    • Review taken from Sheffield Theatre production.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Mamma Mia, Brighton Centre

    ★★★| Mamma Mia 2017 National UK Tour

    THEATRE REVIEW | Mamma Mia, Brighton Centre

    Sophie is determined to have her father walk her down the aisle at her forthcoming wedding. After finding out that there are three potential guys who may be her father, she invites them all to the forthcoming nuptials; but will she find out which one really is her father, and how will her mother react when three of her former lovers all turn up unexpectedly?

    Currently, on its first ever UK tour, Mamma Mia is a show which needs little introduction. Based around the hit songs of Abba, the show has been a phenomenon for many years and continues to pack out theatres with its sunny setting, perfect pop and feel-good factor.

    The show feels as warm as the weather in the Greek setting to the story, with a set made up of a backdrop of brilliant blues and two moveable parts to the set which transforms the locations of the story very well. The lighting design is well conceived, the costumes include some spandex and stomping platform boots, and the whole thing is fairly seamless in its presentation.

    Sadly, for such a slick and polished production, the lead cast was disappointing; with both the acting and singing not being of a standard one would expect from such a huge show. Someone in the foyer joked “at least we won’t have to listen to Pierce Bronson sing tonight” (referring to his much-maligned performance in the film version of the show); but at times, his dulcet tones may have been a blessing. It is the ensemble cast who really shone in terms of their enthusiasm, singing and dancing; with more gorgeous gals and hunks in trunks than you can shake a stick at; and an abundance of muscular and ridiculously attractive young men in the ensemble with vast amounts of six packs, biceps and perfect pecs on display.

    But the real star of the show is the music, and with a soundtrack which plays out like your ABBA Gold CD, there are more than a few songs here that you will know every word to. There are some storming numbers, which work really well; “Money. Money, Money”, “Mamma Mia” and “Does Your Mother Know” are good ensemble pieces, and the collision of the stag and hen do’s to “Voulez Vous” was an enjoyable highlight; with this show reminding you of just how good ABBA really were.

    But where the show really succeeds is in the fact that it remains an absolute crowd-pleaser and presents itself with a real sense of fun. It’s a show which cranks up the camp, ditches the story and plot and goes all out to enjoy itself. It’s not perfect by any stretch, but by the time the crowd are on their feet singing and dancing at the end, you know that you have had a good couple of hours of escapism and managed to kick-start your summer.

    Mamma Mia plays at the Brighton Centre until 3rd September 2017

    • Review is taken from the Sheffield Theatres production.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, King’s Theatre Glasgow

    ★★★ | The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, King’s Theatre Glasgow

    REVIEW | The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, Kings Theatre Glasgow

    Christopher Boone, a 15-year-old boy, discovers that his neighbour’s dog, Wellington, has been killed by someone (the poor dog having been stabbed with a garden fork), and sets off to find out who the culprit is. But Christopher has Asperger’s syndrome, which makes his perception and functioning very different to other boys his age and as the truth behind Wellington’s death starts to be revealed, it leads Christopher to embark on a remarkable adventure.

    The show is based on the hugely successful book by Mark Haddon and has been a West End and Broadway hit. Utilising a virtually empty stage, the presentation of the show was intriguing, using screens on the back and sides of the stage, almost framing the show in a cube, reflective of Christopher’s constraints in his functioning. Lights flicker like the firing of neurons in his brain, and black and white projections are used to show both his thought process and to set the scene. The show, like the book, is written from Christopher’s point of view and the presentation effectively places the audience members squarely into the centre of his mind and thoughts. The simplicity of the set is reflective of the way in which Christopher perceives the world and worked very well. There were pieces of carefully choreographed movement throughout, and the scene where Christopher arrives in London and is overwhelmed by the overstimulation of his environment is very well done. In this show, less certainly is more, and the monochrome set nicely mirrored Christopher’s rather binary thinking.

    But placing the style and presentation to one side, the most impressive aspect of the show was the central performance of Scott Reid. Reid’s portrayal of Christopher Boone was highly accomplished – mixing the complexities of the characters personality, his physical traits and a childlike innocence which combined to provide a rounded and believable performance

    The show, and in particular, the first act, is very well written, with a script which imports large chunks of text from the book to provide a faithful adaptation of the source material. Despite being bleak at times, the show was filled with gentle humour; and created a world with a myriad of characters that come in and out of Christopher’s life which nestle alongside the well-crafted moments of dramatic tension and emotionally powerful scenes.

