The Chuckes of Oz Panto @ Darlington Civic

The Chuckle Brothers have done it again - Oh yes they have !

To nick a phrase from the Fast Show, "Aren't pantos Brilliant ?!" - forget the usual etiquette of theatre going and just let loose, laugh, sing and leave feeling the world isn't too bad a place, the weather isn't that cold and windy and The Chuckle Brothers are rightfully hailed as the best madcap panto double act since Blair and Brown.

This years Civic panto is a retelling of the Wizard of Oz and what is immediately noticeable is that whilst the plot stays true to the original, we're certainly not in Kansas anymore.  The sets are amazing; bright, colourful, quirky and full of detail.  The costumes are fabulous.; Lion, Tin Man and Scarecrow all look larger than life, Dorothy and Glinda resplendent in their respective dresses and The Wicked Witch of the West menacingly.... well, green !  A special mention to the backing dancers who must go through many frantic costume changes to keep up with the pace of the scenes.

The cast, of course, is headlined by Barry & Paul.  The boys' brand of humour is instantly recognisable; on the surface they are zany, daft, silly but this belies expert comedic timing and hours of rehearsal.  Masters of their craft they most certainly are, but they still manage to have fun whilst doing it and this rubs off on the rest of the gang too.  Lauren Varnham is Dorothy and is as true to the Judy Garland incarnation as I've seen; wide eyed innocence, boundless energy and just a little bit of sass to keep the boys in check.  Phil Corbitt (Lion), Adam C Booth (Scarecrow) and Danny Potts (Tin Man) are a great trifecta of quest seeking heroes - again, they stay very true to the original movie and because of this there is an instant comfort in knowing what they are about.

The two witches, Beth Stobbart as Glinda the Good and Emma Francis as the Wicked one from the West, are perfectly cast - they offer a wonderful, poles apart, view.  Emma has all the menace and evil one would expect from a green faced, dog knapping, monkey leading, recently sibling bereft broom stick season ticket holder - she prowls the stage with purpose and gives you the shivers when she looks directly at you.  Beth, on the other hand, is purity and innocence personified; a beauty in both looks and voice (although I did detect a little twinkle of mischief in her eyes during the "If I were not in Panto" routine).  Should Wicked ever be released for local production I would be first in the queue to champion Emma & Beth as the leads.

A special mention must go to the orchestra - never has so much music been made by so few for so many, Joe Morley as MD, along with Dave Storer and Sophie Hastings defy physics to create a soundscape as big and rich as a 20 piece pit.

For many years, Panto struggled to compete with the other demands for out attention - video games, blockbuster movies, multi-channel tv.  The format was in danger of becoming tired, a pastiche of what it once was and only good to serve as a nostalgic look back - not any more - the special effects, including the best 3D experience outside of Disney, all make for a totally immersive evening which knocks spots off a trip to the multiplex.

I can't think of a better way to start the festive season - I took both my teenage daughters and I think they were quite shocked to see their dad gasping for breath from laughing so much.  (Plus, Jess seemed to have quite a shine for Barry, especially when he disrobed).  So, if you've not got your tickets yet, what are you waiting for - after a year of austerity, spending cuts and pay freezes go and fill your feel good bank balance - it'll last you right through till next year.

Sister Act by Darlington Operatic Society @ Darlington Civic

Hallelujah, rejoice and praise be to DOS

For some, the signal for the end of summer, the start of Autumn and, dare I say, the run up to Christmas, comes with changing the clocks, golden leaves and the first strains of  Slade; but for me it is always the opening night of Darlington Operatic Society's Autumn show.  This year, the uber-talented gang bring their take on the ecclesiastical smash hit, Sister Act, and oh how the choir sings loud.

The story remains true to the hit film which starred Whoopie Goldberg as aspiring Vegas club singer Deloris Van Cartier (as in the diamonds) who is unwillingly forced to take refuge in a convent church after witnessing a gangland murder by her part time boyfriend and manager Curtis.  The underlying plot could be straight from a Disney movie, outsider refuses to bend to the ways of the establishment, finds she has some redeeming qualities to share and ultimately both sides learn more about tolerance and acceptance while the bad guys get their just desserts.

Having been to see the original show on tour, fresh from the West End, I was a little concerned - the production we had sat through at Sunderland Empire felt rushed and contrived to simply give the leads every chance to " belt out a few" to the detriment of the story or supporting cast.  I wasn't sure if I had seen a poor show or just a poorly directed one but I had no reason at all to be fearful. Under the expert directorship of Joanne Hand, this version is wonderfully paced, gives the audience ample time to recognise the multiple strands of story and yet still finds every opportunity to showcase what must be the best amateur cast in the country.  No stranger to tackling challenging shows (Jo brought the award winning Strictly Musicals to the stage this time last year) Ms Hand once again proves that she has the vision, the skills and the confidence in her performers to aim for the very top and then go one better.

