Author: FairyPoweredProductions

Grand Opera House, York – until 19 November 2022

Reviewed by Katie Brewerton

5*****

A brand-new musical based on the icon that is Cher is here! Opening on Broadway in 2018, The Cher Show dazzles as it comes to York full of glitz and glamour. Throughout the show three Cher’s appear on stage portraying different stages of Cher’s iconic life. 

Beginning with Millie O’ Connell playing Cher through her childhood, teens and twenties we learn of her struggles through school and we learn of the heartbreaking inspiration behind the song Half-Breed, according to the story Cher was bullied in school for not looking like everyone else and was referred to as ‘half-breed’. We also learn of her home life with her supportive mother and the men who left her behind as a child. This Cher is the one that starts a loving relationship with Sonny Bono played by Guy Woolf, at this age she is devoted to him and they have a happy relationship having a hit with ‘I’ve got you Babe‘ and having their own show in Vegas.

As Cher becomes well known Danielle Steers takes over and Cher’s troubles develop being forced to work endlessly and finding it hard to find time to spend with her child. Her relationship with Sonny goes from bad to worse with betrayals and arguments eventually culminating in their divorce. 

Cher goes on to marry Greg Alman (Sam Ferriday), but after his drug problems and her needing to focus on looking after the 2 children and other family this also ends in divorce. As Debbie Kurup takes over for the final part of the show Cher learns to live without the need of men in her life and becomes the star she was born to be. 

The three Cher’s are fantastic, portraying Cher with her own unique style, voice and mannerisms flawlessly. With a whole host of Cher’s biggest hits including ‘If I Could Turn Back Time’, ‘Just Like Jesse James‘ and so many more featured, this is a show that will have fans begging for more. With the audience up and dancing for the encore, the standing ovation was well deserved.

The Alexandra Theatre – until 19th November 2022

Reviewed by Emily Cliff

2 **

The effect Noughts and Crosses has on its audience is an odd one. On the one hand, the story makes you think about what life would be like in an alternate dystopian society not so subtly using outdated laws, behaviours and attitudes that pre-date the civil rights movement in 1960s America. However, on the other hand, you are left feeling genuinely baffled by the poor execution of what could have been a fantastic story with fantastic potential.

Surrounded by a fantastic set and supported by a brilliant cast, the show had some truly great moments. In a segregated society where the Crosses (darker-skinned people) are the majority in charge, Noughts (lighter-skinned people) are left fighting prejudice and fighting for equality amongst all. Effie Ansah portrayed Sephy excellently, showing the hope of wanting a more inclusive future which can be seen in younger generations in today’s society. Playing alongside Ansah was James Arden, equally as talented showing the struggle of living in a society that isn’t inclusive, and the detrimental effect that can have on your mental health.

Using Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet as a blueprint, it is wholly unfortunate the story didn’t follow in the footsteps of its inspiration. The story for the most part was clunky, dragging and taking far too long to address storylines that could have easily been cut without making a difference to the show as a whole whatsoever. The show runs at a whopping 2 hours and 25 minutes, however, the important and relevant parts of this show could have easily made this an 80-minute show. Using reverse racism in any piece of art can be hard to pull off, however when done correctly and respectfully it can be incredibly educational, the potential was there with Noughts and Crosses, but some parts of this show were just written in very bad taste.

The journey to the interval seemed to take forever with extremely poor pacing and often felt like pulling teeth and the second half seemed to try and jam many storylines into an extremely short space which made for an extremely confusing performance.

Aside from this shows many faults, the cast and the set were fantastic and it is such a shame they were let down by such poor writing and pacing in this story. This play had the potential to be truly groundbreaking and fantastic. With a shorter run time and more succinct writing and pacing, this play would be brilliant, unfortunately, we did not see that tonight.

Transworld to publish hilarious account of non-league football club ownership by comedy performer and co-writer of The Play That Goes Wrong, Jonathan Sayer.

Transworld Publishers is delighted to announce the publication of Nowhere to Run, a warts-and-all insight into the running of a non-league football club, written by comedy performer and writer Jonathan Sayer.

