Tag Archives: Derngate

Review – The School for Scandal, Royal and Derngate, Northampton, 21st May 2024

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I’m probably prejudiced from the start, gentle reader, but I hereby confess that Sheridan’s School for Scandal is one of my favourite plays of all time. Aged 26, Richard Brinsley Sheridan was already an old hand at writing plays of comic genius when it first appeared at London’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Pshaw, there was never any doubt that Drury Lane would host the play – egad, he owned the theatre!

Sir Peter and scandalous societyLooking back at the history of theatre, there’s a long drought between the Restoration Comedies of Congreve, Wycherley, Etherege and Vanbrugh, until you reach the gems of Wilde and Shaw at the end of the nineteenth century. Sheridan is really the only feast to be found during that famine, and I unhesitatingly propose The School for Scandal as his best play (yes, even better than The Rivals!) This text has been decently edited to remove a few unnecessary and unwanted characters and given just a tiny hint of updating, nicely in keeping with the original.

Chattering classesSixty year old Sir Peter Teazle has married – finally, at last – the desirable and irresistible young Lady Teazle. And since then, his life has been nothing but misery. Lady T has got herself involved in a social scene full of meddlers and chattermongers, headed by the catty Lady Sneerwell and boosted by the likes of Crabtree and his odious nephew Sir Benjamin Backbite. There’s nothing they like more than seizing on some tasty morsel of gossip and ensuring that everyone in London knows about it. And if there are no tasty new morsels to share – they’ll just invent something anyway! It’s not hard to see where the gutter press started.

Sir OliverSir Peter’s old friend Sir Oliver Surface has returned from many years in the East Indies. His two sons, Joseph and Charles, have lived very different lives in his absence; Charles has spent his fortune on wine, women and song and is up to his ears in debt, but Joseph has (ostensibly at least) devoted his life to books and learning, and being a pillar of the community. A man of sentiment, as Sir Peter insists. No one has a word to say against him; but can anyone truly be that good? After a whirlwind of liars revealed, mistresses exposed, and all levels of trickery and deceit practised, can Sir Peter and Lady Teazle’s marriage survive? You’ll have to watch the play to find out. Tonight we’re gonna party like it’s 1777!

Lady Sneerwell and her phonesExcept that we’re not, as Seán Aydon’s production takes us to a London somewhere in the 20th century, where the newspapers are distinctly tabloid, the costumes are 1950s and the telephones are 1970s – an excellent device for doing away with minor servant roles, i’faith. The scene is set even before you enter the auditorium, if you care to read the wonderfully created programme which takes the form of an issue of Town and Country Magazine, which – inter alia – includes the revelation of Lady Frizzle’s muffler catching fire, has an advert for Charles Surface’s equestrian breeding business and an exposé on Sir Peter’s domestic arrangements.

Backbite and CrabtreeIt’s an essentially playful production, with the characters of Sneerwell, Joseph, Charles, Snake, Weasel, Careless, Bumper, Backbite, Crabtree and Mrs Candour all portrayed with cartoonish fun. It treads a tricky balance to stay on the correct side of caricature, but, fortunately, it succeeds. On the other hand, Sir Peter and Lady Teazle, as well as Sir Oliver, Maria and Rowley are played straight, which emphasises the genuine disaster that those people could potentially face if they’re caught out in this cut-throat society.

Joseph and Sir PeterSarah Beaton’s set design is immensely simple – expensive looking drapes surround a largely bare stage – just a chaise-longue and a couple of stools; a swiftly revealed screen arrives just in time to secrete Lady Teazle in her hour of need, and the closet in which Sir Peter hides is just a bit of curtain. Don’t forget the three vital telephones pitched high on pedestals, which visually stresses the importance of chatter in this play. The costumes are superlative, full of primary colours as though you’d just done a raid at Benetton – but much, much more exclusive, of course. Peter Small’s lighting brightens and fades with the varying fortunes of our protagonists so effectively that I genuinely don’t have a clue what colour those drapes really are.

Sir Peter and Lady TeazleAt the heart of the production is an elegant, understated and authoritative performance by Joseph Marcell as Sir Peter Teazle, very much the still point in the turning world, trying to keep up with all the events unfolding around him. With the rest of the cast doubling up on roles, there are tremendous comic performances from Garmon Rhys as the irrepressible Charles and the frequently hysterical Backbite; and Alex Phelps as the super-sleazy Joseph and the completely-out-of-it Bumper. Lydea Perkins gives us a Lady Teazle who is both refreshingly honest and cynically manipulative; and a very different portrayal as Mrs Candour, bent double with both age and duplicity.

JosephNorthamptonshire’s own Emily-Jane McNeill is a strikingly elegant and scheming Lady Sneerwell, and also plays Careless, Charles’ drunken pal, as cheerfully corrupt and yet strangely supportive. Ayesha Griffiths’ Maria is aloof and hard to impress, and also gives a brilliant comic turn as Weasel, a sharp-suited EastEnders geezer. Guy Dennys gives excellent support as the all-purpose factotum Rowley and the Sam Spade-like sneaky investigator Snake. Tony Timberlake’s Crabtree provides an excellent support foil for Mr Rhys’ Backbite, and is excellent as Sir Oliver, the only character who truly goes on a journey of discovery in the play.

