Month: February 2018

Mayflower-Southampton – until 17 March 2018.  Reviewed by Jo Gordon

5*****

Produced by Sir Cameron Mackintosh , Boublil and Schönbergs Miss Saigon has been wowing audiences since its opening night at Drury Lane back in 1989.

The story of love enveloped by the horrors of war and the consequences that follow when two struggling souls are brought together amidst desperate and difficult circumstances . Kim (Joreen Bautista) , an innocent 17 year old village girl finds herself  away from her home after her family are killed and she flees from the man her father had promised her hand in marriage too. Alone she is soon spotted by The Engineer (Red Concepción), a wheeler dealing, brothel running, lovable rogue who is out to make as many dollars he can out of the GI’s stationed nearby.  Chris (Ashley Gilmour) a quieter, gentler GI spots her and quickly falls in love resulting in a spiritual marriage with the hope of taking Kim back to the safety of the USA.  The war situation quickly changes and despite his best efforts Chris is unable to save Kim and has to leave her behind….. something which haunts him everyday back in the U.S.  Holding on to the hope that Chris will one day return for her and the son Chris is unaware of, Kim does what she has to do to survive in a post war Vietnam and protect her son at all costs.  Will Kim’s dream come true?

With huge musical numbers such as The Movie In my Mind, I’d Give my Life for You, the beautiful Bui Doi and the spectacular show tune that is American Dream  there is plenty of scope for the cast to show off their vocal abilities and ability is not something that is lacking! I was blown away each and every time, Joreen Bautista plays Kim’s naivety and longing perfectly resulting in some emotional moments for the audience, I myself having moist eyes on more than one occasion

The set is utterly breathtaking, without giving too much away there is one scene with a certain rather large, well thought out prop that really puts you in the middle of the story bringing your emotions to the fore of how you would feel from either point of view at that moment in time. The war had only been finished for 14 years when the show first opened, but it brought to our attention how despite the last soldier leaving, the last gun fired, for those left behind the struggle still continued.  Especially for the huge amount of children that were fathered with local girls by the GI’s and the issues those GI’s were left to deal once home.  A thought provoking and emotional performance by an exceptional cast.

The Albany – until 3 March.  Reviewed by Claire Roderick

3***

Caroline Whitlock is dying slowly with cancer, and has been through many home care nurses before Veronika turns up. Caroline wants to die, but can’t find the strength to kill herself, so is determined to get Veronika to help her.

Writer Chisa Hutchinson has created two memorable characters in this play, and the exploration of mortality and morality that takes place is, at times, profound. But this isn’t some po-faced, well-meaning piece of theatre, the two characters are potty-mouthed, opinionated and very, very funny.

The gleefully dark humour as Caroline sweet-talks, bribes and threatens Veronika into assisting her suicide is handled with great skill by Lizan Mitchell, who spits insults and bigotry with gusto, but still manages to make Caroline’s (very rare) softer and vulnerable moments convincing and pitiable.

Kim Tatum as Veronika is the perfect foil, wielding her Christian faith like a shield, and building intensity in her performance to match Mitchell’s fire in later pivotal scenes.

The wonderfully evocative set recreates an old lady’s boudoir with a few simple touches, and director Rebecca Atkinson-Lord keeps the characters mobile in this wordy piece. There is a puzzlingly long silent scene while Veronika ponders her options, with numerous silent glances between the two as she makes the bed. This completely stalls the momentum of the play, and ultimately only adds the knowledge that Tatum’s bed making skills aren’t up to nursing standards.

The twists and turns as Veronika tries to ensure that Caroline won’t be punished for her sin add some moving moments, with Caroline’s childhood memories of church being a standout, but Caroline’s reactions when Veronika lets slip that she is a transwoman bring the worst out again as she rails against “death by tranny”.

Dead and Breathing tackles serious and contentious issues with twisted humour, but lots of respect, and is guaranteed to spark lots of debate in the bar after the show. Well worth a look.

Park Theatre – until 24 March.  Reviewed by Claire Roderick

4****

Simon Dormandy’s adaptation of EM Forster’s novel is a pared back, but intense production in simple8’s signature style.

Elderly Mrs Moore (Liz Crowther) arrives in Chandrapore in British India with her prospective daughter-in-law Adela (Phoebe Pryce) to see her son, magistrate Ronny (Edward Killingback) at work. The ladies long to see the “real” India, and Mrs Moore meets Muslim doctor Aziz (Asif Khan) who invites them to see the famous Marabar Caves. At the caves, the mystical echoes overwhelm the two ladies, and Adela ‘s discomfort leads to Aziz being accused of assault.

