Jonny Fines and Omar Malik star in Hanif Kureishi's new adaptation of his hit film. Photo © Ellie Kurttz.
MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE
* * * *
October 26, 2019
Curve, Leicester, until Saturday, October 5, 2019, then touring
Hanif Kureishi takes his hit 1985 indie film and brings it bang up to date for this new touring production, launched at Curve.
Read Michael Davies’s full review at whatsonstage.com
* * * *
October 26, 2019
Curve, Leicester, until Saturday, October 5, 2019, then touring
Hanif Kureishi takes his hit 1985 indie film and brings it bang up to date for this new touring production, launched at Curve.
Read Michael Davies’s full review at whatsonstage.com
Jellicle cats come out to play in Kilworth's new production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical.
Emma Hatton as Grizabella.
CATS
* * * *
August 2, 2019
Kilworth House Theatre, Leicestershire, until Sunday, September 8, 2019
All the buzz online is about that weird, slightly disturbing trailer for the movie version of Cats that is due out at Christmas. “This holiday season,” commands the foreboding message, “you will believe.”
Well, if you want to believe sooner than December, you could do worse than take a trip up the M1 to Junction 20, where the hidden gem of Kilworth House Theatre is making its own contribution to the Cats legacy. And it doesn’t take CGI, American stars or a Hollywood budget to do it.
This version of the the Lloyd Webber song-and-dance show has been put together by West End choreographer and director Nick Winston and occupies the second slot in the open-air venue’s annual calendar, the first having been taken by a revival of last year’s runaway success Joseph, reviewed below.
And if your idea of Cats is leotards, feline face paint and an oversized rubbish dump, as per the original London production nearly 40 years ago, then it’s time to revisit those preconceptions. This show has been completely rebuilt, with a spectacular original design by Philip Whitcomb, keyboard-heavy orchestrations for Francis Goodhand’s tight nine-piece band and a staging that is as crystal clear and well-drilled as you could wish for.
Whitcomb’s set is a rundown Underground station during the war, complete with a full-sized, partially derailed tube train, and it becomes a thrilling playground for the characters to perform their breathless routines. There’s much less in the way of whiskers and fur – these are more hinted at than made literal – and the costumes reflect wartime themes. So we get Munkustrap dressed in airman’s uniform, Mr Mistoffelees doubling as a cheery milkman and Rum Tum Tugger as a grey-marketeer spiv.
The repositioning works perfectly well, and even helps explain the odd anachronism in TS Eliot’s poetry, although it does make Winston’s sparkling and dynamic choreography slightly anomalous, along with Lloyd Webber’s very 1980s score. But what they miss in contemporaneous authenticity, they more than make up for in energy, spectacle and sheer, relentless forward motion.
As is so often the case, Chris Whybrow’s excellent sound design gives an overall impression far more lucid and appealing than many West End or touring musicals, which frequently suffer from muddy mixes and indistinct vocals. Here, in the fresh summer evening air, the voices are rightly foregrounded and showcased to their best advantage.
The assembled company is full of triple threats, with huge dance routines, soaring vocal lines and engagingly emotional moments all brought out with care and precision. Inevitably, Emma Hatton’s rendition of Memory – more than a little reminiscent of Elaine Paige herself – steals the limelight (or should that be moonlight?), but there’s quality across the board, from Matthew Malthouse’s delightful railway cat Skimbleshanks and Adrian Grove’s endearing theatre cat Gus, to Robbie McMillan’s sure-footed Mr Mistoffelees and a nice double act from Matt Jones and Aimee Moore as Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer.
With no plot to speak of, Cats is really a revue to highlight the talents of some impressive singers and dancers. Winston and his team certainly have the raw material to work with, and the resulting show stands testament to the continuing commitment of this secret theatre to top-class entertainment.
* * * *
August 2, 2019
Kilworth House Theatre, Leicestershire, until Sunday, September 8, 2019
All the buzz online is about that weird, slightly disturbing trailer for the movie version of Cats that is due out at Christmas. “This holiday season,” commands the foreboding message, “you will believe.”
Well, if you want to believe sooner than December, you could do worse than take a trip up the M1 to Junction 20, where the hidden gem of Kilworth House Theatre is making its own contribution to the Cats legacy. And it doesn’t take CGI, American stars or a Hollywood budget to do it.
This version of the the Lloyd Webber song-and-dance show has been put together by West End choreographer and director Nick Winston and occupies the second slot in the open-air venue’s annual calendar, the first having been taken by a revival of last year’s runaway success Joseph, reviewed below.
And if your idea of Cats is leotards, feline face paint and an oversized rubbish dump, as per the original London production nearly 40 years ago, then it’s time to revisit those preconceptions. This show has been completely rebuilt, with a spectacular original design by Philip Whitcomb, keyboard-heavy orchestrations for Francis Goodhand’s tight nine-piece band and a staging that is as crystal clear and well-drilled as you could wish for.
Whitcomb’s set is a rundown Underground station during the war, complete with a full-sized, partially derailed tube train, and it becomes a thrilling playground for the characters to perform their breathless routines. There’s much less in the way of whiskers and fur – these are more hinted at than made literal – and the costumes reflect wartime themes. So we get Munkustrap dressed in airman’s uniform, Mr Mistoffelees doubling as a cheery milkman and Rum Tum Tugger as a grey-marketeer spiv.
The repositioning works perfectly well, and even helps explain the odd anachronism in TS Eliot’s poetry, although it does make Winston’s sparkling and dynamic choreography slightly anomalous, along with Lloyd Webber’s very 1980s score. But what they miss in contemporaneous authenticity, they more than make up for in energy, spectacle and sheer, relentless forward motion.
As is so often the case, Chris Whybrow’s excellent sound design gives an overall impression far more lucid and appealing than many West End or touring musicals, which frequently suffer from muddy mixes and indistinct vocals. Here, in the fresh summer evening air, the voices are rightly foregrounded and showcased to their best advantage.
The assembled company is full of triple threats, with huge dance routines, soaring vocal lines and engagingly emotional moments all brought out with care and precision. Inevitably, Emma Hatton’s rendition of Memory – more than a little reminiscent of Elaine Paige herself – steals the limelight (or should that be moonlight?), but there’s quality across the board, from Matthew Malthouse’s delightful railway cat Skimbleshanks and Adrian Grove’s endearing theatre cat Gus, to Robbie McMillan’s sure-footed Mr Mistoffelees and a nice double act from Matt Jones and Aimee Moore as Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer.
With no plot to speak of, Cats is really a revue to highlight the talents of some impressive singers and dancers. Winston and his team certainly have the raw material to work with, and the resulting show stands testament to the continuing commitment of this secret theatre to top-class entertainment.
T'Shan Williams (Celie) and Danielle Fiamanya (Nettie) in The Color Purple. Photo by Manuel Harlan.
THE COLOR PURPLE
* * *
July 3, 2019
Curve, Leicester, until Saturday, July 13, 2019
Michael Davies is oddly unmoved by Curve and Birmingham Hippodrome co-production of the Broadway musical.
For the full review, visit whatsonstage.com
* * *
July 3, 2019
Curve, Leicester, until Saturday, July 13, 2019
Michael Davies is oddly unmoved by Curve and Birmingham Hippodrome co-production of the Broadway musical.
For the full review, visit whatsonstage.com
Sparkles and glitz: Jacob Fisher as Joseph in Andrew Wright's production at Kilworth House Theatre.
JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT
* * * *
June 2, 2019
Kilworth House Theatre, Leicestershire, until Sunday, July 7, 2019
While London and the south-east gear themselves up for a Palladium run of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s perennial favourite later this month, those of us in ‘the sticks’ (that’s Leicestershire to you and me) have got the chance to see director Andrew Wright’s vision of the piece in the luxurious setting of an open-air country house theatre.
