Black Chiffon, first performed in the West end in 1949, is very much of its time, but this classy production is intriguing and entertaining.
Days before her son’s wedding, well-to-do housewife Alicia Christie does something completely out of character and commits a crime. Her husband hires the best lawyer to build a medical defence, but Dr Hawkins’ explanation for Alicia’s behaviour horrifies Robert Christie as he feels it would bring more shame to the family than Alicia being found guilty.
Lesley Storm wrote a fascinating central character in Alicia – constantly acting as a buffer between her son and her husband, bitterly jealous of their close bond. Abigail Cruttenden is note perfect as this respectable woman struggling with her inner turmoil and possibly menopausal symptoms. The epitome of stiff upper lip, with a cut-glass accent and constant smile as she keeps up the façade of normality. Ian Kelly keeps husband Robert almost comically awkward and unapproachable, with his most sexist comments drawing audible gasps from the audience more used to a semblance of gender equality.
Alicia’s act of rebellion/cry for help mystifies her family, and the sympathetic diagnosis from Dr Hawkins is a mishmash of Freud and empty nest syndrome. As well as psychologically examining Alicia’s role as a mother, Storm’s looser portraits of the other members of the dysfunctional family are just as enjoyable. Most of the lighter moments involve pregnant daughter Thea (Eva Feiler) and her glib proto-feminist comments that rile her father.
Director Clive Brill keeps the pace languid, with slow scene changes accompanied by evocative cello music as the light changes outside the large windows of the Christie’s drawing room. Beth Colley’s set is imposing rather than homely – a nod to the fractured family – with a lovely touch having the audience enter through the family’s hallway, dressed with coat hooks, briefcase and pictures.
THE THEATRE ROYAL, EDINBURGH – UNTIL SATURDAY 28 SEPTEMBER 2019
REVIEWED BY SIOBHAN WILSON
5*****
Mamma Mia is story of a young girl who lives on a Greek island with her mum. She has never met her dad and is due to get married. Wanting to where she comes from and possibly have her dad walk her down the aisle, she finds her mums diary and discovers that her dad could be 1 of 3 men. So, she secretly invites them all to the wedding. This story will take you on a roller coaster of emotions all perfectly reflected through the musical workings of ABBA.
The opening night was completely immersive from the photo opportunity on the deck chairs with the beach balls before the show to the whole audience being on their feet singing and dancing along to the encore.
Sharon Sexton as Donna Sheridan was an inspired casting choice. Her ability to showcase every emotion meant that you were not just watching her but living through each moment with her. With special mention to her rendition of The Winner Takes it All – it was simple incredible. Donna’s 2 life long friends Tanya (Helen Anker) and Rosie (Nicky Swift) had a real comradely and great voices respectively.
Emma Mullen is fabulous as Sophie Sheridan. She manages to capture the innocence and excitability of the youthful character.
James Willoughby Moore as Pepper should have his character renamed as Chuckles as there us a laugh a minute when he is on the stage.
The amazing orchestra enhances every song and you get the essence of ABBA coming through.
The simple set means that nothing distracts from the cast skills and ability.
All in all, 20 years on this show has not faltered in the slightest. It still the same lighthearted, fun and flirty show. Going by the number of mothers and young daughters there, it is still bringing in new audiences with its timeless story line and iconic score.
IAN MCKELLEN’S GROUND-BREAKING THEATRE JOURNEY RETURNS TO THE WEST END THIS WEEKEND
10 CHARITIES NAMED TO RECEIVE ALL PROFITS FOR THE WEST END RUN
Following an unprecedented, sold-out tour which raised £3 million for 80 theatres throughout the UK, Ian McKellen’s 80th birthday theatre journey continues with a return to London for 80 further performances at the Harold Pinter Theatre from tonight, Friday 20th September.
All profits to the West End show will be donated to 10 charities which raise vital funds for a cross section of people involved with the arts; from young theatre makers just starting out to retired theatre professionals and people with disabilities working in the industry. They include Denville Hall, English Touring Theatre, Equal People, King’s Head Theatre, Mousetrap Theatre Projects, National Youth Theatre, Ramps on the Moon, Royal Welsh College, Streetwise Opera and U Can Productions.
