THEGAYUK

Category: Theatre

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Seven Brides For Seven Brothers, Sheffield Lyceum Theatre and UK Tour

    ★★★ | Seven Brides For Seven Brothers, Sheffield Lyceum Theatre and UK Tour

    Set in the backwoods of Oregon in 1850, Adam Pontipee is a burly woodsman who lives on an isolated farm in the mountains. On a visit to town to trade goods, he decides to take himself a wife and meets the feisty Milly who agrees to marry him. But when they return to the farmhouse to start their married life together, Adam introduces her to his six ill-mannered, uncouth and rough and tumble brothers.

    But the brothers are diamonds in the rough, and following a little smoothing around the edges, Adam takes his brothers to the town social, where they meet and fall in love with their prospective girlfriends. But when the lovesick boys return to the farm, they pine for their girls, so decide to head to town and bring them back. But with the girls distressed at being kidnapped and the farm cut off from the town for the winter by an avalanche, will true love win through?

    This vibrant and colourful revival of one of the most popular musicals from the golden age of MGM Studio’s was great fun. The show itself is twee, old fashioned and, at times, very camp, but therein lies its utterly infectious charm. The songs include “Bless Your Beautiful Hyde”, “Going Courtin’” and “Wonderful, Wonderful Day” and were proficiently performed by the cast. The songs were interspersed with some exuberant and energetic dance numbers, with somersaults and acrobatics aplenty. Both the town social (the main set piece of the first act) and the finale were particular highlights. The stage was crammed full of talented singers, dancers and musicians, all of whom performed a number of well-choreographed and enjoyable pieces.

    In terms of the cast, Sam Attwater, who plays Adam was unable to perform on the night, and his shoes were ably filled by Alex Hammond. Hammond’s deep voice and gruffness in his singing neatly mirrored the wooden roughness of the wilderness setting. Helena Blackman, who was runner up on “How do you solve a problem like Maria?” was in fine voice and provided a good turn as the go-getting Milly. The rest of the brothers were made up of an attractive and very buff set of young men who proved that they had been chosen for their talent as well as their looks by being more than capable of some great dancing and singing. The remaining ensemble made up the townsfolk and nicely rounded out the cast.

    Director and choreographer Patti Colombo has added some nice touches, such as a variety of dance styles, ranging from some ballet inspired pieces to an abundance of lively barn dancing, and also including some musicians on the stage during some scenes or to act as bridging tool in scene changes. The music was typical of the country genre and in good keeping with the setting of the show, with violins, acoustic guitars and mouth organs aplenty.

    The detailed and effective set looked great, with the stage being easily and smoothly transformed from the forest to the town to the interior of the farmhouse. The set was awash with wooden buildings, furniture and props which fitting in nicely with the feel of the show. The lighting was well thought out with a green tinge enhancing the forest, good use of silhouette at times and a warm glow in the outdoor scenes. All of the costumes were colourful, with flowing gowns and smart tunics and added nicely to the vibrancy of the whole thing.

    Seven Brides for Seven Brothers a whole had a really light feel to it and was undemanding, foot tapping, enjoyable entertainment. The story itself is a little thin and quaint, but the reality is that this is good old fashioned entertainment which harks back to a more innocent time and is more than capable of entertaining the audience without the use of special effects or elaborate mechanical props. It is a credit to the musical itself to think that 60 years after being written for the big screen, the stage show can still bring a smile to the face of theatre goers.

    Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is currently playing at the Sheffield Lyceum until the 15th February 2014 before continuing on its national tour. For information and tickets visit
    http://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/event/seven-brides-for-seven-brothers-14/ and the official website at http://www.sevenbridesthemusical.com/sights-sounds.html

  • THEATRE REVIEW | How To Be Immortal, UK Tour

    ★★★★ | How To Be Immortal, UK Tour
    Three true tales intertwine in this intimate, bold and funny show about love, science, death and immortality.

    Henrietta Lacks died in West Virginia in 1951, but her cells are still alive today, dividing endlessly in laboratories, their every detail studied by scientists all over the world. It’s taken Deborah years to come to terms with her mother’s death. Now, suddenly, she’s got to deal with her immortality.

    Rosa and Mick are in love. She plays the cello, he plays the squeezebox –they sound great together. The trouble is that she’s pregnant and he’s about to die.

