SOHO CINDERS

SOHO CINDERS

Springers at the Cramphorn Theatre

14.11.17

Soho’s Old Compton Street has a chequered, sleazy history. Nowadays it’s best known for its gay bars, the Admiral Duncan, and the Prince Edward Theatre.

It provides the setting, and the opening number, for this Stiles and Drewe musical, very loosely based on the Cinderella story.

A flat brick wall, with Ian Myers and his band just visible over the top, with the Glam Amour strip club in front, and the Sit and Spin launderette trucked on and off stage centre.

The pre-show sees the street peopled with a “promiscuous pot-pourri”: cops and joggers, tourists and Mormons. There’s a hen-do, too [my second this week].

Justin Clarke’s engaging production, with choreography by Kat McKeon, has many inspired touches: the Spin number, the slomo movement for Gypsies of the Ether, the circling paparazzi vultures, the excellent chorus work in Who’s That Boy.

Some impressive performances, too. Kieran Young is the young man who goes to the [political fundraising] ball, and loses not a slipper but a smartphone – a nicely nuanced approach, and lovely vocal work, in his Glass Slippers solo, for instance.

Catherine Gregory makes the most of Sidesaddle – her rickshaw becomes the Coach – while Gareth Locke relishes the sexist Campaign Manager [a cheer from the audience when he got his just deserts] to James Prince, the personable ex-swimmer who hopes to be elected as London’s next mayor. Ben Miller catches the angst of the ambitious man who’s desperate to play it straight. His fiancée, who suffers more than anyone when it all goes wrong, is Amy Serin; she has a moving duet with Velcro, “fag hag to the West End”, Robbie’s best mate and confidante, beautifully captured by Mae Pettigrew.

Favourites with the crowd, though, as often in the panto, are the Ugly Sisters – Sophie Lines and Becky Watts. Shameless, homophobic, greedy for profit and celebrity, they light up the stage every time they appear, and certainly deserve their Fifteen Minutes big number.

A lectern narration is not the best dramatic device – even when given by Stephen Fry – and often seemed redundant in a fully staged production. The lyrics and the dialogue do not always live up to the music; Hard to Tell a witty exception.

The show was warmly received [at the Soho Theatre, round the corner on Dean Street, and no bigger than the Cramphorn] in 2012, but it has yet to break through into the mainstream. So we should be grateful to Springers for this opportunity to enjoy this edgy alternative fairy tale.

production photograph: Aaron Crowe

FOOTLOOSE

FOOTLOOSE

Springers at the Civic Theatre

15.06.17

The musical of the 80s movie is as popular as ever, with another national tour this year. But Gareth Gates' fans could surely not be more warmly enthusiastic than the audience in the Civic.

Springers give them a colourful, lively show, nicely sung, beautifully dressed, with dance delights a-plenty.

The dialogue is snappy, though the lyrics sometimes get lost in the sounds from Ian Myers' rock-combo pit band.

A quality cast make the most of the opportunities offered, from Mat Smith's sleazeball Chuck to Colin Shoard's sincere but blinkered preacher. Deborah Anderson is outstanding as his long-suffering wife, vocally assured, with a strong stage presence. The Learning to be Silent kitchen trio was one of the best things in the show.

The audience warm to Daniel Schultz's slow-witted Willard, while Alexandra Phillips shines as a superbly sung Rusty.

Jon Newman brings an easy Chicago charm to the role of Ren, the incomer who gets Bomont back on its feet, with Mae Pettigrew as a lovely rebellious Ariel in her scarlet boots. 

The staging is ambitious, with pews, burger bar and kitchen trucked on, and the lockers flown down. The railway bridge is impressive, too, beautifully lit for Almost Paradise.

And there's plenty of space for those big production numbers – the barbecue, the gym, the junkyard, and of course Holding Out for a Hero, with a trio atop the counter, a chorus of unliberated ladies and superheroes, plus a random hot-dog …

Footloose is directed for Springers by Gary Jarvis and Susan Corina, with choreography by Helen Arber.

photograph: Aaron Crowe

THE FULL MONTY

Springers at the Cramphorn Theatre

19.11.16

Could have been another Billy Elliott, or Stepping Out. But Broadway got there first, and smelted Sheffield into Buffalo [in the Danish version they're brewery workers from Copenhagen!].