“Having raised essential funds for regional theatres, I am delighted to bring this show to the West End where the beneficiaries will be British theatre charities selected by those involved with the daily running of the show.”
LISTINGS
IAN MCKELLEN ON STAGE With Tolkien, Shakespeare, others… and you! Presented by Ambassador Theatre Group Productions Directed by Sean Mathias www.ianonstage.co.uk www.atgtickets.com
Harold Pinter Theatre, Panton Street, London SW1Y 4DN
Performance schedule*
First performance: 20th September 2019 Last performance: 5th January 2020 Tuesday to Saturday at 7:30pm Sunday at 3:00pm
*Performance on 1st November at 2:00pm *No performances from 2nd – 7th November
*Christmas schedule:
23rd December at 7:30pm 24th December at 3:00pm 25th December No performance 26th December No performance 27th December at 7:30pm 28th December at 7:30pm 29th December at 7:30pm
Four Artist Development opportunities from The Lowry to be available to diverse artists and artforms
The Lowry’s Artist Development Programme are offering four opportunities for diverse artists and art forms. In partnership with strategic artist development partners and Greater Manchester venues, a variety of development schemes will be provided to enable new performing arts work to emerge within the North of England. The Lowry aims to provide bespoke support for artists, creatives & companies that truly addresses their individual needs or ambitions, and benefit a diverse range of artists across ethnicity and abilities, and art forms including musical composition, performance and physical theatre, and dance.
These four opportunities include:
Cameron Mackintosh Resident Composer at The Lowry & Hope Mill Theatre, and Musical Rewrites SHOOTS Scratch Nightwill benefit an emerging musical theatre composer and provide a platform for experimental or new ideas for new musical theatre respectively. The Sustained Theatre Up North X The Lowry Commission will benefit BAME artists or BAME-led companies who are currently based in the North of England who want to make performance work. The Lowry are delighted to announce the launch of a brand new artist development programme called UNTITLED Residencythat will widen its artist development offer to reach the broadest diversity of creatives, in particular artists and creatives of colour/BAME heritage, and artists and creatives living with a disability
The Lowry will partner with Hope Mill Theatre to jointly host the Cameron Mackintosh Resident Composer Scheme run by Mercury Musical Developments and Musical Theatre Network to begin in April 2020. This joint placement will allow a musical theatre composers to benefit from a unique range of bespoke coaching and mentoring alongside more practical craft and career opportunities at both a large and smaller-scale venue. The successful recipient will receive an all-inclusive fee of £11,000, plus £500 towards travel expenses, thanks to the generous support of The Cameron Mackintosh Foundation
Claire Symonds and Matthew Eames, Senior Producers at The Lowry, said: “We are delighted to partner with Hope Mill Theatre to host a placement for the Cameron Mackintosh Resident Composer Scheme. As the two premier venues for musical theatre in Greater Manchester and keen supporters of the development of new musicals we feel we can jointly offer a series of varied and diverse opportunities that span the subsidised and commercial sectors. Between us we host musicals of all shapes and sizes, we produce and commission new work and we mentor and develop artists – we feel the recipient will get a great understanding of where their work sits and how they can engage commissioners and audiences in the future.”
The Lowry are looking for four artists/creatives to share short works or ideas for new musical theatre through its in-house artist development programme Musical Rewrites SHOOTS Scratch Night.This programme aims to support the development of ideas and for artists/creatives to present new ideas or short works with an audience, in a safe supportive way.
This instalment of SHOOTS will be part of The Lowry’s Musical Rewrites Festival – a programme of work celebrating new UK musicals in development at the moment, taking place at The Lowry from Wednesday 13 – Saturday 16 November 2019. Successful artists/companies will each receive £250 seed funding and to present their piece in the Aldridge Studio on Wednesday 13 November 2019.
