The Verdict @ Darlington Civic

I have to admit that whilst I profess to being reasonably literate and enjoy a wide range of reading material in the bookcases at home, I have yet to enter into the realms of Agatha Christie - no particular reason, I've just found more appealing titles grab my attention first. 

Of course I am aware of the blockbusting films based on her famous novels but Monday night presented the opportunity to sample first hand a play written by Ms Christie specifically for the stage.

Verdict is very different from the standard fayre associated with Agatha Christie; for one, it is not a whodunit, we are presented first hand with the situation & witness the act with no sense of mystery.  It is more like a melodrama but this in no way detracts from the exquisite word play and character depth.

The play tells the story of Karl Hendryk, a brilliant professor who, with his wife and her cousin, have fled persecution in their country. The professor is happy to devote his time to life in a British university, where he becomes much sought after by students & teachers alike. His wife, Anya, is an invalid who resents having to leave her home & follow her husband to London.  She readily recognises her dependency on her husband and cousin, Lise, and teeters on the brink of suicidal tendencies. Whilst Karl and Lise have suppressed feelings for each other their love for Anya prevents them ever acting on these however when a rich young rich student, Helen Rollander, takes on private lessons with the professor the status quo is permanently upset.

The story plays out completely in the professors flat, there are no scene changes; this really draws you into the characters' world and adds to the intensity , especially when Anya laments being 'trapped' in a dull & soulless place. 

The cast, who arguably have much less to work with than in other Christie productions have, in my view, more scope to deliver themselves into the parts; the lack of plot twists, secrets and subterfuge demands more emotionally charged deliveries to keep the story moving and Monday's players did not disappoint at all. 

Robert Duncan plays the man who loves 2 women and is loved by 3 with an almost innocent 'absent minded professor' approach creating a beautiful yet pitiful vulnerability.  Susan Penhaligon  delivered an emotionally charged Lise beset with frustration, devotion and despair - of all the productions I have seen this year Susan's was undoubtedly the most moving.  Holly Goss, as the spoilt little rich girl Helen Rollander provides a wonderful twist on the femme fatale whilst Mark Wynter as Dr Stone adds pace and friendly direction through Karl's emotionally intense musings.  Just to balance this seriousness, Elizabeth Power's house keeper Mrs Roper has a wonderful timing, cutting through the tension as she 'eases the burden'  of there being too much tea in the house.

If you're looking for a classic Christie murder mystery then this is not for you, however if you want a wonderfully engaging play, more a why-do-it than a whodunit, and delivered by a great cast then look no further.

Agatha Christie's Verdict is at Darlington Civic Theatre from 26th Sept to 1st October

Fascinating Aida Cheap Flights @ Newcastle

Sunday nights have always been a bit of a bore to me.  First it was the bath & early night before school, then the lull after a fun weekend before the drudgery of work, and finally the end of Super Sunday live football with only Countryfile to keep me from bed by 9.  Last night, however I had the best Sunday night of many a year, setting the bar impossibly high to beat and in the process introducing me to an absolute gem of an act.

I must admit, I only heard about Fascinating Aida when a friend sent me a link to “Cheap Flights” on YouTube – by that time the clip had gone fungal (!), so when the chance came to go and watch them live it was with intrigue and anticipation that I arranged the tickets.

From the first minute to the last of 2 hefty encores, the 3 ladies of mirth & musical merriment delivered the upmost in comic & satirical wordplay to give Flanders & Swann, Stephen Fry, Victoria Wood, Monty Python, Mel Brooks and Richard Digance (yes I still remember him) good reason to hang up their quills, put away their pianos and accept that they have been completely usurped.  (Sorry Stephen, you’re still my favourite presenter but even you cannot match three lovely ladies on stage)

