Rumours of Fleetwood Mac @ Darlington Civic

Anyone who loves music from the past 40 years will have no doubt enjoyed at least a handful of Fleetwood Mac's songs; from their first hit Albatross right through to the 80's smashes Big Love and Little Lies. Likewise their albums have always managed to deliver on every occasion but the history books will show that it was their eponymous 'Rumours' album that does, and will continue to, stand the test of time as a true classic.  

The songs are masterpieces in their own right but when the story surrounding the band (the in-fighting, love triangles and months of silence) are added there is more than a frisson of extra edge and pathos to the words.  Rumours, and the original live tour to accompany the album, was used by some band members to sarcastically remind others of their infidelities, betrayal and disdain.  I can't see the current crop of 'pop stars' ever having the mastery of English to be able to write such cutting sentiment into such catchy songs.

The show is, in effect, split into 3 parts (although there is only 1 interval); part one is a complete rendition of the Rumours album culminating in a spine tingling rendition of 'The Chain'.  Part two, straight after the break, allows the boys to take the stage and treat us to the more psychedelic repertoire of late 60's prog rock including a jaw dropping version of 'Rattlesnake Shake'. Then part three welcomes the girls back for a final foray into the more recent catalogue, ending with an almost tribal immersion in 'Tusk'.

The musical prowess of all on stage is simply mesmerising whilst the vocals and  harmonies are pitch perfect to the originals.  Louise Rogan as Stevie Nicks delivers sheer power and presence which defies the laws of physics from such a small frame while Amanda Kostadinov is as sultry and seductive as Christine McVie has ever been.  Alan Hughes takes the Lyndsey Buckingham role with the perfect blend of amazing guitar and punchy vocals backed by James Harrison on iconic basslines (he stole the first half with The Chain's middle refrain).  Ben Hughes, a mere baby compared to the rest of the cast brings a real blues feel to his guitar playing and is the perfect foil to the wonderful trance-inducing keyboards of the legendary Mr Dave Goldberg (whose performance is a great reason to have him age-tested - no way did someone so active & sprightly play keyboards on Radio 1 in the late 1960's).

If you look in any music press listings you will find many tribute bands covering almost all the big name acts from the 60's and 70's - The Counterfeit Stones, The Bootleg Beatles, Abbaesque, the Pink Floyd Experience but I challenge any of them to be as good as Rumours; in fact I will go so far as to say they would rival the original Fleetwood Mac if someone could ever get them on the same stage.

Fallen Angels @ Darlington Civic

Deliciously risque and hilariously naughty

Crowe and Seagrove provide comedy gold

Last night saw the opening of Noel Cowards Fallen Angels at Darlington Civic Theatre and provided for the almost sell out audience a real tonic in this damp and cold February.  Looking through the history books, this play was first performed back in 1925 at the Globe, to which reviews commented that it was "..vulgar, disgusting, outrageous, shocking, nauseating, obscene and degenerate" - scant praise indeed and yet despite, or perhaps because of, such feedback Fallen Angels was a resounding success, a success which on current form it will be repeating again almost 90 years later.

Built on the themes of infidelity, sexual liberation, equality and more than a touch of disregard for the social expectations of the time, Noel Coward's peak under the bed clothes of 20's high society is full of his trademark word play and erudite observations, but it is the visual humour which elevates this performance into the annals of greatness and provides one of the funniest evenings this wonderful theatre has seen for many years.

The premise is quite a simple one; two ladies, who, before marrying, were both in love with the same exotic Frenchman; a love which they had consigned to their misty eyed, rose coloured past, whilst they duly followed convention and married perfectly honourable (if somewhat boring) English gents. Then, 14 years later and completely out of the blue, they both receive a postcard from 'Monsieur Amor' announcing that he is to visit and with this simple correspondence old passions are aflame, jealousies aroused and dreams resurface.

 The leading ladies, Jenny Seagrove and Sara Crowe both have tremendous pedigrees for the variety and depth of roles they have played, and whilst this is neither's first foray into comedy, their impeccable timing and physical dexterity (bordering on slapstick) showed that both are amazingly adept at creating belly laughs from mere glances.  I warn anyone going to see this that the last 15 minutes of the 1st act will have you literally gasping for breath, bereft of ribs and pleading for the curtain to fall and the chance to regain some sense of dignity, not to mention a reappraisal of the stage power of a pineapple.  The second act continues with both ladies seeking to gain an advantage over the other whilst trying not to betray their own passions until the climax, when, as both husbands begin to realise they may have been duped, Monsieur Duclos arrives to add a Gallic frisson to proceedings.  Philip Battley who plays the suave & debonair Frenchman was wonderful, a cameo mix of Maurice Chevalier and English Cad Terry Thomas and whose entrance, late in the play, was met with many appreciative gasps from the ladies in the audience.

Whilst the setting may be 1920's London, the cleverness of the play and the perfection of the acting make this quite timeless; lets face it,  sex, love, passion and champagne know no boundaries.