Month: February 2020

JAY McGUINESS, KIMBERLEY WALSH &

DANIEL CASEY STAR IN THE

WORLD PREMIERE OF

SLEEPLESS, A MUSICAL ROMANCE

FULL CAST ANNOUNCED

Jay McGuiness, Kimberley Walsh and Daniel Casey will star as Sam, Annie and Walter respectively in SLEEPLESS, A Musical Romance, based on the original screenplay Sleepless in Seattle. They are joined by Harriet Thorpe as Eleanor, Tania Mathurin as Becky and Jake Sharp as Rob. SLEEPLESS will premiere in London on 1 April 2020 at the newly opened Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre, London, with previews from 24 March.

SLEEPLESS is a new musical with a book by Michael Burdette and music and lyrics by new British writers Robert Scott and Brendan Cull and will feature a 12-piece jazz orchestra.

Also in the cast are Charlie Bull, Colin Burnicle, Christie-Lee Crosson, Laura Darton, Leanne Garretty, Matt Holland, Ross McLaren, Gary Murphy, Dominique Planter, Annie Wensak and Benjamin Wong. Theo Collis, Mikey Colville and Jack Reynolds will share the role of Jonah.

Jay McGuiness came to fame as part of the successful boy band The Wanted. His fame widened when he won Strictly Come Dancing in 2015 with professional dancer Aliona Vilani. He and fellow bandmate Siva won the celebrity version of Channel 4’s Hunted in 2018, raising money for Stand Up To Cancer. Jay is also a regular contributor to the BBC’s The One Show and most recently starred in Rip It Up – The 60’s and BIG The Musical in London’s West End.

Kimberley Walsh rose to prominence in the record-breaking girl band Girls Aloud. During their 10 years together, the group achieved twenty consecutive top ten singles in the UK, including four number ones, with over 4.3 million single sales and 4 million albums sold in the UK alone. In 2012, Kimberley was runner up in Strictly Come Dancing. She has starred as series regular Rebecca in Disney’s The Lodge, played Claire Butterworth in the second series of Channel 4’s Ackley Bridge, and appeared in children’s movies Horrid Henry and All Stars. In the West End she starred as Princess Fiona in Shrek The Musical, Jovie in Elf the Musical, joined Denise Van Outen for a week-long run at Cadogan Hall in Sweet Charity and most recently starred in BIG The Musical at the Dominion Theatre.

Daniel Casey is best known for playing DS Gavin Troy in the first six seasons of Midsomer Murders (ITV 1). He most recently played regular characters in Emmerdale (ITV 1), EastEnders (BBC 1) and Coronation Street (ITV 1). His theatre work includes The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (National Theatre), Yes, Prime Minister (Theatre Clwyd) and Abigail’s Party (UK tour)

Harriet Thorpe is best known for her roles as Carole in the BBC’s The Brittas Empire and Fleur in Absolutely Fabulous. Harriet has performed extensively with French and Saunders, in Girls on Top, Mirrorball and The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle. She also worked with Victoria Wood in Victoria Wood’s Mid Life Christmas. She recently finished a critically acclaimed run in Mame opposite Tracie Bennett, which played Hope Mill Theatre Manchester, Northampton Royal & Derngate and Salisbury Playhouse. Her West End credits include The Dresser, Great Britain, Wicked, Cabaret, Crazy for You, Mamma Mia! and Les Misérables. Films include The Writers Group, The Lady in the Van, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Calendar Girls, Zeffirelli’s Young Toscanini, Greystoke: the Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes and Merchant Ivory’s Maurice.

Tania Mathurin most recently appeared in the West End musical Come From Away. Other recent theatre includes Day of the Living (RSC), The Comedy About A Bank Robbery (Criterion), The Book of Mormon (Prince of Wales) and Porgy & Bess (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre).

Jake Sharp is currently the alternate Dewey Finn in School of Rock at the Gillian Lynne Theatre. He previously played Bill Austin in Mamma Mia! and Ben in Going Out West (which he co-wrote for the New Diorama, London/Just The Tonic, Edinburgh Fringe).

SLEEPLESS is the enchanting new romantic musical comedy based on the original story and screenplay of the romcom classic Sleepless In Seattle. SLEEPLESS tells the heart-warming tale of Sam, who moves to Seattle with his eight year-old son, Jonah, following the tragic death of his wife. When Jonah phones a radio show, Sam is forced to talk about his broken heart and sleepless nights live on air, and he suddenly finds himself one of the most sought after single men in America and a great news story for feisty journalist Annie on the opposite side of the country. Can Jonah bring the two together on the top deck of the Empire State Building? A fresh and lively book alongside a brand-new musical score bring this most timeless of romantic comedies to life on stage.

