If you’re wondering how Tempo Time Credits can offer you Pitch Perfect moments beyond volunteering, let me share my recent footy adventure at the amazing Cardiff City Stadium.
🎟️ What Are Tempo Time Credits?
Tempo Time Credits are a brilliant way to get rewarded for the time you spend volunteering. For every hour you give back in your community with a Tempo partner, you earn 1 Time Credit. And guess what? You can spend those credits on all sorts of cool experiences — gigs, theatre trips, museum days … and yes, even football tickets!
It’s dead simple: volunteers, earn credits, and then browse the Tempo network for available activities. ! For the match I booked and confirmed using my Tempo Credits, via email with the support of the team at Cardiff City — no money exchanged, just a great way to get something back for my volunteering with Get the Chance.
⚽️ Matchday Buzz
The Cardiff City Stadium sits right in the heart of the city, I parked in the Cardiff International Sports Campus, I easily booked a ticket on Eventbrite, costing £10.00. Parking runs from 12-5.30 giving you ample time to arrive and suck up the pre-match atmosphere!
Parking at Cardiff International Sports Campus
I showed my electronic ticket at the turnstiles (super quick and easy with a QR scan), and then it was straight into the ground
🟦 Cardiff City 3 – 1 Luton Town
And what a game it was! Cardiff were on fire from the off. Here’s how it went down:
🔵 David Turnbull opened the scoring early, firing in a great goal to get the home fans roaring.
🔵 Joel Colwill added a second before half-time, slotting home with confidence.
🔵 Perry Ng made it three before the break with a thunderous strike that sent the stadium into overdrive.
⚫️ Luton did grab one back from the penalty spot through Jordan Clark, but Cardiff held firm to secure a 3-1 victory.
The crowd was singing, the players were buzzing, and to be there live watching that turnaround — honestly, nothing beats it.
🍿 Half-Time & Highlights
Half-time was a treat in itself — great food stalls, friendly fans, and loads of chat about who’d step up in the second half.
💙 Why Tempo Time Credits Are Amazing
Using Tempo Time Credits to experience a match like this felt unreal. It’s one thing watching football on TV, but being in the thick of it — hearing the chants, feeling the tension, celebrating goals with fellow supporters — is a total game changer.
Whether you’re into sport, theatre, gigs, museums or something new altogether, Tempo opens doors to experiences that make volunteering feel even more rewarding!
Eleonora Savvidou-Missouri currently studying at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, Cardiff talks to us about her experience of curating the conference ‘Chamber music: synergies through time, places and spaces’.
Hi Eleonora, How did this initiative begin?
I’m not quite sure myself how it all began, one day, about a year ago… is it possible to suddenly, out of the blue, set your heart to running a conference?
Perhaps unconventionally, it wasn’t just advocacy for a particular research area that led me on the journey of leading a conference only a couple of months after starting my master’s degree. Like many in their early twenties who are trying to navigate their desired career path, I was shaken by the realisation that finding a means for my enthusiasm to be embraced seemed fraught with difficulties. At the same time, going from a university to a conservatoire setting made me realise that what I envisioned as musicology – something that can ignite fireworks! – was not a common consensus. More often than not, it felt to be conceived as something foreign and scary.
I’d say that the emergence of the conference is attributed to my desire to spark change. I wanted to make music research feel like a space brimming with excitement and possibility – a place where people from all career stages can work together and become friends over shared passions. In hindsight, choosing chamber music as the conference theme was ideal: beyond the thrill of the field’s multifaceted nature, it closely reflects values which I hope will resonate through the event. Friends coming together to talk, perform and celebrate is where it all started, both in the eighteenth-century and now!
How did you choose the guest speakers for the conference?
It was only a couple of hours after I’d first conceived the possibility of hosting a celebratory chamber music conference that I contacted Laura Tunbridge (Heather Professor of Music at Oxford University) to ask if she was up for joining me on the journey. Her course on String Quartets was my favourite part of my undergraduate degree, so it felt like there was no better person to be the keynote lecturer for the conference! From the very start, her support for the event has been unwavering; I can’t imagine the conference without her being a part of it.