Charles and his acolytesTilted Wig’s production started its tour in March at Keswick’s Theatre by the Lake and has arrived at Northampton ten venues later. Two more venues await – Darlington and Oxford. Heaps of fun, terrific comic performances – and the baddies get their come-uppance! A slick, smart, thoroughly entertaining show, and it’s great to see Sheridan on stage again.

Production photos by Robling Photography

4-stars Four They’re Jolly Good Fellows!

Review – Royal Philharmonic Orchestra play Verdi Requiem, Royal and Derngate, Northampton, 19th May 2024

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It’s always a grand occasion when the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra comes to Northampton – even more so for this concert, as they were performing alongside the formidable Northampton Bach Choir and members of the Daventry Choral Society. As a result, there was barely a seat to be found and the pre-concert vibe, in the foyers as well as in the auditorium, was truly buzzing.

Our conductor for the evening was Adrian Partington, whom we last saw conducting Sir Karl Jenkins’ The Armed Man two years ago; Mr Partington obviously has a penchant for big punchy pieces of music, as well as a fondness for conducting the Northampton Bach Choir. As conductor of the BBC National Chorus of Wales for over twenty years, what he doesn’t know about conducting choirs isn’t worth knowing. It’s a familiar sight to see a conductor waving his arms around to get the best out of an orchestra, but it was also a joy to see Mr Partington keeping the choir on perfect track simply by enunciating the words towards them. It looked for all the world as though he was lost in his own silent disco.

Verdi’s Requiem constitutes a big beast of a classical night out – 83 minutes (but who’s counting) of passion, fire, attack, emotion – and a whole lot of sung Latin. Helping the RPO and the choirs to deliver this beauty were four fantastic soloists – Hye-Youn Lee (Soprano), Annabella-Vesela Ellis (Mezzo-soprano),Joseph Buckmaster (Tenor) and Ossian Huskinson (Bass-baritone). A forceful presence one and all, standing or seated either side of the conductor for the whole performance, rendering (to my ear at least) faultless vocals of purity and power.

The Requiem is noted for its tremendous Dies Irae, which was performed with dynamic strength and sensational musicality, trumpets a-blazing and the choirs at full pelt. It took your breath away.Other highlights included a perfect blend of soprano, mezzo and chorus for the Agnus Dei, and a particularly stunning finale led by Ms Lee in the Libera me section. The orchestra, led by Duncan Riddell, continually soared with their astounding playing, and the 83 minutes went by in an instant.

At my estimation, there were probably about 200 people on that stage, including the choirs, soloists and orchestra; that means that my £23 ticket bought the musical services of each of those people at a rate of about 8.5 pence for the evening. Amazing value! And it’s truly admirable that all those people were able to come together at the same time with the same purpose to produce such extraordinary music. A massive enterprise indeed, and one that was superbly successful.

Three new concerts with the RPO in Northampton have recently gone on sale; see you there in November for a Film Music Gala Night!

 

Review – Nell Gwynn, BA Acting Third Year Students at the University of Northampton, Royal and Derngate, Northampton, 16th May 2024

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Seizing my first opportunity to watch the skills of this year’s Third Year Acting Students at Northampton University, I settled down for the matinee of Jessica Swale’s Nell Gwynn in the Royal on Thursday afternoon. A challenging choice indeed, with comedy at the forefront even before the show starts, with the Gwynn sisters offering their oranges in the bar and in the aisles, and rowdy theatregoers cat-calling from the stalls. I had to make my way past one of these reprobates to get to my seat and they certainly helped to create that lawless Restoration vibe on which the play thrives.

It’s the story of the one and only Nell Gwynn, plucked from the shadows of wayward fruitmongering by the renowned actor Charles Hart to break the unwritten rules of the theatre at the time and become an actor (or indeed, as the show puts it, an actor-ess). Outrageous to think that a female could possibly portray a woman on stage; how on earth would they know how to go about it? But Nell is a big success, and catches the wandering eye of the King. Abandoning her family she lives the highlife, much to the annoyance of her fellow actors, taking the notion of a rehearsal as merely a serving suggestion. She becomes an influential figure at Court, but, because she is still essentially the commonest of commoners, is instantly a nobody again when King Charles pops his clogs. Nevertheless, she still has the last word.

With plenty of lively characters and a witty, anarchic script to relish, there is a lot here into which the Acting Students can get their teeth. Heading the cast is Charlotte Biseker as Nell Gwynn, and what a terrific stage presence she has! A powerful voice, and an excellent feel for the comedy, she gives a performance full of commitment and versatility, leading the cast in several musical numbers. As her sister Rose Gwynn, Rose George makes a strong contrast by mining all the seriousness of the story and attempting to keep a check on Nell’s flighty attitudes. She commands the audience’s attention throughout.

The King is played by George Pavey with rumbustious confidence and excellent presence – there is a hint of the James Corden about his style and that can only be A Good Thing. With a much quieter approach, but equally successful, is Henry Rutter as Hart, giving an intelligent and sincere performance. A small point: Mr R does have a tendency to talk through the laughter of the previous line; experience will solve that!

