The Habit of Art, York Theatre Royal - Wednesday 5th September 2018

Matthew Kelly and David Yelland, The Habit of Art

Photo Credit: Helen Maybanks

Alan Bennett's revived play, The Habit of Art, make its first stop at York Theatre Royal, before embarking on a national tour.  This joint presentation, by York Theatre Royal, The Original Theatre Company and Ghost Light Theatre Production stars Matthew Kelly, well known for presenting Stars in Their Eyes on television and David Yelland, a well established actor.

Under the direction of Philip Franks, it is known as a play within a play and the cleverly arranged "fixed" staging which welcomes one to the audience, courtesy of Adrian Linford, gives this impression.  The play rehearsed, Caliban's Day, is about a fictional meeting between two intriguing but legendary artists; the poet, W.H. Auden (Fitz (Kelly) and the composer, Benjamin Britten (Henry (Yelland) which takes place in the early 1970s and before their deaths.

Amid all this they are backed by supporting actors Stuart (Tim (Benjamin Chandler) and Humphrey Carter (Donald (John Wark) and also the creative crew of Kay, company stage manager, (Veronica Roberts) and George, assistant stage manager, (Alexandra Guelff) and the playwright, Neil (Robert Mountford).  In the director's absence the cast rehearse with a re-run of Caliban's Day and all share chaotically and farcically how the play should, in their minds, run.

The main characters, Auden and Britten, are explored with their contrasting personalities.  Auden, outspoken and crude with his suggestive innuendos and Britten, who somewhat has a more reserved diplomatic demeanour, is mysterious and intriguing with what he shares.  The ambiguity and tongue in cheek is Bennett's playwright hallmark however his writing style allows for key themes to be explored including sexuality, loneliness, dealing with demands of their art including friendship and rivalry, and subsequently death. Such themes were then somewhat more complex taking in account the societal attitudes at the peak of their lives especially sexuality and how they had to live with risks of social isolation and marginalisation. 

The Habit of Art has no specific plot but instead an insight into two unique artists of the 20th Century and an opportunity for the audience to interpret and appreciate what is being presented on stage.  The conclusion is left open to interpretation and for anyone to add towards its notion.  The production is entertaining as well as reflective and put well together by an excellent cast led by Kelly and talented creative and production teams.


Reviewed by Dawn Smallwood 
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Playing until 8th September 2018

The Last Ship, York (Originally reviewed for The Reviews Hub, June 2018)

Originally Reviewed for The Reviews Hub and the link can be found here. 

Image: Contributed 

Sting’s The Last Ship has been touring since March with York Theatre’s Royal marking the penultimate stop on this successful tour.  Due to technical issues on the night of this review, the musical started half an hour later.  With the complex hi-tech and intricate staging evident in this production, the late start must have been needed to ensure that “everything will be right on the night”.

The Last Ship is about a tight-knit community in Wallsend, a town in Tyne and Wear, and the pending closure of the Swan Hunter shipyard.  The shipyard workers fight to save their livelihood, before deciding to build one last ship, and for it to be launched and sail away.  The story explores some of the key characters, including Gideon Fletcher (Richard Fleeshman), a sailor who leaves town only to return 17 years later and Jackie White (Joe McGann) the foreman of the shipyard, who leads the fight to ensure “the last ship” sails, supported by his wife, Peggy (Penelope Woodman). 

The length of this production, three hours, may be somewhat off-putting for some viewers but this could be vetoed as necessary to reflect the spirit of Sting’s music and the deep melancholy and reflective messages brought from the songs.  The beautiful music and lyrics from his award-winning album, The Soul Cages, inspires this musical and is intertwined with singer’s own childhood experiences.  This production plays out at a steady pace, incorporating the characters’ narratives well; it is the people who make the shipyard, and the shipyard that makes the people who they are.

59 Productions’ staging with the assistance of Matt Daw (lighting) and Sebastian Frost (sound) is exceptional, making great use of hi-tech features for the shipyard especially, while transitions between sets are smooth.

The Last Ship is politically and socially charged, with themes that are no doubt familiar to many in the audience.  One is reminded of the continuous demise of the coal industry in the 20^th Century, leading to the 1984/85 Miners’ Strike in response to the then Conservative Government’s so-called “name of progress”  economic policy.   The production also follows personal stories, particularly the estranged relationship between Joe and Meg (Frances McNamee) and their bridge being built in the beautiful When We Dance.

