Grand Opera House, York – until Saturday 20th April 2024
Reviewed by Aimee Forsyth
5*****
Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s take on the story of Joseph and his ‘coat of many colours’ is gracing our stages again! This well-known and well-loved production is brought to life with energy and pizzazz by York Stage and The Really Useful Group Ltd. through an array of talent, imaginative staging and lighting and gorgeous colourful and glittering costumes. There is a joy and campness that would lift anyone’s spirits with an end of show climax complete with audience dancing, singing and confetti.
The show opens with the breathtakingly talented Hannah Shaw who plays the omnipresent narrator who ties the story together seamlessly. With an excitable and engaging energy, she draws the audience in with her animated facial expressions and outstanding singing voice. Hannah is accompanied by a troupe of equally gifted co-stars including Reuben Khan who plays the role of Joseph with strength and vigour. These two are only examples of the amazing talent that is displayed in this production – Jacob’s 11 other sons all work fantastically together as masters of comedy and the Wives/Ensemble are equally as talented in their trio of skills of acting, singing and dancing. Verity Carr is particularly engaging and when she is on stage, you will find yourself drawn to her due to her zest and enthusiasm.
Of course, the audience is always waiting for the most iconic number ‘Any Dream Will Do’ and Reuben Khan certainly does not disappoint in his rendition of this acclaimed song. That being said, the band of brothers put up some stiff competition to steal the limelight with their take on ‘Those Canaan Days’ which showcases the chemistry of the actors and their multifaceted talent. Another favourite has to be ‘Benjamin Calypso’ which is led by Cyanne Unamba-Oparah who plays the role of Judah. This song is in the traditional song style of Trinidad and brings about the feel-good vibes of the Caribbean.
This production will have you singing along to the classics and dancing throughout. ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’ is a timeless classic and York Stage and The Really Useful Group Ltd. certainly do it justice
Due to overwhelming public demand, award-winning actor and writer Rob Madge will now play two performances of their brand-new show ROB MADGE’S REGARDS TO BROADWAY at the Garrick Theatre in London – at 2.30pm and 7.30pm on Sunday 26 May.
“It’s two weeks before I’m due to make my Broadway debut. I’m midway through packing my suitcase, putting my passport in its cute little holder from Dunelm (maybe after New York I’ll be able to afford a John Lewis one) and I receive a phone call. “Hey Mr Producer!” I sing in the style of Andrea McArdle. I then see my agent is also on the line. I know what it is. They want Jinkx Monsoon to play me on matinees to get a few more bums on seats but I have told them, she can’t do a Brummie accent.
“Rob”, I hear, “We are going to have to postpone”. White noise. Like that sound effect when someone gets diagnosed with an illness on Coronation Street. My legs give way and I fall onto the bed (cos I’m dramatic like that). I look at the open suitcase, resigning myself to the fact I will never get my John Lewis passport holder. Four in a Bed’s on the telly.
In the space of one phone call, I’ve gone from potential Broadway star and Tony Award winner to unassuming armchair critic of Seaside Shores B&B.”
When Rob was 12 they used to put on shows in the living room. When Rob was 26 their show about putting on shows in the living room was meant to transfer to Broadway. When Rob was 27 this Broadway transfer got postponed. Join Rob as they return to their family home in the Midlands and experience the greatest humbling of their life. “They’ve come home at last” – Nicole Scherzinger, 2023.
ROB MADGE’S REGARDS TO BROADWAY is accompanied by Pippa Cleary. The show is produced by Lambert Jackson.
Rob is a theatre maker, writer, and actor.
Rob’s one-person show My Son’s A Queer (But What Can You Do?) had sell-out runs at the Turbine Theatre, Edinburgh Festival, Garrick Theatre and The Ambassadors in the West End. It won WhatsOnStage, Attitude and Stage Debut Awards and received an Olivier nomination for Best Entertainment or Comedy Play.
Other theatre credits include Tink in Peter Pan and Pat the Cow in Jack and The Beanstalk (London Palladium), Millennials (The Other Palace), Bedknobs and Broomsticks (World Premiere – UK Tour) and Les Miserables (UK Tour).
Rob was named one of The Stage’s Rising Stars for 2024.
