Dancing Queen @ Darlington Civic

Karaoke, Talent TV, Jive Bunny and Cruise Ships have a lot to answer for

Billed as a spectacular song & dance extravaganza, Dancing Queen struggles to define itself or even agree on what type of show it is.  Centred, as the title suggests, around the songs of Abba, there are also forays into 70’s disco, Soul and Mowtown, which are delivered in a “Stars on 45” style megamix with backing dance tracks and vocoder assisted vocals.  I could easily expect to see this show (in maybe a 20 minute act) on board a cruise ship with a captive audience who have possibly spent the day on the all inclusive cocktails and were quite happy to watch this over-engineered karaoke show.

The choreography was constantly trying to be too clever, too precise and too pretentious.  There was little flow and, with over 20 people on stage, many of the dancers seemed to be struggling to keep up with the over-worked routines without standing on their cast mates.  Too many songs were backed by the full ensemble trying to deliver the entire repertoire of the choreographer’s creativity as though it was a dance exam with the brief “Demonstrate every clichéd dance move you have seen in the past 10 years”.

The main 4 members of the cast, who were taking the lead as the Abba-esque singers, were so very different that it was hard to accept they were portraying one of the tightest pop groups in music history.  Jennifer Harding spent most of the time over-smiling and forcing enthusiasm onto the audience that suggested “You will enjoy this, you will have a good time” while trying to find her pitch (or wait until the backing vocals were loud enough to help cover her up).  Jessica Parker, who has a great voice, missed sultry and went straight for sullen.  Aston Dobson and Simon Bulley kept looking like they knew this wasn’t good but hey, it’s a show, we’re on stage and we’re getting paid.  To be honest, the lads did have character and tried hard to move away from the “Walk slowly to the front of the stage, sing song and then dramatically walk back again”  but there was just no chemistry between the 4 of them.  Bizarrely, most of the Abba songs were performed with only 3 of the main four on stage, the girls taking it in turns to use the opportunity for a costume change - strange as I certainly remember all of Abba's hits having the 4 of them present.

The casting manager must have thought it was time to redress the time honoured tradition of having strong, tall male dancers and slight & petite female dancers.  Instead, there was only 1 guy who was taller than any of the girls and regularly the pairings gave the rest of the guys a real challenge to catch and lift girls who were at least 5 inches taller (and a few pounds heavier) than themselves.

The show itself would have benefited from having some dialogue in between the songs, something that would have given the main cast an avenue to relate to the audience and to break up the non-stop party anthem mega-mix approach.  The only time that the show really gave something of note was when it stopped trying to be so darn serious and just had a bit of fun – the start of Act 2 was much better than the whole of Act 1 – there was 70’s Rock ‘n’ Roll with a quite stunning backing singer (who turned out to be one of the lad dancers in a frock) and the reworking of Village People’s YMCA & In the Navy.  The cast really looked like they were finally having fun, a bit of freedom from the rigid routines of Act 1 and the singers sounded like they had found their true level.  But it didn’t last, and all too soon we were returned to the over-produced style and delivery we were forced to sit through in Act 1.

 This may sound like I am beating up on the cast & crew, and maybe there were a few who were as guilty as the choreographer & director for being too “look at me”, but for the most part, the ensemble suggested they were capable of much more fluidity, more expression and more enjoyment – if only they had been allowed to.

In reality Dancing Queen is the stage show production of "Jive Bunny does Abba and the 70’s" - perfect for kids discos, holiday camps and cruise ships .

Yes Prime Minister @ Darlington Civic

The new Whitehall Farce, at Checkers

 This updated version of Yes, Prime Minster, written by the original creators Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn brings a non-party specific view of life behind the scenes for the Prime Minister, Jim Hacker and his team, including the irrepressible Sir Humphrey Appleby.

Jim is now heading up the coalition government (sounds familiar) and is teetering on the precipice of complete meltdown, both economic and diplomatic.  Offered an escape route by a highly dubious deal with the unlikely allies of Kumranistan, Jim has to decide whether to sell out or sell up. 