Under the direction of Lorne Campbell, the cast and creatives put on an excellent performance in telling such a poignant and moving story. Like a lot of industrial dependent towns, Wallsend’s Swan Hunter shipyard represents the community and people’s livelihood. It represents just how important it is to fight for what you believe, with heart, soul and spirit.

Shipbuilding has more or less declined in the UK, but its proud community roots, legacy and industrial heritage vividly live on in many hearts.  This may be one of the reasons Sting wanted to tell this story; to repay his “debt” to the community he grew up in, before leaving the town to pursue his dream as a successful musician.

Titanic The Musical, Sheffield (Originally reviewed for The Reviews Hub, May 2018)

Originally reviewed for The Reviews Hub and the link can be found here. 

Image Credit: Scott Rylander

The sinking of the RMS Titanic in April 1912 is one of the most tragic maritime events on record, where sadly 1517 souls were lost.  Many will know and have watched James Cameron’s 1997 Oscar-winning film, Titanic, starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio.  The same year as the blockbuster film, Maury Yeston’s Titanic – The Musical, opened on Broadway, winning numerous awards including a Tony Award for Best Musical.  The musical, based on Peter Stone’s book, isn’t a factual narrative about what exactly happened to the “unsinkable ship”, instead, there is a specific focus on the characters on board.

The narrative in the first act follows the characters’ dreams, hopes and aspirations, including those who are planning to make a life in the New World, such as The Three Kates as in the song Lady’s Maid (Emma Harrold, Devon-Elise Johnson and Victoria Serra). There are those who are planning to propose to their loved ones, as sung by Frederick Barrett (Niall Sheehy) in The Proposal/The Night Was Alive, while Lady Caroline Neville (Claire Marlowe) and her fiancé Charles Clark (Stephen Webb) are eloping to America, sharing their love in I Give You My Hand. 

As representatives of the class system on board, the characters could not be any more different. The Third Class passengers are seeking a better life in America while the Second Class passengers such as Alice Beane (Clare Machin) whose husband has done well with his business, were able to treat themselves a trip of a lifetime. Alice is a social climber and aspires to be among the First Class, the movers and shakers, the billionaires such as the Straus’s (Dudley Rogers and Judith Street).  Also not to forget Captain Edward Smith (Philip Rham), J. Bruce Ismay (Simon Green), Thomas Andrews (Greg Castiglioni) and William McMaster Murdoch (Kieran Brown) who all open their minds to their thoughts and feelings about the ship and passage itself.  They are involved in the crucial decision making as reflected too late in The Blame.

Titanic- The Musical, accompanied by Yeston’s beautiful score, is written as a tribute to those who have lost their lives as well as to those who have survived.  It is a celebration of the human spirit and the imagination beyond experience on the “ship of dreams”.   The score includes the memorable Goodspeed Titanic and the poignant The Foundering which mourns and remembers those lost at sea.  Thoughts and expressions are sung in varied musical numbers which are sensitively constructed for the passengers and circumstances, from the optimism and normalcy during the first act through the second act which is fast moving and poignant, predominantly concerning the Titanic’s fateful final hours.

David Woodhead’s stunning staging compliments this production, with its steel hull, its railings and stairways and ropes certainly giving the ambient feeling of being on a ship.  The set coordinates well with Howard Hudson’s lighting and Andrew Johnson’s soundscapes, while the staging space is imaginatively used by the cast under the moving direction by Thom Southerland and musically by Mark Aspinall and the live orchestra.

The cast is formed of performers who have been successful in London West End’s theatre, the Southwark Playhouse or the Charing Cross Theatre productions of Titanic – The Musical.  This stellar cast gives first class portrayals of the characters and together with the ensemble share a wonderful chemistry in telling this unique experience.

On the night of this review, the production was received well by the audience and credit must go to the cast and also the creative team. Titanic – The Musical offers a window of opportunity for the passengers onboard to dream and aspire to something more, although fated and unknown at the time, how this journey would change their lives forever.

The Last Ship, Leeds (Originally reviewed for Fairy Powered Productions, May 2018)

Originally reviewed for Fairy Powered Productions and the link can be found here.

The Last Ship Review

Leeds Grand Theatre – Until Saturday 5th May 2018

Reviewed By Dawn Smallwood

5*****

Sting, under the direction of Lorne Campbell, brings this critically acclaimed musical, The Last Ship, to Leeds which is currently part of the UK and Ireland tour. The musical is based on the singer’s music and lyrics and looks back to the ship building community in the Tyne and Wear during its industry decline in the 1970s.

The story is about Gideon Fletcher (Richard Fleeshman), a sailor, who returns home after spending 17 years in the Navy and is confronted with the past and present tensions concerning his family, particularly his ex girlfriend, Meg (Frances McNamee) and the town’s community. The demise of the shipbuilding industry is evident with their local ship yard closing and the town is determined to fight saving the ship and the yard. This is lead by Jackie (Joe McGann), the yard’s foreman, and his wife Peggy (Charlie Hardwick). The story is in similar vein to Sting who grew up in a similar community, left the town to pursue a music career, and returned to tell this tale.

Sting sought inspiration from his album, The Soul Cages, to generate the moving and powerful musical score and lyrics to the musical. The musical numbers includes the memorable Island of Souls, All This Time, When We Dance and The Last Ship and tells this political and personal stirred story – this is quintessential to many communities who earnestly fought to save the towns’ industries and the livelihoods it generated. One can think of the coal mining towns and villages’ role during the 1984/85 Miners Strike. Each song sung depicts the emotions, passions and the souls of the community and how much the shipyard and the livelihood mean to them. The songs are sung with such conviction from individuals and united in chorus from the ensemble.

59 Production’s staging is stunning with its hi-tech backdrop and life size ship yard from where the story is told. The space is utilised very well with successful transitions being made between each scene. The lighting and sounds, courtesy of Matt Daw and Sebastian Frost, compliment the staging particularly with the notion that one is by the sea and the waves crashing in the background.

The Last Ship is delivered excellently from the cast who perform wholeheartedly and in unison, particularly the songs’ choruses, from beginning to the end. Every single performer has a part to play and impressions are certainly left. A lot of thought, heart and soul have been put into the story along with Sting’s musical and lyrical ingenuity. It is a realistic poignant beautiful musical to see and is highly commended and recommendable during its tour.

Nautical Theatrical Highlights - July 2018

I would like to share some Nautical highlight from two amazing musicals with a ship theme I've seen on stage this year.  I had pleasure seeing and reviewing the following:

The Last Ship

    Image Credit: https://www.thelastshipmusical.co.uk/


Titanic The Musical

Image Credit: http://www.titanicthemusical.co.uk


Please see separately three posts for both The Last Ship and Titanic The Musical which were originally reviewed for Fairy Powered Productions (The Last Ship) and also originally review for The Reviews Hub (Titanic The Musical and The Last Ship).

The Last Ship  (Leeds, Reviewed for Fairy Powered Productions)
Titanic The Musical (Sheffield, Reviewed for The Reviews Hub)
The Last Ship (York, Reviewed for The Reviews Hub)

Plus here's my review of Titanic The Musical (click on the link) when I saw it Southwark Playhouse in 2013.

All About Me Blog Update

This is to let you know that I'll be no longer reviewing shows for this blog.  

I now review regularly for Fairypowered Productions and also The Review Hubs.  I used to review for the North West End but hope to review for them again in the not too distant future.  I'll post some reviews which I've done on behalf of the three reviewing sites on this blog from time to time.

I will still see many shows but if I'm not reviewing I won't be blogging!  Instead I'll share on social media my immediate thoughts of the shows I do get to see!

Thank you for your support always.


*post note*
I occasionally review independently and will post what I review on here.  However shows I review for other reviewing websites will be on their sites (occasionally I'll publish some here from time to time) but certainly won't be reviewing if I've paid to see the show!

Contained, West Yorkshire Playhouse (Originally reviewed for The Reviews Hub in March 2017)

This was originally reviewed for The Reviews Hub in March 2017 and the link can be found here.

Image Credit: Tim Smith

Mind The Gap Studios are known for their true stories from the heart, and this is certainly evident in this unique production of Contained.   The production features nine performers with learning disabilities and the show is in joint collaboration from Alan Lyddiard (Anniversary) and award-winning French Photographer and filmmaker, Denis Darzacq.

The performance begins when each actor, one by one, walks out to introduce themselves and share their compelling stories, invoking a range of emotions from the listeners.  The barriers and stereotyped perceptions the performers have had to face are unbelievable.  It is sad that even today, people can be judged primarily on their disability, casting a shadow on what they, as an individual, are capable of. Jez Colborne, the show’s composer, inspired by Bob Marley’s Get Up Stand Up, is determined to stand for his rights, no matter what his personal circumstances are. He asserts that one is neither my judge nor my jury and one should focus on ability. 

Many will know Liam Bairstow for his role as Alex Warner in Coronation Street. During the production he shares his somewhat harrowing experiences, and how he eventually overcame them, securing a role on Britain’s longest running soap opera.  There is also Howard, who drums to “forget all things” and his girlfriend, Zara, who experienced discrimination at a mainstream school, labelled as stupid, among other titles.  The performers assure one another that they are all there for each other, the bond between them palpable.

Another actor, Paul, turns to the performance arts to combat stress and anger from his experiences but is grateful for his current foster family, who love him for who he is.   The remaining performers share their stories, including Alison, from Bradford. She has lived through some poignant experiences and is also a talented saxophone player.

On stage, the performers are supported by Charli Ward, the company’s academy director, who works holistically and in unison with the actors.  The show is accessible with visual screenings of texts, kinesthetic use of videos when stories are shared one by one, and a sign language interpreter is also present on stage.

At the end of the production, each performer consolidates their story, and there is a heartfelt and optimistic finale of I am fine, sung collectively.  This emphasises their beliefs in freedom and being themselves, not conforming to existing perceptions.  Significantly, it is about not being figuratively contained and is thought-provoking for all to reconsider disability in general.

Contained is a moving, poignant and powerful production that celebrates ability and artistic successes.  The production is colourfully reflective, giving the viewer an opportunity to learn about the world through the perspective of those with learning disabilities.  This is an unmissable production and one which is incredibly well done, and well received by the audience from beginning to end.

Blood and Ice - Leeds Arts Centre - Wednesday 18th October 2017

Accessed from https://www.carriageworkstheatre.co.uk

Leeds Arts Centre presents Liz Lochhead’s Blood and Ice this week at the Carriageworks Theatre.  Directed by Camilla Asher, the production gives the audience an insight into the life of Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein, and to see how the classic was conceived and developed over 200 years ago.

It is fitting for this production to appear in its 200^th year anniversary of the publication of Frankenstein.  The mood is set at the beginning as the audience enters into a darkened space and the two act play switches between the different time periods of Mary’s life; with her creation of the "creature" being never far away in her thoughts and silhouettes in the background.   There is an introduction to the characters  who played a big role in the author’s life including Percy Bysshe Shelley (Ben Hopwood), Claire Claremont (Hannah Robbins) and Lord Bryon (Joe Saxton) and how their personalities influenced choices that Mary has to make.  The trio replicates such key scenarios. 

Mary opens up and shares her tragedies including the deaths of her babies and how she and Percy were ostracised from society because of their romantic and political beliefs.  Frankenstein was written at the height of the Romantic era where thoughts, inherited from The Enlightenment, and expressions were intertwined though not necessarily encouraged by society in general particularly the upper class. Frankenstein is considered parallel to Mary’s life and the production certainly explores this and how Mary is prompted to reflect beyond and think deeper than she never has done before.

The staging is simple but the draped backdrop is effective with images of Henry Fuseli, a Romantic painter, which reminds the audience of its era.  The lighting and soundscapes compliments the moods portrayed through the play.

This is an enjoyable production and the cast thoroughly put their awe and energy into a story that is just a relevant today as much as it was 200 years ago; particularly with the themes such as gender and woman’s role in society.  Blood and Ice figuratively sums up Mary’s life and her creation from the tragedies including death to the strong character she develops from experiencing delusion, disappointment and loneliness.

