Magic Goes Wrong, but so Right at Theatre Royal

 Magic Goes Wrong

Tonight’s fun is brought to you by the letter ‘M’. 

Magic, Mystery, Madcap, Mayhem, Must-See.

The return to live theatre was always going to be a special one and for the audience at Newcastle Theatre Royal who were watching the opening night of Magic Goes Wrong they were treated to a slice of escapism that has been sorely missed over the past months.

Building on their brilliant Cornley Polytechnic previous productions (The Play that Goes Wrong, Peter Pan Goes Wrong, Story about a Bank Robbery), the Mischief Theatre company have melded real magic with their brand of zany mistakes and cringe-inducing mishaps.

Set as a fundraiser event for the Disaster in Magic Charity, we are treated to illusions, mind reading, escape stunts, card tricks and much more.  Of course, these are not destined to run smoothly, there are accidents aplenty, no shortage of physical injury, prop failures and some rather unfortunate events with wildlife.  

All in all, the charity night does not quite provide the much needed boost in funds, but it does give us, the real audience, plenty to enjoy.

The cast includes Daniel Anthony (Mickey), Valerie Cutko (Eugenia), Sam Hill (Sophisticato), Kiefer Moriarty (The Blade), Jocelyn Prah (Spitzmaus), Chloe Tannenbaum (Bar), with understudies Ishbel Cummings, Rory Fairbairn, CJ Field and Jay Olpin. 

Stand out performance was the brilliant David Nellist as the Mind Mangler;  a native to the North East (Alf Ramsey Knew My GrandFather, Pitmen Painters, The Far Corner) David’s performance of the oft thwarted mentalist is a counterpoint to the madcap physical comedy of the other acts.

MGW was possibly a marriage made in heaven; the ‘Magic’ has been designed and written by Penn and Teller – American magicians whom I first saw almost 30 years ago and whose performances have taken magic and twisted it into the macabre, drawing you into a safe expectation of traditional magic and then throwing you against the wall.  The ‘Goes Wrong’ part is the latest child sired by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields – names that now guarantee mayhem and test the bounds of how much they can inflict on a cast before they cause them real harm.  The blend of the two (there is real magic being performed) ensures that you are not really sure what to expect next, a true variety show.

Much credit must go to the staff and management of the Theatre Royal, Newcastle who have worked very hard to bring a sense of safety and confidence to the theatre going experience.  It is not easy to suit everyone’s sensibilities but they have provided clear guidance, sensible rules and effective spacing so as to ensure you feel part of a large collective without cause for worry.

Magic Goes Wrong is at The Theatre Royal, Newcastle until Saturday 28^th August.

Tickets can be purchased from www.theatreroyal.co.uk

Comedy About a Bank Robbery

Following on the back of their phenomenal successes The Play that Goes Wrong and Peter Pan Goes Wrong, Mischief Theatre Company will be taking their current West End smash, A Comedy About a Bank Robbery on tour later this year.  Grabbing the opportunity to see it at the beautiful Criterion Theatre before it heads out round the UK, we were treated to one of the funniest plays on stage, ever.

More of a story than the madcap parodies their previous productions have been, Bank Robbery is set in 50’s Minneapolis and charts the exploits of a wannabee crime ‘lord’ and his attempt to steal a priceless diamond from the local bank.  Aided by the bank manager’s daughter, a petty pick pocket and some rogue prison guards and chased by an FBI agent with dubious intent and the bank secretary, the story twists and turns at such a pace that you need the interval just to grab a breath and stop your head from spinning.  Directed by original Mischief member Nancy Zamit (who fans will remember from the previous productions) and Mark Bell (whose credit listings deserve their own page in the programme) Bank Robbery is a modern day classic, laugh out loud and don’t care who hears you evening of unashamed fun.

The puns come so fast, right from the off, that it takes a few minutes just to get your brain into gear to keep up but once you’re up to speed it’s hold on tight for a rollercoaster ride. Les Dawson used to pretend he was a terrible piano player but he was able to make it funny because he was actually a brilliant pianist;  this cast make the apparent tomfoolery look effortlessly hilarious because they too are masters in their craft.  Familiar faces of Chris Leask (hilariously cast as Everybody Else), Jenna Augen (the sassy Ruth Monaghan) and Leonard Cook (Robin Freeboys) are joined by West debutantes brilliant Samson Ajewole (Neil Cooper), livewire Sam Fogell (Sam Monaghan) and the wonderful Holly Sumpton (Caprice Freeboys) and show that the draw of Mischief Theatre is not just limited to the audience.

Scene changes are wonderfully segue wayed with the cast singing 50’s doo wop whilst the action scenes are brilliantly choreographed using cartoon-like inventiveness as a throw back to silent movies. 

The writing is super slick – the 2 Henrys and a Jonathan are masters at multi-layered comedy blending words, actions and the subtlest of entendres – for Bank Robbery they have produced a blend of Whitehall farce coupled with Carry On and all wrapped up in Mischief’s impeccable attention to detail.  The word plays are writ large and proud, you can see most of them coming but they land so perfectly that you’re still amazed by the simple brilliance.  The set is a shining example of ingenuity and seamlessly supports the physical comedy whilst providing the frame in which the magic happens; you are lulled into a false sense of familiarity and then suddenly what appeared to be an office becomes a vault, an air duct, a bed frame, a wardrobe.

