101 Dalmatians

 Curve, Leicester

23^rd July, 2024

“I’m an animal lover”

Disney’s 1961 animated film and the 1996 live action film adaptation of 101 Dalmatians were two of my favourites as a child. Anthropomorphic puppies and a genuinely terrifying villain amongst a chocolate box English setting made me go back to them time and time again. Dodie Smith’s 1956 novel has now been adapted into a musical by Douglas Hodge (Music & Lyrics) and Johnny McKnight (Book), itself adapted from Zinnie Harris’ stage play. First performed at the Open Air Theatre in 2022, the musical has been reimagined for a UK tour in a highly-spirited production directed by Bill Buckhurst. The puppies are still anthropomorphic (uncannily so), the setting is still cosy, and the villain is… well, maybe not genuinely terrifying but suitably camp.

It gets off to a promising start. After being abandoned, Dalmatian Pongo (Benedict Hastings at this performance) is taken to a dogs’ home where he’s adopted by employee Danielle (Jessie Elland, perfectly pitched). ‘Take Me Home’ is a fun number which embraces the fun of talking (and singing!) dogs and establishes their need for a pet human. Like the films, we see a parade of humans paired off with their canine counterparts: a chic fashionista with a poodle, an elderly widow with an older dog, and a tall biker paired with a yappy terrier. Later, on a walk in the park, there’s an excellent meet cute between Danielle and aspiring fashion designer Tom (Samuel Thomas) and his dog Perdi (Emma Thornett) involving bum sniffing and tangled leads.

 

Hodge’s music and lyrics are impressive in this opening section. He establishes setting, character and emotion in songs which appeal to a family audience. ‘Bury that Bone’, set in a cosy family living room, features some yearning melodies and nicely observed lyrics about the familial bond between humans and their furry friends. One of the best songs, reprised at the end, is ‘One Added Extra’ where the 15 puppies are born. But overall, the score is pleasant although not terribly memorable. Some don’t find their place or are extraneous like ‘The Pub Song’ which just helps to establish setting but don’t really move things along.

Dognapping capers soon ensue and it’s here that the show occasionally gets a bit repetitive. Once both couples (human and canine) have settled down, Tom is pressed upon by the infamous designer Cruella de Vil to design a coat using the fur of the dalmatians’ puppies. Ultimately, it’s a classic children’s story of good triumphing over evil. An entertaining sequence in act two sees the puppies try to escape Cruella’s lair with the help of a cat and other dogs nearby. The puppets have been impressively designed and directed by Jimmy Grimes. It’s interesting seeing a show where the puppets talk and are funny. Having worked as Associate Puppet Director on War Horse, Grimes instils a sense of verisimilitude in the puppets through the actors which operate them, often achieving a different gait for the various breeds. However, some are more simple hand puppets with a sense of fun and creativity which appeals to a younger audience. The slinky body movements for the cat are also brilliant. David Woodhead’s design is rather appealing. Its colourful set pieces and old-fashioned theatricality are charming and give a nod to the 1950s setting of the novel. Although, I found some of the more modern elements such as mobile phones and Crocs incongruous to the overall aesthetic.

Faye Tozer makes for an entertaining villain as Cruella (she’s sharing the role with Kym Marsh and, just announced, Kerry Ellis). Her performance has the crazed eyes and pointed gestures of Glenn Close’s performance as well as a primness which Tozer brings to the role. McKnight’s book captures her caustic wit and sarcastic jibes reminiscent of another fictional fashion icon, Miranda Priestly from The Devil Wears Prada. But, for me, her relationship with henchmen Casper and Jasper (committedly played by Charles Brunton and Danny Hendrix) veers too much into pantomime. And despite her excellent vocals, her songs like ‘Für Fur’ and ‘I Can Smell Puppy’ aren’t as memorable as her opening number, the jazzy ‘Animal Lover’.

Despite its flaws, it’s not often you see a new musical in a mid-scale touring production, especially one which appeals to young families, so kudos to the producers. There’s much to admire here and the appearance of a cute puppy at the end will give you puppy eyes for 101 Dalmatians.

