Sunday, June 24, 2012

Kiss Me Kate Review

Kiss Me Kate
(Festival Theatre, Chichester)

The Chichester Festival Theatre continues it's catalogue of musical productions with Kiss Me Kate. I was eager to see another musical produced by the theatre following on from Sweeney Todd, especially when it was being directed by Trevor Nunn, the original director of Les Miserables and the impressive King Lear with Ian Mckellan. My experience of this musical comprises of an amateur production and the film, and I was excited to see this musical with a number of well known West End actors.

Whilst the musical is set around a 'musical-within-a-musical', The Shrew, an adaptation of William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, connections can also be made between the stories in the play and this musical. The director and leading actor of the musical, Fred Graham/Petrucio (Alex Bourne), has to cope with his shrewd co-star and divorced wife, Lilli Vanessi/Katherine (Hannah Waddingham). On top of that he has to cope with debts owed by supporting actor, Bill Cahoun/Lucentio (Adam Garcia), and is under the watchful eye of mobsters (David Burt and Clive Rowe). Eventually Lilli discovers that Fred is attracted to a new supporting actress, Lois Lane/Bianca (Holly Dale Spencer), and tensions begin to arise. Their arguments begins to give flavour, and difficulties, to The Shrew.

Alex Bourne was the highlight of the show as the zealous and rough Fred Graham. He revelled in his role as he sung Wunderbar and Where is the life that I had led?. My reaction to Hannah Waddingham was mixed. I was expecting a riotous performance from her, especially in the role of Katherine, but I was slightly disappointed. Whilst she made every effort to hold a perfect American accent, needed for the shrewd Lilli Vanessi, she held back from the feistiness of her role. Though she did vigorously strop about in the ferocious, and ‘to the point’ song, I hate men, her singing did sound breathy. She even sounded like the Wicked Witch of the West from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Wizard of Oz after a while. However she did, like her character, settle down by the end, and was able to pull off an impressive performance.
David Burt and Clive Rowe were very good as the brawny gangsters, and their strong accents allowed them to give a quaint Brush up your Shakespeare. Bill Cahoun was a rather underwritten role for Adam Garcia, yet he performed some fine dance numbers alongside Holly Dale Spencer as the nervous yet alluring Lois Lane. The ensemble too was excellent in this production as they set up a world of show business, both onstage and backstage. The opening of the second act for instance started with them sitting around the stage fanning themselves as the song Too Darn Hot began.
Praise must also go to Robert Jones for designing this world with such detail on the thrust stage of the Festival Theatre. Before the production, the audience was introduced to an elaborate proscenium stage at the back, beyond which was a detailed setting of corridors, dressing rooms, and a sparse stage on the morning before opening night, ready to be filled by stagehands, assistants, and actors. They came on hoisting up stage lamps, brought on costumes and piano, whilst the actors rehearsed the choreography and songs. There was nothing “cheesy and cheap” about it, which was what Jones wanted, as mentioned by the programme.
Also, he wanted a “space that became everything...backstage, on-stage, and mid-performance”, and he succeeded. There was never a moment where nothing was happening during scene transitions, and even when Fred Graham and Lilli Vanessi stepped away from their dressing rooms during Wunderbar, the lighting would recreate their performance from years ago with colour. Elsewhere, the lighting would land itself some striking and elaborate scenes. The performance of The Shrew was lit up by bulbs around the proscenium arch, and there was a certain warmth in the lighting during the solo and duet songs.
As a musical-within-a-musical that was based around a historic play, The Shrew itself was designed with black and white backdrops that reminded one of the Trompe-l’oeil set designs. Even the ensemble was dressed in black and white Elizabethan clothes, allowing the main characters to stand out. Set pieces were also made out of black and white cloth and were pulled out of a box, including a large tree, and set up by the actors, giving a magical edge to such songs like We open in Venice. The only problem with this is that it took a little while to set up, and the set pieces did look askew at times.
I had a fun time seeing this musical. Whilst I was slightly disappointed by Hannah Waddingham, the cast gave some wonderful performances, and I loved the amount of attention given to presenting the setting. See this at a low Top Price.

Legally Blonde Review

Legally Blonde
(Tour - The Mayflower Theatre)

Following it's tenure in London, Legally Blonde has now started its UK Tour, and is currently residing at the Mayflower. I have never seen the film but I was interested in seeing this musical version, which had received good reviews, as well as the 2011 Olivier Award for Best New Musical.