Soho Theatre (Downstairs), London – until 20 April 2024
Reviewed by Emily Smith
4****
Spencer Jones, perhaps best known for his roles in Upstart Crow, Mr Winner or The Mind of Herbert Clunkerdunk, has just opened his new show ‘Spencer Jones: Making Friends’ at London’s Soho Theatre. The show started with Spencer asking the audience who had seen him before, to a cheer of around half the room. When he then asked who hadn’t, the other half cheered (myself included), and he stated “Ah, some of this might not be for you… but either way, you’ll have a story” – and a story I have indeed…
It’s hard to quite articulate what happened during the show because, frankly, I’m not entirely sure myself. There were songs, masks, carboard cut-outs, and a variety of home-made props, all used to tell the story of how Spencer and his family moved to Devon during the COVID lockdown. For me, this thread running through the show really was a thin thread, unravelling as much as Spencer seemed to be! It was certainly something to witness and left most of the audience feeling as though they’d stepped into a fever dream – but not necessarily in a bad way!
The real ingenuity in the performance came in the use of the loop medal for the songs. My personal favourite was based on the surplus of eggs that his chickens produced in Devon. This is probably because my own aunt and uncle moved to Devon and I have experienced first-hand the flogging of extra eggs and witnessed the industrial sized jars of pickled eggs! To this effect, I’d call him the Ed Sheeran of comedy. He is incredibly talented in producing these songs on-stage, while keeping the audience on the journey with him, and I almost wish more of the act had focussed on these rather than the GCSE art projects he so proudly presented to the audience throughout. In his own words… “you can’t pay the mortgage with that” and I have to agree.
There were some issues with the microphones throughout, which detracted at times and appeared to be somewhat irritating to Spencer too, but what can you expect when you’re constantly poking your head through cardboard cutouts and donning obscure masks!?
Spencer’s energy, albeit frantic, was infectious. It was a case of surrendering to the experience and riding the wave. Personally, I came out a bit scrambled – much like the surplus of eggs he had sung about – but overall had an enjoyable evening!
I’d never experienced the Dudok Quartet Amsterdam before so didn’t know what a treat I’d been missing. After tonight’s thrilling concert I now know and will try not to miss them ever again.
The introductions were informative, genuinely interesting and humorous and added enormously to the evening. Through them we learnt about the instruments being used and also lots of background on the artists and selected works. We also discovered the group’s immense humour and mission.
First up, Mozart’s last String Quartet No.23 in F (1790) giving the Dudok’s the opportunity to wow us with their crisp phrasing through the work’s flowing melismatic lines coupled with tight tutti chords! The gorgeous second movement really stood out as did the final movement’s gravity defying semiquaver runs. The quartet’s reading favoured, I felt, the Romantic side (rather than the Classical) and was a revelation as it gave the piece a lushness and space to breathe, shedding new light on this popular work.
Watching the quartet’s attentiveness to each other was a masterclass in chamber ensemble playing. It was a revelation to see how the band engaged with the audience, often directly facing us and making eye contact meaning we felt as much a part of this intimate musical dialogue as they were. It wasn’t just us watching the band, it was everyone in the room being fully immersed and engrossed in the music.
The second work brought us right up to date with Joey Roukens “What Remains” (2019). The title of the first movement, “Strange Oscillations”, was a perfect description with beautiful minimalist architecture and some lovely crunchy chords. The quartet stayed laser focused through the myriad of techniques demanded upon them. A quiet intensity suffuses this work, ranging from spine tingling, almost imperceptible notes to ethereal glissandi evoking glacial landslides. I found the slow movement rather effecting, with some delicious ghostly effects. A lovely contrast with the other pieces in the programme and a very welcome addition – especially when we were told that tonight was the works English premiere!
After the interval we had one heavyweight piece; Tchaikovsky’s String Quartet No.3 in E flat minor (1876). A serious work with gravitas and a very emotional core – especially in the funereal third movement as it was written in memory of the composer’s lost friend. But the moment that blew me away was hearing the first bars of the second movement where the melody is spread across the players from first violin to second violin (Judith van Driel and Marleen Wester respectively) to viola (Marie-Louise de Jong) and cello (David Faber) – the timing was sheer perfection; it was worth coming just for those few bars alone!
Rapturous ovations were rewarded with an extra piece: Tchaikovsky’s “March” from The Seasons in a fabulous transcription by cellist David. And that wasn’t all – we were given freebies and got to thank the group in person!
A sensational evening of classical masterpieces old and new played by a vivacious, thoroughly engaging quartet on sparkling form, it was everything wonderful about String Quartets and music in general. The quartet’s flawless playing was a joy to behold. I can’t wait for the next Malvern concert and (hopefully) the rapid return of the Dudok Quartet.
