"Chess", English National Opera, London Coliseum, 31/5/18

For such a well-loved musical it is surprising that it has taken so long for a West End revival of Chess to materialise. Then again, given its endless revisions, perhaps it isn't such a wonder. But, finally, it has been revived, albeit in yet another version that aims to bring the material closer to its original source material - the concept album. To a great degree it succeeds and the fact that the orchestra of the English National Opera are involved ensures a rich musical sound.
Tim Rice has said that the addition of Walter de Courcey in the original stage production was an unnecessary complication and this new version in removing him does indeed feel more streamlined and uncomplicated. That said it is not a perfect production but it does hold so much promise.

Directed by Laurence Connor who also, presumably (as there is no credit given), created the new book. He does a competent job but his construction is a little stunted in the dialogue department, which tends to promote the necessary without any real flair. Connor even rewrites some of Rice's original dialogue unnecessarily. The blunt, sometimes abrupt, nature of the scenes also crosses to Connor's song placements and lyrical choices which are also a little questionable if we look at them for dramatic purposes and I wonder if this was an early issue given the production was billed as "semi-staged" even if the final product was far from "semi". But whatever the cause, these are elements that should be easily rectified should this production re-materialise at some point.
Connor's actual direction is serviceable and he does have some interesting staging ideas but he is certainly blessed to have a brilliant choreographer in Stephen Mear whose musical stagings are witty and intelligent and include the best staging of "Merano" I've seen. Perhaps Connor needs to learn to take more daring risks in his work.
Connor is also fortunate in the design of Matthew Kinley which is beautifully supplemented by the  extraordinary video designs of Terry Scruby. Kinley's is an abstract design upon which realistic fixtures are essayed and one wishes they had gone the whole hog with an abstract production, but Connor is clearly uncomfortable with this idea (much like Trevor Nunn in the original production) and has only one abstract sequence throughout. Patrick Woodroffe's lighting is also another element that brings further dimensions to Connor's sometimes stilted staging. Christina Cunningham's costumes perfectly represent that period of cross-over that existed between the 1970s and 80s though why so many of the male leads wore similar spectacles is a bit of a strange puzzle. Anders Eljas' ornate orchestrations, naturally, sound thrilling and the synth sounds are evocative of the period and come through brilliantly in Mick Potter's excellent sound design.

The ENO ensemble do a fine job in adjusting to a more non-operatic sound and it would be difficult to identify them amongst the veteran musical theatre performers though, surprisingly, the ensemble is not used as much as they could have been.
Michael Ball heads the cast as Russian Grand-master "Anatoly Sergievsky" and he does a fine job of portraying a man weary of the political machinations of his government. Ball also acts through the melodies and lyrics rather than just singing them though he is sometimes limited by static direction. As his wife, "Svetlana", Alexandra Burke offers a powerful, though somewhat breathy in the lower register, voice and peppers her moments with soulful trills which can be a trifle distracting. She emotes appropriately but is a little too big in the role. Connor should have advised her that sometimes less is more. Cedric Neal is a wonderful "Arbiter" with a stunning vocal performance and presence and Phillip Browne brings a threatening deep tone to the Soviet "Molokov". Browne's performance is appropriately mannered and charming but we also get moments where we see "Molokov" reveal his other aspects, notably during "The Soviet Machine". Tim Howar's "Freddie" is something of a revelation, despite Connor's clunky handling of the character. Howar's voice has the appropriate rock edge and easily handles some of the highest notes in musical theatre for a male. He is also charming and vulnerable in the role yet simultaneously dangerous. What was once the lead role of "Florence" is played here by Cassidy Janson who, unquestionably, brings a dynamic voice and presence to the role. Janson is also able to play "Florence" as hard and as soft as and when required and it's just unfortunate that the role comes across as lesser under Connor's hand. But when Janson is given those moments to shine, she blazes and none more so than with her duet with Burke, "I Know Him So Well".

A sometimes brilliant production, this new version of Chess is ultimately a flawed work - though not necessarily due to its original authors and whilst the new book certainly retains a simplicity it does feel a little pressed in bringing various plot-strands together at the very end. There are, however, moments of theatrical bliss but, sadly, also tepid staging in Laurence Connor's uneven direction which is inevitably salvaged by Stephen Mear's brilliant choreography and the work of the various designers. Still not perfect, but Chess is clearly on the right road to redemption.