    If we didn’t have bodies would we live forever? Its 1950 and Doctor George Gey and his wife Margaret are about to make a mind-bending discovery using homemade apparatus and some calves liver puree. All they need is the right biopsy.

    Love, death and DNA intertwine in three twisted true tales about what we leave behind. There’s live music on cello, squeezebox and ukulele, 1950s science, nano-puppetry, animation and a song composed from human DNA coding. This is a moving production that is not easily shaken from the mind.

    For such a heavy subject matter, this is actually a very watchable and engaging play with plenty of humour. Writer, Kirsty Housley, manages to present a trio of fascinating stories with a deft touch, conveying both deep emotion and offering up a complex scientific theme, which is quite a feat. The technology worked well too with some breath taking back projections onto the versatile and clever set. The stories blend well together and the trio of talented actor/musicians give sterling performances in a variety of role.

    I was lucky enough to catch the show at the Albany at Deptford, a fantastic small theatre and arts venue which people outside of South London might not be in the know about. It’s well worth a visit and easily reached by public transport.

    The show is on tour until the end of March 2014 and you can catch it at various venues around the U.K.: http://www.pennydreadfultheatre.com/#!tour-dates/cxb5

    Check out The Albany at Deptford here: http://www.thealbany.org.uk/whatson

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Gay Naked Play, Above The Stag

    ★★★ | The Gay Naked Play, Above The Stag

    Dan (Alexander Hulme) is director of the Integrity Players, a small off off Broadway group of players dedicated to “great art”. The company also consists of his loving (and very pregnant) wife Amanda (Stacy Sobieski) and their friend and leading actor Harold (Lucas Livesey). They have lofty ambitions and a staunch refusal to compromise , but they have one problem. Tiny audiences. And when their sole and major backer, who just happens to be Amanda’s Machiavellian mother Imelda (Ellen Verenieks) withdraws her support, they have an even greater problem. No money. What are they going to do?

    Enter Eddie Rossini (Christopher Woodley) and his two cronies, T.Scott (Robert Hannouch) and Edonis (Toby Joyce). Eddie proposes a trashy homoerotic stage version of Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of Christ” starring porn star Kit Swagger (Matthew Ferdenzi). It’s a sure fire commercial hit, but will the Integrity Players give in to financial pressure and in so doing lose their integrity? I’m not going to give the game away, but I think we can all guess the answer to that one.

    Adam Bell’s play is a witty and often hilarious comment on the eternal conundrum of artistic compromise; popularity versus art. The writing itself is often really clever, abounding in quips and one-liners that wouldn’t have been out of place in an episode of “Will and Grace”.

    My problem was more with the execution. Director Andrew Beckett has allowed too much of the play to be played on one level, with actors shamelessly mugging and playing too many of their lines out front. The often hilarious antics of T.Scott and Edonis would have benefited from a greater contrast with their boss, Rossini, but he too was encouraged to overplay much of the comedy, which resulted in a lack of contrast. Surely underplaying the role would have made it even funnier. It’s a shame, because the play is a lot of fun, and I feel sure that this cast had it in them to deliver a much more multi-faceted performance.

    That said, the audience on opening night enjoyed themselves enormously, and nobody was complaining about Matthew Ferdenzi getting his kit off more than once. Maybe it will settle down a bit in the next few performances.

    The Gay Naked Play is on at Above The Stags until 16th Feb 2014

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Dreamboats And Petticoats, UK Tour

    ★★ | Dreamboats And Petticoats

    Dreamboats and Petticoats transports the audience back to the early 1960s where two young friends, Bobby and Ray, spend their evenings at the youth club hanging around with the local band. Bobby auditions for the role of lead singer but is beaten to the role by Norman, the new guy in town and a suave ladies’ man, brimming with self-confidence. Bobby has a crush on Sue, Sue has a crush on Norman and Laura, Ray’s sister, has a crush on Bobby. With the announcement that there is a national song writing contest on the horizon and every one dying for fame and fortune, their lives, loves and song writing partnerships are played out against a belting Rock ‘n’ Roll soundtrack.

    This jukebox musical has been successfully packing out theatres both in the West End and around the country for a number of years and upon watching it, you can easily see how it appeals to its target audience and how the sense of nostalgia and the sentimental glance back to the 60s, resonates with those who lived through the time. The show references those things from the audience’s childhood and serves as a nod to more carefree days where the lure of American culture beckoned and music was breaking new ground.