If you haven’t discovered Kilworth House Theatre yet, it’s a gem tucked away just off junction 20 of the M1 motorway. Something of a personal crusade for the owners of the eponymous hotel, Celia and Richard Mackay, the theatre in the grounds has been built from the ground up to become a landmark of West End quality shows, twice a year for the past decade or more. Previous productions include everything from Oklahoma! to Little Shop of Horrors, The Pirates of Penzance to Sister Act, and one-night visitors have included Jasper Carrott and the late, great Ken Dodd.
This version of Joseph was first staged at the venue last summer and has been revived this year due to public demand. It’s easy to see why: Wright’s spectacular approach, full of sparkles, glitz and a small army of children, is designed with the wow factor firmly in mind. His choreographer’s eye means there’s never a static moment on stage and the visual impact is undoubtedly impressive.
There’s a down side to all this, in that there’s barely a pause for breath, and the rare touches of drama in this most comfortable of musicals are glossed over with the same camp panache as the big production numbers. For instance, Jacob Fisher’s mellifluously-voiced Joseph is denied his biggest moment when Close Every Door is rushed through, shared with a child version of the title character, and thus robbed of much of its emotional power.
But I quibble. Lloyd Webber’s peerless pastiche score and Rice’s sharp, witty lyrics feel as fresh as when they were first minted more than half a century ago, and MD George Dyer’s 12-strong band deliver them with passion and precision. The huge ensemble – 23 plus a similar sized children’s chorus – are never less than completely focused and perform energetically, almost frenetically. One thing you could never level against the producers is that they stint on production values.
The set and costumes by takis and the lighting by Jason Taylor are functional rather than eye-catching but the company overcome any nagging concerns with their sheer joy in the piece. Narrator Carole Stennett holds the whole thing together with some Whitney-esque vocal gymnastics and Matthew McKenna’s Pharaoh whips up the crowd with his Elvis pelvis.
It’s hard to believe there’s this much talent and quality hidden away in the back garden of a hotel in the rural Midlands. But with Cats the next production on the horizon in July, you begin to wonder if some of those London-centric audiences might just be tempted away from the capital.
* * * *
June 2, 2019
Kilworth House Theatre, Leicestershire, until Sunday, July 7, 2019
While London and the south-east gear themselves up for a Palladium run of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s perennial favourite later this month, those of us in ‘the sticks’ (that’s Leicestershire to you and me) have got the chance to see director Andrew Wright’s vision of the piece in the luxurious setting of an open-air country house theatre.
If you haven’t discovered Kilworth House Theatre yet, it’s a gem tucked away just off junction 20 of the M1 motorway. Something of a personal crusade for the owners of the eponymous hotel, Celia and Richard Mackay, the theatre in the grounds has been built from the ground up to become a landmark of West End quality shows, twice a year for the past decade or more. Previous productions include everything from Oklahoma! to Little Shop of Horrors, The Pirates of Penzance to Sister Act, and one-night visitors have included Jasper Carrott and the late, great Ken Dodd.
This version of Joseph was first staged at the venue last summer and has been revived this year due to public demand. It’s easy to see why: Wright’s spectacular approach, full of sparkles, glitz and a small army of children, is designed with the wow factor firmly in mind. His choreographer’s eye means there’s never a static moment on stage and the visual impact is undoubtedly impressive.
There’s a down side to all this, in that there’s barely a pause for breath, and the rare touches of drama in this most comfortable of musicals are glossed over with the same camp panache as the big production numbers. For instance, Jacob Fisher’s mellifluously-voiced Joseph is denied his biggest moment when Close Every Door is rushed through, shared with a child version of the title character, and thus robbed of much of its emotional power.
But I quibble. Lloyd Webber’s peerless pastiche score and Rice’s sharp, witty lyrics feel as fresh as when they were first minted more than half a century ago, and MD George Dyer’s 12-strong band deliver them with passion and precision. The huge ensemble – 23 plus a similar sized children’s chorus – are never less than completely focused and perform energetically, almost frenetically. One thing you could never level against the producers is that they stint on production values.
The set and costumes by takis and the lighting by Jason Taylor are functional rather than eye-catching but the company overcome any nagging concerns with their sheer joy in the piece. Narrator Carole Stennett holds the whole thing together with some Whitney-esque vocal gymnastics and Matthew McKenna’s Pharaoh whips up the crowd with his Elvis pelvis.
It’s hard to believe there’s this much talent and quality hidden away in the back garden of a hotel in the rural Midlands. But with Cats the next production on the horizon in July, you begin to wonder if some of those London-centric audiences might just be tempted away from the capital.
From left, Emma Williams, Danny Mac, Dan Burton and Monique Young. Photo by Catherine Ashmore.
WHITE CHRISTMAS
* * * *
December 21, 2018
Curve, Leicester, until Sunday, January 13, 2019
They’ve only gone and done it again. The team at Curve, led by director Nikolai Foster and choreographer Stephen Mear, have served up a Christmas feast of a show to entertain the festive audiences right through into the New Year.
Mear, whose recent Guys and Dolls at the Royal Albert Hall was a five-star success, matches that triumph with his well-drilled, step-perfect ensemble in this joyous, toe-tapping revival of Irving Berlin’s evergreen Yuletide classic. Coupled with Foster’s gentle-touch direction, both big moments and small work superbly on the rather cavernous Curve stage.
A lot of the intimacy has to do with Michael Taylor’s beautiful set design, which places the impeccable seven-piece band on stage without ever cramping the space for tap routines or Broadway extravaganzas, but also manages to draw the focus into quieter emotional points when necessary. Diego Pitarch’s stunning costumes and Mark Henderson’s dazzling lighting complete the set of creative who are firing on all cylinders with the same end in mind.
And then there’s the cast. With four fabulous principals leading the show, the company doesn’t put a foot wrong, and there’s a palpable joie de vivre about the whole enterprise that matches Berlin’s wonderful score note for note. Danny Mac and Dan Burton are terrifically paired as the song-and-dance duo who take a winter trip to Vermont to help out their old wartime company commander by staging a show at his New England inn. Mac yet again proves himself to be a consummate leading man, delivering vocally, physically and with enormous charm, and Burton complements him ideally.
Emma Williams and Monique Young are just as sparkling as the sister act who get involved professionally and personally with the boys, and while the storyline and sentiment might get a bit schmaltzy, the quartet carry it off with aplomb. Well, it is Christmas, after all.
Neil MacDonald rallies the musical forces with immaculate control, and the sound is crystal clear throughout thanks to Tom Marshall’s sound design, giving the whole production a smooth aural finish to accompany the glitter and glamour of the visuals.
It’s hard to imagine anything more heartwarming and festive on a cold winter’s night.
* * * *
December 21, 2018
Curve, Leicester, until Sunday, January 13, 2019
They’ve only gone and done it again. The team at Curve, led by director Nikolai Foster and choreographer Stephen Mear, have served up a Christmas feast of a show to entertain the festive audiences right through into the New Year.
Mear, whose recent Guys and Dolls at the Royal Albert Hall was a five-star success, matches that triumph with his well-drilled, step-perfect ensemble in this joyous, toe-tapping revival of Irving Berlin’s evergreen Yuletide classic. Coupled with Foster’s gentle-touch direction, both big moments and small work superbly on the rather cavernous Curve stage.
A lot of the intimacy has to do with Michael Taylor’s beautiful set design, which places the impeccable seven-piece band on stage without ever cramping the space for tap routines or Broadway extravaganzas, but also manages to draw the focus into quieter emotional points when necessary. Diego Pitarch’s stunning costumes and Mark Henderson’s dazzling lighting complete the set of creative who are firing on all cylinders with the same end in mind.
