02nd Jul2016

1984 (Theatre)

by timbaros

Andrew Gower in 1984 Credit Manuel Harlan.jpgGeorge Orwell’s classic book 1984 was not always going to be easily transferable to the stage. But a new production of it has just opened at the Playhouse Theatre.

If you’ve ever read the book (either in school or for leisure), you will know the story. Written in 1949, when the year 1984 seemed like a long way off, Orwell wrote about a world where, simply, big brother is watching everything you do, everywhere you go. It’s like the present day North Korea where the government dictates how and where you will live your life, but it takes it to a bit more extreme in that anyone with an individual thought or who speaks bad about the government is punished, it’s a totalitarian state.

The protagonist of the show is Winston Smith (bravely acted by Andrew Gower). He knows and understands that the world he lives in is bad, cruel, harsh. And he really hates it. He has put his thoughts onto paper, an illegal act if there ever was one. But there’s lots more to this complicated story, on the surface and underneath, and to explain it would be to write a very long explanation.

But in summary, Smith has an affair with Julia (Catrin Stewart) and it all goes wrong for both of them. You see, they thought that a secret bedroom they were shown by a shopkeeper was free of surveillance, but it wasn’t. They’re rustled up and taken to prison where they are interrogated, and the shopkeeper turns out to be a spy for the government. Smith is labeled a ’thought criminal’ and is tortured, and comes face to face with his self-confessed worst nightmare – rats.

A production of 1984 was produced by Nottingham’s Headlong Theatre company before embarking on a UK tour in 2013 and then had a sell out run at the Almeida Theatre. It’s a show that’s hard to watch. The story, and characters, are a bit complicated and not very well understood; we seen them but don’t really know who they are. And perhaps that’s the point. But it takes shock theatre to all new levels with lots of blood in the torture scene (the woman next to me had her eyes closed), and the use of very bright strobe lights used intermittently during the play which is very jaring. But it’s Chloe Lamford’s sets that keep ‘1984’ in it’s time period – it’s a minimalist world where total surveillance is common. Credit goes to Directors Robert Icke and Duncan Macmillan for putting together a show from a book that’s been described as complicated at best. And Gower gives an amazing performance as the literally tortured soul who is punished for his thoughts.

If you can stomach a production of 1984, then this is well worth the effort. If you’re looking for something a bit lightheated, then this show is not the show for you.

http://1984theplay.co.uk

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30th Jun2016

Get ‘Em Off (Theatre)

by timbaros

91fcb92abe00587dbdff24216fe17eddThe Full Monty is now playing at Above the Stag Theatre in Vauxhall.

Well, it’s not exactly The Full Monty – it’s called ‘Get ‘Em Off!’ Set in the suburbian enclave of Croydon, ‘Get ‘Em Off’ takes place in the only gay bar around for miles – The Golden Canary – and it’s a dive. Run by proprietor/proprietress Quinny, a/k/a Baz (Dereck Walker), it’s a bar that needs some spicing up. So it’s his employee Mitch (Joe Goldie) who comes up with the idea of turning Monday night into a gay strip competition to bring in more customers. And so that’s what they do. And they encourage their customers to enter in the hopes of winning the cash prize. Milosh (Michael Nelson), from Kosovo, is one of the first ones to enter, he’s definitely not shy about showing his body. Then there’s Ricky (Ashley Daniels), who is a regular customer to the bar when his boring partner (David Michael Hands) is out of town on business and who actually forbids Ricky from going to the gay bar as he doesn’t think they should lead ’that kind of lifestyle.’ But there’s a spark between Milosh and Ricky that’s palpable.

Meanwhile back at the bar, Baz, all dolled up in sequins and a head wrap, hosts the competition. Mitch urges his all so sexy and very hot straight friend Luke (Tom Bowen) to enter, hey Luke’s wife is about to give birth to their first child so he says why not? And it’s poor Brian (Stuart Harris), Mitch’s school teacher, newly single after six years, trying to find his way back into the gay scene, and finds himself at The Golden Canary. With the strip competition such a success, Quinny decides to enter her men in a national strip competition. So ‘Get Em Off’ follows The Full Monty’s plot where the men practice and practice for the competition where we all know what’s going to happen.

