The Kings Theatre, Portmsouth – Saturday 9 February 2019
Reviewed by Leanne Caplis
3***
Based on the love story by William Shakespeare, Sergey Prokofiev and the Moscow City Ballet bring to the stage Romeo and Juliet. Moscow City Ballet are touring with this show amongst others including ‘The Nutcracker’, ‘Sleeping Beauty’ and ‘Swan Lake’.
Having read the story of Romeo and Juliet many years ago I was eager to see it performed on stage and as I hadn’t been to a ballet before I was hoping to be in for a treat. In hindsight I wish I had refreshed myself on the story line as I did get lost on more than one occasion and it was only afterwards I realised Juliet was only a young girl; the show does not portray this well.
I thought the scenery and staging could have been better and the moving of props a bit more fluid. The backdrops were very basic with what appeared to be just painted curtains and whilst the cast did try to move the props discretely there were moments were my eyes were taken away from the dancing to watch the props being moved around.
The costumes were good and there were many costume changes throughout the show. Too many quick costume changes could have added to the occasional wardrobe malfunctions of ballet shows slipping off the dancers feet.
The ballet performed by Lilia Orekhove and Danil Orlov stood out for me. I was in awe watching Lilia and the length of time she could remain on her toes. Danil was not only superb on his feet but his facial expressions really told the story.
Bravo to the orchestra who were extremely talented musicians. I thought in parts they could have been louder; ballet is a silent production and it would have perhaps been awarded more stars had I not been able to hear the dancers feet landing on the stage throughout.
The show for me was too long, at approximately three hours. There are two intervals and by the end of the show I found myself getting a little bit bored and ready to leave. This might be a result of ballet not being the type of show I would usually watch and ballet enthusiasts might feel different.
Overall, I’m glad I watched it as I can now say I have been to a ballet but I’m not sure it would be my show of choice in future. I think those who are a fan of the ballet would enjoy it but for those, like me, where it is a first you might want to consider something a bit shorter or a storyline you know well.
The fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty is brought to life on stage by this Moscow City Ballet troupe.
Probably one of the best known stories for many of us. We are treated to the music of Pyotr Tchaikovsky beautifully executed by The Hungarian Simfonieta under the masterful direction of conductor Ivan Shavruk. Only 12 rows from the front I did have a slight concern that the music may have been overpowering, I was wrong it was perfect.
The set created of many backdrops of forests and then buildings is simple yet beautiful , the colours used create an ethereal fairy land feel to the proceedings.
There is a big ensemble for this production with some fabulous dancers that look as if they are literally mirror images of each other, perfect timing and seamless movements. There were a couple that looked left out as they had very little to do apart from hand gestures.
The Goodness /Lilac Fairy (Polina Dyachkora) gets my vote as being the one that really set the stage alight with her beautiful expressions, such a graceful dancer that covered so much of the stage. She was simply spellbinding to watch.
Caraboose (Kirill Kasatkin) is such a great baddie! His movements and expressions create exactly the atmosphere of danger, delivered with perfect comedy timing as well . The scenes with him and the dancers are eerie with a hint of danger.
Princess Aurora (Polina Tokareva) has immense poise and strength as she dances alone, not so much when she dances with Prince Florimund (Talgat Kozhabaev) . He dances with strength and composure that commands respect of the stage but together they just didn’t seem comfortable.
The costumes in this production are wonderful if a bit traditional so much so that the whole production had a cosy almost Christmas feel to it.
I absolutely loved this as did so many of the young ballet dancers in the audience.
imitating the dog to tour bold new retelling of Joseph Conrad’s HEART OF DARKNESS from March 5 – 11 May
UK Tour: 5 March – 11 May 2019
The story is impossible to tell, but it must be told
imitating the dog, one of the UK’s most original and innovative performance theatre companies are set to bring their unique theatrical vision to the stage this Spring when they premiere a bold retelling of Joseph Conrad’s extraordinarily influential and timely novel – Heart of Darkness. The production will open at CAST, Doncaster from 5 Mar and will then tour till the 11 May 2019.
Following on from their popular and critically acclaimed adaptation in 2014 of Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms, imitating the dog will stage an exploration of Conrad’s classic novel filled with visually rich, multi-layered work that fuses live performance and digital technology.
Written more than 100 years ago, amid the optimism at the turn of a new century, Heart of Darkness, which explored the journey of Conrad’s narrator Charles Marlow travelling up the Congo river into the Congo Free State in the heart of Africa, is a tale of lies and brutal greed and of the dark heart which beats within us all. Now retold as a journey of a Congolese woman through war torn Europe, the play explores a forsaken landscape lost to the destructive lust for power and emerges as a tale absolutely for our time.
