Haunting Julia @ Darlington Civic

Winter is a traditional time for ghost stories; the dark nights, howling winds, driving rain all create an atmosphere of doom and despair which the best Gothic writers manage to draw into their tales of apparitions and unsettled souls.  Billed by many as an alternative to The Woman in Black, the marketing for Alan Ayckbourn's Haunting Julia promises to send chills and shivers down the collective spines of the audience but if you come along expecting a shock and jump fest then you are going to be very surprised indeed.

Set in a memorial music studio-come-mausoleum and starring just 3 characters (Joe - Julia's father, Andy - Julia's ex boyfriend and Ken - a psychic), Haunting Julia tells the story of how a child prodigy grows up under the constant pressure of parental pride, the inability to allow herself to act 'normally'and her subsequent suicide, driven in part by the abject realisation that maybe she could be a musical genius or a normal young lady but not both.

From the opening lines it is clear who wrote this play - the intricate word play, the everyday characters and the soul searching monologues all demonstrate Ayckbourn's trademark framework which, for fans of his work, is grounded in the suburban mundane of 'Any Street, Every Town', but it is here that some of the magic, the mystery and the menace of a ghost story is lost.  The characters are almost too well written, their stories leave nothing to be explored by the audience and as such there is no real threat felt which one would normally associate with a thriller. At the same time, there is a lack of plausibility in the circumstances surrounding how these three men come to be 're-united' after 12 years of no contact.  

Ayckbourn himself stated that Haunting Julia was a psychological ghost story but really the ghost and the haunting play second fiddle to the story of how misplaced parental pride (both in the child's ability and in the parent's inability to let nature happen) can create deeper and more profound harm than non-acceptance ever could. It is more a study of grief and guilt than of ghosts and ghouls.

At times you have to suspend belief around the interaction of the characters and the holes in the story otherwise you could find yourself pontificating over the timelines of events and over-analysing the characters motives (why would Andy agree to return 12 years later and spend time with Joe despite them never meeting while Julia was alive?).  The sound effects and visual set work well to draw the audience in and the finale is certainly not an anti-climax but again, this is not a thriller ghost story and so should be viewed as a play into the insight of human emotions, not spooks and scares.  Think of it as a theme park ride with a long and detailed pre-ride build up as you meander round the queue, up the steps and into the car.  Then you're off on the ride before suddenly, you're back outside, heart-rate a little raised but safe and sound.  

For fans of Alan Ayckbourn this is another great play, full of the witty one liners, northern humour and dry observations; for those of a nervous disposition fear not, your sleep will not be disturbed.

Handel's Messiah by Darlington Choral Society @ Darlington Dolphin Centre

Following on from our recent forays into more cultural performances which included Northern Opera's Faust, Jess and I forwent the Saturday TV offerings of X-Factor and Jungle shenanigans and plumped instead for Darlington Choral Society's rendition of Handel's most impressive works - The Messiah.

Staged in the Great Hall at Darlington's Dolphin Centre, the scene was set with an impressive chorus gallery, a substantial orchestra (Handel designed his Messiah to be very flexible in terms of musical accompaniment) and four leads who are well known and renowned throughout the North East.

For those who are unfamiliar with the full works, Handel wrote this in only 24 days, yet his almost constant rewriting and rearranging means it is doubtful whether he actually lived to hear his 'perfect' version performed.  In the Christian tradition, the figure of the "Messiah" or redeemer is identified with the person of Jesus, known by his followers as the Christ. Handel's Messiah has been described as a commentary on [Jesus Christ's] Nativity, Passion, Resurrection and Ascension, beginning with God's promises as spoken by the prophets and ending with Christ's glorification in heaven.   The singers in the Messiah do not assume dramatic roles as they would in a traditional opera, in fact Handel wrote this with no intention to dramatise the life and teachings of Jesus Christ but more to proclaim the mystery of Godliness.  To this end, the lead performers have perhaps the hardest tasks; they must portray the awe-inspiring essence of the text being sung without a character in which to ground their delivery.

