Month: February 2019

DENISE VAN OUTEN & KATHARINE MCPHEE WILL HOST THE FIRST EVER

CAST ALBUM KARAOKE NIGHT ON 19 FEBRUARY

Music and lyrics by seven-time Grammy Award-nominee Sara Bareilles
Book by Jessie Nelson
Based upon the motion picture written by Adrienne Shelly
Directed by Tony Award-winner Diane Paulus

The hosts of the first ever Waitress London Cast Album Karaoke Night have been announced today. Smash star Katharine McPhee, who plays Jenna in the West End production, will host the post-show event alongside Denise Van Outen on Tuesday 19 February. Audience members can sign up before the show for the chance to sing one minute of any song from Waitress – live on stage at the Adelphi and accompanied by the show’s musical director Katharine Woolley.

Further details, including the host, for the next Cast Album Karaoke night on Monday 18 March will be announced next month.

It has also recently been announced that due to popular demand Waitress has extended its booking period to 19 October. Preview performances for the Tony-nominated musical by Sara Bareillesbegan on 8 February ahead of the show’s official opening night on 7 March. A limited number of day seats are now available to purchase in person from the theatre box office for £25 (from 10am, Mon-Weds performances only, subject to availability and at the box office’s discretion).

Waitress opened on 24 April 2016 at Broadway’s Brooks Atkinson Theater. Based on the 2007 motion picture written by Adrienne Shelly, Waitress is the first Broadway and West End musical in history to have four women in the four top creative team spots, featuring original music and lyrics by 7-time Grammy®​ ​nominee Sara Bareilles (“Love Song”, “Brave”), a book by acclaimed screenwriterJessie Nelson (​I Am Sam​), direction by Tony Award winner Diane Paulus (​Pippin​, ​Finding Neverland​) and choreography by Lorin Latarro. The production is currently touring the US and has also announced it will have its Australian premiere in 2020 at the Sydney Lyric Theatre.

Waitress stars Katharine McPhee as Jenna, Emmy-nominee Jack McBrayer (30 Rock) as Ogie,Marisha Wallace as Becky, Laura Baldwin as Dawn, Peter Hannah as Earl, David Hunter as Dr. Pomatter and Shaun Prendergast as Old Joe.

The full company includes Kelly Agbowu, Laura Baldwin, Piers Bate, Nicole Raquel Dennis, Michael Hamway, Peter Hannah, David Hunter, Stephen Leask, Jack McBrayer, Chris McGuigan, Katharine McPhee, Olivia Moore, Nathaniel Morrison, Sarah O’Connor, Leanne Pinder, Shaun Prendergast, Charlotte Riby, Marisha Wallace and Mark Willshire.

Meet Jenna, a waitress and expert pie-maker who dreams of a way out of her small town and rocky marriage. Pouring her heart into her pies, she crafts desserts that mirror her topsy-turvy life such as “​The Key (Lime) to Happiness Pie” and “Betrayed By My Eggs Pie.” When a baking contest in a nearby county — and a satisfying run-in with someone new — show Jenna a chance at a fresh start, she must find the courage to seize it. Change is on the menu, as long as Jenna can write her own perfectly personal recipe for happiness.

On its Broadway opening, Waitress was nominated for four Outer Critics’ Circle Awards, including Outstanding New Broadway Musical; two Drama League Award Nominations, including Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Musical; six Drama Desk Nominations, including Outstanding Musical; and four Tony Award Nominations, including Best Musical.

Kings Theatre, Glasgow – until 16 February 2019

Reviewed by Linda McLaughlan

5*****

Attending the production I was little apprehensive about the show which had been written by Ian and Nick firstly for the radio and then for theatre. The story of William Hone (played by Joseph Prowen and Cruikshank (Played by Peter Losasso) was cleverly portrayed and although I personally found the Act 1 very slow and I found this very mundane at times.Yes there were periods of laughter as Hone a simple book shop owner who produced pamphlets to encourage and demonstrate the peoples right to freedom of speech alongside Cruishank’s which were very comical and took the mickey out of the Satire and Parliament of the time some 200 years ago. These pamphlets and publications led to the Hone being incarcerated and put on trial for blasphemy and seditious libel by the Regency government.

The production follows the 3 trials that Hone endured over a period of 3 days and how he defended himself and used the court room to justify his thoughts and writings and used jokes and laughter to convince the jury of his innocence. This encouraged audience participation and the laughed and jeered appropriately at the injustice of the trial on display. Act 2 I found to be much more interesting and was able to enjoy the performances of a man’s fight to defend not only his right to freedom of speech but also the right of the people of the country.