    The show has won a slew of awards, including 7 Olivier Awards and 5 Tony Awards, and it is easy to see why. There is a lot of depth to the play, exploring the adult world of interpersonal relationships through a simplistic and innocent perspective.

    The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time is playing at the King’s Theatre Glasgow until the 19th August 2017

    • Review taken from Sheffield production.
  • The Hottest Intimate Gay Scenes Of All Time In Cinema

    The Hottest Intimate Gay Scenes Of All Time In Cinema

    Well someone had to sit down and do it… Putting porn to one side, here’s six of the most memorable gay same sex scenes in film.

     

    6. Threesome

    Intellectual Eddie (Josh Charles) is in the closet. Heading to college, he finds himself sharing a dorm with Stuart (Stephen Baldwin), a jock and serial womaniser. But due to an administrative error, their other roommate is Alex (Lara Flynn Boyle), a feisty young woman who is down as a male on the college records. But the complications start as they grow closer. Stuart loves Alex and wants sex with her. Alex loves Eddie and wants sex with him. And Eddie loves Stuart, hiding his desires to have sex with him and secretly checking him out at every opportunity. The three of them become firm friends and, of course, sex gets in the way. Until that is, they think that they have found the perfect solution…. But will the three of them end up in a ménage a Trois and will Eddie ever get his desires towards Stuart fulfilled? A mostly shirtless, muscular Baldwin brother plays the all-American depraved teen with lustful desires towards his female roommate, but who gets more of an education at college than he probably imagined when he filled out his application.

    BUY ON AMAZON

    05. Shelter

    Zack is an aspiring artist trapped in a life of supporting his dysfunctional family and caring for his nephew, until his best friend’s gay brother, Shaun (Brad Rowe), comes back from L.A. As the two hang out and surf together their feelings for each other develop among the waves, surfboards and wetsuits. Not only do they hide their relationship for Zack’s benefit, who is struggling with his new found feelings, Shaun encourages Zack to take control of his life and follow his ambitions. But not before the two of them have engaged in plenty of bedroom activities. If a hunky surfer, a semi-twink and lots of manly dudes in wetsuits is your thing, then this film may be for you. The beautiful boys find time to kiss, cuddle and caress each other in the California sun, the highlight of this film is an early morning romp whereby the boys nearly get caught by their brother and best friend.

    BUY ON AMAZON

     

    04. Wild Things

    In this steamy thriller, two girls accuse a high school counsellor of raping them in a convoluted extortion plot. But as they key players in the plan find themselves increasingly mistrusting of the others, Suzie Marie Toller (played by Neve Cambell) attacks Kelly Lanier Van Ryan (Denise Richards) in a swimming pool, but the attack turns to lust as the two girls kiss passionately and undress each other, whilst all the time being observed and filmed by a police officer hiding in the undergrowth. The swimming pool scene is one example of how this film strides out where other erotic thrillers (Basic Instinct, Showgirls) feared to tread by showing erotic lesbian sex scenes with partially nude Hollywood starlets. After watching this, it becomes clear why they stayed in the pool to cool off.

    BUY ON AMAZON

     

    03. Beautiful Thing

     

    Teenage life on a London council estate is difficult for Jamie, who has a crush on his handsome classmate and neighbour, Ste (played by the very beautiful Scott Neal). Ste has his own problems with his dysfunctional family and alcoholic father. Love slowly blossoms between the two boys as they deal with an interfering neighbour, visit their first gay bar and grow into their sexuality. The catalyst for all of this is when Ste is beaten by his father and spends the night at Jamie’s. Sleeping “top to toe”, Jamie starts by massaging Ste’s bruised body, but this turns into much more as the two boys end up kissing and subsequently sleeping together. But what makes this scene so special is that it is a beautifully tender moment which takes you back to your first love and maybe even reminds you of those fledgeling fumbles you once had.

    BUY ON AMAZON

     

    02. Bound

    In this film noir fuelled movie, Violet (Jennifer Tilley) wishes to escape her violent criminal boyfriend and so engages in a clandestine affair with a sexually charged ex-con, Corky (Gina Gershon) and the two of them plan to rip off $2 million of mob money. Double crossing, violent criminals and underhand tactics cannot detract from the explicit sexual aspects of this film. The two women are beautiful and their first encounter is a breathy, whispered and intimate one. Who ever thought that showing someone your tattoo would lead to such an erotic encounter? But their second encounter is why this film makes the list. As the camera pans around the two women, their graphic intimacy is clearly shown and the passion of the two women for each other really shows. More visually detailed than your usual mainstream Hollywood film, this was a groundbreaking film at the time and settles in a high position in this list.

