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Review – Screaming Blue Murder, Screen 2 at the Filmhouse, Royal and Derngate, Northampton, 15th September 2024

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Forgive me Father, it’s been four months since my last Screaming Blue Murder. And haven’t things changed since then? Sadly, not all for the best (frankly, not at all for the best), but more of that later. One aspect that remains as constant as the Northern Star, is the presence of MC Dan Evans, the host with the most; indeed, one sometimes wonders where we would be without him. As always, Dan got to grips with discovering the ins-and-outs of the audience members, including the young man who worked in the warehouse and his other half who worked in The Artichoke (don’t know it, but it sounds posh), and the man from Rugby who accidentally arrived a week early for a show in the Royal, but thought he’d take his chance with a spot of comedy instead.

Our first act was Becky Umbers, a diminutive New Zealander with a bright personality and a gurgly voice. I’m not being rude here – Ms Umbers devotes at least 30% of her act to various observations about her vocal tones; she readily admits even other New Zealanders can’t understand her sometimes. She has a nicely confiding style and some unique stories, all of which, you sense, are probably pretty much true. It’s with a certain degree of shame that she tells us of the road trip where – basically – she knocks down a kiwi; no, not one of her fellow citizens but a real kiwi, which is probably a worse crime as they’re endangered. Delivered with confidence and an endearing personality, it was slightly low on laughter, but that was probably due to the size of the audience (clue: it wasn’t a big audience.)

Next up we had Gbemi Oladipo, a lively Nigerian in a jumper almost as loud as him. He bursts forth on the stage with no holds barred and delivers a serious of sharply comic observations with attack and a huge sense of fun. He plays off the audience with ease and is quick to pick up on any verbal (or even visual) reactions anyone might have to his stories. I loved his material about the ignominy of dying on a Ryanair flight, and why, at his age, he’s decided it’s time for him to start drinking. He has a very engaging stage persona and we’d be very happy to see him again.

Our final act was… no, there was no final act. Since Screaming Blue Murder has transferred to the Filmhouse – temporarily we hope, whilst the Underground space is finally made safe from all that RAAC – it’s bucked the trend of most other comedy nights and gone from three to two comedians (but for no reduction in ticket price, I notice). To be fair, although Screen 2 is not the ideal venue for a comedy night, needs must and it has enabled Screaming Blue and other comedy performers to continue to come to the Royal and Derngate throughout this period; keeping the brand alive, so to speak.

But there are other signs that standards are declining. Nothing to do with Mr Evans or the acts who are appearing; but simple things like a confusion over when the show should start (7.30pm on the ticket, 8.00pm on the website), the music playing as you enter the auditorium was extracts from Madame Butterfly (we had that at my mum’s funeral – not very conducive to loosening one’s chuckle muscles), moving from Friday night (carefree) to Sunday night (a school night) and scheduling SBMs so that they clash with big names next door in the main theatre – Milton Jones had a full house in the Derngate at the same time. The audience at last night’s Screaming Blue numbered about 22, which is frankly pitiful; what’s worse is that it was probably the largest audience in there since the move to the Filmhouse.

Screaming Blue Murder has such a fine tradition of providing excellent value, top quality comedy shows that it’s a real shame that it’s suffering in this way. The one thing that would improve the experience would be for more people to attend, so come on, people of Northampton, Your Screaming Blue Needs You! But a return to three comedians would also be an improvement – it’s a standard structure for a comedy show with proven success. Get the basics right, and happy comedy nights will follow! Having said all that, we can’t come to the next show on 13 October, which is a shame because it features the superb Markus Birdman and Jenny Collier, so it will be a riot. But you should!

Review – Comedy Crate at the Charles Bradlaugh, Northampton, 12th September 2024

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Good to be back at the Bradlaugh for a sold out show with a top line-up. Our host for the evening was Jason Stampe, a jovial chap who kept things moving smartly and mined some great laughs out of the modestly drinking 24-year-olds and the Amazon Van Man and family in the front row. During the course of the evening we also heard about his experiences as a comedian on cruise ships – having seen many such shows on cruises, my heart went out to him –and his battles for supremacy at home with his son. An MC who has loads of good material as well as interaction with the audience? Jason Stampe’s your man.

Our first act was Paddy Young, who had garnered lots of splendid reviews at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe. Delightfully self-deprecating, Paddy Young delivers his material as though he knows he’s going to go down badly, but that’s far from the truth. He has some very clever ideas about the showers at the gym, the differences between landlords and landladies, and a cheap alternative to heating one’s flat.His opening material about Huel went over the heads of 90% of the audience (ours included) – but when we got it, we got it. His interactions with the crowd were sharp with a slight air of danger, but his overall stage persona is very funny and engaging. He’s clearly going places!

Next up was Chin Wang, born in China, now a Brit, with some beautiful comic observations on the vagaries of the English language, to which she returns regularly throughout her set. She has excellent material on the cultural differences between the two countries, including the desirability to get tanned (or not) and how welcoming the nations are to immigrants (or not). Full of funny and intelligent observations, she went down extremely well with the audience.

