Author: FairyPoweredProductions

Bristol Hippodrome – until 12 February 2022

Reviewed by Lucy Hitchcock

5*****

Chelsea Halfpenny stars with Matt Willis in the groundbreaking musical Waitress.

Waitress is a stunning show, with a musical score from Sara Bareilles that will make your heart soar and your ears will be blessed. Chelsea Halfpenny as Jenna, the newly pregnant waitress who tries to leave her abusive husband Earl (Tamlyn Henderson) with the help of her best friends Becky and Dawn (Sandra Marvin and Evelyn Hoskins) she undertakes the steps to make her life, and the baby she is carrying’s life better. This is a brilliant piece, with incredible casting.

Chelsea Halfpenny is superb, with not only a brilliantly emotive performance, but a wonderful voice. Peaking with ‘She used to be Mine’, there was not a dry eye in the house. She gave an incredibly deep performance, never faltering for a second. Together with Sandra Marvin and Evelyn Hoskins, this is a wonderful trio. Marvin, with her soulful voice and sassy personality and Hoskins with her sweet and innocent demeanour, this is not one to miss.

Matt Willis as Dr Pomatter, Jenna’s gynaecologist, gives a great performance. With his delightful awkwardness and deep rooted love for Jenna, he excels as well as his smooth and inviting voice. A big shout out to George Crawford as ‘Ogie’ Dawn’s new boyfriend and soon to be husband. He gave an uplifting performance and has such comedic timing that he stole the scenes he was in.

One lovely thing about this show, is that you can see the band on stage and they are integrated with the ensemble, giving a real family feel to this show.

Bristol is lucky to be showing this, don’t miss it!!

Musical Theatre Icon Ruthie Henshall leads
Re-imagining of Stephen Sondheim’s Multi Award Winning Passion

Thursday 5th May – Sunday 5th June 2022
Hope Mill Theatre, 113 Pollard Street, Manchester M4 7JA

Olivier Award winner and Musical Theatre icon Ruthie Henshall (Les Miserables; Miss Saigon; Oliver; Crazy For You; Chicago; Billy Elliot) will lead a reimagining of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s multi-award-winning Passion at the Hope Mill Theatre for a limited run. Under the direction of Michael Strassen (Pacific Overtures; Company; Assassins), Henshall will breathe life into this anticipated revival, reenergising the tale of love, sex and obsession in a new dynamic staging. In its strictly limited run of 37 performances at The Hope Mill, the producers are embracing Manchester’s “Factory of Creativity” to re-develop the show for a future life. Further casting will be announced in due course.

Arguably Sondheim’s most lyrical and romantic work, Passion is a legendary musical based on Ettore Scola’s Italian film, Passion d’Amore. Situated in 19 th Century Italy, the production tells the tale of a young soldier, Giorgio, who is obsessively pursued by the relation of his superior officer, Fosca – a woman prone to severe melancholy and mania. Strassen’s modern retelling of the tale, with movement direction by Sundeep Saini (As You Like It, Little Shop of Horrors), will put Fosca front and centre, finding the real heart and truth within the piece.

Exploring the consequences of intense passion and obsessive adoration, Passion is a ravishing and thought-provoking look at the lengths people go to for desire. The renowned musical will be revitalised with modern staging and production, and provides an opportunity to see what is regarded as one of Sondheim’s most personal explorations up close, whilst it is being developed and conceived in Manchester

Henshall comments, I am so honoured to finally have the opportunity to play the role of Fosca, in one of my all time favourite musicals. From even before I was involved in ‘Putting It Together’ on Broadway, I fell in love with Stephen Sondheim’s music and lyrics; and I only continue to do so more and more each day. Passion is a deep exploration of what it is to love, and be loved; If that wasn’t enough, the score is some of the best musical theatre ever written. To be able to develop this show in such an intimate space and alongside one of my dearest friends Michael Strassen (director), only makes this production an even more rare and exciting event.

