Hot Flush! - Washington Arts Centre - Review

Hot Flush!

Arts Centre Washington
28th June 2018

Presented by Washington Theatre Group
Directed by Angela Marshall
Musical Director Tim Jasper

Hot Flush! is billed as the naughtiest musical in town. In case the title hasn't already given you an inkling, you need to know that this is a menopausal musical - following the everyday experiences of three women as they cope - or not - with mood swings, temperature swings, libido swings, you name it - if it swings they cope with it! Four women united in hormonal imbalance and everything that that entails. Their mostly absent husbands bear the brunt of their discontent, the blame for all the unfairness and inconvenience of the menopause laid at their door. Myra's husband leaves her for a younger, prettier woman, Helen's husband rather selfishly dies unexpectedly, Ingrid's husband retires to his shed, while Sylvia's husband simply can't keep up with her HRT induced sex drive.

The four female cast members give strong performances. The delivery of the lines is well timed and punchy - there are a lot of funny one liners in this  - and the singing is accomplished - some of the harmonies are beautifully sung. There were some problems with the sound at the beginning which might have floored some, but they carried on with professional determination. The issue was quickly remedied and the show went on!

Emma Simpson is assured as Myra, the divorce lawyer who is gradually falling apart in the face of competition from a younger woman. Her venom towards her recalcitrant husband is palpable and she delivers some of the best lines of the show including my favourite - "if she was any younger she'd be a foetus!"

Sarah Clarke plays Helen - a woman lost in a world where her husband is gone and their daughter, off at university is drifting away from her. Her character reminds me of Tracey from Birds of a Feather. I think her performance was the most natural feeling of the four. 

Joanne McLernon is well cast as the American Sylvia - strong willed, physical, she drives the four women forward, sometimes intentionally - making them take up a fitness regime, sometimes unintentionally by becoming the source of scandal and threatening the friendships. 

Ingrid Middleton - is a delight as Jessica, pillar of the church and menopausal shoplifter, doggedly avoiding the advances of the amorous vicar! 

Matt Lowe - as the token man in the show has his work cut out - he plays all the male characters from the son, to the husband, to the lover, and an array of other random men that the women encounter - barman, vicar, doctor, Chinese herbalist, referee, security guard...the list goes on. He sports an array of costumes, wigs, hats, and saucy shorts and shows a fair amount of barefaced cheek in his performance and, perhaps not surprisingly considering the number of costume changes, he sports more than a few misplaced wigs!

This is a naughty musical - it is full of cheek, and sauce! It's a little bit rude and a little bit sweary. It's also very funny and women of a certain age will recognise, empathise and roar with laughter at some of the situations. Leave your PC head at home - there's nothing politically correct about four menopausal women and one poor beleaguered man! It's a lot of fun and a credit to the theatre group that they carry it off with a deal of flair.

Hot Flush is only on till Saturday - grab your girlfriends, a fan and ticket and go see it!

Denise Sparrowhawk

The Wind in the Willows -Review - Royalty Theatre

The Wind in the Willows

Royalty Theatre
25th June 2018

The Royalty Theatre are ending their 2017/18 season with a great classic children's story. Kenneth Grahame's Wind in the Willows, adapted for the stage by Mike Kenney, tells the unfortunate tale of Mr Toad of Toad Hall, his foolhardy adventures, and the attempts of his riverside friends, Ratty, Mole and Badger to save himself from his folly.

The first thing that sprang to mind at the thought of a stage production of this story, was how would they portray the characters? Would they go down the full animal costume and masks route - unlikely as the costs to do this well would surely blow the budget - or would they eschew the physical  appearance and concentrate more on the mannerisms of each animal?  I'm happy to say that the directors - Andrew Barella and Nikki Slack have opted for a half-way house - or maybe a three-quarter house. Some deft makeup gave each character a just a hint of the physical appearance, a little black nose, a sprinkling of whiskers, (quite dapper whiskers on the part of Ratty), bold stripes for Badger and a green forehead and fringe for Mr Toad. The rest of the characterisation is entirely done through the acting skills of the cast. Damien Wood in the guise of Badger moves and speaks ponderously in his thoughtful deep brock voice. Toad (full of his own importance) pontificates about his own greatness, sidling in and hijacking conversations, he oozes charm one moment and is petulant as a toddler the next. Billy Towers has the audience laughing out loud at the antics of Toad almost from the first moment he appears on stage.

