Month: February 2018

WORLD PREMIERE OF KANDINSKY’S TRAP STREET COMES TO NEW DIORAMA THEATRE

·         6 – 31 March, New Diorama Theatre (Press Night 9 March)

·         A gripping new drama exploring space, architecture and social housing in London

It‘s 1961 and the concrete’s just been poured for a brand new housing estate. It’s beautiful, not because of the clean lines, indoor toilets and wide windows, but because the idea behind it is beautiful. This is the future, and it’s for everyone.

Acclaimed theatre-makers Kandinsky, whose combination of extensive research and distinctive theatricality is developing them an exciting reputation as a company to watch, will return to New Diorama next month for the world premiere of their brand new show Trap Street.

It’s 2018 and the last tower of the estate is about to come down. The dream that saw it built has long since died and now the estate has to follow suit to make way for new buildings, based on new ideas. This is the future, whether you like it or not.

A ‘trap street’ is a street on a map that doesn’t really exist, put in by map-makers to expose anyone plagiarising their work. Trap Street is set in a building similarly stuck between existence and non-existence: a high-rise tower, the last of the huge mid-20^th century _______ estate, sat waiting to be demolished. Andrea grew up here, though after she bought her flat in the late eighties she’s barely been back – but now they’re knocking it all down, part of London’s ever-changing face, and she’s come to reclaim what’s hers. Trap Street charts 50 years of changing attitudes to social housing and space in London, to ask what home means in 2018.

The show is directed and co-written by James Yeatman (also an associate director for legendary theatre company Complicité), and devised by the company, based on original material by Yeatman and co-writer Lauren Mooney. It’s been made in conjunction with representatives of several London housing associations and charities, and with long-term social housing tenants from the Nightingale Estate in Hackney and Thamesmead in southeast London.

The company includes acclaimed performers Amelda Brown (Blue Heart, Orange Tree; Adler and Gibb, Royal Court) and Danusia Samal (B, Royal Court; Two Noble Kinsmen, RSC), as well as live music from Zac Gvirtzman.

Kandinsky’s previous productions include Still Ill – a drama developed with doctors and patients, examining the surprisingly common, little-understood Functional Neurological Disorder – and Dog Show, a tragicomic look at people and their pets through the lens of a community gripped in terror by a serial dog murderer.

PRAISE FOR KANDINSKY

“This fresh and striking piece…serves notice of talent on the rise”

★★★★ Evening Standard on Still Ill

“intricately-layered, exquisitely detailed…deeply sophisticated, sensitive stuff”

★★★★ Time Out on Still Ill

“such a smart and thoughtful piece of theatre-making from bright young company”

Lyn Gardner on Still Ill

LISTINGS INFORMATION

TRAP STREET – Kandinsky                                             6-31 March (Tue-Sat) – 19:30

TICKETS

£15.00; £12.00 Concessions

www.newdiorama.com/whats-on/trap-street

New Diorama Theatre

15-16 Triton Street

Regent’s Place

London NW1 3BF

BOOKING INFORMATION

For the best tickets, book online at www.newdiorama.com

To book by telephone, ring 020 7338 9034

THE BARRICADE BOYS

Grand Opera House York

Wednesday 14 March

Direct from London’s West End and Broadway, The Barricade Boys hit the road with their premiere UK tour!

Not only do they perform the world’s greatest show tunes but they also celebrate music from some of the most iconic names in the music industry, from powerful ballads and beautiful operatic arias to some of the best pop, rock and swing numbers of all time. The Barricade Boys are a spectacular group with incredible moments and deliver “an unmissable show with talent, flair and fun – West End Frame”

The Barricade Boys have played major leading roles in musical theatre and have being guests on many primetime TV shows including, The Paul O’Grady Show, Sunday Night at the Palladium, Children In Need, Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway and most recently Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris.

Why settle for just another vocal group when you can have the world’s leading musical theatre super group!?

