JACK AND THE BEANSTALK

JACK AND THE BEANSTALK

Blackmore Players

in Blackmore Village Hall

21.01.17

for Sardines

Back to the traditional canon for this year's panto, directed by Rosemarie Nelson with Shirley Parrott the Musical Director.

Ben Crocker's uninspired script does have one or two original touches: Edena the eco-fairy [Barbara Harrold] pitted against the pollutant villain Slimeball [James Hughes] seemed promising, but was not really developed.

All the familiar characters were included: a proper principal boy - Amy Pudney as Jack from the dairy, handling her songs with style – a beautiful princess [Sarah Tayler], and Giant Blunderbore, Chet Atkins fan, played by Alf Currey, who managed to cut an imposing figure despite not exactly towering over the mere mortals. His voice helped, although off-stage it needed more bass rumble and less megaphone.

Dame Madonna Trot was in the experienced hands of Keith Goody, sporting fistfuls of finger rings, a beauty spot and a Marge Simpson hairdo. King Bertram was Martin Herford, bringing a touch of Clive Dunn to the hapless monarch. When it comes to pantomime cows, the Animal Farm dictum “Four Legs Good, Two Legs Bad” has much to commend it; nonetheless, Rebecca Smith gave a lively, engaging performance, including the Happy Feet tap-dance, one of many excellent production numbers. The Cockroach rap was an inspired idea, but it would have been good to be able to hear more of the words.

No microphones here – well done – and the cast generally managed to rise above the drum-kit and the bawling babies. Two performers in particular caught the spirit of pantomime to perfection: the aforementioned James Hughes, relishing the lusty boos from the audience, giving a polished performance of laid-back villainy. And Craig Stevens superb as Simple Simon the Cowman; a nicely judged character [“Be brave, Simon!”, we shouted]. He coped magnificently with the kids from the audience, coaxed up for the front cloth number before the finale – a dying art, these days. And his delivery of the venerable “ghoulies” joke quite rightly got a round of applause. This preceded the equally venerable ghost routine, always a favourite, and vociferously enjoyed here [to the tune of Dancing Queen], though in a traditional panto I should prefer the Dame left till last to scare off the ghost.

Lots of lovely songs – Good Morning Merrymore, Glad All Over, I'm A Believer, Holiday Rock [shades of Paul Shane and the Yellowcoats] – and the chorus were well used, not least in the Country Folk running gag.

Blackmore are famous for the community vibe of their panto, and this matinée was warmly received by an enthusiastic crowd. The pace could have been a little more positive, with a tighter focus from some characters. The strobe lighting didn't really add anything, and the edges of the stage were seriously underlit. The race commentary needed much more work to be a reasonable substitute for the fall of Blunberbore, but the quintet of singing sheep over the partition was inspired – a five-baa gate, as Simple Simon might have said ...

NO SEX PLEASE, WE'RE BRITISH

NO SEX PLEASE, WE'RE BRITISH

Blackmore Players at the Village Hall

23.09.16

for Sardines

The intrepid Blackmore Players – one of the best village companies in the area – breathe new life into this old farce, penned back in '71 by Foot and Marriott, not alas credited in the programme.

The critics panned it then, but it did excellent business in the West End, and has been popular with am-drammers ever since.

It's a huge challenge, though, not least because an amateur group will lack the rehearsal time – and the audience previews – when slapstick and repartee can be honed.

And there were some slow moments at Blackmore, with the all-important doors poorly co-ordinated and actors waiting for an interruption.

But Andrew Raymond's production was great fun, boasting some excellent performances and a splendid set, with orange doors, lovely works of art, and an efficient, if bizarrely placed, serving hatch. An excellent period radio for Jupiter, but some other props failed to convince: the super-8, the “1001 Perversions” and the camp snaps, possibly due to a commendable ignorance of the ins and outs of erotica.

Matthew Pearson and Rebecca Smith were the hapless newly-weds who unwittingly get mucky books and blue films sent through the post [very retro], dressed respectively in a staid suit and a shorty negligée.

Visitors to their love-nest over the bank include his snobbish mother [a lovely character performance from Linda Raymond, even if several boroughs removed from Chelsea], his pompous boss [Keith Goody], Superintendent Paul [Ryan Stevens – is it me, or are policemen getting younger all the time ?] and two oddly assorted good-time girls [Lisa Matthews brandishing a rubber cudgel, and Ela Raymond, wielding a feather duster].

