Cinderella Panto @ Darlington Civic

Panto season again at the Civic means madcap fun, classic entertainment and the chance to watch one of the funniest men on the stage.  This year’s offering of Cinderella dishes up the treats like a festive selection box – you know what to expect, you know you like ‘em all and too much might just leave you feeling a little queasy (from laughing so much)

The script for panto Cinders is pretty stable fayre; the story, the jokes and the finale are all time honored and rarely does a production dare to stray.  How they can introduce some uniqueness and originality is through the star casting, the musical numbers, the use of current tech and usually with some good old fashioned slapstick – to this end Darlington’s’ festive fun stands strong on its own.

Playing the title role is the beautiful Ashleigh Butler, a young lady who deserves top billing on her own but who is always shadowed by her furry friend Pudsey.  Make no bones about it, Ashleigh can sing, dance and act as good as any other Cinders but it is the little canine companion who draws the ‘aws’ every time he appears and never seemed fazed by the noise, the laughter and the occasional faux pas from the two legged cast members.

Playing opposite Ashleigh is Matt Edwards as Buttons – her love-struck bff who is so desperately in love with her that he will even help Prince Charming find her despite knowing that when he does they will surely marry.  How to sum up Matt Edwards ?  The best accolade I can give is that if they ever wanted to remake the fabulous and famous Norman Wisdom movies then Matt is without a doubt the best person to play the perpetual underdog; his timing is impeccable, his style and mannerisms uncannily like Sir Norman and his ability to disarm any situation and return it to its funniest core is worthy of a show all of his own.  He is adept at party magic, can throw his voice and has the athletic poise to deliver plenty of pratfalls (even when he doesn’t mean to).  His scene in the forest where he attempts to intervene between Prince Charming and Cinders is delivered with the same impact, tearful laughter and gasping for breath worthy of the best silent movie comics, whilst his leading of a total slapstick rendition of “12 days of Christmas” should be shown on TV every day in December as a remedy for pre-Christmas stress. 

The usual panto stalwarts and objects of derision, the ugly step sisters, are played by regional favorites Danny Potts and Phil Corbitt whose personalities are only beaten for size by their dresses and hairdos.  Danny & Phil have built a great repartee and are obviously very comfortable with their return to the Civic; indeed some of the jokes weren’t so much close to the knuckle as being right down to the bone but it certainly gave the adults a little extra to giggle at.

This year’s standout moment is the rather ingenious and unique way in which Cinders makes her way to the ball; I won’t spoil the surprise suffice it to say that those with an appreciation of Greek mythology will find it mesmerising.

The only disappointment of the evening was the introduction of Dooby Duck and gang as a mid-show interlude.  Sadly, the prospect of a load of animal based marionettes playing to a rather convoluted soundtrack of stereotypical pop music completely killed any momentum which the preceding merriment had built and left the majority of the younger audience sat in baffled silence while the adults started to fidget nervously, daring themselves to maybe check their phones for a quick football update or a status refresh on Facebook.   This show wasn’t that good when it was new (in the 60’s/70’s) but today, in the age of hi-tech 3d graphics, shadow imaging and computer generated projections it just can’t connect to the audience.  Happily tho, it is soon back to the bright lights and zany laughter as we rush headlong towards the grand finale and the chance to marvel at the choreography and wonderful dancing of the Joanne Banks Dancers.

So, as always, if you want a fabulous evening packed with laughter that is guaranteed to start your run to Christmas in the best way possible then get yourself to the Civic, plonk yourself down, strap up your ribs tight and enjoy Matt, Ashleigh, Danny, Phil and of course, Pudsey.  You’ll love it, oh yes you will.

The Full Monty @ Darlington Civic

Over the years there have been a myriad of theatre shows which have been borne from successful movies; Flashdance, Footloose, Sister Act, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Kinky Boots to name but a few. Usually they are ‘adapted for stage’ which means recognising the constraints of limited scene changes, streamlining dialogue to keep the pacing fresh or losing the copyright permissions to use original soundtracks, and because of this, many people are left feeling a short changed that they’re not seeing their beloved movie made flesh.  The Full Monty bucks this trend completely; the original screen treatment was written by Simon Beaufoy, in fact it was his first screenplay, and it is Simon who has penned this stage production; with it he has retained all the humour, the pathos, the punchlines and the politics that made the original the global smash hit. 

The story hasn’t aged at all; due in part to the fact that, despite the bawling hysterics of the hordes of hen parties who regularly attend desperate to catch a glimpse of the naked male form, it is a story about life, love, families and relationships, but also, more sadly, because the economic and political climate of the Thatcherite 80’s is in danger of coming back to haunt us again – for Sheffield Steel now read Redcar or Doncaster or Motherwell.  It is a very British trait that allows us to sympathise with men who have had their livelihoods removed with very little scope on the horizon but then to laugh at them clinging hopelessly to the routines of the 9-5 by visiting the park or the bus shelter; I know personally how demoralising and emasculating being out of work can be but deep down we don’t lose our sense of humour, even if the object of the jokes become ourselves.

The story, for anyone who has lived in a cave for the past 30 years, is about a group of steel workers in Sheffield who, having been made redundant 6 months ago, reach desperation in both financial and emotional terms.  Driven by a need to show he can provide for his son, Gaz (brilliantly played by Gary Lucy) has tried every route to raise some cash (all of which are dubious to say the least) until he stumbles on a Chippendales night at the local club and realises that there is a huge market for male strippers.  Of course, the Chippendales are all Adonis’s – toned and tanned, whilst Gaz’s gang are normal blokes, a mix of middle age, middle of the road and middle England but what they lack in physique they more than match in guts and self-depreciation.    Realising that they need an extra hook to attract the punters, Gaz decides that, for one night only, they will perform ‘The Full Monty’ – stripped down to nothing but a hat and a smile and so begins their hilarious and touching training and practise.

The set for this show is possibly the most imaginative, visually stunning and complex I’ve seen here at the Civic – it resembles the interior of the steel works, complete with 7 tonne blue crane (nicknamed Lady Maggie), loading bays and security gangway.  Flown into this are a series of extra scenes which make up the Conservative & Labour Clubs, the Job centre, the park and the rear alleyways, all of which are brilliantly designed and expertly installed.