"Titanic - The Musical", Glasgow King's Theatre, 28/5/18

A review written for Backstage Pass:

http://www.backstagepass.biz/2018/05/theatre-review-titanic-musical-kings.html

Some events are so monumental they become seared into the consciousness of history and the 1912 sinking of the RMS Titanic is one. Famously dubbed "unsinkable" it proved as fallible as every other human creation when an iceberg struck just before midnight on April 14 causing the passenger liner to sink beneath the waves of the freezing Atlantic Ocean less than three hours later. Approximately 1500 people lost their lives in the tragedy which would go on to inspire numerous artistic endeavours.

The musical "Titanic" premiered on Broadway in 1997, the same year that a movie of the same name

coincidentally appeared. The musical is not an adaptation of the latter, which creates a fictional plot within historical events, but instead focuses on the real-life persons on board to forward a deeply moving and affecting representation of the brief life of Titanic and the aspirations of those aboard. 

Historians have oft viewed the Titanic as a microcosm of Western society, with its trivialities in sharp focus, and the musical's authors also take this approach but further it by giving us an insight into the emotional lives of selected representatives from each social strata, humanising the names in history books, manifesting them before an audience who bear witness to the tragic events and, where James Cameron invented an emotional focus for his film's audience, Peter Stone (book) and Maury Yeston (music and lyrics) have us empathise and invest in the characters' fates so that when the inevitable happens it strikes more bitterly than can be imagined leaving the second act infinitely poignant.

"Titanic" is a remarkable ensemble piece with Yeston and Stone creating a commonality within each social group, focusing the material and furthering the drama, negating the need for a single lead character for the audience to follow and it is through the deft structure of Stone's book and the emotional impact of Yeston's compositions that we can engage with the numerous figures onstage.

The musical boasts a cast (who double various characters) without a fault among them and there are beautiful performances throughout with an abundance of standout moments, including the three "Kates" of Emma Harrold, Devon-Elise Johnson and Victoria Serra leading the third class passengers in the aspirational "Lady's Maid", the tender "Harold Bride" of Oliver Marshall and Niall Sheehy's robust "Frederick Barrett" singing "The Proposal/The Night Was Alive" and the emotional "Still" performed by Judith Street and Dudley Rogersas "Ida" and "Isidor Straus" to name but a few. Lewis Cornay's "Bellboy" also makes his mark as does Claire Machin as would-be-social-climber "Alice Beane". 

Director Thom Southerland has great command of his company and his confident staging is simple yet inventive with Cressida Carré's musical staging seamlessly integrated. David Woodhead's design is uncomplicated in the best sense and used with great imagination. Likewise the sound generated by the six-person band, simultaneously echoing a period ship orchestra whilst executing a superbly deceptive small orchestration (Broadway originally had more than 20 musicians), which, when coupled with the company vocals, is an astonishing listen.

More than a simple retelling of one of history's greatest tragedies, "Titanic" is a masterwork of musical stage drama that reflects on mankind's desire for progress at all costs and the human tragedy it engenders and is a musical that deserves better recognition and is here presented in a superb production replete with stunning theatricality. Musical theatre at its best.

"Evita", Glasgow King's Theatre, 15/5/18

Another review written for Backstage Pass:

http://www.backstagepass.biz/2018/05/theatre-review-evita-kings-theatre.html

Originally premiering as a concept album in 1976 Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's Evita hit London's West End in 1978 making a star of Elaine Paige before arriving on Broadway with Patti LuPone in the title role. Evita (which means "Little Eva") portrays the rags to riches real life story of Eva Duarte who rose from poverty to become first lady of Argentina, alongside president Juan Perón, before reaching near-sainthood in the eyes of her beloved descamisados ('the shirtless ones') whilst simultaneously evoking the hatred of the upper-classes.

Evita continues as the pinnacle of the union of Rice and Lloyd Webber with an exciting, melodic score by Lloyd Webber and some of Rice's best lyrical work. Bill Kenwright's current touring version utilises the reworked material developed for the 2006 West End revival and continues to prove how iconic and powerful the musical is. 

