Tag Archives: featured

Review Theo Bleckmann & Dan Tepfer Livestream Youtube by James Ellis

 out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

It looks like livestreams have not entirely left us. Though when one is as good as this, I shouldn’t moan. Theo Bleckmann is familiar to me with his extensive collaboration with Meredith Monk, though a Grammy winner, his jazz career should also be recognised.

In this midweek livestream, Theo along with Dan Tepfer on piano gave a warm, welcoming recital of Weimar songs, later German work and his own creations. The names of Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht need little introduction, their cabaret numbers some of the best in the canon. Theo, with his perfect German, offered up rowdy numbers, tinged with a sharp irony and camp sensuality. As a singer, he is light and bright, though has a rounded lower range, perfect for these songs. The Alabama Song from The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahogany may be best known for The Doors’ cover, yet here it is brought back in a stripped down shot. You can feel the clamour of this drinking song, one that really gets in your head.

As accompanist, Dan Tepfer is everything a singer could want for. An deeply rooted understanding of the music, he displays an easy going, quiet persona, broody and subtle on screen. Unafraid to grapple with the score, his animation makes the experience all the more enjoyable. Dan was more than happy to answer questions from the livestream, pressing some of these onto Theo in an informal way to please this attentive audience at home. The highlight for me came in the middle with Hanns Eisler’s Friedenslied (also written by Brecht), an unashamedly melodic and sincere please for peace written in the composer’s time in East Germany. Well needed in this difficult year. A lovely moment came when they were both making sure they were in the right key before a song (turns out it was E flat), due to the jazz modulation changing that aspect of the song.

Theo’s own songs are a new discovery for me. You could easily compare his to Meredith’s work, though there is a telling sense of the lyric and the musical per se. Singing both Easy and Reason, they both demonstrated his talent in both approachable and experimental bands, one minute crooning, the next grunting and guttural. The amazing, free wheeling quality of Reason ended things with aplomb. Theo promised to do the classic Useless Landscape next time and his own Alphabet of Paints. Tantalising stuff!

Theo Bleckmann & Dan Tepfer perform at the Neue Galerie, New York on Thur 26 May 2022.

Review Moulin Rouge, The Musical, Piccadilly Theatre London by Nathan Scott Howe

Being a huge fan of the jukebox 2001 blockbuster movie Moulin Rouge, I cannot begin to tell you the excitement when I discovered that the musical adaption was making its way to the Piccadilly Theatre London UK after a successful opening in both NYC and Sydney.

Like the movie, the musical’s score weaves together original songs with popular music, including some of the original songs written in the film’s premier 17 years ago, songs such as Sia’s “Chandlier”,  Gaga’s “Bad Romance” and Katy Perry’s “Firework” , just to name a few.

THE PLOT

Moulin Rouge! is set in the Montmartre Quarter of Paris, France, at the turn of the 20th century also referred to as the birthplace of the bohemians that believe in Truth, Beauty, Freedom and Love.

The musical is similar to the movie in plot which tells the story of Christian a young composer, who falls in love with cabaret “Sparkling Diamond” actress Satine (played by the talented and stunning Lissi Lafontaine), who’s paths cross by a fortunate misunderstanding one unforgettable night at the red windmill sparking a secret romance behind the Duke ( Simon Bailey) a jealous and wealthy gentleman who wishes to “own” Satine and the deeds to the Moulin Rouge which is currently run by Harold Ziedler (Clive Carter).

BECAUSE YOU CAN CAN AND MUST MUST

Thankfully I was fortunate enough to purchase the irresistible “Can Can” seats which is a collection of 16 decorative chairs and tables placed right at the front of the action (essentially where the band pit would have originally been), allowing for a fully immersive and interactive view of the show so close to the cast and the extended stage you could see every breath, feel very dance move and spot the intricate details of the set and costumes, this was a theatre experience unlike any I had encountered before. 

As you descend into the auditorium you are instantly transported to the Moulin Rouge, Paris 1899 with thick red velvet curtains, dim lighting draped throughout the seating areas held by ornate gold cherubs and a subtle murmur of French instrumentals playing in the background.

As you find your way to your seat you look up at a collection of glittering chandeliers and an elegant elephant to your right followed by a mechanical red windmill to your left all perfectly lit in the rich colours of the Moulin Rouge. If this wasn’t enough to set the scene then maybe the various characters that emerge slowly from the stage will help, each with a story and costumes from rich men in top hats with smoking cigars to dancer girls seductively looking for attention and interacting with anyone in their path.

ACT ONE – SPECTACULAR SPECTACULAR!

