The Cher Show

 Curve, Leicester

19^th April 2022

              “Like a Cher doll”

Our latest visit to Curve could seem like a case of deja vu – a show based on the life story and back catalogue of a normal girl growing up in the 1960s who becomes a musical powerhouse – the set up bears a striking resemblance to that of Beautiful, which we reviewed last month. But The Cher Show takes a much more bombastic approach to the biomusical, as befitting the vampy glamour of the queen of camp. Arlene Phillips’ new production (the European premiere) is a frothy concoction of corny jokes and power ballads, drenched in enough glitter to put the Strictly ballroom to shame.

The premise sees Cher (Debbie Kurup) about to go onstage for her farewell tour. Facing a crisis of confidence the singer addresses her younger selves (Danielle Steers and Millie O’Connell), delving into her past (or, ahem, wanting to ‘Turn Back Time’) in search of the lyrical meaning behind her comeback single ‘Believe’. It’s an interesting concept, which could draw comparisons with Albee’s Three Tall Women, but beyond this initial intrigue Rick Elice’s by-the-numbers book lacks the wit of similar biomusicals (eg. Douglas McGrath’s droll yet charming book for Beautiful) or the guts to go all out with the theatrical concept of the three Chers. The casting gimmick goes some way to mask the fact that Cher’s life story isn’t exactly a thrill a minute: we see her as a shy young girl meeting Sonny Bono (Lucas Rush) for the first time; together they scale the fame ladder with a few tiffs along the way; Cher eventually branches out on her own and takes her career into her own hands. The most dramatic moment comes when Cher’s young boyfriend, Rob Camiletti, punches a paparazzo – it’s not exactly high-stakes stuff and I didn’t feel like Elice provided any real insight into Cher’s character beyond the surface.

Despite the slightly clunky book, Phillips’ production uses the playful premise to maximum effect during the musical numbers, with the classic Cher vocals amplified threefold. Belters such as ‘Strong Enough’, ‘I Found Someone’ and ‘We All Sleep Alone’ are pumped out at full volume, showcasing the excellent vocals of the three leads as they strut around the stage in Gabriella Slade’s dazzling costumes. Tom Rogers’ set design also impressively propels the action: from New York subways to TV studio dressing rooms and the bright lights of Las Vegas, Rogers humorously incorporates dates into the minimal set pieces to ground the action in space and time. The music and book do occasionally come together to work some storytelling magic, and I especially enjoyed the section charting Cher’s acting career, set to the rhythm of ‘The Beat Goes On’. Kurup shines during these scenes, and Act 2 rightly belongs to her as she holds the audience in the palm of her hand.

While I wouldn’t class myself as a Cher fan, it’s easy to see why she is adored by so many – bold yet enigmatic, she remains a woman at the top of her game, and it’s refreshing to see the message of the musical reflected in the female-lead creative process of this production. The Cher Show doesn’t break any boundaries, but it’s a fun night out, filled with rocking songs performed to a high standard, and is an entertaining addition to the juke box musical genre.

The Cher Show plays at Curve, Leicester until 23^rd April.

For further dates and tour details please visit: https://cheronstage.com/

Debbie Kurup as Star (centre) in The Cher Show, credit Pamela Raith

 

Beautiful - The Carole King Musical

Curve, Leicester

3^rd March 2022

“Sometimes, it goes the way you want, and sometimes it doesn't. And sometimes, when it doesn't, you find something beautiful”

Singer-Songwriter Carole King delivers the above line at the top of the show sat at a piano in her 1971 concert at Carnegie Hall. The musical, which premiered on Broadway in 2014, then goes back to chart her early song-writing days, relationship with Gerry Goffin, and friendship with fellow songwriters Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann. We see King’s journey, from turning out hits at 1650 Broadway for the biggest household names to how she broke the mould of what a star can be. Nikolai Foster’s new production, which opened last night just weeks after King’s 80^th birthday, shows that cultural shift with élan. Particularly impressive is that this is an actor-musician production which adds an extra level of authenticity and playfulness.

In the first act, we see King and Goffin writing songs for the likes of The Shirelles and The Drifters, and their friendly competition with Weil and Mann to write for those big artists. There’s so much joy in witnessing the magic-like quality of the song-writing process: King’s knack for melody with Goffin’s meaningful yet simple lyrics; the frustration of matching the right song with the right artist; their sleepless drive to make music. There’s a series of impressive set pieces including Weil and Mann’s ‘You’ve Lost that Lovin’ Feelin’’ being sung by The Righteous Brothers while Weil and Mann are jamming behind them on their sofa, and ‘The Locomotion’ performed on roller skates.

