Start Swimming - People's Theatre - Review

Start Swimming 

People's Theatre

February 22nd 2019

Start Swimming is the second production to be staged in the brand-new People's Theatre Studio, and the first for the youth theatre. Given the title you could think it was about swimming - but no it wasn't.

Written by James Fritz and performed brilliantly by members of the People's Youth Theatre this is a great show from start to finish.

We start with some inspirational quotes from lots of different famous people including the phrase about insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome, Albert Einstein.

Then we get onto the action. Now as someone who is an activist in politics this show is right down my alley.

I’M NOT GOING ANYWHERE.... this is the tag line and as an activist this is something I live by.

You know those "Keep Off the Grass" signs that you just want to kick over and walk on the grass? This idea is central to the play. 

The cast navigate a dystopian reality TV show in which they question each other; half have sashes and are the ones in 'power' and then some are without and have no authority. 

In politics especially in local levels they seem to think they really do have power! They don't! They are in authority but don't have power.

But who does have power? Is it landowners and leaders or is it people? You can make a case for all three but for me it's people. We as the people should be able to shape destiny, but who is right?

We could create a better society if we question things. But as we are human we accept second best and wait for someone else to act until we get pissed off and frustrated. Then we tell authority to Feck off.

Generation Y (as I am) are the best ones at telling authorities to do one, since we are the ones with better ideas and we understand that we NEED to be the change (something that the Millennials need to learn). You have to actually do something to get what you want.

Young people can make a difference.

But back to the play - the main person in the play has a blue sash and was not on either side of the divide but controlled both. 

The play spoke about how the world is broken and how we need to fix it.

While short in length – just over an hour – this is a great play that really connects to people and today's politics and the change that needs to happen! It’s a  great start in the  studio with some great young actors. The acapella singing is on point and in tune with the theme of the play.

On until Sat 23^rd. be quick to see it!

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

Animal Farm - People's Theatre - Review

Animal Farm

People's Theatre
12th Sept 2017


As we enter the auditorium the stage is set - backlit with a low light silhouetting the shapes of a doorway and blocks of buildings, music plays in the background. There is a vaguely menacing feel to it all. The lights go down and the stage lights come up to reveal a run down farm yard - Manor Farm. The cast enter, dressed in black with gold buttons on epaulettes, giving a hint of military uniform. Each one carries a helmet with features to denote which animal they are - cows, chickens, sheep, horses, pigs...And then from the back of the auditorium Old Major speaks. He speaks of change that will come, a revolution, of a time when man will fall, and he warns them to avoid becoming like Man at all costs. The animals respond to his words with baas, moos, clucking. They are then scattered by Mr Jones the farmer.
Jones, played by Patrick Robertson, is a cruel, drunken man who has let his farm go to seed neglecting the crops and mistreating the animals. On day he goes too far and the animals, left unfed rise up against him and chase him from the farm. Old Major's revolution has come!

This production is a collaboration between the People's youth and adult theatres. It is cleverly done with minimal props and costumes, reflecting the austerity of the farm. The stage is full of animals at the start of the play and gradually the numbers reduce until at the end, only a handful are left as those who question the pigs are removed - even the young pigs who are tricked into a confession of guilt are not spared. The young actors take on their animal personas well - adopting the mannerisms of each animal. I think they have had a lot of fun preparing for this play and their preparation has paid off with dividends. There are some lovely performances - I especially liked the chickens and the sheep!

Orwell wrote Animal Farm in 1945 to expose the soviet myth - communism was meant to be about equality but what is revealed here is that no matter what the ideals of man - or beast - might be, human nature takes over and all leaders become self-serving in the end. No-one is truly equal. Someone is always more equal than the others. Standing up for what is right means different things to different animals and voicing a differing opinion is dangerous, but sometimes must be done. When the animals were working together they were happy and successful, but easily mislead. The message of the play is - we must all strive to recognise the truth and stand together to uphold it - otherwise we will end up like the poor animals of Animal Farm.

Animal Farm plays until Sat 16th Sept. It is a lovely production - go see it.

Denise Sparrowhawk

Rent - Gala Theatre Durham - Review

Rent
Gala Theatre Durham
29th July 2017

GTSS Production
My son (the former Reluctant Teenager) reminded me that when he first told me that he wanted to see a performance of this musical, and asked if I had heard of it, I (allegedly) said, "isn't that the rude one?" So you might think it something of a bold move by GTSS Director Kate Sorahan to choose this
as the summer show. It is not just a show with pretty adult themes - AIDS, prostitution, sexuality, anarchy, -  it is also a pretty demanding show musically. The programme lists 25 musical numbers in the first act alone. With a cast ranging in age from just 14 to 20 years would the Gala Stage School have the skill and stamina to do it justice? This is the School Edition, so some of the language has been modified, and a verse or two omitted from one of the songs, but other than that it does not differ from the full version.

