Tag Archives: Review

Review Friendsical UK Tour, New Theatre Cardiff by Barbara Hughes-Moore

September 9, 2022 Barbara Hughes-Moore Leave a comment

Once upon a time, in the far away land of 1994, six best friends told us they’d always be there for us. Ten seasons and 236 episodes later, and they’ve more than kept their promise: Friends remains one of the most iconic television shows ever, even almost two decades after its finale aired. It spawned countless imitators, an iconic haircut, and even its own spinoff, and now it’s reached that coveted next level of fame: its own parody musical.

*Cast of Friendsical at Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2022*

Produced by Brooke Mauchline Productions Ltd in association with Assembly Festival, Friendsical is a new comedy show which takes you on a whistlestop tour down memory lane via Central Perk, featuring original songs by Barrie Bignold and Miranda Larson (who also directs). Our master of ceremonies is Dr Ross Geller, who has gathered the titular BFFs together for a retelling of their infamous escapades, though its mostly an excuse to ‘pivot’ to his and Rachel’s will-they-won’t-they romance.

This is a show which doesn’t so much break the fourth wall as crash a wrecking ball through it. It’s a metatextual take on a beloved medium in the same vein as Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and Galavant, with the chaotic charm of a Starkid production (the team behind the successful A Very Potter Musical). While Friends was already quite savvy and self-aware, Friendsical turns it up to eleven. There’s lots of singing, dancing, and oodles of iconic references that shows just how much love the cast and crew have for the original, from every ‘We were on a break!’ to every ‘Oh. My. God!’

The multitalented cast includes Nelson Bettencourt as Ross, Sario Solomon as Joey, Sarah Michelle-Kelly as Monica, Tim Edwards as Chandler (giving a pitch-perfect Perry), Ally Retberg as Phoebe (and, memorably, Janice too), and Amelia Kinu Muus as Rachel. There are strong supporting performances by Olivia Williamson and Ashley Cavender and a fabulous guest turn by The Pussycat Dolls’ Kimberly Wyatt (Strictly Come Dancing champion Joanne Clifton will guest star on the 10th September shows). The cast are as charming and lovable as their original counterparts, whose mannerisms and voices they have down to a tee, and bring genuine heart and hilarity to every moment they’re onstage – nothing short of Herculean given the deeply sad and momentous news of Queen Elizabeth II’s passing that came in just before curtain up. The two minutes’ silence observed in the theatre was respectful and profound.

The cast’s dedication and skill was both masterly and moving. If you have a passion for 90s fashion or know the words to ‘Smelly Cat’ by heart, this is the show for you. Ross, Rachel, Joey, Phoebe, Monica and Chandler have been with us for nearly 30 years, and Friendiscal is here to show us why they always will be.

Twitter / Instagram: @Friendsical

Friendsical is playing at the New Theatre Cardiff from 8 – 10 September 2022.

Musical

REVIEW The Cher Show, New Theatre by Barbara Hughes-Moore

August 24, 2022 Barbara Hughes-Moore Leave a comment

We all know the story, right? A young hopeful with big dreams becomes a star. Most everyone who makes it in showbiz has a rags to riches story, but no-one has a story quite like Cherilyn Sarkisian aka Cher: the barrier-breaking, age-defying Goddess of Pop who was ahead of her time well before she turned it back. From a shy truck driver’s daughter to a multi-million selling recording artist and Oscar-winning actress, Cher broke the rules and set the trends. Her incredible rise to fame is told with wit, wonder, and no small amount of wigs in The Cher Show, a brand new musical touring the UK and Ireland through to April 2023.

Brought to life by a spectacular cast and crew, The Cher Show spans six decades, three Chers, and one incredible story. A trio of magnificent actresses each embody a facet of her life: Millie O’Connell as ‘Babe’, the naïve hopeful; Danielle Steers as ‘Lady’, one half of America’s favourite couple; and Debbie Kurup as ‘Star’, at last a legend in her own right. O’Connell, Steers and Kurup have the unenviable task of portraying a woman who defies imitation – and yet each step up to the plate with aplomb, nailing Cher’s distinct vocals and stage presence. They also share a uniquely engaging chemistry with each other that is often hilarious and at times touching: when the wiser, more experienced ‘Star’ comforts ‘Lady’ through her marital woes, it is genuinely moving – perhaps, like Cher, we are always in conversation with our past selves.