    The show itself is bursting with a relentless barrage of classic Rock ‘n’ Roll songs – around 40 in total – and it’s hard to deny that the selection of songs are balanced in terms of the upbeat numbers and the ballads. Songs such as “Let’s Dance”, “Bobby’s Girl”, “Do You Wanna Dance”, “Let’s Twist Again”, “C’mon Everybody” and “Teenager In Love” all make an appearance and do get the feet tapping. The songs were impressively performed by the on stage band, with many of the cast playing numerous musical instruments and a couple of the songs being accompanied by enjoyable ensemble pieces.

    There were, however, a number of flaws in the show. The predictable plot and clichéd characterisations were paper thin and served mainly as a link from one song to another. The production of the show was very basic, with a largely static set, minimal props and uncomplicated choreography; the volume of the music far outweighed the vocals for the majority of the show and the microphones for the cast were frequently tuned on after they had started their lines. The show came across as a cabaret performance and you had to wonder whether putting the story to one side and having a musical revue of Rock ‘n Roll songs, in the same vein as “Thriller Live!” would have been a better idea.

    But despite its basic appearance, the appeal of this show is the nostalgia for an older audience and the music. For those who like Rock ‘n’ Roll, they will enjoy the almost constant musical numbers. The show does finish with a mini concert which had the audience on their feet and the resounding cheers and applause suggested that the audience had thoroughly enjoyed the show as a whole. However, this show sadly lacked style and substance over and above a decent band and a soundtrack of classic songs.

    The show is currently at the Sheffield Lyceum Theatre until Saturday 18th January 2014 (details can be found here www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk) before continuing on its national tour. Details of the tour can be found at www.dreamboatsandpetticoats.com

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Putting It Together, St. James Theatre

    ★★★★★ | Putting It Together, St. James Theatre

    The original New York production of “Putting It Together”, a musical revue created by Julia McKenzie and Stephen Sondheim, starred none other than Julie Andrews. This first London staging of the show is much like Ms Andrews’ famous character Mary Poppins: practically, perfect in every way.

    If you already love Sondheim then this is a rare treat, with a chance to see a whole host of his songs performed to a stunningly high standard. If you don’t know Sondheim’s work then this is a brilliant way to get to know his style and revel in his wit and panache.

    From lovelorn, embittered and angry, through to wistful, longing and hopeful, the song selection covers a huge range of emotions and facets of the terrifying and perplexing thing that is human relations. The cast selection is staggeringly good too. Listening to David Bedella’s voice is like sipping smooth Bourbon, whilst Janie Dee manages to pack pathos, rage and comedy into every word (and what a lot of words some of the numbers contain). Damian Humbley, Daniel Crossley and Caroline Sheen make up the rest of the strong five-person cast and all do more than justice to Sondheim’s numbers with amazing vocal talents, backed by a skilled sextet of musicians.

    The show cleverly utilises a diverse range of songs as the audience watch the progress of a couple as they undergo a tempestuous night at a cocktail party. The audience last night certainly loved the show and there was a standing ovation with rapturous applause.

    I can’t recommend this enough. It’s on for a strictly limited 3 week run until the 1st of February

    Buy tickets here: http://www.stjamestheatre.co.uk/events/putting-it-together/

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Moscow City Ballet presents The Nutcracker – Sheffield Lyceum & National Tour

    ★★★ | Moscow City Ballet presents The Nutcracker – Sheffield Lyceum & National Tour

    The Nutcracker tells the story of Clara, a young girl who is magically whisked away to a land of snow, flowers and fantasy, where she transforms into a princess and falls in love with the nutcracker prince. This classic ballet, with the score written by perhaps Russia’s most famous composer, Tchaikovsky, is lovingly performed by The Moscow City Ballet as part of their 25th Anniversary tour.

    The score to the piece by Tchaikovsky remains as bold and as enchanting as ever, and sounded beautiful performed by the note perfect live orchestra. A number of the pieces are instantly recognisable and will be familiar to most people, given how embedded they are in popular culture. The music remains powerful and emotive and enjoying and appreciating it was one of the highlights of the evening.

