New Victoria Theatre, Woking – until 26th February 2021
Reviewed by Becky Doyle
4****
Was it Professor Plum, in the study with a pistol…? You’ll have to watch to find out “whodunnit”!
Cluedo was a real nail-biting thriller to follow. My first mention must be Jean-Luke Worrell (Wadsworth) who from start to finish was able to captivate the audience just from being present, he commanded the stage, and he brought both seriousness, suspense and humour to the story and stage. Tom Babbage is another who is essential to mention, having previously seen Tom in “The Play that goes Wrong” he brought the same enthusiasm and comedy to his performance. Although all characters and story line were funny, it was Tom who had the slapstick character that brought the most laughs. The other actors were just as impressive, but Tom and Jean-Luke were stand out.
The stage and set were so cleverly thought through creating the illusion of multiple rooms, trap doors and dark corners to commit the grisly murders behind. I really was at a loss as to who it could have been and was kept guessing right up to the end when the curveball was delivered.
Is the story what I expected? Probably not. Did I enjoy it? Absolutely. Would I recommend it – 100%.
Aylesbury Waterside Theatre – until 26 February 2022
Reviewed by Susan Portman
3***
Back with their biggest comedy catastrophe to date, multi award-winning Mischief (The Play That Goes Wrong, BBC One’s The Goes Wrong Show) return to the stage at Aylesbury Waterside Theatre, with their hilarious new show created with magic legends, Penn & Teller. Raising the bar with their dare-devil stunts, jaw-dropping feats and irresistible comedy genius, Mischief’s Magic Goes Wrong comes directly from the West End. It should be noted that the Co-creators Penn and Teller do not appear onstage.
I was not at all sure what to expect from this show which is in essence a comedy play. In one sense, I am suspicious of people who seek to trick, confuse and confound their audience with illusions and magic – but then that’s the very nature of the show. Therefore I kept an open mind having never attended a ‘magic show’ before.
Well, what is the story here? A hapless gang of magicians are staging an evening of grand illusion to raise cash for charity (The Disasters in Magic charity fundraiser) but as the magic turns to mayhem, accidents spiral out of control and so does their fundraising target which vacillates into the black and the red depending upon how the tricks and illusions go.
A cast relatively small in number delivered the performance, playing more than one part when necessary. There was plenty of song, dance, magic and humour, and therefore something for everyone. There was a significant emphasis on card tricks, and lots of audience interaction although I felt that the people involved were ‘audience plants’ but that’s not a crime – the show has to run smoothly.
Sam Hill played ‘Sophisticato’ our compère and guide throughout the evening, and he also performed magic for our delectation. Never trust the man with doves is all I will say. He delivered in a deliberately lugubrious manner and I never quite knew where he was going next, but he gave a professional and polished performance, especially in a scene where the character ‘Blade’ was drowning and he had to work with audience members (surely they were plants) to extricate him from a possible watery tomb. The timing and interaction between him, the onstage characters and the audience was first-class. There was something of the Laurel and Hardy crossed with Basil Fawlty about the scene, but I like slapstick, so it worked for me.
There were curious characters such as Spitzmaus (Jocelyn Prah) and Bar (Chloe Tannenbaum) a couple of excitable, flamboyant wannabe magicians, trying to perform their own tricks – often ‘badly’ (deliberately so of course). They were German, for some reason and this included a German joke which was completely lost on the audience and also my husband who lived there for several years! They performed a quick change sketch which I was most impressed with. Bar was at one point fired from a cannon but managed to survive thankfully, as she played a lesser speaking with skill and vigour with her ‘Ja Ja’s and her penchant for causing pain to others, including the unfortunate Blade. Spitzmaus was equal to the task and as a duo they worked very well, and again I had no idea what they were ‘going to do next.’
As for Blade, played by Keifer Moriarty, this character was a bundle of testosterone filled energy with an ego to match. Personally, I found his build-up to the tricks to be more impressive that the tricks themselves, trash talking and constantly ripping his clothes off! His tricks demanded perfect timing and credit is given to his skill here – especially with mouse-traps, you have been warned. I was though not so fond of the character. I should note that there was nothing under-par about the way he delivered his part.
