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

 

Wind in the Willows – People's Theatre - Review

Wind in the Willows

People's Theatre

Wednesday 7th of March 2018 

So this was my very first review of the year and I couldn't get into the theatre as the main door wasn't working for me. But at last I managed to get in and only missed a few minutes of the show.

We all know the story of Wind in the Willows having read the book as a young child, (I skipped the boring bits). I was excited to see it come alive on stage at one of the best locally run theatres in Newcastle.

The stage was set! And I have to say that the stage design was amazing and helped tell the story on every level.

Ratty the posher one of the 4 main was played by Sam Hinton who had met Mr Mole (Moley) - is the naïve little one was played by Emma Jane Richards.

You could say Paris Hilton could be the human Mr Toad, self absorbed, reckless, played here by Roger Liddle who for me gave the character all the energy that was needed.

But the star of the show for me, was Mark Burden whose comical performance playing Albert the Horse was fantastic and I hope to see him in more shows (even if he is a brummie).

It was a good, fun show and something that everyone should be proud of but I'm not sure it will live long in the memory.

Directed by Anna Dobson.

On until 10th of March.

Reuben Hiles

The Blue Electric Wind - People's Theatre - Review

The Blue Electric Wind

People's Theatre
22nd Feb 2018

The Blue Electric Wind is a new play written by Brad Birch. It was commissioned by the National Theatre's literary department to be a piece specifically aimed at young performers. It is a play "about memory, bravery and growing up."

A group of school children notice strange things happening to people in their town, memories begin to fade people forget little things at first, then bif things, then the people fade away themselves - they become blank. And they don't realise it's happening to them. It's left to a group of teenagers to try to solve the problem before it is too late and everyone fades away.

But these teenagers are not friends - they are from different peer groups and don't really like each other. They'll have to learn to trust each other, forgive each other, and find a way to work together or all will be lost.

Beneath the stark and eerie set of wires and strange flickering lights, this group of young actors recreate the banter and bickering of teenagers, the joking, the bragging, and the awkwardness.

They each hold their own on stage, deliver their lines with confidence and skill. If there are a couple of missed cues or stumbles they are covered with expert ease so barely noticeable. Some adults

lack such skill. There are some long and complicated speeches for some of the characters - there's quite a bit of technical sounding science stuff and some amusing nerdy science fiction stuff. I can't tell you more about that - you'll have to go see it on Saturday to find out.

Assured performances in an interesting and intriguing play.

The Blue Electric Wind plays until Saturday 24th Feb.   

Photo Credit Paula Smart

Denise Sparrowhawk

Exit Routes - Review - The Theatre Upstairs

Exit Routes

The Theatre Upstairs
10th October 2017

Presented by The Billingham Players
Written by Liz Turner
Directed by Denise Philips

The Theatre Upstairs is a quirky little theatre on Billingham Green. A former dance hall, the auditorium has tiered seating but no stage which makes it feel like an indoor amphitheatre. it makes for a versatile and interesting performance space. It is the home of the Billingham Players, and from the moment you enter and climb the stairs there is a sense of  community here. The walls are decorated hand painted theatrical images, and a stair lift waits patiently to help anyone who can't manage the climb. You are welcomed with a smile and a greeting at the desk, and counted for the all important visitor stats. Tonight there is a very pleasing buzz of conversation as people take their seats, calling greetings across the seats as obvious regulars arrive and spot friends in the audience. . The atmosphere is relaxed, warm and friendly.

As the house lights go down however, the chatter stops instantly and the show begins. The setting is a factory canteen, complete with plastic chairs, Formica tables, a service counter offering an array of snack food and a tea urn. The cast enter to the strains of "Here come the girls"  - an ironic, yet apt musical choice as it very quickly becomes clear that these are no kick-ass girl-power divas, but downtrodden, bored factory workers. They have just had the joy of a lottery win, swiftly followed by the disappointment of the size of the pay-out. The women talk about what they will do with the money: Laura, the youngest, has already spent most of hers, the older women will save theirs and put it towards Christmas. The amount of the win is enough to make the present a little easier, but not enough to help them escape the drudgery of factory working. And as the play progresses we learn that they all have other reasons to want to escape, and for some, reasons why escape is unlikely.

This is a funny play. The women dream of a better life, they joke, and carp, and push boundaries, sometimes over stepping the mark, but never entirely falling out - until one of them does the unthinkable. The women spark off each other as only a close knit group can do. It reminds me of Shakers, and The Rag Trade.