Reviewed by Dawn Smallwood

19th October 2017

Black Eyed Theatre's Frankenstein - 2nd February 2017, Harrogate Theatre

Blackeyed Theatre is currently presenting Frankenstein which is touring round the country. This world première production is adapted by John Ginman and based on Mary Shelley's Classic Gothic Thriller.  The story centres on Vincent Frankenstein, whose passions are to find the secrets to nature and its philosophies which is combined with his soul searching initiatives.  Then one dark day in November his creation would give him the adventure and experience he wouldn't have imagined at all.

(Accessed from http://www.blackeyedtheatre.co.uk)

Shelley's literacy works are celebrated with an exploration of science fiction, gothic, spiritualism and figments of one's imagination...themes typical of the Romanticism Era.  The production is staged darkly with dimmed lighting and the wide range of live percussion/music is used for its soundscapes and musical accompaniment.  The creature is excellently portrayed with its puppetry, he comes alive during the story, and his action changes Frankenstein and the other characters' lives forever.

A moving, soul searching, senses stirring, dark production and the company interprets realistically the classic without any compromise.  This is an enjoyable two hour production performed by a five person cast and created imaginatively under the direction of  Eliot Giuralarocca.   

Far from the Madding Crowd, Square Chapel Centre for the Arts - Friday 18th October 2016

(Accessed from http://www.hotbuckle.co.uk)

The Players of Hotbuckle Productions, a Shropshire based theatre company, presents Far from the Madding Crowd.  Adapted by Adrian Preater, the four member cast performs Thomas Hardy's classic intimately on stage.  The cast - Preater, Virginia Lee, Lauren Orrock and Matthew Rothwell play the multiple characters and tripling up as narrators and live musicians.

Written in 1874, the classic is set in rural South West England and explores the relationship between Bathsheba Everdene (Lee) and her suitors, Gabriel Oak (Rothwell), Mr Boldwood (Preater) and Sergeant Troy (Rothwell).  The themes, the characters face, are love, disappointment, honour, betrayal, tragedy and crucially the roles women plays in society, amid the tough reality of life in a farming community.  

The performance ran smoothly with seamless transitions between scenes with change of characters, costumes and props and this aided with excellent light and soundscapes.  An enjoyable performance, which offers an insight to the life the author lived and the diverse and complex circumstances human beings experience.  Far from the Madding Crowd so far has been touring primarily in Northern Ireland and England.


Dawn Smallwood 
Reviewed on 18th November 2016

French Without Tears, Harrogate Theatre - 27th September 2016

English Touring Theatre and Orange Tree Theatre present Terence Rattigan's French Without Tears at Harrogate Theatre for just one week.  Rattigan wrote the play in 1936 and has been revived three times; 43 years ago at London's Young Vic and twice by English Touring Theatre including this production.

English Touring Theatre and Orange Tree Theatre's

French Without Tears

(Image contributed)

The comedy is about a group of young men who spend the summer at a French school to intensely prepare for their Diplomatic exams; the preparation doesn't go to plan as their focus is interrupted by the presence of Diana Lake (Florence Roberts), a beautiful though flirtatious visitor.

The men are seemingly in love with Diana; Kit (Joe Eyre), Bill (Tim Delap) and Alan (Ziggy Heath) and their feelings for her dominate them. Diane's return of love to each of the men is uncommitted and takes in her the stride the love they all have her.  To make things more complicated Jack (Jacqueline) (Beatriz Romilly) is in love with Kit.

Rattigan writes ahead of his time and certainly pinpoints the young men's masculinity and its appeared arrogance but beneath reveals their insecurity and vulnerability particularly experiencing women and romance.  Their attitude and preconceptions, indoctrinated by the expectations and culture at the time, toward women is unsurprising and states "an ideal woman with masculine virtues and feminine fiestas" and unable judge women with "standards of our own".

Men at the time weren't encouraged to express their feelings and display their emotions openly.  The "stiff upper lip" and "be tough" attitude at that time and men were conscripted to serve in the military during the First World War (and subsequently the Second World War) would have influenced this.  Expressions and displays would have been frowned up and/or censored by those in power in the name of political favour, particularly in Continental Europe, and patriotism. This comedy challenges their invincibility and masculinity and makes clear that men are just as fragile as to woman and this is shown with all of them being involved with Diana.

The cast work really well together and in unison - they are overseen by David Whitworth's Monsieur Maingot who keeps on reminding the group to speak only in French.  There is a continuous dialogue flow taking in account the plot.  There are unexpected twists and occurrences from all the characters' friendships, loyalties and long term secular goals are being severely tested - particularly at a time when they shared that "they may live up to their ideals but not to others".  Paul Miller directs the play and ensures the audience appreciate what the young men then faced.

Audience members who have a good command of French can appreciate the play's wit, irony and colloquialism.  Certainly hilarious throughout with the young men's misunderstandings of the French language and innuendoes attached.

Simon Daw's staging certainly has a continental feel with French writing on the stage's back drops.  It blends well with the story and its moods and Mark Doubleday's lighting compliments the staging.  A comedy which will give an audience to ponder as much as being farcically entertained.



Dawn Smallwood

Company, CarriagworksTheatre, Leeds - 20th September 2016 (Reviewed on behalf of North West End)

This was originally reviewed for North West End and the link can be found here.

LIDOS (Leeds Insurance Dramatic and Operatic Society) presents an amateur production ofCompany at the Carriageworks Theatre in Leeds. Sondheim’s award winning musical, based on George Furth’s book, premiered on Broadway in 1970. The musical focuses on Bobby (James Sidgwick), a 35 year old single man, who is unable to commit to a relationship. He associates with his best friends who are five married/engaged couples and has on and off relationships with three girlfriends; April (Mariah Young), Marta (Sophie Ketteringham) and Kathy (Gemma Buck).

Company doesn’t follow any particular storyline but instead it focuses on the characters themselves, none chronologically, after the celebration of Bobby’s 35th Birthday. It is set around the dates of his girlfriends and conversations over dinner and drinks with his married/engaged friends. The common themes, Company is one of the first musicals ever to deal with this, are around adult ones and the reality of relationships.It opens with a catchy musical number Company with reprises throughout.   Robert spends time with couples whose actions clearly see that marriage isn’t really what it is cracked up to be along with being in any relationship. Thoughts and feelings expressed in Joanne’s (Janine Walker) sarcastic and The Little Things You Do Together and the mocking The Ladies Who Lunch; Harry (Chris Hall), David (Andy Ashley) and Larry’s (Leon Waksberg) Sorry-Grateful and Amy’s (Claire Sidgwick) decision not to tie the knot in Getting Married Today. Each couple’s relationship doesn’t appear problem free when Bobby witnesses his friends and the various issues and challenges the couples face.

Bobby certainly is valued as a friend with the company’s What Would We Do Without You? at the beginning of the second act even if the couples do not give up their wish to see him married. In conclusion he however bravely comes to terms that being in a relationship with its challenges is worth it for meeting someone who is Being Alive. The live musical numbers are played beautifully by the pianist, Beth Blundell, and the singing and music are directed by Lucy Eyre.

Company is wholeheartedly and energetically performed by this company. The acting, singing and choreographed movements, directed Kimberley Lyon, are performed smoothly in the Upstairs at the Carriageworks studio’s intimate staging space.   The staging is interesting with photographs, framed on the walls and hung from the ceiling, and summarises Bobby’s relationships with the five couples and his casual girlfriends. This is an excellent performance by LIDOS including the cast and its production team.

Anniversary, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds - 15th September 2016 (Originally reviewed for North West End)

This was originally reviewed for North West End and the link can be found here.

It is a pleasure to be at this unique production of Anniversary, currently playing in West Yorkshire Playhouse’s Courtyard Theatre. This contemporary production offers an opportunity for a group of 11 older performers, some who had begun performing as far back as the 60s, to share their life experiences on stage through a kaleidoscope of story-telling, poetry, movement, dance and music.

Image credit: Anthony Robling

A Performance Ensemble and West Yorkshire Playhouse created and developed Anniversary and last year the production was commissioned through The Baring Foundation Late Style programme.   Anniversary is unique as there is a particular emphasis on celebrating the present instead of living in the past or in the future.

The performance begins when performers announce key anniversary dates which later on in the show will link to significant events that have happened in their lives. The performers share honesty “an anchor” at different stages during the show and reiterate how such events shape and strengthen who they have become today.

Optimism is shared by some of performers such as Namron and Villmore about making wishes, dreaming dreams and never knowing what the future holds. Alex shares his experiences and pleas for not to take my “sunshine away” during the company’s adaptation of Johnny Cash’s “You are my sunshine”.