As mentioned earlier, the soundtrack remains true to the movie – the main theme, a lilting reggae/ska hook written in a minor key is ever present whilst the dance routines are performed to the strains of Wilson Pickett, Donna Summer, Hot Chocolate, James Brown and, of course, Sir Tom Jones’ “You can leave your hat on”.

The cast too are very close to the original movie and this ensures that the dynamics, so crucial to bringing more than just slapstick belly laughs, are easily recognisable.  Gaz’s calorie-challenged best mate is perfectly played by Martin Miller, on the front of it a funny fat lad but with plenty of insecurities underneath making his self-depreciation all too real.  The timeless Louis Emerick plays Horse and it’s a real treat to see him live on stage, he’s got expert comedic timing and is no stranger to dance moves either.  Baby faced Bobby Schofield plays Lumper, the half hearted suicidist who finds himself drawn to Guy, the toned & tanned surfer dude to which Rubert Hill brings his ‘super-sized’ talent !.  For this performance Nathan, Gaz’s son, was played by Ewan Phillips – Ewan was brilliant, held his own amongst the adult stars, displayed fantastic comedy timing and certainly didn’t hold back when given the chance to enjoy the banter with Lucy.  Completing the men’s line up is Andrew Dunn, one of the UKs finest comedy actors and a stalwart of TV & stage, in this he plays the lads former foreman who, like them, has been out of work for months but has yet to even tell his wife, scared of what she will say but also scared of her continued spending.

In all, whilst this show continues to attract a 95% female audience, it is not a show about male strippers (although the final number doesn’t fail to deliver) – it is a story about friendship, hardship, despair, sexual equality, impotence, suicide and the resolve of the human spirit – not normal ingredients for a feel-good musical but boy does it work – just remember to bring your hankies. 

Brave New World @ Darlington Civic

Is this our real life, is this just fantasy?

Aldous Huxley wrote Brave New World in 1930 and set it in 2540, and whilst its themes were, for the time of original publication, rather fantastical, the warnings he cleverly cloaked in the futuristic science fiction are today more relevant and worrying than ever before.  His portrayal of the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’ , of recognising, ney classifying ,the population into units of function and the acceptance that ‘the state’ can, through a utilitarian approach, decide what is best for everyone is so close to today’s western society that he was either extremely farsighted or a soothsayer to rival Nostradamus.  The blinkered and unerring belief by our current government that their austerity measures are the ONLY way to progress is all but Huxley’s new world made real, save for the fact that we have yet to enjoy the use & overuse of Soma – the wonder drug of ‘pleasure’ and compliance.

Oft read by students of modern literacy, beatnicks and wannabe social commentators alike, Brave New World has, for the most part, resisted an effective translation to the stage;  that is until Dawn King, together with James Dacre and the Touring Consortium Theatre Company embarked on reminding everyone just how powerful and disturbingly brilliant this modern classic is.

Set in the future, there was always a temptation to overplay the ‘tomorrows world’ part of Huxley’s vision, yet, to King’s credit, she has ensured that everything is instantly recognisable to today's culture; people are classified by their education, their breeding and their usefulness – whilst modern medicine and research are not quite ready to mass produce embryos to order, the technology and, in many circles, the desire most certainly exists.  Likewise, having a state that actively promotes the pursuit of material happiness while allowing an over-dependence on prescription medication (ie Antibiotics, anti-depressants and general analgesics)  is readily assimilated into the thoughts and feelings conditioning which forms the bedrock of the 2540 future state.

Under Dacre’s expert directing, we are constantly feeling that, as observers of this new world, we would never let things get this bad and yet we have, we do and no doubt we will continue to – as is so poignantly explained it is the ‘ice berg’ society – the elite sit above the water while 8 ninths work furiously below the surface to keep them afloat.  Coupled with some brilliant soundtracking by These New Puritans who bring a delicious and heady mix very reminiscent of Brian Eno, Tangerine Dream, The Orb and my favourite, Wendy Carlos, the overall effect is like the unwritten upper class side of Anthony Burgess’s A Clockwork Orange – a sort of what happened next once Alex & Dim and the gang were rounded up and dispatched to an island.

Gruffudd Glyn, as Bernard Marx wrestles perfectly with his deep seated desire to ‘fit in’, to comply, to meet the expected social norm within this Brave New World, and yet, as a class pariah, he really knows that it is only through good luck that he still holds a higher cast status – the Director and many of his acquaintance view him as a bit of a freak and certainly not one of the pure form they subscribe to.  People are created in labs, to order and are genetically programmed so that, once grown they will fulfil their place in the class tree – there is no place for feelings, free thought or even dreams.  Besotted with Lenina (Olivia Morgan) he happens on a chance to take her to the outside, an opportunity to witness first hand the ‘savages’ or classless outcasts who still hold sway to the old ways of thinking; religion, superstition and family values.  Whilst on this trip, they find an ex-lover of the Director and, more importantly, his bastard adult son, John (William Postlewaite) whom he never knew existed.  Believing this would grant him an exalted status and give chance to undertake a social experiment akin to a futuristic Pygmalion , Bernard persuades them to return to the new world with him & Lenina.

What transpires is a conflict between Johns supposed savage ways (he is well versed in poetry, Shakespeare and philosophy) and society’s desire to control, to conform and to suppress individuality – the feelings & emotions run very high as he is first touted a cause celebre, then mocked for not following the norm and finally cast out as a savage heathen, his ideals in ruins and his hope that society would be a better place completely smashed.  The ending, though rather swift in the telling, leaves a very deep feeling of unease – more so because writers, directors and film-makers keep issuing these warnings and yet we, as mankind, keep ignoring them – think King Kong, ET, the fore-mentioned Clockwork Orange, all of which show that the ruling classes believe that control is the only way for progression.  Even once the tragic end is done, we are returned back to the original start, the process must continue and the lessons, scarcely realised, are never learned.