But the comedy gongs must go to Old Mr Haskell as the bank inspector with the Union Flag flying beneath his jim-jams, and Young Mr Haskell as the chief cashier – aka the Phantom Pornographer - who struggles to limit the damage the tide of Scandinavian filth might cause to the National Union Bank in this unnamed respectable Thames Valley town. Simon and Sam caught the style, both physical and vocal, to perfection, sliding sleepily down the wall, or losing the use of both feet. Sam, whose truly hilarious performance included not one but two suicidal leaps through the hatch, could happily have understudied Crawford at the Strand.

The cast thoroughly deserved the gales of laughter that greeted the better jokes, and the whoops and cheers on their tardy curtain-call.

JACK THE RIPPER

JACK THE RIPPER

Blackmore Players at the Village Hall

09.06.16

for Sardines

We were promised fun, terror, song and dance, and Blackmore Players certainly delivered in this clever blend of music hall, melodrama and serial murder.

It all happens in the mean streets of Whitechapel and in the Steam Packet Public House, where Simon Haskell's genial Chairman tried to keep order amongst the dockers, pimps and whores who make up the clientèle and the chorus.

This chorus was on stage for most of the action – just as well, since getting them all on and off stage is a long process which inevitably slows the action. Pace generally was a problem, with cues picked up slowly, dragging dialogue and sagging gaps of silence between scenes.

But the show, directed by Steve Drinkall with Dave Smith the producer, had many ingenious touches. I liked the magic lantern projections for the shadow of the Ripper, and the instant switch from reality to pub stage, simply done with lighting and acting style.

Some fine performances amongst the large cast. Particularly pleasing to see a number of talented younger actors, bringing freshness and verve to the proceedings as well as boding well for the future of this enterprising village company.

The four lads had some nice comedy moments, and got to impersonate some of the usual suspects in Act Two. James Hughes especially impressive as Dan Mendoza – his Sing Sing duet the first of many telling contributions. Lisa Rawlings was excellent as the tragic Marie, one of several nicely characterized sisters of the night. “Step Across The River” the most successful of the serious songs. Good vocal work from Anna Green's Polly, and from Sandra Trott in the unlikely double of doss-house proprietrix and Empress of India.

Montague Druitt, aka Toynbee, was played with some style and exemplary clarity by Sam Haskell. An enigmatic figure, he's the villain of the melodrama, as well as Marvel the Mystic.

The question mark ending, with the final victim led off to the quiet canal path, and one last Ripper shadow high on the wall, was genuinely chilling.

The music – a prepared piano sound from the pit keys-and-drums duet – was in the capable hands of Shirley Parrott. And there were many lovely musical moments – the torch songs, the knees-ups, the a capella opening to the trio ...

Nice to see this rather neglected little musical again – chronologically and stylistically somewhere between Oliver! and Sweeney Todd – the history, the jollity, the gore and the pathos all enthusiastically tackled by the Blackmore Players.

production photograph: Richard Smith

THE SEARCH FOR THE HOODEN WILL

THE SEARCH FOR THE HOODEN WILL

Blackmore Players at the Village Hall

21.01.16

for Sardines

A pantomime whodunnit ? One step up from the comedy thriller, and a refreshing change for Blackmore Players' traditional Christmas show.

And home-made through and through. Doubtless countless sparks and sound operators have been convinced they could do a better job than the playwright and the director. But at Blackmore they've gone one further and actually seen it through from page to stage.

Producer Andy Appleton – sound effects – and director Tony Pavitt and Dave Smith – lighting – are the creative team behind The Search for the Hooden Will, a gleeful blend of Dame Agatha and Dame Trott, with sly references to the classics of the murder mystery – not to mention Cluedo – as well as all the panto tropes we rightly expect.

The script has some very clever touches – the supermarket sequence, the ingenious dénouement – as well as a geeky Star Wars moment and a House Song nicked from The Kinks.

Like all the best pantos, it's a gender fluid affair. Patrick Magee is the lady of the manor, and Linda Raymond makes an excellent job of the Chief Inspector, supported by “the cream of the force”: a promising double act from the two coppers Rebecca Smith and Jenny Pavitt, and two cute police dogs, Jean Appleton's endearing Nickel and Christian Vince's puppyish, extrovert Carbon.

Keith Goody has fun switching between the Hood brothers, while Simon Haskell plays “every Tom, Dick and Harry” in support. Barbara Harrold and Martin Herford both bring impressive panto experience to smaller roles. Juliet Ware, Rhys Burrell and Emma Thwaite are the Hood children, with Charley Magee very watchable as the barrow-boy Freddy.

There's a train sequence, of course, a lovely street-scene backcloth, and, best of all, a duet with a phantom projected onto a bed-sheet.

