I was really looking forward to seeing this thriller and there are many unexpected plot twists that kept me engaged throughout the performance right until the end. It is not how I’d thought it would end and this left me a little disappointed but all the same it’s a good story and an enjoyable evening.
The once successful playwright Sidney Bruhl is experiencing writer’s block and living off his wife’s money. He is contacted by aspiring writer Clifford Anderson who sends him what looks like an exceedingly good play. Sidney invites Clifford to his home to discuss it.
Both are not who they seem and inevitably they try to outwit each other psychologically and with some really clever stage choreography. Nick Warning captures the essence of Sidney, with psychopathic tendencies and drawing upon dark humour which made the audience chuckle. George Watkins (Clifford) not only plays the naive talented writer but with an air of creepiness which kept the suspense right to the penultimate scene.
Emily Raymond ably plays Sidney’s wife Myra and has some tricky scenes to navigate. Myra is wary of her husbands erratic behaviour but does not necessarily discourage it. Her worst fears come true and she finds herself in a situation that she cannot get out of so goes along with it not anticipating her fate.
Philip Childs gives a solid performance as Porter Milgrim, Sidney’s lawyer, acting in a pompous professional capacity but with an agenda of his own together with Issy Van Randwyck whose excellent portrayal of Helga ten Dorp, the psychic neighbour appears to not only predict the future but make it happen.
The set design was really impressive and made good use of space available as well as depicting the outside. Clever lighting and sound that created the perfect atmosphere for an entertaining thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Concentration is key!
Nottingham Concert Hall – Friday 16 and 17 February 2024
Reviewed by Louise Ford
5*****
This weekend’s offering in Nottingham is presented by Dance Consortium and features one of Brazil’s finest dance companies, The São Paulo Dance Company. The show features three separate pieces; Anthem, Gnawa and Agora.
The opening set is dark and under lit, the dancers are already in position pulsating together in the centre of the stage. The movements and rhythm build throughout the piece moving away from a mechanical, visceral dance towards something more organic and collective. This piece was choreographed by Goya Monterone who is the resident choreographer with Cuba’s Acosta Danza. The piece is accompanied by Owen Benton’s score. The sheer energy and athleticism is truly amazing.
The second piece Gnawa. I had to look this word up as I didn’t know it at all. The word refers to a group of people brought to North Africa by the Berber as slaves. This piece was choreographed by Nacho Duato, who is the artistic director of the Mikhailovsky Ballet, in St Petersburg. The music was created by seven composers and is hypnotic and trance like. The music and the dance combine to create a spell binding dance which builds in a ritualistic rhythm. At the heart of the piece is an inspiring pas de deux between the dancers Amanda Rosa and Nielsen Souza. This is no soft ballet love story but a strong and natural folding,holding and stretching. Quite breathtaking.
The final piece Agora, has a totally different tempo and sound. This piece is choreographed by Cassi Abranches and is her third commission for the group. The music composed by Sebastian Piracés, is a mixture of Afro-Brazilian percussion, drums and rock music. The highlight of this dance are the truly amazing jumps by the women. They launch themselves feet first across the stage into the arms of the men. The audience gasped every time as it was really something to behold.
It was an amazing evening of energy and sweat. The tone and precision of their bodies was inspiring, such control and power.
The dancers worked so hard, their breathing during the “bowing “was audible and the sweat was pouring off them. The audience loved it, they whooped and whistled and the dancers smiled and grinned with pleasure at the acknowledgement and applause.
Dreamy cast announced for West End Musical Love Songs Friday 8th & Saturday 9th March Apollo Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W1D 7EZ
The incredible cast has been announced for West End Musical Love Songs, which is making a return to the West End this March, following a sold-out concert in 2021. The West End’s biggest stars will perform the greatest love songs of all time from fan favourite musicals and movies at the Apollo Theatre on 8th and 9th March.