‘Get Em Off’ should’ve been called ‘The Gay Full Monty.’ It’s a camp musical comedy with very funny lines but not very funny nor memorable songs (one is titled ‘Get Your Dick Out), and there’s a waxing scenes that’s a bit dreadful. The book, by Jon Bradfield and Martin Hooper, gives Quinny some of the best lines in the show, though Milosh and Mitch have some as well. Walker steals the show even when his/her men get naked – he’s hilarious! Hands also deserves a mention as he plays various roles and is unrecognizable in each one of them. ‘Get Em Off’ is not the best show the Above the Stag has produced, but it’s perhaps perfect for the summer season when all gay boys want to do is see to watch light-hearted fare with cute guys and lots of nudity. This is the show for them.

To purchase tickets, please click:

Get ‘Em Off!

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21st Jun2016

Titanic (Theatre)

by timbaros

13329426_1004915136224632_2850082151825824399_o_galleryThere is no Celine Dion singing ‘My Heart Will go On,’ but the new stage production of ‘Titanic’ is a classy production with an outstanding cast.

Playing at The Charing Cross Theatre, ‘Titanic’ tells the story of the doomed ocean liner that set sail from Southhampton UK for a journey to New York City. But before reaching it’s destination, it hit an iceberg, and started taking on lots of water. While some passengers were lucky enough to escape on lifeboats, others remained on the sinking ship. In total, more than 1500 people died whereas only over 700 survived. Of course, this production of Titanic does not have a cast of 2200 people nor is there a huge ship on stage, it’s practically a bare bones theatre production where the focus is on the acting and the singing.

The set consists of the deck of the ship, and that’s it, but it works and blends in very well with the cast of 20. Included in this cast are actors/actresses who play the officers and passengers of the ship – both rich and poor. But it’s Claire Machin who plays 2nd class passenger Alice Beane who from the onset steals the show with her musical description of who is who as they board the ship (the Astors, Ladies and Lords, Politicians, and celebrities), while deeply wishing that she was traveling first class, and not second. But it’s genius in that most members of the cast play more than just one character, drifting in and out of each scene – very fluid and ver elegant. Philip Rham is all so stoic as the ship’s captain, while Luke George as the bellboy is so innocent yet unaware of what fate has in store for him.

‘Titanic’ enjoyed a two year run on Broadway in 1997, and most recently had a run at London’s Southwark Playhouse in 2013. So does London really need another ‘Titanic’ stage show just three years later? Yes, because this production is fantastic. Director Thom Southerland does wonders with the small stage in which to tell a story that is perhaps larger than life. And with music and lyrics by Maury Yeston and story and book by Peter Stone, this production of ‘Titanic,’ which has received rave reviews, will sweep you off your feet from start to finish.

To buy tickets, please click on the below link. ‘Titanic’ runs until August 6th, 2016.

http://charingcrosstheatre.co.uk/theatre/titanic

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18th Jun2016

Aladdin (Theatre)

by timbaros

006-1Disney has done it again. They’ve produced another musical based on one of their very popular animated movies – this time it’s ‘Aladdin.’

Already playing on Broadway where it opened in 2014 to very good reviews, Aladdin takes the colorful animated movie and successfully transfers it to the stage. It’s a production so colorful, so full of life, with quite a few memorable scenes, that it’s likely this show will follow in the footsteps of ‘The Lion King’ and ‘Beauty and the Beast’ in entertaining lots of children (and adults) for years to come.

Of course the ‘Aladdin’ film is most famous for Robin Williams as the voice of the Genie. It was a natural fit; his huge character persona so in line with the genie’s. In the stage version, the genie is just as memorable (played by a campy and very funny Trevor Dion Nicholas), who practically steals every scene he’s in. He can grant three wishes in this love story between Aladdin (Dean John-Wilson) and the Princess Jasmine (Jade Ewen). Aladdin is poor, and hangs out with a trio of losers and thugs in the town of Agrabah. Meanwhile Princess Jasmine is very unwilling to enter into an arranged marriage by her father the Sultan (Irvine Iqbal). But lurking in the background is the Sultan’s Prime Minister Jafar (Don Gallagher) – his right hand man who wants to overthrow the Sultan and will do whatever it takes to do so. This entails locating a dangerous cave where there’s a special lamp that grants wishes. Back in town, Princess Jasmine dresses as a commoner and walks around town and meets Aladdin. They’re smitten with each other but the romance hits a rocky start when Aladdin gets arrested for being in the palace. He’s saved by Jafar, who enlists him to go into the cave to retrieve the lamp. But it’s Aladdin who, accidentally, gets to own the lamp, and like in the film, he has three wishes to make, wishes that will not only change his life but the lives of his friends and Princess Jasmine as well.