Nowhere to Run follows the first year of Sayer’s co-ownership (alongside his dad) of his local football club, Ashton United FC. As his initial optimism begins to fade and a the briefest of honeymoon periods comes to an end Jonathan starts to realise the scale of the challenge ahead.

Battling to keep the club afloat, a record number of games without a win sees hope turn to despair as Jonathan contends with a mutiny from a group of octogenarian supporters, constant battles with the local council and a star striker who arrives on crutches despite somehow passing his medical.

As the on-pitch form continues to deteriorate and rifts appear between him and his father, Jonathan begins to make some increasingly desperate decisions: dressing as a seven-foot robin in the local market in an effort to drum up larger crowds, sinking his savings into an ever spiralling wage bill and even contemplating bringing in a local priest to lift the ‘Boxing Day Curse’ by performing a late-night exorcism on the pitch.

Chronicling the bitter disappointments and euphoric highs of the less glamorous side of the beautiful game, Nowhere to Run is the hilarious, heart-warming tale of life in the hot seat of a non-league football club and a story of a father and son trying to work together.

Henry Vines, Editorial Director, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from David Luxton at DLA.

Henry said: ‘Every football fan has a soft spot for the non-league game and the quirks, characters and contests at the grassroots level of the sport. To have a writer of Jonathan’s talent immerse us in that world and explain its inner workings is a complete pleasure. With his own money on the line and the hopes and despairs of a community on his shoulders, his memoir is a brutally honest and wildly entertaining insight into the running of a football club.’

Jonathan said: ‘I’m delighted to be able to bring together two of my biggest passions, the world of comedy and the world of football. Becoming the chairman of Ashton United FC with my Dad (David) has been both a dream come true and a living nightmare and I’m so excited to get to tell the story and make people laugh along the way.’

Nowhere to Run by Jonathan Sayer will be published in hardback on 18 May 2023.

National Theatre Live broadcasts David Tennant in the Fictionhouse and Playful production of C.P. Taylor’s GOOD to cinemas worldwide

20 April in the UK / Ireland

15 June internationally

The National Theatre today announces that the West End production of GOOD, directed by Dominic Cooke and produced by Fictionhouse and Playful Productions, will be broadcast to cinemas worldwide as part of the National Theatre Live programme.

Professor John Halder thinks he is a ‘good’ man.  But ‘good’ men must adapt to survive.  As the world faces a World War, Halder finds himself pulled into a movement with unthinkable consequences. In his much-anticipated return to the West End, David Tennant (Doctor Who) gives a ‘magnificent’ (The Guardian) performance in this blistering reimagining of one of Britain’s most powerful, political plays.

Olivier Award-winner Dominic Cooke (Follies) directs C. P. Taylor’s timely tale, with the cast featuring Elliot Levey (Cabaret) and Sharon Small (The Bay).

On behalf of Fictionhouse, Producer Kate Horton said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with NT Live to make our production of GOOD available across the UK and worldwide. C.P. Taylor’s play is a powerful and timely message, and this broadcast will allow audiences to connect with the play, Dominic Cooke’s extraordinary production and David Tennant’s brilliant lead performance long beyond our run at the Harold Pinter Theatre.”

GOOD will be available in cinemas in the UK and Ireland from Thursday 20 April and around the globe from Thursday 15 June, with tickets now available with National Theatre Live.

GOOD is produced by Fictionhouse and Playful Productions, and runs at the Harold Pinter Theatre until 24 December. Tickets available via returns, visit www.goodtheplay.com for availability.

Further company includes Jim Creighton, Rebecca Bainbridge, Izaak Cainer, Jamie Cameron, Edie Newman, Lizzie Schenk and George Todică.

Set and costume design is by Vicki Mortimer; lighting design by Zoe Spurr; sound design by Tom Gibbons; hair, wigs and make up by Campbell Young Associates; musical arrangement and composition by Will Stuart; movement direction by Imogen Knight and casting by Amy Ball CDG.

Filmed live at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London.

Sky Arts is the Headline Partner of National Theatre Live in the UK.