And then there’s the cast. With four fabulous principals leading the show, the company doesn’t put a foot wrong, and there’s a palpable joie de vivre about the whole enterprise that matches Berlin’s wonderful score note for note. Danny Mac and Dan Burton are terrifically paired as the song-and-dance duo who take a winter trip to Vermont to help out their old wartime company commander by staging a show at his New England inn. Mac yet again proves himself to be a consummate leading man, delivering vocally, physically and with enormous charm, and Burton complements him ideally.
Emma Williams and Monique Young are just as sparkling as the sister act who get involved professionally and personally with the boys, and while the storyline and sentiment might get a bit schmaltzy, the quartet carry it off with aplomb. Well, it is Christmas, after all.
Neil MacDonald rallies the musical forces with immaculate control, and the sound is crystal clear throughout thanks to Tom Marshall’s sound design, giving the whole production a smooth aural finish to accompany the glitter and glamour of the visuals.
It’s hard to imagine anything more heartwarming and festive on a cold winter’s night.
Stunning spectacle: Simon Thomas as Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls at Kilworth House Theatre.
GUYS AND DOLLS
* * * *
June 8, 2018
Kilworth House Theatre, Leicestershire, until Sunday July 8, 2018
It’s widely regarded as one of the greatest musicals ever written. Now, comfortably into pensionable age, Nick Winston’s production of Frank Loesser’s wonderful Guys and Dolls at Kilworth House Theatre retains a vitality and youthfulness that continues to mark it out as a timeless classic.
The setting helps, of course. This open-air theatre in the grounds of a country house hotel in Leicestershire always creates a mood of summer charm, but the shows have to deliver as well. In this instance, it does with considerable panache and pizzazz.
Featuring a huge cast and brilliantly sharp orchestra under the baton of Neil MacDonald, this Guys and Dolls is traditional in the sense that it doesn’t take too many liberties with the material. The decision is sensible and pays off superbly. Loesser’s score is vibrant and fresh, even after nearly 70 years, and a script based on Damon Runyon’s short stories of life in downtown New York in the 1940s somehow still crackles with wit and energy.
The story follows Nathan Detroit’s search for a venue for his (illegal) permanently floating crap game while fending off the marital advances of his 14-year fiancee, the ditsy nightclub singer Adelaide. Intertwined is a budding romance between high-rolling gambler Sky Masterson and the local Salvation Army sergeant Sarah Brown. These twin strands are woven cleverly through the show before resolving together in a finale that may feel a little rushed and neat but still has you rooting for the respective couples.
Simon Thomas’s Sky is the performance highlight of the production: tall, suave and delightfully voiced, he oozes sex appeal and effortless elegance. As Adelaide, Holly Dale Spencer plays her comic quirks with credibility and truth, rendering her both sympathetic and highly entertaining without straying into caricature.
Daniel Robinson’s over-excitable Nathan Detroit is less successful, playing it overtly for laughs rather than trusting the script to find them for him, while Harriet Jones makes a decent fist of the tricky role of Sarah, battling between her strait-laced Sally Army persona and the incipient headiness of her blossoming feelings for Sky.
Meanwhile, Winston’s choreographic roots are abundantly evident in his energetic staging, which never looks less than stunning on Philip Witcomb’s ingenious and evocative set. Coupled with a talented, committed ensemble brimful of warm harmonies and sure-footed hoofing, he relishes every opportunity for set-piece spectacle and sends the audience out into the night irresistibly tapping their toes.
* * * *
June 8, 2018
Kilworth House Theatre, Leicestershire, until Sunday July 8, 2018
It’s widely regarded as one of the greatest musicals ever written. Now, comfortably into pensionable age, Nick Winston’s production of Frank Loesser’s wonderful Guys and Dolls at Kilworth House Theatre retains a vitality and youthfulness that continues to mark it out as a timeless classic.
The setting helps, of course. This open-air theatre in the grounds of a country house hotel in Leicestershire always creates a mood of summer charm, but the shows have to deliver as well. In this instance, it does with considerable panache and pizzazz.
Featuring a huge cast and brilliantly sharp orchestra under the baton of Neil MacDonald, this Guys and Dolls is traditional in the sense that it doesn’t take too many liberties with the material. The decision is sensible and pays off superbly. Loesser’s score is vibrant and fresh, even after nearly 70 years, and a script based on Damon Runyon’s short stories of life in downtown New York in the 1940s somehow still crackles with wit and energy.
The story follows Nathan Detroit’s search for a venue for his (illegal) permanently floating crap game while fending off the marital advances of his 14-year fiancee, the ditsy nightclub singer Adelaide. Intertwined is a budding romance between high-rolling gambler Sky Masterson and the local Salvation Army sergeant Sarah Brown. These twin strands are woven cleverly through the show before resolving together in a finale that may feel a little rushed and neat but still has you rooting for the respective couples.
Simon Thomas’s Sky is the performance highlight of the production: tall, suave and delightfully voiced, he oozes sex appeal and effortless elegance. As Adelaide, Holly Dale Spencer plays her comic quirks with credibility and truth, rendering her both sympathetic and highly entertaining without straying into caricature.
Daniel Robinson’s over-excitable Nathan Detroit is less successful, playing it overtly for laughs rather than trusting the script to find them for him, while Harriet Jones makes a decent fist of the tricky role of Sarah, battling between her strait-laced Sally Army persona and the incipient headiness of her blossoming feelings for Sky.
Meanwhile, Winston’s choreographic roots are abundantly evident in his energetic staging, which never looks less than stunning on Philip Witcomb’s ingenious and evocative set. Coupled with a talented, committed ensemble brimful of warm harmonies and sure-footed hoofing, he relishes every opportunity for set-piece spectacle and sends the audience out into the night irresistibly tapping their toes.
Overworked: the actor-musician ensemble of Crazy For You. Picture by Richard Davenport.
CRAZY FOR YOU
* * *
June 4, 2018
Curve, Leicester, until Saturday, June 9, 2018
This Gershwin jukebox musical was invented in the 1990s to exploit the sumptuous back catalogue of George and Ira with a ‘new’ story to showcase their songs. That might account for some of the most appealing songs ever written being shoehorned into a wafer-thin narrative peppered with lame sub-panto jokes. What it doesn’t explain is why somebody thought it was a good idea to resurrect it and send it out on a colossal national tour.
This poor, overworked company of actor-musicians first performed this production in July 2017. They must be knackered. Arriving in Leicester for the final week of the tour, they are required to tap, blow, scrape and belt their hearts out for over two hours to supply not only the visual entertainment on stage, but also the musical score.
Ken Ludwig’s framework for the Gershwins’ score hangs on the tale of a one-horse Nevada town whose theatre is about to be repossessed by the nasty New York bank that owns the deeds. Reluctant banker’s son Bobby Child is despatched to execute the foreclosure, only to find love out on the range. There’s a comedy Hungarian, some thick-headed Nevada natives and a lot of tap dancing, but otherwise that’s about it.
The problem with the whole actor-musician approach is that musicians who are good enough to play in a professional pit band are rarely strong enough dancers or singers to carry off those elements – and vice versa. There are, of course, exceptions, and a couple stand out in this ensemble: Christopher Fry is not only a terrific trombonist, but also an endearing comic actor, while Ned Rudkins-Stow combines a natural talent on the double bass with considerable charm as a local redneck.
The nominal selling point for the tour will, no doubt, have been the presence of Tom Chambers in the role of Bobby Child. Having made his name in Holby City, Chambers went on to win Strictly, following up with a hugely successful tour of Top Hat, the Irving Berlin musical. It’s easy to see why this looked a natural fit. Chambers is affable enough and an obvious draw but he’s no Fred Astaire. Claire Sweeney, meanwhile, is underused as his sceptical New York girlfriend, while Charlotte Wakefield stands no nonsense as the Nevada gal with wide-eyed hopes of saving her theatre.