The acoustics in the great hall were surprisingly good, especially when you consider this is not a purpose built theatrical arena.  There is no natural stage and the audience sit flat to the performers (who were afforded a few feet of elevation with a small platform) yet the sound was clear, carried perfectly to the rear of the hall and, when needed, filled the huge ceiling perfectly.

Throughout many of his compositions, Handel loved to exaggerate the differences between the sopranos and the tenors/bass; he regularly used this to give his works depth and illustrate conflicts between opposing views and this is very clearly seen in his Messiah - pre and post birth, old and new beliefs, evangelists and non-believers are all given their own parts to play.

Rachel Orr and Marie Elliott as Soprano and Mezzo Soprano delivered the most beautiful of arias which cut through the night air like the most elegant of crystal glass being drawn by a whetted finger - closing ones eyes transported you back to the late 1700's, sat in a guild hall with the nations finest of dignitaries, breath held and hearts stilled as if waiting for the bestowing of manna from heaven.  Their performances dutifully delivered the evangelistic proclamations of His followers with angel's voices rejoicing greatly.

Tyler Clark and Arthur Berwick, as Tenor and Bass, were thus left to counter the ladys' unbridled optimism with the more threatening side of Him reserved for the non-believers and scorners.  The richness of their voices seemed to seep into the panelled walls as though their vocal chords were made of honeyed oak and yet they were both able to maintain the undercurrent of threat needed to portray the fear of complete power He holds.  It's safe to say that Handel really knew how to put his male parts through the performing mill - in particular his aria's written for bass regularly take one single phrase and demand 5 minutes of total vocal gymnastics which, without a character profile and no on stage acting means the performer is left naked save for his voice.

Of course, no performance of Handel's Messiah is complete without the chorus, used in the main to highlight the collective voice of the people as they begin to evangelise His coming and most memorably for the Hallelujah Chorus at the end of act 2.  There were approximately 50 people in the choir for this performance but at times the power and majesty of their delivery suggested hundreds.  The tapestry of sound which was woven by their fabulous voices is testament to the musical direction of Richard Bloodworth who cleverly positioned and directed the choir into performing multiple layers of delivery which all combined to create an enveloping blanket of sound.

Handel composed his Messiah in 1741 at a time very different from now but listening to Darlington Choral Society's performance last night was like stepping into a time capsule and being transported to the back of an 18th century Royal Palace .  Wonderful !

Soul Sister @ Darlington Civic

Like many people born in the 70's I didn't really know a lot about Tina Turner until she hit the charts in 1983 with "Lets stay together", quickly followed by "What's love got to do with it" and, later, my personal favourite "Simply the Best" (used for a few seasons as Newcastle United's entrance tune).  I was aware that she had been around for a while before that but it wasn't until more recently that I came across her back catalogue of hits including "River Deep, Mountain High" and "Proud Mary" so this was a great opportunity to learn much more about the "Private Dancer".

This show plays as Anna's life story, Tina was the stage name given to her by Ike Turner when they first started touring; the opening scene is set in 1983 backstage at her comeback performance before taking the audience back to her very first years as a singer in her fathers baptist church.  We follow her first encounters with Ike, the subsequent successes of their review shows (not to mention cross over success from R&B to mainstream pop charts) and then the descent into domestic abuse, separation and near financial ruin - when Tina left Ike mid tour he instructed all the venues to sue her personally leaving her penniless and destitute. 

Rochelle Neil plays the title role (unfortunately, the billed star, Emi Wokoma, about whom many rave reviews have been written, has suffered for the past week with a sore throat and was unable to perform) and, without a comparison to be made, I can safely say that if Emi is heralded as the 2nd best Tina Turner in the world then we were treated to the 3rd best.  Rochelle brought an innocence and small town naivety to the role coupled with a love for Ike that was heartbreaking to watch, especially as she endured his manic drug-fuelled episodes of doubt, guilt and violence.  Of course, playing Tina Turner needs a voice to match and Rochelle has that in abundance - at times she was soft, warm with a little throaty growl like a bedtime cup of cocoa spiked with a shot of bourbon, at others she would belt out so strong I swear the skylight windows rattled.