The stars of the show though are Mole and Ratty. Two animals who form an unexpected and lasting friendship. Lee Wilkins excels at the arch look or eyeroll  towards the audience to highlight a ridiculous statement from Toad. Throughout the play he is constantly living his character - even when the focus is not on him, he contributes a look or shrug, just the smallest movement to add something to the scene. His use of facial expression and physical humour puts me in mind of Stan Laurel.

Ratty and Mole messing about in boats 

Rose Whittle bounces around the stage portraying a Mole filled with curiosity, with the attention span of a gnat! Full of enthusiasm for life and adventure she bounces from scene to scene, making friends with everyone and stumbling into her own misadventures. Like the proverbial cat, Mole's curiosity constantly gets her into scrapes, and the practical Ratty is always there to help her out. There is a great chemistry on stage between all the characters but especially between these two, which creates an equally great response in the audience.

The main characters are ably supported by the ensemble cast who play a variety of minor characters from weasels to washerwomen (Julie Carney), Otters to posh ladies (Amy Dowell), hedgehogs to Engine Drivers to Rabbits (Charlotte Bishop and Ben Harrison) and the reluctant Horse, Train Guard and posh gentleman (Aidan Evans) each one adds their own bit of sparkle to the tale.

Mention should go to the technical team under Declan Mather for the music (strains of a spaghetti western), sound effects and lighting which create the sense mystery and magic, suspense and apprehension. And especially to David Farn and John Bailey for the set and props - the motor cars and the boats are an hilarious addition. Costumes are made by Laura Finlay and Sue Bailey and make-up is by Nik Grundison. Altogether they have produced a great set for the show.

This is a fun, warm and entertaining family show and is a fabulous feel good ending to their season. You'll laugh (probably more than you should if Toad's make-up gives way under the heat of the lights again) and you will leave the theatre with a happy smile on your face. What more could you want?

Tickets are just £8 (£6.50 conc) and can be booked online, over the phone 0333 666 3366 or in person at theatre. Full details here .

Photo credit: Royalty Theatre

Denise Sparrowhawk

 

Westovians - Preview - A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Durham

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Durham,  

Tuesday 10^th to Saturday 14^th July 2018.   

Westovians final show of the year is a comedy written by Ed Waugh and Trevor Wood. It is an irreverent and anarchic take on the story of the Lindisfarne Gospels. A sketch-based play, featuring around 40 characters played by just three actors, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Durham, covers more than 1400 years of English History in just 90 hilarious minutes. It included encounters with many famous historical figures, including five Kings of England, a Saint, several Vikings and Monks, a Leper, a Spin-Doctor, the Easter Bunny, and of course, Sherlock Holmes.

Tickets are just£8 (Tuesday and £9 (Wednesday – Saturday), and are available online at Ticketsource, or from the Visitor Information Centre at The Word. Tickets will be available from the Theatre Box Office each night during the performance from 10^th July. Theatre doors open at 7pm, and the performance starts at 7.30pm. 

Further details on the show are available here .

Watch out for the following outside hires coming up soon too! 

• Friday 27^th and Saturday 28^th July – The Blue Flamingos 60’s Review, a live band bringing you hits from both sides of the Atlantic (The Kinks, The Searchers, The Beatles, The Everly Brothers, The Mamas and the Papas to name but a few). Further information is available here. Tickets priced £12.50 are available at the Westovian’s Ticketsource.
• Friday 14^th (7.30pm) and Saturday 15^th September (2.30pm/7.30pm) – Ed Waugh’s The Great Joe Wilson, a play with Geordie songs, about the life of the undisputed North East concert hall superstar. It starts Micky Cochrane, Sarah Boulter and Phil Corbitt, and is directed by Russell Floyd, with Joe’s words put to music by Pete Scott. Please see here for further information. Tickets cost £16 and are available at the Westovian’s Ticketsource.
• Thursday 20^th – Saturday 22^nd September – the Gilbert and Sullivan Society Concert. Please see their Facebook page for further details.
• Saturday 15^th (7pm) and Sunday 16^th December (2pm/6pm) – we welcome back Encore for their Christmas show. Please see their Facebook page for further details.  

Preview - Wind in the Willows - Royalty Theatre

ROYALTY THEATRE produces family classic THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS.

Sunderland's Royalty Theatre will close their 2017/18 season with the children’s classic The Wind in the Willows.

Kenneth Grahame’s most famous work has been a family favourite for over a century.  This fantastic new adaptation by Mike Kenny follows the adventures of Ratty, Mole and Badger as they explore the Wild Wood and try to keep Toad of Toad Hall out of trouble.

Ratty (Lee Wilkins) and Mole (Rose Whittle) Credit: Royalty Theatre

A superb cast includes Lee Wilkins as Ratty, Royalty newcomer Rose Whittle as Mole and Billy Towers as Mr Toad. 

