Review – Gareth Mutch and Tom Stade, Comedy Crate Edinburgh Previews at the Museum, Northampton Museum and Art Gallery, 23rd June 2024

Posted on June 24, 2024 by therealchrisparkle

With the inevitability of night following day and misadventure following Sunak, Edinburgh Previews come around again, as plucky comedians start girding their loins for the Greatest Show on Earth (well, the Greatest Show north of the border). A quick check of the Edinburgh Fringe website reveals over 1,350 comedy shows taking place there this summer, so it’s only right and proper that the Comedy Crate should bring some of them to our attention. And the first of these shows we were able to catch this year took place in the dignified surroundings of the Northampton Museum and Art Gallery.

Gareth Mutch and Tom Stade shared a preview night last year, so they clearly go together like Cheese and Onion. First up was Gareth Mutch, with a preview of his Edinburgh show for this year, Modern Man. Not sure what you think of when you think of “modern man”, but I think of a man with a progressive outlook, a firm feminist and not afraid to show his feelings. Gareth has followed the advice of some expert who described it as someone who “struggles with modern life”. Not sure I quite believe that.

No matter. Gareth has a hugely engaging stage persona; he’s a big chap with a bit of a gruff exterior but within a few seconds of seeing his act you realise he’s a true softy inside. He has some excellent material where he beautifully demonstrates his Beta Male qualities, with his inability to fix a boiler – he can’t even come to terms with the fact he has an airing cupboard. He also has a brilliant routine where he challenges audience members to decide what’s best: falling in love or being married? If you’re concerned about offending your other half with your reply, he has a very funny test to help you decide the right answer.

A preview show is precisely that; as Gareth said in his introduction, there may hopefully be parts of the show where the comedy soars, and there will doubtless be parts where it falls flat on it’s a*se. He started a sequence which involved a very dubious reference to shall we say a difficult subject – and it was met with stony – nay, shocked – silence from the crowd. Wisely, he decided instantly to drop it. Because Gareth comes across as such a likeable guy, suddenly to confront us with a very challenging and tough-to-find-humour-in subject was like a slap in the face. But a Preview Show is a learning curve – that’s what it’s all about. There’s definitely plenty to look forward to in Modern Man, and Gareth’s stage confidence and delivery skills are a sheer delight to witness. He’s on at The Stand Comedy Club 2 at 18:50 every night from July 31 – Aug 25 except August 12^th, and you can book tickets here.

After the interval we were treated to the whirlwind of comedy dynamite (yes, I know that’s a mixed metaphor) that is Tom Stade, with a Preview of his new Edinburgh show, Risky Business. An hour spent in the company of Tom Stade is a rollercoaster of a white knuckle ride, and you genuinely can’t guess in which direction he’ll go next. We started off in fairly familiar Stade territory with an assessment of the average ages of audience members, and how language can (does) mean different things to different age groups. He has some great material about how the prevalence of computers in the lives of the twenty-somethings and younger is so ingrown that it can lead to severe misunderstandings, and, if you’re as mischievous as Mr Stade, can become delightful weapons in the war of comedy.

I loved his observations about modern travel, and how travel agents are redundant if you know someone young enough to work their way around a computer; and how his perfect holiday must include a waterpark. Another observation that rang true is how there’s only one thing that Mr and Mrs Stade want to go when they go to bed – scroll. And he has a brilliant slant on that old favourite, Mr Potato Head. Trying to review or even encapsulate much of what passes in a Tom Stade set is an impossible task because all his nuggets – big or small – just wash over you and you simply can’t keep track of what he says. You only hope that he can! You always feel that there’s an element of danger in what might happen on stage when he’s on; it gives an intangible edge to the whole proceedings. Wonderfully funny as always; even though this show was still at the let’s chuck ideas in the air and see where they land stage, you just know his new Edinburgh show will be a winner. You can catch Tom at The Stand Comedy Club 1 at 20:15 every night from July 31 – Aug 25 except August 12th, and you can book tickets here.

Many more Edinburgh Previews to come: our next date is to see Scott Bennett and Sara Barron at the Lamplighter on July 8^th.

