Waitress

Curve, Leicester

24^th January, 2021

“Big ol’ slice of live your life pie”

Following its West End run being cut short due to Covid, Sarah Bareilles and Jessie Nelson’s 2015 musical opened to a packed house at Curve last night as part of a UK and Ireland tour. It offers a sweet slice of Americana, well-balanced with fleshed-out, morally-compromised characters and topped with a belter of a ballad in ‘She Used To Be Mine’.

The story follows Jenna (beautifully played by Aimée Fisher at this performance), a waitress in a small, southern US town whose skill of inventing delicious pies provides an escape to her unhealthy marriage. Pregnant and scared of how her life might change, she finds herself having an affair with her doctor and dreaming of making something new for herself.

I had read some reviews which complained about the musical’s odd shifts in tone. It’s true that Waitress does swing from frivolous comedy to more serious fare quite quickly. The diner scenes led by Jenna, Becky and Dawn highlight the chemistry within the company and the onstage band. There is much to enjoy about these scenes including the awkwardness of Ogie (George Crawford), Dawn’s new date. The blue sky and open road provide a backdrop to Scott Pask’s bright diner to convey a sense of American optimism. Furthermore, the scenes in the gynaecologist’s office between Jenna and the awkward New England Dr Pomatter (Matt Jay-Willis) climax to a funny montage involving a number of different pies and positions! On the other hand, outside the safe confines of the diner, there is a clear sense of Jenna being trapped in an abusive marriage to Earl. In fact, suggestions of alcohol problems, unemployment, and a host of unhappy marriages sprinkled across the town show that life is not always sweet as apple pie.

The result in these shifts is that several lines don’t land as well as you might expect and some plot strands don’t get properly resolved. But this refusal for pat endings is also quite admirable. There’s often a danger with this scale of Broadway musical for the shifts in tone to be overproduced, the emotional points carefully and mechanically timed to pull at heart strings. However, in Waitress, as in life, the contradictions of comedy and drama sit alongside each other like blueberry and bacon in a deep-dish pie. As Jenna says, she is “imperfect but she tries/ She is good but she lies” and she’s “all of this mixed up/ And baked in a beautiful pie”. The result is that Waitress has its pie and eats it.

Bareilles’ country/pop-ish score is very enjoyable and the ‘Sugar Butter Flour’ motif nicely signifies the flights of fancy where Jenna imagines what her life could be. And the eleventh-hour number ‘She Used To Be Mine’ really takes off. There’s a moment in it where the scruffy living room set rolls off and the stage opens up to leave Jenna singing out to the auditorium with the open sky behind her. It’s surely one of the most iconic moments of musical theatre in the last decade, and Aimée Fisher had the theatre in the palm of her hand.

Fisher makes Jenna instantly likeable, capturing her aw-shucks personality and contradictions subtly. Sandra Marvin and Evelyn Hoskins provide excellent support and comedic relief as Jenna’s best friends. And Michael Starke gives a nice performance as the diner’s owner, going from irritable customer to a paternal figure who ultimately gives Jenna the keys to her new life. And Diane Paulus’ direction keeps the show slickly moving forward and embraces the messy fun of baking. For all its flaws, Waitress is a hugely enjoyable and warm-hearted show which captures a bit of small-town USA. Go grab yourself a slice of red, white and blueberry pie.

Waitress plays at Curve, Leicester until 29^th January as part of a UK and Ireland tour.

For further dates, please visit Waitress: The Romantic Musical Comedy | Official UK Tour Site (waitressthemusical.co.uk)

Evelyn Hoskins as Dawn and the company of Waitress. Credit: Johan Persson.

Rocky Horror Show

 

Curve, Leicester

Monday 8^th January 2022

 

‘Let’s do the Time Warp again!’

 

Richard O’Brien’s cult classic hits Curve again, and once more Rocky Horror Show proves to be a bonkers funfest of innuendo, audience interaction and toe-tapping tunes.

Having seen the show a few times before I knew exactly what to expect from the affectionate pastiche of old B-Movies, but my husband (and co-blogger) was a newcomer, having never even seen the film adaptation. By the end he was humming along to ‘Science Fiction, Double Feature’ like an old pro!

