musical – Page 13 – Theatre Things

Review: Titanic at Charing Cross Theatre

Published on June 8, 2016January 6, 2018 by Liz1 Comment

There are a few events in history that we all just sort of know about, without necessarily remembering how or why. Henry VIII and his wives would be one; the World Wars, obviously… and the sinking of the Titanic is another. It’s an event so legendary, and so much a part of our national history, that sometimes we forget the sheer scale of the tragedy that claimed 1,517 lives in the early hours of April 15th, 1912.

This probably wasn’t helped by James Cameron’s blockbuster movie – which happened to coincide with my teenage years, so I make no apology for the fact I saw it five times at the cinema. As much as we all cried when she let go (admit it), the film went so overboard – sorry – on the special effects that as Celine Dion sang us out, the story of the Titanic still felt like just that: a story.

Maury Yeston and Peter Stone’s Tony award-winning musical, which was first performed on Broadway in 1997, approaches telling the story in a similar way to the movie it preceded. Act 1 (pre-iceberg) is considerably longer than Act 2, setting the scene and introducing us to the lives, loves, hopes and fears of a cross-section of the people aboard the ship: passengers – from first, second and third class, and all based on real people – and crew, from Barrett the stoker all the way up to Captain Smith. But with no Jack and Rose to hog the limelight, and despite the need to keep over twenty characters straight in our heads, we care about the fate of every single one. There’s also a lovely touch at the end of the show, which ensures we leave thinking not just about the people on stage, but about everyone who perished in those icy Atlantic waters.

Of course no portrayal of the Titanic would be complete without an element of social commentary; the theme of class runs throughout the show, without ever lecturing (because, let’s be honest, it doesn’t really need to). Heartbreakingly, it’s the third class passengers who are most likeable, and have the most to look forward to, yet we know from the start it’ll be they who are more likely to perish, simply because of where they come from.

It’s quite a feat to not only recreate on stage a ship with over 2,000 people on board, but then to sink it too. And yet somehow, despite the relatively intimate setting and with surprisingly little in the way of special effects, Thom Southerland’s production feels like an epic. Partly this is down to the incredible cast, who rotate through a multitude of roles, costumes and accents, giving the sensation there are hundreds of them instead of a couple of dozen. And it’s partly a result of David Woodhead’s multi-level and constantly moving set, which brings us right on board the Titanic, so that we feel the same awe as the passengers and crew on their first sighting.

But it’s mostly due to Maury Yeston’s music, with new arrangements by Ian Weinberger and directed by Joanna Cichonska, which is nothing short of exquisite. The show is a true ensemble piece, and while the solo numbers are fantastic, it’s when the cast and orchestra all come together – whether in hope as the ship sets sail, panic as it begins to sink, or grief as loved ones are separated – that the music quite literally soars, filling every inch of the space with its stunning harmonies.

Unlike its ill-fated subject, Titanic looks set to repeat the resounding triumph of its 2013 run at Southwark Playhouse. It’s a show that deserves a larger stage and a much wider audience. I know I’m gushing, but that’s how much I loved it – and I’m a grown-up now (or so they tell me), so I can’t even put my reaction down to a teenage crush on Leonardo DiCaprio.

Thank you so much to boxoffice.co.uk for the opportunity to review this show.

Review: Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror Show at the Orchard Theatre

Published on June 7, 2016 by Liz4 Comments

I have to confess something… until last night, I was a Rocky Horror virgin. Richard O’Brien’s classic musical is not so much a stage show as a phenomenon with a life of its own, and seeing it for the first time feels a bit like stumbling into a club of which you’re not a member. There are weird outfits, private jokes and choreographed dance moves – and that’s just the audience.

Fortunately, initiation into the Rocky Horror club is not only painless, but a lot of fun. And one thing becomes abundantly clear from the first moment: if you love this show, you will love this show. It’s a classic of such epic proportions, with such a devoted following, that it doesn’t really matter who’s in it, or where you see it; unless something goes horribly wrong, a Rocky Horror fan – old or new – is pretty much guaranteed a good time.

For the record, though, the touring production of Rocky Horror currently making a stop at the Orchard Theatre is of the highest quality, whether you’ve seen the show hundreds of times or you’re a slightly bewildered newbie. Slick, sexy and spectacular, it has a wicked sense of humour matched only by the increasingly cheeky responses being shouted by the Dartford audience, which the cast – particularly Norman Pace as the Narrator – handle with great aplomb.