Image Description: Keisha Thompson’s Man on the Moon photo by Benji Reid
The Lowry will partner with Sustained Theatre Up Northto offer a £4,000 ‘making’ commission for BAME artists or BAME-led companies who are currently based in the North of England who want to make performance work. This commission seeks to develop Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic artistic talent to enable voices to be heard which wouldn’t otherwise be heard and afford artists freedom and support them to create excellent, new, urban performance. The Lowry and STUN are looking for BAME artists or BAME-led companies that use movement, physical theatre or dance to connect with audiences; working towards a studio-scale show to present in Autumn 2020
UNTITLED Residency will benefit artists who require the freedom to explore by focusing on the process and not on outcome. This new programme is all about creating an opportunity for artists and creatives to take risks, make leaps and play with ideas.
The Lowry are looking for expressions of interest from:
Projects that are in the early stages of development and will benefit from experimentation rather than rehearsal
Projects that are telling new stories in interesting ways
Projects that are testing new collaborations across art forms or with a diverse range of artists
Projects that involve those who are underrepresented in terms of ethnicity, disability, sexuality, socio-economic backgrounds and any others who might need a different kind of courage to overcome historical barriers or perspectives.
Projects that involve dance, movement, or contemporary circus makers as we don’t tend to hear as often from people working in these fields
There are 7 residency weeks in each month starting January to July 2020 available to apply for. The successful artists/companies will receive:
5 day residency / up to 40 hours of studio time (Aldridge Studio 3)
A small pot of seed funding of £500
Option to informally share and reflect on the process with a trusted invited group if needed
Option of having a critical eye at points that suit
Award-winning Yorkshire poet Andrew McMillan has written his first stage play which is set to premiere at Square Chapel Arts Centre, Halifax on Tuesday October 15th and will go to Huddersfield, Doncaster and Barnsley.
Dorian is a re-telling of Oscar Wilde’s classic The Picture of Dorian Gray and is presented by Huddersfield’s Proper Job Theatre Company; it is the third part of their Monster Trilogy which sees classic pieces of literature transformed for the stage by renowned poets. The first, Nosferatu, was written by ‘the Bard of Barnsley’ Ian McMillan and was followed by Medusa re-imagined by award-winning Sheffield poet Helen Mort.
“I have long been fascinated by the world of theatre so it’s an honour to be approached by Proper Job for this project, to follow in the footsteps of two great poets and to debut here at the beautiful Square Chapel,” says Barnsley-born Andrew.
“Oscar Wilde’s masterpiece is the inspiration for Dorian, but my own personal experiences with eating disorders are reflected in the play.”
A tired, middle-aged man sets out to change his life and get the body of his dreams; he hires a personal trainer and signs up to a six-month transformational programme, but things start to unravel. Dorian’s body starts to change, but he can’t recognise it so becomes more addicted to the gym and less able to see the results of his work.
Exploring masculinity, body dysmorphia, class, and the gym culture the company use poetry, physical theatre, bold images and a stirring score to examine the subject.
“We are delighted to be working with the brilliant poet, Andrew McMillanon this production,” says producer Chloe Whitehead. “AtProper Job we strive to be bold and tell stories that are unusual; to comment on contemporary issues even if they have an ancient inspiration, and Andrew has created just that; we think Wilde would approve!”
Dorian, presented by Proper Job Theatre Company, is at:
THE KINGS THEATRE, EDINBURGH – UNTIL SATURDAY 21 SEPTEMBER 2019
REVIEWED BY SIOBHAN WILSON
4****
This story shows the trials and tribulations of a young carer stuck between flying the nest to following her own dreams and remaining at home to look after her mother. This difficulties of navigating A levels is enough for any young person to struggle with topped with looking after a relative proves for some heart tugging moments. Being a physic geek myself in my younger days I found I could really associate with Emmie being the only girl in the class.
Emmie Price (Rosey Cale) despite all the hurdles life throws at her still manages to come up with an amazing idea based on her love of extreme weather phenomenon Tropical Revolving storms – known as Tornados and her perfect understanding of physics. Unfortunately, things do not go as planned and she has a fall from grace which gives her great opportunity. Can she take this opportunity and leave her unstable mother, or will she stay in “Wales, England”? You will have to see this to find out for yourself!
Rosey Cale voice is beautiful and the complimented Amy Wadge’s score perfectly. Her control to belt out when needed and reign in when singing duet is outstanding. The rest of the cast also live up to a very high standard with their talents.
