Pride and Prejudice - Review - People's Theatre

Pride and Prejudice 

People's Theatre

19th Nov 2019

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is a novel with a lot going on. At it’s very basic, it is a romance story that surely must have been the blueprint for every Mills and Boon ever written. Girl meets arrogant man, hates him on site. He falls for a beauty whose background presents him with a major personal conflict. He resists but against the better judgement of his head, his heart is smitten. They proceed to misunderstand each other for most of the story (if you don’t want spoilers look away now) but of course and common sense win out in the end.


But it is so much more than this mere love story. It looks at relationships and responsibilities in society, and within the circle of families and friends. It questions attitudes to women, to the armed forces. It exposes class boundaries and the snobbery and prejudice that these elicit in the upper classes. Jane Austen herself broke those boundaries by daring not only to write , but to write  about the very society that said she, as a woman, could not.  She ridicules, in the nicest possible way, the social niceties, showing up the absurdity of the social formalities that keep women, and the ‘socially inferior’ in their rightful place.  


All of these elements are present in Helen Jerome’s adaptation for the stage. And yet somehow it misses the mark of Austen’s accomplishment. For sure the ridiculing of society is there, but the romance...or perhaps more the sympathy is missing. The play jumps from country house to assembly, to grand mansion and back again, revealing aspects of the characters and the story like a partially lit room. We see parts but not the whole. And so we see the absurdity of society in all its glory but the delicacy of the love story is missed. The nuances of developing attractions, and duplicitous beaux are squashed under seemingly lightning bolt revelations. Act two in particular feels disjointed and rushed as Jerome hurtles us towards the finale.


That said, the cast at the People’s have recreated the characters – in some cases quite spectacularly. Anna Dobson as Mrs Bennett wails her woes hysterically at her husband and daughters, swerving seamlessly from disdain to admiration for fellow characters as the situation warrants. The young daughters (Zoe Rankin, Emily Ashton and Millie Hackett) bicker and sulk their way through the play as only teenagers can. Adam Owers’ Darcy is condescendingly aloof throughout, with just the right amount of disarming discomfort to show his inner struggle as he tries to express his feeelings to Elizabeth (Amy Lowes Smith). But by far the stars of the production are Stephen Waller as Mr Collins who oozes his way across the stage and wraps himself with oily obsequiousness around anyone who can further his cause, and Rye Mattick as the main object of his sycophancy, Lady Catherine de Bourgh - imperious and fully assured of her own self-importance.


It’s not an easy task to portray so many characters and develop each of their stories within the time allowed for a stage play, and the set design and stage management do a good job of creating the different scenes with as little disruption as possible – the addition of a chandelier, swapping flowers for a bust statue to indicate the different venues.


The production and performances were spot on as ever with the People’s, and certainly the characters were all skilfully portrayed, but overall the adaptation for me was too disjointed and lacked something of the charm and romance of Austen’s original.


Denise Sparrowhawk

The Gambling Man - Review - People's Theatre

The Gambling Man

People's Theatre
16th July 2019

The People's Theatre close their season with a crowd-pleasing Cookson adaptation.
The Gambling Man, set in South Shields, follows the fortunes of Rory Connor (Stephen Sharkey) a rent collector with ambition. A gambler, he plans to use his skills at the tables to win enough money to lift himself and his brother out of poverty. His plan to buy a derelict boat yard, however, brings him into conflict with the Pitty brothers (Steve Hewitt and Steve Strouzer) and their employer Alfred Nickle (Tony Seghal). If Rory and his brother set up in the boat yard, their own shady business will be under threat and they won't allow it.  Rory's ambition and arrogance is greater than their threats and he and his brother eventually do set up their boatyard in opposition to the Pittie brothers but not without a cost. Rory gambles to win the money for the yard, and almost dies after a beating by the brothers.  He "borrowed" his gambling stake from  his best friend's rent account and because of the beating is unable to repay the money before it is discovered missing. His friend is jailed for the theft. The guilt of this will haunt Rory and ultimately destroys his relationship with Janie (Emma jane Richards), his childhood sweetheart.

It's a tale of harship, ambition, fate and fortune. Rory is essentially a good man but he has a flawed character. He is a man who wants to control his own destiny, but finds other people and circumstance have a hand in his fate, sometimes for the better, but ultimately or the worse and he pays dearly for his mistakes. In many ways it is a very hardy-esque tale with fate intervening to interfere with the chosen path of the characters and the weather (unremittingly stormy and brilliantly conveyed by the sound crew) mirroring the relentless difficulty and hardship and portent of what is come.

