What I did on my holidays. Or rather what I did at the weekend…
After a fantastically indulgent weekend of commercial musical theatre, I feel that I should share my reflections – particularly on one of the productions that I’m arguably most excited about, the controversial Legally Blonde: the Musical. The theatre-going public seem to be decidedly split over this recent addition to the West-End catalogue but as much as the more theatrical elite may attempt to loathe and disregard the show, I’ll guarantee you that resistance is futile. It’s as if we aren’t meant to enjoy things that lean towards the frivolous but theatre can be wondrously escapist and this show achieves this with camp elegance.
The show has opened to a wave of outstanding and praise-giving reviews, all be them often begrudgingly written; but what I love most about this production is that it fully accepts its contentious nature. Don’t get me wrong, I am no fan of the current influx of stage musicals developed off the back of populist subjects, but the difference here is in the writing. Legally Blonde is a stage musical, not a hashed adaptation, and delivers itself tongue-in-cheek throughout with celebrated wit and an uplifting score. However, the show is not all candyfloss and lip gloss; lead character Elle Woods is adorable, warm but vulnerable, handled with superb vitality by Sheridan Smith who provides bang-on-the-nail comic timing twinned with moments of sudden touching compulsion. I won’t attempt to summarise the plot as you will no doubt be familiar with the film, but the message of this show is clear in challenging the way people make assumptions about appearance. It is directed and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell, currently choreographing a show due to open just over the road in a few weeks, Love Never Dies. Jerry provides a fast, light and fun overall feel with some fabulous dance routines. The show features fantastic performances all round with this is a hugely talented cast headed up by Alex Gaumond (Emmett Forrest) and Duncan James (Warner Huntington III), as well as Sheridan Smith, and featuring Peter Davidson (Professor Callahan), Jill Halfpenny (Paulette Buonufonte), Aoife Mulholland (Brooke Wyndham), Andy Mace (Dad) and Caroline Keiff (Vivienne Kensington).
I encourage you to see this show, go on, let yourself go a little.
The second indulgence took the form of long-time favourite Avenue Q. I was very pleased to see the show on Saturday night for what was for a large proportion of the cast, their last show. As ever I found the show hilarious and surreal but with the added anticipation and adrenaline of the leaving cast. Sadly leaving the show are Daniel Boys (Princeton/Rod), Joanna Ampil (Christmas Eve) and Edward Baruwa (Gary) and I wish them the greatest success in their new endeavors. Certainly Daniel’s anticipation of the final line of the show “Everything in life is only for now” bought tears to many of his adoring fans.
The Les Miserables Sing-A-Long on Twitter (#Lesmissingatweetathon), jointly created by @publicreviews and The Manchester Palace and Opera House Theatres (@Palaceandopera), celebrated the 25th Anniversary production of Boublil and Schönberg’s classic musical landing in Manchester for the next 4 weeks. theatreJunki joined in, check out the results at: http://bit.ly/8IzWQf.
For those not familar with the piece, Blithe Spirit is Nöel Coward’s comedic tale of Charles Condomine, a writer, who is reaquainted with his deceased first wife Elvira after dabbling in the occult skills of the eccentric Madam Arcati. Charles’s misjudged attempt to research mediumship for his next novel results in the return of a very mischievous Elvira who has taken a great dislike to Ruth, his second wife.
I ventured out on a rather cold, snowy night to this production at the Royal Exchange Manchester but what a treat was in store. The biggest success for me was the wonderfully lovable and warm, yet batty, Arcati played by Annette Badland. Annette handles the comedy superbly and confidently with great physicality. However, the surprise lay with Suranne Jones’s Ruth, played with great conviction and subtle humour.
This is a really inspiring and compelling production that uses the wonderfully unique theatre space at the Exchange impressively and with real understanding.
