MICHAEL GRAY'S ARTS BLOG

UNDER MILK WOOD

2012-01-26T22:50:00.000Z

UNDERMILK WOOD

GuyMasterson

atthe Civic Theatre

20.01.12

GuyMasterson has been carrying Llareggub around with him for somethingapproaching twenty years. All the people of Dylan Thomas's sleepyseaside town, living inside his head, ready to spring to life in thisremarkable theatrical experience. Now his one-man show must take arest, and Friday's performance, to a near-capacity Civic, will be thelast for some years.

Itis a play for voices, and we discover the Welsh town first throughthe keen ears of sightless Captain Cat, standing in pyjamas and darkglasses on a kitchen chair isolated on a bible-black stage, as themen and women dream their revealing dreams. And the animals, too:moles, cats, carthorses and the rest. All vividly but economicallysuggested in a masterclass of narrative mime. Masterson's instrumentsare his mellifluous voice, aided by echo occasionally, and hiseloquent hands. With them he conjures the characters and the moultedfeathers of their dreams. The music and the soundscape [MattClifford] are helpful, but incidental.

Thedelights are legion – many of us, like the couple behind me, waitin pleasurable anticipation for our favourite lines, first learned inversions by Burton or by the poet himself. Like the awful Pughs, orCherry Owen's cheerfully drunken homecoming, or the children's games,blithely skipping, shyly kissing on Llareggub Hill.

THE WIZARD OF OZ

2012-01-26T22:41:00.001Z

THEWIZARD OF OZ

GalleywoodTheatre Group

atthe Keene Hall

22.01.12

Kansascomes to the Keene Hall in Galleywood, for the last of this season'spantos, James Barry's re-working of The Wizard of Oz.

Baum'sold morality tale works well as a panto, with its witches, Munchkinsand ding-dong battle between good and evil.

Butthe cast had to work hard to push out their performances over theexcited hubbub of Sunday's matinée - most successful were BeverleyEary's brainless Scarecrow, Annette Michael's Wicked Witch, and,impressively, understudy Caroline Bradley making the most of hersidekick Riff Raff at only a few hours' notice.

Thesongs ranged from Sound of Music to S Club 7, via Paloma Faith, withonly a nod to Over the Rainbow, recast by MD Joanne Cocklin, and nicely delivered by Lisa Manuel, a likeable, lively Dorothy. There was somedeft dance work – the monkeys in the ghost routine – the design,though basic, did have some lovely poisoned poppies. Scene changes –of which there were many – would have benefited from some boldmusical backing.

DebbiFlack's family-friendly show featured performers across the agerange, from Abbi Flack's tiny Toto to Jean Speller's timorous Lion. Areal community effort.

SWALLOWS AND AMAZONS

2012-01-22T23:09:00.002Z

SWALLOWSAND AMAZONS

Children'sTouring Partnership

atChichester Festival Theatre

18.01.12

Booksfor children sit well on the stage. Bold characters, lively dialogueand fast-paced plotting draw the audience in and keep themengrossed in the action.

Swallowsand Amazons is one of the latest, off on the road again after itsfestive run in the West End. Given the creative team behind thisBristol Old Vic production – Helen [Coram Boy] Edmundson for thebook, Neil [Divine Comedy] Hannon for the score and Tom [War Horse]Morris directing – it's no surprise that this turns out to be amarvellous show, true to Ransome's classic novel, brilliantly broughtto life.

PleasedI waited for the Chichester date; my £10 seat [roughly where promptcorner would be on a proscenium stage] afforded me an excellent viewof the open waters of the thrust, with the full-sized mast suspendedabove ready to swoop down for the dénouement.

Thestaging was endlessly inventive. The telescope portholes, the reedsturned boathouse, the actors donning faded blue overalls to taketheir turn as musicians or stage hands. Wind and spray for theSwallow in full sail, a feather duster and secateurs for Polly theParrot. One of the high points was what Shakespeare might have calleda masque: Titty's "fanciful, fictional" dream of pirateplunder.

Themusic was not memorable, but it was wonderful to see acharcoal-burner stooping over the bellows as he played his fiddle,with one of the Amazons on piano and Mrs Walker on bass for Let'sMake The Most Of It, a lively upbeat pastiche.

Theshow is a hymn to the power of children's playful imagination: thetown becomes Rio, grown-ups Barbarians. And at the end, a fun-filledfinale, with foam missiles, slomo fighting and the grown-ups pitchingin and playing the game, Captain Flint walking his own plank beforethe children vow to return next summer, and the two boats sail off,hand to hand, over the shark-infested audience.

Astrong ensemble – all the children played, Blue Remembered Hillsfashion, by adults – with outstanding work from Akiya Henry asTitty, whose reminiscence sparks the action, and Stewart Wright asRoger the ship's boy, a convincing seven-year-old despite his burlyframe and full beard.

ON GOLDEN POND

2012-01-20T17:45:00.000Z

ONGOLDENPOND

MiddleGround attheMercury Theatre Colchester

17.01.2012

for The Public Reviews

It'sthirty years or more since we first saw the Thayer's New Englandlodge by the lake.

ErnestThompson's play [predating the famous Fonda film] has aged well,adding a patina of period charm to its gentle, sentimentalexploration of a marriage in its twilight years.

NormanandEthel[she's"old",he's"ancient"]takethedustwrapsoffthefurnitureforthe48^thtime,withthewholesummeraheadofthem,rememberingtheneighbours,listeningtotheloons,withonlydeathordementiatolookforwardto.ThatisuntiltheirdaughterChelseafindsherdentist,withhisteenagesonintow…

Thisbrand new production, directed and designed by Michael Lunney forMiddle Ground, catches the style and the mood very well, helped bysome lovely haunting music for piano, oboe and violin [speciallywritten by Lynette Webster and Tessa Frith] and by the Maine summerhome itself, open plan, wooden, with a nice lived-in look to it. Notso sure about the backcloth with those cliché scudding clouds – amore impressionistic view of the lake might have been more effective.

Thetwo household names playing Darby and Joan here both give touchinglybelievable performances. Richard Johnson plays the chronicallycantankerous, slightly confused, tough old buzzard Norman toperfection, with Stephanie Powers as his long-suffering Ethel.Placid, loving, with the inner strength she needs to cope. Theirfinal scene, where they confront mortality and close up the house foranother winter, is memorably moving.

Andthere is strong support from a terrific cast. Elizabeth Carling isthe grown-up daughter, haunted by a miserable childhood. Her new man[Tom Roberts] has a wonderful scene with Johnson, the older mandetermined to wrong-foot his guest. And there's a lovely charactercameo from Kasper Michaels as the mailman with the ludicrous laugh,Chelsea's childhood sweetheart. The young boy, who gives Norman a newlease of life while widening his vocabulary, is convincingly done byGraeme Dalling, who played Huck at the Mercury in 2010.

It'snot Chekhov; its dialogue and characters have more than a hint of thesitcom. But it is a very enjoyable piece of theatre, well served inthis fine revival. The first night audience in Colchester gave it avery warm reception, which augurs well for its three-month nationaltour.

this piece first appeared on The Public Reviews

ALI BABA and the songs of ABBA

2012-01-20T17:31:00.002Z

ALIBABA and the songs of ABBA

LittleWaltham Drama Group

atthe Memorial Hall

15.01.12

MammaMia ! It's a panto packed with Abba hits, re-written to suit theplot of Ali Baba and the four tie thieves.

It'sa gem of an idea –not always easy to judge how well it was implemented, since thelyrics were often swamped by the excellent band. What we needed was afew of those 70s hand-held microphones …

Thebook, by Simon Rayner Davis, was full of fun with money [fittingly]and hoary old chestnuts which kept drummer Colin Turner busy on theboom boom cues. Key to a good panto performer is confidence in thematerial and complicity with the audience, and it was pleasing tonote that some of the most successful here were the youngsters:Hannah Walker as slave girl Morgiana, and Alex Lee as her Abba Baba["I do, I do"]. In a large cast, space only to mentionReggie Mental Tie [Heather France], Linda Burrows as Rough Ralph,Susan Butler as [One-Eye] Maid Earlier –she had the best pseudonym, too: Duke Aaron Attention. And of coursepanto recidivist Richard Butler as Mustapha Tinkle.

