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Guys and DollsBased on a story by Damon Runyon Music & Lyrics: Frank LoesserBook: Jo Swerling & Abe BurrowsDirector: Des McNuffChoreographer: Sergio TrujilloReviewer: John RobertsThere is still something very magical about entering a theatre that you have never been in before, you are placed in unfamiliar surroundings and your senses go on overload absorbing the atmosphere of the building and the people who temporarily inhabit that space. My recent trip to the Nederlander Theatre sent shivers down my spine for several reasons the first being that Guys & Dolls has a special place in my heart being one of the first theatrical performances I appeared in, I also love theatres that have a feeling of Intimacy, and that is just what you get here!There have been many productions of Guys and Doll’s over the years both on Broadway and in the UK but there is something magical in this production that takes the show to new heights and I lay all my bets down that this is the best of them yet!Based on Damon Runyon’s short stories set during the prohibition years, the musical follows the life of Nathan Detroit (Oliver Platt) fixer of New York’s infamous crap games and his relationship with his long serving Fiancée and Hot Box Girl Adelaide (Lauren Graham) along the way Detroit lays down a bet with High Flying Sky Masterson (Craig Bierko) that he can’t take Sergeant Sarah Brown (Kate Jennings Grant) of the Salvation Army on a date what pursues is one of the most satisfying stories in Musical Theatre.At the directing helm of this superb revival is Des McNuff, whose magical touch helped him and his production of Jersey Boys sweep away with many of the awards at the Tony’s and Olivier awards, critical to his staging is the simplicity in [...]

Lost Monsters by Laurence Wilson Director: Matt WildeReviewer: Kate Cotterell ‘The world would be a better place if we were all like bees’ is one of the memorable lines from Laurence Wilson’s Lost Monsters, playing at the Everyman Theatre in Liverpool where images of bees adorn almost every available space and it is clear we are being asked to draw parallels between our human world and the insect world we know so little of. The parallels exist predominantly through each of the characters who, according to the programme, are each connected to an insect. Mickey (nick Moss) – the loud, brash, uneducated and insecure Scouser is the cockroach, while older, wiser and more worldly, yet some home insular, Richard – played beautifully by an almost unrecognisable Joe McGann – is a trapdoor spider. You have to look hard to find these insect parallels and draw the connections but there is some interest to be found in it if you’ve got the time and the energy!The play centres around Mickey, Sian and Jonsey – three run-aways from diverse places and of different ages – young Sian, played by Shameless actress Rebecca Ryan – is just 16. Their life leads them around arcades where autistic Jonesy, who has a ‘computer brain’, gets to know the fruit machines and their systems, making them ready cash and keeping the dream of Las Vegas alive. As the play begins they’ve been involved in a fight with a group of hooligans who pick on an eight month pregnant Sian while she’s chalking pavement art. Mickey’s attacked the kids and cut his arm in the process. Their journey away from the police leads them to what they believe to be an abandoned house in the middle of a motorway and the story really begins.Unlike many of the [...]

Hot MikadoBook and lyrics: David H Bellmusic Adaptor and arranger: Rob BowmanDirector: Matt DevittThe Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch happens to be my local theatre, but for some reason I’ve not really been there much in recent years…In fact, my first theatre memory is of Peter Pan at Queen’s in about 1986, so it has a special place in my heart.#Matt Devitt directs a ten-strong ensemble, actor/musician cast in their current production of Hot Mikado; the ‘jazzed up version’ of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Mikado. The story centres around Nanki-Poo (Sam Kordbacheh), who turns up in the Japanese town of Titipu looking for his love, Yum-Yum (Natasha Moore) who is engaged to her guardian – the Lord High Executioner, Ko-Ko (Shaun Hennessy). Unbeknownst to the townspeople, Nanki-Poo is actually son of The Mikado (Stuart Organ) and was previously betrothed to the ‘battleaxe’ Katisha (Kim Ismay).I know the score to this musical fairly well, but unfortunately the sound balance was not quite right for the performance I saw, meaning that it was difficult to hear all the lyrics; which are very witty at times, and really tell the story in an almost recitative style. Despite this, the musicianship of the actors is excellent. Jane Milligan who plays Pitti-Sing, and Rowan Talbot as Poo-Bah are particularly versatile musically whilst also turning out interesting performances. Milligan has a lovely voice, and really uses the lyrics during her solo sections whilst swapping between vocal and saxophone at lightning quick speed. Georgina Field plays the squeaky schoolgirl Peep-Bo whilst performing with similar dexterity on various saxophones and clarinet. Shaun Hennessy delivers a very funny Bilko-like Ko-Ko, complete with slap-stick sections of physical comedy, and Phil Silvers intonation! Kim Ismay’s Katisha is like an old-fashioned cabaret star, singing her solos with Minelli-like signature movements. Mark Walters’ set design was [...]

