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Tag: Theatre Tour

  • Theatre Review | End Of The Rainbow – Sheffield Theatres and National Tour

    ★★★★ | End Of The Rainbow

    Set primarily in a hotel room as Judy Garland embarks on a set of comeback shows in a six week residency in London,  End Of The Rainbow examines the on and off stage crumbling of an iconic figure and her ongoing battles with her personal demons

    Photo Credit – Pamela Raith Photography

    As Judy succumbs to a cocktail of drink and drugs. Garland tries to hold things together as she is pushed to the brink by her fiancé, who is torn between his desire for them to share a private life and successfully reviving her career and fighting off her financial difficulties.

    Starring in the role of Judy is Lisa Maxwell (Loose Women), who gives a simply superb performance, capturing not only the mannerisms and melodic intonation of Garland but effectively portraying the contrasts between her brashness and her vulnerabilities and offering genuine raw emotion in numerous scenes showing just how tragic many of the aspects of Garland’s private life was. Alongside her was Gary Wilmot, who offers a gentile and steady portrayal of Anthony Chapman, Garland’s gay pianist and confidant; and Simon Pontin as Micky Deans, her fiancé.

    Peter Quilters play is lovingly written, juxtaposing the wit, bravado and sheer brashness of Garland with her heart-breaking vulnerabilities and desperation. The play shows Garland at her best and worst and provides scenes which really do gut punch you. As a drunken Judy, a quivering mess, lays on the floor begging for pills and to be loved, you can’t help but feel sorry for her. Aspects of Garland’s life are sensitively handled; yet don’t lose any of their power, in particular as she talks about being force-fed pills from a very young age by both the movie studios and her mother.  But it isn’t all downbeat, as Judy’s legendary rapier sharp wit cuts through the drama and the scenes in the hotel are interspersed with a smattering of some of her classic hits, which are belted out with aplomb by a vocally impressive Maxwell, all of which is sufficient to lighten the mood.

    End of the Rainbow avoids being a saccharine coated tribute by a country mile, and instead is a warts and all portrayal of Garland as she descends back into the pill taking and drinking that would soon consume her; and which examines the person she had become as a result of the years of the pressures of fame and the treatment of her by those around her. Yet despite all of that, Garland never really comes across as a victim in all of this, but instead remains an unstoppable, headstrong force of nature whose confidence and bravado no doubt masked a fragile and helpless woman.

    End of the Rainbow is currently at Sheffield Theatres (www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk) until Saturday 15th May 2016, before continuing on its national tour. See the show’s official website at www.endoftherainbowtour.co.uk for details.

     

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Pleasure – Howard Assembly Rooms, Leeds and National Tour

    ★★★ | Pleasure

    Val works as a toilet attendant in Pleasure, a gay club somewhere in the north of England, acting as confidante, agony aunt, mother figure and friend to the young men who frequent the club. Matthew is a hopeless romantic, Nathan is unsure of his sexuality and the cabaret act, Anna Fewmore, is bitter and jaded by time. But lost amongst the urinals and dramas of the club, Val harbours a dark secret and a past which is about to catch up with her.

    Lesley Garrett as Val; Photo Credit: Robert Workman

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Written by Mark Simpson and Melanie Challenger, Pleasure plugs into both the cynicism and the optimism on display in the gay scene and looks at the secret lives, hidden pasts and major insecurities felt by many which remain hidden. Whilst Anna Fewmore sings “it doesn’t matter who you are, only what you appear to be”, there is optimism in the form of the bohemian Matthew’s ever persistent belief in love.  But all of this is juxtaposed with the sad, tragic and lonely figure of Val; and the reason why she continues to hide herself away in the toilet of a gay club.

    Simpsons score is an angular and jolting affair, which is oppressive and uneasy, mirroring the mixed emotions of the four characters and one which reflects the darker side of the gay scene; whilst Challenger’s libretto had moments which showed insight into the common fears of gay men. Lesley Garrett draws the attention as Val, Steven Page brims with bitterness as the jaded, acerbic cabaret star and Nick Pritchard and Timothy Nelson keep the burgeoning relationship between Matthew and Nathan on the right side of tender with just a hint of homoeroticism.

    Pleasure is quite a dark examination of the tragedy of hidden lives, of the feelings that people so often keep to themselves, and of the pain and hurt hidden by someone amongst their acts of kindness to others. When someone mentions opera, you wouldn’t necessarily imagine Lesley Garrett scrubbing toilets in a seedy gay club, which is what makes Pleasure such a bold attempt at a contemporary opera.

