Renowned theatre actress Rebecca Lock will play Emily Hobbs in ELF, the smash hit musical which returns to London in a new production at the Dominion Theatre for a strictly limited 8-week season. Rehearsals for ELF begin today in anticipation of previews from 14 November and an official opening on 24 November 2022, with the season finishing on 7 January 2023.
Rebecca Lock’s credits include Rosalie Mullins in School of Rock (UK tour), Carmen in Curtains (UK tour and Wyndhams Theatre), Ms Fleming/Veronica’s Mom in Heathers (Theatre Royal Haymarket), Rosie in Mamma Mia! (Novello Theatre), Carlotta Giudicelli in The Phantom of the Opera (Her Majesty’s Theatre), Kate Monster/Lucy the Slut in Avenue Q (Noel Coward Theatre) and Mary Poppins in Mary Poppins (Prince Edward Theatre).
She joins the previously announced Simon Lipkin as Buddy, Georgina Castle as Jovie, Tom Chambers as Walter Hobbs, Kim Ismay as Debs, Nicholas Pound as Santa and Dermot Canavan as Store Manager.
Also in the cast are Evonnee Bentley-Holder, Kyle Cox, Jade Davies, Bethan Downing, Francis Foreman, Morgan Gregory, Ryan Jupp, Ellis Linford-Pill, Shane O’Riordan, Theo Reece, Chloe Saunders, Heather Scott-Martin, Jessica Spalis, Michael Tyler, Katie Warsop and Natalie Woods.
Dexter Barry, Logan Clark, Alfie Morwood and Frankie Treadaway will alternate the role of Michael.
Based on the beloved 2003 New Line Cinema hit starring Will Ferrell, ELF features a book by Tony Award winners Thomas Meehan (Annie, The Producers, Hairspray) and Bob Martin (The Drowsy Chaperone), with songs by Tony Award nominees Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin (The Wedding Singer).
The new production will be directed by Philip Wm. McKinley, with original set and costume design by Tim Goodchild, choreography by Liam Steel, lighting design by Patrick Woodroffe, sound by Gareth Owen, video design by Ian William Galloway, music direction by Alan Williams and wig and hair design by Richard Mawbey. Casting is by Grindrod Burton Casting.
ELF is the funny and charming tale of Buddy, who mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts as a baby and is transported back to the North Pole and raised as an elf! Unaware that he is actually human, Buddy’s enormous size and poor toy-making abilities finally cause him to face the truth and realise he’ll never belong in the North Pole. With Santa’s permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York to find his birth father, discover his true identity and help New York remember the true meaning of Christmas.
ELF the Musical is produced by Temple Live Entertainment.
The iconic 1980 Blues Brothers film is such a cult classic that The Chicago Blues Brothers have been touring the globe for over 30 years. Each tour is themed, this one being A Night At The Movies, bringing to the stage a wide range of songs from a variety of films. Accompanied by a seven-piece live band, director and producer Chris “Jake” Hindle and Gareth “Elwood” Davey, take to the stage with Sweet Soul Sisters Stacey and Megan, for what promises to be an all singing, all dancing, all action mash up of a show, celebrating the music of the movies.
With the help of a screen projection behind, the set is based on the old Blockbuster stores, renamed Bluesbuster for their purposes. We were treated to classics from Dirty Dancing, Footloose, The Greatest Showman and many, many more. I must admit my personal favourite, but only because it is one of my all-time favourite songs, after listening to my mum’s LP’s when I was younger, was Green Onions. If you’ve never heard of it, it’s an instrumental, and boy the band sure did it justice, made my night.
Hindle and Davey are great as Jake and Elwood, encapsulating their characters so well. At times though the attempts at American accents were a bit dodgy, that was of on consequence as we were all having such fun. They were both slick in their singing and dance moves, Davey especially with his floor skills. They were well supported by the Sweet Soul Sisters, who both had their opportunity to strut their stuff, and to shine with solo numbers. The band were all talented musicians, playing live music with such passion. A shout out to Danny, the trumpet player, with all his eagerness in wanting to perform La Bamba, such a funny character. There is so much interaction and banter within the cast and the audience, they really do look like they are having a blast.
I must admit that I wasn’t familiar with some of the numbers, but the show was that infectious that it had me up on my feet dancing along. For virtually the whole of the second half the majority of the audience were up on their feet dancing and singing along, “Shaking our Tailfeathers”. What more could you want from a night at the theatre?
