Preview - Witness for the Prosecution - Royalty Theatre

Centenary Season Opener at The Royalty 

Witness For the Prosecution by Agatha Christie 

The Royalty Theatre in Sunderland is celebrating one hundred years this year and the team have chosen as their season opener a classic Agatha Christie mystery. 

Leonard Vole stands accused of murdering a rich widow. The stakes are high with shocking witness testimony, impassioned outbursts from the dock and a young man’s fight to escape the hangman’s noose. Generally regarded as one of Christie’s most accomplished plays, this suspenseful thriller keeps audiences guessing until the very end.

“Once more the Christie conjuring trick has come off. Once more we have been led down the garden path. Apart from being a clever puzzle, this is an extremely actable play.” - THE DAILY TELEGRAPH

“The play has all the usual advantages of Counsel in conflict, agonised outbreaks in the dock, and back-answers from the witness-box. To these are added an ingenious appendix; the jury’s verdict is only the beginning of a story that has as many twists as a pigtail.” - THE OBSERVER

Directed by Lee Wilkins and with a cast that includes such Royalty regulars as Tom Kelly, Jamie Lowes, John Appleton and Beth McAneny, it promises to be a cracking start to their Centenary Season. 

Witness for the Prosecution runs from Tuesday 24th to Saturday 28th of September. 

Tickets cost from £8.50 to £10 and can be purchased online from Ticketsource or from the box office on the night. (Please note a small fee applies to online bookings.) Curtain up is at 7.30pm and doors open at 6.30pm giving you plenty of time to grab a drink in the bar before you go in! 

Review - The Railway Children - People's Theatre

The Railway Children 

People's Theatre

16th July 2024

The People's Theatre are ending their season with an adaptation of a much loved children's classic - E Nesbit's The Railway Children. It's one of those beloved books, written for children but actually mostly much loved by adults.

 

It's a gentle tale about a family learning to live with changed circumstance, their once affluent lifestyle turned on it's head when the children's father is sent to prison for spying, and they lose everything. Forced to move from London to the Yorkshire countryside, the children have to learn a new way of life, no servants, scrimping and saving to pay bills, and making their own entertainment. For the children this comes from the railway - they spend hours watching the trains and waving in the hope that they will carry their love to their father, far away in London. 

Mike Kenny's adaptation tells the story through the children's eyes - they address the audience introducing themselves as they begin to unroll their story and we are given the child's eye view of events - not the full picture, because their mother protects them from the world - while all around them we, the audience, see what is really happening. It's a clever layering of the events, giving both the adult point of view and the children's. It's a charming and nostalgic coming of age story. Though it deals with some tough themes -  injustice and politics, social class and poverty - it does so in a very gentle way. It is not the hard hitting coming of age experience most modern teens would recognise. The Waterbury children have the advantage of enlightened parents, and despite their straightened circumstance they are still much better off than the other families in their new home. Thought the themes could be argued to be relevant to today, this is very much a tale from a different era, when society and attitudes were very different.  It is, nevertheless a heartwarming story and is a worthy choice for the season finale. 

The set designers have created a sense of place, with the railway bridge dominating centre stage and various props denoting the different scenes - from the affluent London home with it's fine furniture to the quaint Three Chimneys with its simple kitchen table and stove; a pile of coal and packing cases under the bridge, billowing smoke and steam, recreate the station while off to the right is the Perk's cottage and Mr Perk's "office". 

The sound crew consolidate the scenery with the sounds of the trains, the steam, the whistles and the screech of brakes, and the rumble of a landslide. If you close your eyes you could believe that a train was pulling into the station, or flying by at speed. 

In addition, the costumes are spot on - from the girl's pinafores to Mrs Waterbury's tailored dress, they are stitch perfect. 

This is a pleasing production bringing a well known tale to the stage. Ashton Matthews, Joe Moore and Stephanie Moore capture the characters of the three siblings, with their bickering and their naiviety, while Kay Edmundson shines as the archetypal strong mother, holding her family together against the odds. Tony Childs is perfectly cast as the kindly Old Gentleman. They are all ably supported by the rest of the cast - providing an array of friendly characters to help Bobbie, Peter and Phyllis navigate their way through the many new situations they find themselves in. 

The Railway Children is showing until Sat 20th July. Take a trip back in time and Buy a ticket and take a nostalgic trip back to a gentler time!  Tickets can be booked online at www.peoplestheatre.co.uk 

*photo credit Paul Hood 

Denise Sparrowhawk

Preview - The Railway Children - People's Theatre

 A beloved children’s classic pulls into the People’s Theatre next week!