It's a bit unfortunate that Bob Tomson and Bill Kenwright's direction is uneven with clumsy and melodramatic staging sitting alongside more poetic, economic renderings with some of the best ideas originating in Hal Prince's original staging or Michael Grandage's revival but the stuff that works here works brilliantly, almost effortlessly. Bill Deamer's choreography is witty one moment and understated the next and one yearns for more of it whilst the design serves the production perfectly well. The sound balance needs more work in the first act where some stage business overpowers the vocals - unfortunate in a musical where every lyric needs to be heard. 

Another occasional downside is the musical director's knack of reducing the tempo of some numbers rendering them intermittently flaccid. And yet, at other times, the musical direction explodes with energy, as in "A New Argentina". Perhaps the most unfortunate victim is the musical's most iconic number, "Don't Cry For Me, Argentina", here bizarrely staged before a crowd of oligarchs rather than Eva's natural audience, the workers, whilst the song itself is conducted at a slower pace than usual, further troubled by the choice to pause before each chorus interrupting the dramatic impetus constructed by Lloyd Webber. 

Yet this production remains a solid, engaging, exciting piece of theatre and is fortunate in its cast who tend to rise above any creative flaws: Cristina Hoey has only one number to sing as the teenage mistress of Perón but she more than makes her mark with a striking rendition of "Another Suitcase In Another Hall" which is the emotional highlight of the first act. Jeremy Secomb brings a strong presence and vocal to the role of "Juan Perón" even if he is ill-served by mundane direction. Gian Marco Schiaretti's "Ché" is a striking narrator-figure with a voice evoking memories of the movie version's Antonio Banderas though he is also left adrift at times by the direction. Madalena Alberto is a powerful figure with a powerful voice in the eponymous role but she is perhaps too refined at the start of the show to be entirely convincing as the earthy teenage "Eva" of small-town Junin, but when she shines she radiates and never more so than in her heart-breaking performance of "You Must Love Me" and the stunningly staged and sung "Lament", perhaps the strongest, and simplest, moment in the entire production.

This may be a bit of an uneven presentation of Evita but forty years on the material remains powerful enough to move and thrill its audience as one of the most triumphant works of musical theatre.

"Long Day's Journey Into Night", Citizens Theatre, Glasgow, 19/4/18

Written for Backstage Pass:

http://www.backstagepass.biz/2018/04/theatre-review-long-days-journey-into.html

Eugene O'Neill's semi-autobiographical play, Long Day's Journey Into Night, makes its mark at Glasgow's Citizens Theatre before the building closes for extensive refurbishment. O'Neill's Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winning play concerns a taut day in the life of the Tyrone family of Connecticut in August 1912. Addiction, accusation, resentment and tragedy bleed through as the family face off against each other, bitterly recalling each flaw and shattered dream as each tries to placate their troubled past and uncertain present. As the family try to sustain a fragile facade of cohesive existence, bitter truths of poorly-hidden secrets threaten to upend the precarious balance each sustains. But truth will out as the day succumbs to night.

Dominic Hill directs a fine cast led by the vigorously mesmerising George Costigan as family head, “James Tyrone”, ably supported by Bríd Ní Neachtain as his fragile, tortured wife, “Mary”, and Lorn Macdonald and Sam Phillips as their imperfect, contrary sons. Each portrays a veneer of stable existence with the rotting truth beneath revealing itself as each emotional crutch is disclosed. Dani Heron, as summer maid, “Cathleen”, is equally as impressive; creating a vivid contrast in the production.

The direction gets a bit melodramatic at times but, ultimately, with the superb wooden frame and clear plastic design of Tom Piper and the moody lighting of Ben Ormerod, the atmospheric sound design and musical score of Matt Padden and Claire McKenzie, respectively, it all gels to create an elegant, Gothic atmosphere that becomes reminiscent of a Tennessee Williams memory play with phantoms of the past manifesting to possess the animate present: as day turns to night realism metamorphoses into a haunting tragedy of epic proportions.

Fair warning – it’s a long play but Hill is, fortunately, able to bring out the humour well and it is, in the end, worth taking in this classic play performed by a strong cast in a visually striking production.

