Month: November 2019

The Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham – until Saturday 30 November 2019

Reviewed by: Louise Ford 

4****

Queen are the Champions!

The arrival at the Royal Concert Hall Nottingham of the rock musical, We Will Rock You, written by Ben Elton with lyrics by Queen was an excellent way to start the festive season.  

It builds on the Queen fever generated by the film Bohemian Rhapsody from last year. The show originally hit the stage in 2002 and delivers 24 of Queen’s legendary songs .

The current show is directed by Cornelius Baltus, costumes by Kentaur, set designs by Stufish Entertainment Architects and choreography by Lajos Turi Peter, packs a powerful punch!

The impressive opening set, is the backdrop to this futuristic tale, where Rock and Roll has been replaced by mindless electronically-generated pop. The musical set in the future features Galileo Figaro (Ian McIntosh) at odds with the world controlled by internet ga ga, and his mouthy sidekick, he names Scaramouch (Elena  Skye). Galileo and Scaramouch under take a romantic journey which leads them to be captured by The Rebels, led by Brit (David Michael Johnson). The rebels soon realise that Galileo is The Dreamer and they all join forces to rediscover Rock and Roll and defeat the Globalsoft Corporation.

The show is one of contrasts; the set alternating between the sterile monochrome world of internet gaga and the rebels chaotic and post apocalyptic hide out, the costumes of internet gaga are shiny and uniform whereas the Bohemian rebels are in an eclectic mix of punk and rock and rock outfits, the nameless foot soldiers of Globalsoft Corporation compared to the imaginatively and amusingly named rebels, which evoke the glory days of rock and roll.

The live band, carefully concealed behind the set are unveiled at the end of the show for a hand clapping finale and an impressive guitar solo. 

The pantomime villain Killer Queen (Jennifer O’Leary) stole the show with her impressive renditions of the Queen power ballads, Another One Bites The Dust, Don’t Stop Me Now and of course Killer Queen.

The finale has the audience on their feet, clapping, stamping and singing to We Will Rock You and We are The Champions.

New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme – until 25 January 2020

Reviewed by Joanne Hodge

5*****

Theresa Heskins has adapted this classic Mark Twain tale for the Christmas season at The New Vic, and I have to say it’s a triumph for an audience of all ages. 

The New Vic Workshop – under the guidance and design expertise of Laura Willstead – have very cleverly re-created Tudor London inside the confines of this theatre-in-the-round, and though the backdrop of lit houses are small in size, they are great in impact. A moving representation of the Thames was very cleverly wound across the stage by a cast full of multi-talented actors, musicians and puppeteers. You’d struggle to find a more hardworking ensemble. 

Laura’s creative genius was again put to use with the inclusion of puppets to represent the younger years of the two lead characters, along with the various animals found regularly in street entertainment of the time. 

I have to say, I mustn’t have studied the programme in great detail prior to curtain-up, as I was genuinely baffled and bemused when Bird twins Danielle [Edward – “The Prince”] and Nichole [Tom – The Pauper] appeared on stage for the first time together – I turned to my companion to query if it were some very clever CGI! These identical twin sisters have been cast perfectly in the title partnership. The comedic characterisation was some of the finest I’ve seen, you ended up rating for both of these ‘boys’, even through their less likeable moments. 

I enjoyed the unique narration of the story – being played out by a travelling theatre group of the time – it gave a fresh take on a classic tale. 

As the show began, I thought that it may have been pitched incorrectly as a family Christmas production, but once warmed into the story, there were many laughs to be had, and the wide-ranging audience all seemed to enjoy the clever – and the sometimes downright cheesy – comedy moments. Particular mention must go to Player Queen Gareth Cassidy, who literally jumped from his Beefeater role to that of Floating Mary [watch it, you’ll get the joke ;o)] with camp aplomb. 

I don’t want to give too much away, as I really recommend that if able, you go and see the show yourself. The Prince and The Pauper is a great way to spend a couple of hours, and you’ll leave feeling genuinely Christmassy, and ready to enjoy a mince pie and mulled wine.

WEST END PRODUCTION OF

D E A R   E V A N   H A N S E N

BOOKING EXTENDED TO 30 MAY 2020

The West End Production of Dear Evan Hansen which officially opened last week at the Noël Coward Theatre, today announces a further release of tickets with the critically acclaimed production now booking to 30 May 2020. 

