RENT, Grand Opera House, York - 26th August 2016 (Reviewed on behalf of North West End)

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

RENT is an award winning rock musical written wholly by Jonathan Larson who sadly did not live to see the opening on off-Broadway in 1996. It has won numerous awards and adapted into a musical film in 2005. Twenty years later The York Orchard Theatre Company is performing RENTas an amateur production.

RENT, in similar vein to Puccini’s La Bohème and which the story is based on, explores a group of ambitious artists in poverty who are struggling to survive in New York City’s Bohemian East Village. It primarily focuses on the daily hardships of two roommates, Mark and Roger.

Mark (Sam Lightfoot-Loftus), the key narrator, chronically films, records and captures lives of those around him.   Josh (Roger Eldridge-Smith), however, struggles to take things in his stride and this eventually has an impact on the relationship between him and Mimi (Beth Stevens). They and their friends honestly share their life journeys of love, hope (as in Santa Fe), disappointment and loss. 

All performed with varied musical dialogues with voice mail interludes from concerned loved ones. Crucial numbers are sung harmoniously that confirm their struggles ranging from Tune Up,Rent, Christmas Bells and Take Me. There are reprisals of the some songs and some catchy numbers which engage and evoke the audience, with Tango Maureen and Over The Moon.   There are Mimi’s emotive Light My Candle and the convincing Today For You and the determining I’ll Cover Youwhich demonstrates the desperate times.

With Rachel Dennison’s strong choreography, the cast performs excellently throughout particularly in the collective musical numbers such as in the honest Santa Fe, their shrewd identify in La Vie Bohème and their summative Seasons of Love where they evaluate how much has happened in 525,600 minutes. This is all under the direction of both Justine Hughes and, musically, Ryan Durkan, with clever staging that captures life in and out of Mark and Roger’s industrial like abode.

Shown in Act Two’s finale, there is a creative use of visuals on a hung canvas, which captures the life, filmed by Mark over the past year (or 525, 600 minutes) which impressively contemplates the journeys of each individual. There is great use of lighting and spotlights, courtesy of Magnus Leslie, throughout the performance and the bright costumes reflecting the Bohemian lifestyle in the East Village.

The York Orchard Theatre Company consists of highly talented young performers and creators and they should be proud of their latest production. Following the success of Phantom of the Opera and Little Shop of Horrors this year, the company sadly announces that this production to be their last one. They however will finish RENT on a high and their production will certainly be remembered for a long time to come.

RENT reminds one of the stark realities today where many, particularly artists and young professionals, across the world, are struggling to make ends meet as well as optimistically pursuing their dreams. Many won’t give up and will continue fighting for their dreams to come true just like Mark, Roger and their group of friends.

Relatively Speaking, The Grand Theatre, Leeds - 30th August (Reviewed on behalf of The Reviews Hub)

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

Contributed Image (Accessed from http://www.thereviewshub.com)

Relatively Speaking was written in 1965, originally titled Meet My Father. The play premiered in London’s West End in 1967 to positive reviews.   This production is jointly presented by Theatre Royal Bath Productions and Kenny Wax Ltd and is currently touring nationwide.

The comedy play introduces, Greg (Antony Eden) and Ginny (Lindsey Campbell), a young couple who are cohabiting, and it is evident that Ginny has previously had a series of relationships.  Greg is suspicious that Ginny hasn’t been faithful and thus challenges Ginny with her “predecessors”.  Ginny embarks on a day out to the countryside, supposedly visiting her parents. In reality, she intends to end her relationship with Philip, her older married lover.  Greg decides to follow her.

The play moves to the home of Philip (Robert Powell) and Sheila (Liza Goddard), both of whom are seen to be in a marriage rut and engaging in an uneasy dialogue over breakfast in the garden.  Greg unexpectedly turns up, assuming the couple are Ginny’s parents and pursues permission from Philip to marry Ginny, much to his bemusement.  Assumptions become incomprehensively complicated with naivety and innocence.  More so with Ginny’s appearance on the scene and the delusional belief that Greg believes Sheila to be Ginny’s mother, with Philip suddenly pretending to be her father.

Act Two is seemingly scheduled to be the catalyst for the characters to admit who they really are, or is it?  Ayckbourn writes in such an imaginative and creative way; characters are evasive in order to be not to be evasive and hasty conclusions are drawn to obscure each other’s truth.  Under the direction of Robin Herford, the audience is humorously engaged in the plot, with charades supposedly covering mistaken identities. This eventually leads to a discovery of a founded item at the very end of the plot – clearly obvious to the audience.

Relatively Speaking played a crucial role in society when it first premiered in 1967 and it is evident that Ayckbourn writes with the times as such themes are just as relevant today.  The 1960s saw a shift in social changes and the onslaught challenge to traditional social conventions, particularly with unmarried couples cohabiting and 1967’s Summer of Love.  The changing attitudes towards family planning and sexuality brought in major legislations that same year, even with unease from key players in society.

Peter Mckintosh’s staging includes a map curtain which cleverly illuminates the journey Ginny and Greg take from London to the countryside.

With a fairly slow start, one could be forgiven for thinking this story would end up being pretty uneventful.  Gradually the audience is introduced to a flurry of innuendoes, metaphoric and indirect references that enrich the plot and suspense intensely.  This excellent production guarantees laughter throughout, and there are exceptional and well-received characters portrayals from all the cast courtesy of Powell, Goddard, Campbell and Eden.

Sister Act - The Grand Theatre Leeds - 22nd August 2016 (Reviewed on behalf of The Reviews Hub)

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

Photo Credit: Tristram Kenton (Accessed from http://www.thereviewshub.com)

Strictly Come Dancing’s Craig Revel Horwood brings his new production of Sister Act on an extensive UK tour, including its stop in Leeds.   The musical is based on the smash hit movie starring Whoopi Goldberg and Maggie Smith.

Many know the story of Deloris Van Cartier (Alexandra Burke) who longs to make her break as a disco diva, but this takes an unexpected turn when she witnesses a murder involving her boyfriend, Curtis (Aaron Lee Lambert).  She ends up in protective custody and the last place where she is likely to be found – a convent. Under the strict eye of the pious but funny Mother Superior (Karen Mann), she disguises herself as a nun. Deloris bonds with fellow nuns after finding her own voice and encourages them to open up their souls through theirs; however the Mother Superior doesn’t take kindly to her modern and worldly ways.

Matthew Wright’s set is stunning and Richard G Jones’ lighting is highly creative. With an on-stage orchestra and most of the cast doubling up as musicians; the audience enjoys and rejoices in a series of musical numbers, based on the original music courtesy of the award-winning Alan Menken, including Raise Your Voice, Take Me to Heaven, Sister Act and the catchy and show-stopping finale, Spread the Love Around.  The glitter ball effect swirling around the stage and auditorium evokes the discotheque, Motown, and soul, with its Philly hits in the 1970s.

The 1960s and 1970s went through a big social change which changed attitudes in general, but particularly religion.  However, Deloris receives opportunities for deep reflection and contemplation which she may not have got outside the convent. Sister Act is a musical comedy where a clash of traditional and modern views is shared throughout, particularly between Deloris and the Mother Superior in Here Within These Walls.

Burke excels as diva Deloris, her performance selling the character perfectly through narrative and song.  The dancing and Revel Horwood’s choreography are impressive, especially as seen in the pulsating energetic collective musical hits especially in Take Me to Heaven reprisal at end of the first act.  Another mention is Mann’s excellent portrayal of Mother Superior, whose combined piousness and dark humour goes down as a treat.  All members of the cast engage well with one another, and most importantly with the audience.

Sister Act celebrates friendship, sisterhood, love and music, guaranteeing a thoroughly enjoyable evening out.

Pick Me Up's Sweeney Todd, John Cooper Studio, York - 5th August 2016 (Reviewed on behalf of North West End)

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

Sweeney Todd is Pick Me Up’s second production this summer following Assassins and forms part of the 2016 Sondheim Season. Stephen Sondheim’s musical is written by Hugh Wheeler and set to his music and lyrics. It premiered on Broadway in 1990 and a number of adaptations and revivals have happened since.

The well known tale is about Sweeney Todd (Nick Lewis) who returns to London after serving his time as a convict in Australia. A victim of injustice he goes out to seek revenge against those who separated him and his family. He meets Mrs Lovett (Susannah Baines), who owns a pie shop and is reputed to sell “the worst pies in London” and sets his barber business above the shop. Both work as a team to execute Sweeney’s revenge and that his clients will end up being ingredients in Mrs Lovett’s pies. Set in Victorian London where then the poverty was rife and the social and justice gap between the rich and the poor was widening.

It opens chillingly with the Organ Prelude and the ensemble singingThe Ballad of Sweeney Todd. Courtesy of Adam Moore and Robert Readman, John Cooper Studio Theatre is fully transformed and is specifically themed with the darkness and dim and red lighting symbolising the darkness, “bloodiness” and brutality of the show. The smoke spurts on stage reflecting the urban and industrial London at the time. Sondheim has cleverly composed catchy and reflective songs specifically for each character, their stories about themselves and summaries their state of minds and plans – all under the direction of Ben David Papworth. Anthony Hope’s (Sam Hird) declares his love in Johanna. Sweeney shares the story The Barber and His Wife and his plans for further revenge in Epiphany. He states with his shaving razor “at last my arm is complete”!

Lewis and Baines put on an excellent performance as Sweeney and Mrs Lovett. They admirably work together as one team in planning Sweeney’s revenge whilst supporting each other businesses. Another outstanding performance must be Hird’s Anthony whose quest for Johanna (Maren Fagerås Nævdal) is sung convincingly and lovingly in Kiss Me and of course Joanna. In all, with excellent choreography, the ensemble cast ensures the regular reprises of The ballad of Sweeney Todd is alive throughout with close up intimate performances all around on and off stage with good spotlights on the key characters.

Readman directs a successful production, though a long one of three hours, which gives everyone food for thought with the themes raised which are just relevant in society today.

Pick Me Up's Assassins, John Cooper Studio, York - 22nd July 2016 (Reviewed on behalf of North West End)

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

Pick Me Up’s 2016 Summer Sondheim season opens with Assassins. Assassins is written by John Weidman based on a script by Charles Gilbert, a playwright, which was read at Stuart Ostrow’s Musical Theatre Lab where he served as a panellist several years previously. The musical premiered Off-Broadway in 1990 and opened in London in 1992.

The small intimate theatre is fully transformed and especially themed for the show - with the draping of star and stripes and wooden structures and the seating layout includes ‘presidential’ boxes.

Assassins opens with a crowd gathering at a carnival gallery with the proprietor of the shooting gallery enticing customers to “C’mere and kill a President!” From that point forward; stories of nine individuals whose aim is to assassinate the President of the United States are narrated in text and song by The Balladeer (played by Sam Hird) who double ups as actor/musician.

Sondheim cleverly composes and writes ballads, under the musical direction of Barbara Chan, for some of the assassins with the infamous John Wilkes Booth (played by Simon Radford) killing President Lincoln to Samuel Byck (played by Craig Kirby) who attempts to assassinate President Nixon by hijacking and crashing a plane into the White House. The musical comes to a climate when a desperate Lee Harvey Oswald (played by Hird) is met by the assassins at the Texas School Book Depository in 1963. In order for them to be united in history, legitimacy, and justification this soon leads onto President Kennedy’s assassination.

This musical could not be any more relevant today. Assassinations are planned and attempted, many done similarly in vein, by many disenchanted people around the world and it comes to no surprise with today’s political and social current affairs. The audience is invited to look into nine individuals who assassinated or attempted to assassinate presidents of the United States. Their build up and reasons include delusions, unfulfilled hopes, social and political injustices, broken promises and disappointments, which are explored. Only to be confronted that their desired outcomes didn’t turn out as they wanted it to be.

Sondheim cleverly mixes the characters from the different periods, reflected in the musical numbers, by all of them reconvening between their stories and shares their experiences which give a kaleidoscopic picture with history being reunited under one common theme. Though poignant it is also entertaining and attentive. The outstanding performance must be Kirby’s Samuel Byck who entertains the audience with poignant truths with some funny twists about the so called American Dream. Dressed up as Santa Claus he questions society and the government stating “Lie what’s right, lie what’s wrong”.

All the assassins are united with Another National Anthem which highlights the nightmare reality and disappointments of the American Dream which motivates them to meaninglessly act violent. In the end they seek solace in singing Everybody’s Got the Right with their happiness, being different and to their dream and, chillingly, to their death.

The lighting, courtesy of Adam Moore, provides the right ambience and mood for the musical with dim lighting representing metaphoric ally the dark chapters of United States’ history of the assassinations. Smoke is used as a special effect and the loud soundscapes, by Ian Thomson, for the gunshots.

Robert Readman directs an excellent production which gives everyone food for thought and in the politically and socially motivated musical there is more to the assassination themselves. Pick Me Up’s second Sondheim show, Sweeney Todd, will be playing on the 5th August at the same theatre.

The Beggars of York, York Theatre Royal - 12th July 2016 (Reviewed on behalf of North West End)

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

Tiny Window Theatre Company presents The Beggars of York which opens York’s week long Take Over Festival. Written by Don Walls, a local poet, the play is based on true stories of people living rough in York – his late son, Peter, did so for 30 years and had busked performance and poetry around Bootham Gate. The play offers a glimpse into the beggars’ lives who survive on York’s streets.

The Beggars of York is made up of performance-poetry with use of illustrations and metaphors. The play part exposes the criminal justice system and the authority’s perceptions on beggars along with those who are wealthy and powerful, politically and financially. 

The cast portraying the five beggars’ project realistically their lives on the street including references to drug use, mental health and the lack of justice and these combined attributes brings controversy and is misinterpreted as ‘anti-social behaviour’. Walls’ son, Peter, who battled with schizophrenia and addiction, often clashed with the authorities. Along with homelessness and addiction, mental health sadly is still discriminated and stigmatised. One of the characters refers to depression as an ‘invisible presence’ which no one can see.

There is a lot of food for thought in this play; the director, Joshua Goodman, asks the audience to rethink of their assumptions and feelings about beggars on the street. As shown in the play there is more about the beggars than what meets the eye, particularly with the close knit community of the homelessness. Yes there is help available but this play encourages one to look at life from the beggars’ eyes and, yes, it can happen to anyone.

This play is performed in York Theatre Royal’s Studio with its intimate space and the audience is close to the action. Sara Burn’s lighting, in particular, compliments appropriately the mood and setting for the story, and the minimum use of props ensures full attention on the characters concerned.

This excellent play encourages the audience to think beyond ‘the box’ and its themes. The cast and crew did a stellar job in putting and performing this play together which raises awareness about the homelessness and commemorates Walls’ late son.

West Side Story, Carriageworks Theatre, Leeds - 6th July 2016 (Reviewed on behalf of North West End)

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

Leeds Youth Opera proudly presents their latest amateur production West Side Story at the Carriageworks Theatre.

This popular musical, both film and stage, is set in the 1950s in New York’s Upper West Side. Written by Arthur Laurents it is about the rivalry between the Jets, a white gang, and the Sharks, made up of Puerto Rican immigrants. The musical was composed at a time when social problems were at the forefront and they are certainly reflected in the story through music, song and dance.

It begins with a young girl, probably related to one of the past gang members, who reflects in front of the shadowy ghostly figures in a neighbourhood. This neighbourhood was promised so much but only to be forgotten...time rewinds back to 1955 and West Side Story begins.

West Side Story is considered as the modern day Romeo and Juliet with Maria and Tony falling in love and the feud intensifying between the Jets and the Sharks. Maria and Tony’s love deepens as well as the hatred between both gangs - only to be met with tragic consequences.

One must admire the brightly coloured costumes which the Sharks wear in contrast with the Jet’s conservative though modern ones. The contrast certainly stands out to whom one belongs to throughout and both Bernardo (Philip Jackson) and Riff (Alex Walker), the two gangs leader, makes sure of that. The staging is interesting; reflecting a rundown working class neighbourhood which is littered with territorial graffiti murals – works well the story and performance.

The musical has a number of catchy dance scenes including, The Dance at the Gym, America and The Rumblewhich are originally choreographed by Jerome Robbins. The dances are purposeful and well co-ordinated which tells a story about life in the neighbourhood individually and collectively. Despite the hatred for each other and following two deaths; the gangs physically reflect withSomewhere sung by Consuela (Katy Gordon) and the song offers contemplation and hope from each of their sides amidst the physical and figurative barriers.

The well known songs, written by Stephen Sondheim, are sung passionately and with conviction to Leonard Bernstein’s music – particularly the heartfelt Maria Tony sings and the lovers’ duet One Hand, One Heart which is sung beautifully by both Andy Powis and Ciara Booker. There is Maria and the girls’ I feel Pretty and the highly emotive A Boy Like That and I Have a Love between Anita (Rebecca Jelbert) and Maria and the catchy impersonation of Gee, Officer Krupke.

Leeds Youth Opera, under the direction of Anita Adams, has put together an excellent production with a full live orchestra at its disposal, conducted by Tom Newall. West Side Story may be considered tragic but hopeful with ‘somewhere, somehow, someday’ (from Somewhere). At the finale time fast forwards to the present to the same neighbourhood where the story took place. Again the young girl there is reminded that there are lessons to be learnt just like Shakespeare at the time when he wrote his plays.   Hope prevails throughout!