Aylesbury Waterside Theatre – until 19 November 2022

Reviewed by Julia Spargo

4****

Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers brings alive the streets of Liverpool through the 1950s to the 1970s, with the backdrop of poverty, privilege, unemployment and crime. Forced into an impossible situation by financial hardship and debt, young mother-of-seven Mrs Johnstone gives one of her newborn twin boys to her wealthy employer, Mrs Lyons, who is desperate for a child. The boys grow up geographically close, but at opposite ends of the socio-economic spectrum, becoming unlikely friends but unaware of their relationship to each other.

The climax of the brothers’ story is shown in the first scene, before rewinding some twenty-odd years, revealing how the tragedy of the brothers Mickey and Eddie unfolds. The ever-present character of the Narrator navigates the audience through their lives with constant reminders of their ultimate fate.

Many of the cast of this tour are returning to the musical after having been in its West End production, and it shows. Niki Colwell-Evans is exceptional as Mrs Johnstone and is, along with Richard Munday as Narrator, one of few cast members able to compete with the orchestra, whose sheer volume overpowers some of the other characters.

Sean Jones and Jay Worley give very convincing performances of Mickey and Eddie respectively, and their portrayals of the twin brothers as children give the musical many light and humorous moments. The show is held together well by different verses of the song Marilyn Monroe, giving the audience a continued sense of the wider time-frame and the development of the story.

The simple Liverpudlian background of the set and dim lighting increases the sense of tension surrounding Mrs Johnstone and her children, highlighting the claustrophobia of both their economic situation and inevitable fate of her children. The cast are used for any prop changes, meaning the pace of the show never drops and the audience is swept along with the story. The unanimous standing ovation at the end of the performance was well-deserved, and the time it took Niki Colwell-Evans to regain her composure after her incredible rendition of the final song Tell Me It’s Not True showed just how much she is giving to every performance.

Highly recommended.

Festival Theatre, Malvern – until 19th November 2022

Reviewed Courie Amado Juneau

4.5 ****

Arguably the best known Marple, “The Mirror Crack’d” was first published by Christie in 1962 before finding a very admiring audience on the big screen when Angela Lansbury took on the title role in a truly star studded cast. Further small screen adaptations ensued (for BBC and ITV) each changing the original novel in subtle ways.

This new adaptation, by Rachel Wagstaff, makes much more dramatic changes to both the plot and the dramatis personae. For instance, in the original novel there were 3 children adopted and one of them was at the party. In this new adaptation both of those facts have changed! And the name of the first victim changed from Badcock to Lee, which took my attention away from the action on stage as I pondered this. Overall, though, the changes did make dramatic sense but purests who know the original well may balk at the liberties taken with the source material.

One thing that did not change was Miss Marple’s razor sharp sleuthing from her armchair and her busybody status. They even managed to weave in the old running joke regarding just what exactly an elderly spinster, member of the public, was doing at the scene of a crime interrogating witnesses – I enjoyed that. Susie Blake gave us everything we would expect (and more) from our lead character, regaling us with a very pleasing portrayal with believable sympathetic overtones and emotional gravitas – especially in the scene where she recounts her former lost love.

The play was almost a psychological drama and social commentary within the framework of the original novel introducing such a la mode topics as self harm, lesbianism, snobbery, nimbyism… The highlights for me were Marple and her friend, Dolly Bantry (played with an almost “I don’t believe it” air by Veronica Roberts), giving us some delicious on stage chat, especially when they went off piste i.e. discussing Dolly’s children or with Dolly reacting to “new fangled ideas”. Beautifully written drama, giving us warmth, humour and a genuinely warm chemistry beffiting their longstanding fictional friendship.

All the cast were wonderful but special mention must go to Chief Inspector Craddock, played with gusto by Oliver Boot. I particularly loved his exasperated asides to his medling “Aunt Jayne”.

The stylized direction from Philip Franks allowed Marple to be in the action (on stage) for every scene but it did at times feel like the suspects were lined up like pieces in a game of Cluedo! I really enjoyed seeing the testimony scenes re-enacted rather than just as a monologue, giving us a filmic quality which was welcome and pushed the action along nicely.