SLEEPLESS will be directed by Morgan Young (White Christmas, Elf, Big), with set design by Morgan Large, costume design by Sue Simmerling, lighting by Ken Billington, video design by Ian William Galloway, orchestrations and arrangements by Larry Blank, musical supervision by Stuart Morley, musical direction by Chris Walker, wig and hair design by Richard Mawbey and casting by Sarah Bird CDG and Michael Donovan CSA.

The world premiere of SLEEPLESS will be presented by Michael Rose, Encore Theatre Productions Ltd. David Shor and Marc Toberoff. General Manager will be David Pearson.

For further details, please visit www.sleeplessthemusical.com.

Facebook: @SleeplessLDN

Instagram: @SleeplessLDN

Twitter: @SleeplessLDN

LISTINGS

Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre

3 Fulton Rd

Wembley Park

London HA9 0SP

Booking until 3 May 2020

Box Office:  0844 815 4865

Performances:

Tuesday – Saturday at 7.45pm*

Saturday and Sunday at 3pm

* The performance on 1 April will begin at 7pm

Tickets: from £20

Running Time:  2 hours, 15 minutes, including interval

Age guidance: Recommended for ages 5+

York Theatre Royal – until Saturday 22 February 2020

Reviewed by Marcus Richardson

4****

Virtually everyone must know the story of Oliver Twist, the boy famous for saying “Please Sir, I want some more”. The character was written by the equally famous writer Charles Dickens. Some may know the musical ‘Oliver!’, which also involved a televised competition called ‘I’d do anything‘, to find the new Nancy for the West-End run. Now, although York is no West-End, it still has an impressive amount of theatrical happenings, York Light Opera Company (YLOP) is one of several of York’s Am-Dram groups and has bought its own adaptation to the York Theatre Royal stage. ‘Oliver!’ is one of the several shows that I’ve seen done by YLOP and is a large scale production.

With most shows that YLOP has a hand in, there is always a large cast with a wide variety of ages. With some past shows the stage felt too crowded at times, but luckily this wasn’t the case for this production, it only really hit me how large the cast was when it came to the curtain call. The cast has a fair few children in the ensemble, as well as the speaking roles of Oliver, The Artful Dodger, and Charlie.

The title character Oliver was played in this performance by Alex Edmondson, who alternates the role with Matthew Warry. Edmondson did an amazing job for such a young actor, especially with the amount songs and lines having to be learnt. The Artful Dodger, Jack Hambleton, sharing the role with Sam Piercy, impressed me a lot with his singing talent and with the song Consider Yourself, a true cheeky chappy. The adults in the cast are equally talented with Rory Mulvihill as Fagen, Emma-Louise Dickinson as Nancy, Neil Wood as Mr Bumble and Charlotte Johnson as Bet, being of note.

The whole cast did a wonderful job and bringing the Cockney energy to York. The singing one of the highlights of the show, and I really enjoyed “Who Will Buy” scene, with the four sellers singing in counterpoint, just wow! I’m always amazed at the talent that is around. All the bigger scenes worked well and suited the stage. Not all the cast had two legs, we had a Bull Terrier by the name of Boswell, he shares the role with Roy, playing Bill Sykes dog, Bullseye, definitely a crowd favourite. Make sure you buy the programme as there is a fabulous question and answer section with the two dogs.

My only issue, just a small one, and which I’ve had in the past, is the scene changes taking too long, and being a bit clunky. I would rather have a simpler set than a long wait, for the stage to be ready for the next scene. That being said, the set looked pretty good and was used well. Something that is always nice about these shows, is that they have a live orchestra. This make for a better experience, and the music didn’t drown out the vocals, which is definitely a plus.

It was great to see a packed theatre, and such a buzz. We were up in the gods, but in the front row, our recommendation is to try and not to be seated here as the leg room is at a minimum and a bar across the balcony, plus we had a monitor just to the side, impeding our view. During the interval we moved back several rows, and what a difference, plenty of leg room and a great view, would sit there again.

Oliver is a great family show, perfect for a half-term treat.

