DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS

DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS

Brentwood Operatic Society at Brentwood Theatre

21.10.17

It’s a fine old story, but this musical version, by Jeffrey Lane and David Yazbek – an uneasy mix of period charm and crude, edgy humour – needs a very slick and glitzy production to make it work. And Louise Byrne successfully provides it, within the limitations of the Brentwood stage, making for a very entertaining evening.

The setting is simple and versatile, with a raised balcony under which Max Harris’s excellent little band sits, very much a part of the action.

An accomplished company, ensemble and principals alike, and some fine singing, too, making the best of some fairly forgettable numbers.

The show opens with a quartet of French maids – the action is set on the Riviera – and the chorus have a deal of fun as hotel guests, gamblers, Oklahomans and tourists.

The scoundrels of the title are Lawrence, a suave, laid-back swindler, played with a fine sense of style by Martin Harris, though it was perhaps hard to imagine him as a Man of Destiny or the stuff of female dreams. He shone in his disguise as the “Vienna sausage” - the memorable moment where he simply stands, feather poised, was a measure of his dramatic talent. The contrasting other half of this odd couple, the “gorilla en croute” Freddy, was a very physical, very funny Allister Smith. They meet their match in Kate Henderson’s Christine – the Soap Queen – a warm, sunny persona till she shows her true con-woman colours as the Jackal.

Nice work from Lisa Harris as Muriel – her What Was A Woman To Do was a musical high – and Ian Southgate as André, joining her in a lovely old-fashioned song-and-dance duet.

production photograph: Claire Collinson

MADE IN DAGENHAM

MADE IN DAGENHAM

Brentwood Operatic Society at Brentwood Theatre

09.05.17

The 2014 musical-of-the-movie has naturally been very popular locally, and now this Cortina Estate of a show has been shoe-horned into the Mini Clubman Brentwood Theatre for a sell-out run.

The large cast fills the uncluttered stage to excellent effect – the opening sequence, with its crescendo of radio news and the whole company walking across, is typical of the inventive approach taken by director Sarah Barton. Scene changes are [almost always] smoothed by musical bridges and muted blues. The upper level is sparingly but tellingly used.

No passengers on this production line – every performer gives total commitment to the inspiring true-ish story of the struggle for equal pay.

Juliet Thomas gives a movingly sincere portrait of the housewife thrust into the political limelight; she combines a strong stage presence with convincing insecurity and inner turmoil. Martin Harris is her Eddie, torn between his love for Rita and his loyalty to the lads on the shop floor. “I'm sorry I love you” is especially effective.

A host of colourful characters. Lisa Harris gives a subtle, and very moving, Connie, wedded to the Labour Party, whose spirit reaches out to inspire Rita at the TUC. The tongue-tied Clare is sympathetically sketched by Sian Prideaux; the potty-mouthed Beryl by Mandi Threadgold-Smith. Kerry Cooke gives a wonderfully committed Cass, and Clare Markey makes the most of the warmly drawn Barbara Castle.

Her Prime Minister – nicely done by Jon Keeler – is merely a figure of fun, and, perhaps not surprisingly, the men do come off rather worse in Richard Bean's witty book, from Graham Greenaway's sadistic schoolmaster to Bob Southgate's Trumpesque Tooley.

Jamie Fudge and Allister Smith, especially, relish multiple roles, including, respectively, the offensive club comic and the camp Hubble from Personnel.

And not forgetting the O'Grady kids, Sam Johnson and Sophie Cooke, both giving fine, full-on performances, and both playing the whole run !

Ensemble work is powerful and highly polished; not only the Stand Up finale, but Wossname, with Clare and the chorus, and the Everybody Out number that ends Act One, with the lads roped in and dragged up for Scouse solidarity. The vocal attack, in Storm Clouds, for instance, is exemplary – Andy Prideaux the MD, leading the band somewhere in the back office. Difficult to achieve a perfect balance in these circumstances, and on an otherwise faultless first night, some of the lyrics, and the dialogue, were hard to hear.

It's a powerful piece, perhaps even more relevant today than when I first saw it … incompetent PM, randy, misogynist Yank on the loose … given a memorable outing by these Essex boys and girls.

production photograph by Claire Collinson

9 TO 5

9 TO 5

Brentwood Operatic Society

at Brentwood Theatre

21.10.16

Dolly Parton's “spankin' new musical” - based on the 1980 movie – was a sell-out success for BOS.