Then we had the hapless ‘Mind Mangler’ played with gusto I thought by Rory Fairburn. His sidekick was ‘Mickey’ played by Daniel Anthony and these two worked together very well – they were the stars of the evening for me. One scene where the Mangler tries to contact the dead was hilarious – and easily the funniest of the evening in my book. Valerie Cutko played ‘Eugenia’, a character who I could not get to grips at all. She was the matriarch if you will, overseeing the charity fundraising – making a substantial donation herself and to be honest it was with no little sadness when her character disappeared under egregious circumstances just before the interval. Again this was not a reflection on the actor, but the character itself.
I welcomed the interval, feeling a little disappointed by it all. I have no idea what the rest of the audience thought, but no-one seemed to be talking about it in the bar as people normally would. In footballing terms, they needed to bring on a substitute to lift the crowd for the second half. After a swift libation I returned to my seat and I should say that the second half was indeed more enjoyable.
One or two people (were they understudies?) played ‘bit parts’ if you will – supporting the main cast with crowd interactions, and shooting live video onstage which could be seen on a big screen which dropped down from the ceiling occasionally.
The lighting, music and stage set were very clever, and credit must be given to the supporting team for this. The show revealed how one or two tricks were done but others remained a mystery. That was part of the fun and worked very well.
I was surprised by some of the language in the show. Not that I am a prude (far from it) but certain words and phrases I thought might not be appropriate for a youngster but the guidance for the show said 10+ in age, so it is up to the parent/guardian.
To conclude, I thought it was a good show overall. If you like magic you will undoubtedly enjoy it. It takes a certain skill (comic timing) to make things go wrong – as Tommy Cooper knew, but I felt that some of it was too contrived for my liking. It was hard work trying to figure out what was going on (and I don’t just mean the magic) as we jumped from a seemingly poignant moment reading from a dead man’s wand to watching Derren Brown being attacked by a bear in a Market Square. Some of the scenes seemed almost superfluous, not to say bizarre to me, whilst others were the good, solid stock of comedy magic that we might all come to expect, such as being sawn in half and making people disappear. I found it to be a bit slow going and it might have benefitted by being reduced by half an hour, with an injection of more fizz and pace about it.
I stepped out into the chilly inky-black night just a little underwhelmed. I felt strangely incomplete. Was I flummoxed or bamboozled? Did I come away saying ‘Wow, that was magic?’ No, I did not. The magic didn’t go wrong, nor did the cast or crew, all of whom were excellent in their roles and I appreciated their collective skill and expertise. However, the actual format of the show itself was the issue for me. It was a bit too long and disjointed. It is a curious one, this. I like to write my review in such an honest and uncomplicated way that anyone who attends a show as a result of reading it might say ‘Yes, I can relate to that review in terms of what I just experienced.’ Yet, this is such a weird one to write, based on what I saw. Thus, I would urge the reader to go and see the show with an open mind and a lively imagination. If you do that, then the magic might just work for you.
DAN LOONEY, ADAM PAULDEN AND JASON HAIGH-ELLERY FOR DLAP GROUP,
DAVID TREATMAN CREATIVE, SCOTT PRISAND, BARRY HABIB, ROSA FORTINO
AND FOURTH WALL LIVE
PRESENT
THE FULL COMPANY OF
BONNIE AND CLYDE
THE MUSICAL
AND ANNOUNCE
FRANCES MAYLI MCCANN AND JORDAN LUKE GAGE
TO STAR AS
BONNIE AND CLYDE
AT THE ARTS THEATRE
FROM 9 APRIL 2022
DLAP Group are thrilled to announce that Frances Mayli McCann and Jordan Luke Gage will star as the titular Bonnie and Clyde in the West End premiere of the cult-sensation BONNIE AND CLYDE THE MUSICAL, opening at the Arts Theatre from Saturday9 April 2022. www.bonnieandclydemusical.com
Following the extraordinary reaction to her performance as ‘Bonnie’ in Bonnie and Clyde In Concert in January 2022, Olivier-Award nominated Frances Mayli McCann reprises the role in this full production at The Arts Theatre, performing alongside West End star Jordan Luke Gage as ‘Clyde’.
They join the previously announced Natalie McQueen as ‘Blanche Barrow’ and George Maguire as ‘Buck Barrow’. The full company includes Cleve September as ‘Ted’ and Ako Mitchell as ‘Preacher’, Pippa Winslow as ‘Cumie Barrow/Governor Miriam Ferguson/Eleanore’, Gracie Lai as ‘Emma Parker/Stella’, Alistair So as ‘Sheriff Schmid’, Alexander Evans as ‘Henry Barrow/Deputy Johnson’, Ross Dawes as ‘Captain Frank Hamer’, Barney Wilkinson as ‘Bud/Archie’ and swings Charlie McCullagh and Annie Guy. Casting for the roles of ‘Trish’ and Young ‘Bonnie’ and ‘Clyde’ to be announced.