Although it’s the songs which stand out, Douglas McGrath’s book is first-class. It’s bubbly, full of observational one-liners and perfectly captures the New York vibe like a Neil Simon comedy. A particularly favourite line was when Mann likens moving in with Weil to his continuing audition for marriage. McGrath also cleverly builds in references to the cat and window seat from her album cover for Tapestry to show how King wanted to move away from the glitz and glamour of the New York scene. This is all played out on Frankie Bradshaw’s handsome recording studio set, with a proscenium arch made up of acoustic wall panels and everything stamped with [Property of 1650 Broadway]. Her design takes us from the studio’s functional hub of creativity to glitzy TV studios, Brooklyn apartments and Carnegie Hall. It marries well with Ben Cracknell’s lighting design – I especially enjoyed the effect of the plane landing in Los Angeles to mark that pivotal moment in King’s creative and personal life.

Molly-Grace Cutler not only captures the look and iconic raspy voice of Carole King, she encapsulates her spirit, humour and raw talent. But Foster’s production allows everyone to shine. Seren Sandham-Davies and Jos Slovick are a brilliant pairing as Cynthia and Barry: Cynthia’s self-confidence against Barry’s Woody Allen-esque awkwardness are played beautifully. Tom Milner adds depth with his portrayal of Gerry Goffin, capturing his creative frustrations and difficulties. Garry Robson also provides great support as the producer Donnie Kirshner.

It struck me that, if Dimension Records was a hit factory for music in the 60s, Curve could well be the theatrical equivalent of today. Beautiful is full of character, heart and great songs. It’s a sheer delight.

Beautiful plays at Curve, Leicester, until 12^th March and then tours. It is a co-production between Curve, Theatre Royal Bath and Southampton’s Mayflower Theatre. For further information please visit https://www.curveonline.co.uk/whats-on/shows/beautiful-the-carole-king-musical/

Molly-Grace Cutler and Tom Milner in Beautiful - The Carole King Musical - Photography by Ellie Kurttz

 

 

Bedknobs and Broomsticks

 Curve, Leicester

10^th February, 2022

“Think of England”

I’m surprised it’s taken so long to bring Bedknobs and Broomsticks to the stage. Based on Disney’s 1971 movie with songs by The Sherman Brothers, a stage adaptation would seem like a natural transition. Indeed, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Mary Poppins were among my first West End musicals. Chitty flying, the Child Catcher being snared to the roof of the Palladium, Mary flying over the audience, the proscenium walk, that house filling the stage of the Prince Edward… they are all indelible moments from my childhood which turned an interest in theatre into an obsession. Whilst the world premiere of Bedknobs and Broomsticks (produced by Michael Harrison) doesn’t quite reach the same heights, it certainly has its own style and charm which had the audience up on its feet at Curve last night.

Set in WWII England, Bedknobs and Broomsticks sees three siblings, recently orphaned after a bomb drops on their home, evacuated to the countryside where they are taken in by Miss. Eglantine Price, a trainee witch. The story takes them on a journey of flying beds, dancing clothes and talking animals as they go to the Island of Nopeepo. It’s a show about being betwixt and between worlds and the power of the imagination to escape. Whilst it features some impressive puppetry and set pieces, I can’t help but feel something is missing to make it really fly.

Jamie Harrison’s set and illusions are pure magic! The flying bed alone is enough to enthral audiences and inspire a new generation of theatregoers. Eglantine Price getting to grips with her broomstick before flying through the window into the night is also well done. Later in act one, as the music swells in ‘Portobello Road’, London’s skyline rises, market stalls wheel on, oil paintings fly in and streetlamps unfold. It is a particularly impressive sequence which conjures the energy of that market. My only hesitation about the design is that there’s so much of it! No sooner have the cast trucked on one piece of scenery they’re wheeling it off again. It’s true that this is part of the show’s frenetic energy, but I found it distracting at times.

It is all very slick, however, largely thanks to the tireless work of the company. Emma Thornett captures the prim and proper side of Miss. Price as well as the more comical moments really nicely. Robin Simões Da Silva also deserves a mention as Charlie Rawlins, conveying the sense of the older sibling stuck between childhood innocence and adult responsibilities. I was also struck by Sam Lupton’s performance as the con artist Emelius Browne, especially the number of quick sleight-of-hand tricks in his intro song ‘Emelius the Great’. And Rob Madge steals the scene with their puppetry skills as Norton, a charismatic northern fish.

With further distilling, there’s the potential for a big hit here. And looking at the audience last night, from young families to a gentleman sat nearby celebrating his 83^rd birthday, Bedknobs and Broomsticks appeals to all ages, whether you’re revisiting it for reasons of nostalgia or coming to the story afresh.

Rob Madge and the cast of Bedknobs and Broomsticks. Credit: Johan Persson.