Mayflower Theatre, Southampton – until 29 February 2020

Reviewed by Jo Gordon

4****

Having been on the scene for a couple of decades now Mamma Mia certainly keeps the audiences coming back time after time; me included as this is possibly my fourth time, maybe even fifth, and I enjoy it now as much as the first.

Set on a beautiful Greek Island we follow the story of Donna and her soon to be wed daughter, Sophie. Sophie has never known who her father is and on finding her mothers diary from the year she was born discovers there are potentially three possibilities so she secretly invites them all onto the island for the big day. All three turn up and despite trying to hide them Donna soon discovers their arrival and is less than pleased!  

Hilarity ensues as the bride and grooms friends gather en mass to the island and Donna’s lifelong friends arrive to share the big day. As the story of Donna’s relationship with the three men unfolds (it was the 70’s!) they realise why Sophie has invited them, and each one believes they are her father with one still having feelings for the feisty Donna he fell in love with all those years ago.

The story is told throughout using the medium of ABBA; their back catalogue provides a song for every possible scenario in the production, from dancing scuba divers, misty eyed recollection and  broken hearts. Will Sophie get the answers she wants?

The set is very simplistic with an ocean blue background and a white Greek building we all recognise from those holiday programmes that make you wish you were somewhere else other than a rainy (insert your town here)! Its a fun production with lots of bright, sparkly costume changes and dance routines that would leave most of us gasping for air and clutching our chests.

There’s not many people who won’t recognise at least one of the ABBA songs and it wasn’t just me sat in the audience that knew them word for word and found it difficult to not leap to our feet and throw some shapes, especially when Dancing Queen came on…. the favourite one for gaggles of women on dance floors across the lands. However, there is one song that I know brings many a moist eye and if Slipping Through my Fingers leaves yours dusty dry I’m not sure we can be friends! An uplifiting, energetic toe tapping production and a must see. Grab your friends, squeeze into that sparkly jumpsuit and celebrate that inner Dancing Queen! 

Vaudville Theatre – until 30 August 2020

Reviewed by Cameron Sykes

5*****

Mischief Theatre return with magic, mistakes and an amount of glitter some might find offensive!

Mischief Theatre’s newest show Magic Goes Wrong is a spellbinding show that leaves the audience wondering what will happen but also how. Theatre under the premises of charity magical variety show indulges audience members with classical illusions, the David Blaine type magic was daring with mind reading along with some acrobatics to complete a well round show that would not be half bad as an actual magic show.

We begin with an audio introduction and safety warning by co writer Penn Jillette which as you would expect is filled with jokes (offensive amounts of glitter). Then the show begins properly with a parade of
the stars including ‘The Blade’, ‘The Mind Mangler’, Bar, Spitzmaus, The Great Sophisticato and guest for the evening Eugenia Banks

The first trick of the night is one created by Sophisticatos’s father the original Sophisticato in which this show is in his honour, “masochist on fire”. The trick goes well until ‘The Blade’ loses his trousers and can no longer partake in the dance routine and they forget to unlock Sophisticato from the apparatus. The next trick is the mind mangler who we quickly learn is a fraud with his heightened senses where he can taste a name, smell a job, touch the dead (or Gwyneth Paltrow) and have X-Ray vision, his tricks are spaced out during the night and he is assisted by Brian (his flat mate) as an audience member and the actual audience on occasion

The next act is ‘The Blade’ a David Blaine type who wows audience’s with his threats of daring and stupidity in equal measure with knife throwing (with a cameraman in the way), stabbing a card out of the deck (with his hand in the way), removing cheese from mouse traps, catching a bullet in his teeth and holding his breath under water during one of Sophisticato’s card tricks, all of these go horribly wrong for him as he ends up needing help in more way then one.

The final act is the European double act Bar and Spitzmaus the gymnastic contortionist who are the half siblings of Sophisticato (possibly) with one good one and one not so good they are the perfect foil for each other, they also assist the other magicians with there tricks resulting in some accidents.

The final of the first half is a more safety conscious version of sawing a woman in half that doesn’t end the way you would expect

The show continues though with more acts from Sophisticato and his father’s prized albeit deceased doves. The Blade and his shenanigans, Bear and Spitzmaus then perform a quick change act and The Mind Mangler shows of his x-ray vision to almost disastrous results

In summary Magic Goes Wrong is a brilliant masterpiece that Mischief and Penn and Teller should all be proud off and is easily worth all the critical acclaim it has received so far.