Yes it does have a very direct and cynical approach to the frolicking of the Prince of Wales in many cartoons.

At the end of the production we were then invited to stay for a question and answer session with Ian and Nick alongside Dan Mersh who played Lord Ellenborugh, one of the key instigators in bringing Hone’s pamphlets and writings to an end. At the end of the production and Q & A I came away feeling very surprised by how much I enjoyed hearing the story of Hone and Cruikshank and their person battles which still have an impact today.

Hull New Theatre – until 16th February 2019

Reviewed by Catherine McWilliams

4****

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I went to the Hull New Theatre to see The Worst Witch, what I saw was a fabulous fun filled show suitable for everyone, it certainly brought out my inner child! I love any show that leaves me smiling and The Worst Witch left me with a huge grin on my face at the end of the evening.

Emma Reeves has skillfully adapted The Worst Witch books of Jill Murphy into a spellbinding theatre experience, a vibrant magical show. Jill Murphy’s books long being a favourite for children, the first book being published in 1974 (well predating another magical series!).

Miss Cackle’s Academy for Witches arrived at Hull New Theatre last night to perform their school production, written by one of their students Mildred Hubble (Dannielle Bird). The play within the play follows the unexpected arrival of Mildred at the Academy, she is not from a family of witches and finds it hard to fit in and she is also bullied by Ethel (Rosie Abraham). Of course there is a baddy in the mix in the form of Miss Cackle’s evil twin sister Agatha (Polly Lister), suffice to say good wins over with help from Mildred, but it would be a shame to spoil the surprises along the way by giving away any more of the story.

From the start this production provided fun and laughter, mixing in music and dancing and a good deal of mayhem, usually provided by our heroine Mildred. Oh and I must not forget to mention the very clever cat puppets belonging to the students. The set was simple but very effective and clever lighting helped provide some very spooky moments.

The cast are outstanding, this is a production for children but it is thoroughly professional and not dumbed down or childish. This is full of fun, the cast clearly enjoy the performance and the adults in the audience loved it as much as the youngsters.

Danielle Bird gave us a perfect gangly, accident prone Mildred, she was totally believable full of good humour and always seeing the good in everyone. Her off beat dancing and falls were superb and the broomstick display with her friend Maud (Rebecca Killick) was outstanding and had me gasping at times. I can’t have been the only one in the audience wanting her to be my friend! Oh, and she was just like I imagined her to be when I read the books.

Rebecca Killick (Maud) and Consuela Rolle (Enid) were the perfect foils as Mildred’s best friends, as Maud provided the steadiness and Enid the naughtiness.

Rosie Abraham was a superb Ethel and had us hating her very quickly as she sneered at Mildred and tried to get her sent home. Her delivery was excellent and the body language added beautifully to her nastiness.

Polly Lister played Miss Cackle and her evil twin Agatha, slipping between the two characters with ease, her double act a particular highlight of the show.

The music was very cleverly woven into the performance and the musicians Molly-Grace Cutler, Meg Forgan and Megan Leigh Mason were also part of the acting cast, which worked very effectively. It was good to see female musicians on stage too.

According to the school banner this is an academy that is rated fantastical by Ofmag, and fantastical is what we got last night. From the start we were all spellbound, drawn into the magic and mayhem, the adults as entranced as the children. This is a fabulous feel good production for all the family, so get your broomsticks out and fly to the theatre to catch it!

Viviana Durante Company brings a brand-new adaptation of Kenneth MacMillan’s Seven Deadly Sins to Wilton’s Music Hall

·       World premiere re-staging of Brecht/Weill’s ballet chanté, directed by prima ballerina Viviana Durante and developed in association with Deborah MacMillan

·       Starring ‘dazzlingly multi-talented performer’ (The Age) Meow Meow and Royal Ballet principal Laura Morera

·       Presented by Viviana Durante Company in association with Wilton’s Music Hall

·       Running 8-18 May 2019, Wilton’s Music Hall

Internationally acclaimed ballet legend Viviana Durante will present the world premiere of a brand-new production at Wilton’s Music Hall this May; a re-staging of Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s extraordinary version of Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht’s Seven Deadly Sins.

The production stars provocative performer Meow Meow, whose ‘astonishing’ (The Telegraph) voice has seen her acclaimed internationally as one of the world’s great stage performers and Royal Ballet principal Laura Morera whose ‘rare and exquisite musicality’ (Culture Whisper) has been lauded across the ballet world, as the two conflicting sides of Anna, an only daughter who is sent out by her family to make their fortune, making her way through seven American cities. Meow Meow portrays the singing Anna, the pragmatic bourgeois, while Laura Morera will take on the role of the dancing Anna, an artistic beauty with an open heart.