    As for the ballet itself, the first act focussed more on the narrative of the story, with Clara attending a Christmas Eve party where the guests are enthralled by her godfather’s magical, mechanical toys. During the first scene of Act 1, the full stage was awash with activity, which, whilst it looked impressive, sometimes led the audience to miss various things, as there was a lot happening simultaneously. Scene two, which finds Clara in a snow filled wonderland, was absolutely delightful with the female ensemble cast performing a stunning routine. Act 2 was more focussed on the dancing itself and it was during this act that the score and orchestra came into their own. The recognisable pieces of music came relentlessly and were accompanied by some charming routines – the highlight again being the female ensemble cast.

    Principal dancer Kanat Nadyrbeck performed well as the mysterious Drosselmeyer, but unfortunately, the ballet as a whole had far too many stumbles, heavy footfalls and overbalances than you would expect from such a prestigious company and the choreography seemed almost clunky at times. The gracefulness of the scenes with the female ensemble juxtaposed sharply with some of the other scenes and there were times when the synchronicity of the cast was not as well timed as it could have been. That said, the cast were enthusiastic and worked hard throughout the show, some of them displaying some spectacular leaps and bounds. There were also times when the principal dancers spent far too much time encouraging applause following a set piece, which interrupted the flow of the ballet and the story and seemed to give a stop/start feel to the second act.

    Proving itself to be a more traditional style of ballet, the show was still charming and engaging and as a whole was enjoyable, but, unfortunately, not without its flaws.

    As part of their 25th Anniversary tour, Moscow City Ballet is performing a quartet of traditional ballets in a variety of venues around the Country. The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, Romeo and Juliet and Swan Lake are all being performed.

    The Nutcracker continues at the Lyceum Theatre Sheffield until Saturday 11th January 2014 and tickets and details can be found at http://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/event/the-nutcracker-14/ . The tour then continues around the country and details can be found at http://www.ents24.com/uk/tour-dates/moscow-city-ballet

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Swingin’ At The Savoy With Holly Penfield

    For any first-timer- and even seasoned veterans – any arrival at the Savoy is as entrancing as entering some exotic, virtually endless, opium dream.

    With exquisite cheekbones kissed by pale neon, absinthe green, you’re instantly folded into the architectural arms of an Art Deco wonderland, and baptised by the liquid chandelier of the Savoy’s front-facing fountain into a life previously unimaginable.

    Forget the tawdry tat and tension of Central London; Here, virtually unchanged, is Oscar Wilde’s incomparable favourite hotel in town, an oasis of calm, civility and companionship.

    And the pearl of this perfect, urbane oyster? Undoubtedly, the jaw-dropping, newly-refurbished Beaufort Bar, a ground-floor extravaganza of ebony black and gleaming gold. Now yes, F.Scott Fitzgerald may have once imagined a diamond as big as the Ritz,
    but compared to this staggering elegance, his vision seems as cheap, everyday and pedestrian as counterfeit Chanel.

    Merely enter the Beaufort, greeted and often escorted by fin de siecle dandy and maitre’d Helios, the very model of suave panache, and you step inside an enormous, Fabergé’s egg of a room, a space worthy of the Romanoff’s Imperial Russian Court at its’ very peak.

    It’s astounding; a mirrored back wall reflects and doubles the sumptuous, gleaming gold starburst anoiting the central bar and performance space, and there’s an expectant aura of secular sanctity, so strong that one almost hesitates to shatter the spell by sitting down.

    Ah, but we’ve yet to taste the oyster’s oyster, the pearl beyond price of the Savoy’s hospitality – its’ justly famed, live performances, spearheaded by the Savoy’s recently reincarnated, darkly delicious cabaret, currently of a calibre that even Noël Coward would crawl to be part of.

    Now, in large part, that ecstatic, cabaret revival is due to the sterling efforts of show-stopping, San Franciscan jazz diva, Miss Holly Penfield. Currently residing in London, Holly can only be compatred to a Liza Minelli without the excesses and unpredictability, and with an enviable, sterling-silver reputation of always delivering miraculous, crowd-rousing shows at the peak of her game.

    And tonight – Holly’s Christmas Burlesque Fantasia- is no exception. Aiming to reconjure the snap-brimmed, Charleston-kicking heels and reckless, ultra-chic abandon of the Savoy’s original, 1920s cabaret, mysteriously absent until recently, Holly and her entourage burn hotter than limbo dancing and flaming Sambucca cocktails at midnight on the Champs Elyseé!

