Aladdin

Review by: Paul Towers, 27/12/19

Aladdin by Eric Potts

Produced by Imagine Theatre

DeMontfort Hall – 14 December to 5 January 2020

“a solid, entertaining show suitable for all ages”

It’s Christmas, it’s Leicester and it’s DeMontfort Hall. It can only be one thing, the now annual treat from Imagine Theatre, the pantomime! Oh yes it is, oh no it isn’t!

It seems that every year the panto gets better and better. Last year it was Peter Pan and this year, obviously having been pleased with the flying effects, it is Aladdin, complete with flying carpet.

Christmas is the season to be jolly and by golly was DeMontfort Hall ringing with the boos for Abanazar, laughs at the Widow Twankie’s near-the-knuckle jokes and the obligatory sing-a-long. This was festive family entertainment for all the family.

This Aladdin is a very traditional pantomime written by master script writer, Eric Potts. It has all the key elements you want from a festive treat.

Right from the start Abanazar (boy band Blue’s Anthony Costa) has the audience hissing and booing as he rips into Leicester, the football team and some of the more salubrious local areas. He is very effective as the villain of the night and is the butt of a running joke throughout.
Local lass Sam Bailey, making her third appearance in panto at DeMontfort Hall, is So Shi, lady in waiting to Princess Jasmine and eventual wife of the Emperor. This time round she is given full reign to show off her amazing singing voice as well as showcasing her comedy skills.

When it comes to comedy Dame Widow Twankey (Leicester Radio’s own Martin Ballard) and Wishee Washee (BGT’s Paul Burling) make a very effective double act keeping the laughs going from curtain up to curtain down including a charming routine involving 4 youngsters from the audience.

Aladdin is played by young magician Matthew Pomeroy and he is given the opportunity to show off his not inconsiderable magic skills throughout the show, especially using Princess Jasmine (Natasha Lamb).

CBBC’s Nathan Connor is a rapping Genie partnered with Gabriella Polchino as the Spirit of The Ring. The cast is filled out with young local dancers.

Once again Imagine Theatre has come up with a solid, entertaining show suitable for all ages. A lot of the one liners will go over youngsters’ heads but there is nothing to provoke awkward questions at a later date.

Aladdin runs until Saturday 5^th January and there is a special relaxed performance on Thursday 2^nd January at 1pm. Some tickets are still available for most dates.

DeMontfort Hall -  www.demontforthall.co.uk
http://ptheatre.blogspot.co.uk/

Giraffes can't dance

 

Review by: Paul Towers, 12/12/19

Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae & Guy Parker-Rees, adapted by Julia Thomas & Tasha Taylor Johnson

Produced by Curve, Rose Original Productions & Simon Friend.

At Curve: 19 – 31 December 2019

“Huge fun for kids of all ages”

Once again Curve has teamed up with The Rose Theatre, Kingston for its annual children’s Christmas show. After the success of previous productions of  The Cat in the Hat, George’s Marvellous Medicine and The Witches this year’s offering is Giraffes Can’t Dance based on the book of the same name.

Gerald the giraffe (Sophie Coward) has always wanted to go to the annual Jungle Dance but, being all long legs and even longer neck, is never going to make it past week one of Strictly. However a wise and friendly cricket, (Phyllis Ho) persuades Gerald to grasp the moment and, with the help from his Jungle Friends (Joshua Coley, Gracia Rios & Jason Yeboa) he finally finds his mojo.

This is an all singing, all dancing 55 minute show for every kid from 2 upwards. At today’s Press launch the audience covered the entire spectrum of ages and abilities with Curve’s very versatile studio space making room for several wheelchairs on the front row. Huge fun was had by all.

The cast work incredibly hard, not only on stage but beforehand as they gee up the kiddies so they are accepted before the show even starts. It meant that the audience were well versed in cheering and clapping and shouting out when needed.

The script includes loads of animal puns for the adults, an original score, many costume changes and a whole barrel of audience interaction.

Giraffes Can’t Dance is on until 31^st December. STOP PRESS Run extended til 5th January

Curve https://www.curveonline.co.uk/
First published on Western Gazette

West Side Story

Review by: Paul Towers, 28/11/19

West Side Story, book by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim

A Made At Curve production directed by Nikolai Foster

At Curve: 23 Nov – 11 Jan 2020

“a huge, lively, energetic dose of 1950’s New York”

First produced in 1957 by Jerome Robbins, West Side Story is inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Two disparate communities, native New Yorkers and immigrant Puerto Ricans, battle each other for turf rights. Testosterone boils over and violence ensues. In 1961 it was filmed as a full blown musical to great acclaim. It has been revived countless times and, in these troubled days of out-of-control knife crime in major cities across the country, it is sadly still very relevant.