The experienced People's cast and crew do a grand job of presenting this adaptation of Catherine Cookson's work. Their affection for the local writer is clear in the portrayal of the characters and their stories.  Though a tragic tale, it is saved from being overbearingly dark by the honest observation of the characters and the snatches of humour in their dealings with each other. You might not like all these characters but will feel for their situation.

You can bet fans of Cookson will love this production, while fans of the theatre will appreciate the staging and performances.

The Gambling Man will be playing until Saturday 20th July. Raise your stake and take your place at the tables with him.

Denise Sparrowhawk

Hobson's Choice - Review - Royalty Theatre

Hobson's Choice 

Royalty Theatre

18th Feb 2019

Hobson's Choice - a play in 4 acts, set in Lancashire around 1880.  Hobson's Choice was first performed over a century ago but the themes are as relevant today as they were then -  the nature of independence, snobbery and social mobility, patriarchy and the place of women in society. 

Hobson is a shrewd man. He uses his daughters as unpaid shop girls and pays his workers, Tubby Wadlow and Willie Mossop, a pittance. We soon learn that the success of the business is due entirely to the talent of his eldest daughter Maggie rather than any business acumen of his own. For Henry Hobson reputation and respectability are everything,  appearances are important. To his fellow business associates in Salford he is an upstanding, respected  tradesman, but to his daughters he is a bullying, overbearing, controlling parent. Often coming home drunk, in the middle of the day, he is quick to lose his temper when challenged by "uppity women". Faced with rebellion he threatens to marry off the two younger girls to husbands who will keep them in their proper place. Maggie he dismisses as too old to be wed - later admitting to his friend that he needs her in the business. However, when he realises he will have to provide a settlement for each daughter he retracts the suggestion of marriage and the girls are faced with a lifetime of unpaid skivvying.

When a wealthy and influential customer praises Willie Mossop's work and demands that in future all her boots should be made by him, Maggie sees an opportunity to escape from under her father's tyranny. She proposes to the shy bootmaker and railroads him into agreeing to marry despite the fact that he is already tokened to another girl. Maggie is ambitious - not only for herself, but for Willie Mossop, and her sisters.  She sees the potential in Willie and refuses to allow other's snobbery to derail her plans. Despite her sisters' disdain for Willie she still engineers their own marriages to the men they love, and out manoeuvres their father at every turn. She is single-minded and determined, practical and hardworking. She is also compassionate and loyal. however she will not be taken advantage of - having found a way out from under her father's influence, she is determined to live life on her terms and in the end she gets exactly the outcome she wants, but unlike her father she does not do so at the cost of others.


Corinne Kilvington is excellent as the pragmatic Maggie, a calm but forceful presence on stage and a perfect foil for the blustering, bullying Hobson (ably played by David Armstrong), and the shy and unassuming Willie (Jordan Carling). Both Kilvington and Carling give convincing and natural portayals of their respective characters while the rest of the cast give stirling support. Under Andrew Barella's direction they have created a well timed, well executed, hugely entertaining play. 
Favourite moments: Maggie putting her proposal to Willie Mossop, his consternation and bemused reaction is classic,  and Willie's proposal to Hobson, the transformation of the two men is both triumphant and poignant at once. 
There are lots of laughs, and lots of telling moments in this play. 


Hobson's Choice runs until Sat 23rd February and by gum! you should go see it!

Denise Sparrowhawk

Preview - Hobson's Choice - Royalty Theatre

ROYALTY THEATRE TO PRODUCE HOBSON’S CHOICE

The Royalty Theatre, Sunderland, continues its 2018/19 season with the much-loved classic Hobson’s Choice.

Harold Brighouse’s play, made into a 1954 David Lean film starring Charles Laughton, centres around the life of cobbler Henry Hobson.  His comfortable world is thrown into disarray when his ambitious daughter Maggie decides to set up her own business, along with Hobson’s bootmaker, William Mossop.

A strong cast includes David Armstrong as Henry Hobson, Corinne Kilvington as Maggie and Jordan Carling as William Mossop, as well as a number of new faces.

Although first staged in 1916, and set in 1880s, Hobson's Choice has very modern themes, exploring the role of women in society and business, patriarchy, bullying and emancipation. Over a hundred years since it was first staged it is still relevant today. DS



The play runs from 18th to 23rd February on the theatre’s main stage.
Tickets for regular season shows are £8/£6.50 in advance, £9/£7.50 on the night.