Straight from walking into the theatre we just knew we were going to be in for a great night, it had been invaded by tons of Jakes and Elwoods. They were everywhere, splendid in their black suits and skinny ties, fedoras and shades, a terrific sight to see. A bonus for us was the two men in one of the boxes, dressed up, who had all the moves to all the numbers. We had a blast copying them in our seats. I managed to speak to them afterwards, they’re from Newcastle and this was about their 15th visit to this show, with more planned, true dedication.
This is a smashing show not to be missed, full of fun and energy.
Skitzoid Productions new musical is a heartfelt but muddled queer romp towards the apocalypse. Sam (Jonny Brace), CEO of supportme – an IT company that prepares business for the apocalypse – is awaiting news of a contract renewal in an underground bunker in Southwark. Flirting with the DPD delivery guy (Daniel Nyari), Sam accidentally starts the countdown to a missile launch, and he can’t remember his newly changed password to stop nuclear Armageddon.
As Sam and his team try to escape the bunker, a series of calamities render them unconscious, and the show enters Sam’s mind. To cope with impending doom and his ongoing mental health issues, his subconscious turns everything into a musical number. To find a solution, Sam’s mind delves into each character’s issues while shoehorning them into his TV writing project Regency Abbey. When the characters start to rebel after a few lacklustre seasons, Sam’s favourite character Rev. Cassock gets a modern-day detective series called Cassock’s Clutch. Aesha (Zara Evans) seems superficial and obsessed with social media but is still in the denial stage of grief. Stats (Katie Penfold) needs structure because of her abusive childhood, T-Base (Nyari) acts out his religious father’s prejudices and Sam’s avoidance of conflict stems from the violent abuser in his family. To touch on all these themes in a musical is ambitious and there are some lovely moments, but the segues into song are unsuccessful at times. As his characters stop co-operating, Sam’s frustrated cry of “I need to find a dramaturg” seems sound advice for Bain. A slicker, more streamlined approach would allow the story to flow and make some scenes feel less clunky and easier to relate to – supportme’s motto is, after all, Connect to Survive.
On a positive note, the performances are all strong and vocals impress. Penfold’s facial reactions as she loses control; of her body in early choreography are wonderful. I thought it was hilarious that Marcus Bentley from Big Brother was the Voice of God, counting down the minutes to the apocalypse, and didn’t realise that he had not recorded his part but was speaking live from the back of the theatre until he strode onto the stage for a small but pivotal role. There is a decent range of musical styles in the score, but the overuse of electronic instruments in all songs does begin to resemble shopping mall muzak. This is a shame as some of the songs have exciting potential and varied arrangements would help differentiate them. Valentina Turtur’s set design works well as the bunker and Sam’s subconscious, with Oliver Hynds’ lighting adding an intimidating and claustrophobic atmosphere. Benjamin Harvey’s animation is a fantastic touch as Stats works out her self esteem issues playing a video game Space Evaders.
With moments of charming introspection, absurd humour, and full of energy, Last Sales Conference of the Apocalypse highlights important mental health issues. This is a show with lots of potential but needs a lot more work before it is the finished article.
Jenna Fincken’s unsettling and unforgettable play about coercive control chronicles a relationship from meeting to the first act of violence.
When Louise meets Ryan at Jess’s engagement party, it does not start well. She is suspicious and he is disgustingly nice. Their first date ends disastrously, but soon they are moving in together in a new town, far from her friends and family. Louise is happy and does not notice the red flags that keep popping up. As Ryan isolates her increasingly from the world, (no phone, no access to the joint account…) her friends and family try to intervene, but Louise is defensive and protective of Ryan. After exerting control on every aspect of Louise’s life, Ryan’s assertion that he cannot survive without her and threats of self-harm if she leaves stop Louise from breaking away. Nobody who sees this play will ever say “She could have just left him.”
Fincken has written Louise as an intelligent, independent young woman, a teacher seeking deputy headship positions. When she realises her situation Louise says that she is trained to spot this in her work – but living it is a different matter. We only hear Ryan’s voice (Matthew Durkan) and so his casual and vindictive acts of cruelty – poor Sharky! – are described and excused after his apologies until, about 18 months in, he is finally violent to Louise.