It is always a pleasure to see an old friend hit the stage and Christie never disappoints. This new adaptation is a fine night out which I thoroughly recommend. Glad rags on, strawberry daiquiri in hand and enjoy yourself heartily – elbow bumps not kisses perhaps… Go see this wonderful play, you won’t regret it!

CAST ANNOUNCED FOR
THE WAY OLD FRIENDS DO AT BIRMINGHAM REP

Birmingham Rep and James Seabright are delighted to announce the full cast for Ian Hallard’s brand new play, The Way Old Friends Do, which receives its world premiere at The Rep from 17 Feb – 4 Mar 2023.

Simultaneously tender and laugh-out-loud funny, this heartfelt story, written by and starring Ian Hallard (The Boys In The Band) is directed by Mark Gatiss (Sherlock, Dracula, Doctor Who, The League of Gentlemen).

The cast includes Donna Berlin (Doctors) James Bradshaw (Endeavour), Sara Crowe (Olivier Award winner for Private Lives), Andrew Horton (Jupiter’s Legacy) and Rose Shalloo (Call The Midwife).

This wonderfully uplifting play also features the voices of two of the UK’s best-loved performers, Miriam Margolyes and Paul O’Grady.

In 1988, two school friends tentatively come out to one another: one as gay, the other – more shockingly – as an ABBA fan. Nearly thirty years later, a chance meeting sets them on a brand-new path and they decide to form the world’s first ABBA tribute band – in drag! But can their friendship survive the tribulations of a life on the road which includes platform boots, fake beards and a distractingly attractive stranger?

A story that will appeal to anyone who understands how it feels to be a fan: of ABBA or of anyone. 

Following its run at Birmingham Rep, The Way Old Friends Do will embark on a tour of the UK, which will include its London premiere at The Park Theatre.

The Way Old Friends Do, which receives its world premiere at The Rep from 17 Feb – 4 Mar 2023. To book tickets visit Birmingham-rep.co.uk, call 0121 236 4455 or visit the box office during opening hours.*

HELLOOOO, LONDON!

NEW COMEDY MUSICAL

MRS. DOUBTFIRE

TO OPEN IN THE WEST END IN MAY 2023

Introducing GABRIEL VICK as Daniel Hillard

Music and Lyrics by WAYNE KIRKPATRICK and KAREY KIRKPATRICK

Book by KAREY KIRKPATRICK and JOHN O’FARRELL

Helmed by legendary, Tony Award-winning director JERRY ZAKS

Performances begin at London’s Shaftesbury Theatre on 12 May 2023

Tickets go on sale today via www.mrsdoubtfiremusical.co.uk

(Tuesday 15 November, 2022) Producers Kevin McCollum and Jamie Wilson are thrilled to announce that new comedy musical Mrs. Doubtfire, based on the iconic movie, will open in the West End next Summer.

Having thrilled audiences at its UK premiere in Manchester earlier this year, the London production will begin performances at the newly refurbished Shaftesbury Theatre from Friday 12 May 2023, with a Press Night on Thursday 22 June. Tickets go on-sale today via www.mrsdoubtfiremusical.co.uk

A hilarious and heartfelt story about holding onto your loved ones against all odds, Mrs. Doubtfire is the musical comedy we need right now.

Out-of-work actor Daniel will do anything for his kids. After losing custody in a messy divorce, he creates the ​alter ego of Scottish nanny Euphegenia Doubtfire in a desperate attempt to stay in their lives. As his new character takes on a life of its own, Mrs. Doubtfire teaches Daniel more than he bargained for about how to be a father.

Mrs. Doubtfire will introduce Gabriel Vick (Avenue Q) as Daniel Hillard.

Gabriel will be joined in the principal cast by Carla Dixon-Hernandez (Matilda the Musical) as Lydia Hillard, Cameron Blakely (The Addams Family) as Frank Hillard, Marcus Collins (Kinky Boots) as Andre, and Ian Talbot OBE (Hairspray, and Director of The Mousetrap) as Mr. Jolly.

