Opening Night, a new musical

 

Review by Paul Towers, 10/4/24

Opening Night by Ivo Van Hove, music & lyrics Rufus Wainwright

Directed by Ivo Van Hove

Produced by Wessex Grove and others

At The Gielgud Theatre until 18 May 2024

Having today announced that the show will close 2 months earlier than scheduled I am not completely surprised.

Opening Night, starring Sheridan Smith and Hadley Fraser is taken from the 1977 film by John Cassavettes’ film of the same name.

Myrtle Gordon (Sheridan Smith) is a successful Broadway actress rehearsing a new play, The Second Woman. A functioning alcoholic, as opening night looms Myrtle’s confidence falters and she starts to fall apart. There are three men in her life, personal and professional. Manny (Hadley Fraser) is her hard nosed director, Maurice (Benjamin Walker) is her ex whom she has never got over. He is also her leading man. David (John Marquez) is the producer and the only one of the three sympathetic to her fragile mental health. The trigger for her sudden decline is the tragic death of a fan (Shira Haas) at the stage door who gets run down just after Myrtle has signed an autograph for her. In her worsening state Myrtle conjures up the dead girl, Nancy, as her only friend.

Sheridan Smith has, in the past, had her own mental health demons to fight and this seems to be rather close to her truth. But maybe that is why she took the job. It certainly shows off her acting talents as she veers from crisis to crisis both on and off stage in the show.

The reason for the early closure has been publicly admitted to being for financial reasons. It has been reported that swathes of audience members have been leaving mid-performance. I can understand how the script could be confusing to some as one scene is played again and again, which is what happens in a rehearsal. Also, it is marketed as a musical but it is not a conventional one and, with Sheridan Smith starring, maybe audience expectations were for something lighter.

As a seasoned theatre-goer my only gripe was the ending. The final scene was of Myrtle and Maurice sat face to face in what was lit to look like the set for the Broadway show. But the conversation was as if they were in an empty room or an apartment. And as the upbeat tone of reconciliation was in stark contrast to the rest of the play, it was incongruous. It felt like the playwright suddenly felt the need to tie up some loose ends and send the audience home in a feel-good mood.

www.delfontmackintosh.co.uk/theatres/gielgud-theatre

www.ptheatre.blogspot.co.uk

 

Unfortunate the musical

 

Review by Paul Towers, 8/4/24

Unfortunate – The untold story of Ursula the sea witch – book & lyrics by Robyn Grant & Daniel Foxx, Music by Tim Gilvin

Directed by Robyn Grant

Produced by Wildpark Entertainment, The Vaults & Dianne Roberts

At Curve til 9^th April 2024

“hilarious and pulls no punches”

In Disney’s Little Mermaid Ariel’s aunt, Ursula, has a small and villainous role in the story. Many feel this is a criminal oversight and so the authors of this Untold Story have set out to put matters right by placing Ursula front and centre stage in her own story.

While dipsy Ariel (Drag Race’s River Medway) still does all the stupid things that result in her losing her voice when she ventures on land, it is the bodacious Ursula (Shawn Hamic) who tears up the stage as the ‘baddest bitch in the Ocean, the undisputed Queen of Villains’.

Ariel’s father, Triton (Thomas Lowe) probably one of the campest supposedly straight guys, is in love with Ursula (nobody said this story was straightforward!) and is torn between his heart and his destiny to rule Atlantica.

Supported by a myriad of puppetry sea life the soundtrack is like a rock opera most of the time with original music that often contains echoes of the original Disney songs. Very clever. The set, designed by Abby Clarke (who also created the puppet designs and costumes) is a ship side on. Choreographer Melody Sinclair puts the ensemble through their paces, especially with the quick changes they need to make.

The script is hilarious and pulls no punches, especially when Ursula is raging against the various injustices heaped upon her. Shawn Hamic’s vocal talents are awesome and her unashamedly bulky stage presence and potty mouth makes her perfect for the role.

While there are still a few seats available for tonight’s final performance at Curve be warned Unfortunate is not the Disney-fied saccharine kids’ story of The Little Mermaid . This is a grown-up, X rated, in your face joyous rendition of the wonderful Ursula’s back story.

Pics: Pamela Raith

www.unfortunatemusical.com

www.curveonline.co.uk

www.ptheatre.blogspot.co.uk

 

Life of Pi

 

Review by Paul Towers, 2/4/24

Life of Pi adapted by Lolita Chakrabarti from the novel by Yann Martel

Directed by Max Webster

Produced by Sheffield Theatres

At Royal & Derngate, Northampton 2-6 April 2024

Yann Martel’s 2001 Life of Pi was a critical success and lead to an award laden film 10 years later. After another 9 years an equally acclaimed stage version was adapted by Lolita Chakrabarti and created by The Crucible Theatre Sheffield. It has garnered even more awards.