Fincken’s writing and performance are phenomenal. She jumps between characters seamlessly -Whiny Briony is a hoot! Fincken keeps Louise sharp and funny between her moments of self-doubt and terror as she struggles to maintain Ryan’s exacting standards. Georgia Green’s direction and Miranda Keeble’s set design is perfectly judged to allow the story telling to be animated and dynamic. Fincken’s physicality, Simeon Miller’s lighting and projection and Tingying Dong’s sound design all work together to create a chaotic and increasingly claustrophobic atmosphere as the relationship inexorably travels towards violence.
Funny, disturbing and uncomfortable – Louise asks us “Did you see?” – Ruckus is a brilliant production.
Maltings Theatre, St Albans – until 15 October 2022
Reviewed by Ross McGregor
Beginning 4**** Middle 5*****
Late Night Love’s Labours Lost in the Pesto Triangle
Presented on alternate nights and as a double-bill on Saturdays, OVO Theatre have brought David’s Eldridge’s “Beginning” and “Middle” to the Maltings Theatre, in a welcome revival following their National Theatre debuts a few years ago.
The two plays are naturalistic two-handers, both running as continuous single scenes spanning 90 minutes (Beginning) and 100 minutes (Middle). Whilst the characters in each play are unrelated to those in their companion piece, and their respective subject matter unique and separate, director Adam Nichols has made the decision to use the same two actors (Matt Betteridge & Emma Wright) in both plays to perhaps highlight the thematic links between the pieces that exist in the texts. Or perhaps he just wanted to give two actors an immense amount of lines to learn, who knows.
We find ourselves in a type of theatrical style made popular by writers like Hare and Harrower – there is a working fridge-freezer that chills the fish fingers, real beers that are opened and spilled, real plates that are broken and real Pringles that are eaten. The references are (sort-of) modern with shout-outs to Facebook, Paloma Faith, DM sliding and Jeremy Corbyn, and it’s not often that the playwright allows one of his characters to finish a sentence. But as the protagonists hunt futilely for their own fullstops before eventually having to make do with a hyphen – we are presented with two slices of relationship life that feel truthfully raw, engagingly charming, surprisingly funny and painfully sad.
Dealing with the plots first – it is safe to say that both Beginning and Middle serve as long dark Saturday nights of the soul.
In “Beginning”, we meet Laura and Danny – two early-forty-something-singletons at Laura’s birthday house party. They don’t seem to know each other well, but something is keeping them from calling it a night. Might there be romance in the air amongst the stale beer and cigarette smoke? Or is it just hormones? Another one-night-stand to add to the list of casual conquests or the start of something real?
Betteridge’s Danny is mercurial in his sliding between the over-confident corporate lad that’s not afraid of a one-night stand, and the sensitive clean-freak man-child residing beneath that very much is. Betteridge swaggers and struts with impeccable comic timing, knowing when to hold and when to push – he gives Danny a real charm and isn’t afraid of leaning into the character’s more painful secrets and insecurities when the playwright allows him access to them. By contrast, Wright’s Managing Director Labour-Leaning Laura seems on the surface to have her life a little more together – she’s more forthright about she wants and why she’s allowed Danny to hang around post-party, but Wright gradually opens her performance up and lets her character’s true motivations shine as the play progresses and it’s handled with sensitivity and truth. I personally feel that the playwright preferred writing Danny than Laura, and that shows in the script’s weighting of the two roles (I’m afraid the dreadfully overused “male playwright writing a female character’s motivation” trope rears its head here – no spoilers dear reader but it rhymes with “baving a haby”), but despite that lazy decision, it’s a touching piece, funny and awkward – as two strangers in the middle of their lives wrestle with the decision to take a chance on love one more time, hampered by all the baggage of the past, shouting over the ghosts of past ambitions and the voids of absent parents that clearly still plague them.
In “Middle”, which to my mind is the stronger of the two pieces, we meet Gary and Maggie. This time Betteridge and Wright are slightly older in their playing ages – and suit the characters slightly more. Gary and Maggie have been married for almost twenty years – but when Maggie can’t sleep late one night – Gary comes down into the kitchen to defrost the Sunday Roast – and what slowly unfurls is a devastating and brutal evisceration of their life together, their past, their wants and needs, both then and now. To say more would be telling, but suffice to say – both actors are at the absolute top of their game, and the script scorches and sizzles in their incredibly capable hands. It’s a barnstorming belter of a piece that flies by, almost leaving you breathless. Betteridge’s Gary is an absolutely effortless work of genius – he shines in speeches and silence alike – it’s so rare to see a performer truly living in their world they’re inhabiting, breathing and responding naturally from line to line – he’s an absolutely captivating performer, and Gary soars under his carefully structured delivery. Wright, thankfully, is given more to do in Middle than she is in Beginning, and her Maggie is a masterpiece of silent pain, a terrible truth simmering within her just as scorching as the milk she’s warming on the stove in their kitchen island. Maggie is both a tempest and the ship trapped within one, she’s powerless as she’s swarmed by memories and the echoes of her lost ambitions and dreams – and yet the winds that wrack her frame are of her own making. Middle is basically the story of a marriage in crisis, and it is a testament to both the actors and the skills of their director that I found myself changing allegiances multiple times through the course of the play.