Planning Permission secured for new theatre to house

Soldier of Orange – The Musical in London

New Venue to be named Royal Docks Theatre

Planning permission has been granted by Newham Council for a 1.150 seat theatre to be built in London’s Royal Docks.  The new venue, named Royal Docks Theatre, is to be the purpose-built home for the acclaimed historical Dutch theatre experience Soldier of Orange – The Musical which is coming to London for the first time. Situated within the heart of the history and one of London’s heaviest bombed areas during The Blitz, the WWII theatrical experience will be at the centre of the Royal Dock’s regeneration.

The planning permission granted was for a temporary 1.150 seat theatre for 5 years plus a restaurant meaning the creation of up to 150 new jobs across construction, hospitality and for the production itself.

Soldier of Orange – The Musical is based on the autobiography of Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema, a renowned Dutch resistance fighter and British RAF war pilot, who chronicled his remarkable WWII experiences in his book of the same name.

Soldier of Orange’s pioneering use of 360-degree ‘SceneAround’ staging – a revolutionary theatre technology especially engineered for this production and to be used in the UK for the first time – pulls the audience directly into Erik’s story, delivering a unique theatrical experience.

As the story unfolds, the entire seating platform with 1.150 seats rotates along a 360-degree panoramic set, by turns revealing an actual 150-foot-wide coastline with sea, sand and rainstorms, student dorms, interrogation cells, a palace and a real DC3 Dakota Airplane.

Soldier of Orange – The Musical is produced by NEW Productions. Producer Fred Boot of NEW Productions commented: “London was the location of our Queen in exile during the war. The UK plays a significant role in our history and this WWII story. Therefore, the UK has always had our priority and we are very pleased with this development for such a relevant location. The production and script are slightly adapted for an international audience, to ensure that it reflects the show as it has been embraced in Holland. We are looking forward to sharing this universal story of a group of friends, forced by war to make life-changing choices. It is a celebration of the time that the Allies came together to fight for our freedom and democracy.”

Mayor of Newham Rokhsana Fiaz, who is also the portfolio lead on inclusive economy, housing delivery, regeneration and planning, said: “It’s a real privilege to welcome this world class production to Newham and to London. It’s an exciting addition to our new plans for a dynamic and vibrant cultural offer in our borough and highlights our commitment to offer residents access to a rich, diverse and creative range of events and activities in Newham. It’s also a fantastic example of how an unused site can be transformed through meanwhile temporary uses.

“The Royal Docks is fast becoming a vibrant new cultural quarter in London, complimenting the exciting programme of creativity, art and academic excellence emerging in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park through the East Bank project. All of this will support our innovative community wealth building and inclusive economy agendas where all our residents benefit from the opportunities accelerating in Newham.”

Strategic Development Committee chair Councillor Daniel Blaney said: “This has the potential to attract thousands of visitors to the Royal Docks each year and reconnect them with one of London’s most historic landscapes.”

Soldier of Orange – The Musical has been seen by over 3 million people in Holland, has broken all Dutch theatre records and celebrated nine years of sold-out shows. Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema’s book was also adapted for a Dutch international hit film in 1977 directed by Paul Verhoeven (Basic Instinct, RoboCop, Total Recall, Elle), nominated for a Golden Globe and starred the late Rutger Hauer in the title role.

The UK production will be directed by renowned Dutch director Theu Boermans. The book is written by Edwin de Vries, with music and lyrics written by Americans Tom Harriman and Pamela Phillips Oland and set design by Bernhard Hammer. This first English production is adapted for the British stage by Jeremy Brock. The Associate producer is Mark de Kruijk.

To register for updates and information on when tickets go on sale go to www.SoldierOfOrange.com

 ENGLISH TOURING OPERA

RETURNS TO CHESTER THIS SPRING

WITH TRIO OF NEW SHOWS

Two Chester choirs will join ETO performers for

Giulio Cesare, Così fan tutte and St John Passion

Shows run from Tuesday 7 April to Thursday 9 April 2020

English Touring Opera returns to Storyhouse in Chester for Spring 2020 with a trio of stunning new shows to entertain audiences – Handel’s Giulio Cesare, Mozart’s Così fan tutte, and the St John Passion by J.S Bach.

English Touring Opera (ETO) follow the success of their Silver Lake/Seraglio in Autumn 2019 by bringing together the great pillars of the baroque and classical periods – Bach, Handel and Mozart – taking the new tour to venues across the country.

