Life’s a Drag Review

Jack Studio Theatre – until 19 November 2022

3***

Reviewed by Claire Roderick

Nancy Brabin-Platt’s fun high-energy play about a queer teenager finding her voice is loud, proud and full of heart.

Maxine’s disapproving mum says she’s going through a phase, infatuated with an older woman but that will pass. Max isn’t sure of a lot, but her queerness is a certainty. Her girlfriend Beth is outspoken and fearless, but Max needs to let the Drag Diva out, her alter ego, to deal with all that life throws at her.

The prejudice and scorn from both straight and queer against women in drag highlighted, and Brabin- Platt has written a blistering speech for Max when she is pushed to the limit, about the misogyny of such attitudes and what drag actually is. While Beth receives death threats from terfs after giving a trans woman a platform, it is blatant homophobia that results in near tragedy.

This may sound a bit heavy and bleak, but the serious issues are related by a teenager, with naive and sweet attempts to understand what is happening interspersed with fury. When things get too much, Drag Diva takes over, and Brabin-Platt lip syncs some fantastic songs, as Drag Diva accompanies her on multiple screens around the set. Amongst all the drama and loud music, director Lois Brabin-Platt ensures there are some lovely quieter moments as Max considers her relationships with her mum and Beth. Brabin-Platt has a warm and endearing stage presence and you can’t help but feel the joy and release in her drag performance

Oliver! Review

Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York – until 26th November 2022

Reviewed by Ellie Watson

3***

Oliver! Oliver!”, well what can I say. This was a good show that was fun to watch. Oliver is Lionel Bart’s adaptation of the classic novel by Charles Dickens. This follows an orphan born, called Oliver, and his journey from living in a London workhouse, to getting kicked out because he asked for more food leading him to living amongst a gang of pickpockets on the streets of London. Despite Oliver trying to fit in, he was caught trying to pickpocket and this eventually reunites him unexpectedly with his long-lost rich family who can provide him with a new start to life.

When the show began the first thing that happens is lots of children arriving on stage from all around the theatre to begin the song ‘Food Glorious Food’. The stage was overcome with many children, more than I’ve even seen on this stage before. However, where did most of these children go as many weren’t seen again? Let’s move on though.

The role of Oliver Twist was played by Zachary Pickersgill (alternating with Fin Walker throughout the run). Zachary had a sweet version of Oliver which was heart-warming to see, especially when he sang ‘Where is Love’.

A standout performance to me was from the director, producer and chairman of NE Musicals, Steve Tearle who played Fagin. You could clearly see his experience in this character, and he worked with the children in Fagin’s gang well and made his scenes with the kids really stand out.

The start of Act 2 was good with the performance of ‘Oom-Pah-Pah’. This was so full of energy and the stage burst into life which really showed the vocals of Nancy (Maia Beatrice, alternating with Perri Anne Barley). However, sometimes it was quite hard to hear Maia due to ensemble’s loud vocals and the band overpowering her vocals at times.

However, the part of the musical that stood out to me was Maia’s rendition of ‘As Long As He Needs Me’ which was very emotional and sang well with good vocal technique. However, the band did overpower Maia in the reprise of this song on the last final belt note which was upsetting to see as it’s her big moment to shine.

The end of the show is very powerful when Nancy is killed which stuns the audience into silence. This leaves the audience in a sombre mood though when the production ends, despite the bows trying to be a bit jollier. However, this is no fault of the production team but the musical’s story itself.

Overall, the production was good for an amateur production but there are things that could be changed to make this better, and don’t want to name any names but some of the cast really need to act like they are enjoying performing in the show, especially in upbeat songs like ‘Consider Yourself’.

Everyone loves the production Oliver though and you can sing along to the songs and it’s a good night out at the theatre.

SIX: LIVE ON OPENING NIGHT RECEIVES GRAMMY NOMINATION FOR BEST MUSICAL THEATRE ALBUM

SIX: LIVE ON OPENING NIGHT
RECEIVES GRAMMY NOMINATION
FOR BEST MUSICAL THEATRE ALBUM

British hit musical SIX, written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, has received another global award nomination, for the 2023 GRAMMY Awards for Best Musical Theatre Album.

