New Victoria Theatre, Woking – until 25th November 2023
Reviewed by Heather Chalkley
4****
Writer Ed Curtis delves deep into the relatively unknown story behind the success of R&B band The Drifters. Unusually we are seeing through the eyes of the daughter of a phenomenal woman, Faye Treadwell. Faye was the driving power behind The Drifters, holding her own as a black woman, at a time when the music industry was dominated by white men. She stormed the gates!
Director Jonathan Notes expertly weaves well known Drifters hits into the production, using them to underscore the storyline. Familiar tunes that get the audience singing along like ‘Kissin’ in the back row of the movies’, ‘Under the boardwalk’ and ‘Sweets for my sweet’. By contrast Carly Mercedes Dyer (Faye Treadwell) powers through with her own songs to express the emotion and passion of her experience. She raised the roof!
The Drifters is a trade name that has featured 60 different vocalists since forming in 1953. The story is fast paced, covering multiple changes in the bands line up and a tumultuous journey to stardom. The versatility of Ashford Campbell (Ben. E. King, Rudy Lewis & others), as he switches between headline characters is impressive. You are struck by the sensitivity of Campbell’s portrayal of Rudy Lewis, the singer who struggles with his sexuality and takes his own life. Alongside Tarik Frimpong (Clyde McPhatter, Lover Paterson and others), they all take on the distinctive characteristics in action and voice of their lead singers. Dalton Harris (Johnny Moore, Gerhart Thrasher & others) and Miles Anthony Daley (George Treadwell & others) makes the full line up of exceptional vocalists who dance and sing their way through the many characters.
However, the leading light is most definitely Faye Treadwell (Carly Mercedes Dyer), a no nonsense women who single handedly keeps The Drifters alive on both sides of the Atlantic. Even after her husband and business partner, George Treadwell (Miles Anthony Daley) dies, she is determined to continue on, experiencing prejudice and misogyny throughout her career.
The Drifters Girl is a chance to hear fabulous music and learn the captivating story of a pioneer in the R&B music industry. There is everything to like!
I doubt the ladies of Rylstone and District WI had any idea just what a phenomenon they and their calendar would become. But what started out as an idea to fund raise enough to buy a sofa, at the last count was £5 million and counting
Tim Firth, author of the film and original play, has reworked Calendar Girls as a musical with a helping hand from friend Gary Barlow. And though this is billed as a musical it feels more like a play with strategically and cleverly placed songs. The lyrics are witty and poignant and carry the show along in a much more subtle way that a normal musical does.
This time round the tour is a Kenwright production, some characters have been pruned and the story slightly rearranged, but it is still a story of triumph over adversity.
Setting up all the characters in the first song, the glorious celebratory Yorkshire, the first act deals with John’s diagnosis and treatment for cancer, mixing wonderful comedy set pieces with Annie’s growing realisation that she will lose her husband, as he keeps joking and telling her that everything will be alright. Outstanding Tanya Franks, as Annie, breaks your heart as she sings Scarborough and Kilimanjaro, both about the challenges of dealing with life alone.
The calendar is the brainchild of Annie’s madcap best friend Chris (Amy Robbins), who simply wants to provide a settee for the hospital. But, while Chris is eager to strip for charity, her friends take a lot of persuading. The second act builds up to the big shoot becoming a means of overcoming issues such as grief, age or physical self-consciousness. The shoot and the nudity are handled with warmth and charm, with a joy that brings huge cheers from the audience at every flash (from the camera!). The women bare their bodies in a hugely empowering way proving whatever size, shape or age – everyone is beautiful
Lynn Paul as Jessie is hilarious, delivering her lines with a ferocious bluntness – when considering her decision to pose nude she says: “Ok… but no front bottoms!”And there’s good work from Maureen Nolan as the lonely Ruth who sings My Russian Friend and I; Jayne Ashley stands in for Honeysuckle Weeks as a musical single mum and Vicar’s daughter Cora and Marti Webb as ex air-hostess and golf club misfit Celia who reveals I’ve Had a Bit of Work Done. Paula Tappenden also shines as WI Chairwoman Marie who opposes the calendar idea.
The males in the cast are important too, Colin R Campbell plays John with dignity and his death is so simple it makes it all the more emotional. Graham MacDuff as Chris’ husband Rod, who goes along with all her mad cap ideas and ends up taking the photos is fabulous but it’s a pity he doesn’t get to impress us with more of his vocal chops
Gary McCann’s set design is a joy with its simplicity allowing you to focus on the most important part of the play – the characters – and to concentrate on the relationships between them all. Barlow’s music is always catchy and the musical arrangements are a joy to listen to
The script and lyrics are unashamedly Northern in their humour, bringing all the high emotions and fears back to everyday things that real people would dwell on. This show is about celebrating the strength and beauty of women, especially in their last phase “their most glorious”. One of the most beautiful musicals around, this is made especially poignant by being a true story. Make sure you have an endless supply of tissues because by the end there won’t be a dry eye in the house
On tour around the UK – find tour dates hereand if you’d like to join the WI find details here and donate Blood Cancer UK here
Smash-hit musical sensation The King & I comes to The Lowry, Salford in January, starring Helen George as Anna, ahead of a West End run at London’s Dominion Theatre.