Set in the Bohemian artist's community in New York at the end of the twentieth century, RENT follows a year in the lives of a group of friends. Recorded by Mark (Luke Henderson), for his documentary film, they struggle to find money to live, find ways to cope with the knowledge that they are HIV positive or worse, and that they will almost certainly not have a long life. They live day to day on the margins of society, with the knowledge that life is not permanent. So they live for the day taking what comfort they can, wherever they can, however they can, fighting for what they believe, for their way of life and for those who are marginalised by the authorities and whose voices are not heard. It sounds bleak, and at times it is, but it is also joyous and life affirming, as they each find a way to follow their dream.

So, can such a young cast deliver? You bet your sweet ass they can!

From the first note we are swept up into the world of Rent. We watch as they fall in and out of love, struggling to cope with friendships, lovers, ex-lovers, parents. It is an emotional, exhilarating, heart-breaking rollercoaster of a musical and the audience feels every joy and every pain along the way.

For such a young cast they give astounding performances. There is not a single actor or actress who doesn't shine on stage, but special mention has to be made of Stephen Robson, his performance is absolutely brilliant as the cross-dressing Angel. He has dance moves to die for and I swear there is not a dry eye in the house in Act Two.
Georgia Lennon is excellent in the role of Mimi, and Amy George as Maureen, gives a fantastic and funny performance of the avant-garde Over the Moon (based on the nursery rhyme the Cat and the Fiddle). It feels unfair to single out any performer but these are my three favourites from an extremely talented cast.

If you can still get one, buy a ticket for this - it is worth every penny and more. You see will a fabulous show performed most surely by some of the future stars of the West End.

Rent runs until 5th August. Tickets are £14.50 and are available (but be quick!) from the Gala Box Office.

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.

Grimm Tales - Peoples Theatre - Review

Grimm Tales
People's Theatre
13th Sept 2016

Grimm Tales is, as you might expect, a selection of stories from the Brothers Grimm. Fairy tales - tales of wicked witches, enchanted princes, evil stepmothers, of strange creatures, and lessons to be learned.

But these are not the sanitised stories we might have heard today. These short plays hark back to the original stories from the Brothers Grimm, so they are darker and more sinister, and in the case of "The Mouse, The Bird and The Sausage" quite brutal! The wicked characters are truly wicked, selfish and cruel. Even the good characters are not all wholly good, some are weak and easily led, though some do have true innocence and purity and it is these who triumph.

Each story has a narrator who also takes up one or two character roles within tale. Each one has a distinct "narrator's voice" so it is easy to tell when they move from character to narrator. And the stories are told through a mix of narration and dramatic enactment.

There is no scenery. The only prop on stage is a plain wood block that serves as seat, bed, headstone. Scenes are created by the actors who stand to represent trees in the forest, or donne a costume to symbolise a change of scene. Very few props are used - some sticks for firewood, a stool, a handful of dust or pebbles, a mask and a sack of straw...Actors and audience must use their skill and imagination to envision the scenes.

Performed in the round with the audience on stage, it is a very intimate setting. The audience are close to the action and the narrator speaks directly to them - inviting them into the story as any storyteller would.

There is clever use of costumes and puppets to denote the different characters - especially where the narrator is doubling up as one or more characters. The fact that each tale has a different narrator's voice also works very well. And there are some grood performances from the young cast - notably Phoebe De'Ath as Gretel, Henry Freyne, as Hansel and Dummling, and Rheanne Boothroyd as the steadfast youngest daughter in the Lady and the Lion. The senior members Ian Willis, Eileen Davidson, Andrew De'Ath, and Karen Elliot do sterling work keeping the tales and the action moving, playing narrators and various wives, husbands witches and charming princes!

This is a charming play by the People's Youth Theatre. It covers 8 tales from the Brothers Grimm in just over an hour and so each one is quite a compact telling. While it may not have quite the finesse of previous productions, it is an imaginative, clever and carefully thought out solution to the challenge posed by the current building works for producing a studio play without a studio.

Grimm Tales runs until Sat 17th Sept and is great viewing as the nights begin to draw in.

Denise Sparrowhawk

Preview - Jekyll and Hyde - Gala Theatre

Jekyll and Hyde
Gala Threatre, Durham

The Gala Theatre Stage School (GTSS) is bringing the gripping thriller "Jekyll & Hyde - The Musical", to the Theatre from Sat July 9 to Wed July 13 with daily performances at 7:30pm and a 2:30pm matinee performance on Wednesday. 

Based on the classic story by Robert Louis Stevenson, the show features a score by the multi-Grammy and Tony nominated Frank Wildhorn and double Oscar and Grammy-winning Leslie Bricusse. "Jekyll & Hyde - The Musical" is described by Director Kate Sorahan as "spine tingling". It is an evocative tale of the epic battle between good and evil. The classic story follows a brilliant doctor whose experiments with human personality create a murderous counterpart. Convinced the cure for his father's mental illness lies in the separation of man's evil nature, Dr Henry Jekyll unwittingly unleashes his own dark side, wreaking havoc in the streets of late 19th century London as the savage and maniacal Mr Edward Hyde. madness, tragic romance, and gruesome murder are on the cards, along with fabulous music and songs.

Members of the Cast were out in Durham on Saturday morning singing songs from the production to promote the show - and they were sounding impressive! This show looks set to be as great a success as last year's production of Phantom of the Opera! 

Tickets are just £16.50 (£15 comcession) and available online at http://www.galadurham.co.uk/theatre/index.php

Denise Sparrowhawk

Eclipse - review - People's Theatre

Eclipse

People's Theatre
Feb 25th 2016


National Theatre Connections - a national festival which aims to connect the best new writing for theatre with young actors. Now in it's 21st year NT Connections has gone to its back catalogue and chosen 12 plays to be performed again. Eclipse, the play chosen by the People's Youth Theatre, was written by Simon Armitage back in 1996, and is inspired by the real life disappearance of a young girl, and the solar eclipse which lured people in their droves to Cornwall. These two separate and unconnected events are combined in Armitage's play as a vehicle to explore themes of change and relationships within a group.

The plot is simple - a group of friends meet for the solar eclipse, a stranger joins them and then subsequently disappears at the exact moment the eclipse takes place. The friends are interviewed by the police as part of the investigation. The play however is not simple. It is not told as a linear story with a traditional start, middle and end. It is told in flashbacks from the day interspersed with the police interviews. The audience however only hears the young person's side of the interview - never the police questions. It provides the audience with information which may or may not be what actually happened on the day. As the play starts the group of friends appear to be colluding to get their stories straight. This could be nothing more than the natural uncertainty of youth, seeking support and reassurance from their peers, or it may be more sinister. Do they know more than they are telling?

Photos by Paula Smart

Each of the characters portrayed are individuals in themselves and all very different, and yet there is a clear bond within the group. Klondike (Russ Muscroft) is the leader - they turn to him for direction. Tulip (Anna Chidlow) is self reliant, aggressive, and yet still looks to Klondyke for affirmation. Polly and Jane, (Polly Chedgzoy and Aphra Holland Bonnett) the twins, are fused together in their love of fashion, desperate to be accepted for themselves but hiding behind a shared style. Midnight, (Lewis Gammer) is blind and finds comfort in religion, and clings to the friendships despite the sometimes cruel tricks played on him. Finally  Glue Boy (Tom Hall), part of the group, yet more than any, separate from it. He lives in his own world, seeing everything differently in his glue induced high.  Their differences are acknowledged and accepted. They are all strong within the group. Lucy Lime (Rheanne Boothroyd) is different. She arrives and appears to be accepted but there is suspicion and jealousy. She is too different, they don't seem to understand her and she undermines their confidence - with themselves and with each other. her difference is symbolised by the appearance of two additional voices for Lucy - The Limettes (Abi Featherstone and Rhian Usher) who add to the mystery and other-worldliness of Lucy's character.

This play is a strange mix of the mystical and the real. it is difficult to know what is real, and what is imagined. What does come across is the sense that these young people are hiding something - whether that be the truth about what happened to Lucy Lime, or their own demons and secrets, who knows?  It's quite a challenge for the audience. It must have been a daunting one for the young actors involved as they set out to present this play. They do so brilliantly.

I confess I left the theatre amazed and somewhat bemused. I was not at all sure what to make of the play yet I was quite sure I had just seen a young cast perform something enigmatic and difficult with a huge amount of skill and maturity. For the first time in a long while, I came home and looked up a play to find out what had already been said on the subject. And I find that it is all about the uncertainty, the not knowing, or the maybe knowing. Change affects everyone in different ways, reality is perceived by everyone in different ways. Maybe Lucy Lime existed and something terrible happened to her, or maybe none of it was real after all.