And that’s the thing. The entire company are perfectly capable, clearly dedicated and energetic performers, doing what they’ve been asked to do by director Paul Hart and choreographer Nathan M Wright. But where the Gershwin songs should dazzle, they don’t. Where there should be showstoppers there are fillers. And where glamour should seep out of every pore, instead there’s a faint glimmer of weariness.
Maybe it’s the fact that the show is coming to the end of such a vast excursion. Maybe they’re all just relieved to catch a glimpse of the finish line. Whatever the reason, there never feels quite enough in this production to go crazy for.
* * *
June 4, 2018
Curve, Leicester, until Saturday, June 9, 2018
This Gershwin jukebox musical was invented in the 1990s to exploit the sumptuous back catalogue of George and Ira with a ‘new’ story to showcase their songs. That might account for some of the most appealing songs ever written being shoehorned into a wafer-thin narrative peppered with lame sub-panto jokes. What it doesn’t explain is why somebody thought it was a good idea to resurrect it and send it out on a colossal national tour.
This poor, overworked company of actor-musicians first performed this production in July 2017. They must be knackered. Arriving in Leicester for the final week of the tour, they are required to tap, blow, scrape and belt their hearts out for over two hours to supply not only the visual entertainment on stage, but also the musical score.
Ken Ludwig’s framework for the Gershwins’ score hangs on the tale of a one-horse Nevada town whose theatre is about to be repossessed by the nasty New York bank that owns the deeds. Reluctant banker’s son Bobby Child is despatched to execute the foreclosure, only to find love out on the range. There’s a comedy Hungarian, some thick-headed Nevada natives and a lot of tap dancing, but otherwise that’s about it.
The problem with the whole actor-musician approach is that musicians who are good enough to play in a professional pit band are rarely strong enough dancers or singers to carry off those elements – and vice versa. There are, of course, exceptions, and a couple stand out in this ensemble: Christopher Fry is not only a terrific trombonist, but also an endearing comic actor, while Ned Rudkins-Stow combines a natural talent on the double bass with considerable charm as a local redneck.
The nominal selling point for the tour will, no doubt, have been the presence of Tom Chambers in the role of Bobby Child. Having made his name in Holby City, Chambers went on to win Strictly, following up with a hugely successful tour of Top Hat, the Irving Berlin musical. It’s easy to see why this looked a natural fit. Chambers is affable enough and an obvious draw but he’s no Fred Astaire. Claire Sweeney, meanwhile, is underused as his sceptical New York girlfriend, while Charlotte Wakefield stands no nonsense as the Nevada gal with wide-eyed hopes of saving her theatre.
And that’s the thing. The entire company are perfectly capable, clearly dedicated and energetic performers, doing what they’ve been asked to do by director Paul Hart and choreographer Nathan M Wright. But where the Gershwin songs should dazzle, they don’t. Where there should be showstoppers there are fillers. And where glamour should seep out of every pore, instead there’s a faint glimmer of weariness.
Maybe it’s the fact that the show is coming to the end of such a vast excursion. Maybe they’re all just relieved to catch a glimpse of the finish line. Whatever the reason, there never feels quite enough in this production to go crazy for.
AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN
* * *
April 20, 2018
Curve, Leicester, until Saturday, April 21, 2018, then touring
Nikolai Foster directs this adaptation of the 1980s movie into a jukebox musical before sending it out on the road.
For Michael Davies’s full review, visit whatsonstage.com
* * *
April 20, 2018
Curve, Leicester, until Saturday, April 21, 2018, then touring
Nikolai Foster directs this adaptation of the 1980s movie into a jukebox musical before sending it out on the road.
For Michael Davies’s full review, visit whatsonstage.com
SCROOGE
* * * *
November 24, 2017
Curve, Leicester, until Sunday, January 7, 2018
Most famous as a vehicle for Tommy Steele, the stage version of Leslie Bricusse’s 1970 musical film gets a new production for the festive season at Leicester’s ceaselessly ambitious Curve. Here, it stars Jasper Britton in the title role, where he’s given the chance to range from curmudgeonly growling to semi-manic jubilation as Dickens’s iconic miser.
Based on the Victorian classic A Christmas Carol – the story that’s widely credited with creating the template for our modern-day Christmas – Bricusse’s musical treads similar ground to Lionel Bart’s earlier Oliver! and it’s hard to resist the conclusion that one was specifically designed to draw on the success of the other. With the exception of Thank You Very Much, however, Bricusse’s score is thin on memorable tunes and feels derivative.
The same cannot be said for Nikolai Foster’s epic production, which throngs the huge Curve stage with a colossal cast of adults and children, and the pit with an eight-strong band that sounds much larger. Under the musical direction of Neil MacDonald, and with some clever arrangements by Sarah Travis, the soundscape is one of the significant achievements of this show – albeit too often burying the singers’ voices too deep in the mix.
Michael Taylor’s design is as busy and hectic as the crowd scenes, filling and occasionally swamping the stage with swirling scenery, flying flats and a mountain of props that must be keeping the backstage staff constantly on their toes. The result is a vivid, chaotic and vibrant spectacle of a show that barely pauses for breath.
Britton’s Scrooge borrows from the Rex Harrison school of spoken song, although when he does let rip he reveals a baritone voice strong and clear enough to carry his numbers comfortably. Danny-Boy Hatchard is a likeable cheeky chappie Eastender who delivers a fine showstopper in the aforementioned Thank You Very Much, while Karen Mann’s cross-gendered Jacob Marley teeters on the brink of comedy caricature at the forefront of a chorus of ghosts and theatre tricks that both surprise and impress.
Billed as Curve’s biggest ever show – and it’s faced some competition for that claim in recent years – Scrooge generates plenty of festive spirit and the company clearly relishes every moment of Dickens’s rattling good ghost story. It deserves rather better than the threadbare Friday night audience at the performance I saw, although the appreciation was vocal and hearty – not unlike the show itself.
* * * *
November 24, 2017
Curve, Leicester, until Sunday, January 7, 2018
Most famous as a vehicle for Tommy Steele, the stage version of Leslie Bricusse’s 1970 musical film gets a new production for the festive season at Leicester’s ceaselessly ambitious Curve. Here, it stars Jasper Britton in the title role, where he’s given the chance to range from curmudgeonly growling to semi-manic jubilation as Dickens’s iconic miser.
Based on the Victorian classic A Christmas Carol – the story that’s widely credited with creating the template for our modern-day Christmas – Bricusse’s musical treads similar ground to Lionel Bart’s earlier Oliver! and it’s hard to resist the conclusion that one was specifically designed to draw on the success of the other. With the exception of Thank You Very Much, however, Bricusse’s score is thin on memorable tunes and feels derivative.
The same cannot be said for Nikolai Foster’s epic production, which throngs the huge Curve stage with a colossal cast of adults and children, and the pit with an eight-strong band that sounds much larger. Under the musical direction of Neil MacDonald, and with some clever arrangements by Sarah Travis, the soundscape is one of the significant achievements of this show – albeit too often burying the singers’ voices too deep in the mix.
Michael Taylor’s design is as busy and hectic as the crowd scenes, filling and occasionally swamping the stage with swirling scenery, flying flats and a mountain of props that must be keeping the backstage staff constantly on their toes. The result is a vivid, chaotic and vibrant spectacle of a show that barely pauses for breath.