Negotiating race, gender and the themes of exploitation, violence and nationalism, imitating the dog’s Heart of Darkness is a searing parable for our times, created at a moment when versions of Britain’s colonial past are being held up as a golden era and when our relationship with Europe is being severely tested.
Heart of Darkness is retold and directed by imitating the dog founder members Pete Brooks and Andrew Quick (A Farewell to Arms andKellerman, imitating the dog and The Carrier Frequency, Impact Theatre Co-operative). The production’s projection and video are designed by fellow original founder member Simon Wainwright (The Kid Stays in the Picture, Royal Court).
The production’s ensemble will feature Laura Atherton (A Farewell To Arms, imitating the dog); Morgan Bailey (In the Dark, BBC); KeichaGreenidge(In The Club, Bafta winning Three Girls and From Darkness, all BBC); Morven Macbeth (A Farewell to Arms, imitating the dog; Bring The Happy, Invisible Flock and Opening Skinner’s Box, improbable) and Matt Prendergast (The Train, imitating the dog).
The production’s other creative team will include regular collaborators, costume designer Laura Hopkins (Black Watch and Peter Pan, National Theatre of Scotland, The Divide, Edinburgh International Festival and The Old Vic), Lighting Designer Andrew Crofts (Trash Cuisine, Belarus Free Theatre and The Young Vic) and Composer Jeremy Peyton-Jones who previously worked with the company on A Farewell to Arms.
imitating the dog Co-Artistic Director Pete Brooks said:
“As a result of recent political events we felt that the UK had become gripped with a nostalgia for our colonial past without really acknowledging what that past was. It felt like most people believe the British Empire was a reciprocal arrangement; we got rich, but they got to speak the best language in the world and have a functioning civil service. In Conrad’s novel he anticipated the horrors of twentieth century genocide and the problem of globalised capitalism. He also understood that their roots were in European colonialism. This was our starting point.
Conrad’s novel deserves to be treated seriously, and his unconscious racism does not invalidate his work, although some people might say it diminishes it.For imitating the dog, it was important that we retold Conrad’s story for audiences today, and from a new perspective. Our production is now the story of the journey of an African woman into the darkness of a war-torn Europe.
Heart of Darkness is simply too important a work to be avoided because it’s a political minefield and when you take on a text as tricky as Conrad’s novel you have to tread carefully.”
imitating the dog have been making ground-breaking work for theatres and other spaces for 20 years. Their work, which fuses live performance with digital technology, has been seen by hundreds of thousands of people in venues, outdoor festivals and events across the world.
As a company, they are most interested in telling stories and creating beautiful, memorable images for audiences. The company strive to tell stories which are important, and which contain important ideas.
Recent acclaimed productions have included The Zero Hour, Six Degrees below the Horizon,Hotel Methuselah and A Farewell to Arms. The company created the sited work Arrivals and Departures for the launch of Hull City of Culture 2017. Earlier this year the company became an Arts Council England NPO.
The production will tour to Cast, Doncaster (5-6 Mar); Tron Theatre, Glasgow (7-9 Mar), The Dukes Lancaster (19-23 Mar) Theatre by The Lake, Keswick (26 – 30 Mar) Northern Stage, Newcastle (2 – 3 April) Cornerstone Arts Centre, Didcot (4-6 April) York Theatre (9-10 April);New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich (12-13 April),Lowry, Salford Quays (16-18 April), Liverpool Playhouse (1-4 May) andBelgrade Theatre Coventry (8-11 May)
Heart of Darkness is co-produced with Marche Teatro (Italy) and Cast, Doncaster. It is supported by Arts Council England, Lancaster Arts at Lancaster University and Theatre by the Lake.
Lazarus opens its second season at Greenwich with a spellbinding production of The Tempest sprinkled with moments of wonder. Shakespeare’s tale of Prospero, the deposed Duke of Milan, and his revenge on those whose actions led to his exile on a remote island is so familiar, but Ricky Dukes’ adaptation is fresh and exciting.
A hexagonal shape marked out by lights becomes Prospero’s island and cell with the shipwrecked protagonists wandering around its perimeter as Prospero and Ariel bewitch them. This isle is indeed full of noises, as Sam Glossop’s bewitching sound design provides a constant soundtrack to the action onstage.
