(5 / 5)

Wonderful, powerful, explosive and emotional almost to the point of exhaustion is the only way I can describe the first night performance of Jesus Christ Superstar at the Donald Gordon Theatre at the Wales Millennium Centre – IT WAS ELECTRIC!

The whole performance was an assault on the senses from curtain up to the final act and culminated in a roaring standing ovation which brought the whole theatre to its feet.

Jesus Christ Superstar is a sung through rock opera which focuses on the final days of the life of Jesus from his triumphal entry into Jerusalem up to and including his trial and crucifixion. Written in 1969 by the amazing and talented duo, Tim Rice (lyrics) and Andrew Lloyd-Webber (musical score) has not been without controversy and comment. It is the age old story of popularity, fame, deceit, betrayal and corruption.  First brought to the stage in 1970 and to the big screen in 1973, it has endured for over 50 years and by the reaction of the Cardiff audience will continue to do so for many more to come.

Ian McIntosh’s performance as Jesus was inspiring. He took us on a journey of understanding of a man who was victim of the system and indeed an ultimate scapegoat for the ruling powers to control the masses. An age old story which is as relevant today as it was then.  McIntosh’s voice rocked the auditorium with every song.  His performance when bloody and beaten was so powerful that my theatre companion, who is generally very calm, admitted to wanting to stand up and shout “leave him alone!” and indeed you could feel a change in the atmosphere in the auditorium.

Shem Omari James (Judas) was outstanding and it was too easy to be swept away with him as he struggled with his emotions as he became the betrayer Jesus has predicted.  James gave a truly credible performance, his powerful voice was gripped with emotion and drama as he sang and this in itself translated his inner dilemmas.

When Hannah Richardson (Mary) took to the stage and sang it was almost a respite. Richardson was a most believable Mary, compassionate and heartfelt, when she was on stage you were always drawn to her as she seemed to anchor those around her. I enjoyed her performance throughout and her voice was quite haunting.

Matt Bateman who played Annas, the first High Priest, was wonderful. His voice and performance throughout was true opera, matched beautifully with the amazing voice of Jad Habchi which was like a deep liquid velvet and honestly I was memorised every time he opened his mouth and unable to take my eyes from him. Even if you didn’t realise you knew instinctively that that these guys were the baddies.

The casting of this production was superb. The costumes, set design and lighting were not what I had expected but this new and imaginative production really changed my mind and it pulled into a performance that just kept on giving. A good production is memorable for all the above reasons, this production is outstanding and there was not a single cast member who was not integral to the success of the performance.

This is a sung through musical and the power and volume of music is there right from the overture at curtain up and for this credit has to go the musicians, Felix Strickland, Ryan Webber, Gordon Davidson, Laura Llewellyn Jones, Gavin Tate-Lovery, David Csizmadia and Vanessa Domonique.

An experience which will stay with me for a very long time.

A Feast for the Senses!

(5 / 5)

As soon as I saw that Aladdin was the big Christmas production at the Wales Millennium Centre this year I wanted to go, and after seeing the trailer I had really high expectations (which is often dangerous) but I am delighted to say that it surpassed my high expectations in every way!

From the second the curtain goes up; this epic production is a (wonderful) assault on your senses!  I was expecting colour, a few good special effects, an atmospheric set and some high-energy singing and dancing but WOW!  It’s genuinely hard to know where to start – it truly was Disney brought to life!

I can’t even imagine how many trucks it must take to transport all the set, props and costumes for this production, even the cast member with the smallest part must have at least 8 costume changes, each one, brighter, more colourful and sparkly than the last!  My 12-year-old self-re-emerged and was mesmerised by the set and the costumes, and I’ve no doubt that every little girl in the theatre was jealous of the perfect Princess Jasmine (the enchanting Desmonda Cathabel) resplendent, in turquoise and crystal!  Then, just as you thought she couldn’t get anymore ‘Disney princess-like’, she emerges in a pale pink wedding dress that shimmers with every movement. Every ‘girlie girl’s’ dream!

