PANTOMIME REVIEW: Jack And The Beanstalk - Theatre Royal, St. Helens.

 

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Once again that time has come, to have yourself a lot of fun.

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You'll laugh out loud until you cry, the best ticket you could ever buy.

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Jack And The Beanstalk is this panto. You simply have to get to a show.

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So why wait? go and see, for fun and laughter with your family!

Once again the amazing Regal Entertainments Ltd , production team and cast at St Helens Theatre Royal have come up with a winner. No matter what time of the year, each and every pantomime they generate exceeds expectations. The curtain rises and we are introduced to Fairy Mary (Jenna Sian O'Hara) and the innuendo starts, flying high over the heads of the younger members of the audience but giving the older members an inkling of what's in store. The choreography is performed beautifully and the costumes are 'Spot' on..... it took me a few minutes to realise that the first outfits represented cows and not dalmations, Duh!  Of course they did, this is the story of Daisy the cow being sold in exchange for beans not a tale of dogs!  Throughout the evening the young dancers are a joy to watch and the stage is not overcrowded by them, which is often the case. Costumes are stunning and match equally if not better than major productions at larger theatres. There is no better person than a pantomime dame to model the fantastic creations and Dame Dolly Trott has a different outrageous outfit at every appearance. 

Mark Two as the Dame is very entertaining and encourages audience participation with catchphrases, as does Simple Simon performed by the regular fun loving family favourite, Lewis Devine. The energy he possesses is unparalleled as he sings, dances and clowns around in almost every scene. 

As expected there simply has to be a romance and this is provided by the lovely Princess Jill (Maddie Hope Coelho) and the dashing Jack Trott (David Heath) Love Island and Married At First Sight rolled into one! The harmonising as they duet is great to hear and it's no surprise they both have plenty of experience with Coelho having performed on television shows and a vocalist on Disney's  Pandora. Heath has many singing performances under his belt too and some may recognise him from his days with boy band, Eton Road, from X Factor.

The only expected 'booing' at a performance is with a villain and the kids (and I suspect adults too) certainly were vocal towards the evil Mrs Fleshcreep (Rachael Wood) which just shows she was doing her job right!  

We have a terrible threatening giant with a deep booming voice who's identity is a theatre secret as no mention in the programme as to who performed as him. I wasn't expecting a giant to actually appear as usually just a voice in many panto's so this was a great addition. 

The sound and special effects only enhance the show and are perfectly timed and along with smooth scenery changes are a credit to the team.

Four children from the audience are the lucky winners of a golden ticket found in a purchased programme and join Simple Simon on the stage for a few minutes for a sketch of the Okie Cokie , they steal the show and even know there left leg from right! They were rewarded with huge cheers and a goody bag each.

I have to admit I do love panto and have attended the Theatre Royal for many years and not once have I been disappointed and I'm sure you won't be either. 

Jack And The Beanstalk's run continues until Sunday 5th November so get booking now . 

If you can't make this one don't despair.....the fun starts all over again with Aladdin which I am sure will be a fantastic Christmas panto opening on 2nd December until 14th January.

Reviewer - Lorna Weekes

on - 29.10.23

THEATRE REVIEW: Peter Pan - The Opera House, Blackpool.

Starting an 8 venue UK tour, this spectacle of a show had its press night this evening at Blackpool's Opera house. 

The show, which is not comedy play, not pantomime, and not circus, but a mash-up of all three, is the cumulation of a whole host of talent. There's pyrotechnics, fire-eating, aerial, flying, acrobatics, slapstick, and goodness knows what else thrown at this show during its 2 hour 15 minute running time. A huge screen at the rear of the stage has no shortage of bright CGI images throughout, giving us the set / location etc as we went along. Majority of the show's performers are trained in circus skills, and are more than happy to show off these skills, and ameliorating the chorus / ensemble are Laci and Klaudia Denvy and the Denvy Juniors, and Skyduo Eszter And Vivien. 

This is a production of 'Peter Pan' like no other. The story - thank goodness we all already know the story! - is given secondary importance (or just reinvented or ignored in places), as this is a spectacle. A feast for the senses. As if all the above weren't enough, heading the bill is pop icon Boy George trying his best to be evil and snarl at the children, as Captain Hook. This of course means that we were treated to him singing his two most famous hits this evening too; 'Karma Chameleon', and 'Do You Really Want To Hurt Me'. 

At each venue, the vocals are ameliorated by children and teenagers from a local stage school, and they also are given the chance to perform their own dance routine to at the start of the second act. The Blackpool run sees The Nicky Figgins Centre Stage Academy have their turn in the spotlight, and this evening they truly shone, their dancing, balancing, and acrobatics skills easily equalling the principals. 

The energy levels are constantly high, the jokes come thick and fast and are as corny as Kansas in August, [although several failed to land this evening], and the camaraderie and ensemble feel of the show is tangible. There were many ad libs and in-jokes this evening too, where they lost their place due to an ad-libbed prank, and had to find their way back. But there was order in the chaos, and the children did enjoy much of their antics, whilst the adults enjoyed watching Boy George, and star-in-the-making and sex symbol, Jordan Conway as Peter Pan himself. 

The set is sparse - limited mostly to CGI, which mostly steals the thunder of the performers, as we are drawn to watching these bright colourful images rather than the action and circus skills of the performers in front of it - which is a shame; but the pirate ship is impressive. The UV scene was a nice idea, and the boat on the water in this scene was excellent until the mechanism and handlers were seen when the disembodied head of a large crocodile passed behind them...!

If you are looking for a traditional panto, then this is not for you; if you want your children to be educated and fulfilled by a theatrical production, this is not for you, but if you want a laugh-a-second, high velocity, bright, slapstick spectacle, then you couldn't find anything finer!

Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 26.10.23

THEATRE REVIEW: The Last Post - 53two, Manchester.

With just two performances, Hobgoblin's production of their own stage adaptation of Keith Campion's novel, 'The Last Post', a one hour three-hander written especially for children, was at Manchester's 53two this afternoon.

The story of 'The Last Post' is not an easy one for youngsters. It tells of a ten-year old boy in Folkestone during the winter of 1914. His father is on the Western Front serving King and country, and all he wants - since he has heard that "the war will be over by Christmas" - is for his dad to come home so that they can enjoy Christmas together as a family. The novel is little more than a series of letters written between him and his father, and so the adaptation too, relied heavily on the written word. It is very short of laughs from start to finish, in fact, the narrative takes a slow downward spiral right to the end. The language used and the style of the production would make it very difficult for young people to understand much of what was happening on stage. There were several youngsters in this afternoon's audience under the age of 10, but I would wager that none of them will have understood everything that happened, including the most important plot points that his father was hallucinating and suffering from 'bomb happiness', and that he is killed in action.

A split stage was used; one side given over to the trenches, whilst the family home living room was on the opposite side. A certain amount of effort was made to make both the set and the costuming in the correct period, but, to the critical and knowledgeable eye, both were giving an impression of only. The correct period set and location, as well as dates (a calendar) were given on a small CGI screen centre stage, and the background music was also in keeping with the era.

The three cast members worked well together, there was a true ensemble feel to the show, but, at least with this afternoon's performance, there was a lack of energy / urgency, and at times, their voices dipped below the level of audibility or were not articulated / enunciated enough for us to completely understand everything. 

Richard Lessen played the father (Joseph) with unerring earnestness, and his cameos of granddad and Lord Kitchener were nicely different and, for the adults at least, brought a little light relief. Liv Koplick played both the young lad's mother at home, and his father's best friend and comrade in the trenches, Pelly; and she flited from one to the other with lightning changes behind the set. A personable and watchable actress. Whilst the young lad, William, was played by Callum Concepcion. 

Incredibly, the children in the audience this afternoon were impeccably behaved and watched the play from start to finish without a murmur, but it was not a stimulating production, and did not truly engage. 

Reviewer - Matthew Dougall

on - 26.10.23

THEATRE REVIEW: Romeo And Juliet - The Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester.

