Think back to the Agatha Christies. Miss Marple, Poirot.
Think even to the extent of Sherlock Holmes. These crime stories, full of
mystery and far fetched narratives. Number Please felt very reminiscent of these.
When a telephone operator hears a murder on the telephone,
she is dragged into a world of secrecy, double crossing and spies. Enter train
chases, over the top character’s, and London (because a murder always happens
in London and alien invasion, but that is Doctor Who and off topic).
This female lead company came to bring us fun, frivolities
and intrigue. And they execute some of this. I am glad that it was meant to be ‘hammed
up’ as the characters seemed quite one dimensional, and my worry was for the
stereotyping of women. Saving this, the 1950’s styled era saw a strong female
lead, solving the murder and uncovering the mystery.
While I had a lot of fun and enjoyed their performance, I
could not help but wonder whether it was meant to be unintentionally of an
amateur persuasion or whether this was the point; a metta/ironic take on the absurdity
and predictability of these genres.
What cannot be argued is that the performers put their all
into their performances. Every facial expression was executed, every pun and
the fact they high-kneed ran for a good 5 minutes non stop is something to be
admired.
Number Please is a fun, easy going, easy watching show. If you want to just sit back and have a little giggle, this is for you.
The last thing you would expect in a city like Edinburgh is
to be swept away to the ocean.
But swept away, we were.
Ned and the Whale is the story of a nervous boy, obsessed
with facts to keep him safe who gets taken into a magical and fanciful world
inside a book, meeting exciting and interesting characters, helping each of
them along the way, and in turn, they help him to overcome his fears.
Flossy and Boo bring this story to us in the form of
puppetry, recycled props and costumes, musical interludes and comedy. Now, anyone
who knows me, knows I am obsessed with puppets and Ned and The Whale are no
exception. They are little things of beauty, and Anja Conti, (Flossy) and Laura
Jeffs-White (Boo) manage to move them with ease and such perfection, that we
even forget that there are real humans behind them.
But do not take that as they forget where they are – their facial
expressions mimic the character’s and shows that they are really invested in
their work and the story.
When not handling puppets, they are either other interesting
and hilarious characters such as the twins in a cave obsessed with slime and
parties with rocks, or a stranded pirate, missing his disappeared crew. Each
character I fully formed, well thought out and with their own clever unique qualities.
This isn’t Flossy and Boo, this IS the pirate, this IS the twins.
And then added to this, another dimension as Laura and Anja –
those who know this group will know how well a relationship they have on and
off stage, and how they play on this; calling out each other’s silliness, being
other funny and likeable characters. Usually these are as Flossy and Boo as we
know it, but this time around we know them as Anja and Laura, and love them just
the same.
Audience interaction is key for children’s shows, and this
is no exception. Child or adult, we all are given eye contact, smiles, no one
is excluded; we all get ‘slime’ put on our heads, we are all asked for
suggestions and we all love the whimsy and comedy.
Musical interludes are delightful, simple with acoustic guitars
or banjos, with beautiful harmonies and funny concepts. Personally, I could
happily sit with an album of just their music and walk away happy.
Ned and The Whale is a triumph of a production; fun, comical and magical, it still manages to teach us vital lessons of life and we leave the tent they are in, smiling and elated.
A review by Ann Davies from RCT Creative Writers Group on the topic of topic of Taste
What’s on the Menu?
What music do you like? Tastes can vary; they can be mood
shakers; a melody can bring a seemingly lost memory to mind. Emotions can be
laid bare. This was the night of Yeah Yeah.
Were we ready for this high octane enhancing performance?
I guess it all depended on your taste and the performing artists certainly lived
up to a life of their own. What was on the Menu? as the theatre group “Yeah,
Yeah” showcased their act in the lounge of the Park and Dare Theatre in
Treorchy recently.
“Are you ready, Treorchy?”The Haka cry came amidst the burst
of strobe lighting and the throb of music every sound resounding off the
glistening disco ball overhead. Two people strode out, one male one female;
they each had a story to tell. They looked like trapeze artists one with an
enlarged Rod Stewart wig that looked as though it was plugged into an electric
socket. With a fitted costume, accentuating her nubile body, his female partner
embraced the music. Acrobatically and gymnastically the music and story was
revealed as the opposing tastes for musical theatre and rock music battled it
out.
Adult humour laced with music and dance. Changes of
costumes – some more titillating than others were the ingredients for the
night. Their interpretation of known
songs from the musicals and rock classics were exemplary. It awakened deep
seated memories that you would never see or hear a song that you loved in the
same way ever again. It was an experience of tasting selections of melodies
like a club sandwich combining the savoury with the sweet.
