On Golden Pond @ Darlington Civic

A heart-warming, genuine and sincere look at the autumn of life

It’s not very often that a play comes along for which I have no pre-conceived ideas.  Even less so when the story, and the film, has received such plaudits as Tony’s, Oscars and international acclaim but I can honestly say I had no clue what to expect when I settled down at the Civic to watch Ernest Thompson's 1979 play.

 The story, for any of the few who are as out of touch as I, centres around a married couple’s annual summer retreat to their lodge on Golden Pond.  There’s no dynamic plot, there’s no contrived drama or conflict but there is realness to the writing which just draws you in.  The audience was very varied but this play appeals to all ages; I took my daughter Jess and she related to the story just as easily as I did and those around us.  Those of a similar age to the characters will recognise themselves, those of my age can see their parents and for the youngsters in the seats (like Jess) they can see their grand-parents up there on stage.  Set with just one scene, the ambient sounds and great scenery very quickly draw you in and it’s easy to forget you’re sat in the theatre.

 The stars of the show, Stefanie Powers and Richard Johnson, deliver with consummate ease, the delightful story of a man, Norman, and wife, Ethel, who have grown so complete together that they have almost become as one.  It’s not just the finishing off of each others sentences, but more the unconditional acceptance they have for each other’s foibles, idiosyncrasies and traits.  Their lives have become intertwined and defined by their time on Golden Pond, and it is this which makes for a more acute awareness of the encroaching and indefatigable changes of old age.  All too often I found myself thinking, “Will we be like this in years to come” and my answer was a resounding “I hope so!”

 Simple things, like forgetting the way to the woods where they have walked for 40 years serve only too well to remind us all that our time here is but fleeting.  Norman, brilliantly played with ascorbic tongue and dismissive hand waves, is so consumed with his end of days that at first he seems very morbid, however as the play continues you can see inside the character and realise that his incessant fascination about dying is actually a front to deflect from his real fear of growing old with regrets.

 The introduction of their middle aged and slightly estranged daughter, Chelsea, (played by Elizabeth Carling) only serves to remind Norman that time is short and maybe he should ‘stop and smell the roses’ every now and then.  Of course, after 40 odd years, he is not going to simply drop his guard and proclaim love for the prodigal daughter, but an enforced encounter with her 14 yr old step son suddenly gives Norman more reason to live than he thought possible.

 This is a wonderful play on quite a short tour – if you get the chance go and lose yourself on Golden Pond, you’ll love it there

Save the Last Dance @ Darlington Civic

The music loving populous of Darlington have been very well treated recently, with David Essex last week and now a trip back into the sugar coated, popcorn smelling jukebox musical of the early 1960’s.  This latest offering from the Director & Producers who brought the massively successful nostalgia-fest of Dreamboats & Petticoats is another ‘lite’ tale wrapped around a never-ending soundtrack of bubblegum pop and teen angst blues.  The backstory of this show is that every song was penned by the same double act, Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman – not two of the best known names in songwriting but a pairing who undoubtedly sat behind some of the eras biggest and best known sing-a-long hits from across the pond.  Whilst this makes for a playlist of hit after hit, it does at the same time mean that a lot of the songs are quite samey with an  American high school focus.  With 25 tunes spanning the 2 acts, it can make for a whole lotta moms apple pie. 

The story is quite a simple one, a brief glimpse into the stereotypical idea of life for teenagers in the early 60’s – desperate for some excitement and being seduced by the lyrics and ideals of American pop.  The two main characters set off on a weeks holiday, sans parents, to the ‘glamorous’  Lowestoft where they fall into the holiday romance trap of the local US Air Force base and it’s resident band.  Cue lots of soul searching solos as the youngest sister falls in love with the lead singer of the band, a black airman who was hoping for more racial tolerance in the UK compared to his deep south roots.  The story aims at underage love, but shys away, it stares at racial discrimination, but blinks and of course, ends, as all good stories do – with a happy ending.  Maybe I am being too hard, the story most certainly plays second fiddle to the songs but at times it just seemed a little too ‘lite’ – the diet, low fat, decaf version.