Aladdin is not a perfect musical. There’s not very many memorable musical numbers (except the well-known ‘Friend Like Me’ and ‘A Whole New World,’ which plays out on a magic carpet flying above the stage with the stars twinkling all around. It’s a magical and mesmerizing scene). John-Wilson is good as Aladdin, but he doesn’t wow us. Gallagher as the evil Prime Minister is especially good. He’s evil, cunning and very clever, with the aide of his assistant Iago (Peter Howe). Former England Eurovision contestant Ewen, as Princess Jasmine, is very good and proves that she can sing AND act. However it’s Dion Nicholas as the genie who you will cheer and applaud. But it’s the sets, wow the sets, that are the real star of the show. Moroccan deserts, palaces, villages, sunsets, and perfect costumes are all worth the ticket price. And while ‘Aladdin’ resurrects the story and music written for the 1992 movie by Alan Menken and lyrics by Tim Rice and the late Howard Ashman, it’s no ‘Lion King’ but it sure comes close.

http://www.princeedwardtheatre.co.uk

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21st May2016

Showboat (Theatre)

by timbaros

showboat_140212It’s a show that’s older than you and me. It’s a show that has stood the test of time. It’s ‘Showboat’ and it’s back in London.

Now playing at London’s New London Theatre on Drury Lane, it’s a spectacular recreation of the show that had it’s first performance in 1927 in New York, staged by Oscar Hammerstein II. Yes, that’s how old this show is, almost a century, and it’s new production shows that ‘Showboat’ has got sea legs.

If you don’t know the story, ‘Showboat’ is a show that is made of two parts. The first part is where we get introduced to the boat (called ‘Cotton Blossom’ which is spectacularly recreated on stage), it’s a boat that’s used to put on shows. It’s captained by Andy Hawks (Malcolm Sinclair) with a cast of whites and a crew of blacks. Captain Hawks’ single and carefree daughter Magnolia (Gina Beck) works on the boat, and it’s there where she meets and falls for the handsome yet mysterious Gaylord Ravenal (Chris Peluso). They get married and eventually have a daughter, but it’s the second act that gets dark. You see, Gaylord’s a gambling addict, can’t control his addiction, and can’t support his family, especially after they move to Chicago and have a baby girl. The lifestyle they knew and loved on the boat becomes a distant memory. As the years roll on, she and Gaylord split, and he disappears. But eventually her family and friends rally around her. It’s all told in great musical style with a cast that has loads of talent.

The original London production opened in May, 1928 at the Theatre Royal on Drury Lane. It came back in 1971, and then again in 1998 at the Prince Edward Theatre. There was a short-lived production in 2006 at the Royal Albert Hall, and now it’s back for a new generation to see and it has not lost it’s life. Classic songs such as ‘Ol’ Man River’ (sung by Emmanuel Kojo) to ‘Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man’ (sung by an ensemble of the woman) are given new life by the singers. It’s the very talented cast, chief among them Beck, Peluso, and Danny Collins as a fellow performer, and Sinclair, who stand out. Masterfully directed by Daniel Evens, with lots of great musical numbers including entire ensemble dance routines, this ‘Showboat’ is a must see, especially in the New London Theatre where every seat in the house is a good seat.

To buy tickets to ‘Showboat’ – please click here:

http://showboatmusical.co.uk

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26th Apr2016

Funny Girl (Theatre)

by timbaros

FUNNY GIRL by Styne, , Music - Jule Styne, Lyrics - Bob Merril, Director - Michael Mayer, Choreographer - Lynne Page, Set Michael Pavelka, Costumes - Matthew Wright, Lighting - Mark Henderson, Savoy Theatre, London, 2016, Credit: Johan Persson/

Is there anything Sheridan Smith can’t do?

She’s now playing Fanny Brice in the new West End musical Funny Girl, but Smith has done quite a bit in her short 34 years. Already an OBE, Smith has won tons of awards for her work both on stage and on television. She’s won two Laurence Olivier Awards (Legally Blonde in 2011 and Flare Path in 2012) and one television BAFTA (Mrs. Biggs in 2013). Smith has also been featured in several films in the past few years, including the recent ‘The Huntsman: Winter’s War’ and 2013’s ‘Powder Room’ and ‘The Harry Hill Movie.’ But it’s her role as Brice in ‘Funny Girl’ that’s bringing Smith more plaudits and acclaim.