Our headliner was Paul Sinha – no stranger to Northampton, and always a welcome return guest. His set was largely an account of his life-story, from before he was born, through training to be a GP, finally getting a boyfriend in his forties, to where he is today. Having battled with a number of health problems over the past few years – all of which play a part in his routine – the Sinhaman was on blistering form with hilarious punchline after punchline, getting brilliant humour out of the darkest of places, and having a good laugh at his own situation in the process. I think it’s fair to say that the audience were ecstatic in their appreciation! A blissful end to a great night.

Unfortunately, we can’t go to the next few Bradlaugh nights – but I trust that you will, because there are some great names ahead!

Review – Pericles, Royal Shakespeare Company at the Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, 10th September 2024

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There aren’t many Shakespearean plays that one misses out on during a lifetime of theatregoing, but Pericles is likely to be one. I’d never seen this play before, and, indeed hadn’t looked at the text for at least 45 years. But there’s no doubt this is a fascinating play – rarely can the old phrase “from the sublime to the ridiculous” be so appropriate concerning the pen of our Beloved Bard.

Alfred EnochWith more episodes and locations than your average picaresque novel, we follow the fortunes of Pericles as he leaves Tyre (where he is Prince) to sail to Antioch, where he hopes to marry the unnamed Princess of that city state. To win her hand, he must answer a riddle; failure to answer it results in death. Pericles solves it in an instant, but making the solution public also results in death – bit of a Catch-22 there, probably a riddle worth avoiding. Therefore he flees Antioch before he can be murdered. Next, he reaches Tarsus, stopping by to offer food to the famine-stricken city; shipwrecked on leaving Tarsus, he lands in Pentapolis, where King Simonides is allowing the winner of a jousting contest to marry his daughter Thaisa. Naturally our hero wins the contest, and Thaisa’s hand. But all is not well; sailing back to Tyre, they are shipwrecked (again) and Thaisa dies giving birth to a daughter, Marina. Following tradition, Thaisa’s body is placed in a coffin and cast off into the waters, never to be seen again. Or is she…?

AntiochusThat’s enough storytelling to fill a book and we’ve only just reached the interval. Pericles must be the direct opposite of Waiting for Godot, where, famously, nothing happens. Here, everything that could possibly happen, happens. However, the early scenes of the play – up till Pericles’ arrival in Pentapolis – are (there’s no point beating about the bush) absolutely awful. Not, I hasten to add, because of the RSC’s production, Tamara Harvey’s direction or the company’s acting; it’s simply the words with which they have to grapple.

Pericles aloftIt is largely believed that the play is a collaboration between Shakespeare and An Other Writer; Shakespeare wrote the good bits and AOW did the rest. The mystery man is likely to be George Wilkins, an innkeeper, criminal and pamphleteer, and an associate of the King’s Men acting company, hence his familiarity with Shakespeare and his work. The language in those opening scenes is flat but garbled; intractably impersonating the florid style of the silver poets who had gone before, but falling far short of the standard required. Fortunately, the use of judicious cuts combined with the happy circumstance that Pericles is one of Shakespeare’s shortest works, means we can get on with the decent meat of the play after about half an hour or so.

SimonidesThe average Collected Shakespeare will list the play as one of the comedies. But there is some tough material here: incest, kidnapping to be sold into prostitution, death during childbirth; frankly, not a lot to laugh at. However, these elements are balanced with some truly engaging scenes and performances, resulting in many feelgood moments and comic sequences. The highlight of the production is King Simonides’ not-so-secret machinations to engineer a marriage between Thaisa and Pericles, a blissfully funny performance by Christian Patterson. All the scenes set in the brothel prickle with danger and corruption; and if you love a happy ending, I can’t think of a bigger jump from despair to elation than that experienced by Pericles in Act Five.

The ropes that bindJonathan Fensom’s simple set is dominated by ropes, suspended and intertwining; a perfect choice for a play where so many scenes are set at sea. Claire van Kampen’s evocative music is delicately and moving played by Elinor Peregrin’s team of five musicians, strong on woodwind and percussion. The text has been smartly cut and revised so that what remains of Gower’s chorus-type introductions to each act have been given to Marina, even before the audience realises it is she who is speaking. There’s only one directorial decision that jars; the artificial and showy use of hands aloft by the background ensemble. Perhaps it’s meant to recreate the dumbshows of the original text; whatever, it just looks silly. Stop it.