Huxley’s take on a future world was originally a sci-fi piece with a nod to potential social commentary, now it almost reads like a joint editorial from the Lancet and The New Statesman.  This production is by far the most powerful and entertaining  piece of theatre seen this year; every school child should be made to watch it lest we hope that they will not make the same mistakes of the generations that come before them.

The Importance of Being Earnest 2015 @ Darlington Civic

A wonderfully witty and erudite play from the master of clever words given a new and highly entertaining twist.

There are many examples of the ‘play within a play’ style of production; some, like ‘The Woman in Black’, use it as a narrative retelling, others, like ‘Peter Pan Goes Wrong’ use it to justify a farcical and somewhat madcap mashup of a familiar tale.  For this version of The Importance of Being Earnest, the ideal is used to couch the well known and much loved Oscar Wilde play within the confines of an amateur theatre group whose own traditions appear to be even more deep rooted than the original.

Brilliantly imagineered (and yes, that is a word, made up by the Disney Corporation but I’m having it now) by Lucy Bailey, the fictitious Bunbury Company of Players have performed the play so many times that they no longer treat it with the reverence oft reserved for Wilde’s work and instead demonstrate that familiarity indeed does breed contempt.  The curtain rises, not on the plush London home scene of John Worthing, but on the cast & crew of the Bunburians hurriedly readying themselves for final dress rehearsals.  There are many in-jokes, some based on Wilde’s prose but many  seemingly on previous years’ performances to which we, the audience, have not been privy – fear not however as these jokes play so heavily on the stereotypical theatre ‘types’ that they are still heartily funny.

Pitching the performance within the guise of the amateur group’s production allows total freedom with the casting; knowing as we do that the cast are all long term statesmen of the Banbury Company we are no longer expecting John or Algernon to be the 30-something men about town, nor do we insist that Gwendoline and Cecily are innocent, fresh-faced young ladies (although I’m positive the beautiful Christine Kavanagh could easily pass for 18 any day of the week).  Through very clever scripting there is thus a subtext of additional humour derived from these clear diversions from the original character profiles which gives a delicious overlay of extra fun.

Of course, most people coming to see The Importance of Being Earnest are already knowing of its story - 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.  With 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, it is the quintessential piece of Wilde’s social commentary.

It is wonderful to see such stage & screen luminaries as Nigel Havers, Martin Jarvis, Rosalind Ayres, Nigel Anthony, Carmen Du Sautoy and the irrepressible Sian Phillips on stage at Darlington Civic; a collective worthy of gracing any theatre in the country and one which, simply to observe them at work is worth the ticket price alone.

South Pacific by Darlington Operatic Society @ Darlington Civic

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 a strong, powerful, confident bachelor with a long established routine and an 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.

Darlington Operatic Society again shows why it is the region's greatest amateur production company – the strength in depth that they have throughout their cast & crew must make many professional companies green with envy.  The sets make clever use of the depth of the stage without ever feeling that they are cluttered yet manage to give a great sense of both the expanse of the Pacific coupled with the claustrophobia of a tiny area far from the mainland.

For most who know this show, there are the key standout parts against which any performer will be judged – Nellie Forbush, Emile De Becque, Lt Cable, Liat, Bloody Mary and SeaBee Billis are arguably the main protagonists on whom the audience will be focussed.  Kat Flynn takes on Nellie with a brilliant mid-south accent and a delightful mix of girly charm and womanly knowhow.  Kat is a much accomplished dancer, actor and singer and this role gives her a wonderful canvass on which to display all her talents.  Even when faced with a tumbling coffee pot she never missed a beat and is able to sing beautifully in character with her American vowels ringing loud and true.  It is rare to find Nellie being played by such a genuinely lovely leading lady, often they have a great voice but struggle to portray the vulnerability of a home and love sick woman thousands of miles away from her comfort zone and for this I think that Kat is the best Nellie I have seen.

Playing opposite Kat is Julian Cound, now one of DOS’s elder statesmen (tho only in comparison to the majority of the cast) and, as they say, with age comes experience, wisdom and calm authority.  He glides through the role with complete assuredness and delivers the now much expected virtuoso solos in Some Enchanted Evening and This Nearly was Mine.  There is much made in the story of the age difference between Nellie and Emile so it was expert casting to ensure this element remained very believable in the two leads.

As mentioned earlier, when R & H wrote this tale the world was a different place where the act of racial stereotypes was not viewed with the same indignation as it is today.  The image of a domineering local woman who will do anything to please the temporary islanders whilst trying to make as much money as possible is not necessarily alien to the current world, but their characterisation of Bloody Mary leaves a less than pleasant taste in the mouth –she does, after all, try to sell/marry off her (very) young daughter and thinks nothing of allowing some ‘pre-marital relations’.  To make this role fit with the feeling of the time without becoming a parody of itself is not an easy task – Mary has to deliver both admiration and repulsion and as such Zoe Kent deserves great credit – we’ve seen from previous productions that Zoe can sing & dance with the best of them but it took only a few minutes on stage for the audience to be drawn towards this character like rubberneckers passing a motorway accident.  Mary is not a nice person, even her delivery of Happy Talk, for many an innocent song of childish rhymes, is laced with the undercurrent of ‘selling off’ her daughter and trying to persuade Lt Cable to agree to the marriage; Zoe brings out this dark side of Mary perfectly.

Michael Hirst, as Lt Joe Cable, is, once again, the chisel chinned hunk of the show, and, for this one, the ladies get to see a lot more of Michael than they have ever before – he keeps Joe distant and quite aloof throughout, never relaxed with either the Seabees or the Officers and always giving the impression that he’s lost without a real purpose until his final mission is approved.  Often, Lt Cable is played as an older guy but it works so much better having a young 20-something to give him the confused, frustrated edge borne from being plunged into the war at such a young and tender age.  Michael manages to maintain this reservedness even when playing directly opposite Zoe Birkbeck (as Liat, Mary’s daughter) – he resists the loutish, over-the-top behaviours the other Seabees display when the girls run by and seems almost embarrassed that Mary pushes them together.  I have to say that this is by far the best acting I’ve seen for years – how someone can feign indifference when being ‘offered’ the beautiful Zoe B must surely rival the acting greats.

