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Tag: Theatre Tour

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Girl On The Train – Duke of York’s Theatre, London

    THEATRE REVIEW | The Girl On The Train – Duke of York’s Theatre, London

    ★★★ | The Girl On The Train – Duke Of York’s Theatre

    Based on the best selling book by Paula Hawkins, The Girl On The Train stars Samantha Womack (Eastenders) as Rachel Watson, a troubled woman who romanticises about a couple she sees from her commuter train window every day, as she imagines the life she could have had. When one of the couple goes missing, she finds herself drawn into the mystery; but the gaps in her memory and her inability to separate out reality from her fantasy leads to her becoming a suspect in the woman’s disappearance.

    Samantha Womack is entertaining as Rachel and she is ably supported by a small but proficient cast. The set changes are fairly slick, the set is sufficiently detailed, and the lighting and sound design all compliment the mood of the piece.

    But for a thriller to work, it’s the story that counts, and over the course of the first act, the plot developed nicely and pulled in the audience, with a narrative which blurred fact and fiction, and imagination and reality; but as the second act unfolded the story became increasingly convoluted with a few too many red herrings and clumsy plot twists for it to maintain its momentum.

    Having not read the book or seen the film, I’m not sure whether fans of either will find enjoyment or disappointment in this play, but as a standalone piece of theatre, it is competently presented and entertaining enough, but not a show which I would imagine will go on to become a classic.

    The Girl on the Train is at Duke Of York’s Theatre until the 17th August 2019. Book tickets now

    This review was taken from a showing at Sheffield and does not account for any cast changes or changes to the direction since then.*

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The Girl On The Train – National Tour

    THEATRE REVIEW | The Girl On The Train – National Tour

    ★★★ | The Girl On The Train -Sheffield

    Based on the best selling book by Paula Hawkins, The Girl On The Train stars Samantha Womack (Eastenders) as Rachel Watson, a troubled woman who romanticises about a couple she sees from her commuter train window every day, as she imagines the life she could have had. When one of the couple goes missing, she finds herself drawn into the mystery; but the gaps in her memory and her inability to separate out reality from her fantasy leads to her becoming a suspect in the woman’s disappearance.

    Samantha Womack is entertaining as Rachel and she is ably supported by a small but proficient cast. The set changes are fairly slick, the set is sufficiently detailed, and the lighting and sound design all compliment the mood of the piece.

    But for a thriller to work, it’s the story that counts, and over the course of the first act, the plot developed nicely and pulled in the audience, with a narrative which blurred fact and fiction, and imagination and reality; but as the second act unfolded the story became increasingly convoluted with a few too many red herrings and clumsy plot twists for it to maintain its momentum.

    Having not read the book or seen the film, I’m not sure whether fans of either will find enjoyment or disappointment in this play, but as a standalone piece of theatre, it is competently presented and entertaining enough, but not a show which I would imagine will go on to become a classic.

    The Girl on the Train is at Sheffield Theatres until 29th June 2019 before continuing on its national tour.

  • Theatre Review | Kinky Boots – National Tour

    ★★★★☆ | Kinky Boots, National Tour

    When his late father’s shoe factory is on the brink of closing down, Charlie readies himself to shut down the business; but a chance encounter with Lola, a drag queen, changes his fortunes, as he realises that the factory needs to continue making men’s shoes, but by doing so, needs to exchange brogues for high heels, and make a range of quality shoes for drag artists. But how will the new venture go down with the workers in Northampton?

    Kinky Boots is one of those shows whose reputation precedes it, and for its inaugural UK Tour, it does itself proud. For a touring production, Kinky Boots is a big show which oozes west end quality in its presentation and is slick, polished and professional; the set is superb, with its factory paraphilia littering the stage and the live orchestra only adds to the atmosphere.  Putting aside the rather flimsy plot, the show is all about the big production numbers, especially the gymnastic qualities of Everybody Say Yeah at the closing of Act 1, and the glamorous finale Raise You Up.

    From his explosive entrance in Land of Lola to a tender, powerful delivery of Hold Me In Your Heart, Kayi Ushe is absolutely delicious as Lola, stealing the show as he easily transitions from cracking camptastic cabaret to moments of tender vulnerability, standing head and shoulders above the cast. The rest of the cast are perfectly serviceable, but to be fair to them, it’s hard to compete with such a dominant stage presence.

    Based on a true story, and with songs by Cindi Lauper, Kinky Boots is packed full of colour, glamour, sequins and high energy musical numbers; and provides for an uplifting, smile-inducing, feel-good piece of theatre which effortlessly entertains and proves to be tremendous fun

    Kinky Boots is at Sheffield Theatres until 22nd July 2019, before continuing on its national tour.