Founded by  Dillie Keane in 1983 and joined in 1984 by Adele Anderson, Fascinating Aida have been successfully touring the world for over 25 years, delivering their blend of cutting satire with operatic harmonies and quint-essential devilment.  Now assisted by Sarah-Louise Young (who, by Dillie’s own admission, halves the average age of the group) we were treated to the full array of melodious mischief including songs about Dogging, the Economy (for which I daren’t disclose the title for fear of reproach by my mum), Modern Art, the aforementioned Cheap Flights and a wonderful exploration of the nuances of Bulgarian folk music.  The musical scope didn't stop at thematic harmonies, there was Dillie's wonderful Hip Hop omage to keeping up with the kids, Sarah-Louise's lament for the previous nights 'rendezvous' and Adele explaining how to be German. 

In these times of austerity and reduced disposable income, when times are bad and spirits low, when the world is teetering on the brink of a double dip, I can offer this suggestion; forego eating for a week, pass up the chance to buy those new shoes, stop the kids pocket money for a month – in fact, do anything to make sure you can buy a ticket for this show – the impact will be far reaching, the smiles long lasting and the glow of inner happiness..... who am I kidding, just go and watch 3 super talented & utterly charming ladies verge on dirty and forget your troubles for the night.

This was a night of firsts for me; it was also the first time I had been to the Journal Tyne Theatre, formally known as The Stoll.  What a wonderful theatre, full of character retaining all the charm of an old music hall and filled with the essence of hundreds of years of performing.  I doubt, however that it had ever played host to such a compelling & embracing example of cabaret which completely enthralled the audience.  A special thank you goes to Phil, the duty manager, who personally ensured that my brother & I had a very comfortable 2^nd half.

Live Psychic & Science @ Darlington Civic

I love scary movies, ghost stories and tales of the supernatural; Japanese films like Ju-On, The Grudge and Ringu with their basis on spirit, vengeance and unfinished business are my staple fayre for a Saturday night.  Likewise local tales of the unexplained grab my imagination completely, but if someone was to ask if I was a 'believer' then I would probably have to say not quite, not yet anyway.

I guess that because for work I deal with facts, figures and exact things, the prospect of things I can't explain really fascinates me. I am not someone who tries to rationalise these type of thing either, just very happy to live in the moment and keep an open mind.

So, when I saw the opportunity to go to Darlington Civic theatre to watch the Live Psychic & Science show I was immediately intrigued; how would a theatre full of watchers respond to a stage show offering live seances, a human pendulum and many more.

Hosted by Paul Gannon and calling on the expertise of TV medium Chris Conway, paranormal investigator Denise Mott and paranormal historian Richard Felix, the calibre of our earthly guests was impressive.  (as anyone who has watched "Most Haunted" would agree).  This was only the 2nd show in the tour and some of the technical solutions were still being fine tuned (although in this type of show, any interruption to the 'norm' could be attributed to interference by other visitors)

Paul proceeded to introduce the show and set the scene for what we were about to enjoy - the theatre was going into lock down (a great phrase which immediately heightened feelings), that Chris would be protecting the audience and should anyone feel unwell they should make it known to Denise who would be amongst the auditorium.

We were to be treated to a Ouija Board, a seance, a human pendulum, a lone vigil and many more exercises in exploring the spirit side of this old theatre, but what really worked for me was the small interjections by Richard who, as a paranormal historian, brought some local focus and a degree of explanation to the evenings activities.  Richard had explored the history of Darlington, the town and of course the theatre and was able to add stories from the past which really gave a grounding to the spirit interaction we witnessed.

I will resist the temptation to take you through each part of the show in depth; for anyone who is thinking of going to see this show it would be unfair to remove the cloak of the unknown but as each venue will be different I can let you in on a couple of specifics.

Throughout the show there were very strange feelings; icy blasts of air (and it's a very old theatre so it wasn't the air conditioning), a sense of being watched from behind, I had the distinct feeling of a hand grabbing the back of my neck (and there was no-one in the row behind) and regular emotions of unease & almost sadness.

