REVIEW: HARPY (UK Tour) @ Buxton Pavilion Arts

 

The subject of mental health has thankfully become a major conversation in our daily lives over the past few years.  And so it is pleasing to see a new play which centers on that very subject but presented with wit, empathy and most importantly for us, a star performance.

In the programme notes, Philip Meeks (author of Harpy) admits that the story of Birdie is based on a lady about town in his London ghetto. Birdie is a hoarder. She collects things. Unfortunately that includes Jehovah's witnesses in her box room.  And so we enter Birdie's world.  A living room set of salvage and random objects which reflects both her physical and mental make-up. Alex Marker's set design gives us just enough of Birdie's cluttered world, without making it a distracting element.  Her social worker Featherstone enlists the help of young mother Mattie,  a seemingly sympathetic soul, to help Birdie towards the ultimate goal - getting rid of some of the mess of objects and ephemera that threaten to overwhelm the house.  Birdie has rejected all help offered so far, but something about Mattie strikes a chord with Birdie which links to traumatic events in her past...

With a one person show,  you need a strong performer.  And so it is lucky that the producers have secured the services of showbiz legend Su Pollard,  sans her famous eccentric colourful garb and glasses,  and successfully transformed into a cardiganed and somewhat dour Birdie. The fact that she delivers Birdie's comedy lines with precision is no surprise, but exploring Birdie's darker side finds Pollard in less familiar territory but she tackles it head on.  The telling of a sexual assault is typical of the bravery of the writing and performing.  Playing what would perhaps be termed a society misfit brings out the very best in Pollard, darting between madcap moments when she sings Bananarama karaoke-style   via a makeshift microphone of  kitchen roll tube and tennis ball to the real fear of being stalked by her neighbours' husband whom has a fixation on her.  Or at least that is the way she tells it.  

Director Abigail Anderson is adept at blurring the lines between what might have happened and the version of events in Birdie's disturbed mind.  As we delve further into her dark past,  Su Pollard delivers a bravura performance of vulnerability.  This could be a woefully sad tale but for the sheer life enhancing energy of its performer.  There is something wholly wonderful watching her inhabit the ups and downs of Birdie's life.  As Birdie clutches the ashes of her despised Aunt Maureen, there is a little bit of all of us in this character. Su makes us love Birdie for all her faults,  and that is the success of the evening.  We embrace and celebrate the non-perfect.  It is a mirror for us all.

A standing ovation seemed very appropriate as Su Pollard took her bow.  The character of Birdie might not be as well known as Peggy from Hi-de-Hi! but I'll wager the performance is just as much a cornerstone of Pollard's long career.  An outstanding evening of understanding.

Rob Cope for Doctor Theatre 

 

Further information on HARPY's tour dates can be found at Something For The Weekend

REVIEW: WHAT'S NEW PUSSYCAT @ Birmingham Repertory Theatre (Preview)

 

N.B.  This review is based on a PREVIEW performance

It is surprising that it has taken this long for someone to connect the dots between Henry Fielding's 1749 restoration romp The History Of Tom Jones, A Foundling and the music of the Welsh sex bomb himself, Sir Tom Jones. But connect them they have, and now a brand new juke box musical going under the banner of What's New Pussycat? is premiering at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre with eyes clearly on a London transfer.  

The producers have gathered together a hit squad of a creative team including writer Joe DiPietro (Memphis), director Luke Sheppard (& Juliet) and choreographer Dame Arlene Phillips (Starlight Express).  DiPietro has made the decision to move the setting from its original 18th century locale to the swinging 1960s. To bring you up to speed Tom Jones is living in Somerset, the ward of a wealthy benefactor having been abandoned as a baby by parents unknown. He has fallen for the beautiful Mary Weston, whose mother certainly doesn't approve of the union.  She believes Mary would be much better suited to William Blilfil, a hooray henry solicitor. In order to get temptation out of the way, Lord Allworthy sees that Jones is despatched to London where he meets Mr. Partridge, a former teacher of his, and most importantly the wily Lady Bellaston,  a showbiz entrepreneur.  Naturally Tom is blessed with a terrific singing voice, and lands himself a gig at trendy nightclub The Record Sleeve.  Mary meanwhile is also heading to London with dreams of being a fashion designer.  Their paths are destined to cross again.

 

Dominic Andersen as Tom Jones

                                                  

Bronté Barbé as Mary Western

 

And so the scene is set for a story of excess and true love, in the way all the best musicals deliver.  Naturally the entire evening depends on the charismatic performance of Tom Jones himself - that is to say the character of Tom Jones which all the publicity tells us is Henry Jones' rake not Sir Tom Jones (after all the story of a singer coming to London and getting a record contract whilst openly a bit of a lad in the romantic stakes, is nothing like Sir Tom's story at all!)  Dominic Andersen fits the bill perfectly, with a winning smile, a powerful voice and top hip moves. Everything needed to make Tom the object of desire not only of Mary,  but the audience as well. This is helped when he strips to his underwear revealing an ultra toned body. Andersen's performances of some of Sir Tom's greatest hits are a winner, ensuring that we are very much on his side despite his sometimes caddish behaviour.  Bronté Barbé as Mary, the object of his desire brings a torch song delivery to "Without Love" and rightly stops the show.  Mary is the down to earth girl we know Tom needs,  but he is distracted by the cougar that is Lady Bellaston played by Kelly Price.  All sass and no knickers,  she strives to keep Tom for herself. 

There is fine support from bubbly Ashley Campbell as Tom's erstwhile tutor Mr. Partridge who, in a not too subtle sub plot, encounters a boutique manager named only The Girl In The Polka Dot Dress (there is a guessing game as to her actual name which is revealed near the end) with Rebecca Hinds giving her 'Hello darlin'' Pat Butcher school of East London charm.  Again their duet "Help Yourself" proves one of the evenings highlights.  Harry Kershaw as Blifil, the smarmy solicitor who believes he is the right one for Mary, is another well sculpted performance. The audience promptly fell under the spell of Lemuel Knights' rendition of "Delilah" which is off the scale wonderful. A word too in praise of the high energy ensemble who sing their hearts out and deliver some stunning dance moves along the way.  They make the show the infectious joy it is.

Jon Bausor's multi-purpose set and Janet Bird's evocative costumes give the production a very strong visual flavour,  mixing elements of 1960s pop culture with more foppish historical influences. If I have one criticism its that DiPietro's script needs a bit of work in the first act. The early scenes feel a bit ploddy but of course this is a preview performance, and there is plenty of scope for revising and amending.  Act Two is a breeze as the camp-ometer revs up to maximum.

Musical director Josh Sood leads his superb eight piece band into some serious pop and soul.  I think one of the things I have missed most during the long Covid closed season is hearing a live band just raise the rafters with their glorious talent. We have it here in spades.

What's New Pussycat? has the makings of a major hit show and it is fair to say the reception on the night I went was ecstatic. And why shouldn't it be. The show has the blessing of some of the biggest hits of Sir Tom's 1960s chart topping peak, not to mention several from his career reviving Reload album from 1999.  Right now this country needs some feel good vibes, What's New Pussycat? has two hours worth of sheer pleasure.  Mama told me not to come, but I'm bloody glad I did.  

Rob Cope for Doctor Theatre 

 

For further information visit the official website whatsnewmusical.com

REVIEW: THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA @ Her Majesty's Theatre, London

 

“To hell with Gluck and Handel

Have a scandal and you're sure to have a hit!” – Monsieur Firmin

The production of Phantom of The Opera that opened on 27^th July 2021 has a whiff of scandal about it...with a reduced orchestra, scaled down sets and the dismissal of long-serving cast members. And yet, going by the audience of the matinée I took in, there’s no reason to believe that Phantom won’t continue to pack ‘em in for years to come.

Based on Le Fantôme de l'Opéra, the 1910 mystery novel by French author Gaston Leroux, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of The Opera (as it’s now modestly christened) revolves around the Paris Opera House in the late 19^th Century. A genius, deformed composer lives in the labyrinth beneath the Opera House and has been terrorising the company of the Opera Populaire for years. In his guise as “the Opera Ghost” the Phantom makes various threats and demands, he also has a particular obsession with a young chorus girl called Christine Daaé and conspires to elevate her to a leading role. Christine has a more conventional suitor in the shape of the Opera’s patron, Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny. Raoul is a childhood friend of Christine’s and when he makes his romantic intentions known; the Phantom cannot contain his jealousy and steps up his campaign of terror.