The all-star cast comprises Aimie Atkinson (Pretty Woman; SIX); Cassidy Janson (& Juliet; Beautiful: The Carole King Musical); Georgina Castle (Bad Cinderella; Mamma Mia); Glenn Adamson (Bat Out of Hell; We Will Rock You); Natalie Kassanga (Crazy For You; Dear Evan Hanson); Grace Mouat (SIX; & Juliet); Michael Xavier (My Fair Lady; Sunset Boulevard) and Shanay Holmes (Miss Saigon; Get Up! Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical).
Audiences can expect showstopping ballads and tear jerking duets, so whether you’re celebrating Valentine’s, Galentine’s or just in love with musicals, this concert is the perfect night out or gift for a loved one.
Brought to you by the producers of West End Musical Brunch, West End Musical Drive In, West End Musical Celebration, West End Musical Halloween and West End Musical Christmas, so get ready to sing along, dance along and take the roof off of the Apollo Theatre.
Get ready to be serenaded by the brightest stars to the greatest love songs ever written!
Nikolai Foster talks all things An Officer and a Gentleman
As Leicester Curve’s production of An Officer and a Gentleman: The Musical tours the UK, director Nikolai Foster says audiences are in for a surprise. “I think a lot of people associate it with being a cheesy 80s romcom,” he smiles about the stage version of the iconic 1982 film. “There’s nothing wrong with a cheesy 80s romcom – and we offer some tasteful cheesy choices in our production – but audiences will be surprised by the depth of this story and how moving the show is. It is genuinely uplifting because we invest in the lives of these characters and care about them.”
credit: Marc Brenner
It’s the tale of hot-headed and determined Naval candidate Zack Mayo (played by Richard Gere in the movie) who has a fiery, passionate relationship with factory worker Paula Pokrifki (Debra Winger on screen) before sweeping her off her feet in the soaringly romantic finale.
The film’s writer Douglas Day Stewart co-wrote the book with Sharleen Cooper Cohen for a musical which had a short run in Sydney in 2012, with original songs by Ken Hirsch and Robin Lerner. But the Curve production, which premiered in 2018 ahead of its first UK tour, is a completely new one. “So it’s been an exhilarating ride for all of us,” says Foster, who is also Curve’s Artistic Director. “It’s almost as exciting as taking off in a fighter jet! It has been a fantastic adventure, developing the script and thrashing out the play’s structure over a series of workshops, readings, rehearsals and a short tour in 2018.”
The Hirsch and Lerner score has been swapped out for a fantastic soundtrack of 1980s hits by the likes of Cyndi Lauper, Bon Jovi, Kim Wilde, Madonna, Blondie and Martika as well as incorporating the worldwide smash hit Up Where We Belong from the movie.
As Nikolai feels: “Popular pop songs have helped to articulate the emotions of our characters. In some ways these appear to be ordinary and unremarkable lives but the characters created by Douglas Day Stewart (based on his own experiences) have remarkable stories to tell. When you throw a load of 80s pop hits into this world, it truly is uplifting and sings in the way only a musical can. The songs in our show express something of the characters’ inner lives and emotions that they are unable to speak in their everyday lives. The music heightens the emotions.”
The narrative is set in Pensacola, Florida, in the early 80s but the director notes: “Delicately depicting the experiences of working class people back then, the story continues to resonate. At a time when we are finally starting to consider what a fairer society could look like – with particular emphasis on women’s rights, anti-racism and training opportunities available to those from disadvantaged backgrounds – this simple story still has much to say about our society today.”
Taking on the leading role of Zack Mayo is “pretty major” for Luke Baker. “It’s a massive role and I just want to make sure that I do it justice,” says the actor who trained at ArtsEd and whose credits include Billy Elliot, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, American Idiot, Sunny Afternoon and Hairspray. “There’s a lot for an actor to dig into because he’s suffered loss and heartache, and now he’s going through this tough training regime.”
Luke recalls seeing the film version when he was young and rewatched it after he landed the role. “And it’s such a brilliant story. The characters, both in the film and the show, are really relatable and you’ve got the love story and all the struggles that go with it before the happy, stirring ending. Then on top of that you’ve got an amazing musical numbers and the iconic white suit.”