Tickets can be booked via www.ticketsource.co.uk/royaltytheatre or on 0333 666 3366.

Group bookings for parties of 10 or more can be arranged via rtboxoffice@gmail.com.

Preview - Mary Mary - Royalty Theatre

ROYALTY THEATRE BEGIN 2019 WITH JACK THE RIPPER-THEMED MARY MARY.

The Royalty Theatre will begin 2019 with the premier of local writer Billy Tower’s Mary Mary.

The play is based around the life of Mary Kelly, considered by many to be the fifth and final victim of Whitechapel killer Jack the Ripper.    Little is known of Mary Kelly’s life before she came to reside in Whitechapel – making her by far the most mysterious of the serial killer’s alleged victims.

Director Abbi Laidler says: “It is a fictional account of factual events and I try to explore how those events had an impact on the Whitechapel community and Mary Kelly in particular. The victims have been reduced to names in police files, but these women had lives that are often overlooked in the search for the killer. I am not interested in naming the killer in this play, I am using Mary to focus on how these events affected her as an individual.  I really hope you enjoy this show written by the talented Billy Towers.”

The play, which runs from 23^rd to 26^th January, stars Nikki Slack as Mary and Andrew Barella as Joseph Barnett.  Also appearing are Helen Bowie and Alex Goodchild.

Being performed in the Royalty’s studio theatre, which last year saw performances of Five Kinds of Silence, Temple and new piece Jesu Mercy, all tickets are £6.50 and are strictly limited to 60 per evening.

Over the years I have been reviewing I have come to relish the intimacy and immediacy  of a studio production. Performed in a small space these productions can have a greater impact on the audience members than plays performed in the larger auditorium.  The close proximity of the audience to the stage - often in the round - creates a sense of involvement and increases the intensity of the experience. There is no where to hide when emotions begin to run high. 

 Often studio productions are plays by established writers which  explore difficult themes, or they may be new works by writers testing their wings. Mary Mary is a combination of a new work by a local writer, and an exploration of a difficult subject. It sounds fascinating and I am looking forward to experiencing it. 

Tickets can be booked via www.ticketsource.co.uk/royaltytheatre or on 0333 666 3366 and I recommend purchasing in advance to avoid disappointment - Friday and Saturday are already sold out. 

DS

The Desert Queen - Arts Centre Washington - Review

The Desert Queen

Arts Centre Washington
26th July 2018

Hands On NE present this new play by David Farn - The Desert Queen: the Adventurous Life of Northern Hero Gertrude Bell
Directed by Neil Armstrong

Gertrude Bell is a name I have heard, without really knowing much about her beyond a vague awareness that she was a female adventurer. I have to admit I am somewhat ashamed that I did not know more about this amazing woman. Certainly I did not know that she was a local hero, nor the extent of her achievements - not just as a bold adventurer but as a political and social reformer.
David Farn's play is an enlightening, informative and entertaining piece of theatre.
Phillippa Wilson plays Gertrude Bell in what is essentially a monologue punctuated by interjections from the various male characters (and a French stepmother) who have an impact on her life. These characters are played by Brian Lonsdale. Phillippa Wilson creates a character who is bold and forthright, honest and sympathetic, with great compassion and humour. Brian Lonsdale bring equal amounts of humour to the play in the cameo roles he plays. He portrays her companions, her father, brother and stepmother and her lovers - he moves from one character to another with a flourish of head gear, or the straightening of his back, or the flick of a hand...each one presented with humour and each one clearly important to, and beloved of Gertrude Bell.
The audience is addressed throughout so that we feel we are part of the play - Gertrude recounts her life story to us - invites to share in the stories, and this makes it feel very personal. We do feel that we know Gertrude Bell by the end of the play.

There is an enormous amount of information given in this play. David Farn has given us the best history lesson, taught by someone with a love of the subject and we come away with so much knowledge without realising we were learning anything at all.

The Desert Queen is on tour until 6th August in various venues across the region and everyone should see it. Tickets are available online at www.ticketsource.co.uk/hands-on-ne-cic or from the venues.

