THEGAYUK

Category: Theatre

  • Theatre Review | Fame – National Tour

    ★★★ | Fame – National Tour

     

    Based on the film and classic TV series, Fame follows the trials and tribulations of a group of young students studying at the New York School of Performing Arts as they hone their skills in music, dance and acting, as well as falling in love, clashing with the establishment, battling personal demons and dabbling in the dark side of fame. The show follows a small group of students from the first meeting to graduation, looking at the challenges they face in their academic studies, their artistic studies and their personal lives. Issues such as drug use, unrequited love and illiteracy are all canvassed as the friends make their way through their time at school.

    Despite its 1980’s setting, the show looked and sounded bang up to date. The variety of musical styles and the vocal gymnastics reflected the modern style and the dance routines covered a wide variety of styles, from hip-hop and street dancing to classical ballet and even a flamenco-inspired number.

    The show boasts around 20 songs which flow in rapid succession giving the show more of a feel of a musical revue than a piece of musical theatre. The opening number “Pray I Make/Hard Work” set the tone of the show nicely and was modern and contemporary.  “Tyrone’s Rap” and “Dancin’ on the Sidewalk” were up-tempo numbers, both of which were infused with a display of hip-hop and street dancing. But the standout song was saved for the finale, with “Bring on Tomorrow” being a traditional rousing conclusion to the proceedings which was well performed by the ensemble.

    Fame is currently on National Tour. 

  • Theatre Review | The Band – Sheffield Theatres

    ★★★★☆ | The Band

    In 1993, teenager Rachel and her best friends are obsessed with The Band, and sneak off behind their parents back’s to a concert where, on the way home, they discuss the future, make promises to each other and swear that they will be best friends for ever. But when something happens that shatters their world, the girls go their separate ways. 25 years later, The Band brings them back together, when Rachel wins a competition to see them in Prague, and decides to invite the group she had lost touch with. But with an awkward reunion on the cards, it’s going to be a trip they will never forget.

    What elevates The Band high above other jukebox musicals is the story written by Tim Firth. Firth successfully interweaves great characterisations with nostalgia, comedy and genuine emotion in a heartfelt story about friendship, self-belief, realising that it is never too late to achieve your ambitions and that life doesn’t always pan out how you planned.

    The back catalogue of Take That songs is ripe for the picking, and with plenty of hits spanning their 30-year-career, including Relight My Fire, Greatest Day, Prey, Shine and Back For Good, the show primarily presents the musical numbers not as standalone songs, but almost as if it is the soundtrack to the character’s lives; and cleverly places them naturally into the story; meaning that they are there to support the narrative and not because the fans expect them to be shoehorned into the show somehow.

    In a cast which is fairly faultless and which works incredibly well together, Rachel Lumberg excels as Rachel, the bubbly woman whose love of The Band brings her friends back together; Alison Fitzjohn provides many of the laughs as the self-depreciating Claire and the young ensemble who play the teenage friends are brilliantly put together.

    As for “the Band” the Let It Shine TV show winners,  were everything you would expect; putting on a great performance as they belted their way through the musical numbers,  singing and dancing their hearts out with confidence and professionalism; and looking great to boot.

    The presentation of the show, especially for a touring production, is big budget and incredibly well done, with inventive staging, immersive lighting, a solid sound design and direction which keeps the show moving along flawlessly. The production is incredibly slick and polished and barely stops for breath as it speeds along.

    The success of the show is how all of the individual elements are present and come together to produce the whole package; and The Band surpasses all expectations and is a crowd-pleasing, foot tapping, fun packed show crammed with genuine warmth and emotion at its heart.

    Details can be found at the show’s website.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Richard Carpenter is Close To You, Touring the UK

    ★★★☆☆ | Richard Carpenter is Close To You

    Don’t expect to hear any Carpenters’ songs at the show misleadingly titled Richard Carpenter is Close To You.

    Why? Because this show does not have the rights to perform any of the Carpenters’ songs. Performer and writer Matthew Floyd does his best to not play more than six words of any of their songs otherwise he could be sued. And there is a disclaimer for this show: The affectionate but unsparing parody is not endorsed by the real Richard Carpenter.

    So what are we left with? A musical show that somewhat makes fun of Richard Carpenter, mocking him as the second fiddle to ‘the voice’ that was his sister’s – Karen Carpenter – for it was she, not Richard, who was the face, and of course the voice, of The Carpenters – the biggest selling American group in the 1970s (American groups versus other Non-American groups as Floyd states in the show).