Rachelle DiedericksAlfred Enoch gives a compelling performance as Pericles; a truly noble character who rises above all his misfortunes to remain magnanimous, honest and beneficent. Mr Enoch embodies these virtues throughout the play with his clarity of interpretation, physical agility and the sheer emotion of that final scene. As his long lost Marina, the ever-reliable Rachelle Diedericks is a chip off the old block, conveying the essence of purity and decency, pleading her case for survival with lucid clarity. There are also excellent performances from Philip Bird as the super-reasonable Helicanus, Christian Patterson as the excitable Simonides, Leah Haile as the modest Thaisa, Kel Matsena as the noble Lysimachus and Alfred EnochJacqueline Boatswain as the kindly Cerimon and a truly villainous Bawd, matched with an equally vicious Pander played by Felix Hayes.

An excellent opportunity to see a rarely performed Shakespeare; not exactly a masterpiece but containing some of his best characterisations and individual scenes. After Pericles leaves Stratford on 21 September, it transfers to the Chicago Shakespeare Theater from 20 October.

Production Photos by Johan Persson

4-starsFour They’re Jolly Good Fellows!

Review – Pretty Woman, Royal and Derngate, Northampton, 9th September 2024

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I admit, gentle reader, that I had low hopes of this touring production of Pretty Woman The Musical. I have vague memories of seeing the film over thirty years ago, and it was enjoyable but, for me, not remotely memorable. Then when it was announced a few years ago that the film would be turned into a stage musical, once more I despaired at the lack of originality in writing new musicals; must they always be rehashes of movies? Doesn’t the world have enough recycled juke box musicals?

CompanyBut that was the theatre snob in me talking. With no prior knowledge of anything to do with the stage show, I was surprised – and delighted – to discover this is not a juke box musical at all. All the songs (except Roy Orbison’s Pretty Woman, more of which later) are original and written by that highly successful singer/songwriter Bryan Adams and his regular co-writer, Jim Vallance.

Edward and VivianIt’s a fairly faithful adaptation of the original film: rich executive Edward Lewis stumbles into a relationship with sassy but hard-up sex worker Vivian Ward because a gearstick in a car is just too much for him to cope with, and she knows how to work one. He pays for her to stay with him for a week at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, he buys her some top quality outfits, she accompanies him to a few social events (where business deals are closed, of course) and all seems to be going well between them. But then he admits to his lawyer, Philip Stuckey, that she’s neither corporate spy nor business wild child, but a prostitute whom he picked up on Hollywood Boulevard. Stuckey’s no gentleman and instantly reveals to Vivian that he knows all about her. Betrayed, Vivian determines to return to her usual work and lifestyle; but surely it has a happy ending?

Mr ThompsonDavid Rockwell’s design creates a sense of Beverly Wilshire elegance with just some simple scenery set against vivid primary colour backgrounds, beautifully lit (or indeed, deliberately not lit) by Kenneth Posner and Philip S Rosenberg’s lighting design which creates atmospheric silhouettes of the performers to contrast with those luscious warm colours. True, the palm trees seem a little wobbly at times, but, you know, that’s the magic of theatre. Jerry Mitchell’s original choreography is fresh and quirky; elegant for the posh hotel setting and streetwise for the down-at-heel Hollywood Boulevard scenes. Tom Rogers’ costume design gives Vivian some outfits to die for – that red opera dress is surely a keeper – and Griff Johnson’s musical direction beefs out the songs with rocky pizzazz and a lightly humorous touch.

Happy Man and CompanyThe score has a few forgettable songs but plenty of others that both light up the stage and linger in the mind: Vivian’s opening song Anywhere But Here, and Edward’s Something About Her both set up the story beautifully; Edward’s Freedom is a glorious piece of music, and the finale number Together Forever provides a great finish. Bizarrely, given all the original music that precedes it, the use of Pretty Woman as the post-curtain call number seems strangely anachronistic and out of place – and doesn’t come across with the same level of energy as the rest of the score. But I guess the title of the show means it’s compulsory! I must include a word here about the sound quality; sometimes in these big shows there’s some over-amplification and undesired reverb, so that you can’t hear the words. Not a bit of it in Pretty Woman – it’s as clear as a bell, performed at a perfect volume and a delight to listen to.

Happy ManThere’s a refreshing element of fourth wall breaking, primarily relating to the presence of Strictly Come Dancing alumnus Ore Oduba, who’s required to put in a lot of pretty nifty dancing; he gives a tremendous performance as the Happy Man (a kind of Hollywood Everyman character) and Mr Thompson, the Hotel Manager, regularly recognising that the audience has come to see a show and that they’re the ones performing it. There’s a very funny start to Act Two when one of the ensemble comes on stage to start a rousing performance of the song Pretty Woman, much to the crowd’s delight, only for Mr Oduba to intercede and put a stop to it. If you’re going to create artifice, you might as well revel in it.

Kit and GiulioAmber Davies is superb as Vivian; funny, cheeky, unpredictable and streetwise – yet, when the moment requires it, supremely elegant and classy. She has a terrific stage presence, and her voice is stunning. There’s an excellent chemistry between her and Oliver Savile, as Edward; again, he has a fantastic voice, and they harmonise perfectly. Natalie Paris brings power and comedy to the role of Kit, and there’s great support from Ben Darcy as a surprisingly evil Philip Stuckey, FinaleLila Falce-Bass (on her professional debut) who gives us a crowd-pleasing opera-singing Violetta, and Noah Harrison, whose impish bellboy Giulio steals every scene.