Simon Nicholas’s set is doing double duty for the piece, but there’s enough skilful reconfiguration between the two shows to make them separate and distinct from each other. The aim for the pieces is naturalism, so Nicholas is clearly going for realism – a goal that he more than achieves for the studio space, and there are some nice touches to his decisions that give us hints into the characters and their psychologies – Laura’s lounge for instance has a bookshelf filled with travel books and intellectual door-stop classics but no photographs of family, similarly she has a sofa – which she lounges across, betraying that she often sits there by herself, and two chairs across the room with cushions on them too large to be sat on without throwing them on the floor – revealing that no-one ever does – therefore company in her personal space is rare. She may be saying to Danny that she has friends and a good job and social life and independence, but subtly underneath, her room is whispering that she’s lonely. The set should never be the star of the show, and it’s not here – which is a good thing – but Nicholas’s design and attention to detail give authenticity, insight and class to proceedings.
Adam Nichols directs both pieces and his handiwork is deft, direct and daring. He is astute enough to know when to push his cast forward and give the dialogue wings, and yet sensitive enough to know when to pause, to hold, and to let go – his characters have painful tales to tell, and he allows them time and space with which to tell them. His focus on the stage is always clear and tight, and he never lets things descend into melodrama – his audience is a fly on the wall, trapped watching a real situation with real people play out – and Nichols handles this with an aplomb that betrays his experience and a sharp eye and ear for the human condition.
Although there is nothing tangible to link the characters from the two plays into a foursome – other than perhaps a predilection for choosing the name Annabelle from the Bumper Baby Book of Names – both plays present characters in search of comfort and companionship, redemption and understanding. The people in these stories have walked as far through their lives as they have left to go, and it’s at this middle point – an interval, if you will, although both productions ironically lack one, where they take stock, look back, look forward, then reach out into the dark – searching for a hand to hold as they step off into the unknown of their lives’ second act.
If you can catch both shows – then absolutely do it – it’s an epic event that will keep you engaged and entertained, and the pieces are made more nuanced and impressive by using the same cast in both. But if you can only catch one – then it has to be Middle – as it’s stuck with me for hours after seeing it, and in Middle – Nichols and his cast have captured pure lightning in a kitchen sink bottle.
Touring across the Portsmouth Region – until 12th Nov 2022
Reviewed by Emma Barnes
5*****
The story is told by just four characters, it tells the experience of three women in the run up and during the Falklands conflict in the early 80’s. The 75 riveting minutes of classic 80’s tunes are perfectly balanced with a poignant and relevant storyline with local historical context. An uplifting and moving tribute to the Portsmouth region.
The indomitable Stella (Nathalie Gunn) is magnificent, masterful and maternal in her portrayal of the strong female role model for the two younger women. She welcomes us into her club and captures our hearts as each of their different stories unfold. She introduces us to Polish refugee Susan (Julia Grela) and the lovesick Lesley (Emily Ambrose). Each provide stand out solo performances and together their harmonies were absolutely on point and a joy to listen to throughout. Derek (Scott Ramsay) expertly lifts the tone with well delivered comedy. The Jazzercise sequence was our highlight of the night and if anything could have been taken to greater extremes.
Key to the success of this production is the setting. We were welcomed into a Church Hall which had been transformed for the evening into ‘The Paradise Club’ a fictional social club typical of the times. The characters greet the audience and engage them in conversation creating a real atmosphere and transporting those of us who are old enough to remember back in time. The characters in the story are not real, but the events are, and the place is. The names all of all UK teenagers lost in the conflict are a stark reminder of the tragedy faced by so many families. The timely staging of this piece also serve to reflect real events currently taking place on the world stage.