Richard Meek and Lauren Ingram are perky and loveable as newly engaged Brad and Janet, who find themselves drawn into the bizarre world of Dr Frank-N-Furter when they get a flat tyre on a stormy night. Kristian Lavercombe is irresistibly creepy as Riff Raff, Dominic Andersen sets everyone’s pulses racing as Rocky and Sophie Linder-Lee’s Columbia is a brilliantly unhinged groupie. But the stage really belongs to Liam Tamne as Frank-N-Furter, the Sweet Transvestite from Transsexual, Transylvania; hilarious, seductive and quite, quite mad (not to mention a bit chainsaw-happy), he has both his guests and the audience in the palm of his hand from the start.

Oh, and the songs. Well, we all know the songs, right? Dammit Janet, Sweet Transvestite, Hot Patootie… Even for a first-timer, they’re pretty hard to resist – and come on, who never did the Time Warp at their school disco? There were a couple of occasions when the band drowned out the vocals a bit, but by that point things had got so bonkers I’d long since given up on keeping track of what was happening anyway.

Don’t think of Rocky Horror as a musical. It’s an experience: one I’m glad to have had – and that I won’t soon forget…

Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror Show is at the Orchard Theatre until 11th June 2016.

Review: All Male H.M.S. Pinafore at Hackney Empire

Published on April 29, 2016July 22, 2018 by Liz1 Comment

As a newcomer not just to H.M.S. Pinafore but to Gilbert and Sullivan in general (hangs head in shame), I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from an all male version of the popular comic opera – but it’s safe to say I’m officially sold. Inspired by memories of childhood productions at her girls only school, director Sasha Regan has assembled a talented and enthusiastic cast who know how to have fun with the concept, but never compromise on the quality of their performance.

This version of H.M.S. Pinafore sees some bored sailors on a World War II battleship entertaining themselves by recreating the story of humble sailor Ralph Rackstraw, who’s in love with his captain’s daughter, Josephine. It seems like Josephine might just feel the same way, but she’s held back by Ralph’s social inferiority and her father’s wish that she should marry the ridiculous (but rich) Sir Joseph Porter, K.C.B., the First Lord of the Admiralty. One melodramatic suicide attempt later, the lovers decide to elope but are caught by her father, and all seems lost until the revelation of a bizarre secret sets everything right and brings the story to a neat and happy -if a teeny bit weird – conclusion.

The show was written as light entertainment, poking affectionate fun at the English obsession with class, and the allocation of positions of power based on social standing rather than any kind of ability. The main target of the satire is the diminutive and rosy-cheeked Sir Joseph, whose pomposity is softened only by his unfailingly good manners. Michael Burgen plays his character’s absurdities to the max, sharing some particularly enjoyable comic scenes with Neil Moors’ Captain Corcoran.

But there’s additional enjoyment to be had here in watching the male actors camp it up in the female roles, a task to which they devote themselves with great enthusiasm. It’s an idea that could have gone horribly wrong – but any fears that the all male casting might lead the show to feel gimmicky, or that the quality of the musical numbers could suffer from the absence of female voices, are quickly dispelled by some fabulous performances from male and female characters alike, backed by musical director Richard Bates on piano. Ben Irish, in particular, is exquisite as Josephine, his clear, beautiful falsetto hitting the high notes with enviable ease.

Lizzi Gee’s choreography is slick and polished, and the show is full of energy and movement, so there’s literally never a dull moment, whether the actors are somersaulting or skipping across the set. The simple staging, which sees a rope, a few boxes and some bunk beds used to great creative effect, is a charming reminder that sometimes you don’t need big budgets, an enormous orchestra or complex special effects to make fantastic theatre, as long as you’ve got enthusiasm, energy and a desire to entertain – oh, and a few catchy tunes. These are things this production and its fantastic cast have in buckets, and the result is as enjoyable to watch as any lavish West End show. Highly recommended.

Can’t see the map on iPhone? Try turning your phone to landscape and that should sort it. I don’t know why but I’m working on it… 😉

Review: Priscilla, Queen of the Desert at the Orchard Theatre

Published on April 26, 2016April 26, 2016 by Liz2 Comments

If there was ever a movie crying out to be turned into a musical, it’s 1994 Aussie hit, Priscilla. The addition of disco classics to this fabulously flamboyant tale of three friends on a road trip through the desert feels like the most natural thing in the world, and the resulting show is an infectiously joyful cocktail, which is guaranteed to brighten up even the dreariest Monday.

Tick (a.k.a. Mitzi), a disillusioned drag queen, invites his friends Adam (a.k.a. Felicia) and Bernadette (formerly Ralph) to join him in a new act in Alice Springs, but doesn’t tell them he has his own reason for going. So, hopping aboard their very own party bus, Priscilla, the three set off from Sydney on a journey of self-discovery that will bring arguments, revelations and a bucketload of innuendo.

Blue’s Duncan James seems totally at ease with both his male and female personas, not to mention an increasingly outrageous wardrobe, and gives a strong performance as the conflicted Tick. He’s joined by Simon Green, as Bernadette, a sophisticated lady who just happens to have once been a man, and who lives in fear that her best days – and her chances of finding Mr Right – are behind her. Her scathing one-liners are usually directed at Felicia, played by a deliciously camp Adam Bailey. Unlike Tick, he’s completely comfortable with who he is, and demonstrates it by being fabulously over the top, but not always showing the sensitivity to others that he expects for himself.

This show is a lot more just its stars, though, and has three unsung heroes (if you’ll pardon the pun) in the Divas. With the main characters’ act consisting of them lip syncing to pop songs, someone has to provide the soundtrack, and Lisa-Marie Holmes, Laura Mansell and Catherine Mort deliver a sensational performance. (This is all the more impressive considering they’re suspended from the roof by wires for most of the show.) There’s a brilliantly unhinged turn from Julie Yammanee as Cynthia, Philip Childs is a loveable hero as Bob – and the whole cast exude so much energy throughout that it’s impossible to resist the urge to get up and join in for the final medley.

And while we’re talking about unsung heroes, a quick word for the incredible wardrobe department, led by Suzanne Runciman. The outfits are not only visually stunning but also seemingly limitless; I don’t think I’ve ever seen a show with so many lightning-fast costume changes, and yet there’s not a wig out of place.

Priscilla is a camp extravaganza – quirky, cheeky and endlessly entertaining, with a fantastic disco soundtrack featuring the likes of I Will Survive, Venus and Hot Stuff. But the show’s not just about glitterballs and glamour; it has a serious point to make too about the importance of both accepting ourselves for who we are, and allowing others to be themselves too.

Bit cheesy? Absolutely. But when you’re having this much fun, who cares…

Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is at the Orchard Theatre, Dartford until 30th April.

Review: Chicago at the Orchard Theatre

Published on March 1, 2016 by LizLeave a comment

Yesterday evening, as my train ground to a halt somewhere outside Lewisham, I sent a little prayer to the train gods (a.k.a. Southeastern) to please sort it out and get me to the theatre on time. Quite apart from the fact that I hate being late for anything – especially the theatre – I was on my way to see Chicago, and I think most people would agree that if you miss the opening number of Chicago, you’ve missed one of the best bits.

Fortunately, the train gods were in a good mood for a change, so I made it to the Orchard in time to sit back, relax and enjoy Kander and Ebb’s classic musical about “murder, greed, corruption, exploitation, adultery and treachery… all those things we hold near and dear to our hearts”. Set in the 1920s, Chicago is a darkly satirical story based on a play by Maurine Watkins (which in turn was inspired by real events). Wannabe star Roxie Hart murders her lover and ends up in prison alongside singer Velma Kelly, accused of killing her husband and sister. But when they both hire slick lawyer Billy Flynn, the women soon realise that innocence and guilt mean very little in the courts of Chicago, and that it’s the media, not the jury, that they need to win over.

With a minimalist set – the only props are a few chairs and a couple of ladders – and no need for any significant costume changes, all our attention is focused on the cast and their performances, and they don’t disappoint. This particular revival, the latest of many, features a star turn from Hayley Tamaddon as Roxie, while Sophie Carmen-Jones – who doesn’t get her name on the posters, but really should – razzle dazzles as queen bee Velma. Sam Bailey also stands out as Mama Morton; she’s a convincing figure of authority, but with a note of genuine affection for the women in her charge – and . And John Partridge is all charm and fancy footwork as Billy Flynn – though his vocals are noticeably less strong than those of his co-stars, this didn’t seem to dent the audience’s enthusiasm at the end of each number.

This could be because what makes Chicago such a fantastic show is the music – provided by Ben Atkinson’s enthusiastic orchestra, who are on stage throughout – and the Fosse-inspired choreography from Anne Reinking. These are the kinds of spectacular numbers that would glaringly expose any mistakes, but the cast don’t put a foot wrong; they’re perfectly in sync and working as one throughout – never more so than in the Press Conference Rag, which, along with All That Jazz, is one of the highlights of the show. That said, I really can’t pick a favourite song; they’re all so infectious and it’s no wonder the entire cast look like they’re having the time of their lives.

There’s a reason Chicago’s been a hit with audiences since its premiere in 1975: it’s slick, sexy (did I mention the ridiculously attractive cast?) and oh so stylish, with a satirical humour that makes for some great one-liners, but also makes a serious – and still relevant – point about the damaging and seemingly limitless power of the media to influence public opinion. Add to that the timeless score and slick choreography, and I’ve no doubt this show will be entertaining us for many years to come.

Chicago is at the Orchard Theatre until Saturday 5th March.