101 Dalmatians plays at Curve, Leicester until 27^th July as part of a UK tour. For further information, please visit https://101dalmatians.co.uk/

Emma Thornett, Samuel Thomas, Jessie Elland and Linford Johnson in 101 Dalmatians. Credit: Johan Persson

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie

 Curve, Leicester

15^th July, 2024

‘Out of the darkness into the spotlight’

Who knew Sheffield held such a wealth of musical theatre inspiration? Earlier this year we saw the stunning Standing at the Sky’s Edge, an ode to the city’s architectural and social history. But before that Olivier Award-winning show took the West End by storm, Tom McCrae, Dan Gillespie Sells and Jonathan Butterell’s heart-warming Everybody’s Talking About Jamie paved the way for Sheffield-based musicals. Clocking up over 3 years in the West End and now on its second sell-out national tour, Jamie has all the rough and ready wit and charm that cements it as a modern British classic.

The story is simple but effective. Sixteen year old Jamie New (Ivano Turco) longs to be a drag queen, an ambition he keeps secret from his classmates and his waspish teacher, who continually tells him to ‘keep it real’ while recommending that he pursue a ‘normal’ career such as becoming a fork-lift driver or prison guard. With the help of his selfless mum, studious best friend and a local veteran drag queen, Jamie fulfils his dreams, though not without hitting a few snags along the way.

While the musical’s themes of acceptance and embracing individuality are universal, it’s a quintessentially British show. Jamie’s glamourous fantasies are juxtaposed with the kitchen-sink reality of life in a working-class community, and the relationship between Jamie and Margaret is a touching and grounded representation of single-parent families. McCrae’s amusing yet low-key plot, coupled with Butterell’s simple direction, is one of the show’s selling points, as the emphasis is placed on small, everyday situations, based in a relatable environment. Jamie isn’t aiming for fame and fortune, he isn’t campaigning on a global scale, his goal and driving passion is his determination to wear a dress to his school prom. The scale is small, but the stakes are high and highly personal, making the final triumph that much sweeter. Hopefully every young person watching that has ever felt different, or had to hide their true self can identify with Jamie and find inspiration from his story.

Gillespie Sells’ music is catchy without being cloying, offering a mix of poppy bangers such as the title song, ‘Work of Art’ and ‘And You Don’t Even Know It’, interspersed with sweetly contemplative numbers like ‘The Wall in My Head’ and ‘It Means Beautiful’. Margaret’s Act 2 showstopper ‘My Boy’ is a tear-jerking and heart-warming ode to a mother’s unconditional love for her child, delivered with powerful emotion by Rebecca McKinnis. The domestic setting occasionally gives way to glorious flights of theatrical fancy, courtesy of the drag performers at the local Legs Eleven club. A particular highlight is the camp noir pastiche number ‘The Legend of Loco Chanel’, as Kevin Clifton’s Hugo has a blast recounting his alter-ego’s misadventures of old. Following his breakout success in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella, Turco makes a highly lovable Jamie.  He’s sassy without ever coming across as obnoxious, while also conveying Jamie’s vulnerability and self-doubt in a beautifully candid way.

Neither cynical nor saccharine, I have no doubt that Everybody’s Talking About Jamie will continue to delight audiences for years to come, and has hopefully paved the way for more home-grown musicals that celebrate the unapologetic joy of individualism within British culture. This week saw the announcement that Robert Hastie has been appointed as the new Deputy Artistic Director of the National Theatre. As Artistic Director of Sheffield Theatres, he’s overseen productions like Life of Pi, Rock/ Paper/ Scissors, and Jamie, all of which points to much promise for his time at the NT.

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie plays at Curve, Leicester until 20^th July as part of its UK tour. For full tour details please visit: https://everybodystalkingaboutjamie.co.uk/

Ivano Turco (Jamie New) and Talia Palamathanan (Pritti) in Everybody's Talking About Jamie. Credit: Matt Crockett

A Chorus Line

 

Curve, Leicester

Monday 8^th July, 2024

 

‘I really need this job…’

In recent years Curve have really hit their stride producing big shows that have gone on to have an extensive life on the touring circuit and in the West End. An Officer and a Gentleman is returning to the stage later this year, The Wizard of Oz had a successful run at the London Palladium and is now touring the UK, and Curve’s 2016 production of Grease has become a mainstay of the West End summer schedules in recent years. Now their latest return offering, a UK tour of Michael Bennett’s Pulitzer Prize-winning A Chorus Line, is back and in even better shape than before.