For me the two stand out performances come from Hanna Smith and Carol Daley. Hanna as the youngster Laura, struggling to understand the older women, living for the moment, and refusing to see life beyond 30. The scene in the pub where she drinks herself almost under the table is classic. (Yet another example of convincing drunken acting, I am beginning to wonder if it is a speciality of North East amateur dramatics!) And Carol is completely convincing as the Lithuanian Halina, from the accent that never falters to the facial expressions and gestures, she is decidedly Eastern European!

This was my first time at the Theatre Upstairs, all in all it was an enjoyable and entertaining evening.
Theatre right on your doorstep, and they have a bar and ice creams. What more could you need?
Exit Routes plays until Saturday, tickets are just £11/£9 and you can pay on the door.

Denise Sparrowhawk

Dogfight - Assembly Rooms Theatre - Review

Dogfight
Assembly Rooms Theatre
30th August 2017

Music and Lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
Presented by Equilibrium Theatre Company
Directed by Anna Besford-Smith


Dogfight begins in 1967 as marine Eddy Birdlace returns from Vietnam. As he rides the bus back to San Francisco he remembers the night four years ago, before he and his fellow marines were shipped out  and we are transported back to that night.  He and his buddies, Bernstein and Boland are out to celebrate their last night before being posted to active duty. They are full of bravado and testosterone, America's Heroes, ready to take on the world, after just 13 weeks of training. The traditional marine celebration is the "Dogfight", each marine puts $50 in the pot to pay for a party and a competition; each one must find an ugly date to bring to the party, the marine with the ugliest date wins the prize money. Things don't quite go to plan - Boland cheats and pays a prostitute to be his date, while Eddie discovers Rose, a shy and awkward waitress singing in a diner. As the evening progresses he comes to regret the Dogfight. He spends his last night with Rose and learns that there is more to people and life than appearances.  Unfortunately once back with his marine buddies he quickly reverts to Jar Head type and forgets Rose. Coming back is not what he expected. Things have changed, soldiers returning from Vietnam are not celebrated, and he is not the American Hero he dreamed of being. And he needs to find Rose after 4 years of silence.

The stage is set very simply with a scaffold bridge, and a set of chairs. These are supplemented with a bed and tables as required which the cast move as required for each scene. The simplicity works well on a small stage in a production that has a number of quickly changing scenes. There is not much room for big dance routines but there are a couple of vignettes  as Rose sings to Eddie, and the Marines marching routine works well to provide the flavour of war. Live music is provided by a six piece band, a little loud to begin with but infinitely better than a recorded backing track.

All the cast performed well but the stars of the show were undoubtedly the two leads - Luke Henderson as Eddie, and Amber Cox as Rose Fenny. Amber's singing voice is beautiful and she does full justice to the musical numbers, and plays a very convincing strong female character. Luke portrays the many sides of Eddie well - as he struggles to come to terms with new emotions and a different view of life to what he has come to expect.

This was the first night and there were some issues with sound particularly in the first act, which is a real shame, but it was pretty much sorted by Act Two with only a couple of mic problems. There were also some first night nerves on show but these were quickly overcome and the young cast performed well, keeping the momentum going and coping with the technical issues. No doubt the problems will be ironed out for the rest of the run.

This is a great premise for a musical - it has passion of all different kinds - resentment, jealousy, fear, anger, lust and love. The story basically covers two days - one in 1963 and one in 1967. Most of the characters are fairly two dimensional but are there as the backdrop to Eddie and Rose, providing the context for their developing relationship and particularly Eddie's character. It explores very personal themes of love, the nature of friendship, honesty, loyalty, and the much wider themes of society's attitudes to war, and women. For what is ostensibly a fairly simple "boy meets girl, boy changes for the better" love story, it packs a lot in.

Dogfight plays until Saturday 2nd Sept. Curtain up is at 7.15pm and tickets are available at just £12.

Denise Sparrowhawk

Oliver Twist - Royalty Theatre - Review

Oliver Twist
Royalty Theatre
19th June 2017


The Royalty's season finale is an adaptation by Jeremy Brock of Dickens' much loved tale of Oliver Twist.
A challenging play to stage for an amateur stage society - not least because of the association most people will have with the Lionel Bart musical, and the preconceptions that will bring. Fortunately the setting on stage has more in common with recent televised Dickens drama - with their dismal, murky interiors than with the old fashioned Hollywood musical style. Dicken's works are filled with dark settings, and larger than life characters. It's a big ask to find actors for all the parts and the Royalty cast list is 21 strong with many doubling up (I advise buying a programme to keep track of them all).