Passion features the music and lyrics of the legendary Stephen Sondheim, whose prolific
portfolio includes West Side Story, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Company, Follies and his new musical Square One, which premieres next year on Broadway. His longtime collaboration with writer James Lapine, which also produced the award-winning Sunday in the Park with George and Into The Woods, brings this rich tale to life

MAJOR NEW TOUR OF THE U.K. AND IRELAND TO LAUNCH THE 70^TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS OF 

THE MOUSETRAP

THE WORLD’S LONGEST RUNNING PLAY

Agatha Christie’s iconic thriller continues its record-breaking run at London’s St Martin’s Theatre

Having held its world premiere at Theatre Royal Nottingham in 1952, this 70^th Anniversary tour will open there this September before visiting over 70 theatres throughout the UK and Ireland

MousetrapOnTour.co.uk

The Mousetrap, the longest running play in the world, will launch a major new tour of the UK and Ireland this September. The genre-defining murder mystery from Agatha Christie, the world’s best-selling novelist of all time, will open at the Theatre Royal Nottingham, where it held its original world premiere in 1952. The iconic thriller will then visit over 70 venues across the country, including all cities to which it originally played 70 years ago, plus many more.

This 70^th Anniversary tour marks the first of many ways that The Mousetrap will be celebrating its extraordinary milestone year. 

Adam Spiegel, the producer of The Mousetrap, said: What better way to celebrate 70 glorious years of The Mousetrap by taking Agatha Christie’s world-famous whodunnit to over 70 towns and cities throughout the UK and Ireland. A true British classic, this beloved tale of intrigue and suspense is as enthralling today as it was when it first opened in 1952 and I am thrilled that audiences, of all ages, and from all corners of the country, will have the chance to see it in their local theatres.

Following its 1952 premiere touring production, The Mousetrap opened in the West End where it continues its record-breaking engagement at the St Martin’s Theatre having been performed there over 28,500 times, selling over 10 million tickets.

As news spreads of a murder in London, a group of seven strangers find themselves snowed in at Monkswell Manor, a stately countryside guesthouse. When a police sergeant arrives, the guests discover – to their horror – that a killer is in their midst. One by one, the suspicious characters reveal their sordid pasts. Which one is the murderer? Who will be their next victim?

Opening at Theatre Royal Nottingham on 26 September 2022, the 70^th Anniversary tour of The Mousetrap will visit Dublin, Cork, Brighton, Birmingham, Liverpool, Oxford, Bath, Manchester, Norwich, Malvern, Newcastle, Coventry, Chesterfield, Southampton, York, Cardiff, Plymouth, Lichfield, Stoke-on-Trent, Woking, Perth, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Cheltenham, Milton Keynes, Sheffield, Inverness, Aberdeen, Blackpool, Hereford, Chelmsford, Dundee, Derby, Bristol, Leeds, Cambridge, Torquay, Buxton, Swansea, Northampton, Truro, Peterborough, King’s Lynn, Guildford, New Brighton, Bromley, and Hastings, continuing throughout 2023 with further venues into 2024 to be announced in due course.

A full tour schedule, further information, theatre listings and ticket purchase through the website MousetrapOnTour.co.uk

Casting will be announced soon.

The Mousetrap is produced by Adam Spiegel Productions and Directed by Ian Talbot OBE.

For further information, see MousetrapOnTour.co.uk

Listings

From 26 September 2022

Running Time 2hr 20mins 

MousetrapOnTour.co.uk

FULL MAIN STAGE LINE UP ANNOUNCED FOR THE 2022 GAIETY MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL

·      Collabro, the world’s most popular musical theatre vocal group have risen to international fame since winning Britain’s Got Talent in 2014.

 ·      John Owen-Jones is best known for his acclaimed record-breaking performances in Boublil and Schonberg’s Les Misérables and in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera

·       Direct from London’s West End Sophie Evans and musical theatre star Lauren Samuels complete the main stage stars!