It is not often that a show delivers through every single second of the performance but with Bank Robbery there isn’t a moment across the 2 hours in which the pace slips, the humour eases or the tears stop rolling .  A special mention too for the programme – this is one of the best companions to a show, packed full of the same humour and has a wonderfully witty timeline of the evolution of Mischief Theatre.

All in all, this show has delighted West End theatregoers for the past 2 years and very soon it will share the love around the UK – it WILL sell out so grab your tickets now, strap up your sides and take a deep breath.

***** and an extra *

The Comedy about a Bank Robbery is on tour – check out the dates and tickets here:

http://www.thecomedyaboutabankrobbery.com/uk-tour

The Play that Goes Wrong

It must be a sign of my age, but I find myself seeking out ‘sure things’, ‘guarantees’, safety and avoiding risk – not only in my purchases, holidays, choices of pizza toppings, but also in choosing what to spend my spare time on.  One thing I know without a shadow of doubt, is that any production by The Mischief Theatre is going to be hilarious, witty, silly and brilliant and will be the best 2 hours spent of many a week.

This tour of their West End & Broadway smash, The Play That Goes Wrong (a show I first saw 4 years ago and have plagued friends & family about it ever since) is their take on the eponymous Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society’s murder mystery.  Made possible by a generous legacy from Claude Bennett (which is possibly why his nephew features in the show in a number of roles), this play explores the whodunnits of old, set in stately Haversham Manor with plot and counterplot to rival any Agatha Christie tale.  Sadly (for the Polytechnic Director, Designer, Costumer Designer, Press, Box Office Manager, Dramaturgy, Voice Coach (and many more roles he has claimed for himself) Chris Bean that’s where the similarities end and instead the whole production descends into a comedy of errors beset with pratfalls, slapstick and the ultimate destroying of the set that would not be out of place in a Buster Keaton movie.

The real nub of this show is that it is a play within a play; if you hadn’t already guessed, Cornley Poly are the fictitious company wonderfully directed by Mark Bell performing the brilliance of writers Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields.  The real show starts well before curtain up (so make sure you’re in your seats at least 20 mins early) as some of the stage hands and tech team begin to set up for the opening scene.  From here on you know this isn’t going to be like any other show you’re likely to see, nor are you likely to laugh as hard and as loudly as you will whilst watching it.

I’ll attempt to summarise (so please do try to keep up) ….. Chris Bean, played by Jake Curran, plays Inspector Carter who is drafted in when Steven Rostance as Johnathan Harris playing Charles Haversham (he of the manor) is found dead on his engagement night.  Suspects for this foul deed include his brother Cecil, played by the afore mentioned Claude Bennett’s nephew Max who is actually the brilliant Bobby Hirston, Robert Grove (who is really Kazeem Tosin Amore) playing Thomas Colleymore, and his sister, Charles’ fiancé Florence, played by Elena Valentine playing Sandra Wilksinson.  

Okay, now breathe as there’s still more to add – the family butler, Perkins who is Dennis Tyde (but really Benjamin McMahon) tries to keep the peace between the warring factions, but constantly finds his attempts thwarted by both the props and the overly ambitious staging, not to mention the unfortunate accidents that befall most of the cast in one way or another – Elena, as Sandra, as Florence, ends up unconscious and so is replaced by stage manager Annie (Catherine Dryden) who suddenly finds that her original shyness in front of the audience has been replaced by a real calling to take centre stage.  Likewise, Duran Duran fan and sound and lighting guru Trevor Watson (the hilarious Gabriel Paul) is drafted in to try and surreptitiously fix some of the calamity, only to find he too falls prey to the acting bug (and the curse of the set).

The story moves along at a real pace with never a moment missed by the cast, or cast, to inject some additional action or incident.  Make no mistake, this is probably the hardest technical show I’ve ever seen; to make so many mistakes and accidents look authentic and yet remain on cue and perfectly timed is sheer brilliance – people used to say of Les Dawson that he could only play the piano so badly because he could actually play it brilliantly and this show is exactly that.  The set designer Nigel Hook has taken every classic joke, prop fail and pratfall and melded them into a non stop riot – sure you see some of them coming but that actually makes them even funnier because the cast apparently can’t.

All too often we are served up tv comedy which consists of people trying very hard to look very clever and witty yet so much of it is Emperor’s new clothes – people laugh because they think it’s meant to be funny and therefore they need to be a part of the ‘gang’ who get the joke – forget all that false and pretentious humour and go see The Play That Goes Wrong – it is honest, genuine, and unashamedly daft yet done so brilliantly that not only will you laugh out loud, you’ll not give a damn who hears you because everyone else will be doing the same.

The Play That Goes Wrong is on at Darlington Hippodrome until March 10^th but fear not if you can’t get now, it will be back in the North East again:

Newcastle Theatre Royal 2^nd – 7^th July

Billingham Forum 17^th – 22^nd September. 

Treat your funny muscles to a real work out and you’ll ache, and smile, for days afterwards.

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.