 

 

All aboard for Mike Kenny’s delightful adaptation of E. Nesbit’s THE RAILWAY CHILDREN, the much-loved story of family, adventure, and trains!

 

When their father suddenly leaves under mysterious circumstances, Bobbie, Peter, Phyllis and their mother must move to a small cottage in rural Yorkshire where life is very different.

 

The children meet new friends, save the day and divert disasters, and along the way discover a world full of imagination, love and resilience.

 

Actors Ashton Matthews, Joe Moore and Stephanie Moore who play the Waterbury children Bobbie, Peter and Phyllis took a trip to Tanfield Railway last month where its heritage steam train proved to be the perfect co-star for some photographs. 

 

THE RAILWAY CHILDREN captures all of the angst and exhilarations of childhood, and promises to be a heartwarming summer treat for all ages.

 

THE RAILWAY CHILDREN runs from Tuesday 16 – Saturday 20 July on the Main Stage.

 

Tickets are available from the People’s Theatre Box Office on 0191 265 5020 (option 2) and online at www.peoplestheatre.co.uk

*Images: Paul Hood

REVIEW - ALL WHITE EVERYTHING BUT ME - LIVE

ALL WHITE EVERYTHING BUT ME

Live Theatre

3rd July, 2024

Watching from the intimately, immersive position of front row cabaret style tables, this production had me gripped from the outset.

Chalk dust hanging in the air over a white minimalistic set, was the perfect backdrop to this tale of not only the journey to the championships but so much more.

This compelling piece written & performed by Kemi-Bo Jacobs was stunning in its delivery. She gave a flawless performance in this one woman show, shifting effortless from one character to the next. With the aid of projection the audience are transported back to the dreams of a little girl who wanted to ‘be remembered’. From South Carolina to Harlem and then on to the lofty heights of Forest Hills & Wimbledon we follow the career of Althea Gibson. From a child who survived by talking with her fists to the  pioneer of sport who became Wimbledon champion n 1957, this is not only a story of greatness, it is a story of pure grit determination & a desire to escape.

Tennis coaches, tournament wins, titles, foreign tours & a lost love are Althea’s life as success beckons BUT there is always this undercurrent of racism. This is 1950’s America where Althea is the underdog, is second class & is allowed to play in prestigious tournaments only if she doesn’t attend the pretty, see & be seen social events that come along with it. Incredulous to believe but sadly true.

Kemi-Bo Jacobs packs fact, pathos & wit into her script & we come out rooting for the lady who was once the fore runner of her time but is often overlooked.

A special mention must be made to Becky Morris for her wonderful direction of this production, which brought it alive.

This was a great production that captivated the audience from start to finish. You don’t need to be a tennis fan to enjoy this. Go see it!

*Photo credit: Matt Jamie

Plays until Sat 6 July.  

Tickets £15 online at

https://www.live.org.uk/whats-on/all-white-everything-me

 or from Box Office on (0191) 2321232. 

Alison Stanley

Review - The Girl On The Train - Royalty Theatre

The Girl On The Train 

Royalty Theatre

18th June, 2024

Based on the book by Paula Hawkins 

Adapted for stage by Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel

Directed by John Appleton 

The Royalty's final production of the season is a psychological thriller which started life as a bestselling novel, and progressed to a blockbuster movie. I have neither read the book, nor seen the film so didn't entirely know what to expect, though I did wonder how they were going to fit a train into the theatre. Spoiler alert: they don't - much to my disappointment the action pretty much all takes place in buildings, not on trains.  

Rachel Watson (Nikki Slack) fantasizes about a couple she sees every day from the train window as she travels to work, creating for them the perfect life she wishes for herself. One day she sees something different, and then the woman disappears, and Rachel finds herself a suspect in the disappearance. This in itself is a bizarre situation, but the plot thickens as the other characters are introduced and connections between them begin to be revealed. 

Megan and Scott Hipwell (Elyse Hood and Jamie Lowes), live in the same apartment block as Rachel's ex-husband. Rachel has been harassing her ex's new wife Anna (Ashley McAneny), turning up at the apartment unannounced and leaving drunken phone messages. She's also suffering from blackouts, and memory lapses. After a visit from DI Gaskill, investigating the disappearance of Megan, Rachel decides to try to solve the mystery herself; she visits Scott pretending to be one of Megan's friends. 