The English Touring Opera shows will be particularly special for two Chester choirs, who will sing alongside the ETO performers – Chester Festival Chorus and Chester Cathedral Saturday Singing Club.

English Touring Opera will return to Storyhouse from Tuesday 7 April to Thursday 9 April 2020. Tickets are on sale, including a limited number of £5 tickets for aged 26 and under.

The company’s aim for this new season is to platform exciting new creative leaders; target new audiences to opera; and continue to improve access to its work.

As part of its commitment to collaborating with community choirs throughout the tour, the ETO will engage with more than 500 local singers nationally through a dedicated outreach programme. At Storyhouse, Chester Festival Chorus and Chester Cathedral Saturday Singing Club will perform alongside the ETO.

Chester Festival Chorus was formed in 1981 by Martin Merry, a founder of Chester Summer Music Festival and Artistic Director from its inception in 1978 until 1985. The group has established itself as one of the North West’s leading large-scale mixed-voice choirs. At the annual Chester Summer Music Festival, the choir performed major choral works from composer including Handel, Mozart, Britten, Poulenc, and Tavener. Music director is Ellie Slorach.

The chorus made its first visit to the BBC Proms in 1992 when it gave the London premiere of John Tavener’s We Shall See Him As He Is. The chorus has since returned to the Proms on three occasions – with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra (RLPO) in 1994; with the BBC Philharmonic in 1988; and once again with the RLPO in 2005. The chorus also appeared with the BBC Philharmonic and other choirs from the North of England at the opening choral concert at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall.

Chester Catherdral Saturday Singing Club perform at cathedral services throughout the year. Each term the singers learn popular songs and learn basic music theory, including good singing technique, posture, and breathing.

English Touring Opera’s resident period orchestra, the Old Street Band, will feature in all three shows on baroque and classical instruments, providing a rare opportunity to audiences across the country during its 44-date tour.

Storyhouse is encouraging music fans to experience a live show from English Touring Opera – Giulio Cesare, Così Fan Tutte, St John Passion – as the perfect introduction to opera.

Giulio Cesare will be performed on Tuesday 7 April 2020 at 7.30pm. This is one of Handel’s most celebrated opera. A story of passion and revenge, featuring a treasure trove of great arias with immense dramatic intensity. The opera follows the events surrounding Julius Caesar’s conquest of Egypt, as well as his uneasy alliance and romance with fabled Egyptian queen, Cleopatra. Due to its huge success in ETO’s Autumn 2017 tour, Artistic Director James Conway and Conductor Jonathan Peter Kenny rework their production of Handel’s Giulio Cesare. There is a pre-show talk in the Garret Theatre from 6.30pm. The opera is sung in Italian with English surtitles.

Così Fan Tutte will be performed on Wednesday 8 April 2020 at 7.30pm. Mozart’s combination of glorious music and farcical comedy make Così Fan Tutte an enduring favourite, a story of young love and fidelity. It is in many ways Mozart’s most perfect opera, and was his third collaboration with librettist Da Ponte, following their successes with The Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni. Conductor Holly Mathieson (NZ Opera, Scottish Ballet, Decca Classics) and Laura Attridge (ROH, Mahogany Opera Group, Waterperry Opera) collaborate for the first time on this new production, which is set in 1930s Alexandria – a decade of contradictory gender politics and a city of flourishing cosmopolitanism, and sung in Jeremy Sams’ fluent and witty translation. There is a pre-show talk in the Garret Theatre from 6.30pm. The opera is sung in English with English surtitles.

St John Passion will be performed on Thursday 9 April 2020 at 7.30pm. Following the overwhelming success of English Touring Opera’s performances of the great choral masterpieces of J.S Bach, the ETO will presentSt John Passion in an immersive and semi-staged performance. Professional soloists perform with Chester Festival Chorus and the Old Street Band for a distinctive and reimagined production. The ETO has commissioned new translations of the chorales from theological and literary figures including Anglican Priest, journalist and broadcaster Dr Giles Anthony Fraser, and former Archbishop Of Canterbury and poet Dr Rowan Williams. The opera is sung in English and German with English surtitles.

Tickets for English Touring Opera are on sale now priced from £20.50. Each ticket is subject to a £1.50 booking fee. There are a limited number of £5 tickets for aged 26 and under.