Do you hear the people sing? Yes! Fabulous harmonies, incredible vocals, dashing good looks and fantastic personalities the Barricade Boys showcase some of the world’s finest male voices from the West End, Broadway, International Tour and Hollywood movie of the world’s longest running musical – Les Misèrables.

Tickets: From £21

Box Office: 0844 871 3024

Online: www.atgtickets.com/york

Mayflower Theatre, Southampton – until 10th February.  Reviewed by Jo Gordon

5*****

Kay Mellor OBE is one of the greatest writers and producers we currently cherish in the U.K, having an exceptional back catalogue of stage, film and TV hits. Including the children’s drama Children’s Ward , feature film Fanny and Elvis, a TV adaption of Jane Eyre and the recently aired Girlfriends. Kay has now adapted the TV series Fat Friends for the stage and I for one could not wait to see it!

Set in Headingly, Leeds and based around a slimming club we see the struggles, insecurities and love lives of an everyday group of people we can all probably relate to. The set is a cleverly designed row of shop fronts with a wedding shop, chippy and the church hall at the centre of the story.

Super Slimmers Group is run weekly by the wedding dress shop owner Lauren (Natalie Anderson), who wants to help the locals achieve the weight loss she was so successful with on the plan….. for a weekly fee of course! She dreams of meeting the love of her life and wearing one of the beautiful dresses in her shop . After group, Lauren runs a zumba class with the help of local vicar Paul (Jonathan Halliwell), who dreams of finding the love of his life….. I think we can all see what may happen here!

Group member and nominee for Super Slimmer of the year, Betty (Sam Bailey) and her husband Fergus (Kevin Kennedy) are struggling to make ends meet at their chippy Big & Battered as they go up against big, modern chains like Nandos et al and the rising demand for healthy foods unlike their beef dripping golden chips and battered fish. With the wedding of their daughter Kelly (Jodie Prenger) fast approaching to the lovable Kevin (Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff ), Kelly heads off to choose the wedding dress of her dreams , which turns out to be too small but she purchases anyway claiming to be able to slim into it within six weeks….. been there….. said that!

Super Slimmer of the Year day arrives and Julia Fleshman (Natasha Hamilton) arrives in town. The waif like, business minded, hangry founder of Super Slimmers. When Betty doesn’t win the award, Kelly begins a rant down the local TVs camera stating its all rubbish and she can lose the weight for the wedding herself and giving Leeds an eyeful of her curves. The unscrupulous Julia seizes this as a good business opportunity offering to pay for the wedding and dress if Kelly follows the plan and fits into the dress. Julia will get the correct outcome for her business no matter what it takes and no matter how unethical!

We have will they won’t they moments, see peoples vulnerabilities, hen nights, jealous stags, partial nudity, giant chocolate dance scenes, love, friendship, surprises, songs that will leave you breathless from laughing and scenes anyone who is a slimming club member will recognise nationwide! It is a strong, tight cast who deliver perfectly, Freddie can hold a tune…. who knew! I personally have six days till weighing in day….. plenty of time to reclaim the gain of the Big & Battered I’m about to inhale .

Grab your gang from slimming club and laugh away some calories!

Darlington Hippodrome – until 10 February 2018.  

3***

In Soho, in the swinging 60’s, there existed a record shop called The Preacher Man.  The owner of the shop, the Preacher Man himself dispensed words of wisdom along with the vinyl to the teenagers and music fans who frequented his shop.  But the Preacher Man is is long dead and his record shop is now a coffee shop run by his son, Simon (Nigel Richards).

Three strangers, generations apart are drawn to the site of The Preacher Man.  The trio, Kat (Alice Barlow), Alison (Debra Stephenson) and Paul (Michael Howe), hope to seek advice about love from the man himself.  Paul was one of the “crowd”, now wanting to reconnect with an unrequited lost love from back then. Alison is a recently widowed tutor with feelings that she can’t decide are truly appropriate. Kat has just lost her grandmother, who was full of stories about The Preacher Man and has been delving into the world of online dating, only to be snubbed by “the man of her dreams”.

