REVIEW: Girl In The Machine at North Shields The Exchange

 Girl In The Machine

North Shields The Exchange

Friday 11th February 2022

Before going on tour across the North East:

12th February 2022– Sunderland - 17Nineteen (formerly Holy Trinity Church)

17th February 2022– York - Theatre at 41 

19th February 2022– Durham - Gala Durham

25th February 2022– Newcastle - Northern Stage

Theatre Space North East are currently on tour with a look into the near future. Writer Stef Smith triangulates technology, mental health and the pressures of work into a thought provoking play. The theatre company, under director Jamie Brown, have created a tight and disturbing show that is a modern Play For Today. 

Corinne Kilvington appears as Polly, a stressed out lawyer who struggles to chill out. The pressures of work are building up and clearly there are issues in her relationship with Owen, performed by Lawrence Neale. Owen is a nurse that deals with life and death matters on a daily basis. He steals a “Black Box” from work for Polly, as it is being used to reduce stress in patients. Polly, who is never far from her mobile phone, agrees to give the device a try and, sure enough, it chills her out for an hour.

This is a look into a near future. A point in time when the public have been asked to have a citizen chip inserted in them. Apart from that it feels like 2022 (without the virus) so it must be set in the near future. The play looks into the consequences of both our current technology and the devices that are being developed.

The show works because the audience will feel that, thanks to good acting, Polly and Owen are a couple that are past that initial flush of puppy love.  As they cope with the unseen external factors you develop an empathy for them and that results in a powerful theatre performance.

The play consists of a lot of short scenes. Now in a film such short segments can help accelerate the pace in the show. In theatre, however, it can have the opposite effect. However director Jamie Brown has made many of the separate occasions segue into each other more closely and this helps keep the pace up. The set is able to cope with an interesting lighting set up that helps the action to flow.

This play is thought provoking, and potentially triggering if you have a mind that is too full of stuff that struggles to make sense of it all.  It is easy to see how Stef Smith’s trajectory for the characters is plausible.

It is great to see theatre happening at this smart North Shields venue. Our one suggestion is ensuring that coffee is available before shows…it was a surprise to be told that the coffee machine had been switched off for the night!

Review: Stephen Oliver

Tickets:

Tickets are available for the rest of the tour from: https://www.theatrespace.org.uk/productions/ 

Tickets are available for future shows at The Exchange from :https://www.attheexchange.info/whats-on/ 

REVIEW: The Addams Family at Newcastle Theatre Royal

 The Addams Family

Newcastle Theatre Royal

Until Saturday 12 February 2022

Former Strictly Come Dancing champion Joanne Clifton heads a wonderful cast in a charming musical at the Theatre Royal this week. A nice funny story coupled with well crafted songs makes this a show that is well worth checking out.

This was the first time that I had seen this particular musical and it hit the sweet spot. Sometimes you see a musical that becomes instantly forgettable but The Addams Family engages the audience well. You find yourself drawn into the family’s life despite their macabre traditions. 

When writers Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice were given an opportunity to create this story it was with the stipulation that they use the original cartoons rather than any subsequent television show or movie.  This means the story that they have come up with is both unique to the musical and yet fits in with the audience’s understanding of the characters. Now a test for the show would be “do you need to be familiar with the family in order to understand what is going on?” and the answer is that there is no need to worry. The prologue and opening song give just enough exposition without leaving the audience drowning in fine detail.

So what is the tale about? In short: Gomez and Morticia Addams (Cameron Blakely and Joanne Clifton) live in New York together with their eldest child Wednesday (Kingsley Morton) and young Pugsley (Grant McIntyre). The show begins with the family welcoming their dead ancestors and Uncle Fester (Scott Paige) announces that they cannot return to their tomb until they help resolve a big issue: Wednesday is in love with a normal lad called Lucas (Ahmed Hamad) and love must prevail. The problem is that Lucas’s parents from Ohio are coming over to meet the Addams Family. Thus the story looks at the build up to the meal and the repercussions afterwards.