Chris Tummings, playing Ike, was wonderful too; egocentric, single minded, pig headed and with a chip on his shoulder that would sink a battleship, he portrayed Ike as a tormented musical maestro who just couldn't make peace with himself, or anyone else.  His descent into drugs, women and abuse was handled perfectly, never shirking the impact but never glorifying the shock value either.  Always the sign of great acting, even though you knew you should hate him you just couldn't help feeling sympathy for him too.

Bringing the story back to the 80's revival performance, Rochelle leads the cast on a finale of hits including a sultry cover of "I can't stand the Rain" which had the whole auditorium on its feet

The production of this show, and in particular the use of huge sliding panels to effect the scene changes and video monologues, help to keep the story moving along at a brisk pace; of course the music is key but this never felt like a jukebox musical or simply a vehicle to play out the back catalogue - the songs all added to the journey.

Whether you know Tina Turner's songs or not, deep down this is a tragic love story played out to a great soundtrack and performed by a wonderful cast - it is "Smply the Best"

Faust @ Theatre Royal Newcastle

The story of Faust is well known the world over, even giving rise to the term "making a Faustian Pact" but until now I had not had the opportunity to watch in full the theatrical works which gives this social commentary its gravitas.

Whilst the original work is very gothic and medieval in both setting and context this production has been brought right up to date, featuring the presidential elections in modern day France and the life consuming challenges of the stock market.

We first meet Dr Faust (Peter Auty) as a failing stockbroker who, through both mid-life crisis and depressed markets finds himself stood, quite litterally, on the edge of life.  In calling out for some sign of faith or hope he finds himself not finding God but making a pact with Mephisto (James Creswell).  In return for his soul he shall have youth, vitality and the love of a beautiful young woman (Juanita Lascarro) but as with all deals, if it looks to good to be true, then it generally is.

This three hour show is a masterpiece of powerful music (arguably Gounods finest work), stunning performances and a masterful set (using huge sliding panels onto which surreal images of the stock market trading displays, Faust's tortured soul and the depths of despair were projected).  Sung totally in French, there were, for the less educated (of which I am happy to include myself) two screens in the stage side boxes displaying subtitles.  Whilst this was very helpful, the nature of the opera being delivered (which much repetition of phrases) meant there were many occasions where the screens remained blank despite the continued singing of the leads.

I applaud the attempt to bring the story into the modern age, but at times it felt that this was done to the detriment of the flow of events; one never really felt as though we were being immersed in the story but instead were having separate acts performed to us.  There was no real feeling of menace from Mephisto to Faust, his 'pact' seemed more of a business agreement than the selling of his soul.  Likewise Fuast seemed to have little hesitation in making this deal, there was little deliberation over the terms and no moralising over the decision. 

The focus of Faust's affections, Margerite, was portrayed as the virginal sister of Valentin, a

right wing presidential candidate standing on pro-life and the anti abortion campaign.  The first half of the performance (2 hours) made a great deal about Valentin's political crusade without any discernible reason apparent, not until the third act when Margerite was found to be pregnant and thus shunned by her brother, but by this time the seeds of confusion not only been sold, but had taken root and started to flower.  Again, the desire to modernise the story felt like it was trying to be too clever; it almost like there was one big 'in-joke' and those not included were left to try and work it out on their own. 

Despite the obtuse storytelling the lead performances were excellent and the music stirring; for my first foray into Faust it has left me wanting more, but I like my devil to be magnificently malevolent, my victims to be tortured souls and my innocents to be distraught and destroyed.

Bouncers @ Darlington Civic

Take 4 actors, already brilliant in their own careers and add to them the witty, insightful and hilarious writing of one of this country's best playwrights and what do you get - one of the funniest shows seen at Darlington Civic in years.

Bouncers takes us on a voyeuristic journey through the seedy nightlife of Britain's club culture as told by 4 doormen.  If you've ever wondered what these bastions of the entry queue get up to on a quiet night, or how they unwind after a heavy Saturday shift then this show lifts the lid on the toilet humour and lets you gaze down into the dirty water.

The fore-mentioned doormen make up one third of the clubbing collective, the others being a group of 4 guys out on the pull and 4 girls who are done up, clubbed up and p... well, out having a few end of week drinks.  The genius comes from the fact that all parts are played by just the 4 men, dressed in eponymous bouncer uniform of black suit, black vest and shades with only a white handbag each as prop as they don their feminine alter-egos.

