review: “The Hired Man”, at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton, until July 3rd.
Box office: 01204 529407. Website: www.octagonbolton.co.uk
David Thacker has had an impressive season at the Octagon. “The Hired Man” presents him with a challenge. A musical drama, it is based on Melvyn Bragg’s fictionalised version of his grandfather’s Cumbrian working-class life in the early part of the 20th century. Howard Goodall composed the music and lyrics when he was 26. His TV series on the history of music is one of the best things I’ve ever seen.
The Hired Man has lovely solos, duets and choruses. Thacker has assembled a talented ensemble. Principals Amy Nuttall as Emily, Kieron Hill as husband John, and John Cosworth as Jackson Pennington, sing with passion and power, supported by Tobias Beer, a great violinist, and David Ricardo-Pierce on keyboard and cello as John’s brothers, and other excellent singers/musicians.
Clare Darcy plays a wonderful trumpet. Carol Sloman gives a great background performance as the pianist who controls the whole thing. There is a super community choir singing their hearts out. The problem is that it’s hard to condense 25 years into a “two hours’ traffick of our stage”!
The first act, which centres of the love between Emily and John and her sudden passion for Jackson, works well, finishing on a moment with Emily centre stage and the two men on either side. However, the second act opens 15 years later with no explanation of what has happened.
This act has to hurtle through the rise of the Trade Movement, gallop through the First World War, the deaths and the return, a village fete celebrating Friendly Societies, which is where I thought the end would come as John returned to the land. But no, we were thrust back to the Whitehaven pits for a desperate pit disaster and several other “scenes” before the finalé.
This production is an interesting experiment and thus worthy of praise. It sent me home to re-read my tattered Uni copy of Aristotle On the Art of Poetry (and the structure of drama), something I haven’t done in several decades. The Octagon has a fabulous season planned for the autumn.
PIPPA MUNRO HEBDEN
The Hired Man, Octagon Theatre, Bolton, until July 3rd
This musical sprang from the book by Melvyn Bragg and is based on the few facts he knew about the first half of his grandfather's life in Cumbria.
It starts with the farmhands working the land when their labour comes cheap, and the years go by until war comes and it is their lives that come cheap. That is when the only land they know is "no man's land" but they've already worked that land in another sense as they have lived their lives rooted in seeds of dissatisfaction.
We live through those lives with them and become engrossed in their world, sharing with them the heartache along with the fellowship.
The music and lyrics are by Howard Goodall and the evening slowly but surely gets into its stride as the songs seem to get better and better. A production that is full of life in every sense of the word.
Ticket office: 01204 520661
BARRY BRADSHAW
review: “Pygmalion” at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, until June 19th.
Box Office: 0161 833 9833. Website: www.royalexchange.co.uk
Greg Hersov’s production of George Bernard Shaw’s most well known play “Pygmalion” at the Royal Exchange Theatre is witty and stylish.
Cush Jumbo is a delightful Eliza Doolittle and gives a wonderfully comic performance in the tea party scene, when she discusses the demise of her relative in exaggerated Received Pronunciation, peppered with expressions like “done her in” and “ladling gin into her”. Her carefully postured walk is also very funny.
Simon Robson is an intriguing Henry Higgins. His face expresses a variety of lugubrious expressions and he flings his legs into extraordinary contortions in moments of irony or discomfort.
These two are supported by an excellent cast. Terence Wilton is a kindly, lovable Pickering. Gaye Brown and Ian Bartholomew give clever performances as Mrs Higgins, Henry’s long-suffering mother and Alfred Doolittle, Eliza’s conniving father.
Ashley Martin-Davis’ design gives us a sense of the elegance of London Society in 1912 and the costumes of Eliza and mother and daughter Eynsford Hill are enviably elegant.
This is Shaw at his best, amusing, full of subtle barbs about the inequalities of class and gender and not too much of the customary Shavian polemic, except in the final act when Eliza and Higgins square up to one another in a surprisingly modern exchange of views. Hersov has remained true to Shaw’s original ambiguous ending and avoided any sentimentality. This production provides a most enjoyable evening in a superb venue.
PIPPA MUNRO HEBDEN
review: “The Memory of Water”, ath the Coliseum Theatre, Oldham, until June 5th.
Box office: 0162 624 2829. Website: www.coliseum.org.uk
I HAVE always liked the work of dramatist Shelagh Stephenson, since I saw her play “An Experiment with an Air Pump” at the royal Exchange in 1997.
Now I find that “The Memory of Water” was her first play for the stage. I have seen it performed before, I think at the Library Theatre, and I enjoyed it then.
Kevin Shaw’s production at the Coliseum Theatre in Oldham is well worth seeing. It is provocative, poignant and very funny. The drama centres on three sisters, who have come back to their childhood home for the funeral of their mother.
Teresa (Eve Pope) is the oldest, the dependable one, jealous of her sister Mary and irritated by her youngest sister Catherine. Mary (Maeve Larkin) is the bright one, the one who has had all the advantages, trained to be a doctor and moved away. Catherine (Catherine Kinsella) is needy, unsuccessful in relationships, angry because she feel no-one listens to her.
Together the sisters laugh and cry about their relationship with their mother, (Emma Gregory) who appears to Mary from time to time. The play focuses on their memories and explores just how true or flawed these memories might be.
In the time they are together family secrets are revealed and each of the sisters change in some way.
Mary’s lover (Paul Barnhill) is married to someone else. Catherine’s lover ditches her, but Tim Treslove gives a clever comic performance as Frank, Teresa’s husband, a true support. But most important of all, the dialogue is so funny. This is not a dispiriting play about death, but an uplifting play about love in all its forms.
The Coliseum’s next production is an adaptation of William Woodruff’s celebrated memoir of his childhood in Blackburn, “The Road to Nab End”.
PIPPA MUNRO HEBDEN
PREVIEW: “The Importance of Being Earnest”, at the Library Theatre, Manchester, from June 5th to July 3rd.
Box Office: 0161 2367110. Website: www.librarytheatre.com
Hurry to get tickets for the Library Theatre’s final production in its theatre under Manchester’s historic Central Library.
I’ve watched so many splendid plays here, all of them well worth seeing. I have discovered new dramatists, learned to recognise so many talented actors. I’ll always remember the place with deep affection.
“The Importance of Being Earnest” will make an appropriate finalé to the Company’s 58 years of drama in this venue, a very special intimate theatre. Indeed the first production in 1952 was the same Wilde comedy, “a trivial play for serious people”.
Artistic Director Chris Honer has picked a strong cast of eight, the most intriguing being Russell Dixon as Lady Bracknell. I have thoroughly enjoyed the skill of this versatile actor, at his best in comedic roles, most recently Pozzo in the Library’s production of “Waiting for Godot”, and one of my all-time favourites, “Quartet”, at the Oldham Coliseum.
Another favourite is Olwen May, last seen at the Library in “The Good Soul of Szechuan”, but seen by me in so many good productions over the past 15 years. They will be supported by an excellent team, including Malcolm James, Simon Harrison and Leigh Symonds.
The Library Theatre Company is thankfully not disbanding. In the immediate future they will present some productions at The Lowry, in addition to some site-specific productions, before moving into their new home in the Theatre Royal in Peter Street.
Make sure you book early because many theatre-goers will want to say their farewell to this special place. There is also a celebration to mark “The Last Night at The Library” on July 4th, a gala event with performers drawn from the history of the Company.
PIPPA MUNRO HEBDEN
‘Table Manners’ did group credit
DOWNHAM'S drama group Stage Two did not disappoint their audience when they presented “Table Manners”, by Alan Ayckbourn, the second in his trilogy of plays “The Norman Conquests”.
Eddie Bootle once again directed following their success last April when the group performed “Round and Round the Garden”. One year on this dysfunctional family moved in from the garden to the dining room to continue their thinl-veiled shenanigans.
The story revolves around the lives of three couples – two sisters and a brother, two spouses and for the unattached Annie, an ineffectual suitor. Norman plans to take his sister-in-law, Annie, away for a weekend. Brother and sister-in-law Reg and Sarah come over to look after mother believing Annie to be going with her dreary veterinary friend, Tom.
Sarah soon puts a stop to their tryst and everything turns on its head when Norman’s less-than-popular wife, Ruth, arrives.
A shift in dominance of characters put Sarah, the relentless nagging wife, in a major role, played competently and elegantly by Pat Bowker. She never “let up” interfering and complaining, finding nothing in her life that could possibly make her happy until the feckless Norman volunteered to take her away for a weekend. This was as good as a tranquiliser for Sarah.
Bob Cleeve, comfortable in his “Norman” role, played the part to the letter – the boyish carefree style belying his selfish philandering behaviour. Bob sustained his character for long pieces of dialogue when the family were ignoring him at breakfact. Norman really appears to believe that everyone should like him.
Lesley Haworth returned in the role of Annie, portraying with ease the slightly scatty woman who has given her life to looking after her elderly mother. Lesley transformed the cardigan-clad dowdy Annie to a more vampish character in an attempt to show the family she was no longer “round and round the garden”.
The “vacant vet”, Tom, was played convincingly by Steve Cooke, providing many comic moments throughout the play.
His slow-burning courtship with Annie hit a highnote when he threw a punch at Norman at the dinner table.
Sarah’s husband, the gregarious Reg, was once again well portrayed by Brian Haworth. Chatty and amusing when free from the nagging Sarah, who he finds impossible to please, and, at other times, rather wistful when recalling his boyhood pastime of making model planes.
For the second in this set of Ayckbourn plays, Glen Purchase took the part of Norman’s wife, Ruth. She brought in another contrasting character to this unwieldy family, confidently taking the role of the rather superior Ruth, who deals with her husband’s amours with a somewhat scornful and dismissive approach. Her short-sightedness, cleverly acted, added a human touch to the part.
A well directed and convincing play, amusing from start to finish. The set was built to use the stage well as the whole play took place in the dining room, every detail contributing to the requirements of the story – thanks to Dan Bradbury and Gerry Purchase. Effective lighting and sound was provided by David King. A strong cast ably supported by good direction and efficient teams behind the scenes and front of house.
Well done Stage Two once again!
by Elizabeth Wrigley
review: “Comedians”, at the Octagon, Bolton, until May 8th.
Box Office: 01204 520661. Website: www.octagonbolton.co.uk
David Thacker’s production of Trevor Griffiths’ play Comedians is challenging, gripping and thought provoking.
The plot is set in real time and follows the experiences of six hopeful stand-up comedians as they rehearse with their teacher, veteran comic Eddie Walters (Richard Moore) then perform their acts at a local club under the critical eye of an agent, Bert Challenor (John Branwell) and afterwards return to hear his views.
However, the drama focuses on more than just their routines. It explores the nature of comedy, what makes people laugh, even when it appals, and on the relationship between the performer and the audience. Indeed we, the audience, become an essential part, drawn into the play by choosing to laugh or not to laugh.
The six comedians comprise two Irish, one Jewish, two Mancunians and an angry young man – George McBain, Mick Connor, Sevan Stephan, Mark Letheren, Huw Higginson and Keiran Hill. The Irishmen tell jokes about the Irish, the Jewish comedian tells jokes about the Jews, the two Mancunian brothers do a spoof ventriloquist act, but we have no idea what the young man is going to do.
The first act sees Eddie coaching them and expounding his views on the essence of good comedy. However, the presence of the agent causes some of them to make rapid and risky changes to their acts. The gags are funny if, perhaps, a little dated. The play was written in 1975.
Many are very politically incorrect, which seems strange to modern ears, used to every kind of obscene language and overt sexual content, but not to white male comics insulting other races, or perhaps I haven’t come across those who do. There is clever comic cameo from Howard Crossley, as the school caretaker and club pianist, and the last laugh is given to Simon Nagra as the Hindu, Mr Patel.
The Octagon’s next production is “Rafta Rafta”.
PIPPA MUNRO HEBDEN
REVIEW: “Up On The Roof”, at the Oldham Coliseum until May 1st.
Box Office: 0161 6242829. Website: www.coliseum.org.uk
The plot of “Up On The Roof”, by Simon Moore and Jane Prowse, is simple.
Five students graduate from Hull University in 1975, meet again in 1980 and in 1985 and compare each other’s lives. That’s not the reason to go and see this delightful production by director Peter Rowe at Oldham’s Coliseum Theatre. Go and enjoy the wonderful a cappella music, with all kinds of favourites including, of course, the famous “Up On The Roof”.
The talented cast, Stephen Fletcher, Christopher Pizzey, Gavin Spokes, Gemma Wardle and Georgina White sing unaccompanied and dance their way through several popular songs with incredibly skilful do-wah-de-do, dip-dip, bop-bop backing noises as each in turn sing the lyrics.
Great credit must be given to the always accomplished musical director Howard Gray and also to Choreographer Francesca Jaynes. Together they have helped the cast to give renditions that preserve the idea that these are supposedly amateur student singers and yet are very professional.
Some of the routines are hilarious. Foxton has designed three sets for each of the acts as well as clever costumes to reflect each era as well as the changes in the characters’ circumstances. The hairstyles are amazing. It’s hard to believe now that we wore such mops!
The Coliseum’s next production, starting on May 20th, is “The Memory of Water”, by Shelagh Stephenson, a superb playwright, writing about the effect of the death of their mother on three sisters. It is both funny and poignant. I’ve seen this play before and I am really looking forward to seeing it again.
PIPPA MUNRO HEBDEN
REVIEW: “Comedy Of Errors”, at the Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester until May 8th.
Box office: 0161 833 9833. Website: www.royalexchange.co.uk
Shakespeare’s “Comedy of Errors” continues to be one of his most popular comedies.
As my daughter says, “Give me sets of twins and several doors and I’m ready to laugh”. Shakespeare drew on the Roman playwright Plautus for part of his plot, but as always developed his source in his own way. In that Shakespearean perennial, a shipwreck, has caused Antipholus of Syracuse to be separated in infancy from his twin brother, as has his servant Dromio from his twin brother.
The introductory scenes are inevitably rather slowly paced as Egeon (Fred Ridgeway) explains at length past circumstances to The Duke of Ephesus (Munir Khairdin). Egeon is further troubled by the impending threat of execution because Syracusans are enemies of Ephesians.
We need to know all this background stuff before we can get down to the real farce as Antipholus of Syracuse (Sam Collings) and his servant Dromio (Michael Jibson) arrive in Ephesus, to find themselves in a series of confusing situations when they are mistaken for Antipholus of Ephesus (Jack Farthing) and Dromio of Ephesus(Owain Arthur).
The jokes abounding are predictable, but wildly entertaining. Roxana Sibert’s direction keeps the witty script and the physical humour moving fast, helped by a skilful cast and Anthony MacIlwaine’s design gives us a wonderful sense of a middle-eastern fantasy land.
The costumes are splendid. The Exchange design team are at their best in the spectacular finale with a very clever interpretation of a “Deus ex Machina”, a god descending, to sort out the complications of the plot. This production is great fun and the two Dromios are particularly entertaining.
PIPPA MUNRO HEBDEN
REVIEW: “And Did Those Feet”, at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton, until April 10th.
Box Office: 01204 520661. Website: www.octagonbolton.co.uk
Former artistic director, Mark Babych returns to the Bolton Octagon to direct a revival of a production of “And Did Those Feet”.
He directed the world premiere of this play in 2007. The plot tells the story of the famous FA cup final of 1923 when Bolton Wanderers played West Ham in the first ever final at Wembley Stadium with its iconic twin towers.
I have to confess I have little knowledge and even less interest in football. I was raised in a rugby playing family. However I found myself drawn in and captivated by this play by Les Smith and Martin Thomasson.
It is a pleasurable evening of nostalgia and humour with a great feel-good factor. All the Bolton references delight the home audience, but even the visitors can enjoy the witty script. The story of Bolton’s triumph is told through the experiences of four men, Bob the endearing comic turn (Martin Barrass)), brothers Ted (Mark Letheren) and Jim (Curtis Cole), and Alf (Huw Higginson).
Jim is an avowed communist who loses his job. Ted is planning his wedding to Martha (Naomi Radcliffe). Alf, despite the pleas of his wife Hilda (Susan Twist), cannot bear to watch the team since the death of his son Billy (Chris Finch) in the War.
Billy appears as a ghost inspiring his father to recall just what the love of one’s team can be. There are some clever tricks, such as the pastiche of early films and newsreels and some catchy clog dancing that enliven the action and as the climax approached I found myself thrilled with anticipation at the prospect of victory.
For a little while I was a real footie fan. This is a heart-warming reminder of a splendid achievement by a Northern Football Team and the town that made them.
PIPPA MUNRO HEBDEN
REVIEW: “And A Nightingale Sang, at the Coliseum Theatre, Oldham, until April 3rd.
Box Office: 0161 6242829. Website. www.coliseum.org.uk
SARAH Punshon directs CP Taylor’s play “And A Nightingale Sang” at the Oldham Coliseum.
The plot concerns the experiences of one Geordie family through the duration of the Second World War, but it’s not really a play about war, but about the changes it brings to the people.
The central character is Helen (Laura Norton) who addresses the audience directly as she narrates her story and that of her sister Joyce (Anna Doolan) with their soldier boyfriends, Joyce’s fiancé Eric (Michael Imerson) and Norman, his pal from Birmingham, (Jack Bennett) who brings love into the life of the crippled Helen.
Helen’s mother, Peggy (Katherine Dow Blyton) is a devout Catholic. Her father, George (Simeon Truby) lost his job in the Depression but finds war work in the shipyards and joins the Communist Party, and grandfather Andie (Ged McKenna) is a character with a combination of humour and a cynically realistic view of human failings.
The events and emotions are underpinned by appropriately chosen wartime music, such A Nightingale Sang, Blue Birds over the White Cliffs of Dover, A Lovely Weekend, and many more evocative songs. Simeon Truby as the father plays the piano to accompany the singing.
I’m a big fan of this talented, versatile actor, having seen him at the Bolton Octagon and the Royal Exchange. Indeed the whole cast are to be congratulated for a well played, entertaining production that manages to avoid many of the “Dunkirk Spirit” clichés.
The Coliseum’s next production, starting on April 9th is “Up On The Roof”, a comedy with the music of the seventies and eighties.
PIPPA MUNRO HEBDEN
REVIEW: “1984”, at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, until March 27th.
Box Office: 0161 833 9833. Website: www.royalexchange.co.uk
Matthew Dunster’s direction of George Orwell’s classic “1984” is visually stunning and powerfully played.
I wondered beforehand how Orwell’s dystopian vision of the future, based on his horror of Stalinist and other totalitarian regimes, from a world view in 1948 would relate to the twenty first century. It still has much to say to a contemporary audience.
I was struck by Syme’s (Jamie de Courcey) impassioned speech about the gradual destruction of language, given our current concerns about texting, e-mailing, twittering and blogging on the expressive capacities of younger people. The torture scenes of the second act are horrific and a reminder of Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo and so many other places, North Korea, Zimbabwe and more.
This is a gripping production, worth seeing for an amazingly harrowing performance from Jonathan McGuinness as the protagonist, Winston. He is well supported by an excellent ensemble acting a variety of parts and helping to move the battered furniture, indicative of a bleak environment, creating a sense of seamless movement from scene to scene.
Caroline Bartlett makes an impressive theatrical debut as Julia, Winston’s lover and co-conspirator. Matthew Flynn is a chilling interrogator and Paul Moriarty as Goldstein received a well-deserved burst of applause for his chillingly lucid speech interpreting a savage view of human class divisions (sadly with remembrances of John Cleese, Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett in that famous sketch, a further indication of how the world has changed since Orwell’s day).
This production is also a wonderful chance to see the Royal Exchange design team at its best. I marvelled at the way in which they created so many different places, the homes, the secret hiding places of the lovers and ultimately a truly terrifying prison and interrogation room. And the idea of Thought Police still terrified me.
PIPPA MUNRO HEBDEN
By Pippa Hebden
Ruddigore: Opera North Lowry
The minute the Opera North Orchestra strikes up, you know you are in Gilbert and Sullivan land.
Ruddigore is one of their lesser-known and less frequently performed operettas, but Opera North’s revival is well worth seeing.
The plot is based on Gilbert’s witty overturning of the Victorian penchant for melodrama, that realm of innocent heroines beset by dastardly villains accompanied by a host of stock characters.
Robin Oakapple, in reality Sir Ruthven Murgatroyd, heir to a cursed baronetcy, (Grant Doyle) is in pursuit of the lovely Rose Maybud (Amy Freeston). Hampered by shyness, he asks his foster brother Dick Dauntless, newly returned from sea (Hal Cazalet) to woo her for him. Inevitably, Dick falls for himself, but the situation is further complicated when Dick reveals Robin’s true identity both to Rose and to Sir Despard (Richard Burkhard) the younger brother who has been forced to inherit the title and the curse of committing a crime a day that goes with it.
Actually the plot is just a framework for all kinds of ironies, paradoxes and pastiches.
Richard Burkhard and Heather Shipp as his one time fiancée, now Mad Margaret, are clearly enjoying their comic roles as Baddy, Maddy and then amazingly reformed Goodies, she has to be kept in check with a catchphrase.
I’m sure Basingstoke is a delightful place, but never will I be able to visit without thinking of Mad Margaret.
Richard Angas sings the role of Old Adam Goodheart, Robin’s servant who changes from the devoted old retainer into a wonderfully ham wicked servant straight out of a Hammer Horror movie.
The movie theme is cleverly played on. The production by Jo Davies is set somewhere in the 1920s, using projections of old silent movies to set up the plot and the costumes fit in.
As always the chorus are wonderful and I really enjoyed the “Professional Bridesmaids” ready to throw confetti at every available opportunity.
Opera North return to the Lowry on June 16th with La Boheme, Maria Stuarda and Rusalka. We can be so proud of our own northern Opera company.
REVIEW: “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, at the Octagon, Bolton, until March 6th.
Box Office: 01204 520661. Website: www.octagonbolton.co.uk
DIRECTOR David Thacker and designer Ashley Shairp have had a ball in creating the Octagon’s production of one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” – both literally and metaphorically!
This is a wonderful psychedelic interpretation set in 1967, the summer of love in San Francisco, the Beatles’ Sergeant Pepper, Cardin and Courregges, and also anti-Vietnam war protests and the coup that put the Colonels in charge of a repressive regime in Greece. Theseus’ court is militaristic and his bride-to-be Hippolyta is unhappy. But when the young lovers and the Athenian workmen escape to the woods they find themselves in a surreal world of multi-coloured, multi-sized plastic balls that roll around the stage giving a sense of fun and anarchy, which eventually envelopes everyone.
The diverse cast are terrific. Bob Edwards is both Theseus and a thoughtful, complex Oberon. Paula Jennings is Hippolyta and a wonderfully sexy sixties “bird” as Titania. Rosie Jones, Vanessa Kirby Jake Norton and Nick Underwoood are delightfully charming and confused as the lovers.
However, special praise must go to the “Rude Mechanicals”, who double as Palace Guards and weirdly costumed fairies. Keiran Hill is an appealing Bottom. Russell Dixon gives another of his superb performances as Peter Quince. His interpretation of Quince delivering the prologue in the play within a play is masterful.
They are well supported by some wonderfully comic performances from Laurence Clark, Brendan Quinn, Russell Richardson and Kiruna Stamell. The whole is masterminded by Puck, an unusual but clever interpretation by Leo Atkin.
The final act is hilarious. As I left, I followed several members of the audience who were still giggling, complaining of stomach ache with laughing so much! I was in a similar state, plus having the unattainable desire to be able to wear mini-skirts and high-heeled white PVC boots again!
PIPPA MUNRO HEBDEN
REVIEW: “A Raisin in the Sun”, at the Royal Exchange, Manchester, until February 20th.
Box Office: 0161 8339833. Website: www.royalexchange.co.uk
TRY and try again to get a ticket to see Michael Buffong’s terrific production of Lorraine Hansberry’s play “A Raisin in the Sun” at the Royal Exchange.
This is drama at its best in a wonderful theatre. Lorraine Hansberry is a subtle and skilled playwright. Her work is, perhaps, little known, but she should be among the pantheon of American dramatists of the 20th century, the first African American woman to have her work presented on Broadway, who sadly died at the age of 34 leaving us bereft of an unparalled talent who could have gone on to write many more masterpieces.
“A Raisin in the Sun”, loosely based on her experience of growing up in South Chicago, is the story of an African American family in 1959. The Youngers struggle with the day-to-day problems of making a living in a pre-Civil Rights society. But this is not just a play about Black Americans, it is a play about everyone who strives to cope with economic hardship, everyone who dreams of a better life.
Lena Younger (a stunning performance from Starletta Dupois) has watched her husband die of exhaustion, but the insurance money she inherits is the catalyst for tensions in her family who live with her in a tiny, cockroach-infested apartment.
Daughter Beneatha (Tracy Ifeachor) is an intelligent, politically active young woman who is determined to become a doctor. Son Walter Lee (Ray Fearon) is a chauffeur who dreams of setting up a liquor store in partnership with a friend. His long-suffering wife Ruth (Jenny Jules) attempts to keep everything going whilst looking after her son Travis.
This is an amazingly funny domestic drama, combined with incredibly powerful dramatic tensions, angry, poignant emotions that build to a moving climax. The entire cast are excellent and richly deserved the standing ovation given the night I was there. This is a play to see and to remember.
PIPPA MUNRO HEBDEN
REVIEW: “Absent Friends”, at the Coliseum, Oldham, until February 20th.
Box Office: 0161 6242829. Website: www.coliseum.org.uk
Alan Ayckbourn is not only one of Britain’s most prolific and successful playwrights, he is also an undisputed master of both dialogue and the incredibly significant pauses and silences between dramatic exchanges.
Few dramatists are better at conveying embarrassment, uncertainty, hostility and a whole host of other emotions in between the lines. “Absent Friends” is set in 1974, one of his earlier plays and one in which he tackles the difficult subject of death. Five friends await the arrival of someone they had known some years before. In the interim this friend had loved and lost a girlfriend, drowned in a tragic accident.
We watch the three couples prepare to greet him, each couple with their own problems. Diana (Kerry Peers) suspects her husband Paul (Stephen Pinder) of sleeping with Evelyn (Poppy Tierney), now married to their great friend John (Dominic Gately). Marge (Samantha Giles) discovers the truth, but is plagued by phone calls from her sick husband, Gordon, who is unable to attend.
The bereaved friend Colin (David Crellin) arrives and astounds them by his readiness to talk about his deceased partner, with whom he was very happy, together with his naïve assumptions about his friends’ relationships, which cause even more trouble.
Nikolai Foster directs with assurance and Colin Richmond’s set is a masterpiece of rooms for the characters to storm in and out. There is some wonderful black humour and Kerry Peers is notable as a woman falling apart. However, the star comic turn is Dominic Gately, who does a terrific physical interpretation of a man unable to stay still and totally ill at ease. A great evening of entertainment.
PIPPA MUNRO HEBDEN
“Sleeping Beauty” The Muni Theatre, Colne
PANTOMIME takes conventional theatre and turns it on its head.
Everything that might be considered bad on the “serious stage” is just what makes panto tick. Clichéd phrases from stereotyped characters, ridiculous costumes, fluffed lines, shouts from the audience, on-stage ad libs and uncontrollable corpsing would all ring the death knell for a piece of “serious theatre”. Yet they are the very flesh and bones of a good panto and I would’t have it any other way... oh no I wouldn’t!
On Friday my family and I attended the opening night of “Sleeping Beauty”, this year’s panto at Colne Muni, and it was a joy from start to finish.
Staged by PMA productions, it was written, directed and produced by George Critchely, who also starred as Simple Simon, appearing on the Muni stage in his 14th consecutive panto. “Familiarity breeds contempt” they say, but again panto mangles this maxim. The old familiar characters are essential – the beautiful princess, the dashing prince, the good-hearted simpleton, the pompous buffoon, the wicked villain (boo hiss!) and the outrageous pantomime dame – what would a panto be without them?
“Sleeping Beauty” had all this and more, with a talented cast clearly having as much fun as their audience. The Wicked Fairy Queen (Samantha Reps) was deliciously dastardly, while her saintly counterpart, the good “Fairy Liquid”, was perfectly played by local girl Hannah Hobley, best known for her role as “Chantelle” in three series of ITV’s “Benidorm” and who, by the way, has a cracking singing voice.
All the key players shone, not least Neil Clench, whose Nurse Nanny Nightingale was the consumate dame, telling one unfortunate audience member that “you’ve got just what I look for in a man... a pulse!”
At the heart of it all was George Critchley, who proved yet again that he knows the age-old recipe for panto back to front, upside down and inside out. Even his incredibly corny jokes were welcomed like old friends, though some, like Sleeping Beauty herself, had been snoozing for a hundred years and, unlike the pretty princess, should never have been given the kiss of life!
If I am allowed just one tiny criticism, it is that occasionally the otherwise excellent live music was too loud, drowning the carefully crafted lyrics of some of the songs. That aside, it was a great night.
But enough of my ramblings, what did my nine-year-old daughter Megan make of it? A keen dancer and only occasional drama queen, our Megan writes: “I went to see the Pantomime ‘Sleeping Beauty’, and it was fantastic.
“The dancers (from the East Lancashire School of Dance) were even better than last year, and last year they were brilliant. Simple Simon got all the shopping wrong and had to ‘Chuck it away!’ into the audience.
“One of my favourite characters was Fairy Liquid, who runs the Fairy Café. Everybody booed and hissed at the Wicked Fairy Queen and so did I. Nurse Nanny Nightingale took quite a fancy to another audience member, and Princess Aurora was really pretty. Lord Chamberpot... sorry, Lord Chamberlain, got really angry because everybody kept getting his name wrong.
“I really enjoyed watching this year’s pantomime!”
| Our picture shows junior reviewer Megan Smith (9) with some of the stars of this year’s Muni panto, from the left, Princess Aurora (Claire-Louise Mealor), Prince Valentine (Mark Homer), Simple Simon (George Critchley) and Fairy Liquid (Hannah Hobley). |
• “Sleeping Beauty” runs at The Muni Theatre, Colne, until January 24th. For full details of performances and ticket prices, call the box office on 01282 661234 or visit: www.themuni.co.uk
Review: “Blithe Spirit”, at the Royal Exchange, Manchester, until January 23rd.
Box Office: 0161 8339833. Website: www.royalexchange.co.uk
AS we walked towards the Royal Exchange on a cold wet evening, my companion said “I’m really looking forward to this”.
I knew exactly what she meant. There is sense of delight in the prospect of this wonderful theatre’s Christmas production and Sarah Frankom’s production of Noel Coward’s “Blithe Spirit” did not disappoint us.
It brings out all the wit that makes Coward’s plays timeless and as funny today as when first performed. Miles Twomey is a terribly attractive, charming Charles Condomine, a writer married to his second wife, Ruth, an elegant and accomplished performance from Suranne Jones.
Annette Badland is a wonderfully eccentric, comic Madame Arcati, convinced of her own ability to communicate with the spirits with the aid of a wide variety of outrageous gestures. She holds the séance that brings back his first wife, Elvira, played with a fetching grace by Nelly Harker.
Peter Temple and Wendy Nottingham play the more “earthbound” Dr and Mrs Bradman skilfully and Katie West is Edith, the maid who is more than she seems. As always with the Royal Exchange, it is the incomparable design that heightens our enjoyment. Liz Ascroft’s set and costumes are to-die-for!
The climax is spectacular. This is an escape from dark winter nights and all the hassle of preparing Christmas. I left the theatre having laughed out loud, been enthralled and feeling uplifted. I felt the need to go home, put on a silk evening gown and sip a very dry Martini in a triangular shaped cocktail glass, but alas, I don’t live in the stylish ’30s. But for one evening you can pretend that you do.
PIPPA MUNRO HEBDEN
Review: “Grimm Tales”, at the Library Theatre, Manchester, until January 23rd.
Box Office: 0161 2367110. Website: www.librarytheatre.com
RACHEL O’Riordan’s production of Grimm Tales at the Library Theatre, Manchester, is unusual, enchanting, challenging and engrossing.
The first thing that hits you is the wonderful stage design by Gary McCann. At once you are in a strange place, where a shabby Victorian-style room seems to swim in a bright green forest. The proportions are very slightly askew and you are drawn into the fairy world of childhood.
The actors appear through unseen doors, windows, down a chimney and up through the floor. A cast of eight then start to recount and act out several of the Grimm Brothers’ well known stories, some better known than others and some more complex versions of very familiar narratives.
But these are not the comfortable, sanitised versions of bedtime stories. These are full of fear, violence and abuse. I had forgotten just how gruesome many were. But they are also moral tales where goodness and generosity eventually prevails, often with magical help.
The multi-talented cast, dressed in a clever parody of fairy-tale illustrations, combine acting, playing musical instruments and athletic dancing in a way that is both deceptively simple and very effective. Credit must go to the musical director and the choreographer.
A peon of praise must also go to Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy, for the crisp, accessible and modern version of the script, and to Tim Supple for the dramatisation. This not for very small children, but older ones and indeed adults of any age will be fascinated.
PIPPA MUNRO HEBDEN
Review: “Oliver Twist”, at the Octagon, Bolton, until January 23rd.
Box Office: 01204 520661. Website: www.octagonbolton.co.uk
I HAVE seen many productions of Oliver Twist.
I even acted in one many, many moons ago at school. I’ve also seen the musical “Oliver!”. When I started watching the Bolton Octagon’s new production I thought I was seeing Oliver the Operetta. Much of the early part of Charles Dickens’ famous story is conveyed in a clever melange of hymns and carols created by writer Deborah McAndrew and composer Conrad Nelson: Oliver’s terrible childhood in the workhouse, the workshop of Undertaker Sowerberry and then his induction into Fagin’s gang.
In the second act more is conveyed in dialogue and in an effectively subtle use of choreographed violence. Oliver Twist is a challenging choice for a Christmas production for younger audiences, but director Josette Bushell-Mingo succeeds in making the familiar story exciting and entertaining for those who don’t know the story.
Two teams of skilled child actors play Oliver, the Artful Dodger, Charley and other tykes and waifs. The adult cast show an impressively versatile range of musical instrument playing and the ability to play a convincing range of characters. I was particularly impressed by Tim Frances both as a comic Mr Bumble and a scarily evil Bill Sykes.
Robert Pickavance, who thrilled me last year, is equally good as Fagin and a number of other parts. Dawn Allsopp’s set drew admiring comments from the two delightful teenagers who accompanied me. It had all the grimy realism of Dickensian London and lots of different levels for the actors to run up and down.
This is a production well worth seeing for anyone aged eight-to-nine years and above. The Bolton Octagon is proving as good with Dickens as Roald Dahl.
PIPPA MUNRO HEBDEN
Oliver Twist at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton until January 23rd.
Ticket sales for this new adaptation of Charles Dickens' work are at record levels - and it's hardly surprising since last year's Christmas production, "A Christmas Carol," was the most successful production in Octagon history.
The same magical quality that was evident last year is evident again, as the small company of adult actors keep us enthralled with their versatility and vitality.Robert Pickavance, who played Scrooge in "A Christmas Carol," returns to the Octagon to play Fagin as well as two other roles. Starring alongside him are Fiona Bruce, Laura Cox, Esther Ruth Elliott, Tim Frances, Andrew Price and Samantha Sutherland, and they too flit from character to character with seemingly effortless ease.
There will be four young performers sharing the role of Oliver while the other youngsters in the production will also be taking turns to lend able support and provide a fair amount of exuberance.
It's a wonderful production knitted together with inventive musical accompaniment, but then again regular visitors to the Octagon will be used to such high standards. As those same theatregoers look ahead to the new year, they will no doubt have something in common with young Oliver in their eager anticipation of more - but, unlike Oliver, they will not be disappointed.
There are morning, afternoon and evening performances – details from the Ticket Office on 01204 520661 or at www.octagonbolton.co.uk
BARRY BRADSHAW
Review: “Mother Goose”, at the Oldham Coliseum until January 9th.
Box Office 0161 624 2829. Website: www.coliseum.org.uk
THE Oldham Coliseum Panto should be declared a National Treasure!
Every year audiences are thrilled by all the traditional delights, the slapstick, the outrageous costumes, the corny jokes and the chance to yell their heads off in the usual way.
This year is no exception. We screamed “Oh no you’re not!” and “He’s behind you!” till we were hoarse and many other shouts as well as waving and clapping. Mother Goose is wonderful. If you like panto, go and see it.
Coliseum regulars Patrick Bridgeman, Andonis Anthony, Richard J. Fletcher, Amy Rhiannon Worth and Fine Time Fontayne are joined by Nicole Evans and Linzi Matthews as well as the appealing Red and Blue Teams of young dancers. Andonis Anthony is a really sexy villain, a pleasure to boo, Richard J. Fletcher is a clever and athletic Billy Goose with some excellent pratfalls.
Nicole Evans and Amy Rhiannon Worth are attractive as Principle Boy and Girl. Linzi Matthews is good as Fairy Feathers, but also superb as Priscilla the Goose, totally believable and she almost has the audience in tears at some points.
Fine Time Fontayne is a memorable Dame (i.e. Mother Goose) who plays up every gag. He exploits every possibility of physical humour, helped greatly by Celia Perkins’ incredible costume designs. Kevin Shaw directs as confidently as always and Dave Bintley directs the music.
I took two children, age 10 and seven, and two adults, very highly educated successful thirty-somethings. I am hard put to decide which pair shouted the loudest and laughed the hardest, probably because I was yelling and giggling myself. The script is by Eric Potts, one of my favourite comedians. Apparently he has 15 pantomime scripts being produced across the country. At the end the seven-year-old whispered that she never wanted it to end. Nor do I! Long live the Coliseum Panto!
PIPPA MUNRO HEBDEN
"First Things First", by Derek Benfield, performed by Ribchester Amateur Theatrical Society (RATS).
“OH what a tangled web we weave, when first we practise to deceive!”
And what a web Pete, energetically portrayed by Jeremy Rycroft, weaves around his complicated marital status in this very funny play by our old friend Derek Benfield, who sadly died last year and is remembered for his acting in “The Brothers” and as Hetty Wainthrop’s long-suffering husband, as much as for his plays.
In “First Things First” Pete’s first wife, Jessica, disappears in The Himalayas and is eventually, although perhaps a little too speedily for verisimilitude, |  | | declared dead, leaving Pete free to marry the unworldly but lovable Sarah, beautifully portrayed by Caroline Hindle, who goes from strength to strength in every part she plays. | Caroline Hindle and Jean Skilbeck in a scene from Derek Benfield’s “First Things First”. |
Jessica is not, of course, dead, and to Pete’s great chagrin turns up claiming a climbing fall caused severe amnesia and expecting to pick up the pieces. The lengths to which Pete goes to disguise his bigamous state are frankly unbelievable, a little strained at times but rib-ticklingly funny, nonetheless.
The audiences at the Village Hall in Ribchester certainly enjoyed the twists and turns – whether they followed them all is another question. Indeed this may have explained why there were more prompts than usual in a RATS production as the cast itself probably struggled to keep up with Pete’s increasingly desperate manoeuvres.
Jeremy is to be congratulated on mastering this long and difficult piece and also in playing it so that he never lost the sympathy of the audience. His fall guy and best man in both his weddings, George, was the one who usually got the unpleasant end of the stick as Pete dropped him in it time after time. Robin Simmons played the part with a loyal bewilderment that, in a great understated manner, brought out some of the funniest moments and led to the biggest laughs.
There always has to be a battle-axe in these plays, doesn’t there? Step forward Jean Skilbeck, playing Sarah’s mother Margot. (Are all battle-axes called Margot?) She has always thought there was “something shifty” about Pete and has a deep mistrust of all men, particularly any in the proximity of her beautiful but rather dippy daughter.
Trying to throw her off the scent is almost too much for Pete and George and her suspicions are, naturally, proved correct. Another stylish and perfectly timed performance comes from Jean.
Towards the end, the story is very nearly thrown completely off track by the arrival of Jessica’s live-in lover from France. Alan is played by Mick Flynn who makes the most of this small but crucial part, and who naturally is both deceived by Pete and used by him to keep the hounds at bay.
Some verbal hesitations did not spoil the flow of this fast running farce in which all the actors deserve praise and none more so than Rebecca Parkinson as Jessica, who stepped in with only two weeks to go when the original actress had to withdraw. Yes she had a script in her hand, but seemed to refer to it very little and you quickly forgot its presence, so assured was her performance.
It can be very distracting for all the cast when somebody steps in late. Their moves, inflections and emphases are obviously different and this can “throw” other actors. It is a tribute to the whole cast, and certainly to Rebecca, that this did not appear to happen.
Director David Procter and producer Claire Davies gave us a difficult but enjoyable play, with a very good looking set courtesy of John Royle, Matt Weaver and others including Carmen Rose Tea Rooms.
We all take it for granted now, but it is certainly to the credit of the RATS that they manage to put on such terrific performances in the confines of The Village Hall, with only one entrance from backstage, with such a small performance space with hardly any wings and no height at all.
There is a new determination in the community to upgrade the Village Hall for all activities and to provide much better facilities for hall users and for the general public. Let’s wish them luck, then at least we won’t have to go outside to get to the loo!
KEITH FLOOD
Review: “Werther”, performed by Opera North at the Lowry, Manchester.
I CONFESS I knew nothing about Massenet’s Opera “Werther” before I went, but I was enthralled by Opera North’s moving production.
Based on the German epistolary novel, “The Sorrows of Young Werther”, by Goethe, it tells the story of Werther, a young man who falls in love with Charlotte, eldest daughter of a widowed magistrate.
Werther is touched, watching her gentle care of her younger siblings. He accompanies her to a ball and on their return he confesses his feelings. Charlotte has begun to have feelings for him, but she tells she must fulfil her mother’s dying wish to marry Albert, who has just returned after months away.
Thus the path to the inevitable denouement is set and it all ends in tears! But along the way there are some impassioned duets and some glorious music as Werther despairs and Charlotte, now married to Albert tries to resist. The orchestra, under the direction of Richard Farnes, give a wonderful performance of music that is melodic, moving and dramatic.
Internationally known Cheshire-born Alice Coote, who began her career with Opera North, returns to sing Charlotte. Ms Coote is recovering from a bout of swine flu, but her singing is still wonderful. Paul Nilon is a fine Werther.
Hildegard Bechtler’s design is effective and allows for some skilful changes of scene with apparent simplicity and ease. Tom Cairns direction is assured.
Opera North makes one feel proud to live in the north and they return to the Lowry on February 23rd with La Boheme, Ruddigore and Cosi Fan Tutti, and again on June 16th with La Boheme, Rusalk and Maria Stuarda.
PIPPA MUNRO HEBDEN
Review: “The Entertainer” at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, until December 5th.
Box Office: 0161 833 9833. Website: www.royalexchange.co.uk
WHEN one thinks of John Osborne’s famous play, “The Entertainer”, it is difficult not to recall the late great Laurence Olivier’s iconic performance of the central character Archie Rice in Tony Richardson’s film.
Indeed, so forceful was it that it tends to blot out the memory of how much of an ensemble piece the play actually is. David Threfall is spellbinding as the weary, desperate, determined to cling onto his act, failed song-and-dance man Archie, but he is very well supported by some excellent performances from Roberta Taylor as his long-suffering wife, Phoebe, and David Ryall as his father, Billy, once a giant of the music hall but now a tired old man who can see only too clearly the end, overtaken by the cinema and the television.
Laura Rees plays Jean, Archie’s daughter, whose unexpected return precipitates an explosive family crisis. Oliver Gomm is Frank, her brother.
The action is set in 1957, at the time of the British involvement in Suez, a fact that has some significance in the plot and represents a point which marked a momentous decline in the power of The Empire, reflected in Archie’s own descent. There are parallels in that we still have young soldiers fighting in the desert and it is interesting to watch a play by such an influential dramatist, written a year after his groundbreaking “Look Back in Anger”.
I was struck by how much contemporary drama differs and is similar. There was no use of obscenities and swearing, but considerable use of terms of racial abuse that jar. The scenes and exchanges seem longer and more wordy than today’s bare and naturalistic dialogue, but Greg Hersov’s production is engrossing both for itself and as an insight into the development of British drama.
PIPPA MUNRO HEBDEN
Review: “The Good Soul of Szechuan,” at the Library Theatre, Manchester, until November 28th.
Box Office: 0161 2367110. Website: www.librarytheatre.com
BERTOLT Brecht was one of the most influential and controversial playwrights of the 20th century.
His plays have the reputation of being challenging and appealing only to committed and knowledgeable audiences. However, Chris Honer’s production of “The Good Soul of Szechuan” is accessible, entertaining and interesting.
Brecht wanted his plays to convey moral messages and this production makes us confront many difficult paradoxes about good and evil and, appropriately for our time of the failures of the banks and other financial organisations, about getting and keeping money. The plot centres on three gods (Olwen May, Natasha Bain and John Cummins) who return to Earth on a mission to find at least one good person.
Helped by Wang the water-seller (Cornelius Macarthy), they gain hospitality from Shen Te, a prostitute, who shows them kindness and the gods believe they have found a good soul. They give her some money so that she can get out of prostitution.
Shen Te, a luminous performance from Poppy Miller, opens a tobacco shop, but her generosity to all soon leads her to the brink of bankruptcy. This disaster is hastened when she falls in love with Yang Sun, (Kieran Hill) a selfish, manipulative young man who wants her to give him all her money so that he can become a pilot. Shen Te is forced to become her corrupt and aggressice “cousin” Shui Ta in order to keep some of the money.
An excellent supporting cast plays a number of different roles. The staging by Michael Pavelka makes great use of a series of corrugated iron walls which give the feeling of poverty and hardship and can be moved swiftly to create different scenes.
PIPPA MUNRO HEBDEN
Review: “Ghosts”, at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton, until November 21st
Box Office: 01204 520661. Website: www.octagonbolton.co.uk
DAVID Thacker continues his impressive debut as artistic director at the Octagon Theatre Bolton with a gripping production of Ibsen’s challenging play “Ghosts”.
Thacker has chosen to use the same raised glass stage created for his previous production of Miller’s “All My Sons” to hint at the underlying metaphor in both plays of a mother in denial of a terrible family secret. Most of the cast are the same.
George Irving is Pastor Manders, Ibsen’s mouthpiece for the conventional pieties of religion; Margot Leicester is the tragic mother Helena Alving, forced to reveal the awful truth of her dead husband’s debauchery; Oscar Pearce is her sick son Oscar and Vanessa Kirby is Regina Engstrand, the girl whom Helena has asked to live with her. Russell Richardson joins them as Jacob Engstrand, the manipulative, putative father of Regina.
This is a play about relationships, about the nature of love, duty and the very complex instincts, which drive people. In its day it was groundbreaking and vastly influential on the development of 20th century drama. Now it is still relevant and fascinating.
Clearly the cast, the director and the translator, Erik Skuggivik, have worked together to give a realistic interpretation of Ibsen’s original text and this enriches the performances from an accomplished group of actors. This is a drama well worth watching.
The Octagon’s Christmas production is “Oliver Twist”, starting on November 27th.
PIPPA MUNRO HEBDEN
Ghosts by Henrik Ibsen at The Octagon Theatre, Bolton, until November 21st.
Those who watched the Octagon's previous production, "All My Sons," will feel in familiar territory with "Ghosts." Director David Thacker has deliberately run one on from the other and has kept the same set to emphasise the point...the point being that both
are family dramas revolving around deep hidden secrets.
"Ghosts" also brings together four cast members from "All My Sons" and the four demonstrate once again what a winning combination they are - George Irving as Pastor Manders, Margot Leicester as Helena Alving, Oscar Pearce as Oswald Alving and Vanessa Kirby as Regina Engstrand. They are joined on this occasion by Russell Richardson as Jacob Engstrand.
This production is the latest of many translations of this particular piece of work and it is handled so deftly and with such consummate professionalism that you settle into it as you would settle into a comfy armchair. Far from losing anything in the translation, it actually gains and will be much appreciated by discerning audiences.
Tickets are on 01204 520661, or at www.octagonbolton.co.uk
BARRY BRADSHAW
All My Sons by Arthur Miller at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton, until October 24th.
It is productions like this one that make you realise how lucky Bolton is to have a theatre like the Octagon.
Theatre in the round allows the audience to be up front and personal, and a script such as this from Arthur Miller keeps that audience's attention as it builds to its dramatic climax. Throw in some acting of the finest quality and this great little theatre further enhances its reputation.
Let me hasten to add that the Octagon is just as adept at humour - it can indeed turn its hand to anything - but on this occasion it is suspense, and I'm not going to spoil it for you by saying much more.
Suffice to say that "All My Sons" is an American family drama set in the aftermath of the Second World War. Joe Keller is accused, then cleared, of having supplied fighter planes with defective engines, leading to the deaths of innocent pilots. One of Keller’s own sons, himself a pilot, is missing in action and his mother is desperately clinging to the hope he is alive. The role of Joe Keller is played by George Irving, who appeared as Anton Meyer in BBC’s "Holby City."
Tickets are from £9 on 01204 520661, or at www.octagonbolton.co.uk
BARRY BRADSHAW
Review: “Desperate to be Doris”, at the Library Theatre, Manchester, until October 3rd.
Box Office: 0161 2367110. Website: www.librarytheatre.com.
THE incomparable comic duo LipService are back at the top of their game.
Their brilliant homage to musical icon Doris Day is hilarious. All the clever tricks, the quick changes into an incredible variety of characters are played to perfection. Not a single opportunity for a joke is missed.
This time Maggie Fox and Sue Ryding are joined by Darren Southworth, playing Dean, a buyer for a nightwear firm, who dreams of singing Doris Day songs. He joins the local operatic society and inevitably takes on the role of Calamity Jane at the last minute.
There is also the added bonus of the Desperate to be Doris community choir, directed by Jules Gibb. They are splendid. Their infectious enthusiasm is a delight for the audience. The daffodil chorus in Secret Love and the cowboy band playing on a fan, a stapler, a filing box, a water bottle and cups backing The Black Hills of Dakota are amongst the highlights.
Everyone responsible for this production should give themselves a big pat on the back; Mark Whitelaw the director, Foxton, the designer, and all those in the music and choreography planning and well as all the backstage helpers who help to make the complicated changes and details so slick.
The night I saw it, the packed house roared with laughter and at the end roared their appreciation in a way I’ve seldom heard from restrained, British audiences. Our combined rendition of Che Sera Sera, complete with arm-waving, made a fitting climax. Rush to see this show, and if you miss it at the Library Theatre, go on line at LipServicetour to find out where else it is going.
PIPPA MUNRO HEBDEN
Review: "Mixed Up North" at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton.
BURNLEY takes centre stage in this world premiere by Robin Soans.
The play is based on real events which took place as attempts were made to unite the divided communities in Burnley after the riots of 2001. The result is hard-hitting, thought-provoking, disturbing, revealing and compelling. It is all this and more because there is so much going on and it is all communicated directly to the audience by the cast.
The big name in that cast is Celia Imrie who is the leader of a youth theatre group in Burnley that is designed to unite young people from the divided racial communities. And how she must have enjoyed working with the young people around her as their potential is there for all to see, exemplified by Rose Leslie as Wendy. The compelling stories of the young stars and their dedicated community workers unfold, and as the final dress rehearsal begins, tensions rise and bonds fracture. The cast of 14 also includes Burnley-born Muzz Khan who will be juggling his role with his other job as a DJ at London’s Pacha nightclub.
The play pulls no punches and will not make comfortable watchng for anyone who lives in Burnley as it tackles the issues of mixed-race relationships, unemployment and the drugs culture, among others. But the issues raised are not confined to Burnley and this play is an honest, constructive and well-intentioned portrayal of the social, emotional and educational cost to be paid by communities that are abandoned by capitalism.
Tickets are from £9 on 01204 520661, or at www.octagonbolton.co.uk
BARRY BRADSHAW
Review: “Mixed Up North” ,at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton, until September 26th.
Box Office: 01204 520661. Website: www.octagonbolton.co.uk
“Mixed Up North” is a clever title for this play written by Robin Soans and directed by Max Stafford Clark, a joint production from Bolton’s Octagon Theatre and Out of Joint.
The plot concerns several Burnley teenagers, part of a youth theatre group. These young people are from a variety of ethnic backgrounds and we follow their experiences and those of the social and community workers who help them.
The stories they tell are based on real testimonies given by people who went through the troubles that tore Burnley apart in 2001 and the attempts to foster conciliation and understanding since then. As someone who came to live in the Burnley area in 1972, I identified with many of the references and I have known many who have felt anguish at the loss of a sense of community and employment opportunities.
However, this play speaks of problems that extend far beyond one northern town. There are many others that share the same history and contemporary difficulties. If this gives the impression that the play is gloomy, then I must stress that is not the case. Much of it is laugh-out-loud funny.
I won’t ever forget the comment from one character about how the word “!brainstorming” might be politically incorrect for epileptics and has to be replaced with “thought-showering”. There are many poignant moments as each of the characters reveal personal stories of abuse, pain and anguish, leavened with humour and real concern.
The youthful cast are lively and their warmth is engaging. The production is well paced, although the second act is, perhaps just a little too long. I came out of the theatre having laughed, learned and empathised. That is what good drama should do.
If you can’t catch it at the Octagon, it’s coming to Stonyhurst College on October 19th. The Octagon’s next production is Miller’s “All My Sons”.
PIPPA MUNRO HEBDEN
Review : “The Miser”, at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, until October 3rd.
Box Office: 0161 8339833. Website: www.royalexchange.co.uk
HARPAGON, the miser, the protagonist of Moliere’s famous comedy is a gift of a part.
Moliere himself played it in 1668. Royal Exchange favourite Derek Griffiths makes it his own in this splendid production, directed by Helena Kaut-Howson. This accomplished comic actor entertains with a combination of brilliant physical comedy and a rapport with the audience that he exploits to good effect, an achievement, given that Harpagon is such a dislikeable character.
He is the father of Cleante (Danny Lee Wynter) and Elise (Helen Bradbury), who are both in love with people their father won’t allow them to marry. Elise loves Valere (Charlie Walker-Wise), a noble young man who has assumed the role of her father’s steward to court her, while Cleante loves Mariane (Sarah Ovens), the girl Harpagon intends for himself.
The plot concerns the attempts by the lovely young couples to get married, helped and hindered by the matchmaker Froisine (Helen Atkinson Wood) and a variety of servants. Harpagon’s aim is to get and keep as much money as possible.
Ashley Martin-Davis’s design cleverly sets the scene somewhere between the late 17th century and the present day, with elements of classic French furniture mixed with stainless steel tables and costumes that combine cut off jeans with long gowns. The hairstyles are amazing.
The supporting cast are agile and there are amusing comic performances, a great Peter Sellers/Inspector Clouseau pastiche from Chris Hannon and a conniving, bewildered chef/coachman from Julian Chagrin. However, Derek Griffiths is the man of the match, but Simon Gregor as La Fleche, Cleante’s manservant, gives him a run for his money in the comedy stakes with a performance worthy of those famed comedians of the early cinema.
PIPPA MUNRO HEBDEN
Review: “On The Piste”, at the Coliseum Theatre Oldham until September 26th.
THE double-entendre in the title of John Godber’s play “On The Piste” more or less sums up the plot.
Two English couples, Alison (Kate Coogan) and Chris (Stuart Wade), who have been living together for 10 years, meet Bev (Catherine Kinsella) and Dave (Richard Oldham), partners for just six months, at an Austrian ski resort. There they encounter Tony (Adrian Bouchet), the very sexy ski instructor, and a mysterious and attractive woman Melissa (Loveday Smith).
The play covers many of the clichés of the English abroad on holidays, the stress on relationships, holiday romances, the disastrous effects of alcohol etc. etc. One of the delights of this Oldham Coliseum production is the set by Richard Foxton. He and his team have created an actual ski slope, with artificial fabric supplied by SnowBusiness.
I had a feel of it as we left for the interval and it felt a bit like a white waffly carpet. This allows the characters to ski in and out of scenes and offers opportunities for some hilarious physical comedy in the first half. The cast deserve credit for their abilities to do so many things with skis and they all make the most of this.
In the second act there are some amusing exchanges, including a very funny row between Alison and Chris that reminds everyone of marital arguments that just never seem to finish.
This production is a light-hearted, undemanding evening of entertainment, well acted and well presented. The Coliseum’s next production is Jim Cartwright’s “Two”, a lovely two hander set in a pub with a touching variety of characters, and then late in October “The Beauty Queen of Leenane”, a very dark comedy from Martin McDonagh about a mother from hell.
PIPPA MUNRO-HEBDEN
A SATURDAY night out in Blackpool could send a shiver down your spine ...
Assorted raucous stag and hen parties spilling on to the streets outside the famous Tower, the smell of fast food and brash souvenir stalls - you either love them or hate them.
The only shivers I had down my spine on Saturday night were courtesy of medium Sally Morgan, who was stopping off for a packed-out show at the seaside resort's Grand Theatre as part of her nationwide tour. There was not a spare seat in the house - or perhaps even a dry eye at some points - as she entertained and informed for a fascinating two hours.
With an easy humour and genuinely warm personality, Sally was able to quickly win over her audience and "messages" from the departed flowed thick and fast. To my knowledge only one was not accepted during the whole evening and - in my semi-sceptical analysis she even produced the "clincher" - a firstname and a surname. She even topped that off with a nickname only the young man who had been killed in a road accident and his sister would know.
OK - there may not have been reams of information for each person chosen out of the audience - just a few facts - but they were delivered with conviction and sympathy.
A great stage show with video clip backgrounds certainly set this show apart from the other psychic performances - as well as the opportunity for members of the audience to leave questions/photos for Sally to pick out during the show, video questions etc.
Sally was the personal psychic of Diana, Princess of Wales, for several years - I can understand why. If you get the chance to see her on the rest of the tour, which continues until the autumn, I'd certainly recommend it.
Review: “The Pianist”, at the Royal Exchange, Manchester, until June 27th.
Box Office: 0161 8339833. Website: www.royalexchange.co.uk
DIRECTOR Neil Bartlett’s production of “The Pianist” at Manchester’s Royal Exchange is stunning.
Based on the memoirs of Polish pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman, best known in the multi-award winning film by Roman Polanski, it tells of Szpilman’s experiences in the Warsaw Ghetto.
The Exchange’s stage is dominated by a grand piano. The story is told in words and music. Peter Guinness is spellbinding as The Narrator/Szpilman. In a devastatingly measured voice, he tells his harrowing tale of brutality, of sacrifice and of unimaginable loss.
At times his narration is transferred to Mikhail Rudy, playing Chopin’s emotional music, music that Szpilman had played before the war and the music he could hear in his head that kept him alive. The contrast between the calm but terrible words and the passionate music is incredibly moving.
The lighting design by Chris Davey contributes a great deal to the effect, highlighting key moments and, at times, giving the feeling of wartime searchlights. Matt Wand’s sound design sets the stage with the sounds of tanks and armies moving in. We too are trapped in the ghetto.
From then on you could have heard a pin drop in the auditorium throughout. I’ve seldom experienced an audience, which I later discovered included a party from Ribblesdale High School, so totally silent and gripped. This is an unforgettable production.
PIPPA MUNRO HEBDEN
Review: “Martha, Josie and the Chinese Elvis”, at the Coliseum, Oldham, until July 11th.
Box Office: 0161 6242829. Website: www.coliseum.org.uk
YOU know how it is when you’ve seen something, been somewhere, done something that was really outstanding and you want to experience it again, but you’re never quite sure it will live up to your memory.
That’s how it was for me with Charlotte Jones’ wonderful comedy, “Martha, Josie and the Chinese Elvis”. I saw it 10 years ago in Bolton and adored it. Now the Oldham Coliseum has revived it and it is as brilliantly funny as ever.
The eccentric cast include Josie (Sarah Parks), a weary dominatrix facing her 50th birthday; her daughter Brenda-Marie (Catherine Kinsella), who has the mind of a child; her cleaner Martha (Becky Hindley), a devout Catholic with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder; and Lionel (Michael Strobel), one of Martha’s clients, a dry cleaner who likes to dress in women’s clothes.
Lionel arranges a party for Martha and arranges for a novice Elvis impersonator (Timothy Wong) to appear. Another character (Clara Darcy) also arrives to disrupt the party.
This motley collection of characters go through one day, Epiphany, January 6th, and all come to face themselves and their lives and to change. The entire cast are excellent, but it is Jones’ script that is clever and witty and outrageously funny. She allows her characters to develop and there are moments of great pathos before the superb finale.
This is an evening of wonderful entertainment. The audience roared with laughter and cheered at the end. Isn’t it nice when something is just as good the second time around? Or really worth seeing for the first time?
PIPPA MUNRO HEBDEN
"The Seafarer," Octagon Theatre, Bolton, until June 27th.
Tel. 01204-520661
"The Seafarer" by Conor McPherson is awash with alcohol as a group of down-at-heel Dubliners gather to celebrate Christmas.
But while the Irish eyes are smiling as they take in more than a drop of the hard stuff, it's spirits of a different kind that lurk just beneath the surface.
The past catches up with James 'Sharky' Harkin in a way he would have been least expecting and while the banter never stops, the play slowly builds up a head of steam through more sinister undertones.
James and his friends take part in a game of poker and, while the game is good-humoured enough, one is drawn to the hands that life has dealt the players and it becomes clear that there is more to this game than meets the eye.
It's a dark, brooding play lit occasionally by the shafts of Irish wit - think along the lines of Father Ted in the Twilight Zone.
BARRY BRADSHAW
Review: “Paradise Moscow”, by Opera North at The Lowry.
Website: www.operanorth.co.uk
I SAW Opera North’s production of Paradise Moscow eight years ago in 2001 and I thought it was wonderful.
I was delighted when the company decided to reprise the production and I was not disappointed. It was as good as I remembered.
Paradise Moscow is a version of Shostakovich’s Cheryomushki or Cherry Tree Estate and follows the desperate attempts of Muscovites to escape the overcrowding and lack of privacy in the older shared and partitioned apartments.
The story focuses on four couples; lonely museum guide, Didochka and her father Baburov, fellow museum guide, Basha and his wife Masha, shy chauffeur Sergei and the woman he loves, construction worker Lusya, and also rich bureaucrat Drebyednyetsov and his demanding girlfriend Vava. In addition there is the subversive, proto-rock and roller Boris who fancies Didochka.
The joy of this satire on corruption and the communist mania in the ‘50s to build huge concrete blocks of flats way outside the city, is in the combination of a score that combines jazz, ballads and all kinds of popular music, witty instrumentation, plus clever, at times, Gilbertian lyrics, with exuberant dancing.
This operetta, in a version by Gerard McBurney, is part opera, part musical. Summer Strallen and Eaton Jones star as Didochka and Boris, very talented both in singing and dancing. Richard Stuart gives a marvellously comic performance as Barabashkin, the seedy estate manager. His duet with Richard Angas as Drebyednyetsov is hilarious. Indeed the whole ensemble give great performances, especially in some nifty dance sequences, choreographed originally by Craig Revel Horwood.
Everyone must have had fun in designing the set and the costumes. Opera North returns to The Lowry in November with “Cosi Fan Tutti”, Massenet’s “Werther” and Janacek’s “The Adventures of Mr Broucek”.
PIPPA MUNRO HEBDEN
Review: “The Seafarer” at the Octagon, Bolton, until June 27th
Box Office: 01204 520661. Website: www.octagonbolton.co.uk
I STUDIED Anglo Saxon poetry at University many years ago so was intrigued to see how Conor McPherson’s play “The Seafarer” would relate to the poem.
Apart from the obvious themes of aging, mortality and the possible redemption of Christianity, I found little. The grandeur of sailing into the unknown and sacrifice is replaced by the squalor of a basement flat in Dublin where a group of increasingly drunken Irishmen go through the night of Christmas Eve and embark on a card game that is more than gambling for money.
Sharky (Michael O’Connor) has returned to look after his blind brother Richard (Peter Dineen). Friend Ivan (Brendan Charleston) is still there from a previous night’s binge and they are joined by Nicky (Leigh Symonds), who brings with him a mysterious stranger Mr Lockhart (Fintan McKeown). Lockhart/McKeown’s real identity is clearly signalled from the start to those of us who like old movies on TV.
He is the image of Laird Cregar in Ernst Lubitsch’s fantasy comedy, “Heaven Can Wait”, and his purpose is revealed at the end of the first act. The supposedly deadly game of poker takes up most of the second act. The programme informs that much of the play is about the dramatist’s own battle with alcoholism and there is much about drinking and the strong language is accompanied by references to bodily functions that some might find offensive.
I was mildly amused to note that the mysterious and deadly stranger speaks with an English accent whilst the others have brogues so thick one could boil Guinness over them, which sometimes makes the dialogue hard to follow. There are some intriguing twists at the end and give Peter Dineen’s well drawn character an interesting development and McKeown delivers a passionate monologue about the nature of Hell.
This is artistic director Mark Babych’s swansong at the Octagon before he hands over to David Thacker for a great Autumn season, including plays by Miller, Ibsen, Dickens, Melvin Bragg and best of all Shakespeare.
PIPPA MUNRO HEBDEN
Review: “Relatively Speaking”, at the Library Theatre, Manchester, until June 20th.
Box Office: 0161 236 7110. Website: www.librarytheatre.com
“RELATIVELY SPEAKING” was Alan Ayckbourn’s first hit comedy and deservedly so.
This is Ayckbourn at his best, a cleverly crafted plot, with some brilliantly funny dialogue and a keen observation of human foibles. His later plays are darker, but this is almost entirely light-hearted.
In 1965 naïve Greg (Simon Harrison) has been living with Ginny (Lelia Crerar) for about three months. He is troubled by mysterious phone calls and by all the bunches of flowers and boxes of chocolates she keeps getting, but she, more experienced and worldly-wise, placates him with excuses.
Ginny is about to go off for the day to visit her parents and after she has left, Greg finds their address written on a cigarette packet and decides to follow her to ask her parents’ blessing to get married.
The Library’s stage revolves to reveal a slightly older couple, sitting on their patio eating breakfast. Phillip (Malcolm Scates) is suspicious that his wife Sheila (Lucy Tregear) is having an affair and from snippets of their desultory conversation we learn that he is spending a great deal of time away. Cue the arrival of Greg to meet Sheila, her husband is in the potting shed, and this gives rise to wonderful conversations at cross purposes and opportunities for that curiously English way of retreating into discussing the weather or the garden at difficult moments.
Inevitably Ginny turns up too and the mistaken identities create give the audience much to laugh at. This is a great evening, a well-acted, well designed clever comedy and there is a happy ending, especially for Sheila who manages to get in the very last dig.
The Library Theatre has published its great new autumn/winter season, with highlights that include a new LipService production, a new translation of Brecht’s “Good Soul of Szechuan” and a Christmas production of “Grimm Tales” adapted by poet laureate Caral Anne Duffy, a lot to look forward to.
PIPPA MUNRO HEBDEN
Review: “Blithe Spirit”, at the Coliseum Theatre, Oldham, until June 6th.
Box Office: 0162 6242829. Website: www.coliseum.org.uk
IT is just such a delight to spend an evening at a friendly theatre watching a clever comedy by a skilled playwright performed by an accomplished cast. Noel Coward’s plays are well known and Blithe Spirit is probably the most famous. The plot is improbable but hilarious. Charles Condomine (Mark Healy) and his wife Ruth (Emily Pithon) have arranged a dinner party with their friends Dr and Mrs Bradman (Christopher Wilkins and Roberta Kerr). The guest of honour is Madame Arcati (Alwyn Taylor), a medium whom Charles is planning to use as a source of material for his next novel.
Things do not go as planned because the séance results in the arrival of the spirit, in a very visible form, of Charles’ deceased wife Elvira (Amy Hall) and this results in all kinds of complications, all of which offer opportunities for comedic misunderstandings and witty one-liners.
Robin Hereford’s direction is assured and Michael Holt’s design gives us a comfortingly elegant sitting room, complete with doors and French Windows. There is a wonderfully nostalgic elegance where characters sip dry Martinis composed of a bottle of gin with a teaspoonful of vermouth, ladies retire after dinner for coffee and cooks prepare meals, which are served by maids.
The Condomines’ maid Edith (Liz Carney) turns out to be more than she seems at first and the climax is amusingly spectacular. This is an evening of good old-fashioned fun.
The Coliseum’s next production is “Martha, Josie and the Chinese Elvis”. I am really looking forward to this play, which I saw in Bolton some years ago and recall being an amazing and hilarious comedy, one of the best I have ever seen.
PIPPA MUNRO HEBDEN
Review: “Oleanna”, at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton, until May 23rd.
Box Office: 204 52066101. Website: www.octagonbolton.co.uk
THINK leading American playwright and screenwriter David Mamet, think brilliant realistic dialogue!
Mamet has an incredible ear for all the nuances of speech and it is the key to his drama “Oleanna”, in which all the aspects of how we use language to exert power and to control are explored.
John (Colin Stinton) is a professor in an American university. He is on the point of gaining tenure, which means his job will be secure, he will earn more and be able to purchase the house he and his wife want. Carol (Kosha Engler) is a troubled student who is having difficulty in understanding his teaching.
John has the extensive vocabulary of an educated man, but he is self-centred and pompous and seems unable to make himself clear to the frustrated Carol, who repeats desperately that she doesn’t understand.
However, in the second act the power is transferred to Carol, who has charged him with sexual harassment, and John sees his whole career slipping away. The play, supposedly based on a high profile case which involved a Supreme Court nominee and one of his employees, is an excellent example of how people can fail to communicate with one another, in this case men and women.
The author of “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus” and many linguists’ researches have demonstrated this. Historically the power has been with men, but Mamet’s play shows contemporary changes.
Colin Stinton and Kosha Engler are well worth watching in Iqbal Khan’s fast paced production.
PIPPA MUNRO HEBDEN
Oleanna at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton, until May 23rd
It is fair to say that "Oleanna," by David Mamet,will not be to everyone's taste. The quickfire dialogue is handled expertly by Colin Stinton as teacher John and Kosha Engler as student Carol. But its over-elaboration into a verbal tennis match of interruptions is, in part, captivating and in part irritating - in equal measure. If you love words, then you will be drawn into the subject matter of political correctness and feminism, but if you don't, then you will lose touch well before the end.
The Octagon must be commended on daring to stray occasionally from the mainstream and, however much this play disappoints in its preoccupation with its navel, there can be no such disappointment over the performances, in particular that of Colin Stinton who proves to be a master of his craft.
If you like to venture outside your comfort zone when it comes to the theatre, then your spirit of adventure might well be satisfied. If you don't, then perhaps you should give this a miss.
The box office number is 01204 529407
Barry Bradshaw
WHEN the curtain rises at the West Yorkshire Playhouse this week, it will be a very proud moment for a former Burnley man.
For Boff Whalley, (real name Allan Mark Whalley), who is the lead guitarist for the band Chumbawamba, has written a play, which is being performed in front of dozens of audiences.
“It’s a lovely day tomorrow” has been written by Boff and his friend Dom Grace. Directed by Alex Chisholm, the play follows the story of two brothers, John (15) and 12-year-old Philip, who set off an epic journey from Middleton to Hull, in search of an orange.
Set in summer 1940, dad is away in France and mum is ill, leaving the boys to do their best to help around the house, making cups of tea, batting potatoes to each other and arguing over who gets to be Len Hutton!
Sent away to visit auntie Maggie and uncle Frank, they decide to sneak off on an undercover mission – to get their mum that rare exotic fruit, her heart’s desire, an orange.
Speaking to the Burnley Express, Boff, who attended Ivy Bank Secondary Modern and then Burnley Grammar School, said: “I always had a passion for writing and even when I was in the band, we wrote our own lyrics.
“I joined the ‘So you want to be a writer?’ course in 2007 and developed the play through a series of master classes with WYP associate artist Colin Teevan in 2008. It was there I met Dom, who is from Leeds.”
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The avid Clarets’ fan, whose parents Jim and Barbara continue to live in Burnley, added: “While I was playing for Chumbawamba, we once performed at the Colne Muni and it was great to perform in front of a home crowd.”
Speaking about his debut play, he said: ‘It’s a lovely day tomorrow’ is a tale of cricket, growing up and the strength of families ties. Dom and I wanted to write about working class people.
“I hope people come and watch the play as it is entertaining, funny, but most of all, it is a story about hope and joy.”
Boff is married to Casey and has a seven-year-old daughter, Maisy.
He added: “I loved growing up in Burnley. I have so many friends there and I visit my parents regularly. I continue to be a season ticket holder for Burnley. I have travelled around the world but you never forget your roots and I am always proud to say I am from Burnley.”
It’s a lovely day tomorrow is being staged at the West Yorkshire Playhouse every night at 7-45 p.m. from April 28th until Saturday, May 2nd.
Review: “Quartet”, at the Coliseum, Oldham, until May 9th.
Box Office: 0161 6242829. Website: www.coliseum.org.uk
AS we left the theatre after watching Kevin Shaw’s production of Ronald Harwood’s comedy, “Quartet”, my companion said: “It’s a long time since I’ve heard an audience laugh so uproariously,” and I agreed.
This play, about a quartet of opera singers now living in a retirement home for aged musicians, is a hoot. Wilf (Russell Dixon) is a widower, obsessed with sex and talks about it non- stop. His account of a visit to the doctor for some Viagra pills (she advises tranquillisers) is very funny.
Reggie (Col Farrell) is a gentleman who likes reading and discussing the nature of art. He harbours a loathing for one of the carers, who won’t give him marmalade at breakfast, leading to outbursts of childish behaviour.
Cissie (Roberta Kerr) is warm and friendly, but keeps thinking everyone is just back from Karachi. These three find their lives thrown into confusion by the arrival of Jean (Amy Tobin), a star singer, long retired, once married to Reggie.
The plot concerns the plan to sing Verdi’s famous quartet from Rigoletto at the home’s concert to celebrate the composer’s birthday. The first act has numerous witty lines, but the second act is side-achingly funny.
The cast, veterans of comedy with impeccable timing, make the most of scenes where each is miming to ipods and portable CD players and the dressing for the concert. I don’t want to spoil the hilarious finalé, but never again will I be able to look at men in tights without a smile and I will have to suppress a giggle if I go to see Rigoletto, one of my favourite operas.
Harwood does not neglect the problems of aging and there are moments of pathos, but he brings a sense of life-enhancing humour to his old people, which makes this such an enjoyable play. If you are of a certain age, rush to see this production.
PIPPA MUNRO HEBDEN
Review: “Widowers’ Houses” at the Royal Exchange, Manchester, until May 9th.
Box Office: 0161 833 9833. Website: www.royalexchange.co.uk
I FEEL as if I owe a posthumous apology to George Bernard Shaw.
I haven’t seen many of his plays recently and I seem to remember them as being wordy and worthy. Greg Hersov’s production of Shaw’s first play, “Widowers’ Houses”, is sparkling, witty, amusing and I was left at the end wanting more.
The plot centres on the romance between a young aristocratic but impoverished doctor, Harry Trench (Ben Addis), and wealthy heiress Blanch Sartorius (Lucy Broggs-Owen). However, when he discovers from her father’s agent Lickcheese (Ian Bartholomew) that Sartorius (Roger Lloyd Pack) is the worst slum landlord in London, Trench is reluctant to live off such tainted money.
Trench’s friend Cokane (Ian Shaw) tries to help. My notes in my university copy of the complete plays comment that there are no noble characters, but now I realise there are some very funny ones. Blanche and Harry are amusingly hot tempered, Lickcheese, Sartorius and, to some extent Cokane, are gloriously corrupt.
The satire still has relevance in today’s world of fiscal mismanagement, dishonesty and deception. Ashley Martin-Davis’ set is simple, but conveys a sumptuous richness, and the costumes are splendid. Vanessa-Faye Stanley gives a delightfully comic vignette as the browbeaten parlour maid and the whole cast give thoroughly enjoyable performances.
PIPPA MUNRO HEBDEN
"Looking for Buddy" is another feather in the cap of the Octagon Theatre in Bolton.
It's the world premiere of this musical, and an impressive one at that.
Alan Plater, the renowned TV writer and playwright (from Z Cars to Fortunes of War), who created the hit musical Blonde Bombshells of 1943, has teamed up with award-winning multi-instrumentalist Alan Barnes and come up with an original jazz score, a dark and mysterious atmosphere and a wry, witty and surreal look at the new Tyneside.
Taking the role of architect Phil, who is the Geordie answer to Philip Marlowe, is Tim Healy, best known for his role in Auf Wiedersehen Pet, and although seeing him sing and dance takes some getting used to, he takes it all in his stride. It's his first time at the Octagon and, after this performance, it would be great to see him come back. He has an able supporting cast behind him as well as three musicians, and I particularly liked Nicholas Lumley in his role as Fat Jack.
The Buddy of the title is Buddy Bolden, a legendary New Orleans trumpet player who is something of a red herring as far as this production is concerned, although it does give the opportunity to deliver some decent jazz music. Having said that, you don't need to be a jazz fan to enjoy this musical - and enjoy it you will.
"Looking for Buddy" is running until May 23rd. Box office number is 01204 520661.
BARRY BRADSHAW
Gordon Smith - the psychic barber - at Blackpool's Grand Theatre, Sunday, March 15th
In psychic "circles" you simply don't get much bigger than Gordon Smith.
He's been acclaimed "the most accurate" medium in the national media and appears to have an almost cult-like following among the faithful who pack church halls and theatres in the hope of receiving words of comfort from "the other side".
It was no different at Blackpool where he did a one-night-only performance at the beautiful Grand Theatre. I'd forgotten how simply stunning that theatre is, with its intricat guilded carvings, yet retaining that homely atmosphere. In fact, if you were that way inclined, you could certainly imagine the spirit of a happy holiday-maker of two from ages past enjoying a return visit.
No holiday-makers "made it through" the evening I was there with my better half and firm believer in all things paranormal, Harry. As a developing medium himself, he was in his element as he watched the maestro at work - and even a shaky sceptic like myself must admit I was impressed with Gordon and his Scottish charm.
Totally unthreatening and quietly persuasive, with humour thrown in, he gently probed the packed house for recipients of the "messages" coming through. There were none of the frantic, hectoring demands or "possessions" that have given mediums of the television screen such a bad press, just an assured air of authority that won his audience over quickly.
The messages came thick and fast - from the child that had died of leukaemia to the parents that wanted to pass on assurances and comfort to their daughter. First names and surnames were provided, as well as those touching little details that brought a lump to the throat - such as the final moments of loved ones, happy family memories and the bitter-sweet actions of those hoping upon hope for proof that their beloveds were still around in spirit.
Was I hoping for a message … perhaps I was, after all I think I've got a fair few candidates "on the other side", friends that certainly had more than theirn fair share to say in this life, never mind the next, and a deal of unfinished business with the odd family member, or two. But it wasn't to be. Those in front, at each side and behind us all got messages - we seemed to be at the centre of some psychic hot spot as Gordon's attention was drawn to our seats in the circle, but he never stopped at us.
Would I have liked to have won the competition for a private "reading" with Gordon? You bet …
Sally Dahmke
“Wuthering Heights,” at the Oldham Coliseum until March 28th
Box Office: 0161 6242829.
Website: www.coliseum.org.uk
I LOVE live theatre and I love it most when it surprises me.
I was not quite sure what to expect with the Oldham Coliseum’s co-production with Tamasha, a company with particular emphasis on Asian and British Asian theatre. The idea of Emily Bronte’s classic “Wuthering Heights” as a Bollywood musical sounded strange, but the result is enchanting.
Writer Deepak Verma has transposed the story to the desert of Rajasthan, a place as dramatic and harsh as the Yorkshire Moors. The characters and story work well in a completely different culture, one where class, morality and duty are highly significant.
All the features of Bollywood musicals serve to enhance the familiar love story, the songs, the dancing and the spectacle. The production is greatly helped by the simple but clever design by Sue Mayes, who has created a stark set on many levels, which allows the actors room to run and create a sense of vast distances, yet different settings are indicated seamlessly by sheaths of hanging fabrics, glistening baubles, intricate windows and bare painted doors.
Heathcliff and Cathy, now Krishnan (Pushpinder Chani) and Shakuntala (Youkti Patel), are young, attractive and gracefully athletic as they leap across the stage, beautifully choreographed by Nikki Woollaston. Nine other actors play a variety of parts with equal skill and Rina Fatania is memorable as the pragmatic, witty Ayah, Emily Bronte’s Nellie Dean.
Both the cast and the creative team behind them are to be congratulated on a stunning result as are the directors of the Oldham Coliseum for putting on such an exciting and innovative production. I enjoyed “Camel Races”, an amusing pastiche of My Fair Lady’s Ascot Race scene.
PIPPA MUNRO HEBDEN
“Macbeth”, at the Royal Exchange, Manchester, until April 11th.
Box Office: 0161 833 9833. Website: www.royalexchange.co.uk
MACBETH is a challenging choice of Shakespearian play for any director: it is so well known and produced so often, it is difficult to find a new interpretation, but Matthew Dunster at the Royal Exchange has succeeded in giving us a contemporary take on the plot of the ambitious man who gains the throne through murder and then becomes a tyrant in order to keep it.
Parallels with Hitler, Stalin and Mugabe are well made and Dunster focuses on Macbeth’s brutality. Macbeth (Nicholas Gleaves) is young looking and attractive at the start and, egged on by a sexy, forceful Lady Macbeth (Hilary Maclean) he murders King Duncan. Then she deteriorates into the madness of remorse whilst he plans more slaughter.
The production maintains the modern setting consistently, Macbeth’s letter to his wife is an e-mail, characters communicate by mobile phone, video killings, play with Gameboys and ipods and watch television. Weapons are guns, armour is kevlar jackets, helicopters whir offstage and the bloody Sergeant is in a M.A.S.H (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital).
This all helps to reinforce the 21st century relevance. The setting may be called Scotland, but it is Africa, Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia and many more war-torn countries of the world. The Weird Sisters, always the hardest part to make believable nowadays, are played by “children”, making a point of the suffering that children endure in war or under violent regimes.
The strong supporting cast and Paul Will’s design make this a memorable production. The great speeches, especially “Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow….” still enthral.
PIPPA MUNRO
Rock and Roll: Library Theatre Manchester Tom Stoppard is recognised as one of Britain’s leading playwrights and film script-writers. Chris Honer’s production of Rock and Roll succeeds in making sense of Stoppard’s complex drama about the effects of the Czech Spring in 1968 upon a group of characters in Prague and Cambridge.
In combination with designer Judith Croft, and video artist Matt Spencer, Honer keeps the audience clearly focused on the passage of years in what could be a confusing sequence of scenes between 1968 and 1990. The title Rock and Roll, reflects the changes in music, admirably captured both audibly and visually, which reflect the passage of the years.
The play is Stoppard’s challenging exploration of ideas of communism. As Czech born, Stoppard has a feeling for the experiences of his fellow citizens, exemplified by Jan (Graeme Hawley), a lover of rock and roll music, who returns to his homeland to endure the hardships of communist regimes. He leaves behind the academic Cambridge family he had visited, the lifetime believer in communism, Max (Hilton Macrae), his dying wife Eleanor( Cate Hamer) and daughter Esme.
Cate Hamer assumes the role of the adult Esme in the second act and a strong supporting cast play a range of characters. This is a thought provoking drama, a play of ideas and character development and a reminder of the vast changes that have shaped Europe in the last half century. The Library’s next production, starting 20th March is Gates of Gold by Irish dramatist, Frank McGuinness. Box Office: 0161 236 7110
www.librarytheatre.com
Pippa Munro
by Marcia Morris
THE West End musical “Chess” must have been a daunting prospect for the cast, director and choreographer when it was chosen for Clitheroe Parish Church Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society's latest production, particularly after following the fantastic show last year of “Singin’ in the Rain”.
However, the end result certainly paid off. The leading roles of this quite complicated plot, to the uninitiated in the game of chess, were word perfect, even song perfect, all with fantastic, strong voices, giving outstanding performances.
The story, lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus of ABBA fame, revolves around the chess champions of America and Russia during the Cold War era.
The opening Tyrol scene, takes place in the Italian town of Merano, the delightful costumes of peasant dirndls and lederhosen, are enhanced by some enchanting dances before the dramatic entrance of the loud-mouthed American chess player Frederick Trumper (played by James Cockerill) and his secretary and confidante, Hungarian born Florence Vassy (played by Dawn-Marie Nichols).
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Then the Russian contender Anatoly Sergievsky (Paul Sockett) arrives along with his entourage of KGB heavies.
The scene is set by the Arbiter, (Brian Haworth) not to be recognised with his red and black goatee beard and red quiff and dressed in a wonderful red velvet suit, as he darts across the stage from one side to the other keeping the audience up-to-date with the plot.
The first game is a fiasco with the American overturning the chessboard and storming out, but Florence arranges another game with the help of the KGB Alexander Molokov (Roger Dugdale).
On one side of the stage is a television screen which helps the audience see the chess moves.
The stage setting is simple with black and white blocks being moved around, but it is dramatically lit for each scene helping create a tense atmosphere.
The music too is haunting and dramatic with some toe-tapping Russian numbers as well as quiet ballads. Songs which were familiar were “One Night in Bangkok” and “I Know Him So Well”, but other numbers “Pity the Child”, “Anthem” and “Heaven Help My Heart” were equally memorable.
The scenes featuring the dancers and choruses were truly remarkable, particularly the Embassy Lament with the typing pool girls executing a fast and furious tableau, the drum majorettes with black and white pom-poms and the sexy Bangkok nightclub where Roger Dugdale, playing Molokov, certainly put his heart and soul into the routines with much enjoyment as they were certainly dazzling.
During the show, television presenters from across the world gave out news bulletins in their various languages, American, Italian, Russian and French and each one sounded very authentic.
Svetlana Sergievskaya, wife of the Russian chess player who flies to Bangkok to confront Anatoly about his defection, is sweetly played by Bethany Clews and Walter de Courcey, the American Government representative, in his garish pin-stripped suit, is robustly played by Bernard Kennedy.
The Queen's gambit is brought to a close with the disappearance of the cast and principals through the large rook.
The production was directed by Howard G. Raw, choreographed by Anne Grogan, musical director Roger Purcell and chorus master Philip Dobson all ably assisted by a talented cast and backroom staff.
True Love Lies: Royal Exchange Theatre until 21 February
Regular theatregoers to Manchester’s Royal Exchange, will be familiar with the work of controversial Canadian playwright, Brad Fraser. Several of his explicit plays have been produced there and the dramatist has developed a strong working relationship with the Exchange’ s Artistic Director, Braham Murray.
True Love Lies explores a series of complex relationships, between husband Kane (John Kirk) and wife (Teresa Banham), with their children, Madison (Amy Beth Hayes) and Royce (Oliver Gomm) and the effect that the return of David (Jonny Phillips), Kane’s former lover, has on them all.
Gradually the façade of a happy family is stripped away and the truth is revealed behind the lies.
The script is savagely funny with sharp, witty one-liners but there is plenty of pain and heartbreak too. Oliver Gomm as Royce is both funny and tragic as he undergoes a difficult journey to understanding himself.
The ultra cool transparent Perspex design by Johanna Bryant is visually stunning and combined with the lighting of Richard Owen, allows the cast to slip easily from scene to scene in different venues without any invasive set changing.
Some of the language and content is sexually explicit but this is a very clever, well-constructed drama from an acclaimed and award-winning writer.
Box Office: 0161 833 9833
www.royalexchange.co.uk
Pippa Munro
Up Against the Wall: Octagon Theatre Bolton until 28 Feb
The Black Music Theatre Company Nitro’s production of Up Against the Wall at the Bolton Octagon, is an evening of terrific 70s Funk music, energetic dancing and some wonderfully outrageous costumes.
There is a sketchy plot, thin as tissue paper, something to do with the relationship between the lead male singer and the lead female singer and the ambition to play in the Festival of Funk but it is of minor importance.
It’s the songs that count.
From the opening with the instantly recognisable theme from Shaft to the finale from the film Car Wash, we are whisked through a score of well-known hits sung with verve by the five singers, Shelley Williams, Danielle Henry, Ann-Marie Roberts, AJ Lewis and Donovan Blackwood.
Ann-Marie Roberts gives a fine rendition of the Aretha Franklin hit, Natural Woman and Donovan Blackwood leads the ensemble in two great James Brown successes Sex Machine and I Feel Good. The band, under musical director, guitarist Joseph Roberts,are excellent, Cheryl Alleyne on drums, Darren Benjamin and Jonathan Idiagboya on keyboards and Barry Williams on bass guitar. This year is Nitro’s thirtieth anniversary and this musical celebrates much of their achievement. The Octagon’s next production is Pinter’s The Caretaker, starting on 5th March.
Box Office 01204 520661
www.octagonbolton.co.uk
Lots of fun at Joe’s pantomime
JOE Brown and his capable cast quickly won over the audience at their one-night-only production of “Once upon a Dream - the Musical Pantomime”.
The St John Southworth Youth Theatre panto was written, produced and directed by teenager Joe, who makes an entertaining job of bringing a whole series of pantos into one.
This year’s show included bits of “Jack and the Beanstalk”, “Cinderella” and “Aladdin”, but it does have a story of its own - and it’s lots of fun.
There was some great music, too - the young cast features some good singers, capable of presenting contemporary music.
Cathryn Osborne and Bethany Sharrocks choreographed the show well and Joe Winkley and Kevin Maltby provided splendid music.
Cast-wise, Chelsea Singleton was excellent as Cinderella. She acts well and her song opening Act 2 was a highlight of the show. And Ashleigh Ely also sang and acted superbly as Prince Charming of Trawden.
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Talking of charming, Rosie McInerney delighted the audience as Fairy Tinkle, as did Daniel Mason as Jack. Nice work, too, came from Hannah Dootson as Dandini, Tricia Kane as Slave of the Lamp and Jennifer Wightman as the wicked queen.
One of the most memorable performances came from Dominic Kimberlin, who won lots of boos and hisses as the Slayer of the Beast. His gravelly stage voice could well have given him a sore throat for a week, but he was an excellent evil one! His duet of “Better than You” with Fairy Tinkle was another highlight of the show.
And, of course, Joe himself was pretty impressive as Dame Dolly. He is also very capable of drawing the crowd’s attention.
Rebecca Dean and Katie Moody were popular as the horse, and other parts were played by Megan Rowlandson, Chelsea Gott, Stephen Dale, Ruth Pollard and Josie Slater.
There were simple but effective sets, the costumes were lovely and there was some good technical work. It was a pretty packed theatre and the loud audience obviously loved it - they felt very much involved in the whole show.
So, now we look forward to Joe’s next piece!
Peter Dewhurst
BEFORE his Saturday morning concert at St Peter’s Church, Burnley, organist Nigel Spooner took 20 minutes to initiate the audience into some of the mysteries of the “King Of Instruments.”
He opened by playing Alexander Guilamt’s “Grand Choeur,” a bold, forthright piece in the style of Handel. Yorkshireman Andrew Carter wrote “Village Variations” for the church at the Suffolk village of Great Wenham. The folk tunes were simple and charming, however doubtful their origin.
Harrison Oxley’s “Clarinet Tune” was written for Bury St Edmonds, and is, of course based on the organ’s clarinet stop. Three Christmas Chorale Preludes by J.S. Bach began in “Heaven On High,” continued with oscillating notes over a tune in the pedals and concluded with a carol.
Handel’s “Royal Fireworks” music offered great variety. Saint-Saens’ “Fantasie” was most elaborate, written on four staves.
Macel Dupré was most famous as an improviser. His Prelude and Fugue in G minor may well have begun in that fashion. It is most difficult to play, involving great co-ordination.
The healthy audience was most appreciative of the skill and enthusiasm of the performer.
DAVID KILPATRICK
TAKE a touch of “Grease,” add a bit of “High School Musical”, top it with a pinch of Morecambe and Wise, Benny Hill and Cilla Black, lots of enthusiastic young people, and what have you got?
“Jukebox - A Musical Panto” starring at Padiham Town Hall – and I do mean starring.
For this is a foot-tapping, feelgood, original show that deserves a full house every night.
Apart from a few opening night teething troubles, writer and producer Edward P. Munday, and his newly-formed Padiham Panto Society, has come up with a winner for his first show.
He has written a musical comedy with lots of panto in it so that it has something for everyone and it is good to see the wonderful venue of Padiham Town Hall used for live theatre.
And it is also the first time I have ever seen the interval refreshments at a panto sold from a prop (a hot dog stand) on the stage. It was great and the audience loved it.
In fact the audience loved everything about this bubbly, vibrant show with a difference. Hold on to your seats because the action is lively from the outset when the Candy Club cheerleaders, the boys and girls from Grease, and the cocky high school pupils sashay onto the stage.
From then on it is fun all the way. Writer Edward manages to combine a storyline about local “super school” pupils who have a demon headmaster called Mr Gloom who won’t let them have a prom, with storylines from Grease and High School Musical, with sketches from Morecambe and Wise and Cilla Black’s Blind Date, music from Benny Hill and Star Wars, Michael Jackson and Duffy, “The Management” Ron and Ron (Mr Off and Mr Sted), and all centred around Dickie’s Diner which comes to the rescue, saves the prom and saves the day.
It has the theme of young people yearning for respect and older people yearning their youth. And it is great to see so many young people, especially teenagers, giving it their all and earning respect for this production.
We also have a fantastic panto dame (Miss D. Bucket) in Roger Morter, who has so much energy cavorting around the auditorium that it makes you tired just watching him. Edward Munday and Marie Morter as Dickie and Dinah who run the diner and their three waitresses Ena, Meana and Myna, played by Debbie Hargreaves, Karen Kerr and Christine Chadwick, are all great fun. The two Rons are wickedly portrayed by Keith Holden and John Huyton, Jason Morris is the gloomy headmaster, while Susan Tighe, Laura Donnelly and Ian Greenwood have the smaller parts.
The young people with attitude are all great. Rebecca Berry, Dawn Cleary, Jade Robinson, Eva Marie Riley and Natalie Morter are the Flamingos, with James Hargreaves, Samuel Bainbridge, Adam Uttley, Alex Berry and Jordan Taylor playing the Emus, along with an enthusiastic younger chorus.
The production makes use of the whole auditorium with dancing up and down the aisles, a crafty hinged set makes scene changes easy, and all in all this is pure entertainment.
Well done the producer and well done Padiham.
MARGARET PARSONS
“CINDERELLA” is a real panto favourite and it is great to see it being presented in the traditional way by Greenbrook Pantomime Society in Lowerhouse.
Some pantos lose the fun and atmosphere when too modern a twist is put on them, but this one is just right.
Even though it has latched on to the TV dancing show craze and called itself “Cinderella - A Tale of Strictly Come Dancing” it is very much the traditional story told in the traditional way.
The only difference being that Prince Charming loves dancing and is looking for a Princess who can dance with him.
Although the auditorium was not full on Monday’s opening night, the ambience of Greenbrook Community Hall means that it did not
|  | detract from the audience’s enjoyment, and after a slow start the fun began to kick in.
Brian Fagan has taken over as director and brought a refreshing new style with him. The set design and scenery painting – most of which he undertook himself – is excellent and provides a great backdrop to this fun show.
There are lots of new faces and a large junior chorus this year and the producer gave the children the opportunity to shine with a delightful early scene in a fairy glade.
From then on it was fun all the way. Buttons bounced onto the stage, closely followed by the Ugly Sisters and what a treat they were. Robert Bennett was excellent, just as a Buttons should be, and Les Newcombe and Glen Hawthorne played the ugly sisters wonderfully. Les was the bossy one while Glen was the Stan Laurel lookalike and they complemented each other perfectly.
Martyn Green had stepped in a few weeks ago to play Prince Charming and he used his experience to help his shy Cinderella, played by Abbie Ewart, through her role.
And what a triumph from the set designers when the fairy coach arrived to take Cinders to the ball, I won’t spoil it for you but it is very well done.
Becky Schofield is the Prince’s sidekick Dandini, Leanne Wright the fairy godmother, and Dave Barnes plays Baron Hardup, while smaller roles are played by Trevor Little, Ben Jackson, Simone Knowles, Hollie Southwell, Helen Ingham, Lissy Ingham, Sarah Bushby and Brian Howbrook.
Sandra Catterall and her team had worked hard on the costumes and it showed as they sparkled and shimmered. And it is nice to have live music with Steve Willoughby on drums, Frank Lowe on bass and guitar and Irene Johnson on piano.
There was a very good choice of songs – Paul McCatney’s “Frog Chorus” was revived and “Cotton Eye Joe” nearly brought the house down. A few stronger singing voices in the chorus would have helped, but overall this is a great local show.
Lots of fun, lots of slapstick, an easy to follow story, just what pantos should be.
MARGARET PARSONS |
Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves
Burnley Pantomime Society
Burnley Mechanics THE 40 Thieves have been trying to steal the show along with the loot at Burnley Mechanics.
But they have a hard job on their hands with the line up of experienced panto people bringing us merriment and mayhem as they go.
The bunch of thieves try to steal the treasure, kill the hero and generally cause trouble – but in true panto tradition the hero triumphs, the princess finds true love, good conquers evil, the Sultan stops slitting throats, Fatima Fandango nearly gets her man and they all live happily ever after.
This is the story of “Ali Baba And The 40 Thieves” by Burnley Pantomime Society which runs until Sunday at Burnley Mechanics.
The first night audience entered into the spirit of this traditional tale with a modern twist and modern songs, and which producer Howard G. Raw aims at all ages. So his jokes, some of which went over the head of the children, were not lost on the adults as he played dame Fatima Fandango – a Scottish sex siren out to get a man at all costs.
James Cockerill, making his debut with the society, was Ali Baba with a Scouse accent and his friendly approach and nice singing voice soon won over the audience. Neil Tranmer is still treading the boards after 30 years and his portrayal of Mustafa Screwloose was spot on, and character actor and singer Stephen Dixon is so versatile he is the excellent panto villain Asbad.
Plaudits too for James Dryden as Crown Prince Haroun, Pete Morville and Dave Pilkington as baddies Bashim and Grabbit as they bound around the stage, the always excellent Martin Chadwick as the Sultan, Roger Dugdale as Grand Vizier, and Daniel Myers and Josh Hindle who win the aah factor award for their antics as Wally the Camel.
But it is the women who stand out – in particular Maria Masterman-Booth who opens the show as Alsatia the dog, who has a long-running battle with Catrina the cat played by Kathleen Watkins, in an entertaining twist to the tale.
Maria has played the female lead with the society for several years but casts off her goody goody image this year and what a treat it is as she makes the role her own. “Who Let The Dogs Out” was a sensational early song, along with “Dancing In The Street” which really gets the audience in the mood and the hisses and boos and audience participation soon follow. All praise too for Kathy Anderson as Marjana and her infectious laugh which had us all in stitches. She also has a great singing voice and I hope we see more of her locally. Natalie Graham as Princess Jasmine is also a fine singer, and Victoria Whitham did a good job as Scheherazade the narrator.
Under the musical direction of Alex Markham, and with an excellent chorus and lovely dancing from the Lynn McCheyne dancers from Sandersons, this is all-round family entertainment, definitely not just for the children.
The producer uses modern songs and dance combined with traditional throwaway lines and gags, the set is excellent and the space on the large Mechanics stage is well used.
The costumes glitter and it is worth seeing the whole show just for the fantastic finale – a white and gold triumph.
MARGARET PARSONS
“Aladdin and his Magic Lamp”, at The Muni, Colne.
Review by Megan Smith (age 8) and her dad (age 28... oh yes he is!)
ODD things, pantos, for the very elements that would spell the death of any other show – threadbare and recycled routines, jokes to make you groan out loud, shouting from the audience, on-stage corpsing and outrageously over-the-top acting – are the very lifeblood of pantoland.
And you can be assured that this year’s panto at the Muni, in Colne, is a very lively one indeed. Once again, Muni favourite George Critchley has returned with his own version of a pantomime classic, this year breathing new life into age-old tale of Aladdin. It has all the right ingredients – a thigh-slapping lead, a hiss-boo baddie, a delirious dame and lashings of audience participation, slapstick, music, magic and mirth. There is lots to keep the children laughing and a few gags that might pass them by, but slap their parents square in the face.
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Above all, it is performed with genuine enthusiasm by a cast who are clearly having a ball and want their audience to do the same. But enough from me... pantomime lives or dies by the verdict of those most brutal critics... children! So it’s over to my accomplice (and daughter), eight-year-old Megan, for her angle on Aladdin:
I went to a pantomime on Sunday at the Muni. It was Aladdin, and it was really good. My favourite character was the Slave of the Ring, and she was on roller skates.
I loved the dancers who were really good, even though some of them were younger than me, and their costumes were absolutely fantastic! There was this man called Wacky Wishee Washee and when he came on stage he shouted “Hiya kids!” and we all had to shout “Hiya Wishee!” back to him. And when his mum, Widow Twankey, told Aladdin to get on with his jobs, we all had to shout “Wishee do this, Wishee do that!”
In one part, Widow Twankey, Aladdin and Wacky Wishee Washee sang “We Will Rock You”, but they did “We Will Wash You”, as they lived in a Chinese laundry.
Another good bit was when they were in a cave and a ghost kept running round behind them and scaring them away one by one. We had to shout really loud when the ghost was behind them.
The big baddie was Abanazer (also known as Avabanana).
I really loved this pantomime because it made me laugh, it was entertaining and the audience could join in. It even had a pantomime elephant!
I’m already looking forward to next year!
Back with the grown-ups, my only slight criticism was that for our performance the music tended to overpower the lyrics in the musical numbers. Genial George had obviously gone to the trouble of writing some funny lines for the songs, so it was a shame that the jokes were too often lost on us, drowned by the drums. Otherwise it was a great family day out and don’t tell Megan, but Dad’s looking forward to next year too.
“Aladdin” runs at The Muni until Sunday, January 18th. For more information and to book tickets, call the box office on 01282 661234 or visit: www.themuni.co.uk
See How They Run: Royal Exchange until 24 January.
If you are fed up with bad news, credit crunches and getting ready for Christmas, treat yourself to a night off and go and enjoy The Royal Exchange’s production of Philip King’s classic farce, See How They Run. Set in wartime Britain the play contains all the right ingredients for a wonderful plum pudding of laughter, lost trousers, mistaken identities, and not one but four men in vicar’s clothing. Director Sarah Frankcom and the cast have clearly had enormous fun creating this hilarious, fast paced comedy and their reward is gales of laughter from the audience. Reverend Lionel Toop (Nick Caldicott) lives with his former actress wife, Penelope (Laura Rogers) in the quintissential English village.
The bane of their existence is prissy Miss Skillon (Alexandra Mathie). The arrival of Lance Corporal Clive Winton (Chris Harper) once Penelope’s co-star, leads to him dressing as a vicar, then an escaped German prisoner steals Lionel’s dog collar and then Penelope’s uncle, the Bishop, (Arthur Bostrom) turns up.
The complications are many and there are two other lovely comic performances from Kate O’Flynn as Ida the maid, who knows most of what is going on and Hugh Sachs as Reverend Humphrey who knows nothing. Sergeant Towers (John Branwell) tries to sort it all out and fails. The fact that this is, in effect, a period piece, in no way detracts from the humour and there are echoes of Dad’s Army. Next Year the Royal Exchange is setting up a scheme to encourage young people to enjoy the theatre, which will involve making 10,000 free tickets available to under twenty-six year olds.
Details from www.royalexchange.co.uk/guestlist.
Box Office 0161 833 9833
www.royalexchange.co.uk
Pippa Munro
Danny the Champion of the World: Octagon Theatre Bolton until 17 January
David Wood’s adaptation of Roald Dahl’s Danny the Champion of the World gives the Bolton Octagon another excellent Christmas show. Director Mark Babych and his creative team of designer Helen Goddard, lighting designer Tom Scott Dexter, sound designer Andy Smith and composer Howard Gray have combined to produce some clever and witty effects.
A small cast of seven actors play a wide variety of parts and demonstrate impressive puppet skills. How else are you going to be able to put a host of chickens and countless pheasants on stage?
Des O’Malley is a touching Danny, worrying about his father Stephen Chapman and trying to prevent eviction by the wicked Mr Hazell, Morgan George. Thomas Adderley, Elianne Byrne, Helen Kay and Martin Miller play, policeman, taxi driver, head-teacher, doctor, gamekeepers and more as well as controlling all those fowl and creating the sound effects of cars, a baby, a bull frog and all kinds of odd things. I was unable to attend the press evening so that gave me the chance to go to a morning performance with the auditorium packed with primary school children and I think I enjoyed it all the more.
The children chuckled and giggled in all the right places and participated with noisy enthusiasm when required. Their enjoyment was infectious and really cheered me. This production is well worth seeing, with much to please four-year-old children and upwards, including two young at heart pensioners.
Box Office 01204 520661
www.octagonbolton.co.uk
Pippa Munro
Todmorden Hippodrome Youth Theatre - "Seussical'' - December 2nd to 6th.
By CAROLINE SMITH
THEODOR Seuss Geisel would have been so proud of the talented members of Todmorden Hippodrome's Youth Theatre. For his ethos in life was to create books which were magical for children.
And the youngsters' musical tribute "Seussical'' proved to be just that! Being a big Dr (the Dr tag being an acknowledgement to his father's unjustified hopes his son would earn a doctorate at Oxford) Seuss fan, I was really interested to see what sort of spin the youngsters would put on this show.
They did not let me down. It was a fantastic night! The evening started off well as soon as I went into the foyer, which was absolutely crowded with parents, grandparents and children. There was a lovely warm atmosphere in the lovingly restored Edwardian theatre.
The show started and there were masses of young people on stage colourfully dressed and the scenery and lighting was spectacular. The orchestra played tremendously and the scene changes were made without any interruption in the show, which was fast and excitng. The only break was for one interval and so I took the chance to delve into the reasonably priced goodies.
All the staff at The Hippodrome are volunteers and they proved to be very helpful and pleasant and dealt with the children so nicely. The musical is based on the works of Dr Seuss and is imaginery. All the leading parts were taken so well and Callum Macrae as the Cat in the Hat, Horton (Chris Stott), Boy/Jojo (Jacob Rolfe), Mayzie la Bird ( Emily Coup) and Gertrude MacFuzz (Cara Heys) were all outstanding. All the children on stage were wonderful as was the orchestra.
Congratulations to the production team of Helen Clarkson, Emily Rawlinson, Alexandra Scott and Rachel Rogers for this fantastic production. There next musical is Mack and Mabel from April 28th to May 2nd - see you there!
For more information please ring 01706 816326.
Aladdin, Charter Theatre, Preston
Last night audiences were whisked away from icy Preston to the far off and exotic world of Aladdin on the opening night of Panto at the Charter Theatre in Preston. Spectators were greeted in style by usherettes in saris and stalls covered in jewels for a magical Arabian Night.
Silence fell on a full auditorium as past Blue Peter presenter Tim Vincent entered in his role as the Evil Abanazar to which he was surprisingly very well suited. His evil plotting, dismissive jokes and superior tone received boos and hisses in abundance and there was even mention of a Blue Peter badge for those of us that remember.
In true panto style there were many opportunities throughout the night for the audience to get involved whether it was being studied by Mustapha, sprayed with a water gun by the Sultan or shouting “it’s behind you” at the wonderful Widow Twankey.
Our hero for the night Aladdin or Kade Ferraiolo as he’s usually known gave a convincing performance as the cheeky, lovable rouge and entertained the audience with dance sections, slapstick comedy and romantic duets.
A talented supporting cast including comedy actor Stephen Swift as Widow Twankey, Richard Ashton as Mustapha, Christine Parle as The Slave of the Ring and Leon Tagoe as The Genie helped make the night a success. Twankey’s innuendos and constant man hunting kept the adults of the audience amused whilst his extravagant outfits, endless wig changes and brassy personality won the children over.
Paul Crone from Granada Reports made another panto appearance this year as the Sultan, and got the crowd going with his slick dance moves and witty local jokes. His scenes with Twankey had the whole crowd laughing and made them a likable pairing.
The beautiful Princess Yasim played by Casey-Lee Jolleys of Coronation Street and Milkshake, performed popular song and dance sequences such as Beyonce and played the strong yet powerless part well.
Pelé Production, now in its sixth visit to the Charter Theatre didn’t disappoint with dazzling costumes, sets and even a flying carpet, to ensure a magical night was had by all.
Aladdin performances run until Sunday 4th January. Tickets range from £11 - £16 (family tickets and group/school discounts available) and are on sale now from the Guild Hall & Charter Theatre Box Office on 01772 258858.
A Taste of Honey: Royal Exchange Theatre until 6 December. It is fifty years since a Salford teenager called Shelagh Delany sent her script to Joan Littlewood at the Stratford East theatre in London. The Royal Exchange’s anniversary production of A Taste of Honey shows much of Delaney’s remarkable achievement. It is astonishing that she and Littlewood managed to get so many controversial themes past the Censors in 1958, teenage pregnancy, racism, parental neglect, and homosexuality, still illegal.
The play seems very still very relevant but perhaps a little dated as well. My companion and I found ourselves in a deep discussion about the radical changes in our society in the second half of the twentieth century and the start of the twenty first, so Jo Combes choice and direction serves to give us drama that makes us think. Jodie McNee as Jo is riveting.
It is a formidably demanding part as she is on stage virtually without a break. Her face and body capture the conflicting emotions of a confused teenage girl. Sally Lindsay plays the mother Helen, manipulative and self centred but with moments of compassion, Paul Popplewell is Helen’s drunken lover and Marcelo McCalla is Jimmie, Jo’s brief taste of honey, her sailor boyfriend. Adam Gillen plays Geof, the part played so memorably by Murray Melvin in the original production and the well-known film. Gillen is wonderfully camp with a strangulated voice and agonisingly contorted movements.
The play is opened out with musical interludes that reflect Manchester’s contribution to recent pop history. The Second Act is faster paced and gripping and I liked the touch of mother Helen returning at the end in the same costume as the beginning, stressing the circularity and reminding us that what we now call dysfunctional families are ever present. What future lies ahead for Jo’s baby?
Box Office: 0161 833 9833
www.royalexchange.co.uk
Pippa Munro
“The Venetian Twins”, at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton, until November 15th.
Box Office: 01204 520661. Website: www.octagonbolton.co.uk
THE Bolton Octagon’s production of Ranjit Bolt’s translation of Carlo Goldoni’s farce “The Venetian Twins” is fun, sheer unadulterated fun!
The plot revolves around the usual mistaken identities involving a pair of twins separated in childhood, who arrive in Verona from Venice and Bergamo, a long lost daughter, women in love and sneaky friends.
The joy of the evening is in the fast paced playing from an excellent ensemble cast and in the clever direction by Paul Hunter and design by Michael Vale. The bare wooden platform in the centre of the Octagon’s thrust stage is surrounded by trampolines and this gives loads of opportunity for great physical comedy as the actors bounce on and off. Above the stage, members of the cast double as sound effects makers to great effect.
The sword fights are particularly entertaining. Rachel Donovan and Caitlin Mottram are the ladies with Joanna Holden as a feisty maid. Antony Jardine is the boastful Lelio, James Traherne is the oily hypocrite Pancrazio, but it is Nick Haverson’s double act as Zanetto and Tonino that gets the most laughs. He plays Zanetto with a broad Lancashire accent and Tonino with a posh one. His awkward body movements as Zanetto are wonderful and his energy is captivating.
It’s no wonder he ends both acts drenched in sweat. Indeed the whole cast must be exceedingly fit to keep up with this bouncingly comic play.
PIPPA MUNRO
Just 'Buddy' Wonderful! A fantastic cast of around 20 shook the Charter Theatre last night as the audience was flung right back to the 50's in this West End spectacular. The Buddy Holly Story has been wowing West Enders for almost 20 years, portraying the life and love of a pure rock 'n' roll legend, the young Texas guy who changed the face of music forever!
Preston is being rocked by this legendary tribute to an amazing man for a full week from the 22nd to 27th September, but this is no ordinary tribute bursting with rock 'n' roll wannabes, this is a first class performance from incredibly talented singers, dancers, actors and musicians – it 's the whole package. The performance has you rockin' in your seats as over 700 people sang the legendary hits that still influence today's modern musical talent.
The story acted out in this fantastic production is passionate, exhausting, exciting, tear jerkingly beautiful as your emotions take a real rollercoaster ride into Buddy Holly's soul. Hit after hit is delivered to an enthralled auditorium with rapturous applause as the audience participate in his true life story.
As we near the 50th anniversary of Buddy's tragic death in 1959 we are reminded through this production that his short but eventful life had passion and meaning. Buddy Holly inspired true rock 'n' roll and through 'Buddy the Musical' we see a story or a young man that in three years went from zero to true hero becoming the world's top recording artist giving us fantastic hit records including Peggy Sue, That’ll be the Day, Oh Boy, Rave On, Heartbeat and Raining in my Heart, as well as classics such as La Bamba, Chantilly Lace and Why Do Fools Fall in Love, before his died in a plane crash aged just 22.
The show follows the tragically short life of the star from his first recording contract through his move to New York, concluding his fatal tour of Midwest America with Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper. Buddy sings his way from the recording studio in Nashville Tennessee to Harlem’s Apollo Theatre, culminating in a live rock ‘n’ roll extravaganza at the ‘Winter Dance Party’ finale. The show ended to a crescendo for hits with a rapturous audience rocking in the aisles culminating in an outstanding standing ovation, it was great! Tickets are available for other productions this week with full details at www.prestonguildhall.com – book on-line now.
ROUTE 66
If you caught ROUTE 66 playing their up beat brand of RnB at the Colne Rnb festival in August and you want more then dont despair. They are back agin this week at The Derby Arms in Colne on Sat 6 Sep.
Get there and boogie!
Hay Fever: Royal Exchange until August 9th.
If you are depressed by credit crunches, rising prices and gloomy forecasts, forget it all and treat yourself to a few hours of pleasure and laughter at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester.
Greg Hersov’s production of Noel Coward’s sparkling comedy Hay Fever is a delight. Recently retired actress Judith Bliss (Belinda Lang) her novelist husband David (Ben Keaton) and their two equally Bohemian children, Simon (Chris New) and Sorel (Fiona Botton) await the arrival of their hapless weekend guests, diplomat Richard (Simon Treves), athletic young Sandy (Simon Bubb), sophisticated man-eater Myra (Lysette Anthony) and nervous flapper Jackie (Dorothea Myer-Bennett).
The play involves all kinds of wickedly funny twists in relationships, mostly masterminded by Judith, a wonderfully comic performance from Belinda Lang as the doyenne of the theatre, still acting everything to the hilt.
Coward gives us a whole host of wildly eccentric characters and a plot that cleverly combines predictability with outrageous convolutions. Apparently, at the age of 24, he wrote the script in three days.
The Royal Exchange gives us a stylish production in its superb auditorium. Everything is suitably exquisite, the costumes are to-die-for, the set is marvellous, the whole cast are excellent including Tessa Bell-Briggs as Clara, formerly Judith’s dresser and now her somewhat truculent housekeeper.
Perhaps some might carp that Coward’s plays are outdated but they are so brilliantly clever and funny. One can spot some hints of his Private Lives, written some years later.
Drama can challenge, provoke and torment but it can also entertain and this production is an evening of joy, escape and wit. Go on, spoil yourself! You’re worth it! See the blissful Bliss family.
Box Office: 0161 833 9833
www.royalexchange.co.uk
Pippa Munro
Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare.
Performed by Ribcaged, directed by Owen Phillips at St Wilfrid’s Church, Ribchester, June 29, 2008
Ribchester Festival of Music.
There was much ado in a small Lancashire church this week…about something very special.
Young and talented director Owen Phillips had brought his new production of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing home, as a triumphant finale to the Ribchester Festival of Music.
Owen, who grew up in the Ribble Valley village, chose to give a pre-Edinburgh Festival Fringe performance of the sparkling production in his home village.
It was a delight on many counts – first as evidence of a maturing talent. (Owen has taken two previous productions by the appropriately named Ribcaged Theatre Productions company to Edinburgh.)
Secondly, because it’s not often an audience is treated to a feisty production of a Shakespeare comic classic at a village venue.
But most of all it was a delight because this (predominantly) youthful cast met the challenge of such a performance with infectious enthusiasm and verve.
The play was given a contemporary-ish twist by setting it in 1930s’ high society – a cue for some delightful original music by Lara Lopez and some stylish and beautifully fitted costumes created by Anne-Marie Caunce.
|  | The score, described as “composed with influences of 1930s’ jazz and Eastern European gypsy music” helped move the production along at a tremendous pace, adding to the mood of pre-war gaiety.
Were there any stars? Well yes, in a very competent cast Julia Burchell’s Beatrice and Keith Flood’s Leonato stood out.
Burchell’s perfect diction was a treat, the more so perhaps because the acoustics of the setting – the medaeval church of St Wilfrid, equipped with a temporary stage for the music festival, placed special demands on the cast. Not all were quite so clear. She captured the forcefulness and fragility of Beatrice with ease.
Keith Flood, who, after years of delighting local audiences on the amateur stage, has turned professional, proved an excellent match for a demanding role, which saw him turn from proud father, to a swift-to-judge and vengeful parent and finally back to happy father of the bride.
Whether leading laughter-filled carousing, or accusing daughter Hero, or confronting his own sorrow, Flood was master of his role, challenging the audience to move with his moods.
Hero, herself, was played delightfully by Rosy Williams, who also managed to woo the audience with some unexpected violin playing, which fitted seamlessly into the production and added to the entertainment.
Special mention too should go to teenager Laura Frost, making her professional debut in two roles as a Watchman and Lady in Waiting. The local teenager, who studies ballet, tap and drama, delivered her lines with a confidence and poise which belied her youth.
First Watchman Guy Unsworth, Dogberry Jeremy Rycroft and Verges Mark Hermandez brought humour to their roles and flair to the production.
Paul Hassall was a very enthusiastic Benedick.
The cast used the space in the church well, delighting the audience, most memorably as they made their way down the main nave to a masked ball and later to Hero’s supposed funeral.
The pace of line delivery by some of the cast could, at times, have been a little slower. But that’s a problem that can be quickly sorted
Ribcaged’s cast of professional actors and musicians showcase the region’s talent. The 16-strong cast have an impressive range of experience, as evidenced by the programme notes. The company itself is committed to providing opportunities for local actors. Long may such initiative and enterprise continue!
Owen Phillips both produced and directed this production, as he did the acclaimed “Sex For Shampoo” and “The War Bus” which were taken to Edinburgh in 2007 and 2005 respectively.
Get those Edinburgh tickets booked now, before they sell out….this Much Ado has abundant character and distinctive style.
Fiona Finch
Another outstanding show
“Lettice and Lovage” Ribchester
Amateur Theatrical Society (RATS)
FOR anyone who has cringed at the improbable stories told by tour guides at stately homes, Peter Shaffer’s comedy “Lettice and Lovage” was a delight.
The author is better known for “Equus” and “Amadeus”, but wrote “Lettice and Lovage” for Dame Maggie Smith to perform the lead character. Directed by Robin Simmons, the play provoked belly laughs from the audience and was a perfect way to enjoy a summer’s evening in the Parochial Hall.
It begins in Fustian House. As its name suggests, it is a dreary, fusty 16th-Century hall (marvellously represented by John Sharples’, Alex Milne’s and Tim Watts’ set designs).
The rain-drenched tourists who have paid to visit the hall in Wiltshire are clearly bored and miserable. The main character, Lettice Douffet, is a middle-aged woman living in the past. Played in a wonderfully over-the-top way by Deb Groves, Lettice has a tendency to over-exaggerate everything she does. She has been fired from many jobs as a tour guide because, instead of offering the plain and simple facts of history, she alters them into magnificent historical pieces to make them more exciting. True to form, as a tour guide at the rather dull Fustian House, Lettice decides to liven up her tour lecture and creates an imaginative and far more interesting past for the stately home.
The tourists are jolted from their reveries and thoroughly enraptured by her tale. Some days later, Lettice is once again telling the “history” of the hall, only her tale has become even more fanciful and grandiose. She is filled with confidence and the (larger) audience of excited tourists hangs on her every word. Lettice is challenged by a disagreeable fellow, played by John Royle, who demands to see her references for the story. She successfully averts his questions, much to the enjoyment of the rest of the crowd.
Subsequently, Lettice is confronted by an inspector from the Preservation Trust, Lotte (Charlotte) Schoen, a conservative, middle-aged woman played admirably by Sue Cronshaw, sporting a death stare that could curdle milk at 50 paces! Lotte is dismayed by Lettice’s straying from the facts and fires her, but this is not the end. Even though the two seem to be complete opposites they do have one thing in common – their love for history. Lotte, just like Lettice, believes that the past was a thing of beauty and the two very different women discover similarities in their very different personalities, including a dislike for all things modern.
Unfortunately, during the course of this unlikely friendship, things go badly wrong....
Once again, RATS has delivered an outstanding production.
Every aspect was carefully and skilfully honed, running the full gamut from farce and ham-acting (really, could Debs have been more over-the-top?), to mind games and utterly convincing pathos.
Congratulations are due to all concerned. Now then, where’s that diary… when’s the next one?
Mark Handscomb
THE Pendle Hippodrome Theatre Company’s debut performance - the breathtakingly scary “Jekyll and Hyde” - has set a precedent which will be a hard act to follow.
The slick, professional musical is an all-round winner, with great cast and chorus and some inspired production techniques.
The music is great, the costumes are terrific and the lighting is stunningly exciting and colourful.
It is a Hammer House of Horrors sort of show - lots of death and destruction - but its fun, too.
Howard Raw - who has directed productions at theatres like the Palace and Lowry in Manchester - is the producer, and Matt Leedam is musical director.
Jon Ranwell is the centrepiece of the whole show, doubling as Dr Henry Jekyll and the evil Edward Hyde. And it is a tremendous performance. Jon sings superbly and his acting skills are a vital contribution. It is amazing how he can change in a flash from Jekyll to Hyde and back again.
There are two leading ladies, both highly competent and both singing splendidly, but contrasting. There is Sarah Faragher as Emma Carew - charming, capable and with a rich, operatic voice. And there is Maria Masterman (Lucy), acting attractively and impressing with her powerful and very effective singing skills. When the two sing together, the contrast is obvious but the sounds are truly complementary.
And it doesn’t end there. There are great supporting roles from David Hulme (John Utterson) and James Cockerill (Simon Stride). Kevin Riley is really frightening as Spider. Kevin is always great at playing character roles - usually funny, but this time decidedly peculiar and dangerous.
Mike McKeown is fine as Sir Danvers and Rosemary Osborne equally skilled as Nellie. And the hospital board, too, add to the mood - Stephen Burrows as Lord Savage, Dorothy Broughton as Lady Beaconsfield, Robin Knipe as the Bishop, Barry Jackson as Sir Archibald and Eric Beardsworth as General Lord Glossop.
Completing the line-up are Craig Jackson, who works well as Newsboy, Brian Bird as butler Poole and Roger Shackleton as Bisset.
The chorus works extremely well in terms of singing, acting and choreography, and the technical aspects including the set were great.
It is hard to pick highlights from the score because there are so many, but for me “Take Me As I Am”, “Bring on the Men”, “This is the Moment”, “Someone Like You” “In His Eyes” “Angst 2”, “A New Life” and “Confrontation” were all up there along with the final ensemble piece.
This is the best, most exciting show I have seen in a long time. It is at the Pendle Hippodrome Theatre in Colne tonight and tomorrow, starting at 7.15 p.m. - well worth trying to get a ticket.
Peter Dewhurst
“Spring and Port Wine”
Octagon Theatre Bolton until April 26th
Box Office: 01204 520661
www.octagonbolton.co.uk
Director Noreen Kershaw’s production of Bill Naughton’s “Spring and Port Wine” celebrates the 40th anniversary season of Bolton’s Octagon Theatre.
The playwright’s first play was performed here and he was very much a local lad. Indeed, the studio venue is named after him.
Spring and Port Wine is one of his most popular and enduring family dramas. The film version starring James Mason was memorable.
The action tells of the upheavals of the Cromptons over one emotional and life-changing weekend.
This production benefits from two accomplished stage actors in the leading parts, Russell Dixon as Rafe Crompton, the stubborn and domineering father, and Julie Riley as Daisy, his seemingly submissive wife, but loved by her four children, Harold, (Paul Simpson) Florence, (Eve Robertson), Hilda (Joanna Higson) and young Wilfred (Des O’Malley).
David Crellin plays Florence’s fiancé, Arthur, and Mary Cunningham plays the feckless neighbour Betty Jane.
The director has chosen to set the play in 1966, a little after it was originally written, but this means that it is, in some ways, a period piece.
However, many of the attitudes and emotions still ring true, especially for older members of the audience.
According to the programme notes, the first credit card was introduced in 1966 and thus Rafe’s revelations about the disastrous effects of debt on his childhood are tellingly contemporary.
The cast extract all the humour and pathos of Naughton’s script and Russell Dixon and Julie Riley bring a lump to the throat in the final scenes as they learn to understand one another and the needs of their children.
Dawn Allsopp’s design evokes the period skilfully. This is a modern classic well acted and most enjoyable.
The next prodution is Meet the Mukherjees, starting on May 1st.
PIPPA MUNRO
Friends and Neighbours
Garrick Club
Burnley Mechanics
WHAT a cracking night of laughs everyone had when the Garrick Club opened with Austin Steele’s hilarious Lancashire comedy “Friends and Neighbours”.
It was after a 10-year plus absence from the Mechanics that Alan Miller was welcomed back, making his return to direct this spot-on Northern humour comedy.
Set in the 1950s, this production is a mixture of Lancastrians and Russians which in itself spells fun before you even witness the play.
With the merge of Lancastrian and Russian culture, plus the language problem, you are really set to have a good laugh, especially when the neighbours and daughter with her new boyfriend make their entrance into the situation.
This is a super comedy that will have you howling with laughter from start to finish. The dialogue is very funny but the delivery is what made it special for me.
There is not a weak link in the whole of the eight-strong cast. Alan Miller has chosen well and his interpretation of this Austin Steele comedy is a credit to him. But I must give credit where credit is due for the cast and I feel that a large portion of it should swing Keith Pounder’s way as Albert Grimshaw. He is absolutely full of it.
I have seen Keith in many comedy situations, but this one he takes by the horns and gives a performance of immense quality.
His character and the quality of his timing and facial expressions are immaculate. A truly professional performance and a credit to him.
Teaming up with him playing his wife is Anne E. Chadwick as Lily Grimshaw. She delivers a superb characterisation of this Northern housewife giving so much to every situation she encounters. The quality and delivery of her acting and her visual appearance she can be proud of.
It is hard to believe that Dorothy Spencer (Doris Holmes) can boast the amount of years she as had on stage, but boy does it show. Her calm and collected way of delivery, again making every word of intended comedy count, is nothing but a natural gift.
Martin Chadwick, plays her husband Wilf Holmes, with his unmistakable voice and upright character he oozes experience and gives Wilf that wonderful flair he needs.
The Russian element of the play, Vladimir Previtz (Stephen Dixon) and Petri Garanakova (Carol Anne Connolly) bring a whole new level to the fun of the piece. The pair are well on top of their characters with good accents they create howls of laughter out of misunderstandings of the English language all night.
There are many riotous scenes but the one that takes the biscuit is the night on the vodka that Albert and Wilf experience with the Ruskies.
Daughter of the Grimshaw’s, Susan (Anneka Wright) plays her part to perfection showing a contrast to the rest of the cast. But make no mistake she has her moments of fun too, especially with her jughead of a boyfriend, Sebastian Green (Wayne Brankin). He plays the perfect dope of a lad, thick, backward at coming forward and a good fall about guy full of fun.
This young pair can be proud of their contribution to this production as can every other member of the cast. It is strong from top to bottom.
I thoroughly enjoyed this one along with everyone else in the audience and if you miss seeing it, you will miss out on having the best laugh you have had for a long time.
Dennis Murtaugh |