Much of the humour comes from recognising the differences between the two families and, indeed, or our own situations. A nice measure is that, on a handful of occasions, Uncle Fester breaks the fourth wall and this helps with the acceptance of the bizarre scenario.

It helps that the cast can sing and dance and the audience are in for a number of treats. Cameron Blakely has a number of songs and he is able to skillfully deliver the lyrics and make the audience feel a part of it. Joanne Clifton has that confident swagger that you want from Morticia. The children also fit in with how you’d imagine them. You can see that, attitude wise, Kingsley Morton’s Wednesday is turning into her Mother. Though she has fallen in love, she has a sense of independence about her.

A mention has to go to Dickon Gough as Lurch. The tall slow moving family servant may not have much to say but he is able to convey his feelings in other ways too. It cannot be easy making your entrance down those stairs with those shoes on!  

There is wonderful choreography too. Much of this is delivered by the ancestors in their fabulous costumes. This tight group of eight performers often get involved in the action and help with the look of the show. The set, designed by Diego Pitarch looks just right. It helps to set up the atmosphere. It has to be said that the costumes for the entire cast help set the ambience of the tale.  

So the show looks the part, is well acted, has an interesting story and has well crafted songs. The cherry on the cake is the live band, under Musical Director Bob Broad, that helps to make the show feel vibrant. At with members, this is one of the larger touring musical bands and the quality of the musicianship permeates through.

Are you waiting for the “but”, dear reader? It isn’t coming. I know. Isn’t that shocking?

You see I love seeing new musicals but they do tend to fall into 2 categories: shows that are almost immediately forgettable and those for which I must add the cast recording to the collection. The Addams Family falls into the latter group. I cannot fault what was a wonderful night at the theatre. Even my usual grumble about sound was not a problem as the dialogue and singing were both clear and at a nice volume. 

The Addams Family is one of my favourite musical shows since we came out of the last lockdown. I’m pleased that I finally got to see it.

Review: Stephen Oliver

Photos: Pamela Raith

Tickets:

The Addams Family plays at Newcastle Theatre Royal from Tue 8 – Sat 12 Feb 2022. Tickets are priced from £15.00 and can be purchased at www.theatreroyal.co.uk or from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 0191 232 7010.

Preview: Animal Farm at Newcastle Theatre Royal

 

Inspiring Theatre As Animal Farm Comes To Newcastle Theatre Royal

Animal Farm

Newcastle Theatre Royal

Tuesday 22 – Saturday 26 February 2022

 

A stunning re-imagining of the famous George Orwell fable – Animal Farm – is set to enthral audiences at Newcastle Theatre Royal during a one-week run.

The Cast of Animal Farm - Photo: Manuel Harlan

George Orwell’s world-famous fable tells the story of a revolution and its aftermath. Re-imagined by an award-winning creative team, Animal Farm is a dynamic, daring and contemporary take on a timeless story.

Boxer (puppeteers Elisa De Gray, Matt Tait and Rayo Patel) and Squeela (puppeteers Ailsa Dalling and Matt Churcher) -  Photo: Manuel Harlen 

The animals of Manor Farm drive out the farmer and run the farm themselves. A revolution. And then what? Then freedom. Every animal will be free. Old Major, the prize boar, calls the animals of Manor Farm together. He has had a strange dream of a better future.

Clover (puppeteers Yana Penrose and Edie Edmundson) and Squeela Squeela (puppeteers Ailsa Dalling and Matt Churcher) - Photo: Manuel Harlen

Animal Farm is directed by Robert Icke, whose version of 1984 (co-adapted and directed with Duncan Macmillan) was a smash-hit in the West End and on Broadway; features puppetry by Toby Olié (whose credits include War Horse, Running Wild and Goodnight Mister Tom) and designed by four-time Olivier award-winner Bunny Christie.

Napoleon (puppeteers Ben Thompson and Michael Jean-Marain) - Photo: Manuel Harlan

The Children’s Theatre Partnership creates bold and imaginative theatre for young people, engaging new audiences and aiming to inspire a life-long love of theatre.

Tickets:

Animal Farm plays at Newcastle Theatre Royal from Tue 22 – Sat 26 Feb 2022. Tickets are priced from £10.00 and can be purchased at www.theatreroyal.co.uk or from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 0191 232 7010.

News: Live Theatre’s Elevator Festival 2022 introduces the best new plays by rising talent

 

Live Theatre’s Elevator Festival 2022 introduces the best new plays by rising talent

Elevator Festival returns to Live Theatre from Tuesday 16 to Saturday 26 March with an exciting opportunity to take a first look at plays by the future theatre makers from the North East and beyond.

Made possible through the Live Theatre Bursary and Talent Development programme, Elevator Festival is a celebration of the very best new theatre talent.  Alongside the plays and readings is a specially curated programme of insightful workshops with leading theatre professionals and networking opportunities.  

Two brand new plays by North East writers take centre stage in the festival. The first is Intergalactic (Petals and Constellations) from Wednesday 16 to Saturday 19 March. Written by Alison Scurfield and Directed by Graeme Thompson this debut play is a witty and tender tale about grief, growing up gay and the universe. The second is The Twenty Seven Club by Lucy Nichol and Chris Connel from Wednesday 23 to Saturday 26 March. Set in 1990’s Newcastle after the recent death of Kurt Cobain, explores the mental health crisis and its origin. Emma becomes obsessed with one question – why do so many rock stars die aged 27? 

The hugely popular Elevator Festival Scratch Night on Monday 21 March will see five North East artists present work-in-progress extracts of brand new theatre. This is a fantastic vehicle for artists to test and explore their new work in front of an audience and to receive feedback which can help to shape the development of the productions. 

Other events include a play reading of Kerry Wright’s Kailey, on Saturday 19 March at 4pm. A semi-autobiographical comedy drama about the turbulent journey of an 18-year old as she tries to navigate life alone whilst her mum is caught in the prison system.  

An Artists Question Time on Tuesday 15 March, will be a chance for theatre artists and audiences to put their questions to a leading industry panel. Hosted by Live Theatre’s Artistic Director Jack McNamara, attendees can expect debate about new writing, making new work and moving forward from the pandemic. The programme also includes two workshops led by Jack McNamara - Introduction to Directing on Saturday 19 March and Directing Through Design on Saturday 26 March.  

Graeme Thompson, Creative Producer at Live Theatre said: “It’s so important to be able to get back to one of the most vital things we do at Live Theatre. Now more than ever it is vital to look to the future and support artists from our region to create bold, original and contemporary new theatre.”

Lucy Nichol, co-writer of The Twenty Seven Club said: “The Live Theatre Bursary has given Chris and I the opportunity to expand and develop our skill sets and really challenge ourselves. For Chris, this has meant stepping outside of acting and into the role of writer/director, while I have been able to learn how to transfer a story from page to stage. Live Theatre’s encouragement and support has been invaluable and we can’t wait to introduce The Twenty Seven Club to audiences.” 

Emerging theatre makers are at the heart of Elevator Festival which is kindly supported by The John Ellerman Foundation. Be the first to see artists on the rise and be part of the conversation.

Tickets:

Tickets are priced from £6 - £8 with many events free. To book tickets and to find out more contact Live Theatre’s Box Office on (0191) 232 1232 or visit www.live.org.uk/elevator 

 

Preview: Abigail’s Party at Newcastle People’s Theatre

 

Legendary tragicomedy Abigail’s Party comes to the People’s Theatre next week and you’re all invited!

Abigail’s Party by Mike Leigh

Newcastle People’s Theatre

Tuesday 8 – Saturday 12 February 2022

 

The original cringe comedy, a precursor to the likes of ‘The Office’ and ‘Parks and Recreation’, Mike Leigh’s cult hit is a modern classic of British drama. It was made famous by the BBC’s 1977 ‘Play for Today’ starring Alison Steadman, which was seen by 16 million viewers. This suburban comedy of manners is as relevant and grotesquely funny today as it was back then.