The Gaiety Musical Theatre Festival is pleased to announce the full main stage line up for this year’s festival at Ragley Hall, Warwickshire.

Britain’s Got Talent Winners Collabro, West End and Broadway star John Owen-Jones (Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera), direct from London’s West End Sophie Evans (Wicked, Wizard of Oz) and musical theatre star Lauren Samuels (Bend It Like Beckham, Grease).

They will join fellow headliners Kerry Ellis (We Will Rock You, Wicked, Oliver!), Lee Mead (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Wicked, Legally Blonde the Musical), Cassidy Janson (&Juliet, Beautiful: The Carol King Musical, Avenue Q)and Marisha Wallace (Dreamgirls, Hairspray, Waitress) at Gaiety Musical Theatre Festival on Sunday 1^st May 2022.

Gaiety Musical Theatre Festival, which will take place in the beautiful grounds of Ragley Hall in Warwickshire and is set to become a new highlight of the theatrical calendar.

This brand-new musical theatre event is a must-see for any theatre fan, with ten hours of spectacular entertainment across several stages, family fun at the fairground, and a profusion of excellent food, drink and delights in the festival village.

The London Musical Theatre Orchestra will accompany the star-studded main stage line-up.

Further artists to be announced.

York Theatre Royal – until 19th February 2022

Reviewed by Alison Beaumont

3***

Evita is a musical with music by Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Sir Tim Rice and first opened in the West End in 1978 and has won many awards. It is about the life of the Argentine political leader Eva Peron, the second wife of the Argentine president Juan Peron. It follows Evita’s early life, rise to power, charity work and her early death. Eva was worshipped by her people. The musical starts and ends with her death.

The show was being performed by York Light who are an amateur theatre company. This is quite a big musical for an amateur group to be putting on with technically difficult songs. The director Martyn Knight decided to double cast the leading roles, one of the reasons being due to still being in a pandemic to protect themselves and also to give each team enough rest between performances. On the night I went to see the show it was the Yellow Team that were performing. The show is fully sung which is a huge task for even professionals and I personally feel the double casting for this production was a good call.

The main role of Eva was played by Alexa Chaplin. Unfortunately, there were technical issues with her microphone at the beginning which couldn’t be resolved until she was off stage long enough for it to be rectified which wasn’t until about Scene 4, however she did well to carry on regardless. I did feel in the first Act her vocals weren’t at times the best but this could have been down to worrying over the microphone. Having said that when she came out in Act 2 to sing the famous “Don’t cry for me Argentina” she was amazing, maybe she was saving herself for this big number, the dress she was wearing was stunning and she certainly shone. From this point I felt that she delivered in some very emotional songs.

Che (Dale Vaughan) was excellent and gave a faultless performance, I could quite easily see him in professional productions.

Peron played by John Hall gave an all round solid performance.

David Copley-Martin was Magaldi and gave a good solo rendition of “On this Night of a Thousand Stars”.

Fiona Phillips who played the mistress has an outstanding voice and I could quite easily see her taking on more leading roles in the future.

This performance would not have been a show without the ensemble who were brilliant, the vocals were exceptional. At this point I would like to give a shout out to my niece Ellie Watson who was in the ensemble, well done, maybe a name to look out for in the future .

There was a slight issue in Santa Evita when the spacing on row two looked a little out but all in all the ensemble were spot on.

I’m sure the blue team will be just as good and the leading roles in this team are to be played by Eva Emma-Louise Dickinson – Eva , Jonnhy Holbek – Che, NeilWood – Peron , Richard Weathrill Magalidi and Hannah Witcomb as the Mistress.

For me it isn’t my type of musical as I prefer something not quite as deep but it certainly is well worthy of going to see. If you don’t know the story of Evita I would recommend reading up about it before you go to see the performance as without the knowledge it is quite fast paced and difficult to understand. Overall, for an amateur theatre company this was a very well produced and performed production.