The cast comprises Sam Tutty as Evan Hansen, Lucy Anderson as Zoe Murphy, Rebecca McKinnis as Heidi Hansen, Lauren Ward as Cynthia Murphy, Doug Colling as Connor Murphy, Rupert Young as Larry Murphy, Jack Loxton as Jared Kleinman, Nicole Raquel Dennis as Alana Beck and Marcus Harman who will play Evan Hansen at certain performances. They are joined by Tricia Adele-Turner, David Breeds, Haydn Cox, Natalie Kassanga, Hannah Lindsey, Mark Peachey, Courtney Stapleton, Alex Thomas-Smith and James Winter. 

The winner of six Tony^® awards including Best Musical, as well as the 2018 Grammy award for Best Musical Theatre Album, Dear Evan Hansenis directed byfour-time Tony Award nominee Michael Greif, features a book by Tony award-winner Steven Levenson and a score by the Tony, Grammy and Academy Award-winning composers of The Greatest Showman and La La Land, Benj Pasek & Justin Paul.

A letter that was never meant to be seen, a lie that was never meant to be told, a life he never dreamed he could have. Evan Hansen is about to get the one thing he’s always wanted: a chance to finally fit in.  Both deeply personal and profoundly contemporary, Dear Evan Hansen is a new musical about life and the way we live it.

Reuniting the original Broadway creative team for this West End production, Dear Evan Hansen is produced by Stacey Mindich and features choreography by Danny Mefford, scenic design by David Korins, projection design by Peter Nigrini, costume design by Emily Rebholz, lighting design by Japhy Weideman, sound design by Nevin Steinberg and hair design by David Brian Brown.  Music supervision, orchestrations and additional arrangements are by Alex Lacamoire.  Ben Cohn is the Associate Music Supervisor.  Vocal arrangements and additional arrangements are by Justin Paul.  Casting by Jill Green CDG. Sash Bischoff, Adam Quinn and Danny Sharron are the Associate Directors. Judith Schoenfeld is the Production Supervisor. US General Management 101 Productions, Ltd; UK General Management – Ambassador Theatre Group. Adam Speers is the UK Executive Producer.

Dear Evan Hansen has won the Drama League Award for Outstanding Musical Production and for the off-Broadway production, two Obie Awards, a Drama Desk Award, two Outer Critics Circle Awards and two Helen Hayes Awards.  The Grammy Award-winning Original Broadway Cast Recording of Dear Evan Hansen produced by Atlantic Records, was released in February 2017, making an extraordinary debut on the Billboard 200 and entering the chart at #8 – the highest charting debut position for an original cast album since 1961. The album went on to win the 2018 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album and recently became only the third cast recording this decade to go gold.  A deluxe version of the cast recording, including six bonus tracks and a pop cover from Katy Perry of ‘Waving Through a Window’ is available digitally.

Dear Evan Hansen opened on Broadway at the Music Box Theatre to great critical acclaim on 4 December 2016 where it has broken all box office records and is now in its third year of standing-room-only audiences.  A record-breaking US national tour launched in October 2018 and is currently in its second year touring North America.

A digital lottery takes place each week when Patrons who are selected will be offered the option to purchase two tickets at £25 each. Full details for Dear Evan Hansen’s digital lottery can be found at delfontmackintosh.co.uk/DEHLottery or www.dearevanhansen.com/london

SHEFFIELD THEATRES TO HOST THE INAUGURAL

RTYDS ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR SCHEME

Artistic Director of Sheffield Theatres, Robert Hastie, today announces that the company will partner with the Regional Theatre Young Director Scheme to host the first RTYDS Associate Artistic Director, as part of RTYDS’ commitment to the development of Artistic Directors as cultural leaders.

RTYDS has launched the RTYDS Associate Artistic Director Scheme – a new opportunity for an experienced and exceptional director to work in a leading regional theatre at a senior level. In this inaugural year, the company have chosen to partner with Sheffield Theatres. The scheme aims to provide a director with the tools to continue to develop their craft whilst learning about the role of an artistic director in cultural leadership.

Sheffield Theatres will enable the successful candidate to learn about the complexities of running a company and a building from within the Senior Management Team. During the residency the director will also stretch their artistic capabilities by making work on the mid-scale.