 

'Romeo And Juliet', one of Shakespeare’s more commonly produced plays (second only to 'A Midsummer Night’s Dream'). Everyone knows the story of two star-cross'd lovers from rival families in ‘fair Verona’, yet Nicholai La Barrie’s direction has brought the tale crashing into modern day Manchester. Shakespeare’s language rolls off the Mancunian tongues of the performers and gives the world’s most well-known love story an edge that is refreshing and honest; seemingly a homage to Manchester and its residents. 

In La Barrie’s version we see Stanley knives concealed in purses and poison acquired via a dubious modern day drug deal. Also in this 21st century reimagining, our Juliet (played by Shalisha James-Davis) is not an innocent, delicate young woman; but rather a strong-willed lady who knows what she wants and isn’t immediately swayed by Romeo’s declarations of love. This gradual growing of affections takes the character and the audience on a journey. This version of 'Romeo And Juliet' becomes a love story for the modern day.

Despite the play’s three-hour running time, the actors were engaging and striking throughout. James-Davis as Juliet and Conor Glean as Romeo created a fiery chemistry on stage that was almost too intense to watch, the audience felt they were imposing on very intimate moments intended for our two lovers only. David Judge’s Mercutio was also spell-binding and extremely watchable and he felt comfortably at home within the language of Shakespeare, as well as fully embracing the Mancunian tongue within the lines. 

Kev McCurdy’s fight sequences were precise and tense, and the deaths within this production were in no way drawn out or cheesy, as they have a tendency to be with Shakespeare. These moments of extreme violence were coupled with, as mentioned above, moments of extreme intimacy and passion. Bethan Clark, the production’s intimacy director, along with James-Davis and Glean, succeeded in producing woops from the audience during the ‘racier’ moments of the show. 

This show was a feast for the senses; Good Teeth’s stage design along with lighting from Azuna Ono and sound from Mark Melville, succeeded in creating an almost cinematic experience in which the viewer is totally immersed within this Mancunian city presented on stage. From the use of modern day northern music such as ‘Elbow’, to the drizzly rain so synonymous with Manchester during the funeral scene, my eyes were fixed throughout. 

At many points throughout the show, the cast engaged with the actors. The play began with a feud between what seemed to be a member of the audience and an usher (very believable for this day and age). The audience member then walked out onto the stage and began the opening monologue. During the soliloquies, at many points they were spoken directly to audience members, as if having an intimate chat or imploring their advice. The party scene during the first act had audience members up and dancing in their seats along with the principle cast and their ensemble company. 

This production had audience members laughing from the first few scenes, and then gasping and weeping by the end of the second act (which is no easy feat considering everyone in the audience probably knew the play’s ending). You think you know Romeo and Juliet? Think again. La Barrie’s production is refreshing whilst also honouring Shakespeare’s classic language. If you are a Mancunian, come and see this love letter to your hometown. 

Reviewer - Megan Relph

on - 25.10.23

YOUTH THEATRE REVIEW: Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat - The Hippodrome, Todmorden.

Todmorden Hippodrome's own youth theatre burst onto the stage this evening on opening night of their production of the evergreen favourite from the pens of Lloyd-Webber and Rice. 'Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat' [colour has to be spelled this way as it is a Trademark!] was the first musical that the hit duo wrote together, and was intended initially as a 60 minute one act oratorio for Primary School children. My oh my, how it has developed over the years! It tells the Biblical story of Joseph and his eleven brothers, and his rise to fortune in Egypt due to his accurate dream-interpreting ability. 

The musical is very tongue-in-cheek, and never at any point does it ever take itself seriously, and both director Martin Crook and the entire cast knew this, and managed to produce one of the most professional, proficient, and indeed entertaining productions of this musical I have seen in a long time! [...and I have seen MANY!] 

Taking inspiration from the film / DVD version for both the set and direction of the musical seemed to work very much in this group's favour. It was a bright, light, and yet serious spectacle, in which every single cast member shone in their own right, giving their cumulative alls to the success of this show.

It helps enormously that the Hippodrome has the ability to fly in scenery, as this really helped both set the mood and keep the changes swift, and some of the 'pictures' created were truly lovely, and excellently thought-out. 

Rebecca Spooner proved to be a most amiable and proficient Narrator, bobbing in and out of the action as required, whilst Joseph Dowling's Joseph was plaintive, sympathetic, and very watchable. Jacob's make-up was brilliant, and his gait and voice from Samuel Rawlinson was always just on the right side of caricature and worked nicely. James Shepherd (almost) stole the show as Pharaoh. His vocals were excellent and really did sound like Elvis. He tried hard to get Elvis's physicality but never quite managed to pull that off, but it didn't matter.. we enjoyed watching him anyway! Oliver Quantrill-Scott's interpretation of Potipher was one of the best I have ever seen, and was truly brilliant; whilst his lascivious wife (Lucy Wheadon) worked well seducing Joseph. 

The eleven brothers worked well together as an all-singing-all-dancing ensemble, each having their own individual characteristics within the group. Nicely done. Whilst a large chorus of dancers, singers and cameo roles filled the stage where necessary. 

The lighting was creative and worked nicely; sound levels were good, the musical direction (Helen Clarkson) was secure; the soloists enjoying their songs, the choruses joyous, and the band's 'pop' sound was note perfect and sounded great this evening. The choreography (Alexandra Townend and Lisa Parker) was always within the group's ability with a couple of nifty moves given to those with a little more ability. It always was appropriate and I loved all the picture finishes. 

I don't think I have seen the Hippodrome Youth Theatre perform before, except when a handful of them appeared in the adult shows; but I certainly hope it won't be my last. A fully-rounded production performed by a young, zestful, and talented company. 

Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 25.10.23

THEATRE REVIEW: Constant Companions - The New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-U-Lyme, Staffordshire.

Set in a near future where we are surrounded by realistic-looking robots in mundane jobs, “Constant Companions” by Alan Ayckbourn is a gentle comedy of manners with a light layer of soft science fiction. Presented by the Stephen Joseph Theatre, this performance was at the New Vic Theatre in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

The theatre-in-the-round space was divided into three sections, like a pie chart. One area was a bedroom. Bachelor Don was excitingly taking out little boxes from a much larger box, in which his new sex robot had just arrived. As anyone who’s tried to assemble flat-pack furniture can attest, the instructions were bewildering and the assembly even more so. Andy Cryer was joyously unfiltered in his performance of how so many men will behave when sex robots do become available. And having everything about the experience going wrong was hilarious.

One section was a room in a mansion on an upper floor. The very rich and very posh Andrea, played snootily by Tanya-Loretta Dee, has a little problem. Her seventeen-year-old son has fallen in love with one of the maid robots. Winston the technician has been summoned to fix her, so that she doesn’t “seduce” the boy anymore (because it’s always the woman’s fault, even when she’s a robot.) This series of scenes, mostly between Winston and the robot E.D., were very interesting. We discover that Winston is a middle-aged incel, whose own sex robot at home has rejected him out of boredom. (That has really got to hurt.) E.D. is a very fetching robot, and as her back panel is poked and prodded, Winston starts to develop feelings for her. Naomi Petersen gave a superb performance as E.D., with lightning-quick snaps from one expression to another, and then perfect stillness. Leigh Symonds was a very sensitive and tortured Winston, buried beneath a continuous layer of engineering jokes.

The third section was the office of a very expensive-looking law firm. Lorraine’s sixtieth birthday is the summit of everything that is wrong in her personal life; and then on top of that, the janitor robot J.A.N. 60 has fallen in love with her. This sequence of scenes, unlike the other two, spanned twenty five years, and expounded Ayckbourn’s philosophies of how a society with so many humanlike robots in it could work. And it included some bleak thoughts. Alexandra Mathie loudly relished every aspect of playing Lorraine, especially when describing her honeymoon with J.A.N. 60 – quite logically, it helps if your new husband is an untiring machine. Georgia Burnell was mercurial and poised as Lorraine’s secretary Sylvia. Richard Stacey was very original as J.A.N. 60. The physicality and voice were reminiscent of C3PO in the “Star Wars” films; the dialogue like Chat GPT-4 on an idiosyncratic day; and there were flurries of weird laughs, vocalisations, and unexpected vibrations that were all Burnell’s own.