A moving moment is certainly is the heartfelt singing of “Seasons of Love”, from the musical RENT, by the company and a sign language choir. It sums up the stories that are shared on stage and how, for some performers, the anniversaries are continuing such as the Phoenix Dance Company, which Villmore jointly founded in 1981, and the company is currently celebrating its 35thanniversary. There is also Connie whose “two year plan” on her arrival from Madeira to England in the 1960s is still ongoing.

The finale is unique with balloons filling the stage and the question being asked how balloons associate with one’s life whether it is a happy or a poignant occasion.   Anniversary concludes with a creative and reflective dance finale by the company and receives a heartfelt standing ovation from the audience.

West Yorkshire Playhouse certainly lives up to its reputation for being the “home of incredible stories” and this performance is an evening of such. The theatre takes pride in their creative arts programme, Heydays, for the over 55s. This is a very heartfelt and moving production where each and everyone in The Company have a role to play from its creation to choreography.

Blackthorn, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds - 14th September 2016 (Reviewed on behalf of North West End)

This was originally reviewed for North West End and the link can be found here. 

Blackthorn was developed through Furnace, a festival which celebrates new theatre from creation to production. Written by Charley Miles, it is about two children, the only ones born for a generation, who grow up, fall in love and part ways. Miles hails from North Yorkshire whereBlackthorn is set and the lighting and soundscapes, courtesy of Laura Sprake and Heather Fenoughty, reflects the idyllic village life and the surrounding nature.

Image credit: Anthony Robling

The two person play chronologically explores the changes that occur in both the characters’ lives; HER (Charlotte Bate) leaves the village and HIM (Harry Egan) stays and yet the bond they have between them still exists though strained with the impact of changes. The story focuses on the relationship with a place as much as a person and how it feels to leave or to be left.

The play also touches on childhood, adolescence, tragedy, love, relationships, loyalty, traditions and modernity and the audience is reminded how changes can have positive and negative effects. Miles writes beautifully the lives of HER and HIM and their affected journeys and links to the author’s upbringing.  

Excellent acting from both Bate and Egan who successfully portray both characters from childhood to later on in life when HER returns to the “special place” she calls her birthplace and struggles to come to terms how HIM eventually sees it.   Blackthorn is thoroughly directed by Jacqui Honess-Martin and she is supported by a talented creative team. West Yorkshire Playhouse’s Barber Studio is intimately suitable for Blackthorn to be performed. The play is approximately 90 minutes without an interval – it is felt however it could have benefited with one for pacing the delicately packed story.

It is encouraging to see local playwrights and their plays being supported by the Furnace Festival and West Yorkshire Playhouse’s new writer development programme.

9 to 5: The Musical, Grand Opera House, York -9th September 2016 (Originally reviewed on behalf of North West End)

This was originally reviewed for North West End and the link can be found here.

York Stage Musicals present their latest production, 9 to 5: The Musical, at York’s Grand Opera House. It is a musical comedy based on the 1980 film of the same name. The book is written by Patricia Resnick and the music and lyrics by Dolly Parton. The story goes back to the 1970s when Violet (Julie Anne Smith), Doralee (Alicia Roberts) and Judy (Jo Theaker), three office workers, have had enough of Hart (Darren Roberts), their sexist boss, and are determined to do something about it. This is all set to Parton’s award nominated hits and musically directed by Sam Johnson.

Catchy 9 to 5 opens the show and Parton visually appears “live” during the musical number when she introduces the three women. It is set at a time where sexism and sexual harassment were commonplace and particularly in the workplace.

Hart, the company’s boss, is introduced with the crude Here For You which contains sexual innuendoes and his general attitude towards women. I Just Might and Doralee’s Backwoods Barbie analyses how bad things are and more so with the nasty gossip relating to Hart’s perverted attitude. 

Violet, Doralee and Judy plan their revenge and prove to all that Hart is a “sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot”. Their plans are creatively executed on stage with Judy’s slick cabaret styleDance O’Death; Doralee’s country and barn danceCowgirl’s Revenge (One thinks of Dolly Parton); and Fairy tale themed Violet’s Potion Notion. Those three musical numbers are executed well and combined with the ensemble’s singing and dancing, choreographed by AJ Powell. A festive rendition of Joy to the Girls celebrates womanhood and liberty and Shine Like the Sun evaluates the unexpected events concerning Hart.