Blithe Spirit plays at the Royal Exchange Manchester until 26 January 2010.
theatreJunki © 2010
Jonathan Pryce returns to the Liverpool Everyman in Harold Pinter’s ‘The Caretaker’ as Davies the loquacious tramp. Pryce first arrived at the Everyman forty years ago and soon found himself running the theatre for six months. Since then, Pryce appeared in The Caretaker in 1981 at the National Theatre playing the Mick, the dangerous young hustler, and now graduates into the role of the ever complicated and equivocal Davies. As I find almost always with Pinter, you either love it or you loathe it… I personally love it! This is a fantastically witty and unapologetically courageous piece that is simply enchanting. Pryce’s character is very natural, not over-thought as can sometimes be detrimental with Pinter’s works. The play is cleverly complemented by a suitably squalid set and delicate, subdued lighting. The Everyman is such an beguiling and unpretentious space that succors this type of production perfectly. The theatre is deservedly receiving redevelopment next year as part of an ambitious 28 million pound capital project across the two venues but Pryce was pleased to return to the venue as he remembers it from those many years ago.
A perfectly delightful evening at the theatre, The Caretaker plays until 31st October at The Liverpool Everyman and from 2nd to 7th November at the Bath Theatre Royal.
theatreJunki © 2009
The Theatres Trust have announced a new three year programme to provide specialist theatre environmental advice and undertake free DEC assessments with 48 small scale theatres in London. The initiative, revealed at the PLASA 09 conference today, will see the Trust receive £450,000 over the next three years from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to deliver the ECOVENUE advisory programme.
One year ago the Mayor of London launched the “Green Theatre: Taking Action on Climate Change” initiative at Plasa 08. This plan was launched to help theatres in London achieve reductions in carbon emissions by 60% by 2025 and commercial and subsidised theatres in London were quick to sign up. However, smaller theatres with smaller resources have found it harder to participate. The ERDF award will help more London theatres to address environmental issues associated with climate change and reduce their energy use.
The total emissions from London theatres (excluding pre-production and audience travel)
are approximately 50,000 tonnes of CO2 per year. This is equivalent to driving a car 1.5
million times round the M25. This figure is only set to grow, particularly as productions use
more energy to create ever more visually spectacular shows. The ECOVENUE project will provide each participating theatre with a free theatre-specific Environmental Audit, and free Display Energy Certificates in 2010 and 2011. A DEC is a publicly displayed certificate that informs the public about the energy use of a building. This free environmental improvement advice will be delivered by a new Theatre Building Services Adviser to be employed by the Trust.
The Trust will be inviting 48 theatres to apply to participate in the project, which will run until spring 2012. Further information on green-theatres can be found in these previous posts:
Green-houses is theatre the eco-vandal of the arts?
theatreJunki © 2009
Je Regrette… Pas.
This light adaptation of Moliere’s Le Malade imaginaire, The Hypochondriac, draws life from the city as Liverpudlian theatre from the hand of Liverpool’s foremost poet-turned playwright, Roger McGough. McGough’s script rhymes its way through the lampoon of this perfectly healthy, wealthy gentleman convinced that he is seriously ill. His concern for his imminent death leaves him somewhat naive to the goings on in his own household; though his obsession with tonics and colonics cannot prevent the bubonic… sorry, it’s rather contagious. This light-hearted attack on hypochondria and the ‘quack’ medical profession did however leave a somewhat unsatisfactory feeling. I prepared for belly laughs but received only few, with the audience’s taste in humour split throughout. The script appeared to try a little too hard at times with more the subtle facial expressions of Clive Francis (Argan) and Toby Dantzic (Thomas) bringing the audience to life. A perfectly upstanding production but arguably unimaginative in its design and suffering from the typical overlong and underwhelming first act with the reveal of the more imaginative direction, changes in set and best of the humour in the second. However, it’s delightful in places and well worth going to see for another fun Liverpool take on a classic work.
The Hypochondriac, Liverpool Playhouse Theatre to 18th July and on tour from September.
theatreJunki © 2009
Arts Council England has this week announced that is has awarded a grant of £188,860 to Perfect Pitch Musicals, an organisation committed to developing contemporary British musicals. The organisation, started in 2006, works with writers to develop and present their work through an annual West End showcase. Musical theatre receives very little support from the industry as it is considered a commercially sustainable art form. However, this lack of support can arguably be seen in the current crop of West End musicals that are reliant on revivals, jukebox shows and imports.