Ina series of splendid frocks, Mike Lee made a really good Rum Baba,with his gravelly Tommy Cooper tones and a good sense of timing [animmaculate pause at the end of the ghost routine]. All the costumeswere excellent; the designs too –palm tree proscenium pieces and a lovely picture-book interior .

Thisunusual Ali Baba was directed by Jenny Broadway and Karen Wray.

HABEAS CORPUS

2012-01-20T17:22:00.002Z

HABEASCORPUS

FullCircle Theatre Company

inthe Cramphorn Theatre

14.01.12

Noteasy, playing farce. How much more difficult for this early Bennett,where the farce, hilarious as it is with its comic-postcardcharacters, is just a facade,a front for a deeper piece altogether.

JanetTomkins' production for Full Circle went at it with the simpleststaging and admirable pace –three chairs, no waiting.

Thequick-fire dialogue meant that some of the wit was lost –always a problem with Bennett - and sometimes the poignancy of thepoetry was drowned in effects, like the pier-end piece with its glovepuppets and surreal soundscape, or the wartime verses.

Butthe quality of the writing, and energetic work from the youngeractors especially, made this an enjoyable evening. And some thingsworked really well –the "Liverpool" double take, the Buffalo number. Butno excuse for trousers dropped clumsily –a staple of any farce worth its salt.

DhugalFulton was a watchable doctor, effortlessly mastering the style andthe wordy passages, with Amanda Whiteford imposing as his wardrobe ofa wife. Kate Austen was excellent as the dowdy daughter; DavidAnderson's Dennis was amusing, though too dim and too demotic for mytaste. Penelope Lambton wrung every laugh out of Mrs Swabb, theomniscient chorus who pulls the whole farrago together, and JeremyBattersby worked hard at the Priest with Five Fingers, audaciouslysteering his Chopper across the Cramphorn stage.Though his reading was camper and coarser than necessary, I felt.

Thecast was completed by Teri Levett's snooty Delia, Emmy van Beek asher nubile daughter, Christopher Poke as the falsie fitter, AlanThorley as the depressed Purdue [the actual hanging left to ourimagination] and David Johnson as the four-foot Casanova Sir PercyShorter.

round-up of 2011

2011-12-30T18:00:00.002Z

round-upof 2011

Anexcellent year, with delights and discoveries far outweighing therough and the routine.

Goodto venture further, too, discovering new venues and enthusiasticcompanies.

Mythoughts still sometimes appear in The Chelmsford Weekly News, and onThe Public Reviews and occasionally on Remote Goat. I'm particularlypleased to have been invited once or twice purely on my own account.

Inevitably,many of the memorable evenings were from groups established at thetop of their profession: The Sixteen at Walsingham, Journey's End ontour, Frankenstein, One Man Two Guvnors and Grief at the National,the Rattigans at Chichester.

TheLord Chamberlain's Men, never disappointing, brought a great Dream toHylands Park, and the other, darker Dream of this year was from ENOat the Coliseum. Two children's book with a WWII setting impressed ontour – Friend or Foe and the more familiar Goodnight Mr Tom.Wittenberg, a reading at Shakespeare's Globe, who've had a greatseason, was an unexpected treat, and the show I went back to seeagain [always a sign of excellence] was Pick Yourself Up at theQueen's Hornchurch – a new musical which proved a ready-madeclassic, and would not look out of place in Regent's Park or the WestEnd.

Ofthe Christmas shows, the palm would have to go to this year'srock'n'roll Robin Hood at the Wolsey, though Chelmsford's Sleeping Beauty ran it a close second for sheer enjoyment and enthusiasm.

Onthe amateur stage, we saw a very good Company at Brentwood, anoutstanding Into The Woods at Witham, and, in a varied season at theOld Court, an impressive Closer and a well-played Lion in Winter.

Dofeel free to comment with your favourites from 2011 – we lookforward to being delighted all over again in 2012.

CHARLES DICKENS' CHRISTMAS CAROL

2011-12-29T16:17:00.002Z

CHARLESDICKENS' CHRISTMAS CAROL

astold by Jacob Marley [deceased]

inthe Cramphorn Theatre

21.12.11

Painfullyemerging from the Chasms of the Netherworld after 175 years, JacobMarley, Scrooge's late partner. Like Hamlet's father, he is condemnedto be a ghostly bit-part in literature.

Butnow, in James Hyland's chilling theatrical tour-de-force, he iscentre stage, putting his own spin on the familiar Christmas tale.

Dustyand decaying, laden with chains and money-bags, with just a woodenchair for company, he brings to life Charles Dickens' colourfulcharacters. With a turn and a shrug, he becomes Fred the nephew, Bobthe Clerk, Belle the beloved, the bereaved Cratchits, the portlyGentleman and even Tiny Tim. And of course Scrooge –his penny-pinching profile, his gleeful enlightenment, and, for amacabre moment, his deathbed corpse.

Theauthor's intentions were well served, one of two interpolations aside[Fat Harry the poulterer?], and it was appropriate that this versionconcentrated on spectres and redemption. The three apparitions werewonderfully done –the dwarfish past, the towering present, the future with his clawedhand.

Nosecond chance for Marley, alas, and he staggers off to the "incessanttorture of remorse". But not before he's rejoiced in Scrooge'snew-found generosity of spirit, and wished us all a Merry Christmas.

photo: Hayden Phoenix

A Christmas Carol - As told by Jacob Marley (deceased) from James Hyland on Vimeo.

STONDON SINGERS CHRISTMAS

2011-12-29T16:03:00.000Z

STONDON SINGERS CHRISTMAS

atthe Priory Church of St Lawrence Blackmore

20.12.11

Todaythe Christ is born –Hodie Christus Natus Est –bracketed this Yuletide concert, in two very different settings: thelate Renaissance richness of Sweelinck and the devoutly lyricalPoulenc.

Betweenthese two, we heard Britten and Part [the end of his Magnificatfinely judged], two lively pieces by Imogen Holst, and a seasonalselection from Handel's Messiah: "For Unto Us" particularlysuccessful in this chamber version.

Thecentrepiece was the glorious polyphony of Thomas Tallis –Videte Miraculum. From the 20^thcentury two new favourites: Rutter's What Sweeter Music, and KennethLeighton's gentle lullaby, with a beautiful soprano solo.

MichaelFrith was the organist, Christopher Tinker the conductor, and we alsoheard a reading of Clive Sansom's moving poem The Innkeeper'sWife: "Theworld is a sad place, But wine and music blunt the truth of it."

Beforethe mulled wine and mince pies, their traditional Silent Night, sungat the back of the Priory Church, to send us out inspired into thedark lanes of Jericho.

MY COUSIN RACHEL

2011-12-22T23:19:00.000Z

MYCOUSIN RACHEL

ChelmsfordTheatre Workshop at the Old Court

17.12.11

Daphnedu Maurier's romantic melodrama was already a period piece when itcame out in the 1950s.

CTW'sChristine Davidson achieved a good sense of that stifled,strait-laced Victorian sensuality in her painstaking production ofDiana Morgan's stage adaptation.

Anaroma of mulled wine filled the festive foyer, where the decorationsincluded a teapot for the all-important bitter tisane. We heardevocative incidental music specially composed by AndreaBlackwood-Barnes.

Certainof the cast caught the style more successfully than others. I foundthe "casual generation" –Sophia Charalambous [Louise] and Harry Sabbarton [Phillip] –a little too contemporary, though both had impressive stage presence,and Phillip's drowning in love and descent into madness were movinglydone.

KevinStemp was a very convincing Italian in a crucial supporting role,Richard Baylis made the most of the old retainer Seecombe, with NickGulvin as the level-headed lawyer.