Frances Mayli McCann is an Olivier Award nominated actress, who originated the role of ‘Kylah’ in “Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour”. Her other West End credits include ‘Heather McNamara’ in “Heathers” at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, ‘The Mistress’ in “Evita” at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatreand ‘Eponine’ in the UK and International Tour of “Les Misérables”.
Jordan Luke Gage is best known for his portrayal of ‘Romeo’ in the Olivier Award winning “&Juliet” at The Shaftesbury Theatre. His other West End credits include ‘Strat’ in “Bat Out Of Hell” at The Dominion Theatre and ‘JD’ in “Heathers” at Theatre Royal Haymarket. His television credits include playing ‘Adrian Barber’ in ITV’s Cilla, and ‘Luc’ in Cucumber on Channel 4.
Natalie McQueen’s West End credits include playing ‘Doralee Rhodes’ in “9 to 5 The Musical” at the Savoy Theatre, “Wicked” at the Apollo Victoria Theatre and “Kinky Boots” at the Adelphi Theatre. Her other theatre credits include the UK tour of “Wonderland”, “Murder Ballad” at the Arts Theatre and “Starlight Express” at The Other Palace.
George Maguire is the winner for the Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical for his performance as ‘Dave Davies’ in “Sunny Afternoon”. His other theatre credits include “35mm: A Musical Exhibition” at The Other Palace Studio, “Oliver!” at the London Palladium and the European tour of “Rent”.
Cleve September is perhaps best known for his Olivier Nominated performance as ‘Philip Hamilton/John Laurens’ in the original West End cast of “Hamilton” at the Victoria Palace Theatre. His other theatre credits include “Jesus Chris Superstar” at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, “Annie Get Your Gun” at the Crucible Theatre, “In The Heights” at Kings Cross Theatre and “The Last Days of Troy” at The Globe Theatre.
Ako Mitchell is an actor and filmmaker whose recent theatre credits include playing ‘Larry’ in “Indecent Proposal” at the Southwark Playhouse, ‘Bob Baker’ in “Wonderful Town” at Opera Holland Park, ‘Mister’ in “The Color Purple” at Curve and the Birmingham Rep and ‘The Moon/The Bus’ in “Caroline, Or Change” at the Chichester Festival Theatre and The Playhouse Theatre in London’s West End.
At the height of the Great Depression, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow went from two small-town nobodies in West Texas to America’s most renowned folk heroes and the Texas law enforcement’s worst nightmares. Fearless, shameless, and alluring, Bonnie & Clyde is the electrifying story of love, adventure and crime that captured the attention of an entire country. The show features the songs “Raise A Little Hell”, “This World Will Remember Me” and “Made In America”.
When Bonnie and Clyde meet, their mutual cravings for excitement and fame, combined with a desperate need to lift themselves out of the endless banality and poverty of West Dallas, set them on a mission to chase their dreams. Their bold and reckless behaviour turns the young lovers’ thrilling adventure into a downward spiral, putting themselves and their loved ones in trouble with the law. Forced to stay on the run, the lovers resort to robbery and murder to survive. As the infamous duo’s fame grows bigger, their inevitable end draws nearer.
BONNIE AND CLYDE THE MUSICAL has a book by Ivan Menchell (Blended [movie], The Cemetery Club, Death Note The Musical), a Tony Award nominated score by Frank Wildhorn (Jekyll and Hyde, The Scarlett Pimpernel), lyrics by Don Black (Tell Me On a Sunday, Sunset Boulevard, Mrs Henderson Presents). The production will be directed by Nick Winston (Director of the feature film Tomorrow Morning, MAME, The Royal Variety Performance) with Set and Costume Design by Philip Witcomb (Atlantis, Stones In His Pockets, MAME), Musical Supervision from Katy Richardson (SIX, Rent, Jersey Boys), Lighting Design by Zoe Spurr (Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World, Hamlet at Theatre Royal Windsor), Sound Design by Tom Marshall (The Drifter’s Girl, Nativity The Musical, Curtains), Video Design by Nina Dunn (The Shark Is Broken, Lazuli Sky), Casting Director Jim Arnold CDG (Wicked, The Prince of Egypt), Musical Director Nick Barstow (The Last 5 Years, Zorro), Keys 2/ Assistant Musical Director Debbi Clarke Associate Director/Choreographer Megan Louch (The Bodyguard, Annie), Wigs Designer Darren Ware (The Rocky Horror Show, Matthew Bourne’s The Midnight Bell), Fight Director Kate Waters (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Constellations),Production ManagerPhil McCandlish (Curtains, Rock of Ages),Orchestra Fixer Rich Morris (American Idiot, Jesus Christ Superstar),Costumer Supervisor Jemima Penny (Machinal, Richard III), Props Supervisor Lizzie Frankl for Propworks (2:22 A Ghost Story, Pretty Woman), Company Stage Manager Paul Deavin (Rock of Ages), Drums Zach Okonkwo, Violin Clodagh Kennedy, Bass Guitar Annie Blake. Further crew and band to be announced.