Dora Schweitzer’s stark set design is a perfect backdrop for the choreographed movement and vocal chorus used by the cast to represent caves, lakes and trains (and if you don’t break into a goofy smile when you see the ladies’ transportation to the caves, then you have a heart of stone). The scenes within the caves are particularly intense, the disturbing thrumming echo making the ladies’ reactions completely believable. Directors Simon Dormandy and Sebastian Armesto have managed to conjure up the atmosphere of colonial India with excellent stage craft, aided by Kuljit Bharmra’s fantastic original music.

The cast slip out of character to narrate their feelings and actions, meaning that some of Forster’s wonderfully evocative descriptions and his musings on faith and religion aren’t lost. The prejudice and unfairness of colonial India are laid bare in the scenes at the club, and the exasperated reactions of Aziz and his friends Hamidullah (Tibu Fortes) and Mahmoud Ali (Maanuv Thiara) bring some of the biggest laughs. Ranjit Krishnamma is comedy gold as Godbole, with perfectly timed pauses and interminable stories. The whole cast give fine performances, especially Asif Khan’s finely nuanced portrayal of larger than life Aziz from his striving for friendship with the English to his final rampant anti-colonialism. Liz Crowther is suitably mystical and ethereal as Mrs Moore, and Phoebe Pryce’s Adela is a ball of pent-up nervous energy.

This is a gloriously energetic production, evoking the tension and mystery of 1920s India with humour and style.

Paul Nicholas, Sue Holderness, Wendi Peters, and Jeff Rawle
star in charming comedy by Ronald Horwood

Coming to Richmond Theatre Mon 9 – Sat 14 April

Paul Nicholas (The Real Marigold Hotel, Just Good Friends and EastEnders), Wendi Peters (Coronation Street and Oh What A Lovely War), Sue Holderness (Only Fools and Horses and The Green Green Grass) and Jeff Rawle (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Drop the Dead Donkey) will star in Quartet, coming to Richmond Theatre on Mon 9 – Sat 14 April. Press are invited to attend for review on Monday 9 April at 7.30pm. 

Quartet is the charming tale of a group of ageing opera singers. Cecily (Wendi Peters), Reggie (Jeff Rawle) and Wilfred (Paul Nicholas) reside in a magnificent retirement home in Kent. The rumour circling the halls is that the home is soon to play host to a new resident. Word is it’s a star. Jean (Sue Holderness) arrives and old rivalries resurface, secrets are revealed and chaos unfolds, but in true theatrical tradition – the show must go on.

Oscar-winning writer Sir Ronald Harwood has been nominated for several Tony and Olivier Awards in a long and distinguished career. His play The Dresser, recently completed a highly successful West End run and tour.

Mark Goucher said: “After The Dresser I wanted to tour another of Ronald Harwood’s plays and in my new role at Cheltenham, I felt that Quartet would be a perfect show for this theatre to produce and then tour. I am delighted that I will be working with David Ian on this production.”

Quartet is directed by Peter Rowe, designed by Phil R Daniels and Charles Cusick Smith.

York Theatre Royal until Saturday 3rd March 2018. Reviewed by Michelle Richardson

3.5 ***

Pilot Theatre and York Theatre Royal presents to the stage Bryony Lavery’s adaptation of the 1938 novel by Graham Greene.

Pinkie (Jacob James Beswick) is a 17 year old up and coming gangster, who has just become the leader of a ruthless gang in Brighton, after his old boss is killed. After the revenge killing of Fred, he attempts to cover the gangs tracks but there is a witness, Rose (Sarah Middleton), a 16 year old waitress, and also a thorn in his side in the form of Ida (Gloria Ontiri), who is convinced that Fred’s death was no accident and will not rest until the truth comes out and justice is done, after all she knows right from wrong.

Pinkie comes to the conclusion that the only way to silence Rose is by marrying her, because as his wife anything she says would be inadmissible. He sets about convincing her to marry him, where in her own twisted and convoluted way she falls madly in love with him, as only a teenager can, and has her own secrets. The deeply disturbed Pinkie spirals out of control and we see his paranoia take effect, becoming more unstable and deadly. The only person who stands up to him in the quest for the truth as well as trying to protect Rose from his brutality, is Ida.

Beswick is a bit of a pocket rocket as Pinkie with his attitude and volatility. He shows him in all his bravado, slowly sinking into the depths of madness and we realise that he is just a little boy in the grown up world. Middleton as Rose plays her with a naivety but with also with a little something else, a bit of darkness, to it. Ontiri as Ida, gives a warm vocal performance, striking in her appearance and is a welcome relief after all the madness.