LISTING INFORMATION

ENGLISH TOURING OPERA

Tuesday 7 April 2020 – Thursday 9 April 2020

STORYHOUSE

Hunter Street, Chester, CH1 2AR

TUESDAY 7 APRIL 2020 – GIULIO CESARE

Sung in Italian with English surtitles

Pre-show talk in the Garret Theatre at 6.30pm

Show starts at 7.30pm

WEDNESDAY 8 APRIL 2020 – COSÌ FAN TUTTE

Sung in English with English surtitles

Pre-show talk in the Garret Theatre from 6.30pm

Show starts at 7.30pm

THURSDAY 9 APRIL 2020 – ST JOHN PASSION

Sung in English and German with English surtitles

Show starts at 7.30pm

Tickets from £20.50 – each ticket is subject to a £1.50 booking fee

A limited number of £5 tickets for aged 26 and under

HOW TO BOOK

Online:            Visit www.storyhouse.com

By Phone:       Call 01244 409 113

In person:       Visit the Ticket Kiosks at Storyhouse, Hunter Street, Chester, CH1 2AR

Website:         www.storyhouse.com

Facebook:       www.facebook.com/storyhouselive/

Twitter:           @StoryhouseLive

VAULT Festival 11 – 16 February 2020

Reviewed by Claire Roderick

4****

The third part of Katie Arnstein’s It’s A Girl! trilogy is another corker of a show. (All 3 shows are playing on the 16th)

Although still in development, Sticky Door is already a slick, intelligent and funny production. Einstein’s relaxed and anecdotal style almost makes the audience forget they’re watching theatre rather than sharing war stories with a mate. After a pre-Christmas breakup, Arnstein shares her 2014 plan – a man a month, without getting attached or staying with them out of habit. With no agent and struggling to find acting jobs, Katie shares a flat above a Brixton chicken shop “le Palais de Poulet” as her flatmate calls it and works in a Chinese restaurant. Her methods of finding suitable dates are related in hilarious fashion, and if each month’s encounter was told in equal detail, this show would be a marathon, but probably well worth sitting through. A few months are skipped through in a musical montage until we get to the summer, where glimpses of Katie’s mental health struggles trickle through, before becoming a paragliding deluge. The change in body language and breakup of the rhythm of the storytelling convey the emotional exhaustion brilliantly.

With a clever eye for detail and some wonderful quips, Arnstein’s writing engages the audience instantly, and her charming and charismatic performance is outstanding. Arnstein’s analysis of why her depression developed and the support of her friends is brutally honest, and the final call to arms for us to fight the sexism and prejudice in society, and to remember that we deserve better is full of hopeful inspiration. Get down to the Vaults and see this wonderful show for lots of laughs, a few tears and rhubarb and custards.

The Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester- until 7 March 2020

Reviewed by Joseph Everton

4****

Andrew Sheridan’s passionate, untamed and sometimes strange interpretation of Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights brought a Yorkshire moor to the Royal Exchange’s stage.

Under Bryony Shanahan’s direction, a wild, uninhibited relationship between Cathy and Heathcliff formed, flourished and became an obsession, as eternal as Penistone Crags. Alex Austin’s original portrayal of Heathcliff caught the eye in a performance riddled with all of the worst characteristics of people: envy, selfishness, and unadulterated loathing.

The characters were distinctly unlikeable and, even though Hindley’s (Gurjeet Singh) jealousy and hateful bullying of Heathcliff was believable and brutal, it was difficult to feel much sympathy for him, or indeed any other character as the performance lurched from one disaster to the next. The dark and damaged script described a deep and sometimes disturbing love, bordering on obsession. The weak and neglected Edgar Linton (Dean Fagan), downtrodden by an increasingly aggressive and damaged Cathy (Rakhee Sharma), was particularly meek and manipulated as he, his sister (Rhiannon Clements) and Hindley vied for affection to no avail.

Alexandra Faye Braithwaite’s shoegaze-style musical accompaniment, performed by the excellent Becky Wilkie and Sophie Galpin, added depth to some of the more emotional moments. When things all felt rather heavy and despairing, the music brought hope and optimism.

Subtle changes to Cecile Tremoliere’s attractive staging were noticeable after the interval as the set grew with the characters. Zoe Spurr’s moveable LED strip lighting was excellent and provided a delicate glow to the stage.