DLAP Group is an Olivier-Award winning production company with West End and UK Touring works including “Bonnie and Clyde in Concert”, “Rock of Ages,” “Company,” “Fame,” “Curtains,” and “The Wedding Singer.”
Six day celebration of the 100th anniversary of T S Eliot’s The Waste Land
Walk where Eliot walked, seeing the churches and streets that map The Waste Land
The streets and churches of the City of London feature throughout the poem and inspired Eliot’s writing while he worked there
A multi-arts programme featuring a plurality of experience: fado & flamenco, Finnish Kaustinen & English folk music, Gospel music & spirituals, classical chamber & contemporary minimalist music, Orkney song & sea shanties, poetry readings & literary in-conversations, Indian Raga & American ragtime, Anatolian sufi & western sacred music, Arabic hip-hop & ancient qunan playing, opera & spiritual rock along with specially commissioned film, video and sound installations.
A spiritual and up-lifting celebration that encourages audiences to journey through the old heart of London connecting with performances in unique and transformative spaces. This will be the largest curated event to celebrate the poem’s centenary
In tribute to Eliot’s masterpiece these 22 churches within the City of London will join together for the first time to allow audiences to curate their own Festival experience
Featuring a one-off combination of professional and amateur artists
22 locations marking the 100th anniversary in 2022
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of TS Eliot’s masterpiece The Waste Land, the Eliot Estate has commissioned DoranBrowne Arts Imagineers to curate f r a g m e n t s,a six day festival featuring multiple diverse performances in 22 unique and extraordinarily intimate late-medieval churches many just a short walk from each other across the City of London inspired by themes and images from the poem. All connecting performance, poetry and place.
‘The Waste Land is perhaps the great London poem and the T S Eliot estate is delighted to commemorate its centenary in the City that inspired Eliot’s haunting vision of a collapsing European culture. We hope you will join us at this ‘fragments’ Festival celebrating a masterpiece’s 100th birthday’ Clare Reihill, Trustee, T S Eliot estate
“T S Eliot’s poem is a rich cultural vision of high and popular art, western and eastern, and as a public celebration we want our audience to feel a similar exhilaration as they experience the f r a g m e n t s festival. We hope it will be a unique shared experience as the audience move through five or more different genres within the space of one event whilst also taking in the breath-taking beauty of these late medieval churches, 15 of which were originally created by the architect Sir Christopher Wren. Any centenary of a great work of art such as Eliot’s The Waste Land is a moment in which to pause and reflect. To do so in the actual geography cited in much of the poem is a one-off opportunity not to be missed”. Seán Doran and Liam Browne of DoranBrowne.
Eliot wrote The Waste Land while working as a banker in the City of London, he created his masterpiece immersed in the world of finance while surrounded by places of deep faith and spirituality represented by the myriad churches sitting side by side with the worship and pursuit of mammon, now represented by The Cheesegrater, The Gherkin and the Walkie-Talkie. This celebration – f r a g m e n t s – takes audiences physically to places named in the poem offering a chance to explore this fascinating and intact part of London and to imagine what it might have been like in the early part of the 20th century as Eliot worked in his below ground office in the foreign transactions department at Lloyd’s Bank. Each fragment is performed in a location that creates an intimate connection between the poem and the place. A unique opportunity to engage with works of art in these spaces, the festival will hope to deliver a spiritual and uplifting experience that is an appropriate celebration of Eliot’s great work as it marks its 100th anniversary.
“I should love to write a book on Wren, or at least on the églises assassinées of London”
T S Eliot (Oct 1921)
Following the methodology of Eliot’s writing, f r a g m e n t s has been devised to combine a plurality of different voices, different spiritual cultures, popular culture as well as high art. Just as Eliot brought a diversity of styles, influences and tastes into his writing so the curators have done the same to reflect the defining elements of The Waste Land.