Denise Sparrowhawk

Tour dates and Venues
27th-28th July - Lit and Phil, Newcastle
30th July Winter Gardens, Sunderland
31st July Little Theatre, Cleadon
2nd Aug Fulwell Community Library
3rd-4th Aug The Exchange, N Shields
5th Aug City Theatre, Durham
6th Aug Customs house, S Shields

Hands On NE are crowdfunding to support the development of the tour. Click the link  to give your support The Desert Queen .

Heaton! - Review - People's Theatre

Heaton!

The People's Theatre
17th July 2018

Heaton! The Peoples Theatre 17^th July 2018 presented in association with Shoe Tree Arts.

Heaton! Is a play inspired by local area of Heaton and the Great Exhibition of the North and is an original production for The People’s Theatre. Upon my arrival my ears were greeted with a full band playing, which was nice, the band was also featured in the play and performed at the end. The play itself was a cornucopia of ideas mixing several genres, including musical aspects, live film action, a blend of real and fictitious characters and stories, set against a backdrop of footage on a giant screen (which wouldn’t look out of place in a cinema).

There was a boatload (quite literally at one point) of cast, not all in speaking rolls, some just for the musical elements, which did make it feel like a musical in places, aside from the fact it actually had some plots to it (sorry I’m not a fan of musicals) The quality of the music was actually quite high too. Some of the characters included from Heaton’s illustrious past included: Lord Armstrong, engineer and original owner of Armstrong Park; Sir Ove Arup the engineer of the Sydney opera house; Sir Charles Parsons the inventor of the steam turbine; Lady Katharine Parsons, the founder of women’s engineering society; Colin Veitch, Heaton’s footballing wonder kid who played in a successful Newcastle United side in the 1800s and early 1900s, who was also co founder The People's Theatre and later a journalist with the Evening Chronicle; prominent feminist and suffragist activist Florence Nightingale Harrison Bell; Rachel Parsons, engineer and advocate for women's employment rights; Edith Stoney, mathematician who helped Charles Parsons in his gas turbine calculations.; Jorn Oberg Utzon a Danish architect notable for designing the Sydney Opera House, and finally George Stanley a historian who narrates much of the action.  

What was very nice was the brilliant original music compositions created specifically for this production by Ken Patterson and Richard Scott. The acting was good and in one of the most enjoyable moments the narrator said Newcastle Upon Tyne instead of Newcastle council, (I guess you had to be there!).  One of the reviews from a guy in the audience made me laugh he said “I thought I was going to fall asleep, but I didn’t it was good”. Praise indeed.

There were so many different stories going on in it, too many to mention, but all weaved into a nice overall narrative capturing the early 1900s in Heaton very well. It was also funny in places, - it seemed to have everything mixing the various genres seamlessly. A whole year's work went into the production and it’s evident, you can see the love that’s gone into it - this is people who are clearly proud of their local heritage. The place was packed out like I’ve rarely seen it, I had a blast and learned a lot and you will too. Get down and share in some local pride! 

Frank Cromartie Murphy

Launch Day - Northern Stage - Review

Launch Day
Northern Stage
29th May 2018

Presented by Kelly-Abbott Dance Theatre
Choreography by Kristin Kelly-Abbott
Produced by Phil Hargreaves
Costume by Kim McDermottroe
Lighting by Mark Parry
Music by Breifne Holohan and Mark Knopfler

Inspired by the art of Alexander Millar, and featuring the haunting music of Breifne Holohan and Mark Knopfler, Launch Day tells the story of shipbuilding in the north.

It is peopled with the flat-capped, booted and overalled men, who shuffle their way to and from work, waved off by headscarfed wives and mothers. It sounds cliched, but it is not. It is a representation of a time, and a way of life that was very real. These are tough men and women. Their lives are hard, their work is hard, but there is pride in it.
The dances and the music echo the beat of the hammers, the flying sparks of the welders and riveters. he energy of the workers, and the bone-weariness at the end of the day.

But, it is not all hard work - there is also play. There is football, and there is the pub. They recreate the beautiful game, and the rivalry between neighbouring shipbuilding towns - the red and whites and the black and whites, fans chanting and cheering and jeering (you're not singing anymore!), players scoring and tackling and arguing with the Ref.
And after the match, of course, they go for a pint! I think only in the north east of England, could a Saturday night skinful, falling over and throwing up, be made into a dance and turned into a thing of beauty.

Launch Day combines dance, art, technology and music - the traditional and the modern, to tell a poignant tale. Images of Millar's art are projected onto the backdrop and we hear words spoken by the shipbuilders while throughout the piece there is the constant echo of the hammers, the gentle lapping of water, and the image of a ship's prow sliding slowly into the sea.