In a role Smith starred in last year to sell out crowds at the Menier Chocolate Factory, it’s now transferred to the Savoy Theatre for a short 12 week run. Smith plays Brice, a role which made Barbra Streisand famous (and which won her a Tony and an Oscar), so Smith has huge shoes to follow. And does she fill them? Not even close.

Fanny Brice is the true story of a young Brooklyn born Jewish girl with huge stage aspirations. The real Brice was born in 1891 to Hungarian immigrants who had arrived to the U.S. as children but managed to make a life for themselves and their children in Brooklyn. So Smith’s job is to make you forget Streisand’s Brice and reinvent the character to make it her own. And she does in her own way. She’s charming and lovely and can sure belt out a tune. Songs made extremely memorable by Streisand – ‘People’ and ‘Don’t Rain on My Parade’ – are sung by Smith, good enough for this production, but not very memorable. And we’re supposed to believe that the handsome, debonair, charming (and con man) Nick Arnstein (Darius Campbell – perfect in the role) falls in love with her and not for her money. She’s so in love with him that she certainly can put up with his gambling habits and dubious investments. But even Brice can’t figure why he’s fallen for her, and neither can the audience.

Brice does find fame and fortune as a performer, with a proud Jewish mother (Marilyn Cutts) by her side all the way, living her dream by being employed by the great Florenz Zlegfield (Bruce Montague). But the crux of the show is the relationship between Brice and Arnstein, it’s a volatile one but not quite believable, and it’s a shame that the show isn’t more about Brice’s talent and less about the relationship. Smith is given her moments, and she gives it all she’s got, a bit over the top at times (her Brooklyn Jewish accent is a bit over exaggerated at times). There are no amazing sets, and no showstopping numbers as in most musicals. But great costumes and an excellent supporting cast, with classic musical numbers, makes ‘Funny Girl’ worth a look. It’s not a very memorable production but it’s clearly a star vehicle for Smith, and she makes it her own.

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16th Apr2016

Haram Iran (Theatre)

by timbaros

IMG_4171nAbove the Stag Theatre in Vauxhall presents a show about the murder of two young men in Iran

Two young men were publicly hanged in a square in Mashhad, Iran on 19th July 2005. The new play ‘Haram Iran’ tells this horrific story.

Ayaz Marhoni and Mahmoud Asgari were both teenage boys who liked to hang out together. But it was suspected that these two young men had a homosexual affair, though the true nature of their crime had never actually been confirmed. But they were publicly executed after being convicted on the trumped up charges of raping a 13-year old boy. The Above the Stag theatre in Vauxhall has produced a play that re-enacts and tries to give credence and understanding to the story of these two young men, and their lives, and their execution. It’s an amazing and relevant play.

Ayaz (Viraj Juneja) and Mahmoud (Andrei Costin) play ball, study together and hang out at Ayaz’s house. They’re fast becoming good friends, enough so that it makes Fareed (Merch Husey) jealous. Mahmoud spends a lot of time at Ayaz’s house, in his bedroom, just hanging out. Ayaz is obsessed with books, books that his mother (Silvana Malmone) has illegally kept as she’s not allowed to have them because of Sharia law. Ayaz is most enraptured by The Catcher in the Rye, and he reads passages of the book to Mahmoud. Some of the passages are sexual, making the young men a bit turned on. One day Ayaz notices huge marks on Mahmoud’s back, caused by whippings inflicted on him by his father. Ayaz rubs oil on Mahmoud’s back, but it’s this act, witnessed by Fareed, which causes their downfall. Ayaz is initially charged with corrupting, and penetrating Mahmoud, is thrown in jail, and repeatedly raped by the prison guard (Fanos Xenofos). Eventually they are both charged with consensual homosexual acts and the judge (George Savvides) punishes them to death.

‘Haram Iran’ is a very important play that highlights the brutality and injustice that these two young innocent men endured in Iran. While not every scene in ‘Haram Iran’ might not actually have taken place, what is fact is the murder at the hands of the Iranian government of these two young men. Directed by Gene David Kirk with brutal and emotional intensity, ‘Haram Iran’ was written by Lawyer Jay Paul Deratany, who happened to find the story online. And each member of the cast are excellent. Juneja and Costin are both very believable as Ayez and Mahmoud, young and innocent but punished nonetheless. Maimone as Ayaz’s mother is superb in her role. Xenofos is very scary (and a bit too believable) as the prison guard who shows no mercy, while and Savvides is downright cold, mean and heartless as the judge. ‘Haram Iran’ is a brutal yet delicate story of two young men who didn’t deserve to die because of who they were.