But don’t let that put you off boys – Aladdin is the perfect story for a family show because there really is something for everyone and this production capitalises on that brilliantly!  The high-energy and humour brought to their roles by Gavin Adams (Aladdin) and his band of buddies (Nelson Bettencourt, Adam Taylor and Nay-Nay) would definitely appeal to many of the young boys in the audience, not to mention the shiny silver sword fights, the soldiers and the ‘baddies’ – Jafar (played by Adam Strong) and his hilarious side-kick Iago (Angelo Paragoso).  Tap dance sections complete with top hats and canes take you back to the classic days of musical theatre and cabaret, and iconic songs from the original animated film are reproduced with feeling and precision.

So, what about our Genie?  Fans of the live action Disney film will know that Will Smith is a hard act to follow in this role but let me assure you that Yeukayi Ushe does a spectacular job! He definitely has the stage presence to pull off this role with his energy, nuanced comedy and just the right amount of ‘camp’! I don’t ‘have a friend like him’ – but I definitely want one!

For me, it was the set, the effects and the costumes that put this production above other musicals I’ve seen.  I’d heard people saying before the show, how good the flying carpet scene was – and it really was – not a wire or a safety harness in sight (and believe me we were looking), but I wasn’t prepared for the cave scene!  It was exactly as wonderous and glistening as a cave full of treasure would be in any child’s imagination, and that’s why this production doesn’t disappoint – it feels like it has been plucked straight out of a child’s imagination.  No expense has been spared in the costumes, the set and the props, so add that to the talented cast, the fabulous tunes and the special effects and you have a recipe for pure Christmas magic!  My guest told me that she ‘didn’t know where to look’ for much of the production as there was so much going on and so much to see and I have to agree; it’s one of the only musicals I’ve ever walked out of and though ‘I’d like to see that again’!

A wonderful start to my Christmas, a delight for the whole family, I can’t recommend this magical production highly enough.

Aladdin is playing at the Wales Millennium Centre until 14^th January.  For more information and to book, please click here: https://www.wmc.org.uk/en/whats-on/2023/disneys-aladdin

My 10-year-old son went to a drama camp over the summer holidays where, outnumbered almost 10 to 1 by the girls, he was relieved to learn a couple of scenes from Shrek the Musical having endured a little too much ‘Frozen’ for his liking. He came home from camp and spent several evenings on YouTube watching extracts from the show, so was delighted to see it was coming to the Wales Millennium Centre and asked if we could go.

The show started almost 15 minutes late with no explanation – which isn’t ideal for a long production aimed at children on a school night, but these things happen I guess.  In the opening scenes we learn a little about how our green heroes came to be living alone in a steamy swamp and a dragon-guarded tower respectively. This backstory adds credibility to the unlikely love story between a princess and an ogre and the ultimate moral of the story – not to judge a book by its cover! My son was delighted by the colourful costumes and humour of the displaced fairy-tale creatures that found themselves wandering unwelcome into ‘ogre territory’.  Worthy of note was the acrobatic Pinocchio whose dancing was far from ‘wooden’ and a Christmas elf/Gingerbread man with one of the best singing voices I think I’ve ever heard on stage.

We were quickly introduced to the other hero of the story – Donkey. This character is to my mind, one of the most memorable and humorous animated characters in the Disney/DreamWorks genre, so a pretty hard act to follow, but I’d say that Brandon Lee Sears did an admirable job. Looking somewhat like an animation himself with his energetic and exaggerated, sometimes discordant movement as well as a good approximation of Eddie Murphy’s voiceover as Donkey, Brandon was well cast. That said, one of the aspects of the show that I did find a little odd, was the strong American accents affected by most of the rest of the cast. Granted it would be hard to conceive of a convincing Shrek without his Scottish accent – but I did find the combination of that, with the microphone and the extremely loud music, made the lyrics of the opening songs a bit difficult to decipher. For other characters however, I am not sure why it was necessary to have such exaggerated American accents.