Ms Parton did the music and the lyrics; the book is by Patricia Resnick. It's a feel-good feminist-lite workplace story, in which the MCP CEO is ousted, first in fantasy, then for real, by a feisty trio from his office.

The music is big-hearted and brassy, excellently handled by the Ian Southgate's off-stage rock combo. The story is simplistic, the samey songs sometimes slow the action, and the first act seems far too long. But the BOS company give it their all, with outstanding performances by Rachel Lane as the widowed mother, Louise Byrne as the Backwoods Barbie - “too much make-up, too much hair” - and Juliet Thomas as the band-box neat newbie. An amazing character turn from Mandi Threadgold-Smith as dear old Roz with the hots for her boss; her Heart to Hart routine, backed by a chorus of look-alikes, is a highlight of the show.

Apart from Martin Harris's splendidly loathsome “sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot”, the men are mostly ciphers, though we have a nice cameo from Bob Southgate as deus ex machina Tinsworthy.

Emma Sweeney's staging is inventive and stylish: the opening title number, the I Just Might trio, the power-dressing One Of The Boys. The scene shifting – everything is on castors – is impeccably choreographed, making the most of the stage area and bringing welcome variety to this uneven crowd-pleaser of a show.

company photograph: Brentwood Gazette

STEAM-PUNK PIRATES OF PENZANCE

STEAM-PUNK PIRATES OF PENZANCE

Brentwood Operatic Society at the Brentwood Theatre

14.04.2016

Steam-punk Pirates ? Whatever next !

We weren't sure what to expect, but Alli Smith's take on G&S turned out to be enormous fun, the familiar operetta constantly undermined by unexpected twists and off-the-wall inventiveness.

A stripped-back stage, and a single piano. The singing all unplugged. A distinct dearth of even light operatic voices – the honourable exception being Marcia Alderson's pretty-in-pink Mabel, who not only gave the pirate apprentice a run for his money but also handled her coloratura with stylish ease.

But the performances were assured and amusing, from Sarah Mayes' desperate Ruth to Dean Mobley's Samuel – a great creation, this, think Smike/Baldrick with an eye-patch.

Alastair McIlwraith was an imposing Pirate King, Ian Southgate an amazing Slave of Duty, Depp wig and designer stubble, bumping and grinding while giving full value to the comedy and the melody.

A round of applause for the Union Jack tunic of Martin Harris's Major-General [a onesie for his Act Two night attire]. A hilarious characterization, including an accelerando patter song with some new rhymes for old.

The “alarming costumes” were great-coats and goggles for the Pirates, brightly coloured bustiers and taffeta for the “Sisters” [cousins and aunts too, like that infernal nonsense Pinafore] and for the robotic Force something reminiscent of Blake's 7 but with light sabres.

For we are in 2157, and poor Frederick will not come of age until 2220. Queen Victoria is long forgotten, the monarch serenaded in the finale is presumably the great-grand-daughter of George VII …

The Musical Director was Patrick Tucker, with Adrian Ure at the piano.

THE WIZ

THE WIZ

Brentwood Operatic Society at the Brentwood Theatre

23.10.15

A stylish Wiz at Brentwood, with excellent ensemble and some impressive principals.

This “supersoul” reworking of the Wizard of Oz is forty years old now, but still seems fresh and daring.

Amy Clayton's production begins with an old-fashioned scene cloth and a clothes line. But as the tornado snatches Dorothy [Rachel Lane] from her Kansas home, things become much more interesting. The Twister Sisters ballet introduces the colourful Munchkins [shiny plastic bowlers] and Addapearle [Lauren Tidbury].

Joining her as she eases on down the road are a splendid trio: David Gillett's daffy Scarecrow, Martin Harris's dapper Tinman, and Allister Smith's big old pussycat, with his bouffant mane and his personal stylists. All off to meet the Wiz himself [a nuanced Justin Cartledge] and to liquidate the Wicked Witch of the West [an enjoyably unsubtle Nina Jarram].