The Associate Artistic Director residency will also give the director the opportunity of working with RTYDS on its national programmes and provide an insight to theatre industry and theatre throughout the country.

Artistic Director of Sheffield Theatres, Robert Hastie, said today, “We’re proud to be deepening our relationship with RTYDS – who have done so much to nurture multiple generations of British directors – as we partner for the inaugural RTYDS Associate Artistic Director Scheme. This brand-new role will give the candidate the opportunity to become part of the core team here at Sheffield Theatres, and play a part in significantly influencing our future course. We’re looking for an artist with experience of making ambitious, innovative, inclusive theatre, who wants to improve their leadership skills, and is excited about embracing the full range and variety of Sheffield Theatres’ work.”

Sue Emmas, Artistic Director of RTYDS, commented, “There are a number of brilliant artist development opportunities for directors at an early stage of their career – and RTYDS provides some of them through our present schemes – but there is a limited offer for more experienced directors to enrich and develop both their craft and leaderships skills, that’s why we introduced the RTYDS Associate Artistic Director Residency. Sheffield Theatres reputation for investing in the next generation of theatre makers makes it the perfect host for this first residency. The varied programme over three theatre spaces, alongside the newly announced talent development space The Bank, will provide the successful director with a rich environment to develop their craft and learn about the challenges and demands of the role of artistic director in a leading regional theatre”.

Potential candidates can apply for the role of Associate Artistic Director from today. Interviews will take place early 2020, and the director will commence their new role in September 2020. For further information, please see: www.rtyds.co.uk

ROBERT ICKE WINS BEST DIRECTOR

AT THE 65^TH EVENING STANDARD THEATRE AWARDS

AHEAD OF THE WEST END TRANSFER OF THE SMASH HIT & SELL OUT ALMEIDA THEATRE PRODUCTION OF

STARRING THE MULTI-AWARD WINNING JULIET STEVENSON

ANNOUNCED ALONGSIDE ADDITIONAL TOUR DATES &

EXTENDED WEST END PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

★★★★★

The Guardian, The Telegraph, Financial Times, The Sunday Times, WhatsOnStage

★★★★

The Times, Evening Standard, The Observer, Independent, The Stage, Metro

Robert Icke (The Wild Duck, Hamlet, Mary Stuart, Oresteia, 1984) wins prestigious 65^th Evening Standard Theatre Award, for The Doctor, ahead of its West End transfer. The 2019 awards ceremony, which took place last night, Sunday 24 November, at the London Coliseum, saw Robert Icke pick up the award for Best Director, a joint award for The Doctor and his production of The Wild Duck at the Almeida in 2018. Robert last won the Evening Standard Award for Best Director with his production of Oresteia in 2015, for which he also picked up an Olivier Award, making him the youngest ever recipient of the award at the age of 28.

Robert Icke’s sold-out, five-star Almeida Theatre production of The Doctor, which transfers to the West End in 2020, will also be extending its run at the Duke of York’s Theatre with an additional ten performances, running from 18April – 18 July 2020. Prior to this, the production will travel to Australia for the 2020 Adelaide Festival (27 February – 8 March), as well as enjoying a limited run at the Theatre Royal Brighton (30 March – 4 April) and Richmond Theatre (6 April – 11 April), ahead of arriving in the West End. Press night will be held at the Duke of York’s Theatre on Thursday 30 April at 7pm.

Upon winning Best Director at the 2019 Evening Standard Theatre Awards, Robert Icke said “I’m delighted to have received this award this evening and equally delighted that we are taking The Doctor not only to the Adelaide Festival but on a short UK tour. In the spirit of what the remarkable Sir Ian McKellen spoke about this evening, taking work beyond London is vital and I am therefore thrilled that many more people will have access to this production and to Juliet’s luminous performance.”

***

First, do no harm.

On an ordinary day, at a private hospital, a young woman fights for her life. A priest arrives to save her soul. Her doctor refuses him entry.

In a divisive time, in a divided nation, a society takes sides.

The latest smash-hit by “Britain’s best director” (Telegraph) is a “provocative, wonderfully upsetting” (Independent) whirlwind of gender, race and identity politics, and a “devastating play for today” (Financial Times).