The stage design is quite ingenious, with the use of a movable ladder and lighting, adapting from rooms to Brighton Pier, utilising limited staging to great effect. I did find though that the stage was very dark, sometimes far too dark to really work out what was happening at times.

Composer and musical director Hannah Peel provides the score. She along with James Field, were in the background, playing on stage for the whole of the show. From the onset and with the murder of Fred, to Pinkies descent into madness, the music is a powerful tool and you could really feel the violence taking place before your eyes.

Touring until the end of May.

NICHOLAS HYTNER TO DIRECT TWO WORLD PREMIERES

ALLELUJAH!

BY ALAN BENNETT

ALYS, ALWAYS

BY LUCINDA COXON

A B S O L U T E   M U S I C :   S H O S T A K O V I C H

WITH NIKKI AMUKA-BIRD, SIMON RUSSELL BEALE AND ANDREW SCOTT

AND THE CARDUCCI QUARTET

ALLELUJAH!

Nicholas Hytner will direct the world premiere of Alan Bennett’s Allejujah!, previewing at the Bridge Theatre from 11 July 2018 with opening night on 18 July and running to 28 September 2018. Designed by Bob Crowley, Allelujah! will have lighting by Natasha Chivers and music by George Fenton.  Tickets will go on sale at 10am today for priority members with public booking opening on Friday 2 March 2018 at 10am. Casting for Allelujah! will be announced shortly.

The Beth, an old fashioned cradle-to-grave hospital serving a town on the edge of the Pennines, is threatened with closure as part of an NHS efficiency drive. Meanwhile, a documentary crew eager to capture its fight for survival follows the daily struggle to find beds on the Dusty Springfield Geriatric Ward, and the triumphs of the old people’s choir (newest member: the Pudsey Nightingale). 

Alan Bennett’s new play is as sharp as The History Boys and as funny as The Lady in the Van.

Allelujah! will be the tenth collaboration between Bennett and Hytner.  They first worked together on Bennett’s adaptation of The Wind in the Willows for the National Theatre in 1990.  Then followed The Madness of King George III, The Lady in the Van and The History Boys, all of which were also seen on film, The Habit of Art, People and the double bill Untold Stories.

Alan Bennett is a playwright, screenwriter, actor and author.  Following a hugely successful writing and performing debut in 1960 at the Edinburgh Festival with Beyond The Fringe, his first play Forty Years Onwas produced in 1968.  Bennett is the recipient of numerous awards for his work with Hytner including, for The History Boys, the Olivier, the Critics’ Circle, the Evening Standard and South Bank Show awards as well as multiple Broadway honours.

Nicholas Hytner is, with Nick Starr, Founding Director of the London Theatre Company.  He was Director of the National Theatre from 2003 to 2015, where the productions he directed included The History Boys,Hamlet, One Man, Two Guvnors, and Othello. His films include The Madness of George III, The Lady in the Van and The History Boys.  His book Balancing Acts was published by Jonathan Cape last year.  Hytner directed Young Marx, the opening production the Bridge as well as Julius Caesar, the current production, running until 15 April.

ALYS, ALWAYS

Nicholas Hytner will also direct the world premiere of Lucinda Coxon’s Alys, Always based on the novel by Harriet Lane.  Alys, Always will preview at the Bridge Theatre from 23 January with opening night on 30 January and will run to 30 March 2019.  Casting for Alys, Always will be announced at a later date and booking information will be announced in September.

Frances works on the books pages of a Sunday newspaper. She’s quiet and capable, but nobody takes much notice: her face is pressed to the window, on the outside, looking in.   One evening, driving back to London after visiting her infuriating parents, she comes across an upturned car crumpled on the side of the road. She waits with the injured driver, Alys Kyte, until the ambulance arrives. Later, when Alys’s famous family gets in touch, Frances finds herself for the first time ushered into the world on the other side of the window. And she begins to wonder: what would it take to become a player?

A gripping psychological thriller that excavates the fault line that separates the entitled from the unentitled.

Lucinda Coxon’s previous theatre writing credits include Herding Cats, Happy Now, The Eternal Not, Nostalgia, The Shoemaker’s Wife, Vesuvius, Wishbones, Three Graces, The Ice Palace and Waiting at the Water’s Edge.  Her screen writing credits include the multiple award-winning The Danish Girl starring Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander, The Crimson Petal and the White starring Romola Garai for BBC, Wild Target starring Emily Blunt, The Heart of Me starring Paul Bettany and Helena Bonham-Carter and the forthcoming The Little Stranger starring Domnhall Gleeson and Ruth Wilson.