Anna and her two very different personalities must navigate each city, encountering a deadly sin in each one that stands in the way of her success. The tale follows the internal struggle she faces with each sin, envying those who surrender to them but forced to resist so she can complete her mission.

 A once-in-a-generation revival, Seven Deadly Sins is directed by Viviana Durante and developed in close association with Deborah MacMillan, drawing on extensive research into her late husband Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s three previous versions of the ballet chanté, the last of which was staged for television in 1984. Alongside Meow Meow and Laura Morera, this production will also be brought to life by a cast of 20 singers, dancers and guest Royal Ballet principals, in the visually stunning and intimate surroundings of the oldest working music hall in the world, Wilton’s.

Viviana Durante Company was founded to bring ground-breaking, impactful classical ballet to a diverse audience. Its most recent production was Kenneth MacMillan: Steps Back In Time at the Barbican Pit in spring 2018, which received international acclaim.

Viviana Durante says: ‘I’m proud to restore this remarkable work to the stage, working closely with Deborah MacMillan and the extraordinary Meow Meow, and with Wilton’s to bring ballet to places it doesn’t often reach.’

Stephen Joseph Theatre – 12th February 2018

Reviewed by Sara Garner

4.5****

This is the 2nd national tour of good dog written by Arinze Kene starring Kwaku Mills

good dog is gritty rollercoaster of gritty rollercoaster of an emotional drama of a boy and his journey through teenage years growing up in multi-racial London. The timespan leads up to the unrest in our inner cities which resulted in the 2011 riots in our inner cities in which people acted out of character to regain some control back in their lives.

This 2-hour play introduces us “The Boy” who is tormented at school and neglected at home and his observations and relationships with memorable community figures (Old Man Boateng, Trevor Senior and Junior, Ghandi, Mrs Blackwood) These characters are introduced to us with the use of pre-recorded voice actors, music and stage production whilst simple is effective.

The Boy naively believed that if behave in a good way and is the bigger man good things will come to him as promised.

Kwaku Mills holds and enthrals the audience for 2 hours, you become totally immersed in his observations. His use of slang language and facial expressions draws you into the highs and lows of his life and the frustrations of teenage angst with unexpected humour that the audience easily related too.

The emotions build in the second half to such an extent that the epilogue is almost a relief to one’s emotional well being

The acting throughout this brilliant play is outstanding and exhausting to watch.

Kwaku received a justly deserved standing ovation at the end.

I cannot recommend this play highly enough.

MAGGIE SMITH TO RETURN TO THE STAGE

IN A NEW PLAY BY CHRISTOPHER HAMPTON

A  G E R M A N   L I F E

DIRECTED BY JONATHAN KENT

Maggie Smith will return to the stage for the first time in twelve years in A German Life, a new play by Christopher Hampton drawn from the life and testimony of Brunhilde Pomsel (1911-2017). Maggie Smith, alone on stage, plays Brunhilde Pomsel.

Directed by Jonathan Kent, previews begin on 6 April 2019 with the opening night on Friday 12 April for a five-week run until 11 May.  All performances are at 7.30pm.  Booking opens today to Bridge priority members and public booking is from 10am (GMT) on 26 February. 

Design is by Anna Fleischle, lighting by Jon Clark with sound by Paul Groothuis.

Brunhilde Pomsel’s life spanned the twentieth century. She struggled to make ends meet as a secretary in Berlin during the 1930s, her many employers including a Jewish insurance broker, the German Broadcasting Corporation and, eventually, Joseph Goebbels. 

Christopher Hampton’s play is drawn from the testimony Pomsel gave when she finally broke her silence shortly before she died to a group of Austrian filmmakers, and from their documentary A German Life (Christian Krönes, Olaf Müller, Roland Schrotthofer and Florian Weigensamer, produced by Blackbox Film & Media Productions).

“I had no idea what was going on. Or very little. No more than most people. So you can’t make me feel guilty.”

Maggie Smith has had an extensive career in theatre, film and television. Her many awards include two Academy awards, five BAFTAs, four Emmys, nine Evening Standard awards and a Tony. She was made DBE in 1990 and a Companion of Honour in 2014.

A German Life

Bridge Theatre

Listings Information

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

Box Office:                        0333 320 0051 or [email protected]

Tickets are priced from £15 to £69.50 with a limited number of day seats and premium seats 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

Sheffield Lyceum – until 16 February 2019

Reviewed by Lottie Davis-Browne

3***

Now in its 67th year, Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap” is the worlds longest running production. It opened in London’s West End in 1952 and remains there to this present day. It began its life as a short radio play entitled “Three Blind Mice” – a theme which runs throughout the plot.