Designer Kevin Jenkins used plainness and simplicity in his set design – though I did like Lorraine’s “smart desk”, and want one. With the costumes, he cleverly used a lot of bright colours and unusual cuts so they looked something that was almost in fashion, but in about ten years’ time.

Alan Ayckbourn’s direction was clean and effective, particularly in the scenes involving robots.

One linguistic point to raise with Ayckbourn. The robots were referred to throughout as “androids”, and the term “android women” was also used. “Android” can be used as a term for a humanlike robot in general, or more specifically for a robot that looks like a man. A “gynoid” is a robot that looks like a woman. Science fiction plays attract science fiction fans who notice these details.

Reviewer - Thalia Terpsichore
on - 24.10.23

THEATRE REVIEW: Dracula; Mina's Reckoning - The Playhouse, Liverpool

Dracula belongs to a fairly exclusive group of fictional characters, including Sherlock Holmes, King Arthur and Robin Hood, whose story is being constantly retold through a plethora of stage, TV and film adaptations with a never-ending range of variations and even time settings. This production of Dracula however entered new territory, being as much a statement on both Scottish identity and gender inclusivity as being a new take on Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel. It is true that the abbey described in the original Stoker story is thought to be that of a Scottish abbey he visited even though the setting is in Whitby, North Yorkshire, with all the characters (bar a few Transylvanian vampires and one Dutchman) being English.

Before exploring the racial variations on the original, the first thing to say about this production is that the look and feel was essentially gothic horror with a superb set that technically included no less than nine different performance levels (some of which were very high) and five flights of steps. This together with creative lighting and powerful sound effects enabled the convincing creation of a range of settings, from the Aberdeen Women's Asylum to Dracula’s castle. There was also a strong cinematic feel to the production from some backcloth screens (ranging from a night sky to the inside of the human body) and more or less constant background music, which, as with a good movie, was largely there to enhance atmosphere than be there for its own sake.

All the familiar characters were faithfully there, including Dracula, Mina & Lucy, Jonathan Harker, Renfield, Dr Seward and Van Helsing. The plot progression was also faithful to the original story but after the interval, a few considerable liberties were taken with plot developments. To say any more however would be to give spoilers. Suffice to say, there were no changes made that were likely to offend anyone except the most ardent Stoker purists.

The acting was strong throughout and so, for much of the time, were the Scottish accents. In certain scenes, notable at the asylum, the liberal use of Scottish colloquial words and expressions sometimes made the speech hard to follow. Interestingly, Dracula himself spoke with the clear diction of a well-educated East European whilst Van Helsing, despite his Dutch nationality sounded very Scottish indeed. The key male characters were played so convincingly as men that the audience probably forgot for the most part that this was an all-female production. This was particularly the case with Ros Watt’s Renfield and Catriona Faint’s Jonathan. Liz Kettle made an excellent Dracula, gliding across the stage with the right element of menace. Her long hair actually fitted Bram Stoker’s original description of Dracula, long before Bela Lugosi and Christopher Lee created the smart, well-groomed stereotype image.

This was a co-production by Aberdeen Performing Arts and the National Theatre of Scotland, both of which have a remit to develop Scottish arts. This was an exciting and powerful production, deviating from primary source material no more than most adaptations whilst retaining all the classic elements of gothic horror, as well as not-infrequent interjections of humour. One wonders how an all-English production of ‘Braveheart’ set in Kent or a Yorkshire adaptation of Rob Roy McGregor would go down in Scotland but that is another matter. This ‘Dracula’ worked and not just well set but beautifully costumed with a few surprises along the way and an abundance of atmosphere. The fact that the play was both all-Scottish and all-female ultimately made no difference for better or worse and this show would be sure to please any enthusiast of the genre. 

Reviewer - John Waterhouse

on - 24.10.23

AMATEUR THEATRE REVIEW: The Music Man - The Plaza Theatre, Stockport.

Written by Meredith Willson, and inspired by his childhood, this traditional book musical still pops up from time to time, due, in no small part, that the tunes are memorable and catchy, and a large cast of younger members (especially men and boys) is required to fill the stage in the full chorus numbers. 

'The Music Man' tells the story of a con-man, who currently goes by the name of Professor Harold Hill, and his latest trick is to pose as a music band teacher, depriving the hick, mid-western towns of their hard-earned money by getting them to believe he is a musical genius and forming a boys' band. Of course, they will need expensive instruments and uniforms. But before, any of them even learns to play a single note, he absconds with the cash and moves on to the next town! His 'reputation' however seems to be catching up on him, and it seems that his number might very soon be up! Further, this particular town, River City, has a stand-offish and bookish librarian and, despite his best intentions, he finds himself falling in love with her, and she with him. Probably because her much younger brother Winthrop, a shy ten-year-old with a lisp, has really come out of his shell since Hill came along.

On opening night this evening at Stockport's beautiful Plaza Theatre, the pace was a little slow, but as the show went along, the company gave it more energy and umph! Perhaps this was down to first night nerves. The big production numbers too were a little tentative this evening, but hopefully, once the show beds in the cast will feel more at home with their direction and choreography and this latent energy will spill over into the auditorium. 

The couple of sound issues and some lamps not illuminating the cast fully this evening, are easily remedied, as is the imbalance of micing in the band - the double bass needs his mic turning down a tad.

The society has obviously worked very hard to bring about a show of this standard, and of course was helped by a full set design and some lovely costumes. The direction (Sebastian Lassandro) was easy to follow and secure, whilst the choreography (Abigail Bradbury) was always within the dancers' capabilities and worked nicely. I liked the way she used smaller groups before filling the stage with the full chorus, and the picture finishes were always photo-worthy!

Heading this enthusiastic cast was of course, the con-man himself, Prof. Harold Hill, Ben Vaughan, whose energy and character infused his every entrance. A good dancer, singer and actor, he lifted the pace and the dynamic of the show considerably.  Of course, with such a large cast, it would be impossible to mention everyone, but, perhaps one could not finish this review without mentioning a couple. The librarian and love-interest mentioned above, Marian Paroo, was played this evening by Jess Bray, whose character change from an abrasive and curt nature giving way to liking his advances and losing her edges was nicely measured; Carol Ackers was the more rounded and sympathetic Irish mother, Mrs. Paroo; and Jake Ashworth did extremely well as this young Winthrop.

'The Music Man' is a family friendly feel-good show, and you will leave the auditorium tapping your toes and wanting to join the band along with 76 trombones...!

Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 24.10.23

THEATRE REVIEW: The Book Of Will - Shakespeare North Playhouse, Prescot, Liverpool.

It is the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s First Folio being published. In addition to the BBC spamming the airwaves with Shakespeare, Shakespeare North Playhouse in Prescot is also having a celebration. Their production of “The Book Of Will” by Lauren Gunderson – co-produced with Bolton’s Octagon Theatre and Hornchurch’s Queen’s Theatre – is a lively, sparkling piece of period dress theatre that hits all the high notes, and gives an enlightening experience of how the First Folio came into existence.

Carla Goodman’s very simple set focused on a wooden pub table and chairs. The characters – Jacobean jobbing actors, long-suffering wives, and inky printers – were plainly dressed, but every costume was unique. (Every actor was wearing a different style of shoes, for example.) In the intimate in-the-round space of the wooden theatre, this helped the time-travel feel of the production.

Shakespeare has been dead a few years, and bootleg reproductions of his plays are everywhere, both on stage and in print. His closest friends are worried that all these bad copies will be all that’s left of his genius. The problem is: they themselves are getting old and starting to forget the lines he wrote for them, and very few complete scripts of his plays still exist, due to a recent fire. It is proposed to find all the plays and have them published in one big (and expensive) book: the First Folio.