    With its stripped back presentation, Pleasure is a quite intense piece of theatre. Its operatic style and the themes explored make it a production which is not just challenging; but also which is not necessarily an easy watch. It requires the concentration and attention of its audience throughout but ultimately rewards the focussed viewer.

    Pleasure is currently showing at the Howard Assembly Rooms in Leeds before touring to Liverpool Playhouse (4th May 2016); Aldeburgh: Britten Studio, Snape (7th May 2016) and Lyric Hammersmith (12th – 14th May 2016). For details and to book tickets visit www.operanorth.co.uk/productions/pleasure

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Guys And Dolls– Sheffield Theatres And National Tour

    ★★★ | Guys And Dolls

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  • THEATRE REVIEW | Tom: A Story of Tom Jones – Sheffield Theatres And National Tour

    THEATRE REVIEW | Tom: A Story of Tom Jones – Sheffield Theatres And National Tour

    ★★ | Tom: A Story Of Tom Jones

    Tom – A story of Tom Jones tells the tale of the early days of the legendary singer and the struggle he faced as he moves from the green, green grass of home to the big city lights of London in search of his big break. Constantly supported by his wife, Linda, Tom struggles with self-doubt and frustration as he pursues his dream in this musical biography.

    Photo Credit - Simon Gough
    Photo Credit – Simon Gough

    The show was presented nicely enough, with projected backdrops and some well-staged, if simplistic, musical numbers; all held together by a good vocal and physical performance from Kit Orton as the Welsh crooner. The songs were inconspicuously slotted in to the show, and flowed naturally within the story, rather than feeling shoehorned in; and the live band added both atmosphere and energy.

    Despite this, the show just had too many flaws to allow it to hang together. The show is primarily narrative based, so those expecting a run through of Tom’s greatest hits will be disappointed. The songs were just too few and far between, and consisted primarily of a collection of cover versions of 60’s hits or songs which were not always instantly associated with Tom Jones by the casual observer. It’s only after the best part of two hours has passed does the show provide the songs which the audience most likely came to hear, and only then in a closing mini concert consisting of four or five numbers.

    The show demonstrates the drive and ambition that is needed to succeed and the determination by both Tom and his wife Linda to hit the big time. Underneath it all, there is a story of self-belief and about paying your dues to achieve your ambitions, but the constant cycle of Tom threatening to quit and his wife urging him to keep going seemed to be on a perpetual loop, with all dramatic tension lost given that we all know he makes it in the end.

    The problem with the show is not the performances, staging or direction, but rather the writing, which has a narrative which just doesn’t have enough about it to ever really drive the show forward. The show focusses on Tom, his relationship with his wife and his struggle to make it, but the reality is that this story is one which is just to too bland and repetitive to make the narrative interesting, especially when compared to other similar musicals such as Soul Sister – The Tina Turner Story, Jersey Boys or Buddy!. In a lifetime career of a legendary singer with so many highlights in it, it feels like a missed opportunity to restrict the story to the narrow focus of repeatedly gigging in working men’s clubs.

    That said, the audience was packed full of Tom Jones fans, and there were more whoops and cheers from them than you can shake your pelvis at. The show clearly appealed to Tom’s dedicated fan base and they thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s a show which will no doubt thrill existing fans of the singer, but unfortunately is unlikely to have a much broader appeal than that.

    Tom – The Story of Tom Jones – The Musical is currently at Sheffield Theatres until 16th April 2016  before continuing on its national tour until the 4th June 2016. Visit the show’s website for further details at www.tomthemusical.co.uk/

     

  • THEATRE REVIEW | English Touring Opera’s Don Giovanni – Sheffield Theatres and National Tour

    ★★★ | English Touring Opera’s Don Giovanni – Sheffield Theatres and National Tour:

    Lust, passion, revenge, deceit, drama and sex all combine in the gloom of the subterranean tunnels in Don Giovanni, the classic opera, performed by English Touring Opera.

    Picture credit – Richard Hubert Smith

    Opening with him fleeing the scene of a murder, Don Giovanni is pursued by his past, including the bitter lover he jilted, the bride-to-be he seduces (along with her jealous husband-to-be), and also by the daughter of his latest victim who seeks to redress the balance of his wrongdoings. This opera is brimming with drama from the passionate opening bars of the overture to the supernatural denouement. Part thriller and part comedy, the opera is ambiguous enough for you to decide whether Don Giovanni is a murder, philanderer and criminal, or whether he is a hero of defiance who refuses to allow his behaviour to be governed by social convention and authority.