Britton’s Scrooge borrows from the Rex Harrison school of spoken song, although when he does let rip he reveals a baritone voice strong and clear enough to carry his numbers comfortably. Danny-Boy Hatchard is a likeable cheeky chappie Eastender who delivers a fine showstopper in the aforementioned Thank You Very Much, while Karen Mann’s cross-gendered Jacob Marley teeters on the brink of comedy caricature at the forefront of a chorus of ghosts and theatre tricks that both surprise and impress.
Billed as Curve’s biggest ever show – and it’s faced some competition for that claim in recent years – Scrooge generates plenty of festive spirit and the company clearly relishes every moment of Dickens’s rattling good ghost story. It deserves rather better than the threadbare Friday night audience at the performance I saw, although the appreciation was vocal and hearty – not unlike the show itself.
Danny Mac and Ria Jones as Joe Gillis and Norma Desmond in Curve's thrilling new production of Sunset Boulevard. Photo by Manuel Harlan.
SUNSET BOULEVARD
* * * * *
September 28, 2017
Curve, Leicester, until Saturday, September 30, 2017, then touring
Finally Ria Jones gets to play Norma Desmond in her own right. After workshopping the part for Andrew Lloyd Webber during the show’s creation, then famously stepping in as Glenn Close’s understudy during last year’s semi-staged production at English National Opera – to enormous acclaim – she is here cast on her own merits in the role of the ageing silent movie star who dreams of a return to the silver screen.
Brash and starry as Jones undoubtedly is in the part, relishing every moment of her performance, it is not her Norma alone that makes this made-in-Leicester touring production such a stunning hit. In fact, if you singled out almost any elements of the show, you’d be nodding approvingly at many highly successful performances, a clever and versatile set and some beautiful lighting and costume design courtesy of Ben Cracknell and Colin Richmond respectively.
Individually, there is much to enjoy. Collectively, the show is a five-star knockout. Director Nikolai Foster crafts every scene, every song in what is possibly Andrew Lloyd Webber’s finest musical score and lavishes care and attention to detail on it.
Musically, with a fabulous 16-strong band as large as any that has toured the UK, the production is faultless. Adrian Kirk makes the most of the textures available to him as musical director and delivers a punchy, sumptuous soundscape that never drowns the singers but constantly adds lustre and depth to the storytelling.
Lyricists Don Black and Christopher Hampton complement the composer’s strengths perfectly as the narrative unfolds, based on the 1950 Billy Wilder film in which hapless screenwriter Joe Gillis falls into the clutches of the one-time movie star, with tragic consequences for all concerned. The story steers the right side of melodrama while still leaving Jones plenty of room for over-the-top indulgence in a characterisation that needs little nuance – just as the old silent stars had to exaggerate their expressions to create their dramatic effect.
Molly Lynch makes a sweet Betty Schaefer, the young ingénue caught up in Gillis’s misfortunes, while Adam Pearce is a commanding, chilling presence as Norma’s butler Max. But, notwithstanding Jones’s powerful central performance, the real star of this show turns out to be Danny Mac.
If all you know of this talented, dynamic performer is his winning turn on Strictly Come Dancing, prepare to be blown away. While there’s a brief nod to his fancy footwork, dancing is just a small part of his terrific repertoire. His singing is impeccable – and the role is not an easy one vocally, by any means – and his acting both moving and believable. He has an extraordinary energy on stage that makes him one of those people it’s impossible to take your eyes off, and he’s got the looks and style to carry off this role to perfection.
With the safe hands of Mac on the tiller, driving the thrilling show to its relentless, beautifully staged conclusion, the producers of this new version of Sunset Boulevard unquestionably have a hit on their hands, rewarding them by the bucketload for their big-budget, brave investment. If it doesn’t sell out its entire run, as it deserves to, on the long haul between now and April, I shall be extremely surprised.
* * * * *
September 28, 2017
Curve, Leicester, until Saturday, September 30, 2017, then touring
Finally Ria Jones gets to play Norma Desmond in her own right. After workshopping the part for Andrew Lloyd Webber during the show’s creation, then famously stepping in as Glenn Close’s understudy during last year’s semi-staged production at English National Opera – to enormous acclaim – she is here cast on her own merits in the role of the ageing silent movie star who dreams of a return to the silver screen.
Brash and starry as Jones undoubtedly is in the part, relishing every moment of her performance, it is not her Norma alone that makes this made-in-Leicester touring production such a stunning hit. In fact, if you singled out almost any elements of the show, you’d be nodding approvingly at many highly successful performances, a clever and versatile set and some beautiful lighting and costume design courtesy of Ben Cracknell and Colin Richmond respectively.
Individually, there is much to enjoy. Collectively, the show is a five-star knockout. Director Nikolai Foster crafts every scene, every song in what is possibly Andrew Lloyd Webber’s finest musical score and lavishes care and attention to detail on it.
Musically, with a fabulous 16-strong band as large as any that has toured the UK, the production is faultless. Adrian Kirk makes the most of the textures available to him as musical director and delivers a punchy, sumptuous soundscape that never drowns the singers but constantly adds lustre and depth to the storytelling.
Lyricists Don Black and Christopher Hampton complement the composer’s strengths perfectly as the narrative unfolds, based on the 1950 Billy Wilder film in which hapless screenwriter Joe Gillis falls into the clutches of the one-time movie star, with tragic consequences for all concerned. The story steers the right side of melodrama while still leaving Jones plenty of room for over-the-top indulgence in a characterisation that needs little nuance – just as the old silent stars had to exaggerate their expressions to create their dramatic effect.
Molly Lynch makes a sweet Betty Schaefer, the young ingénue caught up in Gillis’s misfortunes, while Adam Pearce is a commanding, chilling presence as Norma’s butler Max. But, notwithstanding Jones’s powerful central performance, the real star of this show turns out to be Danny Mac.
If all you know of this talented, dynamic performer is his winning turn on Strictly Come Dancing, prepare to be blown away. While there’s a brief nod to his fancy footwork, dancing is just a small part of his terrific repertoire. His singing is impeccable – and the role is not an easy one vocally, by any means – and his acting both moving and believable. He has an extraordinary energy on stage that makes him one of those people it’s impossible to take your eyes off, and he’s got the looks and style to carry off this role to perfection.
With the safe hands of Mac on the tiller, driving the thrilling show to its relentless, beautifully staged conclusion, the producers of this new version of Sunset Boulevard unquestionably have a hit on their hands, rewarding them by the bucketload for their big-budget, brave investment. If it doesn’t sell out its entire run, as it deserves to, on the long haul between now and April, I shall be extremely surprised.
KISS ME, KATE
* * * *
June 3, 2017
Kilworth House Theatre, Leicestershire, until Sunday July 16, 2017
In the tenth anniversary season since the launch of this open-air venue in the grounds of a Leicestershire country house hotel, producer/owner Celia Mackay once again spares no expense on production values. From magnificent set and costumes to on-stage talent direct, in many cases, from the West End, everything about Kilworth’s shows spells grandeur.
Maybe it’s the sunlit memories of some of those idyllic summer evenings over the years, or maybe it’s the oddly unmovable humourlessness of this particular Saturday night audience. Whatever the reason, this first in an anniversary double-bill of classic American musicals (the second will be Top Hat later in the season) never quite ignites in the way one would wish.
It’s certainly not the fault of its stars, Caroline Sheen and Matthew McKenna, who play the sparring couple attempting to tour a substandard version of The Taming of the Shrew against impossible odds and a couple of debt-collecting gangsters. Sheen is truly stellar as Lilli Vanessi, the spoilt diva still secretly in love with her leading man ex Fred, played with gusto by McKenna as a dashing narcissist.