The original production of Phantom opened in 1986 and played in the West End for 34 years, before closing last year due to the coronavirus. Where some shows announced a mere “temporary hiatus”, producer Cameron Mackintosh began making comments in the press that Phantom needed a rethink, citing the aging mechanics of the set and health and safety concerns. Further cause for concern was the suggestion that the 24-piece orchestra was to be cut down, relying on pre-recorded elements to plug the gaps. Peculiarly Andrew Lloyd Webber then started making contradictory statements to the effect of “Phantom will be back in its original form”. Quite what would have happened had the show not had a covid enforced cancellation is up for debate. Lest we also forget that a replica production will return to Broadway, while the World Tour has just finished playing in South Korea – how can these productions afford to run?

Earlier this year, things started to coalesce. Phantom would return, not as an entirely new production, more in a hybrid form. The bones of Hal Prince’s direction would be intact, Maria Björnson’s designs retained and Gillian Lynne’s choreography utilised. What would change is the removal of some of the show’s more costly aspects; like the floating Angel above the proscenium that the Phantom memorably hid in at the end of Act 1, and the orchestra would be reduced in-size to 14.

If I were to speculate about Director Seth Sklar-Heyn’s approach, I would imagine it would be to bring the text back into focus. For example, the theatre manager’s scenes always boasted humorous lyrics from the pen of Richard Stilgoe but here Matt Harrop and Adam Linstead (as Monsieur Firmin and Monsieur André respectively) found laughs in-places I’ve not seen before. Similarly Francesca Ellis brings an arch sensibility to her Madame Giry. While Ellie Young’s Meg Giry, through a series of glances and facial expressions, suggests she knows far more about the Opera House’s comings and goings than she lets on. Such expansions aren’t rewriting the text, rather developing the character’s internal lives. This depth was no doubt aided by the casts longer than normal rehearsal period.

Most significantly, the portrayal of Christine seems far more three dimensional. Christine’s can usually be sorted into two different categories; exceptional vocalists that make sure every note sounds immaculate or stronger actresses that strive for nuanced characterisation. In Lucy St Louis, I’m pleased to report they’ve found someone who fulfils both categories. Her moving, emotionally raw ‘Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again’ elicited a lingering applause, while her seduction of Don Juan in ‘The Point of No Return’ was sizzling. St. Louis’ Christine is no deer in the headlights, by the end of the piece she is fully cognisant of the Phantom’s manipulations but there is no doubt that she has a real emotional connection with him, making her departure in the final scene a real emotional wrench. Lucy St Louis is the first Black actress to play Christine in the West End and it would be naïve to not acknowledge the significance of this moment which has been a long-time coming. In a recent interview for London Theatre, the actress discussed the level of care behind the scenes in making sure her wig is correctly textured; “Every other Christine would have had the care and detail in their wig, so you need to know how to work afro hair”. Christine remains a dream role amongst aspiring performers and hopefully by seeing Lucy St Louis onstage, a larger range of young women will know that dream is possible. As a long-term visitor at Her Majesty’s, I was buoyed to see a much more inclusive ensemble across the board, this must continue.

Sadly not all the casting is successful; Greg Castiglioni’s Ubaldo Piangi is sadly miscast. The actor makes a good fist of the part vocally but the Phantom’s crack about Piangi needing to lose some weight “It’s not healthy in a man of Piangi’s age” falls flat because this Piangi is neither old nor overweight. This continues a worrying trend in West End casting, to go younger and cheaper so producers can save a few quid. Older actors should exist in West End musicals.   

What of the man in the mask? Killian Donnelly’s Phantom is vocally beautiful, impressively switching from lilting allurement to powerful gravitas. However at times, while technically perfect, I felt there was something lacking in the Phantom’s characterisation. Donnelly’s Phantom is a cipher and doesn’t really have much subtlety or hidden depths. But this is early days in the run and given how West End Phantom’s never really leave the part behind (John Owen Jones has had more “farewells” than Cher) I’d imagine his interpretation will evolve.