    It’s a spectacle virtually unparalled in modern London.

    Partnered by her regular co-host, Mr. Dusty Limits, a tall, debonair, Disneyesque Prince Charming with chiselled cheekbones and Fred Astaire frockcoat, Holly injects a simmering, tactile sense of film goddess glamour from her first moment of stage.

    It’s contagious; immediately, the audience’s energy levels sky-rocket to Empire State excitement.

    Wrapped and caressed – the word ‘dressed’ is just completely inadequate– in yards of shimmering, orange satin, crowned by her liquid honey bob, Holly’s voice makes gorgeous, virtual love to the audience. Her opening songs – ‘Let It Snow’ and ‘Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas’ – impact with the exuberant joy of Christmas This Very Minute, her pure, caramel tone as effortless as a master saxophonist, a Charlie Parker beautifully clarified with vintage brandy.

    No wonder that, within seconds, the awe-struck audience is literally drunk with cookin’ conviviality. Effortlessly involving the crowd with a flirtatious banter and interaction of a finesse Judy Garland could only dream of, Holly selflessly gives her audience the finest gift a performer can – one hundred percent dedication. And more impressive still, she’s an absolute maestro, a stellar mistress of narrative phrasing, the wickedly difficult art of injecting love, loss and laissez-faire insouciance into lyrics that – with lesser talents – would sound as trite as fortune cookie frivolities.

    Yes, admittedly tonight, there’s a slight flurry of microphone problems, but the indomitable Miss Penfield – unlike singers crippled without Auto-Tune – is every bit as commanding, and arguably, even more beguiling – with her purely acoustic delivery.

    But if Holly’s indisputably the buzzing, electric glue that binds and lifts her cast into a devastating, ensemble whole, they each excel on their own terms.

    There’s the sultry, almost irresistable – to men, at least – Kitty Bang Bang, who redefines striptease into a work of scorching, choreographic eroticism, almost a Royal Ballerina reincarnating a chiffon-swathed Botticelli’s Venus, but all toned, modern muscles and Lady Gaga fierceness.

    Then there’s the extraordinary Duchess Of Crouch End, a mature drag-queen like no other, and distant cousin to Dame Edna, though lacking that worthy’s often leaden wit. Much closer in tone to acclaimed, music-hall and vaudeville performers Hinge and Brackett, Mrs.Shufflewick and Douglas Byng, she’s a meticulously-crafted character songstress, complete with ukelele, delivering wryly comic tales of once-privileged destitution with a vicious sting in her tale!

    With the brief sound problems resolved, the second half kicks like Frank Sinatra’s neat bourbon, as deathly-elegant David Bowie clone Dusty Limits simmers through ‘Mad About The Boy’, wringing every drop of steaming innuendo from some very willing men in the front row.

    Still panting, he’s joined by Holly for a rapturous, hell-for-leather duet on ‘Money’, from Kander and Ebb’s Cabaret, with the audience simply superglued to their seats with pleasure.

    But then – with quite sudden, breath-taking audacity – show-mistress Holly orchestrates a complete, theatrical U-turn, with the thrillingly bizarre entrance of Craig Reed’s cross-dressed, hula-hoop swinging Oompa Loompa in Wizard Of Oz, ruby slippers. Gyrating faster and faster, hoops threatening to helicopter from his hips, they burst into glowing, multicoloured incandescence, a stunning coup de theatre perfectly synchronized to a thumpingly techno ‘Over The Rainbow’.

    By now, the cast are completely swamped by a simply non-stop love tsunami of Christmas cheer, only to be ramped up higher still by Holly’s final entrance.

    Sheathed snugger than a glove in tip-to-toe, Balenciaga black – including the signature, ebony bob of her ‘evil jazz twin’ alter ego – Holly unleashes a totally awe-inspiring take of her self-penned celebration of the Savoy itself, ‘Swinging At The Savoy’.

    It’s an utter revelation. Sung urgently, magnificently on the beat, it’s a kaleidoscopic, imaginary montage of Holly’s singing star predecessors at the Savoy, and a magical evocation of the Savoy’s enduring mystique.