Attending one of Julia Plaut’s ‘Little Concerts’ inspired my idea to include a panel discussion on education and engagement as part of the conference. Founded in 2021, Julia’s ‘Little Live Projects’ charity offers interactive live chamber music events to families and children across South Wales; imagine stories set to music, shimmering lights, laughter…
I hadn’t been in contact with Lucy Green prior to the conference, but I feel as if I’ve known her for years through her work. My high school curriculum was based on her teaching philosophy, and I vividly remember my excitement when my music teachers handed me a copy of one of her books to read around 8 years ago. I never thought I’d have the honour of meeting the person that the whole world seemed to know of and talk about.
My choice of inviting Susan Young came through high recommendation; she has been a driving force behind the education programmes at Wigmore Hall and the London Symphony Orchestra, among many others. I had recently come across Wigmore Hall’s ‘Chamber Tots’ scheme and found it particularly compelling – only to realise that it was Susan that had written the programme’s research report!
Keen for the panel discussion to reflect the perspectives of educators, researchers, and performers, Clíona Ní Choileáin will be joining us to represent ‘Hold the Drama’. ‘Hold the Drama’ is a chamber collective of 6 classically trained musicians who curate and deliver live music shows that ‘tell stories to explore mental health’.
I’ve been really struck by the generosity, willingness and enthusiasm of all the guest speakers to be part of the event. I know I’m biased, but we seem to have the most amazing line up!
If you were to offer advice to others your age, based on your experiences with the conference, what would it be?
I feel that many students and graduates often encounter barriers: there always seems to be someone or something to remind us of how competitive everything is or the difficulties we will face. What often goes forgotten, though, is how much every discipline needs more people that genuinely care for what they do. If I’d give one piece of advice to anyone my age it would be to think of something that combines everything you’re passionate about and do it – no matter what. It will make the world feel a better place, it will give back like nothing else can. But the magic will only work if you set your heart to it…
Join us on the 13th of March at the Norwegian Church Arts Centre in Cardiff for a one-day conference celebrating the place of chamber music in past and present communities and advocating for its continued livelihood as we look into the future. The event will feature a panel discussion on Education & Engagement with Prof. Lucy Green, Dr Susan Young, Julia Plaut and Clíona Ní Choileáin, a performance of Mendelssohn’s Octet by the Carducci and Vita Quartets, and a keynote lecture by Prof. Laura Tunbridge.
“Our Town is a play about life, love, and community. That’s what matters to us in Wales; that’s what matters to me. It’s a play that compels us to celebrate the everyday, to hold the ones we cherish. I can’t think of a better play to welcome audiences around Wales” – Michael Sheen
Thornton Wilder’s three-act play Our Town was written in 1938- yet its themes certainly stand the test of time as is proven in this ground-breaking revival by the Welsh National Theatre, a new company founded by Welsh actor Michael Sheen.
The original play introduces the fictional American town of Grover’s Corners and the everyday lives of its citizens between the years 1901 and 1913. First performed in 1938, it went on to have enormous success on Broadway and received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Wilder made great use of metatheatrical devices throughout the original production- setting the play in the actual theatre where it was being performed, writing his main character as ‘Stage Manager’ (a narrator who frequently addresses the audience, breaking the ‘fourth wall’) and presenting a bare stage, with actors miming rather than using multiple props. These theatrical tools are also present throughout this new production and yet the piece has been elevated beautifully through use of physical theatre, the addition of economical objects to represent various items, buildings and so on and lighting design to end all lighting design- from blood orange sunsets to starry skies…it’s simply magical!
It was widely known that the decision had been made to move Grover’s Corners to Wales for this reimagining- the Welsh accents and the period costume creating a real Welsh spirit and aesthetic. However, a lot of Wilder’s original references to American placenames, historical events, and certain other Americanisms (dollars, high school etc.) remain, which makes for a rather confusing edit. There is a certain disconnect between the new setting in Wales and the old text which hasn’t been amended- a creative choice which feels a bit odd and left me wondering why. If you’re going to bring the story to Wales, surely you’d want to fully immerse your audience by making the change a complete one?
Then again, when a piece of theatre is as clever in its accomplishments as this one, perhaps this tale could be set anywhere in the world- for its actual relevance is in its themes. Themes which seem more important today than ever. In a world of chaos, war, terrorism, technological advancement, we are transported to simpler times here; where teenage lovers communicate through opened windows at night, mothers tend to their gardens and are members of the church choir, where meals are eaten together with family at the table rather than on laps in front of the television. And yet these people still loved, lost, had passions and dislikes, hoped and grieved…as we do today. We follow parents attempting to bring up their children, young people falling in love then building a family, an alcoholic hiding his sexuality…a community simply trying to navigate through life. A superbly strong cast play an array of wonderful characters- each providing us with something we can relate to. It’s impossible to single out any one performer for neither would work without the other…a fantastic nod to the overriding theme of community.
The triumph of this production is in its staging. It is seamless, flowing, almost militant in its execution. We hear music and see dance throughout, but the whole piece is comparable to one epic, flawless piece of choreography. Credit to Francesca Goodridge, Director and Jess Williams , Movement Director. Moved by the cast, wooden planks become houses, tables and shelves, chairs transform into lawn mowers, boxes, soda pumps, and ladders of varying heights are used for levels. Even the cast take on a few transformative challenges- including becoming the farmer’s milk cow…physical theatre at its absolute best!
The first, and much longer, of the acts is filled with sentimentality, love, hope and joy, yet we begin act two with a much more sombre mood and a plotline reminiscent of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol- with ghostly figures, time travel and feelings of regret- a message to the audience to celebrate life, hold your loved ones close and enjoy yourselves, as much as you can. So, despite Our Town having been written almost one hundred years ago- the moral of the story will forever be relevant.
What an extremely strong start for this new company and at the helm, a leader who has used his celebrity status to do good- to bring this play to life again, to create theatre in Wales at a time where Welsh arts and culture continues to go through a challenging period, often due to financial restraints, and to offer opportunities for emerging artists and future generations of theatre goers, makers and creators. I very much look forward to following their work, hopefully for a long time to come.
Our Town completes its run at Theatr Clwyd on February 21st.
Cast:
Michael Sheen — Stage Manager Rithvik Andugula — Howie Newsome Peter Devlin — George Gibbs Aisha-May Hunte — Wally Webb Rebecca Killick — Rebecca Gibbs Alfie Llewellyn — Joe & Si Crowell Rhodri Meilir — Mr Webb Christina Modestou — Mrs Soames Yasemin Özdemir — Emily Webb Sian Reese-Williams — Mrs Gibbs Nia Roberts — Mrs Webb Kingdom Sibanda — Sam Craig Gareth Snook — Professor Willard & Joe Stoddard Matthew Trevannion — Dr Gibbs Rhys Warrington — Simon Stimson Kimberley Noble — Ensemble Gareth Tempest — Ensemble Jâms Thomas — Constable Warren
Creative Team:
Thornton Wilder — Writer Francesca Goodridge — Director Russell T Davies — Creative Associate Hayley Grindle — Designer (Set & Costume) Jess Williams — Movement Director Ryan Joseph Stafford — Lighting Designer Dyfan Jones — Composer, Musical Director & Sound Designer Sam Jones — Casting Director Dena Davies — Assistant Director / Theatr Clwyd Dewi Hughes — Voice & Dialect Coach Haruka Kuroda — Intimacy Director Pádraig Cusack — Executive Producer (Welsh National Theatre) David Sloan — Executive Producer (Rose Theatre)
In this exclusive interview for Get the Chance, we interview the members of the band, Melys on their career to date, future plans and an exciting gig at The Gate, Cardiff with The Vita String Quartet. The Quartet share their thoughts on this new performance opportunity and how they hope to reach new audiences by mixing musical genres.
Hi Paul It’s great to meet you, to start, how does it feel to be celebrating 30 years as Melys ?
PAUL: It feels pretty mad to be 30, we all separate the years into three parts. Early Melys, The nothing period, and new Melys. Although we are 30, there was a long period where we just did ‘Life’
GARY: Its great revisiting old songs, but it feels new again to be honest, we’re recording again and it just feels like a new begininng.
IWAN: Its all new to me as I’ve only been in Melys for just over a year!
ANDREA: This Melys feels the most happy and relaxed than ever before, we still get nervous though!
Partnering with a string quartet feels really special — what inspired you to bring The Vita String Quartet into this anniversary performance on Fri, Mar 27, 7:00 pmat The Gate?
PAUL: We wanted to mark the fact we had reached a milestone by doing something special. Having real strings is something we have always wanted to do. We did it a long time ago when we recorded our debut album but never in a ‘live’ context. What has really impressed us is the way Vita Strings have taken all our thoughts in their stride, like nothing is a problem. That’s so refreshing.
ANDREA: We have an outlook with Melys right now, where we do things for the experience rather than playing gigs in places where we don’t want to play but feel we have to.
GARY: Yeah, its special, the venue certainly lends itself to it too.
How did the idea of blending your indie pop/rock sound with strings first come about, and what has been the most exciting moment in rehearsals or arranging for this collaboration?
PAUL:We played with a quartet called The Electra Strings on our first album and it was lovely.
GARY: We played a TV show once with strings too and that also worked really really well.
ANDREA: What has been exciting is we are visiting songs we would normally never play live, so its both challenging and exciting. You may hear lots of mistakes!! from us, not the strings!
For young musicians who might be nervous about collaborating outside their comfort zone, what advice would you share about making creative partnerships work?
PAUL: You have to try new things, be open, its surprising what may happen and the things you will learn. With Vita Strings, we have purposely said, just enjoy it and do your own interpretation. We haven’t sent them scores or anything, we want them to have relevant input and have fun.
ANDREA: I think its a case of not being to stringent with your expectations ,a bit of give and take is needed to get the best out of both artists.
IWAN: Stripping down the songs like we have will hopefully show off Vita Strings rather than them just being a backing instrument.
GARY: We want Vita Strings to be able to express themselves and enjoy it so we don’t want to impose unnecessary rules on what they bring.
Your career has had incredible highlights — from Peel Sessions to Welsh music awards — has reaching 30 years reshaped how you see your music or your audience?
PAUL: We’ve been very lucky as Melys, seen wonderful parts of the world and had a great time. Our audience were fantastically loyal and its been lovely to see that a lot of those original fans are now realising we are playing again and coming back to see us after all these years. Its humbling. We’ve a long way to go though, the industry has changed so much. You need to be a digital marketer with thousands of followers to do anything worthwhile these days. These new young bands have it much harder to break.
ANDREA: We are grateful and surprised that anyone remembers us to be honest. We still get really nervous in case no one at all comes to see us. Like Paul said, its more than the music these days, thats a big difference to when we started.
With Oasis reforming last year to huge success and Super Furry Animals selling out their tour this year, what is special out about the live experience, that online listening can’t compete with?
PAUL:When you see Melys, we try our best to bring the songs alive, mistakes and all. Surely going to see a band should be an experience you can’t get from a download, record or CD?. Bringing strings in just enhances the experience in my opinion.
Get the Chance champions opportunities for young creatives — what opportunities do you wish you’d had when you were starting out?
PAUL: Wales seems to be more open with funding launchpads for young bands these days and great funding and support groups such as Focus and Horizons etc sends them all over the world. It would have been great to get that backing and funding when we started but we can’t be too serious about it, we were lucky and thankful for everything that happened to us.
Small music venues are under threat, with sadly many venues in Cardiff and nationally in Wales closing over the last 30 years. Why are these cultural spaces important to support?
ANDREA: Everyone will miss venues when they’re gone. Unfortunately the funding for these cultural spaces is poor compared to other European countries. The small venues are not getting people in to see young bands like they used to. Money is tight everywhere. The bigger venues need to share the wealth!
PAUL: It’s so important to look after our venues. We’ve lost some great spaces. It’s so sad.
What’s your go-to track (Melys or otherwise) when you need a boost before a big show and what’s one of your current Top Tunes from a contemporary Welsh artist?
ANDREA: I don’t really have a go too song, I have a lot of songs I love, one of them is ‘Babies by PULP as well as Los Campesinos
GARY: Anything by Sigur Ros, I also like Panic Shack
IWAN: Gotta be ‘Skating’ for me. I start work every morning listening to it.
PAUL: Primal Scream, Moving on Up.
The Vita String Quartet
Hi, it’s great to meet you. To start, how does it feel to be part of such a milestone performance, celebrating 30 years of Melys, at The Gate?
We are all really excited to be part of Melys’ 30-year anniversary concert! Melys are described as ‘one of the best bands in Wales’ (NME), and being part of a performance that celebrates 30 years of that journey is an honour.
String quartets are often associated with classical spaces — what excited you about collaborating with a pop/rock band like Melys for this anniversary show?
While string quartets are nowadays most often heard in concert hall spaces, it was in salons, and informal performance settings that they were first heard in the eighteenth-century. The malleability of the genre, which has persisted through time, is reflected through our collaboration with Melys. Performing with an award-winning pop and rock band highlights that the string quartet really is a genre which has no limits.
You are all currently studying at The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and are part of a Music residency at The Norwegian Church in Cardiff Bay. Are you enjoying your course of study and performing creatively to a variety of audiences?
Our residency at the Norwegian Church has definitely been a highlight of our time as students at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. It has given us the opportunity to curate a wide variety of events, ranging from formal concerts to outreach workshops. Seeing the impact of our performances on the local community has been particularly fulfilling. In addition to offering us a welcoming space to bring stories to life through music, the residency has also introduced us to entrepreneurial aspects of concert organizing such as marketing and the importance of building a social media presence.
When you first heard Melys’ music, what stood out to you as a string player, and how did you begin translating their sound into string arrangements?
What stuck us most when first listening to Melys’ songs was how well-suited the tracks were for string quartet. The homogeneity of our four instruments, and the intimacy of the genre, closely reflects the soulful emotive soundscape of the tracks. To translate the tracks into string quartet arrangements, we focused on each track’s distinct textures in relation to the lyrics as we sought to capture the underlying messages of the songs through our instruments.
For audiences used to hearing strings in more traditional settings, what do you think a live crossover performance like this offers that recordings or online listening can’t?
In concert hall settings as well as online recordings, there is often a distinct separation between audiences and the listeners. Live crossover performances, which require performers to step beyond their familiar performance spheres, highlight how collaborative music-making can contribute to the dissolution of cultural boundaries. In live performances, this is evident not only between the musicians themselves, but also between performers and their audiences.
As musicians who work across genres, what advice would you give to young players who might feel hesitant about stepping outside classical or formal training?
The increasingly versatile performance landscape of the twenty-first century underscores the importance for young musicians to be encouraged to explore a wide variety of genres. While this can initially seem daunting given the prescriptive nature of classical music training, embracing the unfamiliar with an open mindset is a huge part of the way to building a multi-faceted musical career!
A Senbla production of an Ellen Kent Opera featuring the Opera International, Kyiv, Ukraine.
(4.5 / 5)
On tour nationwide until May
Take a beautiful, enticing, manipulative woman, add a soldier in his finery and then a virile toreador and then stand back to watch the sparks fly. That is the premise behind Georges Bizet opera, Carmen.
The character of Carmen is ebullient and vivacious and she is not above using her charm to get what she wants. Her story involves a love triangle between herself and two suitors, a soldier and a bullfighter. The soldier, Don Jose succumbs to her wiles and is forced to leave his regiment after falling out with his commanding officer. In the meantime, Carmen has met with the toreador between which there is an instant, mutual attraction. Don Jose goes returns with a childhood sweetheart to see his ailing mother but then the power of Carmens seduction draws him back to her. Consumed by jealousy when Carmen taunts his love compared to her bullfighter, he kills her.
To play Carmen well, good acting skills and a great voice are needed and Mariia Davydova exhibits these in abundance. The opera is famous for its sultry and seductive songs, such as Habanera and Seguidilla that ignite passion and you could not help warm to Davydovas presence on stage. Opposite her, Iurie Gisca played Escamillo, the toreador with strength and confidence and Oleksii Srebnytskyi played Don Jose. While Srebnytskyi did not have the stature of many soldiers his voice was striking, clear and impassioned. Together with Davydova, they captured the mood of the opera really well.
The supporting cast attack their role with enthusiasm, accentuating the devil may care attitudes inherent in the opera, however the fight scenes need some attention. In the denouement, Carmen practically walks onto the knife in Don Jose’s hand and in the conflict between Don Jose and his superior officer they seemed to flap at each other ineffectively. One nice comic touch was to see soldiers being beaten into submission by factory girls wielding bouquets of flowers. The scenery and costumes bring the environment in southern Spain to the fore and add a dramatic backdrop to the action.