Sorority president Elle Woods (Faye Brookes) hopes to get engaged to her boyfriend, Warner Huntington III (Ray Quinn). However, he tells her that he needs to break up, move on, and apply to Harvard Law School. In order to prove to Warner that she was serious, Elle decides to apply to Harvard as well. Once there she is looked upon disdainfully by her classmates. Everything changes when law teaching assistant, Emmett Forrest (Iwan Lewis), decides to help her improve in her degree. Eventually Elle is a well accomplished law student and begins to realise that she could use the law to help others.

The plot is a familiar one yet the musical did very well in telling a story about a girl who is determined to accomplish her goals, as well as improve in character. Sadly, the songs are not very memorable, yet they were performed with tones of energy and passion. The dancing excelled here, particularly a riverdance that came out of nowhere during an ensemble piece, Legally Blonde Remix.

Faye Brookes was excellent as Elle Woods. Whilst playing up the character's ditzy personality, she was able to present Elle as a strong hearted girl. There were also two X-Factor veterans, Ray Quinn and Niki Evans. Quinn was rather underused as Warner Huntington III since his only song, a duet with Elle called Serious, takes place early in the first act. As Elle becomes more concerned with her education, his character seemed to merge into the background.

Niki Evans however has a more prominent role as Irish beautician Paulette Buanulante, a divorced wife who becomes attracted to a UPS delivery boy in shorts. She showed her character's desire to return to her country with passion during the aptly named Ireland. Iwan Lewis meanwhile was very likeable as the laid back yet concerned Emmett Forrest, There was also a bulldog and a Chihuahua who performed several tricks during the production. Having last seen him alongside Michael Ball in Hairspray, Les Dennis was all right as the scrupulous Professor Callahan, though he was drowned out at times by the music. 

The sound production proved unsatisfactory for this musical. At times the lyrics of the songs were unrecognisable, and whilst the music was loud and clear, it would have been better if all the actors had microphones. The set was simple, comprising mostly of flats and painted backdrops, though they were layered at times. The proscenium was one of the few set pieces that seem to have a character of its own when lit up in many different colours, such as a rainbow during a dance piece between two homosexuals.

Although the songs are not the best I have ever heard, the cast performed them with such panache that it is easy to overlook the drawbacks. Whilst the sound production left much to be desired, the overall design was both serviceable and eye catching. For entertainment alone this is worth seeing at a high Bargain.

Jersey Boys Review

Jersey Boys
(Prince Edward Theatre, London)

Jukebox musicals have been looked upon with disdain. I for one have been avoiding Mamma Mia after seeing the film version, though I keep hoping that the stage musical is miles better in terms of direction. However I did enjoy Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story, and to me the bio-musical which describes Buddy is the best type of Jukebox musical that uses a band's catalogue of music. I see Buddy simarly to documentary films, and I went to see this musical to learn the overall story of this musician, whilst enjoying the recreations of his songs in their original state. I was therefore looking forward to seeing Jersey Boys and learning about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.

As a bio-musical the focus is on the four actors playing the Four Seasons. I am not familiar with the group, but from what I can tell the actors played the roles very well. As narrators of their own stories they were laid back. passionate and easy to follow in their New Jersey accents, particularly Ryan Molloy as Frankie Valli, who was given the most narrative to say. Jon Boydon displayed Tommy DeVito as a domineering yet stubborn band member. Matthew Wycliffe showed Bob Gaudio as the brightest member who acted as the voice of reason during times of difficulty. Eugene McCoy had the smallest role as Nick Massi. Although they explained what happened to them when the band reunited, I wondered whether their stories could have been told simultaneously with the other two.

But on the whole the musical was very interesting to follow. I had a great time learning about the band, and I loved the ending where the members gave their epilgoue speeches before quietly exiting, which was met with applause. What is more the four actors were excellent when they sung the songs. I was looking forward to seeing my favourite songs from the Original Broadway Cast Recording, Sherry, Big Girls Don't Cry, Who Loves You, and Walk Like a Man, and I was not dissapointed. If I did have a problem it was that Eugene McCoy pronounciations of the words sounded weird, and his short solo moments during the songs was one of the things I was eager to hear. It sounded like he was chewing the words in his mouth.

The overall set was pretty basic. The band's New Jersey background was established by the chain link fences and steel girders, whilst a fire escape gave the actors a second level to act on. The simplistic set however allowed the production team to light the stage, and particularly the backdrop, with some stylised colours, whilst showing pop art images from two screens, in order to establish the hey-days of the Four Seasons. Also, props to the sound technicians for helping to produce the music clearly. If the heart pounding bass during Ce Soirees La does not hold your attention then I do not know what will.