SIX: LIVE ON OPENING NIGHT was recorded live from the smash-hit productions’ Broadway home, the Lena Horne Theatre (formerly Brooks Atkinson), on its opening night, capturing the energy and enthusiasm audiences across the world have been losing their heads over, bringing new life to the hit songs that have been streamed, shared and celebrated across social media and beyond.

Since the album’s release on 6 May 2022, songs from the show have been streamed over 23 million times worldwide, making it one of the most successful recordings in musical theatre history to date. Meanwhile, the original UK Studio Cast Recording achieved gold status in 2021.

Having recently celebrated its first year on Broadway, the New York production received 4 Drama Desk Awards, 3 Outer Critics Circle Awards and 2 coveted Tony Awards, for Best Score (Marlow & Moss) and Best Costume Design of a Musical (Gabriella Slade).

SIX: LIVE ON OPENING NIGHT is produced by Paul Gatehouse, Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, Sam Featherstone and Tom Curran.

The musical is produced on Broadway by Kenny Wax, Wendy & Andy Barnes, George Stiles and Kevin McCollum.

The album features original Broadway cast members Adrianna Hicks (Aragon), Andrea Macasaet (Boleyn), Abbie Mueller (Heart of Stone), Brittney Mack (Cleves), Samantha Pauly (Howard), Anna Uzele (Parr) and the incredible alternate cast members performing ‘Heart of Stone’ (Courtney Mack, Mallory Maedke, Keirsten Nicole Hodgens and Nicole Kyoung-Mi Lambert).

SIX is currently  live on stage at London’s Vaudeville Theatre, the Lena Horne Theatre in New York, across the UK on its current sell-out tour, on two concurrent North American tours, resumes
performances in Australia, opening in Perth next week, with a further production opening in
Amsterdam in September 2023.

The 65th Annual GRAMMY Awards ceremony take place on 5 February 2023.

La Clique Review

Leicester Square Speigeltent – until 7 January 2023

Reviewed by Claire Roderick

4****

Christmas is coming, so the Speigeltent is back in Leicester Square and La Clique returns with another stellar line-up of burlesque, chaotic comedy and jaw dropping circus skills.

Glamour is provided by burlesque superstar Miss Jolie Papillon, and belting vocals from Ashley Stroud raising the roof. Katherine Arnold’s spaced out plastic surgery patient soon morphs into a beautifully haunting arial routine to Creep and returns to end the show in a stunning soft rock arial duet with Hugo Desmarais to Living on a Prayer. Desmarais delights/terrorises the audience as Gay Jesus, handing out blessings and insults before a glorious routine on a cross.

Mikael Bres displays breath-taking artistry on the Chinese pole, drawing gasps from the audience, and his gentle comedy schtick opening the second act makes you realise what the show is missing – a host to tie everything together and engage the crowd while the crew remove apparatus or clean the stage (some of these acts are really messy!). Tara Boom causes chaos as she butters and salts herself while waiting for the popcorn in her hat to cook – while keeping hula hoops twirling and hurling them into the audience. (There is a definite splash zone in the front seats where water or food will land on you!) Boom’s second act is a huge contrast where she balances umbrellas with her feet with style and great skill. Sam Goodburn is a hoot on his unicycle. He seems to have a serious biscuit fetish and can tempt audience members into joining his tomfoolery and even helping him dress by offering them a biscuit. Goodburn is appearing until 27 November, when David Pereira will join the cast.

This is the perfect show to see with friends – the bar stays open throughout, but you really won’t want to miss any of these performances. Brilliant Christmas entertainment – thrills, spills and laughs galore in this stylish spectacular.