The question that always arises with productions of A Chorus Line is, inevitably, ‘Is the stage big enough to hold the eponymous ‘line’?’. This is never an issue for Curve, as the vast stage frames the ensemble beautifully, feeling neither cramped nor sparse. One could say this is the perfect venue. Utilising the theatre’s technical prowess to optimum effect, Howard Hudson’s lighting is truly spectacular, bringing the necessary scenic pizzazz Grace Smart’s minimal set. The technical aspects of Nikolai Foster’s production remain a big selling point. For example, the use of a handheld camera throughout is a nice touch – despite a small hiccup the night we attended. These projections provide a deeper insight into the emotional nuances of the normally ‘faceless’ ensemble figures and create an intimacy that could otherwise be lost in such a huge space. While ‘live-stream’ theatre seems to be in vogue right now, from Jamie Lloyd’s Sunset Boulevard and Romeo and Juliet, to Curve’s own Evita, so you could say that the use of cameras in the initial 2021 run proves A Chorus Line to be somewhat of a theatrical trend-setter!

Yet this is not merely a technical gimmick: Foster uses the close-ups to home in on the thematic relevancies of Marvin Hamlisch and Edward Kleban’s 1975 musical, relating them to a new, contemporary audience. The often invasive, tight camera angles enhance the sense that Foster’s production sees the musical almost as a prototype for the talent shows that have ruled pop-culture for the past couple of decades. Director Zach’s (Adam Cooper) continual insistence that the dancers tell him the ‘truth’ and dig down to unleash their feelings is reminiscent of the exploitative nature of Simon Cowell and co.’s entertainment tv shows; shoving a camera lens into the faces of emotional hopefuls in an attempt to manufacture sympathy.

When we first saw this classic a few years ago it was apparent why those in the industry hold the piece in such high regard. After a second viewing I’m still in the mind that a weakness to James Kirkwood Jr. and Nicolas Dante’s book is that it can be a little navel-gazing. I prefer the subtler poignancy and psychological depth of Sondheim’s Follies as an insight into the workings of the showbiz ensemble. However, the company’s dedicated characterisation work and Foster’s clean direction ensures each auditionee is memorable.

For me, while I can’t get fully on board with some of the self-indulgent sentimentalism, where A Chorus Line really excels is in the comedic moments. I loved the self-deprecating nature of numbers like ‘Sing!’ and ‘Dance: Ten; Looks: Three’. Similarly, ‘Hello Twelve, Hello Thirteen, Hello Love’, which recounts episodes of the excruciating embarrassment we all experience as teenagers, and the yearning feeling of those in-between years betwixt childhood and adulthood, strikes a wonderful balance between being very funny and capturing the pathos of the loss of innocence. This number is also a fine example of how the piece is a true showcase for the ensemble. Every cast member gets their moment in the spotlight. The final grand number is a fabulous juxtaposition, leaving the audience torn between being awe-struck by the gold-clad spectacle and mourning the loss of the individuality of the characters we’ve spent the last couple of hours getting to know.

Foster and co. have made small tweaks which make this revived production a step up from its previous incarnation – money has obviously been spent on upgrading the wigs, and thankfully the tin foil backdrop has been scrapped from ‘The Music and the Mirror’ in favour of a more natural aesthetic. The production is topped off by Ellen Kane’s sublime choreography. The dance routines are the kind that leave those who can dance wanting to learn the numbers, and those who can’t dance (eg. me!) wishing they could. In all, A Chorus Line is a great example of triple threat theatre. The stamina of those involved in the show is outstanding and the affection the cast and creatives have for it is palpable.

A Chorus Line plays at Curve, Leicester until 13^th July 2024.

For full tour details please visit https://www.achoruslinetour.com/#booktickets

 

The cast of A Chorus Line. Credit: Marc Brenner