With three parts to grapple with, Tobias Bradley does an excellent job of giving us three distinctly different characterisations. His Edward Kynaston, the actor whose nose Nell puts fully out of joint, is a crowd pleaser full of over-the-top outrage; I wonder if perhaps a little less hysteria and a more stylised foppishness might give the performance more light and shade. Nevertheless, it’s a total tour-de-force.

Among the smaller roles, there’s another superb comedy performance from Kitty Jackson as Nancy, who shows superb comic ability through the character’s cheekiness and effervescence – she brightens up the stage whenever she appears. Harry Unwin gives a superb supporting performance as the long suffering Lord Arlington, very believable as he treads the delicate balance of sucking up to the King but also looking after affairs of state.

Alex Hayes has good stage presence as the director Killigrew, his patience wearing nicely thin whenever his troupe is difficult with him; Kate Dillingham gives good support as Ned and Nell’s justifiably cantankerous Ma; and, last but not least,Ines Dias gives an amusing portrayal of the uncertain and out-of-place playwright John Dryden.

Nell Gwynn is a good choice of play for this cast, its rowdy eccentricity requiring strong comedic skills tempered with a few scenes of genuinely emotional drama. The students acquitted themselves extremely well and I could certainly see how – with the right role at the right time – any number of them could go on to have a successful career in the theatre. Great work!

4-starsFour They’re Jolly Good Fellows!

Review – Grease, Royal and Derngate, Northampton, 14th May 2024

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I’ll be honest with you, gentle reader; the last time we saw Grease in 2012 we were impressed by the production but absolutely hated the story, and I was genuinely apprehensive about revisiting the show. Maybe a lot has happened over the last twelve years; or maybe Nikolai Foster’s touring production simply hits the nail on the head in every single department. Either way, this Grease is a total stunner.

Danny and SandyI don’t need to remind you of the story. Danny and Sandy met on their summer vacation and had a bit of thing. However, when they discover they’ve both ended up at Rydell High School, Danny realises Sandy will cramp his style and drops her; and Sandy’s innocent personality doesn’t fit in well with the other girls. But will she end up being the one that he wants? Do musicals like this always end up happy ever after?

Pink LadiesWhilst Danny and Sandy are the dish of the day, there are many other side salads to enjoy, like the growing relationship of Roger and Jen, the on-off couple Kenickie and Rizzo, the adventures of Frenchy the wannabe beautician, the jockeying for position within both the boys’ and the girls’ gangs, and, of course, the dance competition. Frankly, the plot is fairly thin but is fleshed out with a variety of strong characters and big musical numbers.

Dance offAnd this is where this production completely excels. The whole presentation is superb. Colin Richmond’s set and costumes, Ben Cracknell’s lighting and Tom Marshall and Richard Brooker’s sound design all work miracles, and this is without doubt one of the best looking and sounding musicals I’ve ever seen on the Derngate stage. The clarity of amplification is spot on – so often in other productions it can be too loud or distorted, but this is 100% perfect. Arlene Phillips’ choreography is vivacious and joyful, an excellent mix of 50s/60s styles with contemporary musical theatre. And Charlie Ingles’ eight person band behind the scenes does a brilliant job of capturing all the excitement and emotion of the iconic songs, both from the original stage show and the later successful film.

Burger Palace boysBut I think the true excellence of this production stems from Nikolai Foster’s vision for the show. Many of the excesses that dogged the previous production – overtly sexual dance routines, the characterisation of Sandy as a victim, the whole notion of the Teen Angel being an unnecessary star turn – have been pared away. This production has gone back more to the 1971 original; some of songs have been dropped, others reintroduced, and the order in which they appear has been slightly reshuffled. As such, it feels like you’re watching something completely new – even though you’re still going to get your full quotient of all the songs that everyone knows and loves.

SandyThe production also manages – somehow – to steer our attention away from its essential misogyny and other sleazy aspects and concentrate on the vulnerability and development of the characters. The bad-boy/bad-girl nature of the Burger Palace Boys and the Pink Ladies is downplayed. This makes them more nuanced and – as a result – more likeable. Although there’s no sense of childishness about the show, you still get the feeling that these kids are exactly that – kids, not young adults on the verge of a life of disappointment but hopeful hearts with all their dreams still intact.

DannyTo crown it all, Nikolai Foster has created an amazing ensemble who deliver uniformly wonderful performances throughout the show. You’re going to have to look to the finest West End or Broadway casts to find a comparable ability to sing and dance at this level without the suggestion of the tiniest weakest link anywhere. In fact, two of the understudies, Imogen Malone as Betty Rizzo and Sergi Ibanez as Roger, were on duty last night and gave sensational performances. Ms Malone’s song There Are Worse Things I Could Do, combined with her brilliant stand-up row with Sandy were definite highlights of the show, and Mr Ibanez exuded sincerity and charisma as his character Roger gained the confidence to ask Jan (a delightfully endearing performance by Emerald B) to the dance.