WICKED, THE WEST END AND BROADWAY MUSICAL PHENOMENON, ANNOUNCES MAJOR UK & IRELAND TOUR OPENING DECEMBER 2023

WICKED

THE WEST END AND BROADWAY MUSICAL

PHENOMENON ANNOUNCES MAJOR UK & IRELAND TOUR

OPENING DECEMBER 2023

Ten cities to host the spectacular, award-winning touring production

Acclaimed production at London’s Apollo Victoria Theatre continues, now in its 17th year

www.WickedTheMusical.co.uk

WICKED, “one of the most successful musicals of all time” (BBC News), today (18 November 2022) announces a major 10-city 2023-2025 UK & Ireland Tour. Opening at the Edinburgh Playhouse on 7 December 2023, the spectacular, multi-record-breaking and critically acclaimed touring production will then travel to BristolBirminghamBradfordSouthamptonLiverpoolDublinSunderlandCardiff and Manchester, where it will conclude at the Palace Theatre for Christmas 2024/5. The West End and Broadway musical phenomenon, which tells the incredible untold story of the Witches of Oz, continues its open-ended run at London’s Apollo Victoria Theatre, where it has already been seen by more than 11 million people and is now in its 17th year.

With a huge touring cast, orchestra, company and crew of 82 people, plus an additional 20 people employed in each city, “the blockbuster stage show” (Edinburgh Evening News) played to sold-out audiences during two previous tours of the UK & Ireland, winning the BroadwayWorld UK Award for ‘Best Touring Production’. Casting to be announced.

Michael McCabe, Executive Producer (UK & Ireland) of Wicked, said:

“We’re delighted to be embarking on this third tour of the UK & Ireland and taking Wicked back to 10 incredible theatres in England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland where sold-out audiences previously greeted us so ecstatically. We’re excited to have this opportunity to share once again the spectacle, magic and emotion that has created unforgettable memories for audiences everywhere.”

Performance and on-sale dates are listed below. For priority access and information, you can sign-up now at: www.WickedTheMusical.co.uk

EDINBURGH Playhouse, Thursday 7 December 2023 – Sunday 14 January 2024

Tickets on public sale Thursday 8 December 2022 / Theatre Card holders Monday 5 December 2022 / Groups 10+ Tuesday 6 December 2022

BRISTOL Hippodrome, Tuesday 23 January 2024 – Sunday 25 February 2024

Tickets on public sale Monday 30 January 2023 / Theatre Card holders Wednesday 25 January 2023 / Groups 10+ Thursday 26 January 2023

BIRMINGHAM Hippodrome, Tuesday 5 March 2024 – Sunday 7 April 2024

Tickets on public sale Spring 2023

BRADFORD Alhambra, Tuesday 16 April 2024 – Sunday 19 May 2024

Tickets on public sale Monday 30 January 2023

SOUTHAMPTON Mayflower, Thursday 23 May 2024 – Sunday 16 June 2024

Tickets on public sale Monday 30 January 2023 https://bit.ly/3U3uAYB

LIVERPOOL Empire, Thursday 20 June 2024 – Sunday 14 July 2024

Tickets on public sale Thursday 8 June 2023 / Theatre Card holders Monday 5 June 2023 / Groups 10+ Tuesday 6 June 2023

DUBLIN Bord Gais Theatre, Tuesday 23 July 2024 – Sunday 15 September 2024

Tickets on public sale in 2023

SUNDERLAND Empire, Tuesday 24 September 2024 – Sunday 20 October 2024

Tickets on public sale Thursday 8 June 2023 / Theatre Card holders Monday 5 June 2023 / Groups 10+ Tuesday 6 June 2023

CARDIFF Wales Millennium Centre, Thursday 24 October 2024 – Saturday 23 November 2024

Tickets on public sale Friday 3 February 2023

MANCHESTER Palace Theatre, Tuesday 3 December 2024 – Sunday 12 January 2025

Tickets on public sale Thursday 8 June 2023 / Theatre Card holders Monday 5 June 2023 / Groups 10+ Tuesday 6 June 2023

Reviews from previous tours:

This is the ultimate Broadway experience for theatre audiences all over the UK.”

The Northern Echo

No expense has been spared – with the incredible set, spectacular costumes, perfect lighting and a wonderful orchestra – this is every bit the West End Show.”

Worcester News

You could be in a Broadway theatre! ‘Wicked’ is one of the best touring productions ever to come to the city.”