Further cast include Joshua Dever, Samuel Wilson-Freeman, Maria Garrett, Kiera Haynes, Adam Lyons, Lisa Mathieson, Ellie Mitchell, Matt Overfield, Tom Scanlon, Vicki Lee Taylor and Rebecca Donnelly, Amy Everett and Paulo Teixeira.

The roles of Miranda Hillard, Stuart Dunmire, Janet Lundy, Wanda Sellner and the full cast are to be announced at a later date.

For cast & creative team information, please see www.mrsdoubtfiremusical.co.uk

Mrs. Doubtfire has been created by a transatlantic team of award-winning artists, with Original Music and Lyrics by Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick, (the Tony Award-nominated team behind Something Rotten!, along with O’Farrell), a Book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell, Direction by 4-time Tony winner Jerry Zaks (Hello, Dolly!), Choreography by Lorin Latarro (Waitress), and Music Supervision, Arrangements & Orchestrations by Ethan Popp (Tina: The Tina Turner Musical). Scenic design is by David Korins (Hamilton), Costume Design by Catherine Zuber (Moulin Rouge! The Musical), Lighting Design by Philip S. Rosenberg (Pretty Woman The Musical), Sound Design by Brian Ronan (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), Hair Design by David Brian Brown (Frozen), Makeup & Prosthetics Design by Tommy Kurzman (The King and I), Casting by Stuart Burt (Cabaret) and Children’s Casting Director is Verity Naughton.

Mrs. Doubtfire is produced by Kevin McCollum and Jamie Wilson and is presented by special arrangement with Buena Vista Theatrical.

For further information, please see www.mrsdoubtfiremusical.co.uk

The Victoria Theatre, Halifax – Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th November 2022

Reviewed by Sal E Marino 

5***** 

Rita, Sue and Bob Too has become a cult classic within the genre of ‘northern gritty drama’ and everyone of a certain age can quote word for word some of it’s golden lines.  Indeed, many audience members at the fabulous Victoria Theatre, Halifax, (where you always receive a warm Yorkshire welcome) couldn’t wait to hear some of those ionic phrases and were shouting them out and cheering loudly when the very talented acting crew delivered them!    Screen-to-stage adaptations (albeit Rita, Sue and Bob Too was performed on the stage before the popular film version) don’t always work as well, especially one where by the film is loved so much as the expectations are almost too high to level up to but, I have to say, I enjoyed Andrew Ashley’s (Artistic director) and Andy Fretwell’s (Managing Director) Rita, Sue and Bob Too more than the film!  Why – because I feel, after researching the writer, Andrea Dunbar, and being lucky enough to see ‘Black Teeth and a Brilliant Smile‘ (a magnificent play about the trials and tribulations of Andrea’s short and bitter-sweet life) that Ashley and Fretwell have done her justice and fulfilled her wishes of how she wanted the play to be and that’s very different to the film’s ending.  For me, the uncomfortable elephant in the room that permeates throughout the film has finally been resolved.  We all booed Bob at The Victoria, we didn’t laugh along with him or find him funny in anyway.  And yet, there was no anger, the play did NOT lose any humour at all, it was hilarious, just different – but in a good and better way.  

It’s a very raw, harsh but strangely touching piece of popular theatre that encapsulates the mood of the 1980s –  Thatcher’s Britain, when a generation of men realised that their jobs-for-life, especially in certain northern industries, were now gone and ‘they’ were no longer needed – obsolete – they didn’t fit into the new corporate, financial world.  So what happened to some of them such as on those on the Buttershaw estate, Bradford, where Sue and Rita lived – unfortunately drink, depression and a vicious cycle of poverty and abuse of various kinds.  Pretty grim – so it’s amazing how this play, with all it’s dark sides can evoke such laughter, that in the face of such adversity we can chuckle along at the dialogue.