    But poor poor bitter Richard. After the death of his sister 35 years ago (has it been that long already?), Richard is left to look for work in any way shape or form he can. He has an agent who pays him no mind, though she books him on the QVC channel where pushes his new remaster of last month’s remastered Carpenters Greatest Hits. He’s also trying to push his own new album but no one is having it and/or buying it.

    Richard used to be on top of the world (with his sister), though now he’s back at the keys of his piano and his sister’s legacy is still looming as large as ever. What will become of Richard? Will he be relegated to the not-so-famous group of famous siblings in heaven – such as Solange Knowles and Serena Williams? Go see Richard Carpenter is Close To You and find out! Every sha la la la la la la la la……..

    RBM COMEDY PRESENTS RICHARD CARPENTER IS CLOSE TO YOU UK TOUR 2018 DATES / INFO:<

    LONDON / 11-12 OCT
    HARROGATE / 19 OCT
    NORWICH / 27 OCT
    GRAVESEND / 1 NOV
    LYME REGIS / 2 NOV
    HEDGE END / 3 NOV
    EXETER / 4 NOV
    CARLISLE / 8 NOV
    SALE / 9 NOV
    GUILDFORD / 15 NOV
    READING / 16 NOV
    BANBURY / 17 NOV
    CAMBRIDGE / 23 NOV
    HUDDERSFIELD / 24 NOV
    SHEFFIELD / 25 NOV
    FAREHAM / 28 NOV
    BRIGHTON / 29 NOV
    MILTON KEYNES / 7 DEC
    BARTON ON HUMBER / 8 DEC
    Please click here for more information and to purchase tickets:

  • THEATRE REVIEW | All You Need Is LSD, Birmingham Rep

    ★★★★☆ | All You Need Is LSD

    A bonkers performance by the cast of Told by an Idiot and the Birmingham Rep. I am not sure how to describe this show, other than trippy?

    It was a historical, educational, thought-provoking play through deranged comedy and insane multi-part playing, with hallucinogenic elements.

    Turns out that LSD is the least dangerous form of abuse with alcohol being number 1, so you can imagine that this performance was a socialist fete where politics around drugs took a lead role. The constant changing of characters with accents and costumes was formidable, a very dextrous cast. Especially, Jack Hunter who must have spoken with the greatest number of accents, that I was not sure what Jack’s native accent was. George Potts was insanely brilliant, with effervescent energy with speech, movement and action – playing Doctor Who was genius, and that was when this show really picked up. Even though I am not a Doctor Who fan, it was great to see the portrayal by George. Annie Fitzmaurice played the author Leo Butler with such relish that when she spoke it was just comedy gold. My favourite line was: “If tripping off your tits is a sin, let him cast the first stone.”

    Sophie Mercell did a great job at playing Dr Hoffman the creator of LSD, who happened to come about it by accident. Her Helen Mirren impersonation was outstanding too.

    What was really fresh about this production was the gender-neutral casting, almost intentionally the opposite – dad was played by a female actor and mother played by male actor, and so on. It was great to delve deep into your imagination to see this as a possibility and it was a great achievement.

    I’ve never done hard drugs, but this was a very good sell – my plus one had actually tried LSD and said it was very relatable what he saw on stage.

    All You Need Is LSD plays at the Birmingham Rep

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Cilla The Musical

    ★★★☆☆ | Cilla, The Musical

    Cilla The Musical is a new musical biopic which tells the story of one of the nation’s best-loved singer turned television personalities, following the star’s journey from humble beginnings as a teenager in the Cavern Club (singing with The Beatles) through to her number one hits and her attempts to crack the American market. Cilla’s backstory lacks the dramatics and off stage histrionics of other stars of the era, such as Dusty Springfield, meaning that the show only broadly addresses her rise to fame; but instead focuses more on her relationships with those around her, and primarily her two managers, Brian Epstein and her self-appointed manager-come-boyfriend, Bobby Willis.

    Kara Lily Hayworth appeals in the lead role as Cilla, and effortlessly nails the two big numbers in the production; ‘Anyone Who Had A Heart’ and ‘You’re My World’ with a beautiful singing voice that I could have happily listened to all evening. Nestling amongst Cilla’s hits, the score features a great selection of other songs from the era, such as ‘California Dreaming’, ‘Dancing In The Street’ and ‘Twist and Shout’, which when coupled with the costumes and set provide a real feel of the swinging sixties.

    Overall, Cilla is a musical biopic by numbers, with the rise to fame; the self-doubt and the love story all playing their part. The stage direction is lacking at times; and there are no major revelations about the artist’s life in the story, meaning that audiences will come away without much more of an insight into her life than they went in with; but what Cilla The Musical does offer is some solid performances, some of her greatest hits, a nostalgic feel, a vibrant and colourful second act, a smattering of classics sixties songs, a satisfying musical-medley finale and a production which is ultimately enjoyable, feel-good and exceeds expectations.