Act one opens with an explosion of energy, high kicks, backflips and can can lines as Harold Zidler (played by the charismatic Clive Carter who you instantly adore) welcomes all from “aristocrats” with “quail eggs and caviar” to “the rats of the latin quarter, The starving artists and thieves of Montmartre” in an electric mash up of classics before he announces his main act, the sparkling Diamond. At this point it then cuts to an introduction to how song writer Christian (American actor with flawless vocals Jamie Bogyo), meets, artist and play write Toulouse-Lautrec ( a lovable key character played by Jason Pennycooke ) and Santiago ( a Latino legend with excellent precise dance moves played by Elis Lo Tauro ) who share a mash up of T.Rex’s “Children of the revolution”, Lorde “Royals” and Satellites  “Tonight We Are Young” explaining their desires to pitch Christians talents as a composer to Satine in the hope that the Moulin Rouge will fund the production.

Scene change back to the moment that Harold announces Satine and ( spoiler alert ) the sparkling diamond descends from above following a trail of glitter as she seductively sings Shirly Bassey’s “ Diamonds are forever” leading to a whole mash up of songs such as Marilyn Monroe’s “Diamonds are a girls best friend” , Madonna’s “Material girl” Beyonce’s “Single ladies” and Rhinanna’s “Diamonds” all brilliantly hyped by backing dancers and excellent vocals.

ACT TWO – MORE MORE MORE!

Act one transports you backstage of the Moulin Rouge set with black brick wall and various levels as the cast prepare for rehearsals for Christians show (which is being funded by the Duke) unlike any other. It opens with Santiago (Played by Elia Lo Tauro who really does do an incredibly good job with this role with his deep voice and cultured presence) he flirts with Nini (the beautiful Sophie Carmen Jones) and begins to seductively dance and entwine with one another in an intense precise and passionate set of choreography to a medley which begins with Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” eventually joined by the whole cast, this was spine tinglingly incredible and one of my favourite scenes in the whole show, the precision of each move was perfectly placed and in controlled unison.

PUTTING ON THE RED LIGHT – MY HIGHTLIGHTS

The sparkling Diamond herself, Satine – with an epic entrance that was beautifully executed by Lissi Lafontaine who does such a wonderful job portraying this character. If you do not love her by the end of the show will leave with a full pack of tissues, unlike most of the auditorium.

Bad romance – Nini and Santiago and their seductively electric, heart pounding number.

Chandelier – no spoilers but this is a fantastic mash up and makes you want to go purchase some lights for your cocktails.

So to summarise – Go watch Moulin Rouge the Musical, This truly was an experience I could not recommend more and a new style of theatre which interacts with its audience and enhances their visit leaving them dazzled for weeks after and believing that “the greatest thing you’ll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return” (sorry, couldn’t resist).

And if you wish to continue your Parisian style experience, head over to Zedels which is literally across the road from the theatre for Moulin Rouge themed cocktails.

CAST

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Review National Dance Company Wales, One Another, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Pool Hayes Academy Sixth Form Dance Students

‘One Another’

National Dance Company Wales advertised that this piece would be ‘three dances to reconnect us’ and this is exactly what they did when the Pool Hayes Academy Sixth Form dancers travelled to Shrewsbury for their first Dance Aspirations day.

The first part of the day we watched the NDCW open dance class in the auditorium where we observed an independent warm up then a technique class led by Victoria Roberts, the rehearsal director of the company. This insight into a usually private company warm up showed us how a professional company prepare and the importance of ballet even within a contemporary company.

After this we were lucky enough to get the opportunity to interview company member Josh Attwood, who was a previous student of our teacher. He explained what it was like to be a professional dancer and described a day in his life. The opportunity to speak to a professional dancer really helped us to understand how much hard work and dedication it takes to successfully work as a professional dancer and has inspired us to consider our next steps towards this after sixth form very carefully.

A few hours later we returned to the auditorium to watch the performance of ‘One Another’ which is a triple bill.

‘Wild Thoughts’ by Andrea Costanzo Martini

We saw this piece as a celebration of the body because of the way the dancers explored their use of body, in combination with voice and movements. This choreography used animalistic movements with all dancers using contact to explore relationships. The block colour costume worked well for this dance as we felt that this could have been to emphasise the abstract nature of the piece and highlighted a lot of different gestures. The costume was abstract enough to support but not overpower the original theme of the dance. The dancers used a dynamic contrast and projected their voice to the audience with different facial expressions, which was effective to the audience as the combination of voice with movement is something that us students have not seen before and left us excited for what was to follow, having pushed us out of our comfort zones and left a lasting impression.

‘Codi’ by Anthony Matsena

‘Codi’ explores a narrative about the Welsh mining community. In this piece the lighting was key throughout the performance, with the use of headlights giving the audience an insight into working conditions for the miners and setting the scene effectively. This was also supported with the choice of  costumes. The props used gave a sense of drama and highlighted how dangerous conditions in the mine were for the workers. Throughout this piece we could really feel the level of emotion conveyed to the audience, where it goes from being excited and energetic at the beginning to sorrowful at the end. The use of voice effectively conveyed the passion of the community. Overall, this was our favourite piece because it taught us about an important historical event, helped us to empathise with miners and understand their dangerous conditions and inspired us to research more widely for our own choreography stimuli.