The Seabees, led by antics if not by rank by Luther Billis, constantly provide the backdrop onto which the two love stories are projected.  Billis, played by Ben Connor, is the clown, the ring leader, the gang master and yet still has the sensibility to recognise when Nellie is obviously feeling fragile & vulnerable.  Ben has grown over the years from an accomplished singer & dancer to a genuinely funny guy with great comic timing, perfect delivery and an amazing style in bikini tops and grass skirts – it is a like a guarantee of laughs when you see his name on the cast list.  The rest of the Seabees is made from the DOS Boys who are becoming renowned as a comic group in their own right; their mix of characters, styles and vocal abilities (including the amazing bass tones of Ethan Hurworth) has given them a collective identity which could easily transfer into their own comedy sketch show.

Of course, the musical score for South Pacific is one of the best known of all of R & H’s and the sweeping orchestral overtures are expertly conducted and directed by Michael Trotter, for whom this is his final DOS production.  Michael has been instrumental (every pun intended) in bringing the successes that DOS have enjoyed over the past 19 years – it has been Michael’s passion and dedication that has enabled DOS to reach ever upwards, to stretch themselves and to dare to dream of putting on bigger and more ambitious shows, for without the music there can be no musical.  Not only has Michael been responsible for assembling and conducting the live orchestras, but he has also scored the vocal parts and taught complex harmonies for leads and choir alike.

It was very evident when looking around the theatre that a South Pacific audience has a clearly defined demographic – its story and setting doesn’t immediately appeal to the younger theatre goer brought up on Sister Act, Hairspray, Footloose or the Full Monty and yet, due in the main to the excellent DOS production, it is easily worth the ticket price regardless of your age.

South Pacific is on show at Darlington Civic Theatre until Saturday 31^st October.

Blood Brothers Page 2 Stage

I think most people know the story of the Johnson twins …… Willy Russell’s timeless tale of the paths twin brothers lives take when separated only to find fate keeping them together.  It was originally written to be performed within a very intimate setting, often in the round, and certainly without elaborate sets, staging and music.  Since its humble beginnings, it has played to hundreds of thousands and gone from a small story about class and superstition to a full blown modern opera regularly attracting the biggest names in musical theatre.  For sure, people enjoy the headliners; Marti Pellow, Maureen Nolan, Niki Evans are the most recent to tour the nations largest and grandest theatres, but it is when the story returns to its origins, played by a young cast and on a pared down stage that the emotion and power are unquestionable.  For this production, the Village Hall in Eaglescliffe was the venue and the brilliant Page2Stage Performing Arts group were the headliners.

Right from the beginning, the characters felt 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 were spot on, never dropping into parody or becoming comical and, with a sparse set, the focus remained solely on the actors; you didn’t need an elaborate backdrop, nor did you need clever and complicated lighting arrangements, the cast transported you into both the humble terrace and the fancy posh house through simple, brilliant story telling - I swear you could almost smell and taste coal fire smoke and street dust. 

For this production the main roles were double cast – often this is to allow more of the cast to lead and enjoy the thrill of being centre stage, but certainly in professional productions, this simply means two different people playing the same part, same lines and same characterisations.  Not for Page2Stage – the double casting for Blood Brothers tapped into each actors’ strengths and, through the brilliance of Director Kelly, the two shows had very distinctly different feelings.  Sadly, two of the leads for Saturday night were unable to perform (due to illness and an untimely coming together of head and wall).  This meant there was some very last minute re-staging required yet, in total professionalism, there wasn’t a dropped line, cue or beat throughout.

Night one, with Matty Dickens as Micky and Jacob Lynch as Eddie had a very young and youthful approach – the story was very much about two childhood friends whose lives take separate paths, one up, the other down, who then meet again with very different outlooks on life.  Recognising that their once inseparable friendship had run its course, Micky shuns all Eddie’s offers of help and eventually resents his once blood brother’s happiness.  Despite Jacob having rehearsed for the 2^nd night casting and not previously played opposite Matty, the two lads had great chemistry – the early childish pranks were just like best friends’ scrapes whilst the later frustrations had a feeling of sad resolve that comes with losing a friend. 

Matty’s portrayal of the young Micky, complete with pretend shooting, hero worship of his elder brother Sammy (wonderfully played both nights by Fraser Belton as the edgy bully who surrounds himself with younger, impressionable kids) and his awkward attempts at courting Linda were perfectly angst forming. He was just a normal lad, happy in his own skin and content to follow the paths of others before him and Matty has that natural, boyish charm which makes him so believable.  As he suffers knock back after knock back he struggles to understand why the world is against him;  Matty avoids the temptation to have Micky over analyse his fate and instead look for the easier targets to blame; Eddie, Linda, his Mum, life itself – and so it is a quite young man who lies dead in the final scene.

Micky on Sunday was played by Kane Smith and boy did Kane take this role into the darkside – his early Micky still had the boyish fun, innocent yet naughty but he was able to really accentuate Micky’s subsequent descent into self, and world, loathing.  In the full story, Micky becomes paranoid, depressed, manic, reliant on prescription medication and self-destructive and whilst the script was abridged to remove some of the more adult scenes Kane kept the intensity and utter despair rarely seen in even the most professional performances.  His refusal to accept Linda’s unconditional love was heart-breaking and gave the final scene the tear-jerking emotion the show is famous for.

Jacob, as Eddie, brilliantly brought the counterpoint to Micky’s street smarts – he was foppish, innocent, aloof, unsure of himself and obviously protected from the real world by his paranoid mother.  Through the progression from 7 (almost 8) year old to university student, company owner and eventually councillor Jacob ensured that Eddie never loses the feeling that this just isn’t him, he’s still Micky’s friend from the old days and can’t understand why his desire to help is always rebuffed.  Jacob is wonderfully adept at responding to his opposite cast; having rehearsed with one Micky he adapted expertly to the other and never lost the connections between the 2 brothers.