Playing Deloris, which is a truly demanding role both physically and emotionally, is to be shared by Claire Wilmer (who took the opening night) and Rhiannon Walker; the girls will alternate so I hope to go to another show later in the run and report back on Rhiannon's performance.  On speaking to Joanne Hand after last nights opener, she confirmed that it is difficult to tell the two apart; both have an amazing vocal range, both bring their own style of sexy and sassy, and both made the decision to cast only one impossible, hence the shared role.

Of course, the show is not just about Deloris and where would DOS be without a stellar supporting cast, each of whom would undoubtedly enhance any production company in the UK.  Perennial favourite Sam Morrison as Mother Superior brings a degree of calm contemplation in her struggles with God's choice to allow Deloris sanctuary.  As always, every note, every phrase and every emotion is right on the nail.  Beth Stobbart, Darlington's very own Good Witch, plays Sister Mary Robert, the innocent and wide eyed novice who sees in Deloris excitement, danger and opportunity - it is amazing to think that Beth is still very young (won't give away her actual age) and yet has played a huge part in the DOS family for many years.

The rest of the Sister-hood are all given their parts to play too, cameo characters without whom the show would simply become a soapbox for the lead and who ensure that there is an underlying comedic quality which brought many belly laughs from the audience.  I particularly liked Sisters Mary Patrick (played by little Miss Dynamite Lisa Forster), Mary Lazarus (new girl Lynne Kerr) and Mary Martin of Tours (the irrepressible Megan Robson) but as with all choirs, it's the sum of its parts which provides the true force.

It's not just the girls who shine and have fun in this show, DOS boys do us proud yet again with some stand out performances from the North East's leading men.  Julian Cound, as gang boss Curtis, calls on all his acting ability to be menacing and threatening (not easy when you're such a genuinely nice guy in real life), Michael Hirst, star of previous shows as Danny Zucco in Grease and a lobster in Strictly, plays love-struck cop 'Sweaty' Eddie while Curtis's 3 stooges, Joey, TJ and Pablo, ensure that there is always some slapstick comedy sitting just under the surface.  To be fair, Ben Connor, Andrew Hamilton and Leighton Taylor are much more than just 3 patsies for Julian to play against, they are all brilliant singers, great actors and have such confidence on stage that they could easily form a breakaway show of their own.

The soundtrack for the stage show doesn't have the well known songs of the original movie, these songs have been specifically written but what that means is there is more of a consistent feel and theme throughout all the numbers; the band, led as always by impresario Michael Trotter, get right into the 70's groove with great funk, soul and disco acting as a juxtaposition to the nuns choral harmonies. The stage, set & costumes too belie any suggestion that this is an amateur production and just goes to show that DOS is, from top to bottom, front to back, professional in all but name.  That's why, when some major tours are struggling to put bums on seats, DOS can pack 'em in and then get 'em on their feet dancing and singing.

I could go on naming more and more of the cast and bestowing due praise on them all but rather than take my word for it, why not get some tickets and go and see what is undoubtedly the 'Must See' show of 2014.

Aladdin @ Darlington Civic

A 5 star night of songs, sketches and all out silliness

It's funny how some traditions live long and strong, year after year.  Take Panto season, which is here again (oh yes it is); the usually demure and sedate theatre going audiences are suddenly turned into and accompanied by screaming kids sporting all manner of flashing appendages; the knowing whispers when an actor misses a line are swapped for roars of laughter both on & off the stage and the 4th wall is torn down and ceremoniously trampled on as young and old are encouraged to great the cast with cheers, boos, chants and giggles.

This years offering at Darlington Civic is yet again a riotous mix of song & dance which will have everyone in tears of laughter (tho not always for the same reason).  Starring Barry & Paul Elliott, better known as the Chuckle Brothers, they bring their hilarious and very clever blend of daftness to the stage with some quite brilliant visual routines - for some, the Chuckles are marmite, you either love 'em or you hate 'em but I defy anyone not to marvel at their timeless comedy - their opening song set the pace for a rollercoaster of audience fun while their homage to Wilson, Keppel and Betty (Google them, you'll know who I mean) had me literally gasping for breath.  Masters at their trade, they should be rightfully mentioned in the same sentence as the very best of panto headliners, just remember to strap your ribs tightly, otherwise they are likely to burst.

