Kent – Page 4 – Theatre Things

Review: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at the Orchard Theatre

Published on December 14, 2016December 14, 2016 by LizLeave a comment

The other day, I was trying to explain to a friend from overseas what a pantomime is. I’m not sure I did a very good job; in fact I think I might have scared him a bit. And it was only when I tried to describe the concept to someone who’s never seen a panto before that I realised quite how random – not to mention incredibly British – the whole business is.

I’m not sure what my friend would make of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, this year’s festive offering at the Orchard Theatre, Dartford. Besides all the usual panto jokes and conventions, not to mention songs (it seems Justin Timberlake’s Can’t Stop The Feeling is this year’s musical number of choice), it also stars TV’s Joe Pasquale, who’s both a much-loved British entertainer and something of an acquired taste.

Like most pantos, the show’s appeal depends primarily on that of its star – if you’re a fan, you’ll have a great time; if not, you may find it a bit hard going. Act 1 of Snow White is very much the Joe Pasquale show; all the other characters become rather secondary while he – as Snow White’s lady’s maid’s son Muddles – messes about, makes fart jokes and interrupts (at length) Snow White’s big romantic moment/mannequin challenge with the dashing Prince Calum of Kent. It’s not sophisticated humour, but we knew that going in; this is basically Joe Pasquale doing what he does best, and his trademark comedy style proves a resounding hit with kids and adults alike.

Act 2 allows the rest of the excellent cast a bit more stage time. Ceri Dupree is particularly fun as Dame Dolly Diamond, in costumes that grow increasingly outrageous and enormous as the show goes on, and Rachel Stanley is a fabulously wicked and deranged Queen Sadista. As Snow White, Victoria Serra doesn’t have a huge amount to do besides fall in love and do the dwarfs’ housework – even her poisoned apple snooze only lasts a couple of minutes – but impresses in the musical numbers with her beautiful voice. Alexis Gerred throws himself energetically into his role as love interest Prince Calum, enduring Pasquale’s playful torture with cheerful good humour, and I wish we could have seen more of the dwarfs who, despite being spectacularly un-PC, brought a cheeky charm to their reworked version of You Raise Me Up (“I now feel four foot tall”).

A couple of words of warning: there are a lot of flashing lights in the show, which are used to great effect at scene changes but can also be slightly headache-inducing. And the show may be a bit frightening for young children; I heard one little girl during the interval talking plaintively about “the scary man in the mirror”, while the 3D segment in Act 2 takes us on a mad dash through the forest and face to face with a variety of nightmarish creatures. (Think Aragog in Harry Potter 2, and you’ll get the idea.)

Technological wizardry aside, Snow White is very much a classic panto; all the familiar cheesy jokes are in there, and just because we know they’re coming it doesn’t make them any less fun (there’s also plenty of humour specifically for the adults, which – I hope – will sail right over the kids’ heads). Joe Pasquale is a likeable lead, supported by a strong and polished cast who all look like they’re having a great time. And that’s a surefire way to ensure the audience do, too.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is at the Orchard Theatre until 31st December.

Review: Blood Brothers at the Orchard Theatre

Published on November 23, 2016November 23, 2016 by LizLeave a comment

Willy Russell’s classic musical Blood Brothers finally closed at the Phoenix Theatre in 2012 after 24 years, but the show’s extraordinary sell-out success on tour proves there’s plenty of life still in it – and judging by the packed auditorium at the Orchard Theatre last night, that’s not about to change any time soon. A story that seamlessly slips from laugh-out-loud humour to devastating tragedy in the blink of an eye, Blood Brothers never fails to grip the audience firmly by the heartstrings and pull us, sobbing, to our feet for a protracted standing ovation.

Set in Liverpool, the show explores a nature versus nurture debate through the story of the Johnstone twins, Mickey and Eddie (Sean Jones and Mark Hutchinson). With one too many mouths to feed and a husband who’s run for the hills, their mother (Lyn Paul) agrees to give one of her unborn sons away to her wealthy employer (Sarah Jane Buckley), who can’t have children of her own. Raised in very different homes, the brothers grow up knowing nothing of each other, but fate intervenes to repeatedly bring them together, with dramatic consequences that ultimately prove tragic for everyone.

There’s not a huge amount I can say about Blood Brothers that I haven’t said before; this was my fourth visit and not much has changed in terms of the staging or design in Bob Tomson and Bill Kenwright’s production, which gives the show a comforting familiarity (also, why mess with a winning formula?). This even includes the cast; Blood Brothers is a show that seems to have an incredible power to retain cast members, and it’s a pleasure to see veterans Lyn Paul, often described as the definitive Mrs Johnstone, and Sean Jones, who’s rapidly becoming – for me at least – the definitive Mickey, reprising their roles. Both continue to display the necessary energy, both physical and emotional, to make their characters and their journey compelling, and are complemented by equally strong performances from Dean Chisnall as the Narrator, Mark Hutchinson as Mickey’s charming, well-spoken twin Eddie, and Alison Crawford as Linda, the girl who inadvertently comes between the brothers.