We give this performance 5 stars because it succeeds in leaving a lasting imprint. This is feel good ‘gig theatre’ at its best, an immersive engaging experience with stand out vocals, a heart warming storyline combined with the thrill of being in a small room with a live band (South Coasts hottest party band – The Spoils). There are no special effects, no scenery, no frills, just stripped back raw talent and a clever delivery which keeps alive a local history that should be retold.
And it really worked ! The mood in the room was contagious. By the final song every member of the audience was up and dancing. Prepare to be entertained, prepare to shed one or two tears, prepare to clap and sing. A great night out combined with a lesson in local history that we highly recommend.
The show tours to 20 community venues across the region this Autumn.
We were lucky enough to get a sneak peek at The Theatre Café Diner before it’s official opening tonight – Saturday 8th October – and IT IS MUSICAL THEATRE HEAVEN.
In a prime position on Shaftesbury Avenue, The Theatre Café Diner takes the sparkles and joy of the original Theatre Café and amps it up to 11. Set over two floors, the themed tables and booths reflect MT classics and there is even a Royal Booth with gold curtains. We were lucky enough to get seated in the Six booth, so spent the night toasting the queens as they looked down on us. The design is so well thought out – wherever you sit, there is so much to see. Next time I want to sit on the Kinky Boots stools to live the dream of having legs that go on forever.
Unfortunately, I was so busy living my best life that the only decent photos I have are of the toilets… but the loos are lush. The only seats in town where you get a round of applause for doing your business.
The menu is full of MT themed dishes: Whistle Down the Wings, Aaron Burr-ger, Shuffle Off to Buffalo Chicken Burger, and my favourite side – Dancing Through Fries. The cocktail menu doesn’t disappoint either: Bend and Schnapps, Long Island Iced Tea-nage Dream and Madame Midori-bbles Sour.
The main selling point, and what makes this place so magical, is the waiting team. Apart from being the friendliest and most welcoming in London, they are also the most talented. The cast includes students and graduates with killer voices and, I expect, the acting chops to deal with the most obnoxious customers with a smile. The live performances are incredible, with each singer moving between the two floors as well as screens to show you what is going on upstairs/downstairs. There is a varied mix of songs from modern and classic musicals, and a glorious range of vocal styles. You may forget to chew – they are so amazing.
Whether you are looking for a pre-theatre treat or simply a joyful dining experience, The Theatre Diner is THE place to go. Food, drink and musical theatre, what else do you need in life? – this will be a lot of people’s Happy Place.
Wyndham’s Theatre London – until 15th January 2023
Reviewed by Liberty Noke
5*****
Life of Pi has become a well known story after the huge success of both the book and the film. In my opinion this play is even better. On the surface this is the story of a boy who survived an almost unbelievable tragedy but this story is so much more with themes of religion and humanity it is a story that resonates with the audience.
The stage is set with a simple hospital bed and the play begins with Pi (Nuwan Hugh Perera) being interviewed about his time as a castaway. Perera perfectly portrays a frightened, traumatised boy, shaking with fear and walking uneasily speaking quickly and fanatically then suddenly not at all. But then, all of a sudden, the scene changes. As Pi recounts his childhood the stage becomes his family zoo and Perera is playing an altogether different character: the Pi who had not yet suffered. This sudden change in scenery was achieved by the chorus walking in stage with butterflies, the lights and music changing and Pi suddenly is happy and at peace. This is testament to what a remarkably talented Actor Perera is
At the zoo we meet many animals, the animals on the stage are puppets operated by actors and the way they move is phenomenal. Finn Caldwell, Nick Barnes and Caroline Bowman did a fantastic job in creating these puppets. The way the animals moved was almost life-like and I found myself genuinely terrified of a tiger I knew wasn’t real. Richard Parker, the tiger was operated by Owain Gwynn, Rebecca Killick and Elan James. All three actors were incredible and it must’ve taken a lot of rehearsal to move together as one in such a way that I forgot the actors were there at all.
There wasn’t a single part of this play that didn’t amaze me. The lights and music able to transform the theatre into a stormy sea, the set that had me believing Pi was really swimming, the faultless performances of every actor and the incredible puppets that make this play truly special. I enjoyed this play not just because it is a fantastic story brought to life by an incredible team of creatives but also because of the way it challenged me.
