'The Mousetrap', Theatre Royal, Glasgow, 19/9/12

60 years on Agatha Christie's theatrical legend finally does the rounds in a tour of the UK with a cast featuring Thomas Howes (Downton Abbey), Karl Howman (Brush Strokes) and Bruno Langley (Coronation Street).

It is always interesting to see how well such writing holds up in modern theatre and, in this case, it holds up pretty well. No doubt this is aided, in part, by the fact that the director and the cast are aware that some lines are certainly seen as rather twee and so played slightly tongue-in-cheek. This all adds to the fun of the performance in which near-stereotypical characters are fleshed out by a willing cast who are more than happy to play along with some of the more melodramatic aspects of the play.
Agatha Christie's plot is as intriguing as one expects from the crime queen and together with the cast and director has created a dramatic, sometimes funny and, especially important, thrilling - especially at the climax. Kudos to the actors and the director who balance the pace of the piece well building it subtly so that, without being aware of it, tension is built and is held perfectly.
And the cast do not attempt to fight the antiquated dialogue but instead are able to swim along with it. None more so than Howes who is mesmerising as 'Sgt Trotter' and who not only feels utterly natural and believable in the role but makes his dialogue sound of today. Langley physically looks a little young for the role of 'Giles Ralston' but is nevertheless effective in the role, as are the remainder of the cast. Jan Waters, having previously played the role in the West End, plays 'Mrs Boyle' to a tee and Howman clearly has fun playing the foreigner 'Mr Paravicini'. Likewise Steven France as the rather effeminate 'Christopher Wren'.

The period setting and music is evocative and well designed and it is clear that 'The Mousetrap' still holds a fascination with theatrical audiences as many performances are sold out. If you can it's well worth grabbing a ticket.

Images

I'm just writing to apologise that my most recent posts do not contain any images. For some reason Blogger is not allowing my to put any into my posts.
When, of if, this issue gets resolved I'll edit the posts to rectify this.

Cheers.

'Whistle Down The Wind', Runway Theatre Company, Mitchell Theatre, Glasgow, 15/9/12

I adore 'Whistle Down The Wind'. I think the story is enchanting and the score by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jim Steinman is sweepingly epic, lush and thrilling. The modern fable of a story is enchanting and it is up there amongst my favourite of shows.
So I, naturally, grab any opportunity to see the show. I missed the original London production (and the earlier Washington tryout natch) but I did catch the brief Bill Kenwright West End revival and subsequent tour. Kenwright made many changes from the original London production, primarily to make the stage version more in keeping with the film's family appeal (the '98 London production was darker in tone). Some of the changes I liked but some, especially in relating to the cutting of songs, I didn't.
It was a pleasant surprise to see then that the songs cut from the Kenwright show were re-instated for the Scottish amateur premiere. These were the songs which were, perhaps, some of the darkest in the show, including the rather gruesome tale of Annie and Charlie Christmas (but kids enjoy a bit of that stuff, right? I know I did). This variety of light and shade is what was missing somewhat from the Kenwright version and could only be a positive addition to the show.

Runway Theatre's production was a well executed one with but a few quibbles. The cast were overall more than competent though, naturally, there will be those who stand above the rest. Amongst the ensemble Neil Patrick Harris look-alike Dominic Spencer as the 'Snake Precher' and Bob McDevitt's 'Sheriff' stood out. The former's vocals being amongst the most memorable of the evening.
Lead Ellie MacKenzie's 'Swallow' had a sweet voice whilst 'The Man' of J Campbell Kerr had a beautiful baritone but struggled with some of the higher notes (the role is for a tenor). There were some minor diction issues and some performances could have done with some more light and shade. But these are, perhaps, all things that the director, Robert Fyfe, should have addressed. Along with some of his pacing. It felt, at times, that the show playing to one constant rhythm as if there was a metronome clicking away off-stage. There were moments that should have been played slower, and others that should have been faster. Otherwise his direction was perfectly fine, aside from his not staging the Overture at all, which I found somewhat puzzling since it follows the actual start of the show and seemed to bring the show to an abrupt stop just as it it was getting started. But, like I said, small quibbles.
The musical direction of David R Dunlop was quite exuberant, although some numbers could have done with a faster pace, especially in the more dramatic moments.