Danny and SandyHeading the cast are two big stars in the waiting. Marley Fenton is a very engaging Danny, naturally living up to the character’s top-dog status, with a strong stage presence; he’s an extraordinary song-and-dance man of the future. Similarly, Hope Dawe is outstanding as Sandy, steering the character away from the Goody-Two-Shoes aspect of her personality, but portraying someone who is as positive about who they are as any of her contemporaries. Her truly sensational rendition of Hopelessly Devoted to You is the stand-out moment of the show; not, as it can be, a declaration of useless victimhood and self-obliteration, but a mature acceptance of the way things are. Both Mr Fenton’s and Ms Dawe’s voices are fantastic throughout and their harmonies are sublime.

CastBut all the performances throughout are pitch perfect; every single member of the cast pulls it out of the bag and makes it a night to remember. I had every expectation of sitting grumpily through this show; instead, I was beaming from ear to ear and was among the first to be on my feet at the end. The tour still has an extensive run through the summer; once it leaves Northampton, it goes on to Ipswich, Liverpool, Norwich, Newcastle, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Birmingham, Truro, Bradford, Milton Keynes, Eastbourne, Blackpool, Nottingham, Cardiff, Canterbury, Bristol, Oxford, Dartford, Manchester, High Wycombe, Southampton, Southend and finally ending up at the Lyceum in Sheffield in November. Catch it if you can!

Production photos by Marc Brenner

Five Alive Let Theatre Thrive!

Review – Screaming Blue Murder, Royal and Derngate, Northampton, 2nd May 2024

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In the last of the Screaming Blue Murders to be held in the Royal theatre (for a while at least), our indefatigable MC Dan Evans held court as usual over a grateful Northampton audience, getting to know those foolish enough to book Rows A or B. This included the Abington nurse who was out for a good time no matter what, the threateningly tattooed Liam and the splendidly named Harrison who described himself as a “stay-at-home son” – good line, that. We also discovered from the man sat directly in front of me that a pair of ordinary Cheaney shoes will start at around £400. Of course we talked shoes. This is Northampton!

First up, and someone we’ve seen twice before, it was the unpredictable silliness of Paul F Taylor, a naturally funny guy who treads a fine line between the surreal and the stupid; a tactic which can pay off fantastically well sometimes, but occasionally might miss the mark. He gave us his excellent routine about how one of our hands is a reliable type and the other is a useless hanger-on; and I really loved his imagining of how dogs got the worst end of being domesticated pets in comparison to cats, and it’s all down to the expert legal team the cats hired. An unexpected heckle sent him slightly off course, but he ended up with an intricate mime routine which at times I found too difficult to follow, and at others all too easy; you had to see it to believe it. A truly inventive comedy brain, it didn’t entirely go to plan but the bits that did, were brilliant.

Next, and in a change to the scheduled line-up, came Kate Lucas, blessed with a voice that’s all sweetness and light, with a guitar that she’s not afraid to use. We’ve also seen Kate twice before and she never fails to mine good belly laughs from her unexpectedly savage lyrics delivered to gentle folky tunes. It’s amazing quite how bitter and vengeful a tone you can adopt whilst playing what is essentially a lullaby. I remembered a couple of these songs from her previous visits to Northampton – including when she was Tez Ilyas’ support act – but if you haven’t seen her before she’s an absolute treat.

Our headliner, and new to us, was Darius Davies; a confident, edgy performer full of attack and presence, and not afraid to stir some hornets’ nests on stage. Intelligence and a quick wit such as Mr D possesses usually put an audience at ease in the knowledge that they’re going to have a good time. But Mr D challenges us with tricky routines, like getting us all to call out Allahu Akbar, or referring to a section of the audience as autistic; boldly tackling racism and prejudice where angels fear to tread. More than once he really took us out of our comfort zone, and rather like Mr Taylor at the beginning of the evening, some of his material landed on fertile soil and some on stony ground. But he has a very winning way about him and commands great interaction with the audience. Maybe the formal setting of the Royal Theatre isn’t quite the right environment for his act; but it was very enjoyable nonetheless.

Next show is on June 16th in the luxurious surroundings of Screen 2 of the Filmhouse; and a sensational line-up is promised! There’s still time to bag some excellent seats, so don’t delay!

Review – Shrek the Musical, Royal and Derngate, Northampton, 23rd April 2024

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Another casualty of the RAAC problems discovered at the theatre last year, Shrek the Musical finally lands at the Royal and Derngate, six months later than expected. Kudos to all involved for making it happen; the theatregoers of Northampton will not be deterred from seeing shows just because of some aerated concrete used forty years ago!

Donkey, Fiona, ShrekThe Shrek story is one of continued success and popularity across the decades. The original 1990 children’s picture book became a smash hit film in 2001, with several sequels and spin-offs, as well as this stage musical which first hit Broadway in 2008, then conquered the world in the subsequent years.

Fairytalers and ShrekThe story’s appeal is obvious. Shrek the ogre is an anti-hero, set in his ways and reasonably content with his lot living in a filthy swamp. It’s what he was born to! But when the evil Lord Farquaad banishes all the fairy tale characters and they set up camp adjacent to Shrek’s swamp, he loses his cool. Befriended by a donkey, he heads off to Duloc, Farquaad’s fantasy palace, to sort it out with the big (little, actually) man. Farquaad promises him that if he rescues Princess Fiona from her tower, where she is guarded by a dragon, and brings her back to him so they can marry, he’ll move the characters away from his home and he can live in peace again. Farquaad is too cowardly to do it for himself of course. I’m sure you know all this already.