I was left, on my journey home from the theatre, contemplating life. Wondering what it meant to be human, what sets us apart from animals? Are we really that different from the living beings we share this earth with? I was also left contemplating faith. In times of trouble many of us turn to a higher power and Life of Pi calls this into question. Do we lose faith when all seems lost? Or is that a reason to hold in to it? This is so much more than a play it is a beautiful, moving commentary on the human species.
TICKETS ARE ON SALE FOR THE MUSICAL UNTIL 8 JANUARY 2023 AT WWW.GETUPSTANDUPTHEMUSICAL.COM
Island Records are very proud to announce the release on 10 October 2022 of “GET UP STAND UP!”,the Original Cast Recording of the award-winning hit West End musical of the same name which has been wowing audiences and critics alike since opening in October 2021. Featuring original cast members including Arinzé Kene and Gabrielle Brooks, alongside ‘The Stand Up Crew’, the fantastic group of musicians who propelled the show, the 20-track album was produced and mixed by Island stalwart Paul ‘Groucho’ Smykle, with arrangements by Phil Bateman, and features many of Marley’s most popular, powerful, enduring and inspiring songs of freedom. The production takes its inspiration from Bob Marley’s visionary lyrics to tell the Jamaican legend’s extraordinary story through a truly electrifying mix of many of his most memorable songs. The full track-listing is as follows:
1. Lively Up Yourself
2. Trenchtown Rock
3. Duppy Conqueror
4. Is This Love (One Love)
5. Small Axe
6. Lively Up Yourself (acappella)
7. Roots Rock Reggae
8 Turn Your Lights Down Low
9. Jamming
10. Exodus
11 Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry
12. Punky Reggae Party
13. Waiting In Vain
14. Running Away
15. No Woman No Cry
16. So Much Things to Say
17. Three Little Birds
18. One Love
19. Could You Be Loved
20. Get Up Stand Up
Now You See The Light . . .
By Paul Morley
Get Up Stand Up is, as its sub-title says, a Bob Marley musical, but it’s something more than a straightforward musical featuring the usual razzamatazz. Of course it is, because it’s about Bob Marley, and all he was and is, as prophet, star, songwriter and shaman, as man of ideas and man of action. It’s filled with world famous, indelible Bob Marley songs, which were never conceived to be part of a theatrical experience, but which can become that, because they were made to change shape and travel through time and space.
They made the difficult accessible and the personal universal and were destined to grow, to keep growing, and never lose their power and persuasion whatever the setting, wherever and whoever the listener, and watcher. A Bob Marley musical dazzles, because of those compelling, crowd-pleasing songs, but it also communicates the militant Marley’s uncompromising message of love, unity and positivity.
As a musical, and all the other things it is, Get Up Stand Up demonstrates how the anger, spirit and conviction of Bob Marley transcends time and place, language and continents. As with Marley himself, the great ever-moving champion of change, of rebels and outsiders – whose music is played on rotation in hotel bars and on easy listening radio stations but is also a soundtrack to revolution – all is not as it seems.
Get Up Stand Up is a vivid story-telling cheer-leading rags-to-riches musical about Bob Marley starring his evocative songs, furious martial anthems and visionary, sceptical idealism, and it’s an eye-opening live documentary about the dramatic life and times and historical impact of the man himself, taking him through turbulent loves and complicated collaborations from raw, provincial adolescent and ambitious, elusive interloper to international superstar. It’s a love story as well, as the chaotic loves of a chaotic life so rich in incident lead to some of the tenderest, loveliest, most beautifully observed love songs and romantic lullabies ever written.
It’s an analysis of creativity and the astonishingly inventive way Jamaican music evolved before and after the country’s independence in 1962. It follows Marley as he imaginatively synthesises musical styles and establishes a distinctive voice and vision by bouncing off and working with fellow adventurers Peter Tosh, Bunny Livingston and Rita, Judy and Marcia of the I Three, and key mentors and producers such as Coxsone Dodd and Lee Perry and later Chris Blackwell of Island Records.
Tosh, Marley and Livingston as the Wailers are a progressive Jamaican soul group with twisted rock and roll dynamics, a steely, determined, playful gang of dreamers, philosophers and warriors living life on the rough margins using psychedelic songs of faith and hope to stand up for themselves. They fight for their individual rights to such an extent they themselves fall apart. Bob is left to deal with the pressures of a new kind of celebrity and responsibility, and the exiled Peter and Bunny to deal with watching a story of success unfold without them, and their old comrade become the face of Jamaica, the ultimate icon of Rastafarianism, a shadow over their own solo efforts.