Spider’s Web by Agatha ChristieDirector : Joe HarmstonReviewer: Marie Kenny Admittedly, I may have concocted the odd elaborate lie or two in my time (ok maybe even three- at a push). But stumbling upon a dead body in my house and lying to the police about it is, fortunately, way out of my league.Not so, for the heroine of Agatha Christie’s ‘Spider’s Web’, in fact Clarissa Havisham-Brown, is known for her over-active imagination and lies with incredible ease. Set in 1952, Clarissa is the wife of Henry Havisham-Brown, a foreign office diplomat. Their country manor home, Cobblestone Court, complete with secret levers and hidden drawers, is the perfect setting for a murder.Lying on the floor of the drawing room, behind a chair, with his head bashed in, Clarissa stumbles upon Oliver Costello. Costello is Henry’s ex-wife’s new husband and had visited earlier in the day, threatening to take her step-daughter Pippa away. Her husband is working late, the servants have the night off and her ward Sir Rowland Delahaye and his friends Jeremy Warrender and Hugo Birch are at the golf club having dinner.So all that leaves is step-daughter Pippa, who emerges from a secret cupboard leading to the library to announce that she hadn’t intended to kill him, well then, mystery solved? Of course not. The murder is committed by an unseen hand and so the scene is set for a classic whodunit. The play is filled with clues, red herrings and twists and turns only to be expected from the pen of Agatha Christie.Directed by Joe Harmston, the decision has been made to draw on the comedy of the piece, each of the characters is a caricature of their time and status. From the obedient but mysterious butler, to the larger than life, intrusive, thigh slapping gardener, whose [...]

Dreamboats & Petticoats by Laurence Marks & Maurice GreenDirector: Bob Tomson & Bill Kenwright Reviewer: Jim NicholsonSt Mungo’s Youth Club is the venue for this “jukebox musical” that takes us all back to the 1960’s and a night of rock and roll.Although from the “jukebox” genre the book to this musical has a bit more about it than most other similar offerings because the writers, Laurence Marks and Maurice Green, really have come up with some very witty lines between songs. Not that there is a huge amount of script as 44 hits are crammed into just over 140 minutes of foot tapping fun. It should be no surprise about Mark’s and Gran’s book as they have had many TV hits, such as “Birds of a Feather”, “The New Statesman”, “Goodnight Sweetheart” and “Shine on Harvey Moon”.On the downside the characters are all given the normal “jukebox” names to give the excuse to lead from one hit to the next as Laura wants to be Bobby’s girl but of course Bobby can not bring himself to tell Laura he loves her and instead goes off with Sue, who predictably gives him the run around.I know we have seen this concept far too often in recent years but at least there is some genuine comedy in amongst it, like when Bobby’s dad bursts into his room because of the noise of his music, and then when challenged to knock in future because the young lad of 17 could have been up to anything in his room, his Dad points out that at least “that would have been quieter”, well I laughed.Bobby, our lead character, is played by “2008 X Factor Finalist” Scott Bruton, you know, the Pontins Bluecoat who was always breaking down and crying at every result stage. Well at [...]