I think the character of Linda is the hardest to play in the whole show – Linda goes from tomboy to lovestruck teenager to newly-wed young mother to widow all in the space of just over an hour and it is testament to both Linda's – Jessica Bayley on Saturday and Alicia Percy on Sunday – that you were never in doubt that you were watching the life of this young woman start, form and then be ripped apart.  Just how either Mickey could take so long to get with such attractive Linda's must be down to brilliant acting (and no little resolve) not to mention that Jessica has a mean right hook which Matty’s left cheek can play testimony to. 

The boys’ mother, Mrs Johnson, was played on both nights by Florence MacMahon and, as the glue that holds the whole story together, Florence was amazing.  Mrs J opens the show and in that one scene has to set the backstory, the current predicament, show the desire to get out of her current life and demonstrate that, despite being on hard times, she will do anything to make her children happy. Florence, like many of the cast, has an uncanny ability to visibly age on stage without any change in makeup or costume, her acting moves her from young mum to concerned confidante to destroyed parent and was a powerful and moving performance.

Mrs Lyons, Eddie’s ‘adopted’ mum, was played by Chloe Handley on Saturday and Penny Eastbury on Sunday.  Both girls approached the role differently and this, as mentioned earlier, helped to cement the double casting approach.  Chloe was wonderful as the upper middle class housewife and showed Mrs Lyons’ obsession on portraying the ‘proper’ social etiquette when in reality knowing that it is only her husband’s money on which her standing is built. Chloe had a clever way of having Mrs Lyons talk very calmly and yet being quite animated; a trait that many people who are begging for acceptance use and this gave her version of Mrs L a fragile desperation to keep hold of what she’s got.

Penny’s portrayal of Mrs Lyons was that of a woman very confident in her own standing, her husband was fortunate to have her at home and as such whatever she wants she gets.  She had an edge which said “get in the way and I will hurt you” , a real snobbish view of the world and this extended to her willingness to break up Micky & Linda if it meant retaining her status quo – in fact it is her actions that creates the juxtaposition resulting in the death of both boys – if she hadn’t been so obsessed with Mrs Johnson and Micky being near her (and her previous association with and reliance on the lower classes) she would have allowed nature to take its course without ever needing to get involved.

Of course, anyone who has seen the show will know that there is an undercurrent of superstition and impending doom throughout, ably provided by the narrator.  This character constantly reminds us that this is not a nice, simple tale of family values, that there bargains have been made and debts need to be paid.  The standout performance in both shows was by Ollie Mawson who took this role and totally made it his own.  Ollie belies his tender age to give a truly mesmerising performance, even as he walks slowly onto stage behind the main cast he has all eyes on him as we await his next prophetic soliloquy – mean, menacing and with an evil enjoyment in his work.

The rest of the cast were made up by the ensemble, all of whom were mark & cue perfect and ensured that the story never dropped in pace or intensity. Maya Darley, Harriet Claydon, Luca Howlett and Alfie Lovett gave the richness of ensemble normally associated with a much larger group.  This meant that, whilst the showtime was just over an hour, it never felt that this was Blood Brothers ‘Lite’, nor did the abridgements detract from the story, the emotion or the sense of having just been told a great story.

Page 2 Stage Performing Arts group is a creative youth theatre, not just  a ‘drama club’.  The group is about raising students confidence and self belief through a learning process that encompasses all elements of the arts, with a slightly stronger focus on drama. In the past they have looked at a range of different genres and has incorporated filmmaking, dancing, singing and improvised theatre in performances  as well as scriptwriting. The primary aim of the group is to provide a safe environment which allows the students to grow as individuals and gain confidence in themselves through the arts.  They are always looking for new members – visit their Facebook page for more details - 

https://www.facebook.com/Page2stagePerformingArts/info/?tab=overview

The Merry Wives of Windsor by The Castle Players @ Bowes Museum

Bowes Museum, the magnificent French styled palace just outside Barnard Castle, plays host this year to the UK’s first exhibition of fashion designer and pioneer Yves St Laurent.  Guaranteed to draw crowds from all over the UK and beyond, the YSL show – Style is Eternal -  has already piqued the interest of  VIPs and fashionistas alike but this isn’t the only production at Bowes with such a far reaching appeal destined to play out to capacity crowds.  The Castle Players, the premier al-fresco production company bring their summer show to the museum grounds and guarantee to give as unique and ground-breaking an experience as the Algerian/French fashion designer himself.

The Merry Wives of Windsor, Shakespeare’s bawdy comedy written in the early 16 hundreds and set in & around the castle of the same name (rather than pertaining to the family name) is this year’s offering by the much awarded and truly dedicated cast and crew. Bringing back to centre stage, Shakespeare resurrects Falstaff, the larger than life, womanising philanderer with a waistline only shadowed by his ego, to play linchpin to this typical comedy tale of cross and double cross.  In his oft deluded state, the portly knight believes that his appeal to the fairer sex is impossible to deny and he merely needs to cast an eye their way to have them swooning and fawning.  In need of money to maintain his extravagant lifestyle, Falstaff hatches a plan to woo and seduce the wives of 2 wealthy men, blackmail them for their silence and steal all their wealth.  Of course, the audience know all too well that Falstaff is regularly played at his own game with his ego being laid out before him, destined to trip and tumble back to his rightful place at the foot of the inn keeper.

This new approach, directed by Mary Stastny, sets the tale in the Edwardian era, with the introduction of streetwalkers, inn girls, suffragettes and even a motorised tram car.  It is testament to the writing of The Bard that his style, prose and in particular storylines are so readily transported to a more modern setting with little lost in terms of both character or plot.  The introduction of some ‘traditional’ bar songs bring the tale into the musical hall and helps serve to engage the audience further.

What is always a favourite aspect of watching the Castle Players is the ease at which the cast deliver their parts; not only are they consummate professionals in their approach to learning and understanding the script, but they are so relaxed with each other that should there be a slight slip or deviation from the plan then they embrace it (and each other) – there are no airs and graces here, the 4^th wall is more a loosely constructed picket fence through which the audience is encouraged to peek.