Review – Birmingham Royal Ballet BRB2, Carlos Acosta’s Classical Selection, Royal and Derngate, Northampton, 25th May 2024

Posted on May 26, 2024 by therealchrisparkle

Almost thirty years ago (gasp!) the Royal Ballet started their occasional touring production of Dance Bites; regular visitors to the Swan Theatre, High Wycombe (our nearest decent theatre at the time) over a period of four years we enjoyed the likes of Darcey Bussell, Adam Cooper, Jonathan Cope, Deborah Bull and the two Billys (Trevitt and Nunn) performing short, stunning pieces, largely choreographed by the new young stars of the day. They were fantastic nights out, and the memory of them remains a true pleasure.

Fast forward to today, and Carlos Acosta has put together a programme of twelve short pieces for his Classical Selection tour, performed by some of the younger members of the Birmingham Royal Ballet – BRB2, a name modelled, no doubt, on the fantastic NDT2, the youth department of the Nederlands Dans Theater who have always been at the forefront of showcasing their young dancers. So we were very much looking forward to seeing what BRB2 can do – and it was a thrilling performance.

With a combination of recorded soundtracks and live music from Jeanette Wong on the piano and Antonia Novais on the cello, the dancers covered a whole range of styles from the ultimate classic Swan Lake to modern interpretations of Edith Piaf and Jacques Brel. The first half of the show was devoted to traditional classical ballet – with just a hint of modernity; the second half to contemporary dance – with just the occasional hint of classicism. It’s a superb blend.

The presentation of the show is refreshingly unstuffy. I’m a big fan of going full pelt on classical ballet, with several dancers modestly surrounding the main performer and graciously recognising their talent, pausing for a round of applause every few minutes. It’s stylised, rewarding, and unique. But the presentation of this show is the complete opposite – and it really works. The curtain rises to reveal a long barre at the back of the stage, towards which the dancers unceremoniously make their way, change out of their day clothes and do a gentle warm-up, whilst chatting to and supporting each other. Then a curtain falls in front of the barre and the first pair of dancers emerge to perform their piece.

When it’s over, they take their applause, and then we see them make their way back to the freshly revealed barre, clearly discussing how the performance went. This structure continues throughout the first half; in the second half, the barre is occasionally removed for a blue background that provides the scenery for a few short dances that merge into each other. At the end, they all return to the barre, pack up their dance bags and drift off into the wings. It’s a very unshowy approach, very much in keeping with the youth of the performers. And don’t worry, you do get the chance to give them a final big round of applause at the end.

The first dance was the pas de deux from Rhapsody, choreographed by Ashton, and danced superbly by Alisa Garkavenko and Mason King; then came the pas de deux from La Sylphide danced with charm and grace by Sophie Walters, and a bravura performance from Tom Hazelby. Next came the Act II pas de deux from Swan Lake, with Maïlène Katoch exquisite in her balance and expression, faultlessly supported by Alfie Shacklock: for me the best partnering of the first act. Alexandra Manuel and Oscar Kempsey-Fagg then performed Dying Swans. Not just the traditional Saint-Saëns/Fokine swan but accompanied by an Acosta-choreographed contemporary addition; I was uncertain of this duet at first but quickly realised how clever the updating of it is. The first act finished with the return of Alisa Garkavenko and Mason King in the pas de deux from Diana and Actaeon; both on terrific form and with some crowd pleasingly elegant and dynamic solos.

After the interval, the mood changed with the return of Alexandra Manuel and Oscar Kempsey-Fagg in Ben Stevenson’s End of Time, performed to the third movement of Rachmaninov’s Cello Sonata in in G Minor. Simply but stunningly staged, it was another immaculate performance of a truly powerful dance. The mood then changed again as the set became an Argentinian nightclub with Gustavo Mollajoli’s crackingly exciting A Buenos Aires, a cunning combination of tango with classic and contemporary styles, rivetingly performed by Maïlène Katoch and Tom Hazelby. Then Ariana Allen performed a truly eloquent solo to Edith Piaf’s Je ne regrette rien, followed by an (almost) show-stealing dance by Jack Easton as Brel’s drunken antagonist in Les Bourgeois, combining brilliant dance with comic characterisation.