Shrek The Musical Based on the book by William SteigBook & Lyrics: David Lyndsay-AbaireMusic: Jeanine TesoriDirector: Jason MooreChoreographer: Josh PrinceReviewer: John RobertsTurning films into theatre seems to be the status-quo at the moment in theatre land, but why? Is it because it is a tried and tested vehicle? Is it an easy bet during the cloudy recession that hangs over us all? Or is it just simply because the best Ideas have already been used? Well whatever the answer is you can be sure that Shrek ticks all the right boxes and makes you leave after being entertained for two and a half hours knowing that theatre land is a much bigger, brighter and beautiful place because of it!Originally adapted by Dreamworks as a family animated feature of William Steig’s children’s story that rocked the house of mouse at the box office are now going head to head again with this musical stage adaptation.Avenue Q’s director Jason Moore has been brought in to take the helm on this project and his unique stamp of anarchic mayhem and fun that was very much instilled in Ave Q also finds a comfortable home here (and yes there’s puppets here too!.) Moore’s direction is tight and he makes sure the narrative stays focused and pacey, after all with fifty percent of the audience being under fourteen you had better make sure that you keep them engaged throughout.The world of Shrek is brought vividly to live by Tim Hatleys set and costume designs, which are bold and bright and at times simply breathtaking, but staying very true to the animated world that we have come to love through the films.Brain D’Arcey James is the man behind the green mask, and brings a performance of Shrek that is both warm and endearing, although maybe a [...]

Company Music/Lyrics: Stephen SondheimBook: George FurthDirector: Michael StrassonReviewer: Leon TraymanThe Union Theatre has been the place for excellent fringe musicals for the past few years, and their revival of Sondheim’s Company does not disappoint. The Fourteen strong ensemble cast pull out all the stops for a memorable night at the theatre. Neil Lamont’s stark set gives a huge amount for the action, but it is rarely used fully by Michael Strassen’s otherwise excellent direction. Given the amount of space available, there are moments when actors almost fall over each other, struggling to get past each other down stage, without kicking someone in the front row. At times, the staging would be more suited to a production in-the-round, with actors facing upstage and out into the wings for extended periods.Strassen has also employed a ‘neutral’ state for the characters; which at times is slightly odd. Lincoln Stone plays Robert, who’s friends; all either married, engaged or some variation therein, desperately try to get him married off. Stone has an excellent voice, that is full of Robert’s emotions, and has a wonderful tone throughout the show, despite some moments of very high vocal energy. His relationships with the other characters are always clear and he is utterly believable as 35 year old singleton. Special mention must be made of Lucy Williamson who plays Joanne (originated by Elaine Stritch), and who performs a rendition of ‘Ladies Who Lunch;, the like of which I have never seen! Samantha Giffard’s Martha is also outstanding and “Another Hundred People Just Got Off Of The Train’ is delivered with aplomb. On the subject of voices and aplomb, Jane Quinn (Jenny) has phenomenal range of pitch and timbre, switching from cutesy, straight-laced New Yorker Jenny (both sober and stoned) to the Mother Superior of choristers! The ensemble choreography, [...]

Spongebob Square Pants -The Sponge Who Could Fly.Book: Stephen Banks Music/Lyrics: Eban SchletterDirector: Gip Hoppe Reviewer: The Astbury FamilyIIf you were to mention Spongebob Squarepants to any breathing child, you would probably get a very warm reception, so it is with no real surprise that this anarchic Nickleodeon cartoon has been given the onstage adaptation.Telling the story of Spongebob’s failure to swim with the Jellyfish, he soon learns how to fly, but nothing ever runs that smooth in a musical does it? The start of the show gets off to a solid start with some enthusiastic audience participation by Patchy The Pirate and the fun doesn’t stop coming!David Gallo’s wonderfully bright set designs felt like you were watching the TV show, the added effect on the bubble machine was a stroke of genius, and just one of the many parts the younger audience members loved. The set was complimented by Mirena Rada’s costumes which were exceptionally well conceived.Director (Gip Hoppe) and Choreographer (Jen Rapp) have managed to produce a show the through its family friendly 90 minute length manages to keep the kids captivated. Rapp’s Choreography really helps push the story along and ‘The Flying Dutchman’ scene really is something special and aided with Nigel Plaskitt’s help with the puppetry really amazed us at the things you can achieve. Although Spongebob is the central character, Chris Coxon’s portrayal became very annoying, trying far to hard to replicate Spongebob’s trademark voice, turning into something that was had to understand and more like Joe Pasquale every minute.Charles Brunton as Squidward really stole the show for us, his character was nailed to perfection, from his comic acting, voice and mannerisms this was a faultless performance.There is a lot to keep a family entertained in this production but we felt that at times …