Kerry Ellis stars as nightclub singer Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes.
ANYTHING GOES
June 9, 2022
Palace Theatre, Manchester, until Saturday, June 18
Cole Porter’s hit-packed show is so replete with quality numbers that the reviews almost write themselves: I Get a Kick Out of You, You’re the Top, Easy to Love. But Buddie Beware – it’s not just the songs that are De-Lovely. This production, which began life at the Barbican in London and is now heading out on a cruise of the country, has got pretty much everything going for it.
Set on a transatlantic liner on which passengers and crew get caught up in a number of daft and romantic subplots, Anything Goes has a book to match its sensational score and has been wonderfully updated for the 21st century to keep things fresh, zippy and constantly entertaining.
Its leads are universally excellent, from Kerry Ellis’s pivotal Reno Sweeney, the matchmaking, lovestruck nightclub singer at its core, to Denis Lawson’s hilarious bungling gangster Moonface Martin. Haydn Oakley plays a hapless English toff with humour and warmth, Bonnie Langford and Simon Callow make an unlikely but highly successful pairing from a more senior generation, and Nicole Lily-Baisden and Carly Mercedes Dyer get a couple of standout opportunities to shine as a socialite and a smart-mouthed gangster’s moll respectively.
But the whole of the huge, versatile cast and the mighty orchestra under musical director Mark Aspinall share in the credit for this barnstorming success. There’s never a moment when everyone involved isn’t giving their all, and the result is both infectious and inspirational. Porter’s music is given full rein, the comedy is played straight – always the best way to get laughs – and the audience leaves humming and tapping its toes, and with a broad grin on its face.
Director choreographer Kathleen Marshall certainly knows how to rally her troops, and Derek McLane’s set design and Jon Morrell’s costumes provide a stunning backdrop to the on-board shenanigans. Lighting by Hugh Vanstone and sound by Jonathan Deans also contribute significantly.
For an evening of outstanding entertainment, delivered with real heart by an exceptional company, Anything Goes is hard to beat.
June 9, 2022
Palace Theatre, Manchester, until Saturday, June 18
Cole Porter’s hit-packed show is so replete with quality numbers that the reviews almost write themselves: I Get a Kick Out of You, You’re the Top, Easy to Love. But Buddie Beware – it’s not just the songs that are De-Lovely. This production, which began life at the Barbican in London and is now heading out on a cruise of the country, has got pretty much everything going for it.
Set on a transatlantic liner on which passengers and crew get caught up in a number of daft and romantic subplots, Anything Goes has a book to match its sensational score and has been wonderfully updated for the 21st century to keep things fresh, zippy and constantly entertaining.
Its leads are universally excellent, from Kerry Ellis’s pivotal Reno Sweeney, the matchmaking, lovestruck nightclub singer at its core, to Denis Lawson’s hilarious bungling gangster Moonface Martin. Haydn Oakley plays a hapless English toff with humour and warmth, Bonnie Langford and Simon Callow make an unlikely but highly successful pairing from a more senior generation, and Nicole Lily-Baisden and Carly Mercedes Dyer get a couple of standout opportunities to shine as a socialite and a smart-mouthed gangster’s moll respectively.
But the whole of the huge, versatile cast and the mighty orchestra under musical director Mark Aspinall share in the credit for this barnstorming success. There’s never a moment when everyone involved isn’t giving their all, and the result is both infectious and inspirational. Porter’s music is given full rein, the comedy is played straight – always the best way to get laughs – and the audience leaves humming and tapping its toes, and with a broad grin on its face.
Director choreographer Kathleen Marshall certainly knows how to rally her troops, and Derek McLane’s set design and Jon Morrell’s costumes provide a stunning backdrop to the on-board shenanigans. Lighting by Hugh Vanstone and sound by Jonathan Deans also contribute significantly.
For an evening of outstanding entertainment, delivered with real heart by an exceptional company, Anything Goes is hard to beat.
Vocalist Hannah Castleman and MD Mike Paul-Smith fronting Down for the Count.
VOICES OF SWING
* * * * *
June 6, 2022
The Stoller Hall, Manchester
If you’ve never heard a big band perform the music of the Great American Songbook live, then put it straight on your bucket list now. In fact, scrub that: put Voices of Swing on your bucket list. Because you won’t find a better interpretation of these golden tunes anywhere in the UK right now.