***

The production stars Juliet Stevenson (Hamlet, Mary Stuart, Wings, Duet for One), who was also nominated in this year’s Evening Standard Theatre Awards. Juliet received her nomination in the Best Actress category for ‘delivering one of the peak performances of the theatrical year’ (The Guardian), with her spellbinding and devastating portrayal of Professor Ruth Wolff in The Doctor.

This is the third West End transfer for Robert Icke and Juliet Stevenson in as many years, following the critical and commercial smash-hit productions of Mary Stuart and Hamlet.

Further casting to be announced in due course.

The Doctor, by Robert Icke, very freely adapted from Professor Bernhardi by Arthur Schnitzler, has been critically lauded since its opening at the Almeida in August 2019. With a creative team of critically acclaimed collaborations on past productions, including Robert Icke’s Hamlet and Oedipus, The Doctor has designs by Hildegard Bechtler, lighting by Natasha Chivers and sound and composition by Tom Gibbons. Casting is by Julia Horan.

The Doctor is presented by the Almeida Theatre and Ambassador Theatre Group, and Benjamin Lowy, Fiery Angel, Glass Half Full Productions, Scott Rudin and Sonia Friedman Productions.

Jack Studio Theatre – until 30 November 2019

Reviewed by Claire Roderick

4****

With a successful international career and a seemingly happy marriage, Catherine’s need to be a mother is overwhelming. After 18 rounds of IVF over 11 years, she is exhausted and decides to attempt surrogacy. Jane Cafarella’s award-winning play follows Catherine and her American surrogate Nellie’s experiences with wit, warmth and compassion.

The technicalities and legal labyrinth of surrogacy agreements are a mountain to climb before the emotionally and physically draining medical procedures themselves, and Cafarella hasn’t held back in presenting the harsh realities of surrogacy. Creating two characters who would never enter each other’s worlds is a masterstroke, with Nellie’s goofy and naive excitement contrasting brilliantly with Catherine’s business-like, detail-oriented mindset immediately as Nellie completes Catherine’s questionnaire to find suitable candidates.

Of course, things don’t run smoothly, when three embryos are successfully implanted, the fate of one is shown in devastating style as Catherine arranges three sets of baby clothes in front of a screen tracking three heartbeats. It is in scenes like this that Kat-Anne Rogers excels as Catherine – hard-nosed and unsympathetic in her drive for motherhood but showing the chinks in the armour she has had to build for herself over the years to keep going. The sense of loss and devastation conveyed is palpable. Her matter-of-fact declaration that she’s NOT going to stop working when the baby arrives – much to Nellie’s horror – is completely understandable and healthy for her and the child, as is her classifying Nellie alongside the baby’s future nannies, although she will have been a special type of nanny.

Rachel Bellis as Nellie is larger than life and watching her transform from excited and evangelical about surrogacy at the beginning of her “journey” to frustrated and angry as Catherine’s stipulations overwhelm her is a joy. Nellie’s religious beliefs throw obstacles in the way when aborting one baby to save the other (she’s named them Brad and Angelina, while Catherine calls them A and B), but her need to do something worthwhile for others that can also give her a sense of purpose and worth is never lost, even when she is ranting in her vlogs about choosing gays as intended parents next time.

Under Pamela Schermann’s direction, the story unfolds in short scenes, with the women communicating via Skype, or through awkward meetings in New York, punctuated by Nellie’s vlog, which demonstrate the exhaustion motherhood can bring as her children torment each other off-screen. The ending is bittersweet but serves to show the disparate expectations of their relationship the two very different women hold. Heart-breaking, joyous and painfully honest, e-baby is a play you won’t want to miss.

Above The Stag Theatre – until 11 January 2020

Reviewed by Claire Roderick

5*****

Pantos are so much better when you don’t have to shoehorn in Baby bloody Shark for the toddlers in the house, and Above The Stag’s offering this year is glorious.