The final three pieces were a simply romantic dance to the second intermezzo of Bizet’s Carmen, choreographed by Carlos Acosta and movingly danced by Alexandra Manuel and Oscar Kempsey-Fagg; then a more challenging modern piece choreographed by Will Tucket entitled Mirrored, danced by Frieda Kaden and Jack Easton to music by Ravel. The finale came with Jorge Garcia’s joyful Majisimo, with four couples dancing to several styles from across Spain in a combination of classical and contemporary choreography – a true crowd pleaser to finish.

It’s a terrific way to expose the younger dancers to a variety of styles and audiences, and they all thoroughly earn their stripes! These are not ballet stars yet; but many of them will be. If I were to highlight the dancers whom I think have the full potential to make it big, I would plump for Alexandra Manuel, Maïlène Katoch, Jack Easton and Tom Hazelby; but everyone gives an immense performance and show the Birmingham Royal Ballet to be in the rudest of health! Their tour continues to Canterbury and Peterborough – very well worth catching!

Four They’re Jolly Good Fellows!

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

Posted on May 22, 2024 by therealchrisparkle

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!

Looking 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.

Sixty 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 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!

Except that we’re not, as Seán Aydon’s production takes us to a London somewhere in the 20^th 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.

It’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.

Sarah 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.

At 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.

Northamptonshire’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.

Tilted 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

Four They’re Jolly Good Fellows!

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

Posted on May 21, 2024 by therealchrisparkle

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 – The Comedy Crate and Castle Comedy present Comedy at the Abbey, Delapre Abbey, Northampton, 17th May 2024

Posted on May 20, 2024 by therealchrisparkle

So here’s a new comedy initiative, courtesy of those nice people at the Comedy Crate (and I am sure nice people at Bedford’s Castle Comedy also), an impressive comedy line up under the sky in the beautiful grounds of Northampton’s Delapre Abbey. What could be finer than a warm blue sky gently twinkling its stars as comedy stars also twinkle on the stage? And even if there is the occasional raindrop or the odd attack by a plethora of flying bugs attracted by the lights, who cares?!

An abbey, you ask? Were we entertained by a group of Cistercian monks? Not quite. Our host for the evening was the bright and happy Paul Revill, whose main task it was to keep everything on track and get to know a few of the front row punters at the same time. No mean feat that, as the open-air aspect of the show meant there was naturally more of a distance between us and them. Nevertheless, Mr R did a great job and was slowly able to reveal that the audience was, in fact, a secret collective from Northampton Council, covering bins, resettlement housing, property maintenance… you name it, we covered it.

First up, and someone whom we haven’t seen live for nine years, was the splendid Zoe Lyons, a truly adroit performer who mines excellent laughs from recognisable mundane aspects of daily life. She has brilliant routines about living with a seventeen year old Jack Russell – you could almost smell the little devil from your seat from her descriptions – and what happens when a bunch of menopausal women go sea swimming in Brighton. She sets up an excellent rapport with the audience, was extremely funny throughout and was a perfect start to the night.

Next, and someone we’ve seen several times before, was Nathan Caton, a naturally funny guy who gives us a different slice of life as a newlywed still suffering from the costs of his extravagant wedding, and how he is (in his words) a mummy’s boy and soft as sh*t despite his height and imposing appearance. No friend of Gen-Z types, so it was fortunate there weren’t any in. He had the best joke of the night – involving his reasoning behind why he can no longer take porn seriously. He has a fluid, assured delivery and elicits some huge belly laughs. Always a pleasure to watch him at work.

Our headliner, and someone we last saw live fourteen years ago (yikes!) was Gary Delaney – a master of the one-liner and a comedy stage presence to die for. With him it’s a never ending stream of gem after gem, sometimes at a speed that takes your breath away. Mr D seemed to enjoy his set – appreciating how quickly we were getting the punchlines before he’d delivered them! He was thrown by two unexpected heckles: one from one of the aforementioned flying bugs that seemed to go for his jugular, and by an audience member pointing out the moon to his friend. I think it was the first time Mr D had been upstaged by a celestial being – but to be fair to the audience member, the moon was doing some really weird things that night! There aren’t many clean jokes in Gary Delaney’s repertoire – but there are some extremely filthy ones! And he kept us fully entertained long into the night. Great stuff!