Star-crossed lovers Maria and Tony fall for each other despite the enmity of their respective communities. They sneak around surreptitiously, cementing their bond but the violence inevitably comes between them and tragedy strikes, boldly having the curtain fall without a customary happy ending.

The set by Michael Taylor, is a huge three storey edifice of apartments above a diner which rolls in and out. Most of the rest of the set consists of a huge rubbish dump signifying the downmarket state of the neighbourhood and a number of wire fences that create corridors and cages.

Director Nikolai Foster has created a violent, poverty stricken corner of New York where gang violence is the norm.

You would be forgiven for thinking that this all sounds very downbeat and depressing. Of course, like many inner city areas, a lot of the time life is hard. But the story is enlivened with some great comedy routines. Anita, Rosalie and Conseula’s (Carly Mercedes Dyer, Mireia Mambo & Abigail Climer) rendition of America is outstanding combining comedy and high energy Latin American dancing. Both Maria and Tony (Adriana Ivelisse and Jamie Muscato) have superb singing voices and Ivelisse handles the comedy in her character very well.

However, the superlative number for me was Gee, Officer Krupke, superbly choreographed as a burlesque routine in front of the curtain by Action, Diesel, Big Deal, Baby John and A-Rab (Isaac Gryn, Michael O’Reilly, Dale White, Alex Christian and Ryan Anderson respectively).

Once again the production benefited from the addition of members of the Curve Young Company who have provided two teams of actors to supplement the main cast

The choreography by Ellen Kane is balletic and very energetic while the creative lighting by Guy Hoare is both atmospheric and, in the Krupke routine, almost a character in itself! Kudos should also go to fight director Kevin McCurdy for very realistic combat routines.

As is pointed out on the flyers this story contains violence and themes that may be unsuitable for children.

West Side Story runs at Curve until 11^th January 2020. There are special Access Performances throughout the run. Full details are on the website.

Curve https://www.curveonline.co.uk/
http://ptheatre.blogspot.co.uk/

Mary Poppins

 

Review by: Paul Towers, 21/11/19

Mary Poppins written by PL Travers and Julian Fellowes

Music and lyrics by Richard M Sherman, Robert B Sherman, George Stiles & Anthony Drewe

Directed by Richard Eyre & Matthew Bourne. Produced by Disney & Cameron Mackintosh

At Curve: 1 Jan – 3 March 2020

“This is 24 carat Disney gold.”

There have been a couple of fairly negative reviews of this production of Mary Poppins, so I was a little dubious about whether I would enjoy it. After stumbling out into the crowded streets of Soho on a damp Thursday after a matinee I think The Stage reviewer should take his churlish, bitchy review and shove it up one of Bert’s chimney stacks! This is 24 carat Disney gold. From the moment the curtain rises on Cherry Tree Lane and the departure of the last in a long line of disgruntled nannies to the gob smacking sight of Mary Poppins flying sedately across the stage and then  up and over the heads of the audience up into the Grand Circle I was spellbound.

The cast are practically perfect with Zizi Strallen taking on the role of the magical nanny last played by her sister Scarlett 11 years ago. The entire Strallen family are ridiculously talented and dominate the world of West End musicals. Magnificently paired with Ms Strallen is newly minted Charlie Stemp, rapidly becoming the go-to actor for all round musical roles that allow him to display his great dancing abilities and comic timing. And, at last, an authentic Londoner to dismiss the horrors of Dick Van Dyke’s mockney accent. The children, of course, are central to the show and five rotating pairs are marshalled into their correct places by various mentors in the adult cast. But their vocals need no nannying as they were word perfect. High comedy is provided by the cook, Mrs Brill (Claire Machin) and footman Robertson Ay (Jack North).

The set is an ingenious combination of a large square edifice that rotated and unfolded like an origami box as the Banks’ house;  one side the front of the house, the other side the kitchen. This was a miracle of design and execution as it had to also hide a myriad of magical tricks and effects reminiscent of the dirty bedroom scene from the film. The children’s attic bedrooms floated down from above and also formed the base of the rooftops complete with chimney stacks up which Mary and various sweeps popped.

The story owes much more to the original books than the film and there are some dark moments. Several characters have been introduced and several left out so don’t expect it to be a carbon copy of the film.