Stand out performances must start with the Portly Knight himself – Falstaff, played with total abandon by Gordon Duffy-McGhie.  Gordon was brilliant; lecherous, conniving, self-centred and totally deluded in his own self importance.  The two ‘wives’ – Mistress Ford (Marzia Aloisio) and Mistress Page (Jill Cole) were equally beautiful and alluring and yet held the newly found strength and confidence befitting the ‘modern’ woman of the early 20^th Century.   Sean Mitchell, as Abraham Slender, showed again his fabulous character acting – he seems able to immerse himself in any role and I’m sure there were many in the audience who, like me, would expect to see a lot more of Sean in the coming years.  Special mention to Steven Bainbridge – not only has Steven arranged and directed all the music, but had to sit at the Garter Inn piano throughout the whole performance – not easy to stay there in the rain and cold and still get his fingers to keep moving.

This is the first summer production to be directed by Mary Stastny  As many of her predecessors have learned through experience, sitting in March & April planning an outdoor summer production is oft done with the rose tinted expectations of long balmy evenings, temperatures still holding in the low 20’s and the ground giving back its stored heat of the day. The ambition to create the best possible production, to include a few more scenes, an extra song or two or to be less critical in the abridging of a few monologues (and let’s face it, Shakespeare loved his pages and pages of monologues) can take over from the reality that many of the audience will have been sat from before 7 and won’t get to leave until gone 11pm.  The British summer can never be relied upon as seen by last night’s performance which was played out in rain, a cool breeze and, by the time of the 45 minute interval, temperatures in single figures. Sadly this is not unique for our summers so maybe there needed to be a more pragmatic understanding that whilst the intent to showcase all the director’s skills was admirable, less is more – cold and tired hands don’t tend to applaud for too long.

The Castle Players production of The Merry Wives of Windsor is on at Bowes Museum until Saturday – parking for the next few nights is not available at the museum itself but will be open at the adjacent school.  Bring a picnic for the interval, a cushion for your bum and a blanket for your knees and settle down to watch another wonderful performance by one of the UKs best Shakespeare companies.

Ghost Train @ Darlington Civic

Written in 1923 by Dad’s Army regular Arnold Ridley, this talking Scarlet production brings to the stage a wonderful glimpse into yesteryear which, through the clever setting and brilliant acting, never feels dated or twee – it is a perfect pastiche of 1920’s Britain with a cross section of society placed into a very natural situation with very supernatural undertones .  Over the years The Ghost Train has been billed as a horror, thriller, crime, tragi-comedy and even forerunner to the Scooby Doo style method of final twist, but I like to think of it as a perfectly timeless piece of storytelling – it would be equally at home being told round a camp fire as it is in a theatre (or even on film as the 1941 Arthur Askey version).

When a group of mismatched train passengers are stranded at a rural station overnight, they soon hear of a sinister local legend telling of a ghostly train that passes through the area, ever since a terrible accident 43 years ago. Anyone who happens to gaze upon the train will face death and disaster. When the station master is suddenly found murdered, and when a disturbed young girl arrives from the local mental hospital, the 6 passengers are thrown into further panic when they hear the roar of the approaching ghost train...

Talking Scarlet productions never fail to bring together brilliant casting which perfectly fit into the roles, enhancing the story with chemistry and believably and suspending the ‘where have I seen them before’.  Led by the irrepressible Jeffrey Holland as Saul, the station master, the strength on stage and the ease in which each actor immerses themselves into their role means there is little need to take the audience through character identification.   Instead we can get straight into the story. 

The ever-perfect Corrinne Wicks and Ben Roddy play Elsie and Richard Winthrop; a 2^nd time married couple who have hit a rough patch.  Elsie strives to convince everyone, but mostly herself, that she is still a strong and independent woman, despite Richard being a very dominant, yet caring, husband.  Corrine plays these parts with such integrity (she was previously at Darlington in The Holly & The Ivy in a similar role) and, despite her obvious successes in Emmerdale and Doctors, it is on the stage that you can truly appreciate her craft and skills (not to mention her beauty).

Newly wed young love birds Charles (Chris Sheridan) and Peggy (Sophie Powles) Murdock are desperately trying to get to Truro for their first night as a married couple so the inconvenience of this enforced stopover is much felt by both, though for slightly different reasons.  Always aware of his duty as new husband, Charles wants to lead, to challenge, to seek out the truth but still falls back to put a protective arm round the shoulders of his blushing bride.  For this, Sheridan is brilliant – torn between the machismo of youth and yet emulating Richard’s more mature approach to husbandry, he portrays the turmoil of now having another to protect perfectly.

Despite the aforementioned couples providing most of the action, it is Tom Butcher, as Teddie Deakin, who is the linchpin.  Previously seen here playing the twins in talking Scarlet’s Double Death (and giving the best performance of the year), Butcher gives another masterclass in character acting – this time as a foppish, hooray Henry who seemingly takes everything with a pinch of childish wonder and never appears to grasp the gravity of the situation.  He is very reminiscent of Michael Palin in some of his Monty Python roles, but even more so of Palins cameos in Terry Gilliam’s Time Bandits.  Of course, with every good thriller, things are never quite what they seem and Teddie proves that you should never judge a book by its cover.

As the story is set in the 1920’s there are some cultural references, and indeed the crux of the reveal, which are dated, though not out-dated.  You need to allow yourself to step back into this time to fully appreciate the writing but I believe that the best ghost and thriller stories are set in the early part of the 20^th century – the world was breaking free from a class driven society giving rise to both legit and somewhat dubious entrepreneurial endeavours.

Backed by great performances throughout, a large degree of humour (not comedy) and a claustrophobic set, the story rattles along like the titular mode of transport and yet time itself seems to pass immeasurably slow with the whole tale covering less than 2 hours – it is this cleverness in the writing that helps to build the tension towards the climax.  Sadly, if there was one disappointment for me then it was the final ‘reveal’ – more Scooby Doo than Edgar Allen Poe but maybe that’s just my macabre side crying out.