This version manages at times to capture some of the essence of the original TV shows but without the wonderful Nigel Hawthorne and Paul Eddington any semblance is quickly dismissed as 2^nd class copying.  There are quite lengthy periods of almost monotonous dialogue which pays too much attention to the bureaucracy of government and not enough to the inter-personal shenanigans that would keep the laughs coming.   

The TV shows looked to create a non-stop 25 minutes packed with constant plotting; Sir Humphrey knew (or thought he knew) everything that was going on and spent most of his time protecting his own nest while steering Jim Hacker away from making a complete hash of things. 

With time at a premium there was always very careful consideration and lines/plots/ideas which didn't deliver were simply not included.  This play, with its running time of almost 2 hours, has too much space and it is this ‘luxury of time’ that leads to weak, unproductive and quite frankly un-funny speeches.

The premise is still sound, the context is still very relevant, in fact even more so now - there are many who would suggest that our current government is already one big comedy, (or at least laughable if it wasn’t so seriously out of touch) but unfortunately, like the current government, its best work was done long ago, it is now living on being a mere shadow of its former great self.

It's Raining Men @ Darlington Civic

It’s Raining Men – Hallelujah

Since The Full Monty there have been many attempts to recreate the earthy realism, coupled with real humour and an insight into the lengths people will go to earn a few extra pounds.  The boom time of the early 2000’s reduced the need for people to be inventive around making a quick buck, but with the current austerity measures starting to bite hard, stories abound on how people have been forced to be more creative in their money making ventures.

Raining Men is set in a club which, as Halloween nears, realise that they have no act for the special night.  Cue Doug the DJ, Phil The Bouncer (sorry, Door Security) and Colin the Barman to step in and put on a show of their own.  Bringing together the fabulous talents of Michael Cross, Andrew Ryan and Patric Kearns, Raining Men takes everything that was good about the Full Monty, shoe horns it into a size 7 6” stiletto and wraps it in a sequined off the shoulder Shirley Bassey styled frock.

The first act gives very little suggestion as to the glittering array of sheer camp-ness that is to follow, we are given the story around why the club needs the act, how the owner is a less than trustworthy custodian and how Phil feels that drag acts would seriously attack his Rambo-esque masculinity.  After the break we are transported to the show night itself which is a never-ending laugh-fest.  There are costume changes that would rival any West End musical, parodies of the Spice Girls, Lady Gaga, Madonna and Abba and audience participation which left everyone gasping for breath.

This show was one of the best Friday nights I have spent in years – great characters, great music, simplicity done to perfection.  A hilarious, sparkling, naughty evening, featuring music from the likes of Barbra Streisand, Shirley Bassey and Judy Garland, with a chance to join in the fun and win up to £100 000!

It is true that the show is perfect for hen parties and girly nights out but I defy any heterosexual man who enjoys music and can laugh at genuine comedy not to have a great time too.   Be warned: this play is strictly for adults only with strong language and adult content from the start but hey, that's what makes club nights.

Cirque du Ciel - Shanghai Nights @ Darlington Civic

Last night we all went to Darlington's Civic theatre to watch what was the most amazing, awe-inspiring display of skill, strength and ability we've seen this year.  In the year of the London Olympics, it seemed very fitting that we witnessed just what the human body is capable of - if China were to send along the cast of Cirque du Ciel to represent them in the gymnastic events then they would walk away with every gold.

Opening to a video travelogue of China and all it's different cultures, cities and landmarks, the viewer is then transported into the bedroom of girl, Yan Yang, asleep in her bed.  As she 'awakes' she finds that her toys have taken on a life of their own.  Two mysterious spirit-like figures, representing the sun and moon, introduce her to a frenzy of acrobatic activity, which comes to life with the opening of her music box. The magic of the spirits brings Yan Yang's dream to life as she twirls and contorts her body as if she was made of air.