This evening was actually the final day of the Launch Day tour, returning to where it started for its last hurrah. I feel privileged to have seen it. 

Denise Sparrowhawk

Westovians - New Season - Preview

Westovians at the Pavilion Theatre
Season Preview
Sept 2017-June 2018

The Westovians' new season starts in October (17th -21st). with David Cooke's "All together like the folks of Shields". A comedy drama about two very different couples living next door to each other in typical Tyneside flats.

Next up is the panto Aladdin in January (19th-27th) - perfectly timed to miss the pre Christmas rush and give everyone something to look forward to in the new year. Join them in Long Poo Village to see whether Abanazar can become Master of the Universe. Expect much booing and hissing and some terrible jokes...

March (6th-10th) brings a musical drama with Be My Baby by Amanda Whittington. A poignant story about teenage pregnancy and keeping up appearances in60s Britain. If you were unmarried and pregnant life was very different back then.  A great play featuring songs from the era.

In May (8th-12th) things turn a little more sinister with Simon Brett's ingenious thriller Silhouette. Who murdered Martin Wallis? Was it the wife or her lover...or someone else?

And finally the Westovians round off the season in July (10th-14th) with another local comedy - "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Durham" - Ed Waugh and Trevor Wood's irreverent take on the story of the Lindisfarne Gospels. 1400 years of history and over 40 characters condensed into 90 hilarious minutes by just 3 actors...

The programme has a good mix of plays with a nice northern feel to it.  Tickets are on sale from Sept 1st from www.westovians.co.uk or from the The Word in South Shields.

Denise Sparrowhawk

Ten Times Two:The Eternal Courtship - Arts Centre Washington - Review

Ten Times Two

Arts Centre Washington
Fri 28th July


Written by Davis Belke
Presented by Washington Theatre Group
Produced by Angela Marshall
Directed by Danny Stones

This play has a strange but interesting premise; an immortal being - Ephraim (John Seymour) - lives only to wreak havoc in the human world, manipulating mankind into wars and conflicts. Ephraim has unexpectedly, and against the plan of the immortals, fallen in love.

He is observed (and manipulated himself in turn) by the other immortals. It is never made clear who or what these beings are, nor what their purpose is. All we know of them is what we can glean from The Host (Sarah Seymour), who orchestrates the events throughout the play. When asked at one point if he is a guardian angel, The Host replies "the very opposite". Perhaps these creatures are the Devil's angels? It is never made clear, only that they are omnipotent, and omnipresent, and malign.

The Host is curious as to how and why this Barmaid, Constance (Catriona Brannigan-Uren) should have affected Ephraim. He denies any attachment either on his side or hers, and so as 'an experiment' they enter into a wager: Ephraim must elicit a genuine declaration of love from Constance when he returns in the spring.

The Host is a dispassionate observer who reports back to unseen "bosses". He introduces Ephraim and sets the seen, apparently addressing the audience though it eventually becomes clear that it is not us, but the other immortal beings that he is conversing with. The audience hear only The Hosts comments, we do not hear their questions or comments in response to The Host. It is clear that there is some kind of plan in process, but none but these unseen immortals know what this is. The Host has some knowledge, but not all, he merely follows instruction. Ephraim himself is clearly unaware that he has been manipulated for centuries, perhaps he was once human, but over the many decades of his life the humanity has been stripped from him until he is reduced to the cold hearted creature who's only pleasure is in the creation of chaos and destruction.

The play pans spans six centuries, and has just three cast members. Ironically Constance is reborn each Century as a different person while the immortal Host and Ephraim remain constant throughout. Catriona Brannigan-Uran metamorphoses into each new character like a chameleon changing colour, from bubbly barmaid to pious nun to flirtatious flapper. She is a stark contrast to the androgynous, dispassionate Host played by Sarah Seymour. Casting a female in the role of The Host certainly adds something to this sinistrous character. She is a disturbing, but not entirely unsympathetic character. John Seymour comes into his own in the final scenes where his humanity has overtaken him. He is much more convincing as the immortal Being racked by human emotions than the cold-hearted Ephraim of the first scenes.