Some may say that a performance of Rocky Horror is only as good as its audience – the heckles, the dressing up, the dancing, the interaction – the audience become an important character in the show as the main cast onstage react to the general atmosphere of risqué bonhomie in the auditorium. Last night we had all the usual heckles and many of the funniest moments resulted from Philip Franks’s Narrator reacting to these ad libs. Franks is having a ball in the role and cracks sharp gags aimed at a range of targets, from Prince Andrew to Curve’s recent production of A Chorus Line. Lauren Ingram also impresses as Columbia in her scene-stealing tirade of daftness in the second act and Stephen Webb’s gravelly Frank is charismatically fabulous.

The tour remains in fine shape and all the classic songs sound as great as always, my favourites being ‘Dammit Janet’, ‘Sweet Transvestite’ and ‘Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me’. It’s impossible to watch the show without tapping along and the atmosphere is giddily infectious. This is a show that all theatre fans must see at least once, yet Rocky Horror only gets more enjoyable on repeat visits!

 

Rocky Horror Show plays at Curve, Leicester until Saturday 15^th January.

For full tour dates please visit: https://www.rockyhorror.co.uk/tour-dates

The cast of Rocky Horror Show
Credit: David Freeman

Cabaret

 

Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre

Saturday 8^th January, matinee

 

‘Leave your troubles outside […]

In here life is beautiful’

 

Is it too early to herald the theatrical event of the year? I suspect not, as I doubt I will see another show in 2022 that matches the allure and sense of occasion as Rebecca Frecknall’s much anticipated production of Cabaret. Entering the venue through the bowels of the Playhouse Theatre, its transformation into the Kit Kat Club transports the audience to Weimar Berlin; dingy lighting spotlights dark corners, the beer and schnapps is free-flowing and musicians and performers mingle with the crowd. Moving up through the building the design becomes more gaudily opulent, the walls and ceiling drip with velvet and gold and the lamp-lit tables populate the auditorium. A lot of thought has been put into Tom Scutt’s immersive and intimate design, and the evocation of the decadence of the era creates a wonderful complicity between the audience and events portrayed onstage.

Frecknall utilises deceptively simple staging to pack a punch, including some beautiful use of the revolve stage; most notably in the initial rendition of ‘Tomorrow Belongs to Me’, which is eerily mirrored in the final downbeat tableau. This simplicity ensures that the immersive club setting never falters, while allowing the performers, music and choreography to tell the story with hazy continuity. Frecknall also pulls off a striking coup de theatre involving anti-Semitic vandalism that hammers home the danger and violence creeping into everyday life in Germany.

The ensemble numbers at the club strike the right balance between vaudevillian kitsch and Brechtian social commentary. I particularly enjoyed ‘Money’ here, with the ensemble clad in shackle-esque fringing conducted around the stage by a skeletally-bejewelled Emcee. The number is wonderfully creepy. Eddie Redmayne demonstrates a fine skill for musical theatre in an incredibly commited performance. Redmayne’s is a highly physical and at times ethereally abstract interpretation of the Emcee; from hunched sycophant, to spritely imp, to rousing balladeer and, eventually, becoming an unnervingly anonymous figure of Third Reich uniformity.

Jessie Buckley also attacks her part with fearlessness. While I can understand why her Sally may not be everyone’s cup of tea, I adored her erratic bolshiness and rough charm. Buckley really conveys the infuriating incongruity of Sally’s character; at once frank, credulous, brash, wily and world-weary, she is a force of nature and utterly compelling to watch. Buckley’s rendition of ‘Maybe This Time’ is quietly emotive and Sally’s façade betrays the tender wounds beneath. Similarly, the delivery of ‘Cabaret’ here is unlike any before. The essence of the show, and in particular the character, is calcified into an electrifying 3 minutes of chaos. Showstoppers such as this contrast with the sweet domesticity of the Fraulein Schneider and Herr Schultz heartfelt subplot. Liza Sadovy and Elliot Levey are gently humorous and endearing, which made me care about their relationship a great deal. Similarly affecting is Omari Douglas’s Cliff. His horror at the events unfolding around him is completely believable and he is engaging and credible as the ‘sane man in an insane world’.

Having been a long-time fan of Fosse’s film adaptation (and being rather underwhelmed by the touring version of Rufus Norris’s production a few years back), this version of Cabaret has brought to light new aspects of the musical to appreciate. Frecknall’s vision is relentless: we revel in decadence while being cowed by the undercurrent of menace. The performances are pitch-perfect and I anticipate this production will shape portrayals of these characters for some time to come. In all, one of the greatest piece of praise I can offer is that I think I could see this production again and again and always find something new to enjoy or think about. What a start to 2022!