A highly enjoyable evening – let’s hope they do it again sometime!

Review – The Sweet Science of Bruising, BA Acting Third Year Students at the University of Northampton, Royal and Derngate, Northampton, 17th May 2024

Posted on May 19, 2024 by therealchrisparkle

The second of this year’s Third Year Acting Students’ productions introduces us to Joy Wilkinson’s The Sweet Science of Bruising – in other words, women’s boxing. And whilst today we see it as a modern development in the sport, who knew that its roots went back to the nineteenth century? Championed by “The Professor” – Charlie Sharp, an early example of a boxing promoter, we find out about the four women who together shared the self-styled title of Lady Boxing Champion of the World.

At the heart of the play are four women from very different backgrounds who find strength and empowerment in the boxing ring. Their passion, skill, strength, and competitiveness enable them to assert themselves within a misogynistic society that refuses to allow them to be anything other than either demure ladies or providers of, shall we say, intimate services to gentlemen. They are surrounded by suffocating menfolk, stick-in-the-mud traditionalists or violent partners; and each finds their own achievement through their own struggle.

It’s a very thoughtful and intelligent play and provides some superb characters for the Third Year Students to lose themselves in. This play does not so much seek out the comedic talents of the performers but more their ability to inhabit truly dramatic and emotional roles. And they rise to this challenge terrifically. Many of them also need to acquire boxing skills! And the level of convincing stage combat in this production is excellent, from the movement of a punch to the sound of it hitting its target, to the flooring of its victim – it was all superbly done.

The characterisations of the four women are particularly impressive. Sophie Lawlor is spellbinding as the nurse Violet Hunter, both at home with her posher relatives at the theatre and working alongside her half-hearted doctor colleague (an entertaining performance from Roman Norman). The balance she needs to keep between healing people (as a nurse) and hurting people (as a pugilist) is very clearly and often agonisingly portrayed.

Millie Metcalfe gets all the attitude right in her portrayal of good time girl Matty, courting any stray gentlemen who might chance her way, such as the loathsome Gabriel (a remarkably strong villainous performance from Ben Lole) who is married to the ignored and abused Anna, played by Sadie Douglas with a mixture of upper class pleasantry and sheer determined guts as displayed in her guise as the boxer The Angel of Death.

The fourth woman is Polly Stokes, an outstanding performance from Sasha Wallett, full of energy and drive. Polly is a working class fighter in love with Paul; they box each other as a brother-and-sister outfit but she’s easily a match for him. They agree that marriage will not change anything but this doesn’t materialise; her skill in the ring does no good for Paul’s status or self-confidence, powerfully portrayed in another strong performance from Jorin Beaumont.

Linking the entire play together is a commanding performance from Richard Akindele as the Professor, creating a fully realised character out of what could otherwise be a plain narrator role. And there’s yet another great performance from Emma Luff in her two roles as Violet’s Aunt George, a rather severe elderly Victorian dowager, and Nancy, Anna’s maid, requiring two very different accents and characterisations, both perfectly expressed.

A very fine performance which held the audience’s attention superbly – a cliché I know, but at many times you could literally hear a pin drop. The overall acting standard is of a very high quality and you would not know this cast wasn’t fully professional. I enjoyed it tremendously – congratulations to all!

Four They’re Jolly Good Fellows

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

Posted on May 19, 2024 by therealchrisparkle

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!

Four They’re Jolly Good Fellows!

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

Posted on May 15, 2024 by therealchrisparkle

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.

I 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?

Whilst 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.

And 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.

But 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.

The 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.

To 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.

Heading 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.

But 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

Posted on May 3, 2024 by therealchrisparkle

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 16^th 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

Posted on April 24, 2024 by therealchrisparkle

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!

The 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.

The 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.

Like 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.

This 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.

Brandon 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.

Cherece 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!

And 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.

It’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.