Beginning with the scene on the moors, where sleazy Bob played by Dale Vaughan, (this play is Dale’s professional debut and in my view he nailed it – spot on!) first seduces Rita and Sue really sets the play’s narrative and  different tone –  it’s  uncomfortable – it’s not how I remember it in the film  probably because I’m now a grown up – with a child just a bit younger than Rita and Sue and I didn’t laugh – I cringed a great deal!  Both Emma Hooker (Rita) and Polly Lovegrove (Sue) were so believable in their roles as these two teenagers who sadly had no hopes or dreams and no aspirations other than to live in a house that has space, quiet, no screaming and shouting and if that involves being with a slime-ball older man like Bob (who would inevitably cheat on them too like he was with them), then that wasn’t a problem because they wanted to be Michelle because she has nice clothes and nice things. The way this came out on stage highlighted the girls’ vulnerability, young age, lack of: guidance, care and nurturing love the film doesn’t bring in my opinion.  Thankfully, the behaviour of that such as Bob has started to be exposed now and people won’t turn a blind-eye anymore if they’re aware, we’ve just got the monster of the media to tackle to ensure that our young girls and women can find inspiring role models and mentors who dis-encourage the sexualisation of young females today.  That aside, the action and pace of the play just flowed as the multi-media backdrop clips of news and events of 80s flashed up on stage.  We were reminded of the wave of the times – protests, riots, anger, disease, despair along with greed and ‘loadsa money’ … which made one reflect about those issues and their relevance today. 

Another actors professional debut is that of Andrew Ashley, who plays ‘Dad’ and the only word for his performance is ‘professional’.  From the look, the walk, the line delivery – the whole essence of the character he was portraying, Ashley had this down to a tee!  He stole the show, burnt it up – I could have watched a drama of just him arguing and sparing with ‘Mum’, Alison Gibson (yet another professional debut who was equal to Andrew Ashley’s Dad in every way).  These two – Mum and Dad – were comedy gold, like Jim Royal and his long suffering wife except with an edge – the swearing, the insults and threats weren’t solved by having a chocolate digestive and a brew – more like a bottle of vodka to knock them out of their depressing reality.  

One character very different from the film version was Michelle played by Charlotte Spowage (another long suffering wife) and I’m so glad she was!  You like Michelle in this play, really feel for her and she delivered a line that I won’t repeat here but had the whole theatre cheering and willing her on to leave creepy Bob. Another refreshing difference from the film was George North playing ‘Sam’ who stood in the balcony shouting some iconic lines with a pumped up attitude and look of the time.  

This play and whole production has the heart the size of Yorkshire – big, warm and it keeps beating and going even times are tough! A wonderful tribute to Andrea Dunbar – it’s a blast, you’ll love it! 

Theatre Royal Bath Productions, by arrangement with

Paul Blake and BFI Productions, presents

The New COLE PORTER Musical

ROMAN HOLIDAY

U.K. Premiere of a new stage adaptation of the Academy Award-winning movie

To open at THEATRE ROYAL BATH from June 2023

Adapted for the stage by KIRSTEN GUENTHER and PAUL BLAKE

Directed by JEREMY SAMS

Monday 14 November 2022: Theatre Royal Bath Productions, by arrangement with Paul Blake and BFI Productions, is delighted to present the U.K. premiere of a brand new stage adaptation of Roman Holiday, the multi Academy Award winning movie comedy which made a worldwide star of Audrey Hepburn.

Now transformed into a glittering stage musical and featuring the unforgettable music of Cole Porter including Easy To Love, You Do Something To Me, In The Still Of The Night, Just One Of Those Things and Night and Day, the beloved movie has been adapted by Kirsten Guenther and Paul Blake, who co-wrote the stage version of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas.

Winning multiple Academy Awards when first released 70 years ago, Roman Holiday follows a youthful princess and an American journalist on a frenetic 24-hour adventure through the delights of the Italian capital.

Ann, a young princess visiting Rome on a goodwill tour, escapes from the watchful eye of her chaperone. She meets Joe who offers to show her around the city, but Joe’s editor has demanded a story regarding a missing princess. Through the course of one charming day and eventful night in Rome, Ann and Joe grow closer, but will true romance blossom before Ann has to return to her royal duties…?

Roman Holiday is directed by double Olivier Award winner and Tony Award nominee Jeremy Sams, whose directing credits include Noises Off in the West End and Jason Robert Brown’s 13. He also wrote the script for the West End production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and translated the award-nominated Amour on Broadway.

Cast and further creative team will be announced in due course.