Farquaad and his gangLike Sondheim’s Into the Woods, it takes the fairytale world which we all knew as children and brings it into a modern context. The characters we grew up loving are now refugees, exiled by a tyrannical leader and at the mercy of the elements. I don’t need to tell you how easy it is to relate this twist to the state of the world today. For this show to work, that subversion of everything we have always taken for granted ought to pull us up short and slap us in the face; whilst all still being conveyed as part of a light-hearted musical show aimed at kids, primarily designed to entertain. There’s no doubt, it’s a clever concept.

Fiona and dancersThis current touring production has many strong aspects but also many aspects that detract. I’m going to accentuate the positive. Antony Lawrence is excellent as Shrek; gross and imposing at first, but we quickly warm to him as a caring character, and for a big chap he’s surprisingly nimble on his feet. On the subject of dancing, Joanne Clifton’s Princess Fiona makes the best of all her choreographic options and gives a lively performance, although a little too Violet Elizabeth Bott for my liking – you can just imagine her saying she’ll scream and scream until she’s sick. Talking of which, Nick Winston’s choreography for the show is outstanding, and the ensemble do an excellent job of filling the stage with superb dancing.

Donkey, Shrek, FionaBrandon Lee Sears gives probably the best performance of the evening as the Donkey, cavorting himself into all sorts of asinine (literally) poses in a hilarious and endearing manner. Mind you, for me, the donkey was always the star of the film, and Eddie Murphy’s voicing of the part is one of the best cartoon interpretations ever. But Mr Sears more than meets that challenge. The scene between him and Mr Lawrence when the two characters finally reaffirm their friendship was genuinely affecting.

Pinocchio and the othersCherece Richards, who plays the dragon standing at the front of a three-woman puppet operating team, has a powerful and charismatic voice. But here come two insuperable hurdles where this production fails. The sound quality is, frankly, awful. Especially in the group singing scenes, barely a word can be identified from the tinny and shouty noise bombarding you from the stage. Consequently it’s impossible to appreciate or assess the music and lyrics. There’s a scene towards the end of the second act where the fairytale characters decide to stage a coup against Farquaad which includes an argument between Pinocchio and the Gingerbread Man. I know this because I read the synopsis on Wikipedia. However, during the performance I had absolutely no idea any of this was occurring. The words were indecipherable!

FionaAnd then there’s Lord Farquaad. In the film, he is a duplicitous, spoilt, evil figure; but hilariously funny, responsible for almost as many laughs as the Donkey. When I saw this show in 2018, Farquaad was played by Samuel Holmes, who co-directs this production, and he brightened up the stage every time he appeared. Sadly, for some reason, the role has been reimagined in this show. James Gillan’s performance has reduced the character to a mere prancing fop. There’s no sense of evil, or manipulation; and whilst you feel he is still meant to be a tiny chap (in so many ways), the production does not present him in that way. Few of his lines landed; and his despatch at the end by the angry dragon, which ought to be a moment of great cheering and celebration, was about as stunning as the arrival of a rail replacement bus. Hugely disappointing.

Rescue meIt’s a shame because the whole cast put a massive effort into the performance, but a lot of it goes to waste. Many of the characterisations that are meant to be funny – Farquaad, Pinocchio, Gingy – are just irritating. There were many children seated around us for the show and they were brimming with excitement and expectation at the beginning, but none of them bothered to get up for the I’m a Believer finale, which I think speaks volumes. If only they could tone the noise down and make the words clearer, it would be a much more entertaining show. I’m awarding this one more star than it strictly deserves simply because Brandon Lee Sears is so good. After its week in Northampton, the production moves on to Canterbury, and then spends six weeks at London’s Eventim Apollo in the summer.

Production photos by Marc Brenner

3-starsThree-sy Does It! (But only just)

Review – Julian Clary: A Fistful of Clary, Royal and Derngate, Northampton, 17th April 2024

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We’ve been fans of Julian Clary since I can’t remember when; except I can – we saw him as The Joan Collins Fan Club at the Civic Centre Aylesbury (such glamour) around 1988, when I believe Fanny the Wonder Dog was a guest artiste. Times have changed, but Julian, significantly, hasn’t changed much. If you’ve got a winning formula, I guess there’s no point altering it. But it’s important to keep relevant; humour is a constantly evolving thing – you wouldn’t get Bernard Manning on a stage today (OK, I know he’s dead but you get my drift) no matter how technically brilliant a comedian he was (and he most certainly was). Does Julian still offer his punters what they want?