Haram means forbidden by Islamic Law

To buy tickets, please visit:

Haram Iran

Haram Iran is playing until May 1st.

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06th Apr2016

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Theatre)

by timbaros

Sion-Dan-Young-Christopher-in-The-Curious-Incident-of-the-Dog-in-the-Night-Time-Photo-by-BrinkhoffMögenberg-2‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’ is not your usual type of play.

First of all, look at the title – it’s a mouthful. If you knew nothing about what the play is all about, the title kind of sort of gives it away, but not really.
The show, based on the 2003 book of the same name by Mark Haddon, premiered at London’s National Theatre in August, 2013. It opened to more than rave reviews and won an incredible seven Laurence Olivier Awards, including Best New Play. The following year (2014), the play transferred to the West End, where’s it been playing to almost sold-out houses ever since. A production opened up on Broadway in 2014 and won a total of 17 theatre awards, including five Tony Awards. Just as the West End production, the Broadway production is still playing.

So what’s the fuss all about? As mentioned above, it’s not your usual type of play. There is not changing sets, no show tunes, no fancy costumes – it’s pretty much bare bones, what you see on stage is what you get. It’s about 15-year old Christopher Boone and an event that takes place that leads him to do some investigation work. He’s not just any typical 15-year old boy, he’s autistic and a mathematical genius. He’s so smart he can compute complex arithmetic calculations in his head. He’s not well equipped to interpret daily life, and he seem to be afraid of his own shadow. He doesn’t like to be touched by other people, and is suspicious of people around him.

‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’ tells it’s story through Boone’s eyes. The events his experience, and his experience alone. And the relationships with his father, mother, teacher and neighbors are all unique to themselves. And with the stage all done up in lights, it makes for a very surreal and sensational theatre experience. On the recent night I saw it, Sion Daniel Young had the uneviable job playing Boone. But he nails it. It’s a bravura knockout performance that matches and or surpasses anything seen in the West End, or Broadway for that matter. So go and see what the fuss is all about and why people keep on talking about this play. It’s run at London’s Gielgud Theatre has been extended until 29 October 2016 – so there’s no excuse.

To buy tickets, please click here:
http://www.curiousonstage.com/ticket-information/

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24th Mar2016

Miss Atomic Bomb (Theatre)

by timbaros
A scene from Miss Atomic Bomb @ St James Theatre (Opening 14-03-16) ©Tristram Kenton 02/16 (3 Raveley Street, LONDON NW5 2HX TEL 0207 267 5550 Mob 07973 617 355)email: tristram@tristramkenton.com

A scene from Miss Atomic Bomb @ St James Theatre
(Opening 14-03-16)
©Tristram Kenton 02/16
(3 Raveley Street, LONDON NW5 2HX TEL 0207 267 5550 Mob 07973 617 355)email: tristram@tristramkenton.com

It’s a bomb that goes off during the production of ‘Miss Atomic Bomb.’ It’s not an actual bomb but a stink and sink bomb.

Taking us back to 1950’s Las Vegas, when the city was in it’s infancy, the U.S. government had began nuclear testing in the Nevada desert, averaging one detonation every three weeks. During this time Las Vegas became a booming metropolis for gambling, sex, strippers, quickie marriages, and divorces, in part thanks to U.S. government employees earnings which found it’s way into the town’s casinos and the hotels, among other things. The city of Las Vegas became more popular than ever and proposition renamed itself ‘Atomic City, U.S.A.’ This attracted many tourists who would come to see the mushroom clouds. Pre-blast day all-night parties were held, and so-called Atomic cocktails were drank. So with this came the beauty contest named Miss Atomic Bomb.

The show ‘Miss Atomic Bomb’ gives us the beauty pageant in the form of one woman’s struggle to save her dead grandmother’s trailer. Candy Johnson (Florence Andrews) lives in said trailer with Myrna Ranapapadophilou (Catherine Tate). But the bank tells Candy that her grandmother actually died with a debt, so the bank man wants to take the trailer to pay off the debt. So Myrna hears about a beauty contest in nearby Las Vegas where a Miss Atomic Bomb will be crowned. So they decide that this is where they will get the money to pay off the debt, with no doubt in their mind that Candy will win. But before all this takes place, she meets soldier Joey Lubowitz (Dean John-WIlson), who’s on the run because he left the army. Well, Joey escapes to his brother’s Lou Lubowitz (Simon Lipkin) hotel, a hotel where Lou is automatically made manager after the local mafia shoots dead the existing manager for not obeying them. Coincidentally enough, the same hotel is where the beauty pageant is going to take place. Throw in a few contestants (one who man dressed up as a woman), singing and dancing (worthy of a high school musical) in between scenes, and very poor choreography and what you have is a recipe for disaster.