    BUY ON AMAZON

     

    1. Brokeback Mountain

    Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist Jake Gyllenhaal) are two Cowboys who find themselves with only each other for company whilst working high up on the slopes of Brokeback Mountain. With nothing but a supply of whisky and each other, they find a way to pass the time, leading to some fairly rough initial intimacy and huge feelings of guilt. But as the years go by, they share something more special than either of them ever anticipated and what starts off as a drunken fumble becomes a deep love for each other, although Ennis struggles more with it than Jack, who wants them to be together. Who could resist Heath ledger and Jake Gyllenhall dressed as cowboys and engaging in some manly fun? Their first encounter in the tent, involving some spit and a few minutes of grunting is perhaps the best-known sex scene in the film, despite a number of other more romantic encounters as the years go by. But the film makes the list not for this scene or for the tantalising prospect of the two leads in various states of undress, but for the most romantic scene whereby, on a fishing trip, Ennis approaches Jack and simply folds his arms around him in an emotional embrace. Who says that romance is dead?

    BUY ON AMAZON

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Mamma Mia, Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre

    ★★★| Mamma Mia 2017 National UK Tour

    THEATRE REVIEW | Mamma Mia, Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre

    Sophie is determined to have her father walk her down the aisle at her forthcoming wedding. After finding out that there are three potential guys who may be her father, she invites them all to the forthcoming nuptials; but will she find out which one really is her father, and how will her mother react when three of her former lovers all turn up unexpectedly?

    Currently on its first ever UK tour, Mamma Mia is a show which needs little introduction. Based around the hit songs of Abba, the show has been a phenomenon for many years and continues to pack out theatres with its sunny setting, perfect pop and feel-good factor.

    The show feels as warm as the weather in the Greek setting to the story, with a set made up of a backdrop of brilliant blues and two moveable parts to the set which transforms the locations of the story very well. The lighting design is well conceived, the costumes include some spandex and stomping platform boots, and the whole thing is fairly seamless in its presentation.

    Sadly, for such a slick and polished production, the lead cast was disappointing; with both the acting and singing not being of a standard one would expect from such a huge show. Someone in the foyer joked “at least we won’t have to listen to Pierce Bronson sing tonight” (referring to his much-maligned performance in the film version of the show); but at times, his dulcet tones may have been a blessing. It is the ensemble cast who really shone in terms of their enthusiasm, singing and dancing; with more gorgeous gals and hunks in trunks than you can shake a stick at; and an abundance of muscular and ridiculously attractive young men in the ensemble with vast amounts of six packs, biceps and perfect pecs on display.

    But the real star of the show is the music, and with a soundtrack which plays out like your ABBA Gold CD, there are more than a few songs here that you will know every word to. There are some storming numbers, which work really well; “Money. Money, Money”, “Mamma Mia” and “Does Your Mother Know” are good ensemble pieces, and the collision of the stag and hen do’s to “Voulez Vous” was an enjoyable highlight; with this show reminding you of just how good ABBA really were.

    But where the show really succeeds is in the fact that it remains an absolute crowd-pleaser and presents itself with a real sense of fun. It’s a show which cranks up the camp, ditches the story and plot and goes all out to enjoy itself. It’s not perfect by any stretch, but by the time the crowd are on their feet singing and dancing at the end, you know that you have had a good couple of hours of escapism and managed to kick-start your summer.
    Mamma Mia plays at Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre until 12th August 2017
    * Review taken from the Sheffield Theatre 

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Wedding Singer, Bromley Churchill Theatre

    ★★ | The Wedding Singer, Bromley Churchill Theatre 

    THEATRE REVIEW | The Wedding Singer, Bromley Churchill Theatre

    Robbie Hart is a popular wedding singer who has his belief in love shattered when he is jilted at the altar by his fiancé. But as he has promised to sing at the wedding of affable waitress Julia to her sleazy, materialistic boyfriend, Glenn, he spends his time helping her prepare for her big day. But amongst the gift registry and dress shopping, the two of them slowly fall for each other, and as Julia’s big day approaches, will they both find the courage to tell each other how they feel?