Bedknobs and Broomsticks plays at Curve, Leicester until 13^th February as part of a UK tour running until May. For more information please visit Bedknobs and Broomsticks the Musical UK Tour 2021/22 | Disney UK | Disney Tickets UK

 

Spring Awakening

 Almeida

22^nd January 2022, matinee

 

‘It's cold in these bones
of a man and a child’

 

I never got to see the original award-winning production of Spring Awakening, but in my lonely teenage years I had the cast recording playing on an endless loop and sought out all the bootleg videos I could find on YouTube – I thought I knew the musical inside out, and of course, like many other MT-obsessed adolescents in the late noughties, it spoke to me deeply. Now, revisiting Spring Awakening more than a decade later I realise that it is so much more than the ‘ultimate teen angst musical’ it’s purported to be. Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik’s musical is abundant with relevancies to audiences young and old alike. And while teens may feel the immediacy of its themes with the painful intensity preserved for the young, I can now see that it is also older generations – and indeed future generations – that must pay heed to its message.

In one sense, Spring Awakening is about the conflict between childhood and adulthood. Sater and Sheik capture the exquisite melancholia of growing up and the multitude of confusing, thrilling and horrifying feelings we all feel during adolescence. This is especially poignant in the Act 2 opening number, ‘There Once Was A Pirate’, which has been reintroduced in this production. While the musical covers difficult subjects surrounding physical, sexual and emotional abuse, the other overriding motif is the silencing of young people. As the characters try to make sense of – and question – the world around them they are repeatedly supressed and belittled by the adults in their lives that should be the ones guiding them. The frequency with which young peoples’ thoughts and actions are dismissed resonates still in a time where Gen Z and Millennials are being short-changed, ridiculed and scape-goated by the older generations in positions of power. ‘All That’s Known’ posits that ‘everything you say is just another bad about you’, highlighting the lack of communication and resulting wars between generations; a sentiment revisited in ‘Totally Fucked’ which perfectly echoes Greta Thunberg’s recent statement on world leaders’ position on climate change – ‘blah, blah, blah’. Rupert Goold’s protraction of this number is a masterstroke, the lingering awkwardness as the song peters out while the young cast fiercely stare down the audience is one of the most striking images of the production. Stunned into silence, there was no applause.

As such, Rupert Goold has rejected much of the whimsy of the original Broadway and London productions, in favour of a starker exploration of the purgatory of adolescence, in which the characters are trapped within a childhood dictated by unfeeling adults. This is consolidated by Miriam Buether (set) and Nicky Gillibrand’s (costume) assured design. The Tim Burton-esque monochrome aesthetic is chic, while also providing an apt framing device. By placing the young characters literally within a blackboard setting we see how the adult characters perceive them through a lens filtered by academic achievement and strict societal ‘rules’. Unnamed, bemasked and bewigged, the anonymous grown-ups are consolidated into a force of universal oppression. Yet the scholastic set also becomes an apparatus of rebellion when the characters pick up the chalk and annotate the world around them.

I particularly enjoyed Lynne Page’s choreography, which is punchy and humorous in the ensemble numbers (who doesn’t enjoy a well-timed hip-thrust in ‘The Bitch of Living’?!), while the combination of sensuousness and innocence in ‘The Word of Your Body’ is especially touching. The performances are uniformly excellent; Goold has assembled a fine ensemble of up-and-coming young actors that are indefatigable in their energy and show a passionate dedication to the piece. Nathan Armarkwei-Laryea’s Hanschen is genuinely funny and charming and Carly-Sophia Davies offers a fresh and edgy portrayal of the nomadic and troubled Ilse. I admired the quiet despair brought to Moritz by Stuart Thompson (also a stand-out in the recent National Theatre production of A Taste of Honey); his understated performance is heart-breaking, especially in the gently weary way he confronts his fate in the ‘Don’t Do Sadness/Blue Wind’ scene. Amara Okereke also gives a beautifully subtle performance as the sweetly naïve Wendla, and Laurie Kynaston leads with natural charisma, capturing Melchior’s intellectual anguish, earnest radicalism and boyish exuberance with great heart.

Spring Awakening may seem to be full of despair – and, to be fair, in our current political and social climate it’s difficult not to agree with such nihilistic sentiments – but the musical is not bereft of hope. In one of musical theatre’s most beautiful finales we are reminded that life continues, generations will grow, learn and prosper, and the pains endured in the pursuit of maturity are all threads in the rich tapestry of life. Yes, the plot is hard-hitting and damning, but we can all learn a thing or two about hope, change and empathy by looking to the past in remembrance of the future. This is a stunning production of a timely musical.

Spring Awakening plays at the Almeida theatre until 29^th January 2022. 

The cast of Spring Awakening.
Credit: Marc Brenner

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