The music and songs seem to be made for another musical, they just don’t gel with the story. And some of the dancers missed their mark the night I saw the show, plus some of the actors didn’t have proper American accents. Also, in one scene a manequin’s head falls off, and not on purpose, but it’s appears that the manequin couldn’t take it anymore. And star attraction Tate, who’s been criticized in the press for her American accent being a bit too Australian-ish, seems to glide in and out of scenes. She gets to show off more in the second half, but by then it’s took late and the predictable ending doesn’t come soon enough. Andrews as Candy can sing, however she’s way too talented for a show like this. This British production, written by Adam Long, Gabriel Vick and Alex Jackson-Long, has too many jokes that fail, a script that’s not very good, and choreography that’s just plain awful.

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15th Mar2016

Land of our Fathers (Theatre)

by timbaros

CurlySix miners wait to be rescued in the brutal and powerful ‘Land of our Fathers.’

It’s 1979 in South Wales, in a dark and dirty mine where the men are trapped. And the six of them struggle with the brutal conditions, and each other, in this two hour play. There’s Mostyn (Joshua Price) who likes to sing show tunes but who also misses his mom; there’s brothers Curly (Tomos Eames) and soon-to-be dad Chewy (Taylor Jay-Davies); chief of the bunch Bomber (John Cording); Polish Hovis (Robert Jezek), and the old man of the bunch Chopper (Cornelius Booth). They don’t have much food among them, they need to ration carefully because they don’t know when they’re going to be rescued. But writer Chris Urch’s script delves deeper into their situation, we get to hear their hopes, and their fears, and see the terror in their faces when they realize that they might not get to see natural light again.

‘Land of our Fathers’ had it’s first run in 2013 in a 63-seat venue called Theatre 503 in Battersea. After being nominated for several awards and playing to sell-out audiences, it transferred to Trafalgar Studios in September 2013. Now it’s playing at the very intimate Found 111 Theatre on Charing Cross Road in Central London. It’s the perfect setting for a play with a minimalist claustrophobic set where the audience gets to see the actors up close. We can see their blood (literally), sweat, and tears as they struggle with their situation. And all the cast are excellent. The men open and close the show with the song ‘Land of our Fathers,’ – it’s the National Anthem of Wales, and it’s a fitting title for a show about Welsh miners.

You can buy tickets to ‘Land of our Fathers’ here:

http://found111.co.uk/land-of-our-fathers/

‘Land of our Fathers’ ends on Saturday March 19th.

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24th Feb2016

War of the Worlds (Theatre)

by timbaros
A scene from The War Of The Worlds by Jeff Wayne @ Dominion Theatre (Opening 17-02-16) ©Tristram Kenton 02/16 (3 Raveley Street, LONDON NW5 2HX TEL 0207 267 5550 Mob 07973 617 355)email: tristram@tristramkenton.com

A scene from The War Of The Worlds by Jeff Wayne @ Dominion Theatre
(Opening 17-02-16)
©Tristram Kenton 02/16
(3 Raveley Street, LONDON NW5 2HX TEL 0207 267 5550 Mob 07973 617 355)email: tristram@tristramkenton.com

London’s Dominion Theatre has been invaded by aliens causing massive destruction with people fleeing for their lives.

Well, on stage that is, not out on the streets. It’s the newest production of ‘War of the Worlds’, previously shown at the O2 in 2014 to much greater and better effect. In the smaller confines that is West End theatre, ‘War of the Worlds’ and it’s aliens, the village and the villagers are all munched together on the small stage. It’s presented as a multimedia experience with a good portion of the show on video screens hanging above and in the back of the stage. Also on the stage is the man himself, composer Jeff Wayne, with his very large 22 piece orchestra, split into two sections. And then we have our narrator – Liam Neeson – whose image pops up (or down in the case of his video screen coming down from rafters) every few minutes explaining to the audience what is happening.

