A CELEBRATORY YEAR FOR LEEDS GRAND THEATRE

As National Theatre’s Olivier and Tony Award-winning production The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time takes to the stage at Leeds Grand Theatre next week, so begins a year of celebrations, firsts and winners for the venue as it prepares to welcome a wealth of entertainment to its stage.

The theatre’s year ahead includes the World Premiere of Northern Ballet’s Casanova, the first tour forcomedian Joel Dommett since he starred in I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, the first UK tour ofNational Theatre’s Jane Eyre (it’s also the 170^th anniversary of the book’s publication), the first ever UK tour of La Cage aux Folles (many will remember the 1996 film version, The Birdcage, starring Robin Williams, Nathan Lane and Gene Hackman) and the first UK tour of Nativity! The Musical which lands, with perfect timing, in December.

There’s also last year’s Strictly Come Dancing Winner Joanne Clifton in Thoroughly Modern Millie, another two Strictly winners – Caroline Flack and Tom Chambers – in Crazy For You; it is the only Yorkshire venue for the West End smash-hit Mamma Mia! and it will host the World Premiere of Leeds’ own Kay Mellor’s Fat Friends The Musical.

“It’s a very exciting programme for our audiences in 2017,” says The Grand’s General Manager Ian Sime. “We’re very proud to bring such a variety of entertainment to Yorkshire and be a part of the region’s cultural offering.”

Among the firsts and premieres, audiences can also see David Walliams’ Gangsta Granny, Evita, Count Arthur Strong, Shirley Valentine, Jon Richardson, The Play That Goes Wrong, Dirty Dancing and much more.

Second Sons presents:

Grand Opera House York.  Reviewed by Michelle Richardson

The hit musical based on the music of The Kinks, Sunny Afternoon, music and lyrics written by Ray Davies, now playing at the Grand Opera House, York, running until Saturday 25th February.

Before I went I’d obviously heard of the Kinks and several of their songs, but I had no idea of their story, this show has made we want to find out. Playing to a packed audience, this musical tells the story of four raw and scruffy working class boys, brothers Ray and Dave Davies, Mick Avory and Pete Quaife, forming a band. From their beginnings in Muswell Hill to eventually conquering America. It is told through Ray Davies’ lyrics throughout the evening.

It is the classic story of a group making it into the big time but struggling under the pressure of touring, writing and recording. We see the infighting within the group, especially the brothers, with Dave’s descent into sex, drugs and rock’n’roll and his penchant for wearing women’s clothes. We are even treated to him swinging from a chandelier in a dress. After effectively getting kicked out of America by the unions, we see it all seemingly go pear shape, with squabbling, homesickness and resentment.

The hard working cast were faultless in their performances, both as actors and musicians. The choreography flowing seamlessly whilst singing and playing their instruments.

Both Ryan O’Donnell and Mark Newnham as Ray and Dave were compelling to watch. O’Donnell gives a strong performance as Ray, with his great vocals and portraying his sensitive side as he becomes disillusioned. Newnham delivers an outlandish portrayal of the younger brother, with his wild partying, all the while playing a mean guitar. They were both the stars of the show for me, though the rest of the cast were great.

The audience are dragged to their feet, though not much force was needed, as the band triumphantly returns to America and plays Madison Square Gardens and are treated to great performances of, amongst others, You Really Got Me and Waterloo Sunset. What a way to go out.

What an absolutely brilliant, amazing show! There was so much energy and at times the music felt like it could blow the roof off.

Get your tickets whilst you can, you will not be disappointed!

Ye Olde Rose & Crown Theatre 7 – 26 February.  Reviewed by Claire Roderick

The world premiere of My Land’s Shore attempts to bring the story of Dic Penderyn to an audience wider than the Welsh and trade unionists. It is a tale of injustice worth telling, with lessons about social injustice and class division still relevant today; but, in this form, sadly, I don’t think many will take notice. I come from stereotypical Welsh Labour stock, so really wanted to love this show, but was left underwhelmed.

Dic Penderyn was hanged after the Merthyr Rising of 1831. Protesting the lowered wages and unemployment among the workers as their masters lived lives of luxury, the Rising was put down by troops, and leaders Penderyn and Lewis Lewis were sentenced to death as a warning to future rebels.

Robert Gould’s book unfortunately gets bogged down in fitting the story into a traditional musical theatre arc, with clunky dialogue and exposition in between drinking songs, hidden secrets and red flag waving anthems. It’s been described as the Welsh Les Miz, and that’s is the show’s HUGE problem. The wooden set, all planks and doors to represent the pit and the miner’s hovels resembles the barricades, there’s even a dogged lawman determined to bring the men to justice, whatever the cost, who has a moment of doubt and conscience over the death of a young boy.

Christopher J. Orton’s music is rich and full of lovely themes, but begins to sound very familiar as the story progresses. The standout songs are Air for a wise Celtic fool (hauntingly sung by both Raymond Walsh and Aidan Banyard) and My land’s shore. The trial is also fantastic, if you block out the ridiculous voice over track. Why they didn’t stick to the idea of the masters and judge looking down on the workers from their scaffolds is a mystery. There is also, in my opinion, slightly too much blasting out one line and whispering the next in lots of the songs. I’m all for a bit of light and shade, but this is high noon in the Sahara and total eclipse in Siberia. It gets a little tedious and detracts from the emotion of the number.