    Utterly timeless and utterly contemporary, Holly’s liquid gold harmonies strike out and stake a unique, inimitable vocal territory between peak-era Lena Horne and Peggy Lee, and as enchanting as either. Propelled by a steaming beat that Holly’s perfectly married to her infectious, mischeivous lyrics, it’s a stratospheric display of sung brilliance that, inevitably- brings the house down in storming applause.

    So did we have myself a merry little christmas? Beyond doubt, but words simply cannot begin to do justice to the mystique Holly and her cast conjure in the uniquely symbiotic setting of the Savoy. Thanks to the support and encouragement of visionary mangers, the Savoy has continued to nurture a superlative artist and cast whose nights, justifiably, are considered the toast of London by true conneisseurs, and perfectly complement and enhance the Savoy’s über-chic, soigné mystique. Our advice? Book a room, dinner and Holly show ASAP; She’s the spirit of Judy Garland live and reincarnated in London, but better preserved – and more consistent – than late-career Judy ever was!

    Holly Penfield returns to the Savoy in March

  • Top 10 | Theatre Film and TV of 2013

    Well we’re at the end of 2013 and what better time to look back at my 10 best theatre, tv and film moments of the year, some of which I reviewed, some of which I didn’t.

    Sadly, my first choice only managed a run of a few months at the London Palladium, nor is it a show I reviewed myself. The original Broadway production of A Chorus Line opened in 1975 and ran for 6,137 performances, garnering no less than 12 Tony Awards. It was the longest running musical in Broadway history, until overtaken by Cats in 1997. Here in London it managed a respectable 3 year run, when it opened at the enormous Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in 1976. The Palladium revival was a loving re-creation of the original, using Michael Bennett’s original choreography (Bennett died in 1987 of AIDS related lymphoma), and it brought back many memories of when I was a young dancer, working in the West End. This revival was every bit as brilliant as the original production and various reasons were offered as to why it was not as huge a success this time round. Apparently it had minority interest (only dancers and people in show business could have any interest in the travails of being a Broadway/West End hoofer); at 90 minutes without an interval, it was too long and attention flagged; it lacked spectacle being set, for the most part, on an empty stage with dancers in practice clothes. But this was all true the first time round, and the show was a huge success back then. Audiences have changed, I suppose. Certainly the second time I attended this revival (on press night) the audience seemed more interested in being seen themselves than watching the show.

    I did review my next musical of choice, and am happy to report that it is still running at the Phoenix Theatre, and absolutely demands to be seen. Once was originally a charming indie film, which has been expanded and fleshed out to make a full evening at the theatre. The stage of the Phoenix has been decked out to look like an Irish pub, where members of the audience can enjoy a drink before the show and during the interval. Almost imperceptibly the show starts, while the audience are still making their way to their seats. Not really a musical in any conventional sense, it is original, charming, sublimely poetic, moving, eloquent, and stylish. Don’t miss it.

    Of my next three choices, only one is still running in the West End, though the Menier Theatre production of Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along enjoyed a new lease of life when the production was filmed and shown in cinemas up and down the country. Maybe it will eventually also get a DVD release. It has always been one of my favourite Sondheim shows, though its rather cynical message found little favour among audiences when it was first produced back in 1981, when it ran for 44 previews and only 16 performances. At least Maria Friedman’s debut production for the Menier Theatre did a lot better than that. Given a slightly more upbeat twist by Friedman and via a few deft re-writes by Sondheim, and with some fabulous performances (particularly Jenna Russell as Mary and Damian Humbley as Charlie) this was a sure-fire hit.

    Not to be missed was Jamie Lloyd’s revival of Alexi Kayle Campbell’s superb The Pride at the Trafalgar Studios. This superb play that juxtaposes two parallel love stories, one from the 1950s and one from today, deftly reminds us that prejudice is still here, despite the strides we have made in recent years. With fantastic performances all round, this was an extremely memorable night in the theatre.

    Still running (though the Apollo has been closed for a while after part of the ceiling collapsed a couple of weeks ago) is the National Theatre’s production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Wonderfully inventive, superbly theatrical, this adaptation of Mark Haddon’s popular novel will no doubt run for years. We were fortunate enough to book our tickets a few days before the production won no less than 7 Olivier awards, as it sold out completely after that. I’m sure it’ll be around for quite a while yet though.