Through the Ouija board (which was guided by 9 members of the audience and Chris) we made contact with the spirit of a stage hand who hanged himself in the theatre.  Chris was also able to guide the spirit of a little girl who lost her life in the theatre (the question "were you murdered?" received a very definite Yes response from the board and an audible gasp from the audience). 

The human pendulum, in which a member of the audience volunteers to allow themselves to be moved by spirit in response to Yes & No questions was possibly the most intense as the messages which came through were very personal to another member of the audience, someone who was looking for some closure and hopefully she got it (it was very moving to witness).

The show moves at a great pace, which only serves to intensify the feelings when the focus stops on one specific entity.  At times there were many different happenings all at once - spirits both upstairs & down, unease in the theatre box, the lone vigil on the overhead screen as well as the guided interaction through the group on stage but Paul manages very well to keep everything together without it feeling chaotic (having said that, spirits are a law unto themselves so they won't always stick to the 'running order'). 

Richard explained, there are 3 types of people - believers, cynics and sceptics.  Believers welcome any opportunity to interact with spirit, cynics are out to disprove, debunk or at least refuse to accept there could be a spirit world,  whereas sceptics have yet to be convinced but are open of mind. 

I entered the show as a sceptic; I like to think I have an open mind but I also like my own proof before truly accepting.  I left the show with more questions than answers yet leaning very much towards being a believer.

Calendar Girls @ Sunderland Empire

What do you get if you blend the cream of British actresses, icons from the stage & screen, comedic genius and a heart warming story made all the more amazing because it was true ?? No, give in ? Then I will tell you – Calendar Girls at the Sunderland Empire.

The hit film, based on the true story by Tim Firth about a group of WI ladies determined to raise money by producing an ‘alternative’ calendar was a huge international success and has undoubtedly been one of the reasons for the continued ‘sold out’ signs across the nations’ theatres. That said, this stage production brings an added element to the experience which the celluloid version misses; with this wonderful cast the emotions are truly palpable, the laughs shared with everyone and the tears are very real.

The main drive of the story, Annie & Johns final days together, was heartwarming and heartbreaking in equal measures – wonderfully portrayed by Jan Harvey & Joe McGann. Playing off against this was the rest of the WI and their playful ribbing of each other while trying their best to sabotage Marie’s (Ruth Madoc) attempts to impress Lady Cravenshire (Jane Lambert). The passage of time, cleverly portrayed by using key social occasions through the year gave more opportunities to watch the characters – my personal favourite was Debbie Chazen as Ruth; her forays into costume comedy and her ultimate dismissing of the make up artist were pure gold.

I loved the intimacy & realism with which each character shared their own response to the idea of being nude (not 'getting naked' !!). Vodka, cream buns, marmalade & knitting needles all play a part in giving the ladies the modesty (or courage) they needed. Then, coupled with wonderful comedy timing, the process of actually getting their shots done was a riotous laugh fest which had me literally gasping for breath and almost begging for them to stop.

The second half of the show delved into the dangers & pitfalls of letting celebrity take over from one’s initial scruples but it was done in such a way that you were never left hating any particular character. Chris (played by the delightful Lynda Bellingham) teetered on the brink of abandoning all in the pursuit of her chance in the spot light, especially when offered the opportunity of filming an advert, but it was the announcement of the final total raised which gave her the ultimate sense of achievement.

I must admit that looking around the theatre it was probably an 80/20 split of ladies to men – and I am not really sure why. The show is clearly not a’feminist’ story; it’s about life, love and making a difference. Likewise, it’s not full of female nudity which some men might fear would label their attendance as slightly ‘pervy’ – it is a celebration of what can be done when you strip away any inhibitions (please pardon the pun).

What was evident was that all the gents were enjoying the show equally as much as their lady companions. So if there are any guys reading this who are unsure, or who have been bought tickets by their partners and are due to go and watch – fear not – you are in for a complete treat and a fabulous story played out by a true celebration of great British actresses.