Having the instruments set up on stage played buy the actors really will leave you aw-struck by how talent these people are. Mr. Church (Keiran Bailey) guitar solo to Walt’s (Dan Bottomley) science filled song will have you chuckling, tapping and clapping along.
This show has literally everything in it! Live stage experiments, Cameos from a Canadian Scientists, a beautiful score and incredible acting and music making. It addresses serious situations such as young carers, A Levels, first relationships, global warming and being made redundant. It will take you on a rollercoaster of emotions where you will love and hate characters and everything in between.
This will resonate with all ages from school kids to parents alike.
A seriously inspiring and enjoyable evening and I would highly recommend that go and be in the Eye of the Storm.
BLITHE SPIRIT STARRING JENNIFER SAUNDERS ANNOUNCED TO RETURN IN 2020 FOR UK TOUR AND WEST END TRANSFER
SIR RICHARD EYRE’S CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED PRODUCTION OF NOËL COWARD’S CLASSIC COMEDY BLITHE SPIRIT WILL RETURN IN JANUARY 2020 FOLLOWING HUGE SUCCESS AT THEATRE ROYAL BATH’S 2019 SUMMER SEASON
BAFTA-WINNING COMEDIAN, ACTOR AND SCREENWRITER JENNIFER SAUNDERS REPRISES HER STAR ROLE AS MADAME ARCATI WITH ORIGINAL CAST MEMBERS GEOFFREY STREATFEILD, LISA DILLON, EMMA NAOMI, SIMON COATES, LUCY ROBINSON, AND ROSE WARDLAW
BLITHE SPIRIT WILL TOUR TO BRIGHTON, MALVERN, BATH, CAMBRIDGE, RICHMOND AND NORWICH FROM 22 JANUARY TO 29 FEBRUARY BEFORE ARRIVING IN THE WEST END AT THE DUKE OF YORK’S THEATRE FROM 5 MARCH TO 11 APRIL
Theatre Royal Bath Productions, Lee Dean and Jonathan Church Productions are delighted to announce that Noël Coward’s classic comedy Blithe Spirit, directed by Sir Richard Eyre and starring Jennifer Saunders, will return next year for a UK tour followed by a strictly limited 6-week engagement at the West End’s Duke of York’s Theatre following a celebrated reception in Bath earlier this summer.
The new tour opens at Theatre Royal Brighton where it runs from 22 to 25 January and will then visit Malvern Theatre from 27 January to 1 February, Theatre Royal Bath from 4 to 8 February, Cambridge Arts Theatre from 10 to 15 February, Richmond Theatre from 17 to 22 February and Norwich Theatre Royal from 24 to 29 February before arriving in the West End at the Duke of York’s Theatre from 5 March to 11 April 2020, with opening night for press on Tuesday 10 March.
Jennifer Saunders, one of the UK’s most popular comic actors, will revive her role as the preposterous clairvoyant Madame Arcati. She is joined by original cast members Geoffrey Streatfeild who will star as Charles, Lisa Dillon as Ruth Condomine, Emma Naomi as Elvira, Simon Coates as Dr Bradman, Lucy Robinson as Mrs Bradman, and Rose Wardlaw as Edith. The production brings together a distinguished and multi-award-winning creative team, directed by former National Theatre director Sir Richard Eyre with design by Anthony Ward, lighting by HowardHarrison, sound by John Leonard and illusions by Paul Kieve.
Written in 1941, Coward’s inventive, witty and meticulously engineered comedy proved light relief and a popular distraction at the height of World War II when it was first staged. The show had a record-breaking run in the West End and on Broadway and remains one of the playwright’s most popular works.
This new production opened in June as part of Artistic Director Jonathan Church’s second Summer Season at Theatre Royal Bath where it played to sell out houses and was widely praised by critics and public alike. It is the third play from Jonathan Church’s Summer Season programmes to transfer to the West End following last year’s 50th anniversary production of Arthur Miller’s The Price at Wyndham’s Theatre and Switzerland at the Ambassadors.