    Andrew Lloyd Webber and Time Rice are back in the West End this year, though not working together this time. Lloyd Webber ‘s new musical Stephen Ward is at present previewing and Time Rice’s musical version of From Here To Eternity (with music by Stuart Brayson) opened at the Shaftesbury Theatre in October. In many ways a reassuringly old-fashioned musical (it is not sung through and has a very strong libretto by Bill Oakes), it is a thoroughly enjoyable, brilliantly conceived and executed new show. Let’s hope it has a deservedly long run.

    In the cinema, I got the chance to review HBO’s Behind The Candelabra, made for TV, but here given a theatre release. Stephen Soderbegh’s direction is not always sure-footed, and the film drags a little in the middle, which might be less noticeable in the context of a TV movie. He does however, get wonderful performances out of his all-star cast. Aside from Rob Lowe’s brilliantly immobile plastic surgeon, there are some great cameos from Dan Ackroyd, Scott Bakula and Debbie Reynolds (remember her?), but the movie succeeds or fails on the work of its two stars, and both Michael Douglas and Matt Damon give faultless performances. Damon is thoroughly believable as the star-struck young innocent who gradually descends into drug addiction, and Michael Douglas quite simply gives one of the best performances of his career. It would have been so easy, and so tempting, to overplay the role and come up with a clownish caricature, but Douglas completely avoids that trap, and comes up with a performance of great subtlety, which deservedly won him an Emmy Award.

    I didn’t review I Want Your Love which was granted a limited cinema release in the UK. Given the amount of explicit sex in the film, this is hardly surprising. Like Shortbus before it, director Travis Matthews breaks new bounds in how to present sex on the screen. The sex, and there is a lot of it, is real, and we get to see everything; blow jobs, penetration, cum shots, the lot. What makes it different from your bog standard porn movie is that this features real actors, and very good ones at that, pushing the boundaries of what they will do on screen in the context of a role. The sex scenes are handled rather differently than they would be in a porno, and much more sensitively; the connection between the actors, the reactions on their faces rather more important than the sex itself, though the camera doesn’t shy away from that either. There’s not a lot of plot, so it certainly doesn’t keep you on the edge of the seat wondering what will happen next. It’s one of those movies in which people spend a lot of time talking to each other; about their feelings, about their relationships, about work. I found it totally immersing and involving.

    Though I understand that many will not respond to I Want Your Love as I did, I do recommend unreservedly David France’s masterly documentary How To Survive A Plague. This remarkable movie tells the story of a small group of men and women in America, most of them HIV positive, who battled against government indifference and departmental incompetence, to save their own lives. In so doing they helped save the lives of 6,000,000. Gripping, moving, inspiring, at times emotionally draining, it is a story that demands to be told. Required viewing for every gay man, particularly those under the age of 30.

    And finally to a great piece of television, shown just this last month on BBC4. Don’t Ever Wipe Tears Without Gloves, is an award-winning Swedish three parter, based on novelist Jonas Gardell’s trilogy about the impact of AIDS on the gay community in Sweden in the early 1980s. Subtly and sensitively acted, and beautifully filmed, this was great television, the last of its three episodes almost unbearably moving, so much so that I watched it through a film of tears. If you missed its network TV showing, then do not hesitate to buy it on DVD, but make sure you have a box of tissues at the ready.

  • THEATR REVIEW | Northern Ballet’s Cinderella – Leeds Grand Theatre

    ★★★ | Northern Ballet’s Cinderella

    In a magical retelling of Cinderella, the well-known story is transported to Imperial Russia, whereby following a shooting accident, Cinderella’s father dies and she falls victim to the wicked ways of her evil stepmother. But with Prince Charming looking for love, will Cinderella make it to the ball?

    Northern Ballet’s sumptuous production of this beautiful and original ballet is a festive treat and provides a fresh take on an established story. The story itself is familiar but there are a number of aspects which not only elevate this production but which also refreshes the classic fairy tale. The fairy godmother is replaced by a cunning magician, the coach is pulled by huskies and; with the transportation of the story to Russia, the ballet provided a number of scenes set outside the kitchen and the ballroom – including a graceful sequence set on a frozen lake, with the cast “ice skating” across the stage and a carnival scene allowing the stage to be awash with dancers performing a variety of magic and circus skills.