They are instead greeted with his son Simon, who is helped by the wonderful Cappuccino Sisters, a rather glamorous trinity of waitresses (Michelle Long, Kate Hardisty and Cassiopeia Berkeley-Agyepong).  Simon is quiet, meek and living under the shadow of his father, but at the same time unable to move forward. After much persuasion he seeks to channel the spirit of The Preacher Man to give the lovesick strangers The Look of Love.

The first act is almost pantomime-esq in its quest to set the story and to fit in many of Dusty Springfields fabulous songs.  And the characters don’t really get the chance to develop.  Alison (Stephenson) is the one that suffers most with this.  Paul (Howe) gets the most rounded and fleshed out of the characters. Thankfully the second act works much better and although contrived it does reach a happy ending.

The cast all play instruments live on stage showing a vast range of talent.  And the set shows versatility moving from record store to coffee shop to flat by way of opening and shutting in various ways.

There are, however some stand out moments.  I Close My Eyes and Count to Ten where Paul introduces his story of unrequited (and at that time illegal) love is set with a beautifully choreographed ballet.  But I wouldn’t expect anything less than fab-u-lous when the show is directed and choreographed by Craig Revel Horwood.  A House is not a Home, Spooky and You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me all work well too and anything sung by Alice Barlow is fantastic.  If you are a fan of the Dusty Springfield’s soulful vocals then this may not be the show for you.  It is not a tribute nor does it claim to be.  It is a musical and the songs have been adapted to fit the genre.  However if you are happy to just sing along and enjoy the nostalgia then you may enjoy.

In Darlington until 10 February 2018 and on tour around the UK until July.

Oliver Award-winner Nichola McAuliffe stars in new adaptation

of GREAT EXPECTATIONS

A brand-new production of the timeless classic Great Expectations starring Nichola McAuliffe, comes to Richmond Theatre from Mon 12 – Sat 17 Mar. This stunning new adaptation promises a thrilling and theatrical telling of Charles Dickens’ universally loved masterpiece featuring a powerful cast and innovative set design.

Following a terrifying encounter with an escaped convict, a young Pip is given an unexpected chance to better himself by visiting the reclusive and mysterious Miss Havisham.  In the decaying grandeur of her house, Pip falls in love with Estella and helped by an anonymous benefactor, he moves to the bustling city to pursue his dream of winning Estella’s heart and of becoming part of the educated elite. For lovers of theatre and literature alike, this performance will capture you from the start with its memorable characters and jaw-dropping set design.

Leading the cast is Olivier Award-winning actress, Nichola McAuliffe who is set to play the iconic Miss Havisham. Nichola is best known for her role in the long running ITV sitcom, Surgical Spirit, and the films Tomorrow Never Dies and Chéri. Her many stage appearances include the award-winning role in Kiss Me Kate for the RSC, The Night of the Iguana in the West End & Alan Bennett’s The Lady in the Van.

This brand-new production is adapted by Ken Bentley, directed by Sophie Boyce Couzens and featuring new and inspiring set design from James Turner, winner of Best Set Design at the 2013 Off-West End Awards for Mercury Fur.

This new adaptation is co-produced by Malvern Theatres and Tilted Wig Productions, the same producers who delighted audiences with Travels With My Aunt (2015) and Our Man in Havana last year. This revival is set to revisit the classic story in a way not seen before and for lovers of Charles Dickens, this is not one to miss!

Great Expectations

Mon 12 – Sat 17 Mar at Richmond Theatre
Tickets: from £19.90* (includes booking fee)

Show link: http://www.atgtickets.com/shows/great-expectations/richmond-theatre

Richmond Box Office: 0844 871 7651* Website: atgtickets.com/Richmond*
*Fees apply.  Calls cost up to 7p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge.