Blood Brothers 2018

Evergreen favourite Blood Brothers makes full use of the newly refurbished Hippodrome, bringing everyone to their feet for a rapturous and well deserved ovation and sets a new high standard for musical theatre.

I doubt there’s many in the land who have not at least heard of Willy Russell’s timeless classic tear jerker Blood Brothers, every tour draws record crowds of seasoned viewers and first timers, and, with each cast, the style and subtleties shift back and forth, but this current tour and the newly remastered soundtrack brings the whole show into the HD age.  Stunning sets, an immersive soundscape and innovative lighting breathe new life into an always vibrant show furthered enhanced by some brilliant additions and updating to the script and playlist.

Making full use of the Hippodrome’s enlarged stage and increased scenery capacity, the cast have space to grow and develop their characters in ways previous versions were restricted.  The new sets provide a solid feel to the streets of 70’s Liverpool and real air of believability, you can almost taste the smoke filled air and smell the grime.

The story is one of faith and fate – the Johnstone twins, separated soon after birth, one destined for a life of privilege and the other a life of struggle and toil, are oblivious to their fraternal links and yet despite (or because) of this, fate draws them together to for a childhood bond – Blood Brothers.  Sadly, as their youth being to slip away, the demand of each’s callings start to strain their once happy partnership resulting in the most horrific and heart-breaking climax to any story.  Overseen by the Narrator (if not THE Devil then certainly A devil) played with an omnipresent maleficence by the brilliant Mathew Craig, who manages to both snarl and smile in equal measures and always with a degree of absolute menace. 

The main focus for the 1st act is the relationship between the hard worn, yet happy mother of many Mrs Johnstone, and the lonely Mrs Lyons, for whom her considerable wealth cannot buy the one thing she craves most, a child.  Playing Mrs J for tonight’s show was the utterly mesmerising Sarah Jane Buckley.  Sarah Jane, who for this tour is normally in the shoes of Mrs Lyons, plays by far the very best Mrs Johnstone I’ve ever seen – her early innocence (despite the hardships of being a single mother of 5+) is always upbeat and optimistic and even when it became more world weary, she resists the temptation to introduce any cynicism into her character and instead just exudes maternal love for her whole brood.  As with anyone playing this role, she will be ultimately judged on the final number, performing the stand out classic “Tell me it’s not True” and it is here, at our journey’s end that she displays the raw emotion only normally seen at the site of real life tragedies.  What sets this performance apart from others gone before is that Sarah Jane doesn’t rely on simply building to a huge crescendo, she wrestles with trying to control her grief throughout, acting in true disbelief and even making to tuck her two little boys in as though they were just having a nap before the reality breaks and with it every eye in the theatre starts to water.

Of course, the story wouldn’t be anything without the twins – Eddie, the one handed to privilege whose childlike innocence and ability to stay aloof from the demands of forging his own way in life is played by Mark Hutchinson.  It is telling that Eddie, despite aging at the same rate and duration as his twin, seldom loses, or has to lose, this immaturity, being of wealth and the protection that brings.  Micky (Sean Jones) on the other hand, takes the viewer on his rollercoaster journey of a childhood of total abandon, through the awkwardness of adolescence and then into the downward spiral of disillusionment, depression and eventually destruction.  Sean has a remarkable ability to capture each stage so perfectly that were he to only depict one version of Micky it would be heralded as a masterpiece, yet here we are being treated to multiples.  His final portrayal of Micky, dependent on tranquilizers and doubting of his own sanity was so good it left me unable to shake a concern for his real well being.

The rest of the cast provide this new version with such a variety of additional characters that every group scene is packed with so much action it’s hard to keep up .  Aside from the street kids in the early story, they seamlessly morph into teachers (both private and state) bus drivers, policemen, bailiffs and delivery men – perhaps the funniest was the instance of the milkman suddenly becoming a gynaecologist – both responsible for deliveries.

The dynamic lighting and rescored soundscape thrust this production firmly into the HD era; perhaps this is needed more now than ever as the competition for audience means musical theatre is going head to head with digital providers such as Netflix, as well as the mega box office franchises a la Marvel Universe etc.  What is clear from watching last night, is that regardless of the Hollywood millions, there is no substitution for feeling the emotion of a live performance when it is delivered by truly amazing actors, a feeling that becomes almost tribal when you look around and see everyone else experiencing the very same feelings as you.