This is Springers' second Full Monty, and it features some of the same members we saw seven years ago.

The Cramphorn stage is simply dressed with tall white screens – the suicide motor the only projection, I think – with piano to the left, restroom to the right, and Ian Myers' band firmly out of sight.

Confident, compelling performances from Peter Spilling and Simon Brett as Jerry and Dave, the odd couple at the centre of the sentimental tale. Joining them as Hot Metal in the pitiless spotlight at Toni Giordano's are Dominic Light's sensitively played mother's boy Malcolm, Jason Norton's amusingly uptight Harold, Julian Harris's mischievous Horse and Bradley Cole's quietly determined Ethan.

Strong support from Sara Mortimer as Harold's materialistic other half, Sophie Lines as Dave's loyal wife, and Helen Arber as Jerry's acid-tongued ex. The seen-it-all piano player – hip flask and Marlboros – is nicely suggested by Natalie Schultz.

Nathan, Jerry's tug-of-love son, is given a relaxed, realistic performance by Mattie Scott.

The score is far from memorable – Let It Go the one exception – but the numbers are engagingly staged [choreography by Kieran Young] – and all unplugged: the a cappella Scrap, the witty Man duet, and the touching You Rule My World.

A sell-out success for Springers, directed, as in 2009, by Andrew Shepherd. So, despite not being “young, pretty or any good” will they bare their tattoos again in 2023 ? Book now …

SPAMALOT

SPAMALOT

Springers at the Civic Theatre

14.06.16


For a long time I avoided this self-confessed Python rip-off. Flattery lured me to the Playhouse in the end, where I had a very enjoyable time …
And great fun at the Civic, too: a bigger stage, a much bigger company, enthusiastically embracing the shamelessly bold style this unique show demands.
The audience may well come along with expectations, from the Python Grail film, or from seeing one of the many incarnations of this 2005 stage version. On opening night they went wild for the shrubbery, and lustily whistled along to the big number from Peter Spilling's put-upon horse's arse Patsy.
It was great to see a full chorus: the showgirls, in a succession of gorgeous frocks, were variously cheerleaders, minstrels, corps de ballet and much more. The chorus boys had their moments too, climaxing in the copacabana campery in Prince Herbert's chamber.
Despite some hitches, most of which we could forgive in the spirit of silliness, there were many effective bits of staging: the flag waving, the light sabre brollies, the stilts for Amy Serin's first Knight of Ni. Some perfect pastiche, too, notably The Song That Goes Like This, deliciously done by Ian Pavelin's excellent Galahad and his elegant Lady of the Lake, Olivia Pearson.
Many fine performances from the largest roles [Colin Shoard's Arthur King] to the smallest [a balletic friar, a Marceau mime]. It does help if there's a shared sense of fun, guilty pleasures being taken on both sides of the fourth wall. Certainly the case for Jay Fargeot's Lancelot, Bradley Cole's Broadway-obsessed Brave Sir Robin, and Justin Clarke's two silly voices as Tim the Enchanter and the rude Froggie sentinel. Kieran Young, who was also one of the roster of nine choreographers, got to play both Not Dead Fred and Prince Herbert, sporting the fruitiest Carmen Miranda ever.

Spamalot was directed for Springers by Barry Miles, with the MD Ian Myers in charge of a big pit band – the oompah Not Yet Dead one of many merry musical moments.

production photograph: Aaron Crowe

THE WEDDING SINGER

THE WEDDING SINGER

Springers at the Cramphorn Theatre

04.11.15

A frothy movie spin-off from Springers, in the close-up and personal surroundings of the Cramphorn.

Robbie and Julia – the Danny and Sandy of the 80s – are charmingly played as boy and girl next door by Jon Newman and Amy Serin Leslie. They're surrounded by larger – and louder – than life characters, from the boys in Robbie's band to the mutants at table nine. A strong team, directed by Maz Clarke and Mat Smith, includes Helen Arber as cousin Holly, Dan Schultz as [Boy] George, Pete Spilling as the Wall Street man Glen, Ian Pavelin as lead guitar Sammy, with his Michael Jackson hair, and Deborah Anderson having a ball as Rosie, Robbie's outrageous Gran.

The numbers which favour musical theatre over pale 80s pastiche succeed best: Single, All About The Green. The six piece band, MD Ian Myers on keys, are on stage behind what could be the wedding venue's dance floor. Good to see them, but they're not a show band, not actor musicians, and while they are fine musically, they do little visually to enhance the moods of the show...

