THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS

THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS

Royal Opera House at the Duchess Theatre

25.01.14

Covent Garden's Christmas treat transferred to the West End [a first, this, I think] and starring the inimitable Tony Robinson [in his first stage role in ages]. As last year down in the LinburyStudio, it is a magical production combining dance, music and narration.

The avuncular Robinson, as magician/author Kenneth Grahame, seems very much at home in his attic study, gesturing with his wand/pen as he sketches the characters.

Robinson's is an engaging performance, sharing the dream with his young audience; the final envoi is particularly moving.

All the other characters make their mark – Will Kemp is still Ratty, the boat-man, Cris Penfold's Toad is green with envy when he sees his first motor car, and there's a lovely Jailor's Daughter from Ewan Wardrop, hoofing it to folk tunes from A Shropshire Lad.

Like all of Martin Ward's evocative music, this is skilfully adapted from the oeuvre of George Butterworth, whose work is so redolent of the Edwardian world Grahame conjures up.

The poetical narration, by former Laureate Andrew Motion, is sometimes wordy, occasional clunky, but at its best – aping Auden for the train, say, or reaching out to the child in us all at the end – it is a superb gloss on a familiar much-loved story.

So let them rise again! Let time roll back 
And sunlight, not this graveyard-attic-light, 
But silken early sunlight ripple down! 
Let Mole peep from his burrow 
At the sudden brazenness, and Otter 
And the whole quick rabbit-clan! 
Let Ratty paddle into view, and let 
His river-currents play at fast and loose! 
Let Toad Hall stand there on its eminence! 
Yes let all this return! Return, and live 
As new and easy as the warming wind 
Which - listen! - strikes the willow-wands and draws 
A shower of music from their silver strings. 

JEFF WILSON QUARTET

JEFF WILSON QUARTET

at the Cramphorn Theatre, Chelmsford

17.01.2014

Jim Hutchon was at the cabaret-style Cramphorn ...

An evening of Jazz with Jeffery Wilson is a rare treat, which doesn’t come round too often, as his international commitments as “Chelmsford’s resident composer” keep him fairly busy throughout the year. Known more for his commitment to the Cramphorn’s Friday jazz sessions, Jeffery’s accomplishments as a jazz saxophonist are legendary.

Playing with his well established quartet, he took us through a varied and enlightening repertoire – a cool, haunting own composition, and some stompin’ standards much appreciated by his knowledgeable audience, many of whom are regulars.

The quartet he leads is made of Peter Marshall, the pianist who is also the group’s arranger. Pete never does things the easy way. He will take off on solo passages of rare improvisation which can leave us breathless. The drummer is another old favourite, Les Cirkel, who keeps them in order with reliable rhythms and his own style of impro. Dave Jenkins plays a double base that is only half-base, electronically enhanced. The sound is authentic, nowhere near the ersatz base of a bass guitar, and is played, again, with style and imagination.

The Cramphorn is to be congratulated for setting the auditorium as a jazz club with tables. It created exactly the right atmosphere for such an evening.

DRACULA

DRACULA

BlackeyedTheatre at the Civic Theatre, Chelmsford

22.01.2014

Five accomplished actor/musicians bring atmospheric freshness to the familiar story of the vampire Count, in this pared-down touring production from Blackeyed Theatre.

Paul Kevin-Taylor, impressively inhabiting the title role, makes a striking entrance, with his long coat, his cadaverous voice and his red hair. In a master-stroke, he also gets to play vampire-hunter Van Helsing, pursuing his prey from Victorian London to Transylvania. Much more doubling elsewhere, including Will Bryant outstanding as the strait-jacketed madman Renfield and young Jonathan Harker.

The women, whose role is enhanced in John Ginman's adaptation, are sympathetically played by Katrina Gibson and Rachel Winters.

Eliot Giuralarocca brings many clever touches to his production – the silent movie “A Fugitive Seeks Shelter”, the Music Hall number – as well as some spine-chilling effects. All on a spare scaffolding set, with atmospheric lighting, a candle or two, and live music from the versatile actors – Latin chant, folk music to set scenes, Psycho fiddle for Lucy's decapitation.

Scarcely any blood, no fake fangs, but a fast-moving drama, admirably true to the spirit and the style of the original.

ROBIN HOOD

ROBIN HOOD

Little Waltham Drama Group at the Memorial Hall

21.01.14

Men in tights, archery, weird sisters and Richard Lionheart – all for our delight in this colourful panto, Little Waltham's 42^nd, following their proud tradition of village entertainment.

The large cast includes a healthy sprinkling of young talent, and one newcomer, Ryan Chapman as Prince John.

Verity Southwell makes an imposing thigh-slapper as Robin, Martin Final a benignly evil Sheriff, and there's a nice double act from Glyn Jones and Bill Murphy as Friar Tuck and his camp friend Little John.

Darrel Drake handles his audience confidently as [Nothing] Much the Miller's Son, Hannah Walker [last year's Alice] is an amusingly feisty Marian, and Mike Lee gives us a superb Nurse Madonna Kebab – a terrific horned headdress, great gags and a winning way with the songs, including the priceless “I'm Wishing” with Walker.

On opening night there's a band of merry men [and women] sporting feathered red Nottingham hats near the front of the audience. They're here to heckle Ken Little's Twiddle [another double act, with Karen Wray's Twoddle]. And he does not disappoint, pointing the innuendo, ad-libbing and keeping us all in stitches. Another comedy classic from Brian Corrie as Sergei of Lisbon, building relentlessly to the naughty Act One punchline.

Ian Hornby's patchy script needs a linking narrative [sung with panache by Vicky Weavers' Alana A Dale]; Little Waltham give it a gutsy, lively performance, with excellent musical accompaniment from Dave Perry at the upright, [Billy Mayerl ousted by the Drifters this year for the sweetie run] and lovely backdrops by Liz Jones [the proscenium paintings this year striking silhouettes of Robin and the castle].

THE MAGIC OF A THOUSAND STRINGS

THE MAGIC OF A THOUSAND STRINGS

International Harp Ensemble at the Civic Theatre

18.01.14

A forest of harps filling the Civic Stage. Based in the Home Counties, this unique ensemble includes performers of all ages and backgrounds, playing harps of all colours and sizes, and is no stranger to overseas tours and prestige gigs.

Last year they played on Songs of Praise with Britain's Got Talent prodigy Faryl Smith. And she was with them in the Civic, singing that same hymn as well as some lovely Bernstein, and, hurrah, the old Noel Gay number I Took My Harp to a Party.

The harps at this party, hosted by their bubbly, enthusiastic founder and director Luisa-Maria Cordell, gave us a wide-ranging repertoire: Black and White Rag, a Baroque Flamenco, Skyfall and Take Five, as well as classical favourites from Handel, Purcell and Pachelbel.

Of course it's not necessarily true that two dozen instruments will sound better than two, but strength of numbers was particularly effective in Pirates of the Caribbean, and my favourite, a piece of Balinese minimalism named Spice Islands.

The harp sound was enhanced by a solo cello, a double bass, and percussion, much of it provided by the players knocking and slapping on the wooden frame of their instruments.