Micha Colombo’s Prospero is firmly in command, the calmness at the centre of the storm, with a steely but maternal air that is totally convincing. She is the only splash of colour amongst the costumes. Dressed in a sparkling blue ballgown, Prospero becomes an older version of Frozen’s Elsa (thanks Ricky for finally making that penny drop for me – 5 years later than the rest of the world!) learning to “Let It Go”. Alexander Da Fonseca is a wonderful mix of innocence and boldness, and his instant connection with Ferdinand (Aaron Peters) is played beautifully. Abigail Clay is a restless and animalistic Ariel, effortlessly portraying Ariel’s ethereal qualities without any need for otherworldly costume. The comic relief provided by the drunken Stephano (James Altson), Trinculo (David Clayton) and Caliban (Georgina Barley) is superb with the trio bouncing off each other and clowning around expertly.
The survivors’ journey around the island, and Prospero’s journey to redemption and forgiveness is played out at a brisk pace but Dukes’ direction ensures the quieter, tender moments are not rushed. The two standout scenes are either side of the interval, with Alonso and his men cowering beneath Ariel’s huge Harpy wings ending the first half with electric energy, and the second half beginning with a beautiful celebration of Miranda and Ferdinand’s vows – full of gorgeous visual touches and exuding warmth and love (watch Da Fonseca’s reactions when Peters touches him – just lovely).
An exciting start to Lazarus’s new season, The Tempest is a magical and joyful production that will enchant every audience
The London Library, St. James Square – until 2 March 2019
Reviewed by Lisa Harlow
3***
This was, for me, an absolutely mouth-watering invite to be welcomed to the very location that Bram Stoker is said to have conducted a few years of research that contributed to this classic gothic story (which never really merited much attention by his contemporaries at the time).
It transpires I am not alone in not having heard of this public lending library with its racks of aged texts, and this is indeed the very first time it has opened its doors in 177 years to put on a performance of this nature.
Set within the inner reading room chamber, the shadows and high wooden stacked shelves with ancient smelling books create a perfect setting for dark thoughts and drama. This Kate Kerrow adaptation for Creation Theatre has been specifically written for the venue and set it within the emotionally repressive era of the 1950s.
The whole production is told by only two actors (Bart Lambert and Sophie Greenham), who take on a handful of the characters, passing the baton and sharing a role or two at times, whilst characters such as Lucy and the Dracula himself, are conveyed through atmospheric visual images and audio. I found myself in a fortunate position in actually knowing the storyline as this gave me great advantage in keeping track on what was actually taking place. To allow for the single site setting and minimal performers, the narratives in the story were rather thrown in the air and completely resituated.
The focus became the decline of Jonathan Harker’s emotional and mental state following his visit to Dracula’s residence (which actually takes place towards the end here) and his relationship with Mina, his wife, whilst documenting their gradual submersion into Dracula’s circle of vampirism. Dracula is represented through the audio-visuals only, and in which seemed to rather a miss a trick in presenting the audience with a fully formed enigmatic presence that this role demands. I actually found the audio, rather overpowering at times, rather than terrifying or alluring.
Both actors do largely a great job of working through all of their character representations, though a couple a rather too much of a caricature. At times, I was drawn into the complexity of Mina and Jonathan’s layers and situations, the bleeding together of reality and unreality, and equally seduced by the aroma of Dracula’s darkness; yet during others, it was all rather too drowsy-eyed and whimsical.
Do take time to arrive early so you can browse over the books used by Stoker for his research which are out for viewing, including original copies which contain his own lines and notes. The pairing of this masterpiece in this venue holds enough weight to certainly merit a visit.
Direct from London Palladium sell-out, The King and I in Woking
Following the critically acclaimed Broadway smash hit run of the The King And I and its box office sold out record breaking season at the world famous London Palladium, comes the announcement that the multi Tony Award winning production will be coming to the New Victoria Theatre, Woking in 2020 from Tuesday 7 – Saturday 18 April 2020 as a part of a nationwide tour.
Casting to be announced soon.
The West End critics heaped praise on The King And I, the Daily Mail “left the London Palladium on a bright cloud of music”, while the The Times awarded the show “Five stars for a sumptuous King and I” declaring it “a hit”. Daily Express hailed it “London’s theatrical event of 2018” whilst The Daily Telegraph concurred proclaiming the show “looks and sounds ravishing”. Another five stars were awarded from the Sunday Express and the Financial Times called it “simply spellbinding”.
Acclaimed Tony Award-winning Bartlett Sher will once again direct the production and be reunited with the celebrated creative team that brought this majestic production of The King And I to life at the Palladium in 2018.
The news of the tour comes hot off the heels of the cinema release of the live production of The King And I: From The London Palladium, which has become the biggest live event in cinemas of 2018. The production in cinemas took in excess of $2.5m at the box office and in the UK the film reached the number one spot, with more than double the box office of the next film, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. More than 135,000 movie goers packed cinemas across the globe for the initial performance to watch The King And I: From The London Palladium – filmed on stage at the iconic London Palladium. The film has already broken all equivalent records.