The tour started almost a year ago, and after this week in Northampton, has just a couple more dates now, in Leicester and Sheffield, finishing at the end of September. Great commitment and performances from the ensemble and all the cast make this a thoroughly entertaining treat night out.

Production photos by Marc Brenner

4-starsFour They’re Jolly Good Fellows!

The Points of View Challenge – Horses – One Dash – Stephen Crane

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Stephen Crane (1871 – 1900)

American poet, novelist, and short story writer, best known for his Civil War novel The Red Badge of Courage.

Horses – One Dash, written in 1895, first published in a newspaper in 1896 and then in the collection The Open Boat and Other Stories in 1898. Also known as One Dash – Horses or simply Horses.

Available to read online here.

This is the second of eight stories in the volume Points of View to be given the style classification by Moffett and McElheny of Biography, or Anonymous Narration – Single Character Point of View. Their introduction continues: “Some authors comment openly on the characters and the action, perhaps even correcting the perspective of the characters; others make their point only through selection, arrangement, and phrasing.”

Spoiler alert – if you haven’t read the story yet and want to before you read the summary of it below, stop now!

 

Horses – One Dash

 

Richardson, a New Yorker, and his servant, José, ride their horses through the mesquite-strewn hills of Mexico. Needing somewhere to shelter for the night, José arranges for them to stay at a house in a remote village. All is peaceful until the noise of rowdy, drunken men outside the house wakes them in the middle of the night. It quickly becomes clear the men plan to break in, steal their goods and doubtless murder them in the process. Both men are terrified, but Richardson maintains an outward show of calm. Fortunately the men are diverted by the arrival of a group of women, and they turn their attention to singing, dancing, drinking and fraternising with the women.

The next morning Richardson and José make their escape. José is keen to rush ahead as quickly as possible, but Richardson holds back, much to his servant’s fury and frustration. They can see figures on the horizon behind them, and they know they are being pursued by the men from the night before. Fortunately, José heads down a hill to discover a group of rurales, a Mexican army cavalry corps policing the plain; José convinces them that Richardson is an influential and rich American, so the rurales are determined to protect him. When the marauding men start hurtling down the hill in pursuit of Richardson, the last thing they expect is to be met by the cavalry.

This fascinating little tale recounts the activities of maybe no more than twelve hours, but which have a profound effect on everyone involved; Richardson and José, the marauders, the rurales, even their horses. Crane makes it clear that, despite his outward show of calm, Richardson is wholly scared by the men and the danger in which he finds himself; whilst José never conceals that fact. The reader can never predict how the story will resolve itself; and its sudden ending emphasises its lack of sentimentality or indeed any future interest in the two main characters.

Crane’s writing style is fluid and full; each sentence holds your attention with its unexpected observations and delicious descriptions. Even from the very start, Crane loves to concentrate on colour and sensuousness. For example, the first paragraph includes references to crimson, blue and green, painting, and the notion of sun-shot water, a memorable description of what one sees when sun beats down on a river. He emphasises the blackness of the blanket and of José’s horse, a lemon-coloured patch of sky, red spears of fire, the greenness of the fat Mexican’s face. This all paints a very vivid picture for the reader’s imagination. Elsewhere he shows his mastery of alliteration; consider the use of d, f, w, and s in this sentence: “José rolled and shuddered in his saddle, persistently disturbing the stride of the black horse, fretting and worrying him until the white foam flew and the great shoulders shone like satin from the sweat.”

This is an excellent example of the type of narration described in the introduction by Moffett and McElheny, where the narrator comments on the action and the characters. Crane breaks away from his narration to address the reader directly: “My friend, take my advice, and never be executed by a hangman who doesn’t talk the English language”; or “the man who said that spurs jingled was insane”, a good example of Crane’s occasionally unexpected flashes of humour in a deadly situation. Others are “José’s moans and cries amounted to a university course in theology” and “if toboggans half-way down a hill should suddenly make up their minds to turn round and go back, there would be an effect something like that produced by the drunken horsemen.”

And, of course, Crane asks the most direct question about his main character, a question posed via the thoughts of his horse, and which is never truly resolved: “At the approach of their menacing company, why did not this American cry out and turn pale, or run, or pray them mercy? The animal merely sat still, and stared, and waited for them to begin. Well, evidently he was a great fighter! Or perhaps he was an idiot? Indeed, this was an embarrassing situation, for who was going forward to discover whether he was a great fighter or an idiot?”

A gripping narrative and exquisite use of language; Horses – One Dash is one of the highlights of the Points of View collection.

The next story in the anthology is the third to be classified by Moffett and McElheny as Biography, or Anonymous Narration – Single Character Point of View, The Prison by Bernard Malamud.