*Left to right: Millie O’Connell as ‘Babe’, Debbie Kurup as ‘Star’, and Danielle Steers as ‘Lady’*

The jukebox musical and the biopic are two of the most difficult artforms to get right – mostly because we’ve seen it all before. True as the tales may be, these are genres which quickly become rote, worn out. But The Cher Show, much like its titular star, shatters all those expectations and blazes its own trail. And who better to bring that to life than two Strictly Come Dancing superstars: former Strictly Judge and West End icon Arlene Phillips, who directs, and two-time Glitterball champ Oti Mabuse, who choreographs. Written by Tony and Olivier Award-winning Rick Elice (Jersey Boys, The Addams Family), the show and its stars capture the wit and also the glamour of its leading lady, thanks to Gabriella Slade’s (Six, Spiceworld 2019) eye-popping costume design.

*Lucas Rush as Sonny and Danielle Steers as ‘Lady’ Cher*

Lucas Rush is a standout as Sonny Bono – not only are they a dead ringer for the character (from the voice to the flares to the facial hair!), they have incredible chemistry with ‘Babe’, ‘Lady’, and ‘Star’. While the road wasn’t always easy, the love between Sonny and Cher was as legendary as their music – and here, when the pair sang ‘I Got You Babe’ one last time, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Alongside a fabulous sailor-fied ensemble (no doubt evoking Cher’s iconic music video for ‘If I Could Turn Back Time’), there are excellent supporting turns from Jake Mitchell as costume designer Bob Mackie, Sam Ferriday as Cher’s paramours Greg Allman and Rob Camilletti, and Tori Scott as her strong-willed mom Georgia.

*The cast of ‘The Cher Show’, featuring Debbie Kurup as ‘Star’*

And with a musical catalogue like Cher’s, the beat truly does go on. Played by a scintillating live band, the show is packed with 35 of her biggest hits, including ‘If I Could Turn Back Time’, ‘I Got You Babe’, ‘The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s in His Kiss)’ and ‘Believe’. By the time the Megamix rolled round, the whole audience was on its feet: I’ve never seen a reception like it. You will be awed. You will be entertained. And you will believe in life after love.

The Cher Show is playing at the New Theatre through 27 August.

Dance, Musical, Theatre

REVIEW Chicago, New Theatre Cardiff by Barbara Hughes-Moore

June 21, 2022 Barbara Hughes-Moore Leave a comment

Chicago, 1920s. In a city ruled by mob bosses and moonshine, misbehaviour ain’t just on the menu: it’s a way of life. If it’s fame you’re after, you might get fifteen minutes or fifteen to life – and Roxie Hart’s dream of seeing her name in the papers is one she’ll kill for. With blood on her hands and a song in her heart, Roxie (Faye Brookes) teams up with sleazy lawyer Billy Flynn (Lee Mead) to fool the masses, stealing the thunder of her rival cellmate, Velma Kelly (Djalenga Scott), in the process.

*‘All That Jazz’: the* Chicago *ensemble, led by Djalenga Scott as Velma Kelly*

Featuring classic songs by Kander and Ebb and original choreography by Bob Fosse (the trio behind the iconic Cabaret), Chicago is fresher, funnier and fiercer than ever. 25 years after its revival swept the Tonys, and nearly 50 since it first premiered on Broadway, the show’s satire of law, politics and the press could hardly be more relevant: after all, what’s the difference between a theatre and a courtroom when showmanship, not integrity, is the order of the day? Even when the actors are playing judges and reporters, they’re wearing mesh, fishnets, and leather: justice is showbiz, darling, and you’d better pray for an encore. Chicago is self-consciously theatrical, drawing attention to its own artifice: a gilt frame encloses the stage, but the set itself has no frills and few props: its simplicity spotlights the performances instead of the staging.

*‘We Both Reached for the Gun’: Billy Flynn (Lee Mead) puppeteers Roxie Hart (Faye Brookes) through a press conference*

And what performances! Faye Brookes brings lashings of wit and charm to Roxie Hart: one part hapless crim, one part ruthless dame. Brookes is a hilarious and vibrant stage presence, particularly when pitted against Djalenga Scott as Velma Kelly, whose stylish swagger makes for an effective foil to Brookes’ wide-eyed ebullience; their ‘Hot Honey Rag’ duet is a veritable dance masterclass.