As always, watching Blood Brothers comes with a hanky warning but I think this one will leave you with such a rounded appreciation of the whole show that the tears of the ending will soon make way to smiles of joy on your way home.

Preview - Rumours of Fleetwood Mac Tour 2018

Update - Follow the link at the bottom to be in with a chance to WIN 2 tickets to see Rumours of Fleetwood Mac at the Gatesehad Sage

Rumours of Fleetwood Mac, the world’s finest tribute to Fleetwood Mac, returns to the stage in 2018 with a brand new show celebrating 40 years of the iconic Rumours album.

Encompassing nearly five decades of legendary music and channeling the spirit of Fleetwood Mac at their very best, Rumours of Fleetwood Mac offer a unique opportunity for fans, both old and new, to rediscover the songs and performances that have ensured Fleetwood Mac’s place as one of the most loved bands of all time.

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. 

This tour will bring alive mega hits such as Don’t Stop, Dreams, Go your Own Way and The Chain as well as much much more from the band’s whole catalogue.

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, Abba-esque, 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 rival the original Fleetwood Mac even after their recent reunion tour.

Personally endorsed by Fleetwood Mac founding member, Mick Fleetwood, Rumours of Fleetwood Mac is the ultimate tribute to one of rock and roll’s most remarkable groups.

“An extraordinary emotive performance of Fleetwood Mac”

MICK FLEETWOOD

"A stunning and incredibly accurate snapshot of the World’s first Super Group"

 SUNDAY TIMES

“They do Fleetwood Mac better than Fleetwood Mac.”

 MAIL ON SUNDAY

2018 North East Dates

March

Tue 27^th                 Harrogate              Royal Hall     

Thu 29^th                 Gateshead             The Sage

April

Thur 5^th                 Darlington             Hippodrome

May

Sat 19^th                  Gateshead             Sage

FOLLOW THIS LINK AND ENTER THE COMPETITION TO WIN 2 TICKETS

http://www.whatsonnortheast.com/competitions/win-a-pair-of-tickets-to-see-the-rumurs-of-fleetwood-mac-40-years-tour-gateshead-sage/

For full tour details and more insight on the best Fleetwood Mac go to

https://www.rumoursoffleetwoodmac.com/

https://www.facebook.com/rofmofficial/

https://twitter.com/rumoursfm

Showstoppers at the Palace Theatre

Fans of musical theatre will always have their favourites, whether it is because of the story, or the songs, or perhaps a leading actor.  For many they will follow this show, seeking out new tours and reliving the known and expected enjoyment.

Imagine though, if you had never seen a musical before, never heard the songs, didn’t know the story and in fact, no one had, how would you feel about spending an evening ‘breaking new ground’?  well, fear not, because Showstoppers, the brilliantly funny and super talented improv musical show gives you such an opportunity every time they take to the stage.

Couched in the premise that the ‘Producer’ needs a brand new smash hit musical in just one evening, the Director begins by engaging with the audience to find out their own preferences and ideas.  Encouraged to call out show titles, the audience offered favourite musicals on which the night’s show would be based – for this evening the consensus was Little Shop of Horrors, Rocky Horror Show, Wicked, Avenue Q and Joseph  . We then were asked for a venue / setting and, after an audience vote (by applause) we landed on the Winter Olympics In South Korea.  Finally, as all great shows do, we needed a catchy title and again, after many suggestions, Piste Off was the winner.

So, onto the show – the cast began to create a story around the Olympic athletes, their passions, loves, fears and history, all interspersed by some mind blowing improvised show tunes and rib-breakingly funny jokes.  Every now & then the director would freeze the show and interject with a shift in style, a plot twist or a revelation but on the whole he was just as much in awe of the spontaneity of the creations as the audience were.  We had a unique take on the Time Warp, some Wicked style downhill luge and a wonderfully naughty set of makeshift puppets doing their own snow based Avenue Q.

At the interval, the audience were asked to proffer their ideas for how the 2^nd act would commence, all via Twitter, with many suggestions actually making it into the show (including some rather bizarre love triangles and an appearance by a WADA official).  The 2^nd act continued with the cast maintaining their foray into satire, pastiche, homage and just plain old micky taking - the rap battle a la Hamilton was the highlight for most people.  Ending the show with some Scooby Doo-esque flashback/jump forwards time travelling, you were left in no doubt that you have just witnessed brilliance.  The only sadness felt was that, as everything was improvised on the day, no one would ever get to see Piste Off again.

