Al Murray - The man behind the man behind the bar

 An interview with Al Murray

In between his very hectic schedule of tour dates, writing, rehearsing for a gig and podcasting, Al Murray very kindly agreed to a quick chat.

We have followed your career with great enjoyment since the early days of comedy with Harry Hill.  Stand up aside though, your historical recall, associations and repositioning are quite unique.  Have you always had the ability to weave such narratives?  (Al has a history degree from Oxford University)

AM - Yes, when I studied history at University I was not able to focus on the history that interested me, in fact I really couldn’t bear a lot of it, so when I could return to it later on I was able to choose exactly what I liked.   I am fascinated by the Second World War and I think understanding it, and History in general, is really important.  History and exploring world events and how they impacted people is a cultural phenomenon;  it affects everyone differently so being able to use facts to retell stories which prompt people to then question what they think is amazing.

 

Many people know you best as The Pub Landlord – over the past 10 years, you have more than dabbled in music, politics, theatre, writing and presenting – does the Landlord persona ‘get in the way’ at all?

AM - Not at all, in fact I use him and me to show two sides of the same coin.  In my recent series “Why Does Everyone Hate the English’”  I was able to have The Pub Landlord character make his rather over the top observations and then I, as Al Murray, was able to explain in a more measured way the facts behind the headlines.

 

You did a battlefield tour with James Holland at Arnhem and Nijmegen, have you any others planned and which would you most like to do next?

AM - My tours and subsequent podcast with James (”We Have ways of Making You Talk”) have been amazing for me.  I thought I was very knowledgeable about the Second World War (ed. He is VERY knowledgeable) but as James and I talked through the series I realised just how much more there is to know.  I think knowing and understanding the Second World War is very important; we can learn so much about who we are now by looking back on where we were then. 

Looking ahead, the plan is that with international travel available next year we will be having more tours across other battle sites and hopefully another series of the podcasts.

 The Pub Landlord character is very open in celebrating Britishness; since the Brexit referendum, do you think audiences have changed in declaring their English/British nationality?  

AM - No, not all all. In 2016 the Brexit referendum was a single question asked of people on a topic, the EU, that would normally rank about 7^th or 8^th in their list of important things to think about.  They voted and then went back to their lives and allowed the politicians to begin fighting about the details.  It didn’t change how we felt about ourselves and didn’t really feature in our everyday conversations until very recently, so how British we felt then is still pretty much the same now.

The Covid pandemic, however, has been very different – that has come into everyone’s homes, lives, thoughts and as such there is a much more specific reaction to what is happening.   Looking back on a previous question, in a way, Covid has been much more like the Second World War in it has affected everyone immediately, far more than Brexit.

 

Have you managed to get back to drumming with a live band since restrictions have been eased ? 

AM - Yes, we have started rehearsals a few weeks ago and have a gig planned for later in September.  It’s been a great relief to get back playing live with the band. (ed. It is clear Al is very excited about performing again)

 

What can we expect of this current tour (Al Murray; Landlord of Hope and Glory)

AM – The Pub Landlord will be back doing what he does best, tackling current issues head on, enjoying the ‘banter’ with the audience and hopefully making people feel good.  There has been a lot of things happen since the last tour so we have a lot of new ground to cover.

 

What do you think the Pub Landlord makes of the recent influx of craft gins ?  is it just a fad ?

AM - Al laughs – the huge range of new drinks is great, it gives people choice and with choice comes happiness.  I think the Pub Landlord, however would still think the traditional white wine/fruit based drinks should be a staple go to option.

 

My granddaughter (5) would like to know, if you were a potato, how would you like to be cooked?

AM - Baked, every time.

Al Murray - Landlord of Hope and Glory tour is on now, tickets and dates from https://thepublandlord.com/ 

Al's Podcasts - We Have Ways of Making You Talk 

Al's unique look at our history - Why Does Everyone Hate the English (on HistoryPlay & Amazon)

Heathers the Musical @ Theatre Royal, Newcastle

 Heathers The Musical

Heathers The Musical opened last night to expectant applause and closed to a rapturous standing ovation.  This latest in the series of new modern musicals is based on Michael Lehmann’s 1989 black comedy and manages to retain all the danger, uncomfortableness and thought-provoking whilst delivering it with a stunning score and no shortage of gallows humour.

Heathers is set in a stereotypical High School (think more 13 Reasons Why rather than Grease) with the usual groups of jocks, nerds, cool kids and, of course, Heathers.  Here, the Heathers, 3 rich and entitled seniors, control who is in, who is out and who deserves to be just left alone.

Veronica (Rebecca Wickes – Six, We Will Rock You) is a plain Jane who wants to be noticed more and so attempts to befriend the Heathers.  Usually this would be met with an acerbic put-down, but Veronica has a skill that she can forge handwriting and as such the Heathers see this (and Veronica’s not so subtly disguised beauty) as reason to bring her into the gang.  Rebecca is a brilliant as Veronica; a feisty pocket dynamo with great range and wonderful timing.

The Heathers; Chandler (Maddison Firth – Six, Waterloo Road), Duke (Merryl Ansah – Lion King) and McNamara (Lizzy Parker – Urinetown The Musical) begin to force Veronica to turn her back on her friends and adopt their callous, snide and bitchy approach to their classmates.  This doesn’t sit well with Veronica but the rewards of attention prove too big a draw to refuse so she does their bidding, albeit under duress.  (Not surprising as Firth, Ansah and Parker are very convincing as manipulative divas)

Seeking someone she can confide in, Veronica falls for Jason ‘J.D.’ (Simon Gordon – Urban Myths, Moulin Rouge – Secret Theatre) a new guy at school who she soon finds is more Lone Wulf than Lonely Soul, he begins to lead her into deadly revenge on the Heathers and all those who follow them.

There is no mistaking the darkness in this production; murder, poisoning, teen suicide, attempted date rape are some weighty topics but they are delivered in the guise of High School life and Director Andy Fickman hits the right level everytime.  With a stunning score and some brilliant performances, this never feels preachy, nor does it stray into exploitation.  The young cast ensure that there is no dip in energy and brilliantly portray the hectic, chaos of High School.

Whilst the premise of Heathers is elitism and exclusion, the show actually celebrates tolerance, inclusivity and acceptance, nowhere better seen than in ‘My Dead Gay Son’ – a brilliantly hilarious coming out song.

Heathers is at the Theatre Royal, Newcastle until September 11^th, tickets from 

https://www.theatreroyal.co.uk/whats-on/heathers/ 

Out of Order @ Theatre Royal Newcastle

Ray Cooney’s Out of Order at The Theatre Royal Newcastle

A farce is defined as “a comic dramatic work using buffoonery and horseplay and typically including crude characterization and ludicrously improbable situations”.  Often thought of as a quintessential British form of theatre, farces were designed to play on the disparity between the haves & have-nots, the posh and the poor, Upstairs v Downstairs in an attempt to allow people to laugh out loud at situations which are in all likelihood, happening in real life.

In Out of Order, Ray Cooney brings the farce right up to date and into the glare of the modern political spotlight.  In fact, if it wasn’t for the costumes and stage, it would be very easy to think you were watching a Private Eye exposé on Westminster.

Set around the attempts of Tory MP Richard Willey (Jeffrey Harmer) to enjoy an illicit night with the Labour Leader’s secretary Jane Worthington (gorgeous Susie Amy) instead of attending a cross party debate, every conceivable mishap befalls him, often of his own making, as he tries to dig himself out, protect his reputation and slope his shoulders of responsibility. Finding what he believes is a dead body, trapped in the sash of his hotel room window, Willey could have done the sensible thing, called the authorities and taken his medicine, but hey, that a great play would have not made.  Instead he drafts in his tortured and put upon PPS, George Pigden (Shaun Williamson) and so sets in motion an ever increasing catalogue of bizarre, ludicrous but always hilarious events.

The cast is brilliant, simply brilliant and kudos must go to casting director Mark Frankum for bringing together some very well known faces who never once step back into the roles for which they are best known.  Harmer conjures up the spirit of Rick Mayall from his Alan B’stard New Stateman times (a role which I believe was Mayall’s absolute best); he is sly, controlling, disingenuous, entitled, well, you know, a stereo-typical ‘Tory’ MP.  James Holmes, as the waiter, has the look and feel of Andrew Sachs’ Manuel but with a British Steel core – always looking for his tip before AND after providing whatever room service is required. I guess if I’m making comparisons to sit com legends then Arthur Bostrom as The Manager would be likened to Basil Fawlty but that would be unfair to Bostrom, he is less madcap and more straight man which gives each scene a lightning rod to ground the silliness.  Cameos by Sue Holderness as Willeys wife, Pamela and Elizabeth Elvin as Nurse Gladys Foster ensure that the scenes continue to flow with variety while Jules Brown (Ronnie Worthington) drew some very approving gasps from the ladies sat around me.

Star of the show is Shaun Williamson.  I owe a sincere apology to Shaun – sure, I knew his roles of the past and was aware that he didn’t mind being cast in roles that send himself up but I didn’t realise just what a truly fantastic comedic actor he is – his timing is on a par with the true comedy greats and his mannerisms, facial expressions and slapstick would rival those of Laurel & Hardy, Norman Wisdom and Benny Hill (in fact, should they ever decide to do a film of Benny Hill’s life then Shaun would get my vote to play the Angel master).

It’s difficult to explain all the scenes, so quick is the pace and incessant the gags and pratfalls, but suffice it to say, you must ensure you grab every opportunity to breath otherwise you could find yourself laughing non-stop until you pass out.

The beauty of Cooney’s writing is that this play can be easily updated to include current references and thus make it always feel very relevant; Jeremy Corby and Theresa May are both name called, whilst the behaviour of the lead characters seem to be constantly reflected in most Sunday papers.

On a day that was fraught with sadness, angst and anxiety, it was perfect to be able to step outside of the world and enjoy a few hours of unapologetic fun in a wonderful theatre.

The Horne Section @ Durham Gala

The Horne Section @ Durham Gala

It takes a rare talent to stand up and make a theatre full of people laugh – it also takes a rare talent to entertain the same crowd with impromptu music, magic and mayhem yet Alex Horne and his Horne Section do both with consummate ease. 

People might know Alex from appearances on 8 out of 10 Cats does Countdown, Live at the Apollo and other chat shows; small segments which serve as comedic interludes but watching his full show, as we did at a sold out Gala Theatre, Durham, makes for an original and fun packed couple of hours.

Me and the Big' Lil' Bro had taken a 'lite' supper at the Lebanese restaurant Lebaneat, tucked into a whopper of a meze platter and, despite the walk back down the hill to the Gala, we still needed a bit more exercise to burn off the delicious range of grilled meats, rices, dips and salads - we need'nt have worried as our arms, legs and laughter muscles were about to get a great workout. (on a side note, we can DEFINITELY recommend Lebaneat, up near the Cathedral but better book a table, we were lucky to get one but, as is the sign of a great restaurant, it was packed with non-stop walk ups having to find somewhere else.)

 

Combining brilliant musical comedy with plenty of visual gags, including the most original use for Henry and Hetty Hoovers (which is more than a little trippy) , Alex performs a stand-up routine to rival the modern funny greats – Lee Evans, Al Murray, Lee Mack, Tim Vine et al,  yet what Alex has extra in his hilarity arsenal is a backing team who themselves have great comedic timing and no small amount of playing skills.

Routines like “the reverse Conga”, getting the whole auditorium to do a “Zumba” workout, “songs are better for including the Baker Street sax” and plenty of audience participation make the evening uniquely funny without ever verging on silly or banal.  Indeed, Alex manages to pay homage to old time vaudeville and music hall theatre, days when acts had to be experts in every aspect of entertaining and not resort to clichéd sexist or ‘shock’ tactics to entertain their audience.

The Horne Section is on tour and there’s not many better ways to spend an evening, just remember to take your comfy trainers and strap up your ribs.

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. 

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.

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.

Peter Pan Goes Wrong @ Darlington Civic

It's not quite Brigadoon

Many years ago, Les Dawson used to include in his act a piece of him playing the piano - well, I say playing it, but actually it was the worst piano playing you could ever hope not to hear; out of key, out of time and with more bum notes than Prime Minister's Question Time, but the genius of Les was that, despite the obvious disastrous keyboard playing, you could still make out what he was trying to play - how, because Mr Dawson was in fact a brilliant pianist and it was this skill that allowed him to make such a comical attempt sound both dreadful and wonderfully funny.  When I was learning to play I regularly held onto the belief that it takes more skill to play something badly on purpose than it does to just play it well and to that end, the people at Mischief Theatre are all geniuses of the highest order.

Coming hot on the heels of their last production "The Play That Goes Wrong", the brilliant, madcap and downright dangerous gang are back to retell the story of Peter Pan in the guise of Cornley Polytechnic's Christmas pantomime - sorry, Festive Vignette (backed by Max's Uncles money). Right from entering the auditorium you know that this is not going to be like any other play you've seen - the cast/backstage team/production crew are already busy trying to organise last minute preparations in readiness for first curtain leaving some bemused viewers wondering if they should have stayed in the bar for one last drink.  As the show starts and the Director and Co, sorry Assistant, Director introduce the nights performance there could be no one left in any doubt that all normal expectations of theatre should be put under their seats for the next few hours.