Helen is known to millions as Trixie Franklin in Call The Midwife, which returns to BBC One next month for a Christmas special and a new 2024 series.
Helen George will be reunited with her co-star Broadway and film actor Darren Lee, who played The King on Broadway, as she returns to the stage to reprise the lead role she played earlier this year to sold out theatres across the UK. Both have received rave reviews for their performances.
Directed by Bartlett Sher (South Pacific / My Fair Lady / To Kill A Mockingbird), this Rodgers and Hammerstein musical masterpiece will play at the Eastbourne Congress Theatre from 13 December – 23 December and then at Salford’s Lowry Theatre from 9 January – 13 January before heading to London’s Dominion Theatre on 20 January for a strictly limited six-week season.
Helen George said: “I am so delighted to continue to play the formidable Anna Leonowens in this incredible production of The King and I am thrilled to bring the show to Eastbourne and Salford ahead of the West End season. I think it so important to bring big lavish West End productions to the regions – Salford and Eastbourne are in for a real treat!”
Set in 1860s Bangkok, The King and I tells the story of the unconventional and tempestuous relationship that develops between the King of Siam and Anna Leonowens, a British schoolteacher whom the modernist King, in an imperialistic world, brings to Siam to teach his many wives and children.
The King and I is a sumptuous, timeless romance from the golden age of musicals, adored by the public and critics alike – and boasting one of the finest scores ever written, including Whistle a Happy Tune, Getting to Know You, and Shall We Dance.
Following the original Broadway smash-hit run at the Lincoln Center Theater, a sold-out season at the London Palladium (which resulted in the biggest live global event cinema release of 2018) and two record-breaking UK and International tours including Japan, this gloriously lavish production will be brought to the audiences once again by an internationally renowned creative team under Tony Award-winning Bartlett Sher and feature a world-class company of over 50 talented performers and a full-scale orchestra.
The critical acclaim for Bartlett Sher’s production has been phenomenal. When the show opened at the London Palladium in 2018, West End critics heaped praise: the Daily Mail “left the London Palladium on a bright cloud of music”, while the The Times awarded the show “Five stars for a sumptuous King and I” declaring it “a hit” whilst The Daily Telegraph concurred proclaiming the show “looks and sounds ravishing”. Another five stars were awarded from the Sunday Express, Daily Express and the Financial Times called it “simply spellbinding”.
GET READY FOR IT – GREATEST DAYS COMES TO THE GRAND
The cast of The Official Take That Musical, Greatest Days, poses for pictures outside The Grand to celebrate the show’s opening night and run until Saturday 25 November 2023.
Starring English singer, actress and TV presenter Kym Marsh and her daughter Emilie Cunliffe as Rachel and Young Rachel, Greatest Days features more than 15 of Take That’s record-breaking songs alongside a heart-warming and hilarious story of love, loss and laughter from award-winning writer Tim Firth (Calendar Girls, Our House, Kinky Boots).
The musical follows a group of five best friends in the 1990s who are obsessed with their favourite boy band. The girls then reunite more than 20 years later with a plan to see their heartthrobs one last time for what could be the Greatest Days of their lives.
Greatest Days was originally produced as The Band by David Pugh & Dafydd Rogers and Take That.
Greatest Days is at Leeds Grand Theatre from Tuesday 21 to Saturday 25 November 2023. Book tickets online at leedsheritagetheatres.com or call 0113 243 0808
What exactly is acting your age? And who decides? These are the questions Alan Cumming has been grappling with for a very long time. In his one-man show, Alan Cumming covers all the bases: sex, death and bacchanalia, with a set list as eclectic as the man himself. Songs from Cabaret authors Kander and Ebb blend with contemporary favourites and even a self-penned paean against plastic surgery. He also discusses the effects of gravity, the time the mum from the Brady Bunch asked him to punch her, and what his dog taught him about the quality of life.
Starring Matthew Kelly (Funny Peculiar Mermaid Theatre, Waiting for Godot Haymarket Theatreand TV’s Starts in their Eyes) and Denise Welch (Calendar Girlsthe Musical UK tour, Waterloo Road BBC, Loose Women ITV) , the world premiere of Jim Cartwright’s new play THE GAP delves into the audacious adventures of Walter and Corral. He’s back up north, she’s still down south. They haven’t seen each other for fifty years, not since their Soho days, back in the swinging ’60s.
A chance phone call reunites them for one magical night and in next to no time, they’re back to their old tricks. Directed by Anthony Banks.
Following two hugely successful UK and Ireland tours, THE ADDAMS FAMILY, A Musical Comedy will perform live in concert in the West End for the first time. The show will star Michelle Visage as Morticia Addams, Ramin Karimloo as Gomez Addams and Lesley Joseph will play the role of Grandma. Further casting to be announced.
Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has grown up and has a shocking secret that only Gomez knows; she’s fallen in love with a sweet, smart young man from a respectable family! Now, Gomez Addams must do something he’s never done before — keep a secret from his beloved wife, Morticia. Everything will change for the whole family on the fateful night they host a dinner for Wednesday’s “normal” boyfriend and his parents. All the usual clan are present – Uncle Fester, Lurch, Pugsley et al.
Based on the award-winning 80s movie, which starred Richard Gere, this timeless story of love, courage, and redemption will make your heart soar and leave you breathless, longing for more. Be part of the emotional journey of Zack Mayo, a fearless young officer candidate, and the captivating Paula Pokrifki, whose fiery spirit matches his own. Their encounters ignite a spark that transcends boundaries, awakening a passionate love that defies all odds. With every note, every step, and every heartfelt ballad, immerse yourself in this romantic masterpiece. Set to a smash-hit soundtrack featuring the songs of Madonna, Bon Jovi, Cyndi Lauper, Blondie, and many more, the power of music will carry you through the highs and lows of their extraordinary love story, including the award-winning (Love Lift Us) Up Where We Belong. Starring Luke Baker (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, West End), Georgia Lennon (Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Shaftesbury Theatre) , Jamal Crawford (Fame the Musical UK tour), Paul French (Grease, West End) and Sinead Long (Sylvia, The Old Vic) as Zack Mayo, Paula Pokrifki, Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley, Sid Worley and Lynette Pomeroy respectively.
Following a riotous hit run at Southwark Playhouse Borough in 2023, the critically acclaimed POLICE COPS: THE MUSICAL will return to London bigger and better than ever. After five sell-out years at the Edinburgh Fringe, globally acclaimed comedy company POLICE COPS are back with a new version of their first ever musical. Featuring a brand-new score written by Brit Award winning Ben Adams (Eugenius! The Musical), the Police Cops are bringing their fast paced, action packed physical comedy back to the stage in their biggest show yet. Starring Zachary Hunt, Nathan Parkinson, Tom Roe, Melinda Orengo and Natassia Bustamante.
TV dance sensation and international champion Johannes Radebe is thrilled to be presenting a brand-new production Johannes Radebe: HOUSE OF JOJO, following the phenomenal success of his first two sell-out UK and Ireland tours. This brand-new theatrical celebration jam-packed with roof-raising music, dazzling costumes and of course, world class dance. Johannes will also make his debut at the London Palladium for 2 special performances on 4 May 2024.
After incredibly successful summer seasons in 2022 and 2023; Jim Jacobs & Warren Casey’s iconic musical GREASE will tour the UK and Ireland in 2024. GREASE has been seen by over 500,000 people in the West End, making it the Dominion Theatre’s most successful summer run since We Will Rock You. GREASE received 4 WhatsOnStage Award nominations for Best Musical Revival, Best Choreography for Arlene Phillips and Best Supporting Performer in a Musical for original cast members Jocasta Almgill and Paul French. The 1978 film adaptation starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John is the fourth highest-grossing live action musical of all time. The musical features beloved songs, including Summer Nights, Greased Lightnin’, Hopelessly Devoted To You and You’re The One That I Want.
TONY award winner and Grammy nominee Lena Hall is set to bring her latest one woman show “Little Career of Horrors” to London’s Cadogan Hall in 2024. Following her recent U.K. Theatre award-winning run of the world premiere of the new musical In Dreams at the Leeds Playhouse, Hall is ecstatic to finally get to share one of her up close and intimate concert shows with her London fans. The new show co-written and directed by long-time collaborator and ex-boyfriend Stephen Amato chronicles Hall’s fascinating career highlights through the harrowing, hilarious, and often deadly mishaps that accompanied her experience on productions like Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Kinky Boots and television’s Snowpiercer. The show promises to deliver all of Hall’s trademark songs, lots of laughter, and the heartfelt unabashed storytelling Ms Hall has become known for.
After thrilling audiences at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London’s West End from 2019-2023, and on Broadway where it is currently playing at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre, the Olivier and WhatsOnStage Award winning and Tony Award nominated musical & JULIET is embarking on a UK tour from 8 July 2024, visiting Manchester, Southampton, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Birmingham, Cardiff, Nottingham, Leeds and more. Get whisked away on a fabulous journey as Juliet ditches her famous ending for a fresh beginning and a second chance at life and love—her way. Created by the Emmy-winning writer David West Read, from “Schitt’s Creek,” this hilarious new musical flips the script on the greatest love story ever told and asks, what would happen next if Juliet didn’t end it all over Romeo? Juliet’s new story bursts to life through a playlist of pop anthems as iconic as her name all from Max Martin, the genius songwriter/producer behind more #1 hits than any other artist this century, and his collaborators.
One of the most exciting musical theatre voices in the UK, Jamie Muscato is performing a brand new solo concert at Cadogan Hall in 2024. Due to popular demand, a matinee performance has been added, with performances now at 2:30pm and 6:30pm. Jamie was recently seen as Christian in Moulin Rouge in the West End, and is widely known for originating the role, in the UK, of JD in Heathers at The Other Palace and the Haymarket Theatre.