CatherineBailey made Rachel, Phillip's "torment", a striking,smouldering femme fatale, immediately at ease as the new chatelaineof Barton, reciting a litany of names, toying with the "infatuated,besotted" boy. Their scenes together were some of the strongest;the confrontation of Louise and Rachel, and Louise's early dialoguewith Phillip were also grippingly dramatic.

Theset, solid and enclosed, with a bevy of servants to deck the hall,was a stylish, telling presence in this intense psychological drama.

CHRISTMAS WITH MOZART

2011-12-22T23:16:00.002Z

CHRISTMASWITH MOZART

ChelmsfordSingers in Chelmsford Cathedral

18.12.11

Shaffer'senvious Salieri was amazed - "Itseemed to me I was hearing thevoice of God," he says in "Amadeus".

Iwas reminded of those wordsas Katherine Fuge's pure soprano floated over the woodwind in thesublime Et Incarnatus Est from Mozart's Great C minor Mass. From herfirst appearance in the Christe, it was clear that hers was a voiceat one with the composer's genius, a lambent, pure tone soaring tothe ceiling –a memorable moment.

Thiswas a magnificent performance, from the dramatic Kyrie to the complexcounterpoint of the Benedictus. The other soprano, just as impressiveas Katherine, was Julie Cooper, outstanding in the ornate LaudamusTe. The Singers, under the inspirational direction of Peter Nardone,were on exceptionally good form throughout, producing a powerful,expressive sound, in the majestic ending of the Gloria, for example.

Theaccompaniment was provided by the Suffolk-based Prometheus Orchestra,led by Pam Munks. Excellent, authentic-sounding tone, with splendidbrass for the Sanctus. They were given a solo spot, too, an energeticAdagio and Fugue. And the evening began with Julie Cooper bringing arefreshing warm, open tone to Mozart's familiar Exsultate, Jubilate.

Oneof the best concerts I've heard this year, and a much appreciatedChristmas gift from the Chelmsford Singers.

HANSEL AND GRETEL

2011-12-20T16:58:00.000Z

HANSELAND GRETEL

OpenDoor Opera attheKing's Head Theatre Islington

19.12.2011

for The Public Reviews

Thismuch-loved fairytale opera had very domestic origins. In recent yearsvarious regietheaterinterpretations have lost sight of these roots, so it is good to seethe folky, child-centred focus restored in this lovely pocketversion.

ValentinoMonticello's Act One backcloth makes the point. Here, in picture bookcolours, are books on shelves, with Pinocchio and the Angels asbook-ends, a roaring fire and above it a painting of the gingerbreadhouse in the woods.

Thisis an intimate opera house, so we're close enough to count thestitches in Gretel's knitting. The major strength of this productionis the casting and direction of the title roles. Laura Kelly's Hanselis a sulky boy, a reluctant dancer at first; Danae Eleni's domesticGretel chides and cajoles him. The dance sequence, so often twee andtedious, is full of fun and character here. They both sing theirroles beautifully, their two voices, carefully tempered to the tinyvenue, blend well. And they act every second of the score –gobbling strawberries, scoffing marshmallows, licking up the cream,sharing a broomstick to fly off home at the end.

Ienjoyed Ian Massa-Harris's Little Britain witch, too, creepilymenacing in his cardie and specs, greedily eyeing the oven-ready lostchildren.

WhileJanet A N Fischer made a believable mother, scolding one moment,desperately praying the next, Ian Wilson-Pope seemed uncomfortable,dramatically and vocally, in the role of the drunken broom-seller.

Theimmortals made the most of their brief moments – Rosalind Coad'sSandman, with her gold dust and nightcap, and especially AlexandraStevenson's hungover party-girl Dew Fairy, clutching her golden shoes– a lovely conceit.

Notevery aspect of Lewis Reynolds' production was as inspired as this –like his lively new libretto, it was patchy. The food parcels wereparticularly unconvincing, and it would have been nice to have ascarier oven for the gingerbread – a red glow, a little smoke, apanto flash ...

Andof course we miss the orchestration [and the chorus] too, thoughKelvin Lim was superb at the King's Head piano.

Therewere a few children in the audience on Press Night – I'd like tothink more Islington families would take advantage of this veryaccessible, over-by-bedtime show. There was plenty of magic, and nota few thrills, both musical and dramatic, to keep the youngstersamused and the grown-ups entertained.

this piece first appeared on The Public Reviews

THE LADYKILLERS.

2011-12-15T18:25:00.000Z

THELADYKILLERS

atthe Gielgud Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue

14.12.11

Fansof the '55 film – and they are legion – have nothing to fear.

Thisis not a spoof – think 39 Steps – nor is it a "remake",like the Coens ill-judged Hollywood version.

Whatwe get is an affectionate, respectful treatment of the screenplay,with a little bit of edge and a few nuggets of comedy gold for the21^st Century. Even the music [Ben and Max Ringham] payshomage to the original.

Threeelements in particular make Sean Foley's production, down here at theGielgud after a successful run in Liverpool, one of the best thingsin town. The script, by Graham [Black Books] Linehan keeps much ofthe dialogue, but sifts and adds, tightening the pace and bringingalmost all of the action indoors.

Theset – Michael Taylor - is a marvellous crooked house, on severallevels, none of them horizontal, with a staircase spiralling off intothe flies. Its impressive revolve also hosts the Heist – birds-eyeview – and the Copenhagen tunnel. In one show-stopping set-piece, apassing train sets in motion a crazy ballet of furniture andfittings. And the cast is faultless, from the bizarre Little Britaingaggle of lady visitors to the little old landlady – Marcia Warren,who's much in demand for this kind of role – and her lodger, thesinister Professor Marcus [a brilliant Peter Capaldi].

Hisgang of five – the string quintet – includes James Fleet as theMajor, a shifty conman now also a cross-dresser, eagerly eyeing MrsW's lilac gown, Clive Rowe as a slow-witted ex-boxer, Ben Miller asthe idiomatically challenged Romanian, and Stephen Wight as Harry –popping pills and on the sharp end of much of the slapstick.

Thereis satire [Bankers!] and wit - "Beingfooled by art is one of the primary pleasures afforded themiddleclass" – with plenty of farce [the blackboard, the meeting inthe poky cupboard] and running gags. And those fans will welcome theBoccherini, and Marcus's endless scarf ...

image by Manuel Harlan

THE PERILS OF PINOCCHIO

2011-12-15T17:27:00.000Z

THEPERILSOFPINOCCHIO

CommonGroundTheatreCompanyattheSeckfordTheatre Woodbridge

13.12.2011

for The Public Reviews

CommonGround's take on Pinocchio was never going to be bland or banal.Julian Harries and Pat Whymark share a fertile, fevered imagination,and this version of the Collodi classic is often surreal andfrequently very silly indeed.

Webegin with a Fellini-esque framing narrative, with a troupe ofacrobats – the Flying Calzonis. There is a mishap during the riskyTriple Whopper, young Pietro falls senseless to the sawdust, and itis his dream which takes us into the familiar story of the"pine-cone" puppet who longs to be a real boy.

JosephReed is a cheerfully naïve Pietro/Pinocchio – a lively presence onstage; his first steps as the puppet a wonderfully physicalexpression of joy and freedom. In his adventures, he is constantlythwarted by the Mighty Mozzarelli [a very big cheese in the village]whose megalomaniac schemes include the Pleasure Palace offering "fastfood and cheap thrills". A typically OTT creation from JulianHarries, exuding evil as he strokes his fluffy little bird of prey:this Geordie Health and Safety Owl is responsible for much of thesublime silliness in the show.

Theother members of the circus family – Tracy Elster's Serafina, JoshOverton's Salvatore and Stefan Atkinson's Giuseppe – take on allthe other characters, notably the very irritating giant cricket, thesinister cat and the Blue Fairy, on her Enchanted Scooter.