Bristol Post

Wicked is showing every touring musical how it should be done. The production values are incredible – this is every bit the West End show.”

The Reviews Hub

Every aspect of the show, from the costumes to the performances, oozes top-notch entertainment value. This is every bit the West End show.”

South Wales Argus

The West End smash flew into town and totally ripped up the rule book that states touring shows should somehow be second rate to London or Broadway. This interpretation is truly phenomenal.”

Scottish Daily Record

“A global sensation” (Independent), Wicked has already been seen by more than 60 million people worldwide and 2023 marks the 20th Anniversary Year of its Broadway premiere. Productions continue on Broadway, in the West End and on tour across North America. Wicked will also return to Sydney, Australia and Tokyo, Japan in 2023. 

Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, Wicked imagines a beguiling backstory and future possibilities to the lives of L. Frank Baum’s beloved characters from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and reveals the decisions and events that shape the destinies of two unlikely university friends on their journey to becoming Glinda The Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.

Wickedfeatures songs by multi-Oscar and Grammy Award winner Stephen Schwartz (GodspellPippinThe Prince of Egypt, Disney’s PocahontasThe Hunchback of Notre Dame and Enchanted). It is based on the multi-million copy best-selling novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire and written by Emmy and Tony Award nominee Winnie Holzman (creator of the landmark American television series My So-Called Life). Musical staging is by Tony Award-winner Wayne Cilento with direction by two-time Tony Award-winner Joe Mantello.

Wicked is produced by Marc PlattUniversal Stage ProductionsThe Araca GroupJon B. Platt and David Stone. Executive Producer (UK & Ireland) Michael McCabe.

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire is published in the UK by Headline (the book is recommended for readers aged 16+). Wicked: The Grimmerie, a behind-the-scenes look at the musical by David Cote, is published in the UK by Hyperion.

Official website: www.WickedTheMusical.co.uk

Twitter: @WickedUK  |  Facebook: /WickedUK  |  Instagram: @WickedUK

The Grammy Award-winning, Platinum-certified Original Broadway Cast Recording on Decca Broadway

OPERATION MINCEMEAT – A NEW MUSICAL – GETS FIRST WEST END RUN

8 WEEKS ONLY, PREVIEWS FROM 29TH MARCH 2023

“a dazzling series of gender-switching roles…a Beyoncé-esque assertion of female power…excellent performers… There are some big, blowsy shows around in the West End, but this little belter is staging its own audacious invasion plan” ★★★★★
Suzi Feay, Financial Times

“a miraculous musical that tells the entire story in a kind of accelerated farce that is part Mel Brooks, part SIX, part Hamilton with a side order of One Man, Two Guvnors.” ★★★★★
Neil Norman, The Daily Mirror

“the stage show’s comic power rests in its ability to subvert expectation and provide a revisionist commentary on the establishment figures”

Emma John, The Observer

“a buzz louder than a doodlebug surrounds Operation Mincemeat…a kind of genius declares itself”

Dominic Cavendish, The Daily Telegraph

“this is the musical you didn’t know you needed…a little show with a very big future.”
David Benedict, Variety

18th November 2022 – After sold-out development runs at the New Diorama Theatre in 2019 and Southwark Playhouse in 2020, 2021 & 2022, plus an extended Riverside Studios run this summer, Operation Mincemeat transfers to the West End’s Fortune Theatre for previews (SpitLip never rest on their laurels) starting on the 29th March, followed by an 8-week run beginning on the 9th May 2023. Operation Mincemeat will be following thirty-three hugely successful years of The Woman In Black at the Fortune Theatre.

Tickets are on General Sale now from the Official Box Office at OperationMincemeat.com.

Priority access to the best seats is available via the official mailing list.

The year is 1943 and we’re losing the war. Luckily, we’re about to gamble all our futures on a stolen corpse. 

Singin’ in the Rain meets Strangers on a Train, Noel Coward meets Noel Fielding, Operation Mincemeat is the fast-paced, hilarious and unbelievable true story of the twisted secret mission that won us World War II. The question is, how did a well-dressed corpse wrong-foot Hitler? 