Theatre Royal, Nottingham – until Saturday 15 February 2020

Reviewed by Boo Wakefield

4****

A performance I arrived at thinking it was going to be an Agatha Christie-esque “Who Dunnit” and which I left with the question of Who caused it? on my mind hours afterward. My daughter, like most of the audience, studied An Inspector Calls at GCSE level. This was her second time viewing the production and she said, “it got better and better as I watched”. I haven’t heard her talk this animatedly about a production before, just going to show what an impact this performance made on her as well as all the students in the audience.

Stephen Daldry’s 28-year-old production portrays the struggles of family and society using dramatic lighting, immersive set pieces and an incredible cast. The introductory scene had young children running around the broken and damaged street, which reflected well on the post war era the play was set and written in. Rowan O’Driscoll-Besh’s performance as a Young Boy displayed a powerful image of the innocence and curiosity of the new and vulnerable generation. In comparison, Christine Kavanagh and Jeffrey Harmer’s portrayals of the ghastly Mr and Mrs Birling where fantastic at putting across J. B. Priestley’s idea that the older generation where becoming more and more desperate and power hungry as the post war era ensued.

Kavanagh’s entrance as Sybil Birling was so impressive as she stood in a doorway, glittering in the fantastic pearl jewelry that stood out against the glorious red gown she was wearing. Huge hats off to the costume team and their fantastic work on the outfits, managing to display both the era as well as the characters positions in society. The plainly dressed housemaid Edna, shown through Emma Carter stood out. She seemed to be everywhere and nowhere all throughout the play, eavesdropping and smirking at her employer’s obvious discomfort adding a drop of humor into the more serious aspects of the play.

Beside the fantastic acting there was the incredible lighting and set that has hardly changed since the original production in 1992. Comprised of what seems to be an oversized dolls house atop cobbled streets and rubble, the set presents a post war image of a run-down world in which the Birling’s are trying to elevate themselves above. The use on bright lighting against water and mist falling from above created an acute recreation of the dreary weather of England but also produced a pathetic fallacy as it reflected and emphasized the negative and broken emotions of the Birlings in the wake of the Inspectors grueling interrogations. The ‘oversized dolls house’, as I so crudely named it, was the eye drawing aspect of the whole production. Beginning closed, the house opened quite literally as the performance ensued, baring its inhabitants to the whole audience. Its dramatic effect didn’t stop there though, later in the play accompanied by the bright lighting and rain the house tipped forward, dropping and smashing all the set pieces from inside it. To add to the effect sparks flew from the lamps inside the room, making the whole thing look just a broken as the rest of the world around it. This whole action, it is safe to say, shocked the whole audience as well as myself and really put across the idea that the characters lives were falling apart very effectively.

Overall, a play that has stood the tests of time thoroughly entertaining us all. A thought-provoking and entertaining evening.

SIR MATTHEW BOURNE CELEBRATES PLAYING TO
AUDIENCES OF OVER 200,000 AT BIRMINGHAM HIPPODROME

This week, Birmingham Hippodrome presented Sir Matthew Bourne with a commemorative seat plaque celebrating his productions playing to a total of over 200,000 people in Birmingham since his legendary production of Swan Lake first visited the theatre back in 1996.

Now a regular feature in Birmingham Hippodrome’s theatrical calendar, Sir Matthew Bourne has presented twenty-three productions on the Hippodrome stage over the course of twenty four years including Nutcracker!, Edward Scissorhands, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and The Lord of the Flies. His production of The Red Shoes is currently playing to packed houses at Birmingham Hippodrome until Saturday 15 February.

The seat plaque, situated in G26 of the Circle, reads; “Sir Matthew Bourne; pure dance magic for 200,000 Hippodrome audiences and counting!”.

A sell-out before its world premiere season opened in 2016, Matthew Bourne’s triumphant adaptation of The Red Shoes is currently running for its third season at Birmingham Hippodrome, having won two Olivier Awards and dazzled audiences across the UK and the USA.

The Red Shoes is a tale of obsession, possession and one girl’s dream to be the greatest dancer in the world. Victoria Page lives to dance but her ambitions become a battleground between the two men who inspire her passion.

Set to the achingly romantic music of golden-age Hollywood composer Bernard Herrmann, The Red Shoes is orchestrated by Terry Davies and played by the New Adventures Orchestra, with cinematic designs by Lez Brotherston, lighting by Paule Constable, sound by Paul Groothuis and projection design from Duncan McLean.

The Red Shoes runs at Birmingham Hippodrome until Saturday 15 February 2020. To book visit birminghamhippodrome.com or call 0844 338 5000 (4.5p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge).