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Mayflower Theatre, Southampton – until 22 July 2023

Reviewed by Gemma Gibson

5*****

Court has always been a popular backdrop in theatre – the danger, drama, suspense – and The Verdict is another remarkable production that has just got it right. 

Based on the eighties classic, The Verdict is the latest court thriller performed by Middle Ground Theatre Company, taking you right into the heart and action of a serious court case.

When outcast lawyer and alcoholic Frank Galvin, played by Jason Merrells, takes on “the case of his career” – a medical malpractice that ruins the life of a young mother – everything is against him. Wanting to help the poor woman’s family and prove a hospital’s negligence, Frank rejects a $300,000 settlement and takes the complex case to court.

The first half of the show follows Frank building his case, with plenty of twists and secrets along the way. The stage is cleverly divided into Frank’s two resides – office and bar. 

As the curtains raise for the second act it’s time for the trial, and the audience is transported to court. By far my favourite part. The audience becomes the jury which is just a brilliant way to deliver a court case. It feels like you are right there, experiencing emotions running high and the drama first-hand. Completely immersed in the story, I found myself wanting to cheer and boo along with what was going on, desperate to find out the jury’s decision. 

The storyline is fast-paced, intense and gripping, complimented by an absolutely fantastic cast. While my feeling is some of the bigger twists are predictable, the way they come out and impact the story keeps the audience completely hooked, me included. Jason is brilliant as the cheeky and dangerously clever Mr Galvin. The character is completely natural to him, I can’t imagine anyone else playing the part.

Moe Katz (Vincent Pirillo), Frank’s mentor and partner in the case, is a wonderful part of the story, his love for Frank clear and involvement in the case crucial. Edgar Concannon (Nigel Barber) is excellent in his role representing the defence, a subtle but devilish demeanour revealing him the villain of the night. And Donna St Laurent (Reanne Farley), waitress at Frank’s local, is just exquisite as the female lead, quickly making an impression on Frank but with her own agenda. 

If you enjoy the mystery and drama of a good court story, The Verdict is a must-watch. 

New Victoria Theatre Woking – until Saturday 22nd July 2023

Reviewed by Liberty Noke

5*****

The Rocky Horror Show has been a popular show for 50 years now with a very loving following. This is apparent from the moment you arrive at the theatre. As I walked up to the doors I was surrounded by people wearing outrageous costumes. They were dressed as characters from the show wearing corsets, stilettos and fishnets among other things and it is from this moment that you know you are in for a treat. People wouldn’t be making this much fuss for a musical that is simply mediocre.

The show opens with clean-cut characters Brad (Richard Meek) and Janet (Haley Flaherty), both of whom have incredible vocals, they are in the car on the way home from a wedding. When their car breaks down, they walk to a nearby house to ask for help but instead find quite the opposite. They are greeted by Riff Raff (Kristian Lavercombe) who invites them inside to meet Dr Frank N Further who it is revelaed is the master of the house. Stephen Webb who plays Frank makes a spectacular enterance to the stage. His performance of ‘sweet transvestite’ oozed sex appeal, he moved around the stage with perfect confidence setting the tone for the rest of the show.

Frank goes on to introduce Rocky played by Ben Westhead, a man Frank has created in his Lab. Chaos then ensues as Brad and Janet learn that they have entered a strange house and must decide whether to stick to their beliefs or give in to pleasure.

Rocky Horror is well known for being a show the audience can participate in. As the narrator (Philip Franks) speaks the audience shout back at him to add comedy to the show. Again this is testimony to how beloved this show is. Franks bounced off the audience as they shouted even making topical jokes about what was in the news. This just goes to show that even though this production is now half a century old it is keeping up with modern audiences.

The Time Warp is a beloved song from this musical and both times it is performed the entire audience were on their feet dancing and singing along. The atmosphere in the theatre was unlike at any other performance I have seen. Infact during almost every song the audience we waving or swaying along.

What makes this production such a success, I believe, is the commitment and performance of every actor. No one stood out because they were all so incredible from the vocals to the dancing to the confident way they held themselves, even in some unconventional costumes. I cannot fault the performance.

This is a production that has to be seen to be believed as there is nothing quite like it. Outrageously sexy and funny from the beginning it is utter filth but you will enjoy every second. I recommend buying a pair of stilettos and looking over the audience script before going but you absolutely must go! It’s the naughtiest show around.

FURTHER CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR THE NATIONAL TOUR OF JAMES GRAHAM’S

SMASH HIT PLAY

INCLUDING EMMERDALE’S

CHARLEY WEBB,

MAKING HER STAGE DEBUT

AND STAR OF WATERLOO ROAD

AND NORTHERN LIGHTS,

MARK BENTON

JOINING THE PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED

RORY BREMNER

RUNNING FROM 22 SEPTEMBER 2023

***** “James Graham’s brilliant drama”
Time Out

**** “James Graham’s play is a winner” 
Radio Times

**** “Utterly compelling” 
The Times

**** “Huge fun”
The Independent

**** “Nail biting entertainment”
Daily Telegraph 

Joining renowned comedian, Rory Bremner, starring as Chris Tarrant in the critically acclaimed play Quiz, is Emmerdale star Charley Webb, in her first professional stage role andrecently on screens in Better(BBC). Alongside her is Lewis Reeves, who appeared in I May Destroy You and The Midwich Cuckoos, and TV star of hits including Northern Lights, Waterloo Road and most recently Shakespeare and Hathaway: Private Investigators, Mark Benton.

In addition, playing multiple roles is Leo Wringer, who has had a prolific career on stage spanning over four decades, comedian and actress Sukh Ojla, whose recent screen credits include the streaming phenomenon Bridgerton and Marc Antolin whose stage career has seen him take on West End musicals and plays, most notably Little Shop Of Horrors at Regent’s Park Theatre, for which he was Olivier nominated. 

Having begun her career in the beloved soap Emmerdale as Debbie Dingle in 2002 at the age of 14, Charley Webb was nominated at the 2014 British Soap Awards for Best Female Dramatic Performance. Since leaving the soap in 2021, after 19 years, she has appeared in Better for the BBC and will be seen in The Long Shadow which will air in September on ITV. Trading the drama of the Dingle family and step ping into the scandal of the Ingrams, Charley will take on the role of wife and accomplice, Diana Ingram.

Lewis Reeves starred in the hugely popular black comedy-drama I May Destroy You which was nominated for nine Emmys in 2021, and has recently appeared alongside Keeley Hawes in the Sky science fiction series The Midwich Cuckoos. He is best known for his role as DC Jake Collier in the ITV drama Unforgotten, for which he appeared in four series of the show.

Having appeared in the West End multiple times in acclaimed shows like My Night With Reg and Our Boys, Quiz will be Lewis’ first UK tour and will see him in the hot seat, called for duty as ‘The Coughing Major’ Charles Ingram.

A beloved TV and stage star, Mark Benton is no stranger to touring life, having recently appeared on stages up and down the country in Ramps on the Moon’s Village Idiots, and othercritically acclaimed touring productions including Glengarry Glen Ross and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. He has also been a regular on our TV screens since the early 90s, and best known for roles including Eddie in Early Doors, Howard in Northern Lights, Martin Pond in Barbara and Daniel ‘Chalky’ Chalk in Waterloo Road.

Most recently he can be seen as one of the titular characters in the BBC One’s Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators. He will be swapping his police badge and taking up the gavel as, Judge Rivlin along with other roles, in the upcoming tour of Quiz.

In a shockingly shameless scam, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire was duped out of £1,000,000. Or was it?

Quiz is the thrilling and entertaining ride through the infamous Coughing Major scandal which engulfed the world’s most popular TV quiz show. The story remains a mystery and had over six million people glued to their screens in 2020 watching the ITV adaptation starring Michael Sheen, Matthew Macfadyen and Sian Clifford.

Now, uncovering new evidence, it’s time to ask you, the audience, to put fingers on keypads and answer the ultimate 50/50: guilty or not guilty?

Nominated for two Olivier Awards including Best New Comedy, James Graham’s smash hit play, Quiz, transferred to London’s West End with sensational reviews in 2018, following a sold-out run at Chichester Festival Theatre.

The play now returns to Chichester Festival Theatre before embarking on a 9-week UK tour from 22 September to 2 December 2023, with press night on 28 September 2023.

Directed by Co-Artistic Director of The Royal Shakespeare Company, Daniel Evans and Seán Linnen with design by Robert Jones, and produced by Jonathan Church Theatre Productions,Wessex Grove and Gavin Kalin Productions, by arrangement with William Village. Lighting by Ryan Day, composition and sound design by Ben and Max Ringham, with video by Tim Reid and casting by Matilda James CDG.

Quiz is a fictional imagination based on real events which took place in 2001 following an episode of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? It is not in any way connected with the makers of the programme or any of the individuals portrayed. The television programme Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? is produced by 2waytraffic.

LISTINGS

QUIZ

ON TOUR FROM 18 SEPTEMBER 2023 – 2 DECEMBER 2023

Written By James Graham
Directed By Daniel Evans and Seán Linnen

Produced By Jonathan Church Theatre Productions & Wessex Grove, by arrangement with William Village

Lighting By Ryan Day

Composition And Sound Design By Ben and Max Ringham

Video By Tim Reid

Casting By Matilda James CDG

DATES & VENUES

Chichester, Festival Theatre – cft.org.uk

22 Sept – 30 Sept 2023 – 01243 781312

Newcastle, Theatre Royal – theatreroyal.co.uk

03 Oct – 07 Oct 2023 – 08448 11 21 21

Glasgow, King’s Theatre – ATGTICKETS.com
10 Oct – 14 Oct 2023 – 0333 009 6690

Cardiff, New Theatre – newtheatrecardiff.co.uk

17 Oct – 21 Oct 20203 – 02920 878 889

Salford, Lowry Theatre – thelowry.com

24 Oct – 28 Oct 2023 – 0343 208 6000

Norwich, Theatre Royal – norwichtheatre.org
31 Oct – 4 Nov 2023 – 01603 630 000

Bromley, Churchill Theatre – churchilltheatre.co.uk

06 Nov – 11 Nov 2023 – 020 3285 6000

Canterbury, Marlowe Theatre – marlowetheatre.com

14 Nov – 18 Nov 2023 – 01227 787787

Bath, Theatre Royal – theatreroyal.org.uk

20 Nov – 25 Nov 2023 – 01225 448844

Birmingham, Alexandra Theatre  – ATGTICKETS.com
28 Nov – 02 Dec 2023 – 020 7206 1174

THE HOMECOMING AND NACHTLAND ANNOUNCED BY THE YOUNG VIC THEATRE FOR 2023/2024 

• Matthew Dunster will direct Harold Pinter’s enigmatic masterpiece The Homecoming from 27 November 2023 – 27 January 2024. 
   
• 2024 opens with the UK premiere of Nachtland, a searing satire by Marius von Mayenburg, translated by Maja Zade, directed by Patrick Marber, from 20 February – 20 April 2024.
   
• Tickets go on priority sale today and public booking opens on 28 July. 
   

Kwame Kwei-Armah, Artistic Director of the Young Vic Theatre today announces highly acclaimed directors Matthew Dunster and Patrick Marber will be at the helm of two major upcoming productions; Harold Pinter’s powerful masterpiece The Homecoming and the UK premiere of Marius von Mayenburg’s thrilling new satire, Nachtland. 

Renowned multi-Olivier-nominated director Matthew Dunster (2:22 A Ghost Story, Hangmen, Shirley Valentine) will revive Harold Pinter’s The Homecoming, in a bold refocusing of the unnerving, modern award-winning classic, with design by Moi Tran. It will run in the Main House from 27 November 2023 to 27 January 2024.

Fresh from his Tony Award win for Best Direction of a Play for Leopoldstadt, Patrick Marber (Closer, Travesties, Don Juan in Soho, Dealer’s Choice) will direct the UK premiere of Nachtland, a mordant satire about marriage, legacy, and the rise of the new right, written by leading German playwright Marius von Mayenburg, and translated by Maja Zade. Young Vic Associate Artist Anna Fleischle will design. It will run in the Main House from 20 February to 20 April 2024. 

Kwame Kwei-Armah said: “The Young Vic has always been, amongst many things, a theatre for great directors of the world. I’m overjoyed to welcome Matthew and Patrick to dance with one of our mightiest modern classics and an electrifying new work I’m convinced will be a future classic. These are plays that test and entertain us, in the hands of brilliant artists.” 

Matthew Dunster said: “I’ve always loved Pinter’s work. He can take working class situations and hone them into something really poetic, crystalized and potent. His plays are about patriarchal force and what it takes to resist that, whether at home or in the state. The Homecoming encapsulates this and poses big, universal questions about power. I’m excited by the challenge of this play and I can’t wait to return to the Young Vic.”  

Patrick Marber said: “Nachtland is a jagged, modern satire but when the laughter stops, there’s a haunting disquiet underneath. I want the show to be thrilling and surprising, the kind of theatre I love.” 

Tickets go on priority sale today to members and on general sale on 28 July.  
 
Full casting and creative teams will be announced in due course.  

---

Young Vic Theatre presents 
THE HOMECOMING 
By Harold Pinter 
Directed by Matthew Dunster 
Designed by Moi Tran 

27 November – 27 January 2024 

Three-times Olivier-Award-nominated director Matthew Dunster (2.22 A Ghost Story, Shirley Valentine, Hangmen) will return to the Young Vic where he was Associate Director, with a bold, spare refocusing of Harold Pinter’s powerful masterpiece, The Homecoming.  

Max. Sam. Lennie. Joey. Teddy.  
And Ruth.  

In a small house in East London lives a family of butchers, boxers and brutes. When academic son Teddy returns home from America, with a wife his family have never met, a strange and carnal power struggle between man, wife and in-laws ensues.  

Harold Pinter’s unnerving modern classic and Tony Award-winning play, The Homecoming, is thrillingly re-explored in a new production by Matthew Dunster. 

The Homecoming is designed by Moi Tran. 
Full casting and creative team to be announced. 

Relaxed Performances: Fri 19 January, 7.30pm & Sat 20 January, 2.30pm 
BSL Performance:  Fri 26 January, 7.30pm 
Audio Described Performances: Fri 12 January, 7.30pm & Thu 18 January, 7.30pm 
Captioned Performances: Tue 9 January, 7.30pm & Thu 25 January, 7.30pm 

The Homecoming goes on sale to Soul Mates today, and Friends on 21 July.  
Public booking opens 28 July. 

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Young Vic Theatre presents 
NACHTLAND 
By Marius von Mayenburg 
Translated by Maja Zade 
Directed by Patrick Marber 
Designed by Anna Fleischle 

20 February – 20 April 2024 

‘Do you want this hanging over your kitchen table to remind you of your Daddy?’  

Nachtland* is a mordant satire about marriage, legacy, the rise of the new right, and terrible impulses buried deep. The UK premiere is directed by Patrick Marber who recently won the 2023 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Director of a Play for Leopoldstadt. Nachtland is written by Marius von Mayenburg and translated by Maja Zade. 

Modern day Germany. Nicola and Philipp argue as they clear out their late father’s house. When they find an old painting stashed in the attic, things get savage.
The painting is a quaint street scene from 1920s Vienna; the work of a failed artist who abandoned his original vocation for Nazism… Nicola wants to sell it. Philipp wants to keep it. His wife Judith wants to burn it.  

Marius von Mayenburg is one of Germany’s foremost playwrights. His plays include Fireface, Plastic and The Ugly One.  

Maja Zade’s translations include works by Lars von Trier, Roland Schimmelpfennig and Lars Norén. 

Nachtland is designed by Anna Fleischle.  
Full casting and creative team to be announced. 

*Nachtland is an invented German word. It suggests a place of eternal darkness.  

This production is supported by Scott Delman and Sonia Friedman 

Relaxed Performances: Mon 11 March, 7.30pm & Sat 6 April 2.30pm 
BSL Performance:  Fri 22 March, 7.30pm 
Audio Described Performance: Fri 15 March, 7.30pm & Tue 16 April. 7.30pm 
Captioned Performance: Thu 14 March, 7.30pm & Mon 8 April, 7.30pm 

Nachtland goes on sale to Soul Mates today, and Friends on 21 July.  
Public booking opens 28 July. 

STOCK AITKEN WATERMAN

ANNOUNCE

FULL CASTING FOR

I SHOULD BE SO LUCKY:

THE STOCK AITKEN WATERMAN MUSICAL

KYLIE MINOGUE ANNOUNCED TO DIGITALLY APPEAR IN THE SHOW

WORLD PREMIERE TOUR COMMENCES AT

MANCHESTER OPERA HOUSE

ON 2 NOVEMBER 2023

NEW TRAILER RELEASED (https://youtu.be/KTcFSGOh0JQ)

Mike Stock, Matt Aitken, Pete Waterman, show creator Debbie Isitt and Ambassador Theatre Group Productions are delighted to announce full casting for I SHOULD BE SO LUCKY: THE STOCK AITKEN WATERMAN MUSICAL. The team also announce today that Kylie Minogue will digitally appear throughout the show as a specially created character unique to the musical. The World Premiere of the official Stock Aitken Waterman musical will open at the Manchester Opera House on Thursday 2 November 2023 before embarking on a UK tour. www.soluckymusical.com, @SoLuckyMusical

Stock Aitken Waterman said today “Stock Aitken Waterman are thrilled to be part of this wonderful new adventure. To see our songs take on a new life in the world of musical theatre and working on a collaboration with Debbie Isitt and her talented team is so exciting and very special.” 

Kylie Minogue said today “I’m thrilled to announce that I will be joining Stock Aitken Waterman in presenting the new musical, ‘I Should Be So Lucky’!  It is the music that inspired a generation (plus my first five albums!) so to have all the SAW hits in this original story will make for a compelling, funny and heartfelt show.  Let’s enjoy the magic all over again!”

Bringing together the West End’s finest talent, the full cast of the musical includes Kayla Carter (The Color Purple, Bedknobs and Broomsticks) as Bonnie, Jamie Chapman (Nativity! The Musical, The Mousetrap) as Spencer, Jemma Churchill (Guys and Dolls, Nativity! THe Musical) as Ivy, Matthew Croke (Wicked, Aladdin) as Nadeem, Jessica Daley (Mamma Mia!, Les Miserables) as Britney, Gary Davis (Annie, Oklahoma!) as Big Mike, Melissa Jacques (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Mamma Mia!) as Shelley, Scott Paige (The Great British Bake Off Musical, Made in Dagenham) as Michael, Billy Roberts (Rock of Ages, Titanic The Musical) as Nathan, Giovanni Spanò (Jesus Christ Superstar, Bat Out of Hell) as Ash, Lucie-Mae Sumner (Mary Poppins, Guys and Dolls) as Ella and Anna Unwin (Aspects of Love) as Olivia. The cast is completed by Tegan Bannister, Ralph Bogard, Elliot Broadfoot, Emma Crossley, Kade Ferraiolo, Sydney Isitt-Ager, Joe Kelly, Aidan Nightingale, James Willoughby Moore, Lauren Woolf and Louie Wood.

THE WEDDING’S OFF, BUT THE HONEYMOON IS ON! Head from the aisle to the isles in the official Stock Aitken Waterman musical featuring the soundtrack of a generation with music from pop royalty including Kylie Minogue (I Should Be So Lucky), Rick Astley (Never Gonna Give You Up), Jason Donovan (Too Many Broken Hearts) and Bananarama (Love In The First Degree). I SHOULD BE SO LUCKY: THE STOCK AITKEN WATERMAN MUSICAL features no less than 10 Number 1 singles and over 25 songs from the Hit Factory whose music defined an era. Ella and Nathan, a young couple, hopelessly in love and about to take the biggest step of their lives – marriage. Until it doesn’t go quite to plan. Will they be together forever, or will he make her cry and say goodbye?

I SHOULD BE SO LUCKY: THE STOCK AITKEN WATERMAN MUSICAL is written and directed by Debbie Isitt (the hit NATIVITY! franchise), choreographed by Jason Gilkison (Creative Director of Strictly Come Dancing and Eurovision 2023), with orchestrations and musical direction by George Dyer, set and costume design by Tom Rogers, lighting design by Howard Hudson, sound design by Ben Harrison, casting by Anne Vosser and production management by Simon Marlow. It is produced by Ambassador Theatre Group Productions and Gavin Kalin Productions.

STOCK AITKEN WATERMAN

In 1984 record promoter and producer Pete Waterman joined forces with songwriters, record producers and musicians Matt Aitken and Mike Stock, creating Stock Aitken Waterman.

Stock Aitken Waterman achieved a level of success and popularity that is unlikely to ever be repeated.  Working with budding singers as well as established acts, they created an extraordinary pop catalogue that sold millions and dominated the music charts worldwide. Working with artists as diverse as Kylie Minogue, Sir Paul McCartney, Donna Summer, Dead or Alive, Rick Astley, Bananarama, Jason Donovan, Sir Cliff Richard, Mel and Kim, Sonia and many more, they provided the soundtrack to a generation that continues to be enjoyed today.  

Stock Aitken Waterman were honoured to receive awards for music production and songwriting all over the world.  BPI (Brit) Best Producers and 8 Ivor Novellos in the UK including Songwriter of the Year Award three times – a unique achievement,  Numerous BMI Awards for songwriting and DMA Awards for production in America, JASRAC Awards (Japan) and CASH Awards (Hong Kong) and many more globally.

In the UK alone: Stock Aitken Waterman spent three and a half years without a break in the UK charts between March 1986 and October 1990 in one or more of the following roles: Record Producer, Artist, Songwriter.  13 Number 1’s -three of which were consecutive, and over 100 UK Top 40 singles.   

DEBBIE ISITT

Debbie Isitt is a BAFTA and EMMY award winning writer and director of film, television and theatre.  Starting her career in theatre she toured across the world writing and directing with her theatre company Snarling Beasties winning numerous awards for her plays including a West End run of “The Woman Who Cooked Her Husband” starring Alison Steadman.  Her first cinema film NASTY NEIGHBOURS starring Ricky Tomlinson was a major hit at the Venice Film Festival in 2000.  Debbie then adapted Jacqueline Wilson’s novel THE ILLUSTRATED MUM for Channel 4 winning a Bafta and two International Emmy’s for best adaptation.   Debbie went on to make the hit wedding comedy film CONFETTI starring a host of British comedy talent that was distributed worldwide by Fox Searchlight and nominated for a British Comedy Award in 2006. Debbie is best known for creating a hugely successful film franchise writing and directing a series of blockbuster Christmas films; Nativity!  Starring Martin Freeman, Nativity 2 “Danger in the Manger” starring David Tennant, Nativity 3 “Dude Where’s My Donkey?” starring Martin Clunes and Catherine Tate, and most recently Nativity Rocks! starring Celia Imrie and Craig Revel Horwood which have all been major box office hits. Debbie wrote all of the original songs in the Nativity movies and stage show alongside Nicky Ager and her five-star smash hit stage musical adaptation Nativity! The Musical has had four sensational years of sell out shows and is set to return Christmas 2024. Debbie’s latest film Christmas On Mistletoe Farm enjoyed a global release last Christmas on Netflix. Debbie’s next cinema film is a high school musical movie, shooting 2024.

Chichester Festival Theatre, Chichester, West Sussex – until 3 September 2023

Reviewed by Alun Hood

4****

Apart from The King And I and Yul Brynner’s indelible flawed monarch on screen, on Broadway originally and in countless international revivals, nothing else in the Rodgers and Hammerstein canon of classic musicals is as inextricably tied to one star performer as The Sound of Music. Julie Andrews didn’t even play Maria Von Trapp on stage (the 1959 show and role were created for American showbiz sweetheart Mary Martin, who had already starred in the same team’s South Pacific a decade earlier) but mention The Sound of Music and the first image in most people’s minds will be of the youthful Julie in the film version, arms outstretched and hands splayed, twirling ecstatically atop an Alp as she soars through the rapturous title song. It’s a long shadow to escape from, and Adam Penford’s captivating new production at Chichester simultaneously celebrates that popular vision of this beloved property while also throwing up a few surprises of its own.

Most stage revivals tend to incorporate the changes and additions made for the movie (the inclusion of “I Have Confidence”, written specifically for Andrews in the film, the iconic “My Favourite Things” as a mood lifter for the frightened Von Trapp children during a thunderstorm, “The Lonely Goatherd” presented as a puppet show by the kids to impress the Baroness, their potential new stepmum…). This version however goes back to the first stage iteration, honouring the original (and meticulously crafted) book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crowse, and the result is a show more sophisticated, less sugary sweet and altogether more dramatic than I remembered.

Back in are “How Can Love Survive” and “No Way To Stop It”, the tart, cynical duets for the Baroness Elsa and her friend Max, the former dealing with financial expediency versus romance, and the latter with the rise of Nazism, while “My Favourite Things” is, as in the original, a duet at the top of the show for the Mother Abbess (Janis Kelly, exquisite) and Maria, and the yodel-happy goatherd number is returned to its positioning as the children’s storm distraction, complete with joyous, thigh-slapping choreography by Lizzi Gee. The London Palladium version that followed the game-changing BBC ‘How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?’ TV casting contest tried to meld together elements of the Broadway original with the movie version and resulted in something messy and unfocused, though enjoyable. This is infinitely more satisfying.

This isn’t a wholesale reinvention like the current Daniel Fish Oklahoma!; it’s not even as much of a rethink as Daniel Evans’s terrific South Pacific for this venue a couple of years ago, with which it shares a leading lady, the luminescent Gina Beck… and more on her in a moment. This is still the same sentimental, open-hearted, family friendly creation that has delighted musical lovers for generations: the songs continue to transport and bring a lump to the throat, the kids are still adorable; but Penford and his team have made the shadows fractionally darker and the emotional ante a little more elevated.

I suspect the main reason for this is that it is, for the most part, superbly acted. Edward Harrison’s Captain has a heartbreaking, borderline disturbing, detachment and edge of darkness borne of genuine loss: watching him respond to hearing his children sing for the first time is deeply moving. The Elsa of Emma Williams is more warm and likeable than usual, she’s not just some snooty sophisticate trying to drive a wedge between a man and his inconvenient kids, but a fully rounded woman who cares very deeply about her possible new family yet is acutely aware she is like a fish out of water; some of her martini-dry line readings are extremely funny, and humanising her makes the unspoken contest between her and the adored Maria all the more fascinating.