The inevitable back projection has the view from Il Carousel, some nice animations, and Space Invaders during the interval.

Having the audience just feet away could have been a chance to add a little subtlety to vocals and interpretations. But the whole thing seems relentlessly in-your-face, not helped the night I saw it by some poor sound.

A good “night-out” musical for audiences who have friends in the company, or fond memories of the film, or indeed of the 80s, with those cumbersome cell phones and parachute pants.

AIDA

ELTON JOHN and TIM RICE'S AIDA

Springers at the Civic Theatre Chelmsford

09.06.15

Verdi rewritten for the millennium by John and Rice. Embraced by Broadway, but still unseen in the West End, while Giuseppe's original still packs the Albert Hall.

Like Billy Elliott and Lion King, it relies on an existing success. But here the new version adds little, bringing only bathos and banality to the “timeless love story”.

A splendid start to Springers' ambitious staging, with 1920s ladies in cloche hats wandering amongst museum vitrines, including the life-size statue of Amneris, who steps out of her glass case to start the story.

Gary Jarvis's production is at its best in the set pieces, like the Nile laundry, or the witty spa number with its elegant fashion parade, or the torches for the patriotic Act One finale.

The chorus – Egyptian guards and Nubian slaves, all women – is effectively used and strikingly costumed. Ian Myers leads his singers confidently through the various genres – gospel, reggae and the rest.

Amyserin Leslie is a funny, forceful Amneris, Kieran Young a nicely characterized slave boy. In the title role, Lex Phillips makes an excellent advocate for Elton's pop ballad tunes; her youthful, ripped Rameses is done with some style and a strong vocal presence by Ben Wilton.

OUR HOUSE

OUR HOUSE

Springers at the Civic Theatre

14.06.2014

Oh what fun we had … a moment of pure Madness in the closing minutes of the last night, as the triumphant cast jumped down to join the cheering crowd in the aisles of the Civic Theatre, all dancing to the umpteenth reprise of the title number.

Barry Miles' production is cheeky and lively from the off, with a huge cast throwing themselves into this song-and-dance story of a Camden lad whose double life makes a powerful morality play. The choreography, by Melissa Smart, is quirky and inventive: the stop motion street scene, the Vegas wedding, the fan dancers, the skipping-rope, the Berkeley brollies, and, most talked of over interval drinks, those dancing desks and daring lifts.

Jon Newman played good Joe and bad Joe – a virtuoso performance as he flipped between the straight and narrow and the primrose path. Nicola Myers was his movingly loyal girl Sarah, with two excellent duets in the second act. A huge cast changed costume and character in a twinkling – funeral to wedding – and brought a raucous enthusiasm to these iconic numbers.

Strong character support from Colin Shoard as the Dad from Above, and wonderful comic double acts from Ian [Frank Spencer] Pavelin and Aaron Crowe as Joe's gormless mates, and Sophie Lines and Natalie Hills as the heartless girls.

The dialogue is not always convincing, the lyrics even less so, but the story and the music carry the show – Ian Myers' classy pit band had the audience waving and clapping along about eight bars in …

WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND

WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND

Springers at the Cramphorn Theatre

09.11.13

A far cry from Malcolm Arnold to Andrew Lloyd Webber, from Lancashire to Louisiana, where religion and innocence were both very different. But this intimate staging of Whistle Down the Wind did capture the essence of the original tale, even if we couldn't share the children's faith that their Jesus would survive the apocalyptic Christmas Bonfire.

The simple timber staging suggested barn and homestead, bold lighting took us to the tunnel and the revivalist meeting, bare feet and a fishing line effortlessly evoked the creek. The Southern drawl proved a problem; not for the first time it was the children – veterans of The Sound of Music - who mastered it best: Charlotte Golden's Brat, Matthew Scott's Poor Baby, and Katy Forkings' superb Swallow. Brilliantly cast, her slight frame so vulnerable against the bulk of The Man, her pure voice with a hint of the warm timbre of maturity.

Ian Pavelin brought honesty and huge presence to the convict Christ, struggling with his parables and his conscience; Colin Shoard gave a moving portrait of the single parent caught between his children's naivety and the lynch mob in the village.