The Ghost Train is coming to the end of the current line after its stop in Darlington but there’s still time to grab a seat and be thoroughly entertained. Or if you can’t make this train, then why not get tickets for Darlington Civic’s next thriller – Sherlock Holmes and the Ripper Murders which starts on July 7^th.

Avenue Q @ Darlington Civic

“Sunny days, sweeping the clouds away” and so began an hour of puppet mayhem, learning and fun for millions of kids back in the 1980’s.  In fact, to many, Sesame Street was the natural progressor to The Muppet Show and brought with it an extra dimension of the titular make believe street, a mix of puppets and humans and plenty of surreptitious learning. Well, now the Sesame Street gang have all grown up, struck out on their own and taken up residence across town in Avenue Q, and they’re quite a naughty bunch!.

Avenue Q is a madcap mixture of song and dance and is so engrossing that people and puppet merge into one, regardless of size, shape or thread count.  Make no bones about it, this is not a Punch & Judy puppet show, nor is it a black screen with puppeteers hidden behind a curtain, this is a very talented cast who can all sing, dance, act and jest and do so whilst bringing to life their ‘alto ego’s’ .  This show gives the audience double bubble – the puppets are all characters in their own right but the humans add themselves into the show so much that you’re not sure who to watch most.  Add to that the freedom to explore (and exploit) more ‘grown up themes’ and you’ve got a show that takes aim at modern pop culture and hits it right between the eyes (though at times you don’t want to know what with).

The story centres around Princeton (controlled and voiced by Richard Lowe), a young graduate who moves to Avenue Q to start out on his own grown up adventure.  Looking for his purpose in life, Princeton is soon befriended by all the residents, especially Kate Monster (whose human is the totally delightful Sarah Harlington).  Kate, who is a Kindergarten TA, has her own dream of opening a school for monsters so that little ones don’t have to suffer the stares from ‘normal’ kids but is struggling to raise the funds to do so.   They are joined on the Avenue by the hilarious Etisyai Philip playing superintendent Gary Coleman (yes he from Different Strokes), Ariana II who is the Asian American ‘Christmas Eve’ and her chunky stand up wannabee boyfriend Brian (Richard Morse). 

The rest of the gang all have their own back stories which we explore in a series of hilarious song and dance routines taking great joy in breaking away from the child friendly offerings normally associated with puppetry, including unrequited love between Nicky and Rod, the onanistic bedroom antics of Trekkie Monster and the corrupting 2 Bad Idea Bears.  So that’s pretty much every possible group covered and non are sacred.

For many of us who grew up watching Sesame Street, we always believed there were hidden messages, sub-contexts and unsaid stories, (more often to do with sex, race, drugs, drink, prejudice and greed), that have fallen into popular urban legends – Avenue Q says to hell with sub context, let’s tell it as it is, loud, proud and right in your face.  We are treated to a rather steamy one night stand, the perils that drink can have on your work life, the dangers of suppressing feelings, the true use for the internet (!) and how love will win out in the end.

With this year’s GCSEs and A Levels almost done, Avenue Q would be a perfect way to celebrate and start the summer – hope to see you there but remember to bring your tissues. 

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels @ Sunderland Empire

Take two con men, one suave, sophisticated, charming; the other brash, uncouth, common; throw them together in the south of France and let them try and con the same mark, who unbeknownst to them has her own secrets and you’ve got the essence of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, the smash hit musical from Jeffrey Lane and David Yazbek.

Based on the 80’s movie starring Steve Martin and Michael Caine, DRS is packed full of double cross,  con and counter con and more twists than a twisty, turny thing.  What sets this musical apart from many other attempts at bringing 80’s movies to the stage is that it is simply brilliant.  The cast is perfect, the songs are as witty as Noel Coward yet as risky and risqué as Mel Brooks and the choreography is total French Riviera; beautiful girls, beautiful boys, beautiful costumes.

The story opens with Lawrence Jameson, the debonair Englishman wooing his way through most of the available wealthy ladies staying in Beaumont Sur Mer, the fashionable and luxury resort in the South of France.  Michael Praed, reprising the Michael Caine role, is elegant yet deliciously naughty, and glides through the whole show with total charm and sophistication.  Praed has surely found his calling in this role, he is totally believable yet plays it all with a telling glint in his eye and a mischievous lilt in his voice.  He reminds me of Malcolm McDowell who, in his more recent guises has found elegant Britishness couples perfectly with an undercurrent of danger and desire.

Ably supporting Jameson is the local chief of police, Andre Thibault a role that is smashed out of the park by Mark Benton.  Whilst the chief is, to many, a 4^th part of the ménage a tois, he provides the glue through the whole story to keep the action centred and yet, in attempting to help Jameson avoid one his more amorous conquests, he manages to hook himself his own special lady.  Benton is one of my all time favourite actors, I loved him in the Booze Cruise trilogy (Matey Boy) as well as his longstanding partnership with Robson Green in the ‘Lights’ series.  Having watched him on Strictly I was even more keen to see him strut his stuff live on stage and boy he didn’t disappoint.  Coupling comic timing with genuine rhythm Mark lights up every scene he is in, even if he’s stood side stage.  His accent is brilliant, Poirot meets Pepe le Peu with ‘joost a leel beet’ of Officer Crabtree.

Following an evening spent pretending to be a usurped Prince, Jameson takes a train ride, on which he believes he has found the infamous Jackal, a known American con man.  Played by Noel Sullivan, Freddy Benson is presented as a brash, loud mouthed ’Noo Yorka’, out to try and fleece a buck or two from any unsuspecting schmuck by playing the short con and relying purely on half-hearted sentiment.   Jameson recognises immediately that he poses no real ‘professional’ threat to his carefully crafted money train, but also can see that Benson would happily blow his cover for a dollar, and so agrees to coach the young pretender in exchange for his silence.  Sullivan has it down to a tee; he combines the youthful folly and over excitedness of a 1^st time traveller with the street smarts of a Brooklyn kid – it was always going to be difficult for anyone to recreate the Steve Martin approach, but Sullivan uses what he has to his advantage; he’s younger and thus more believable as an upstart kid rather than an accomplished conman.