The story has elements that come across as odd in a modern age, describing cigarette smoke as “sweet smelling, rising up to heaven” and equating it with love. I’m sure the anti-smoking lobby would disapprove of those lyrics. The opera also illustrates how limited the choices were for women and people of a labouring class. Carmen’s character has an untrammelled joy at times, describing love as a bird that can not be tamed, or a gypsy child that knows no laws. This illustrates an intriguing theme within the opera, the desire for freedom which conflicts with duty and obedience to the law for the sake of avoiding chaos.
In many respects, this is a stirring show. There is plenty of humour, some playful optimism yet with a tragic ending filled with pathos. It is definitely a show to pull on the heartstrings. Alongside La Traviata and Madame Butterfly, this is part of Ellen Kents ballet and opera international farewell tour and they have certainly picked out some action packed operas to present. These three shows should be high up on the ‘must see’ list of anyone with even a vague interest in opera.
A Senbla production of an Ellen Kent Opera featuring the Opera International, Kyiv, Ukraine.
(4 / 5)
On tour nationwide until April
La Traviata, a tale of forbidden love and loss with some hauntingly beautiful melodies. Can a man from a well to do background fall in love with a fallen woman and find acceptance from his family no matter how rich she is?
Ellen Kent’s La Traviata followed a pattern established over recent years. The set was simple, an intricate backdrop that stayed the same for each act, with little, yet effective scenery and an orchestra that played subtly. In effect this drew attention strongly to the stage, the costuming, voices and the acting. As a visual spectacle this show was pleasing to the eye, the costumes suitably opulent and the background evocative of a grand ballroom. The voices were superb but movement on stage was often more pedestrian than animated.
The story, based on a play, the Lady of the Camellias by Alexandre Dumas is a tragedy. Violetta is dying but when she meets a gentleman, Alfredo, they fall passionately in love. His father persuades Violetta to abandon Alfredo to preserve the family’s honour and protect the reputation of a younger sister. However, once Violetta is nearing her end, she is reconciled with Alfredo and the father shows some remorse for causing their rift.
The storyline dictates that the spotlight is very firmly on the soloists and in particular the lead soprano, Violetta, played by Viktoriia Melnyk. Her voice was rich, powerful and striking especially when hitting the top notes. Her duets with Alfredo, played by Hovhannes Andreasyan in Act 1 and with Alfredo’s father, sang by Iurie Gisca in Act 2 are heart warmingly memorable. The large company support the leads well although more could be made of some scenes for example when the Baron challenges Alfredo to a duel. I expected to see much more anger from the Baron.
By modern standards, there are some weaknesses to the plot. The father, despite being told that Violetta is dying asks her to make a huge sacrifice stating that Alfredo will fall out of love with her when her looks disappear in the future. Hardly the most understanding attitude to someone in the last throes of tuberculosis. However, like any story it is a child of its time and attitudes have changed. Of course women today have more personal freedom and their success in life is not defined by achieving a good match. Society is also not as condemnatory towards people with a so called illicit lifestyle. No matter how good a person Violetta was, she could never achieve respectability because she was a courtesan.
This production of La Triaviata is part of the farewell tour for Ellen Kents opera company. It is accompanied by Carmen, also showing at Venue Cymru, and Madame Butterfly. Over the past 30 years, Ellen Kent Opera and Ballet International has established a reputation for producing high quality opera and opening up the genre to a wider audience. La Traviata is a classic opera that lives long in the memory and is therefore a fitting part of this farewell tour and leads to a sense of expectation for the next instalment, Carmen.
In a pretty meaty concert, RPOand Vasily Petremko offered up a blockbuster. A rarity from Galina Ustovlskaya, pupil of Shostakovich who had a fraught relationship with him. After the Soviets tightened up on expression in the arts, Ustovlskaya would be one of innumerable creatives told to change their radical ways. In The Dream of Stepan Razin, convention is frontal by literal gun point, in a folk fantasy with the serious Yuriy Yurchuk as baritone solo. This would prove how versatile a composer can be, even after previous experiments.
Benjamin Grosvenor joined for Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1, I assume most of the audience were here for him. In this telling first offering Beethoven proves the piano’s early promise of a variable instrument, harsh and tender, lush and soaring. Grosvenor plays with grace, a resounding ease on the piano. Joyous movements meld with deeper, softer thoughts, as the piano often mirrors the orchestra. Petrenko, who always leads, is the most focused and sharing conductor you can watch today.