What’s more, you’re in luck, because the Down for the Count Orchestra, accompanied by the City String Ensemble, have just hit the road on their latest tour under this umbrella title, and it’s a night of guaranteed quality, class and pure escapist entertainment.
The band has been around since 2005, and the experience shows. These 28 instrumentalists and vocalists are world-class musicians, and their virtuosity shines out at every turn. Whether it’s Alex Western-King’s blistering evocation of Charlie Parker on alto sax, Dae Hyun Lee’s extraordinary versatility across percussion and guitar, or James Smith (drums) and Alex Howgego (piano) holding the rock-solid rhythm section together, everyone plays their part.
But there’s more to a big band than individual excellence. There has to be a willingness to contribute subtly and generously to the overall sound when it isn’t your turn in the spotlight, and Down for the Count have this quality in spades. Conducted and led by musical director Mike Paul-Smith, the ensemble work brilliantly together, and their familiarity with both the material and each other sends a wave of warmth and passion for their job tumbling over the footlights into the auditorium. The love of playing – particularly the sumptuous songbook material of Gershwin, Berlin, Porter et al – is infectious and inspirational.
Three stunning vocalists, Callum Gillies, Hannah Castleman and Lydia Bell, deliver the tunes with wit and a wonderful twinkle in the eye, and their voices are supplemented from time to time by trumpeters-turned-singers Max Fagandini and Simon Joyner for some Rat Pack-style harmonies and high jinks.
With a set list of classics, from Sinatra to Fitzgerald, Garland to Armstrong, this is a night of toe-tapping triumph that surely deserves a bigger audience than Manchester could muster up. They’re all over the country right now, and they’re doing it again with a Christmas version from late November, so you can’t say you haven’t been told.
* * * * *
June 6, 2022
The Stoller Hall, Manchester
If you’ve never heard a big band perform the music of the Great American Songbook live, then put it straight on your bucket list now. In fact, scrub that: put Voices of Swing on your bucket list. Because you won’t find a better interpretation of these golden tunes anywhere in the UK right now.
What’s more, you’re in luck, because the Down for the Count Orchestra, accompanied by the City String Ensemble, have just hit the road on their latest tour under this umbrella title, and it’s a night of guaranteed quality, class and pure escapist entertainment.
The band has been around since 2005, and the experience shows. These 28 instrumentalists and vocalists are world-class musicians, and their virtuosity shines out at every turn. Whether it’s Alex Western-King’s blistering evocation of Charlie Parker on alto sax, Dae Hyun Lee’s extraordinary versatility across percussion and guitar, or James Smith (drums) and Alex Howgego (piano) holding the rock-solid rhythm section together, everyone plays their part.
But there’s more to a big band than individual excellence. There has to be a willingness to contribute subtly and generously to the overall sound when it isn’t your turn in the spotlight, and Down for the Count have this quality in spades. Conducted and led by musical director Mike Paul-Smith, the ensemble work brilliantly together, and their familiarity with both the material and each other sends a wave of warmth and passion for their job tumbling over the footlights into the auditorium. The love of playing – particularly the sumptuous songbook material of Gershwin, Berlin, Porter et al – is infectious and inspirational.
Three stunning vocalists, Callum Gillies, Hannah Castleman and Lydia Bell, deliver the tunes with wit and a wonderful twinkle in the eye, and their voices are supplemented from time to time by trumpeters-turned-singers Max Fagandini and Simon Joyner for some Rat Pack-style harmonies and high jinks.
With a set list of classics, from Sinatra to Fitzgerald, Garland to Armstrong, this is a night of toe-tapping triumph that surely deserves a bigger audience than Manchester could muster up. They’re all over the country right now, and they’re doing it again with a Christmas version from late November, so you can’t say you haven’t been told.
Dan Burton and Emily Langham in Irving Berlin's White Christmas.
WHITE CHRISTMAS
November 22, 2021
Palace Theatre, Manchester, until Saturday, December 4
It may still be November but when there’s sparkle in the set, swing in the tunes and snow in the air, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
In this case, it’s Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, which is on the road three years after its inception at Leicester’s Curve, where artistic director Nikolai Foster first served it up as a seasonal treat. With the help of choreographer Stephen Mear and revival director Ian Talbot, Foster’s festive delight has lost none of its freshness, charm and unabashed schmaltz.