As the story progresses, both con men decide that there is not enough room for two and so agree on a challenge; one mark, one goal, winner stays, loser leaves and nothing is off limits.  So begins one of the best double, triple, quadruple plot twists ever written.  The wonderful Carley Stenson becomes the mark, Christine Colgate, the newly crowned Soap Queen who is in France to celebrate and enjoy her considerable wealth.  Of course, having someone as beautiful as Stenson means love (and lust) can’t be far away but it is the way our two protagonists try to both con and woo her whilst trying to derail the other’s plans that makes for truly hilarious, sometimes slapstick comedy.

The songs are fresh and funny and show a new approach to musical theatre; gone are the traditional verse, chorus, verse constructs; each is very catchy, hooks galore with clever wordplay – there’s a chance for Benton to show he can croon, for Praed to make all the women swoon and for Sullivan to make everyone else groon (groan but that didn’t rhyme).  For me however, the best song is Oklahoma? with Phoebe Coupe as Jolene, a good ole mid western girl, painting Jameson the picture of wedded bliss on the prairie.

If you’ve seen the movie then you will have a good idea about most of the twists and turns but seeing it live on stage, full of brilliant musical numbers and expertly cast, it surely has a place already with the greats of comedy musicals – The Producers, Book of Mormon, Singing in the Rain, Little Shop of Horrors, Full Monty, Legally Blonde, Sister Act – you’ve got a new stable mate.

The Hollies @ Darlington Civic

Looking around Darlington Civic on Tuesday night, I reckon I was, for once, one of the youngest in the audience.  The show was "The Hollies, We Got The Tunes" and was the start of their latest, and amazingly 50th anniversary, tour.  What was very clear from the sell out gathering is that their popularity is as strong as ever with not a spare seat in the house.

For one who was (certainly) not around for The Hollies' first hits, I have only really known their works from 60's compilation albums and movie soundtracks but you don't manage to tour every year for 50 years non stop by just replaying a Rock 'n' Roll back catalogue.  Granted, the majority of the audience were there to hear "Bus Stop", "I'm Alive", "Carrie Anne", "Just One Look", and "Stop, Stop, Stop"  but to think of The Hollies as simply being a 60's pop band is to completely miss the essence of a group which has clearly influenced bands as diverse as Genesis and The Beautiful South.  I was enthralled by the folksy "On a Carousel", the bluesy "Gasoline Alley Bred" and the anthemic "The Air That I Breathe" and seeing them played live gave such an insight into the graft and craft that goes into creating a cultural soundtrack.

I don't think the Darlington stage has ever played host to as good a guitar and drum combo as Tony Hicks and Bobby Elliott (except for previous visits by the band); Hicks has such freedom and amazing dexterity and you can clearly see where guitar heroes of the modern age get their inspiration from - without his pioneering style of play people like Slash, The Edge, Mark Knopfler would never have had the belief that guitars could lead a band.  As for Mr Elliott, take a bow Britain's best ever drummer, such diversity of style and technical prowess is unparalleled.

Lead vocals for The Hollies have changed since Alan Clarke left in 1999 but since 2004 Peter Howarth has brought a vocal range and power which can cope with the huge variety of songs, together with a stage presence and obvious enjoyment of performing.  He takes centre stage for two stand out solo acoustic numbers, a beautiful rendition of Bruce Springsteen's "Sandy" and a unique take on the Hollies standard "Here, I Go Again"

This show was the first night of a national tour and one which will undoubtedly sell out very quickly - for traditional Hollies fans, go see your heroes again and enjoy reliving your youth; for those who enjoy great live music, phenomenal songs and a fab night out, go, and be amazed at how you haven't seen them sooner.

Tour dates and more information is available on their website www.hollies.co.uk

The Business of Murder @ Darlington Civic

You’re not trying to work out whodunit, more why’d he do it ?

Richard Harris, well known and much published writer, has penned a pseudo nostalgic look back at the 70’s whodunit in this tense and twisting 3 header threaded by a Dostoevsky theme and asking one of the most basic questions, what would you do for revenge?.

Set in a flat in London, the play is very much in 2 halves; 1^st part centres on Paul Opacic as Hallett, the sweeny-esque ‘sarf Londarn’ copper, a stereotypical Detective Sergeant portraying confidence bordering on the arrogance hewn from total belief that he is the law. Playing against him is Robert Gwilym as Stone, at first glance a bumbling, socially uncomfortable loner whose main intent seems to be the salvation of his ne’er seen wayward son, but who in reality could be just one wrong glance away from psychopathic fury.

Stone has contacted Hallett to help him in a bid to break his son away from the seedy side of life, yet, right from the start, there is a nagging doubt that things aren’t all that they seem.  Despite appearing slow and dodderish, Stone occasionally has moments of total lucidity, almost prophetic in clarity and dangerously accurate in predicting how Hallett will react and through it all there sits an undercurrent of dislike towards the policeman bordering on despisement.

The second act introduces Dee played by Joanna Higson; Dee is a now famous playwright but was once a young journalist who used her real life reporting experience to fashion the plot lines and characters for her plays. Initially drawn to the flat by Stone’s attempt to get her to review his wife’s manuscript, we are quickly left in no doubt that there is far more to Stone’s motives.

The tension mounts as past interactions are revealed; Hallett was a young and determined DC who made his own judgements and then manufactured investigations to support them, Dee was not above twisting the truth if it gave a more dramatic end to her plays.  The depth of Stone’s planning and manipulations then come to the fore and whilst for many the ending was as expected, there is no one who could honestly say the route taken to get there was signposted.

As a new play from the Middle Ground Theatre Company, this suffers from being over-wordy and would benefit from trimming; the pace fluctuates too much and there is a noticeable lull in the middle of both acts which tests the audience’s concentration.  It is the brilliant acting of Opacic, Higson and the dangerously good Gwilym that rescues the plot and keeps minds from wandering but with a few nips & tucks this could be a great ‘modern’ murder mystery in keeping with the greats of the genre.  Perhaps writer and director need to revisit the adage “less is more”.