He smiles. “It feels incredible to be wearing it and what [orchestrator and musical supervisor] George Dyer has done with Up Where We Belong is fantastic. It’s so emotional and it blows people away. It’s like being at a rock concert.”
Can he relate to Zack? Luke smiles again. “Not directly, no. Well, I understand his competitiveness and wanting to prove himself, but I’m grateful that I don’t have the family problems that he has. He’s very determined, which I guess I am too, and it did cross my mind as a teenager to go into the army but I’m glad I didn’t.”
Having starred as Ren in Footloose on tour in 2016, Baker is excited to be taking An Officer and a Gentleman around the country, saying: “You’ve got a different opening night every week and a completely different type of audience wherever you go, whether it’s down South, up North or in Scotland. No two crowds are ever the same and it’s great that people outside London get to see live theatre.”
Luke’s co-star Georgia Lennon sees Paula as a dream role, saying: “The thing that I love about her the most is how strong-willed she is and all the things that she stands for. She’s all about girl power. She knows what she wants and she’s very sure of herself. She’s a strong, independent woman.”
Georgia agrees that the story has contemporary relevance because “the film was so ahead of its time in depicting that girl power theme”. Paula shares a deep bond with her best friend Lynette, which is something that also chimes with the actress. “Friendships are so important to me and I’m really excited to be able to portray that dynamic on stage.”
A graduate of Laine Theatre Arts, Lennon has previously appeared in Lady Chatterley’s Lover, One Enchanted Evening, Beauty and the Beast and Jack and the Beanstalk. Most recently, she originated the role of Marie Osmond for the world premiere tour of The Osmonds: A New Musical in 2022.
Like Luke, she’s looking forward to being back on the road. “I love being in a new town or city every week. Heading back out on tour again, I know all of my favourite spots and I know people in all the different theatres, like the stage door and backstage staff.”
She hadn’t seen the film version of An Officer and a Gentleman until she went up for the part of Paula. “Then I watched it and I was like ‘It’s a role every girl would want to play’. As I say, she’s such a strong character and there’s that iconic moment when she gets swept off her feet at the end. I was sat there going ‘God, I’d love to do this’.”
As for why the story has endured, Georgia feels: “I think most people are hopeless romantics at heart and the ending makes everyone swoon. Then, of course, there’s all that amazing music. I love that I get to sing Alone by Heart because it’s such a big number. And doing Girls Just Wanna Have Fun as a duet between Paula and Lynette is such fun to perform.”
Choreographer Joanna Goodwin promises people will leave the theatre with smiles on their faces, saying: “It’s a hard-hitting story in places, just as it was in the film, but it’s also joyful and heartwarming.”
The 2018 production was done in a cinematic style, with lots of projections. “But this time we’re making it into a full-blown musical in more of a traditional sense, with big numbers and production values,” Joanna says. “That’s the challenge for me, plus the fact the story takes quite a dark turn in the second act. It’s about balancing that with the joyous moments.”
Goodwin’s numerous credits as choreographer and associate choreographer include Oliver!, Love Never Dies in Concert, Gypsy, Sunset Boulevard and Funny Girl. For her latest venture, audiences can expect a thrilling blend of 80s dance moves with choreographed military drills. “It’s a combination of these two worlds – the girls who are out for a good time and the cadets who are being put through their paces. The cast need to be really fit for this show and we’re working them hard.”
Goodwin feels audiences are hungry for a musical like this. “At the moment everybody is grabbing onto that sense of nostalgia and anything that reminds them of a time where maybe they had more money or they were a little bit happier in their lives. And it’s such an iconic story, isn’t it? People look at the poster and go ‘Oh, I know and I love it’. With the show, they’re guaranteed a nostalgic good time and a great night out.”
It’s interesting to learn that the legendary closing scene in the film almost didn’t happen because Richard Gere worried it contradicted the visceral grittiness of the rest of story. “In some ways he was right,” Nikolai admits, “but it’s a moment of magical realism that celebrates the unspoken ambitions and hopes for a better future, which is something we can all relate to. Who doesn’t have moments where we’d like to escape to a better life?”