Review – The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, Minerva Theatre, Chichester, 3rd September 2024

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I’ve come to the conclusion that the world consists of two types of people; those who understand spy stories, and those who don’t. Much as I would like to be part of that first group, I fear I’m one of the latter. I’ve never read a John Le Carré novel, and I never got into all that Tinker Tailer Soldier Spy stuff on TV either. So I am probably the wrong demographic to comment on Chichester’s new production of The Spy Who Came In From The Cold. But when did that ever stop me before?

Le Carré, of course, was a real spy (don’t worry, I’m not the first to blow his cover) so one can only assume that everything in the books – and indeed as portrayed in this stage adaptation by David Eldrige – is pretty realistic. Worn out agent Alec Leamas is given one last job by his control – to return to East Germany, where he had been “our man”, and pose as a defector. However his real job is to frame one Hans-Dieter Mundt, ex-Stasi officer and head of the Abteilung, as a double agent. Naturally, things don’t go according to plan.

Jeremy Herrin’s crisp production looks suitably bleak and comfortless from the outset, with Riemeck’s upturned bike representing its owner’s early departure from this world. George Smiley stands aloof for much of the play, observing the activity below from a balcony, where he has presumably gone to retire (clue – he hasn’t retired.) The sets and props are minimalist, allowing our imaginations to fill in the gaps. Ominous, frequently threatening background music composed by Paul Englishby adds to the unsettling atmosphere.

David Eldrige’s script assumes a basic knowledge of the world of Smiley, which I clearly don’t have. I appreciated and enjoyed the introductory scene where the various characters are introduced with their political backgrounds and how they feature in the story landscape. But terms like Praesidium and Circus and Abteilung meant nothing to me, and although you can make a good guess as to their relevance, I felt I was backfooted from the start, and mentally constantly running to keep up with my understanding of what was going on.

There are time changes in the story too, which don’t help when you’re already somewhat at sea. Fortunately, I don’t feel too bad about that, because judging from the overheard comments of other theatregoers at the end of the show, I was far from the only one to have only a slight grip on exactly what happened; once I had read the Wikipedia synopsis of the book so much more of it made sense – but surely, that shouldn’t be necessary? However, there’s no doubt that the adaptation succeeds in emphasising the amorality of this spy world, and the double-crossing continues right until the very end.

Rory Keenan is excellent as Leamas throughout. Down-at-heel, down-at-heart, cynical through and through; he’s exactly how you would expect a world-weary spy to look and behave. Ian Drysdale is also great as Control – if this was James Bond, I think he would be M – effortlessly polite, ruthlessly persistent, concealing a vicious interior beneath a gentlemanly façade. The ever-reliable Philip Arditti is great as Fiedler, Mundt’s second in command, especially in the courtroom scene. And Agnes O’Casey is a very believable Liz, the proudly communist librarian who gets entangled in a love affair with Leamas.

For me it was a production that asked more questions than it answered. I’ve no idea why, for example, for most of the play some of the characters were seated at the back of the stage waiting for entrances whilst others weren’t. And although I was always engrossed by what was going on, that’s possibly because of the top quality acting and cat-and-mouse conversations rather than anything to do with the plot itself. If you’re a Smiley aficionado, you’ll love it; if you’re a Le Carré virgin, read a synopsis before seeing the show – it will help.

3-starsThree-sy Does It!

Review – Oliver! Festival Theatre, Chichester, 3rd September 2024

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With the mighty Matthew Bourne directing and choreographing this year’s big summer musical at Chichester, it was never very likely that their new production of Lionel Bart’s Oliver! would be anything other than a smash hit. And there’s no point my keeping the suspense up that it might not be as successful as you would imagine – because it is!  Every inch a phenomenal production: the timeless, riveting story, combined with the irresistible songs (Every 1’s a winner, as Hot Chocolate might have said), Graham Hurman’s awesome orchestra, Lez Brotherston’s (who else?) sets and a perfectly cast group of actors portraying some of the most memorable characters in English literature, what more could you ask? Prepare to enjoy one of those sensational theatrical experiences that you’ll remember for a very long time.

One of the most marvellous aspects of this production is the tremendous lighting design by Paule Constable and Ben Jacobs; constantly atmospheric, always helping the story along, mixing menacing darkness with illuminated beauty where you might not expect to find it. Fagin and Dodger’s long walk home at the end of the show, for example, into the slowly revealing lights of London, provides a superb final scene. And how clever and creative to represent the dog Bullseye simply by an ominous shadow following a wall to his master’s voice!

Matthew Bourne’s choreography, of course, fits both the characterisations and the space available perfectly, with deliciously ebullient actions for the Artful Dodger, slyly wheedling moves for Fagin, and athletically rumbustious movements for the chorus of workhouse boys and Fagin’s gang. All the kids performed immaculately, and with pinpoint precision; we were treated to the Wapping group of young actors at our performance – I’m sure the Bethnal Green and Limehouse youngsters are equally irresistible.