Alys, Always was Harriet Lane’s debut novel, published in 2012, and was followed in 2014 with Her.Previously Lane wrote for the Guardian and the Observer as well as Vogue and Tatler.

A B S O L U T E   M U S I C :   S H O S T A K O V I C H

On Monday 5 March 2018 at 7.45pm Simon Russell Beale, actor, author and music historian, will curate the second of a series of evenings inspired by works of chamber music this time focussing on Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 8 and the composer’s fraught relationship with Stalin and the Soviet authorities.  Russell Beale will be joined on stage by Nikki Amuka-Bird and Andrew Scott for a collection of poems and short dramatic readings to accompany a performance by the acclaimed Carducci Quartet of this masterpiece, written following Shostakovich’s agonised decision to join the Communist party and dedicated “to the victims of fascism and the war”.

Tickets are £20 and £25 with some general admission stage floor spaces at £5.

LISTINGS

Address:                                        Bridge Theatre, 3 Potters Fields Park, London, SE1 2SG

Box Office:                                   0333 320 0051 or [email protected]

Tickets for Allelujah! and Alys, Always are priced from £15 to £65 with reduced prices for previews and midweek matinees. A limited number of premium seats are also available. A special allocation of £15 seats are held for Young Bridge, a free scheme for those under 26.

Access:                                          0333 320 0051 or [email protected]

Website:                                        www.bridgetheatre.co.uk

Twitter:                                         @_bridgetheatre

Instagram:                                     _bridgetheatre

Facebook:                                      facebook.com/bridgetheatrelondon

LULU

RETURNS TO THE WEST END AFTER 30 YEARS TO JOIN

42^ND STREET AS DOROTHY BROCK

ASHLEY DAY TAKES ON ROLE OF BILLY LAWLOR

TOM LISTER AND CLARE HALSE CONTINUE AS JULIAN MARSH AND PEGGY SAWYER RESPECTIVELY 

NEW CAST PREVIEWS FROM MONDAY 19 MARCH 2018 AT THEATRE ROYAL, DRURY LANE

Lulu returns to the West End after 30 years to join the cast of 42^nd Street, the dazzling and romantic homage to the world of musical theatre in the iconic role of ‘Dorothy Brock’ in this five star production.

Lulu made her acting debut at the age of 16, starring with Sidney Poitier in the unforgettable To Sir With Love– and taking the title song to Number One in the US for five weeks.  Since then she has never been away from the spotlight as an actress, singer, song-writer and businesswoman.  She has worked with some of the greatest musical talents of our time – Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Cash, The Beatles, David Bowie… Lulu’s acting career has been no less stellar – her West End debut was in the Richard Eyre National Theatre production of Guys & Dolls; she starred in Peter Pan, played Tom Courtenay’s wife in Whatever Happened to Harold Smith, performed successfully in the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Song & Dance and gained rave reviews for stepping into Julie Walters’ formidable shoes in the much-loved Adrian Mole tv series.  She also recently showcased her comedic skills in the cult comedy film, Absolutely Fabulous.

Lulu’s career highlights are too many to mention but include the unforgettable Shout, her Bowie collaboration The Man Who Sold the World, a Bond theme song and a Number One with Take That.  She is a multi-award winning artist, including Ivor Novello and Grammy nominations for the world wide hit she penned for Tina Turner, I Don’t Wanna Fight, and she is an OBE.  Lulu continues to set new standards and challenges for herself – she has just completed a 44 date, sell-out tour of the UK and in 2017 toured Australia and the US with her band.  Her most recent, self-penned album Making Life Rhyme, garnered the best reviews of her career.

Also joining the cast of 42^nd Street is Ashley Day as ‘Billy Lawlor’. Ashley performed the role of ‘Jerry Mulligan’ in the recent West End production of An American in Paris. Other theatrical credits include Kiss Me Kate (Opera North), Oklahoma! (National Tour), The Book of Mormon (West End), The Wizard of Oz (London Palladium), High School Musical (National Tour), On the Town (English National Opera), Evita (West End), Mary Poppins (West End), Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker (Sadler’s Wells) and Oliver! (West End).

The role of ‘Julian Marsh’ will continue to be performed by Tom Lister, who played ‘Carl King’ in Emmerdale for 8 years and had recently starred as ‘Wild Bill Hickok’ in the UK Tour of Calamity Jane.

Clare Halse, whose performances have been hailed as ‘outstanding’ will continue as ‘Peggy Sawyer’. She most recently appeared in the acclaimed production of Gypsy as ‘Marjorie May’ at the Savoy Theatre.