I personally prefer Buddy and the musician's rock-and-roll music but like Buddy, Jersey Boys tells the story of a music band. Together the actors, music, scenery and lighting provided a very entertaining and enthralling musical. It is worth seeing at a Top Price.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I would also like to take note that I went to see Jersey Boys after the Jubilee Pagaent on Sunday 3rd June, and I bought discount tickets at the tkts booth and was pleased to get seats G9 and G10 in the stalls. I got there 30 minutes beforehand and was second in the line. These seats were recommended by Theatre Monkey and although they usually cost £67.50 on the Delfont Mackintosh website, they were discounted at around £40.00. This was the first time I used the booth and those tickets may been avaliable due to the fact that it was a Sunday and the day of the Jubilee Pagaent, however I thoroughly recommend this booth due to the fact that even the best seats are avalibale at a discount price, depending on avaliability.

Henry V Review

Henry V
(Tour - Salisbury Playhouse, Salisbury)

I admit that although I admire its nationalistic approach, Henry V is not one of my favourite Shakespeare plays. My interest though was in Shakespeare’s debates Henry’s decision making and the consequences of warfare. This production is also being directed by Dominic Dromgoole, director of the critically acclaimed Henry IV Parts 1 and 2, whilst Jamie Parker returns to play the role of Henry once again.

This production is primarily traditional and inevitably sticks to the plays patriotic ideals. The acting would therefore have to shine to make the production stand out, which it did. This is not entirely a follow up from the Globe Theatre’s productions of Henry IV Parts 1 and 2. As well as Jamie Parker, returning are James Lailey and Paul Rider as Bardolph, but the rest of the cast are played by new actors, including Histories veteran, Roger Watkins.

Jamie Parker did very well in performing the charismatic king. Watching his ‘Once more into the breach’ speech it was clear that he was fully engaged in the moment and was able to do the speech justice. As a leader he was both passive yet determined, whilst the awkward wooing scene between him and Olivia Ross as Princess Katherine was very humorous. It was apparent however that Jamie’s voice was a bit rough and at times he was struggling to say the words clearly.

The other highlights are the comical characters. Brendan O’Hea gave a clear Welsh accent as Captain Fluellen, which allowed for some memorable moments. Sam Cox played a rowdy yet cowardly Pistol, Paul Riders’ Bardolph is more prominent in this production than he was in Henry IV, whilst David Hargreaves played a simple-minded Nym who appeared younger than his years.

The set is a basic version of the Globe Theatre, which helped the production get into a Shakespearean vibe from the start. Like Henry IV Parts 1 and 2 the production made full use of the space, especially the balcony, allowing for some detailed scenes. The siege of Harfleur was announced by a barrage of explosions and smoke whilst the Battle of Agincourt involved some interesting choreographed moments including Henry and some soldiers swinging from axes in slow motion.

My favourite Henry V production would have to be Michael Boyd’s as part of the Histories, and I still remember the actors walking over the coffins of buried soldiers during the last few scenes. However this production is just as good primarily due to the actors in it, and is worth seeing at a low Top Price

Wonderful Town Review

Wonderful Town
(Tour - The Mayflower, Southampton)

Following Oliver I returned to the Mayflower to see Wonderful Town. Having heard how it was been well recieved at The Lowry, I was excited to see Connie Fisher again in this musical. I had never heard of this musical , but I was hoping to repeat my experience last year when I saw Crazy for You at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre. I had never heard of Crazy for You but loved it which gave me great expectatiobs for this well recieved production.

The musical follows two sisters from Ohio, Ruth (Connie Fisher) and Eileen Sherwood (Lucy Van Gasse), who move to New York to start a new life. Whilst Eileen's beauty attracts every man in the city, Ruth is plainer in comparison and has a knack of repelling men. Both struggle to find work. Eileen wants to become an actress, whilst Ruth hopes to become a journalist. During her attempt to get a job at the Mad Hatter magazine company Ruth meets editor-in-chief, Bob Baker (Michael Xavier), and as the musical progresses the pair fall in love with each other.
.
What the Royal Exchange Company produced was a diverse and energetic musical. One of the highlights was the sense of a community. From the opening song, Christopher Street, the musical showed how people from many different backgrounds could be found in Lower Manhatten. The supporting characters included Helen (Tiffany Graves) and gigantic American football player Wreck (Nic Greenshields), who were struggling to find a way to tell Helen's dissaproving mother, Mrs Ella Wade (Annette Yeo) that they were secretly engaged. Mr Appopolous (Sevan Stephan) is an artist who gives Ruth and Eileen his basement, formarly his studio and covered from top to bottom in paint. There is also a stammering chemist, Frank Lippencott (Haydn Oakley), a snobby club owner, Speedy Valenti (Michael Matus), and a slimy press editor, Chick Clark (Joseph Alessi).