Billed as ‘Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of The War of the Worlds,’ the show took close to 40 years to reach the West End, and we are graced with the presence Wayne conducting. It’s his music to the famous H.G. Wells dark victorian tale about earth being invaded by aliens that is the highlight of the show. So for two and one half hours, the audience is meant to be immersed, spellbound and scared of what’s taking place on stage, but they’re not.

What’s happening on stage is a mess. While Wayne and his orchestra are in excellent form, the narration, the story and the action do not live up to the hype. Neeson’s screen image goes up and down up and down so many times that it became very very annoying to a point dreading his next appearance. And his narration is a bit hard to understand and hear because of his accent with the noise and chaos taking place on stage. His job is to tell the story, but we can also see the story happening right before our very eyes. And it’s in front of our very eyes where we see the cast running aimlessly back and forth on stage, falling, getting back up, frightened by the aliens (on the video screens no less), and lots of flames. They, and us, are pummelled with flashing lights and high pitched sounds meant to hark the arrival of the aliens. Then an actual mechanical alien walks on to the stage, looking like an extremely large piece of shiny metal with legs – it’s not scary at all. It actually looks unrealistic and silly. And we don’t get to know the characters. David Essex is the star draw who plays The Voice of Humanity, while Daniel Beddingfield pops in to sing a nice song every now and then. But “The Way of the Worlds’ is a show that’s all over the place and I was very disappointed because I was expecting to be immersed, spellbound and scared. Unfortunately, I was none of them.

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25th Jan2016

Alright Bitches (Theatre)

by timbaros

IMG_7800nLet’s go on a trip to Gran Canaria via Above the Stag Theatre in their newly-penned play ‘Alright Bitches.’

It’s exactly what you would expect from a play with that name at a theatre which produces the campiest shows in town (written by Martin Blackburn). We’re in Gran Canaria, where the boys do their shopping, clubbing, picking up and shagging all in the same place – the Yumbo Centre. And not far from the Yumbo Centre is Los Hombres (The men). It’s a gay guesthouse but not primarily gay male and clothing optional. But for one week the guests at Loa Hombres include alcoholic and uptight Jason (Anton Tweedale), who’s not very happy to be there, and his young boy toy boyfriend Ollie (Grant Cartwright), as well as Garth (Ethan Chapples) and his best friend and flat mate Max (Lucas Livesey). Also along for the ride is Garth’s very good friend Pam (the fierce Hannah Vesty). And what do you get when you mix two horny gay couples with a women who’s also looking for it? Lots of sex jokes, and drama, and fights, and everything you would expect from a show such as this. You see Ollie is supposedly in love with Jason for who he is, and not because he’s a successful closeted banker. But Garth fancies Ollie, meanwhile there’s a bit of bad chemistry between Jason and Max, who’s has a towel that reads ‘Only Gay on the Beach’ – as if. But it’s Pam from Milton Keynes who provides all the laughs (“I’m menstrual and it’s a fool moon”), putting up with the boys antics while at the same time filling her mom in with her holiday antics and gossip on her mobile phone. There are lots of funny lines – “the barbed wire around the complex – is it to keep them out or us in?’ and in reference to Garth spending his time in some of the insalubrious places there, Max asks “Were you in the darkroom developing photos.?” To thicken the plot, there’s something strange about the man who is alone in his bungalow across the way – is he a serial killer? It all makes for a week full of tension and implied sex among the men at this guesthouse that, from the outside that we get to see that is the set, looks like any typical guesthouse in Gran Canaria. Enjoy the laughs and try not to groan when some of the jokes don’t hit, for it’s a holiday that you’ll probably forget. And give Vesty her own show – she’s fabulous!

To buy tickets, please go to:

http://www.abovethestag.com/whatson/alright-bitches/

‘Alright Bitches’ is on until Feb. 21, 2016

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21st Jan2016

Seasons of Larson – The Life and Times of Jonathan Larson

by timbaros

Seasons of Larson - Artwork ImageThe Life and Times of Jonathan Larson will be celebrated in the one-off show ‘Seasons of Love’.

Who is Jonathan Larson you might ask? He is the broadway composer and genius behind the smash hit musical ‘Rent.’ ‘Rent’ is one of the most successful and award-winning musicals of all time. It tells the story of a group of young men and women eecking out a living in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. These young men and women have lots of real life issues that dominate their lives; poverty, drugs, volatile romances, and HIV.