    This 80’s set musical is based on the film of the same name and is packed with a full list of original songs, a smattering of ensemble pieces and a rapping granny. In terms of the cast, Ray Quinn (X-Factor) stood head and shoulders amongst the performers, with a good performance as Glenn, whilst Cassie Compton (X-Factor) and UK Eurovision singer Lucie Jones provided competent support and, to their credit, some superb singing.

    But aside from a handful of good performances, sadly, the whole thing just simply didn’t hang together. The onslaught of songs became intrusive to the progression of the narrative, the clunky and cumbersome set changes interrupted the flow and the show overall fell somewhere between lacklustre and dull. Add into that an incredibly cringe worthy seduction scene between Robbie and his ex-fiancé, a significant lack of chemistry between the two leads and some borderline offensive stereotypes of gay men which felt more like ridicule than parody and you have a rather disappointing production.

    But where the show really lets itself down is in its lack of an 80’s feel, especially given that the decade is ripe for the picking in terms of its cultural identity.  Part of the charm of the film that the show is based on is its nods to the decade, from the fashions to the music; something that is noticeably missing from this show. It takes more than a randomly placed Rubiks Cube, a Sony Walkman and a reference to the size of a mobile phone to set the 80’s scene. But the biggest omission is that the original songs didn’t have even a tinge of 80’s synth pop to them and were so generic that, on the whole, they could have come from any musical set in any decade; whilst the costumes missed the opportunity to fully exploit the decade that fashion forgot.

    The show did finally come alive during the last scene and the curtain call, but it was far too little far too late, and couldn’t avoid the show receiving a rather muted reception from the generally unimpressed audience.

    The Wedding Singer is currently playing at the Bromley Churchill Theatre until 5th August 2017

    • Review taken from the Sheffield Production.

     

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Dirty Dancing, Princess Theatre Torquay

    ★★★ | Dirty Dancing, Princess Theatre Torquay

    Set in the 1960’s, Frances “Baby” Houseman goes to Kellerman’s holiday camp with her family. She befriends the staff of the camp and develops a crush on charismatic dance teacher, Johnny Castle. When Johnny’s dance partner cannot perform at a show at a local hotel, Baby steps in to ensure that they do not lose their jobs. But as Johnny and Baby rehearse, they fall in love and learn more from each other than just the dance moves.

    Based on the hugely popular film of the same name, Dirty Dancing hits the stage with a show which follows the story of the film very closely, with the bulk of the script being comfortingly recognisable from the film. There are some additional scenes thrown in, which mainly expand on the political changes in the 60’s and some which flesh out the relationship between Baby and Johnny; whilst the show’s music came from a combination of both live and pre-recorded tracks, including “Hungry Eyes”, “Love Man” and “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life”

    Katie Eccles and Robert Colvin took the lead roles of Baby and Johnny, and had some chemistry between them; and they were supported by a broadly competent cast of singers, dancers and musicians. Unsurprisingly, the dancing was better than the acting, but given that the show’s main focus is the musical numbers it doesn’t cause too much of a problem.

    The show has been given a major overhaul and is all the better for it. This production has a vibrant lighting design and has ushered in a luxurious, well designed and thoroughly detailed set which transform smoothly without ever interrupting the story; whilst the show has been sexed up a little with a few more bare chests and muscular arms on display. Overall, the production values here are very high and very impressive.

    But where the show really succeeds is in its ability to bring the movie to life and recreating it on stage. All of the familiar lines, plot points, dance routines and songs are there and there is something very comforting about watching such a faithful recreation of the movie. For those who have not seen the film, the show is a good introduction to the world of Kellerman’s. For established fans of the film, the show will be hard to beat.

    Dirty Dancing is playing at the Princess Theatre Torquay until 5th August 2017

    • Review taken from the Sheffield Theatre production

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, Liverpool Empire

    ★★★| The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, UK Tour

    REVIEW | The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, Liverpool Empire

    Christopher Boone, a 15 year old boy, discovers that his neighbour’s dog, Wellington, has been killed by someone (the poor dog having been stabbed with a garden fork), and sets off to find out who the culprit is. But Christopher has Asperger’s syndrome, which makes his perception and functioning very different to other boys his age and as the truth behind Wellington’s death starts to be revealed, it leads Christopher to embark on a remarkable adventure.