It takes a Fagin of rare quality to make you feel sorry for him; but Simon Lipkin’s performance is so outstanding that you genuinely do sense he has reviewed the situation and realises that the reality of his life has no future. An extraordinary stage presence, he gives us a Fagin who is totally believable, as much a victim as those from whom he steals; a Fagin low on cynicism but high on caring and protecting his workforce. The big finale scene at the end, including the deaths of Nancy and Bill (sorry, spoilers), and the reuniting of Oliver with Mr Brownlow, also includes Fagin losing his footing on the bridge which upsets his treasure chest so that his precious trinkets twinkle their way down to be swallowed up by the river; and even though you knew that every single one of those jewels was stolen, you still feel sorry for him. Amazing work.

Shanay Holmes is a vulnerable, affectionate, big-hearted Nancy with a luscious voice, delivering all her songs with power and emotion, none more so than the evergreen As Long As He Needs Me which painfully drives home her conflict about loving a violent thug who has no hesitation about beating her. Talking of whom, Aaron Sidwell is superb as Bill; wiry, fired-up, irrationally explosive and terrifyingly unpredictable. I’m an admirer of convincing stage combat, and you’ll never see it done better than by Mr Sidwell with the fiendish smack he gives Nancy; and when he nuts Fagin on the head, we all feel it.

Elsewhere, Oscar Conlon-Morrey gives us a vindictively prissy but also disgustingly smarmy Mr Bumble; Katy Secombe’s Widow Corney turns from simpering sex-kitten to vicious fishwife with one whiff of a wedding ring; Stephen Mattews and Jamie Birkett make a thoroughly gruesome pair of Sowerberries; and Philip Franks is a very warm and approachable Mr Brownlow – you can imagine that Oliver will definitely thrive with his parenting skills.

At our performance, we saw Rudy Gibson bring all the Artful Dodger’s legendary showmanship and bonhomie to the fore with a terrifically brash and extraverted performance; and our Oliver was Raphael Korniets,who convincingly plays up the wide-eyed innocence of his character and has a stunning voice to boot.

The whole show knocks your socks off; there isn’t one misjudged moment nor a hair out of place throughout the whole performance. The Chichester run is now completely sold out, but the production will be returning to the West End at the Gielgud Theatre from 14th December.

 

Five Alive Let Theatre Thrive!

Review – The Baker’s Wife, Menier Chocolate Factory, London, 1st September 2024

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Apologies for being late to the party with The Baker’s Wife, as Edinburgh Fringe duties kept me away. One of Stephen Schwartz’s more obscure musicals, it’s based on a 1938 film, La Femme du Boulanger; and, to be honest, I knew nothing about either the original film or the 1976 musical. The Baker’s Wife never made it to Broadway nor did it reach the West End until a lukewarm production in 1988 directed by Trevor Nunn. Re-invigorated with a new production by Gordon Greenberg, can the Menier succeed with this show where others failed to make the mark?

We’re in a Provençal village in 1935, where the baker has died four weeks ago and the village is bereft of bread. Can you imagine a French village with no bread? It would be like Hemel Hempstead without the roundabouts. Fear not, mes amis, because a new baker, Aimable, is ready to move into the boulangerie with his wife. His beautiful young wife, that is; Genevieve. He’s hopelessly in love with her; she’s in love with being in love, having a married name, desperate to please him. But does she actually love him? Hein, c’est ça le rub, n’est ce pas? When she leaves him for the Marquis’ besotted assistant, Dominique, all the rise goes out of Aimable’s dough and he loses the will to bake. But will the other villagers put up with that? Absolument pas!

You’ve heard of the old phrase, you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover? Here’s one of those times where the cover is immaculate, but the book is nondescript. Paul Farnsworth has truly gone to town to recreate a French village in the heart of Southwark Street. Boules in the square, French road names, café tables with coffee and cognac, accordions gently playing; you couldn’t wish for a more idyllic Provençal setting. To increase that sense of la vie française for theatregoers, some seating is at cabaret tables, in the heart of the action; we sat at Table J and although there are a few scenes where some of the action on stage is blocked, that sense of being a villager more than makes up for it.

And there’s a cast of West End stars to take your breath away. Clive Rowe plays Aimable and his rich, sensitive voice delivers his songs with a genuine sincerity and power. Opposite him, the wonderful Lucie Jones brings energy and cheekiness to her songs, including a brilliant epiphany moment in Meadowlark. The delightfully squabbling couple of Denise and Claude who own the café are brought to life with the always amazing Josefina Gabrielle and the comic genius of Norman Pace; they are matched by the problem pairing of Liam Tamne’s brutal and critical Barnaby and Finty Williams’ submissiveHortense – the underlying sense of domestic violence is delicately but clearly portrayed in these two excellent performances. With Joaquin Pedro Valdes’ persistent Dominique, Matthew Seadon-Young’s pious priest, Michael Matus’ bombastic Marquis and Sutara Gayle’s perpetually offended Therese, as well as a superb wider ensemble, you’ll be hard pushed to find a better-performed show in the whole of London. And let’s not forget Dustin Conrad’s terrific band who play Schwartz’s score with a true feel for its romantic French style.