Creating an individual ‘shuffle festival’, audiences are invited to design their own route through the events, which will include music, film, poetry and installation. Moving from church to church, all of which are situated within one square mile of each other, they will experience the different performances in fragments reflecting the structure of the poem itself. Audiences will select one of the 5 Celebrations and move between the events programmed in that time slot.
A highly spiritual and humanist poem, The Waste Land grew out of a reaction to recent global catastrophes of that period: The Great War and its impact (changes and tensions between the sexes, poverty, a housing crisis, the state of the Empire and Britain’s role internationally), the Spanish Flu pandemic, the rise of the Suffragette movement. All of this led to a period of major transition and trauma. Set in the City of London where Eliot worked while he was writing it, the poem is multicultural and multilingual, and in it changed poetry forever.
DoranBrowne Arts Imagineers has brought together a diverse multi-arts programme featuring a wide range of artists presenting work that either makes direct reference to the poem, or draws upon the themes, settings and past culture that initially inspired Eliot to write the work. At the centre of the festival programme is a specially commissioned sound installation by Pierre-Yves Macé made up of 10 different voices. It all comes together to create an artistic celebration and tribute to the legacy of The Waste Land as it marks its 100th anniversary. The music line-up spanning classical, folk and spiritual music from across the globe includes Gavin Bryars, Sam Lee, Erland Cooper and the Shards Choir, The Secret Ensemble, Amies Freedom Choir, Maya Youssef, Voces8, the Incognito Gospel Choir, the Navarra Quartet and repertoire by Messiaen, Wagner, Stravinsky, Ravel, Pärt and Poulenc among others. Philip Glass’ iconic film Koyaanisqatsi will be screened on a loop alongside live readings of influential poems from the last 100 years selected by previous winners of the T S Eliot Prize performed by Tamsin Greig, Imogen Stubbs and Toby Jones.
A secular sermon by Jeanette Winterson at Southwark Cathedral and a set of songs by Liam Ó’Maonlaí at St Mary Woolnoth forming the double opening event on Thursday 7 April. Eliot described the sermon as ‘a form of literary art’. Winterson’s sermon in Southwark Cathedral is written to inspire us in these difficult times. In the atmospheric surroundings of the small intimate St Mary Woolnoth church, now known as the Amazing Grace church, the Irish singer-songwriter, Liam Ó’Maonlaí (of the Hothouse Flowers) will deliver a soulful set of songs in harmony with the church’s ethos. Macé’s sound installation entitled Spread from Ear to Ear begins on Friday 8 April at 1pm and continues throughout the weekend alongside filmed readings of The Waste Land at All Hallows Crypt. The Festival will then roll out over five three-hour long sessions between Friday evening 8 April and Sunday Afternoon 10 April. Each of the sessions will feature unique performances from a range of performers alongside installations that will happen throughout the weekend. The festival concludes on 11 and 12 April with a tribute to Marie Lloyd, Eliot’s favourite music hall performer, starring Jenna Russell at Wilton’s Music Hall Marie, Marie, Hold on Tight! is a sort-of-musical that marks the centenary of Marie Lloyd’s death and The Waste Land’s birth and which could really only be staged at Wilton’s. It tells the very funny and moving story of the unlikely relationship between the work of two unhappy people and great artists..
Performances take place in 22 churches throughout the City of London. All within easy walking distance of each other. Two of the churches – St. Mary Woolnoth and St. Magnus the Martyr – feature in the poem and all have been chosen because of their connection to a theme or line or image from The Waste Land.
Full company announced for Stephen Sondheim’s multi-award winning Passion starring Ruthie Henshall Thursday 5th May – Sunday 5th June 2022 Hope Mill Theatre, 113 Pollard Street, Manchester M4 7JA
Full casting is now announced for Stephen Sondheim/James Lapine’sPassion this May: Dean John-Wilson (Steven Spielberg’s Masters of Air, Apple TV; Aladdin) will play Giorgio, the man who finds himself at the heart of a passionate love affair, alongside Olivier nominated Kelly Price (What’s New Pussycat?, Birmingham REP; A Little Night Music, Menier Chocolate Factory and Garrick Theatre) as Clara.