KICKS OFF ITS THIRD NATIONAL TOUR @sohoplace FOR SIX WEEKS ONLY
WINNER OF
BEST NEW MUSICAL
WHATSONSTAGE AWARDS
****
Daily Telegraph, The Independent, Metro, Daily Express, Daily Mail,
The Stage, Attitude, Sunday Express, The Arts Desk, Broadway World
*****
The New European, City AM
Class has moved to @sohoplace from 22 May to 6 July for Heathers the Musical.
Following a smash hit West End run at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in 2018, two national tours and record-breaking runs at London’s The Other Palace, the WhatsOnStage ‘BEST NEW MUSICAL’ winner, the beloved musical will be back in the West End for only six weeks before embarking on its third tour from 24 July at the Theatre Royal Windsor.
Experience Heathers the Musical differently – reallyup close and personal @sohoplace, the West End’s newest theatre…how very!
Produced by Bill Kenwright Ltd and Paul Taylor-Mills, this high octane, black comedy, rock musical based on one of the greatest cult teen films of all-time that starred Winona Ryder and Christian Slater, is back with a bang!
The 2024 Class of Westerberg High will be announced shortly.
Greetings and salutations! Welcome to Westerberg High, where popularity is a matter of life and death, and Veronica Sawyer is just another of the nobodies dreaming of a better day.
But when she’s unexpectedly taken under the wings of the three beautiful and impossibly cruel Heathers, her dreams of popularity finally start to come true.
That is until JD, the mysterious teen rebel, turns up and teaches her that it might kill to be a nobody, but it’s murder being a somebody.
The award-winning writing team, Laurence O’Keefe and Kevin Murphy’s hit musical adaptation has enjoyed successful runs in Los Angeles and New York, and its European premiere saw it become the highest grossing show at The Other Palace, having sold over 20,000 tickets across the initial run and selling-out prior to its opening gala performance. It had similar success transferring to the Theatre Royal Haymarket. The show then broke records again back at its original home, The Other Palace, as the longest running show in the venue’s history.
The musical is directed by acclaimed American screen and stage director Andy Fickman, with choreography by Gary Lloyd, design by David Shields, lighting by Ben Cracknell and sound by Dan Samson.
LISTINGS
BILL KENWRIGHT & PAUL TAYLOR-MILLS PRESENT
HEATHERS THE MUSICAL
@sohoplace 22 MAY – 6 JULY 2024 Book, Music and Lyrics Kevin Murphy & Laurence O’Keefe
Talented playwright Aaron Thakar has his debut with this current and thought provoking play about AI. You are drawn in by the human relationships, the humour that brings with it, and the concept of AI potentially becoming a relationship guidance service within your very home.
Leslie Ash (Pippa) is a believable character that will resonate with many single women of a certain age. Paul Giddings (Martin) blends with Ash (Pippa) in a way that only couples that have been together for a long time can, despite being divorced. The comfortable body language and inevitable arguments are cleverly written and directed. Jake Mavis (Noah) delivers perfectly timed shallowness and depth to his character, surprising us all by his youthful insight. Ella Jarvis (Ellie) his girlfriend, together bringing the most laughs. Jarvis (Ellie) is intense and emotional, creating a great drunken scene that lays bare all her feelings of inadequacy, that so many people will relate too. It gets hilariously ugly! The dependency that Ash (Aaron Thakar) has on the AI advisor Agape (Katherine Moran), is a great vehicle for expressing his feelings of inadequacy and uncertainty in his relationship with Lilah (Destiny Mayers). Mayers (Lilah) is strong in her stage debut as a successful career woman that struggles with Ash’s dependence on Agape. The key take away is they are all human with very human emotions, that need a critical friend in times of crisis, however small.
The central character is Agape (Moran). Sitting centre stage in their homes, looking like any innocent virtual assistant. Smooth talking with an uncomfortable level of intrusion into their lives that is accepted immediately by the characters. The play revolves around the impact that it has on the relationship dynamics. Perhaps it goes a little too far. Perhaps this is the future. This plausible development of AI is cleverly conceived and comes with a warning. It raises the question, do we need AI to repair every relationship? Perhaps some are better broken.
Aaron Thaker (writer) and Ella Jarvis (producer) teamed up with Director Hannah Mcleod, make an impactful team with a bright future ahead of them.