The director is keen to flag up all the people who have come together to make the show a reality, including Goodwin, orchestrator George Dyer, the writers, the team at Jamie Wilson Productions and everyone at Curve. “Through their creatives efforts,” he says, “we hope audiences enjoy meeting these extraordinary characters and that they have a moving, hugely uplifting and fun night at the theatre.
THE LION KING, THE BOOK OF MORMON, LES MISÉRABLES AND MORE GATHERED TO LAUNCH LONDON THEATRE WEEK
THE INITIATIVE, WHICH LAUNCHES MONDAY 19TH FEBRUARY, GIVES THEATRE FANS A CHANCE TO SEE THE HOTTEST SHOWS WITH TICKETS STARTING AT JUST £15, £25 OR £35
London Theatre Week returns for its celebration of the West End for the sixth year running. With over 50 spectacular shows taking part, London Theatre Week gives theatre fans the chance to experience incredible shows from as little as £15. Tickets will be on sale from Monday 19th February and are available via londontheatreweek.com.
To celebrate the launch, stars of some of the West End’s biggest shows made a rare appearance together for the return of the highly anticipated campaign. Performers from Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Matilda The Musical, Tina – The Tina Turner Musical and more came together to showcase the multitude of captivating productions that contribute to London’s vibrant and multifaceted theatrical scene.
Theatre enthusiasts and newcomers alike will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in a diverse array of critically acclaimed productions, with captivating performances which showcase London’s top theatre offerings.
In addition to celebrating established West End productions, London Theatre Week will also shine a spotlight on emerging talent and the hottest, most anticipated new shows such as Hello, Dolly!, Mean Girls and Opening Night.
Throughout the years London Theatre Week has continued to grow in scale, creating a new generation of theatregoers while highlighting the best of what the theatre community in the West End and beyond has to offer.
Michael Harrison, Producer of Hello, Dolly! and The Little Big Things said: “It has been so great to see London Theatre Week grow over the years and successfully generate a broader cultural moment – for both theatregoers and producers alike – that drives excitement around London’s remarkable and vibrant West End.”
Tickets are available from as little as £15, £25 or £35, making this the best time to enjoy the West End and continue to support live theatre.
Stephen Crocker, GM UK, TodayTix Group said: “London Theatre Week is the perfect time for anyone who loves theatre – along with anyone who would like to experience more of the West End’s incredible productions – to get tickets for London’s biggest hits. Along with long running smash hits like The Lion King and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, there are tickets for some of London’s newest and upcoming hits, like Stranger Things: The First Shadow and Mean Girls. With over 50 shows to choose from, there is truly something for everybody, at prices to suit everybody too.”
For more information about London Theatre Week and to purchase tickets, visit londontheatreweek.com from Monday 19th February.
The shows available include: A Mirror, Back to the Future, A Chorus Line, Cassie and the Lights, Cirque du Soleil: Alegria, Cruel Intentions, Double Feature, English National Ballet – Johan Inger’s Carmen, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, F**king Men, Faith Healer, FANGIRLS, For Black Boys…, The Forsyte Saga 1 & 2, Frozen the Musical, Guys & Dolls, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Hello, Dolly!, Hir, Instructions for a Teenage Armageddon, Jenufa, Jason Robert Brown, Kathy & Stella Solve A Murder!, Les Misérables, Machinal, Made in Dagenham, Matilda The Musical, Mean Girls, Mind Mangler, Minority Report, Nachtland, Next to Normal, Opening Night, Peanut Butter & Blueberries, Police Cops: The Musical, Priscilla The Party, Red Pitch, Shifters, Showstopper! The Improvised Musical, Shrek the Musical, Side Show, Sister Act, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, The Ballad of Hattie and James, The Book of Mormon, The Choir of Man, The Cord, The Frogs, The King and I, The Lion King, The Little Big Things, The Merchant of Venice 1936, The Mousetrap, The Play That Goes Wrong, Tina – The Tina Turner Musical, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York), We’ll Have “Nun” Of It, Wicked, Wild About You, Witness for the Prosecution.