The cast is completed by Adam Robert Lewis (The Phantom of the Opera, Her Majesty’s Theatre), Charlie Waddell (South Pacific, Chichester Festival Theatre), Danny Whitehead (Wicked, UK tour), Dalton Harris (The X Factor), Ray Shell (Starlight Express, The Lion King), Steve Watts (As You Like It, Cheek by Jowl), and Tim Walton (Matilda The Musical, RSC). They join the Olivier Award winner and musical theatre icon Ruthie Henshall(Les Miserables; Chicago; Billy Elliot; I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!).
Directed by Sondheim specialist Michael Strassen (Pacific Overtures; Company; Assassins), with movement direction by Sundeep Saini (As You Like It, Little Shop of Horrors) and musical direction by Yshani Perinpanayagam (LMTO), this encapsulating revival will reenergise the tale of love, sex and obsession.
Passion features the music and lyrics of the late great Stephen Sondheim, whose death rocked the theatre community in November last year. His prolific output includes the classics West Side Story, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Company and Follies. Whilst with longtime collaborator James Lapine, they produced the award-winning Sunday in the Park with George and Into The Woods.
Ruthie Henshall comments, I’m so thrilled to be part of this ensemble of unbelievable talent, as we bring to life one of my all-time favourite musicals – a real pinch-me moment! The legacy of Sondheim’s work is so important to us all, and I couldn’t think of a better group of people to be working with. It’s going to be a very special creative process to be a part of.
WHATSONSTAGE AWARD NOMINATED ‘BLOODY ELLE – A GIG MUSICAL’ RELEASES SOUNDTRACK ON BANDCAMP AND STREAMING SERVICES.
Written and performed by Lauryn Redding the WhatsOnStage award nominated production reopened the Manchester Royal Exchange in June 2021.
Arranged and Produced by Alexandra Faye Braithwaite (Anna Karenina, Wuthering Heights) at Rusty Studios, Manchester.
Mastered by award winning sound technician Katie Tavini (Arlo Parks, Emelie Sandé, Ash)
13 Track Album available exclusively on Bandcamp with track ‘Stop the World’ available on all streaming platforms today.
‘It’s a performance that fills every last inch of The Royal Exchange Auditorium, which buzzes with Energy’ – The Guardian (4 Stars)
Following the successful run of Lauryn Redding’s debut play at the Royal Exchange in Manchester in 2021, Rebel Productions are proud to announce the release of the official soundtrack recording of ‘Bloody Elle – a gig musical’.
‘Bloody Elle – a gig musical’ is a heart-warming and belly-achingly funny story about falling in love for the very first time, stuffed with stomach flipping, time-stopping moments, touches glances and kisses, set to original score of 13 tracks written and performed by Lauryn Redding.
‘A warm-hearted, embracive bit of gig theatre’ – The Stage (4 stars)
The album, mastered by award-winning sound technician Katie Tavini whose recent credits including working on albums for Emeli Sandé and Arlo Parks, is available for digital download on Bandcamp and features original songs from the production including ‘Losing Control’, ‘You & Me’ and ‘Nobody Heard’. ‘Stop The World’ is available to stream on all platforms including Spotify and iTunes from today with the album available on general streaming release from April.
The production which reopened the Royal Exchange Manchester following the closure of venues due to the global pandemic in 2020 went on to earn a nomination in the 22nd Annual WhatsOnStage awards for Best Regional Production. The stage production is set to return to the stage this summer with an announcement on dates due later in the year.
Writer and performer Lauryn Redding said:
Releasing the soundtrack of Bloody Elle – a gig musical is a dream come true. To immortalise the music forever is a proper honour and I hope people enjoy it, relieve it, love it, and share the tunes for years to come.
Producer Peter J Holland said:
The love and support for ‘Bloody Elle – a gig musical’ was quite overwhelming when Rebel Productions co-produced with Manchester Royal Exchange to stage Lauryn Redding’s debut play about first love and the celebration of queer love and others. We were inundated with letters and comments about how the production in Manchester had related to peoples own experiences and how the music was such a key part to the enjoyment of the piece and narrative of those uncertain moments we all have when discovering ourselves. We’re delighted that, with the support of fans of this show we were able to recruit Alexandra Faye Braithwaite and Rusty Studios to beautifully and sensitively capture the soundtrack which showcases Lauryn’s vocal talents at their very best and will allow people to enjoy the story from all over the world. ‘Bloody Elle’ has been such a positive journey for Rebel Productions in the last two years and we look forward to continue to share this story for many years to come.