Perhaps one of the secrets of Blood Brothers‘ success is that it’s not your typical musical. With the exception of the well-known finale, Tell Me It’s Not True, in which a mother’s heartbreak routinely reduces most of the audience to a weeping mess, there aren’t really any dramatic “belt out the big solo” numbers, and instead each of the characters gets their own signature theme, which recurs throughout the show – most notably Shoes Upon the Table, the Narrator’s ominous warning, which returns no fewer than six times. As a result, the music feels like a much more natural part of the story, and the action can continue uninterrupted without pausing to make way for big showpieces.

The other unique thing about Blood Brothers is that it’s very funny, which is surprising considering our looming knowledge from the very beginning of the tragedy to come. The enjoyable sight of adults playing mischievous children and awkward teenagers guarantees a lot of laughs, and the whole script is shot through with a cheeky Scouse humour that constantly catches us unawares, so when things suddenly turn serious in Act 2, it’s all the more shocking.

The show might leave us a bit emotionally battered, but it’s worth it, and obviously I’m not alone in thinking this; Blood Brothers has a loyal following who willingly return to have our hearts broken again and again for the sheer pleasure of watching the story and its characters develop. This production doesn’t add anything new, but why mess with something that’s already perfect as it is?

Blood Brothers is at the Orchard Theatre until 26th November.

Review: Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story at the Orchard Theatre

Published on October 26, 2016 by LizLeave a comment

Following hot on the heels of last week’s The Glenn Miller Story, the Orchard Theatre in Dartford now plays host to another show about a musical legend taken way before their time. This time it’s Buddy Holly, the bespectacled 1950s rock ‘n’ roll star known for such classic hits as Peggy Sue and That’ll Be The Day, who died in a tragic plane crash at the age of just 22.

The Buddy Holly Story by Alan Janes opened in London’s West End in 1989, and since then has been seen by over 22 million people. In a format that’s become well known in recent years thanks to jukebox musicals like Jersey Boys and Sunny Afternoon, the show tells the story of Buddy Holly’s rise to fame, his whirlwind romance with his wife Maria Elena, and his final performance at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa. And while it touches briefly and poignantly on the star’s tragic death alongside his friends the ‘Big Bopper’ J.P. Richardson and Ritchie Valens, the show is very much a celebration – not only of the man but also of his music, which paved the way for such legends as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan.

The 2016 tour stars Glen Joseph as Buddy Holly, sharing the role with Alex Fobbester. While he doesn’t bear much resemblance to the star physically, Joseph has a boyish charm, and his on-stage moves and imitation of Holly’s distinctive vocal style are – to my untrained eye and ear at least – pretty spot on (they also earn him an approving nod from my mum, who knows far more about it than I do). He’s a hugely talented musician too, as are all the cast, and between them they soon have the audience rocking and rolling right out of our seats.

Buddy Holly’s career lasted only a couple of years, but in that time he recorded around 50 tracks, and it’s surprising how many of these are familiar, even to those of us who weren’t around at the time. More than once I found myself singing along to the likes of Heartbeat, Everyday and Rave On, without even realising I knew the words. But the show also makes time in its soundtrack for a selection of other well-known 50s hits like Shout and Why Do Fools Fall in Love, all punctuated by the velvety tones of radio announcers across the States and beyond.

Plenty of music there may be, but the brevity of Buddy Holly’s career means there’s not actually a huge amount of story to be told in between. Act 1 is devoted to his rise to fame with the Crickets, from their humble beginnings in Lubbock, Texas – and after teasing us halfway through in the recording studio with intros to some of their biggest hits, we finally get to enjoy the songs in full during the Act 1 finale, set at the Apollo Theatre, Harlem.

The story’s inevitable tragic conclusion is foreshadowed in Act 2 by the star’s wife begging him not to go on tour, and then delayed as long as possible by some comic banter from the Surf Ballroom MC (Matthew Quinn) and two memorable performances from the Big Bopper (Thomas Mitchells) and Ritchie Valens’ pelvis (Jordan Cunningham – the rest of him is there too, obviously, but for some reason it’s the pelvis that gets all the attention…) before the whole cast come together for the irresistible finale.

The Buddy Holly Story is both a nostalgia trip and a fitting tribute to a young man who knew what he wanted and clearly had much more to give. While the story, set and costumes may have more meaning for those who were around in the 1950s, the show and its music offer a great evening’s entertainment for anyone, of any age. And if you don’t leave singing That’ll Be The Day – well, you’re made of tougher stuff than I am.

Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story is at the Orchard Theatre until 29th October.

Preview: DAODS’ Annie Get Your Gun at the Orchard Theatre

Published on October 3, 2016 by LizLeave a comment

This week, the Orchard Theatre plays host to the Dartford Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society (DAODS) and their production of Irving Berlin’s Annie Get Your Gun. Established in 1906, DAODS have over 200 musicals, plays and revues to their name – not to mention some pretty high profile former members, among them West End stars Lara Pulver and Rebecca Thornhill – and they’re showing no sign of slowing down any time soon.

Annie Get Your Gun, which first opened on Broadway in 1946, tells the story of Annie Oakley, the best shot around, who’s discovered by Colonel Buffalo Bill and persuaded to join his Wild West Show. She soon falls for the dashing Frank Butler, but can their romance survive when she outshines him professionally, or will his bruised ego prove too much of an obstacle?

“The show is a classic, with some of the best known numbers in the musical theatre canon, including Anything You Can Do and There’s No Business Like Show Business,” explains DAODS’ Pat Walsh. “Those who have seen our shows at the Orchard Theatre before will know to expect the highest level of production values, with a full orchestra and professional lighting and sound, as well as a cast of over 50 adults and children, who will be on stage giving it their all.”

DAODS have been performing at the Orchard Theatre since it opened in 1982. “We typically perform two shows a year: one in the spring and one in the autumn. This production of Annie Get Your Gun will be the third time we’ve staged this show, the second time we’ve performed it at the Orchard Theatre, and our 66th show at the theatre in all.

“In many ways the Orchard’s become our second home, and it gives us the opportunity to put on shows to professional standards, where we can hire professional sets and orchestra as well as lighting and sound. In the last few years we had to cut down to just one show a year at the theatre, with the others being at our own venue of Heathfields Hall. However, we’re glad to say that we’re back to our normal six-monthly cycle, with Made in Dagenham coming up in the spring and Singing in the Rain in October 2017.”

Made in Dagenham marks a particularly exciting time for the Society: “We’ve been incredibly fortunate to be one of the first groups in the South-East to be given the rights to perform this recent West End smash hit show,” says Pat. “It’s a really feel good show, telling the real life story of the Ford workers’ strike in 1968, and is a testament to the power of ordinary people standing up for what’s right.”

Made in Dagenham is a show that requires a large cast of all ages, and auditions to join the Society will be taking place after their current show. To find out about auditions, email daodscom@gmail.com – DAODS are always looking for new members of all levels of experience.

Book now to catch DAODS’ Annie Get Your Gun at the Orchard Theatre from 5th-8th October.

Review: Let It Be at Orchard Theatre

Published on June 27, 2016June 28, 2016 by LizLeave a comment

There’s a line in the movie Sliding Doors: “Everybody’s born knowing all the Beatles lyrics instinctively. They’re passed into the foetus subconsciously along with all the amniotic stuff. Fact, they should be called The Foetals.”

Well. I don’t know about all the amniotic stuff, but after watching Let It Be at the Orchard Theatre last night, it’s pretty clear that the good people of Dartford not only know all the Beatles lyrics, with a little bit of encouragement they’re also more than willing to joyfully belt them out.

Let It Be is essentially the ultimate Beatles tribute show; fresh out of the West End, it crams in over 40 classic hits spanning the Fab Four’s career. Unlike other musicals based on pop bands, like Sunny Afternoon or Jersey Boys, the show is not so much a retelling of the Beatles story as a massive celebration of their music. Basically it’s what I imagine a Beatles reunion gig would be like, if such a thing were possible – complete with friendly banter between the band members and plenty of chat to the crowd (including John Lennon’s infamous “rattle your jewellery” quote from the 1963 Royal Variety Performance).

The cast is made up of Emanuele Angeletti, Paul Canning, Paul Mannion and Stuart Wilkinson, along with Michael Bramwell, who lurks at the back of the stage playing all the additional instruments on the later hits. Each performer is a talented musician and singer, with the additional challenge of reproducing the individual mannerisms and style of the band members. I’ll leave it to the generation who remember the originals to judge their success on that score, but they looked pretty good to me.

Let It Be is more than just a tribute to the Beatles, though; it’s a celebration of a whole glorious era in British history – so each time the cast leave the stage, we’re treated to news footage, TV commercials and a compilation of other music from the intervening years. And with each costume and hairdo change, we’re reminded once again what an iconic part of our history the Beatles are.

With the concert vibe comes a much more relaxed atmosphere than we’re generally used to in the theatre; taking photos and videos is encouraged, as is the use of social media throughout the evening, and getting up for a dance every now and again is almost compulsory – not that I noticed anyone complaining about that. And of course the show ends in a big singalong (I won’t ruin it by telling you which song, although you may be able to hazard a guess).

Let It Be is big, fun, loud, and makes you feel proud to be British – which, let’s be honest, is something we all need right now. With a cast who look and sound the part, and a soundtrack of classic hits, it’s no surprise the show has become a global sensation. And it’s a great opportunity to test that Foetals theory; I certainly saw nothing to disprove it last night.

Let It Be is at the Orchard Theatre until 2nd July 2016.