If you ever get the chance to see one of The Showstoppers performances, grab it with both hands, brush up on your knowledge of musical theatre and strap your ribs up very tightly.

★★★★★

The Department Of Distractions @ Northern Stage

Distraction - a thing that prevents someone from concentrating on something else
        extreme agitation of the mind

For centuries many renowned writers have posited that there is an underlying control in the world, a control that decides what is classed as ‘the norm’, what is an exception and even what we should feel about them.  The New World Order, Big Brother, HUAC and even the Royal Family have all been cited in both fiction and fact as having this control, yet in the modern world with near instantaneous sharing of news and views, it would appear that it is the media that has overall and total control.

The Department of Distractions (based on Alex Kelly’s book O Grande Livro dos Pequenos Detalhes) is set in the afore mentioned government department, a department responsible for creating, releasing and managing ‘news’ to ensure the status quo is maintained, though for whom this is to remain is left to the audience’s own appraisal.  ‘News’ in this definition is not only the broadcasted retelling of ‘fact’ but also the everyday events that people witness on the street, the shared gossip at work, the viral memes on social media and the perpetual revisiting of myth and urban legends – all managed to create control.  The audience is given a peek into the working day of the department, how they choose a ‘target’, how they agree which distractions need to be created, which ‘sleight of hand’ techniques to deploy.  To the team, this is as procedural and ordinary as any other office job – albeit one which directly controls what the world believes to be truth.

Alexander Kelly, writer and co-director with Rachel Walton,  has melded the dystopian undercurrents of Aldous Huxley, George Orwell, Ray Bradbury and Isaac Asimov and punched them squarely into the breadbasket of global media giants a la BBC, Sky, Fox (well the Murdochs in general).  What is brilliant is that whilst many would suggest this is science fiction, there is too much recognisable fact not to question whether this show is instead a well-crafted piece of distraction itself.  After all, there’s no better place to hide than in plain sight.  

The cast, Umar Ahmed, Nick Chambers, Stacey Sampson and Rachel Walton have a real challenge for they have to deliver on multiple layers at once – not only are they playing the department team, but also they enact and rehearse the characterisation of their Distraction’s cast.  This is done brilliantly, never once creating any confusion whilst still allowing each layer to realise it’s own revelations.  The clever use of projection allows the audience to see 1st hand the research and material used to compile a case – meticulous in detail but quite procedural, giving more substance to the feeling that these Distractions and the untruths they purport are simply tasks on an office to do list.  There is something very unsettling about thinking the world around you and everything you believe could be built on post it notes and Polaroids.

More scary than a horror story, the Department of Distractions leaves the audience with a puzzled and concerned frown – not because you are unable to understand but because this expose rings too many bells, shatters the illusion of Utopia through Ignorance and makes you question every headline, every news feed, every shared opinion.  I have long believed that man is incapable of having a truly original thought, everything is but a reaction and after watching this wonderful production, I spent the train ride home convinced that we could all be just characters in a global sandbox game.  My final thought (at least I think it was MY thought) was of a classic quote - "the finest trick of the devil is to persuade you that he does not exist" - Charles Baudelaire - possibly the greatest Distraction of all ?

Definitely recommended and be prepared to see the world in a very different light afterwards.

★★★★

War of the Worlds @ Northern Stage

No one would have believed…

Ever since the now infamous radio retelling of H G Wells’ science fiction classic, The War of the Worlds has inspired creative interpretation, often using methods and technology of the time and adopting the location to best suit their needs.  Jeff Wayne, with his seminal double album, was my favourite, the Tom Cruise Hollywood gloss version by far my least.  This new imagining, set in the North East and featuring 4 interwoven stories, is by far the best I’ve seen on stage and one which attempts to leave the audience with a more pertinent twang of realisation in keeping with the current environmental challenges.

The premise is that our 4 characters are but mere ghosts, back to recount their experiences as the first wave of Martian invaders descended onto the North East coastline.  Set just before the start of the 20th century, they draw on the undercurrent of change, the feeling that the rich are beginning to get richer and leave the have-nots well behind (something that rings only too clearly in the present day).  The technological advancements seem to best serve the middle and upper classes, leaving the poor and working class adrift and struggling to eek out a place.  Inequality besets every avenue and yet, through this sudden interruption to the social norm, they witness all levels thrown together in a battle to survive.