The show runs from 25^th to 30^th June with 7.30pm starts, and a matinée has been included in the run, at 2.15pm on Saturday 30^th June. Doors open 45 mins before curtain up.

Tickets can be booked in advance via www.ticketsource.co.uk/royaltytheatre or on 0333 666 3366, and are priced at £8 (£6.50 concessions).

Northern Stage - Autumn Season Launch

Season Launch

Northern Stage
Autumn 2018

Northern Stage launched their autumn season with comedian and poet Kate Fox. Kate gave us a taste of what was to come in a series of interviews, video clips and snippets of performances. Her chirpy, upbeat commentary and infectious enthusiasm kept the evening moving along at a cracking pace - as well it needed to, there was a lot to pack in!

Before we get to the Autumn there is a great programme of events over the summer with Northern Stage's involvement with the Great Exhibition of the North. There are plans for Self Build Utopias - a series of exhibitions, installations and performances re-imagining the future. Lorne Campbell and Annie Rigby talked about the inspiration behind the projects and the hope to produce an interactive and engaging series of activities to recreate landscapes and reconnect communities. Watch out for the many different activities around the Great Exhibition of the North from June 22nd till 9th September.


But what can we expect at Northern Stage in the Autumn? 

As always there is a stunning array of diverse and original theatre.
If you missed last season's production of  Laura Lindow's adaptation of H G Wells' War of the Worlds then you have another chance to see it in September.

After the Last Ship and Launch Day, remembering the shipyards, this coming season sees  The Last Seam pays tribute to the mining heritage of the north with a play based on stories and voices of the miners during the last deep seem colliery closure. There's limited availability so be sue to book your seat for this one! (27th Sept).

October brings the stage premier of Alice Seebold's bestselling selling novel The Lovely Bones (9th-20th). This much loved, uplifting tale of love, loss and redemption has been adapted by Bryony Lavery.
While on Stage 2 there is drama in The Mountaintop - an intimate look into the life of Martin Luther King on the eve of his assassination (9th - 13th).





In November we have two powerful, but different pieces of  from classic literature - Dylan Thomas's lyrical observations of life in the small, imaginary Welsh village of Llareggub in Under milk Wood (2nd -17th), while the English Touring Theatre bring us Richard Twyman's vital production of Shakespeare's Othello (13th-17th).
Both these productions give a fresh and innovative look at a classic piece of literature.


The Christmas show this year is also a classic from English literature - Dicken's A Christmas Carol. Adapted by Neil Bartlett and directed by mark Calvert it promises to another imaginative and original Christmas production. (Dec 1st - Jan 5th)

And of course we have dance:  Tangomotion is a virtuoso display of traditional and contemporary interpretations of this passionate dance, while Ballet Lorent's After Dark is a cabaret style celebration of the 25 years of the company. Then there is more Dickens with Fagin's Twist - Avante Guarde Dance Company's hip-hop style re-imagining of five of Dicken's familiar characters (13th-20th Dec).

This really just scratches the surface of what is on at Northern Stage - there is quite literally something for all ages and interests, whether you love dance, drama, poetry or puppetry there is a show for you next season. If  you want to be more involved than a spectator then check out their youth theatre - Open Stages (ages 5-15) and Young Company (ages 16-21) - they gave a breath-taking, assured performance of part of their own work at the launch.
If you're at the other end of the spectrum you might like to join in with Read Through - a script reading group for the over 60s.

Check the website www.northernstage.co.uk to see the full programme of productions and activities and book your place.

Denise Sparrowhawk

Pricks - Alphabetti Theatre - Review

Pricks by Jade Byrne

www.alphabettitheatre.co.uk

Alphabetti Theatre

Thursday 14th June, 2018

I wasn't sure what to expect from this play, all I knew was its core subject was diabetes type one. None of that 'type two reversible with a balanced diet' nonsense, this was the real deal. Jade starts at the very beginning when she contracted a virus that caused her diabetes at just age 4.  She acts out various incidents between then and now which were affected by her diabetes, all acted with help from her Dennis the menace doll.

The story telling flows and is impressively acted. This show is very informative and covers many misconceptions people make about type one diabetes, such as it bankrupting the NHS, or it being a sexually transmitted disease. It's heartfelt throughout and also explores other people's stories involved with type one as well as her own.  There's a semi immersive aspect to the show which comes in at the end (you’ll have to catch the show to experience that).