*‘The name on everybody’s lips is gonna be “Roxie”‘: Roxie Hart (Faye Brookes) and her ‘boys’*

There are excellent supporting performances by X Factor finalist Brenda Edwards as the sultry Matron ‘Mama’ Morton, Jamie Baughan as Roxie’s hangdog husband Amos and B.E. Wong as big-hearted but gullible journo Mary Sunshine. Meanwhile, Lee Mead as Billy Flynn really does give the audience the ol’ ‘Razzle Dazzle’, and Scott’s sensational rendition of ‘All That Jazz’ brings the house down by the time the show’s barely started. But the Cell Block Tango might just be the standout: by the final chorus, you’ll really believe ‘he had it coming!’

The incredibly intricate dancing is executed with effortless precision, with every Fosse finger snap and hip roll present and accounted for. The ensemble is on top form as is the superb live band, directed by Andrew Hilton, who are seated onstage in striking, asymmetric tiers. You won’t find better singing, dancing or live music this side of the ‘20s: the cast prove once again why Chicago is still one of the best musicals around. If you love the Oscar-winning movie, you’ll be in your element; if you’re new to the medium, then you’re starting out with the best. Stylish, sexy and spectacular, Chicago is all that jazz and then some – it’s the most fun you can have without breaking the law!

*‘I Can’t Do it Alone’: Velma Kelly (Djalenga Scott) and Roxie Hart (Faye Brookes) take their criminally-good show on the road*

Chicago is playing at the New Theatre Cardiff until Saturday 25 June

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.

Opera & classical, Theatre

REVIEW Violet, Music Theatre Wales by Barbara Hughes-Moore

June 9, 2022 Barbara Hughes-Moore Leave a comment

Time is one of humanity’s most enduring enigmas; it can be counted in eras and in seconds, it can seem endless or scarce, and however long you live, there’s never enough of it. These are some of the key tensions within Violet, a contemporary opera which is sung through in English and co-produced by Music Theatre Wales and Britten Pears. Composed by Tom Coult and written by Alice Birch, the story takes place in a town where nothing changes until, one day, everything does: one hour disappears on day one, two on day two, and on and on – but while the world seems to be ending around her, Violet’s is just beginning.

*Richard Burkhard, Frances Gregory and Anna Dennis in Violet (image credit: Marc Brenner)*

Directed by Jude Christian, Violet is an exhibition of artistry, from Rosie Elnile’s gorgeous set, which looks like a minimalist Renaissance painting, to Cécile Trémolières’ lush costumes, which play with both austerity and freedom through fabric. The temporal distortion at the story’s heart bleeds through to everything on the stage, which anachronistically mixes period clothing with modern props, framed by an animated backdrop of dandelion seeds swirling like grains of sand in an hourglass.

*Anna Dennis in Violet (image credit: Marc Brenner)*

The operatic quartet at its heart are equally impressive. Anna Dennis viscerally captures Violet’s growing sense of self and power (her name even seems to anticipate ‘violent ends’) while Richard Burkhard and Frances Gregory (as Violet’s husband and maid, respectively) convey their characters’ descent into despair. At the start of each scene, Andrew MacKenzie-Wicks’ keeper goes to the clock tower, changing it to show the days left and the hours lost. The tower is built to mimic a guillotine; along with a branch and a bell, it is one of three ‘swords’ of Damocles which hang ominously above the characters, as if to fall at any moment.

*Richard Burkhard and Andrew MacKenzie-Wicks in Violet (image credit: Marc Brenner)*

Thematically and visually, then, it’s close to perfection – but, for some reason, I didn’t quite connect with it. Perhaps it’s because I’ve never seen a ‘contemporary opera’ before, despite how exceptional the singers are, how authentic Coult’s score is or how vivid it sounds in the hands of the London Sinfonietta, conducted by Andrew Gourlay. If you’re immersed in the worlds of opera or experimental theatre, you couldn’t ask for better – but, like the twenty-first century laptop on the sixteenth-century table, I felt emotionally ‘displaced’ by the show, unable to ever fully tune into its frequency.

*Frances Gregory in Violet (image credit: Marc Brenner)*

My reservations are encapsulated in its ending: an unsettling animated sequence which is sure to divide audiences. It’s certainly divided me: on the one hand, I can appreciate how it underscores the themes of time doubling in on itself, of repetition and stagnancy. On the other, it shatters the strange magic of the first eighty minutes, and any sense of ‘hope’ along with it.