Such a shame, then, that the story is so slight and unadventurous, and the music is so forgettable. Yes, there are a few numbers that stand out; the opening song If It Wasn’t For You is an amusing introduction to the characters of the villagers, Bread is an entertaining homage to that irresistible smell and taste of fresh bread, and the epiphanic Meadowlark is a powerful cry of assertiveness. But so many of the songs and tunes are immediately forgettable, sadly. And whilst the story does have interesting observations about the nature of forgiveness, both between an unfaithful couple and decades-long family feuds, you can’t help but feel that the show has a very narrow and blinkered vision; other than to make us feel ever-so-French, which it does immaculately.

Despite its faults, there’s no doubt that, in terms of production and performance values, this is one of the best that the Menier has ever hosted; and it’s 100% worth going to see for the spectacle and atmosphere alone. Just don’t expect to remember any of the songs.

 

3-starsThree-sy Does It!

P. S. Sitting in seat J1 had its perks. As the audience were taking their seats, not only did Ms Gabrielle ask me most politely to slightly move my chair so that her entrances and exits could be more gracefully executed, but also Mr Pace (in full character as Claude) said to me bonjour monsieur, to which I replied, bonjour monsieur, comment ça va? To which he replied Ah, vous parlez français, monsieur? And I came back with Oui, monsieur, comme un anglais, to which he replied, Ah, moi aussi! You had to be there.

Edinburgh Fringe 2024 – It’s a Wrap!

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Phew – What a Fringe! We arrived on 30th July and we left on the 27th August. During that time we saw 158 shows, which was four fewer than I had planned but was thirteen more than last year; and last year we also saw thirteen more than in 2022, however I can’t see that record being broken next year. With Oasis currently scheduled to have three concerts during the Fringe, I can’t even see how half the performers will be able to afford to be in Edinburgh!

Here’s a quick reminder of the 4 and 5 star shows we saw, by star rating and in date order of when we saw them:

5 STARS:

Mhairi Black: Politics Isn’t For Me

Goose’s Quizzes Elimination Game

Casting The Runes

Tarot: Shuffle

Catafalque

Janie Dee’s Beautiful World Cabaret

KAREN

Our Little Secret

The Chaos That Has Been and Will No Doubt Return

Robin Grainger: Refurb

It’s The Economy, Stupid

For The Love of Spam

I Am George Massey

Emma Sidi is Sue Gray

Pete Heat: Bogus

The Book of Mountains and Seas

MILF and the Mistress

Galahad Takes a Bath

1 Moment in Time (Sean Alexander)

I Am Your Tribute (Sarah-Louise Young)

Garry Starr: Classic Penguins

Josh Jones: Put a Sock in It

Werewolf

Weather Girl

The Bookies

The Scot and the Showgirl

Tom Greaves: Fudgey

4 STARS:

Shellshocked

Sell Me I Am From North Korea

Will Sebag-Montefiore: Will Of The People

Reginald D Hunter: Fluffy Fluffy Beavers

Liam Farrelly: Flipbook

Cabaret of Filth

House of Life

Glitch

Arturo Brachetti: Solo

1 Hour of Insane Magic (After Dark)

Kavin Jay: Unsolicited Advice

Heckling Masterclass with Diploma (Ben Clover)

SILENCE! The Musical

Ascension

Daliso Chaponda: Feed This Black Man Again

Malion

The Last Laugh

A Jaffa Cake Musical

Colin Hoult: Colin

The Shadow Boxer

Rob Auton: The Eyes Open and Shut Show

Pillock

Come Dine With Me: The Musical

Rhys Nicholson: Huge Big Party Congratulations!

Dead Mom Play

The Shroud Maker

N.Ormes

Jack Goes To Therapy

The Gentleman of Shalott

Alexandra Haddow: Third Party

Lads of the Flies

Ajahnis Charley: Thots and Prayers

Dan Tiernan: Stomp

Dissociation

Fifty Minutes to Save the NHS

Martin Rowson: Shred the Front Page

Randy Feltface

If I Live Until I Be a Man

Yes We’re Related

Tales from a British Country Pub

Sherlock Holmes: The Last Act

Nick Schuller: Still Dry White

Chloe Petts: How You See Me, How You Don’t

Finlay Christie: I Deserve This

Joe Wells: Daddy Autism

Lessons on Revolution

One Man Poe: The Black Cat and The Raven

Ryan Cullen: Cullen in the Name of

Leni’s Last Lament

Ghost Light

A Montage of Monet

Naughty or Neurodiverse – Magic from Another Planet (I Am a Mentalist – Angus Baskerville)

Sam See: And I Can’t Feel at Home in this World Anymore

Shower Chair

Notice Box

When Vincent met John

Crime and Punishment

Michael Porter: Love and Brain Damage

Milo Edwards: How Revolting! Sorry to Offend

The Grim

With All My Fondest Love

The Dreamer – Live

An Act of Grace

It’s a Mystery!