Operation Mincemeat won The Stage Debut award for Best Composer/Lyricist, the Off-West End award for Best Company Ensemble and was listed in the Observer’s Top 10 shows of the year.  The show is currently featured in the V&A’s Re:Imagining Musicals display, exploring how musicals have continuously reimagined, reinvented and reinterpreted themselves over time.

SpitLip said: “We’re overjoyed, overwhelmed, overtired, and cannot believe we’re bringing our show to the West End, where it will definitely run for at least 33 years”

Jon Thoday for Avalon said: “We’re very pleased to have supported the show to date and delighted to be chosen by SpitLip to help bring such a funny, moving and brilliant show to a wider audience”.

The show was commissioned by New Diorama Theatre, co-commissioned by The Lowry, and supported by the Rhinebeck Writers Retreat with additional support from Avalon. 

Operation Mincemeat is presented in the West End by Avalon in association with SpitLip.

The Last Laugh Review

Theatre at The Tabard, Turnham Green – until 3rd December 2022

Reviewed by Bobbi Fenton

5*****

The Last Laugh’ is an incredibly funny play, about two completely opposite archetypes and how they can grow to like one another. Set during an ongoing war in a dystopian time, a Writer (Matt Wake) has written a play, and in order to have the play performed must get it through the unbelievably harsh Censor (David Tarkenter). The Censor is an army man, who has been in the army since the age of fourteen and as a result sees everything through the lens of the war. The Writer, on the other hand, is an energetic and nervous man who sees most things as an opportunity for comedy. This play shows the Writer’s desperate attempt to articulate the essence of comedy to a person who has no understanding, and evidently experience, of the concept, having poorly attempted one joke in his entire life. Nevertheless, the Writer persists in this almost painful to watch attempt, resulting in the Censor warming up to him and even attempting, and completely butchering, a joke about a tin of green paint. As the Writer tries explaining the methods used in comedy, we see the Censor obliviously and unironically displaying the specific examples of comedy being explained to him, which is absolutely hysterical.

David Tarkenter’s portrayal of the strait-laced, stern Censor is brilliant, as we see this character develop over the few meetings with the Writer into a very likeable character, becoming more and more interested in genuinely helping the Writer with his work. Similarly, Matt Wake’s portrayal of the Writer is equally as brilliant, as we see him becoming less and less tense and relaxing in the presence of the Censor, even accepting his suggestions for some scenes in his play. The two actors work perfectly together to create this wonderful tension and many incredibly funny moments throughout the play, and I cannot think of a single pair of actors who could do this better.

The play ends with an exceptionally dramatic plot twist, as the Censor experiences a loss and the Writer expresses his feelings from the very first meeting between the two, and we hear the Writers description of a character inspired by their country’s leader, making jokes linking him with Hitler. This is a great way to compare the absurdity of the Censors rules for the Writers play with the real-life restrictions that have previously been placed on creative writers and publishers.

All in all, this play is brilliant, and will have you roaring with laughter from beginning to end.

The Sex Party Review

Menier Chocolate Factory – until 7th January 2023

Reviewed by Alun Hood

3***

Terry Johnson has an interesting history of promising his audience a certain kind of play then delivering something quite unexpected: Dead Funny sounded like a classic, if macabre, farce but turned out to be a devastating examination of a marriage in crisis, while Insignificance featured a number of 20th century cultural and intellectual icons and it’s key scene had Marilyn Monroe explain the theory of relativity to Einstein using balloons as props. Hysteria saw a chamber comedy about Freud and Dali explode into a wild surrealist extravaganza. True to form, The Sex Party -his first new play in four years and the reopening production for a refurbished Menier Chocolate Factory- appears from it’s title and marketing to be something salacious and naughty, but actually proves to be a surprisingly astute critique of open relationships and the emotional and human costs of a situation where not everyone is reading off of the same hymn sheet. This isn’t Johnson at his best, to be honest, but it’ll certainly get people talking.