Get ready to relive the playlist of your life by celebrating 40 years of the iconic and chart-topping compilations brand NOW That’s What I Call Music, which has sold an estimated 200 million copies worldwide. This fun-filled evening is bursting with hits from Whitney Houston, Wham! Blondie, Tears For Fears, Spandau Ballet and so many more. It’s Birmingham, 1989. Two school friends, Gemma and April, are busy with very important business – planning their lives based on Number One Magazine quizzes and dreaming of snogging Rick Astley. Cut to Birmingham 2009 and it’s the most dreaded event of their lives– the school reunion. Drama, old flames and receding hairlines come together as friends reunite and everything from the past starts to slot into place. The biggest question is: what was with all that hairspray?
NOW That’s What I Call A Musical, is a brand-new British musical written by award-winning comedian Pippa Evans and directed and choreographed by Craig Revel Horwood.
Marty McFly is a rock ‘n’ roll teenager who is accidentally transported back to 1955 in a time-travelling DeLorean invented by his friend, Dr Emmett Brown. But before he can return to 1985, Marty must make sure his high school-aged parents fall in love in order to save his own existence. BACK TO THE FUTURE The Musical, produced by Colin Ingram, Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale, the creators of the three Back to the Future films, is directed by Tony Award®-winning director John Rando, with book by Bob Gale and music and lyrics by Emmy and Grammy Award-winning Alan Silvestri and six-time Grammy Award-winning Glen Ballard, with additional songs from the film including The Power of Love and Johnny B. Goode. The cast is led by Ben Joyce as Marty McFly and Cory English as Doc Brown.
Due to popular demand,ELF the smash hit musical returns to London’s Dominion Theatre for a second consecutive year to play a strictly limited season. Based on the beloved 2003 New Line Cinema hit starring Will Ferrell, ELF is the funny and charming tale of Buddy, who mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts as a baby and is transported back to the North Pole and raised as an elf! Unaware that he is actually human, Buddy’s enormous size and poor toy-making abilities finally cause him to face the truth and realise he’ll never belong in the North Pole. With Santa’s permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York to find his birth father, discover his true identity and help New York remember the true meaning of Christmas. Starring Matthew Wolfenden as Buddy, Georgina Castle as Jovie, Tom Chambers as Walter Hobbs and Rebecca Lock as Emily Hobbs.
Channing Tatum’s MAGIC MIKE LIVE is a large-scale, live production show based on the hit films Magic Mike and Magic Mike XXL. A complete evening of unparalleled entertainment for guests as they enter Magic Mike’s club and marvel as a group of extraordinary artists perform a 360-degree dance and acrobatic spectacular in front of, behind and above them. Sexy dance routines are intertwined with one-of-a-kind acts, presented by a diverse cast of performers from around the world. MAGIC MIKE LIVE is co-directed by Channing Tatum and Alison Faulk, with Luke Broadlick as associate director, and choreographed by Alison Faulk, and Luke Broadlick.
Duration: 90 minutes (no interval)
Age Guidance: 18+ – appropriate photo ID will be requested on arrival at the venue.
Discover the heart and soul behind the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll at TINA – THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL, the undeniable mega hit in London’s West End. Set to the pulse-pounding soundtrack of her most beloved hits, experience Tina Turner’s triumphant story live on stage as this exhilarating celebration reveals the woman that dared to dream fiercely, shatter barriers, and conquer the world—against all odds. Starring: Karis Anderson & Elesha Paul Moses who share the role of Tina, with Okezie Morro as Ike Turner, Mark Anderson as Phil Spector/Terry Britten, Jonathan Carlton as Erwin Bach, Vanessa Dumatey as Alline Bullock, Irene Myrtle Forrester as Tina’s Grandmother, Earl Gregory as Richard Bullock, Harry Harrington as Roger Davies, Emma Hatton as Rhonda Graam, Jarius McClanahan as Raymond Hill and Carole Stennett as Tina’s mother Zelma.
TINA – THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL is dedicated to the memory of Tina Turner, who sadly passed away in May 2023.
Following a sold-out season at Storyhouse in Chester, in 2022, the world premiere production of THE TIME TRAVELLER’S WIFE: THE MUSICAL, based on the best-selling novel by Audrey Niffenegger and the New Line Cinema film screenplay by Bruce Joel Rubin, will open at the Apollo Theatre in London’s West End. With a book by Lauren Gunderson, original music and lyrics by Joss Stone and Dave Stewart and additional music by Nick Finlow and additional lyrics by Kait Kerrigan, the production will be directed by Bill Buckhurst. Starring David Hunter as Henry, Joanna Woodward as Clare, Tim Mahendran as Gomez, Hiba Elchikhe as Charisse and Ross Dawes as Henry’s Dad, all reprising the roles they played in Chester. THE TIME TRAVELLER’S WIFE: THE MUSICAL is a joyous, uplifting celebration of the strange wonder of love, however and whenever we experience it. All couples ask how to truly know one another, to trust, to commit, to build a family, to work at something bigger than ourselves. Not all of us are time travellers. How do you love across time?