Just as some of the actors are playing more than one part, so too is the stage - all the scenes are played out on just one set. This is cleverly conceived and manages to serve as the workhouse, the undertakers shop, Fagin's lair, the courthouse and the house in Chertsey, as well as various London Streets. It's a tall order, but it works well, giving the flavour of Dicken's world rather than the actuality, and avoids any cumbersome scenery changes. Lighting is used to great effect - with spotlights highlighting characters and leaving the rest of the stage in darkness where the background scenery would be a distraction. Characters enter from either side, and from the top of two stairways as if from the alleyways of London, the corridors of the Workhouse, and from a set of double doors at the back of the stage for the grand entrances. This creates a sense of space beyond the stage with characters arriving from different directions and on different levels.

These characters are the usual mix of good, bad, ugly and beautiful people from Dicken's imagination. They are in some sense caricatures of humanity and some play this aspect to its fullest - David Armstrong as Monks is a kind of terrifying Ray Whinstone character as he delivers hoarse threats to Fagin, Bill and Mr Bumble, and Billy Towers' Fagin limps and shuffles his way through the play with false camaraderie and obsequious double talking. Bill Sikes, played by Jordan Carling is not the most dislikeable character in the play, he comes across as a hard desperate man but there is a sense of lostness about him which is evident in the short scene after the botched burglary where Bill, recovering from a fever, reveals his dependence on Nancy (Abbi Laidlar). Nancy, in her bright red dress provides a rare splash of colour. It's also indicative of her fate, a bloody death for trying to bring Oliver out of the dark existence that Fagin, Bill and Monks have set for him.

Oliver Twist, of course is the face of real beauty and true innocence and is played by Becky Lindsay - casting a girl as the lead character is another clever move, as it does give Oliver that unusually sweet appearance.

 Artful Dodger looks the part in his dapper tails and his top hat poised at such a precariously jaunty angle that I worried he would lose it off at some point.  I did wonder if actor Aidan Evans had similar concerns as he lounged rather nonchalantly against scenery, however he displays some pretty fancy footwork in the demonstration of "The Game" to Oliver and his hat stays safely in place!


There is a lot of story to fit into a short time with this play, and at times it is a little disjointed - there are one or two deviations from the book as I remember it (though I admit it is a few years since I read it). The sheer volume of characters and subplots can be a tad befuddling, but credit goes to Thomas Potts as The Narrator who comes in at opportune moments to introduce characters, set scenes, fill gaps and sum up.

This is a challenge to end their season, and they made a fair stab at it. Good fun, a few surprises and plenty of drama.

Oliver Twist runs until Sat 24th June. Curtain up is at 7.30pm each evening and a Saturday matinee at 2.30pm. At just £8 a ticket it is well worth a visit. Tickets are available online or on the door.

Denise Sparrowhawk

Rob Hudson Needs to Talk - Alphabetti Theatre - Review

Rob Hudson Needs to Talk
Alphabetti Theatre

10th Feb 2017

As I entered Alphabetti for tonight's show I was greeted by a sign on the door that sais I should be aware that the performance contained partial nudity. Another sign reiterated the message on the door to the bar...I get the feeling that someone has complained somewhere down the line. I don't recall seeing such signs when I came to see Jon Coleman trying to be a man and there was a fair bit of partial in that. Still, I was a little bit concerned for Matt Miller - Alphabetti is never warm at the best of times and tonight it was actually snowing outside. I feared he might catch his death. I needn't have worried - the partial nudity was very partial as it happens (just his bum showing).

The auditorium is declared open and we file in - collecting a rug for our knees on the way (like I said, snowing out) and choose a seat. Alphabetti seats are mildly famous - infamous? - a mishmash of chairs - some padded, some not - and there was a friendly scuffle in the front row over a "squidgy" chair. I can understand that - I have sat on one of the lesser padded seats and it can be distracting. Tonight however I chose with care and sat comfortably on red velvet for the hour of the show. And what a show! I almost don't know where to begin, as you can probably tell by the previous preamble! This is a fifty minute one man show and it is packed full of laughs, observations, advice, onions, sadness, pain, more laughs, self help, lies, more onions, questions, relationships, friendship, heartbreak. And laughs. And darkness. It soars up into the brightness of a new relationship, and it plumbs the depths of its break up.