    Mozart’s opera has shades of both light and dark in it, with delicate comic touches and some witty one liners buried in the brooding tale of lust, murder, insatiable sexual appetites, betrayal and revenge.  Sung in English, this version is relatively accessible and is presented with subtitles to ensure that even an opera novice can get the most out of the story.

    Out of the cast, George von Bergen was as charismatic as Don Giovanni himself in his portrayal of the titular character, with his booming baritone voice and cocksure swagger fleshing out the anti-hero of the piece, whilst Matthew Stiff provided much needed comic relief in his cheeky turn as Leporello, Giovanni’s servant.

    The static set design worked well, with the oppressively tall structure and a metal staircase dominating the stage and to some extent, blurring the time frame of the piece, making the themes of the opera feel simultaneously traditional but still relevant. Equally, the themes of above and below ground level intimated by the catacombs remind the audience that this is an opera which also deals with the issue of class and Anna Fleischle’s design reflects that nicely. Guy Hoare’s lighting design is subtle and unobtrusive throughout, but yet explodes into dramatic and assertive visuals which not only accompany, but utterly enhance the culmination of the story in the closing scenes. Musically, Mozart’s score was beautifully played by the English Touring Opera’s orchestra and the addition of live music always enhances a piece such as this.

    Opera is often shunned and thought of as being rather elitist, but the reality is very different. Don Giovanni pulls together the darker themes of opera, enhances it with some lighter moments, but which retains all of the passion, power and dramatics one would expect.

    English Touring Opera is currently at Sheffield Theatres , before continuing on its extensive UK tour until the 10th June 2016 with a trio of operas – Don Giovanni, Iphigenie En Tauride and Pia De’ Tolomei. For more information and to book tickets, visit www.englishtouringopera.org.uk

  • THEATRE REVIEW |Thriller Live – Sheffield Theatres And National Tour

    ★★★★ | Thriller Live.

    A spectacular two-hour tribute to Michael Jackson which celebrates the music, dancing and performances of the entertainer, via a whistle stop tour through his back catalogue. This highly polished and slick show brings to life some of Jackson’s most memorable routines, the iconic costumes and the classic hits.

    This show was much more than just two hours of a Michael Jackson impersonator with a few backing dancers. It was a glossy and thoroughly entertaining musical revue with a broad range of songs spanning the singer’s career which were performed with unyielding vigour and energetic enthusiasm by the cast and live band.

    The 32 song set list started with the early Mowtown years, featuring ABC, I Want You Back and I’ll Be There; moves through the years with the Jackson 5; with Can You Feel It and Blame It On The Boogie; before heading into his solo career with some of his biggest hits including Off The Wall, Bad, Beat It, and The Way You Make Me Feel. The show also features some of Jackson’s lesser-known songs, including She’s Out Of My Life, Show You The Way To Go and Dangerous and it was good to see some routines to the songs that you wouldn’t immediately associate with Jackson over his biggest hits.  Only Earth Song and Dirty Diana let the side down, with both descending into a bit of an overblown and indecipherable mess, but these are easily forgivable when nestled amongst the other great songs and performances.

    Particular highlights of the show included music video recreations of both Smooth Criminal and Thriller, great renditions of Man In The Mirror and I Just Can’t Stop Loving You and a thrilling recreation of the Mowtown 25 performance of Billie Jean, but in a show with so many show-stopping moments, highlights are difficult to choose.

    Featuring a quartet of singers who put their own spin on the vocals, avoiding them coming across as MJ impersonators, the standard of singing was very high, whilst the choreography and dancing were simply amazing. Cleverly utilising many of the routines (or elements of them) from the original music videos or stage performances of Michael Jackson, the dancers were spot on in terms of their timing and performance , with their acrobatic and exhilarating dance moves eliciting cheers, whoops and shouts of delight from the audience. Regardless of the controversy surrounding his life, Michael Jackson’s enduring appeal undoubtedly remains, and this is a show which ignores the singers private life to celebrate his musical legacy in a foot tapping, smile-inducing show which you can’t help singing along to; and a production which had people, quite literally, dancing in the aisles.