Currently out on tour I was pleased to catch up with it at Northampton’s Royal & Derngate Theatre.

Life of Pi is the story of a 16 year old Indian boy whose family are forced to emigrate to Canada to escape the turmoil in their home country. Packing up their home and crating up the animals of their zoo the family board a boat for the long sea journey to a new life.

Unfortunately there is a storm and all hands are lost except Pi (Divesh Subaskaran in his professional debut), a Bengal Tiger, a hyena and an injured zebra. This odd collection ends up on a drifting lifeboat where they all try and work out how to survive.

After he is finally rescued Pi relates his story to an Insurance Assessor who doesn’t believe him.

At first glance you would think that a story almost entirely set aboard a small boat adrift on the ocean and containing a boy and several wild animals would be unstageable. But with extensive use of very clever puppets for the animals (designed by Caroline Bowman), an imaginative set (designed by Tim Hatley) and superb lighting by Tim Lutkin & Tim Deiling the adventure comes to life before your eyes.

At Royal & Derngate until Saturday 6^th April and on tour.

www.royalandderngate.co.uk

www.ptheatre.blogspot.co.uk

 

Rott£n

 

Review by Paul Towers, 23/3/24

Rott£n by Josie White

Directed by Rikki Beadle-Blair

Produced by Emmerson Ward Productions

At Curve 22 & 23 March 2024

“hilarious, satirical and wildly improbable”

Having followed the work of Emmerson Ward Productions for some years I was not expecting this work from new playwright Josie White. It was hilarious, satirical and wildly improbable. Or was it?

Three aspiring actresses Saoirse (Nicola Taggart), a ballsy Belfast girl doing self-taped auditions, Coco (Narisha Lawson),  a mixed race go-getter and Sonia (Kavita Vyas) an Asian princess who has spent her allowance from Daddy. These three are living in a grotty flat hardly able to pay the electric of Netflix bills. London is a lonely place with no work and no money.
However what they do have in this digital world is an aspirational peek on their phones at the life of Instagram influencer Iris Montague-Willis (Alice Berry) living across the street with her rich husband. Having filmed Ms MW in a compromising position with a girlfriend they, along with Sonia’s on-off toe rage boyfriend Ross (Sam Butters), decide to blackmail her.
As with the very best of comedic thrillers things go wildly wrong with more plot twists than an M1 contraflow!

Josie White’s pin sharp script mixes cultural references with biting wit to produce an hilarious hour of satirical tropes.

Director/designer Rikki Beadle-Blair keeps the momentum going right up to the denouement, which I guarantee you will not see coming.

I sincerely hope that Josie White continues her collaboration with both Curve and Emerson Ward in the future. She has a great ear for dialogue and I look forward to whatever she does next.

Check out the website for future touring dates

www.emmersonandward.com

www.curveonline.co.uk

www.ptheatre.blogspot.co.uk

 

The Secret Garden - The Musical

 

Review by Paul Towers, 22/3/24

The Secret Garden by Marsha Norman & Lucy Simon from the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Directed by Keiran Whelan-Newby

Produced by Leicester Drama Society

At The Little Theatre until Saturday 6^th April

“A musical version of the much loved book and film”

Based on the 1911 novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett The Secret Garden is set in the early 20^th century in the days of the Indian Raj. A cholera outbreak orphans Mary Lennox and she is sent to England and her only living relative, Archibald Craven, someone she has never met.

As Mary Lennox Olivia King leads the company with aplomb. The other child character, Colin is brightly played by Edward Lander alternating with Harry Woodward. Director and Musical Stager Keiran Whelan-Newby takes the role of Archibald Craven the self-pitying widower who seems to revel in the disability his hump gives him. Also resident in the cold, stone manor is Dr Neville Craven (Russell Webster) the manipulative brother who has groomed young Colin into thinking he is on death’s door and is wheelchair bound. The final resident is the housekeeper dour Mrs Medlock (Karen Gordon). It has to be said that none of these characters are in the least bit likeable. The children are entitled brats who I just wanted to slap. It isn’t until the last few minutes that they are redeemed when the Secret Garden works its magic.

Much needed lightness is provided by Dickon (Simon Butler) who befriends Mary and Ben Weatherstaff (Martin Bell)  the old retainer who has been secretly tending the garden.

The back story of both Mary and Archibald are represented by a variety of ghosts and memories. A live band hidden away gives an immediacy to the singing.

The set by Gem Greaves is a very impressive collection of arches and a walkway while lighting by Alex Crooks & Andy Crooks creates a credible French backdrop.

The Secret Garden is on at The Little Theatre until Saturday 6^th April with a short break over the Easter weekend.

Pics by Dave Morris

www.thelittletheatre.co.uk/

www.ptheatre.blogspot.co.uk