Thewordplay and festive fun will be familiar to fans of the ChristmasShows at the Sir John Mills – the chocolate thermometer, Nanny'sgoat jokes, the Pole Cats. Dentistry something of a theme, withPinocchio's dad offering treatment to the dead sailors in the bellyof the shark. Pat Whymark's music – and Julian's evocativeaccordion – are crucial to establishing mood and atmosphere, andthere are some very catchy numbers, too – Eat Your Greens, andDon't Wake the Sausage Farmer for instance.

Thisis pocket theatre, intimate and unplugged, and in the Seckford itmaybe needed to be played a bit bigger, the puns pushed moreshamelessly. On the first night there were some dropped stitches,frayed edges and loose ends. But also some glorious physical work,like the trapeze and Arlecchino's dilemma. And some wonderful flightsof fancy, like the insecure luvvie puppets backstage, with Pulcinellamiming the tea ...

this piece first appeared on The Public Reviews

JEMIMA PUDDLEDUCK AND FRIENDS

2011-12-15T17:08:00.003Z

JEMIMAPUDDLEDUCK AND FRIENDS

TheBrentwood Theatre

12.12.11

Theunexpected opening –a performer becomes Beatrix Potter before our eyes –helps the rapt young audience [from Willowbrook School when I poppedin] understand the magic of live theatre: magic that will let Jemimafly, Nutkin punt across to Owl Island, and Tom Kitten climb up thechimney.

AdrianMitchell's delightful adaptation, with a lovely traditional score byStephen McNeff, makes an accessible alternative to brasher, noisierseasonal shows. Ray Howes' lively production maximises the stagearea, with a batteriede cuisineabove the entrance, and woodland around the action. The costumes [JoyDunn] are beautifully realised, with masks allowing full facialexpression. Old Brown was especially impressive.

Theenergetic young cast struck up an immediate rapport with theaudience; Katie-Elizabeth Allgood's Potter not merely a narrator, buta creator of jam roly-poly and a host of animal characters: HannahDouglas's naive Jemima, Tim Gutteridge's seductive Foxy Gentleman,Stephen Gunshon's Squirrel, and Nick Pack's nimble Jeremy Fisher[choreography by Sarah O'Sullivan].

Somuch to enjoy in these four tales –the wooden ducks, the chicken perched atop the summerhouse, theriddles, the animal puppets and the real dog. And not forgetting thecharming songs [MD Ian Southgate] –Who Likes the Rain, I Had a Cat, In Autumn Time …

production photo by Carmel Jane Photography

THE RAILWAY CHILDREN

2011-12-11T23:07:00.001Z

THERAILWAYCHILDREN

atWaterloo Station

29.11.11

Eurostarmoved to swanky new St Pancras in 2007. Since then, Waterloocommuters have grumbled about tracks and platforms left abandoned andunused.

NowE Nesbit's characters – and some lovely period rolling stock –have brought the terminal to life, recreating the sights and soundsof a very different railway.

MikeKenny's brilliant adaptation has the three Railway Children [alladults, though there are youngsters in the cast] sharingrecollections of that eventful summer when they stopped a train withpetticoats, rescued a runner, succoured a Russian refugee, celebratedbirthdays and saw their absent father restored to them, with thehelp of the Old Gentleman of the 9.15. Although the pace neverflagged, full respect was paid to the original text and the politicaland philosophical sub-themes of the novel, and the main charactersall had space to establish themselves.

InDamian Cruden's production, the shared narration [reminiscent of NickNick at the RSC] works wonderfully, as, more surprisingly, does thisunusual found space – a length of track with platform, andaudience, either side. The inspired solution is to have movablecross-pieces, on the same tracks as the locomotive, coming and goingthrough the steam, bringing on not only passengers, but parlours,coal-heaps and much more, and taking characters off into the steamydarkness.

The"Children" brought out their characters beautifully –squabbling or scared, full of initiative and youthful enthusiasm - Amy Noble's bossy Bobby, Tim Lewis's Peter and Grace Rowe's Phyllmade a fantastic family, and drew us into their world of adventureswith little soliloquies and wry asides.

Perks,everyone's favourite Station Master, was played with a strong senseof Yorkshire pride and a wicked sense of humour by Mark Holgate, andStephen Beckett managed a striking double as the wronged father andthe kindly, overworked local doctor.

Thechildren's mother, stoical and determined, bravely trying to hide herdistress, was movingly played, and beautifully spoken, by PandoraClifford.

Thefamiliar tale seemed surprisingly intimate in this vast space, and wewere often reminded that, despite the thrill of the steam engine. thesmoke, the thunderous rumble in the tunnel and the rest, it is our"imaginary forces" which make the drama as powerful as itis, helped by Christopher Madin's stirring score.

ALADDIN

2011-12-08T22:48:00.001Z

ALADDIN

atthe Broadway, Barking

07.12.11

for Remote Goat

InBarking's pop-up Broadway, now scandalously threatened with closure,local panto for local people, but with admirable style and gloss.

Thesmall company is augmented and enhanced by some very talentedyoungsters, who are given plenty to do in Karena Johnson's livelyproduction. Singing, dancing, and for three of them, major roles anda fair share of the best lines: a crazy chase through the auditoriumfor the two comedy policemen, and a mischievous, eager Genie of theRing, who even gets to share the magic carpet ride.

Thekids in the audience are well served, too, lighting up the place withtheir glowing cutlasses. They are thrown sweets – once a given inany panto, but this is the only time I've seen it this season – andenjoy script [Marc Day] and delivery very much pitched at theirlevel. But lots of nostalgia for the oldies: "Together","Chuchi Face", H-A-P-P-Y for the Mummy ghost routine, notto mention loads of local references and antiquated gags.

FromAshley J's in-flight introduction it is clear that here is a pantoperformer who knows how to interact with his audience – he makes avery likeable Wishee-Washee [and choreographed the dance routines].His brother Aladdin – whose Dagbad has very obvious East End roots– is Michael Sewell. The lovely Princess Jasmine is played as astrong young woman, and beautifully sung, by Roxanne Douro.

HughOsborne's Emperor sounds just like the Englishman abroad his namesuggests, while Benedict Martin is the power-hungry Abanazer,fighting to be heard over the jeers and boos from the audience, anddoing a great job with his "Evil" front cloth song.

MarcusPowell is a lovely Widow Twankey, bouncy, giggly with more than ahint of Frankie Howerd; wonderful dresses, of course, includingbubble baubles and magnificent twin lamps.

Whilethe staging is inevitably simple – the canvas cave entrance lessthan impressive – there are lots of lovely touches, my favouritethe surreal perambulator sound of marching feet.

PhilGostelow's music includes a great sing-along Bruno Mars Lazy Song,and a Glee finale – "Don't Stop Believin'" a handy mantrafor the beleaguered Broadway to take into 2012 ...

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

2011-12-08T22:40:00.001Z

BEAUTYANDTHEBEAST

attheMercuryTheatre,Colchester

03.12.2011

for The Public Reviews

TheMercury'slavishChristmasshowsareamongthebrightestoftherepertorypantos.Thisyear'sBeautyandtheBeast,writtenanddirectedbyJaniceDunn,hasallthetraditionalColchesterelementsinplace.First,thesuperbsparklydesign[Foxton]:acrazyenchantedforest,attheheartoftheplot,withitsgnarledbranchesandMagicFluteserpent.IthasagreengladestagerightfortheGoodFairyRosa[JosephineWarren],andasinisterlairoppositefortheevilBotoxia,thoughsheseemstopopup,unwanted,everywhere,withheramazingcostumeandmake-up.Theshowstillboastssomeproperdancing[choregrapherCydneyUffindell-Phillips,dancecaptainDanielTawse]andthewonderfulMercuryJuniorChorus,thisyeardisguisedassuperfurryanimalsandtheToxicMonkeys.And,inthepit,genialGraemeDuFresneandhismen,withaneclecticmixofmusic,includingtheseason'smostunlikelysegue,fromLadyGagatoCarouselandbackagain,inBelleandtheBeast'sActTwoduet.