Producing a play within a play has been done many times before with notable exponents; Bill Shakespeare, Al Bennett and Tommy Stoppard to name but 2, but none have portrayed the angst, frustrations, annoyance and desperation of an amateur dramatics company attempting to put on an end of year play, complete with cast in-fighting, set and prop malfunctions, personal injury and verbal abuse of the audience.  Indeed, for this show the audience are invited to contribute to the mayhem, responding to the usual panto prompts but with additional scope for ad hoc heckling and hero worship in equal amounts.

I'm sure many can identify with the Director , Chris Bean (played by Laurence Pears) who casts himself in the roles he wanted, and his drive for excellence which, despite their best endeavours, wasn't really matched by the rest of the cast and leads to mounting frustrations.  Likewise, the leading lady (in her mind at least) playing Wendy Darling (played by Sandra Wilkinson who was actually played by the brilliant Leonie Hill - keep up) who takes every opportunity to demonstrate ALL her theatrical talents, regardless of what scene she is in, will have rang true with many frustrated swings and understudies.

Everyone deserves applause and credit but in particular Naomi Sheldon who plays Annie Twilloil who in turn plays Mary Darling, Lisa the housekeeper, Tinker Bell, Tiger Lilly and Cecco - just remembering who to enter stage as is tantamount to a Mensa entrance test, let alone the costume changes and accents - because of this Naomi is pretty central to much of the craziness (and probably in weeks of therapy afterwards).  Also a word for Rosie Abraham playing Lucy Grove who in turns becomes Tootles - Rosie seemed to spend most of the show being physically abused, dropped, smacked, crushed, rolled and tossed about, such a shame for a delightful and delicate deep sea diver.

An ingenious stage design gives 3 sets in one on a rotating turntable, perfect for quick scene changes but prone to mechanical malfunction which, by the end of the second act, makes for the funniest 15 minutes to be seen on stage.  Couple this with some spectacularly bad wire flying and a host of disastrous sound effects and the laughter just keeps coming and coming.  It is human nature to laugh at others' misfortune, especially when those falling have held themselves up for praise;  The Mischief Theatre co tap into that trait with such aplomb that you feel guilty, well, almost guilty at the stream of calamity.

As I said earlier, to take something and purposefully make it look so bad that it is funny is a real skill, without which the audience would be left wondering, was that meant to happen - fear not, for every joke, pratfall, 'accident' and mistake are expertly choreographed so as to ensure they eek out maximum hilarity.

From the first line to the last, this is non stop laughter at its best - a total riot of madcap mishap which at times defies belief and re-defines parody, pastiche and plain old silly fun.  Too often people are put off attending theatre for fear that it is still elitist, snobbish and aloof - well if there were more plays like this (and more experts like this cast & crew) then I am sure theatre audience numbers would rocket.  Oh, and be sure to get a programme, it is packed with more in jokes, back stories and mistakes.

Come to Darlington Civic, leave your inhibitions at the door, relax those chuckle muscles and be prepared to laugh so hard that a little bit of wee comes out - oops.

One Man Lord of The Rings @ Darlington Civic

3 tales of lands away,

3 tales of friendship,

3 tales of life and death

and one man to tell them

Peter Jackson totally broke the mould when he took on the monumental task of bringing to life Middle Earth and Tolkien's Lord of The Rings trilogy.  Filmed in New Zealand, costing millions and cast with thousands, it quickly became THE viewing for anyone remotely keen to escape to The Shire and beyond.  There was one person, however, who saw LOTR and instead of being blown away by the scale and majesty thought - "I can do that"

Enter Charlie Ross, Canadian actor, writing, painter of dreams and creator of nightmares (ok, I added the last two bits) who, fresh from his Lucas-inspired tour of One Man Star Wars, embarked on re-writing the greatest story ever told (as voted for by Tolkien Weekly) into an hour and a half solo spectacular. For this show, Charlie does it all, voices, acting, sound effects, background music and for anyone who has seen the Jackson movies, it is instantly recognisable whilst at the same time unique.  With regular knowing nods to the audience and geeky in-jokes, Charlie uses the fact that the movies are so well known to add more topical references and play on the cast members' own idiosyncrasies - previous films they have starred in, Legolas' obsession with his hair, Saruman's ultra deep voice, unrequited Hobbit love ?? etc.

With nothing but a microphone, Charlie Ross re-creates the vast lands, claustrophobic dungeons, weyrs of dragons, huge armies and of course, those touching, telling moments between 'friends'.

The audience last night, tho small, were all very keen LOTR fans, well, I say all but, as Charlie conducted a very brief poll at the start to see who has watched the DVDs, extras, director extras etc, there were a few 'yeas' to the question "Has anyone here NOT seen or read LOTR" - just what they would make of the show was open to debate, but actually, whilst some of the in-jokes would have been lost on them, there was no denying the skill, talent and energy on stage.  For those who know and love it, Charlie's show is like the missing extra that would make the ultimate box set to end all box sets.

For those Tolkien and Lord of the Rings Fans who feel they have seen everything they can about the story to end all stories, I urge you to go see Charlie Ross's One Man version - it is one of the funniest and entertaining shows I've seen at Darlington all year.  I just wish he had brought this out on DVD, it would have saved me the 15 hours of pre-show preparation watching the extended directors cut box set and learning the Silmarillion.

One Man Lord of the Rings is on tour for the next few weeks - check out the website www.onemanlotr.com

EXTRA EXTRA - For those who loved Charlie's LOTR, he is back in the North East on the 13th October at Whitley Bay Playhouse doing his One Man Star Wars show

51 Shades of Maggie @ Darlington Civic

Okay, for most people, 50 Shades of Grey was a wonderfully liberating, if somewhat naughty book which allowed women across the country to spend their lunchtimes at work escaping into the realms of erotic BDSM without having to hide the book inside a copy of Womens Realm.  I have not read it, nor any of the many spin offs and knock offs that sprung up in a 'summer of sin' but I know those who have so I took a couple of them with me to see this one woman show which takes the 50 Shades themes and rams them deep into the back alleys of the East End.

Firstly, Adele Silva, who for many is the brattish teen from Emmerdale, shows that she is a truly gifted actress - she can sing, she can dance, can cover many different accents and characters and has impeccable comic timing.  Whilst the story she was retelling didn't ring many bells for me, the way she brought each character to life was undeniably brilliant.  It is easy to see why this show has sold out so many venues - I found myself thinking of the Godbar play Bouncers and the way that brings real life front & centre.

Now, the story - well it's almost your typical girl meets boy, girl falls in love, girl realises that this an isn't for her and returns to the fold of her friends and kind - I said 'almost' a typical story as the focus very rapidly shifts to whips, chains, blindfolds and submissiveness.  There is a very funny gypsy party and a hilarious if somewhat cringe worthy encounter in the dole office.  What Silva does is ensure that her main character, Maggie, never loses her grounding, helped throughout by a smattering of non-expletive words amongst the swearing, cursing and 'chav-talk'.  This is certainly NOT a show for anyone who is easily offended by 'industrial' language, especially when spoken by a beautiful and demure lead, but it's possibly more shocking because deep down everyone knows that Maggie is stereotypical of so many young women (think TOWIE when the cameras stop rolling).

Ms Silva only breaks character once, prompted by the audiences reactions to a rather graphic statement featuring John McCririck, showing that underneath the coarse and brash persona of Maggie lies a brilliant actress who, for almost 2 hours, has solely and totally owned the stage.

Would I recommend this show, yes if you are a group of girls looking for a laugh filled evening, yes if you are a fan of character acting and want to see a young lady performing some of the very best, yes if you enjoy lifting up the dirty sheets of modern culture to see what is still there from the night before - just go prepared !

September in The Rain @ Darlington Civic

Thompson and Sweeney are utterly believable and totally charming

The latest in a long line of John Godber plays to be staged at Darlington Civic, September in the Rain is a delightful memory trip back to days of pre-M62, pit weeks, the tower ballroom and, ultimately, what is there to do in Blackpool, in September, in the rain?.

Told in flashback, Liz (Claire Sweeney) and Jack (John Thomson) relive instances over the years from their annual summer trips to Blackpool; the wide eyed innocence of their first holiday together, the playful arguments as they settle into a knowing routine, the challenges of trying to keep their relationship together once the kids have grown and left and then the resigned acceptance that they really are perfect for each other.

Don't think for one moment that this is simply a love fest charting an unrealistic ideal of prefect harmony; the arguments will ring true with everyone who has ever been in a relationship and gone on holiday and provide a delicious yet sobering recognition that we've all been there, done that, said those things.  Acutely accurate in even the tiniest of details, September in the Rain is never preachy about how relationships should work, it simply provides a mirror upon which the audience can see themselves.