  • Theatre Review | Annie – National Tour

    ★★★☆☆ | Annie – National Tour

    It’s a hard knock life for little orphan Annie. Living in the orphanage which is ruled with an iron fist by the devilish Miss Hannigan, Annie longs for the day when her parents will return to find her.  After escaping from the orphanage and as Christmas approaches, she is chosen to spend two weeks with Mr Warbucks, a billionaire, at his home. But when he offers a large reward for finding Annie’s parents, Miss Hannigan plots to grab the money for herself.

    Craig Revel Horwood is suitably sour faced as the gin-soaked Miss Hannigan, as he entertainingly camps it up a little and is clearly enjoying himself. The ensemble cast of children stay on the right side of twee as they all attack the musical numbers with gusto; whilst Sandy the dog received the biggest reaction from the audience as he trotted across the stage.

    As a production, this show has a great deal to offer. With a set that has more than a shade of Matilda influence in it, the production values in this touring show are of a high standard. Nikolai Foster’s direction is steady and assured, the musical numbers are bouncy and vibrant with choreography which is light, fun and varied and the costumes, lighting design and props are all great.

    Production values aside, the show itself is a little dated, rather twee, borders on the sickly sweet and loses some momentum during the second act; but remains a solid family show and a great introduction to musical theatre for younger family members. With a songbook which included Tomorrow, You’re Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile and It’s A Hard Knock Life, this production of Annie turned out to be far more fun and much more entertaining than it had any right to be.

    Annie is at Sheffield Theatres until Saturday 8th June 2019 before continuing on its national tour.

  • Theatre Review | The Comedy About A Bank Robbery – National Tour and West End

    Theatre Review | The Comedy About A Bank Robbery – National Tour and West End

    ★★★☆☆ | The Comedy About A Bank Robbery

    After a daring prison break, Mitch Ruscitti, who is hindered by his affable-if-laughable, partner in crime Neil, plan the ultimate heist. Dragging in his girlfriend Caprice, along with her latest squeeze, Sam, they plot to steal a precious gem from the vaults of the bank owned by Caprice’s father. But these things never go to plan, as mistaken identity, ridiculous disguises, rapid clothing changes, multiple misunderstandings, increasingly large moustaches and a flock of seagulls all combine to frustrate the gang’s increasingly comedic attempts to steal the diamond.

    Direct from the Airplane! / Naked Gun school of comedy, whereby the machine gun delivery of gags are relentless (with more hitting the mark than missing it), The Comedy About a Bank Robbery harbours a witty and fast paced script intermingled with farce, slapstick and good, old fashioned physical comedy.  Coming across as a hybrid of the classic comedy teams such as Morecombe and Wise and The Three Stooges;  and the old school sit-coms, such as Fawlty Towers and Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em , there are plenty of belly laughs to be had as the plans unravel.

    Liam Jeavons is great as the muscled thug Mitch, as is Jon Trenchard, as hapless looser Warren Sax, but the cast as a whole bring together a polished, well timed and impeccably rehearsed comedy. But the staging also deserves a mention, with a well-designed set and once scene which uses forced perspective to leave the cast members with a particularly tricky problem as to how to cross a room.

    The team behind The Play That Goes Wrong delivers another madcap night at the theatre, and if you enjoyed One Man, Two Guvnors or The Thirty-Nine Steps, then this stupid, screwball comedy will be right up your street.

    The Comedy About a Bank Robbery is currently at Sheffield Theatres and then rounding off its national tour, whilst The Comedy About A Bank Robbery and The Play That Goes Wrong continue in the West End.  

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Jeremy Goldstein’s Truth To Power Cafe

    THEATRE REVIEW | Jeremy Goldstein’s Truth To Power Cafe

    ★★★★★ | Truth To Power Cafe

    Lady Sasha de Suinn explores acclaimed, LGBT producer Jeremy Goldstein’s latest, gorgeously provocative project.

    RESISTANCE IS NEVER FUTILE!

    What is speaking truth to power? Imagining a rabbi spitting in Hitler’s face? Legendary black activist Martin Luther King publicly denouncing racism? Or – quite stunningly – Mahatma Gandhi defying the full might of the British Empire with passive resistance?

    The answer, quite obviously, is all of the above – resistance can be unspoken, psychological resolve, as well as direct action, and crucially, I’d add the 1969, Stonewall riots as a pivotal moment that decisively empowered our current, LGBT activism. Ironically, it wasn’t butch clones that beat back the pounding police truncheons in Christopher Street, but frenzied drag-queens on the warpath, non-binary Valkyries completely defying the passive expectations of the riot squad, completely queering the sociological pitch as LGBT mindsets – quite magnificently – have always done to heterosexual stereotypes.