Nor is it the fault of Cole Porter’s fizzing score and Sam and Bella Spewack’s witty, sparkling book, although both have been rather unsubtly hacked about since their 1948 premiere: this version of the piece is the 1999 London revival, which clumps rather heavy boots across much of the show’s charm and delivers its music in an unnecessarily dance-skewed variation from Porter’s original arrangements. The result, under Michael England’s baton and with an occasionally suspect off-stage 12-piece band, is not so much champagne bubbles as warm beer.
The large, energetic cast perform impeccably and the extended dance routines are never less than sure-footed and well drilled in Sam Spencer-Lane’s choreography. Paul Farnsworth’s sumptuous designs, likewise, are a versatile delight.
But the two gangsters who are given the opportunity to steal the show with their homage to the Bard, Brush Up Your Shakespeare, fail to grasp the chance and it – like other areas of the show – doesn’t quite take off. As the run continues, perhaps the temperature will rise. After all, as the spectacular Act 2 opening number suggests, this musical really should be Too Darn Hot.
* * * *
June 3, 2017
Kilworth House Theatre, Leicestershire, until Sunday July 16, 2017
In the tenth anniversary season since the launch of this open-air venue in the grounds of a Leicestershire country house hotel, producer/owner Celia Mackay once again spares no expense on production values. From magnificent set and costumes to on-stage talent direct, in many cases, from the West End, everything about Kilworth’s shows spells grandeur.
Maybe it’s the sunlit memories of some of those idyllic summer evenings over the years, or maybe it’s the oddly unmovable humourlessness of this particular Saturday night audience. Whatever the reason, this first in an anniversary double-bill of classic American musicals (the second will be Top Hat later in the season) never quite ignites in the way one would wish.
It’s certainly not the fault of its stars, Caroline Sheen and Matthew McKenna, who play the sparring couple attempting to tour a substandard version of The Taming of the Shrew against impossible odds and a couple of debt-collecting gangsters. Sheen is truly stellar as Lilli Vanessi, the spoilt diva still secretly in love with her leading man ex Fred, played with gusto by McKenna as a dashing narcissist.
Nor is it the fault of Cole Porter’s fizzing score and Sam and Bella Spewack’s witty, sparkling book, although both have been rather unsubtly hacked about since their 1948 premiere: this version of the piece is the 1999 London revival, which clumps rather heavy boots across much of the show’s charm and delivers its music in an unnecessarily dance-skewed variation from Porter’s original arrangements. The result, under Michael England’s baton and with an occasionally suspect off-stage 12-piece band, is not so much champagne bubbles as warm beer.
The large, energetic cast perform impeccably and the extended dance routines are never less than sure-footed and well drilled in Sam Spencer-Lane’s choreography. Paul Farnsworth’s sumptuous designs, likewise, are a versatile delight.
But the two gangsters who are given the opportunity to steal the show with their homage to the Bard, Brush Up Your Shakespeare, fail to grasp the chance and it – like other areas of the show – doesn’t quite take off. As the run continues, perhaps the temperature will rise. After all, as the spectacular Act 2 opening number suggests, this musical really should be Too Darn Hot.
THE WEDDING SINGER
* * *
February 14, 2017
Curve, Leicester, until Saturday, February 18, 2017, then touring
New production of the musical based on a 1998 Adam Sandler rom-com gets a bright and breezy airing as it launches into an eight-month national tour.
For the full review visit whatsonstage.com
* * *
February 14, 2017
Curve, Leicester, until Saturday, February 18, 2017, then touring
New production of the musical based on a 1998 Adam Sandler rom-com gets a bright and breezy airing as it launches into an eight-month national tour.
For the full review visit whatsonstage.com
GREASE
* * * *
December 15, 2016
Curve, Leicester, until Saturday, January 21, 2017
Can there still be life in this well-worn, much-performed and, by definition, dated musical, with 1970s songs struck in a 1950s idiom? Well, judging by Curve’s fresh new production running over the festive period, the answer would have to be yes.
For those of a certain age, John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John can never be erased from the memory as Danny and Sandy, the teenage lovebirds at the heart of this festival of nostalgia, and that makes it tough for anyone else to step into those crepe shoes.
But what’s particularly successful in Nikolai Foster’s version of the show is that the story becomes much more of an ensemble piece, with every one of the huge cast playing their part in adding atmosphere, energy and enjoyment to the proceedings. Danny and Sandy – keenly played by Dex Lee and Jessica Paul – may hold the flimsy plot together, but we’re just as interested in Djalenga Scott’s deliciously vulnerable Rizzo or Jonny Fines’s strutting Kenickie.
Shobna Gulati has one of the more touching moments as teacher Miss Lynch, recalling poignantly how things weren’t so different for youngsters “In My Day” and there’s no shortage of youthful high spirits from start to finish.
Colin Richmond’s clever set allows the action to flow easily from Rydell High’s gym and Vince Fontaine’s radio studio to Kenickie’s garage and the Burger Palace that gives Danny’s gang their name. Nick Winston’s choreography echoes both the movie and the Fifties era in which it is set, and a live on-stage band is always a welcome addition, although the sound balance sometimes leaves the vocals inaudible.
It’s an understandable hit with audiences and keeps alive the longstanding Curve tradition of a feast of musical entertainment at Christmas.
* * * *
December 15, 2016
Curve, Leicester, until Saturday, January 21, 2017
Can there still be life in this well-worn, much-performed and, by definition, dated musical, with 1970s songs struck in a 1950s idiom? Well, judging by Curve’s fresh new production running over the festive period, the answer would have to be yes.
For those of a certain age, John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John can never be erased from the memory as Danny and Sandy, the teenage lovebirds at the heart of this festival of nostalgia, and that makes it tough for anyone else to step into those crepe shoes.
But what’s particularly successful in Nikolai Foster’s version of the show is that the story becomes much more of an ensemble piece, with every one of the huge cast playing their part in adding atmosphere, energy and enjoyment to the proceedings. Danny and Sandy – keenly played by Dex Lee and Jessica Paul – may hold the flimsy plot together, but we’re just as interested in Djalenga Scott’s deliciously vulnerable Rizzo or Jonny Fines’s strutting Kenickie.
Shobna Gulati has one of the more touching moments as teacher Miss Lynch, recalling poignantly how things weren’t so different for youngsters “In My Day” and there’s no shortage of youthful high spirits from start to finish.
Colin Richmond’s clever set allows the action to flow easily from Rydell High’s gym and Vince Fontaine’s radio studio to Kenickie’s garage and the Burger Palace that gives Danny’s gang their name. Nick Winston’s choreography echoes both the movie and the Fifties era in which it is set, and a live on-stage band is always a welcome addition, although the sound balance sometimes leaves the vocals inaudible.
It’s an understandable hit with audiences and keeps alive the longstanding Curve tradition of a feast of musical entertainment at Christmas.
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST
* * *
October 14, 2016
Curve Studio, Leicester, until Saturday, October 29, 2016
How do you breathe fresh life into one of the best-known comedies in the English language? That’s the problem facing any director of Oscar Wilde’s sparkling masterpiece The Importance of Being Earnest if they want to avoid simply retreading old ground in safety.
Curve’s artistic director Nikolai Foster could hardly be accused of playing it safe. Everything about this new studio production, which has already enjoyed a run at Birmingham Rep, shouts daring and innovative. From Isla Shaw’s amazing set composed entirely of mirrored surfaces to the stunning costumes (Edwardian with a wonderful hint of punk), this is an Earnest with a difference.
It’s performed fast and furiously by an energetic and committed cast, and if some of the performances veer on the side of caricature, you can’t fault the intention to please. But the clipped RP tones that would have graced Wilde’s original production in 1895 sit uneasily in the mouths of characters who seem more streetwise, liberal and relaxed than would have been the case 120 years ago, and there are certainly moments that jar.