Theatre Royal, Brighton – until 26th February 2022
Reviewed by Sue Bradley and François Craig
4****
This show is great fun
From the opening chords of the familiar Footloose theme-tune to the well deserved encore, the cast threw themselves into their performance with delight and the crowd responded on their feet, shouting for more. For anyone not familiar with the film, from which this show is adapted, the plot is straightforward: big-city young man (Ren McCormack, played by Joshua Hawkins) moves to a rather buttoned-down small town with a tragic back-story. Initially, the rebellious Ren causes trouble as he comes to terms with his new environment but gradually wins his classmates over with his lively and irreverent attitude. This puts him and his classmates at odds with the local elders, and the remainder of the show is about how these differences can be reconciled.
ITV’s ‘Dancing On Ice‘ winner (2018) Jake Quickenden, as Willard Hewitt, provides plenty of comic moments including some fine “bad” dancing before he finally “learns”. He also leads a wonderful comic number “Mama Says”. Darren Day as the Reverend Shaw Moore brings a welcome gravitas to the role and is a worthy “opponent” for the “I Can’t Stand Still” Ren.
A glance at the programme beforehand might lead you to think that the band consisted of just two musicians, and therefore you could expect the rest of the music to be pre-recorded. Not a bit of it. Just before the show started, an announcer let us know that all the instruments were to be played by members of the cast. And very well played they were too, with many of the actors performing on multiple instruments, ranging from gentle piano and flute, through raunchy sax to rock’n’roll guitar – and usually played on-stage, using radio mikes. Featuring familiar hits like “Footloose”, “Let’s Hear It For The Boy” and “Holding Out For a Hero”, the show is also stuffed with new songs which are good enough to not leave you waiting for the next familiar tune. “Learning To Be Silent” is a fine example of a three-voice show song, whilst “Somebody’s Eyes” surprises with shades of Steely Dan and Hall and Oates and made this reviewer’s ears prick up happily. The standard of singing was uniformly high. The solo parts were taken by a number of different cast members and the chorus singing was also strong and accomplished.
Special mention is due to Darren Day and Holly Ashton as Vi Moore, whose performances were emotional and moving without ever being saccharin. A mention should also go to the sound-person – this is a rock and pop show and the sound levels were satisfyingly loud but never overwhelming; the music and vocals were well-balanced throughout.
King’s Theatre, Edinburgh – until Saturday 26th February
Reviewed by Ellen Searle
4****
You can’t go wrong with the Rocky Horror Show. It’s a unique theatrical event, with stomping songs, a pacey plot, classic one liners and audience participation – all this and stockings and suspenders too, what more could you want? For the two or possibly three people who are interested enough to read a review and have somehow not have come across the stage or film version of Richard O’Brien’s creative love child in the past five decades, the story begins as all American, newly engaged Brad and Janet find themselves with a flat tyre in a thunderstorm. They seek help at a nearby mysterious castle, which turns out to be inhabited by mad transvestite scientist, Frank’n’Furter, and his wild and weird entourage. The ultimate conformists come up against the ultimate rebels (ahem), in this still subversive romp of a show.
This performance, directed by Christopher Luscombe, features an array of singing and performing talents, with Stephen Webb as Frank’n’Furter, and 2016 Strictly Come Dancing winner Ore Oduba as Brad. Haley Flaherty sings exceptionally as Janet, and is delightfully convincing in every aspect of Janet’s journey from saint to sinner. Kristian Lavercombe has a record breaking over 1800 performances as Riff Raff under his belt, and he seems made to play the part, the audience savouring his inch perfect performance as this iconic character. The real star is arguably Philip Franks, holding the reins as the Narrator. His authoritative and calming presence balances the high octane antics of the transexual Transylvanians and their visitors, with his jokes and retorts to the audience a joy, just on the right side of bad taste, and delivered with impeccable timing.
Of course, with the Rocky Horror Show, those on stage are only part of the performance. Somewhat surprisingly for the traditionally more buttoned up Edinburgh audience, participation was enthusiastic, loud and suitably naughty. Audience outfits were a sight to behold, ranging from fishnets and a boa, to full on Columbias, Magentas, Frank’n’Furters and even a few magnificent Rockys. And this was only Monday night!
While the audience gave their all, there could have been a bit more from the on stage costumes. I want my Rocky spray tanned, I want my Frank’n’Furter to be on at least four inch platforms, and when he has brought about Eddie’s grizzly end, I want more than a spattering of blood on his chest. Similarly, the staging felt a little lacking. Even my first viewing at Dundee Rep in 1986 involved a much more dramatic laser show, and considerably more sequins.