During the interval, the duo presented their own adverts
over the lounge speakers.
There was Swan Lake on points overwhelmed with feathers
(now you know where the feathers have gone from your bed linen). The lady’s limbs
were used as an air guitar; the drum set lost its setting the motorbike that
raced to the music of Meatloaf. OMG was the revelation a Smorgasbord special. A
spicy concoction of a recipe, boiled but scrambled, culminating in a Crockpot
of creative juices that would have put Nigella to shame.
Morgan Thomas and Tori Johns were engaging in their tale.
It was colourful; it was crazy, different and an entire work out for your
laughter muscles. Many of the audience would still be laughing at their first
encounter with the company called “Yeah, Yeah”
A tasty dish to savour long after the evening was over.
‘Soviet’ and ‘Musical’ are two words you would not necessarily
put together. So imagine my intrigue of being invited to this show.
Space Junk is the biographical and musical-styled hammed up
story of the first man into space. Once he reaches his fame, he faces a harder
life back on earth and faces losing his love for space, his love for his family
and his love for himself.
The production itself has a full band on stage – I love
this. I personally think that live music really adds an extra tier to
performances and it was nice to have this option in this production. The music
was all based on David Bowie – another tick in the box, another great way to
interact with the audience (who doesn’t know Star Man? Space Oddity?) and well
themed – a great choice for Slipshod.
Now whether it was the room, the heat therefore the need for
a fan make noise or a tweak the company need to make, a lot of the speech was
missed. Projection was excellent from our main man, but the rest seemed to get
lost to the space, and this was a shame to miss some of the narrative.
However, the main character is played by a brilliant actor.
His projection is on point, he executes the right emotions and the right time,
and really makes his presence known on stage. He somehow salvages where the
sound goes missing and brings you back to date. But also makes you feel
heartbreak when needed and really throws his all into this production.
The production itself is full of humour, typical musical theatre over the top nature and some kick-ass music to boot. Space Junk is a lot of fun, and something recommended to see if you fancy sitting back, having a sing a long and not needing to decipher too much of a storyline.
With the current climate, and the news of a new, and not
much wanted Prime Minister, a political play is just what we need.
Twice Over compares the political climate when our only two
women Prime Minister’s have be in office; with the use of two women, both in
their 20’s but at different time points (the 80’s and 2017) we see how ideals
have changed, how attitudes have changed yet the confidence in politics
remaining the same.
This production is very simple; two performers, a guitar,
basic lighting and basic set. For something with intricate and complex issues
in its narrative, this simplicity is all that is really needed to bring the
concept across.
Part poetry, part scripted, part verbatim, I found it
difficult to follow. The writing was
interesting and I loved the approach taken, but I couldn’t define the
difference in these writing styles and suddenly we would be hearing rhyming
couplets, the next an almost political speech. If there was an added dramatic
change to these, whether this was performative or even a lighting change, it would have complimented it more and gave
more complexity.
The music was beautiful – again, simple but really effective
and gave a nice break to the very hard going narration.
I really applaud the Twice Over production for taking on such an important subject, triumphing women and feminism. There is a way to go with this production, with a little tweaking, it could be a really hard-hitting production. Never the less, with politics in the current times, it is definitely worth seeing.
Sometimes it’s quite nice to see a celebrity on stage. In Wales, they feel like they are in abundance on the Welsh Theatre scene, with the pool of the industry in this country being small. So it was a surprise to watch For All I Care, and not realising until after that the performer was Hannah Daniel of Keeping Faith fame.
This surprise is a good surprise. I entered the performance
and found myself so engrossed that it was not until I read later on that day of
who she was; a performer who I (only too recently) had just seen in a huge
binge of Keeping Faith series 1 and 2.
For All I Care is a one woman show looking at mental
health, Wales and the magic that is the NHS. Daniel takes on around 6
characters in total – we see majority of the play focussing on the relationship
between Clara and Nyri; two very different women leading very different lives.
Clara is a young woman suffering with her mental health, and attempted suicide.
Nyri is a mental health nurse who tries to help Clara, but she is not totally
altogether herself. Daniel also takes on other intermittent characters such as
Marco, the mental health Doctor, Nyri’s son, Alex the younger man Nyri sleeps
with and ‘The Devil’; Clara’s controlling crime boss.
Daniel does a brilliant job of chopping and changing these
characters – to help with this the basic staging has 3 microphones hanging from
the ceiling. She picks these up when another character comes in to the scene,
into the main character’s story. This creates a barrier; it is so disassociated
and almost hyper-real that it works; it suspends our disbelief and we see that
other person, almost as if another actor had walked in. My only criticism is
that we know Daniel is capable of more, and for me, it felt like there needed
to be more definition of each character, whether this meant more of a physical
change, more pronounced vocal differences or both.
The narrative itself is a fresh take on mental health; with
this once taboo subject being encouraged more into main media and society,
there’s many a play I have seen where the medical professional is clean nosed
and almost angelic. Clara has real problems; real psychological issues. And while
Nyri may not be to this level, her life is not perfect; she still makes
mistakes, she has her own issues and her own past. She is more relatable and
more likeable than other productions that make us almost shake our head at the
lack of realism to a medical character.
For All I Care is a lovely piece; it provides a fresh narrative, and really has the ability to showcase a performer as a solo talent, with some minor tweaking.
Adaptation: Barbara Landis, from the novel by Jane Austen
Lyrics: Barbara Landis
Musical Director and Conductor: Linda Madonia
Reviewer: Barbara Michaels
(3 / 5)
A musical adaptation of a Jane Austen novel – one
might be forgiven for thinking whatever next!
Somewhat surprisingly to this hardened critic, Persuasion the
musical version actually does work, although whether it contributes a great
deal to the understanding of the mores of the time which is so intrinsic to
Austen ‘s work, is questionable. More
D’Oyly Carte than Austen, and, on occasion, tipping over the edge of comedy
into farce, for my money Jane Austen it ain’t.
That is not to say it is without merit.
Playwright Barbara Landis, whose adaptation this is of the
last complete novel that the illustrious Jane wrote, has striven to keep the magic
of Austen’s elegant prose by donning a mob cap and sitting at the side of the
stage reading some of the passages from the novel. This could conceivably have worked, had
Landis not chosen to add in such elements as rolling eyes and gestures which
detract rather than enhance her performance.
Add to this that Landis
also plays the central character of Anne Elliott, so at regular intervals throughout
throws off said mob cap and shawl (various) to join the action centre stage. It
is Anne’s on-off romance with Captain Wentworth played by Jeff Diebold, that is
at the heart of Austen’s novel. Much rests
on the role of Anne, and Landis does not differentiate sufficiently between the
younger and more mature Anne although full credit must go to her for remaining
faithful to the original inasmuch as keeping to much of the original dialogue
and music appropriate to the era. BUT,
and sadly it is a big but: in
pinpointing the provincial snobbery, class consciousness and ignorance of the
era with a heavy sprinkling of comedic touches, the essence of Austen has been
lost.
This is a pity, as there is nevertheless much to commend
here when viewed in its own right i.e. stand-alone as an independent piece of musical
theatre. The music and choreography make
a major contribution, with music faithful
to the era and, in the second half, with spirited Irish dancing by Peter Dzik
and Ian Schwartz (query: Irish dancers normally do not move any part of their
upper body including their arms) and a couple of ballroom scenes from the pump
room in Bath. As Anne’s father Sir
Walter Elliot, John B. Boss gives a suitably over the top performance which
shows his relish for the role, while Anne Marie Lewis’s portrayal of
hypochondria as Anne’s sister Mary is a classic. Maggie Clennon Reberg’s Lady Russell,
godmother to Anne- a cross between Downton Abbey and a Fairy Godmother –
is a joy; a welcome portrayal of what real class, á la Austen, looks
like.
Excellent backdrops projected on screen throughout add an
authentic touch, with those in the latter half of the Cobb at Lyme Regis and
the Pump Room at Bath being particularly good.
Overall, a fun evening albeit somewhat of a hybrid based on the work of
one of our greatest literary novelists.
Music echoed around the valley, the time had come. Radio Rhondda had come to the Rhondda Fach with its supporters and volunteers. The hills surrounding the area, nestled between the villages of Tylorstown and Ferndale were alive with the sounds of people enjoying themselves as the music reached out on the airwaves. Community radio had come to the communities of the Rhondda Fach.
A beautiful sunny day, the pleasant and atmospheric venue of the Scoops & Smiles Diner/Parlour in Oakland Terrace which had been the premises of the former Lockyer and Pacey Garage and forecourt. How many cars had been bought or stopped to refuel there over the years? Present day traffic hooted as they drove past; water fountains were available to all (as were toilet facilities) plus a cool area inside the Diner or at the rear of the building.
Colourful balloons adorned the area provided by ‘Just for you’ of Ferndale, there were stalls offering information on Cancer Research and Dwr Cymru/Welsh Water as they continue their essential work throughout the area renewing water pipes. Representatives from the Police were also present. The central part of the programme was the Official launch of Radio Rhondda in the Rhondda Fach, which was performed by the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Susan Morgans (Ferndale Ward) and Councillor Jack Harries (Maerdy Ward). The diner offered all the delights and descriptive flavours of ice cream in cones and tubs – marshmallows on crepes – plus their usual food fare. Children dug deep into sweet bottles that were offered to them, finding themselves lucky to receive various extra goodies. Face painting with the logo of the station was available. Free key rings and notices promoted the event. A Raffle was held with prizes donated by local businesses.
Commentators promoted the Radio station, introducing their main
programme holders and interviewing local people. There was a miscellany of
music provided by their own presenters, including Lorraine Jones and a chat
about gardening from Terry Walton. Musical compositions were provided by the
group Fiddlers Elbow (where were you, Gerhard Kress?) The Arts Factory Ferndale
duo of Ben and Louise provided a melody of songs which received phone calls
from people who knew them having tuned into the station. Thanks and appreciation
to Louise for mentioning our group RCT Creative Writers.
It was a warm day, which offered entertainment and
conversations with people who soon became friends. Sun cream and Sunhats were
the essential requirements on this day.
Thank you to Radio Rhondda and all who supported and
volunteered for this event. Please come again.
Perhaps like WAM (Mike Church) and Voices from the Bridge
(Rob Cullen) you should go “On Tour” People
in the Rhondda Fach are friendly and creative persons although we often feel forgotten!
Hi Christian, great to meet you, can you give our readers some background information on yourself please?
Born and raised by my maternal grandparents in Clydach, Swansea. I’m an actor, writer and director. I trained at Welsh College of Music and Drama and did what most graduates do after leaving college…moved to London! I missed Wales way too much and now live in Alltwen with my wife (Actress Michelle McTernan) my son Dylan and my dog Dodger.
This chat is specifically about music and the role it has played in your personal and professional life. Firstly to start off what are you currently listening to?
I LOVE MUSIC! There’s pretty much something playing all the time…whether it’s in the background or something I specifically want to listen to. My wife is going through a bit of a Nina Simone period at the moment so the house is pretty much a Simone Zone! I have to say I’m a big Nina Simone fan (I saw her live at the Royal Festival Hall…she was INCREDIBLE!) so that’s fine by me.
https://youtu.be/L5jI9I03q8E
Left to my own devices my music tastes are incredibly varied and eclectic. I achieved a life long ambition recently and managed to see Nile Rodgers and Chic live! IT WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! So, at the moment I’m pretty much a disco devotee! Having said that I love songs that speak to you or capture a period in time…my son introduced me to a song called ‘Ban Drill’ by Krept & Konan and I found it really moving. It’s a great track. I’ve also discovered something about myself whilst compiling this list…I’m very ‘Riff’ led!
https://youtu.be/nuwcr-M37Do
Music is also a big part of my professional career with the forthcoming tour of Peggy’s Song from National Theatre Wales. I was really drawn to this play for 3 reasons…written by Kath Chandler, directed by Phil Clark and the beautiful, bittersweet characters at the heart of it.
I play Danny Walkman, a local hospital DJ who loves him job. Music is so much more important to him that just songs…it’s his friend, his family, his passion and his life. He loves people and he truly believes they feel the same way about him…until he meets Peggy! Danny & Peggy have nothing and everything in common…they are two lonely people who only have each other… and the challenge to figure out Peggy’s Song!
We are interviewing a range of people about their own musical inspiration, can you list 5 records/albums which have a personal resonance to you and why?
https://youtu.be/jVYQ7wipxtU
1. Here Comes the Sun – Obviously I love the Beatles version but the Louise Dearman version has a very special place in my heart. We lost our son Harry in a tragic accident when he was just 5 years old. We played Louise’s version as Harry’s coffin entered the church. That song means a lot to me because it is intrinsically linked to my memories of Harry.
https://youtu.be/x0njSOZ5M3w
2. Sweet Home Alabama – I have always LOVED this track! As soon as I hear the counting at the top of the song I’m already getting excited about hearing the guitar riff! It is just AMAZING! It is also linked to memory for me. My father died a few weeks before his 52nd birthday…he loved this song and we listened to it on many car journeys! I remember the journey to his funeral. I was sat in front of the funeral car and even though I was deeply upset I was keeping it together…then…as the crematorium doors open I heard Sweet Home Alabama and burst into tears. Music does that.
https://youtu.be/HvDiD_vbwpg
3. Le Freak – It would be almost impossible for me to not include a Nile Rodgers and Chic song! I think Nile Rodgers is a bona fide musical genius! When I saw him live I couldn’t take my eyes off him! It was a real “You are my hero!” moment! The entire gig was totally magical and I’ll remember it for the rest of my life. I was born in 1972 so disco was a huge part of my youth…I loved it then and I still love it now!