Lauren Conroy invests older daughter Liesl with intelligence and a subtle toughness that is miles away from the saccharine portrayals of yore, suggesting the pain of a young woman who unwillingly has had to be many things to many people following the death of her mother. Opposite her, Dylan Mason’s delivery boy Rolf is ardent and graceful, then convincingly undergoes a chilling transformation before a final moment of tormented nobility. Opera star Janis Kelly suggests a real woman underneath the Mother Abbess’s robes and rightfully brings the house down with the legendary “Climb Every Mountain”.

The beating heart of the production though is Gina Beck’s Maria, a creation of such magnetism, musicality, emotional depth and irrepressible good humour that she almost succeeds in obliterating memories of most previous interpreters of the role. Whether standing up to the Captain in defence of his children, befriending the lovelorn Liesl, or engineering the family escape from the impending threat of the Nazis, she’s strong, centred and entirely credible. Her rapport with the kids feels genuine, her deadpan comedy is pretty wondrous and she makes something deeply affecting out of Maria’s crisis over her feelings for Von Trapp versus her commitment to God. She’s sunny but rock solid, the kind of woman you would always want on your side. Her acting is so vivid and her singing so organically tied to her character choices that it is almost a surprise when she suddenly produces fearless, crystalline top notes….but it’s an exhilarating surprise, or rather a reminder that she’s played several classic soprano roles, including Christine Daaé, Wicked’s Glinda and as an entrancing Magnolia in Daniel Evan’s flawless Sheffield then West End Showboat. Beck’s Maria is so breathtakingly fresh that it feels a shame that the design team decided to give her a wig, admittedly a very convincing one, that recalls Andrews’s hair from the film. It inevitably invites unhelpful comparisons and is a rare misstep in a production that otherwise gets so much right.

Musical supervisor Gareth Valentine’s fourteen piece band occasionally lack the orchestral sweep that this score ideally needs, but for the most part wrap Rodger’s famed melodies in the glint and sparkle of a mountain stream, and the choral singing from the fine company of female voices (the nuns!) is absolutely gorgeous. No stage production can realistically expect to replicate the astonishing Alpine vistas of the movie, but Robert Jones’s handsome granite-like set has a sculptural quality that works beautifully, especially when atmospherically lit by Johanna Town, and some of the interiors that swing on and off are attractive and opulent. The overall visual impression of the production is perhaps darker than one might have expected, but it feels lush and dramatic.

All in all, The Sound of Music isn’t perhaps the very best in the R&H portfolio (South Pacific is probably more intelligent, Carousel more emotionally resonant and Oklahoma! more vibrant) but it is still a fine example of musical theatre from the Golden Age of Broadway. This is a truly lovely production of it, and Ms Beck reconfirms her position as one of this country’s most bewitching musical theatre leading ladies. Irresistible.

Bard in the Botanics festival  – Glasgow Botanic Gardens, until 29^th July

 REVIEWED BY RACHEL FARRIER 

4****

Robert Louis Stevenson’s devilish story of double identity is given an electrifying telling in Jennifer Dick’s full-pelt adaptation at Glasgow Botanic Gardens. Condensed to a troupe of three performers, Stevenson’s mystery retains the creeping intensity of the original while adding an electric charge that builds towards a vivid, final confrontation. 

Stephanie McGregor holds the whole together as the increasingly apprehensive and agitated Utterson, moving fluently between character and narrator. Adam Donaldson very effectively traces Jekyll’s descent from affable gentleman scientist to haunted and hunted man. But special mention must go to Sam Stopford, who so effectively conveys the ineffable horror and otherness of Hyde. Stevenson, in the novella, says that no-one who sees Hyde can put their finger on the reason for his demonic effect on people. In Stopford’s performance, I’d say it’s something to do with the way he drains the humanity from his eyes; but however he does it, I found myself increasingly unwilling to look at him for very long. 

Sometimes, when staging plays in unconventional settings, the background can be just that: incidental. But the glasshouse backdrop, which framed the actors against a sea of green foliage and wrought ironwork, not only conjured the story’s Victorian origins, but aptly echoed its twisty depiction of the blurred lines between inside and outside (helped, no doubt, by the fact that rain dripped on the audience throughout the performance).  

What criticisms can be levelled at the performance are probably a matter of taste. Stevenson’s downbeat ending is replaced by a confrontation of startling intensity (and, it must be said, volume). The intimacy of the setting, with the actors grappling or yelling in each other’s faces just inches from the audience, makes for an extremely vivid experience. What it gains on the original in forcefulness, however, it loses (slightly) in poignancy.  

The other issue regards the central mystery of the story. Jekyll resolves to divide himself so as to be free of some aspect of his nature which he cannot abide. What this is, exactly, is never stated, although there are hints that it relates to his sexuality. Stevenson burned an early, apparently more explicit, draft of the story on the advice of his wife, who said that to publish would ruin him. While this performance updates the story in some respects—through costume and language, for instance—it declines to say very much at all about the Victorian morality that constrains Jekyll.   

Nonetheless, Jekyll and Hyde’s depiction of a tormented, divided self is compellingly staged, with the simple device of clasping hands effectively standing in for thousands of dollars in Hollywood special effects.  

The REcreate Agency and Spin Arts presents the premiere of a new musical     

The Good Enough Mums Club 

On tour Autumn 2023  

Book & Lyrics: Emily Beecher 

Music: Verity Quade and Chris Passey 

Directed by Sarah Meadows and Michelle Payne  The REcreate Agency and Spin Arts presents the premiere of The Good Enough Mums Club – a poignant and hilarious new musical which is based on women’s own stories of motherhood. It has been produced, written, directed and performed by mums.  