As plots go, this one stretches credibility to breaking point, but if you can suspend your disbelief sufficiently, it does provide an intriguing mystery with as many suspects as there are characters - well, bar one - at no point did I think DI Gaskill (David Farn) had committed the crime. There are plenty of twists and turns in this, and (supposing, like me, you haven't read the book or seen the film) it keeps you guessing most of the way through. Any one of the characters could be guilty - indeed, they are all guilty of something, but not necessarily murder. 

As I said at the beginning there's no train (only the sound of one) but there are several apartments, a therapist's office and a police station, plus an embankment and an underpass. That's a lot of scene changes. The team at the Royalty manage the practicalities of this really well, with a minimal set, creative use of a sofa and some excellent lighting. The scene changes are done quickly and efficiently by the stage hands.

Overall this play felt it was lacking something. It didn't seem to me to merit any of the hype afforded to the book or the film, and I wonder if that was purely down to the challenge of bringing such a complex plot to the stage?  The director and cast work hard to bring it to life, and there are some strong performances, but so many changes of scene between one apartment and the next detract from the suspense, constantly puncturing the tension. The plot for me has too many coincidences to be believable, so I never quite got on board. 

The Girl on the Train runs until Saturday.  It'll keep you guessing, and the final reveal might surprise you. 

And it's better than watching tennis or football...

Denise Sparrowhawk

Review - All My Sons - People's Theatre

All My Sons 

People's Theatre

4th June, 2024

Written by Arthur Miller 

Presented by People's Theatre

Directed by Eileen Davidson

Joe Keller is a successful man. He has built up his manufacturing business since the war, providing a beautiful home for his wife Kate, and a thriving company to leave to his son, Chris. He is popular with his neighbours, and the neighbourhood kids. It all seems ideal but beneath the smiles and success are dark secrets. Their youngest son Larry never returned from the war, lost in action, his plane and body never found. Kate lives in hope that one day he will return like so many other sons and husbands she reads of in the news. Chris their eldest son returned from war and slipped into the expected life at his father's firm, but he is not content. He wants more than a life of appeasing his parents for the loss of his brother. This comfortable post-war success does not sit well with him when so many of his comrades did not come back.  

Into all this he has invited Ann. Ann and he have been corresponding for several years, and Chris has invited her back to her home town to ask her to marry him. Kate will not like this, and they have to find a way to break the news to her.  Ann was Larry's girl, and is the daughter of Joe's former partner, Steve. Steve is currently in prison, convicted of supplying faulty aircraft parts in the war - a crime for which Joe was exonerated.  Ann has not been back to her home town since the trial. 

As the play progresses it becomes clear that there is more to the story than first appears. Though he has worked hard to rebuild his reputation, there are underlying doubts about his involvement. Tension builds as Chris tries to assert his wishes for a different life with Ann, against his mother's assertion that Ann is Larry's girl, and that Larry will be coming home one day, while his father tries to maintain the status quo. 

Then come revelations from Sue Bayliss, the Doctor's wife - a bitter and unhappy woman, and the call from Ann's brother with more hints that things are not what they seem. The Keller's carefully constructed life is about to come crashing down. 

There are so many layers to this play - everyone of the characters is hiding their true selves. They all have secrets. Dreams that are unfulfilled, different lives they could have lived. The life that we see them living on stage is carefully but precariously balanced on a single truth - or untruth - and when that is revealed the balance is lost, with catastrophic results. 

The stage is set as the Keller's back yard, in front of their beautiful house, with the garden swing and Larry's tree - which is felled by a storm at the start of the play - a telling symbol of what is about to befall the Kellers.  the house is almost a character in itself - holding the memory of Larry in his room, and lighting up from to cast shadows of the characters when they are inside - most notably when Ann takes the call from her brother. The lighting gives a sense of the life lived in the house, but the shadows also give an ominous sense of foreboding - again, there is the feeling that not all is right in this world. 

There is a brittleness about the characters in their determination to be seen to be happy, to be living their lives, making choices, and yet you do feel that any one of them might break at any moment. And all it takes is that one truth to surface for the breaking to happen. 

Jonathan Goodman is superb, fronting it out as the all American success story, while Ann Zunder plays a blinder as his apparently emotionally distraught wife - and yet, was she not actually the strength behind the whole family? Her assertion that Larry is not dead is what has kept chaos at bay. She knows the truth of it - a father cannot kill his own son! 

Each actor in this production gives such a convincing portrayal - you feel their frustrations, their joys, their disappointments and their doubts! Each one reveals little by little the cracks and faults in their story - until the final reveal, and all is lost. It was fascinating to watch, as each character revealed themselves, like a slowly pulled thread, and eventually the whole fabric of their lives unravelled.