Laura Lindow, the writer and creator, has managed to remain very true to the essence of Wells’ original without it feeling like a substitution rewrite, indeed there are elements which most certainly serve to enhance the source text of which Wells would have surely approved.  Peppered with colloquialisms and Victorian Geordie, it presents both as a fictional tale and a history lesson rolled into one and is instantly recognisable as Victorian Tyneside. 

Lindow’s treatment of this great story is as much an inward reflection on how small mankind is, how pitiful our supposed achievements are and how the words preached about tolerance and coexistence are just hollow gestures; brilliant insight by Wells in 1898 and perfectly in tune 120 years later.

The cast, Jack Lloyd (Ridley), Luke Maddison (Boots), Charlotte Ryder (Jill) and Lauren Waine (Mo) give an imperious lesson in creating characters through the power of suggestion, and James Pickering’s use of a minimal set only serves to keenly focus the attention on the actors.  Through their wonderful storytelling the small island stage becomes a moor, a chapel, a shipyard, poverty ridden back streets, tunnels and seashore.  The brilliant soundscape of Mariam Rezaei transports you right into the heart of the industrial North yet this familiar aural tapestry is twisted into a threatening and scary horizon, driving the audience towards a precipice of uncertainty and never letting the heart rate drop to a comfortable rest.

Of all the scenes, only the finale felt a little contrived with the cast issuing a warning ultimatum of man’s refusal to protect the planet that protects them -  not quite a Daily Mail headline but perhaps one which could have been more implied, leaving the audience to feed more on their own thoughts than being told to do so.  That said, the feeling one is left with is simple - substitute the Martians for Big Business, despotic rulers, New World order, blatant commercialism or scant disregard for the natural resources and we too could suffer a cataclysmic disaster from which we will not recover.

The Tin Foil Astronaut @ The Arc, Stockton

Every journey begins the same way, with the 1^st step. 

It was a cold and wet Saturday morning, a room filled with over 35 children aged between 2 and 8 and some anxious parents wondering just how soon it will be before anarchy breaks out, yet from the very first minute until well after the final scene, every child and grown up was transfixed by the brilliant storytelling, wonderful characters and no small amount of very interesting science.

The Tin Foil Astronaut is an immersive, interactive and totally engaging play about Alba, a wannabee astronaut who, through ingenuity, imagination ( and plenty of tin foil) becomes the youngest person to travel to the furthest reaches of the Solar System.  Alba, helped remotely by her Dad and guided by the Man in the Moon, overcomes the barriers of the kids at school thinking she’s a bit weird, ignores the grown ups telling her she’s too small and, despite being late for her tea (fish fingers and beans, her favourite) joins the space race.

Kitchen Zoo (founded by Hannah Goudie-Hunter and Bob Nicholson and supported by the brilliant music of Jeremy Bradfield)  state they ‘aim to create work for young audiences that is playful and vibrant’ and they hit the nail square on it’s bonce with this one. Blending live music, sound effects and puppets with real science, the 3 hand cast transport the audience into a make believe world which who knows,  could be just the thing to encourage a young person out there to become the next Brian Cox or Helen Czerski.

If you have any little ones who love space, science or just great storytelling, treat them (and yourselves) to an hour of fun and facts that will leave you all talking for ages afterwards.

The Tin Foil Astronaut will be landing at these places

• 10 February: Arts Centre Washington

• 12 April: Bishop Auckland Town Hall

• 13 April: Queens Hall Hexham

• 14 April: The Witham

• 15 April: Gala Durham

• 22 April: Sage, Gateshead

• 5 May: Lyric, Hammersmith

Anywhere, the history and tour of New Hippodrome, Darlington

A thoroughly modern and unique take on a history tour

The newly refurbished Darlington Hippodrome, formerly the Civic and before that the grandly titled The New Hippodrome and Palace Theatre of Varieties has such a rich history that it was begging for someone to take it all and make something of it.  Other historic recountings have invested in video or multimedia sessions with the audience sat in a plush new lounge and furnished with an audio guide but that’s not the New Hippodrome’s style.  For this, the brilliant ODDMANOUT theatre group have been engaged to work with the Hippodrome and the Hippodrome Theatre Company and have produced an innovative, interactive, entertaining and downright fun approach to both guided tour and history lesson.