September 11 1973: The Day Salvador Allende Died

All The Fraudulent Horse Girls

Stuart Laws Has to be Joking?

Best in Class

The Ghost of White Hart Lane

Kelly Bachman: Patron Saint

What the F*ck Happened to Love and Hope

Phil Henderson: Space Cowboy

Ben Miller: Volcano

Annaliesa Rose Sings the Peter Allen Songbook

Joby Mageean: Titty Icarus

Di(n)e

100% My Type on Paper

Little Deaths

Moscow Love Story

Black Velvet (38 more than last year)

 

Congratulations to all these great shows. I’m fascinated to discover that, although we saw 13 more shows than last year, I’ve awarded 4 stars to 38 more shows than last year – but 10 fewer 5 stars than last year. Also – unlike last year – no 1 star shows, hurrah! And as to working out which of them are the absolute best – you’ll have to wait until the Chrisparkle Awards for 2024 are announced in January!

And thank you, gentle reader, for sticking with me throughout this busy month! My viewing/reading statistics continue to climb upwards and are about 50% higher than the numbers who checked out my reviews at the 2023 Fringe – so thank you very much for that! And remember – reviews are only what one person thinks, they’re purely a personal reaction. And star ratings are even more unreliable!

Edinburgh Fringe 2024 Reviews (final day) – Moscow Love Story, Black Velvet, The Scot and the Showgirl, and Tom Greaves: FUDGEY

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Moscow Love Story, Pleasance Courtyard.

4-stars

With the help of cassette tapes from 23 years ago, Paul Jenkins relives the time when he moved to Moscow to teach English for a year and to spend the time embracing Russian culture, food, music and getting to know the people. It had been well over ten years since the fall of the Berlin Wall and things were very different in Moscow from the Communist era, with a much greater Western influence; for every pickled cucumber seller, you’d find a Gucci handbag on sale. While he was there, Paul met Angie, a student from Manchester, and they had a riotous time together, trying different experiences – in retrospect, not all of them advisable – as well as falling in love. Moscow Love Story demonstrates that you should never deny the experiences of the past, even if you wouldn’t choose to do them today. A fascinating structure for the show, and Paul Jenkins brings his memories to life with a riveting and engaging performance. I found the story spellbinding!

Black Velvet, Bedlam Theatre.

4-stars

Llew goes to visit his mum’s grave for a catch-up chat with her; he brings his tea and biscuits – they could be in for a long session. Just as he’s settling down he realises a young Irish girl, Aoife, has been sleeping rough behind the grave. Neither is best pleased to realise that they’re not alone, but a series of turbulent conversations sees them both accepting and learning from each other. Grief takes many forms, and this play not only considers the effect when one’s parent dies through suicide, but also examines the unusual problem of a child losing a parent to early-onset Alzheimer’s. A tough and moving problem indeed. Engaging, at times troubling, and always thought-provoking, it’s immaculately performed by Charles Ison and Christina Knight, whose Irish accent is phenomenal! Very impressive throughout.

The Scot and the Showgirl, Pleasance Dome.

A cabaret-de-force from the incredible Frances Ruffelle and Norman Bowman (the Showgirl and the Scot in reverse order), telling the story of their relationship through an inspired selection of songs from the shows and other popular music, accompanied by the terrific Kate Shortt, Nick Anderson and Ryan McKenzie. So many musical highlights include a spiky Country House duet from Follies, a stunning performance by Beausy of Burt Bacharach’s A House is not a Home, a fantastic Man That Got Away by Frances Ruffelle and – to make the hairs on your arm stand up on end – Frances gives us a tear-inducing On My Own from Les Miserables – she was the original Eponine, after all. A truly quality of hour of emotional musical power – I loved every minute of it.

Tom Greaves: FUDGEY, Assembly Roxy.

We all know a Fudgey. He teases, he boasts, he charms and he bullies. He’s got great mates, but only if he can get the better of them. He oozes confidence, but it’s built on a precipice of fragility that only he needs to know about. And who is Fudgey? He’s the product of an archaic educational system where a boy goes to boarding school at the age of seven to make a man of him; ignoring the fact that at seven you’re neither a man, nor do you need to be one. Tom Greaves’ blisteringly funny but heartbreakingly painful Fudgey propels a boy who can’t even pronounce Maid Marian correctly into the realms of sporting hero and misogynistic smartarse. A mixture of superb physical comedy, clowning, brilliant crowd interaction and – let’s not deny it – outright therapy, Fudgey is a stunning show that develops in the mind and the heart long after you’ve gone home. Amazing work – highly recommended.