Thetwistthisyearwastheecologicalre-writeoftheoldtale,withClareHumphrey'svileBotoxia["nobodylikesyou!",onetotcalledoutfromthestalls]schemingtoturnthepalaceintoafactory,replacetheforestwithconcreteandchoketheearthwithfoulpollutants.TheBeast,impressivelysungandspokenbyalithe,fiddle-playingPeteAshmore,turnsouttobeherbrother,and,thoughheistransformedattheend,itismerelyaspiritualtransformation.IlikedtheinterplaybetweenAshmoreandhisBelle[EmilyBull],averyrom-comcourtshipthis,addinggirlpowertothePCticklist.

Maybetheyoungerpatronswouldhavelikedmoreoftheslapstickandthequickfiresillygags,ratherthanallthatGreenallegory.WedidhaveDavidTarkenterandThomasRichardsonasapoacherdouble-act[asplendid"ghost"routine,pursuedbyabear],MercurystalwartRoger-DelvesBroughtonaspooroldBertie,andtheenergetic,appealingDaleSuperville,thisyearplayingRolotheRanger,athisbestashisalteregosuperheroPie-Man.AblyassistedbySquirrelNutcase,adistantcousinofBasilBrush.

ItwasIgnatiusAnthony'sturntodonthefrocksthisyear,andasplendidlybutchDameTwiggyhemade,withhiscoopofcluckingbeauties.OldMotherRileywasreferencedinthescript,intheprogramme,andinthelovelylittlebitofanIrishReel.

WecheeredasBotoxiafinallysankintotheQuickSandandtherhymingcoupletsroundedoffanotherMercurypantomime.WeevensangtheinterminableFlowerSongwhileeveryonechangedfortheexcellentlystagedweddingwalk-down– aregalyellowfurrycreationforIgnatius– withtheMonkeyschangedbackintotheinnocentvillagechildrenastheforestissavedforthefuture.

production photo by Robert Day

this piece first appeared on The Public Reviews

SLEEPING BEAUTY

2011-12-07T23:06:00.000Z

SLEEPINGBEAUTY

OneFrom The Heart at the Civic Theatre

04.12.11

MichaelFentiman's Sleeping Beauty was a straight old-school panto, deliveredwith boundless enthusiasm by a hard-working team. We had a brassyNorthern Dame, a pure, demure Princess and a dashing Prince. We hadsnow, roller skates and flying by Kirby's. And a proper all-singingall-dancing chorus with proper chorus boys.

RichardPeakman's choreography lent life to every number –Wicked's "Keep Dancing Through" could be the slogan here.Boys from Laine Theatre Arts, girls auditioned locally. "Threecamp guys and a bunch of dodgy covers" –a harsh verdict on Mike Cotton's Band: even David Saville's WitchDoctor sounded good ...

Allthe principals went the extra mile to get the audience going. I lovedStephen Carlile's evil drag queen Carabosse, a nice foil for theScots Fairy Fortune [Melanie Masson]. Richard Earl as Nurse Nelly andJohn Weldon as her daft Welsh son Muddles were good comedy value.Three bad gags and you're off ? Well, hardly, there were someancient classics here. But the ghost routine, enhanced with fourgorillas all over the auditorium, was a triumph for thetraditionalists.

Plentyof pyrotechnics, loads of frocks [wipe-clean for the kitchensequence] and endless interaction with the audience all made for anexcellent Christmas show, even if us oldies might have liked somebetter songs and a wittier script.

CINDERELLA

2011-12-07T22:36:00.000Z

CINDERELLA

CuttotheChaseattheQueen's Theatre,Hornchurch

05.12.2011

for The Public Reviews

Home-grownin Hornchurch andallthetastier forit,the Queen's Cinderellahasthekidsscreamingfromtheoff.

Astheyproudlypointout,theshowisstagedbyCut to the Chase, theirresidentcompanyofactor-musicians,andthesumptuoussceneryandcolourfulcostumesarealldesignedandmadein-house.Thesongs,too,arespeciallywrittenbyMDCarolSloman.

AlwaysgoodtoseerepertoryactorsletitallhangoutatChristmastime,andthisshowboaststwooftheugliestsistersyoucouldimagine,inSimonJessop'sAsphyxiaandTomJude'sEuthanasia.Notsurprisingly,theyworkwonderfullywelltogether,andsportsomegorgeouscreations[JeanRoberts]:fauxfurtostart,andagourmetspreadforthewalk-down.

CindersherselfisQueen'sstarNatashaMoore,delightfullycoywithher"Barry"[NiallCostigan'sposhPrinceCharming],thenradiantattheball.StuartOrganmakesaPickwickianHardup,withhishorselesscarriage,whileMarkStanfordisapopularButtons,makingthemostofhiscatchphraseinterplaywiththeaudience.

BobCarltonwrotethescript,anddirectsastylishtakeontheoldtale,withalovelyprologue,deliveredbytheFairyGodmother[KarenFisher-Pollard]inheroldladyguiseandillustratedwithcleversilhouettes.Thesettingsaresuperb,withasparklyfrontclothandastory-bookvillagestreetvista.Theauditoriumiswellused,too:thehuntingofLucythefox,withbeagles,andthesearchforthefoottheslipperfits,withrewardposters.

ActOneendsofcoursewiththetransformation,asubstantialcoachtakingflightastheupstageareaopensup;ActTwostartswithaningeniousStrictlyspoof,givingtheeightyoungstersaspellinthespotlight.

Nodearthoftraditional[old]gagsandroutines– evenBusyBeeispressedintoserviceforanothergeneration.Butthere'slotsthatisfreshandtopical– "We'reallinthistogether",ker-chingnamechecksforthesponsors,evenaplugfortheDarioFoinMarch– theatre'snotjustforChristmas!

It'safast-paced,colourfulpantowhichdoesn'ttakeitselftooseriously,andhastheaudiencewithitalltheway,"corporates,creditorsandcritics"included,notforgettingKeithinthemiddleofrowD...

production image by Nobby Clark

this piece first appeared on The Public Reviews

JACK AND THE BEANSTALK

2011-12-06T23:02:00.000Z

JACK AND THEBEANSTALK

ChristChurch Players, CHelmsford

03.12.11

"Waittill you see our Dame," sing the merry villagers ofPennyfarthing. The cross-dresser in question is John Mabey, givinghis all as Dame Trot, in John Morley's traditional panto [from1981, though it hardly shows, except perhaps that Kaunda fell frompower over twenty years ago !]His performance was assured and very funny –I was reminded of that classic Dame of yore Terry Scott.

Stirlingsupport from a cast that spanned the generations –Aaron Morley as Silly Billy, Claire Shuter [whocould teach some of the others a thing or two about standing still onstage]as the Vegetable Fairy with her leek wand, the excellent Juliet Kellyas the awful Mrs Blunderbore, Amy Harley as the charming PrincessMelanie, and Saskia Goff as the daintiest of dragons.

Spickand Span, the Royal Guards [fun with a whiteboard] were Alex Houltonand Mike Archer, the poor old King, Vernon Finding.

Andnot forgetting two excellent performances from Pippa Moriaty as thethigh-slapping Principal Boy [some lovely singing, without benefit ofband or microphone] and Paul Winter as the horrible henchmanFleshcreep. With his whip and his scary make-up, and superb vocaldelivery, he had two tiny tots in tears just ten minutes into theshow …

Daisythe Cow was inhabited by Ellen Purse, and the panto's director, EmmaMoriaty.

WINTER CONCERT

2011-12-06T22:37:00.000Z

WINTER CONCERT

atKing Edward VI Grammar School

01.12.11

FromOrpheus in the Underworld to the criminal underworld of downtownHawaii, five ensembles, directed by Tim Worrall and Maggie Diffley,provided a varied evening of music-making at KEGS last week.