Backing their adventures is an ever-changing chorus in varying shades of green – flappers and farm girls, showgirls and demons, cheeky crows and sensual poppies. Some fine work in smaller roles: Jamie Fudge's Gatekeeper, Ben Martins' Monkey. Accents and attitudes are authentic; the pace of the dialogue, though, sometimes seems slow.

This is above all a company show. The chorus choreography is superb; He's The Wiz, for instance, is an unalloyed joy to watch. The revelation of the glamorous throne room is stunning. Only occasionally does the tiny stage seem cramped, the action confused.

Darren Matthews directs his unseen band from the keyboard, conjuring something of the urban African-American idiom from his provincial British company.

GODSPELL

GODSPELL

Brentwood Operatic Society at Brentwood Theatre

05.11.2014

All those YouTube philosophers, draped in blackout curtains, swept away by the colourful hippie world of John the Baptist [happy vest] and Jesus of Nazareth [tasteful white and grey].

Jacob Allan and Ian Southgate [director and musical director for BOS] have given us a stripped down Godspell – all the colour is in the costumes – with lots of cheeky detail: the mineral water, the wristbands, the selfie.

Musically, it was a real pleasure to hear these familiar numbers done unplugged; the choral singing was excellent, in We Beseech Thee, for instance, which was also very successfully staged. Some impressive solo work, too, from Emily Funnell in Day By Day, and Fleur Moore-Bridger in Learn Your Lessons to name but two. By My Side is superbly, touchingly done by the Women Taken In Adultery [Nicole Campbell and Jennifer Bell]. There were opportunities for most of the performers to shine, such as Jack Lloyd in Beautiful City. Good use of percussion, too: drum for the Parable of the Debtor, wood block for All For The Best, nicely put over in a circular vaudeville style by Ben Martins as The Baptist [later Judas] and Stewart Briggs as a gentle Jesus. His voice is on the light side, but his performance is sincere and engaging; this Messiah is a consummate communicator.

The stories and parables, acted out literally and naively by disciples and converts, risk slowing the action and making the actors look like Play School presenters. But generally there was enough enthusiasm and inventiveness [the Ark, the political hypocrites] to carry the narrative from Jordan to Gethsemane and the Crucifixion.

BLESS 'EM ALL

BLESS 'EM ALL

Brentwood Operatic Society at Brentwood Theatre

06.07.14

Popular songs run through the Great War – from recruiting drives to the trenches, where phonographs were prized possessions, and impromptu concert parties [as in the stage show of Birdsong] relieved the tedium and eased the terror. And of course there's O What A Lovely War, a savage satire with jolly songs.

Brentwood Operatic's approach was different. In a touching entertainment, specially devised for Brentwood Arts Festival, we see the war through the eyes of a close-knit little community, as it affects the lives of sisters, sweethearts, munitionettes and musicians.

The opening is brilliantly conceived – an invisible bugler sounds the Last Post, with Pack Up Your Troubles in poignant counterpoint. In a bleak church hall, the people are preparing patriotic paper-chains and bunting for an evening of Music Hall.

An ensemble show, with much the same community feel as their predecessors a century ago. But standout turns from Juliet Thomas as Mabel, Marcia Alderson as Lizzie, Alli Smith as the dashing drummer in the touring band, and Jamie Fudge as battle-scarred, shell-shocked Jack, whose death is subtly suggested by a heart-rending reprise of Till We Meet Again.

Musical leitmotivs run through the piece – Bless 'Em All is another, though we never hear the cruder words the Tommies sang. I'd always thought of it as a WWII song, George Formby's fault, no doubt, just as Oh Johnnie is linked to the Andrews Sisters [a super trio here, excellently choreographed]. But no, they belong to the earlier generation. Great to discover some “new” songs from the war, too – Harry Hilbert's American offering, Someday They're Coming Home Again, or the hilarious finale Higher In Hawaii.

The poetry, too, mixed the familiar with the lesser-known. Jessie Pope's tub-thumping The Call, and Owen's bitter response. But also Marian Allen's The Wind on the Downs, and Marjorie Wilson's To Tony, Age 3 -

all his joy he gave,
His love of quiet fields, his youth, his life,
To win that heritage of peace you have.

Musical Director, and orchestrated by, Becca Toft

Co directed by Becca Toft and Amy Newland

Script by Amy Newland.

HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING

HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING

Brentwood Operatic Society at Brentwood Theatre

16.10.13

Frank Loesser's swan song recalls more innocent days, when HR was Personnel, copies were made with carbon paper and sexual harassment was a harmless slap and cuddle.

Nina Jarram's production at Brentwood brings it into the twenty-first century with a wonderful split-level set, complete with elevator, scrolling Dow Jones, flat screens and cordless phones.

The story, though, is stuck in the 50s, when every secretary's ambition was to marry the boss and "keep his dinner warm". It tells of Window Washer J Pierrepont Finch [a confident Allister Smith] and his inexorable rise to the top of Worldwide Wickets.

Weaknesses in the book are outweighed by some excellent performances and one or two show-stopping routines – the glorious Brotherhood of Man production number well worth waiting for, with its tap shoes, ring binders and waste bins.

Juliet Thomas is the shy Rosemary, getting a crack at the big ballad, and rewarded at last with the hand of her Ponty. Superb character work from Martin Harris as big boss JB, old school song and old-fashioned love duet [with Amy Newland's vamp] both brilliantly handled, and Jordon Cox very watchable as Bud Frump, Finch's devious rival in the mail room. Louise Byrne, as Smitty, brings vocal style to several numbers, including the amusingly staged Coffee Break.

MD for the show is Jonathan Sands. 

THE WORLD GOES 'ROUND

THE WORLD GOES 'ROUND

Brentwood Operatic Society at Brentwood Theatre

22.05.13

Not just a best-of concert. Indeed one of the joys of this Kander & Ebb compendium, first produced in 1991, is discovering their lesser known work, often just as catchy, just as well crafted as the hits from Cabaret and Chicago. My favourite find ? Perhaps the love song to Sara Lee – all about layer cake, with a tap routine the icing on top.

BOS's version, directed by Sam Cousins with MD Jonathan Sands, is an almost sinful pleasure, with inventive choreography on the tiny stage, helped by creative lighting [Guy Lee]. The frenetic caffeine-fuelled Cardboard Cup, the ukulele babies, Ring Them Bells, complete with standard lamp, the hardships of the dancer in Pain, the skaters frozen on The Rink, the jazz-hand white gloves in Cabaret, the polyglot tour bus in the New York, New York finale.

Among the many impressive solos and duets, Juliet Thomas's title number, her tipsy thoughts on Class with Mandi Threadgold-Smith, Sian Hopwood's illicit longing for a touch of Arthur in the Afternoon, housewife and superstar Amy Newland and Nina Jarram's mutual envy – "That's wonderful!" - in The Grass Is Always Greener, and Martin Harris's beautifully judged Mr Cellophane.

Polished and professional, like the close harmonies, the excellently disciplined chorus and the quartet in the pit, much of this would not look amiss on any stage. Brentwood - "How Lucky Can You Get ?"

THE DROWSY CHAPERONE

THE DROWSY CHAPERONE

Brentwood Operatic Society at Brentwood Theatre

20.10.12

Follies, of course, Forbidden Broadway, and, my favourite, Songbook, by Monty Norman [the "record" is on my shelves, man in the armchair, is it on yours ?}. They're all more or less affectionate spoofs of the great American musical. But none is as clever, or as spiritedly witty, as The Drowsy Chaperone.

The unique feature of this glorious pastiche is the framing device of a Broadway anorak – a very recognizable type, I'm sure I used to know this guy – sitting in his lonely apartment with his spider plant and his record player. In Jacob Allan's cheerfully camp production for Brentwood Operatic we have Ian Southgate, scarcely middle-aged, but otherwise perfect as the apologist for this 1920s froth. He helps with the plot, gives footnotes on the stars, mouths the words, and gets more and more involved in the cheesy routines. And along the way reveals a little of his own life.

The show – his first love, though he's never seen it live, is this delicious confection, whipped up to a traditional recipe. You'll recognize the ingredients: mistaken identities, dream sequences, spit takes, a Broadway impresario and his Follies, a suave British butler, comic gangsters, an airhead chorus girl. He plays the LP, a gift from his mother, and the performance comes to life before our eyes, right there in his room.