Set in the kitchen at a swingers party in Islington, this is essentially a discussion piece that puts nine contrasting individuals in a room and has them grapple with, well, almost everything really: jealousy, gender, personal boundaries, yearning for what might have been, political correctness …oh and sex of course, although anybody seeing this show to see nudity and onstage “action” will be left disappointed. Johnson’s gift for literate, often painfully funny dialogue remains, as does his wry, almost absurdist take on allegedly civilised social conventions: there’s an amusing moment when Jason Merrell’s party host Alex bolts, mid-orgy, into the living room in high dudgeon and armed with salt because somebody has spilt red wine on an expensive rug. 

That verbal elegance is shot through with moments of quite breathtaking crudity and even cruelty though. A lot of what comes out of the character’s mouths may be disturbingly unpalatable but most of it sounds authentic enough, although whether one would choose to spend over two hours in the company of some of these people is another matter. The script becomes less successful as it interrogates the boundaries of “wokeness”, the catalyst for which is the arrival of the stunning Lucy, a trans woman played with a fascinating mixture of aloofness and vulnerability by Pooya Mohseni. There is an extended scene in the second act where a number of really offensive opinions (think, if you must, transphobic, homophobic and just plain crass) are bandied about from some of the more unreconstructed partygoers. It’s pretty ugly stuff and no doubt indicative of the way many people sadly still think, and while I’m not suggesting for one moment that drama shouldn’t explore the uncomfortable and/or offensive, Johnson’s characters here morph into mouthpieces for a bewilderingly eclectic selection of viewpoints rather than fully fledged human beings, and there’s nothing that even this fine bunch of actors can do to ameliorate that.

Jason Merrells makes host Alex into a genuinely likeable figure, and Molly Osborne sparkles as his enthusiastically frisky younger girlfriend, who finds one character’s scepticism about the merits of owning a dog far more unacceptable than any of the coital excesses going on in her own living room. Lisa Dwan and John Hopkins find real firepower in a fractured couple at their first sex party, and whose relationship looks set to change forever after the revelations of a single night. Kelly Price is hilarious but also entirely convincing as haughty, intimidatingly “right on” Camilla who comes to realise that her boundaries are not necessary where she thought they were, and Will Barton is great fun as her drug-addled man-child boyfriend. Oscar winner Timothy Hutton invests wealthy eccentric Jeff with just the right amount of blunt insensitivity and blandly masked nastiness, while Amanda Ryan goes impressively for broke as his super-brash trophy wife, who seems to have been written as Russian solely so that she can toss out unspeakable opinions without intending to offend anyone (although she invariably does). Either way, Ryan’s roaring Russian accent sounds spot on. Mohseni is gorgeous and makes Lucy into probably the most sympathetic figure at the party.

While it has much to enjoy, particularly the note-perfect performances and Tim Shortall’s beautiful and astonishingly detailed Islington townhouse kitchen set, The Sex Party feels like a play that needed at least one more draft before being exposed to audiences and indeed to critical opinion. It’s an unruly beast, chock full of opinions, tropes, issues and characters that have the unmistakable tang of truth while seldom actually achieving full theatrical life, despite the efforts of a stellar cast.  

The Full Monty Review

Hull New Theatre – until 19th November 2022

Reviewed by Catherine McWilliams

4****

One Off Productions delivered a slick performance of The Full Monty last night at Hull New Theatre, providing a great night out.

With the book by Terrence McNally and lyrics by David Yazbek, The Full Monty is a musical based around Simon Beaufoy’s classic and much loved 1979 film of the same name. The location has changed from Sheffield to Buffalo New York State, but the story remains the same, the steel plant has closed and the local men are without prospects or hope. Given this scenario, one would imagine that this would be a depressing watch but this is not the case at all, this production is full of joy and laughter. The story revolves around Jerry Lukowski’s (Russell Fallon) big idea to form a group of local men to strip, for one night only, at the local club. This is so he can get the money together to pay his back child support and avoid losing his son Nathan (Joseph Walker). An unlikely group come together and, in their attempts to learn to dance, we are drawn into their lives, and as one the audience were rooting for them to succeed.