    The show is based on the hugely successful book by Mark Haddon and has been a West End and Broadway hit. Utilising a virtually empty stage, the presentation of the show was intriguing, using screens on the back and sides of the stage, almost framing the show in a cube, reflective of Christopher’s constraints in his functioning. Lights flicker like the firing of neurons in his brain, and black and white projections are used to show both his thought process and to set the scene. The show, like the book, is written from Christopher’s point of view and the presentation effectively places the audience members squarely into the centre of his mind and thoughts. The simplicity of the set is reflective of the way in which Christopher perceives the world and worked very well. There were pieces of carefully choreographed movement throughout, and the scene where Christopher arrives in London and is overwhelmed by the overstimulation of his environment is very well done. In this show, less certainly is more, and the monochrome set nicely mirrored Christopher’s rather binary thinking.

    But placing the style and presentation to one side, the most impressive aspect of the show was the central performance of Scott Reid. Reid’s portrayal of Christopher Boone was highly accomplished – mixing the complexities of the characters personality, his physical traits and a childlike innocence which combined to provide a rounded and believable performance

    The show, and in particular, the first act, is very well written, with a script which imports large chunks of text from the book to provide a faithful adaptation of the source material. Despite being bleak at times, the show was filled with gentle humour; and created a world with a myriad of characters that come in and out of Christopher’s life which nestle alongside the well-crafted moments of dramatic tension and emotionally powerful scenes.

    The show has won a slew of awards, including 7 Olivier Awards and 5 Tony Awards, and it is easy to see why. There is a lot of depth to the play, exploring the adult world of interpersonal relationships through a simplistic and innocent perspective.

    The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time is playing at the Liverpool Empire until 29th July

    • Review taken from Sheffield Theatre production.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Wedding Singer, Llandudno Venue Cymru

    ★★ | The Wedding Singer, Llandudno Venue Cymru 

    THEATRE REVIEW | The Wedding Singer, Sheffield Lyceum Theatre

    Robbie Hart is a popular wedding singer who has his belief in love shattered when he is jilted at the alter by his fiancé. But as he has promised to sing at the wedding of affable waitress Julia to her sleazy, materialistic boyfriend, Glenn, he spends his time helping her prepare for her big day. But amongst the gift registry and dress shopping, the two of them slowly fall for each other, and as Julia’s big day approaches, will they both find the courage to tell each other how they feel?

    This 80’s set musical is based on the film of the same name and is packed with a full list of original songs, a smattering of ensemble pieces and a rapping granny. In terms of the cast, Ray Quinn (X-Factor) stood head and shoulders amongst the performers, with a good performance as Glenn, whilst Cassie Compton (X-Factor) and UK Eurovision singer Lucie Jones provided competent support and, to their credit, some superb singing.

    But aside from a handful of good performances, sadly, the whole thing just simply didn’t hang together. The onslaught of songs became intrusive to the progression of the narrative, the clunky and cumbersome set changes interrupted the flow and the show overall fell somewhere between lacklustre and dull. Add into that an incredibly cringe worthy seduction scene between Robbie and his ex-fiancé, a significant lack of chemistry between the two leads and some borderline offensive stereotypes of gay men which felt more like ridicule than parody and you have a rather disappointing production.

    But where the show really lets itself down is in its lack of an 80’s feel, especially given that the decade is ripe for the picking in terms of its cultural identity.  Part of the charm of the film that the show is based on is its nods to the decade, from the fashions to the music; something that is noticeably missing from this show. It takes more than a randomly placed Rubiks Cube, a Sony Walkman and a reference to the size of a mobile phone to set the 80’s scene. But the biggest omission is that the original songs didn’t have even a tinge of 80’s synth pop to them and were so generic that, on the whole, they could have come from any musical set in any decade; whilst the costumes missed the opportunity to fully exploit the decade that fashion forgot.

    The show did finally come alive during the last scene and the curtain call, but it was far too little far too late, and couldn’t avoid the show receiving a rather muted reception from the generally unimpressed audience.

    The Wedding Singer is currently playing at Llandudno Venue Cymru until 29th July 2017

    • Review taken from the Sheffield Production.