    Even if you are not the biggest fan of Michael Jackson, there is still a lot to recommend this show. Obviously, enjoying the music is an advantage, but if you enjoy watching spectacular dancing and a well performed musical revue then this show is up there with the best of them. Thankfully, this is not a gushing, Michael Jackson praise-fest, but instead simply allows a bunch of highly talented singers, dancers and musicians to let the songs and routines speak for themselves.

    Thriller Live is currently at Sheffield Theatres before continuing on its national tour until 23rd July 2016. For details visit www.thrillerlive.com

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Into The Hoods: Remixed, National Tour

    ★★★★ | In The Hoods: Remixed

    Two children are lost on the Ruff Endz Estate and in exchange for a bus ticket home; they agree to help The Landlord, who sends them out on a quest to find the gifts he wants to give his daughter for her 18th birthday.

    Their search, to find an iPhone as white as milk, a hoodie as red as blood, weave as yellow as corn and trainers as pure as gold, leads them on an adventure with the residents of Beanstalk Towers. Spinderella, wants to DJ at the ball, Lil Red has just signed a recording deal with Wolf, of Big Teef Records, Jaxx lives in the basement and is trying to avoid eviction and Rap-en-Zel will do anything to escape her room.

    In this hip-hop, street-dance fairy-tale, the story is little more than an excuse for some spectacular choreography, made up of routines laced with humour and character. There are some superb set pieces, nowhere more evident than in the 70’s style afro-tastic party of the local gangster and the explosion of break-dancing pensioners in Grandma’s retirement home.

    Borrowing from the familiar fairy-tale stories which are re-written for the hip-hop generation, the show is incredibly well presented, made up of superb animated backdrop projections, clever lighting and simple division of the four intertwining stories by use of colour and character. The routines provide for clearly defined and detailed characters that come across solely by the use of dance and music; and Kate Prince’s confident direction is effective in conveying the narrative and bringing out the best in the ridiculously talented cast.

    Based loosely on the Stephen Sondheim musical, of a similar name, Into the Hoods: Remixed is a streetwise, mash up of music with a smart, sassy and humorous personality performed by a slick, polished and disciplined cast. With its use of snippets of a variety of songs from different genres and styles to tell the story, it has a hint of “Moulin Rouge” about it and an energy which falls somewhere between relentless and jaw dropping. Into The Hoods is both impressive and great fun, and you cannot help but be swept up by this very entertaining and vivacious production.

    Into the Hoods is currently on national tour until the 9th April 2016. Full details can be found on the show’s website at www.intothehoodsremixed.co.uk .

    Into the Hoods: Remixed was reviewed at Sheffield Theatres , who have recently launched their new season, which includes No Man’s Land starring Sir Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Gangsta Granny, Sheffield Theatre

    ★★★★ Gangsta Granny | Ben dreads Friday evening coming around – another night when his parents send him to his granny’s house whilst they go ballroom dancing.

    Birmingham Stage Company presents Gangsta Granny by David Walliams.
    Birmingham Stage Company presents Gangsta Granny by David Walliams.

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  • THEATRE REVIEW | Northern Ballet’s Swan Lake

    ★★★★ | Northern Ballet’s Swan Lake

     Following the accidental drowning of his brother whilst they were out playing, Anthony’s obsession with the lake grows increasingly, as does his guilt; with his turbulent inner emotions being further compounded by his confusion around his attraction to his best friend, Simon.

    Simon is in love with Anthony and their relationship teeters on the cusp of developing into something more, until Anthony’s parents press him towards marriage to Odilia. Torn between his best friend and his parent’s wishes, Anthony’s guilt grows increasingly and he finds comfort and solace in the waters of the lake and in the arms of the mystical creature, Odette.

    David Nixon’s choreography brims with an abundance of metaphor within this reworking of a classic. The light, delicate movement of the swans sit opposite the dark, emotional turmoil of the central character; just as swans glide so gracefully on the surface whilst paddling so frantically under the water. Equally, the influence of Anthony’s inner struggle and guilt over his brother and his repressed sexuality ripples out to impact on the other characters, akin to the waves caused by a disturbance on a lake’s surface. The lines of symmetry drawn in the movement across the stage prove mesmerising at times and these gentile moments compliment the dark undertone of the story and the emotional confusion of the central characters – almost a metaphorical white swan and black swan. Elements of the traditional ballet, including the score, remain intact, but the story gives the opportunity for multiple interpretations and parallels to be drawn between the original and reimagined characters. The familiar music took on new meaning with the revised story and the production as a whole packed an emotional punch.