The sets and costumes were as colourful and high quality as you would expect from a high-budget, big-name show and made for the spectacle I had been hoping for, and the storyline was kept simple (though almost to the point where I thought they could have shaved off a couple of minutes to reduce the length of the show and the resultant squirming in the seat next to me towards the end!) The dancing rodents were lovely to watch, and the tap dancing a rare treat these days, but in all honesty, they didn’t add a great deal to the story.

It was good to see that the show didn’t rely on projection for the dragon, as could so easily have been the case, and I am sure that many of the audience will have delighted in both the puppetry skills and the vocal range of Cherece Richards – certainly the audience members around me did! 

For me Joanne Clifton stole the show somewhat as Princess Fiona.  Her vocals turn out to be almost as good as the dancing skills for which she is renowned but actually that brings me to the one thing I felt was missing slightly. It took me a while to figure out what for me, stopped the show from going from a good night out to a really memorable experience that I’d want to see again – and that is the lack of some catchy songs.  I read somewhere else that this musical lacks a really powerful soundtrack and I must agree.  It’s clear why the advertising only references ‘I’m a Believer’ because that really is still the best song of the show, and no others have had the stand-out qualities that mean they are heard outside the confines of the theatre unlike other kids musicals such as (love it or hate it) ‘Let it Go’ or ‘Defying Gravity’.  I did enjoy both the performance and the sentiment of ‘Freak Flag’ and the ‘sing-off’ between Shrek and Fiona in ‘I think I got you Beat’ but I didn’t come out of the theatre singing them in my head as I sometimes have from other performances. For me it’s definitely the sound that held the show back from getting a 5-star review. As with most things in live theatre and cinema these days –my son and I found the entire production a little too loud. At the start, the volume definitely prevented me from hearing the lyrics in Anthony Lawrence’s opening songs, and at times when the whole cast was singing together it felt a bit more like a fight to be heard than a cohesive harmony.  In reality I don’t think it made any real difference to the volume, but my son commented on there definitely being no need for the additional handheld microphones in the final number.  It does make me wonder if sound technicians really consider younger audience members when setting the volume of productions because it is a consistent complaint in our family that everything is just a tad too loud to be comfortable?

So, was it an enjoyable evening out?  Absolutely! Is the standard of performance that which you’d expect from a big-name show?  Totally! Is the storyline easy to follow and are the characters closely recognisable as their animated counterparts for younger fans of Shrek? Definitely!  So there was very little not to like – the cast can’t be held accountable for the lack of any really memorable songs, but they definitely weren’t afraid of delivering the songs they have, in big voice, and it was clear that many of the audience around me love the show and have seen it more than once.  How else do you get a capacity crowd on a Monday night in November?

(4 / 5)

Those who are familiar with the iconic 1992 movie will know that the movie is headlined by the incredible Whoopi Goldberg as the fugitive singer turned nun. As this is such a recognisable movie/character the pressure is on for anyone who not only spear heading the show by stepping into the role of the fabulous Dolores Van Cartier however Landi Oshinowo did not seem fazed in the slightest! Landi seemed to be most comfortable during the more vocally centered aspects of the role as her beautifully soulful voice suited the aspiring club singer character flawlessly. Their rendition of “Fabulous Baby” was crammed full of fabulousness and extravagance with the lead character balancing the comedic side of the song with vocal endurance wonderfully! 

What worked incredibly well about this production is that Lesley Joseph, who played the stuck in her ways and head of the Covent mother Superior was an almost total contrast to the Dolores in this production. Her powerfully moving rendition of “Here Between These Walls” was not only a treat for the ears but also explored the importance of community which will be forever a very important thing! This character could be considered as the stereotypical, caricature of how you would expect a nun to act/behave. This obviously clashes with the extravagance of Dolores and caused these two characters to have an instant conflict from the moment they stepped into the church.  This contrast was purposefully exaggerated in the enth degree which made the inevitable change of ways even more powerful.

The closing moments of the show sees Mother Superior come to her senses as she literally jumps in front of a bullet for the ‘thorn in her side’ and finally accepts Dolores as a certified sister. This moment was followed by the other nuns forming a human shield around Dolores hiding her from her gun wielding boyfriend which was very emotionally powerful to watch!