     

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Wedding Singer, Sheffield Lyceum Theatre

    ★★ | The Wedding Singer, Sheffield Lyceum Theatre 

    THEATRE REVIEW | The Wedding Singer, Sheffield Lyceum Theatre

    Robbie Hart is a popular wedding singer who has his belief in love shattered when he is jilted at the alter by his fiancé. But as he has promised to sing at the wedding of affable waitress Julia to her sleazy, materialistic boyfriend, Glenn, he spends his time helping her prepare for her big day. But amongst the gift registry and dress shopping, the two of them slowly fall for each other, and as Julia’s big day approaches, will they both find the courage to tell each other how they feel?

    This 80’s set musical is based on the film of the same name and is packed with a full list of original songs, a smattering of ensemble pieces and a rapping granny. In terms of the cast, Ray Quinn (The X-Factor) stood head and shoulders amongst the performers, with a good performance as Glenn, whilst Cassie Compton (The X-Factor) and UK Eurovision singer Lucie Jones provided competent support and, to their credit, some superb singing.

    But aside from a handful of good performances, sadly, the whole thing just simply didn’t hang together. The onslaught of songs became intrusive to the progression of the narrative, the clunky and cumbersome set changes interrupted the flow and the show overall fell somewhere between lacklustre and dull. Add into that an incredibly cringe worthy seduction scene between Robbie and his ex-fiancé, a significant lack of chemistry between the two leads and some borderline offensive stereotypes of gay men which felt more like ridicule than parody and you have a rather disappointing production.

    But where the show really lets itself down is in its lack of an 80’s feel, especially given that the decade is ripe for the picking in terms of its cultural identity.  Part of the charm of the film that the show is based on is its nods to the decade, from the fashions to the music; something that is noticeably missing from this show. It takes more than a randomly placed Rubiks Cube, a Sony Walkman and a reference to the size of a mobile phone to set the 80’s scene. But the biggest omission is that the original songs didn’t have even a tinge of 80’s synth pop to them and were so generic that, on the whole, they could have come from any musical set in any decade; whilst the costumes missed the opportunity to fully exploit the decade that fashion forgot.

    The show did finally come alive during the last scene and the curtain call, but it was far too little far too late, and couldn’t avoid the show receiving a rather muted reception from the generally unimpressed audience.

    The Wedding Singer is currently playing at Sheffield Lyceum Theatre until Saturday 22nd July 2017

     

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Dirty Dancing, Palace Theatre Manchester

    ★★★ | Dirty Dancing, Palace Theatre Manchester

    Set in the 1960’s, Frances “Baby” Houseman goes to Kellerman’s holiday camp with her family. She befriends the staff of the camp and develops a crush on charismatic dance teacher, Johnny Castle. When Johnny’s dance partner cannot perform at a show at a local hotel, Baby steps in to ensure that they do not lose their jobs. But as Johnny and Baby rehearse, they fall in love and learn more from each other than just the dance moves.

    THEATRE REVIEW | Dirty Dancing, Palace Theatre Manchester

    Based on the hugely popular film of the same name, Dirty Dancing hits the stage with a show which follows the story of the film very closely, with the bulk of the script being comfortingly recognisable from the film. There are some additional scenes thrown in, which mainly expand on the political changes in the 60’s and some which flesh out the relationship between Baby and Johnny; whilst the show’s music came from a combination of both live and pre-recorded tracks, including “Hungry Eyes”, “Love Man” and “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life”

    Katie Eccles and Robert Colvin took the lead roles of Baby and Johnny, and had some chemistry between them; and they were supported by a broadly competent cast of singers, dancers and musicians. Unsurprisingly, the dancing was better than the acting, but given that the show’s main focus is the musical numbers it doesn’t cause too much of a problem.

    The show has been given a major overhaul and is all the better for it. This production has a vibrant lighting design and has ushered in a luxurious, well designed and thoroughly detailed set which transform smoothly without ever interrupting the story; whilst the show has been sexed up a little with a few more bare chests and muscular arms on display. Overall, the production values here are very high and very impressive.

    But where the show really succeeds is in its ability to bring the movie to life and recreating it on stage. All of the familiar lines, plot points, dance routines and songs are there and there is something very comforting about watching such a faithful recreation of the movie. For those who have not seen the film, the show is a good introduction to the world of Kellerman’s. For established fans of the film, the show will be hard to beat.

    Dirty Dancing is playing at the Palace Theatre Manchester until 22nd July 2017

    • Review taken from the Sheffield Theatre production