Sound of Music by Darlington Operatic Society @ Darlington Civic

Darlington Operatic Society's latest production, the time honoured classic of Rogers & Hammerstein's Sound of Music, is a perennial favourite with old & young alike.  True to form and living up to their past productions, DOS pull out all the stops to make this another fabulous night of virtuoso performances and stunning stage work.

The story is so well known it is almost biblical and, despite there being a distinct lack of Alpine altitude in Darlington, the stage is perfectly used to portray the mountains, abbey, chateau and music festival.

As a show based around 7 children, there was always going to be opportunities for the younger members of the Operatic Society to be involved but the age range required (5 to 16, going on 17) could have posed problems in ensuring that the youngest of the family Von Trapp weren't overawed by the sheer magnitude of the show.  Fear and concern was not on the agenda as each & every member hit their marks perfectly; perhaps more impressively the group as a whole 'felt' like a real family, they laughed together, helped one another and had a very noticeable affection for each other - obvious testament to the director and rehearsal teams who created two separate families to ensure they avoided overburdening developing minds.

Of course, the challenge with any production of Sound of Music is "How do you solve a problem like Maria?" - The BBC tried by running their semi-professional reality talent show, but I believe that Darlington Operatic Society have shown the rest how it's really done.  Beth

Stobbard gives a performance which, with closed eyes sounds so much like Julie Andrews that you just have to look hard to make sure it's really Beth's voice - it is, I assure you.  Beth follows the original film version of Maria very closely; she is flighty, headstrong, assured while vulnerable but never slips into the tempting realms of flirty or forward when finally falling in love with Captain Von Trapp (played by my favourite leading actor in the North, Julian Cound).  Her singing is impeccable and, as she has shown in previous DOS productions, she can dance, act and is a very attractive leading lady which any male lead would love to star opposite.

As a family show, it is the songs which everybody knows and loves; the order and settings for some of the standards are different to the film version, leaving some of the audience debating which version they prefer, but they all fit perfectly well in either set of scenarios.  The juxtaposition towards the end of the film, when Nazi Germany invades and begins the Anschluss, coupled with the innocent, traditional song festival, is handled very carefully given that many of the audience were youngsters drawn by Do Re Mi and oblivious to that passage in Austria's history.  They producers don't shy away from creating the feeling of threat and make great use of the whole theatre, raising the tension to palpable levels and thus heightening the sense of relief at the end.

In short, another polished, professional and positively perfect performance by DOS which again makes me very proud to live in Darlington.  There are still some tickets available but they are selling fast - contact the box office for details.

Untold Stories, Ricky Ross Live @ The Sage

Following announcement of the largest Deacon Blue tour in over a decade, front man Ricky Ross has also added his own, intimate & personal tour to the 2013 agenda.  Taking both Deacon Blue standards and Ricky's solo work, the playlist is an eclectic mix of pop, blues and a more political commentary on the modern age but it does nothing to alienate the casual listener, remaining open, honest and accessible.

Ricky has purposefully taken this tour back to it's barebones of simple accompanying guitarist - the focus thus remaining on the music, but he is not so pretentious as to believe that his 'messages' are worthy of total focus, more that they just don't need any of the bells & whistles & over production that could have been too tempting to ignore.  The stage at first seemed very large, but you get drawn by the music and the conversation, as though meeting a long lost friend with whom you realise you still have so much in common; so that by the end of the evening the intimacy is quite startling.  There were many times where I found myself perched right on the edge of my seat, blissfully unaware that I was leaning so far forwards as to be hanging over the seat in front.

The title track of his new album, Trouble Came Looking, is quite conversational; an urban styled tale about the dangers inherent in the appeal of acquisition (“I was just giving my kids the best of all things when trouble came looking for me”) and how steep and slippery the slope into over stretching and debt ridden angst (“don’t just say yes when somebody tells you it’s free”).  There are great comparisons between Ricky's melancholic acceptance of the social ills of our current austere landscape and those of the blues borne from previous depressions (Mid West, Wall Street, Black Thursday) but fear not, this is not a depressing set, it is much more powerful and thought provoking than pitiful wailing and gnashing of teeth.

The album is certainly worth a full listen - the pared down approach to the studio performances sit equally with the live show, so much so that it is refreshing to attend a concert where one and the same feel & sound so alike.  Faves must include "Any Drug Will Do" which has a pseudo chart feel suggesting that in the hands of a dance/pop promoting producer (Norman Cook, Martin Solveig, Calvin Harris) this could easily become an underground radio hit.  At the other end of the culture scale "A Strange & Foreign Land" tugs on the heart strings as an eye witness account of the Morecambe Bay cockle pickers drownings.

Fans of Deacon Blue need not fret; Ricky has not sold his soul to the dark devil of Billy Bragg and Bob Dylan, but he has found another persona with which to weave his stories and take us on journeys.

Most certainly worth finding the album, and, if you're lucky enough to be in a town where the tour is showing, take the night off from whatever you had planned and treat yourself, you'll thank me later.

Importance of Being Earnest 2013 @ Darlington Civic

A wonderfully witty and erudite play from the master of clever words

Set over 3 acts, The Importance of Being Earnest avoids delving into serious social and political issues and instead focuses on the light hearted shenanigans of two London based gents who enjoy living double lives, free to create alter-personas through which they can enact their fantasies safe in the knowledge that they can, at any time, 'kill off' their doppelgangers and revert back to their true characters.  The story however has twists aplenty, coupled with the juxtaposition of both leads wanting to assume an 'Earnest' character to capture the affections of their betrothed but realising that neither is very earnest at all.

We are introduced to John Worthing, who takes the name Earnest for his alter-ego, and learn that he is an abandoned orphan, left in a hand bag in Victoria station.  It is perhaps because of this that he enjoys the anonymity derived from having a London city character and a Hertfordshire country role and 'ne'er the twain shall meet' - that is until he becomes besotted by Gwenoldine and has to wrestle with her affections for 'Earnest' and his desire to tell her the truth.

Enter Algernon, John's best friend, who too enjoys a certain degree of freedom with his personalities.  He learns that John has a pretty ward, Cecily, ensconced in his country house and decides that he must go visit her.  Cecily believes that John is her Uncle Jack and that 'Earnest' is indeed Jacks brother - this is the rouse which John uses to effect his weekend trips to London however for Algernon to pull off his deception he too must become Earnest - confused ?  don't be, all is quite simple as it unfolds.

The play itself leans close to farce at times but always manages, through very clever words and cutting observations, to wrest away from total slapstick and retain the parlance of typical Wildean satire.

As always, The Middle Ground Theatre Company provide stunning set design and a brilliant cast.  While Corrine Wicks and Tom Butcher take lead billing, the whole ensemble deliver masterful portrayals of their characters, firmly held in their social pigeon holes but quite recognisable in today's society.   Lest we not forget it was they who brought us The Holly & The Ivy and On Golden Pond and if you were fortunate to see either or both of those productions then you will certainly enjoy their latest.