 

Cabaret is currently booking until 1^st October 2022 at the Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre.

Eddie Redmayne and Jessie Buckley in Cabaret
Credit: Marc Brenner

A Chorus Line

 Curve, Leicester

7^th December, 2021

‘I hope I get it…’

In recent years Curve have really hit their stride producing guaranteed Christmas hits – from the luxuriously festive White Christmas in 2018 (currently touring the UK), to their note perfect revival of West Side Story in 2019. Their latest offering, A Chorus Line, is a solid and technically dazzling addition to the oeuvre.

The first question posed when rumours of a new staging of A Chorus Line begin to circulate 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 scenic pizzazz to the 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. 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.

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 sometimes invasive 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. This was our first time seeing this classic and it’s easy to see why those in the industry hold the piece in such high regard. I do think 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 masterful direction ensures each auditionee is believable to the core.

For me, 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’, both numbers played with relish by an endearingly excitable Katie Lee (Kristine) and hilariously gutsy Chloe Saunders (Val). 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’s 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 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 is palpable. There were many moments that left me with a huge grin on my face and a thrill in my heart to be back at the theatre.

A Chorus Line plays at Curve, Leicester until 31^st December 2021.

 

The cast of A Chorus Line. Photography by Marc Brenner

The Smeds and The Smoos

 Curve, Leicester

2^nd December 2021

 

Far away in outer space

The Smeds and the Smoos have found their place

 

The Smeds are red and like sleeping in bed

The Smoos are blue and like eating green stews

 

The Smeds go swimming and eat brown bread

The Smoos sleep in holes and like jumping instead

 

According to Grandfather Smed and Grandmother Smoo

There can’t be a world in which you combine the two

 

So one day when Janet Smed and Bill Smoo mix

It triggers a world of intergalactic theatrics

 

The pair fall in love and go off to explore

“But you mustn’t, you can’t” their elders implore

 

So Janet and Bill decide to run away

They have each other and Donaldson’s wordplay

 

At home, the Smeds and Smoos must join hands

Off on a rocket to faraway lands

 

The Smeds and The Smoos has a wise message at heart

We have more in common than what sets us apart

 

There are puppets and songs all of which thrive

And the design brings Axel Scheffler’s drawings alive

 

Fun for families to never forget

Performed by Tall Stories’ fantastic quartet

 

The Smeds and The Smoos is produced by Tall Stories in association with Curve, based on the 2019 book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. It is directed by Toby Mitchell and designed by Barney George with music & lyrics by Jon Fiber & Andy Shaw for Jollygoodtunes. The puppetry is designed by Yvonne Stone.

The Smeds and The Smoos plays at Curve, Leicester until 31^st December as part of a UK tour.

(Top-Bottom) Tim Hibberd, Angela Laverick, Althea Burey and Dan Armstrong in The Smeds and The Smoos. Credit: Tall Stories.

Tell Me on a Sunday

 Curve, Leicester

12^th October, 2021

“Dreams never run on time”

The Watermill Theatre’s 2016 production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Don Black’s one-woman, one-act musical has been revived for a UK tour. Tell Me on a Sunday (1979) centres on Emma, an English woman navigating the ups and downs of love and loss in Manhattan. Originally performed in the West End in 1982 as part of the double bill Song and Dance, and perhaps once a curio of Lloyd Webber’s work, Paul Foster’s production is fresh, stylish and beautifully carried by Francis Goodhand’s musical direction and a star turn from Jodie Prenger.

Lloyd Webber’s music and Don Black’s lyrics prove to be a song writing masterclass. There is something rose-tinted about Tell Me on a Sunday: Emma’s idealistic belief in love is largely unwavering; the English girl in search of the American Dream is a romantic idea; and Black’s playful lyrics, particularly in the title song, show Emma’s inclination towards optimism. But this is balanced with the turbulence of emotional conflict, accepting heartbreak and being let down in songs such as the show’s anthem, ‘Take That Look Off Your Face’. What I liked about Foster’s production is that he cleverly keeps the period setting without it feeling dated. Whereas others might be tempted to drag the setting into the present which could jar with the music and story, the effect of keeping it in the 1980s feels romantic and classy. After all, the experiences of the highs of love and lows of loneliness are timeless.