THE BIRMINGHAM HIPPODROME – UNTIL SATURDAY 12TH FEBRUARY 2022

REVIEWED BY NADIA DODD

4****

Almost a decade since Matthew Bourne’s version of the Nutcracker! has been on stage, back in 1992 no less and what a spruced up revival it is.

The choreography, costumes and set design have all had a re-vamp to such a spectacular level. Act 2 is so bright and vibrant compared to Act 1 it really is a delight to watch and become engrossed in the magic of this story as it unfolds.

Clara, (Cordelia Braithwaite) lives in a dull, grey orphanage watched over by the Matron, (Daisy May Kemp) and her husband Dr Dross (Danny Reubens). The children there clearly dream of escaping such a monochrome existence and this is where the story leads us….

Clara receives a Nutcracker doll on Christmas Eve and at the strike of midnight he becomes real and turns into an actual hunk (Harrison Dowzell), the story is about first love and the feelings they start to feel for each other. She’s taken on a journey through to Sweetieland, where she discovers a love rival for her hunk, Princess Sugar (Ashley Shaw) who sets out to steal Clara’s man.

Cleverly, all of Clara’s fellow orphan’s are in Sweetieland as bright, vibrant new characters with such delightful costumes. Laddish gobstoppers, marshmellow girls and flamenco dancing liquorice allsorts ! There’s even a Humbug bouncer at a club.

So much taking place all over the whole stage when most of the cast were present it’s easy to miss something, keep your eyes peeled you really don’t want to miss a second.

The music composed by Tchaikovsky is just beautiful, my personal favourite being the original dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, very special to hear at my first ever ballet show.

The performers were just mesmerising their facial expressions and body language really expressing how they were feeling, two hours of blissful music and such a talented group of young professionals with Matthew Bourne’s company ‘New Adventures’, you really couldn’t wish for more.

For a real sweet treat go along and enjoy this delicious show for yourself, it will certainly brighten up a dark winters night.

Lyceum, Sheffield – until 12th February 2022

Reviewed by Alison Beaumont

4****

9 to 5 is based on the 80’s film of the same name and features music and lyrics by Dolly Parton. It is based around 3 women who work at Consolidated Industries and who are pushed to their limits by their sexist pig of a boss Franklin Hart. After being passed over for yet another promotion Violet is non too happy. Meanwhile Doralee finds out that Hart has been making it known to everyone he was having an affair with her which is why all the office staff turned their backs on her. Over a joint Violet, Doralee and Judy fantasise about killing Hart. The next day Violet accidentally puts rat poison in Hart’s coffee. Hart finds out about the rat poison and tries to blackmail the 3 women. The 3 women plan to kidnap Hart and make him a prisoner in his own home and then take over running the company their way. Whilst running the company they find Hart has been embezzling money. Hart eventually makes his escape just as the CEO descends on the office. With productivity having been increased and Hart finally exposed Violet is promoted to be the first ever female CEO.

The opening stage with the big gold 9 to 5 was eye catching and then the legendary Dolly Parton made an appearance on video which I really was not expecting. To see this world famous icon albeit by video certainly added to this show and what a way to start. From this point the show just got better and better. In the first song 9 to 5 you got your first taste of the hilarity that was to follow (I won’t go into detail as you won’t miss it when you go to see the show).

Violet played by the famous Claire Sweeney (who originally started out her career in Brookside and was the first host of 60 Minute Makeover, yes I’m showing my age lol) as always gave an amazing performance. The quick costume change in “One of the Boys” was particularly astonishing, blink and you might miss it.

Judy was played by the phenomenal Vivian Panka making her UK debut and what can I say she was outstanding. Her vocals in my opinion were by far the best of the 3 girls. Well done Vivian and let’s hope we see her in many other productions. Her character transformation from the nervous Judy on her first day at the office to a strong independent woman was well performed.

Doralee (Stephanie Chandos) played the character of Hart’s secretary. Although at times it was hard to tell some of her words and in the songs could sound a bit screechy this was down to the accent of the character she was playing. Overall she portrayed the character well.