Cast announced for the English language premiere of major new musical MARIE CURIE
Charing Cross Theatre Saturday 1 June – Sunday 28 July
Alisa Davidson, Chrissie Bhima, Thomas Josling, Richard Meek Christopher Killik, Dean Makowski-Clayton, Rio Maye, Yujin Park, Isabel Snaas, Maya Kristal Tenenbaum, Lucy Young
Producers today announce the cast for the English language premiere of major new musical Marie Curie, with Book & Lyrics by Seeun Choun, Music by Jongyoon Choi, Directed by Sarah Meadows, at London’s Charing Cross Theatre.
Alisa Davidson (Marie Curie) can be seen as Veronica Sawyer in the Heathers the Musical pro-shot film (Amazon Prime). Other roles include Lucy Westenra in Dracula: Mina’s Reckoning (National Theatre of Scotland), Grease (UK tour), Our House (Union Theatre). On TV she is in Halo Series 2 on Paramount+.
Chrissie Bhima (Anne Kowalska) was recently seen as Melanie in The Witches (National Theatre). Other roles include Sandy Cheeks in Spongebob the Musical (UK tour), Candy in Whistle Down the Wind (Watermill), Avatar in Lift (Southwark Playhouse).
Thomas Josling (Pierre Curie) was Tom Double-Budget in Scandaltown (Lyric Hammersmith), Dennis Wicksteed in Habeas Corpus (Menier Chocolate Factory). He was George in Sunday in the Park with George (NYMT at The Other Palace) and can be seen on TV as Adam in Masters of the Air (Apple TV+) and Theo in Belgravia: The Next Chapter (MGM).
Richard Meek (Ruben Dupont) recently played Brad Majors and was cover Frank-n-Furter, in The Rocky Horror Show 50th Anniversary World Tour. Other roles include Corny Collins in Hairpsray (UK tour), Rooster in Annie (UK tour) Trevor Graydon in Thoroughly Modern Millie (UK tour) and Leo Bloom in The Producers (International Tour).
The ensemble cast features: Christopher Killik – Mary Sunshine in Chicago, Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar Dean Makowski-Clayton – Making A Murderer : The Musical, Ordinary Days Rio Maye – Carmen Diaz in Fame Yujin Park – a recent graduate of Arts Educational making his professional debut Isabel Snaas – most recently in Guys & Dolls (Bridge Theatre) and Frozen (Theatre Royal Drury Lane) Maya Kristal Tenenbaum – was Julia in The Band’s Visit (Donmar Warehouse) Lucy Young – recently appeared in Newsies (Troubador, Wembley) and White Christmas (Sheffield Crucible)
Marie Sklodowska Curie. Physicist. Pioneer. Parent. As she arrives from her native home in Poland to study at Sorbonne University in Paris, young Marie Sklodowska is certain she can make a name for herself and change the course of science. She discovers radium, a new chemical element, with her husband Pierre Curie, and she’s lauded with the Nobel Prize.
But she is faced with an overwhelming moral dilemma. As Marie discovers the lifesaving potential of radium to cure cancer, factory workers handling the glowing substance are succumbing to the insidious grip of radium poisoning.
As a woman with society against her, can she wrestle with both the potential and danger of her discovery – and what is she if radium’s dangers overshadow its possibilities?
A story of life and death, Marie Curie has already captivated audiences in Korea and Japan with its sweeping score and story and is now brought to London audiences for the first time in a stirring original production directed by Sarah Meadows (Ride).
Marie Curie premiered in South Korea in 2020 at the Chungmu Art Center and recorded a rating of 9.8 (out of 10). A live performance was then broadcast, watched by 790,000 people. The show returned to Hongik Art Center Grand Theater, winning the Grand Prize, Best Book, Best Music, Best Director, and Best Producer at the 5th Korea Musical Awards. In 2023/24 Marie Curie opened its third season touring to six cities across South Korea. In Korea it was acclaimed for its cinematic quality and proved incredibly popular – watched in theatres by a cumulative total of 100,000 people.Creative team includes:
Producers: Byungwon Kang & LIVE corp. Book & Lyrics: Seeun Choun Music: Jongyoon Choi Director: Sarah Meadows English Book Adaptation: Tom Ramsay English Lyrics Adaptation: Emma Fraser Literal Translation: Ahreumbi Rew Musical Director: Emma Fraser Associate Director: Olivia Munk Set & Costume Designer: Rose Montgomery Lighting Designer: Prema Mehta Choreographer: Joanna Goodwin Costume Supervisor: Evelien van Camp Sound Designer: Andrew Johnson Casting Director: Jane Deitch Production Manager: James Anderton General Management: Ollie Hancock & Katy Lipson for Aria Entertainment
This programme is supported by the Korean Cultural Centre UKLIVE corp. LIVE corp., founded in March 2011 by producer Byungwon Kang, aims to produce global musical content.