    The show was choreographed in beautiful fashion, with superb performances from the cast, all of whom were technically excellent in their dancing. Flashes of Russian dance inspired moves allowed the choreography to be relevant to the setting but never in a way which intruded on the traditional ballet. In terms of the cast, the highlight was Pippa Moore who gave a powerful and commanding performance as the wicked stepmother, portraying the character superbly, demanding the attention of the audience and coming across as icy and vindictive. The remaining cast had mastered a number of other skills, including stilt walking, juggling and acrobatic balancing for the carnival scene. The first act of the show was more narrative based, setting the scene for the second act, which was more focussed on the dancing, including a superb opening number in the ballroom and an elegant dance between Cinderella and the Prince.

    The original music was skilfully performed by the live orchestra, with the score ably portraying both the story and the emotions of the piece as it resonated around the opulent Leeds’ Grand Theatre. This production felt like not only a ballet, but also like a classical concert. As always the costumes were put together incredibly well and the whole production was filled with class. One of the strengths of Northern Ballet is their ability to convey the narrative of the story throughout the ballet which makes the whole thing accessible to all. Aside from the dancing, there are enough additional aspects to the show to hold the attention of those who are not necessarily the biggest fans of ballet.

    As a piece of theatre, this show was enchantingly staged and provided a delightful evening with a number of magical moments and an abundance of charm.

    Northern Ballet’s Cinderella is currently playing at Leeds Grand Theatre until the 4th January 2014. Tickets and more information can be found at http://northernballet.com/?q=cinderella

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Lady Rizo, At Soho Theatre, London

    ★★★★ | Lady Rizo, At Soho Theatre, London

    We are so lucky to live in London. The sheer range of entertainment this city offers is absolutely astonishing. On any given night, we are offered a bewildering array of choices, opera, ballet, theatre, whether it be mainstream or fringe.

    There really is something for everyone. It is surely the sheer richness of London’s cultural life that attracts artists from all over the world here. So it is that self-styled New York entertainer, dream maker, chanteuse and superstar Lady Rizo is visiting London to take up residency in the Soho Theatre’s intimate downstairs cabaret space until January 4th.

    Taking in a wide range of material, Lady Rizo lends her powerhouse vocals to such classics as Cole Porter’s “Love For Sale” and the seasonal “The Christmas Song”, as well as contributing some of her own songs from her own album “Violet”. With a nod to the festive season, she even puts her inimitable stamp on a bluesy rendition of Adolphe Adam’s “O Holy Night.”

    Elegant, but engagingly wacky, she jokes with the audience between songs, at one point stuffing most of her fist into her mouth as she peels off her gloves in a comedy strip routine, though, like Rita Hayworth’s Gilda, the gloves are all that come off. Mid-way through the show, she entices an audience member on stage and gets him to help her change her dress behind a back lit screen, whilst he tells her the story of how he lost his virginity. It’s that kind of show. We soon feel like old friends. By the end of it, she has the audience eating out of her hand, and singing along with The Bee Gees’ “To Love Somebody”.

    Big on personality, big on voice, this is one lady you shouldn’t miss, but get there early, or, even better, book, Tuesday’s performance was completely sold out.

    Lady Rizo is at the Soho Theatre Downstairs until January 4th 2014

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Blink, Soho Theatre

    ★★★★ | Blink, Soho Theatre

    Blink is the tale of Jonah and Sophie. It’s a love story, a very dysfunctional love story, but a love story all the same.

    The show was a sell-out hit at Soho Theatre and in Edinburgh in 2012 and sees a welcome return to this charming theatre on Dean Street.

    Harry McEntire and Rosie Wyatt give astounding performances as the two characters, both talking in short monologues, telling the audience the story of their unconventional romance. I won’t give any of the plot away but there are moments of gentle pathos mixed with quirky humour and dark reflections of modern life. The story is propelled forward by the intriguing storyline, which whilst bordering on the absurd, is made entirely real and believable by a fast paced and beautifully written script and strong line delivery from the two actors. The set is clever too, making use of a minimum of items to portray as variety of settings.

    Writer, Phil Porter, describes the piece as “A big, silly, serious, semi-ridiculous play.” He’s definitely mixed these elements well and this is a show well worth seeing

     

    Blink runs until 11/01/14 at The Soho Theatre

     

    Book tickets here: http://www.sohotheatre.com/whats-on/blink