The performers successfully recreated the feel and the falseness of the genre. The Chaperone herself, glass in hand, wearing the second worst wig, was perfectly embodied by Nina Jerram – her rousing anthem to alcoholism a highlight of a constantly delightful production. The bride and groom were Juliet Thomas and Samuel Cousins – his dance duo with Best Man Dan Glock was impressively done. Amongst many other memorable creations, space only to mention the unlikely pairing of Mandi Threadgold-Smith and Jordon Cox as the gangster pastrycooks, Martin Harris as the Latin Lover, and Rebecca Toft outstanding in the relatively small role of the Aviatrix. The MD was Jonathan Sands.

We never quite forget that this is a show in one geek's mind. His kitchen cupboard conceals props, his bed is pressed into service, his LP skips a groove and a power cut spoils the climax. "I should start again from the beginning …" he muses. And such was the feel-good magic of the piece and the production [the absence of a tap routine the only disappointment], we'd have been quite happy for him to do just that...

COMPANY

COMPANY

Brentwood Operatic Society at the Brentwood Theatre

05.11.11

Phone rings, door chimes, in comes Company !

Sondheim's classic concept musical, now over forty years old but still pertinent and edgy, was given an audacious make-over in Emma Jane Sweeney's impressive production for Brentwood Operatic.

A bare black cabaret stage with stools, band behind a gauze, and the amazingly confident performers moving around the auditorium, never missing a beat or a note.

It's bachelor Bobby's 35^th birthday, and those “good and crazy people”, his married friends, have organised a surprise party. As ever, he's on the outside looking in, or rather, in this brilliant, bold staging, he's in the middle, and they're all addressing the three sides of the audience. Other clever moments were the karate moves, the umbrella bouquet and the superbly sustained Side by Side sequence.

Samuel Gilmore-Cousins was a decidedly detached Bobby, laid-back and casual; he delivered his big numbers with élan. But there were no passengers among the five couples and three girlfriends in Bobby's life. Space only to mention a brilliant Sarah from Nina Jarram, some great vocals from Abby Lowman, and a perfect performance from Samantha Thompson as the dumb blonde flight attendant who leaves Bobby's bed, bound for Barcelona.

The musical side was just as polished as the dramatic, with a great band under MD Ian Southgate. This score has some of Sondheim's best numbers, and we had slick, professional renditions of the “Crazy” trio, Marry Me a Little, City of Strangers, Being Alive, and of course the title song:

No strings, good times, just chums, company !

GUYS AND DOLLS

Brentwood Operatic Society at the Brentwood Theatre

21.06.11

The Devil's own city, squeezed onto a Brentwood stage made even tinier by extra seating and an upper level over the Mission.

So a pocket-size Loesser, losing most of the hoofing but thankfully preserving the music, well served by an experienced cast and a lively band under MD Ian Southgate.

Miss Adelaide is a peach of a part, and Louise Byrne more than did it justice, resisting the temptation to over-sell the comedy; her Nathan was seasoned musical comedy actor Justin Cartledge, very much at home in this role. Her Hot Box Girls didn't really warm up till the second half [and Havana looked very tame], but his “evil-looking sinners” made an effective character ensemble, given some clever choreography for Luck Be A Lady and Sit Down. The title song featured just two of the gang, Martin Harris's lovely Nicely-Nicely, and Gary Ball's Benny.

Bob Southgate was an impressive Big Jule, and William Wells, though hardly a native New Yorker, brought out the comic frustration of Lt Brannigan.

Ben Martins was a suave Sky, wooing Amy Clayton's demure Miss Sarah: she handled her songs with superb style, though her distinctive voice was not always enhanced by the sound system.

Guys and Dolls was directed by Margaret Kiel, with additional choreography by Sarah O'Sullivan.

THE WEDDING SINGER

Brentwood Operatic Society at the Brentwood Theatre

19.01.11

Another movie, another stage musical. Later this year we've “Ghost” to look forward to, but meanwhile a less iconic rom-com brought enthusiastic crowds to Brentwood Theatre.

The show, like the film, looks back to the 80s, when cell phones and CD players were cutting edge, and embryonic boy bands like these made money by playing at wedding receptions.