Driving the project is King’s Men actor Henry Condell (a gently woebegone Niall Costigan), and dragged along in his wake is retired actor John Heminges (a put-upon but intelligent Russell Richardson.) Between the two of them, they start to overcome every obstacle that arises: from financing the most expensive book of plays ever produced, to deciding if “Pericles” is uncorrupted enough to be included.

Ed Knight, the prompter for the King’s Men, was played with venal dryness by Callum Sim: never tangle with an annoyed librarian. Fortunately his assistant, Ralph Crane – a nerdily joyous Tomi Ogbaro – is quite the Shakespeare fan, and had been making secret copies of his own of the plays before the fire occurred that destroyed most of the official copies. The villainous William Jaggard, head of the printing company responsible for many bootlegs, slid around the stage with reptilian grace in Zach Lee’s performance.

Making up the cheerleader squad were the King’s Men’s women. Heminges’ daughter Alice sang the praises of Shakespeare’s female characters (a bolshy Jessica Ellis.) Heminges’ wife Rebecca alternated between selling figs and lightly castigating her husband about working too hard (a delicately witty Helen Pearson.) Condell’s wife Elizabeth was the quiet supporter (a grounded Carrie Quinlan.)

The noisiest moments of comedy came from the pretentious boy actor destroying Hamlet (the vivacious Tarek Slater), and the very Falstaffian portrayal of Shakespeare’s biggest rival: playwright Ben Jonson. As Jonson, Andrew Whitehead exploded with excess in every direction: alcohol, lechery, and ego. His performance was worth the ticket price in itself.

Director Lotte Wakeham sustained a warm ensemble feel to the production, and then at the end delivered a montage of rapid Shakespeare excerpts showing Shakespeare’s legacy reaching the 21st century and countries around the world. A paper shower of little Shakespeare quotes from the ceiling at that point was quite a nice touch.

As an extra treat, Shakespeare North Playhouse has also borrowed an edition of the First Folio from The British Library, and has it on display in the foyer during the run of “The Book Of Will.” There is a facsimile edition too that can be thumbed through with grubby fingers.

This is one for Shakespeare fans everywhere.

Reviewer - Thalia Terpsichore
on - 20.10.23

FILM REVIEW: Killers Of The Flower Moon - Vue Printworks, Manchester.

Martin Scorsese’s retelling of the Osage murders of the late 1910's and 192'0s is sure to return people to the (very comfortable) cinema seats. This star-studded historical epic runs the risk of becoming too bloated, however Scorsese reins it in at the right parts, just when it is needed. Scorsese’s comments on the state of Hollywood and the art of cinema really resonate in his newest picture, and the availability of 'Killers Of The Flower Moon' in cinemas is a testament to the director’s realisation and acceptance of the threat to cinemas and how audiences can view films, especially after the difficulty of finding a cinema showing his last film, 'The Irishman', in late 2019.  However, like 'The Irishman', 'Killers Of The Flower Moon' is made in cahoots with Apple, much like how his previous film had been made with Netflix. It is a welcome move though, and the full auditorium showed that films can still draw people out of the comforts of home.

Featuring Leonardo DiCaprio as Ernest Burkhart, Robert De Niro as his uncle, William “King” Hale, and Lily Gladstone as Ernest’s wife, Mollie, additionally supported by an outstanding cast with the likes of Jesse Plemons, Brendan Fraser, and John Lithgow as well as many, many others. 'Killers Of The Flower Moon' tells the story of Great War veteran Ernest who goes out to Oklahoma to work for his uncle, who is a prominent member of the community within the Osage Nation. Falling for Osage oil heiress, Mollie, Ernest marries her and finds himself caught between the grisly race fuelled realties of a town where Native Americans and white Americans live together, and the rich culture and traditions of the Osage people.  

Overall the film is excellent, Scorsese is one of the few who can make a picture which warrants a running time of nearly three and a half hours. Rodrigo Prieto, the cinematographer from the last two Scorsese films returns and this one has to be his best looking film for the director. A wonderful mixture of earthy colours, and warm oranges give an almost sepia effect to the picture. Interwoven by Thelma Schoonmaker's stylised editing with real and recreated silent footage which aids to inform the viewer of the unfolding events whilst pushing the story along and again reminds us of the simpler times in which the events take place. The natural vibrancy of the green grass and primary colours of the Osage’s traditional dress jump from the screen and is a visual treat from the dark tone of the story and matching colour palette. Real attention to detail has been given with the settings and props; it is often the case with some films which take place in the past look tired because props are used which are as old as the when the film takes place. It takes you out of it and you become aware that you are only watching a reproduction, whereas with 'Killers Of The Flower Moon' everything feels fresh and appropriate. You are in this small, rural 1920's town, not in some "backlot" watching people clumsily act with props which they have to be delicate with because they could break at any moment. The film is perfectly verisimilitude due to this and the audience has no trouble settling down and becoming comfortable with the surroundings. Additionally there is some outstanding Foley work and combined with some of the effects, again helps build this world which encompasses you and really brings a deep-down-in-the-gut visceral feeling. This film is a real treat for the senses.

Unfortunately though, the film's main star is its weakest aspect. Everyone shines around DiCaprio, who stumbles through the film, gurning and grumbling. The actor is such an anomaly and point of ridicule and humour, that any attempt to be serious is null and void. Like all Hollywood Ernests, his Ernest is an absolute idiot, and unfortunately for DiCaprio his portrayal of this character is laughable in parts. What is perhaps an attempt by the film to redeem the character or give him some sort of backbone is lost because of how stupid and easily influenced Ernest is. For the final third of the film, DiCaprio has a face which can only be likened to a drunk Stanley Holloway (a stretch of a reference, but DiCaprio’s face was very reminiscent of a scene in David Lean’s 'This Happy Breed', where Stanley Holloway returns from a Legion dinner drunk). And like Lean, one must question if Scorsese is in the period of his career where his films are on epic proportions? Not that this reviewer is complaining, just pondering.

DiCaprio aside, the cast is incredible. Gladstone’s Mollie character is charming and she is brilliant at making the audience feel her grief and paranoia at the murders and circumstances which surround her and her family. Her chemistry with the other cast is particularly noteworthy. Whereas the audience may be, somewhat archaically, expecting a female lead similar to Natalie Wood in John Ford’s 'The Searchers' or some other Western. Gladstone’s character is not a traditional damsel in distress, Mollie is a headstrong yet ultimately vulnerable and powerless woman who becomes something like an unwitting victim of domestic abuse. And just when the audience is in the midst of her despair the introduction of Plemons’ man from the Bureau of Investigation brings an air of hope to the audience. Finally, something is going to be done! Alas, a film which deals with the attacks and injustices faced by Native Americans in the 1920s is not going to end on a positive note. After all we do not go to see a Scorsese picture because we are promised a happy ending, very rarely do they actually occur, but a story likes this tells anyone with a bit of historical knowledge that this three and a bit hour journey is only leading to the inevitable. Therein leads to the second issue with the film, the final act and ending.

While the film is an epic, in production and length, and by all means very good, the film loses its footing as soon as Ernest goes to court. What has been methodically ramping up over the last two and a bit hours stumbles and loses its pacing as ideally another two hours is needed to wrap things up neatly. Unfortunately that is not really an option, and what we end up with is the cinematic equivalent of hurriedly ending a story one would write in an English lesson. No “and then they woke up and it was all a dream” but rather a violent jolt to a few decades later which feels tacked-on because Scorsese looked up and saw that the school bell was about to ring. The audience become integrated into the film as the audience for a radio murder-mystery theatre show are informed that the bad guys were okay and the victims were forgot. One runs the risk of being a bit too nit-picky but this grievance only detracts very little from the overall quality and splendour of the film.