*Richard Burkhard in Violet (image credit: Marc Brenner)*

Violet premiered at the Aldeburgh Festival in Snape Maltings, Suffolk, earlier this month and it’s easy to see why it’s had such an impact on audiences. I was caught up in its artistry and intrigue, and it’s made me want to explore the world of opera, modern and otherwise, all the more. Dynamic and affecting, what Violet conveys most effectively is that the end of the world might not come in a planet-shattering catastrophe, but in a creeping sense of hopelessness and dread: not with a bang, or even a whimper, but with the ringing of a bell.

Violet is touring across the UK through July, with upcoming performances in London, Buxton and Mold

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.

Dance

REVIEW Northern Ballet: The Great Gatsby, New Theatre by Barbara Hughes-Moore

June 7, 2022 Barbara Hughes-Moore Leave a comment

Hailed as ‘The Great American Novel’, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is an iconic tale of decadence, death and desire. It epitomized the feel of the Roaring Twenties like nothing else: an era of flappers, libertines and bright young things, where ‘anything goes’ wasn’t just a phrase but a state of mind. The story continues to captivate nearly a hundred years since its publication and Northern Ballet’s thrilling take on the tale is bolder and more beautiful than ever – no wonder that it’s returns for its third smash-hit tour, which graces the New Theatre this week for five nights of dazzling decadence.

*Abigail Prudames and Joseph Taylor (photo credit: Caroline Holden)*

Long Island, 1922. New-in-town Nick Carraway (Sean Bates) strikes up a friendship with his affluent and enigmatic neighbour, Jay Gatsby (Joseph Taylor). Gatsby’s lavish parties are legend – but Gatsby seems interested only in the green light across the Bay, to which he stretches out his arm night after night: the light on the dock belonging to his true love, Daisy (Abigail Prudames). With Gatsby gunning to win her back, Daisy’s marriage to the brutish Tom Buchanan (Lorenzo Trossello) is about to be tested when his affair with the socially ambitious Myrtle (Minju Kang) takes a dangerous new turn.

*Northern Ballet dancers in The Great Gatsby (photo credit: Emily Nuttall)*

Directed, designed and choreographed by David Nixon OBE, the show is a visual splendour from start to finish. It’s no surprise that Nixon was nominated for a UK Theatre Award and a National Dance Award for his work here: the stunning choreography and gorgeous costumes immerse you in the Jazz Age, taking you on a whistlestop tour through Gatsby’s world. Coupled with Jérôme Kaplan’s striking Art Deco-inspired sets and the sumptuous score by Sir Richard Rodney Bennett CBE, played live by Northern Ballet Sinfonia, and you have a production that’s a feast for the senses.

*Minju Kang (photo credit: Emma Kauldhar)*

The ensemble is nothing short of perfection, bringing heart, soul and a jaw-dropping athleticism and grace. They convey a frenetic joy in the champagne-swilling speakeasies and sensual longing in every pas de deux. Heather Lehan oozes aloofness as socialite Jordan Baker, an effective foil to Bates’ nice-guy Nick. Minju Kang’s solos are a highlight, and the show soars whenever she shares the stage with Riku Ito (as her husband, George) and Trossello.

Taylor and Prudames are captivating as the doomed lovers at the story’s heart: they dance often in front of a wall of mirrors, but their reflections are distorted – just as their images of each other are – and they even mirror the movements of their younger selves, who dance behind them like echoes of the past.

*Northern Ballet dancers in The Great Gatsby (photo credit: Emma Kauldhar)*

Anyone who enjoys the themed weeks on Strictly Come Dancing will find a special joy in watching the show’s balletic spin on Charlestons and tangos, and flashbacks to Gatsby’s shady past are brilliantly conveyed through a phalanx of fedora-wearing crooks. Northern Ballet have captured every facet of the era’s excess, every lost love and lost chance: most of all, they have captured a sense of old-fashioned Hollywood glamour that you just don’t see these days. In their hands, Gatsby isn’t just great – it’s magnificent.

Northern Ballet: The Great Gatsby is at the New Theatre Cardiff from Tuesday 7 – Saturday 11 June

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.