As the eponymous Robbie, Tom Eason looked the part in his 80s wig; his attempts at using his art to reflect his life were amusing – struggling to find rhymes for 'awesome' – but unfortunately the heat-and-serve songs penned by one Matthew Sklar with Chad Beguelin were little better: cheesy key-changes in pale pastiches of half-forgotten power ballads and pop anthems. Instead of classics from Wham and Musical Youth.

But Amy Clayton's production compensated for a feeble, formulaic piece with a zippy, brash style, boasting some excellent performances: Ian Southgate as the Wall Street whizz kid [“It's All About The Green”], Lisa Harris as Robbie's liberated Gran, Julie Salter very watchable as she made the most of the mother of the bride, Justin Cartledge as [Boy] George, Carolyn Kirkpatrick as the heartless Linda, and especially Rachel Wood as Holly; she got closest to the wise-cracking wit of the original. Julia, the waitress who dumps the trader and finds her wedding singer, was engagingly done by Sarah Miles – her distant duet with Robbie was a rare highlight.

The choreography was energetic, often witty – the waitresses especially. MD Robert Miles got some great sounds from his hidden band, and the atmosphere was often electric. It was just a pity that the music was so ordinary, the book so banal. Bring on Guys and Dolls, I say …

I LOVE YOU, YOU'RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE

Brentwood Operatic Society at the Brentwood Theatre

14.07.10

“It's Seinfeld set to music”, raved the New York Times. This cult off-Broadway show is a revue, really, loosely linked sketches with songs, done in a simple chamber style. More so in the original, which has just four actors.

The theme is the thorny jungle of relationships. From first date through marriage to weary resignation. Brentwood fielded a dozen of its best singer/actors for this enjoyable show, and most of the numbers hit home - I especially enjoyed the speed-dating Justin Cartledge and Lisa Hall, the desperate parents Graham Greenaway and Jan Elliot, Gary Ball regressing into baby babble, Ruth Downie making an all-too-honest dating video, and Michael Toft settling for Stephanie Norman in the catchy I Can Live With That, with echoes of Making Whoopee.

There's no shortage of wit and wisdom, Single Man Drought and the sexless Marriage Tango spring to mind, but Sondheim it ain't, lyrically or musically; Scared Straight and Wedding Vows made a plodding climax to Act One, and I found myself longing for Not Getting Married from Company.

ILYYPNC was directed for BOS by Martyn Harrison, with Margaret Kiel overseeing the move onto the Brentwood stage. Adrian Ure, leading a hard-working trio from the piano, was Musical Director.

Michael Gray

\ends

THE FULL MONTY

Brentwood Operatic at the Brentwood Theatre

18.01.10

If you're going for the Full Monty, where the heck do you stick your radio mic ?

To find out, you'd have to be part of the enthusiastic audience at the Brentwood Theatre for a very impressive production of David Yazbek's musical.

I have some reservations about the show. Like Whistle Down The Wind, the film has been uprooted and relocated to a brasher, brassier US setting. But I have none about Amy Clayton's slick staging.

Scarcely a weak link in the cast. The six steel workers who strip were led by a great double act from Justin Cartledge as likeable loser Jerry, and Martin Harris as his Homer Simpson sidekick. Real chemistry between these two players, who both seemed incredibly comfortable in their roles. Hitler turned hoofer, Bob Southgate was the foreman Harold who dare not tell his high-maintenance wife he's on the scrap heap. They were joined along the way by suicidal mother's boy Malcolm – a beautifully judged character from Ian Southgate – Ethan [a very watchable Ben Martins] and Ray Johnson's warm, cuddly Horse.

The womenfolk have less to do – lots of squealing and screaming – but there was strong support from Sarah Miles and Sarah O'Sullivan as long-suffering wives.

Terrific cameos from Julie Salter as the seen-it-all, eight-times-wed piano player, Lionel Bishop as the real deal honed-and-toned pin-up, and Max Tanner, totally convincing as the young son who keeps Jerry focused on the prize.

Robert Miles was in charge of the music. The unseen band had just the right edge, and though there's barely a tune in the tricky score, there were many witty numbers: the Losers' Duet, the Barber Shop moment in The Goods, a tender lullaby for Jerry, and a lovely Latin number for Vicki [ Louise Byrne ].

Full marks to the sextet for the Let It Go climax – only a trick of the light robbed the girls of the Full Monty !