On the whole (and there’s the first of my Claryesque double entendres), yes. A Fistful of Clary sees Julian reimagining himself as a western hero (that’s Wyoming, not Cornwall), so that’s a cue for some spangly cowboy outfits and a backdrop that includes the most phallic cactus you’ve ever seen. Apart from that, the first half is typical Clary, bouncing brilliantly off the audience, gently insulting them to the rafters, ridiculing his assistant, Bertha the lesbian, but it’s all very playful and hilarious. He tells us about his escapades performing on a cruise ship to a bunch of well-meaning geriatrics and fills us in (there’s another) with some amusing reminiscences regarding his appearances in TV’s Taskmaster and The Masked Singer, as well as on stage in Jesus Christ Superstar and Cabaret.

He has a couple of running gags, neither of which work, sadly: allowing himself a brief rest every so often as if he were playing tennis at Wimbledon whilst a pre-recorded pundit gives us commentary-style updates on his performance; and a quick burst of showbizzy music about how everything’s alright which goes nowhere. He gives a heartfelt tribute to his friend the late Paul O’Grady, which is delivered surprisingly tastefully, but is also a repetition of his identical segment in last year’s Palladium pantomime. If you haven’t heard it before, it moves you; however, if he keeps resurrecting it, it might start to feel a little maudlin. He ends the first half with a song written by his panto pal Gary Wilmot, entitled I Love a Knob. It refers to butter. Allegedly.

The second half returns to the Wild West theme with what feels like a gameshow lifted straight out of his old Sticky Moments programme – or indeed, before that, Bruce Forsyth’s Generation Game when the self-styled Balls Pond Road Theatre Club would enact their little plays in which the contestants could humiliate themselves. Six willing-ish gentlemen of all shapes and sizes plucked from the audience joined him on stage, four of whom ended up donning costumes and acting out a modest little tale which culminated in a Western Showdown between Julian and Peter, who works at Barclays, in the role of Bad Norm Lamont. This takes up nearly all the second half, and is – in its highlights – extremely funny, but at other moments feels like treading water. It very much depends on how willing the victims, I mean volunteers, are.

Sadly, a lot of the show felt under par, and indeed, under-prepared. Julian forgot the lyrics during two of his songs, and you could clearly tell that the words to a third were written on the ground in front of him. Even a performer with the enduring seasoned confidence of Mr C occasionally had that startled rabbit in headlights look as he was trying to work out what would happen next. Unfortunately, that’s a killer for a comedy show because if the audience sees the performer failing in any way, it makes us uncomfortable. I wouldn’t want to over-emphasise this, because for 95% of the time he is on his usual crest of a wave. However, he wasn’t tip-top, which is just so unlikely for the big JC.

Is his humour evolving? Perhaps not as much as it should; however, I wasn’t expecting the show to end with a very post-ironic number with the refrain It’s Not Cool to be a Queer, which even name-checks Brianna Ghey, a song that stuns us into a sad silence that not even the arrival of glitter falling from heaven can quite restore. All in all, it’s an unusual evening’s entertainment, not without hilarity and skill, but I’m wondering how much longer this much-loved comedian can make this level of content last.

Review – Mixed Bill Comedy Megashow, Comedy Crate at the Royal and Derngate, Northampton, 13th April 2024

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What’s that phrase about little acorns and big oaks? It was seven years ago when we attended our first Comedy Crate Weekender, held in local Northampton pubs; even then they were getting top quality acts to perform. Now they’ve really hit the big time with two big shows over two nights – Friday at the Milton Keynes Theatre (in collaboration with the Comedy Cow team) and now Saturday in the imposing Derngate auditorium, where most of its 1500 capacity seats were sold. And what a night it was…

Our host for the evening was the deceptively hilarious Boothby Graffoe – I say deceptively, because he comes on stage like he’s dressed for a night in front of the telly, and you ask yourself if this chap is ready for the job ahead – and boy, is he ready. Fantastically self-deprecating, he mines brilliant humour out of his guitar and mouth organ without ever overdoing it; he’ll offer us half a song and leave it hanging with lyrics that deliberately finish early because there’s nowhere else to go with them, and it’s simply side-splitting. He’s adapted one of Tom Lehrer’s patter songs listing loads of countries rattled off at tremendous speed – and then tops it off with a devastating final line; and even his parting words at the end of the show about where you could follow him had us in hysterics. Great work, Mr G.

First out was Marcus Brigstocke; I’ve always loved his comedy, but the last time I saw him he threw a Babybel at me – it was at his Cheese and Whine show at the Edinburgh Fringe and I guess I just whined too much. No matter, all is forgiven, and he gave us a great set featuring concerns about the Royal Family, the difference between news coverage now and in The Good Old Days, and a truly hilarious segment about asking idiots to comment on current affairs: watch out, The Jeremy Vine Show. Packed with terrific observations and quite a few funny voices, it’s intelligent, powerful, thought-provoking comedy that lands every time. A superb start to the night.

Next up was Josie Long, whose Tender show we saw four years ago on tour, a winning and hilarious look at pregnancy and motherhood, mixed with some irresistible left-wing lambasts. Now, she’s still offering comic observations of family life with some very clever and recognisable set-ups. Her wry, quieter style of comedy possibly suits a more intimate environment than the vast Derngate stage and didn’t lead to quite the same level of belly-laughter that the others achieved. Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable set with plenty of great lines.