HOPE MILL THEATRE, MANCHESTER – UNTIL SATURDAY 9TH MARCH 2024
REVIEWED BY MIA BOWEN
4****
The Hope Mill Theatre, which won the Fringe Venue Of The Year at The Stage in 2018, is a well-known and highly regarded intimate venue. For their latest production, The Gap, they have brought together two exceptional talents who are also long-time friends. Matthew Kelly and Denise Welch, who are both highly respected actors, first met over twenty years ago at Granada Studios. They have returned to Manchester to star in this two-person production. The play has been written by renowned Northwest playwright Jim Cartwright, who is famous for his work on Road and The Rise and Fall of Little Voice.
We are introduced to Walter and Corral, fifty years after they last saw each other, living in sheltered accommodation and a council-run nursing home. The play takes the form of an interview. They are unexpectedly reunited for a magical night due to a chance phone call. They proceed to share with us their life story, of two young friends who makes the decision to leave behind their home in the North and escape to the vibrant atmosphere of 1960’s Soho. They later become estranged but eventually reconcile, albeit reluctantly, just in the nick of time, a nostalgic journey filled with love, loss, heartbreak and comedy.
Kelly and Welch both portray multiple supporting roles in addition to their main characters, effortlessly switching accents and quickly changing costumes. These clever changes not only add to the hilarity of the performance, but also enhance the storytelling and helps indicate the time period in each scene. Cartwright’s sharp script have humorous lines and touching moments, all delivered by these two highly skilled and experienced actors. Their ability to captivate the audience and their impeccable comedy timing are exceptional.
The creative team enriches the immersive quality of the production, effortlessly transporting the audience between the present and the past with evocative musical tracks. The lighting and projections are beautifully done, creating a realistic backdrop against which the narrative unfolds.
A beautiful piece of theatre and fundamentally a story about the lasting strength of human relationships.
Cavalleria Rusticana and Aleko is a double bill and part of this Opera North’s season and firstly performed at the Leeds Grand Theatre. Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana (Rustic Chivalry) is a melodrama based on Giovanni Verga’s play and set to Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti and Guido Menasci’s libretto. This production first performed in 2017 as part of Little Greats seasons. Rachmaninov’s Aleko, a new and first ever production for Opera North, is a one-act opera. It is based on Alexandr Pushkin’s Tsygany (The Gypsies), and the libretto is written by Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko.
First performance is Cavalleria Rusticana, and the melodrama is highly emotive story with strong themes of love, jealously, anger and revenge. It is about Turiddù (Andrés Presno) who dates Lola (Helen Évora), but she subsequently marries Alfio (Robert Hayward). Angry Turiddù seduces Santuzza (Giselle Allen), who is devoutly religious, but he eventually returns to Lola (Helen Évora) and they both pursue an affair. Santuzza confronts the affair and experiencing Turiddù’s denial, she alerts Alfio and tells him of his wife’s infidelity. Strong feelings erupt which leads to Turiddù’s fate.
After the interval, Aleko, in similar vein to Cavalleria Rusticana, is about Aleko and Zemfira, a married couple, who live in a liberal community where the world is in their hands and that love must be free. Zemfira (Elin Pritchard), like her mother, falls in love with another man, a younger one. Zemfira’s affair disturbingly draws Aleko (Hayward) to despair and anger and he seeks revenge. His vengeance fatefully leads him to be an outcast of the community. Aleko intertwines with Cavalleria Rusticana where references from the melodrama are visibly present in the opera with appearances by Lola, Santuzza and Lucia, Turiddù mother (Anne-Marie Owen).
Both operas have a number of similarities particularly the themes and the musical composers composed their works at a similar time, end of the 19th Century, and are of a similar age. Strong emotive and excellent portrayals from Presno as Turiddù (Cavalleria Rusticana), Allen as Santuzza (Cavalleria Rusticana), Hayward as Alfio (Cavalleria Rusticana) and in Aleko, and Pritchard as Zemfira (Aleko). They are harmoniously supported with rest of the cast and the Chorus of Opera North.