Musical, Theatre

REVIEW Footloose the Musical, New Theatre by Barbara Hughes-Moore

May 31, 2022 Barbara Hughes-Moore Leave a comment

In the Year of our Lord 1984, a hero rose from obscurity to show a nation – nay, a world – how to lose its blues. The hero was Kevin Bacon, the movie was Footloose, and the story of a teenage boy who convinces a small town to dance again became legend. Now, the creatives behind the ultimate 80s feelgood film have brought it to the stage in a brilliant new musical: a blood-pumping, barnstorming thrill ride that’ll get you out of your seat and onto your feet!

Daniel Miles (filling in for Joshua Hawkins) is fantastic as the rebellious Ren, stepping into Kevin Bacon’s dancing shoes with ease. Star of stage and screen Darren Day does a superb job as the Reverend Moore (his interactions with the crowd are a highlight) and Lucy Munden makes a very impressive stage debut as his daughter Ariel.

*Quite the quartet! Left to right: Oonagh Cox (Rusty), Jess Barker (Wendy-Jo), Samantha Richards (Urleen) and Lucy Munden (Ariel)*

Every single person on the stage gives a 5-star performance and no-one misses a step, a note or a beat – no small feat, given that the actors are constantly having to swap between costumes, props, and instruments. The multitalented ensemble is on top form, bringing fun and flair to 80s classics like Holding Out for a Hero, Almost Paradise, and Let’s Hear it for the Boy – not to mention the riotous title track, brought to bubbly new life here – but X Factor star Jake Quickenden might just run off with the whole show.

*Left to right: the brilliant Oonagh Cox as Rusty and Jake Quickenden as Willard*

Playing Ren’s redneck wingman Willard, and simultaneously making the case for Magic Mike: The Musical, Quickenden has the charm and the chops to land every comedic curveball that’s thrown at him. I won’t spoil the best musical number but let’s just say if you’re holding out the a hero, you won’t be disappointed (Kylie Minogue, eat your heart out…)

*Left to right: Ben Barrow, Alex Fobbester, and Ben Mabberley – a tremendous musical trio*

Fun, frothy and fabulous, Footloose The Musical will truly get you to kick off your Sunday shoes and lose your blues!

Footloose The Musical is playing at the New Theatre Cardiff through Saturday 4 June

You can follow on social media @FootlooseTour #EverybodyCutLoose

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.

Musical, Theatre

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

May 25, 2022 Barbara Hughes-Moore Leave a comment

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Musical, Theatre

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

May 18, 2022 Barbara Hughes-Moore Leave a comment

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Theatre

Review the_crash.test, Hijinx Theatre by Barbara Hughes-Moore

May 14, 2022 Barbara Hughes-Moore Leave a comment

The award-winning Hijinx, one of Europe’s leading inclusive theatre companies, is always pushing the envelope on what ‘theatre’ is and what it can be. the_crash.test – in partnership with Wales Millennium Centre, Pontio and Theatr Ffwrnes – is Hijinx’s latest experiment in ‘hybrid theatre’, fusing performance and technology in an immersive experience like no other. Branded as a Frankenstein for the tech age, the show explores the responsibility we have as humans: to each other and to the things we create.

Directed by Hijinx’s AD Ben Pettitt-Wade, the_crash.test asks you to imagine a world in which your digital self could live for you (think the Bruce Willis movie Surrogates, only better). This is the promise of tech start-up Figital, led by preening CEO Michel LeCoq (Benjamin Victor), who zooms in from a wellness retreat in Bali to put the finishing touches on the ‘Fing-a-me-Bob’, or ‘Bob’ for short: a digital crash test dummy whose burgeoning sentience is about to throw a serious spanner in the works for world domination.

The show itself is a marvel of creativity and collaboration, devised and driven by a cast of performers on stage and via video link. The space is filled with two huge screens onto which is projected everything from a tropical paradise to a molecular wonderland, underscored by Tic Ashfield’s evocatively unnerving soundscape. The motion capture puppetry for ‘Bob’ is especially impressive, and Owen Pugh and Lucy Green, who alternate the role, really bring the character to life. Pugh carries much of the drama as both ‘himself’ and as ‘Bob’. Green is also hilarious as one of Figital’s increasingly concerned shareholders, zooming in alongside Richard Newnham (be-wigged, bothered and bewildered – to fantastic effect) and Lindsay Foster as the feather boa-ed investor riotously reaching the end of her tether.