Novelist Charles Condomine and his second wife Ruth are literally haunted by a past relationship when an eccentric medium inadvertently conjures up the ghost of his first wife, Elvira, at a séance. When she appears, visible only to Charles, and determined to sabotage his current marriage, life – and the afterlife – get complicated.
Noël Coward was an English playwright, composer, actor, producer and director. His dramas include Hay Fever and Private Lives. For film, he wrote and directed the Academy Award-winning In Which We Serve and the screenplay for Brief Encounter.
Jennifer Saunders is well known as one half of the comedy duo French and Saunders, for which she and Dawn French received a BAFTA fellowship in 2009, and for the hit comedy series and subsequent film, Absolutely Fabulous, which she also wrote and starred in. She has received numerous awards including two Emmys, five BAFTAs and four British Comedy Awards. Other recent credits include Lady Windermere’s Fan (West End) and the BBC series Jam and Jerusalem.
Geoffrey Streatfeild has appeared on TV in Spooks, The Hollow Crown, The Thick of It and The Other Boleyn Girl, and on film in Making Noise Quietly, The Lady in the Van, Kinky Boots and A Royal Night Out. Stage credits include the Histories Cycle (RSC), Cell Mates (Hampstead), The Beaux Stratagem (National Theatre) and My Night with Reg (Donmar).
Lisa Dillon starred as Mary Smith in the BBC series Cranford. Her stage credits include Richard Eyre’s Private Lives in the West End, the RSC’s The Roaring Girl and The Taming of the Shrew,A Flea in Her Ear and Design for Living at the Old Vic and The Knot of the Heart and When the Rain Stops Falling at the Almeida.
Emma Naomi starred recently in Pinter at the Pinter (Jamie Lloyd Productions/ATG), Bread and Roses (Oldham Coliseum), The Cherry Orchard (Bristol Old Vic, Manchester Royal Exchange), Dead Don’t Floss (National Theatre), Don Juan in Soho (Wyndham’s Theatre) and, for television, Channel 4’s Chimerica.
Simon Coates’s stage credits include Richard III (Almeida), 1984 (West End), The Cherry Orchard (Royal Exchange, Bristol Old Vic), King John (Shakespeare’s Globe). He has also toured the UK with Regeneration, The Misanthrope, Romeo & Juliet and The Hypochondriac.
Lucy Robinson’s stage credits include Waste, The Hard Problem (National Theatre), Handbagged (Vaudeville), Sweet Bird of Youth (Old Vic), In the Next Room (Theatre Royal Bath). Her many TV credits include Cold Feet, Coronation Street, Call the Midwife, Doc Martin, Doctor and Pride and Prejudice.
Rose Wardlaw recently performed in Outlying Islands at the King’s Head. She has previously appeared in Eyam, The Winter’s Tale (Shakespeare’s Globe), Jubilee (Lyric Hammersmith) and Great Expectations (West Yorkshire Playhouse) and, for television, Call the Midwife and Doctors.
Sir Richard Eyre was at the helm of the National Theatre for 10 years and is the winner of five Olivier Awards including a Lifetime Achievement Award. His numerous hugely-acclaimed productions include Guys and Dolls, The Invention of Love and Private Lives. His award-winning film and television work includes Iris, Tumbledown and The Children Act.
Anthony Ward has designed numerous productions including the Tony Award-winning Mary Stuart, the Olivier Award-winning Oklahoma! and What’s on Stage Award winner Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
Howard Harrison is a two-times Olivier Award-winning lighting designer whose recent works include Impossible and Mamma Mia! (London, Broadway and worldwide).
John Leonard is an award-winning sound designer and has worked extensively across the UK including at the National Theatre, Almeida, Royal Court, Chichester Festival Theatre, Birmingham Rep and Manchester Royal Exchange.
Paul Kieve is an internationally renowned illusionist whose recent theatre credits include Matilda (West End and UK tour) and Groundhog Day (Broadway). He is the co-creator of David Blaine Live and Dynamo’s international tour and consultant on the live shows for David Copperfield, Penn & Teller in Las Vegas and Derren Brown.
Blithe Spirit is presented by Theatre Royal Bath Productions, Lee Dean and Jonathan Church Productions.