Based on the 1995 cult-classic film, To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar, the world premiere of new musical TO WONG FOO has a book and direction by original film screenplay writer Douglas Carter Beane, with music and lyrics by Lewis Flinn. Set in 90s New York TO WONG FOO THE MUSICAL tells the story of 3 Drag Queens, Vida, Noxeema and Chichi, who embark on a trip across America to attend the Drag Queen of the Year Finals in Hollywood. When their car breaks down in Middle America, their lives, as well as those in the town, are turned upside down, in this joyous, heartfelt and high camp musical extravaganza! 3 drags have come to save America, one show tune at a time! Starring Peter Caulfield as Vida, Gregory Haney as Noxeema and Pablo Gómez Jones as ChiChi.
PERMISSION – A bespoke bar created by the team behind Magic Mike Live
Hippodrome Casino
Currently open for bookings
Guests can also enjoy cocktails and cuisine at Permission, a bespoke bar designed by Magic Mike Live designer Rachel O’Toole, which offers a range of food and beverage options as well as live music curated by the Magic Mike team. Permission is available to book before or after any performance of Magic Mike Live and is also open to the public if you fancy an intimate and luxurious space to unwind in the heart of London’s West End.
Age Guidance: 18+ – appropriate photo ID will be requested on arrival at the venue.
RETURNS TO THE UK & IRELAND IN 2024 WITH HIS HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL SHOW
“A NIGHT OF SONGS & LAUGHTER”
“Delivers exactly what it promises, in style” Dominic Cavendish, The Telegraph
“Merry-making master of ceremonies” Brian Logan, The Guardian
“…A beautiful reminder of just how wonderful live in-the-moment entertainment can be” Phil Hewitt, Chichester Observer
Award-winning comedian Rob Brydon and his eight piece band, including Paul Herbert (Musical Director, Arranger and Pianist), are back in the UK & Ireland next year with their widely praised tour, Rob Brydon – A Night of Songs & Laughter.
The production took UK critics and audiences by storm in 2022 before playing to sold out venues across Australia and New Zealand in 2023 and is now set to return from Sunday 18 February 2024 at Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, playing through a variety of venues until its final date at Dublin’s Bord Gáis Energy Theatre on Tuesday 26 March 2024.
A Night of Songs & Laughter features Rob’s brilliant stand-up comedy plus songs ranging from Tom Waits to Tom Jones, and Guys and Dolls to Elvis (and almost everything in between), telling Rob’s personal musical journey from South Wales to the West End and beyond. Audiences can expect Rob’s usual warmth and humour, along with his famed gallery of voices, as he regales them with hilarious tales from his distant and recent past.
Rob Brydon said, “It turns out that touring with a band is the most fun you can have, I can’t wait to get back out to some new towns and cities and to revisiting some of the old ones we loved playing on the first leg.”
Rob Brydon’s varied career began with the TV comedy shows Marion and Geoff and Human Remains in 2000, for which he won British Comedy Awards. Since then, his comedy credits have included A Small Summer Party, The Keith Barret Show, Directors Commentary, Supernova,Cruise Of The Gods, Black Books, I’m Alan Partridge, Little Britain, Live At The Apollo, Rob Brydon’s Annually Retentive, QI, The Big Fat Quiz Of The Year, Have I Got News For You,Gavin and Stacey, Rob Brydon’s Identity Crisis, Would I Lie To You? and The Trip.
He has also appeared in the dramas Oliver Twist, Heroes and Villains: Napoleon, The Way We Live Now, Murder In Mind, Kenneth Tynan: In Praise of Hardcore, Marple and the films 24 HourParty People, MirrorMask, A Cock and Bull Story, Swimming with Men, Cinderella, The Huntsman: Winter’s War, Blinded By The Light, Holmes and Watson and Barbie.
In 2009, alongside Ruth Jones, Robin Gibb and Sir Tom Jones, Rob reached number one in the UK charts with the single Islands in The Stream, in aid of Comic Relief. He also embarked on an 87-date tour of the UK with his stand-up show, Rob Brydon Live which included a three-week run in London’s West End. Rob subsequently enjoyed a sold-out tour, Town to Town, with Lee Mack and David Mitchell, before completing another sold-out solo tour in 2020.
More recently, Rob performed in the one-off concert, Old Friends, at The Sondheim Theatre in May 2022 which celebrated the life of the legendary composer Stephen Sondheim and raised funds for the Stephen Sondheim Foundation, which generates new musical theatre talent for the future.
LISTINGS
Rob Brydon – A Night of Songs & Laughter
Produced and presented by Fiery Angel Entertainment
On the way to see a nearly-three hour show, in Mongolian and with a cast of seventy, I mused that it was not like anything I had been to before, but I can indeed confirm, I have never seen anything like it.