My favourite character by far in this musical production would have to be the clumsy yet lovable Lt. Eddie Souther (played in this production by the amazing Alfie Parker) whose sole responsibility is making sure that Dolores is safe from her murderous ex-boyfriend. However, this compassion and care for the singer doesn’t not just purely come from a place a professionalism as we discover that during their time in high school together Eddie had a crush on Dolores. This childhood bond means that Eddie has almost given up all hope of a potential relationship but there is still some hope left within the officer’s mind! My favourite sequence in the entire show came during the spectacular “I Could be That Guy” where Eddie talks about stepping up from this bumbling office to a serious crime fighter. The highlight of this song came with Eddie tore off his boring office outfit to reveal a sparkly disco-centric suit only to then tear this off to yet another plain office outfit! In the middle of this sequence dancers flooded the stage to launch into a spectacular dance routine that the audience absolutely went wild for! After all this had happened Eddie hilariously stumbled down from the table, he had scaled up to be the centre of attention (where he deserved to be) as the scene turned back to the day-to-day running’s inside a police centre which again had the audience in howls of laughter!

My personal highlight of the production was the fact that from the moment the ensemble stepped into the stage to the moment they left, every single one showcased the most outlandish and over-the-top characters I have ever seen! Raise your voice is the song where the nuns finally come together (under Delores’ supervision) and realise they can actually sing and out on a performance that isn’t a boring, old fashioned church hymn. This number builds itself in such a way that each character is allowed their own individual moment to flex their comedic muscles and shine, but it was the moments when the spotlight was not on them that really made the show for me. Whether it was facial reactions, hamming up the choreography or interacting with one another, it kept the world alive and made for a very exciting watch!

I thought that the church medley sequence was not only wonderfully staged but also exactly performed. As the nuns are performing their usual Sunday hymns (albeit of a higher quality than normal) they suddenly burst into a high energy medley of Dolores’ biggest hits! The physicalisation of each character in and out of the spotlight was amazing and meant that everywhere the audience looked there was something going on without it being too distracting from the main narrative. One of the greatest vocal performances in the number would have to be Lizzie Bea (who played the easily excitable sister Mary Roberts) during their rendition of the life I never had which was incredible. Every single audience member was instantly moved to tears as the character talked about missing out on the more rebellious moments in life due to be confined in the church. Even though I have never personality taking a vow of service, we all still have regrets that we wish we took and so seeing a character talk openly about these was very powerful to watch!

At an almost antithesis to the nuns, Dolores’ criminal ex-partner Curtis (played wonderfully by the talented Ian Gareth-Jones) and his gang of incompetent sidekicks. What is somewhat strange about these roles is that despite being a criminal gang, the majority of the numbers contain a massive amount of comedy which had the audience laughing alongside them. Their performance “when I find my baby” simultaneously talked about how Curtis is going to beat/kill/attack etc. Dolores when he finds her but also utilised a very love-struck musical motif. The intense violence and adoration contrasted beautifully and had the audience laughing as the number progressed! Throughout all of their performance the gang maintained the most over-the-top, cheesy grins known to man which again added the unusual comedy undertones of the role. Due to the criminals and nuns being so diametrically opposed, you knew that when they finally come through something spectacular would happen and that’s exactly what went down! The scene of criminals trying to intimidate and threaten the nuns obviously go as planned but the number was choreographed in such a perfect way! The nuns were able to overcome the invaders with very little physical force through a sequence of slapstick-esque rope moments so when Curtis entered armed with a gun the entire mood flipped upside down! This sudden and drastic change of mood only served to amplify the emotional moment preceding moments of the human shield!

Overall Sister Act the musical managed to capture the majority of the magic from the movie with a few minor tweaks for stage purposes. It was crammed full of hilarious comedy moments with numerous powerful and moving vocal performances. I do have to say that one of my least favourite scenes involved Dolores riding a bicycle taxi while being perused by the struggling criminals as it did look somewhat strange until the closing moments when two of the villains began rolling down the stage to show the bicycle was moving forward!

I would rate this production 4 out of 5 stars!