The musical was also very comedic. Although the theatre was not full enough to generate a sense of hilarity around me, I was chortling along to moments such as Conversation Piece where the main characters are sitting together with no idea of what to say. What is more the end of the first act was the craziest I have ever seen, where a Conga with Rurh and the Brazilian Nazy soon turned into mass hysteria.

Amongst all these plot lines, the main story about two sisters struggling to make a living in New York was a great one to follow. What is more it manages to move at a steady pace and intertwine amongst everything else that happens, to the point where a lot of the scenes never felt forced. That being said the second act did feel a bit rushed by the end. Also the romance between Ruth and Bob Baker felt insignificant  compared to everything else, although Michael Xavier gave a commanding performance as the pragmatic editor-in-chief during What a Waste. I even felt that the fact that Eileen attracted every man made some events feel inconsequential, especially after the events at the end of the first act.

Connie Fisher seems to have come a long way since The Sound of Music. She may had to leave the tour because of her voice, but she has matured since then and is the best actress in this musical. Her energetic and unyielding acting was perfect for the plain yet strong-willed Ruth. Lucy Van Gasse was enjoyable as the attractive yet juvenile blonde. Together, despite their differences in character and vocals, the two are a great pair during such songs like the memorable Ohio. Praise must also be given to the supporting actors, especially Nic Greenshields as Wreck, who displayed the character's passion for football during his song Pass the Ball.

The set and costumes were very striking. From a street scene that reminds one of Avenue Q, except for the colorful windows and signs, to the avenues of New York that stretched off into the background. A bridge was also lowered at times to add dimension to the scenes, such as Ruth and Eileen's basement apartment that could be seen from the street above through the grilles. I particularly liked how the show used the same color on the costumes and lighting to signify the monotomous uniformity of people going to and from work.

This production is just as great as Crazy for You due to the passion that was put into this musical. Connie Fisher was brilliant as Ruth whilst the rest of the cast presented a diverse community in Lower Manhatten. The production team also did wonders in designing some striking sets and lighting. I would say though that Crazy for You is better since it focuses on a smaller number of characters and manages to end their arcs completely. Yet this musical was never boring, especially the end of the first act, and is recommended at a high Top Price

Oliver! Review

Oliver!
(UK Tour - The Mayflower Theatre, Southampton)

My summer holiday starts with the touring production of Oliver. My overall experience of the musical consists of the film and an amateur production. I personally struggle with Charles Dickens' literary style, I do appreciate his novels though. I was hesitant of going out of my way to see the musical when it was in London. I do however like the songs and now had the opportunity to see the musical on tour.

The director for this production is a particular favourite of Cameron Mackintosh, Laurence Connor. He had directed both The Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables 25th anniversary concerts. He also directed the Les Miserables and Miss Saigon tour, and currently the Phantom tour. In all three cases he has drastically altered the scale of the musicals, and their iconic scenes, so they could fit in multiple theatres. For this musical however, it appears that he has maintained much of scale of the London production.

With a large cast a lot of the songs were performed wonderfully. My biggest disappointment though was the song that I was most looking forward to, Consider Yourself. It may be the largest song but it did feel crowded, and the Mayflower Theatre is no Theatre Royal Drury Lane. The first quarter of the song with the children was great, but it felt as if the whole cast was on during the rest of the song. My attention was drawn away from the mass of people on stage to the moving set pieces in the background most of the time, which seemed to have a character of its own. Fewer ensemble members onstage would have been better or alternatively choreographer should have brought on everyone gradually. Finally I did feel that the choice of costumes fore the song looked at bit bland. More variety in color would have made the cast members stand out more.
Generally the cast was very good. I do not think much of "Where is Love" yet the boy who played Oliver, Sebastian Croft, was heart-warming when he sang the song. The Artful Dodger was cheeky as ever, Fagin's gang was such a joy to watch, and Iain Fletcher was a very menacing Bill Sikes. It is the first time I have seen Brian Conley since he played Buttons in the Cinderella pantomime at the Mayflower, and his deep tone of voice is still noticeable. This made him sound less eccentric than other Fagins I have heard, but he does sing well. However, he does not bring a lot of comedic moments to the production. Most of the gags during Reviewing the Situation were produced by the visuals and orchestra. Yet both he and Cat Simmons seemed to improve by the second act. Cat Simmons was a passable Nancy, though I hear that Nancy is more an acting than singing role. It did seem to be the case when looking at Samantha Bark's performance in the trailer before she left the tour (good luck to her on the Les Miserables movie). Yet, apart from the occasional hand gesture, Cat Simmons stood still a lot of the time during the song As Long as He Needs Me.