Effective performances too from Aaron Crowe as Amos, Bethan Anderson as his Candy, and Ross Rogers as Edward, leading the cast in Cold, one of the better numbers in a patchy score. The old Lloyd Webber magic is still there, though not always well served by lacklustre lyrics.

The staging made the most of the space – the people gathering for worship at the start, the children's offerings and the adults' offensive weapons tellingly juxtaposed for the Act One finale. But when The Man was “lying low” he was invisible to most of the audience, and it was distracting to have the screens and the bike manhandled behind the action.

Whistle Down The Wind was directed by Andrew Shepherd with Fiona Lipscomb, the choreographer was Olivia Gooding, and the MD, up above the action with his excellent band, was Ian Myers.

production photo: Aaron Crowe

THE SOUND OF MUSIC

THE SOUND OF MUSIC

Springers at the Civic Theatre, Chelmsford

13.06.13

Rodgers and Hammerstein's late great musical comes back to the Civic, in a lively and stylish production directed by Pam Corrie.

The opening sets the standard for the chorus work – all those nuns – and for the design – slightly surreal cabinets full of candles.

Chief ornament of the show is Kayleigh McEvoy's marvellous Maria. Beautifully sung, with a soupçon of humour and superb stage presence, melting the heart of her stern naval captain [Mat Smith].

The seven children she cares for are carefully characterized, from Liesl [Mae Pettigrew], sixteen going on seventeen, with a crush on the telegram boy, impressively done by Aaron Crowe, to Charlotte Golden's little Gretl. Bethan Evans makes a charmingly perceptive Brigitta.

Abbess Catherine Gregory delivers a powerful anthem, and duets wonderfully with Maria in Favourite Things.

This confident, big-hearted production has many memorable moments, not least the moon and the mountain in the final tableau. Like good Austrian patriots, we sing along to Edelweiss, undaunted by the SS officers in the auditorium. The complex scene changes are swiftly accomplished, though some black holes remain, not all of them covered by music.

Plainchant, Viennese waltz, wedding music, all very impressive – Ian Myers the Musical Director. Sometimes the sense and the emotion of the dialogue could be pointed up more. Diction is variable – not just the German and the Italian, either. And the sophisticated musical comedy trio [Barry Miles as Max, with Olivia Gooding a cool, elegant Elsa] seems rather staid.

Always good to rediscover the show behind the film, and this production certainly delighted the midweek audience in a packed Civic. Springers have a distinguished history, reviving both the big hits and the cult classics – up next is Whistle Down The Wind, at the Cramphorn in November.

SEUSSICAL

SEUSSICAL

Springers at the Cramphorn Theatre

06.11.12

"Seuss rules!" shouted one excited child, and it was probably the patrons in the booster seats who enjoyed this show the most.

It may not be great music theatre, but Springers gave it their best shot, and the result was a joyful, upbeat celebration of Dr Seuss and all his works, directed by Susan Corina.

The cartoon stage design, with a special detail for MD Ian Myers, looked fresh and colourful, and suited the child-friendly Play School style of the acting, notably from Aaron Crowe's excellent JoJo. All the principal characters gave lovely, larger-than-life performances: Ian Pavelin in a grey siren suit for Horton the elephant, Deborah Anderson as Gertrude, desperate to be noticed, her patter song expertly delivered, Mat Smith as the Cat in the Hat, with his feline physicality and his expressive cat's eyes.

Barry Miles scored a hit with his manic General, and there were broad-brush characterisations from Melissa Smart [Mayzie LaBird] and Natalie Petto [Sour Kangaroo].

Strong chorus work, too, from the Bird Girls – a great vocal trio – and the energetic Wickersham monkeys.

Stephen Flaherty's music ranges over many different styles, and some of them would have benefited from a microphone, even in the Cramphorn. But the close-up picture-book style worked very well, with impressive use of the stage in the production numbers like Chasing the Whos.

ALL SHOOK UP

ALL SHOOK UP

Springers at The Civic Theatre

16.06.12

"Quote Shakespeare and peel me like a banana!"

The Bard has had a hand in many a musical comedy – West Side Story, Two Gents, Kiss Me Kate, Your Own Thing, and my favourite, Return to the Forbidden Planet – but this is his joyous juke-box show [with said juke-box prominent on the porch stage right] which takes plot elements from the plays, and songs from The King's back catalogue, and puts them all through a bobby-sox blender.