In ancient Mongolia, two babies are born to Archug Khan within days of each other; one being the child of his consort and the other born to the empress. The Khan, knowing he has not been intimate with his wife, rejects her baby and seeks to recognise Khuchir, the child of his consort, as his heir. The empress and her lover, the Khan’s chancellor, Egereg, swap the babies over secretly in order to manipulate the royal bloodline. Inevitably, a lot of bloodshed follows, with neither child surviving to outlive the Khan.
Within three minutes of the curtain going up I had audibly exclaimed, Wow! That sentiment continued throughout the entire production. It is a complete spectacle. The production begins with a dance of two foxes, an animal said to protect a new baby when it is born. These playful foxes maintain a central thread and reappear throughout the show.
The elaborate and many costumes were designed in collaboration between archaeologists, historians, artists and craftsmen and took two years to produce (some garments taking up to a month each) and really add to the sense of drama, in conjunction with the lighting and staging of seventy people, many of whom are often all on the stage at once.
The music is diverse, swinging between soft and romantic and dramatic and menacing, the composition encompassing a symphony orchestra, a choir, the Mongolian national orchestra and choir and a children’s choir.
The dance is breathtaking. Incorporating acrobatics and puppetry, it is inextricably linked to the dialogue, making the plot easy to follow. The sheer drama of the show almost renders the surtitles in English redundant, partly because the distance between the translation screen and the action means you don’t want to miss out by reading, but to ignore them would be to miss out on the poetry of the script. I found much of it quite beautiful.
I could go on. It is difficult to pick any cast member above another. All bring a real presence to the production, quite an achievement when there are sixty others in the scene, whirling and dancing in some the most incredible costumes I have ever seen on a stage. I think top credit must go to the show’s director, Hero Baatar, and playwright Timberlake Wertenbaker who have brought the story to life in a different culture and setting to its original audience. And what a setting the Coliseum is. Very fitting for such a rich and dramatic production.
Please don’t let the length of the show put you off. I did not check the time once, because I didn’t want to miss any of the spectacle, even for a second. A full five stars because I simply could not find fault. Brilliant.
On 4th December Westminster Council will vote on a licence which would effectively ban live performances, pushing most performers out of their beloved home
COVENT GARDEN STREET PERFORMERS – STEEPED IN HISTORY
Anyone who has wandered through Covent Garden’s famous central London Piazza will be familiar with the sights and sounds of street performers who can always be found performing for the crowd, delighting tourists and regulars alike.
Street performing in the square has been a tradition for 100s of years, dating all the way back to 1662, when Samuel Pepys’ wrote in his diary about a marionette show featuring the character Punch (later to become Punch & Judy). More modern day artists who cut their teeth as street performers in Covent Garden include Eddie (Suzy) Izzard, Alfred Molina, STOMP and Dynamo. And performers who begin in the hallowed square have gone on to perform in global extravaganzas including La Clique, La Soiree and Cirque Du Soleil.
GONE BY CHRISTMAS? THE END OF STREET PERFORMANCES IN COVENT GARDEN?
Normally Christmas is an especially popular time for crowds of tourists and visitors watching street performers in a busy Covent Garden. But if plans by Westminster Council are to go ahead, from next month (4th December) Covent Garden performances as we currently know them, could be no more.
NEW LICENCE RULES WILL MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR STREET PERFORMERS
TO WORK IN COVENT GARDEN
When Westminster Council introduced licensing for street performance in April 2021, the band of 30-or-so regular performers who are members of the Covent Garden Street Performers Association; made up of magicians, jugglers, clowns and other performing artists, found that the numerous restrictions listed within the licence would make it impossible to perform. These include.
The highly restrictive size of the pitch in the St Paul’s Church piazza – the licence states that “performances must not be more than 5 metres in space (including the space used by the audience) which renders most current performances (juggling, acrobatics and other physical performances) impossible.
The complete ban on any sound amplification in James Street which will mean the much-loved magicians will no longer be able to amplify their voices, which will make it impossible for them to perform.
A ban on dangerous props which would mean any performances that involve anything perceived to be dangerous (even if they can in fact be proven to be totally safe) such as fire or knife juggling, bullwhips or beds of nails, would not be able to be performed.
So essentially if you’re not pushed out by one rule, you are pushed out by another.
NEW VOTE TO RAMP UP COUNCIL’S POWERS TO ENFORCE LICENCE RULES WILL MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR STREET PERFORMERS TO WORK IN COVENT GARDEN
Westminster Council first introduced licensing for street performance in April 2021. When this happened, the band of 30-or-so regular performers who are members of the Covent Garden Street Performers Association (CGSPA); made up of magicians, jugglers, clowns and other performing artists, found that the numerous restrictions listed within the licence would make it impossible to perform. These include:
The highly restrictive size of the pitch in the St Paul’s Church piazza – the licence states that performances must not be more than 5 metres in space (this includes the space used by the audience) which renders most current performances (juggling, acrobatics and other physical performances) impossible.
The complete ban on any sound amplification in James Street which will mean the much-loved magicians will no longer be able to amplify their voices, which will make it impossible for them to perform.