Our mega-headliner was Omid Djalili, whom we’ve seen many times and never fails to delight. The man irradiates stage presence and had us in the palm of his hand within seconds. He has an unerring ability to lead you up a garden path with a story only to whip it around and take you somewhere completely different. Great use of his own physicality, with his fantastic ear for accents and the power of intonation; but what also comes across is his essential kindness, nowhere seen more clearly than in his valedictory observations about the humour of the late Barry Cryer and Sean Lock. He’s not afraid to tackle very serious subjects head-on; at least twice he discussed with appropriate sobriety the appalling killing that’s taking place in Israel and Gaza, but even then he manages to rein it back and cloak it in a comedy setting, without comprising either the seriousness of the situation or the humour. A truly skilful comedian, and he sent us all home with an uplifted spring in our step.

A great night of comedy. Nice people at the Comedy Crate, can we do it again please?

Review – Moby Dick, Royal and Derngate, Northampton, 10th April 2024

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The history of literature is peppered with books that everyone recognises and everyone thinks they know about but hardly anyone has read. New Yorker Herman Melville wrote many works of fiction, including the posthumously published Billy Budd, Sailor, now much better known as an opera by Benjamin Britten. But none has stayed in the public’s mind more firmly than Moby Dick, published in 1851 and today recognised as one of the Great American Novels. I confess I haven’t read it fully, only dipped into it; to be honest, Simple8’s production in association with the Royal and Derngate is the closest I’ve ever been to understanding what this whale of a tale is all about.

CompanyCall me Ishmael, our narrator confides in us at the start of both the book and the play, instantly setting up an informal connection with his audience. As the only – spoiler alert, sorry – survivor of the Pequod’s final voyage, we trust him to tell us the truth. He says he loves life at sea and needs to escape there occasionally – in modern parlance, for the sake of his mental health. Yet as we follow his journey from sleeping on an inn floor, befriending Queequog the whaler, and encouraging the owners of the Pequod to let the two of them join the ship, we realise – no pun intended – that he is indeed a fish out of water. He has much to learn about the ways of the waves, which helps us to identify with him, as we see the story unfold through his eyes.

CompanyMelville wrote Moby Dick in an eclectic style. Formal, floral, and fanciful, but also erudite, educational, and almost anarchic. On the face of it, it’s a simple story about a man taking revenge on a whale for having bitten his leg off. However, it’s not a conventional adventure story in the way you might consider, say, Treasure Island to be. Yes, there is adventure within the plot; as there is also the peril of the high seas, the terror of a whale attack, and the inevitable fear of loss of life. And the final few chapters of the book are packed with those kind of Boy’s Own Comic thrills.

Beware AhabBut this isn’t the book’s overall purpose. Much has been written about the allegorical nature of the book and its religious significance, which can best be understood through the Biblical names of the characters involved. Ahab, beware Ahab, warns the Captain’s chief mate, Starbuck, and that seems to me to be the ultimate message of the story.  Captain Ahab is so committed to killing Moby Dick that all common sense flies out of the window; he is prepared to risk everything, including the lives of all the men under his command, for that one, selfish, quest. Man is often his own worst enemy, and this is a perfect illustration of that sad truth.

Grand sceneJesse Jones’ production of Sebastian Armesto’s adaptation excels at the storytelling. Ishmael’s experiences are relayed to us with direct simplicity and clarity, and we can easily understand the sequence of events that leads us to the final fatal scene. The inclusion of sea shanties adds to the nautical flavour of the piece and reflects Melville’s own use of songs as part of the book. Johanna Town’s lighting for the production is perfectly judged and adds enormously to our appreciation of the show. The set design by Kate Bunce is delightfully minimalistic and it’s extraordinary how you can conjure up a convincing impression of a ship with just a few planks, ropes and steel frames. All in all, the staging looks terrific.

Queequog and the restThere are some great performances too. The whole cast work together as an ensemble superbly well, many of them taking to their musical instruments at the same time, appearing as many diverse characters. Mark Arends plays Ishmael with an honest and intimate nature, opening up as he gains confidence in his surroundings. His developing friendship with Queequog – a warm and generous performance by Tom Swale – is elegantly and beautifully expressed. Guy Rhys plays Ahab as not so much a tyrant but more a man fixated and determined on his own course of action. Amongst the other roles, I loved James Newton’s brief appearance as the English Captain Boomer, but everyone does an excellent job.

CompanyHowever, for me, there is one big problem with this production. Whether it is in pursuit of Melville’s unusual writing style or the allegorical nature of its meaning I am not sure, but for a story that involves mortal danger, thrilling chase, and a ruthless environment, it all comes across as terribly safe. Quiet, sometimes tentative, occasionally cosy, I felt little sense of adventure or danger. Important climactic moments feel too clean and clinical, almost as though the drama has been choreographed out of it. Even the sea shanties, superbly performed as they are – some wonderful harmonies there – lack attack and power. As a result I found it surprisingly unmoving and sedate.