Playing the gauche, aspirational hostess Beverly is Anna Dobson. She will be joined by Sean Burnside as her long-suffering husband Laurence, Emma Robson and Mark Burden as new neighbours Angela and Tony, and Alison Carr as mild-mannered Sue, whose teenage daughter Abigail is also having a party a few doors down. 

With Demis Roussos on the turntable and the gin and tonics flowing, marital disharmonies escalate and the thin veneer of middle-class respectability starts to peel away.

Packed full of devastating one-liners, awkward interactions and 70s nostalgia, this is the ultimate party-from-hell.

So come on in, pull up a chair, and let Beverly offer you a “cheesy pineapple one” while she humiliates her husband and guests, all to a delicious 1970s soundtrack. 

 

Photos: Paula Smart

 

Cast & Creatives:

Director: Sam Hinton

Cast:      Anna Dobson as Beverly

              Sean Burnside as Laurence

              Emma Robson as Angela

              Mark Burden as Tony

              Alison Carr as Sue

 

Tickets:

The show runs from Tuesday 8 – Saturday 12 February 2022 - Includes a socially-distanced performance on Tuesday 8th

Tickets: £15 (Conc. £13)

Venue:             People’s Theatre, Stephenson Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 5QF

Box Office:      0191 265 5020                    

Preview: The Addams Family at Newcastle Theatre Royal

 

JOANNE CLIFTON TO STAR IN THE ADDAMS FAMILY

 

The Addams Family

Newcastle Theatre Royal

Tuesday 8 – Saturday 12 February 2022

Joanne Clifton as Morticia Addams &
Cameron Blakely as Gomez Addams in THE ADDAMS FAMILY.
Photo: Pamela Raith

Former Strictly Come Dancing champion Joanne Clifton will play the role of Morticia Addams in the smash-hit musical comedy The Addams Family when it plays a spooktacular and much-anticipated run at Newcastle Theatre Royal.

Joanne Clifton as Morticia Addams &
Cameron Blakely as Gomez Addams.
Photo: Pamela Raith

 Joanne will be joining the previously announced, Cameron Blakely (Gomez Addams), Scott Paige (Uncle Fester), Kingsley Morton (Wednesday Addams), Grant McIntyre (Pugsley Addams), Valda Aviks (Grandma), Sean Kingsley (Mal Beineke), Kara Lane (Alice Beineke), Ahmed Hamad (Lucas Beineke), Dickon Gough and Ryan Bennett (sharing the role of Lurch), Abigail Brodie, Sophie Hutchinson, Matthew Ives and Sean Lopeman. Also new to the cast and joining the ensemble is Castell Parker, Jessica Keable, Sario Solomon and Ying Ue Li.

Kara Lane as Alice Beineke &
Joanne Clifton as Morticia Addams. Photo: Pamela Raith

A firm favourite with Newcastle Theatre Royal audiences, Joanne delighted in the title role in Thoroughly Modern Millie in 2017 before returning to rave reviews for her role as Janet in The Rocky Horror Show two years later.

 Joanne Clifton has starred as Alex Owens in the UK tour of Flashdance, and Dale Tremont in Top Hat, where she received her second Offie nomination. Her first was for her acting debut as the Streetwalker in Irving Berlin’s Face the Music. Joanne is perhaps best known for her time on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing. After winning the World Professional Showdance Championship and the European Professional Ballroom Championship, she joined the show as a professional dancer. During her time on the show, she performed in the Strictly Come Dancing Live Tour, was an expert presenter on the programme’s backstage show, It Takes Two, won the Christmas Special with McFly’s Harry Judd, and went on to win the glitterball trophy as the 2016 champion with her partner Ore Oduba. 

Sean Kingsley as Mal Beineke, Ahmed Hamad as Lucas Beineke
& Kara Lane as Alice Beineke Photo: Pamela Raith

Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has grown up and has a shocking secret that only Gomez knows; she’s fallen in love with a sweet, smart young man from a respectable family! Now, Gomez Addams must do something he’s never done before — keep a secret from his beloved wife, Morticia.  Everything will change for the whole family on the fateful night they host a dinner for Wednesday’s “normal” boyfriend and his parents.  All the usual clan are present - Uncle Fester, Lurch, Pugsley et al.