Of course, Aladdin is not simply a Chuckle Brothers vehicle and the casting manager has assembled a superb group who clearly relish the freedom and relaxed nature panto allows.  Philip Meeks, as everyone's favourite Aunty, widow Twanky, must rival the record for the most costume changes in one night and brings a touch of modern pop culture with some very fetching Miley-esque twerking which left many on the floor in tears of laughter.  A genius of comedic timing and with a Geordie accent that immediately puts everyone in mind of 'someone' they know, the dictionary definition for pantomime dame should just have a picture of Mr Meeks.  Phil Corbitt, bearing an uncanny resemblance to Harold Meeker from Rentaghost, plays Abanazar, the baddy we all love to boo, with plenty of menace and just a touch of camp cruelty.  Entering to a flash, bang and puff of smoke, he grabs the attention immediately and never lets it go.  If there is one small criticism it's that perhaps more could be made of Danny Potts as the Emperor; Danny is no small guy and is obviously very fit (I mean physically although there were quite a few around me who meant more in an eye-candy kinda way) and his role could be much more than as a foil to Jasmine & the Widow.

The starring role of Aladdin is played admirably by Gary Amers, with plenty of energy and a decent voice, although at times he looked a little star struck by the calibre of those around him,  unsurprising as many of his scenes were played opposite Darlington's own supernova- Beth Stobbart.  Beth, of Darlington Operatic Society fame, is well known to regular patrons of the Civic and once again her qualities stand out, this time as the magnetically beautiful Princess Jasmine.  Melting guys' hearts with her smile and knowing little winks and wowing all with her wonderful voice, Beth adds local pride to the festive smorgasbord of emotions being served up and in the process must surely be adding to her huge number of fans.

Panto is a very English form of theatre - many of my foreign friends just don't know how to approach one and consequently they struggle to accept the 'anarchy' that ensues, but that's what this tradition is all about - forget the quintessential British reservedness and grant yourself one evening of self indulgent silliness - if laughter is the best medicine then Darlington Civic audiences will be the healthiest in all the land.

Strictly Musicals by Darlington Operatic Society @ Darlington Civic

A credit to Darlington and the North East - 5 stars to everyone.

What promised to be an evening full of show tunes, great music and stunning choreography most certainly didn't disappoint.  Strictly Musicals is a real mood lifter, guaranteed to banish any Autumn blues, make you forget about the weather and fill you up with a feel good factor which will last way past the final curtain.

On the build up to tonight's show I stated that this would be THE water-cooler moment of the year - well, I apologise to any employers right now because anyone who goes to see this 2 hour spectacular will probably spend the whole of the next day at said cold beverage dispenser.   From the opening overture to the finale there isn't a moment to draw breath with hit following hit following hit.

Huge ensemble numbers like the Les Mis, Rogers & Hammerstein and Blood Brothers medleys are interspersed with intimate melodies from Mack & Mable,  Phantom and Evita; new tunes from Matilda and Wicked balance perfectly with timeless classics from Chicago and Sunset Boulevard; and the dance numbers from Fosse and Dancin' are just mesmerising - in fact I think I spent the whole show in a state of goosepimples.  Heart warming and heart breaking in equal measure, there's not a single number that fails to move you.

Solo stand out moments from tonight were; Hannah Mundy as a hilarious good fairy singing "Popular" from Wicked, Neil Harland explaining where the money went in "Rollin' In" from Evita, Glyn Bigham's super powerful performance of the title song from "Sunset Boulevard" , a beautiful "I could have danced all night" by Rebecca Feary, and Beth Stobbart & Nicholas Holmes with an emotionally charged "All I Ask of You" from Phantom.   As for the best group number, the Cell Block Tango, from Chicago was stunningly choreographed and lit in such a deep vibrant red that it made you feel quite guilty watching and a tad scared of the 6 murderesses.  Joanne Mason, Angela Chapman, Selena Blain, Claire Williams, Tina Davis and Zoe Kent give powerful, confident and brilliantly acted performances worthy of any full production of the Fosse penned blockbuster.

Joanne Hand (Director and Choreographer) has brought together the very best that musical theatre has to offer, but rather than simply present a selection box of songs she has produced a show with an energy that flows throughout and a continuity which means it never feels disjointed  - truly a whole that is far greater than the sum of its parts.

Special mention to Michael Trotter as the Musical Director who has assembled a wonderful orchestra, and to Gillian Shevels, the DOS chairman, for whom Strictly Musicals is a show to be very proud of.