Starting with the musical Paradise Ticket, Live Corp. has produced the musicals The Champ, Marines!, Fly High, Taekwon, Almond, Gwangju, Marie Curie, Fan Letter, Rimbaud, My Bucket List, Bachelor’s Vegetable Store, Mr. Lee Clean Center, In The Mood For Sorrow, plays Rent Apartment, Happiness Deliveryman Mr. Woo-soo, and the films House of the Disappeared, Respect, and many more.
LIVE corp. is Korea’s leading K-Musical production company. It exported the most extensive number of Korean musicals beyond South Korea, including China, Japan, and Taiwan, and all across Asia. From 2013 to the present, LIVE corp’s musicals have performed more than 1,000 times outside of South Korea, in original tours and licensed performances in more than 40 Asian cities. Musicals Bachelor’s Vegetable Store, My Bucket List, Rimbaud, In The Mood For Sorrow, and Fan Letter were presented in China; Fan Letter in Taiwan, and Bachelor’s Vegetable Store, Marie Curie, My Bucket List, and Fan Letter in Japan. Bachelor’s Vegetable Store was also produced as a TV series broadcast all across Asia.
In 2021 Marie Curie won the Grand Prize, Best Book, Best Music, Best Directing, and Best Producer in the 5th Korea Musical Awards, as well as the “Golden Watering Can (Złota Konewka)” the Grand Prix at the Music Gardens Festival in Poland. In the “Hyehwaroun-Gongyeonsenghwal” Awards in which the South Korean musical theater audience votes, in 2022 Fan Letter won the Best Work Award, and in 2023 Musical Rimbaud won the Best Work Award.
Producer Byungwon Kang has won the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Award three times in 2017, 2019, and 2023 and was named the “Producer of the Year” by the Korea Performing Producers Association in 2018. In 2022, he won the Korea Performing Tourism Grand Award presented by the Korea Performing Tourism Association. Currently, he is also the vice president of the Korea Musical Association.
Producer Byungwon Kang hosted the creative musical contest “Glocal Musical Live” with the Korea Creative Content Agency every year until season 8 and has developed about 50 new works as a creative producer.
LIVE corp. will do its best to plan and develop original K-cultural content that can be sympathised with and loved by people worldwide, continuing in the future.
LISTINGS INFO Byungwon Kang & LIVE corp. present
The English language premiere of MARIE CURIE
Book & Lyrics by Seeun Choun Music by Jongyoon Choi Directed by Sarah Meadows
English Book Adaptation by Tom Ramsay English Lyrics Adaptation by Emma Fraser Based on a Literal Translation by Ahreumbi Rew
OLIVIER AWARD NOMINATED NEW MUSICAL ‘THE LITTLE BIG THINGS’ TO STREAM ON NATIONAL THEATRE AT HOME FROM 9 MAY 2024
The National Theatre has announced the ‘triumphant new musical’ (★★★★★ WhatsOnStage) The Little Big Things, a production from Michael Harrison, will be available to stream from 9 May 2024 on National Theatre at Home, the theatre streaming platform where audiences around the world can access unmissable theatre anytime, anywhere.
Filmed during its world premiere run at @sohoplace, the ‘show with the biggest heart in town’ (★★★★★ Sunday Express) directed by Luke Sheppard, is based on the extraordinary true story about Henry Fraser, an avid sportsman whose life changed forever aged 17 when a diving accident led to a new life as a tetraplegic. Based on Henry Fraser’s Sunday Times best-selling autobiography, the musical follows as the Fraser family are split between a past they no longer recognise, and a future they could never foresee.
The ‘uplifting, heart-swelling’ (★★★★ Evening Standard) musical written by Joe White includes a theatrical pop soundtrack by Nick Butcher and Tom Ling and Olivier nominated choreography by Mark Smith, with Henry played by Jonny Amies and Ed Larkin.