For a touring production the sets for Oliver looked very layered. From what I could tell, most of it looked similar to the London production. There were a number of levels for the actors to stand on including two platforms at either end of the stage and a bridge that is lowered at times. As I mentioned the set in the background during Consider Yourself was the highlight of the song, as flats showing the buildings of London move in and out of view. It is as if you were walking down the streets of  London with the characters. Strangely, although the costumes worn during Consider Yourself were bland, elsewhere in the musical the costumes had a touch of variety. Who will Buy would have to be the best ensemble piece of the production for this very reason, including the sellers, entertainers and children in uniformed clothing.

This production was very good overall. Although Brian Conley and Cat Simmons were not the best Fagin and Nancy I have ever seen, the rest of the cast were in top form. Despite certain disappointments, I was very impressed by the diverse amount of scenery that was used. I will not be hurrying back to see the musical in the near future, but it is worth seeing at a Bargain.

Epsom Downs Review

Epsom Downs
(Salisbury Playhouse, Salisbury)

The Salisbury Playhouse spring season continues with a play called Epsom Downs. The play premiered in 1977 at the Roundhouse, London, by Max Stafford Clark's Joint Stock. This is an unfamiliar play to me, but the fact that this is was shown at the Salisbury Playhouse was an incentive for me to see it.

To start off there is no straightforward plot line to this play. To describe the play I would like to refer to William Powell Frith's 1858 painting, Derby Day. I was introduced to this during a lecture on leisure, during a university module on Victorian Culture. It shows every member of every layer of the social system intermingling amongst each other during one day of horse racing. This painting was shown at an exhibition, along with other works by Frith, called The Derby and London on the Downs. An article in the programme mentions this painting an and a quote made by Blanchard Gerrold, who put together the exhibition. The quote reads how "the sharp-faced swaggering betting man, the trim, clean groom with a flower in his button-hole, the prosperous, heavy-cheeked tradesman, the ostentatious clerk, the shambling street-singer, the hard, coarse-visaged costermonger, the pale and serious partisan, the frolicsome apprentice in flaming necktie, the bandy-legged jockey, the nouveau riche smug in his ostentation" can be seen on Derby Day.

119 years after the painting was created and it seems as if the atmosphere at at these races has not changed one bit. A cast of 9 each played 3 to 8 different members of society. At a running time of 2 hours and 25 minutes, it is not surprising that most of these characters were broadly represented. What is more, apart from making the occasional statement, such as tipping a load of rubbish onto the ground from above for the local convicts to tidy up at the end of the day, the play did not have anything particular to say. Yet it was clear that the play was providing its own thought-provoking version of Derby Day for the audience to observe.

The main plot strands included a wife (Lorraine Stanley) and husband (Simon Muller) with two bickering kids (Mark Meadows and Frances McNamee) and a decrepit grandfather, who risk their life savings on a horse. A Christian couple (Mark Meadows and Lucy Black) came on to protest against gambling, though the temptation to make money eventually overcomes the man. A gypsy girl (Frances McNamee) is split between her family's values and a stable boy (Ben Wigzell). At the same time the ghost of Emily Davison, the suffragette who got trampled down by the King's Horse at the The Derby in 1913, disdainfully watches the wife act the role that she was campaigning to break away from. Others included a member of the Labour party, some competing bookies, an elitist horse trainer, a Kermit the Frog seller, a tramp, some Lords and Ladies, and the odd drunkard.

Seeing every cast member play a number of different characters was one of the highlights of the play. Another highlight was the race that happened during the second act. Even beforehand the excitement amongst the cast was rising and at times the stage would go dark whilst each character had their moment in the spotlight. During the race, barriers around the racetrack would be brought on and were moved about so the cast would show different people at different areas around the track. There was even a moment when they would play the racers themselves dashing down the track. The tension would increase as the actors leaned forward against the barriers and pushed them forward. Whilst this was going on Paul Slack played a representational the running of the Derby race and gave a commentary on the race itself.

The set for this production is pretty basic. It basically shows the fields surrounding the racetrack. Plaudits to the set design team however for providing a landscape where a sprawling sea of grass rises and dips from the background right into the audience. There were also some nice touches, including a kite and the supporting pegs attached to a marquee tent offstage. However the use of lighting effects to indicate the arrival of some helicopters did look out of place, especially when the sound and wind effects fared well on their own.

The characters may be broad, but then again nobody asks what the story is behined the man in the cream coloured coat and top hat in the Derby Day painting. Like the painting I saw this play as an observation of the Derby at Epsom Downs in 1977, and for what it is I had a great time. It is worth a low Top Price.