Keep watching for more Strictly Musical blogs in the next few days.

Strictly Musicals runs until the 2nd November with tickets available from www.darlingtonoperaticsociety.org.uk

Sound of Music by Darlington Operatic Society @ Darlington Civic

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Footloose by Darlington Operatic Society

"Let's hear it for the boys....and girls"

As a child of the 70's my early teenage years were filled with the Brat Pack style 80's movies - St Elmo's Fire, Pretty in Pink,  Stand By Me (I can't add Top Gun into that list, never seen it!) and of course Footloose.  The soundtrack was huge, the rebellious lead was instantly identifiable and the feel-good ending meant no matter what was going in life, you could escape for 2 hours and emerge feeling better (for a while at least).  Life seemed simpler, more black & white, more good & bad than it does now so it's great timing that we get to go back to mid America and relive some good ol' happy memories.

The story goes like this: 

When Ren and his mother move from Chicago to a small farming town, Ren is prepared for the adjustment to his new high school. What he isn't prepared for are the local laws - including a ban on dancing - which are the brainchild of a local preacher bent on exercising control over the town's youths. When the Reverend's rebellious daughter Ariel sets her heart on Ren, her muscle head boyfriend tries to sabotage Ren's reputation and with many of the locals so eager to believe the worst about the new kid, Ren has to prove to the preacher, the school and the whole town that dancing is something to enjoy and share.

Amazingly, the premise for the story is based on fact - a small town in Oklahoma had banned dancing for 80 years until a campaign by a local school class had the rule repealed.

Ren, wonderfully played by Nick Holmes, is the epitome of adolescent frustrations, still believing he can change the world and yet to experience any good reasons why he shouldn't.  The previous freedom he enjoyed whilst in Chicago gives way to the stifling small town rules, brilliantly portrayed in the song "Somebody's eyes".  Nick does a great job of treading the fine line between Ren's well intentioned but frustrated 'outsider' view and coming on too strong which would have undermined the still existent 'respect for y00our elders' culture of mid America.

Ariel, the feisty preacher's daughter, was originally played in the movie by Lori Singer but I always found this a little too contrived (what with her smouldering eyes and legs that just kept going on & on she was more the prom queen type of gal than the preacher's daughter).  Likewise, in the movie, Ariel looks old enough to be soon moving away from home thus removing the conflict between her & her father - Ariel needs to be younger, more innocent but with still a bit of dare and a lot of sass, and in being so the relationship between the preacher and his little girl is all the more important to be saved.  With this in mind Beth Stobbart simply nails it- Beth brings all the believability to Ariel that is needed to help the audience connect, not just with her character but also the preacher, plus she's got a great voice too.  Looking mighty purty in her foxy red boots she dominates each scene she's in and plays the perfect counterfoil to the ever impressive Julian Cound as her reverend father. 

There are also great performances from Claire Wilmer as Rusty and Ben Connor as Willard, the love shy couple who, once Ren teaches Willard to dance, are never out of each others arms (or off the dance floor).  Also of note is Rob McDougal, Ariel's meat-head mechanic boyfriend who brings the stereotypical menace akin to Biff from the Back to the Future films.

As expected from a musical there are great songs throughout the show; the big ones from the film went on to have chart success including "Let's hear it for the boy", "Holding out for a hero", "Almost paradise" and of course "Footloose" immediately spring to mind, but for me, the best number by far was Samantha Morrison (as preacher's wife Vi) singing "Can you find it in your heart?".  Samantha gives a heart rendering delivery as a devoted wife seeing her husband drift away without him realising anything has changed - there were a few sniffles and much searching for tissues in the audience around me after that one.

The stage show has brought a few areas of the story up to date but still retains it's mid American small town charms & prejudices.  What was wonderful to see was the number of young people in the audience, I was sat behind a group of children and dancers who had come together from Melsonby - all were still of junior school age so there's no way they would have seen the movie first time round but they all loved the show, the dancing, the songs. Given that there are one or two rather 'risque' snapshots ("...so just what do you do around here for excitement ?") I bet that a few of their mum's would be fielding some strange questions last night too.

The group dancing scenes, including the square dance at the C & W hall and the finale are a fitting testament to the hours and hours of dedication put into rehearsals- it is all too easy to forget that these performers are not full time dancers, they have lives outside of Footloose although I bet many have forgotten that over these past 5 months.

As with all Darlington Operatic Society productions, this is a masterful presentation of high energy, tight choreography and brilliant singing. Again the whole production team need to take their rightful and well deserved applause - Lets' hear it for the boys and girls of DOS.