The musical numbers range from the Music Hall – Underneath The Arches works very well – to Suzi Quatro, Born To Be Wild to Ilkley Moor. Where Did You Get That Hat is beautifully choreographed, with a Charleston big finish.

The pace could be slicker, cues picked up quicker. And the stage left exit proves annoyingly awkward [for the cast, too, probably]. But the show is often witty, wacky and clearly delighted the vocally enthusiastic first night crowd: “It's the theatre that people want!”

I don't think I'm giving anything away by revealing that the wedding walk-down is replaced by a jail sentence, and the last line is “Everybody duck!”. But if you want to know whose finger is on the trigger, or what's in the will, or what the Inspector's name might be, you'd need to get one of the few tickets left for this “universal première” or wait for the inevitable movie ...

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS

Blackmore Players at the Village Hall

11.06.15

for Sardines

Blackmore on splendid Fifties form for this classic tale of the alien avocado invader.

It's a cult show, and comes encrusted with traditions worthy of D'Oyly Carte. The Players pay homage to most of them, but manage to keep the show fresh and immediate.

The audience is immersed in the action from the off, with hobos and hookers and all the noisy denizens of Skid Row roaming the auditorium in search of a trick to turn or a bench for the night. And we are all immersed in the show, too, with a traverse acting area [impressively paved]. Especially effective for the nightmare dentist sequence, with Rob Lewis-Jones's wonderfully terrifying semi-sadist entering through green smoke and terrorising poor Seymour right under our noses. It's a risky strategy, particularly for a musical with everyone miked up, but the only down-side was an audible buzz under some dialogue.

This is a rural community group, with strictly local talent, performing in a multi-purpose village hall [with one of the most keenly priced theatre bars in the land]. But no compromises are made, in a great example of what can be achieved with inspiring, clear-sighted direction [Bill Edwards in the hot seat for this one, with choreography by Denise Jackson]. There's no pit, of course, but a great little band in the corner, with MD Shirley Parrott at the keyboard.

The cast is impressively strong. Craig Stevens makes a nicely nervous Seymour, with his geeky specs and baseball cap – superb singer, too. His Audrey is Lisa Rawlings; vocally assured, carefully characterized. It's a pity she gives most of her big number sitting on the stoop, invisible to almost all the audience.

Audrey II – the star of the show, really, with its multicoloured warts and gore-stained maw – is excellently voiced by Bill Edwards himself, with the expressive flora [uncredited] manipulated by John Hughes.

Mushnik, gravel-toned and fundamentally jolly despite everything, is engagingly played by Simon Haskell, who also provides the portentous voice in the prologue.

The three backing singers – Ronnette, Chiffon, Crystal – are authentically sung by Gail Hughes, Sandra Trott and Amy Pudney, with stunning show dresses for the finale; perhaps they could have been a little more engaged with the plot emotionally, though.

Memorable cameos from many others, including Charley Magee's Bernstein and Martin Herford's Skip Snip, and a big bold chorus of all ages and abilities.

Lots of detail to admire, even to those of us who are very familiar with the show. A nice new clock after renovation, with Mushnik's favourite fedora still hanging underneath. A nice brickwork scene curtain; I longed to see an actor walk across with it – much more dramatic. And a brilliantly helpful glossary in the programme, with useful reminders of Vitalis, Lucille Ball and Hedy Lamarr ...

production photograph - Kira Louise Photography

RED RIDING HOOD

RED RIDING HOOD

Blackmore Players at the Village Hall

22.01.15

An unusual panto, and a production which celebrates the local Blackmore community, with lots of name-checks [Budgen's, anyone ?] and disparaging references to the bigger, uglier towns surrounding it.

It's unpredictable fun, too, with BoPeep's sheep unmasked as spies and the big bad Wolf a cuddly vegetarian, appealingly played by Linda Raymond.

There are familiar panto favourites – a black-hearted villain from melodrama [Keith Goody], a thigh-slapping Prince [Charley Magee], a charming heroine [Juliet Ware as Little Miss Hood herself] and a glamorous granny as the Dame [Patrick Magee].

Not to mention a surprise late arrival by Santa [Steve Hanning], bringing sweeties for all and some lovely one-liners.

Director Lisa Mathews provides some nice production numbers, a popular audience song and a splendid Anything Goes finale, with choreography by Rosemarie Nelson and MD Shirley Parrott at the piano.

WHERE THERE'S A WILL

WHERE THERE'S A WILL

Blackmore Players in the Village Hall

26.09.14

for Sardines

Much more comedy than thrills in this amusing pot-boiler by panto veteran Norman Robbins. Tinned peaches to the fresh fruit of real plays, never aspiring to professional productions, these ready-to-wear pieces are unaccountably popular with amateur groups.