The plot involves ex-Army song-and-dance pair Phil Davis and Bob Wallace staging a Broadway musical in a remote Vermont barn owned by their former commanding officer, General Waverly, and falling in love with their leading ladies, the Haynes Sisters, along the way. So far, so corny. But infused with Berlin’s impeccable music and lyrics, and performed on a sumptuous set (Michael Taylor) in gorgeous costumes (Diego Pitarch), there’s a warmth and wonder to the show which lift it above simple sentimentality.
Only Dan Burton remains of the original leading quartet as the tap-dancing, smooth-talking Davis, and it’s no surprise he’s returned to a role which gives him such a fabulous opportunity to show off his multifarious skills. He’s the consummate performer, at ease and on top of his game, and draws the eye every moment he’s on stage.
Matthew Jeans as his compadre Wallace has a terrific voice and the pair work hard to create their double-act spark, but the real connection comes with Burton’s love interest Judy, feistily played by Emily Langham. Jessica Daley completes the foursome as Betty, whose torch song Love, You Didn’t Do Right by Me is a standout second-act number.
Sally Ann Triplett is in typically superb voice as the hotel’s manageress – and former Broadway star, naturally – while Duncan Smith and Kraig Thornber both make the most of their smaller roles as the general and hotel handyman Ezekiel respectively.
The substantial ensemble – full marks to the producers for not stinting on the tour – are beautifully drilled, and there are plenty of fizzing Hollywood moments to feast the eyes. The band, under the musical direction of Neil MacDonald, make a crucial contribution too, while the overall sound is immaculately designed by Tom Marshall to allow voices to cut through and Bruce Pomahac and Jason Carr’s stunning arrangements to shine.
It’s a heartwarming crowd-pleaser of a show that sends out one simple message: ignore the calendar and get the Christmas party started.
November 22, 2021
Palace Theatre, Manchester, until Saturday, December 4
It may still be November but when there’s sparkle in the set, swing in the tunes and snow in the air, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
In this case, it’s Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, which is on the road three years after its inception at Leicester’s Curve, where artistic director Nikolai Foster first served it up as a seasonal treat. With the help of choreographer Stephen Mear and revival director Ian Talbot, Foster’s festive delight has lost none of its freshness, charm and unabashed schmaltz.
The plot involves ex-Army song-and-dance pair Phil Davis and Bob Wallace staging a Broadway musical in a remote Vermont barn owned by their former commanding officer, General Waverly, and falling in love with their leading ladies, the Haynes Sisters, along the way. So far, so corny. But infused with Berlin’s impeccable music and lyrics, and performed on a sumptuous set (Michael Taylor) in gorgeous costumes (Diego Pitarch), there’s a warmth and wonder to the show which lift it above simple sentimentality.
Only Dan Burton remains of the original leading quartet as the tap-dancing, smooth-talking Davis, and it’s no surprise he’s returned to a role which gives him such a fabulous opportunity to show off his multifarious skills. He’s the consummate performer, at ease and on top of his game, and draws the eye every moment he’s on stage.
Matthew Jeans as his compadre Wallace has a terrific voice and the pair work hard to create their double-act spark, but the real connection comes with Burton’s love interest Judy, feistily played by Emily Langham. Jessica Daley completes the foursome as Betty, whose torch song Love, You Didn’t Do Right by Me is a standout second-act number.
Sally Ann Triplett is in typically superb voice as the hotel’s manageress – and former Broadway star, naturally – while Duncan Smith and Kraig Thornber both make the most of their smaller roles as the general and hotel handyman Ezekiel respectively.
The substantial ensemble – full marks to the producers for not stinting on the tour – are beautifully drilled, and there are plenty of fizzing Hollywood moments to feast the eyes. The band, under the musical direction of Neil MacDonald, make a crucial contribution too, while the overall sound is immaculately designed by Tom Marshall to allow voices to cut through and Bruce Pomahac and Jason Carr’s stunning arrangements to shine.
It’s a heartwarming crowd-pleaser of a show that sends out one simple message: ignore the calendar and get the Christmas party started.