TheJunior Orchestra followed Offenbach's Galop with Marches by Handeland Bizet, and the Junior String Ensemble, just nine string playersand a pianist, played Irish airs and a catchy English folk dance, theGalopede.

Ienjoyed the warm tone of Brian Chan's guitar in a Vivaldi Concertoaccompanied by an impressive chamber ensemble, who also playedHolst's Brook Green Suite, originally written for the composer'spupils to play –the wistful Air followed by an energetic, rustic Dance.

Brianwas also the leader of the Senior Orchestra, who gave us Wagner, awitty Widow Simone, and a polished performance of the English FolkSong Suite of Vaughan Williams, with excellent work from woodwind andstrings.

TheWind Band, nearly 70 strong, led by Sarah Woollatt, gave us theA-Team as well as Hawaii 5-O, plus Toy Story, Thriller and theinevitable Lady Gaga.

PASSION and DEMO

2011-12-03T12:59:00.001Z

PASSIONandDEMO

TheYoungCompanyattheNewWolseyStudio,Ipswich

02.12.2011

for The Public Reviews

Edward Bond'sshort play – Passion – written forty years ago for the CND is apretty unsubtle piece of agit-prop. Green Shield stamps show its age,but otherwise it remains sharp and pertinent as soldiers continue todie in wars they barely understand.

It's a mythictale of a mother who cannot accept the death of her innocent soldierson. I felt the piece lost its way slightly with the appearance ofthe Buddha and the Christ [both despair of bringing peace to mankind]and with the sacrificed soldier's poem from the grave, tellinglydelivered though it was by Liam Cadzow Webb.

An all-male cast,directed, at least initially, by Rob Salmon, gave a performance ofimpressive maturity and style, bringing a very physical, aggressiveapproach to the piece, with cynical shots of cabaret. Theventriloquist grieving mother – an excellent Sam Hume, naivelytrusting in her monarch – and the badinage between Queen [JackBrett, in a brilliantly sustained performance of physical and vocaldexterity] and PM [a beaming, Blairish Calum Bateman] was skilfullyhandled, especially the delete-as-appropriate synonyms in HMQ'sspeeches.

The Passion ofthe title – a crucified pig [made by Sam Hadcraft] retains itspower to shock, just as the play retains its power to provoke.

The idea of Demo,the companion piece, was to provide a contemporary response to thatprovocation. What we got was an honest, searching exploration offreedom, and what it meant to the thirteen young actors who stoodbefore us, dressed in jeans and jumpers, and bared their souls.

Freedom'sroad,forthem,wasbroadandwide-ranging.LauraNorman'sdirectionofthisdevisedpiecehadsomeeloquenttouches– theforestofmicrophones,andthepowerfuljuxtapositionofdiscussionoffreedom,inSaudiArabiasay,withphysicalrestraint.Themovement– ebbandflow,awaveofattackperhaps,thehandsstretchedachinglyintotheair– wasofteneffective.Thewordsperhapslessso,butpolishwouldhavedulledtherawexpressionofhopesandfearswhichcharacterizedthepiece.Andthe"performances",ifthat'stheword,wereallstrong.Sometimesitfeltlikeagroupexercise-"Ifeltmostfreewhen…"-butthereweregreatcontributionsfromsomeindividuals:Steve's"B-Tech"self-expression,theextendedriffonthefreedomtoenjoyice-cream.TheyendedwithChaplin'sclosingspeechfromTheGreatDictator ["Soldiers,inthenameofdemocracy,letusallunite!"].

Astheyexplainedin abriefpost-showtalk-out,they werestrivingfor honestyandintegrity,and manyideas wererejected[the beardressed asStalin Iwould liketo havesurvived,though].The result was unexpectedly moving, a poignant reminder ofwhat it's like to be caught in the turbulent uncertainties of youth."Passion" of course might have provoked many responses –what has replaced the very real fear of nuclear war, for instance, orthe changing role of religion.

Anairofinnocentnaivety,perhaps,butheart-feltandsincere.InthatatleastitchimeswiththeBond.

this piece first appeared on The Public Reviews

ROBIN HOOD AND THE BABES IN THE WOOD

2011-12-01T17:45:00.001Z

ROBINHOODAND THE BABESINTHEWOOD

TheNew Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich

26.11.2011

for The Public Reviews

Enjoyinga warming home-made parsnip soup from the Café Bar, I watch thecrowd arrive. For all their paper hats, their popcorn and theirmassive bags of sweeties, they're a discerning crowd. They expect tolaugh and boo, of course; they'll want a dame and a baddie, but thisX-factor generation will also demand production values as high as anyconcert or West End musical.

TheWolsey has found the perfect recipe to keep them happy in its Rockand Roll pantos, of which this is, unbelievably, the eleventhincarnation. All the ingredients are carefully selected: asuper-talented team of actor musicians, a score of toe-tappingnumbers, more or less tailored to the plot, and audience involvement[which means getting wet, or picked on, or both – Brian in A3 anexcellent stooge when I saw the show].

TheNottingham castle ramparts are bristling with brass, drum-kit andguitars, as Blondel the troubadour bounces on to get the actionstarted – Hippy Hippy Shake an ideal choice for an opening number.Other musical highlights were Goldfinger, and Natural Woman,featuring a seven-piece band and two backing singers.

Manyfavourites in the cast list – Shirley Darroch a demure Maid Marian,really looking as if she was enjoying every minute of the silliness.Anthony Hunt the exquisitely evil Sherriff of Nottingham, withexcellent work from his two henchmen "moronic mingers"Steve Simmonds and Tim Jackson, whose Numbskull was a winner with theaudience. Robin Hood – an athletic Alex Tomkins – sang hisnumbers with some style, and like everyone else, managed to keep justa little bit in character as he belted out The Clash's I Fought TheLaw.

WillKenning makes a most welcome return as the Dame – Nellie Nightnursewith her trolleyful of amusing ailments. Towering over everyone elsein the cast, he has a fresh, original take on this age-old tradition,his character caught between the bovver boots and the comedy hair. Asregulars will know, all the actors take their turn in the backingband – Will moved from trombone to guitar to keyboard. His charges– Britney and Whitney the Babes [Essex girls in all but name] -were nicely done by Sioned Saunders and Sophie Byrne [saxophonistsboth].

Niceto see another chorus of soft toys – this time including a cuddlyRockin' Robin.

Sosomething for everyone in Peter Rowe's panto, directed by Rob Salmon– tinies squealing with delight at the simplest slapstick, aclever, alliterative script, with nudge-nudge naughtiness for thegrown-ups, and, for us oldies, nostalgic references to Bernie theBolt and Dick James's unforgettable theme tune, thoughtfully reprisedbetween scenes.

AsDame Nellie put it – "bad gags, mad frocks and relentlessupstaging" – who could ask for more for Christmas ?

this piece first appeared on The Public Reviews

CRAZY FOR YOU

2011-11-29T14:40:00.001Z

CRAZY FOR YOU

atthe Novello

28.11.11

Thelights of Broadway beckon – the Shubert, the Biltmore, and ofcourse the Zangler Follies. And here's Bobby the banker, his tapshoes at the ready, all set to hoof his way through the Gershwin backcatalogue.

Ididn't catch Timothy Sheader's Regent's Park revival this summer, butthe show fits perfectly into the mirrored, gilded Novello [once The Waldorf]. The revolve and the ingenious scenery take us from thestreet to backstage to the one horse town of Deadwood, Nevada, and itsGaiety Theatre.

The"let's put the show on right here" scenario, and the songsshoe-horned into it, not to mention the jokes that would seem antiqueeven in panto, are not what makes this show such a hit. StephenMear's choreography – the show-stopping I Got Rhythm, and themoment when the girls, still in their travelling attire, advance towardsthe footlights were just two of the memorable effects – and a strongcast of singers and dancers, keep the show lively and light-hearted.