Benjamin Victor conducts the show with a skittish charm, joyfully skewering the Elon Musks and Mark Zuckerbergs of the world. Bethany Freeman steals scenes as the beleaguered cleaner Betty, whose interactions with Bob are genuinely moving. Meanwhile, Matthew Mullins is responsible for some uproarious moments as the cameraman watching everything slowly devolve into chaos. In a time when zoom call ‘comedy’ has become rote, Hijinx have found a way of making it feel fresh, new and funny – and when they go dark, they don’t pull any punches.

While the ending is genuinely spectacular, the show can be a little uneven at times, and the meta-narrative doesn’t quite pay off – but it is always dynamic, clever, and darkly funny, and whenever the focus is on ‘Bob’ and their increasing sentience, it really soars. Bob’s creators aren’t sure what he’s ‘for’ – but what are any of us ‘for’, at the end of the day? That sort of capitalistic thinking gets very dehumanising very fast: if all of us have worth based on what we can offer, then what does it truly mean to be ‘human’?

The interactive parts of this show are a lot of fun and it’s exhilarating to be able to explore ethical dilemmas alongside the characters. The audience can join in-person or online, and whichever you choose, do bring your mobile phone with you if you can as you’ll be asked to vote on certain moments, starting with ‘what colour should Bob be?’ and escalating to high-stakes questions of mor(t)ality. It might even be worth exploring asking the audience to ‘justify’ their ethical decisions.

The level of talent and creativity on display is staggering. the_crash.test is playing at the Millennium again tonight, and there are plenty of chances to see it again: at the Millennium on 24 June, Pontio Bangor on 29 June and Ffwrnes Llanelli on 2 July (all as part of Hijinx’s Unity festival). Innovative, imaginative and totally immersive, the_crash.test is bonkers in the best way and something you simply have to experience for yourself.

the_crash.test is playing 13 and 14 May 2022 in the Weston Studio, Wales Millennium Centre and throughout June and July in Llanelli, Bangor and Cardiff. All performances are live-captioned and the 14 May performance will have BSL and audio description.

Review by
Barbara Hughes-Moore

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Film & TV

REVIEW Rybish (S4C) by Barbara Hughes-Moore

May 11, 2022 Barbara Hughes-Moore Leave a comment

Written by Barry ‘Archie’ Jones (Dimbyd, Run Sbit), Rybish (‘Rubbish’) is an s4c/Cwmni Da comedy series which follows the crew of Cefn Cilgwyn, a recycling centre in North Wales. The centre is understaffed and overlooked, but though the team often disagree or fall out, they slowly become a family. The series premiered during the pandemic and was one of the only British series which carried on filming during lockdown. It’s subtle, kind, mischievous, melancholy – and hilarious.

*Clive (Sion Pritchard), king of detritus*

Its characters, and the actors who portray them, are the jewels in its crown. Sion Pritchard plays Clive, site manager and hero of the wasteland. Clive is a beleaguered but gallant leader, and while he might lose patience with his team, he would defend them with his last breath.

Mair Tomos Ifans plays Val, the warden of the waste. Always in her yellow jacket and Wales hat, not a lot impresses her, and I admire that. Dyfed Thomas plays Eurwyn, the sweetest man in the world, innocent yet wise; a gentle soul and healer of broken things. You might remember Dyfed from his iconic turn as Brian Lloyd Jones in the series Siop Siafins.

Rhodri Trefor plays Nigel, a soldier in his dreams, a layabout in his reality – though he soon becomes the kind of person you’d want by your side in battle. And last but not least, Betsan Ceiriog plays Bobbi, a college student searching for direction in life. Ceriog, in her debut tv role, is assured and strong – and I’m sure this is the start of a long and successful career.

Clive, Eurwyn and Nigel are like ancient Welsh figures lost in the modern age: a prince without a kingdom, a bard without an audience, a warrior without a battle. Bobbi is the muse who inspires them all to be their best selves. And Val is the sentry who guards the gate – or a druid, whose ways are mysterious to all save herself. With Bobbi in their lives, they all have something to fight for: she is the hope of future generations.

Writer Jones gets that a comedy’s joy resides in both in the specific and the universal. Rybish examines tradition and innovation, old and new; it finds excitement in the mundane, beauty in the unloved. Ironically, or perhaps fittingly, Rybish never throws anything (or anyone) away.

Series 1 a 2 are on Clic now.

Check out Gareth Williams’ excellent review here

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