Go see this startling production, and decide for yourselves.

Eclipse plays until 27th Feb in the Studio Upstairs.

Denise Sparrowhawk

Barnum - Review - Customs House

Barnum

Customs House
17th Oct 2015

Roll up! Roll up! Roll up and prepare to be amazed by the sights, sounds and sensations brought to you by Starset Theatre! No flim flam, no bunkum and 100% no humbug!

Starset Theatre have taken on an almighty challenge with the story of P T Barnum and the road that led to Barnum and Bailey's Circus - the greatest show on earth!
The stage is set with the trappings of a circus tent and the fun begins with tumbling clowns, acrobats and jugglers...before the entrance of Mr Barnum himself (Peter Archer) on a unicycle! Barnum is a man with a dream - he wants to bring colour and excitement to people's lives, and make some money along the way. He is extravagant and extrovert and flamboyant. A dreamer with big dreams and he's not going to let a little matter of the truth get in the way! He is the king of humbug, and he knows how to fool everyone into believing his "trimmings". Everyone that is except Mrs Barnum (Katie Howes). A former school teacher and the steadying force in his life, she understands her husband completely and strives to keep his feet on the ground - at least some of the time.

This is a great production - a challenge, for sure, to recreate the thrill and adventure of a circus on a small stage. It calls for more than just singing and acting skills - and Peter Archer throws himself (quite literally at times!) into the role of P T Barnum - and it doesn't always go strictly to plan but he never gives up! He sings, dances a bit, jumps, cycles, and walks the tightrope...just about...and part of the joy of the show is his interaction with the audience when it doesn't quite go to plan. In fact all of the cast coped with the physical demands of their roles brilliantly - there was no panic when balls were dropped or plates refused to spin, though there were a fair few grins when the seam of Mr Barnum's trousers gave way!

This is a great family show - performed with enthusiasm and professionalism. The little clowns are adorable - drawing awhs! and applause from the audience everytime they come on stage. At times there are a lot of people on stage dancing and juggling, and throwing bricks (yes, you read that right) and amazingly no-one bumps into anyone else - except for the clowns, who do it on purpose, or has an accident (except Peter Archer and his trousers, and the jury is still out as to whether that was meant to happen or not!)

Great performances by Katie Howes, Charlotte Archer as the 160 year old Joice Heth, and Michael Brabbs as the ringmaster, and fabulous singing from Angela Hannon as the Blues Singer and Laura Dollimore as the Swedish Nightingale, to mention just a few, though all the cast deserve credit.
It's also great to have a live band playing the music rather than taped backing music (which is all to common these days)!

A fine afternoon's entertainment, well done to all involved - challenge met!
Final shows on Sunday 18th 2.30pm and 7pm.

Denise Sparrowhawk

11 Plus - Review - Live Theatre

11 Plus 
Our World
Live 16th Annual Youth Theatre Festival
7th August 2015


Can you recall what it was like to be 11 or 12 years old? For me it's quite a few years ago and I may be forgiven for thinking that things might have changed a bit since then. After all, other things have changed: technology has moved on in leaps and bounds changing the way kids are taught in school, bringing the world closer, opening up opportunities. Yes, being 11 or 12 these days must be a doddle!

But as this group of talented young actors at Live Theatre show us, it actually isn't. It is still just as difficult, just as confusing and just as daunting as it ever was. Starting a new school is scary, finding your way around the corridors and finding your place in the pecking order, trying to fit in - all still there, and all still difficult.

11 Plus is a piece of drama based on interviews with the young people themselves. It takes their words and weaves them into a script that is delivered at a startling pace! Thoughts and ideas overlap and contradict, they circle around and agreeing and disagreeing as the actors voice their thoughts on friends, family, school, teachers - everything that might concern a young person on the edge of puberty - not a child, but not yet a grown up. It is funny and moving, brash and tender, it is sharp and witty, and it is performed with a degree of self assurance that I found astonishing. There were almost imperceptable pauses that stretched a moment or two too long, and occasionally nervous laughter threatened, but these things were overcome, and coped with better than some adult actors I have seen. The young cast supported each other throughout the play, and it was great to see them working so well together and obviously enjoying the experience.

This is a great piece of drama from a group of youngsters who are still young enough to think that being fifteen will be better than being 11, and that growing up will help them make sense of the world. Who am I to tell them that it won't? At 51 I am still waiting for all that to happen.
On reflection maybe being 11 or 12 today is not so bad!

Denise Sparrowhawk

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