ShantyMaybe I was expecting more big fish action; a 19th century Jaws this is not. It is, however, an intelligent and careful dramatisation that links closely to Melville’s original, with some excellent performances and staging. There’s a lot to appreciate here, just don’t expect much in the way of thrills. After Moby Dick swims on from these shores, the tour continues to Perth, Wilton’s Music Hall, Ipswich, Northern Stage in Newcastle, the Isles of Scilly (a most appropriate and innovative booking), Blackpool, York, Malvern and ending in Oxford mid-June.

Production photos by Manuel Harlan

3-starsThree-sy Does It!

Review – Life of Pi, Royal and Derngate, Northampton, 3rd April 2024

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I remember missing out on seeing Lolita Chakrabarti’s stage version of Yann Martel’s novel Life of Pi when it opened in Sheffield five years ago. Since then, it’s hit the West End and Broadway, garnering awards by the bucketload as it goes, and is currently nearing the final few months of its UK and Ireland tour, with a US tour on the way. You could say it’s been pretty successful! Confession time: I haven’t read the book, but I have seen the film – and I’m afraid it left both Mrs Chrisparkle and I cold. Can Max Webster’s stage production give it the magic it needs?

PiLet’s go back to basics. Sixteen year old Piscine Patel, at home in Pondicherry with a loving family who run the local zoo, can’t get enough of God. So much so that he attends temple in the morning, church in the afternoon and mosque in the evening. He’s decided to shorten his name to Pi, primarily because his schoolfriends and brother take the piscine out of his full name; but I’m sure it’s no coincidence that Pi also gives us π, the mathematical magic number that plays its part in ruling the universe – mind you, what do I know? I only just scraped Maths O Level fifty years ago.

HomeIt’s while crossing the high seas on an attempt to create a new life for themselves in Canada, accompanied by a rag-tag collection of wild animals from the zoo and the world’s surliest cook, that they are shipwrecked. All the animals eat/kill each other until only Richard Parker, the Bengal Tiger, is left; and with Pi being the lone human survivor, they’re stuck together at sea for 227 days. Unbelievable, no? But that’s the point. Life can be unbelievable sometimes, and you’d better believe it. Mrs Okamoto may think Pi is spinning a tale of deceit from his hospital bed in Mexico, but just because something seems impossible, it need not necessarily be so.  There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, etc.

ShipwreckedPiscine, of course, means swimming pool in French, so from an early age young Pi was destined to be surrounded by water. Commentators have suggested that the sea in which he gets shipwrecked represents God because it’s everywhere; others say it’s the tiger who represents God because Pi both loves and fears him (and indeed talks to him – and the tiger talks back.) Either way, it’s a fantastical story, and, at the end of the day, Pi is the epitome of a true survivor. Is it because of his faith in God? You decide.

Amazing setThe production fortunately taps in to all the exhilarating and magical aspects of the story and is a hugely engrossing two-and-a-quarter hours of visual theatricality. The combination of Tim Hatley’s set design and Tim Lutkin and Tim Deiling’s lighting design is irresistibly evocative throughout the show. The stark hospital room (reminiscent of Act Four of Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake, by the way) opens up into the family Pondicherry courtyard, filled with butterflies and warmth; later the walls reveal numerous secrets as the scene transforms into the ship being tossed on the seas. The lighting is also constantly evolving and suggestive and plays a huge part in the scene-setting.

Pi and TigerAt the heart of it all, and – I think – never off stage, is Divesh Subaskaran’s Pi, a dream of a professional debut, and a performance brimming with confidence, style, vulnerability and strength. Even though (hopefully) none of us will ever face the same challenges as Pi, he makes us easily identify with his character and inside we’re cheering him on to survival. Endearing from the very start, he is the kind of performer you can’t stop watching. Surely he will have a great career ahead of him.

Tiger and PiThe other superb performance is from the actors/puppeteers who bring Richard Parker to life, an extraordinarily physical feat but also artistically riveting, as they echo precisely those terrifying tiger movements – sly and threatening, powerful but delicate in its actions. The whole cast form a true ensemble, with many of them covering several roles, but standing out for me is the great support from Lilian Tsang as the no-nonsense Mrs Okamoto, and an enjoyable comic turn from Chand Martinez as the inspirational Admiral Balbir Singh.

BoatThere’s a moment shortly before the end when Pi offers an alternative explanation of what truly happened on that shipwreck. I was reminded of Hercule Poirot proposing two solutions at the end of Murder on the Orient Express – one that could satisfy the officials; and one that was the truth. Pi gives Mrs Okamoto an account that’s less fantastical and more believable. But is it more palatable? Sometimes it’s best to trust in the unbelievable.

PiLife of Pi continues its run this week in Northampton and then moves on to Nottingham, Wolverhampton, Liverpool, Shrewsbury, Southampton, Bath, Truro, Cheltenham, Glasgow, Edinburgh and finally Salford in July. A great set, great puppetry and a superb central performance – and you’ll probably be talking about what it all meant for days.

Go TigerP. S. There is an explanation for why the tiger is called Richard Parker. I did wonder if some other parallel universe contains a moderately successful suburban accountant named Shere Khan. It would only be fair.

P. P. S. I was surprised at the effectiveness of the savagery of animal on animal violence. Remember Buckingham in your prayers.

Production photos by Johan Persson

4-starsFour They’re Jolly Good Fellows!