Theatre Royal Bath Productions, Lee Dean and Jonathan Church Productions present BLITHE SPIRIT By Noël Coward Directed by Richard Eyre Designed by Anthony Ward Lighting Design by Howard Harrison
Monday 24 to Saturday 29 February *on sale end of September Norwich Theatre Royal Theatre Street, Norwich NR2 1RL Box office: 01603 63 00 00 www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk
SET TO TERRIFY THE UK AS FIRST NATIONAL TOUR ANNOUNCED
Professor Goodman will visit venues across the UK to confirm the supernatural is PURELY a trick of the mind… or is it?
Ghost Stories opens at The Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham, 7th January 2020
After exhilarating audiences across the globe with record breaking, sell-out productions and a smash hit film, the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre’s production of Andy Nyman and Jeremy Dyson’s supernatural sensation Ghost Stories begins it’s first ever regional tour in early 2020 on completion of its West End run this autumn at The Ambassadors Theatre, London, which transferred following a smash-hit, extended run at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre. More spine-tingling and terrifying than ever, the Olivier Award-nominated show opens at The Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham on the 7th January 2020.
The tour then continues to Bath,Theatre Royal; Nottingham, Theatre Royal; Woking, New Victoria Theatre; Aylesbury, Waterside Theatre; Brighton, Theatre Royal; The Lowry, Salford; Cardiff, New Theatre; The Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury; York, Grand Opera House; Richmond Theatre; Liverpool Playhouse, Glasgow, Theatre Royal; King’s Theatre, Edinburgh, Nuffield Southampton Theatres City and the Sheffield Lyceum.
WARNING
Please be advised that Ghost Stories contains moments of extreme shock and tension. The show is unsuitable for anyone under the age of 15. We strongly advise those of a nervous disposition to think very seriously before attending.
There’s something dark lurking in the theatre. Enter a nightmarish world, full of thrilling twists and turns, where all your deepest fears and most disturbing thoughts are imagined live on stage. A fully sensory and electrifying encounter, Ghost Stories is the ultimate twisted love-letter to horror, a supernatural edge-of-your-seat theatrical experience like no other.
Casting to be announced.
Andy Nyman is an award-winning actor, director and writer who has earned acclaim from both critics and audiences for his work in theatre, film and television. On stage Andy is currently playing the iconic role of Tevye in Trevor Nunn’s revival of Fiddler on the Roof. It is playing at the Playhouse Theatre until November 2nd. Andy was also seen in Martin McDonagh’s Hangmen (Wyndham’s Theatre), Stephen Sondheim’s Assassins(Menier Chocolate Factory) and Abigail’s Party (also Wyndham’s Theatre). Other theatre work includes the original production of Ghost Stories (Lyric/Duke of York’s Theatre) which has recently been made into a major motion picture, also written, starred and directed by Andy & Jeremy Dyson. Other film credits include The Commuter, Death at a Funeral andKick-Ass 2. Hisupcoming films include playing opposite The Rock & Emily Blunt in Disney’s Jungle Cruise plus starring opposite Renee Zellweger in Judy. TV he is best known for Peaky Blinders, Campus & Dead Set, and has recently appeared in BBC 1’s Wanderlust.
Jeremy Dyson is a screenwriter, stage-writer and author, best known as a member of comedy group The League of Gentlemen. With Andy Nyman he co-wrote and co-directed the stage and film versions of Ghost Stories. In addition he co-created and co-wrote the BAFTA-nominated comedy-drama series Funland and co-created, co-wrote and directed the Rose d’Or-winning all-female comedy show Psychobitches. His second collection of stories, ‘The Cranes that Build the Cranes‘ won the Edge Hill Award for short fiction.
Ambassador Theatre Group Productions, Smith and Brant Theatricals and the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre present the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre’s production of Ghost Stories.
THE TRIUMPHANT, NEW PRODUCTION WILL RETURN TO THE LONDON PALLADIUM
FOR SUMMER 2020
Smash hit show played a completely sold out 2019 season
Performances next year begin Thursday 2 July 2020
Michael Harrison and The Really Useful Group are thrilled to announce that the new, smash hit production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat will return to the iconic London Palladium next summer, following its triumphant season this year.