Act 2 sees Violet what it is like to be One of the Boys and the three women’s determination to give their office a makeover dream in Change It. After exposing Hart in hilarious and outrageous circumstances it ends in a sing and clap along Finale: 9 to 5 with Parton again appearing “live” and all ends well for the brave three women who against odds have changed the women’s role in the workplace and beyond.

9 to 5: The Musical is entertaining but crucially thought provoking. In comparison to the 1970s the society has progressed with time where there are more career opportunities for women; increasing rights in the work place; and policies ensuring equal opportunities are available for all. There are also mechanisms in place should discrimination and sexual harassment arise. Still issues remain however; it has been reported recently on the news that women are still earning less than men doing the same job and discussions of salaries among colleagues are still considered taboo today.   Violet, Doralee and Judy have believed that “success is out there for the taking” and many women across the world are achieving more now than what previous generations would have dreamt about.

This is certainly a feel good musical with Parton’s catchy tunes, which leaves one with a lot of food for thought. York Stages Musicals, under the direction of Nik Briggs, has put together an excellent production and performed by a talented cast and creative crew with its great staging reflecting the story’s era.

Northern Ballet's Wuthering Heights, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds - 6th September 2016 (Reviewed on behalf of North West End)

This was originally reviewed for North West End and the link can be found here.

Northern Ballet opens the autumn season at the West Yorkshire Playhouse with presenting Wuthering Heights. This production is part The Brontë Season and marking the 200th year anniversary of the birth of Charlotte Brontë. Emily Brontë’s classic, set in the moors, is loved by many and known for the obsessive and passionate love affair between Heathcliff and Cathy. Set to Claude-Michel Schönberg’s music; the talented company interprets the classic with a combination of simple and intricate dancing with Ali Allen’s stunning staging and David Nixon’s strong choreography. The focal point is obviously the relationship between Heathcliff (Javier Torres) and Cathy (Dreda Blow). Their childhood affection, from being inseparable, grows and deepens to a love which overwhelms them as well as devastates; particularly from their forced separation initiated by Hindley (Giuliano Contadini) to Edgar’s (Nicola Gervasi) hand in marriage to Cathy.

Wuthering Heights is best enjoyed for its characters; particularly of Heathcliff, and the evoked emotions. Torres gives a superb portrayal of Heathcliff whose experience of degradation, humiliation, despair, anger, jealously and revenge is linked from the childhood innocence to the unwanted circumstances as an adult. Blow beautifully and passionately interprets Cathy who is always drawn to Healthcliff but is lured to Edgar’s love and the riches and luxury of Thrushcross Grange. Torres and Blow recreates the continuous obsession and passion that both Healthcliff and Cathy had for one another with the rising chemistry generating from their dancing duets and close up movements.

Northern Ballet, under the direction of Nixon and dramaturge input from Patricia Doyle, certainly works very hard to draw out the emotions from all the characters involved and creates the intensity and intrigue expected from the story.   There is a lot to pack in the two and quarter hour ballet and not once did it compromise the characters, the storyline and its emotive themes.

Allen’s sets are certainly of stark contrast but appropriate; the scenes swiftly switches in sequences between the sunshine, colourful and tame life of Thrushcross Grange to the isolated, dark and bleak landscape of the moors and Wuthering Heights. Alastair West’s revived lighting is appropriately applied and captures the moods of all the scenes.   Special effects are used as weather elements when Cathy and Heathcliff meet expressing their love and Heathcliff’s contemplation as an old man during the Epilogue.

Schönberg is well known for the music he composed for Les Miserables and Miss Saigon. His creative genius captures the plot, characters and the explorative emotions for Wuthering Heights. Soft piano music and melodious instrumental tunes are played during the scenes at Thrushcross Grange and hauntingly dramatic, melancholic and fast paced music is applied for Wuthering Heights and the moors scenes.

Wuthering Heights has been well received from the audience that evening. The production has a special space in West Yorkshire Playhouse’s Brontë Season. Following the success of Jane Eyrein spring this year; Wuthering Heights is another beautiful dramatic production which has a proud place in Northern Ballet’s repertoire.