    Cilla is currently on a national tour and details can be found on the show’s website. Thank you to Sheffield Theatres for facilitating the review.

     

  • 25th anniversary production of Beautiful Thing heads to Bristol

    25th anniversary production of Beautiful Thing heads to Bristol

    The iconic show, Beautiful Thing is to get a run at the Bristol Tobacco Factory

    Beautiful Thing, which tells the story of two 17-year olds growing up on an estate in Thamesmead, was a seminal moment in representation of working class LGBT stories in British theatre. Beautiful Thing came out in the wake of a nation living in the shadow of the AIDS epidemic and, in the face of Thatcher’s attempts to alienate the LGBT community, Harvey presented an optimistic coming-of-age story of two young working class schoolboys discovering their sexuality. The premiere in 1993 took place at the Bush Theatre before moving to the Donmar Warehouse and the West End starring Jonny Lee Miller (Trainspotting), Philip Glenister (Life on Mars, Ashes to Ashes) and Jill Marsden (EastEnders).

    The film of Beautiful Thing, directed by Hettie MacDonald in 1996, was recently voted 20th most iconic LGBT film in history with the hopeful nature of the movie as well as the intersectionality of the piece often being remarked upon. The film sees Meera Syal and Linda Henry appear and launched the career of Tameka Empson, it remains a surprisingly unique watch even now, 22 years on from release.

    Beautiful Thing will be directed by Tobacco Factory Theatre’s Artistic Director, Mike Tweddle and runs 11-27 October. Amy Lee-Hickman will star in the show, known for her role as Nasreen Paracha inAckley Bridge, a role that made waves as a rare representation of a gay Asian young woman.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Rebus: Long Shadows

    THEATRE REVIEW | Rebus: Long Shadows

    ★★★☆☆ | Rebus: Long Shadows

    Ian Rankin’s novel series came alive on stage via the adaptation of Rona Munro. It was an atmospheric and sombre affair.

    Rankin’s novels first featured the character of John Rebus in Knots & Crosses where he was merely 40 years old, and he grew older, bitter and more cynical as his life progressed in the subsequent novels, Black and Blue, Exit Music, In A House Of Lies, etc. Putting Rebus on stage was not Ian’s original conception but a fan of his books, producer Daniel Schumann’s. Ian chose Rona as he wanted her take on this robust and clout-packed character.

    Not an adaptation of any of the 19 novels, Rebus – Long Shadows is a unique story bringing together the three protagonists of his series: Rebus (Charles Lawson), Clarke (Cathy Tyson) and Cafferty (John Stahl). The promise was to excite the book fans while giving the newbies a real taste of whodunnit. Centred around two murders that happened ten years apart, but a vivid haunt for Rebus, physical ghosts, and on the ground too, make for an unsettling mystery.

    Charles Lawson, who most will know as Jim McDonald in Coronation Street (ITV) really embodied Rebus in a sombre, tired portrayal, but with spouts of energy in a man who had decades of unfinished business. I never read the books, but Charles portrayal is the image I would have had in my mind. His multi-faceted performance created powerful moments as the murder mystery unravelled. In some parts, Lawson was like Lear of the murder realm.

    Cathy Tyson did a good job as Siobhan Clarke, but as a whole it was not a totally captivating performance. Her portrayal of Clarke was not a secure one, and I am not sure her decades’ bond with Rebus was consistently convincing. John Stahl was exactly what Cafferty was described as, and it was very enjoyable watching his dangerous and playfully performance.

    Neil McKinven played everyone else, but most importantly, murderer Mordaunt, and Andy. It was a very energetic multi-role play, and Neil used comedy very well. However, sometimes it was hard to distinguish between characters, and I think it was due to costume changes that didn’t change much and how quick he was back on stage. The murdered ghosts of Angela and Maggie by Dani Heron and Eleanor House respectively was a well synchronised vocal and physical performance adding more mystery to the narrative.

    The set was fairly simple. The furniture for Rebus’ home was always seen in other scenes which took away from the illusion. However, there was a really nice moment with purple lights shining against the wall of Cafferty’s home making his apartment look very ostentatious, very different from Rebus’.

    Charles portrayal of Rebus is well worth the visit of die-hard fans, but perhaps you had to read the books to be fully immersed.

    Rebus: Long Shadows is on at Birmingham Rep until the 6th October 2018

  • This musical is holding auditions by Instagram

    This musical is holding auditions by Instagram

    Bright lights, the smell of the greasepaint, the likes on Instagram

    The team behind the brand new musical Club Mex is holding open auditions, on Instagram.