This not-quite-new production is still excellent entertainment of the highest order. When reviewing anything, I always try to be conscious of how the show is going down with the audience around me and with this Phantom they were rapt. Any frustrations I have about changes come from an intimate familiarity with the piece of old but at a certain point, Phantom fans have to stop worrying about ‘the way things should be’ and resign themselves to ‘the way things are’. There is something reassuring knowing that The Phantom of The Opera is still haunting the West End, long may that continue as the show is still highly recommended after all these years.      

Review by Phillip Beamon

 

 

The Phantom of the Opera continues to run at Her Majesty's Theatre,  booking details can be found via the OFFICIAL WEBSITE

REVIEW: EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE Movie (Amazon Prime)

Having only witnessed the (excellent) UK touring cast of Everybody's Talking About Jamie a couple of weeks ago,  it's seems to be the month of Jamie New because at last the long awaited movie version has surfaced in selected cinemas and on the Amazon Prime streaming service.  

Transfering stage productions to film has long been a subject much chewed over by Phil and I,  we have both been equally frustrated by some adaptations (The Phantom of the Opera) and delighted by others (Mamma Mia!).   Thankfully,  Jamie has taken the Mamma Mia! route and kept the core of its creative team intact, most importantly its director Jonathan Butterell. 

Filmed in and around Sheffield,  this is a fairytale doused in glitter and grime.  The cinematography is by and large striking,  a musical should take us into its world and in this respect Jamie most certainly does,  one minute a kitchen of a city semi-detached and the next into a fantasy sequence of glitter balls and fabulousness.

This is a show that rides and falls on its central character and the actor who plays the ambitious but flawed Jamie New.  In Max Harwood  the director has found a young player who can bring out both aspects of Jamie's journey, and whether its the dancing, singing or the hurt at his rejection by his alpha male Dad, it is a a performance that has you rooting for this eccentric teenager to win through.  And we have to like Jamie if this show / film is to succeed.   Harwood is lucky to have many scenes opposite Lauren Patel,  who as Jamie's best friend Pritti Pasha delivers a very different but equally engaging performance.  The big acting guns come in the shape of Sarah Lancashire as Margaret New and Richard E. Grant as Hugo Battersby otherwise known by his drag alter ego Loco Chanelle.  It comes as no surprise that Lancashire delivers a first class performance, she has been doing it for decades on stage and on screen, and her performance of 'He's My Boy' is a defining moment of her character and of the movie itself.   

The roles of some characters have been cut down. Shobna Gulati's Ray is denied some of her best comic moments from the stage show,  some of the fire of the character is missing.  I would have liked to have seen Ray tell the head of Mayfield School that the schools attitude to Jamie "boils her piss". But alas she is strangely muted in this screen version. So whilst we get plenty of glitz and campery from Jamie, it sometimes doesn't feel quite as balanced as it could do character wise.  We have also lost some of the stage show score. Gone is the lengthy 'The Legend of Loco Chanelle' sequence in favour of the Holly Johnson-does-Pet Shop Boys beat of 'This Was Me' with VHS footage of gay rights campaigners and the ugly spectre of Aids in the 1980s, swapping Loco Chanelle's backstory for Hugo's.  But to be fair,  you are never going to please everybody when it comes to adapting a popular stage franchise and the high moments of the movie make up for shortfalls in story arcs.  A mention for the villains of the piece,  Ralph Ineson gives his usual top notch gritty performance as Jamie's Dad whilst Samuel Bottomley is school bully Dean Paxton, who gets a little redemption at the end thanks to Jamie's generous nature. Both deserve a bit more screen time.  Richard E. Grant services Hugo well in his pivotal role,  thankfully being just OTT enough to grab a few laughs but at the same time reminding us that Hugo has fallen from the heights of topping the bill at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern in London and is now running a somewhat shabby dress shop for drag queens.

The story of Jamie New is all about being true to yourself,  and that is a lesson we all need to learn from time to time,  the fact that he does it in a haze of glitter and Prom-fabulous is a bonus which will I suspect by and large delight the stage show followers and also gather some new devotees to the House Of Loco. With this big screen version,  Jamie has taken the ultimate step out of the darkenss and into the spotlight.   It retains enough of the high energy and comic thrust of the theatre version, and adds a few moments of its own to make sure its not a slavish copy.  Its the tonic we need right now in the slow recovery from the pandemic. For me, this is among the high end of movie musical adaptations.  Because like Jamie, it has - for the most part - remained true to itself.  