The most hilarious scene for me was when Hart (Sean Needham, who is no stranger to the stage having numerous credits to his name) was in the bondage gear. Adding to the hilarity of this scene when he was dangling in mid air at the end of Act 1 and the lights came up and they didn’t bring the curtain down straight away and left him hanging there when he was motioning to be brought down. Just an extra bit of fun and comedy added onto this already funny musical.

Roz (Julia Nagle) has a serious crush on Hart and did the scene of “Heart to Heart” remarkedly well. At times I felt some of her characteristics reminded me of Miss Hanninghan in Annie.

The ensemble all performed well and the production went smoothly. A production filled with laughter, bare bums and sexual innuendos certainly made the audience laugh. All in all a great musical and would definitely go and see this again

Dominion Theatre, London – until 16th April 2022

Reviewed by Emily Cliff

5*****

It is always hard to start a review when you have witnessed simply the best night of theatre in your small albeit extensive career as an arts journalist. I have been writing for theatre for a little over a year and I have never witnessed a show as electric, passionate and simply amazing as Dirty Dancing.

Taking all of the best bits of the film and translating them to stage is something that can be difficult to do, yet it was done with such individuality and pure charm that is not achieved lightly. This production was incredibly self-aware when it came to some scenes that weren’t as easy to translate from screen to stage. Yes, you know exactly which scene I am talking about; dreamy Patrick Swayze shirtless in a lake practising that infamous lift. One of the defining scenes of the film, included in the stage production incredibly cheesy and self-aware, making us more appreciative of stage magic than ever.

There wasn’t a bad cast member in this production. From the ensemble to the principal actors, everyone involved in this show gave 1000% at every turn. Now, we simply cannot talk about the cast without mentioning the incredible, Micheal O’Reilly (Johnny Castle) and Colin Charles (Tito Suarez). The two paint the town pink and make it drip head to toe with raw sex appeal. Making her West End debut, Kira Malou played the role of Baby Housman perfectly. From dancing to schoolgirl charm she played this role with everything you’d want to see in a coming of age play or film.

The chemistry between Johnny and Baby was simply magnetic. The pair go together incredibly well and that chemistry is noticeable in every dance they do together. The choreography of the show altogether was incredibly sexy, stylish and sleek capturing the essence of the whole film and stage show with encouraging cheers and reactions from those in the audience. Finally, the moment you have all been waiting for, the lift. It is one thing to see it done so flawlessly on a screen in a cinema or the comfort of your own living room, however, the difference as we know, between stage and screen is that on stage there are no retakes or reshoots: it’s perfect or nothing. The infamous lift onstage was enthralling and utterly beautiful. While O’Reilly and Malou made it look incredibly easy and flawless it must have taken weeks of training rehearsing to get it perfect, sitting here talking about it now my mind is still completely blown away by the stamina and strength of the dancers on stage.

From start to finish this show is something special and is definitely the place you want to go for a fun night out. From the soundtrack to the dancing to the beloved story on stage, listen to your Hungry Eyes and trust me you will have the time of your life.

Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall Nottingham – Until Saturday 12th February 2022

Reviewed by Amarjeet Singh

5*****

The Curious Incident of The Dog In The Night-Time is an astounding piece of theatre. Layered and multi-faceted the Simon Stephens’ play based on Mark Haddon’s book of the same name, directed by Marianne Elliot and performed by an exceptionally talented cast is in a word, breathtaking.

At the center is Christopher Boone, an immensely intelligent 15-year-old who has a condition on the autistic spectrum. Upon discovering a neighbour’s dog has been killed, he sets out to discover who is responsible, which leads him to embark on a journey of many more discoveries, uncovering other mysteries, recording his investigations and adventures in a diary and sharing his findings with you via an immersive and dynamic experience.