A ban on “dangerous props” which would mean any performances that involve anything perceived to be dangerous (even if they can in fact be proven to be totally safe) such as fire or knife juggling, bullwhips or beds of nails, would not be able to be performed.
Back in 2021 the performers at Covent Garden made the decision to refuse the licence – essentially having no option but to criminalise themselves when performing. Since then, the issue has remained a grey area, with the council largely leaving Covent Garden alone, but leaving performers in limbo – not knowing if the licence will one day be enforced.
Now, a vote has been scheduled for 4th December where the members of the voting committee will be given three options. They can either vote to discontinue the scheme, vary the scope of the scheme (i.e. limit it to fewer parts of London), or continue with the current scheme and prioritise resources (i.e. enlist more staff and the help of the police) to enforce the scheme.
All recent communication with the council has lead the CGSPA to believe that the vote will rule that the licences should continue and will support a plan for efforts to be ramped up to enforce these rules.
If, as expected the council vote to approve new resources and powers to enforce the licence, most performers could be pushed out of their beloved home before Christmas.
COVENT GARDEN STREET PERFORMERS ASSOCIATION (CGSPA) MAKE AN IMPASSIONED PLEA TO WESTMINSTER COUNCIL
TO SAVE COVENT GARDEN STREET PEFORMANCES
Today, members of the Covent Garden Street Performers Association (CGSPA) – which has overseen the area since 1980 – are making an impassioned plea for Westminster Council to reconsider the restrictions ahead of their planned meeting and vote.
Melvyn Altwarg and Peter Kolofsky, spokespeoplefor the CGSPA are making a desperate plea for Westminster council to listen to reason. They say: “The performers in Covent Garden are synonymous with the area and breathe life and artistic vibrancy into this special part of London, and the site is a breeding ground for talent who go on to wow audiences all over the world.For the past 40 years, the CGSPA has self-regulated it’s members to ensure they are well behaved and safe, this has been extraordinarily successful, but Westminster Council are making what we do illegal. We urge counsellors to vote for Covent Garden to be exempted from the Westminster-wide licence and leave the Covent Garden street performers to their own self-regulation”.
CGSPA also want to want to ensure that the council is aware that in Leicester Square where the licence has been imposed, the area has actually seen a significant increase in noise complaints – the one thing the licence was brought in to reduce – which the CGSPA believe is directly due to the way the licence is implemented – (see more information in ‘Supporting Details’ as to why the CGSPA believe this is happening).
99% OF COVENT GARDEN SHOPS SUPPORT THE CAUSE:
STAFF AT MAC, PAUL SMITH, HOLLAND & BARRETT, DR MARTENS AND MANY MORE SIGN PETITION
An overwhelming 99% of stall holders, shopkeepers, cafes, and more have signed a petition to declare their support of the street performers and opposed the proposed licence regime plans. Staff from Covent Garden retailers including L’occitane, Whittard, Shake, Shack, Dior, Mac, Sketchers, Tiffany, Charlotte Tilbury, , Ralph Lauren, Kurt Geiger, Paul Smith, Holland & Barrett, Dr Martens and many more, have signed a CGSPA petition, supporting the rejection of these draconian proposals.
A SUPPORTING PETITION BY EQUITY
Recently Equity also issued a petition to urge the council to reconsider their position. Gareth Forest of Equity stated in the petition: “A vote for licensing will see the colour and vibrancy of magicians, musicians, jugglers, clowns, artists and players swept away and replaced by empty gentrified, sanitised high streets in Covent Garden. The reality is that most performers will be pushed out of the city centre as a result of licensing”.Link to petition here – www.megaphone.org.uk/petitions/save-covent-garden-street-performers – it will be delivered to Westminster Council on 24th November and the CGSPA urge anyone who supports the cause to sign it before then.
STATEMENTS FROM THE COVENT GARDEN STREET PERFORMERS ASSOCIATION
ON NOISE POLLUTION:
“Since 2021 the scheme across the whole of Westminster has proven vastly ineffective. It was ostensibly brought in to reduce noise in the borough but we have not agreed to licences and have had very few complaints in Covent Garden. In Leicester Square where performers have taken up licences the noise problem has become considerably worse – the licences in Leicester Square have actually given rise to more noise complaints, not less.” Melvyn Altwarg and Peter Kolofsky – CGSPA.
A HUGE TAXPAYER EXPENSE FOR NO GAIN – ONLY ONE SUCCESSFUL CONVICTION IN TWO YEARS:
“The licence is also not fit for purpose as the past two years have demonstrated that the council have not been able to enforce it Since it was introduced, the scheme has cost local taxpayers upwards of £200,000 and yet the enforcement of the licence has, across the entirety of Westminster, resulted in one solitary conviction, the upshot of which was a £40 fine and a temporary performance ban. The licence scheme, once touted as a solution, has proven to be nothing more than an unsuccessful white elephant that only serves to criminalise innocent artists.”. Melvyn Altwarg and Peter Kolofsky – CGSPA.