On Broadway there is more funding available for new musical theatre, although not necessarily through the state as discussed previously here. It gives some relief to see that finally, it has been recognised that public subsidy is needed at the developmental stage to help grow and sustain this sector. Musical theatre contributes massively to the UK economy through employment, tax revenues, balance of payments and tourism. Therefore it has been a topic of some anguish as to whether the sector should receive any Arts Council support. The funding awarded to Perfect Pitch now opens up the possibilities for similar companies such as Musical Theatre Matters and Mercury Musical Developments to gain funding. Although there will be no immediate success, the expansive work that Perfect Pitch may now do and the possibilities for further funding open up an exciting future for the development of the contemporary British musical.
theatreJunki © 2009
I return to blogging from a short break taken while I completed the final research paper for my BA. This research paper looked at the effect that the economy has on the commercial West End. One of the findings of this paper threw no surprises in stating that new writing stands little chance of success in the West End at this time. The costs faced by producers are now bigger than ever before. With only three in ten West End productions returning their investment and only one of these making any profit at all (Richard Pulford, SOLT), the prospect for new writing is unforgiving. The trend appearing is that many more plays and musicals are produced in the provinces, only much later making their West End debuts. This is arguably due to the lack of fringe venues in the West End. In London there is little process of a play or musical being discovered in a small off-West End theatre and then gaining a transfer, unlike on Broadway. Though, the Chocolate Factory has been extraordinary in producing good quality productions that have transferred and indeed toured, it has been quite some time since something from the Bush moved into town. London does benefit from a fantastic number of pub theatres, however more often than not shows from these venues do not translate. Something that sells-out the King’s Head would do its entire week’s business in one performance in a West End theatre.
In these uncertain times, it takes a producer with some nerve to pick up an unknown play and set up in town. Of course the established producers that could afford this risk no longer read new material. So what are the options for modern playwrights? I recently came across the most fantastic initiative in Liverpool by a company called Organic Cherry. The organisation runs a monthly workshop inviting writers, actors and directors to come together creatively. This provides an excellent opportunity for playwrights to try out their material and an exciting approach to discovering and developing new talent. It would be fantastic to see more initiatives such as this to provide the starting ground for new writing. Could this become a new forum for the development of new plays? It would certainly be interesting to see producing companies setting up initiatives such as this to bring in new material and new creatives. I’ll certainly be following this idea in search of material for any future projects.
More information about Organic Cherry can be found at: http://www.organiccherry.org.uk/.
theatreJunki © 2009
For me it has been a long anticipated end to the various traumas whilst working on the casting for this show. But last night, I sat quietly impressed by the cast, that I never got to see confirmed, who carried this exhilarating score. The book is by no means a masterpiece work, but the dynamic music continually reminds you why you are there and why you are loving every moment.
The production suffered greatly from a poor touring set and an obvious presence of stage crew at numerous intervals throughout the show. Scene changes often moved awkwardly, and the set up of the ‘dump-yard’ scene behind the tabs was horrifically noisy, giving a disappointing level of production integrity. However, the highly accomplished and engaging cast made apologies for these mistakes. Alex Gaumond’s hero, Galileo, was just brilliant, with a voice well worthy of every note of Freddie’s songs. Likewise, Sarah French-Ellis’ misfit Scaramouche was incredible and utterly compelling. I admit that I had initial concerns over the chosen “stars” in the show, being Jonathan Wilkes, Brenda Edwards – X-Factor semi-finalist 2005, and Georgina Hagen – Britannia High; however all were fantastic, with Georgina really shining.
The second act was finally crowned with an encore of Bohemian Rhapsody featuring Brian May and Roger Taylor where the audience were suddenly transposed to awestruck Queen fans, ending the show with a rapturous standing ovation across the whole house.
With an fantastic and indulgent after-show party adorned with celebrities including Robbie Williams, Antony Costa, Coleen Nolan, Denise Walsh and many others, who could deny the incredible experience this night had been.
Thanks go to JJ and 107.6 Juice FM Liverpool for their press tickets.
theatreJunki © 2009