Larson composed Rent while at the same time waiting tables at Manhattan’s famous Moonstruck Diner. On the first day of it’s off-Broadway 1996 preview, Larson died unexpectedly at the age of 35. It was a shocking blow not just to the people close to him, but also to the actors and the rest of the crew. The show then premiered as planned and went on to critical and commercial success. ‘Rent’ was moved to Broadway in April 1996 after an extreme demand for tickets and excellent reviews. It went on to win four Tony Awards, including three for Larson (Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Score). ‘Rent’ went on to become the 10th longest running show on Broadway, closing in June, 2008. Various productions have toured around the world, including three different productions in London. It also went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for drama.

It’s not just the story that is poignant and timely for it’s time, it’s the music that’s most memorable and emotional in telling the story of these young people struggling to survive. Songs such as Seasons of Love, One Song Glory, Light My Candle and Santa Fe all convey the emotion and heartbreak and feelings these young people have and share. And for only night only, on Monday, January 25th, at London’s Lyric Theatre, several West End performers will sing songs from the show. Debbie Kurup, Krysten Cummings and Damien Flood, all previous cast members of ‘Rent,’ will perform some of the songs and will reflect on their memories of the show. The concert will also include music from some of Larson’s earlier works, ‘Superbia’ and ‘tick, tick… BOOM!.’

For tickets to this one-off show, please visit:

http://www.seasonsoflarson.com

SEASONS OF LARSON – THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JONATHAN LARSON

MONDAY 25 JANUARY 2016
THE LYRIC THEATRE, SHAFTESBURY AVENUE
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21st Dec2015

The Dazzle (Theatre)

by timbaros

The-Dazzle-at-FOUND111.-Joanna-Vanderham-Milly-David-Dawson-Homer-and-Andrew-Scott-Langley.-Photo-credit-Marc-Brenner-468-600x350A play about two brothers who need each other to coexist is the plot of the new play The Dazzle.

It’s the lead actor and the theatre itself that are the main attractions. Irish actor Andrew Scott is a huge film and television star who was most recently the character ‘C’ in the James Bond film ‘Spectre.’ He’s won awards for his performance in the 2014 film ‘Pride’ and is also known for his television work including playing Jim Moriarty in the hit television show ‘Sherlock,’ as well as for his numerous stage appearances. The theatre, Found111 theatre on Charing Cross, is in the old Foyles bookstore building that was most recently the home to sold out performances of the all volunteer show ‘You Me Bum Bum Train.’

‘The Dazzle’ is performed in one of the building’s upper rooms, which is reached after a dizzying climb of three floors. It’s a room that must’ve been used as book storage for the bookstore, as it seats only 130, so it’s theatre at it’s most intimate, with the stage just inches away from the first row. As for the show itself, it’s based on the true story of two brothers whose bodies were found amid 136 tons of clutter in a crumbling New York City townhouse in the 1940’s. Scott plays Langley Collyer, while David Dawson plays his brother Homer. Langley is a bit of an autistic savant – he’s a piano-playing genius but can’t seem to hold his own in life. He relies, depends and needs Homer to survive. Homer makes sure that Langley is taken care of and reminds him to clean himself. And unfortunately the brothers are on the verge of being broke, so Homer has to urge Langely to perform for money, even though Langley doesn’t want to. Homer, meanwhile, is a non-practicing lawyer who toddles around their cluttered living room with a piano in it’s center. The boys lives get turned around when Milly Ashmore (Joanna Vanderham) visits. She’s a rich heiress who is taken by Langley’s boyish charm and good looks. It’s soon enough that Homer sees an opportunity to marry Langley off to her to ensure their future. But the wedding doesn’t happen and it’s a catalyst that spins the brothers, and Milly’s, lives around, and not for the better.

‘The Dazzle,’ written by American Playwright Richard Greenberg, and directed by Simon Evans, is tricky to pull off because of the very intimate space. The actor’s every move, breathe, facial expression, and mistakes are captured finitely. But at times the actors seem to be overreaching a bit, putting on a show not just for the audience but for themselves as well. It’s all a bit overdramatic in parts where it doesn’t intend to be, and a bit unbelievable as the show plays out. The show does have quite a few witty lines (“we have a blind cleaner who comes in and spits on the furniture” Homer tells Milly when she asks why their apartment is so dirty and cluttered), but it won’t be winning any awards. The wow factor in this show is seeing Andrew Scott, a rising star, very up close and personal, and the theatre itself, which is true pop-up theatre.

The Dazzle is playing until January 30th – to buy tickets, please go here:

http://www.thedazzle.co.uk/buy-tickets/

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