Puppet-maker Geppetta (Matthew Baldwin), her niece Cornetta (Christy Bellis) and Chianti the cat (Briony Rawle) have had to flee Rome after an unfortunate incident with one of the Pope’s favourite paintings and have settled in the sleepy town of Placenta. Lusted after by boatman Pedro (Shane Barragan), penniless and bored, Geppetta is told to wish upon a star to make her dreams come true by Fatima the fairy (Dami Olukoya). But when her wish comes true and her puppet Pinocchio (Jared Thompson) springs to life, he calls her Momma! The town is ruled by the dastardly Figaro Fox (Christopher Lane) – mayor, landlord and football manager, with his eye on Pinocchio too. Actually, Figaro has his eye on anything with a penis, as you would expect from someone whose motto is Carpe Phallus, and footballer Joe (Oli Dickson) is on his radar as well.

Jon Bradfield and Martin Hooper have written a brilliant mixture of filth and fairy tale, full of running jokes that never lose their appeal, corny songs, audience interaction/abuse and the traditional singalong – a fantastic ode to pasta. The rustic locals moving scenery with a flourish of their tambourines are just one of the sweetly knowing touches that make the show irresistible. Obviously, this being The Stag, it’s not Pinocchio’s nose that grows when he tells a lie, but the fact that he can’t whistle and must summon Fatima with a fart appeals to the inner child in everyone.

Matthew Baldwin is one of the best dames out there, and is on brilliant form as Geppetta, owning the audience with his first lines. Christopher Lane is hissingly odious as Figaro, and Jared Thompson is a sweet hero. The whole cast is wonderful, with immaculate comic timing and a dynamic sense of fun and joy.

Pinocchio: No Strings Attached! is the perfect panto for not-so-grownups to let loose and enjoy some filthy festive fun – just brilliant.

THEATRE (Cross-Arts, New Writing, Female/LGBTQ+)

OPIA Collective and The Bunker in association with The Maya Centre present:
The Girl With Glitter In Her Eye
WORLD PREMIERE

A cross-arts explosive collaboration of female and LGBTQIA+ artists that tells the story of a friendship complicated by the revelation of trauma
The Bunker Theatre, 12 – 27 January 2020 (Sundays and Mondays), 7.30pm (65 mins)

Written and directed by Masha
Kevinovna

“Innovative and challenging work
that addresses important issues
and pushes boundaries.”
Sabrina Mahfouz

Following a string of sell-out scratch performances, OPIA Collective present their debut show, The Girl With Glitter In Her Eye.

Two women, three voices, one story…

Phil is keeping a secret that she might never overcome. Helen is an artist with opportunities but must battle everyone’s expectations. A swan sings…

Desperate to stand out amongst a sea of artists and pressured to exploit her own narrative, Helen compromises a close friendship when she finds inspiration in Phil’s story. But is it possible to tell someone’s story without silencing them along the way?

The Girl With Glitter in Her Eye tells the story of a complex, female friendship complicated by the revelation of trauma and examines where the boundaries of consent lie. Fusing spoken word, original composition, live music and exceptional performances, OPIA Collective explore socially and politically challenging topics in their trademark multidisciplinary style.

Director Masha Kevinovna said, ‘The original aim with this story was to explore and expose rape culture that is engrained into our society yet as the show developed it evolved into becoming a story about consent and the different contexts in which the lines are blurred. It is a particularly important theme not just for me personally but in the current political landscape where voices are being removed or silenced with ease.’

@OpiaCollective | #TheGirlWithGlitterInHerEye | www.opiacollective.co.uk

OPIA Collective was formed in 2018 as a collective of six artists who identify as either queer, female or both and whose strengths lie in various art forms such as film-makers, writers, musicians, poets and dancers. Their primary mission is to create multidisciplinary work that brings an authentic representation of the female and LGBTQIA+ experience. The Girl With Glitter In Her Eye has been performed, commissioned and developed at Theatre Royal Stratford East, Lyric Hammersmith, Battersea Arts Centre, Omnibus and The Albany. They have also been programmed for their latest show, This Queer House, at Theatre Peckham and will be taking this show to Vault Festival 2020. The Creative Team is spearheaded by Masha Kevinovna who was recently Assistant Director to Stef O’Driscoll at Royal Court on A History of Water in the Middle East; Nikita Karia (Producer) and Ben Ramsden, 2018 nominee for The Gold Medal Prize at Trinity Laban Conservatoire for Music.