It’s a classic “who dunnit?” – a typical Agatha Christie murder mystery. The story opens with the sound of someone being murdered before the curtain opens – a Mrs. Lyons. The curtains opens to a grand hotel lounge in 1950s Berkshire; snow is starting to fall through the huge ornate stain glassed window. We meet hotel owners Mollie and Giles Ralston (Harriet Hare and Nick Baidon) – a young middle class couple who are soon to be celebrating their first wedding anniversary. They admit to knowing very little about running a hotel, having recently just re opened as the new owners of Monkswell Manor Guest House.

Soon their first guest arrives, a hyperactive young gentleman by the name of Christopher Wren (Lewis Chandler) – who claims he was named after an architect and that he is also himself training to be one. He acts in a very peculiar manner (he is also camper than Brighton Pride and rather humorous with it too!), admitting later on it the plot that he is running away from something but refuses to say what. He also has a strange passion for nursery rhymes….As the rest of the guests arrive – Miss Casewell (Saskia Vaigncourt-Strallen) – a masculine and somewhat mysterious woman who speaks offhandedly regarding her childhood memories, Mrs Boyle (Gwyneth Strong) an older lady who has a snooty manner and is impossible to please, Mr. Paravicini (David Alcock) – the only guest who hasn’t made an advance booking but claims that his car got over turned in the snow and Major Metalf (John Griffiths) – an older gentleman who is retired from the army. Soon the guests discover that they are stuck in Monkswell Manor Guest House following the terrible snow storm. The news of the murder of a Mrs Lyons soon circulates the guest house, with the radio news reader describing the last person seen on the scene of the murder – dark overcoat, dark felt hat and a pale coloured scarf – all of which the hotel guests were wearing on arrival. Everyone is a suspect and nobody is safe…….it isn’t long until a second murder takes place, this time within the guest house itself. Sgt. Trotter (Geoff Arnold) is soon on the case, quizzing each of the guests and Hotel owners in turn to find out whodunnit.

Each scene is set within the cosy lounge of the Guest House; an ornate and typical grand country establishment in 1950s decor (the era the story takes place in); the wooden panelling, the grand open fire, ornate stain glass windows all add to the eerie suspense of this long running suspense drama. It was Rocket Scenery’s set construction and the realistic feel of the grand hotel lounge which maintained my interest in this somewhat exhausted feeling production. Forget “whodunnit” it was more a case of “whydoit”?

The story was flowing at just the right pace until we started to meet the guests, where from then onwards it felt somewhat rushed, not giving us much chance to get a feel for each character. The only exception was that of Christopher Wren (Chandler) who at least brought several laughs to the otherwise worn out storyline.

Whilst I’ve always loved the idea of a murder mystery, being a huge Cluedo fan as a child, this production sadly didn’t quite live up to my expectations, however, older audience members clearly thought otherwise.

Once the answer to whodunnit was revealed, the audience were sworn to keep the secret from those who have yet to see it. However as someone who’d not seen it before, I’d managed to guess well before the end.

If you’re a fan of Agatha Christie then this is a must see, however for the younger generation who aren’t big AC fans my advice is – don’t fall for the (mouse) trap of seeing this touring production.

King’s Theatre, Edinburgh – until 16^th February.

Reviewed by James Knight

5*****

When Serge (Nigel Havers) spends a fortune on a piece of modern art, it sparks a conflict between him and his best friends, brash Marc (Denis Lawson) and tolerant Yvan (Stephen Tompkinson).

‘Art’ first premiered in the UK back in 1996 at the Wyndham’s Theatre in London, and this touring version of the recent Old Vic production has lost none of the biting wit of the original. The performances of all three actors show them at the peak of their abilities, particularly Tompkinson, whose epic five-minute rant about the difficulties of arranging wedding invitations with mothers, step-mothers and his fiancée, was not only a highlight of the show, but resulted in well-earned applause.

The entire show rests on the shifting dynamics of the trio, who has the upper hand in the argument of the painting, and then later, their friendship. Is Marc’s disdain for the painting (a white background, with white diagonal lines) justified, or cannot he not see the effort it took to create the piece? Is Yvan too willing to surrender his opinions to others? Is Serge just trying too hard to seem more important and ‘cultured’ than he is? What does it mean to be ‘cultured’, and how can it have any meaning where opinion of artwork should be subjective?