It's a complicated tragedy - a story of love and loyalty, guilt and innocence, of truth and patriotism, of family, and of the tarnished American Dream. This is the kind of production that reminds me why I love theatre so much. It is compelling. 

All My Sons plays until June 8th. I highly recommend it. 

*images by Paul Hood

Denise Sparrowhawk

  

Review - Cheshire Cats - Little Theatre

Cheshire Cats  

Little Theatre 

3rd June, 2024

Written by Gail Young

Presented by the Progressive Players

Directed by Sarah Balkwill

Cheshire Cats is the story of a group of friends who enter the London Moonwalk to raise money for a Breast Cancer Charity. They each have their reasons for entering the walk, whether it's in memory of a loved one, to support their friends, or to feel supported themselves...their reasons are their own and personal, but they bring together these six very different characters. 

Some of the women are already firm friends, while others are new to the group, and one in particular doesn't quite fit, and is a bit of a surprise - Andrew is "a bloody man" on an all girls outing. 

The women joke with and about each other, they complain and cajole each other into training for, and eventually completing, the moonwalk. Despite their "training" they are not fit, and not fully prepared for a 13 mile power walk,. There are blisters, panic attacks, bladder issues, but there is also encouragement, support and friendship....and blister plasters!  

Sarah Balkwill's staging creates a sense of the occasion, with the London skyline and the background sounds of the crowds and traffic. At times the action spills out into the auditorium, with characters entering from the back and interacting with the audience, which all adds to the atmosphere and keeps the momentum of the play going.

This is a clever and warm treatment of a serious issue. The many characters in the play, from the six friends, to the marshals and the policemen all evoke the sense of fun and camaraderie experienced on the walk. You will laugh along with them but you will also feel their emotion and the pain behind their reason for taking part in the walk. 

The Moonwalk is an actual event which takes place every year in London to raise money for cancer charities. Gail Young wrote the play after walking the walk herself with a group of friends, and encourages productions to help raise money for the Walk the Walk charity - in keeping with this there is a collection at the end of the performance. The cast and crew here deserve to make bucketfuls!

Cheshire cats will be walking the walk at the Little Theatre until June 8th. Please come along and support not just local theatre, but a deserving charity. 

Denise Sparrowhawk

Review - Constellations - People's Theatre

C

Constellations 

People's Theatre

13th May, 2024

Written by Nick Payne

Directed by Jess Chapman

The People's Theatre never fail to astonish with their programme choices.  After the success of April's family classic Dad's Army, on the main stage, this week they have adroitly somersaulted into an esoteric two man (well, two woman, actually) play in the studio.  

Constellations is a love story, but it is by no means a straight forward romance. On one level it is simply the tale of two people who meet and fall in love, some of their affair goes well, and some of it doesn't. And it is possible to take it simply as that, and it is a satisfying love story. But there is so much more to this play than a romantic tale. It is complicated and cerebral. After all, how many love stories have you come across tht are based on quantum physics? Much like Robyn, a lot of the science went over my head! But I grasped enough to understand the idea that there could be many universes, all parallel and all possible, and within them is the story of two two people who meet and fall in love - and depending on the universe, the path of true love runs smooth, or not so smooth. But essentially the ending is the same. 

That all sounds very vague, and a bit confusing - and perhaps it is, but to say more would be to give away too much about this fascinating exploration of life and love. And life and love can be confusing, intentions can be misconstrued. Our perceptions send us down different paths, and lead us to different, sometimes erroneous conclusions. They can spark love, passion, jealousy or compassion. Our actions and reactions to a situation affect the path our lives and loves take, and in Constellations we see over and over how this can be for Marianne and Robyn. 

Ellie Pullen and Cat White give astonishing performances. They switch from universe to universe with a shrug, a glance, a straightening of the back, as their characters react to each other in each iteration of their lives. It is fascinating to watch. And though the science may be above our heads, the emotion is not. The playing out of these two women's lives, their relationship, their hopes, fears, passions, their joy and their sadness, is mesmerising to watch. 

Cleverly directed, and simply but beautifully staged, I left the theatre feeling I had glimpsed the stars and been shown the vast possibilities of the universe: how small we seem in comparison.

Constellations runs until 18th May. It's a studio production so seats are limited - you should book yours now to see a play that will fill you with wonder. I can't promise that it will all make sense, but it will make you think and it will make definitely make you smile. It may make you shed a tear. 

*Photo credit: Paul Hood

Denise Sparrowhawk

Review - Dad's Army - People's Theatre

Dad's Army 

The People's Theatre 

23rd April 2024

A total delight!