There is a warning to be heeded, whilst all the trademark tropes of the director are there, it is a clear Scorsese picture, do not go expecting the usual Scorsese gangster flick, at no point does Joe Pesci turn up and start effing and jeffing at the Osage, which seemed to be the case with the two men sat next to me. They also seemed unaware of the running time as they loudly questioned how long was left. Although films are seeming to slowly get people back to the cinema, cinema etiquette seems to be extinct. Nevertheless it is looking to be a rather good six or so months for cinema, this and Ridley Scott’s 'Napoleon' in a few months, followed by Francis Ford Coppola’s 'Megalopolis' tells the world that these old “new Hollywood” fellas still have the ability to make good films that will hopefully fill seats. If 'Killers Of The Flower Moon' is anything to go by, the cinema has nothing to worry about.

Reviewer - Daryl Griffin

BOOK REVIEW: Fission, by Christopher Kerr

TITLE: Fission
AUTHOR: Christopher Kerr
PUBLISHED BY: Book Guild Publishing Ltd.

This is author Christopher Kerr’s third novel; his debut novel, The Covenant, was published in 2021, followed by The Barbarossa Secret in 2022 and a further novel is in process, entitled Bullion.

This story is a modern, historical work of fiction set against factual events, hence giving extra legitimacy and perspective to epic, human drama. It details the perilous competition to acquire the definitive deterrent with secreted origins in Nazi Germany.

An investigation uncovers details of inexplicable deaths of former Israeli intelligence agents discovering surprising disclosures from past years; these expose a danger, not only to Israel, but to the world. Hitler's astonishing plans are discovered by investigators in the concluding phases of the Second World War, these are to commandeer and use an atomic weapon. Revelations of a post-war strategy adopted by the fledgling state of Israel come to light, which are to acquire 'the bomb'; this would come about by commissioning lethal espionage strategies by involving ex members of the Nazi establishment.

New light is thrown on one of the most catastrophic and appalling assassinations of the twentieth century with astonishing evidence being uncovered and agents desperately pursuing answers in a race against time, as they endeavour to avert worldwide devastation.

This impressive work of fiction is a decidedly believable and commanding international drama; it probes into actual events from the Second World War up to the present day and along the way raises numerous historical queries.

The human instinct of survival is challenged in this epic story with power, emotion and politics competing to come to the forefront.

Extensive research has enabled the author to produce an outstanding story of intrigue and stimulating enjoyment.

There is a useful Biographical Index in the back of the book so that readers can find out more about the characters that are featured in the story.

This is an exciting, awesome read, rendering the question of it being actual fact rather than fiction; vivid, expressive narrative coupled with amazing factual history makes for exciting reading, making it a captivating page-turner.

Reviewer - Anne Pritchard

EVENT REVIEW: Direct From Graceland: Elvis - The Arches, London.

I must be one of the luckiest people in London. Attending a press night preview of 'Direct From Graceland: Elvis', is the most exciting thing I have done all year. I love Elvis and his music due to being the daughter of one of Elvis’ biggest fans. This is something my mother would have loved to experience, and I wish she were still here to see this exhibition. As I walked round, I could imagine her feeling of wonder and admiration at some of these rarely seen exhibits.

It is hard to believe that we could have this fantastic display of Elvis artefacts here in London. I hope that anyone in the UK who is interested in Elvis makes it down to London Bridge because this is the largest amount of Elvis Presley’s personal belongings ever seen outside of Graceland. We are so very privileged to see his cars, costumes, posters and photos and so much more first hand. It has certainly blown my mind. I could have happily stayed there for hours and just listened to Elvis’ tracks as you walk around. It’s hard to know what is best to do as I used the audio guide, which leads you around all the visuals with commentary, meanwhile the music plays out everywhere and I would have been happy enough to walk round at my pace and just listen to Elvis’ amazing voice.

I have taken so many photos this evening, as visually the exhibition is outstanding, and I want to remember it all. Elvis was able to dress the part of a superstar and look a million dollars. He was definitely one of the most beautiful men and seeing him projected onto the walls just highlights his star quality. So many of his well-known Las Vegas and Hawaiian stage costumes are displayed here and they are gorgeous in their own right; all of those white flared jumpsuits, spangled with rhinestones and embroidery. The studded white cape that he frequently wore on stage looks magnificent in real life and is as famous as the man himself. The gold suit with sequinned lapels is not as shiny as the original photos look, but achieves that ‘over the top’ effect that Colonel Parker wanted in all of these outfits. It was he that orchestrated the "Las Vegas Stage Elvis" with these outlandish costumes. Who else could get away with wearing these outfits and not be ridiculed? It was good to see a display of Elvis’ own clothes that he would wear at home casually reflecting the era of the 1950's and 1960's, to make you realise that for all the showmanship, he really was just an American guy. Looking at all of his normal life mementoes and Lisa-Marie’s baby clothes, you need to put into perspective that deep down he wanted a normal family life despite the drink, drugs and girls.

Also, on display here we see Elvis’ black Ferrari, his red MG (probably my favourite having owned an MG sportscar myself which was nowhere near as pristine as this one). His TCB three-seater custom super-trike was here as well. Thank you, Graceland, for allowing us to borrow these vehicles for the exhibition, it really helps to set up the story of the man and not the myth. It was amazing to see an example of the first mobile phone prototype: albeit in a small suitcase with the instructions written out to make it easy for Elvis to use it. Having never made it to the UK for a concert, due to Colonel Parker’s lack of passport and total control, it is so special to have Elvis’ personal possessions to almost conjure up the man himself.

As you walk around, along with the ever-changing music; Elvis does have a large collection of songs, there are photos and projections all over the walls, with clips from his many films. He is everywhere, 360 degrees, keep looking around in case you miss anything. If there were seats, I could have just sat down in the middle of the exhibition and allowed it to permeate my whole being. I am a real music fan and so many of my heroes justify their roots back to Elvis. Without Elvis, youth culture and pop music would have been very different over the last seventy years, and this shows you just how important and influential he was. His style, his personality and his music will live on, and people will continue to be fascinated with him.

As you leave, there is a nod towards Austin Butler’s portrayal of Elvis trough a display of four of the costumes from the film. Incredulously, almost identical to the original and barely any difference in body sizes. When we think that Elvis was credited as being an overweight and bloated man in his early forties, just before his sad and untimely death, his clothes tell a different story. Yes, his face was puffy, but his body was not as changed as the media would have you believe. That black leather two piece that makes both Elvis and Butler look their most physically attractive waves you goodbye. Both performers portrayed on the wall side by side as you leave. The King of Rock and Roll lives!

The exhibition prices are £31.65per adult and absolutely worth every penny. I’d love to go back and I will promote this to everyone I know. I couldn’t leave the exhibition without a visit to the shop to buy a few items either. Elvis will be joining my wall this weekend.

The Arches at London Bridge, backing onto Bermondsey is a fantastic location and has a lovely compact coffee space inside. Currently there are lots of available slots, but once the word is out about how special Direct From Graceland is, it will be busy. I am sure our wonderful American tourists will also find their way here as there are plenty of never-before-seen personal belongings.

Reviewer - Penny Curran

AMATEUR THEATRE REVIEW: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - The Garrick Playhouse, Altrincham. Greater Manchester.

Everybody's favourite car has flown in to Altrincham this week for their production of Ian Fleming's children's classic, 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang', with music by the inimitable Sherman brothers.

This is one of the most proficient and professional productions I have seen from the Garrick in a very long time with not a single performer putting a single foot wrong the whole evening. {literally and metaphorically}. 

The production team of Joseph Meighan (director), Mark Goggins (MD), and Louise Pettitt (choreographer) made a formidable trio, providing the large and talented cast to shine on stage.. and shine they did!