Starting with a flashmob-esque opening number which I guarantee will leave you with the evening’s earworm, you are brought together in a small group and taken on a behind the scenes and screens tour of the new and old, while along the way being entertained by characters from literary and theatrical stardom.

The ‘cast’ – who seems to morph seamlessly between characters, guides and even audience are brilliant in making the history come alive.  Stories from giants such as Carrol & Shakespeare are rammed hard up against the comedic shoulders of Barry & Paul, driven to ‘fight’ by Lewis and then cuddled by the quintessential British Dame, all done as you wind your way through the auditorium, changing rooms, stores and flys.  Not only do you get to tread the boards and gaze out at the seats, but you get to spend time in the Green room, intruding on a rehearsal which would fit perfectly with The Play that Goes….

If you have ever been to the Hippodrome (or Civic), if you enjoy theatre in general but wonder what ‘behind’ is like or if you just love great entertainment and watching a very, very good cast please, PLEASE treat yourself  and grab a ticket – it’s only on for an hour but it’s so much fun and you may just learn a little. If nothing else you will appreciate why you should take heed that There’s a Fish Train Comin’.

Anywhere is on from Friday 2nd till Sunday 4th Feb with shows 1pm, 1.30pm, 2pm, 2,30pm, 3pm and evenings 7pm, 7.30pm 8pm, 8.30pm and 9pm.

Shrek the Musical @ Sunderland Empire

A giant ogre, a talking donkey, a magical princess, a tiny Lord and a fire breathing dragon – all quite feasible characters for an animated movie but surely a challenge to portray as a live stage musical – or so you’d think, but under the expert direction of Nigel Harman (and aided in no small way by the brilliant cast and choreography) Shrek the Musical is a modern day masterpiece to rival anything currently on show.

Drawing heavily from the Dreamworks animated movie made famous by the vocal talents of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz, this non-stop extravaganza concentrates the essence and humour of the CGI film whilst introducing new songs and some amazing costumes for which Tim Hatley should be lauded and applauded.

Right from the opening scene, the storybook backstory of how a young Shrek befell his swamp life, the whole show has a larger than life feel as though the audience are being immersed into a true fairy tale. Brilliant set design, the multitude of additional characters and the very clever little details mean there is so much to watch;  in fact the interval conversation was peppered with “I didn’t see that, I was watching ….”.  Special mention must go to the dragon, a war-horse-esque appearance brimming with character and dare I say totally believable.  

The main factor that made the original movie such a must for repeat viewing was the subtle (and not so subtle) pastiches, homages or just plain ‘steals’ from multiple genres – spotting the digs at Disney, the role reversal of children’s stories or the twist on expected norms meant adults could also laugh while the kids hollered at the ‘rude’ jokes and naughty behaviours.  This show has taken that premise and, in keeping for a stage musical, took a mischievous aim at many of the most popular musicals – as such you can find nods to Wicked, Rent, Matilda, Spamalot, Bob Fosse, Avenue Q, Rocky Horror, Blood Brothers and I’m sure many more.  For a fan of the theatre, this is like playing Musicals Bingo, write out a list and tick them off as you find them.

The main cast are all fabulous; Steffan Harri (Shrek) seems to tower over the other fairyland creatures in presence yet never loses his soft side whilst Samuel Holmes (Lord Farquaad) is hilarious as the diminutive ruler with a desire to be considered large (his dance routines should come with a health warning of split sides and inability to breath due to laughing).  Marcus Ayton (Donkey) has all the style, soul and street of a cross between James Brown and Jay Z but I think it was Laura Main (possibly best known for Call the Midwife) who gives Princess Fiona some real umpf – she is sassy, alluring and totally bonkers, laugh out loud funny and not afraid to bend her leg and let us know she can ‘Shrek’ it with the best (oh and boy can she sing)

The show has a feel of a pantomime in that it is super friendly, instantly recognisable, enthralling and entertaining through every minute (and provoking a theatre full of kids laughter),  but this is no corny ‘he’s behind you’ fare, this is musical theatre at it’s very best and packed with moments of genuine hilarity.

Even though it’s only February, I’d say this will be THE show you will still be talking about come the end of the year and most certainly the one you’ll want to go and watch again and again

★★★★★.