Russell Fallon’s Jerry is the lynchpin of the story and he played an utterly convincing part as the leader of the group, cajoling the other men into joining but also showing the despair of his character. Ryan Wilson provided the perfect foil to Jerry as his best friend Dave Bukatinsky, he oozed the insecurities of this character as he veered from humour to utter anguish. Russell and Ryan have superb singing voices and came together with David Ross (as Malcolm McGregor) to deliver one of the highlights of the show “Big-Ass Rock”, a song about different ways to commit suicide – one of the funniest things you will ever hear in the theatre! David Ross played Malcolm to perfection as the insecure, reserved Malcolm who still lives with his mum. The remaining members of the group Rory Summers as Harold Nichols, Connor Wilson as Ethan Girard and Charles Chiweshe as Noah (Horse) T. Simmons all delivered superb performances. This group of men are quite something, it takes a great deal of nerve to strip live on stage in front of your local community, as One Off Productions are a local amateur group and as in the musical they were performing, there will have been people they knew in the audience.

The Full Monty also requires strong female characters and the cast delivered here too. Emma Burgess was perfect as Dave’s wife Georgie, working hard and trying to support and encourage her husband. She has a superb voice and her duet with Rachel Broxham (Vicki Nichols) of “You Rule My World” was very touching. Rachel Broxham was excellent as Vicki, totally oblivious of her husband having lost his job. Georgina Garton made an excellent Jeanette A. Burmeister, the pianist (with a past in music) who turns up out of the blue to help the men with their rehearsals. Her timing is superb and she brought even more joy to the proceedings.

The Full Monty is full of fabulous songs that were delivered superbly. The Band led by Musical Director Andy McIntosh were outstanding, as good as any of those that have accompanied recent professional performances at the theatre. Meg Wilson’s choreography for the show was excellent and the performance of “Scrap” was one of my favourites.

One Off Productions may be an amateur group but in no way was this an amateurish performance. Timing was immaculate, it was musically superb and beautifully acted. The Full Monty is definitely one to see, it will make you feel sad one minute and the next you will be belly laughing, a fabulous feel-good experience. Grab some tickets while you can – it may not be “for one night only” but there are certainly not many nights left to experience The Full Monty.

More Blacks, More Dogs, More Irish Review

Alphabetti Theatre, Newcastle – until 3rd December 2022

Reviewed by Sandra Little

3***

This one hour play is presented by Papi Jeovani and Rhian Jade, and is performed without any props or scenery other than the convict style uniforms the two actors wear throughout the performance. The presentation relies heavily on powerful dialogue and also intense monologue on some occasions.The narrative seems to suggest that these two actors are sharing a prison cell but the “blank canvas” of the stage leaves the setting, time and place of the play open to interpretation.

The publicity information accompanying this play tells us that two people are forced to share a space and lose freedom, hope and a dog! We are also told that they find their lives are more similar than they could have ever imagined. The two actors play a black male and a white Irish female.

The narrative of this production does not follow a conventional structure and felt more like a series of conversations and monologues with some physical theatre included. The production was a powerful exploration of difficult and very relevant issues including drug dealing, drug related crime, personal identity, the constraints that upbringing has on a person and also feelings relating to sexual orientation. Both characters also mention violence, shooting and mental health! There are however, some more tender moments and a sprinkling of humour, interspersed within the play. We learn that Ailish ( Rhian Jade) was constrained by her family’s religious beliefs and traditional expectations. On one occasion Ailish says,”I am what this world made of me” We learn that Alisha leaves an unhappy marriage and has “treatment” for “being gay.” Meanwhile we hear that Marcus (Papa Jeovani) had been involved in drug dealing and criminal activity; issues which had an impact on his relationship with his son.

This production is a collaboration between Alphabetti Theatre and SoreSlap Theatre which is led by creatives Papi Jeovani and Rhian Jade. When I attended on Wednesday 16th a “ pay what you feel” arrangement was in place and this small theatre was full. The general feeling I gathered was that people enjoyed the performance. Rhian and Papi have worked together in Newcastle since 2019.