Dad's Army is the latest in the long line of sitcoms adapted for the stage, by the People's Theatre in Heaton, Newcastle Upon Tyne.

Like Blackadder, this is a huge production with many actors and actresses on board and spans multiple famous episodes from the tongue in cheek sitcom from back in the day.

The sets are well decorated as usual, the costumes perfect to represent the 1940s war effort. Even haircuts, facial hair and outfits, perfectly suit the period. There are two halves to the performance and what I counted as about four episodes from the show, perfectly tweaked for the stage.

All the acting was top notch, with most of the female cast occupying several roles, such as Nazi troops, or 40s pin ups. Most actors chose to mimic their on screen counter parts almost to a tee, whilst inputting their own style on the characters.

The crowd, almost certainly just about all familiar with the material, were absolutely loving it, laughing in all the right places, as the timing was superb.

Highlight performances include captain Mainwaring played by Steve Robertson, a veteran of peoples theatre shows. The character of Edith Parish (played by Helen Doyle with a performance that could easily slot into a carry on film and not look out of place) was great. Pike and Sgt Wilson (Roger Liddle) also had a strong showing, very true to their on screen counterparts.

Overall I had a blast and the performance went by quickly, which is always a good sign.

Playing every night from Wednesday 24th April - Saturday 27th April 2024. Anyone who has tickets is in for a great time.

*Photo credit: Paul Hood

Frank Cromartie Murphy

Review - You Need to Say Sorry - The Laurels

You Need to Say Sorry  

The Laurels, Whitley Bay 

18th April, 2024 

Written by Alison Stanley, 

Live theatre is special, whether you're in a big gilded proscenium arch theatre or a little studio theatre up a set a creaking stairs. When it’s immersive, when you’re sharing space with real breathing human beings, it can be intense. I hadn’t thought quite how intense.

You Need to Say Sorry so intense. The Laurels is a small venue, up two flights of creaky stairs. For this production it was transformed into a cosy cafe with realistic menus. The audience sits at their cafe tables and appears to witness a couple at the next table.

Vic and Bill, an older couple are on a first date. They are connected via a friend of a friend of a friend on Facebook. There’s lots of awkward pleasant banter about technical incompetence, young people and their phones. There’s a glancing reference to online scammers and the dangers of meeting up with strangers: you don’t know who they might be. But this pair are too sensible to fall for that nonsense. We are drip-fed Viv and Bill’s backstory through this playful interaction. Viv is a widow with a daughter and grandchildren; Bill is divorced. They seem such a nice couple, we are willing them to get together…

… switch to a domestic interior, a living room. We gradually work out that this is the future where they have got together. (I didn’t at first; I thought it was a flashback). Not so much fun now. Bill is grumpy and critical; Viv is annoyingly eager to please. The course of true love never does run smooth, does it?

… back to the café. As an audience, we are now alerts to hints and clues. Bill talks about his own step-father, who was a bit too handy with his belt. But he’s turned out all right, hasn’t he? He’s charming and has a funny mannerism, of not getting cliché phrase quite right: “You’ve buttered your bread, now you’ve got to lie in it.” It’s a winning flaw, we’re willing to give him the benefit of the doubt…

… switch to the living room. Things are really not right. Bill is irrationally jealous, controlling Viv’s movements, cutting her off from family and friends. His comments to her are personally wounding, designed to belittle her and crush her spirit.

This is the drawback of immersive theatre: empathy. There’s a scene in Don Quixote, where Quixote is at a puppet theatre and mistakes the actors for real life and leaps up to violently defend the abused heroine. It’s funny because it’s theatre and we know the difference. Tell that to my sympathetic nervous system! The coercive control and verbal abuse is so well-observed, so horribly real that I had to stop myself jumping up like Quixote and yelling at Viv to get out while she still can. 

My heart was thumping in my chest as if I was in real physical danger. I knew it was a piece of theatre, constructed out of words, scripted for actors, but it was so well written and performed that I felt I was there, helplessly witnessing the annihilation of a once bubbly loving woman.

Alison Stanley has done a brilliant job of conveying the soul-shredding texture of coercive control, and she is ably supported by Steve Lowes as Bill, convincingly alternating between funny charmer and terrifying abuser. It’s an important issue dealt with fantastic subtlety and wit, but not one to see if you’re feeling fragile.

You Need to Say Sorry was showing for just two nights at The Laurels, but watch out for it making a return at Alphabetti in July! 

Gerry Byrne