‘Ludo’ by Caroline Finn

The final piece in the triple bill was about transitioning into adulthood and revisiting fond memories of childhood experiences. The choreographic use of experimenting with games explored as a child was very entertaining as we tried to spot the various inspirations and witness how these had been turned into movement material. The clever use of props, such as the benches that were originally sat at the side of the stage that turned into a merry-go-round has inspired us to experiment with props in different ways back in lessons. It was interesting to see the clear characterisation within the different dancers, allowing us as the audience to explore these childhood memories through the eyes of each character all the way through. The personalised, multi purpose costumes also allowed each dancer to be playful with their character. This piece was placed perfectly at the end of the triple bill to leave the audience on a high.

After the performance we were lucky enough to be able to sit in a Q&A with members of the cast and learn which piece was their favourite, understand more about the development and rehearsal process for the show and understand how some of the pieces were created over Zoom due to Covid restrictions. Having this opportunity really helped us to develop our appreciation of the pieces and inspire us to try new approaches and push ourselves to explore movement material in different ways in our choreography lessons.

Overall, we loved all three pieces that NDCW performed; particularly how different each of them were and how the use of voice was incorporated. The performance style and characterisation of each piece was so different, which I don’t think we were expecting. We also loved seeing different props used in different ways throughout the three pieces and how the lighting was used effectively, especially in our favourite ‘Codi’.

We would like to congratulate NDCW for a fantastic show but really thank them, Josh especially, for opening up previously unseen elements of the rehearsal and preparation process for audience members to immerse themselves in – the impact the whole day has had on our lessons now we’re back in school is very clear to see and we are all better dancers for the whole experience.

REVIEW Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, New Theatre by Barbara Hughes-Moore

Living legend Carole King has left an indelible mark on musical history. From her days penning teeny-bopper hits with her first husband Gerry Goffin to becoming a hugely influential singer-songwriter in her own right, King’s impact is undeniable. By the time King and Goffin were inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 1990, they’d penned over 400 songs which resulted in more than 100 hit singles by such artists as Aretha Franklin, James Taylor, and the Monkees. When their marriage broke down, King struck out on her own – and her journey to the stars is told to great effect in Leicester Curve’s touring production of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (with Theatre Royal Bath and Mayflower Theatre). But unlike the Broadway and West End versions which preceded it, the songs are performed entirely by an ensemble of actor-musicians who truly do create ‘Some Kind of Wonderful’.

Beautiful – tour – 2022 Production photos taken on the 28th February 2022, at Curve Theatre Leicester, Directed by Nikolai Foster

Written by Douglas McGrath and directed by Nikolai Foster, Beautiful charts Carole’s journey from a gawky teen in the Bronx to a star who can sell out Carnegie Hall, and that’s where the show begins and ends: with Carole waiting in the wings, about to play her first concert performance in front of an audience. The concert followed hot on the heels of the multi-award winning Tapestry, which remained the bestselling album by a solo female artist for 25 years. If you’ve seen any music biopic, you’ll know the drill: a future icon rises from obscurity into the big leagues. It’s a credit, then, to the stellar cast that this tale as old as time feels fresh, new, and utterly joyous.

Beautiful – tour – 2022 Production photos taken on the 28th February 2022, at Curve Theatre Leicester, Directed by Nikolai Foster

As Carole King herself, Molly-Grace Cutler is nothing short of transcendent. Cutler brings a tremendous amount of passion, warmth and emotion to the role, and a genuine intensity to the musical performances that makes you understand why King’s songs still resonate. If Cutler’s rendition of (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman doesn’t give you chills, then you might well have died and gone to heaven. She’s so likable and well-drawn that you really feel You’ve Got a Friend in her. Cutler is a natural in every way and she captures both King’s voice and her soul.

Beautiful – tour – 2022 Production photos taken on the 28th February 2022, at Curve Theatre Leicester, Directed by Nikolai Foster

Meanwhile, Tom Milner does his job a bit too well as the troubled, two-timing Gerry: by the time he reappears at King’s closing concert, the audience were so close to booing him it was as if we’d stepped into a pantomime! It’s a credit to Milner, Cutler and the cast that the audience were so invested in their characters. Meanwhile, Seren Sandham-Davies and Jos Slovick are hilariously charming as Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann, a songwriting duo who blazed their own trail in music history (You’ve Lost that Lovin’ Feeling, Who Put the Bomp) and whose rivalry with King/Goffin is tempered by a genuine sense of friendship.

Beautiful – tour – 2022 Production photos taken on the 28th February 2022, at Curve Theatre Leicester, Directed by Nikolai Foster

The cast are in a constant flow across the stage, seamlessly changing between costumes, characters and musical instruments. The Drifters are on particularly lively form (special mention to Kevin Yates on tambourine), and they bring a genuine sense of playfulness and fun just as The Shirelles bring more than a little glamour. Weil and Mann’s On Broadway – performed by the Drifters in sparkly jackets and Ben Cracknell’s equally glitzy light show – is one of the standouts, but there’s little that can compare with the aching grace of Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? or the saucy roar of I Feel the Earth Move. Edd Lindley’s costumes place you in the era while Leah Hill’s choreography looks to the future, and Frankie Bradshaw’s music studio-set makes you feel as if you’re part of the action.

Beautiful – tour – 2022 Production photos taken on the 28th February 2022, at Curve Theatre Leicester, Directed by Nikolai Foster

The perfect ensemble ensures that the show really lives up to its name and they weave a sumptuous tapestry through some of the finest music you’ll ever hear – it’s no surprise that the audience was on its feet by the end. The show has a lot to say about forging your own path, and it concludes that while your story might find more success in another’s voice, your own is always the most beautiful.

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical is playing at the New Theatre Cardiff from 24 – 28 May 2022

Beautiful – tour – 2022 Production photos taken on the 28th February 2022, at Curve Theatre Leicester, Directed by Nikolai Foster

Review by
Barbara Hughes-Moore

Get the Chance supports volunteer critics like Barbara to access a world of cultural provision. We receive no ongoing, external funding. If you can support our work please donate here thanks.

PREVIEW: INTERVIEW WITH THE STARS OF BEAUTIFUL, THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL

What follows is a syndicated interview with the stars of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical: Molly-Grace Cutler (Carole King), Tom Milner (Gerry Goffin), Seren Sandham-Davies (Cynthia Weil), and Jos Slovick (Barry Mann)

What can audiences expect when they come see the show?
Molly-Grace: It’s done by a full company of live musicians, which is very different to the original Broadway and West End productions and previous tours. It’s a really feel-good musical. It’s emotional and very heartwarming, to say the least.

Seren: There’s a lot of energy on stage and audiences are excited and happy to be back in the theatre. The music is infectious, we’re all so passionate about what we’re doing and everyone leaves with a smile on their faces and the tunes going round in their heads.

Jos: It’s like a gig within a play – lots of songs that people will recognise and lots of songs they maybe didn’t know were written by Carole King or Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. They’re in for some laughs and some drama, and there’s something for everyone from ballads and rock songs to old-style show tunes.

Tom: There’s not a thing that any of our cast members don’t do. It’s full-on because we’re acting, singing, dancing and playing the music so the audience certainly gets its money’s worth.

Beautiful – tour – 2022 Production photos taken on the 28th February 2022, at Curve Theatre Leicester, Directed by Nikolai Foster

Molly-Grace, how would you describe Carole King as a character? And do you feel any pressure about bringing her to life on stage?
Molly-Grace: She’s an incredible music icon. She’s very driven and very determined, and you get to see how resilient she is as her story goes on. As for feeling the pressure, yes there’s a lot of that – especially given that she’s still to this day a living legend. But I’m very happy that I’m getting to play her and her music. The big challenge is in playing someone who is still around, so people will inevitably compare you to her as well as other people who have played the role before. It’s about doing your own thing whilst also paying respect to the people before along with Carole herself.

Tom, Seren and Jos, who do you play and how do they feature in Carole’s story?
Tom: Gerry Goffin is her first husband and songwriting partner. In the show he’s quite chaotic, he’s always striving for more and he eventually suffers a massive breakdown.

Seren: Cynthia Weil is part of a songwriting team with Barry Mann whose paths cross with Carole and Gerry during the Brill Building era in the 60s. As a character she’s ahead of her time. She doesn’t conform and she’s very prescient, plus she’s very funny and having a female comic character to play is an absolute gift.

Jos: Barry, as Seren says, is Cynthia’s songwriter partner as well as her husband. He’s very sharp with a lot of that Jewish humour; think Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld because he has that kind of rhythm to him. He’s a humorous hypochondriac.

Beautiful – tour – 2022 Production photos taken on the 28th February 2022, at Curve Theatre Leicester, Directed by Nikolai Foster

Were there things you were intrigued to learn about your characters?
Molly-King: [Laughs] That she married many times after Gerry Goffin. I also learned she was incredibly resilient and let nothing stand in the way of her success. She wrote from the heart, and that’s evident in every song she’s ever written. They’re very emotional.