Some curiously anachronistic music (Dougal Irvine) punctuates the acts, and Darren Bennett’s hilarious doubling as two butlers is distinctly more Little Britain than Downton Abbey, but in general the concept of moving the action out of Victorian London and into an indeterminate parallel universe outside of any specific time period achieves the aim of keeping things fresh.
And what of Lady Bracknell, the imperious character with some of the best lines who has never quite emerged from the shadow of Dame Edith Evans’s landmark portrayal in the 1940s and 50s? Well, within the context that this production provides, Cathy Tyson makes the part her own. She avoids any pitfalls around the most famous lines (“A handbag?”) by delivering them punchily and without over-emphasis, and her characterisation is both believable and amusing.
Elsewhere, Edward Franklin is suitably superficial as the epitome of bachelorhood Algernon Moncrieff, and Martha Mackintosh provides a nicely cutting Gwendolyn Fairfax.
It’s not the most traditional Earnest you’ll see, nor perhaps the strongest production, but it certainly casts the play in an invigorating new light and offers much to entertain a 2016 audience.
* * *
October 14, 2016
Curve Studio, Leicester, until Saturday, October 29, 2016
How do you breathe fresh life into one of the best-known comedies in the English language? That’s the problem facing any director of Oscar Wilde’s sparkling masterpiece The Importance of Being Earnest if they want to avoid simply retreading old ground in safety.
Curve’s artistic director Nikolai Foster could hardly be accused of playing it safe. Everything about this new studio production, which has already enjoyed a run at Birmingham Rep, shouts daring and innovative. From Isla Shaw’s amazing set composed entirely of mirrored surfaces to the stunning costumes (Edwardian with a wonderful hint of punk), this is an Earnest with a difference.
It’s performed fast and furiously by an energetic and committed cast, and if some of the performances veer on the side of caricature, you can’t fault the intention to please. But the clipped RP tones that would have graced Wilde’s original production in 1895 sit uneasily in the mouths of characters who seem more streetwise, liberal and relaxed than would have been the case 120 years ago, and there are certainly moments that jar.
Some curiously anachronistic music (Dougal Irvine) punctuates the acts, and Darren Bennett’s hilarious doubling as two butlers is distinctly more Little Britain than Downton Abbey, but in general the concept of moving the action out of Victorian London and into an indeterminate parallel universe outside of any specific time period achieves the aim of keeping things fresh.
And what of Lady Bracknell, the imperious character with some of the best lines who has never quite emerged from the shadow of Dame Edith Evans’s landmark portrayal in the 1940s and 50s? Well, within the context that this production provides, Cathy Tyson makes the part her own. She avoids any pitfalls around the most famous lines (“A handbag?”) by delivering them punchily and without over-emphasis, and her characterisation is both believable and amusing.
Elsewhere, Edward Franklin is suitably superficial as the epitome of bachelorhood Algernon Moncrieff, and Martha Mackintosh provides a nicely cutting Gwendolyn Fairfax.
It’s not the most traditional Earnest you’ll see, nor perhaps the strongest production, but it certainly casts the play in an invigorating new light and offers much to entertain a 2016 audience.
Thoroughly Modern? Michelle Francis as Millie and Matthew McKenna as Trevor. Picture by Jems Photography.
THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE
* * * *
August 19, 2016
Kilworth House Theatre, Leicestershire, until Sunday September 11, 2016
The producer at this gem of a theatre in the Leicestershire countryside, hotel owner Celia Mackay, is certainly shaking things up this season. After many years using the same established director-MD combo, she’s opted to go for two different creative teams for this summer’s pair of shows.
As a result, West Side Story earlier in the year felt a little uncertain and less sure-footed than usual. From a production point of view, Thoroughly Modern Millie is Kilworth back at its best.
Directed by West End veteran Stephen Mear, this enormous show – there are 26 performers and a dozen musicians – looks every bit the classy package that local audiences have grown to love and expect. The band sounds fantastic under the musical direction of John Morton, Mear’s choreography is pretty much faultless and Morgan Large’s sumptuous, sensible set design serves the chaotic, bubbling story perfectly.
The narrative, in which out-of-town ingénue Millie Dillmount fetches up in 1920s New York to make her fortune, was filmed in the 60s starring Julie Andrews. In her big opening number, Millie sings that “Everything today is thoroughly modern”. Unfortunately, it’s simply not true of the plot and music in this strange, dated show. There are only so many Charleston-inspired numbers one can take, and the bizarre subplot involving a washed-out vaudevillian performer posing as a Chinese woman to lure young ladies into white slavery is arguably borderline racist these days.
The material aside, there’s plenty to relish on stage as Michelle Francis gives her best wide-eyed smile and belting voice in the title role, setting her sights on her wealthy employer Trevor Graydon (a finely comic Matthew McKenna) until love gets in the way. Clare Halse makes a delightful foil as her new best friend Miss Dorothy, while a well-drilled chorus of would-be actresses, busboys, society gels et al make the most of some superb production numbers to create a visual spectacle.
The pace never lets up and the energy oozes across the footlights, making this a warming entertainment on a cool summer night.
* * * *
August 19, 2016
Kilworth House Theatre, Leicestershire, until Sunday September 11, 2016
The producer at this gem of a theatre in the Leicestershire countryside, hotel owner Celia Mackay, is certainly shaking things up this season. After many years using the same established director-MD combo, she’s opted to go for two different creative teams for this summer’s pair of shows.
As a result, West Side Story earlier in the year felt a little uncertain and less sure-footed than usual. From a production point of view, Thoroughly Modern Millie is Kilworth back at its best.
Directed by West End veteran Stephen Mear, this enormous show – there are 26 performers and a dozen musicians – looks every bit the classy package that local audiences have grown to love and expect. The band sounds fantastic under the musical direction of John Morton, Mear’s choreography is pretty much faultless and Morgan Large’s sumptuous, sensible set design serves the chaotic, bubbling story perfectly.
The narrative, in which out-of-town ingénue Millie Dillmount fetches up in 1920s New York to make her fortune, was filmed in the 60s starring Julie Andrews. In her big opening number, Millie sings that “Everything today is thoroughly modern”. Unfortunately, it’s simply not true of the plot and music in this strange, dated show. There are only so many Charleston-inspired numbers one can take, and the bizarre subplot involving a washed-out vaudevillian performer posing as a Chinese woman to lure young ladies into white slavery is arguably borderline racist these days.
The material aside, there’s plenty to relish on stage as Michelle Francis gives her best wide-eyed smile and belting voice in the title role, setting her sights on her wealthy employer Trevor Graydon (a finely comic Matthew McKenna) until love gets in the way. Clare Halse makes a delightful foil as her new best friend Miss Dorothy, while a well-drilled chorus of would-be actresses, busboys, society gels et al make the most of some superb production numbers to create a visual spectacle.
The pace never lets up and the energy oozes across the footlights, making this a warming entertainment on a cool summer night.
Epic: Liam Doyle as Tony and Laila Zaidi as Maria in West Side Story. Photo by Jems Photography.
WEST SIDE STORY
* * *
June 7, 2016
Kilworth House Theatre, Leicestershire, until Sunday July 17, 2016
For the first time in its ten-year history, this gorgeous open-air theatre in the grounds of a Leicestershire country house hotel is ringing the changes. Out goes longstanding director-choreographer Mitch Sebastian and his winning formula of West End-standard productions, in comes highly experienced helmsman Matthew White and the heavyweight grandeur of West Side Story.
Sometimes billed as the best musical ever written, the Leonard Bernstein-Arthur Laurents-Stephen Sondheim collaboration owes much of its success, of course, to one William Shakespeare, whose source material has had some recognition over the centuries in the guise of Romeo and Juliet.