The Autumn 2023 tour will play Birmingham Hippodrome (25-29 Oct), Storyhouse, Chester (2-4 Nov), Norwich Theatre Playhouse (9-11 Nov), Lincoln Performing Arts Centre (16-17 Nov), MAST Mayflower Studios, Southampton (22-23 Nov) and The Lowry, Salford (30 Nov-2 Dec) http://www.goodenoughmumsclub.com/book.

Not perfect? Join the club! From peeing on sticks to drooping tits, The Good Enough Mums Club is both a hysterical and heartbreaking show which shares the love and dispels the myths with enough wipes to mop the tears and clean away the snotty laughter.  

When the Council threatens to close their local playgroup, five women thrown together by motherhood overcome their isolation, loneliness, judgement and perfectionism to discover that they’re stronger as a group than as individuals, and that sometimes, being good enough is best. 

Emily Beecher, an award-winning Co-Creative Director, writer, producer, performer, story consultant and proud single mama to Maisie, is the creator and Founding Mother of The Good Enough Mums Club – a musical that grew out of her experience with severe postnatal depression and postnatal psychosis. At the prompting of her therapist, Beecher began to journal her experiences while juggling the demands of a newborn. During 2014, a short community workshop version of The Good Enough Mums Club played to sold-out audiences. In the following years the team reworked the musical by meeting mothers from all over the country – from a mosque in Birmingham, to a pub in Leeds, to a school in the shadow of Grenfell – collecting their stories to ensure the show represents a variety of experiences of motherhood.  

With a book & lyrics by Emily Beecher and music by Verity Quade, Chris Passey, The Good Enough Mums Club is directed by Sarah Meadows and Michelle Payne. The cast is to be announced. 

Emily Beecher, co-producer and writer of the book & lyrics, said: “I’m delighted that after 10 years of working on the show, of speaking to hundreds of mothers across the country, we are bringing the full production to these fantastic venues and to mums all over England. We are leading the way with our family-friendly working policies, which includes job shares, family friendly accommodation and children welcome in our rehearsal rooms. We truly believe no one should have to choose between having a family and doing what they love.” 

Dr Jess Heron, CEO, Action on Postpartum Psychosis, said: “It’s so important to raise public awareness of postpartum psychosis – a severe postnatal mental illness that affects around 1400 new mums in the UK each year. It often strikes without warning, and urgent help is needed. Seeing experiences brought to life on the stage in such a hopeful and reassuring way, as is the case with The Good Enough Mums Club, is invaluable in helping women and families to feel less alone and more able to identify symptoms and ask for help.” 

The production has been co-commissioned by The Lowry and Birmingham Hippodrome, with support from Arts Council England.  

Matthew Eames, Head of Theatres (Contemporary and Commissioning) at The Lowry, said: “I have seen firsthand the impact of The Good Enough Mums Club and it is clear this musical has superpowers! Watching the concert version of the show was incredible and Lowry audiences more or less demanded that they get to see the whole show. We’re delighted to comply and play a role in supporting a new musical to boot!” 

Chilina Madon, Executive Director at Birmingham Hippodrome said: “As part of our commitment to developing new musicals, we’re thrilled to be welcoming Hippodrome Associates, The Good Enough Mums Club back into our Patrick Studio this October. The concert version of the musical in November 2021 was a huge hit with our audiences who really connected with this special production.” 

Peter Knott, Midlands Area Director at Arts Council England, said: “We’re delighted to support the tour of this new musical. Thanks to funding from the National Lottery, audiences will be able to share stories inspired by real mums, brought to life on the stage in this new production. A number of additional activities especially for mums, their children and those who support them, are provided alongside the production and will offer a great way for mothers and their children to make new friendships, share experiences and feel supported in their local communities.” 

Visit http://www.goodenoughmumsclub.com/book to find out more about the show. The Good Enough Mums Club welcomes children under 4 to its special relaxed baby & child friendly matinees (although if your child is at the stage where they repeat everything they hear, you might want to consider this as the show is quite sweary!). Evening performances are strictly for those 12+. 

LISTINGS 

2023 TOUR VENUES 

25-29 October             Birmingham Hippodrome                   On Sale 18 July 

https://www.birminghamhippodrome.com / 0844 338 5000 

2-4 November             Storyhouse, Chester                           On Sale Now 

https://www.storyhouse.com / 01244 409 113 

9-11 November           Norwich Theatre Playhouse                On Sale 19 July 

norwichtheatre.org / 01603 630 000 

16-17 November         Lincoln Performing Arts Centre          On Sale Now 

https://lincolnartscentre.co.uk  / 01522 837600 

22-23 November         MAST Mayflower Studios, Southampton On Sale 21 July 

https://www.mayflowerstudios.org.uk  / 02380 711811 

30 November – 2 December   The Lowry, Salford                  On Sale Now 

https://thelowry.com   / 0161 876 2000 

Title of Show: The Good Enough Mums Club 

Box Office: Visit http://www.goodenoughmumsclub.com/book for a list of venue websites.

Running time: 2 hours with a 20-minute interval 

Category: theatre, musical theatre 

Content warnings: bad language, sexual references, child loss, postnatal depression, postnatal psychosis, racism and loneliness. 