The sets and costumes, designed by Charles Edwards and Gabrielle Dalton, are such a contrast. There is the tight knit religious community in Cavalleria Rusticana and in Aleko the liberal and free thinking and loving commune. Both settings are complemented with Charles Edwards’ lighting.
Both Cavalleria Rusticana and Aleko, under the direction of Karolina Sofulak and musically by Antony Hermus, are well put together and excellently interlinked and executed. Both performances are quite different, but the themes and cues are so coincidentally the same
There will always be people in this world who will lift you up and those who will bring you down. Jamie’s message is clear: surround yourself with people who want to fan your fire, not put it out. Write your own life story, rather than allowing others to write it for you. There is a place in this world for everyone!
Everyone’s Talking About Jamie returns to London’s West End for a limited season at the Peacock Theatre, following a record-breaking three-year residency, a sold-out tour, and an award-winning film. Jamie is back and ready to tour the country once more.
Jamie New (Ivano Turco – Andrew Lloyd’s Cinderella) is a 16-year-old boy who knows he is different, special and dreams of becoming a Drag Queen. Those who don’t understand are cruel, telling him he’s not worth it or that he must blend in and be ‘normal’. This is a heart-breaking, upbeat (at times) journey of acceptance, self-confidence, and search for a place where you belong.
This cast includes many well-known names. Shobna Gulati, who previously appeared on Coronation Street and Dinner Ladies, returns to play Ray. Shobna’s comedic delivery and timing were a big hit with the audience, providing laugh out loud moments with her well-delivered punchlines. John Partridge, a well-known TV personality and stage star (Eastenders, MasterChef, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats), plays Hugo and the flamboyant Loco Chanelle and does so brilliantly. Newcomer to Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Author and Podcaster Giovanna Fletcher (I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here 2020, 2:22 A Ghost Story) appears as unsupportive, Miss Trunchbull-esque Career Teacher Miss Head. Although not known for singing, they added some familiarity to this new cast. Rebecca McKinnis (Dear Evan Hansen) reprises her role as Margret and was the night’s standout vocalist. Her performance of ‘He’s My Boy‘ drew loud applause and standing ovation from some of the audience due to the sheer strength and emotion she conveyed.
Jonathan Butterell, the show’s original director and co-writer, as well as the book and lyrics writer Tom Macrae, should be commended for their writing. They were able to accurately convey societal language despite not adhering to traditional musical theatre writing conventions. They did not shy away from derogatory homophobic and racist language, which is unfortunately common in everyday culture. As a result, this story was more impactful than I had anticipated.
Throughout the Everybody’s Talking About Jamie performance, there were clear sound issues. Unfortunately, the lyrics became inaudible during the larger musical numbers. Most of the upbeat songs were difficult to understand and had a noticeable effect on the entire show. This show’s score is unquestionably second to none. The music and orchestration by The Feelings frontman Dan Gillespie Sells is a modern, relevant, pop earworm that will stick in your head, but these sound issues detracted from the impact they were attempting to make. As someone who had always loved songs like ‘The Wall in My Head‘ and ‘He’s My Boy‘ but had never seen the film or seen it before in the West End, seeing them performed on stage made the context much more poignant.
Aside from the sound issues, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie has a lot of appeal. It’s flamboyant, extravagant, skilfully staged, and over the top in the best way possible!
Arts Theatre, Cambridge – until Saturday 10th February 2024
Reviewed by Steph Lott
5*****
“The Time Machine: A Comedy” at the Cambridge Arts Theatre is a delightful, whimsical romp through time that will leave audiences in stitches while also pondering the deeper science of time travel. Written by the talented duo of Steven Canny and John Nicholson, and expertly directed by Orla O’Loughlin, this production breathes new life into the classic tale of time travel with a fresh comedic twist and a good splash of absurdity.