The two lead girls played their roles well; Megan Jones as Marie, the younger sister, played “love-struck” with the same wide eyed innocence seen from a young Haley Mills whilst Hannah Fredrick, as the older Jennifer’ had a sassy edge, but both are still a little ‘too’ nice & innocent to honestly believe they wouldn’t have ran a mile rather than take a lift from an unknown American airman.  What was very evident was that Hannah was clearly enjoying her time on stage and despite her character playing second to the younger sister, her scenes probably stood out more.  The resident airforce band can really play well, capturing the sound & style of the songs and ensuring that there was enough originality to know you’re not just listening to a recording.  At times the sound mixing meant that the vocals were in danger of being drowned out by the backing, but on the whole the audience, who were very obviously fans of the era, loved it.  I must just add that Graham Weaver who played Carlo, an Italian Brummie from Wolverhampton (with a very funny accent to boot) probably stole any ensemble performance – a great dancer, an amazing falsetto voice and according to quite a few sat around me, an excellent reason to stare !

What disappointed me was the portrayal that only American pop was being listened to by the teens of the time; there was a missed opportunity to show the two girls listening to the British hits of the day whilst still at home and then almost discovering the American tunes at the same time as finding the American base & band.  I know it was only a story, and basing it completely on the writings of Pomus & Shuman was a large part of the appeal, but by the end I had a real hankering for something more gritty, more real, more British – maybe I had just had a little too much apple pie.

All the Fun of The Fair @ Darlington Civic

The original TOWIE factor in Darlington

I was too young to really be a part of the original David Essex fan club (honest) - I know of his hits from radio play rather than fandom, I am aware of his forays into 80's TV & film by research rather than viewings, so, apart from him playing the Artillery Man in the timeless classic Jeff Waynes War of the Worlds, I would have to confess to being aware of Mr Essex's talents rather than being a devotee.  But, given the evidence of the Civic audience last night, not only is the Essex Factor still alive and kicking, his fans, all be them, like the man himself, a little greyer & a little older, are still held in his glow.

Penned, in part, by David himself, the show is a story centred around a traditional travelling fairground.  With more than a passing nod to the first half of Carousel, it is a tale of families, forbidden attraction and unrequited love wrapped up with plenty of drama and all played out to the soundtrack of classic David Essex songs.  There are a number of layers to this onion of a show; some very bouncy & upbeat, some quite touching & heartwarming and a few which are certainly dark, sombre & sad.  I dare say that the story would stand on its own without the songs, and, even (at the risk of incurring the wrath of my mum & the rest of the audience) could work very well without the man himself - that's not meant to detract from the main attraction but to acknowledge that the strength of production, writing & choreography makes for a very entertaining show in it's own right. 

Of course the audience really turn up to see Mr Essex and hear his songs so it's a great testament that All the Fun of The Fair resists the failings of many Jukebox Musicals to simply shoe horn in musical numbers just to swell the play list.  The songs all add to the flow of the story with very little adjustment of lyric or tone; it was quite impressive how some took on a completely unique feel when sang within the context of the characters' lives.

David Essex is very much aware that he is the main attraction.  When he takes to the stage he carries a presence, an aura which is very much 'all eyes on me' - not that he demands it but that he commands it - and why not, his voice still has the smokey, sultry tones mildly veiling an impish mischief.  It is obvious that some of the writing has been adapted to play to the expected audience responses (pausing for the wolf whistles & cat calls when he first appears, reminiscing to his pop star appearances) but he admirably resists making this simply a David Essex concert.  He is very generous in giving some of his biggest hits to other parts in the show - I thought that this worked very well and ensured that the supporting cast weren't marginalised to being backing singers.  Of course, there were some in the audience who were disappointed that he didn't perform every song of his back catalogue but that's why his CDs still sell in their thousands every year. 

Key standout performances included Louise English (Rosa), the gypsy fortune teller who has a mesmerising voice.  She opens the show with a haunting version of A Winters Tale which hints at the depths and darkness which lies beneath the surface of the central 'love story'. David Burrows (Harvey) plays the cockney father - an 'Arfur Daley type of wide boy - with a very powerful performance.  His portrayal of the dilemma of protecting his teenage daughter from herself but still trying to give her enough freedom to prevent outright rebellion was played perfectly - strong enough to hold belief but light enough to recognise this was a musical and not a Kafkaesque melodrama.
  

The choreography is clean, fun & makes great use of the Darlington stage.  There are a few routines where we seemed to be watching some bizarre gender reversal, as the seemingly butch & manly gypsy lads performed pirouettes, umbrella & balloon dances and lifted each other while the girls stood as the backing rhythm - not sure why as it did look a little too contrived - but the clever use of props and the additional background sounds of funfairs soon restored the magic.

So if you are a David Essex fan then you should already have bought your tickets - if you're a musical fan, or just a fan of good music, then roll up, roll up and enjoy all the fun of the fair - all that's missing is the smell of hot dogs & onions.