It’s also a story about political awakening, of how to use resistance and defiance to generate the sense of purpose and empathy that made the songs so powerful and enduring and Marley so magnetic and revelatory. And it’s a story of life and death and life after death, as Marley faces up to political turmoil, death threats, real life violence and the relentless cancer that cuts his life tragically short even as he fought and kept writing and singing to the end.
As a musical, and something other than that, it respects and continues the subversive, uninhibited and volatile spirit of Marley and the Wailers, it aims to become part of it, to develop the legacy, and constant mystery, of Bob Marley as much as turn it into simply a one-dimensional act of celebration, a fantastic but self-contained night out. It pays tribute to Marley and celebrates his mystique, melodies and messages, his eager and inquiring mind, but the main intention is to be a work in its own right that becomes an integral part of his world, not merely a nostalgic souvenir of it.
As a production, Get Up Stand Up contains its own internal and onstage collaborative shape-shifting energies, inspired by its own determination to exist against all odds – to become a spectacular West End musical featuring a challenging, flawed and contradictory black hero and activist, an exhilarating upbeat entertainment with serious points to make about colonial repression, social inequity, collective resistance, radical humanism and the vital need for liberation and emancipation.
The singers in the show playing Bob, Peter, Bunny, Scratch, the I Three, each and every character, don’t imitate, they interpret, and bring their own intense spiritual energy to Phil Bateman’s inventive arrangements. The musicians, the nine piece Stand Up Crew, on stage as part of the show with their experienced, eloquent feel and togetherness, don’t merely copy but dive deep into the history of Jamaican music, remodelling the insinuating guitar and flashing brass, absorbing and adapting the searching, restless experiments in groove and symbolic forward motion of the Wailers ingenious rhythm section Aston and Carlton Barrett.
Producer Paul Groucho Smykle, who as an original Island Records house producer worked on heady mixes for Bob Marley, Black Uhuru and Grace Jones, is an expert in this forward motion, in the fluid, narcotic space and time of Marley’s music. He produces the cast singers, and the Stand Up Crew, as an act in their own right, as an expressive, original version of the original music, the life, story and songs of Bob Marley turned into a rare hybrid of performance, theatre, recording studio, music and biography.
And as Bob Marley did at his shows, this musical, full of its own joys and surprises, its own brilliant performances and musical invention, this musical which is more than simply a musical, tough and tender, wild and thoughtful like it’s subject, sends audiences home with the words ‘stand up for your rights’ ringing in their ears. You’ve had a great night, but you’ve also been moved to act. And as Bob Marley knew more than most, it’s always time to act, to try and make things better, whatever the news.
Get Up Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical runs at the Lyric Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue until 8 January 2023. Tickets are available from www.getupstandupthemusical.com
Natasha Gordon’s Nine Night is a Leeds Playhouse and Nottingham Playhouse production. The play links to Jamaican Society Leeds’ Out of Many Festival, which is celebrating 60 years of Jamaican Independence. Nine Night, an award-winning play, was originally commissioned by the National Theatre and had a successful run there and in the West End.
Under the direction of Amanda Huxtable, Nine Night, is a comedy that is emotively centred round a traditional nine-night wake of Gloria, the family’s late mother and grandmother. Emma Williams’ ambient set and costumes and Simisola Majekodunmi’s lighting provides the perfect backdrop where all the action is centred in the kitchen and lounge.
The multi-generation family gets together during the nine-night wake to pay tribute to the late mother. Amid traditions and modernity, each member individually and uniquely shares their personal tributes for Gloria as well as confronting one another with issues, past and present, over food, drink, and religious contemplation. The audience is invited to get an insight into Jamaican culture and how one’s passing of life is celebrated and contemplated with laughter and tears and the accompaniment of familiar objects and subjects.
All the members of the cast give excellent portrayals of the characters with Shereener Browne as Lorraine, Gloria’s daughter and main carer. Browne gives a strong level-headed performance and takes in her stride Lorraine’s responsibilities and burdens following her mother’s passing. Josephine Melville and Wayne Rollins gives characteristic and entertaining portrayals as the late mother’s sister, Maggie, and brother-in-law, Vince. Rollins especially entertains and engages with his funny mannerisms, expressions and moves portraying Vince.
This short heartfelt funny yet poignant play which is excellently staged and is unmissable.