    Toby Batley’s portrayal of the tortured Anthony impressed, but it was Nicola Gervasi who stood out as the handsome and fresh-faced Simon, progressing his character with an increasingly self-assured acceptance of his sexuality and a confidence in his feelings towards Anthony. Gervasi is nicely developing as an artist and it was a pleasure to watch his performance. Martha Leebolt and Ayami Miyata were stunning as Odette and Odilia respectively, but the quality of the performance of the company as a whole was incredibly high and the grace displayed, particularly by the female ensemble was beautiful.

    Swan Lake is one of the more visually impressive productions that Northern Ballet has recently performed and is a good balance of old and new, although it can be slightly heavy going at times given the darker aspects of the narrative. With the characters reluctance to accept the changes in their relationships, it did put this writer in mind of Brokeback Mountain a little, with reference to the conflict between true feelings and social expectations.

    Swan Lake is playing at Leeds Grand Theatre until 12th March 2016, and then touring to Sheffield Lyceum Theatre, Norwich Theatre Royal and Milton Keynes Theatre between now and the 30th April 2016. Tickets and other details can be found at www.northernballet.com.

    Northern Ballet’s 1984 is currently available on BBC iPlayer and they will be touring 1984, Jayne Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Romeo & Juliet and Beauty and the Beast during 2016.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | The 39 Steps National Tour

    ★★★ The 39 Steps | A murdered spy, a misty Scottish moor, a dastardly plot and a daring escape (coupled with a stiff upper lip and rather attractive pencil moustache) are the order of the day as dashing hero, Richard Hannay, uncovers the secrets of The 39 Steps in this knockabout comedy.

    Based on the book and the Hitchcock film of the same name (and with more than a few nods to the Hitchcock legacy, including a cameo from the man himself), The 39 Steps is a classic spy thriller which finds our hero, Richard Hannay, falsely accused of the murder of a seductive spy, leading him to go on the run to Scotland and to uncover a dastardly plot to smuggle secrets out of the country.

    This playful, tongue in cheek production takes a gentle comedy sideswipe at the spy films of the 30’s and 40’s with a knowing smile and an approach which displays a genuine affection for the source material and the genre as a whole. But the twist with this production is that the 130 characters that adorn the stage are played by just four actors, who give a whistle stop tour of the major plot points and protagonists at breakneck speed.

    In a style that is not too far removed from the deadpan delivery of the “Airplane” or “The Naked Gun” films and with just a hint of “The League Of Gentlemen” – the rapid delivery and scattergun approach to the stream of gags ensure that if you don’t find the last joke funny, there is another on the way in a few seconds. The cast play their roles with a completely straight bat, taking the narrative deadly seriously and seemingly oblivious to the chaos and ridiculousness that surrounds them.

    The use of mime, limited props, quick change costumes and clever staging compel the audience to use their imagination to an extent, but by buying into the premise and presentation, the audience is well rewarded. It was hard to fault the physical performances of the cast who were clearly so well-rehearsed that the switching between characters was second nature; and who were all clearly thoroughly enjoying themselves on stage.

    As with all comedy, not every joke hit the mark, but there was a fair balance of comments, actions or situations which led to a smile, a groan, a guffaw or a belly laugh. Despite a few of the repeated gags starting to nudge their way towards outstaying their welcome, the main criticism of the show was that it was sometimes difficult to hear the script, either as a result of quiet diction from the actors, the fast paced nature of the script or due to their indeterminable caricature accents, but these issues were soon passed and soon forgiven as the next comedic moment rolled along.

    Happily, the show stays on the right side of silly fun, delivers a joke-per-minute ratio which far exceeds most productions over the course of the show’s 100 minute running time and rightly retains its reputation on its tenth anniversary tour.

    The 39 Steps plays at Sheffield Theatres until 20th February 2016.

    @IAmScubamonkey

  • THEATRE REVIEW | An Inspector Calls – Sheffield Theatres & National Tour

    THEATRE REVIEW | An Inspector Calls – Sheffield Theatres & National Tour

    As the wealthy Birling family celebrate their daughters engagement, their evening is interrupted by Inspector Goole who arrives unannounced to investigate the events which lead to the suicide of a young working class girl. ★★★ (more…)