https://youtu.be/9Vjj6J7gXpY
4. Superstition – Stevie Wonder is another one of those people that I think is a true genius! For me the guitar riff of Superstition is one of if not the greatest guitar riffs of all time! I could choose so many Stevie Wonder tracks but Superstition is a real classic!
https://youtu.be/RlNhD0oS5pk
5. Immigrant Song – One word…WOW! The first time I heard this track I felt like I already knew it! The riff (told you…Riff led tastes!) is the absolute epitome of rock, the vocal is incredible…it has it all! It’s only 2m 26s…I can’t listen to it just the once! Jimmy Page and Robert Plant are ROCK GODS!
Just to put you on the spot could you choose one track from the five listed above and tell us why you have chosen this?
This is tough. Very tough. They all mean so much to me for so many different reasons. I suppose I’d have to choose a track that I can put on repeat and be happy every time I hear it. I’m going to go with Sweet Home Alabama…I think it is an incredible track…it makes me feel happy. Yep! That’s the one!
Peggy’s Song tour Wales later this year. You can book tickets at the links below
Riverfront Newport – 25 September, 7.45pm BOOK NOW
Pontardawe Arts Centre – 26 September, 7.30pm & 27 September, 1pm & 7.30pm BOOK NOW
Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon – 1 October, 7.30pm BOOK NOW
Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl – 2 October, 7.30pm BOOK NOW
Theatr Hafren, Newtown – 3 October, 7.45pm
Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea – 4 October, 7.30pm BOOK NOW
Theatr Richard Burton, Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, Cardiff – 5 October, 7.30pm BOOK NOW
Borough Theatre, Abergavenny – 7 October, 7.30pm BOOK NOW
Blackwood Miners Institute – 8 October, 7.30pm BOOK NOW
Torch Theatre, Milford Haven – 9 October, 7.30pm BOOK NOW
Plaudits for this musical, based on the book by Harvey Fierstein and the 2000 British film, are thick on the ground – and deservedly so. Brash, bright and beautiful throughout, Kinky Bootstells the story of one Charlie Price. An unwanted inheritance from his father leaves Charlie running a shoe manufacturing company in Northampton and forming a partnership with cabaret performer and drag queen Lola. When the business is threatened with closure and bankruptcy Lola saves the day by suggesting the manufacture of high-heeled boots for drag performers. Et voilà!
Some great songs, including those with a message and others
which are pure joie de vivre, pack a punch. Kinky Boots is so much more than just
another musical. At the heart of it –
and what a big heart it is – is a subject which nowadays is, for the most part,
treated empathetically, which was not always the case in some communities not
that long ago. I refer to transgender –
often in the news of late. The story
tackles it head on, with the occasional heartbreak yet with fun and verve,
dished out by an amazing cast who earned a standing ovation last night in the
Donald Gordon theatre in the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff.
As Charlie, Joel Harper-Jackson proves, after a slow start,
that he can both act and sing, coming into his own in the second half with a
rendering of Soul of A Man which tugs at the heart strings. But it has to be said, it is Kayi Ushe’s Lola
that steals the show. Ushe gives a scintillating performance as the drag queen
and, equally telling, when he appears in male clothing. Lola’s singing of
Hold Me in Your Heart as the show nears its close is heart-rending.
Demitri Lampa cuts the mustard as Don, managing to steer
clear of the pitfalls of such a role i.e. portraying a so-called masculine
prototype with beer belly and a set of out-moded ideas. Adam Price as the
factory manager George makes this cameo role his own, although the joke wears a
bit thin towards the end of the show. Coronation
Street’s Paula Lane as the factory girl sweet on Charlie and Helen Ternent
as his erstwhile fiancée Nicola provide an extra fillip.
As for the Angels – the dancers at Lola’s club – wow! Brilliant and believable they sing and dance
throughout showing amazing talent and especially outstanding in What A Woman Wants, sung with Lola, Don and factory girl Pat in Act II. Everybody Says Yeah, sung by Charlie,
Lola and the Angels with full ensemble, which brings the first half to a close is
another gem. You couldn’t wish for better.
All aided and abetted by great music, wonderful
costumes and David Rockwell’s atmospheric set.
Sit back and enjoy the magic that is Kinky Boots.
Creating opportunities for a diverse range of people to experience and respond to sport, arts, culture and live events. / Lleisiau amrywiol o Gymru yn ymateb i'r celfyddydau a digwyddiadau byw
(2 / 5)
(5 / 5)
(3 / 5)
(4.5 / 5)