Rhys Nuttall was the enigmatic and characterful Caractacus Potts, fatherly with his children, loving with Truly, forthright and determined with the evil forces of Vulgaria, sincere and energetic at all times, and was a superb triple threat and credit to the society and the show. A very strong cast of principals supported him throughout, all of whom deserve mention and credit. All of whom gave their roles much consideration and developed characters in which we could invest either to love or to hate. Natalie Hayes was truly scrumptious as Truly Scrumptious; Ivor Farley was military-esque as Grandpa Potts; Pete Brassington really revelled in his dual role of bombastic and over-the-top characters of Baron Bomburst and Lord Scrumptious; Hannah Edwards was the wily children-hating Baroness Bomburst; Mike Shaw made our blood run cold and had the children cowering behind their parents, as The Childcatcher; Jonathan Barker was a sympathetic Toymaker; and Matt Spilsbury and Alexander Day made a most unlikely comedy duo as the bumbling and inept Vulgarian spies, Boris and Goran, eliciting much laughter form this evening's first night audience. 

Jeremy and Jemima, as well as the children in the chorus are played by two different teams throughout the run; and this evening's team was Team Red. Both Noah Charlton-Jones (Jeremy) and Esmerelda Maled (Jemima) were superb this evening and one had the feeling we were watching stars of the future. The children's chorus (Team Red) was also superb, and proved to be very talented and focussed throughout. If Team Yellow are only half as good, then they will be excellent. 

A chorus of both ensemble and dancers filled the stage in the chorus numbers, and both singing and dancing were of a high quality. I especially enjoyed both 'Me Ol' Bamboo' and 'The Bombie Samba'

The set worked nicely, the sound levels good, and of course, the "star" of the show, Chitty herself was the ultimate attraction. That being said however, I found it rather disappointing when the car actually flew. Of course we want to hide the hydraulics from the audience and not spoil the illusion, but this evening the lighting (and haze) were set  so that we could not actually see the car in the air at all, and were even struggling to see the four faces inside it. The "wings" of the car were completely unseen, in fact, it was so dark that it looked like a Hallowe'en joke of four disembodied faces and a couple of headlights floating in a sea of blackness and smoke. I feel sure that this should not have been the case, and that a lighting cue must have been missed. Ditto, the problem with lifting Grandpa's khazi as this was somewhat confused this evening.

However, technical hitches notwithstanding, this is a fantabulous show for all the family, ably and professionally staged by the increasingly deft Altrincham Garrick.

Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 23.10.23

AMATEUR THEATRE REVIEW: Jekyll And Hyde - Telford Theatre, Oakengates, Telford.

As a keen lover and connoisseur of Musicals, I have to say that 'Jekyll And Hyde' is in my top 10 favourites. Unlike Sondheim, whose music can sometimes be quite abrasive and difficult to both interpret and listen to [this coming from a confirmed fan of his music], Frank Wildhorn's scores are sweeping, harmonic, lyrical, and always ever so emotive,  And when the book and lyrics are written by Musical Theatre legend Leslie Bricusse, it has to be a sure-fire winner. This dark and sinister tale of the familiar "legend" of a scientist at odds with the establishment, so hell-bent on creating a formula which will separate the evil and the good from an individual's persona, that he instead creates his own monstrous alter-ego, and in so doing, destroys everything he loves, making the ultimate sacrifice at the end.  

TADLOP - Telford And District Light Operatic Players - presented this musical last week at the Telford Theatre.

Waiting in the bar area and in the auditorium both before the show and in the interval, patrons were subjected to some rather loud, obtrusive and modern music 'sounds', which were actually quite atmospheric and apt, but sadly too loud, and invaded our conversations and thoughts. The stage was an open set, a singular composite affair of rostra and scaffolding, with other set items brought in and out as required. Sometimes this did tend to slow the action down a little. In between the two sets of steps either side of the rear platform, several members of the ensemble sat behind a veil of thin black material. They were in costume, but had the vocal score in their hands, and sometimes were tasked in coming from their seats behind this see-through material to join the main chorus to fill out the stage. This I did not understand and found really rather strange.

The costume design for this production was Steam Punk. An odd choice, but since it was consistent and well thought-out throughout, it worked. Even Jekyll's work desk was given the Steam Punk treatment too.

Heading the cast was Reiss McSporran as the dedicated and strong-headed Dr Jekyll. This evening he seemed to be struggling with a cold and sore throat, and so vocally he was finding it difficult since he does carry much of the first half of the show. His alter ego was played this evening by a highly charismatic Nat Hodgkiss as Mr Hyde. For this reviewer at least however, he was far too good looking, suave, and commandingly dashing to be considered evil. Hodgkiss has great stage presence and a super voice, but we were unable to consider his behaviour or his demeanour as being truly evil.

Female love interest in provided for in abundance with two very confident and talented actresses. Jessica Hidgkiss was plaintive with a lovely soprano voice as Jekyll's fiance Emma Carew, whilst the larger role of prostitute Lucy was played with obvious attention to detail by Hannah Lister. Note to sound though... her microphone needed to be turned up a little to match the same volume as the other principals. 

Other supporting roles were played by the company along with a talented ensemble, whose cumulative choral sounds were lovely.  Both my companion and I remarked on the lovely voice and sympathetic portrayal of Sir Danvers Carew by Andrew Murray.

All in all, a solid and very competent production, performed with skill by an enthusiastic and dedicated team, and the end result was both exciting and enjoyable. 

Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 21.10.23

YOUTH THEATRE REVIEW: High School Musical - Middleton Arena, Middleton, Manchester.

Once upon a time the amateur stage in north Manchester was dominated by the behemoths of North Manchester AODS and Middleton AODS, and even closer to home was the highly proficient and award-winning St. Thomas More's AODS. How things change! These days the three above-mentioned societies are either no longer in existence or have been reduced to much smaller groups no longer with the clout to put on any large scale productions. Their misfortune however, seems to have been the very thing that has brought Heywood into the fore. I have seen a few productions from their adult section over the last few years and their standard is extremely high.

This evening however it was my turn to watch a production performed by their junior youth section, Hey Kids. The age range was quite surprising, with some on stage looking no more than about 7 years old, whilst the older ones were up to ten years older.

Their chosen musical production this year is the stage musical version of the Disney film, 'High School Musical'. This was only the second time I have seen a production of this musical, and to me it just seems very much like a poor-man's 'Grease', with a little bit of every other American High School teen comedy romance film thrown in for good measure. What story there is concerns a maths geek, Gabriella, who whilst on holiday has a romance with basketball 'jock' Troy. Both are from different schools and so at the end of their holiday, they part promising to keep in touch. Cut to the start of the new school year, and who should turn up as a new girl at Troy's school.. yes, you've guessed it, Gabriella! Of course, in typical 'Grease' fashion, the romance is on and off because of their different social statuses and the expectations of their individual cliques. Besides which, there is love (sorry, attention) rivalry from the school's drama star, Sharpay.

The stage was set with the tiered seating of a school athletics track [think 'Summer Nights' from Grease], which was omnipresent, whilst smaller set items were brought in and out as necessary for each scene. Costuming was mostly in the red and white colours of East High School, and mostly worked excellently. The two youngsters wearing colourful tie-die t-shirts did stand out a little though. Lighting was creative and worked well, whilst sound levels were OK, but set just a tad too high; the voices were amplified to the maximum limit before they would have been distorted. Turning them down just a couple of decibels would have made the world of difference. 

Courtney McLean and George Ireland headed this energetic and enthusiastic cast as Gabriella and Troy respectively. Both worked very well together and one did truly believe that they were in love. - not an easy thing to pull off on stage with ones so young. Their characterisations were well thought-out and secure, and McLean's rendition of, 'When There Was You And Me' in act 2 was simply beautiful. The antagonist of the piece, dressed and behaving rather like Elle Woods in 'Legally Blonde', was Sophie Doran as drama star and bitch, Sharpay. Once again, she had the right attitude and her characterisation secure, and together with a splendidly and deliberately effete Ryan (Joseph Gooding) made a lovely comedy pairing and superb foil for the main leads.  