    Which brings us to acclaimed, LGBT theatre producer Jeremy Goldstein, and the Truth to Power Café, his latest, ongoing project. Goldstein’s possibly familiar to radical, queer theatre aficionados as the producer of NYC gay icon Penny Arcade’s sublime Bitch! Dyke! Fag-hag! Whore! which I’d never demean and insult by inserting prissy asterisks instead of vowels, as was the case with Penny’s London shows, an abject pandering to the easily shell-shocked constitutions of super-fragile English snowflakes.
    Screw that. Goldstein’s previous productions have included a show raging against creeping gentrification at Soho Theatre, and one suspects a penchant for articulate, public rebellion runs in his blood – his father, Mick Goldstein, was a member of the acclaimed, literary Hackney Gang, which included Harold Pinter, and another member, Henry Woolf, gifted Jeremy with the beguiling, evocative text he recites in every show.

    So, what precisely is Goldstein’s Truth to Power Café in practice? Briefly, it’s a touring production, and – at each unique venue – Goldstein assembles a one-off cast of speakers he’s previously drawn and selected from online and media application calls. Still – besides Jeremy himself – there’s one constant in every show, the differently-abled actor Otto Baxter, a potent, beautifully visible symbol of applied diversity in action; unlike far too many LGBT ventures that merely pay the notion of inclusivity empty lip-service – Jeremy – quite admirably – talks the talk and walks the walk.

    Thankfully, the Truth to Power café is hardly some indulgent producer’s whim, some reluctantly provocative showcase airing spikily contentious rants from disgruntled individuals. Examined more closely, Jeremy’s offering his chosen cast a safe, publicly theatrical space to vent their (mostly) unedited spleen and discontent with lovers, personal and work issues, or – more rarely –pithy, philosophical assaults on the constipated, capitalist thinking which underpins a global tyranny of exploiting and dividing those desperately in need.

    And – much more uniquely –Jeremy is one producer who’s not only living, but is also a crucial part of his incandescently passionate dream project. Having never previously performed in public, he’s been so creatively fired by the processes involved in concretely manifesting the show that he’s chosen to risk the adulation – and sometimes, unfortunately – critiques, which go hand in hand with making one’s self and words publicly accountable and vulnerable. Thankfully, he loves it, blooming from a hesitant, nascent performing to assured command of a stage in barely a few, short months.

    The shows, typically, begin with Jeremy opening with Henry’s Woolf’s poetic monologue, a tender ode of salvation and consolation to the dispossessed, and Jeremy’s initial stage presence is a hyper-kinetic master-class in restrained finesse. One would, in fact, assume his superlatively assured, theatrical body language was the end product of years of study at the French, Lecoq Institute, the unparalleled doyennes of physical theatre. Slowly smiling, with an uncanny, cocky warmth hugely reminiscent of the infectious, beautifully humane charisma of mime artist Lindsay Kemp, Jeremy prowls, pads and declaims with slow-motion sublimity, at points gently settling a crown on his head and brandishing angel wings, visual cementing the sanctity of the myriad truths being so fearlessly exposed.

    Gently giving way to the respective members of the cast, Jeremy then sits in the sidelines, serenely grinning like a satiated Buddha, as each individual in turn denounces, exorcises, or reaches an accommodation with the truths they’ve chosen to confront. Ideally, of course, there would be no limits on the truths expressed, or their contents, but the distressing, current reality is that passionate opinions are routinely misconstrued as potential, legally culpable hate-crimes or slander; so, unfortunately, it’s best not to name identifiable names.

    Still, to date, Jeremy’s project of gathering, then detonating, driven, compassionate and articulate voices of dissent has produced pure, magically spontaneous, theatrical gold. And arguably, his ongoing, Truth to Power concept is the most influential and important showcase of LGBT activism currently being staged; it’s pumping with lived, grass-roots queer passion with every thrilling beat of its’ astonishingly gracious, grandly compassionate heart. This, truly, is theatre to terrify the bigoted tyrannies of a Donald Trump, but why wait? Lucky audiences up North can see the show in all its’ blisteringly urgent, irrefutable glory this Saturday, June 1st, 9 pm sharp, at Hull City’s sumptuous Hull Minster Cathedral, 10a-11 King Street, Parish Centre, Hull HU1 2JJ. Be there – this is theatre re-imagined as life-changing art!

    Lucky audiences up North can see the show in all its blisteringly urgent, irrefutable glory this Saturday, June 1st, 9 pm sharp, at Hull City’s sumptuous Hull Minster Cathedral, 10a-11 King Street, Parish Centre, Hull HU1 2JJ.

    Be there – this is theatre reconfigured as life-changing art!

    See other dates, click here

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Barber Shop Chronicles – National Tour

    ★★★ | Barber Shop Chronicles

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

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

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

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

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

  • Theatre Review | Rough Crossing – National Tour

    ★★☆☆☆ | Rough Crossing

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Calendar Girls The Musical – National Tour

    ★★★☆☆ | Calendar Girls The Musical

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

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

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

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

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

  • THEATRE REVIEW | American Idiot – National Tour

    THEATRE REVIEW | American Idiot – National Tour

    ★★★☆☆ | American Idiot – National Tour

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

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

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

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

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

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

    ✭✭✭ | Northern Ballet’s Victoria

    Photo Emma Kauldhar

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

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

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

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

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