Running Time: 65 mins | Suitable for ages 15+

Company information
Written and directed by Masha Kevinovna Produced by Nikita Karia

Cast
Modupe Salu, Anna Mackay, Naomi Gardener, Ben Ramsden

Listings information
Bunker Theatre, 53A Southwark St, London SE1 1RU
12 – 27 January 2020, (Sundays and Mondays only) 7.30 – 8.30pm
Tickets: £12.00 (£10.00)
www.bunkertheatre.com/ | 0207 234 0486

The Witham, Barnard Castle – 22 November 2019

4****

The Castle Players present Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler, an amateur group by name but not an amateur production by any means.

Libby Harding directed a small but wonderful cast in a version set in 1925, more in keeping with Ibsens 1891 debut rather than some of the more modern versions of late.  It is set in the main room of the Tesmans new flat – a place Hedda doesn’t want to live and which she can’t begin to decorate due to lack of money

Hedda is complex and elusive, intelligent, yet deeply unfulfilled, bored already by her marriage – aware she is married beneath her.. This model of marital discontent is said to be one of the great parts to which any female actor can aspire and Suzanna Handley tackles the role with gusto.  Reclining on dust-sheet covered furniture, her new husband, kindly academic George, is very much in love with her but has no idea how to deal with her; his repeated allusions to her pregnancy actively repulse her. By the time her old school friend (or bully victim) Thea and her former lover, the equally wild Eilert Lovborg suddenly reappear in her orbit, she is a powder keg ready to explode. As she meddles with people’s lives and loves, in a spurious plot to boost George’s career which is, in fact, a desperate attempt to relieve her own tedium, damage is inevitable.

As for the cast themselves, they play their very disparate characters with finesse and sensitivity. Cal Baker’s George is a masterclass in loveable, oblivious bumbling, in stark contrast to Ben Pearson’s oily, devious Brack. Thea, Phoebe Lorenz, is a nervous wreck and Oliver Smith brilliantly portrays the mercurial Lovborg as a man ever on the brink of falling. Of course, the success of the play rests on Hedda’s slim shoulders, and Handley bears the weight with no sign of breaking into a sweat. Her Hedda is a study in manic energy, despairing lethargy and repressed rage. We watch her careering headlong and we know she is going to crash, but we can’t tear our eyes away.

The Witham is intimate, the perfect place to immerse yourself in the perceived stifle of the life of Hedda. There are a few moments of humour – George repeatedly misses the point of Julia Tesman’s (Heather Armstrong) ‘expectations’. And some humour in the sarcasm – mainly from Hedda but also Berte the maid (Isobel Harvey). Within this production some of the sarcasm was just hilarious and nailed perfectly. Essentially though the mood is dark, Hedda’s antagonism drives the action. Whether you are new to Ibsen or have seen the play many times, like all the greats, it was worthy of a visit.

Stanley and Audrey Burton Theatre, Leeds – 21 November 2019

Reviewed by Sally Richmond 

5*****

The audience were welcomed with high energy and fervor right from the very first step, as they entered into the world of Rosie Kay’s Fantasia, at the Stanley and Audrey Burton theatre in Leeds last night.

Performed in three parts and lasting fifty five minutes only, this mesmerising fusion of spectacular choreography and euphonious music scores endeavoured to answer Kay’s burning question: what makes dance beautiful and pleasurable? 

After carrying out extensive research through many scientific experiments, Rosie collaborated with music director Annie Mahtani, and together they produced a show worthy of filling the heart to the brim with delight.  

The three spectacular dancers: Shanelle Clemenson, Harriet Ellis and Carina Howard flawlessly mirrored, blended, leaped across and melted into each other with perfected, smooth and dynamic  moves. Each performer also gave us breathtaking solos within the three captivating sequences themed on: the sun, the moon and the Earth.  

‘Sun’ was performed in a traditional and classic style, with tutus and pirouettes,  which illuminated the sheer skill and strength of the dancers. In ‘Moon’, the costume change of grey fringed catsuits   led into a completely different mood and form altogether – free, loose and less conventional. ‘Earth’ evoked a more emotional response and irradiated an ethereal atmosphere, almost haunting.  Ellis’s solo, in which she was shrouded in black floaty chiffon, conjured up images of Cathy from Wuthering Heights, who dreamt she cried with joy when the angels dropped her back on earth, on her beloved moors –  the audience were transfixed!  

Did Rosie Kay accomplish her mission in delivering pleasurable and beautiful dance?  Yes, is the simple answer, absolutely!