Matt Miller leads us through the relationship between Rob and Sarah - how it all began, and how it all ended. Rob needs to talk. Sarah has broken his heart, and for a while ruined his life. But he's getting better. He is better thanks to his mother (she likes to help) and his self help books: Louise Hay's "You can heal your life" and "F**k It, the Ultimate Spiritual Way". Yes, it is a real book, written by John C Parkin. You can borrow it from the library, as Rob did. And you can breathe in and release the stress from your life by naming the stressor and then, instead of breathing out, you say F**k it. Rob invites us to try and asks if anyone has anything that is causing us angst. Either no-one in the audience has any anxieties or they are too shy. Surprising really because they appear to be a group of drama students. So, to help out I share the current propensity for parts of my car to drop off, making life a tad difficult lately. We breathe and F**k it. We laugh. I feel better.

Rob however has taken a good while to feel better. Sarah has not been a perfect girlfriend. She has not been entirely honest or open and this has taken her to a dark place, a place that Rob understands, and he endeavours to help her out of it. He helps her so successfully that she moves back to London. She is still not very honest and open. Another book helps him to understand Sarah. This one is not from the library though. This one is Sarah's diary and it is full of truth, and lies. Truth that she has not shared with Rob, and lies that she has. The truth and lies break him and he spends a very long time getting better.

This show is a conversation with the audience, and at the end we are left with a decision - he needs our advice on what to do next, we are invited to help him decide by placing our "pay what you think" envelopes in a "burn" or "return" bucket. Whichever bucket gets the most votes will be the final course of action for Rob. As I put my vote in the bucket it seems most people have gone for burn. I hope he follows the advice - he really doesn't need to give Sarah any more ammunition. Burn the book, Rob, and close the chapter.

Rob Hudson has talked for the last time at Alphabetti tonight, but am sure he'll be talking in other venues. If you get the chance to hear him go along - he's worth a listen.

Denise Sparrowhawk

The Judas Kiss - Review - Royalty Theatre

The Judas Kiss

Royalty Theatre
7th Feb 2017

David Hare's play is a tragic love story. It follows the fate of three men who suffer because of the love they have for each other. The play begins just before Oscar Wilde's arrest for gross indecency - a direct result of a libel action he took out on behalf of his lover Lord Alfred "Bosie" Douglas - Wilde's friends have arranged for him to flee the country to avoid arrest but, swayed by Bosie, he decides to stay and face the consequences. Those consequences being that he is arrested, tried, and sentenced to two years hard labour. His reputation and career ruined.

Act One is set in a room of the Cadogan Hotel. Wilde's friend and former lover Robbie Ross entreats Bosie to allow Wilde to make the right decision and flee. There is clearly no love lost between these two characters - Bosie is petulant and childish, resenting Ross's interference, while Ross is impatient with Bosie's apparent lack of concern for Wilde's safety. As the scene progresses it becomes clear that these two are each jealous of the other's relationship with Wilde. Wilde himself is contrary - he professes to dislike being told how to live and yet is unable to decide for himself which course of
action to take. Eventually he rejects the advice of his friend and decides to stay for the sake of his lover. A decision that is to prove his downfall. Bosie leaves before the police arrive so as to avoid tarnishing his reputation, and Robbie remains against his better judgment to support his friend.
Act two opens after Wilde's release from prison, he and Bosie are living in Naples - they have no money and life is difficult in exile. Bosie amuses himself with a local fisherman, flaunting the relationship before Wilde, yet defensive and jealous when Wilde speaks to his lover in Italian - which Bosie does not understand.  It is very clear that their relationship has changed - Wilde still loves Bosie but he sees him now in a truer light. Bosie however remains much the same - demanding, selfish, railing against the injustice but failing to see his own culpability. He blames Wilde's cowardice for the misfortune but cannot see that his own actions have brought them to this pass.

Alex Goodchild and Robbie Ross play their characters well - Bosie demanding and self centred, Robbie earnest and concerned, frustrated by the relationship. Wilde is played by Andrew Barella - with less flamboyance than I expected. We see glimpses of the great man's wit, but his Wilde is subdued, resigned almost, yet expansive towards the staff in the hotel who have helped him. In Act Two his wit is more ascerbic, stemming from his disappointment and heartache. I expected perhaps more passion in Wilde, but on reflection, his demeanour in the last act is one of grace, and generosity in the face of betrayal and disappointment. The final speech is full of pathos. A sad end to the relationship that was the love of Wilde's life and Barella delivers it beautifully.

The team at the Royalty make some challenging choices in their programme. It doesn't always work. This time it does. John Appleton has directed a thoughtful and touching production.

The Judas Kiss plays until Sat 11th Feb.

Denise Sparrowhawk