The whole cast deserve a mention, but there are too many to do so. That being said, though, even when the whole company were on stage, they still did not fill it, and am sure the company would love some new members to help swell their ranks! Nate Lord-Vayro played basketball player and best friend of Ryan, Chad; Charlotte Evans revelled in her slightly mad character of drama teacher Ms Darbus; Luke Radcliffe did well acting much older than his tender years as Ryan's father and basketball teacher, Coach Bolton; whilst the diminutive but high spirited Nieve Greenwood was our cheery school announcer-with-attitude, Jack Scott.

The singing in general was solid and secure, and sounded good, especially the full chorus songs. "Stick It To The Status Quo" being the stand-out chorus number this evening. The choreography was simple but effective, and was competently executed, being well within the company's cumulative ability. 

Directed by Sarah Davey, there were some very odd choices made here, and some things which, for this reviewer at least, simply did not work. Placing school desks in one straight line facing the audience and then asking the teacher to also face the audience was for me the biggest faux-pas. The storyline was not as clearly signposted as it could have been, and there were a couple of much smaller vignettes where the location of these was not clear too. Scene changes were long-winded with the band being tasked in vamping until they were complete.

However, the children loved every minute of their stage time, and I did enjoy Davey's use of the auditorium for one of Ryan's entrances. It was obvious that all on stage were giving their alls at all times and it was their enthusiasm and commitment to the show which truly made this evening, as this was palpable and transmuted across the pit into the audience. Well done all!

Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 18.10.23

AMATEUR THEATRE REVIEW: Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street - Waterside, Sale, Manchester.

 

Ever snce the passing of Musical Theatre legend Stephen Sondheim, societies all over have clamoured to perform one of his shows. This, in itself, cannot be a bad thing, since many of his shows are indeed superb. However, when you consider that as either lyricist or composer he is responsible for 19 shows, and only four of these seem to be chosen with any regularity, reviewers become extremely familiar with these pieces, and so often can be more critical with their thinking.

Of course, Sweeney Todd is one of those four, and this particuoar reviewer has seen this show both professionally and on the amateur stage many times over the years. In fact, I was chatting in the interval to a fellow reviewer about my being the proud owner of a video and cassette of Len Cariou and Angela Lansbury on the New York stage!

Sale And Altrincham Musical Theatre's production however was just about as far removed from that original Broadway show as it is possible to get, and yet it was not the most avant-garde or original production I have seen either.  On entering the auditorium this evening one was confronted with an open set of bare rostra / scaffolding. Two walkways leading nowhere on a higher level with a central square dias slighly raised from the floor but not connected to either of the two side pieces. Dimly lit with a hint of haze and the band, positioned to the rear, were playing ominous funereal chords. I recall this society's production of Jekyll And Hyde a few years' ago, and remarked on how completely similar the two sets and ideas were. These high walkways were underused throughout, and indeed had little or no connection with the set, whilst the central base, again omnipresent, sometimes inhibited the flow of the show, meaning chorus numbers or important scenes wers played out in the shadows of either side of tbe stage.

Bare rostra is not a new idea, and, in a rather subjective opinion, rarely works, although I do understand why they might be used and the style of theatre they are representative of. However it does mean that those charged with performing the piece have to be exceptional in order for us to "buy in" to the minimalism and lack of realism. 

The show started strongly with a young male chorus singer atop the scaffolding, although sadly he was not fully lit. This was a problem throughout. The lighting design seemed to have scant regard for where the director had placed his cast, and so some faces were lit, but not all the time, and some sang in complete darkness.  I hesitate to think this was deliberate.

A further problem this show encountered was the sound. Microphones were an issue the whole evening with voices fluctuating from inaudible to just right, whilst the band did, in the main, overpower the singing, especially the rather obtrusive sythensized sounds of the electric keyboard.

The cast, therefore, did well to overcome all of this and continue as if nothing were wrong. It was opening night, and so, a certain latitude can be given. What was abundantly apparent was that the entire cast were totally committed to the show and their roles within it, and they were giving 100% at all times. It was also a tightly knit ensemble show too, with cast tasked with moving smaller set items in and out as required. This worked well mostly, but the rather cumbersome chest did slow the scene changes down a little, and this evening's show did not finish until 10:35pm which was a little late.

Richard Ross headed the cast as an imposing and very moody Todd, hell bent on bloody revenge from the start, his characterisation was singular and unswerving, which made it very difficult for us to emote with him in any way, since he offered himself as only evil from the start. Sadly, his singing voice this evening did not present itself as being up to the challenge this role required, preferring instead to use the technique of sprechgesang in many places.

Steph Niland was a likeable and competent Mrs. Lovett who improved upon her every entrance; whilst both Connor Ryan as Anthony and Myles Ryan as Tobias both had lovely characterisations and voices once they allowed them to shine. ('Not While I'm Around' was for me the absolute stand-out song of the show.)  Perhaps first night nerves got the better of them a little this evening.

The strong, capable and enthusiastic cast completed with Sarah Carrillo (coping well with the many high soprano notes as Johanna); Adam Garnett (Beadle Bamford); Jon Gardner (Judge Turpin); and Steve Sheppard enjoying his comedy role as Adolfo Pirelli. However, for this reviewer, the show was stolen by Emma Johnson's excellent portrayal of Lucy / Beggarwoman.

With a chorus of 16, I would have liked to have heard a more powerful and fuller choral sound, but that sadly, never matetialised. Perhaps again, due to the mics.

This was a stark, minimalist, contemporary production which, despite an attempt at period costuming, did not quite hit the spot sadly.  Sweeney Todd is a very difficult and challenging musical, darkly horrific and comedic, operatic and "bouffe" at all and one of the same time, and despite the company's cumulative best efforts, this evening 's production did not quite hit the mark unfortunately.

Reviewer - Matthew Dougall

on - 17.10.23

STUDENT THEATRE REVIEW: Double Bill: Lippy Kids and Chaotica - Main Theatre, Arden School Of Theatre, City College, Manchester.

The third year students on the Theatre And Performance course at Arden School Of Theatre had their first theatrical outing this week in a double-bill of devised productions, proving once again, that when it comes to innovation and boundary-pushing, these students are neither strangers to it, nor afraid of so doing. I have learned a long time ago, that when attending performances by the students on this course, to expect the unexpected, and even then, sometimes I am either shocked or confused (usually both...!). I am a conventionalist at heart and like my theatre to be a soothing and pleasant experience, perhaps educating me too along the way, and to be entertained and delighted by precision and uniformity. So, when sitting in the audience at these productions, I feel a little like I have entered the lion's cage.

The first piece this afternoon, 'Lippy Kids', took even the stalwarts of the genre by surprise. One of the tutors asked me after it was over what I had thought of it, and the only word I could think of in reply was "different". The students, in collaboration with Turntable Theatre, had created a circular flat stage around which several cabaret-styled seating at large round tables had been placed. Behind these on one side, a four-piece band, and on the other a small stage with microphone. As we entered to take our seats it was obvious that a raucous and wild party had already taken place here.. balloons aplenty were strewn everywhere, whilst empty shot glasses and beer glasses as well as used party poppers and other party detritus littered the tables. Once the cast arrived and took their seats in amongst us and around us, it was clear also that we were not just mere spectators, but we were an integral part of the action and the story; and although we were never actually called upon to interact with the cast, we certainly were not separated from them at any point, and we had to be prepared to be touched or stared at, and I was shouted at directly in the face by one cast member and at another point, another cast member whispered something in my ear. This was a tactile and visceral performance like no other. 

Loud live music performed - I am assuming that this was a deliberate ploy to sing out of tune, and if so, worked nicely within the anarchy of the piece - throughout, as well as a couple of stand-up comedy routines; all within their highly politically motivated agenda. You were not given the opportunity to collate your own thoughts, you were part of their thoughts, and their politics... and it was tub-thumped to us unremittingly. The whole hour switched vagariously from snippets of half-whispered conversations to full-blown political rants and rioting; this is youth culture and youth morals taken to the hilt, and we were all swept along with these ever-changing vignettes. Some more poignant than others, and a couple were spoken so quietly at the far side of the room that I simply could not hear them. However the whole was very sincerely portrayed and seemingly very heartfelt. Highly proficient, powerful and sincere.