This is a play about fate, predestination, the nature of humanity, and deity, good and evil, and the potential to change one's nature, and one's destiny. This is illustrated by the symbolic chess set which sits on the table throughout the play. Occasionally The Host moves a piece, and at one point the table is knocked and several pieces are scattered. Billed as a romantic comedy, there is humour in it, but it is mostly overshadowed by the sinister nature of the otherworldly immortals and the sense that we are not masters of our own destiny. It is a strange mix of the historical and modern and it has an almost science fiction feel to it.

Ten Times Two is an interesting, thought-provoking and at times bemusing play (I am not convinced by the romantic comedy tag). This was my first time at a Washington Theatre Group production, I am impressed by the standard of acting, the slick sound and lighting and the friendly welcome. I will be back to see more by them.

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

The Machine Gunners - Review - Royalty Theatre

The Machine Gunners  
Royalty Theatre
25th October 2016


This was promising to be an interesting show with a young cast, but as it turns out it was more interesting than anticipated. Unfortunately due to an accident just before the first night show the young lead Aidan Evans was unable to play his role and a stand in had to be found at the last minute. So we began the show with an apology from the Chairman as assistant director Peter Kelly would be taking the part of Chas McGill and would reading from the script at times. It also had to be said Peter Kelly is considerably older than the character of Chas McGill. However in true theatrical "the show must go on" style, the cast took up their places and the play began.

The play is a children's wartime adventure. The original story written by Robert Westall to entertain his own son, is full of wit and humour, the dialogue feels authentic - the kids talk and act like kids. It is great to hear a play in the north east dialect.
The story slips between narration by Chas and action and it moves smoothly from one to the other. Overall it has a Blytonesque feel to it - reminiscent of the Famous Five or Secret Seven - kids being kids but taking on roles more suited to adults, planning to save the day and be seen as heroes.

The stage was set with elements of each scene - a bomb damaged street, woodland, and the inside of Chas's home. Props and scenery were moved with ease by cast members to create each scene, a screen of trees brought forward for the woods, a table and chairs brought on stage for the inside of the house. Lighting was used to good effect, darkening for the scenes in the wood, then bright for the narration and the scenes in town. Sound effects combined with the lighting recreated the droning aeroplanes, explosions and gunfire. The tech was very well done.

As it turns out the chairman's apology was barely needed and any concerns the audience might have felt were quickly dispelled. It's a tall order to step into a role at short notice, and a taller one still for an adult to be asked to play a child. But, Peter Kelly not only stepped up he did so with style! Right from the start he was convincing as the character, capturing the cheekiness and ingenuousness of the boy. He got through the lengthy opening speeches without resorting to the script, and his assurance must have been hugely reassuring to the rest of the young cast - some of whom were on stage at this theatre for the first time. They did themselves and the theatre proud. If I had choose a man of the play - apart from Peter Kelly who was undoubtedly the hero of the hour - I would go with Lee Wilkins who gave a impassioned performance as the tough but vulnerable Glaswegian orphan, Clogger.

This is a great family drama, full of humour, some sadness, lots of adventure and it is a credit to the cast and team to have produced such a good show under difficult circumstances.

Tickets are just £8 and will be money well spent for two hours of entertainment and the play runs until Saturday 29th October.

Denise Sparrowhawk

The Machine Gunners - Royalty Theatre - Preview

The Machine Gunners
Royalty Theatre
24th-29th October 2016

Picture courtesy of Royalty Theatre

Next week the Royalty Theatre in Sunderland presents Ali Taylor's stage adaptation of Robert Westall's The Machine Gunners. Set on Tyneside in World War II it tells the tale of  Chas McGill. Chas has the second best collection of war souvenirs in Garmouth, but when he stumbles across a crashed German bomber with its machine gun still intact he knows he can have the best collection. He and his gang hatch a plan to take possession of the gun. However when a German pilot is shot down events take a dangerous turn.

The original story was written by Westall for his son and is a classic boys adventure. The casting therefore gives younger actors the opportunity to take on the major roles. The lead role is taken by Aidan Evans, a member of the Royalty's Youth Theatre.  He will be acting alongside newcomers Lee Wilkins, Luke Harrison, and Emma Griffiths, as well more established members of the theatre including Matt Macnamee, Richard Delroy, Kirsty Downham and Scott Henderson. More information about the cast is available on the theatre's facebook page. The director is Anna Snell.

The Machine Gunners is a great family drama set right here in the north east, and should prove a good choice for half term entertainment. It runs from Monday 24th to Saturday 29th and tickets are available online from TicketSource or from the box office from 6.45pm before the show. Curtain up is at 7.30pm.