Tom: I’d heard of Goffin and King’s music but I didn’t realise how much they wrote and how much they did for the industry. I also didn’t know about him as a person. He was always chasing happiness and the next big thing, which set him on a downward spiral.

Seren: I knew all the Mann and Weil songs but I didn’t know about the people who wrote them. I was intrigued by how Cynthia grew up in a conservative Jewish family but went against the grain of having that traditional life.

Jos: I knew a load of their songs but I didn’t know who wrote them. When I was a kid I had this talking dog toy and when you pressed its paw it would play Who Put The Bomp. I remember asking my dad ‘Who wrote that song?’ and he told me Barry Mann. But that’s all I knew about him. I didn’t know he’d also co-written On Broadway and You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling among many others.

Beautiful – tour – 2022 Production photos taken on the 28th February 2022, at Curve Theatre Leicester, Directed by Nikolai Foster

There are so many great numbers in the show. Do you have any favourites to perform?
Molly-Grace: I’d have to say (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman because it’s such an honest, emotional song about her relationship with Gerry.

Seren: That song is very special because it has such an impact on the audience. I also love the rockier numbers and It’s Too Late, which has a jazzier feel. There are so many good songs, it’s hard to choose between them.

Jos: I play the guitar on It’s Too Late and it’s got a great groove to it. [Laughs] It’s my jam, as the kids say, and Molly-Grace sings and plays it wonderfully.

Tom: There’s a song I do with the cast called Pleasant Valley Sunday and it’s a great rocking, uptempo song.

Beautiful – tour – 2022 Production photos taken on the 28th February 2022, at Curve Theatre Leicester, Directed by Nikolai Foster

As an actor and musician, it must be great getting to bring all your skills to the table?
Molly-Grace: Absolutely. We’re very lucky that we have such a talented cast of actors and musicians who create this amazing sound. Being an actor-musician is what I trained to do but I think these kind of productions are still pretty new for the theatre industry.

Tom: I love music and acting so getting to scratch both itches with this show is brilliant. I’ve done regular acting roles, especially on TV, that I’ve loved but it’s so creatively fulfilling getting to do a bit of everything.

Seren: Having actor-musicians play the parts works so well for this show because it has music at its core. When you have a story like Beautiful that’s all about music and musicianship, it takes it to a whole new level.

Jos: It’s always fun because I get to combine my two great loves, namely acting and playing music. Are there enough shows that offer the chance to do both? [Laughs] I’ll say no because I want to get more work!

Beautiful – tour – 2022 Production photos taken on the 28th February 2022, at Curve Theatre Leicester, Directed by Nikolai Foster

Beautiful aside, what have been your other favourite theatre roles?
Seren: I was in Brassed Off in 2015 and that was such an amazing job. The majority of us had a connection with mining through our families and we still keep in touch. Then I did a tour of Crazy For You which was great fun, getting to perform all those wonderful Gershwin tunes.

Molly-Grace: My first-ever job I did after finishing my training was a punk rock show called Oxy & the Morons and doing that straight out of drama school was very cathartic. I did a panto of Beauty and the Beast, I did Priscilla Queen of the Desert and I did a show called Girls Don’t Play Guitars and it was incredible playing a lead guitarist in a 60s rock-and-roll band.

Tom: My first-ever stage role was in a George Styles and Anthony Drewe musical called Soho Cinders and they were the first people to give me a leg up the musical theatre ladder because I was more of a TV boy. That was a real learning curve. Then recently I was in American Idiot and being able to sing Green Day songs for a year was great.

Jos: I was in Once, where I was a Czech burger joint manager and which I got to play bass, ukulele, banjo and mandolin. Then I was in the Theatre Royal Bath production of Bad Jews, which I loved because it’s such a great play.

Beautiful – tour – 2022 Production photos taken on the 28th February 2022, at Curve Theatre Leicester, Directed by Nikolai Foster

What are you most enjoying about taking Beautiful around the country? And how do you hope people will feel when they leave the theatre?
Molly-Grace: It’s about getting to share some incredible music with people as well as getting to share Carole’s story. A lot of people don’t know enough about her so it’s nice to show what she went through and how much she’s achieved.

Tom: It’s the kind of show everyone needs right now. We’ve all been through the pandemic and hard times and this show has such a feel-good factor. When we do the finale everyone is dancing, singing, clapping and smiling. For us to take it round the country and bring people so much joy is just amazing.

Jos: When we play the finale you can’t help but feel uplifted. Carole had a bit of a rough life but the music she produced was so wonderful that people will be skipping out of the theatre.

Seren: I hope they’ll be happy to be back in the theatre and that they feel excited and exuberant, and that they’ve made a connection during a time that’s been so hard for everyone. I just hope they feel the joy of this truly joyous show.