Meet giggly girls and lads on the make as they prepare for their big night out. Later in the tatty, glitzy glamour and flashing lights of the nightclub follow their progress to the disco floor where an entire cross-section of disco-goers including lip-sticked, lacquered girls, and over indulged slobs gyrate to the pulsating beat.  And as Friday night gives way to Saturday morning the ever watchful, ever ready, ever observant ........... BOUNCERS take it all in. Slow dances, snogging, late night kebabs it’s all there. A journey through one of those nights that everyone has had and most would like to forget.

Told almost like 4 intertwined monologues, the humour is only punctuated for one of Lucky Eric's speeches which serve to unveil the seedier underbelly of the club scene.  This play appeals to anyone who has ever been to a club, pub or anywhere else on a Friday/Saturday night in town.  We have all seen the characters; we may even have been them on some nights (although we may not like to admit it!).

Delivering the tri-factor of nightly insight are Ace Bhatti, Don Gilet, William Ilkley and Ian

Reddington - familiar names and even more familiar faces.  Each has their own unique take on being a bouncer, a boozed up clubber and, funniest of all, a tipsy party girl looking for a free pizza and a quick kiss. 

Voted one of the greatest plays of the 20th century by the National Theatre, Bouncers has been winning awards for the past 20 years and will continue to do so for the next 20 years, after all, as each generation finds its way to the night club the Bouncers will be there waiting.

Grab your tickets now and enjoy the funniest show on the circuit, just be warned, you may recognise yourself up on stage.

Blood Brothers @ Darlington Civic 2012

First things first - apart from watching Becca's school drama abridged version of this modern masterpiece reviewed previously I have never seen Blood Brothers.  Sure, I know the story and, having ran lines with my eldest for 3 months, I had a pretty good idea of most of the dialogue, but this was scant preparation for the completely immersive way in which the cast & production team take you on the life journey of the Johnstone twins. 

Right from the beginning, the characters were real, as large as life and utterly believable.  There was no time, nor was there any need for time, to grow into the story as from 1st curtain we were in Liverpool in the 60's.  The accents, the scenery, the brilliant cast and I swear I could smell and taste coal fire smoke and street dust.  It was a "feet-up and let the story take you" type of show, one which is sadly all too rare now as theatre (and especially long running theatre) often tries too hard to be clever.

The part of the narrator was missing in my only previous experience of Willy Russell's masterpiece so I was intrigued to watch Marti Pellow and his portrayal of the 'devil on the shoulder' role. He was wonderful, a sinister mix of malevolent story teller and future-wise soothsayer.  His omnipresence lent an eery subtext to the whole story, as if watching everything in a 'told you so' hindsight which stoked the feelings of pending doom and prepared the watcher for the tragic ending.

The cast, especially those playing Mickey (James Templeton), Eddie (Jorden Bird) and Linda (Olivia Sloyan ) were truly believable as snotty-nose, fun loving kids complete with the simple innocence of make believe horses, gun fights and target practice.  In fact, it never occurred whilst watching the story unfold that it was the same actors who then moved through adolescence and into adulthood, it was simply Mickey, Eddie and Linda as they grew up. 

The story's heart rendering ending is as well known as the twist at the end of the Sixth Sense; everyone I know who has seen this play seems to like to confess to shedding a tear, so I was quite dubious as to how something so obvious and expected can provoke such a response, boy was I wrong.  I have not witnessed such sheer raw and visible emotion from a leading lady before;  Niki Evans as Mrs Johnstone was just mesmerising, hypnotic and I could feel myself rapidly joining the aforementioned group of "I cried at the end of Blood Brothers".  It was clear that  Niki puts a helluva lot of emotion into her performance, it was only on the 4th and 5th curtain call that she seemed able to lift the tearful veil and start to smile again.

The audience love this show, there was a full house at the start and a full house standing ovation at the end and I have to admit, it gave me goosebumps.  If you have yet to see Blood Brothers then tickets are still available, get your seat, get your hankies and get ready to join the "I cried at the end...." club.