What follows is part Alice in Wonderland and part The Matrix as the cast take over and perform routines of such strength, balance and dexterity that sometimes it looked almost impossible - but it wasn't; there was no trick photography here, no "Bullet-Time" videoing, just skill, beautiful choreography and the human body. 

Performing acts which blended modern dance, martial arts, gymnastics and traditional Chinese culture, the cast transformed the stage into an arena which felt twice the size.  Darlington doesn't have the largest stage so it was doubly amazing to see the speed and distances that these performers covered and yet stop with perfect accuracy so as not to run out of room. My favourite, if forced to choose, would have to be the Chinese Monkey Poles; the speed and dexterity with pin point accuracy was simply outstanding.  

There are some very strong characters in the team, and although they clearly have to work together, there were always little frissons of showmanship where one would try to out-do the others in speed, height, number of tumbles etc. They really looked like they were enjoying what they were doing and honestly wanted us to enjoy it too, and we did. 

All played to a wonderfully evocative soundtrack and driven by an onstage drummer, the cast deliver such a mesmerising performance that at times it was hard not to clap at everything they did. 

Before the Olympics begin, before you get lost in the regimented & controlled displays of gymnasts having to make sure they include the exact number of leaps & tumbles, go and see this show - this has all the technical ability and super-human skill but done with freedom, expression and, well, fun, that it leaves you breathless, exhilarated and wishing you had brought more friends to enjoy it with you.

The South Pacific @ Sunderland Empire

The South Pacific - A vast expanse of emptiness dotted with little island gems

The world was a very different place when Rodgers and Hammerstein created South Pacific.  It was larger, less travelled and as such, more mysterious.  Peoples' opinions and beliefs were more rooted in the culture of their home towns and prejudice sat silently behind every decision.  On one hand, the story is a fun loving musical about an American base on the farthest reaches of Uncle Sam's West Coast frontier - on the other hand it is a veiled attempt at painting a twee fairy tale of good overcoming evil and love conquering even the staunchest of bigotries.

The set up is typical R and H - introduce strong, powerful, confident bachelor with a long established routine and a honourable, if somewhat distant, reputation.  Add to that a young woman, pretty, simple yet determined who creates a maelstrom that rips through his ordered life.  Slip into the background some lovable 'rouges' and a presumably innocent side story and, hey presto !, you've got a musical.

The production values were excellent as you would expect from such a well supported tour.  Sunderland Empire again shows why it is the region's greatest at large stage productions.  The sets make clever use of the depth of the stage and the ever changing back view of the ocean and Bali Hi have an almost subliminal presence.  The orchestration too all add to the enveloping sense of the heat, the remoteness and the claustrophobia of this tiny area far from the mainland.

The show is a shade under 3 hours plus interval (thankfully the seats are very comfortable and the leg room close to being the most generous) and this is the nub of any disquiet  - it's an old style show, with old style themes, old style values and old style pacing and 3 hours is just too long for it to keep modern audiences on the edge of their comfortable seats.  Competing with the faster tempo of shows like Chicago and Thriller or the intensity of Titanic the Musical, South Pacific just doesn't have the 'wow' factor anymore.  Likewise, there are a few dubious threads which today just don't sit well.  Racism and what is almost bordering on child prostitution sit within the two main love themes.  There isn't enough of the story devoted to portraying how these actions were then accepted by society so instead of them being 'of the time' they are trivialised, making them even more abhorrent.

The much vaunted highlight songs - "Happy Talk", "Wash that Man Right Outta my Hair", "Some Enchanted Evening" "Nothing like a Dame" and "Bali Hi", whilst being hugely well known are from a bygone age - they are not sing-along classics, in fact they are not even foot-tappers so you a left feeling that you are watching a rendition, at the end of which there is polite applause and then silence.  Regardless of the cast - who were all excellent -  you just can't inject enough of today to stop South Pacific feeling like watching a black & white movie. 

South Pacific is on at Sunderland Empire until Saturday 12th May - if you are a fan, a real fan, then you will love it - if you enjoy more modern musicals then this may not be for you at all.