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical is playing at the New Theatre Cardiff from 24 – 28 May 2022

5 Minutes with Katie Elin-Salt, writer of ‘Celebrated Virgins’, Theatr Clwyd

Celebrated Virgins is Theatr Clwyd’s brand new play written by Katie Elin-Salt and directed by Eleri B. Jones. The show is based on the true story of Lady Eleanor Butler and Miss Sarah Ponsonby who were forced to flee Ireland and took up residence in Llangollen. They were true LGBTQ+ icons of their time and this show sees them tell their story, on their own terms for the very first time.

We sat down with Katie, writer of the show, to find out more:

You will be a familiar face to many at Theatr Clwyd as an actor. What’s it like to be back?

When I first came to Clwyd, I was a nervous 21-year-old performing a cameo role in As You Like It, under the direction of Terry Hands. Since then, Theatr Clwyd has always been a home from home for me and I have been privileged to perform here as an actor many times – growing from bit parts to leads in shows such as Educating Rita and Under Milk Wood, I was even lucky enough to be the fairy in the panto two years ago – what an honour! To come back to Mold under this capacity, is just the most incredible feeling. I have always felt so supported by the team and the audience at Theatr Clwyd and I could not be in a safer place to be premiering my first full play. But I honestly feel if I could tell that nervous 21 year old a decade ago that her name would one day be on the front of those programmes – she would never have believed it!

Give us a brief of what Celebrated Virgins is about?

Celebrated Virgins is based on the true story of two remarkable women – Sarah Ponsonby and Eleanor Butler a.k.a ‘The Ladies of Llangollen’. We follow their story from separate childhoods in the upper echelons of 18th century Irish society to meeting each other at school and forming an unbreakable bond. This leads them to decide they would rather leave everything they have known behind than live without each other. We then follow their journey to Plas Newydd, their home for over 50 years in Llangollen and learn through them the bravery and the fear involved in living an authentic life in full view of a community who does not always understand who you truly are. 

What made you want to create this show?            

Well, firstly it is just an amazing epic love story and I remain amazed and bewildered that it has taken nearly 300 years for it to be put on a stage. It really has everything – love, risk, danger, even someone dressing in a suit and jumping out of a window armed with a pistol and a Jack Russell – I mean what more could you want? But also, I think it is incredibly important for today’s society that we see stories like Sarah and Eleanor’s represented on stage. It has taken such a long time for love between two women to be not only accepted but celebrated, and I want to show the next generation of LGBTQ+ that their stories and their history are just as important and worth celebrating as anybody else’s.

It’s such a fascinating story but this will be the first time they are telling it themselves. What can the audience expect?

The audience can expect to see two brilliant women at the front and centre of their own story. We have an amazing cast of professional actors and also added to that the addition of a cast from the local community – who will show us what life was really like for the Ladies as they tried to make their way in society. We have an incredible movement and sound team who will bring this story bang up to date and of course fantastic direction from Eleri B. Jones. I would tell the audience to buy an ice cream and get comfortable as the lights go down as they are in for a truly epic night of theatre – and after the last two years I think that is the least an audience deserves!

What advice would you give to people wanting to get into the industry?

My first bit of advice would be to try out as many facets of your creativity as you possibly can! Like many young people I got into this industry through my local youth theatre, there I found a love of theatre and a friendship and connection I couldn’t find anywhere else. I realised there that I could act but it took me until the age of 30 to realise I might be any good at writing – think of all that wasted time! I am also now training as a music therapist to spread my creativity even further. There are some elements of this job I definitely can’t do (trust me you don’t want to see me trying to move set around a stage), but that is when you find the people who can and let them support and help you. Basically, no matter where you come from or what your story is – find it, own it and let yourself be seen in as many glorious ways as you possibly can!


Celebrated Virgins will be performed at Theatr Clwyd from Friday 20 May – Saturday 4 June. Tickets start at £10 and can be booked here. Please check the website for Trigger Warnings.

REVIEW Rock of Ages, New Theatre by Barbara Hughes-Moore

Rock Of Ages Musical
The Alexandra
Birmingham
New Tour Cast 21/22

©The Other Richard

Rock of Ages started life in a little club on Hollywood Boulevard before hitting the big time, racking up thousands of performances in a dozen countries – meaning that it’s actually living the dream to which its characters can only aspire. The jukebox musical is filled with so many classic rock anthems – Here I Go Again, Don’t Stop Believin’, The Final Countdown, and more – that it’s no wonder it’s become such a global sensation. Direct from the West End, this new UK tour is bigger, better and bawdier than ever – and if you wanna rock, then you’re in for nothin’ but a good time.