Set in 1860s Bangkok, the musical tells the story of the unconventional and tempestuous relationship that develops between the King of Siam and Anna Leonowens, a British schoolteacher whom the modernist King, in an imperialistic world, brings to Siam to teach his many wives and children. With one of the finest scores ever written including: Whistle a Happy Tune, Getting to Know You and Shall We Dance, featuring a company of over 50 world-class performers, and full scale orchestra, The King And I is a testament to the lavish heritage of gloriously romantic musical theatre – it is the greatest musical from the golden age of musicals.
Producer Howard Panter says: “The response from London audiences to this multi award-winning production of The King And I was unprecedented. Critical plaudits, Box Office records and standing ovations at every show – we were overwhelmed with the rapturous response. Coupled with the reaction to the Global cinema screenings of the film version – which is the biggest theatre event in cinemas of the year and number one at the Box Office. This really is musical theatre at its very best, so we are thrilled that we can now share this wonderous production with theatre lovers up and down the country next year.”
Listings
Tuesday 7 – Saturday 18 April 2020
Mon – Sat eves 7.30pm
Wed, Thu & Sat mats 2.30pm
Tickets from £15 fees apply
You can book tickets by calling the Box Office on 0844 871 7645 (Fees apply. Calls cost up to 7p per minute, plus your phone company’s access charge), Groups Booking Line 0333 009 5386 or online at www.atgtickets/woking (fees apply).
New Victoria Theatre, Peacocks Centre, Woking, Surrey, GU21 6G
Carriageworks Theatre, Leeds – until Saturday 9th February 2019
Reviewed By Dawn Smallwood
3***
Leeds Arts Centre presents Hamlet this season at the Carriageworks Theatre and the company is collaborating with Royal Shakespeare’s Open Stages to bring this Shakespeare’s tragedy on stage. Directed by Ken Taylor this production is about a young man who was ordered home from his college and to be told that his father was dead and that his mother remarried his uncle immediately after.
Hamlet looks at how the tragedy affects each of the characters and the impact and it has on the family and the kingdom. This is more so with Hamlet (Chris Connell) who, through a visit from the ghost of his father, vows revenge to his uncle after he learns that he murdered his father. A sequence of events unfold which leads to tragic consequences to those near and dear to him. Connell gives an excellent portrayal of Hamlet and the strong emotions of a troubled young man are certainly projected. Hamlet is certainly misunderstood as he is declared “mad” by his family and close associates however the tragedy certainly has had an impact on his mental health. Very good acting also comes from Stuart Gordon as the villainous Claudius and Rachel Vernelle as Gertrude in who was circumstantially much as a victim as Hamlet.
Hamlet is a classic tragedy which certainly explores each of the characters in depth and strong themes emerge such as greed, power, murder, revenge and to an extent, mental health. Mental health particularly affects Hamlet who had to deal with losing his father and being avenged and also Ophelia (Olivia Richardson) who struggled with Hamlet’s grief and their affected courtship and losing her father, Polinious (Howard Russell). Unlike Shakespeare’s comedies it doesn’t end all well and with an all-out fight between Hamlet and Laertes (Djo Fisher) which results in a dramatic tragic finale. It is felt that the play ended suddenly and perhaps a brief epilogue of some tribute to Hamlet by the King of Norway could have been added in.
Supported by traditional staging and costumes, courtesy of Ken Taylor, Rich Francis and the creative team, this is a very good production and the Leeds Arts Centre must take pride in delivering Hamlet especially it being abridged. It did not compromise the spirit of the story, particularly its tragic elements, whatsoever and enthusiastically well received from the appreciative audience.
Motown the Musical will conclude its run on 20 April 2019 having celebrated over 1330performances since its London premiere in February 2016. The show received its world premiere in April 2013 in New York and opened in the West End three years later. Motown the Musical closes in London inadvance of major refurbishments taking place at the Shaftesbury Theatre, while the UK tour continues across the country.
With music and lyrics from the Motown catalogue, which last month celebrated it sixtieth anniversary, book by Motown founder Berry Gordy and directed by Charles Randolph-Wright,Motown the Musical tells the story behind the legendary classic hits.
The production features a fifteen-piece orchestra playing 50 Motown tracks including Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, I’ll Be There, Dancing In The Street, Stop! In The Name of Love, My Girl and I Heard It through the Grapevine. With just $800 borrowed from his family, Motown founder Berry Gordy, goes from featherweight boxer to heavyweight music mogul, discovering and launching the careers of Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye and many more. Motown the Musical uncovers the true story of the legendary record label that changed music history and created the soundtrack of a generation.