There were a couple of occasions when the lighting did not hit the spot where the speaker was, keeping the protagonist at that point in the dark whilst another area was lit. Was this deliberate? Perhaps also an age-restriction should be put on the entrance to this piece, it is not suitable for youngsters. 

After the interval and we returned to the main theatre, now looking far more conventional and recognisable as a theatre for the second piece, 'Chaotica'. This time the Arden students were working in collaboration with Tomyumsim, and although there was not much in the way of plot with this piece, I was able to garner far more from it than the first one.

We started outside the theatre and we were shown a video welcoming us to the 'Habitable Hub', and were given the rules and code of conduct once we entered. The theatre was our 'habitable hub' and we were in a year much nearer the end of this millennium that the start. A great war or disaster has taken place, and the outside earth is uninhabitable, and only these 'hubs' are available for the lucky few. It is a comedy, a parody perhaps, and is very tongue-in-cheek in places; but it also has a much more sinister and more real meaning too. This is an apocalyptic vision with a word of warning, that unless we are proactive and help our world now, there will not be a tomorrow.

One of the biggest problems that I am constantly facing with productions on this course is the volume levels. When the mics are used they tend to be pitched to loudly, whilst unmic'd speech tends to be unprojected and quiet. This was sadly the case in this production too. 

As with the first play, this was basically a series of smaller vignettes, but there was a definite progression here leading to a cathartic conclusion. The wind tunnel to the outside was very simple but effective, and the inclusion of images and footage on the screen behind helped with the overall understanding and placing of the production. The costumes were wacky and weird, and seemed like a cross between a sci-fi B-movie and Glam Rock. Again though, the actors and actresses were all totally committed to their roles and the through-line of the show, and it was their conviction which provided both the humour and the sincerity of the piece. 

A little audience interaction was required as we played a sort of bingo. Which produced the most interesting premise of the whole script; that the prize for winning the bingo was a lifetime inside the habitable hub. However, the hub can accommodate a maximum of 10 people, and so the ten cast now have to decide which of them sacrifices themselves for the bingo winner to enter. This premise alone is worthy of a play in its own right.

The worms idea could have been developed more, and there were even large worms under the rostra walkway which were never referenced. And perhaps the comedy of repetition could have been given more emphasis; meaning that the cathartic moments and drama would have been highlighted a little more too in turn. 

Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 13.10.23

AMATEUR THEATRE REVIEW: What The Butler Saw - Guide Bridge Theatre, Ashton-u-Lyne, Manchester.

The rather misleadingly titled, 'What The Butler Saw', is the latest production at Guide Bridge Theatre on the outskirts of Ashton. This two-act farce by Joe Orton seems a little dated now, as indeed, many of the classic British farces do... the genre seems to have fallen by the wayside sadly. Perhaps due to an upsurge of PC-ness and wokeness, which is a pity, since these seemingly whimsical bijoux-de-theatre often have darker and more satirical undercurrents too, as indeed, this one does. 

'What The Butler Saw' [the title may refer more to the upper class / lower class view of life, but is almost certainly taken from the saucy seaside postcard idea of a butler spying through the keyhole as he watches his mistress undress] is a brilliantly written satire, but needs to be delivered at a pace in order for it to truly "work". The caustic and indeed damning (even illegal) insinuations delivered throughout are shocking enough in our present day, but when they were first performed in the mid / late 1960s, they were scandalous beyond our contemporary comprehension. 

Director John Cocks-Evans obviously understood all of this and created a playground for his cast of six to work from, each creating their own inimitable characterisations of these larger-than-life, mono-dimensional characters, who, in the age-old tradition of farce, have no compunctions about stripping down to their underwear at the slightest provocation! What this evening's opening night lacked however, was pace. The cast needed an audience in order to judge the timing of their lines and where the laughter is likely to come, and so it needs a little time to bed-in first before they will truly get the play up to speed. But I am confident that these talented actors and actresses are more than capable of doing just that.

Given a nicely thought-out composite set of a private consulting room [wayward door refusing to close notwithstanding!], the cast ran in and out of these multiple entrances with ease. Lighting and sound worked nicely throughout, and the costuming was generally very good, evoking the late '60s nicely. Bellboy Beckett's costume was lacking a shirt this evening though, making his first entrance rather slovenly as his midriff and underwear were already showing. I might also suggest a longer wig for Geraldine to start with, and a much shorter, more brutal cut of the second wig, this would make a more marked difference and be more comedic. 

Heading the six strong cast was a very personable and sympathetic Dr. Prentice (Liam Mulvey). The journey his character takes was excellently measured and he has a wealth of lovely facial expressions at his disposal. Faye McLaughlin gave a solid and humorous portrayal of the catalyst for all the misunderstandings and cover-ups as Geraldine Barclay. Four more equally strong performances came from Sheryl Cunliffe as the doctor's long-suffering, nymphomaniac and alcoholic wife; Sam Borowiak as a blackmailing sex-addict turned well-meaning accomplice Nicholas Beckett; Matthew Hutchinson as the senior doctor Rance, who basically is by far the most insane person in the play (elaboration would mean plot spoiling, so, enough said!); and Tom McKenna as a pliable and confused, and also very young, Sergeant Match.

An enjoyable and entertaining trip down memory lane to a style of theatre that is fast losing currency in our ever-changing society. With a little more pace, (and the picking up of cues), this would be a most delightful farce and hopefully by the time you read this review, that is exactly what it will have become!

Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 16.10.23

MUSIC REVIEW: A Candlelight Tribute to Abba - The Cathedral, Manchester.

Manchester Cathedral have been hosting many candlelight concerts, and continue to do so, and so finally curiosity got the better of me, and I decided that I should see - and hear - for myself, what the fuss was all about.

This particular concert was performed by Manchester-based string quartet, String Infusion, in the circular dais in front of the ancient screen and modern Stoller organ in the centre of Manchester's beautiful cathedral. Seating was arranged all around the dais, and faux-candles were simply everywhere. Obviously it would have been a health-and-safety nightmare if they had been real, and, from a distance, their cumulative effect was indeed mesmeric. Whilst there was still a little daylight streaming through the windows, the effect was glorious, as not only did we have these 'candles' all around, but we could clearly see the four musicians too; however, once darkness outside fell, so did the available light in the cathedral, and sadly no attempt to illuminate the musicians, and so we could just as easily have been listening to a recording of the music being played, since we no longer had any visual other than candles. Perhaps that though was the idea..?!

Playing 14 Abba hits in their one hour concert [there was a 30 minute interval in the middle], were Cara (cello), Dillon (viola), Emma (violin), and Mateus (violin). The adapting and scoring for string quartet of these hits was really rather strange. Of course, the melodies were recognisable, but it was a quasi-classical scoring, a classical chamber sound, and not the oomph and pop sound with which Abba is so instantly recognisable and loved. The four instruments were not amplified (the acoustics in the cathedral are superb), but the meagre sound of these four instruments was simply insufficient to convey and transmute the fullness of the Abba sound, and the more upbeat, faster tracks certainly lacked this more than the slower ballads. The biggest advantage this scoring had was that we were able to hear the harmonic structure and progressions of the music in far greater detail than in the originals, meaning that I now have a greater understanding of and respect for Ulvaeus and Andersson as songwriters. 

This is certainly a unique event, and was most proficiently presented and performed, but the combination of being in a hallowed place of worship, and the fact that we were, in essence, watching and listening to a classical chamber string quartet, made us all extremely subdued and reverent. Abba might well have provided the original melodies, but this tribute to them was quite a solemn one. I had never heard Abba's music played like this before, and I venture, neither had anyone else in the audience either.

Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 13.10.23