Rock Of Ages Musical
The Alexandra
Birmingham
New Tour Cast 21/22

©The Other Richard

Rock of Ages is set in the heyday of the mid-to-late 80s, a time that was post-punk and pre-grunge: the era of soft rock and hair metal, where if you had three chords and a perm, you were a god amongst men. LA’s Sunset Strip is the place where such dreams are made – or dashed. Just like the Journey song which closes it, the show is brimming with “people living just to find emotion”: a small town girl and a city boy who fall in love; a washed-up rock star staging his comeback; and a motley crew (not that one) fighting to save the Strip from gentrification.

Rock Of Ages Musical
The Alexandra
Birmingham
New Tour Cast 21/22

©The Other Richard

Directed and choreographed by Nick Winston, Rock of Ages is the kind of show that just gets better every time you go again (trust me, this isn’t my first rodeo). The cast brings a tremendous energy to the stage, bolstered by a cracking live band and an ensemble that’s second to none. There’s a new vivacity to the choreography that’s unlike any version I’ve seen before, and Morgan Large’s set, sprinkled with spotlights and stacked with amps, takes you right back to the summer of ’87. And there’s always something amusing happening in the background, which makes every bit of the stage come alive – right down to the two protestors who look ready to break into Brokeback Mountain at any moment.

Rock Of Ages Musical
The Alexandra
Birmingham
New Tour Cast 21/22

©The Other Richard

Gabriella Williams and Sam Turrell are sublime as the star-crossed Sherrie and Drew while X-Factor winner Matt Terry owns the stage as the salacious Stacee Jaxx – who, as he sings on Wanted Dead or Alive, really has seen a million faces and rocked them all. There’s also some serious powerhouse support by Jenny Fitzpatrick as the illustrious Justice Charlier (who deserves her own show), Vicki Manser as the rabble-rousing Regina, Vas Constanti as Heinz, and Andrew Carthy as Franz (a German Pee-Wee Herman, don’tcha know?) A special shout-out to Phoebe Samuel-Gray as Waitress No. 1 who sings one chorus and nearly walks off with the whole show.

Rock Of Ages Musical
The Alexandra
Birmingham
New Tour Cast 21/22

©The Other Richard

But the show lives and dies on its Lonny – and Joe Gash is one for the ages. Channeling Freddie Mercury and Justin Hawkins, Gash is so effervescent he makes fizz look flat. (Russell Brand wishes he were that whimsical). His partner in business and in life, Dennis Dupree, is played by Coronation Street’s Kevin Kennedy: imagine if Axl Rose mellowed and started really investing in fringed jackets, and you’re pretty much there. Their romance is a surprisingly sweet little subplot which culminates in a climactic duet to REO Speedwagon’s Can’t Fight This Feeling. It’s funny, but genuinely tender too – and you really feel like Kennedy and Gash (the new Gallagher and Lyle?) are singing to each other, not at each other.

Rock Of Ages Musical
The Alexandra
Birmingham
New Tour Cast 21/22

©The Other Richard

The book by Chris D’Arienzo could probably do with updating, but the cast bring sincerity and depth to characters that started life as names scribbled on album sleeves, and they tie it all together into something that’s moving without being mawkish. Rock of Ages isn’t a show that behaves itself: it’s chaotic, it’s crude, and it makes lowbrow look high – but when it rocks, it rolls. Just like in the song, I hope this show goes on and on, because we always need something to believe  in.

Rock of Ages is playing at the New Theatre Cardiff through to Saturday 21 May

Review by
Barbara Hughes-Moore

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Review School of Rock – The Musical, Wales Millennium Centre by Tracey Robinson

“Stick it to the man” what a ‘rocking’ night we had at the award-winning show School of Rock – The Musical. The performance starts with a message stating that the children in the show do play their own instruments throughout the show and ‘wow’ they are indeed playing live! The young actors seriously have to be witnessed to be believed, they performed a sensational, high energy, hilarious show.

Dewey Finn, played by Jake Sharp, is cast out by his dive-bar bandmates and finds himself in desperate need of cash. He has some questionable habits, such as sniffling, and eating his own belly button gunk, and hasn’t paid the rent on his room in forever. He’s broke, jobless, bandless and soon to be homeless.
He nicks his mate’s teaching credentials to make a few quid at a posh school, and sets about turning his class of straight-A students into a mind-blowing, guitar-shredding, bass-slapping, drum beating, rock band, teaching the pint-sized prodigies what it means to truly rock.

The cast raise the roof and jump around the stage with boundless energy and enthusiasm.

Dewey also falls for the school’s beautiful, uptight headmistress, Miss Mullins, played by Rebecca Lock, she has a secret passion for the music of Stevie Nicks and Dewey helps to bring out the wild child within her. Will they find redemption at the battle of the bands?

I would be singing the praises of the musicians if these were seasoned professional adults but let’s just stop and observe the fact that these are kids! Mini rock legends who smash it, kill it, dice it and slice it and serve you rock n roll raw, live and loving it! The whole cast deserves credit, so take a bow – School Of Rock captures the excitement of live gigs, and how music can shape young lives.