Motown the Musical has music supervision, orchestrations and arrangements by Ethan Popp, co-orchestrations and additional arrangements by Bryan Cook and dance arrangements by Zane Mark. Choreography is by Patricia Wilcox and Warren Adams, scenic design by David Korins, costumes by Emilio Sosa, lighting by Natasha Katz, sound by Peter Hylenski and video by Daniel Brodie. UK Associate Director is Tara Wilkinson, Conductor & UK Associate Music Supervisor is Gareth Weedon, UK Associate Set Designer is Andrew Edwards and UK Associate Lighting Designer is Alistair Grant and UK Sound Associate is Chris Full.
Motown the Musical is produced in the West End by Kevin McCollum, Doug Morris, Berry Gordy and Adam Spiegel.
LISTINGS INFORMATION
Theatre: Shaftesbury Theatre, 210 Shaftesbury Avenue, London WC2H 8DP
The Grinch is coming to the UK to steal Christmas 2019!
New National Tour opens in Wimbledon on Friday 1 November
Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical – the record-setting New York Christmas sensation – is to play a UK Tour in 2019, ahead of a Christmas season at The Lowry.
Featuring the hit songs “You’re A Mean One Mr. Grinch” and “Welcome Christmas”, Max the Dog narrates the show, as the mean and scheming Grinch, whose heart is ‘two sizes too small’, decides to steal Christmas away from the Holiday loving Whos.
Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical will make its UK premiere at New Wimbledon Theatre on Friday 1 November 2019, play Glasgow, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Birmingham, before starting a 4-week Christmas season at The Lowry in Salford on Tuesday 10 December 2019.
Mel Marvin and Timothy Mason’s music and book breathe new life into this timeless story. Magnificent sets designed by John Lee Beatty and costumes designed by Robert Morgan are inspired by Dr. Seuss’ original illustrations and help to transport audiences to the whimsical world of Whoville, and to conjure the true meaning of Christmas.
This production is based on the show originally created by 3-time Tony Award winning director, Jack O’Brien and choreographer John DeLuca.
The show broke box office records for two consecutive years on Broadway. Since then, more than 2 million people across America have been thrilled by this heart-warming musical.
The announcement of the tour of the musical comes as a new movie of The Grinch – starring the voices of Benedict Cumberbatch and Angela Lansbury – is enchanting a whole new generation.
Simon Friend, producer of the UK production says:
“I am so thrilled that The Grinch will be travelling the UK next year, stealing Christmas all around the country! The musical has been enchanting audiences across the US for over a decade, and we have been lucky enough to secure some of the best theatres in the country for its UK premiere. We can’t wait to see the UK going green over the coming year!”
Celebrate Christmas with the show The New York Times calls “100 times better than any bedtime story!”
Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical is to be produced by Simon Friend, Running Subway Productions, Gavin Kalin and Phil McIntyre Entertainments. For more information please see: www.grinchmusical.co.uk
Pint of Wine Theatre Company, an innovative theatre company providing opportunities for artists, technicians and practitioners to challenge the conventions on how theatre should be presented, is excited to announce its full 2019 season: the UK premiere of Michael John LaChiusa’s Queen of the Mist in April at the Jack Studio Theatre, a full production of the iconic Mame in December at the Cockpit Theatre, a new song and dance production with multi-disciplinary artist Lemington Ridley in the Autumn and a four night cabaret festival in June at the Bussey Building.
Blake Klein, Creative Producer of Pint of Wine, says: “This season will feature new works, rarely-staged classics and fresh looks at great storytelling. We will continue to challenge what is understood of and expected from the London fringe theatre scene and Pint of Wine is incredibly excited for the year ahead.”
Pint of Wine has also named their charity of the year as London Bubble Theatre Company, which it will support in various initiatives throughout the year. Klein says: “London Bubble Theatre Company’s work in supporting theatre makers of all ages though a wide range of programming goes to the heart of what we seek to do at Pint of Wine, and we look forward to partnering with them on various projects throughout 2019.” Proceeds of the 19 April performance of Queen of the Mist will be donated to support the Bubble’s Creative Enders Programme.
Formed in 2018, Pint of Wine is an innovative theatre company with a plan: they look to challenge, disrupt, engage, surprise and grow. Pint of Wine provides opportunities for artists, technicians and practitioners to push the limits on how theatre, dance, and cabaret should be done. They seek to challenge the conventions on how theatre should be presented and look to be disruptive in what is understood of and expected from the London fringe theatre scene. They look to be creative in their choice of source material, and to question how and where works are to be presented, always examining how to best engage with a modern audience.