Sense and Sensibility - Review - People's Theatre

Sense and Sensibility

The People's Theatre
24th May 2016



Sense and Sensibility at the People's Theatre this week is a welcome diversion from the frenzy of brexit and the unpredictability of the English climate! But there are some similarities to be drawn - a family who find themselves in straightened circumstances through no fault of their own, and some pretty sudden and drastic changes in the weather. However, while we have no idea where austerity and society will take us, or what the unpredictable weather will bring, for the Dashwoods these things bring joy and sadness, heartbreak and eventually happiness ( I don’t think I am giving away too much with that statement!)

Forced to downsize after the death of their father, by the acidically grasping  Fanny Dashwood. Promised £1500 a year each, their half brother John is swayed by his wife and allows them a mere £500 in total. They must leave Sussex and the home they love to move to a small cottage, offered to them by a distant relative Sir John Middleton. They must survive with only one servant and no horses or carriage and with little hope of any place in society.

However they are soon taken under the wing of the local gentry and busy body Mrs Jennings. A force to be reckoned with, she is adept at finding out husbands for young ladies, and wheedling out secrets for her entertainment. And of course, if she cannot wheedle then she may well concoct a version of her own invention in order to entertain herself.
The Dashwoods are taken into the social whirl of Devonshire limited though it is, and the warm welcome they receive from relative strangers is in stark contrast to the cold and calculating treatment they received at the hands of Fanny and John Dashwood.

Of course beautiful young ladies will attract attention, but penniless and beautiful young ladies present problems for ambitious mothers and Aunts. The Dashwood girls soon gain admirers, but as ever, the course of true love does not run smooth. Fate and imperious Aunts intervene and some admirers falter under the pressure.


Thus it is that Mr Willoughby, the knight in shining army proves a little less shiny than he at first appears, and the vivacious and beautiful Marianne is left heartbroken and humiliated. Her sister Elinor has to endure heartache because the object of her heart is steadfast and honours his promise to another, made in the flush of youth.

Fortunately for the girls, situations are reversed and what causes heartbreak for one provides solace from another. After much drama, and many comedic attempts by Mrs Jennings to matchmake, all is eventually well.

The play presents some challenges – Austen’s settings are grand houses and sweeping countryside – difficult to recreate on stage. And there are many locations – and many characters, meaning that some actors had to double up. This can cause problems – especially when some of the minor characters have quite similar characteristics. However the cast manage to make their characters sufficiently distinct so as to avoid this. Quick changes of props, clever use of lighting create the essence of the different locations, and dramatic sound effects recreate a great atmosphere for the storms which are so crucial for the story.

Lovely performances by the two female leads - Sara Jo Harrison and Geffen Yoeli Rimmer, but my favourite characters are Alison Carr as Fanny who conveys so much with the disdainful curl of a lip, and Helga McNeil as Mrs Jennings who is just such an over the top gossip and yet wonderfully kind.

If I had to find fault, it would be that the men do not quite meet my expectations of Austen heroes, Willoughby is not quite ardent enough, and Capt Brandon not sufficiently wounded. The gradual affection that grows between Marianne and the Captain is rushed over and all is swept into a conveniently tidy happy ending with a little too much haste.
However this is still a beautifully acted and produced piece of theatre with some heartwrenching scenes and a great deal of humour and is a worthy candidiate in the list of many great productions at the People’s Theatre.



The theatre is in the process of a grand redevelopment project to extend and improve their facilities, They are currently fundraising for this work and your help would be appreciated by voting for them in the Jewson Building Better Communities Fund. Click on the link to give your support – every vote brings them nearer to their goal!

https://www.buildingbettercommunities.co.uk/submission/peoples-theatre-redevelopment-project/ 

Sense and Sensibility plays until Sat 28th May and tickets are available online or at the box office before the show.

Denise Sparrowhawk

Richard III - Review - People's Theatre

Richard III
People's Theatre
8th March 2016

I'm not sure what I was expecting of Richard III. The little I knew about it before tonight was a vague knowledge that Richard was the tyrannical hunchback king, who had murdered (allegedly) his nephews in the Tower in order to become king, and was recently found buried under a car park in the Midlands. Not a very nice man. I was expecting a lot of politics and military to-ing and fro-ing.

However what I got at the People's Theatre was so much more than this. I got a well produced, brilliantly directed political thriller with a sprinkling of dark humour.