The audience instantly warms to Emma thanks to Prenger’s strong performance. She captures the wide-eyed sense of adventure from being in New York whilst also convincingly staying grounded with a sense of British wit and cynicism. Lines about the size of sandwiches in NYC and Black’s lyrics about Los Angeles in ‘Capped Teeth and Caesar Salad’ remain as funny as they are true. She plays the show’s conversational style very well and maintains Emma’s sense of hope. This is all played out on David Woodhead’s gorgeous design of Emma’s stylish apartment and a mini New York skyline, skyscrapers and Brooklyn Bridge becoming part of the furniture.

Overall, the intimate song cycle of Tell Me on a Sunday followed by a Q&A with Prenger and further musical numbers in the second act make for a great night out!

Tell Me on a Sunday plays at Leicester’s Curve until 16^th October and then tours the UK until 20^th November. For further dates, please visit Tell Me On A Sunday (tellmeontour.co.uk)

Jodie Prenger in Tell Me on a Sunday. Credit: Tristram Kenton

Matthew Bourne's The Midnight Bell

 Curve, Leicester
11^th October 2021

 

‘Maybe if I loved you less

Maybe you would love me more’

 

A new piece from Matthew Bourne is always a talking point and a treat to get dance fans excited. I’ve been a fan for around a decade now, having seen several of his shows at Curve, and his latest venture, The Midnight Bell, proves that Bourne has lost none of his choreographic innovation, verve and heart that has made him a legend of the British theatre scene.

Bourne has teamed up with frequent collaborators, Terry Davies (composer), Lez Brotherston (design), and Paule Constable (Lighting), to put the New Adventures signature spin on working class life in 1930’s London. What may seem an incongruous source material, the novels of Patrick Hamilton, turns out to lend itself well to Bourne’s lyrical style. Blending stories and characters from Hamilton’s oeuvre, the piece follows a disparate group of people as they traverse the streets and social mores of the Great Depression era. A young prostitute struggles with the affections of a fanciful bartender; a middle-aged spinster gets revenge on her cheating lover; an awkward marriage proposal unsettles the local barmaid – the place that links them all is The Midnight Bell pub, where lonely hearts congregate to drink away their sorrows.

There were some aspects of the plot that I found problematic, namely the resolution of the thread linking George, a schizophrenic, and flighty actress, Netta – the portrayal of mental health issues is not the most constructive – this seems to be a ‘Hangover’ (excuse the pun) from the source material. More successful is Bourne’s addition of a gay relationship between pub regular, Albert, and policeman, Frank. Bourne choreographs some beautiful pas de deux for them, in which the purity of feeling is pitted against the social attitudes of the time.

Brotherston’s set design conjures the pea-souper atmosphere of the smog-leaden, dingy streets of London; a world of mists, shadows and dark corners, the stage evokes a seductive seediness. Davies’ original score complements the setting without becoming a pastiche of the ‘olden days’. The music is strikingly modern in places, often accompanying the frenetic, hurly-burly of the ensemble set pieces, becoming thunderously percussive during the more dramatic scenes, and offering flashes of sumptuousness in the soaring strings that are suggestive of the high-romance films of the time. One of the most playful aspects of The Midnight Bell is Davies' frequent segueing into 1930s' popular music. Lip synced soundbites from classics by the Gershwins, Irving Berlin and Cole Porter transport us into the fantasies of the characters, creating ironic contrasts with the scenes playing out around them. It’s a lovely, knowing way to draw the disparities between art and reality.

The cast succeed in creating highly empathetic characters, and I found that I got sucked into their lives as the show progressed. Michela Meazza is particularly memorable as the brittle, lonely spinster, and the clandestine relationship between Albert and Frank is touchingly played out by Liam Mower and Andrew Monaghan. Bourne has assembled a tight ensemble in which every person gets their individual moment to shine, creating an intimacy that can sometimes be missed from his more large scale shows.

The Midnight Bell is well worth a visit for fans of Bourne’s work. There is much to entertain and enthral, namely Davies' playful score, Brotherston’s evocative design and the exquisite performances from the New Adventures company. Bourne remains one of the most talented and intriguing theatre-makers and I am consistently in awe of his storytelling prowess.

 

The Midnight Bell tours the UK until 27^th November. For all venues and dates please visit https://new-adventures.net/the-midnight-bell#overview

The cast of The Midnight Bell
Credit: Johan Persson