Still, the Rocky Horror Show always delivers, and there is no doubt that show virgins and long time fans alike will be highly entertained, and up on their feet Time Warping like a pro by the end.
BASED ON AN IDEA BY CHRISTOPHER D. CLEGG DIRECTED BY JESSE JONES
The full cast is today announced for the fabulous killer comedy sensation Death Drop. Following rave reviews, a hugely successful UK tour and two sold out West End runs, the smash hit show is sashaying back into London for a triumphant third time. The show will open at the Criterion Theatre for limited run from Friday 4 March until Sunday 24 April. Tickets are on sale now from DeathDropPlay.com
Joining the previously announced Jujubee as Summer Raine, Kitty Scott-Claus as Shazza and Holly Stars as the Bottomley Sisters are: Drag Race UK star Vinegar Strokes as Lady Von Fistenburg, George Orell as Phil Maker, Richard Energy as Rich Whiteman, Anna Phylactic as Morgan Pierce and Apple Derrieres swinging in and covering the entire show in extraordinary fashion.
The producers are also thrilled to announce that RuPaul’s Drag Race star Latrice Royale, will be reprising her role of Summer Raine and joining the cast for the final two weeks of the run on 13th April, after Jujubee departs following her final performance on 10th April.
Latrice Royale said: “I can’t wait to return to the cast of Death Drop, get on that stage and perform in the Criterion Theatre. It’s going to be so much fun; I don’t think the West End is ready to have me back!
Described by Attitude as a “killer show” and “rollicking good fun” by The Guardian, Death Drop is written by Holly Stars. This “dazzling and delightfully camp comedy” is “jam-packed with hilarious one liners” and guaranteed to provide laugh-out-loud comedy that we all need right now. This show is like nothing you’ve seen ever before!
It’s 1991 and a gaggle of guests gather on Tuck Island for a soirée like no other. The tension rises as the outrageous guests reveal their suspicious and sordid pasts, and one by one they sashay away, until at the last, nerve-shredding, side-splitting moment the surviving guests find out who-dunnit!
This rampant, raucous, ridiculous romp of a murder mystery serves up all the drama, comedy, twists and turns you’ll ever need!
Listings Information
Criterion Theatre
First Performance: 4 March 2022
Jujubee Final Performance: 10 April 2022
Latrice Royale First Performance: 13 April 2022
Final performance: 24 April 2022
Performances: Wednesday – Thursday at 8pm, Friday at 5pm & 8.30pm,
THEATRE TOURS RETURN AT THE ROYAL SHAKESPEARE THEATRE IN STRATFORD-UPON-AVON
THE RSC’S ICONIC TOWER ALSO REOPENS
The Royal Shakespeare Company’s popular Theatre Tours in Stratford-upon-Avon will resume from Saturday 30 April with a new 1-hour guided tour which, when possible, will include first-time public access to the Company’s newly developed Costume Workshop, the largest in-house costume-making department of any British theatre*
Led by the RSC’s experienced team of tour guides, the newly launched Theatre Tour will invite audiences to explore the public and backstage areas of the building, and find out more about the unique history of the RSC and its buildings in Stratford. The guides will also bring the tours to life with new and engaging stories about one of the most famous theatre companies in the world.
The RSC’s iconic Tower will also reopen from Tuesday 15 March. Standing 36 metres tall, and with views across Warwickshire, entrance to the Tower will be free, and prebooking is not required. It will be open daily, closing at 4pm.
Kevin Wright, RSC Head of Commercial Development, said: “We are delighted to be offering public theatre tours again, after a hiatus of over two years. We have taken this time to refresh the tours, so that, when possible, they will include a visit to our new Costume Workshop, giving people a glimpse into the work of the largest in-house costume-making department of any British theatre. The guides will also have lots of new stories to tell about the RSC’s rich history, celebrating the diversity of our productions and the people who have worked here. We are also very pleased, once again, to offer everyone the chance to visit the top of our Tower with its spectacular views.”
Theatre tours will run daily, normally with four tours a day, apart from on matinee days when there will be two, and on Sundays when there will be three.
Theatre tour tickets cost £12 per person. A family ticket is also available offering half-price tickets for up to four family members under the age of 18 with every full priced adult ticket purchased.
Theatre tour tickets can be booked from 21 March via rsc.org.uk or 01789 331111.