The show really belonged to the children, however, who were quite excellent throughout; from sustaining accents (which one or two adults did not) through to their singing. They truly lit up the stage and brought a life-force whenever they were onstage. Kate McVey as 'Brat' and Ethan Kerr as 'Poor Baby' more than ably led the whole lot of them.

I will mention, finally, the set which was provided by Scenery Projects which folds out in various guises to produce the variety of locations as needed for the story. This unfolding aspect actually lent an air of 'storybook fairytale' to the evening's proceedings, further creating another layer to this modern fable.

This production, despite my small quibbles with it, reinforced my love for this show more than ever. Perhaps the utter innocence of the children performing in it (who, as far as I am aware, are not stage school brats) was the perfect manifestation of what the show and the original book represents.
Well done to all.

'Sister Act', King's Theatre, Glasgow, 12/9/12

Because I enjoyed it so much last time I decided to revisit this show when it showed up in Glasgow and to put it simply; I stand by everything I said in my first review of the show.
The production was the same, the cast was the same (with the exception of the actress playing 'Mary Robert' - this time I saw Julie Atherton whilst previously I saw her understudy Lucie-Mae Sumner - both were equally as brilliant in the role although, obviously, they each portrayed the role slightly differently) and as good as they all are I really do think that Cynthia Erivo is an outstanding talent.
On this second viewing I was able to appreciate more how witty the script really is and how wonderful a lot of the songs are. Indeed many are truly rousing!
In fact I'd go as far as to say that I enjoyed the show even more this time - it really is just so much fun that one cannot help but get swept up in rapturous enjoyment!

My only issue is that the follow spot operators needed more work and the sound balance needed some tweaking; the orchestra, especially the brass, was at times quite overpowering and drowned out the vocals.

But, anyway, go see it!

'Oh To Be In England' by H. E. Bates

Ah, another trip into nostalgia!

 

Ostensibly about the Christening of the Larking children, this charming novel is really a lament at the changes that England (and, perhaps, by extension Britain as a whole) were seeing, the changes in both people and the environments.
Once again one is left with a sense of longing for such times that once existed, and this book is, perhaps because of the sense of change within, more attuned to hitting the mark in that respect.
Whilst food and drink, of course, make an appearance, they are relegated to playing second fiddle to the more pressing needs that Bates writes about. Ultimately one gets an honesty from this book that Bates' feelings on the matters within were very close to his heart indeed.

The previous novel, 'When The Green Woods Laugh', really pales into comparison compared to this book but I would still say that all the Larkin novels were well worth a read. They are ideal for when one wants to escape into the kind of world that we can only wish and dream we lived in.
They are almost guaranteed to leave you with a warm, cosy feeling.

'Rising Sun' by Michael Crichton

True to my word, another Crichton novel!
Now I shall be honest and say that I wasn't all that excited about reading this novel about murder in the corporate world. Perhaps because most things to do with business and large corporate bodies bore me. Or perhaps I have vague recollections of the movie version (which I'm not even sure I've seen, to be honest).
But, anyway, I was greatly surprised by this book. It's fast paced, engaging, well structured and is very much a page turner that certainly does not bore.

Now, I am a fan of detective fiction and there is something of that genre in these pages and the plot is well devised and busy, which may be a little confusing at times.
The insights into what goes on behind the corporate scenes are quite fascinating and, unlike 'Congo', such factual information is told in a manner which does not at all remove the reader from the book. Instead they are told as part of the story and this integration is one of the strong points of the writing. Crichton's research (as evidenced in the bibliography) pays off dividends.
We follow two primary detective characters throughout and they are interesting ones at that, surrounded by various others that feed into the plot to varying degrees. These inter-relationships are another strong point in the plot though some are left unresolved at the conclusion of the novel.

The book is not so much about the murder of a young woman as it is a essay on the pitfalls of modern (at least for the time of the book's writing) business and international relationships.
But it's still a heady, full speed, thrill of a novel.

'Congo' by Michael Crichton

Essentially a 'lost world' story in the traditional sense, this novel by Crichton is a 'modern' (it is more than 30 years old, now) adventure story where an expedition heads into the Congo jungle to ascertain the fate of a previous expedition whilst also pursuing a particular type of diamond needed to further technology. Along the way there are, of course, obstacles to overcome; including a rival expedition party and the more typical jungle fare such as cannibalistic tribes.
Crichton is, perhaps, famous for his use of modern technology throughout his stories and whether this is so I have yet to see as this is, in fact, my first Crichton novel. It shan't be my last.