Rob Cope for Doctor Theatre

 

REVIEW: EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE (UK Tour) @ Lowry, Salford

 

Since the Sheffield Crucible burst forth the story of Jamie New in 2017,  the march of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie has been unstoppable.  It has quickly became a cult and is about to go mainstream with the launch of the movie version on Amazon later this month.   

Based on the BBC documentary Jamie, Drag Queen At 16 about Durham based Jamie Campbell and his quest to wear a dress to his school prom and to become a drag queen,  the musical version written by Dan Gillespie-Sells and Tom MacRae seems to have won a place in the hearts of all who see it. 

It will take more than Covid to stop the pupils of Mayfield High from bringing their message of inclusivity and acceptance to the world,  and so it is that the UK Tour has re-commenced its assault on the nation,  and never was this feel good night out needed more. Central to the theme of the show is Jamie’s homophobic Dad,  stuck in that dreary Alpha male world,  and Jamie’s attempts to reach out to him are fruitless.   But luckily he has his Mum Margaret,  a beautiful soul who recognises Jamie’s true nature and encourages it at the cost of her own happiness. She is aided by her best friend Ray, a gobby loud northern lass whom we all would love as a best friend.  Jamie’s best friend is Pritti Pasha, a seemingly conservative Muslim girl with dreams of becoming a Doctor. Together they plot and plan Jamie’s ambitions to don a dress.  This includes a visit to Victor’s Secrets, a shop for aspiring drag students where the gruff Hugo reveals his former drag alter ego Loco Channelle.   And so the story  takes flight with Jamie setting free his inner self whilst at the same time coming to terms with the difficult and destructive nature of his relationship with his Dad.

 

At the heart of the show are Dan Gillespie-Sells magnificent melodies,  this is a pop extravaganza but with a heart,  mixing high energy ensemble numbers with searing torch songs for the soul.   At the centre of the tour playing Jamie New is the always incredible Layton Williams.  When I saw him do a back flip in high heels during a production of Rent I knew Layton was a fearless performer.  He embodies Jamie with all the camp comedy that Tom MacRae’s script demands and yet still shines light on Jamie’s fragility. It is a star performance.  Entertainment legend Shane Richie brings his own comedy arsenal to the role of Hugo / Loco Chanelle.  One minute cynical and waspish, the next loud and brash,   Richie seems born to play Hugo and delivers a stand out reading of the character.  Amy Ellen Richardson carries much of the weight of the situation upon her shoulders as Margaret New, and her two songs “If I Met Myself Again” and “He’s My Boy” are showstoppers.  Shobna Gulati’s outspoken Ray is bombastic and fun.  She delivers her laugh lines with panache and its easy to see why she was chosen to repeat the role in the forthcoming movie version. Sharan Phull finds the gentle but steely resolve of Pritti perfectly,  her song “It Means Beautiful” is true and heartfelt and her performance is yet another of the standout moments in this superbly tuned production. The ensemble is equally as strong:  Britain’s Got Talent winner George Sampson as school bully Dean,  Cameron Johnson as Jamie’s odious Dad - not to mention a trio of drag queens in Garry Lee (Sandra Bullock),  JP McCue (Laika Virgin) and Rhys Taylor (Tray Sophisticay).  

Matt Ryan's direction and Katie Prince’s choreography manage to plonk us in the world of the teenager. Some topical Covid jokes have been added to the script bringing the events bang up to date,  the stage positively fizzes and the long first act never lets up. 

The message the show delivers about accepting everyone for who they are is a universal truth.  With Jamie already established in Asia and heading to America next,  truly everybody will be talking about Jamie New. His is a message of dreams, hopes and healing which we need right now. This 2021 touring production showcases just why he is out of the darkness and into the spotlight, where he will surely stay.

Rob Cope for Doctor Theatre.

 

 

 

 Check out the latest show information at www.everybodystalkingaboutjamie.co.uk