"Top Hat", Glasgow King's Theatre, 21/2/18

In the world of musicals it can honestly be said that many a show is kept alive by the efforts of the amateur company who often perform musicals rarely produced by professional producers and who further the audience and potential fandom of these shows in doing so. It will probably be the case with "Top Hat" which enjoyed a successful, if curtailed, West End run (winning the Olivier Award for Best New Musical) and a following UK tour but which has since all but dropped off the map.

Based on the classic 1935 Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers comedy movie with songs by Irving Berlin the plot follows dancer Jerry Travers who falls in love with Dale Tremont after his tap dancing disturbs her sleep in the hotel room below his. Tremont incorrectly assumes Travers is the stage producer Horace Hardwick who has brought Travers over to London to open a new show. Hardwick's wife is Tremont's friend and so Dale is disgusted when the man she assumes to be married proposes to her. Screwball comedy ensues.

Of course, the plot is rather weak, as to be expected, but is still none-the-less charming especially when delivered with such aplomb as Paisley Musical and Operatic Society bring to it. It is the Irving Berlin songs that really make the show and with such classics as "Cheek To Cheek", "Puttin' On The Ritz" and "Let's Face The Music And Dance" it's hard to go wrong. 

Berlin's music is handled beautifully by musical director Sean Stirling who treats the score with assurance. There is an element of the ol' Hollywood Glamour that is brought out which succinctly suits the production. 

"Top Hat" is famous as a dance production and PMOS had a difficult challenge before them but their efforts pay off with the elegant choreography of Marion Baird delivered well and confidently by the cast; so much so that I believe the company could have handled even more complex material. 

Alasdair Hawthorn directs another assured production, bringing out the humour and the effervescence of the material with ease. The lighting could be more focused and varied but, in reality, this is a small niggle and, sure, there are moments that require tightening - especially in the transitions - but I've no doubt they'll be rectified as the run continues. There are, indeed, some clever location reveals in the first act which I only wish had continued into the second and it is such small details as these that I enjoy and that Hawthorn often delivers. 

The production has double-cast its leads and, on this occasion, I saw Greg Robertson and Claire Logue as "Jerry" and "Dale" respectively who both lead the company amiably and with confidence. Robertson has a natural charm and easy voice whilst Logue is a sweet and funny performer and they play well opposite each other. They are supported by a company who make the most of the humour and the staging. Alastair McCall as "Horace Hardwick", Iain G. Condie as his manservant "Bates" and Ross Nicol as the flamboyant "Alberto Beddini" all have plenty of opportunity to shine and do so with hilarity. Lindsey Ross also shines as "Madge Hardwick", prowling the stage with a commanding presence and brilliant comedic traits. The ensemble are also ebullient and there are a number who stand out in the odd scene including Robin Cameron's "Florist" and Jenny Carty's "Receptionist". The utilisation of the ensemble is another strength in Hawthorn's direction and there is plenty of business within the company to occupy the audience member.

"Top Hat" is a few hours of joyous, buoyant entertainment filled with cracking musical numbers and numerous laughs delivered by a vibrant, vivacious company who continue to push themselves and each other for the sake of their audiences' enjoyment.

"Rita, Sue & Bob Too", Glasgow Citizen's Theatre, 13/2/17

Written for Backstage Pass:

http://www.backstagepass.biz/2018/02/theatre-review-rita-sue-and-bob-too.html

Schoolgirl baby-sitters Rita and Sue long to leave their dull world and so take their charges' father, Bob, up on an offer which develops into a three-way affair. Never mind that Bob is married to Michelle; to the girls he represents excitement, adventure and a brighter future away from their unhappy home lives. But, of course, life is never so simple.

Andrea Dunbar's play, written whilst still a teenager, re-emerges in a timely revival within a world all-too-similar to the one in which Dunbar birthed it; social divisions and mobility, redundant aspirations and the sexual politics between men and women are as pertinent now as they were in the Thatcher era when "Rita, Sue and Bob Too" first premiered.

This co-production between Out Of Joint, Octagon Theatre Bolton and The Royal Court Theatre is an elaboration of Dunbar's world that is reflected in her non-judgmental, frank yet witty writing. That it is not too far removed from current issues is a boon and the play also essays the positives of resilience, reconciliation and the fragile bonds of friendship in unconventional circumstances. In reality fairy-tale happy endings are absurdly rare and Dunbar is unafraid to ponder this fact in her story.