Shostakovich’s 10th Symphony came after Stalin’s death. Balancing the fine line between evoking his tyranny and celebrating his demise, Shostakovich had to be incredibly careful. It’s structure is bizarre, an movement order of slow-fast-slow-fast can feel uneven. The woodwind often shine with gurgling depictions, the composer’s own initials are baked into the score. Terror and mania also are an affront, the second movement a warped highlight. Always within its Russian sound world, this is one of Shostakovich’s best. It is Petrenko who makes it special.
Upon closer inspection, this concert looked intriguing. A puny title would see much love for Poland and the Czech Republic, in a dizzying programme. I know little of Grażyna Bacewicz, a female composer from Poland, her Overture from 1943 came the most turbulent time for the continent in the last century. A pressing snare and various actions are heard in the orchestra, less a sense of jubilance and more of the uncertainty of the time.
Bohuslav Martinů fled to America during the same conflict and continued to write alarming music of acclaim. With soloist Josef Špaček, his Violin Concerto is interesting for a few reasons. The sense of urgency in his work is lesser held here, the slow middle being less effective. Evocations of his native Czech homeland are frequently produced. The violin of Špaček is resounding, his model looks, firm musicianship and audience pleasing tendencies are what make him a star. He shone in the outer fast movements with finesse. An encore of Dvořák’s Humoresques is typical for the themes, if one piece I simply cannot stand. Yet with this fine violinist, I was easily won over by it.
My Polish plus one recalls Witold Lutosławski living over the road in Warsaw. With an extensive career, one of his last commissions saw one from the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 1993. His 4th Symphony is sparse and compelling work has room to inhale, as the strange orchestration leads with jolting dynamics and timbres. Ever an original voice, there might have been an influence of John Cage upon this brief symphonic work. It commanded the hall and Edward Gardner as conductor had a total grip over all. Myself and my plus one agreed it was the most interesting piece of the night.
A wrap up with Janáček’s Taras Bulba, based on the Gogal’s Cossack novella. Ever the Russian culture vulture, the Czech composer is a true one off. This odd piece has highlights for pipe organ and tubular bells, the strings and percussion also remain strong. Perplexing jumping rhythms aside traditional folk songs and absurdly dramatic attacks are Janáček’s forte. I personally don’t think this is his best work, yet it is a gateway to his brilliance. This inspired concert saw a variety of tones, colours and textures and paid off successfully.
Jukebox musicals are always a bit hit and miss for me, in all honesty. Obviously, the songs are the best part; we all know them, we can tap our feet along to songs we already know and love. However, the plot can suffer at the expense of forcing the existing back catalogue to fit a storyline. I must admit, I am exactly the right target audience for this show, having grown up loving Steps and their music. I am happy to report that my worries about jukeboxes were allayed with Here and Now, which found its way into my heart with a great deal of ‘leg shufflin, big grinnin’’ and ‘body spinnin’’ across the Donald Gordon stage.
This is the perfect dose of fun for millennials who grew up with the undeniably catchy songs from Steps. They’re all featured here alongside high-octane dance numbers which feature the whole ensemble and I was unable to stop the grin on my face or the tapping of my feet. The hugely talented ensemble really carries the energetic, exciting dance numbers which utilise the world of the Better Best Bargains supermarket of the tale to great effect; pirouetting shopping trolleys, acrobatic feats from checkouts and a great sequence featuring the supermarket back alley and its wheelie bin. With such upbeat, high tempo songs, the members of the ensemble are the lifeblood of Here and Now and they all really shine.
The plot, in a book penned by Shaun Kitchener, really works here and does give every lead cast member time to shine, with some great moments for the secondary characters too. The friendship group of four, made up of Caz, Vel, Neeta and Robbie all have their moments in the spotlight and are well rounded, believable characters because of it. The script is topical and has genuine moments of heart and hilarity. There is a definite balancing act between the inevitable humour and cheese of a Steps musical but with human moments which are presented with sensitivity and heart. The songs are tied in cleverly with the plot and work well within the confines of the story; they do not feel shoe-horned in at any point, which is the downfall of some jukebox musicals I’ve seen!