Nothing much original, then, with nods to Grease, Footloose and the rest, but very impressively done by Springers – their chorus work excellent, their choreography [Mel Smart] neat and nimble, even if we might have wished for more raunchy rock'n'roll, their costumes spot on. It opens in the jailhouse: a visually stunning sequence against the stylised set. Equally strong was the Act One finale, with all the love-struck leads singing Can't Help Falling In Love With You.

A very accomplished cast, too, though some of them had only cyphers to work with. Ian Pavelin stood out as roustabout and mischief-maker Chad; his tongue-in-cheek teddy-bear Lothario was warmly characterized and very watchable. Honours too to Alison Gosling as the cross-dressing grease monkey, Jon Newman as the geeky side-kick Dennis [his There's Always Me tellingly delivered, with great instrumental support from the pit] and Colin Shoard as Jim, trying to release his inner teenager.

All Shook Up was directed by Drew Shepherd, with Ian Myers as Musical Director.

BAD GIRLS

BAD GIRLS

Springers at the Cramphorn Theatre

09.11.11

Of course it's perfectly possible to write a memorable musical, witty and hard-hitting, about life in a women's jail. But Bad Girls isn't it. It only managed a couple of months in the West End, on the back of the popular television series from which it took its title, its character [and several actors] and many of its plot developments.

Springers latest outrageous musical offering featured many strong performances from a cast mingling youth and experience, Ian Myers' great pit band [perched high over the action] and an evocative set which made the best possible use of the limited space. Sharon Scott's in-your-face direction was full of effective ideas the sounds in the dark, the riot quelled at the end of Act One, the ingenious exposure of the villain.

The chief weakness was the songs. Kath Gotts, determined to shoe-horn as many numbers as possible into the improbable book, threw in an uneasy mix of styles, slowing the action or contradicting the characters. The fantasies worked best an unlikely Astaire routine for the sexual predator Fenner [Ian Pavelin], or the Life of Grime duet [lovely double act from Deborah Anderson and Sharon Gardner as the two Julies]. One successful marriage of music and drama was the ironic Guardian Angel duet for the two dealers [Amy Jones and Tamara Anderson]. But Julie S's touching phone call to her young son was not much enhanced by the forgettable song which followed.

Great work from all these actors, and many more, including Wendy Barber's Compo Noreen, Nikki Myers as the token shop-lifting Evangelist, Beth Neame's nave new broom with Natalie Petto as her love interest, Mae Pettigrew's vulnerable Rachel, Maz Clarke's Bodybag and Catherine Gregory's wonderfully brassy Yvonne.

And a special mention for Kieran Young, enjoying his Blonde Bombshell moment on G wing.

Although it seemed bizarre to be expected to laugh and applaud in the face of girl-on-girl violence, corruption and deceit, the audience certainly responded warmly to this tale of life inside Larkhall.

THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS

Springers at the Civic Theatre

14.06.11

It's a classy joint, the Chicken Ranch, with its “guests” entertained by Miss Mona's elegant young ladies in glamorous evening gowns.

Still, a whorehouse is a whorehouse, and decency demands it be closed down.

Springers' production of this unusual musical, directed by Maz Clarke, with its catchy country 'n' western tunes, was impressive on many levels.

The music [MD Ian Myers], the set with its double gilt staircase and lovely pink top-light, and especially the chorus work [choreographer Olivia Gooding]. Yes, the working girls of course [Hard Candy Christmas, and the inflatable Cheerleaders led by chief Angelette Natalie Schultz] but mostly the men – brilliant moves in denim at first, and then in much less for the amazing Aggie Song, the climax to Act One.

Catherine Gregory was outstanding as the Ranch's Madam – her “Bus from Amarillo” and “Girl, You're A Woman” were impeccably styled. As her two new faces, Bethan Anderson [Shy] and Mel Smart [Jewel] were impressive too – Mel's gospel-ish Twenty Four Hours another stand-out number.

Fighting over the future of the whorehouse were Simon Brett's larger-than-life Melvin P Thorpe [a hard-to-forget performance], Pete Spilling's powerless Edsel, and Barry Miles' smooth-talking Senator.

But strong ensemble all round, from Jon Newman's smiley Band Leader welcome to the downbeat one-way ticket which brings down the curtain on the Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.