SeanPalmer is a cool Bobby, dancing his socks off; I loved the Nice Worksolo with the follow spot. I thought Clare Foster was a superb Polly– her voice just right for these numbers. And the otherstand-out star for me was David Burt as the Hungarian impresario –excellent comedy timing. His vaudeville duet – What Causes That ? -with Palmer [die zwei Zangler] was priceless.

Thismust be one of the most enjoyable evenings of unalloyed song anddance delight in a West End not exactly starved of musicals.

Atthe end, the fans were literally dancing in the Dress Circle aisle...

COMPETITIVE FESTIVAL

2011-11-29T09:07:00.000Z

COMPETITIVEFESTIVAL

Prizewinners'Concert at Hylands School

25.11.11

Thisannual festival of music and drama has now clocked up fifty-one yearsin the County Town, and this sampler concert gave some flavour of thebreadth and quality of the entries.

MaxSaunders gave a strikingly emotional monologue –a young American making an impassioned, frustrated phone call home toMum. And Lucy Aitchison contributed an amusing recital of an Ahlbergpoem.

Musically,the highlights included Emma Harris, a tiny violinist playing Bachwith amazing tone and confidence, and Anthony Williams' toe-tappingCream Soda piano solo.

Theyoung vocalist Abbie Ward sang, unamplified, with a simple pianoaccompaniment, the Alan Menken Disney classic Colours of the Wind.Pure magic.

Theevening began with Chelmsford Young Strings –a training orchestra for primary age performers –and ended with Elm Green School choir with the Snoopy anthem Just OnePerson.

Theguest speaker was Peter Cross, whose long career has been built oninspiring young musicians. He reminded winners, performers andsupporters of the importance of celebrating live music, and urgedeveryone to get practising for 2012 !

ROUND THE TWIST

2011-11-27T21:50:00.001Z

ROUNDTHE TWIST

EasternAngles at the Sir John Mills Theatre

26.11.2011

for The Public Reviews

YoungOliver Nicklefield has penned a piece for Mr Crumbles' troupe ofThespian Adventurers.

Withinits leather-bound pages lurk a cornucopia of characters withstrangely familiar names: Little Mell, Old Sal, Miss Haversack,Obadiah Snoop, Foggotty and the Aged P. Plus some un-canonicalgatecrashers like the sinister Scotsman Tosser McCaber.

Greatfun was had catching the references as they flew by, dodging thepuns, the local jokes, the double entendres and the naughtyinnuendos. [Those old enough to remind I'm Sorry I'll Read That Againwill get some idea of the style.] And of course being roped in andhumiliated in the intimate Gatacre Road auditorium, doubling here asa most convincing Old Curiosity Shop. And not just Dickens, either,Ernest's handbag plays a key role, and there are name checks for Sidand Nancy, as well as [Bob] Marley's Ghost. Panto largely excluded,thank heavens, save for a passing reference to Ebenezer's Cave.

Thefive actors in the Crumbles company – how nice to see a little oftheir Hamlet from the wings – were kept very busy, dashing aroundthe tiny acting area and changing costumes on the run. All busting agut to win a coveted OTTA – the award for Over The Top Acting. JoelSams made an appealingly innocent Tiny Tom [don't ask – the originof his moniker was the subject of one of many marathon running gags]who seeks his benefactor as he waits for his testimonials tomaterialise. And he played the fiddle beautifully: this must be theonly Christmas show where the lovers duet sharing a violin.

HisDorabella [and his long lost sister] were played by GabrielleDouglas, her Moody juvenile a close relative of the InfantPhenomenon. She vied for the role with the more mature Mrs Crumbles –the showdown where each strove to outdo the other's uppitiness waspriceless. Sally Ann Burnett was Mrs C, as well as Suffolk FavouriteFoggotty and many others, including the filthy Mrs Midden, fliesbuzzing around her head. Greg Wagland was several possiblebenefactors – the convict Magpie, the old Gent, McCaber, and mostimpressively, the tragic Miss Haversack. And Zach Lee was theinventive Jammy Dodger, as well as the humble Snoop [fromWolverhampton]. He also got the biggest laugh of the matinée –playing some distant cousin of Mr Dick, I think – with anunrepeatable slur on neighbouring Norfolk.

RichardTaylor's music added to the fun – I liked the operatic Betrayalaria, and the opening number, reprised at the end, with just a splashof G&S.

IvanCutting's pacy direction kept the momentum going, even through theoften impenetrable plot, from the clever opening to the denouement atNewmarket, providing a witty, pretty seasonal entertainment for thosewho seek respite from sing-alongs, sparkle and star vehicles.

production picture by Mike Kwasniak

this piece first appeared on The Public Reviews

BLACKBIRD

2011-11-24T18:17:00.001Z

BLACKBIRD

MercuryTheatreStudio,Colchester

PilotTheatre with York Theatre Royal

23.11.2011

for The Public Reviews

Thediscomfortisthepoint.We'reinastaffroomonsomeanonymousindustrialestate.It'satip– asrankandmessyasthelivesandlovesofthetwopeoplewhoseemalmosttrappedinsideit,undertheharshglareofthestriplights.

Theyareamannearingretirement– convincedhe'lldieatsixty– andawomaninhertwenties,who'sdrivensomedistancetoseekthisconfrontation,aghostfromhispast.

Astheytalk– andHarrower'sdialogueisincrediblyrealistic,withunfinishedphrases,loopsandoverlaps– welearnoftheirsharedpast– an"illegalrelationship"whenshewastwelveandhewasinhisforties.Wefeeluncomfortable,eavesdroppingontheirraw,brutalexchanges,constantlywrong-footedbyeachnewtwist,eachfreshrevelation.

Hehasmovedon,orsohethinks.Paidtheprice,changedhisname,foundahard-woncareer.Shehasstayedinthesamehouse,bravingthestaresandthememories.Butiteventuallybecomesclearthatbothofthemaretrappedinthepast,andhischoice,whenitcomes,isviolentandshocking.

Inextendedmonologues,wefollowthembackthroughhertherapyletters,neversent,hisletterofexplanation,andrecollectionsofthebarbecuewheretheymet,thecodes,thecar,thepark,tothatnightinTynemouthwhentheirsharedfantasyfallsapartastheclockstrikesmidnight.

Theplay'sseventyminutesholdseveralsurprises,thelast– nospoilershere– asimplepieceofstagingwhichispainfullypotent.Butitisthecharactersthatstaywithus,bothofthemacted– byGeorgeCostiganandCharlieCovell– withsearinghonesty,andalittlehumouramongstthedarkness.Thedialogueisoftenelectric,powerfulinitsinarticulacy.

DirectorKatiePosnerwiselyletsthewordsdothework,trustingherplayerstorunwiththemoments.Peterisnervous,defensive,hiseyesitchy,hisclothescrumpled.Unaisangry,fretful,tremblingandtense.Justbeforetheend,weseeahintofwhattheylostallthoseyearsago,astheysharedesperatelaughterandchildishfun.

Andwecan'thelpwondering,aswedebatetherightsandwrongs,thetruthandtheblame,whatwillhappentothemnow,thesetwovulnerablepeoplewhosespacewe'veinvadedforacrucial,uncomfortablehour.

Thisbrilliantpieceoftheatre– filmortelevisionjustwouldn'tdo– wasfirstseeninEdinburghin2005.ThisproductionbeganitssmalltourinYork,andwillendinExeternextweek.

this piece first appeared on The Public Reviews

THE HOLLY AND THE IVY

2011-11-24T18:13:00.001Z

THEHOLLY AND THE IVY

LittleBaddow Drama

15.11.11

Thisis the kind of traditional, "well-made"play Little Baddow does best.

Anold-fashioned three-acter, with a beautiful solid set, about anold-fashioned family Christmas, set in a world of bedjackets andeau-de-cologne, where the Waits still sing carols and the trains runon Christmas Day.

WynyardBrowne's creaky dialogue and improbable characters don't necessarilyplay well today, but there are some deep Chekhovian insights intodeath and despair, the meaning of Christmas and the role of thefamily.