The Friday-night crowd were in a receptive mood, and laughed long and loud at the shenanigans on stage. As the title suggests, a fortune is at stake, the millions left by Edie Puddephat [check comedy monniker]. Long-lost family gather to claim their due, but a freak accident is the cue for some dark deeds, as the beneficiaries are bumped off one by one – road accidents, poisoning, ailurophobia and the neatest cardiac arrest ever. Mr Brian Harris has taken a helpful ad in the programme, offering help with wills and estates, and we could have used his assistance with the convoluted and improbable plot. Not a “Kind Hearts” tontine, this, so it is not clear how the deaths will enrich the survivors. The characters manfully recap from time to time - “As we all know, ...” but on the second night it got to the cast in the end – cue general corpsing, with the prompt [Vera Hitchin] put through her paces and collateral damage in the priceless “carrot page” Spoonerism. Or is that in the script ?

Heading the gallery of stereotypes is Barbara Harrold as Velma, an excellent Northern battle-axe - “If I want your opinion I'll give it to you” - with her meek son Fordyce [nicely characterized by James Hughes with sharp suit and side parting]. She alone has the accent to a tee – some of the more distant relations bring estuary tones to the wake. But plenty of entertainment to be had from Martin Herford's Peasegood [check comedy vicar], Charley Magee's gloriously tasteless Miriam [check comedy lush], and Glenys Young's Bella, with anklets the size of ASBO tags. Youngsters Adam Hughes [tattooed male stripper] and Rebecca Smith [his pierced girlfriend] look great, but need to be chavvier and chippier.

Co-director [with son Andrew] Linda Raymond successfully steps up to take the part of the enigmatic Genista Royal, housekeeper to the dear departed.

The solid set successfully evokes the house of the late Edie – much fun with the cats' pee – but there are dark patches in the downstage corners.

Not a period piece, but harks back to another age, when we talked about nancy boys and unmarried mothers, every suburban villa had its domestic help, and every village had lively, thriving amateur theatricals like the Blackmore Players.

THE MATCHGIRLS

THE MATCHGIRLS

Blackmore Players

at Blackmore Village Hall

15.05.13

for Sardines magazine

Not often you hear of the dangers of Phosphorus in a musical's opening number.

This rarity from Sixties, penned by Bill [Compo] Owen and composer Tony Russell, tells the inspiring story of the women employed by Bryant and May in Bow, who, with the help of radical writers and reformers, went on strike and made the Victorian management see sense.

An ambitious undertaking from this enterprising group. Not only because it's a forgotten work, but because director Bill Edwards has chosen to set it in the body of the hall, with a traverse acting area as well as the conventional stage, bringing the action teeming into our midst.

Huge advantages in terms of immediacy and impact, especially for those seated alongside. Which heavily outweighed the downsides: no "back row" for less confident chorus members, and some visibility problems in a few scenes.

The large company attack the work – which is not the best written musical – with enthusiasm and professionalism. The Match Girls, in particular, from the oldest to the youngest [Jenny Pavitt's little Louie], put heart and soul into recreating the spirit, and the gallows humour, of these exploited women. Their men, dockers and pigeon fanciers, bring humour and a strong physical presence. The stage pictures are often effective, the scene changes generally slick, and there are some inspired touches, like the meeting mime behind the "Waiting" number.

Some very impressive character work from the principals: Kate, leader of the strikers, torn between seeing the campaign through and seeking a better life in America, is magnificently played by Debbie Stevens; wonderfully sung, too, in This Life of Mine and many other duets and ensembles. Her Joe gets a high-impact performance from Jason Markham. Other stand-out characters include Lisa Rawlings as Polly, Amy Pudney as Winnie [with Glenys Young excellent as her mother] and Sandra Trott as Jessie, Kate's rival for Joe's affections. Colourful cameos from Linda Raymond as bibulous Old Min, and Keith Goody as pious Mr Potter.

The intellectuals – Gail Hughes as Annie Besant and Martin Herford as GBS – seem a little colourless by comparison.

Denise Jackson's choreography is lively and expressive; the music is predominantly jazz-influenced, though of course the writers couldn't resist some jolly Cockney sparrer knees-ups in the Newley/Bart/Bricusse tradition.

The band is right at the back of the hall, and MD Shirley Parrot sometimes struggles to bring her singers in. I saw a preview, and no doubt this minor issue, and the occasional lagging pace, will improve as the run continues.

In any event, a laudable revival of this neglected British musical, brought to the Blackmore stage [and the cobbles in the auditorium] with style and sparkle.