The show clocks in just shy of an hour and can be seen in Darlington at Jabberwocky Market Sat 23 4.30pm. Also at Pleasance Courtyard at 2:15 throughout the Edinburgh Fringe in August

Frank Cromartie Murphy

Count Arthur Strong is Alive and Unplugged
Gala Theatre Durham
Wednesday 6 June 2018

It was with a homage to the late Bruce Forsyth that Count Arthur Strong came onstage and we were treat to the brilliance of the character created by Steve Delaney

Count Arthur Strong, an elderly pompous easily confused and distracted, mainly out of work old variety star and thespian from Doncaster was created in the 1980’s, he was introduced to the comedy circuit in the late 90’s which saw him make numerous appearances at Edinburgh Fringe. He had his own Radio 4 show for 7 years and then the character was reimagined for the BBC tv series’ which followed.

His live theatre shows in the past have sometimes seen him performing with other actors but last night it was him alone. The show was a mix of a very Count Arthur Strong style 1950s sci fi B movie that he of course starred in (shown in installments throughout the evening) and during the night's performance very few props were needed (a glass of gin, erm water never far away) a live audition, some not very well thought out money making schemes and lots of storytelling ensued with lots of clever use of word play (I'm sure the word spoonerisms was invented was Count Arthur in mind)

It's his nuances, the mannerisms the facial expressions and the ability to stay in such a strong character superbly that makes his show so great. It never felt unbelievable or that a part was being played. It was very funny, hilarious often and warm. I smiled and laughed throughout along with the rest of the packed theatre.

Even though I felt a little eeeek when he brought out a ventriloquist dummy (those along with clowns I find unsettling, probably after watching too many horror films) I felt lucky in that I had front row tickets so could see up close all that makes Count Arthur Strong what he is and the character was certainly brought alive with great aplomb (not the dummy, but Count Arthur Strong)

The show is on throughout June at various locations in the UK. I strongly recommend going to see it if you are able.

Belinda-Becki-Winter

Rattlesnake - Live Theatre - Review

Rattlesnake

Live Theatre
05 June 2018

OMG!!! I don't know what to say about a show that we have already done a review of here at SpikeMike.

Open Clasp once again make the north east proud with this fantastic show.  Roma Yagnik needs a special mention for the music - when you walked in Sting was playing (Every Step You Take) but sometimes it skipped then continued from the same spot.

Set in a cube in the centre of the stage we meet Suzy, played by the much travelled but great local actor Christina Berriman Dawson, and Jen who is played by adopted Geordie Eilidh Talman.
The two women are connected by James (who is never seen).

The story takes us through the whirlwind romances that both girls have with him and what goes wrong.

It's hard for a man to watch, and to think this happens in real life makes me angry.
The story is a real one from real people and it does happen!

Anna Reid did a fantastic job with the set design and Ali Hunter used the lighting to great effect especially at the end.

Open Clasp's Artistic Director and Writer has once again created a play that brings feelings out of you that you didn't know existed.
Charlotte Bennett did a great job with this show taking the issue and bringing the page off the paper.

For me the thing that made it stand out wasn't what was said and done but what wasn't!!

As a member of the audience You had to create the image of James in your head and picture him to make him seem real.

The Boxing Scene was hard hitting and really packed a punch (pun intended) and Robby Graham who I forgot to include in the above bit deserves credit for this part and all the movement.

I don't think I will ever see a show like this again (and I would go see it again). I look forward to seeing the next show by Open Clasp.

On until Saturday 9th of June

Reuben Hiles

Preview - Hot Flush - Washington Theatre Group

 Naughtiest musical in town comes to Washington!

Take a deep breath and get ready to meet Myra, Sylvia, Helen and Jessica, a quartet of feisty menopausal women who get together at a local bar every Tuesday night. Affectionately named the ‘Hot Flush Club’ the ladies offer each other moral support, cry on each other’s shoulders and most importantly (of course), gossip and malign the many men in their lives! (Fifteen in fact, all played by one brave man!)

"HOT FLUSH!" takes us on an hilarious musical journey that follows the ups and downs of the friendship between four ordinary women. It delves into their laughter, tears, and secrets. When it comes to matters of the heart, the opposite sex, and the menopause, Myra, Sylvia, Helen and Jessica will leave no stone unturned, and no story untold. 

'HOT FLUSH!', has the music, the menopause and the men (well, the one man). The naughtiest musical in town really is the ultimate girl’s night out! There won’t be a dry eye in the house, because you'll be crying with laughter.

Performed by Washington Theatre Group, 28^th – 30^th June at Arts Centre Washington

Tickets are £10 (Group discount: £8 a ticket for groups of 5+) Book online or telephone Arts Centre Washington on 0191 561 3455.