Claire Sweeney once again proves that she is a wonderful actress, her performance never seeks for pity or sympathy and remains, with an inner strength enough for the both of them, still obviously in love with Jack despite his seemingly lack of romance or feelings.  John Thomson has in Jack a perfect role through which he can deliver his northern 'charm', often slipping towards one of his early stand up characters of Bernard Righton but never played simply for comedic effect and always remaining truthful and believable as a hard working, hard playing guy (especially his offering of a 'oncer').

If you have ever taken a break to a British seaside resort or have family members who have a routine of doing so year after year (I have!) then you will instantly recognise Liz & Jack - depending on your age they maybe the couple who used to come on the works coach trip, they might be the couple who you see every year at the same boarding house or they just could be you, yourselves.

September in the Rain is on at Darlington Civic until Saturday 28th September.

Rocky Horror Show @ Darlington Civic

Still the sexiest, raunchiest, funniest show in town

Way back in 1973 Richard O'Brien captured all the essence of his favourite horror, sci-fi and musical films, mixed them up with a heady dash of teenage sexual awakening and slapped the resulting show into a tiny upstairs theatre in the backstreets of London - and so, in keeping with the movies he was paying omage to, the monster was born.

Fast forward 40 years and the Rocky Horror Show is unparalleled in it's cult following.  Fans take great pride in dressing up as their show heroes, there is an expected etiquette for both Vamps (regular watchers) and Virgins (first timers) and there is even an audience participation script which runs through the whole show with collective responses, props and approved heckles.

The story, for those who have yet to enter the seedy world of Transylvanian Transvestites is about a young couple who find themselves in the clutches of the weird and wonderful Dr Frank 'n' Furter - a cross dressing mix of Dracula and Gok Wan - and their descent from wholesome, mid-Americans to depraved, sex-crazed hedonists.

For the majority of fans, the first introduction to this show was through the movie version, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and it is to this that they constantly compare any stage productions.  I have to admit, I do too (having at the latest count seen the movie over 450 times) - I have seen 16 different stage productions across the country and whilst they have all been thoroughly entertaining, there was always something missing which meant they just didn't match up to my favourite film - that was until now.

This 40th anniversary version is simply the very best I've seen - period.  The direction stays so true to the original, the cast are perfect in every way and the set captures every nuance of the movie and original stage show.  From first curtain to the last encore it never misses a beat - there's no attempt to change things for personal expression, there's no experiment in modernising and there's no straying from what has made this the most famous and beloved cut musical ever.

Dani Harmer as Janet is a divine blend of virginal innocence mixed with simmering vamp and boy, what a voice she packs into those little lungs of hers.  Her accent was perfect mid-west which never faltered as she moved from cutesy to raunchy.

Ben Forster playing Brad managed to keep his geeky nerd on the right side of believable without straying into lampooning.  He too has a great voice and was equally comfortable in belting as he was in ballads.

Of course, in every version of Rocky Horror, it's Frank 'n' Furter who holds centre stage -

there has been an illustrious list of previous wearers of the man-sized basque; Jason Donovan, Jonathan Wilkes, Antony Head but again its the original, Tim Curry, who is always held as the best - well move over Tim for your tiara has been well & truly stolen.  Oliver Thornton has everything the role requires, a gorgeous figure, handsome yet mischievous face and legs that should be used in hosiery adverts.  Coupled with a stunningly good voice and a real sense of the history and expectations that go with the role Oliver plays Frank with all the respect it deserves.

There is a time honoured tradition of the audience heckling the oft appearances of the narrator, moving the role away from simply stitching the story together and instead acting as master of ceremonies and house manager.  The roll call of previous narrators is almost as heady as the previous incarnations of Frank 'n' Furter but tonight Philip Franks was the best armed, best prepared and genuinely funniest of the lot.  Philip managed to use every heckle to reinforce the reason for him being there while delivering hysterical yet none- dismissive comebacks which kept the whole audience on his side.

I unashamedly state that the Rocky Horror Show is my favourite show / film ever, so it is testament to the whole cast that I believe this version is as close to perfection as possible - for anyone who has ever enjoyed the movie and wished they had seen the original stage show you MUST go and see this.  Darlington Civic is a great venue for this show; even though it was first night, on a Monday in July, it was a sell out with well over half the audience dressed for the occasion in basques, stockings, biker jackets, medical scrubs and no end of tattoos and bow ties.  So, come up to the lab, see what's on the slab and enjoy shivering in ant-i-ci-pation.

The most fun you can have with half your clothes on

Importance of Being Earnest 2013 @ Darlington Civic

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

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

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

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

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

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