    Club Mex is being described as “a part-immersive, part-musical clubbing experience, will get its world premiere at the Hope Mill Theatre, in Manchester in early 2019.

    The show centres around Mel and her two best mates as they experience the highs, lows and hangovers of Cancun in a heart-warming coming-of-age comedy.

    It is directed by West End star Julie Atherton who has been working on the development of the show with Perfect Pitch Musicals over the last couple of years. “When the guys at Perfect Pitch first approached me to get involved I knew it was an idea I wanted to play with and explore how involved the audience could be. After a workshop last year at Edge Hill university we soon realised audiences are very happy to be in the heart of where the action takes place and this piece allows them to do just that.”

    Applications will be via Instagram, with further details on Club Mex’s website: www.theclubmex.com.

    Recalls will be offered in London on 8 October and Manchester on 12 October. ”We are looking for people with funny bones and strong vocal ability, however there is no requirement for formal training. We want to hear from you if you love singing and making people laugh!”

  • Dolly is coming back to the UK

    Dolly is coming back to the UK

    Squeal.

    Dolly Parton

    Dolly Parton is coming back to the UK – with her musical 9 to 5 – and it stars,  Louise Redknapp, Brian Conley, Amber Davis and Natalie McQueen.

    To celebrate, the Queen of Country Music uploaded a camp AF promo starring the cast mates. Check it out

    Book tickets now

    WE. ARE. SO. THERE.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Keith Kat Klub – Phoenix Artist Club – London

    THEATRE REVIEW | The Keith Kat Klub – Phoenix Artist Club – London

    ★★★★★ | The Keith Kat Klub –The Phoenix Artist Club

    Keith Ramsey is just fantastic in his new one-man show ‘The Keith Kat Club.’

    Now playing at The Phoenix Artist Club, London’s ‘most loved late night local,’ Ramsey is Keith Kat in a show that will razzle and dazzle you (while the musical Chicago plays upstairs at The Phoenix Theatre and is no match for Keith!). In perhaps the most entertaining and best 90 minute show currently playing in the West End, Keith will take you to his own version of Berlin’s Kit Kat Club where he sings songs from the greats, reminiscent of a combination of Joel Grey and Liza Minelli in the film Cabaret.

    Keith completely takes control of his evening and entertains the audience with his winning smile and amazing voice, and convincingly sings songs with the voices of Cher, Bette Davis, Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler and many many more. But he wows his fans by singing Stephen Sondheim’s ‘The Ladies Who Lunch’ and he saves the best for last, including stunning interpretation of Edith Piaf’s ‘Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien.’

    It’s a show that ends too soon and we are left wanting more and more. Keith Ramsey in The Keith Kat Club is just the best. Enjoy being whisked back in time by the wonderful voice of Ramsey and his superb talents.

    Upcoming show dates are: 12th, 19th, 26th September

    To book, please visit this link:

    https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-keith-kat-klub-tickets-49000396505

  • CABARET REVIEW | Black Cat: Bohemia

    ★★☆☆☆ | Black Cat: Bohemia

    The Black Cat cabaret has been slinking its way round the London circuit for a good few years and frankly, it’s starting to look a bit mangey round the haunches. This autumn’s incarnation is themed around Bohemia with an attempt at a demi-monde atmosphere but which has about as much relation to the bohemian style as an afternoon sipping Sherry and nibbling on Bourbon biscuits with your auntie Pam from Dagenham.

    The problem lies, not in the acts but in the overall show which is lacking in edge. If you’ve seen cabaret before you’ll also have seen it all before and it’ll either have been similar, better or worse in quality than you witness here, which isn’t the problem.

    There’s the usual acrobatics, fire-eating and hoop work and all of it’s pretty much faultless. However, the seven performers feel like a backdrop to the talents of compere Laura Corcoran (a.k.a. Frisky). She banters with the audience, makes jokes, sings a medley of uninspired musical choices (and at times unwise ones such as the choice of trying to cover ‘Wow’ by Kate Bush (who’d even try that?)

    There’s nothing wrong with her work. She’s archly funny and generally fun but there’s just too much of her. Way too much. It feels like the cabaret performers get a brief chance to pop on, do a turn and pop off again and then she’s off again. On the rare occasions that there’s an atmosphere building up or the remotest hint of thrill then she quickly re-appears and the mood returns to bawdy comedic chit chat, dashing any hope of anything that feels cohesive or novel.

    If you’re a huge fan of Miss Frisky then knock yourself out. This is her night and she’s largely only briefly interrupted in owning the stage. If you’re after something darker and more edgy and with some variety then there’s plenty more cabaret shows on the circuit.