Children & baby policy options:  The Good Enough Mums Club welcomes children under 4 to its special baby & child friendly matinees (evening performances are strictly 12+). These matinees are a more relaxed and family-friendly experience.  For more information about these, visit http://www.goodenoughmumsclub.com/book 

‘CHRISTMAS ACTUALLY’ CURATED BY RICHARD CURTIS OPENS AT THE SOUTHBANK CENTRE’S ROYAL FESTIVAL HALL THIS DECEMBER

THE WORLD PREMIERE OF ‘CHRISTMAS ACTUALLY’, A CHRISTMAS VARIETY EXTRAVAGANZA CURATED BY RICHARD CURTIS, WILL RUN AT THE ROYAL FESTIVAL HALL FROM 7-11 DECEMBER 2023 FOR 8 PERFORMANCES ONLY.

THIS ULTIMATE CHRISTMAS SHOW WILL FEATURE A STAR-STUDDED STOCKING FULL OF LIVE MUSIC AND PERFORMANCE, CHRISTMAS STORIES, POETRY AND COMEDY WHILST HELPING TO RAISE MONEY FOR COMIC RELIEF.

TICKETS WILL GO ON SALE ON WEDNESDAY 19 JULY AT 10AM AT WWW.SOUTHBANKCENTRE.CO.UK

Come and laugh and revel (and sometimes sing along) in a genuinely fun-for-all-the family celebration of all things Christmas!

Senbla and Roast Productions in partnership with Comic Relief are delighted to announce Christmas Actually a brand-new festive show curated by Richard Curtis (Love Actually, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, Bridget Jones’ Diary) and directed by Daniel Raggett (Accidental Death of an Anarchist, West End; ANNA X, West End) that will run at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall from 7-11 December 2023.  Tickets go on sale at 10am on Wednesday 19 July at www.southbankcentre.co.uk and a percentage of ticket sales will go to Comic Relief to support projects changing lives across the UK and around the world.

A festive feast for the senses, this witty and enchanting evening will capture all of the fun and laughter of Christmas through a treasure trove of entertainment. Family and friends are invited to come together for the ultimate Christmas variety show with a celebrity line up performing live music, Christmas stories, poetry and comedy.

Through a partnership with Comic Relief, Christmas Actually is excited to be using the power of entertainment to help raise funds for the charity during the festive period. Richard Curtis is co-founder of Comic Relief, and the charity has raised over £1.5 billion to support projects that tackle poverty in the UK and around the world during that time.

Richard Curtis said: “I hope this will be the perfect Christmas show: noisy and emotional, and full of surprises and jokes with some proper celebrity sparkle. And I know it will help support brilliant projects changing people’s lives, both in the UK and around the world, 365 days a year.”

Unfolding against a beautiful backdrop of live illustrations from some of the world’s most well-known artists and illustrators, the evening will feature some of the finest Christmas classics performed by a live band, powerful real-life stories and moving poetry brought to life by the multi-talented cast. With many more surprises to be revealed, in the true spirit of Christmas, the evening would not be complete without some brilliantly terrible Christmas cracker jokes read by celebrities on screen, children’s hilarious letters to Father Christmas and a good old-fashioned singalong. Full cast, creative team and celebrity guests to be announced.

Richard Curtis CBE is a multi-award-winning film writer and director whose films include Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, Bridget Jones’ Diary, Mr Bean, Love Actually, The Boat That Rocked, About Time and most recently Danny Boyle’s Yesterday.

St Paul’s Church, Covent Garden, London – until 15th July 2023

Reviewed by Mitzi Luck

4****

Slapstick Picnic brings an explosion of energy and silliness to the classic tale of Peter Pan. The story will feel both comfortingly familiar as well as fresh to a well-versed audience and exciting and spectacular to the younger audience members. The production maintains some of the traditional elements while pushing them further into humour that is sure to make the audience laugh. The cast brilliantly swerve into the bizarre to help create the story’s personality on stage – a pet for a nanny and a fairy that speaks in font names make the show feel jovial and playful.

The cast itself consists of just three actors that share out the characters, which adds to the fun and the challenge of portraying the story. Peter Pan, played by William Ross-Fawcett, is a opportunely mischievous character that doesn’t shy away from bringing to life the regrettable characteristics of a boy who never wants to grow up. Lucy Green brings a wonderful array of characters to the stage, from an adorable ‘Nana’, the nanny in dog form, to Wendy, a strikingly confident lead character, to Captain Hook himself, a version both theatrical and wimpy. Charlotte Driessler shows a brilliant contrast by bringing to life a motorbike helmet wearing Tinkerbell, as well as the hapless and sweet ‘Lost Boy’ Tootles. The characters are made so well rounded by the cast, with quick hat changes signifying each character.

The movement across the stage, directed by Jennifer Fletcher, is transporting – the dances are hilariously well-choreographed and the cast look like they’re having a great time on stage. The show moves like clockwork, and the pacing is well matched to the audience of all ages.

The set, designed by Ella Barraclough and Studio Polpo, works seamlessly with the show as the outside garden venue is reminiscent of fairy lore and magical tales. The cast even time themselves beautifully with the church clock chimes at the strike of eight o’clock. The set uses textiles to create the idea of a homely nursery to the wilds of never land. The gingham fabrics conjures up this impression well, even down to a gingham tiered cake.

I highly recommend making a visit to a Slapstick Picnic show – they weave the narrative with both humour and transportive storytelling that makes for a wonderfully enthralling show.