Director Kate Wasserberg's lithe, uncluttered staging allows a forthright presentation, furthered by Tim Shortall's design, where the humour and pathos of the text (newly edited by John Hollingworth) is brought to vivid life in splendid performances from a cast led by Taj Atwal, Gemma Dobson and James Atherton as the titular characters. Samantha Robinson, Sally Bankes and David Walker make up the remainder of a company who each venture delicately balanced interpretations whilst avoiding sentiment and pity. Without exception the cast excel and all are eminently watchable. 

Played without an interval (and running less than 90 minutes) "Rita, Sue and Bob Too" is a stark yet amusing enterprise presenting a life scarcely seen - and oft ignored - that speaks eloquently - even in its crudeness - to a contemporary society with all-too-familiar issues. Happy endings are relative and Dunbar reminds us of that.

People Watching - A Web Series

Upon a friend's recommendation I viewed the online series "People Watching"; a series of animated shorts based around subjects we in the western world may ponder over at one time or another.

Each episode lasts between approximately 5 - 11 minutes which enables the series to be watched as and when required without the need to invest a huge chunk of one's time unless you so choose - as I did. With episode titles such as "The One Self Help Group We'd Actually Join" and "Why Non Religious Confessionals Should Be A Thing" there is a subject to attract most adults.

The series is written, directed and illustrated by Winston Rowntree whose insight is acute, witty and occasionally moving. The writing is sharp and well constructed with a colourful, energised animation style even while purposefully basic with a boldness that extends to the occasional background joke. 

An adroit voice cast performs Rowntree's diatribes and wit and create individual persons in tandem with the unique visual character designs.

"People Watching" is an entertaining and thought-provoking series which could be used as an opening to some serious discussions amongst folk.
Be aware that the series does have some adult language when taking into account who may wish to view it.

Series One consists of 10 episodes and you can Watch Here. Hopefully a second series will emerge.

"Strangers On A Train", Glasgow Theatre Royal, 22/1/18

Written for Backstage Pass:

http://www.backstagepass.biz/2018/01/theatre-review-strangers-on-train.html

Based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith, this stage adaptation by Craig Warner of Strangers On A Train embarks on a UK tour in a production that is regrettably lacking. Highsmith's thriller (famously adapted into a film directed by Hitchcock) depicts two strangers, Guy Haines and Charles Bruno, who randomly meet on a train where Charles proposes the idea that each murder an obstructive figure in the other's life. What follows details obsession, guilt and desperation as both come to terms with the events undertaken.  Whilst the concept holds much potential it is primarily in the execution, rather than the writing, that the production falls flat.

Director Anthony Banks' approach is melodramatic, his staging often static and the tone he creates is rather arbitrary and irregular which, ultimately, negates the positives - including the homosexual undertones - of Warner's writing which itself could do with some tightening. Banks also needs to address the pacing issues which dog the production and render it sluggish and tension-less; with greater variety in staging and a brighter pace, the play could certainly be of more interest to watch. 

Banks' staging is aided somewhat by a set by David Woodhead which - in principle at least, if not implementation - creates interesting theatrical environments within which the characters can live, though transitions still remain which could be contracted, even as the set morphs from one scene to the next. The design is further enhanced by Howard Hudson's lighting and the projections of Duncan McLean.

The actors render the roles melodramatically, though rarely at the same level, and this unevenness is jarring. Most successful are John Middleton (formerly of "Emmerdale") as private detective 'Arthur Gerard' and the 'Elsie Bruno' of  Helen Anderson with each more attuned in traversing the fine high-wire that is melodrama. Jack Ashton as 'Guy Haines' ultimately fares well but, fundamentally, the cast are hampered by the overly heightened tone of the production and many occasionally cross the line, unfortunately, into farce. Were the production directed in a more authentic, realistic mood then the results could have been far superior but, as it is, the cast attempt to make the best of their direction to varying degrees of success.

Strangers On A Train is something of a missed opportunity with a promising - if wordy - script impeded by a misjudged conception uneven in tone and pace and is a story worthy of better.