The stage set is minimalistic. A backdrop screen onto which images would be projected (woe betide you if your picture appears on the screen - you are not long for this world!), several suspended trellis screens, and some very dramatic lighting - blood red. Just enough to to add to the drama, but not distract in any way from the words. The costumes are modern and mostly monochrome - the men in suits, the women in black dresses with splashes of colour. It works incredibly well.

As we take our seats, Richard sits on the stage. He waits and when we are all settled and ready, he launches into his first speech - it's conversational. conspiratorial, he talks to us, includes us from the start in his plans. We, the audience, get to see hear what he is thinking and planning while the other characters only see what he chooses to show them.  He is intelligent, quick witted, yet rejected and ridiculed. At best dismissed as a cripple by the court, at worst abhorred and shunned by his mother.  And this rejection is the spur to his ambition. He seeks to prove his true worth, and take revenge against those who have slighted him by becoming King himself and having power over them all. Naturally to do this he must remove the obstacles of the current king, his sons and his wife and anyone else who gets in his way. Colin Jeffrey plays Richard with humour and humanity. I was expecting a tyrant, a power seeking murderer. I did not expect a likable, sympathetic character.

The play unfolds to show the treachery of all the courtiers. Each one is deceitful, and self serving. Is Richard any worse than the others? He may have a black soul, but they have helped to blacken it as the play progresses the body count rises and Richard descends slowly into the darkness of paranoia and distrust. No-one is safe from his knife.

So much is said with a glance or a gesture - dissemblance, plotting, conniving and treachery. Excellent performances from all of the cast but particularly, in his first leading role, from Colin Jeffrey and Kevin Gibson as the Duke of Buckingham - who had me convinced he was one of the good guys at the start! (you quickly discover there are no good guys in this play!)

A great production. Richard III runs till Sat 12th March.

Denise Sparrowhawk

Figureheads - Review - TVLB Watch House

Figureheads

TVLB Watch House Museum
24th Jan 2016

Last weekend I was invited to a live performance of a new radio play at the Watch House Museum in Tynemouth: Figureheads, written by Whitley Bay writer Noreen Rees, with readings from members of Whitley Bay's creative writing group  Elementary Writers. The event was organised by Sam Levy, education officer at the museum and Rachel Cochrane of Listen Up North.

Elementary Writers have produced poems and stories inspired by Whitley Bay and St Mary's Lighthouse. The readings were lively and the range of subjects surprising - from a Russian love letter to a first football match.

Through a Prism a poem by Harry Gallagher
Famous Five at St Mary's Lighthouse by Moira Conway
New Year Resolution by Jean Laurie
Letter from Cholera Island by James Tucker
Wish You Were here by Jennifer Wilson
My Team by Mike Cockburn
St Mary of the Lighthouse by Harry Gallagher

Elementary Writers is run by Victoria Watson .

After a short break that gave us all the chance to see some of the interesting and intriguing artefacts in the museum, we sat back for the main feature: Figureheads tells of the fateful events on the 24th November 1862, when two ships ("The Stanley", a passenger steamer from Glasgow, and the schooner "Friendship") foundered on the notorious Black Midden Rocks with the loss of 24 lives, including members of the lifeboat crew who were attempting a rescue in the heavy seas.
The tale is narrated by eye witness, Brendan, who recalls the storm, and the sight of a strange figure up on the cliffs. It then unfolds through the eyes of four Figureheads from wrecked ships, as they try in vain to save the Stanley and the Friendship. 
Each Figurehead has a tale to tell, and a different outlook on events, from the practical Lowestoft, to the lugubrious Rupert. The four characters of the Figureheads are brought to life in this original and touching play, and the actors make the events feel very real. Because this is a radio play the writing is very visual, aided by sound effects of sea and wind and the cries of the shipwrecked, it is a very atmospheric and moving experience - all the more so because of the venue and the tolling of the actual bell from the Stanley as the names of the lost are called at the end of the play. I highly recommend listening later in the year when it will be available online, and definitely find time to visit the museum to find out about the history and the on-going good work of the TVLB.

'Figureheads' was written by Noreen Rees

Lowestoft by Mary Pickin

First of May by Karen Traynor

Fame by Ann Ridley

Rupert by Penny Lamport

Brendan (narrator) by Ray Moore

Produced and directed by Rachel Cochrane

 

Available to listen as a radio play on listenupnorth.com in the Spring

 

Denise Sparrowhawk