42^nd Street is playing at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. The production is directed by the show’s co-authorMark Bramble (whose other hit shows include Barnum, Treasure Island, The Three Musketeers The Grand Tour) and director of many award-winning previous productions of 42^nd Street on Broadway and around the world.

42nd STREET is the song and dance, American dream fable of Broadway and includes some of the greatest songs ever written, such as ‘We’re In The Money’, ‘Lullaby of Broadway’, ‘Shuffle Off To Buffalo’, ‘Dames’, ‘I Only Have Eyes For You’, and ‘42nd Street’.

With an all-singing, high-kicking cast of over 50 on the West End’s largest stage, 42^nd Street is the biggest show in town.

The cast also includes:

Jasna Ivir is ‘Maggie Jones’, Graeme Henderson is ‘Andy Lee’, Christopher Howell is ‘Bert Barry’, Bruce Montague is ‘Abner Dillon’, Mark McKerracher is ‘Mac/Doc/Thug’ and Emma Caffrey is ‘Anytime Annie’. Matthew Goodgame joins as ‘Pat Denning’.

The 45 piece ensemble comprises Clare Rickard, Ella Martine, Hannah Amin, Lucy Andic, Sara Bispham, Pamela Blair, Abi Curruthers, Danielle Cato, Lisa Dent, Natasha Ferguson, Madeleine Francis, Maria Garrett,  Maddie Harper, Leah Harris, Rebecca Herszenhorn, Bethany Huckle, Sarah Kacey, Annie Kitchen, Jenny Legg, Hannah–Faith Marram, Billie Kay, Katy Riches, Zoe Rogers, Jessica Stent, Josephina Camble, Gabrielle Cocca, Emma Johnson,  Jasmine Kerr, Lucy Renouf, Christina Shard, Freddie Clements, Martin McCarthy, Zac Watts, Steph Parry, Thomas Audibert, George Beet, Philip Bertioli, Joel Cooper, Matt Cox, Adam Denman, Luke George, Ryan Gover, Alyn Hawke, Tom Partridge, James-Royden Lyley and Liam Wrate.

42nd Street is presented in London by Michael Linnit and Michael Grade together with The Global Group of Companies for Gate Ventures with Executive Producer Johnny Hon.

The Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield – runs until 24th February 2018.  Reviewed by Sophie Dodworth

3***

With an all-star cast, promised comedy and the theme of the Quartet from Verdi’s Rigoletto running through it, the Lyceum Theatre was almost full. Many of the audience were in the more mature category so maybe the fact that the play is based in a retirement home, could have been one of the major attractions.

The story is a heartwarming tale of four ageing opera singers, all residing in a retirement home for retired musicians in Kent. We meet the expertly drawn characters, Cecily, Wilfred and Reginald on a typical day in the beautiful music room of a country house; the audience is infected by the fun and comedy from the start. There are lots of laughs at some of the eccentricities of the characters and the smutty humour. Panic soon sets in when it is apparent that Reginalds’ ex wife Jean, will be coming to live among them! The old friends reminisce together but most prominent, are their worries of no longer being a ‘somebody’ and losing their voices, although their motto is NSP (no self pity). The plan for the old friends, once they have aired and sorted through their grievances, is to perform Quartet together for one last time.

Paul Nicholas plays super sex-mad Wilfred who doesn’t have much dialog without an innuendo or a gag, the majority of which are amusing and has the audience laughing in all the right places. Insecure Reginald is played by Jeff Rawle, an occasionally volatile character; when screaming profanities at the poor matron for not giving him his marmalade at breakfast! Wendi Peters’ character Cecily (Cissy) is well on the way to losing her faculties and brings an array of sympathy, energy and laughter to the stage. Jean is played by Sue Holderness, a reflective, serious character not embracing the aging process in the slightest.

Highlights of the show have be some of Wilfreds gags, especially when he is discussing his ever-long dream of having his ‘bum pinched’ and for him to be ‘perved on’. Wendi Peters’ character is a real highlight and credit must go to Wendi for giving Cecily such energy and dedication. And the end scene must get a mention for the mimed performance of Quartet.

This show is full of talent, each character played with more gust and passion that you could hope for. However, there is something missing from the plot, the story needs a little extra in places, maybe an extra twist or just more content to keep the energy up. That being said, the show really does make you take a moment to consider your future or reflect on your past, which is a really valuable sentiment to take away from the theatre with you. It is a touching story of emotions, values and a real sense of no matter how old you are, your spirit is still as it was when you were young.