My only issue with Crichton and his use of scientific references is that he interrupts the plot to spend pages illuminating the reader of scientific studies and quotes (garnered from the books in the reference section at the rear of the book) to hammer home how real the possibilities and reasoning he writes about are or could be but since the book is presented as a dramatisation of recent events (occasionally he will present a quote from a character after the fact) I can understand that he may be writing along the lines of a scientific journal almost.
Crichton also passes over small details only to reference them later leaving me briefly irritated.
That said the primary plot is clear and the writing is paced well with a cast of varied characters, including what must be one of his most famous; Amy the 'talking' gorilla. When he takes the time to describe an environment or situation it becomes quite compelling and engages the imagination to the fullest. There are few events or details which are hastily written and Crichton seems to be a writer who doesn't wish to over-write, despite all his sojourns into referencing, and although the finale is a little contrived compared to the rest of the novel it still smacks of the realistic tone that Crichton was evidently going for.

So, having wanted to read this novel for some years, was it worth the wait? The answer is a most definite 'yes' and I shall be reading more Michael Crichton some time in the future.

On a side-note; I became aware of this book when the film adaptation was released in 1994. I enjoyed the film, which is very different to the book in many aspects, but am far more impressed with the novel. Inevitable? Probably. But I shall still enjoy the film, which is, of course, an utterly different creature, but is not the most faithful, or original, of adaptations.

'Blood Brothers', King's Theatre, Glasgow, 4/7/12

This new touring edition of a production nearing its 25^th anniversary (though the show is nearing 30) still retains the ability to awe and move with the simplest of means. Here is a show that has no spectacular set pieces to boast of but instead relies on human emotion to stir its audience. And stir it does.

Whilst Russell’s score may be thematically repetitive it is still used quite economically and is employed to great effect striking the right balance between the libretto and itself. Russell must be given his dues for crafting a piece that, all these years later, still stands up as something of an oddity in musical theatre yet is able to boast some wonderful writing on all fronts.

This touring production is led by Maureen Nolan and Marti Pellow as ‘Mrs. Johnstone’ and the ‘Narrator’ respectively. Both are seasoned  performers and Pellow plays his role especially dark impressing upon everything the sense of the inevitability of the events that unfold onstage. Nolan is credible though, as the central figure, she is not as emotionally diverse or as powerful as she could have been. And both these performers struggle at times with the Liverpudlian accent.

Far more successful are the juvenile leads. None more so than Sean Jones as ‘Mickey’, who gives a powerhouse performance in perhaps the most difficult role after ‘Mrs. Johnstone’. His performance is the most tear-jerking of the evening and is closely followed by Matthew Collyer as his twin ‘Eddie’, though that role offers less chance to show off one’s acting chops. ‘Linda’ was played to perfection by Kelly-Anne Gower who embodied everything required, and more, of the part. The company ensemble were no less effective.

The direction is straightforward and unfussy and the simple designs allow the writing and performances to resonate beyond the stage and the situations presented seem somewhat appropriate given today’s economic woes. It becomes so very easy to think ‘there, but for the grace of God … ‘

A minor quibble I have about this production, having not seen it in nearly 20 years (and then in London’s West End) is that the audience at times treated it as something akin to ‘The Rocky Horror Show’ with lots of ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ (to the point where I feared audience participation) and with the actors onstage at times acknowledging them whilst at other times the actors performed certain lines very much ‘playing to the crowds’ as if knowingly playing for laughs. I feel the writing is strong enough that this is overkill but the sell-out audience certainly lapped it up.

And speaking of audience – people really should be more considerate: the tickets clearly say that the show began at 7.30pm and yet half the audience still left it until last minute to make their way into the auditorium and some even later than that! The effect being that the curtain didn’t go up until 7.45pm. If people cannot adhere to the announced time then I believe they have given up the right of entry and the doors should be closed and admittance granted only at the interval. And theatres should enforce such policies strictly.

Theatre etiquette is certainly declining these days. Rant over.