But there’s no doubt Bernstein’s intricate, jazz-infused score is mightily impressive, while Sondheim’s lyrical contributions show the early promise of the man who would become the undisputed king of American musicals.
Impressive is a word that crops up throughout this new version, choreographed by Sam Spencer-Lane with more than a nod to the original 1957 director Jerome Robbins. The sheer numbers on stage and in the orchestra tent suggest the tenth anniversary season has not been stinted on by theatre owner and producer Celia Mackay, and Paul Farnsworth’s epic set – massive scaffolding structures and wide open spaces bounded by rusting cars and piles of old pallets – is breathtaking in its scale.
But while it may be odious to make comparisons with previous Kilworth seasons and earlier triumphs, there’s no escaping the creeping sense throughout the evening that this show somehow doesn’t quite come up to scratch.
It’s certainly not the fault of its Maria, a recent Arts Ed graduate with a starry future ahead of her. Laila Zaidi has the look, the acting ability and (crucially for Maria) the sweeping, affecting vocal talent to make the part her own. Her pairing with Sophia Ragavelas as her sisterly mentor Anita is hugely effective and provides the night’s most moving moment in their second-act duet.
And it’s not down to any lack of commitment on the part of the large ensemble, whose energy never falters and who paint some vivid pictures on their grand canvas. The showstopping number Gee, Officer Krupke in particular benefits from a well-drilled team of Jets putting the wonderful material through its paces.
But maybe that serves to highlight some of the difficulties elsewhere. For all its grandeur, size and expense, the production itself isn’t quite sharp enough; the vocals of one or two of the central players – Liam Doyle’s boyish Tony unfortunately included – aren’t quite secure enough; and the expansive band are neither well enough balanced nor tight enough to supply the really crisp, powerful drive that the score depends on.
On a pleasant summer evening in the picturesque English countryside, it’s a perfectly acceptable show and one which is already happily critic-proof, having sold out even before opening night. For Kilworth veterans, however, perfectly acceptable these days actually amounts to slightly disappointing.
LEGALLY BLONDE
* * * *
April 15, 2016
Curve, Leicester, until Saturday, May 14, 2016
SCREEN to stage adaptations have become one of the most popular musical forms in recent years – alongside the ubiquitous jukebox musicals, of course. And while the likes of Fame!, Footloose and Dirty Dancing might be perfectly serviceable versions of the celluloid stories, the show which turns its source material into something new and completely original is all too rare.
Legally Blonde – one of the first in the trend – does exactly that. With a star turn from Reese Witherspoon, the 2001 film told the story of Elle Woods, the apparently bimboish blonde who follows her wealthy ex-boyfriend to Harvard Law School in an attempt to win him back but discovers there’s more to life than a rich husband.
Not content to plunder the movie for easy options, its writers Laurence O’Keefe, Nell Benjamin and Heather Hach use it simply as a starting point, building on its premise and characters and adding a whole lot more in the way of fabulously catchy songs, endlessly inventive lyrics and an overall concept that means this show is a proper musical in itself, not just a tuneful transposition from another medium.
And while Nikolai Foster’s new production at Curve may be missing a little in the way of smooth Hollywood glamour, the effervescence of the whole affair is never far from the bubbly, pink-tinged surface.
It’s there in the simple but versatile pink box set by designer Matthew Wright. It’s reinforced by the frenetic, freewheeling on-stage band under the baton of Bob Broad. And it’s unquestionably present in the eager ensemble who throw themselves into the piece with evident enthusiasm and buckets of energy.
The music and dancing occasionally hint at needing a little more discipline at times, but there’s no denying the commitment on stage, and the excitement is infectious. X Factor finalist Lucie Jones allows her vocal talents to shine as Elle, with a charmingly smarmy performance from Danny Mac as the spoilt brat boyfriend Warner Huntington III.
But it’s Jon Robyns who gives the stand-out performance as bookish law student Emmett Forrest, who manages to see past Elle’s dizzy exterior to the smart, sassy brain beneath the blonde.
With a story this good and songs so strong, this Made at Curve production proves yet again that the venue’s reputation as one of the powerhouses of musical theatre in the UK is well deserved.
* * * *
April 15, 2016
Curve, Leicester, until Saturday, May 14, 2016
SCREEN to stage adaptations have become one of the most popular musical forms in recent years – alongside the ubiquitous jukebox musicals, of course. And while the likes of Fame!, Footloose and Dirty Dancing might be perfectly serviceable versions of the celluloid stories, the show which turns its source material into something new and completely original is all too rare.
Legally Blonde – one of the first in the trend – does exactly that. With a star turn from Reese Witherspoon, the 2001 film told the story of Elle Woods, the apparently bimboish blonde who follows her wealthy ex-boyfriend to Harvard Law School in an attempt to win him back but discovers there’s more to life than a rich husband.
Not content to plunder the movie for easy options, its writers Laurence O’Keefe, Nell Benjamin and Heather Hach use it simply as a starting point, building on its premise and characters and adding a whole lot more in the way of fabulously catchy songs, endlessly inventive lyrics and an overall concept that means this show is a proper musical in itself, not just a tuneful transposition from another medium.
And while Nikolai Foster’s new production at Curve may be missing a little in the way of smooth Hollywood glamour, the effervescence of the whole affair is never far from the bubbly, pink-tinged surface.
It’s there in the simple but versatile pink box set by designer Matthew Wright. It’s reinforced by the frenetic, freewheeling on-stage band under the baton of Bob Broad. And it’s unquestionably present in the eager ensemble who throw themselves into the piece with evident enthusiasm and buckets of energy.
The music and dancing occasionally hint at needing a little more discipline at times, but there’s no denying the commitment on stage, and the excitement is infectious. X Factor finalist Lucie Jones allows her vocal talents to shine as Elle, with a charmingly smarmy performance from Danny Mac as the spoilt brat boyfriend Warner Huntington III.
But it’s Jon Robyns who gives the stand-out performance as bookish law student Emmett Forrest, who manages to see past Elle’s dizzy exterior to the smart, sassy brain beneath the blonde.
With a story this good and songs so strong, this Made at Curve production proves yet again that the venue’s reputation as one of the powerhouses of musical theatre in the UK is well deserved.
TOM - A TOM JONES STORY, THE MUSICAL
* * * *
March 30, 2016
Curve, Leicester, until Saturday, April 2, then tour continues
Plenty of fun to be had in this retelling of the early years of the Welsh singer's story.
For the full review visit www.whatsonstage.com
* * * *
March 30, 2016
Curve, Leicester, until Saturday, April 2, then tour continues
Plenty of fun to be had in this retelling of the early years of the Welsh singer's story.
For the full review visit www.whatsonstage.com
OLIVER!
* * * *
December 2, 2015
Curve, Leicester, until Saturday, January 23, 2016
Former artistic director Paul Kerryson returns to helm the latest Christmas extravaganza in style.
For the full review visit whatsonstage.com
* * * *
December 2, 2015
Curve, Leicester, until Saturday, January 23, 2016
Former artistic director Paul Kerryson returns to helm the latest Christmas extravaganza in style.
For the full review visit whatsonstage.com
A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE
* * * * *
October 22, 2015
Curve Studio, Leicester, until Saturday, November 7, 2015
EX-EastEnder Charlie Brooks leaves Walford a distant memory as her powerful Blanche Dubois blazes a Southern storm.
For the full review visit whatsonstage.com
* * * * *
October 22, 2015
Curve Studio, Leicester, until Saturday, November 7, 2015
EX-EastEnder Charlie Brooks leaves Walford a distant memory as her powerful Blanche Dubois blazes a Southern storm.
For the full review visit whatsonstage.com
For Leicester reviews from 2015, please click here
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