There are 3 characters on stage: George, Amy and Michael. George (played by George Kemp) brings a blend of charm and wit to the role, whist being very annoying! He manages to combine eccentricity and earnestness, with a good dose of arrogance. Opposite Kemp is Amy (played by Amy Revelle) who is a wonderful feisty counterpart to the 2 men. And rounding out the stellar cast is Michael Dylan, playing Michael. His is a complex role (I won’t say why – no spoilers here!) and Dylan delivers a tour de force performance. All 3 performers are excellent at physical comedy. The action is fast, slick and perfectly timed. And by the end of the play all 3 have managed to endear themselves to the audience.
The production has an apparently simple set design. However, the way that the set works, combined with the lighting and sound is extremely effective. Fred Meller, Colin Grenfell and Greg Clarke have really done an excellent job. The evocative lighting and atmospheric sounds result in a truly immersive theatrical experience that engages the senses and sparks the imagination.
But what truly sets “The Time Machine: A Comedy” apart is its clever and thought-provoking script. Canny and Nicholson expertly balance humour with themes of science and friendship (not often brought together on stage I would say!) weaving together laugh-out-loud moments with considerations of the nature of time, progress, and humanity. While the play never takes itself too seriously, it does manage to leave audiences both entertained and intellectually stimulated.
Director Orla O’Loughlin deserves immense praise for bringing all these elements together into a cohesive and captivating whole. Her vision and attention to detail are evident in every aspect of the production, from the performances to the technical elements to the overall pacing and rhythm of the play. Under her guidance, “The Time Machine: A Comedy” unfolds like a well-oiled machine, seamlessly blending humour, heart, and science into an unforgettable theatrical experience. O’Loughlin seamlessly blends elements of physical comedy, slapstick humour, and heartfelt emotion to create a theatrical experience that is both hilarious and intriguing.
In conclusion, “The Time Machine: A Comedy” at the Cambridge Arts Theatre is a must-see for theatregoers of all ages. With its mighty cast, imaginative staging, and witty script, this production offers a delightful journey through time that is sure to leave a lasting impression. Whether you’re a fan of the original novel or simply looking for a night of laughter and entertainment, . The production has both whimsy and wonder, inviting audiences to suspend their disbelief and join the characters on their fantastical journey through time.
A brand-new production of Nikolai Gogol’s satirical masterpiece, THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR, will premiere at the Marylebone Theatre from 3 May – 15 June 2024, with a press night on Wednesday 8 May. The Government Inspector is Nikolai Gogol’s masterful comedy about how corrupt power destroys itself, exposing the tragi-comic consequences of collective delusion and the swindlers who would exploit it.
“There’s no money in honesty!”
A comedy about hypocrites, hysterics and hustlers.
An over-privileged, vainglorious liar is mistaken for a high-ranking government inspector by the corrupt local officials of a parochial town. Desperate to cover up their crimes and escape censure, the town’s Governor and his cronies pull out all the stops to try and bribe this dishonest buffoon with money, wine and women.
Nikolai Gogol’s The Government Inspector premiered in 1836, in the presence of Tsar Nicholas I, whose enjoyment of the play undoubtedly saved it from the appalled censors, furious at this brazen satire of the country’s corrupt bureaucracy at all levels of government. The Tsar is said to have remarked, “We’ve all taken a bop on the nose from this writer. Me most of all!”
Apparently inspired by a real encounter when the writer Alexander Pushkin was mistaken for a government official in a provincial town and then told his friend Gogol all about it, the play is a landmark in theatrical history for its lack of ethical characters, fearless attack on the ruling classes and groundbreaking cocktail of farce and realism.
The Government Inspector’s themes of hypocrisy, corruption and mass delusion have cemented its reputation as one of the greatest comedies in world literature and ensured that wherever a corrupt and hypocritical government is in power, this play finds its way to a stage.
The Government Inspector is adapted and directed by Patrick Myles, with set and costume design by Melanie Jane Brookes, sound design by Jamie Lu, production management by Alex Firth and casting consultancy by Matilda James.
Producer Alexander “Sandy” Marshall said, “The Government Inspector is a remarkably relevant and hilariously funny account of power, corruption and human folly that is so timely you’ll be laughing through your tears.”
Full casting and creative team will be announced shortly.