The Little Big Thingswill be available to stream on National Theatre at Home with captions, audio description and British Sign Language, providing inclusive and accessible theatre experiences for audiences worldwide. Audiences can stream this ‘groundbreaking’ (★★★★ Time Out) production exclusively with a National Theatre at Home subscription available at ntathome.com. This offers unlimited access to the platform with new titles added every month, for a monthly subscription for £9.99 or an annual subscription for £99.99.
Luke Sheppard, Director of The Little Big Things, has said: “We’re thrilled to extend the reach of ‘The Little Big Things’ through the National Theatre at Home streaming platform. Accessibility lies at the centre of this production, and now through this release, a whole new audience can access and experience the power of Henry Fraser’s remarkable story.”
All titles on National Theatre at Home are available with captions, and over 85% of titles are available with Audio Description.
Bloomberg Philanthropies is Headline Sponsor of National Theatre at Home.
National Theatre at Home is also supported by The Linbury Trust.
Award-winning actor and writer Rob Madge will bring their brand-new show ROB MADGE’S REGARDS TO BROADWAY to the Garrick Theatre in London on Sunday 26 May, for one night only!
“It’s two weeks before I’m due to make my Broadway debut. I’m midway through packing my suitcase, putting my passport in its cute little holder from Dunelm (maybe after New York I’ll be able to afford a John Lewis one) and I receive a phone call. “Hey Mr Producer!” I sing in the style of Andrea McArdle. I then see my agent is also on the line. I know what it is. They want Jinkx Monsoon to play me on matinees to get a few more bums on seats but I have told them, she can’t do a Brummie accent.
“Rob”, I hear, “We are going to have to postpone”. White noise. Like that sound effect when someone gets diagnosed with an illness on Coronation Street. My legs give way and I fall onto the bed (cos I’m dramatic like that). I look at the open suitcase, resigning myself to the fact I will never get my John Lewis passport holder. Four in a Bed’s on the telly.
In the space of one phone call, I’ve gone from potential Broadway star and Tony Award winner to unassuming armchair critic of Seaside Shores B&B.”
When Rob was 12 they used to put on shows in the living room. When Rob was 26 their show about putting on shows in the living room was meant to transfer to Broadway. When Rob was 27 this Broadway transfer got postponed. Join Rob as they return to their family home in the Midlands and experience the greatest humbling of their life. “They’ve come home at last” – Nicole Scherzinger, 2023.
ROB MADGE’S REGARDS TO BROADWAY is accompanied by Pippa Cleary. The show is produced by Lambert Jackson.
Rob is a theatre maker, writer, and actor.
Rob’s one-person show My Son’s A Queer (But What Can You Do?) had sell-out runs at the Turbine Theatre, Edinburgh Festival, Garrick Theatre and The Ambassadors in the West End. It won WhatsOnStage, Attitude and Stage Debut Awards and received an Olivier nomination for Best Entertainment or Comedy Play.
Other theatre credits include Tink in Peter Pan and Pat the Cow in Jack and The Beanstalk (London Palladium), Millennials (The Other Palace), Bedknobs and Broomsticks (World Premiere – UK Tour) and Les Miserables (UK Tour).
Rob was named one of The Stage’s Rising Stars for 2024.
To Wilton’s Music Hall for the first time at this venue. Wow,
it was like stepping into the past as instead of being refurbished it has been preserved in a condition reflecting it’s age with areas of brick showing bereft of plaster, wooden floors and in the bar remnants of décor on the ceiling, the bar serving many beers etc and good choices of food at reasonable prices. The auditoreum was similarly preserved and would be recognised by clients of old.
As we took our seats the members of the Flabbergast company were on stage and also amid the audience, appearing to be having an impromptu rehearsal wearing their costumes. A prime example of immersive theatre. This gave a big clue that this would not be a classic performance of a Shakespeare play!
Soon the play started and immediately the action was fast and furious the performers using there bodies in various dance like movements to enhance the dialogue. What a spectacle!
The set consisted of a haywain in the centre of the stage which the cast used both as a mini stage, a bower for Titania and Bottom and a means of disappearing from sight. The haywain also gave the nod to how in times past travelling players dragged a cart loaded with all their scenery and costumes from place to place.
The play kept in the main to the plot penned by the Bard but the performing was so lively and comic as to be far removed from the way it is normally performed. The inclusion of dance, clowning, masks and puppetry all enhanced the performance tremendously.
In all this was a fine performance enjoyed by the audience. The only negative was that occasionally the dialogue was hard to hear . There were plenty of laughs from the audience who also gave a rousing round of applause as the cast took their bow.