Performances will begin on Thursday 2 July 2020, with Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat playing a strictly limited 10-week season through until Sunday 6 September 2020 (Gala Night: Thursday 16 July 2020). Tickets for 2020 go on General Sale on Friday 27 September 2019.
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat enjoyed a completely sold out season this year, with audiences giving the new production nightly standing ovations. Critics were also unanimous in their acclaim for the legendary musical – the first major collaboration by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice – as it returned to the London Palladium.
Released as a concept album in 1969,the stage version of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat has become one of the worlds most belovedfamily musicals. The multi-award winning show, which began life as a small scale school concert, has been performed hundreds of thousands of times including multiple runs in the West End and on Broadway, international number one tours, and productions in over 80 countries as far afield as Austria and Zimbabwe and from Israel to Peru! The show features songs that have gone on to become pop and musical theatre standards, including Any Dream Will Do, Close Every Door To Me, Jacob and Sons, There’s One More Angel In Heaven and Go Go Go Joseph.
Told entirely through song with the help of the Narrator, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat follows the story of Jacob’s favourite son Joseph and his eleven brothers. After being sold into slavery by the brothers, he ingratiates himself with Egyptian noble Potiphar, but ends up in jail after refusing the advances of Potiphar’s wife. While imprisoned, Joseph discovers his ability to interpret dreams, and he soon finds himself in front of the mighty but troubled showman, the Pharaoh. As Joseph strives to resolve Egypt’s famine, he becomes Pharaoh’s right-hand man and eventually reunites with his family.
Casting for 2020 will be announced at a later date.
The hype surrounding BIGthe musical has been everywhere around the London theatre scene and I must say being a huge fan of the original 1988 film starring Tom Hanks I was a little apprehensive about going to see a musical adaptation.
The opening of the show held much promise as the lighting design by Tim Lutkin and Production design by Simon Higlett are very impressive with the added flare of moving LED screens with videography by Ian William Galloway creating back drops for scenes on a revolve. Sadly it seemed this was a case of style over substance and didn’t help the book or score much.
The story follows Josh Baskin a 12 year old living in the suburbs of New York and struggling with teenage hormones and girls. He is the little guy with a big heart and has the support of his best friend and neighbour Billy, who has good intentions but not always the most appropriate advise. Josh’s mom played by Wendi Peters is a slightly over bearing mother who is reluctant to accept her little boy is growing up and as a result is a little over protective.Josh and his family head to the local carnival where Josh has finally had enough of being treated like a kid and he makes a wish to be ‘BIG’ after stumbling across a mysterious ‘Zoltar’ Machine.
The events that unfold are totally unexpected as his wish is granted and Josh wakes up as a grown up played by Jay McGuiness. From here the journey begins into what it means to be an adult and responsibility and ultimately what it means to love.
Sadly this show missed the mark for me. The film is so iconic and the book of the show doesn’t match it. The score has no memorable numbers and all kind of blurs into one. The cast do their best with what they have but it’s all just a bit disjointed. Numbers have been added that don’t enhance the story but more halt it.
There are moments of comedy that are good but also moments that are unnecessary and mock what the original film is known for, in particular the Zoltar machine is over egged and becomes farcical instead of weird and mysterious with a booming operatic voice bellowing ‘your wish is granted’, it’s just a bit hammy.
Kimberly Walsh plays Susan Lawrence – the love interest- with a certain unlikable charm which works initially but vocally her voice doesn’t sound all that safe and I couldn’t get invested in her numbers as they were a bit flat in their content.
Matthew Kelly plays George MacMillan with gusto and does well with the infamous piano choreography but his accent does slip in parts.
The kids ensemble are great and are fantastic additions to the cast but mainly utilised as scene transitions which is a shame.
Jay McGuiness as older Josh brings a child like quality to the role but again his numbers are just a little bit middle of the road and tend to go on a bit too long.
Overall the production was not what I hoped it would be and not anywhere near what it could have been which is a real shame. The original source material has so much to offer in the way of content for a show but sadly this wasn’t the right direction for me.