KenRolf movingly suggested the doubts of the ageing clergyman, settingoff with his shoes in his pockets and his sermon in his hand. We wereall relieved when the happy ending saw him reconciled with hisdifficult daughter [an elegant, emotional Sarah Trippett-Jones]. JoWindley-Poole nicely caught the dilemma of the stay-at-home daughter,desperately clutching at her chance of escape with her "Scotch"beau [James Oakley].

Thebest of the variable accents on offer was the Dublin brogue ofAnnette Michaels, giving a spirited performance as the formidableAunt Bridget.

Sensible,sententious Richard Wyndham was played by John Peregrine; his steadydirector's hand was at the helm of this polished revival in this, theplaywright's centenary year.

CITY OF LONDON SINFONIA

2011-11-21T22:43:00.000Z

CITY OF LONDONSINFONIA

M&GCivic Concert

20.11.11

Fortheir second visit this year, the CLS chose four accessible worksfrom the chamber ensemble repertoire. This time they brought withthem two great names in British music –pianist Peter Donohue, who first appeared at the Civic some thirtyyears ago, and clarinettist Michael Collins, who also conducted theSinfonia in Rossini and Tchaikovsy, as well as directingWeber from the clarinet.

Thiswas the Quintet, arranged for string orchestra, and played here withgreat delicacy, especially in the pianissimo passages in theFantasia. After an agile, playful Menuetto, he took the Finale at acanter, to the delight of players and audience alike.

Donohuewas the soloist in Shostakovich's First Piano Concerto, performedwith a manic sense of fun, but managing, in the second movement, amore sombre mood, silky melancholic strings building to somethingmore monumentally tragic. The trumpet, giving a wry commentary fromthe opposite side of the stage, drowsily muted in that Lento, wasNicholas Betts. In the bravura closing Allegro, the soloist reallylooked as if he were enjoying the ride, like an enthusiast behind thewheel of a vintage Bugatti.

Rossini'sSonata for Strings was blithely tuneful, with a lovely lightness oftouch, and a passionate operatic Andantino. Tchaikovsky's Souvenirsde Florence, a late work, had a rich sheen in the string tone, somebeautiful dialogue between cello and violin, and an emotional finale,bathed in the same Mediterranean sunshine as the Rossini.

ESSEX SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

2011-11-20T18:05:00.000Z

ESSEX SYMPHONYORCHESTRA

ChristChurch, Chelmsford

19.11.11

TheseYou Have Loved selections this time, all with a story to tell.

Presumablywhy it was thought a good idea to have a narrator giving us generoushelpings of Goethe and the Kalevala, not to mention the French versesthat inspired Saint-Saens' Danse Macabre.

Theevening began with the enchanting anticipation of Mozart's MagicFlute Overture, with its heroic brass and excitable strings. ThenSibelius's Pohjola's Daughter, colourfully scored, with a nicelyjudged diminuendo ending from the ESO's conductor Tom Hammond.

Thenour first Fantasia favourite –Mussorgsky's riotous Night on a Bare Mountain, moving effectivelyfrom scream to serenity as the cock crows. The evening ended withThe Sorcerer's Apprentice; a triumph for the orchestra, this –only in live performance can we appreciate how the cheeky theme ispassed around the players, starting with the bassoons, and allsprinkled with the magic dust of the glockenspiel.

Amoment of calm reflection among the magic and the mayhem was Gluck'sDance of the Blessed Spirits, ethereal music with beautiful flutesolos.

THE WIZ

2011-11-20T17:52:00.001Z

THEWIZ

ChelmsfordYoung Generation at the Civic Theatre

15.11.11

Productionvalues could hardly have been higher for Young Gen's visit to theland of Oz, this time in Soul Music mode for The Wiz, a Broadwaysmash of 1975. An impressive set –stairs and scaffolding, with the Big Green Apple at the apex –pyrotechnics galore, thrilling sounds from the pit, and of course thefamous vitality of CYGAMS' young performers.

Someof the production numbers were outstanding: the stage filled withgreen people, the hoofing in “Bad News”, the revivalist“Believe”, the Munchkins on castors. Excellent chorus vocalstoo, right from the overture, and some big, bold characterizations:Oliver Fox's Tin Man [loved his dance], Luke Higgins' Scarecrow, andBart Lambert's lovely cowardly Lion, though he had to work to getpast the wig and the mask. Dorothy was performed with confidence andcharm by Alice Masters, and the kitsch Wicked Witch, Evillene, byConstance Lawton. I also enjoyed Katie Pridige's Addaperle, the witchwho couldn't do the magic, and Ben Maple's posh gatekeeper. Andproving that there are no small parts, Harry Brown getting everypossible ounce of value from the Messenger.

Muchto enjoy in this alternative to Over the Rainbow. If there was aweakness, it was that the big numbers which punctuated the actionoften demanded a style and a spirit that even these talentedyoungsters found hard to emulate.

Theshow was directed by Jeremy Tustin, with Bryan Cass the MusicalDirector.

production photograph by Christopher Yorke-Edwards

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS

2011-11-20T17:13:00.001Z

LITTLE SHOP OFHORRORS

BOSSYat Brentwood Theatre

11.11.11

Thistongue-in-cheek, slightly subversive musical homage to the cult film,is perennially popular.

BOSSY'sversion, in the cosy confines of Brentwood Theatre, was entertainingthroughout, with a talented team of soloists, and some excellent workfrom the chorus. The chilling Finale Ultimo, with cloned carnivorousplants invading the auditorium, was a nice touch to end with.

GaynorWilson's production had a nicely designed shop for the haplessMushnik [well characterized by Marcus Durowse] and an instantlyevocative fire hydrant not so sure about the backcloth, though. Butthe plants [by Theatre Props, Leicester], the squat, fat,middle-sized one, and the amazing tentacled monster, were superb, andexpressively voiced by Dan Glock.

Theyoung lovers were outstanding Ross Llewellyn the nerdy, speccySeymour, and Amy Wenham a delicate, tender Audrey. Her dastardlydentist, dismembered and fed to the voracious plant, was CurtisBrown.

Thethree close-harmony trios [Chiffons, Crystals and Ronettes]beautifully gowned were imaginatively used, and I liked the backingvocals from the wings.

Musically,highlights included Seymour's duet with Audrey II, and Audrey I'swistful Somewhere That's Green, reprised movingly for her finalselfless sacrifice. The MD was Andy Prideaux.

ABSURD PERSON SINGULAR

2011-11-20T12:28:00.000Z

ABSURD PERSONSINGULAR

WrittleCards

18.11.11

Moretinsel in the auditorium, more fractured families with Yuletideissues.

Thisis the Ayckbourn set on Christmas Eves past, present and future inthree different kitchens. And what splendid kitchens they were [PeteGoodwin] –just like something from a 70's Hygena catalogue.

MicheleMoody's laugh-a-minute production, emphasising the farce rather thanthe darker side, had a strong comedic cast. In the orange kitchen,Neil Smith, playing an annoying, boring chap who's desperate toimpress as the play starts, but calling the party-game shots by thefinal curtain –a consistently funny performance, well matched by Sharon Goodwin ashis mousy wife, getting worked-up in company, happiest in pinny andMarigolds. I admired the attention to detail in this crucial firstact –the party noise off-stage-left, the rain off-stage-right. Differentdoorbell, different styling for the kitchen where young Eva [ShelleyGoodwin] sits silently, surrounded by crumpled suicide notes. A weak,unstable flower-child, by Act Three she's got it together, the powerbehind her ineffectual, feckless architect partner [Chris Ivermee].

Sorrynot to meet the life-and-soul scouting, school-teaching Potters, orglimpse their kitchen. The last couple, pine furniture and a paraffinheater, were the wonderful Brewster-Wrights, ageing banker Ronald[Daniel Curley, a crusty DofE sound-alike] and his second wife Marion[Liz Curley]. His electric shock and her maudlin drunk were twomemorable highlights of a very enjoyable escapist evening.