The tale is told in a beautiful, poignant, heartbreaking, hilarious and really clever way. You are invited to join Christopher as he traverses many obstacles he faces when seeking the truth, with his frequent sensory overloads. He learns how to use his brilliant mind to not only solve the case but deal with the harsher realities of the adult world. Things are not black and white, there are many shades in-between. In this production, colour, light, smoke and other spectacular effects combine to help us see the world the way Christopher sees it. Sounds bombard him. Visuals overwhelm him. Our line of sight is taken to many places as actors come into play from different directions. Numbers fly across the screen, bright lights flash, then darkness. Oftentimes the effects are at once both wonderful and terrifying.

The stage is Christopher’s mind, a computer. Four connected interactive screens. Chalk diagrams at times, black and white blocks at others, flashing lights, concealing brilliance that do not make sense when we are first presented with them, but once Christopher works it out, writes it out, narrates it to us via his teacher Siobhan, it clicks and we understand and it becomes magic. The innovation of the set design does not trump or deter from the brilliance of the acting, rather they combine to add more body to the story.

The Curious Incident of The Dog In The Night-Time is very much an ensemble piece. The entire cast transition effortlessly to create the various characters in Christopher’s rapidly expanding world and their unified execution of the movement sequences is seamless. Walking along walls, dance-like, trance like it’s surprising how small the cast is but they bring to life so many characters, so many scenes with fluid like shifts. You are not confused at when or where an event is taking place. The story is easy to follow but so detailed. You feel like you are on a train, in the London underground, walking around a station. Sights, sounds, senses engaged, you would swear you were there with Christopher, every step of the way.

The Curious Incident of The Dog In The Night-Time is a momentously moving piece of movement theatre. Emotionally engaging and thought provoking, it has the power to change the way you think about the world and how you view it. An immensely powerful experience that deserves no less than 5 stars.

Newcastle Theatre Royal – until Saturday 12 February 2022

3.5***

The minute the music begins, the audience instantly finger click back in time to the very familiar tune, introducing The Addams Family.

Wednesday Addams has grown up and fallen head over heels in love. Lucas Beineke is an all-American guy with an uptight father and a mother who speaks in rhyme.  Wednesday’s Father Gomez finds himself trapped between the two women he adores. To keep his daughter’s secret, or to continue to share openly with the matriarch of the macabre, Morticia.  

Wednesday and Lucas want their families to meet so they can get their blessing to get married, but the Addams are anything but normal. Living in a house haunted by the ghosts of their ancestors and with a family that includes brother Pugsley, who enjoys being tortured, Grandma Addams who makes her potions, Lurch the Butler and Uncle Fester, the family makes an attempt at normality for their daughter for one night.

Designer Diego Pitarch’s effective set has all the gloomy shadows and dank walls that one would expect.  With Ben Cracknell’s wonderful lighting, which completely makes the staging come alive. The set is just the right side of dilapidated, with smooth changes facilitated by the cast. Andrew Lippa’s songs are decent but with the exception of the opening aren’t particularly catchy or memorable, but Bob Broad’s outstanding musical direction and the live orchestra (Catherine Benson, Luke Davies, Eleanor Sandbrook, Felix Strickland, Oliver Lewis, Alexia Barbera and Richard Burden) play them excellently.  A talented ensemble forms the deceased ancestors of the family Addams, adding to the dark and enigmatic atmosphere thanks to bewitching choreography by Alistair David.  Visually the show is amazing.  

Leading the cast as Gomez Addams is the brilliant Cameron Blakely, the loving father and devoted husband torn between being supportive of his daughter and truthful to his wife. At his side, Joanne Clifton is gorgeously gruesome as Morticia; and Kingsley Morton is boisterous and butch with impressive pipes as she belts her heart out as Wednesday Addams. The surprise scene-stealer of the night though is Scott Paige as Uncle Fester, our narrator who is in love with the Moon.

But where’s the fun in being mundane? Where’s the joy in being considered ‘normal’? Strip back the spooky kookiness and the witty score, and at its heart, this is a story about two families coming together, and the message is quite simple – different is good, honesty is key and love conquers all.