The dialogue rattles through with extraordinary pace (see the five-minute rant above), a three-way tennis match of comradery and antagonisation, and all three actors are clearly enjoying batting the ball at each other, whether arguing about the meaning of the phrase ‘a man before his time’ or who has changed the most and for the worse over the years. Havers’ delivery of ‘the way she waves away cigarette smoke’ is a masterclass of laidback disdain. It’s clear these men need each other, but how, after all the dust has settled, could they piece it back together?

Everything else in the production is suitably stripped back – an almost blank set and some clever lighting design allow the audience to focus solely on the interactions of the three friends.

Despite playwright Yasmina Reza’s assertion that this play is not a comedy, ‘Art’ is a witty, often profound examination of its characters, and, no doubt like the art depicted within it, will reward audiences with different revelations upon repeat viewings.

Mayflower Theatre Southampton – until 16 February 2019

Reviewed by Jo Gordon

4****

Adapted from the 1997 film of the same name, the musical still stays true to its gritty northern roots following a group of unemployed Sheffield steel workers and the struggles they face from the impact of job loss in the 80’s. With everyone desperate for cash and seeing how popular a visit from the Chippendales was amongst the local ladies, they come up with a plan to put on their own strip event but up the game by promising to go the Full Monty causing many hilarious moments along the way

It covers all bases from sexuality, relationship breakups, mental health issues and body image but with a comedic edge to it that will raise a giggle at what would be a normally inappropriate time to let out a chuckle or two. The language can be fruity at times and the cigarettes they smoke do fill the theatre with quite an aroma but it all adds to its authenticity of that situation in that point in time.

From the second the lead characters Gaz (Gary Lucy) and his son (Fraser Kelly) step onto the stage there is a palpable excitement from the audience and if you look hard enough you may even find a few gents in amongst a mainly female viewing demographic!

After a few auditions Gaz finds his troupe and Gerald (Andrew Dunn), Horse (Louis Emerick), Lomper (Joe Gill), Dave (Kai Owen) and Guy (James Redmond) begin practising for the big night. There is a VERY funny scene that takes us into the interval but I won’t spoil it (bit of an awkward moment sat next to my 21 year old daughter but we eventually made eye contact again!) 

And as the show comes to an end the audience get whipped up into a frenzy to encourage the lads to achieve their goal. And achieve it they do in a spectacular manner.

It has a great musical inventory throughout the show including the original films favourite hit from Hot Chocolate “You Sexy Thing” and with its incredibly clever industrial set makes for a very enjoyable show that means you can forgive the odd dodgy accent. 

A great show to see with a gaggle of friends and despite what the song says – they do not leave their hat on!

Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford – until 16th February

Reviewed by Antonia Hebbert

3***

It’s the late 1930’s at an Alpine railway station, assorted British travellers are waiting for their train. As arm banded Nazi types stalk menacingly about, a young English woman Iris (Lorna Fitzgerald) strikes up a friendship with the elderly Miss Froy (Juliet Mills). They get on the train, Iris falls asleep and when she wakes up… her new friend has gone. Everyone denies having seen her, including the people in the same compartment.

Whatever is going on? Is she deluded, due to a head injury? Are they deluded, or in denial? Or could it be that something more sinister is afoot? This play is based on Alfred Hitchcock’s 1938 film of the same name, and it’s a jolly romp. It’s brought to you by the Classic Thriller Theatre Company, which unabashedly aims to entertain rather than challenge your intellect. So as you would hope, the set is fabulous – the station scenes especially give a sense of a cavernous, cast-iron roofed space receding into a smoky, steamy distance (design by Morgan Large, lighting by Charlie Morgan Jones). The train compartments are neatly done, with the space in front serving as the corridor, where actors mostly remember to bob about a bit to give the impression of being on a moving train. Tables and chairs are swiftly brought on and off to transform the space into the buffet car, without interrupting the flow.

Among the characters, we meet a sinister Germanic doctor (Maxwell Caulfield), a flamboyant but dubious Italian magician (Mark Carlisle), two English chaps who are obsessed with cricket (Robert Duncan and Ben Nealon), and an enigmatic nun (Natalie Law). You get the picture. There are jokes about foreigners not understanding English, and the Brits are generally plucky, except for the tetchy solicitor (Philip Lowrie, aka Dennis Tanner in Coronation Street) who gets (spoiler alert) his just deserts. It could be just your cup of tea, but even if you’re not so keen on the cliches, it’s nice to look at. And it will get you looking up the old Hitchcock film, to see what subtle tricks the master used to make it one of the highest-ranked British films ever.