The cast is another asset to the show. Our four leads, especially, deserve a mention. Rosie Singha is Neeta and is an absolute tonic in her awkwardness and inability to talk to her crush, Ben. This humour is matched by a beautiful voice with some lovely belts. Dean Rickards was our understudy, Robbie. His vocals were fantastic; soaring during those deceptively difficult Steps power ballads. We began the night with Jacqui Dubois as Vel, loveable and hilarious in equal turns. Sadly, she was indisposed at the interval, which meant we ended the show with Rosemary Anabella Nkrumah, who stepped into Vel’s shoes with ease, matching the energy brought by Dubois with her own distinct take on the character and some lovely vocals throughout the act. Special mention to River Medway, whose spectacular rendition of Chain Reaction in a ethereal world of light up washing machines really brought down the house. The whole cast understand the brief, huge energy, great comic chops and incredible vocals.
Leading the show as Caz, Lara Denning is exceptional. She has some of the most difficult, belted numbers of the show and she delivers in absolute spades. She brings moments of silence to the otherwise loud, excitable audience; my particular favourite was her beautiful rendition of One for Sorrow. She is the ‘mother’ of the group and is instantly believable in this role, her relationship with each character in the friendship group is well defined and heartfelt.
Here and Now has been described as the new Mamma Mia, but does it deserve that accolade, comparing it to a show that has really stood the test of time and has also inspired two films? It’s a resounding yes from me! I grew up with Steps and I was always going to love the music, but this production is far from a Tragedy! Here and Now is a delightfully camp, heartfelt show, with plenty to inspire any jukebox musicals waiting in the wings. From the most established Steps fan, to someone who might know one or two to hum along to, this is a fabulous show which will have you ‘Foot kickin’, finger clickin’, leather slapping’ and even ‘hand clappin’ through every single number.
I’ll handle this review with care. In the first review of the year. A London stop off would see a highly stimulating crossover of cultures at the Barbican. The Theatre of Kiribati and the Britten Sinfonia defied borders and cultural barriers to present Sea Beanth the Skin/Song of the Earth.
The damnation of climate change has deeply impacted Kiribati, the island country profoundly. Polynesia has been under threat for years and recent political upheaval can only increase further tentions. This hefty cry is mirrored rather bizarrely with Mahler’s The Song of the Earth. The stage is tranfixed into a Samoan dwelling, through the aid of lighting, two pillars and other auras. We would hear this German language song cycle spread out over the near two hours, as chants and dances are interspersed.
Jarring would be one word to use here. Yet to see the spiritual offerings from countries so far away from our own was touching. Bone chilling moments came with shrieks, proclamations, fluttering gesticulation and lucid foot work. We wouldn’t be seeing these remarkable moments were it not for this collaboration, yet this is broadly two seperate events stitched together. The theme of nature never evaded Mahler (the words are settings of Chinese verse), this final masterpiece is often heavy as a standalone.
The songs feel very idle in this context, as if a Euorpean ignorance of the bigger picture. There is a wink to the late Robert Wilson, harsh lighting, slow lingering bodies and such. Lemi Ponifasio as director has chosen depth and atmosphere as the most telling markers and this is effective. The Britten Sinfonia appear muted behind the screen, at the back of the stage in their own lone isle. Conductor Nuno Coelho is strong with the reduced ensemble for these songs. Tenor Sean Panikkar get the drunk and lively numbers, with vocal delivery often sharp and ringing. Mezzo Fleur Barron has the bulk of the narrative songs, her delivery often perfumed and touching, with a command of stage presence. The final Farewell song is one of Mahler’s best moments. Rich in horn, winds, harp, celesta and tam-tam phases, it remains extremely impactful. Barron got the stage alone for herself for most of its demands, she caught the wistful acceptance of it all wonderfully.
Curious how this would end (it also was 30 minutes longer than billed), the circle was closed as The Theatre of Kiribati returned with final spiritual honouring’s with more dance, as the stagey sand poured on the floor earlier began to be spread around due to busy feet. Whale song and dreamy sleep would be the finale, as we gently blacked out and wrapped up.
Whilst flawed in principle, this fascinating show sees our small world can come together and perform, play and prove we are all alike.
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
(4 / 5)
(4.5 / 5)
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