The audience loved it, the cast loved it … and more than a few folk were humming the mantra of ‘stick it to the man’ as they headed off into the night.

Review School of Rock The Musical, Wales Millennium Centre by Gary Pearce

Captivating and exciting from the start as the show opens with No Vacancy on stage, the sound of thrashing electric guitar and screaming vocals that wouldn’t have sounded out of place in any 80s US rock band. With dreams of stardom and a desire to be the best, things soon turn sour as Rock God wannabe Dewey Finn is fired from the band. With no money or prospects and little desire to do anything but play music, Dewey spends most of his time in bed, much to the annoyance of his best pals’ wife who wants him gone from their apartment where he is living ‘rent free’!

One morning when the apartment is empty Dewey takes a call from the principal of Horace Green Preparatory School, a call intended for his supply teacher pal Ned Schneebly, offering temporary paid work. With the prospect of getting paid for hopefully doing very little Dewey poses as Ned and takes the job, and this is where it all begins.

Dewey soon realises that the children at the school have incredible musical talent and he hatches a plan to harness that talent and enter a competition called Battle of the Bands.

In case you are unfamiliar with the rest of the story I will give no more away but have I have two words ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE! The young cast were probably one of the most talented and energetic I have ever seen and heard. Not only were they brilliant actors, singers and dancers they played their own instruments! Yes you heard me right! And not only did they play their own instruments proficiently but they played them with what appeared to be a natural ease! Not a beat was missed!

With most of the focus on Dewey and the kids it is easy to overlook the rest of the ‘grown up’ cast but shouldn’t be as every single one of them played their part and played it well.

Overall the show was a rocking success, exciting, exhilarating & emotional!

I’m sure that most people are familiar with the film School of Rock but maybe not the show, so all I can say is get yourself a ticket, get ready to rock and….. STICK IT TO THE MAN!

School of Rock | Wales Millennium Centre (wmc.org.uk)

Review Dreammachine by Hanna Lyn Hughes

Dreamachine is a free immersive experience showing in London, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Dublin as part of the Unboxed Festival. The idea for Dreamachine was conceived on a bus journey in 1959 when artist and inventor Brion Gysin described himself as experiencing intense hallucinations whilst falling asleep travelling down a tree lined road. It was the bright sunlight flickering in between the trees which induced this trance-like state and inspired Gysin to create the dreamachine in its original form; a light bulb within a cylinder with holes in it attached to a record player designed to be enjoyed at home with eyes closed. Producer and Director, Jennifer Crook and Assemble, an interdisciplinary collective working across architecture, art and design have collaborated alongside
a host of award winning contributors to bring this phenomenon to the masses, creating a unique and transformative experience like no other.

There is a form to fill beforehand and possessions
are to be stowed away in lockers. I’d recommend wearing comfortable warm clothing and consider matching socks as you’ll be asked to take your shoes off! We found our seats in the dark round space after a quick safety chat outside and were sensitively guided through a breathing exercise by a member of the dreamachine. The room grew darker as we synchronised our breath and became increasingly heavy eyed. Then, a light glowed overhead and gradually started to flicker as the room filled with atmospheric music, composed by Jon Hopkins. Despite the brightness of the light inducing a little anxiety at first, my curiosity confined me to my chair as I became increasingly transfixed by the kaleidoscopic patterns emerging in front of my eyelids.

As a dancer I often imagine choreography when listening to music, except in the Dreamachine it was overlaid beautifully by the captivating intricate patterns seen through my eyelids.

At this point, the music had built up to an encompassing
quake which vibrated the room and made for the most intense part of the multisensory experience. The vivid bursts of colour seen through the flickering bright light overhead shifted and warped as I drifted in and out of a transcendental state, almost as if what at first I felt I was observing was being moulded by my own imagination. I’ve never experienced anything like it; it was hypnotic, meditative and gripping all at once. As the music lulled and unwound, the light dimmed and we were in the dark again, ready to be led by the Dreamachine team through to a reflection space to discuss. The reflection room was just as enlightening as the experience as we discovered that although each participant had their own distinct experience, we shared no doubt that what we all saw was extraordinarily beautiful and thought provoking. There was a sensorial tool, a drawing table and a live generative visualisation, offering more private, creative and collective ways to reflect on a wholly unique experience based on individual preferences.

I gravitated towards the drawing table and enjoyed discussing the experience with the enthusiastic Dreamachine team whilst attempting to recreate the ornate patterns I saw with chalk on paper.

I left feeling contemplative and curious about
the miracle I’d just witnessed, or produced? Who knows! The Dreamachine is truly a miraculous and unforgettable spectacle that is not to be missed.