Masons - the Very Best of Yorkshire in a glass

 

Sitting in the heartland of North Yorkshire, Masons Distillery is currently a local secret, but it is destined to become a national treasure.  The pandemic may have brought more attention to local produce makers, farmers and crafters, but Masons was here before all of them and already has a pedigree to rival the very best.

We came for a Friday afternoon tour of the Bedale/Northallerton plant, expecting a quite functional manufacturing still and over priced gift shop as often befits the ‘craft brewers’ who have suddenly popped into Google Maps.  Instead we found a welcoming, sharing, almost embracing feeling that we had been brought into someone’s cottage garden, nursery, hatchery where the love of the produce far out-weighs the commercial sterilisation of so many other breweries/distilleries.

The story of Masons is a modern day fairytale – a couple who, after being offered a G&T for lunch instead of the usual aperitif, realised that perhaps others would enjoy the cool, crisp taste and limitless combinations  that gin can offer.  And so, Masons gin was born.  I make lite of the countless hours of development, trying to push a once believed ‘cheap’ ruin, and stand aside from the other ‘mom and pop’ businesses; Mason’s is strong; as rounded and as complex as ALL the other major players in the ever-bourgeoning Gin market but with a very unique element – they are LOCAL.  They use local providers, employ local people, celebrate local identity and, as someone from Darlington, they make me proud to declare my heritage.

Our tour began with a complimentary G&T (what else) before the wonderful Jody Craddock (who must have the 2^nd best job in the world) gave us a history lesson into the origins and life-cycle of gin as w know it.  We were then treated to  tour of the distilling process, including making acquaintances with Mason’s 2 stills.

The fascination didn’t stop with the brewing; we were then given access to the secret lair of their master flavouroroligst (name withheld to protect his identity) who spends his days exploring new ingredients to find the best next mix.  If his job isn’t THE best for a gin lover then I don’t know what else to ad (short of Brad Pitt as your lab mate).

The tour was concluded with a blind taste test of Mason’s finest; can you tell your Lavender from your Orange Zest, your Cardamom from your All Spice?  The tasting session was amazing; I thought I had a discernible palette but under Jody’s expert guidance (she used to buy tea for Yorkshire Tea so she must know what she’s doing) I could taste so many more flavours and nuances that I’d thought possible.

Of course, we had to end the visit buying some gin, and some wonderful new glasses (all at great prices, no hiking for the tourists).

We left Mason’s having enjoyed our tour, sampled some new flavours and, more importantly, having a new found appreciation of the work and research that goes into producing gin; a local gin, a World Class gin.

If you fancy a tour of a real gin distillery, get to see behind the scenes of making a new flavour or listen to the amazing story of how gin has evolved over the years (thanks Jody) then pop yourself over here - 

https://www.masonsofyorkshire.com/pages/gin-experiences

Rumours of Fleetwood Mac 2021

Back again after a postponed date, this newest Rumours tour is definitely worth the wait.

Anyone who loves music from the past 40 years will have no doubt enjoyed at least a handful of Fleetwood Mac's songs; from their first hit Albatross right through to the 80's smashes Big Love and Little Lies. Likewise their albums have always managed to deliver on every occasion but the history books will show that it was their eponymous 'Rumours' album that does, and will continue to, stand the test of time as a true classic.  

The songs are masterpieces in their own right but when the story surrounding the band (the in-fighting, love triangles and months of silence) are added there is more than a frisson of extra edge and pathos to the words.  Rumours, and the original live tour to accompany the album, was used by some band members to sarcastically remind others of their infidelities, betrayal and disdain.  I can't see the current crop of 'pop stars' ever having the mastery of English to be able to write such cutting sentiment into such catchy songs.

The musical prowess of all on stage is simply mesmerising whilst the vocals and  harmonies are pitch perfect to the originals.  Jess Harwood as Stevie Nicks and Emily Gervers as Christine McVie have all the power, sex appeal & vulnerabilities of the original female band members.  The boys, James Harrison as Lyndsey Buckingham, Etienne Girard as John McVie and the uncannily accurate Allan Cosgrove as Mick Fleetwood are note and inflection perfect.

A poignant addition to this tour play list is recognition of Peter Green, founder and soul of Fleetwood Mac who passed away in 2020.  His legacy is one which generations will be for ever grateful.  Dave Goldberg continues to defy the laws of nature and produce a performance of Green that, eyes closed, you'd swear there was a ghost up on stage.

If you look in any music press listings you will find many tribute bands covering almost all the big name acts from the 60's and 70's - The Counterfeit Stones, The Bootleg Beatles, Abbaesque, the Pink Floyd Experience but I challenge any of them to be as good as Rumours; in fact I will go so far as to say they would rival the original Fleetwood Mac if someone could ever get them on the same stage together.

An Interview with Britt Ekland

Preview of Cat and the Canary

An interview with Britt Ekland

A chilling tale of murder, mystery and greed comes to Darlington with a stage adaptation of The Cat and The Canary starring Hollywood superstar Britt Ekland. The star of stage and screen tells us about her latest acting challenge.

 

Hi Britt. You’re starring in thriller The Cat and the Canary. What’s the play about?

It’s a story about a big, deserted mansion on the Bodmin Moor. The owner died 20 years earlier and he has instructed his solicitors to assemble all the possible heirs to go through the will. There’s an assortment of people from all over the world that come into this spooky house, and loads of surprises ensue from the start.

 

It is an interesting story with many twists and turns. It’s very much in the tradition of Agatha Christie and the type of thriller British audiences love. I think our audiences will get a big surprise and that’s all I’m going to say.

 

What made you want to be part of this production?

First, I’m always up for a challenge. I always have been. I have done almost everything you can think of in my career. This is definitely not a role I’m used to; this play is not a farce, for a start! It’s something a bit more challenging for me.

 

Fantastic. So, who are you playing?

I play the housekeeper. She has been in this house alone for 20 years before this midnight meeting with all the assembled heirs and the solicitor. She’s probably had quite a solitary life and had to find ways of surviving that solitude, the cold and the war. She hasn’t had any physical company, but she feels she has had spiritual company. She’s very stern. Her job is to guard this house until the heir takes it over and that’s what she’s done for 20 years.

 

What makes this such a challenge for you?

I haven’t been on stage since my last panto in 2013. And I was never a rep actor – I was a movie star. I finished school when I was 17 and went to drama school for two years, then toured with a variety show and did a film in Rome. The next thing I know, I have a contract with Twentieth Century Fox and I’m sent to London. That’s where I meet Peter Sellers and marry him. Although I wanted to be on stage, being a movie star didn’t hold the prestige of being a good stage actor – not in Sweden where I came from. I don’t have the background that most actors my age have, which is my main challenge on this tour.

 

You’ve been working for more than 60 years. How do you keep yourself fit enough to tour?

I’m very fortunate that I’ve always worked out. In March 2018, I did Strictly Come Dancing in Sweden as the oldest participant ever. But I don’t take anything for granted. You have to be alert and stay on top of everything. A lot of this is your own mental attitude to life as well, not just what you eat and how you move. You have to have a very mobile mental attitude.

 

That sounds like a fantastic philosophy.

As you get older and what you look like matters less, you’ve got to challenge yourself to stay relevant and continue working. I could just sit down with a cup of tea and biscuits and watch television… but I don’t do that!

 

The Cat and The Canary runs at Darlington Hippodrome from Tuesday 21 to Saturday 25 September.

 

For more information or to book call 01325 405405 or visit www.darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk

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/ 

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