The cast do well with what they’re given – Aidan Banyard and Rebecca Gilliland make a fine couple, and Taite-Elliot Drew is phenomenal as Sheriff Javert (sorry, Jenkins) in what is unbelievably his professional debut. Fine voices all round, and their march behind the red flag of revolution sends shivers down your spine.

There are some very entertaining sequences and the intent and passion of the writers and director Brendan Matthew is clear, but My Land’s Shore makes it seem as if the riots were suppressed very quickly, rather than showing the rioters take over the town and repel repeated attempts over the week to overthrow them as the insurrection spread amongst the valleys. In the show, it seems like a little localised spat, with an overreaction by the authorities – perhaps less focus on the women and more on the actual uprising would have created a show that Penderyn and his comrades deserve.

Jermyn Street Theatre 13 February – 11 March.  Reviewed by Claire Roderick

The Beau Brummell of this play is a far cry from the image of the young dandy immortalised nearby in Jermyn Street. Bankrupt, insane and dependent on the charity of nuns, Brummell is living in a madhouse in Calais with valet Austin. Austin ushers in noble visitors for imaginary conversations with Brummell, full of repeated stories of his triumphs and theories. On the day the (real) king is visiting Calais, Brummell waits in deluded expectation for a personal visit and reunion after the very public end of their friendship years before.

The men’s relationship is like a Wildean Steptoe and Son, with Austin’s frantic calculations on his fingers of profit from a variety of potential money making schemes making you expect the man to start eating pickled onions in the tin bath. The ritual of dressing Brummell is given a holy treatment, as befitting his fixation with style, even in the soiled clothes he has left. Arms flung out in Messianic pose, with Austin shuffling around him on his knees, these scenes are funny and poignant.

Ron Hutchinson’s wordy and witty script is full of magical verbal interplay between the two characters, but not much happens, which may not be everybody’s cup of tea. There is more action and tension in the second act, when Austin’s true plans for the king are revealed, but the verbal sparring continues to great effect. The king’s arrival in Calais is treated with sly humour – Austin’s revolutionary fervour crumbling into dust in the face of English pomp and pageantry.

Seán Brosnan is perfect as Brummell, pompous and judgemental, pronouncing his words of wisdom about style and society like a preacher, but never allowing the audience to forget the underlying fear and madness with finely nuanced pauses and expressions. Richard Latham is full of contradictions as Austin, simmering resentment, tender care and self-preservation all swirling around in a complex and subtle performance.

A beautifully crafted play with wonderful sympathetic performances. Well worth a look.

Park Theatre 14 February – 18 March.  Reviewed by Claire Roderick

Wow. Just wow.

Action To The Word’s production of A Clockwork Orange is a brilliant piece of theatre. A Clockwork Orange is one of those marmite novels/films that splits opinion, but director Alexandra Spencer-Jones has created a bold, raw and vital production that turns the ultra-violence into testosterone fuelled ballet.

Teenage Alexander DeLarge and his droogs terrorise society until Alex is finally arrested for murder. After two years in prison, he volunteers for a controversial new treatment that cures violence and criminality, and could see him released in two weeks. Broken society, disaffected youth, increasing violence and how the authorities deal with them are as relevant today as when Burgess wrote his novel, and this production takes a sideways view at frightening issues with humour and stylised violence that is stomach churning but fascinating, accompanied by a thumping soundtrack.

Performed in the round on a mostly bare stage, with black, white and orange accents being the only colours in the production, the acting style is almost Shakespearean – but this is Shakespeare on steroids, with a touch of Brecht thrown in (although that might just be the vests and braces). Jonno Davies is incredible as Alex – sizzling with animalistic energy and utterly credible as Alex veers between hedonism, viciousness, rage, compliance and fear, all fuelled by almost Messianic narcissism. His final monologue is perfection – seemingly reasonable and apologetic about his youthful misdemeanours, but ending with almost demonic laughter – reminding the audience of the unreliability of this horribly charming character. An unmissable and award-worthy performance. The all-male ensemble of 8 are fantastic, with Damien Hasson as Deltoid and the Prison Chaplain bringing the sole voices of reason in the play to life with a deft touch and Sebastian Charles’ lodger full of quiet menace.

This is a powerful and pulsating production that deserves a wider audience. It might even make you attempt to read the book.

Theatre MAD’s 2016 World Aids Day Theatre Bucket Collection nears £100,000

Book of Mormon, Aladdin, RSC & their Audiences are 2016’s Bucket Champions!

12/01/17 — TheatreMAD Make A Difference Trust today announced that it’s 2016 World AIDS Day bucket collection at West End theatres raised a record £93,359.29. The stars of this year’s collection were The Book of Mormonwhich raised a staggering £21,323.00 Disney’s Aladdin followed with £10,276.00 The Royal Shakespeare Company raised £7,201.00 Disney’s The Lion King were next with £5,896.00 and Les Miserables completed the top five with £5,814.00

Melanie Tranter, chair of the Make A Difference Trust said, “Thanks to the incredible generosity of the theatre going public and the hard work of the wonderful theatre community we had a record year.”

The money raised will allow the Trust to continue working with our partners in the United Kingdom and Sub Saharan-Africa to provide education awareness, care and support for those living with or affected by HIV and AIDS.

DUE TO OVERWHELMING PUBLIC DEMAND
EXTRA PERFORMANCE ADDED TO
LONDON’S WEST END SMASH HIT MUSICAL

Situations presents