Charlie Stemp’s Bert the sweep acts as narrator and is used to push the narrative along. He also provides tiny vignettes to cover scene changes. In the script there is a lovely tribute to the original Mary Poppins, Julie Andrews, with the nasty nanny being called Miss Andrews. The audience got the joke immediately.

As with so many West End shows these days there is a small element of stunt casting. 80’s singing star, 84 year old  Petula Clark, is The Bird Lady. She is barely on stage for more than 3 minutes in total and could so easily have been played by a member of the ensemble. However, it was nice for those of us old enough to remember her in her heyday to see her one last time.

At the moment Mary Poppins is booking until May 2020. Highly recommended for the young and young at heart.

Prince Edward Theatre: https://www.princeedwardtheatre.co.uk/
http://ptheatre.blogspot.co.uk/

 

In a village near a forest

Review by: Paul Towers, 30/10/19

In a village near a forest by ‘Funmi Adewole

Performed by ‘Funmi Adewole

Upstairs @ The Western, 30^th October 2019

“‘Funmi Adewole is a storyteller, a relater of parables.”

‘Funmi Adewole is a storyteller, a relater of parables especially those from Lagos in Nigeria. The stories themselves are mythical, simplistic tales meant to teach those less well educated in a way that they can relate to. Much like religious tracts they are not literal but fairy tales wrapped round truths.

Adewole uses much physicality as she fills the stage with characters.

Her method of storytelling would be absolutely ideal for middle school children, especially those in an African and Afro Caribbean community.

Tonight we had tales of tortoises, greedy rich people and avaricious housewives, all hiding a lesson in life.

This my last visit to Upstairs at The Western after six plus years. New management has taken the venue in a new direction and I no longer feel I can give an objective view of forthcoming productions.

Upstairs at The Western http://upstairsatthewestern.com/
First published on Western Gazette

Priscilla Queen of the Desert

Review by: Paul Towers, 28/10/19

Priscilla Queen of the Desert the Musical by Stephen Ellliot and Allan Scott

A Mark Groucher, Jason Donovan, Gavin Kalin, Matthew Gale & Laurence Myers production with Nullarbor Productions & MGM on Stage

Curve 28 Oct to 2 Nov 2019

“a first rate cast and a joyous soundtrack”

When the original film opened in cinemas in 1994 it was a low budget Australian picture celebrating drag queens. Coming as it did right at the beginning of the resurgence in drag shows in the wake of such cult classics as Victor/Victoria, La Cage Aux Folles and Torch Song Trilogy and of course the iniquitous RuPaul of Drag Race fame, originally a disco singer.

The premise of the film, and ultimately of all subsequent stage versions, is how two drag queens and a post op transsexual embark on a journey right into the centre of Australia aboard a rickety old bus, the titular Priscilla. Their adventures along the way bring them into contact with some very red-necked, bigoted, isolated communities along with some surprisingly tolerant indigenous peoples.

The film benefited from soaring vistas filmed from helicopters and smart editing of multiple costumes.

I saw a touring production in 2014 and it was, to be charitable, rather mundane. This current version is anything but. A huge number of costumes keep the dressers rushed off their feet as the ensemble swap characters at an amazing rate. Then we come to the main characters. Many of the musical numbers are either provided by or enhanced by the Three Divas (Rosie Glossop, Claudia Kariuki and Aiesha Pease) whose Supremes-like vocals soar above the rest of the cast.

Of course the main characters Tick/Mitzi (Joe McFadden), Bernadette (Miles Western) and Felicia/Adam (Nick Hayes) drive the story along. Tick is conflicted by the sudden knowledge that a drunken mistake in his past has provided him with a son; Bernadette has just lost the love of his life (well, at least for this year) and Felicia/Adam just wants an adventure. It is Adam who persuades his mother to finance the trip and they naively set out from Sidney for the great outdoors.

The leads are massively supported by an ensemble of 12 amazing dancers/singers/actors who switch from drag queens to rednecks in a matter of seconds, or so it seems. Choreographer Tom Jackson Greaves has created a lively, energetic background to compliment the action while director Ian Talbot handles some of the more un-stageable elements with aplomb. Kudos have to go the designers, Charles Cusick-Smith, Phil R Daniles and Richard Weeden, for a very adaptable set and an amazing bus.

The production is packed with 80’s songs, some familiar from the film, others not so much. The Abba continuum from the movie has been replaced with Kylie references and songs.

This version has West End production values, a first rate cast and a joyous soundtrack to send you out into a cold winter night with a spring in your step.

Curve – https://curveonline.co.uk
First published on Western Gazette