ON “DANGEROUS PROPS”
“I juggle knives at the beginning of my show, do tricks with a bull whip and then finish with a stunt called ‘The Sandwich of Death.’ I lie between two beds of nails and then get a member of the audience to stand on top for 10 seconds. If the council bans these so-called dangerous props, which in reality only give the illusion of danger, that would be the end of the line for me as a street performer,” Peter Kolofsky CGSPA.
ON THE POTENTIAL LOSS OF STREET PERFORMANCES IN COVENT GARDEN:
“It is our organisation’s opinion that the original imposition of this licence on Covent Garden’s Street performers amounts to sheer cultural vandalism of a beloved and quintessentially British artistic institution. Performers don’t want to always be looking over their shoulders. They do not want to have been criminalised and they do not want the death of Covent Garden street theatre.. Melvyn Altwarg and Peter Kolofsky – CGSPA:
New York, NY (November 20, 2023) –– On the heels of the show’s first anniversary on Broadway, the producers of & Julietannounced today that the hit musical will premiere a German production at Stage Operettenhaus in Hamburg in October 2024, adding an additional market for the international hit production that has now been performed on four continents. The German production, which marks the show’s first production with a book translated into a different language, will also be the sixth country to welcome & Juliet in less than five years, after productions in England (West End), Canada (North American Premiere), America (Broadway), Australia and Singapore.
In addition to the new German production, & Juliet will launch multiple tours in 2024, bringing the story of Juliet’s second chance to new audiences worldwide. As previously announced, a North American tour is set to launch in September 2024, and will play more than 65 cities including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington D.C, and Charlotte, NC. Tickets are now on sale for Charlotte, NC, with additional cities and ticketing information to be announced soon. An upcoming UK tour, beginning July 2024, will travel across England, Scotland, and Wales with stops in 29 cities including Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow, and Edinburgh.
In the Southern hemisphere, a successful Australian tour has completed an engagement in Melbourne and will next play Perth, beginning December 30, and Sydney, beginning February 27, 2024. The Australian company also played Singapore’s stunning Sands Theatre.
Last week, the Broadway production celebrated its first anniversary on Broadway with a week-long slate of fan activities, including a Times Square flashmob, a Sing-A-Long performance, a post-show talkback,and multiple giveaways with partnering brands.
In the year since it began Broadway performances, the company has performed on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon,” “Good Morning America,” “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” “The View,” “America’s Got Talent,” and more. This week, this Broadway company will appear live in the 97th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, performing a never-before-seen-on-TV number. The parade broadcast can be seen on Thursday, November 23, on NBC and Peacock.
STAR CAST ANNOUNCED FOR EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE
Following a smash-hit sold out run in 2021, the critically acclaimed West End musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie returns to Newcastle Theatre Royal (Tue 16 – Sat 20 Jan 2024) with familiar favourites from stage and screen leading the all-star cast.
Ivano Turco (Get Up, Stand Up!, Cinderella) plays the title role of Jamie New, with Rebecca McKinnis (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie West End, Dear Evan Hansen, We Will Rock You, Les Misérables) as Margaret New, Shobna Gulati (The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie West End and Film, Coronation Street, Brassic) as Ray, Talia Palamathanan (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie Tour and film) as Pritti, and John Partridge (EastEnders, The View Upstairs, La Cage Aux Folles, A Chorus Line, CATS) – who dazzled Newcastle Theatre Royal audiences as Billy Flynn in Chicago in 2016 – as Hugo/Loco. Further casting to be announced.
Nica Burns, Producer of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie said: “We are absolutely delighted to be announcing a cracking cast for our second national tour. A huge welcome to two new talented stars to the cast of Jamie: Ivano Turco in the title role and John Partridge as his mentors, Hugo/Loco Chanelle. They join two superlative fan favourites from the West End cast, Rebecca McKinnis as mum Margaret and Shobna Gulati also reprising her role in the film as Ray. Talia Palamathanan who was such a hit in the ensemble steps up to the lead role of Pritti.
“We thank all our audiences for the incredible reception they have given us and look forward to sharing our joyful musical once again on tour round the UK”.
John Partridge said: “I have loved this show since the first time I saw it. Never before has an LGBTQ+ musical, a story that at its heart is about diversity and inclusion, been more relevant.”
Jamie New is sixteen and lives on a council estate in Sheffield. Jamie doesn’t quite fit in. Jamie is terrified about the future. Jamie is going to be a sensation. Supported by his brilliant loving mum and surrounded by his friends, Jamie overcomes prejudice, beats the bullies and steps out of the darkness, into the spotlight.
Set to an original score of catchy pop tunes by lead singer-songwriter of The Feeling, Dan Gillespie Sells and writer Tom MacRae (Doctor Who). Choreographed by Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist Kate Prince (Into The Woods, Some Like It Hip Hop, SYLVIA, Message In A Bottle).
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie plays Newcastle Theatre Royal Tue 16 – Sat 20 Jan 2024. Tickets can be purchased at www.theatreroyal.co.uk or from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 0191 232 7010.