 

Tickets:

The Addams Family plays at Newcastle Theatre Royal from Tue 8 – Sat 12 Feb 2022. Tickets are priced from £15.00 and can be purchased at www.theatreroyal.co.uk or from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 0191 232 7010.

 

 

 

REVIEW: Bat Out of Hell – The Musical at Stockton Globe

Bat Out of Hell – The Musical

Stockton Globe

Until Saturday 5 February 2021

Tickets: https://tinyurl.com/STOCKTONbatoutofhell

When we were asked to review the new musical based upon the music of Meatloaf at a theatre we have yet to visit we were very happy to say yes. Not only would we get to see inside the Grade II listed venue, that has been shut for many decades, after a multi-million pound refit, but we’d also get to see a musical we have not seen. As fans of Meatloaf we were sad to hear of his passing last week but we knew this would be a great way to pay respect to the legend.

Of course it was only going to be a matter of time before the mammoth rock mini-operas were going to be collated together and slotted into a jukebox musical. The only surprise was the angle used. Rather than going down the 1950s rock and roll love story that we expected, the Stockton crowd were sent in to a future dystopian world in which a character called Tink betrays a group called The Lost, who do not get old, as the leader of the pack has fallen for a young lady who will get old…hang on: that’s the Peter Pan story! (Okay, I admit it - it was act 2 before the penny dropped!)

But first the theatre…

Green is the theme but the canvas is a beautiful example of 1935 Art Deco. Many period features still survive the venues multiple conversions from theatre to cinema and then a bingo hall. Such features include a wonderful light fitting in the circle bar and crazy pots, that look like scenery from Cinderella, protruding from the place you’d expect the boxes in the auditorium to be. Add some wonderfully friendly staff acting as front of house and in the bar and it is a really nice theatre to visit. 

But hang on…some theatres in our region have had magnificent refits but then installed pretty but awfully uncomfortable seating that puts you in pain in under an hour. That is before we start talking about leg room. Comfortable seating is the big issue once the lights go down and you cannot see the fancy features any more. So have does the Globe measure up? Well the modern seating that is bolted to the grey painted floor of the stalls doesn’t initially fit in with the ambience of the art deco design…but initial impressions quickly turn to relief. These are very comfy seats that it was easy to park ones backside in for 3 hours. Plus we have the added bonus of decent leg room. Just like Whitley Bay’s Playhouse, it is possible to move up and down the rows to get to your seat without standing on anyone’s feet. Row L has plenty of legroom and I really appreciated this.

In terms of location, signs from the Stockton turn off on the A19 channel you to the Wellington Square car park which is free for evening theatre guests and it is also well lit. It was a short walk to the theatre from there. At the end of the show the barriers were up and so a quick exit was possible.

The National Lottery's Big Night Of Musicals At Manchester's AO Arena

So you love the theatre…what about the show?

I never got my tape measure but it does seem like a wide stage - hopefully the stage is big enough to pull in the big shows. Bat Out of Hell is the first week long engagement at the venue after a number of one night music, spoken word and comedy events. As one young lady in the bar exclaimed: ‘it is nice to not have to go to London to see this show, I cannot believe it is on my doorstep’.

Bat Out Of Hell delivers a big production to Teesside.  The set designed, by Jon Bausor, fills the stage with a lower level for much of the choreography by The Lost, an upper area above the sewer and the side of an imposing building. The building has screens that most of the audience can see through when action is happening in a bedroom. Having said that the interior action and some of the close up skirmishes are caught on camera by one of the cast and these images are projected on a big screen. It is a set up that gives director Jay Sheib a number of options.

The National Lottery's Big Night Of Musicals At Manchester's AO Arena

The cast are very talented and they deliver an entertaining show. They are effectively in two camps. The ruling group are led by Falco (Rob Fowler) who lives in Falco Towers with his wife Sloane (Sharon Sexton) and their soon-to-be 18 year old daughter Raven (Martha Kirby). Down below are an anarchic group called “The Lost” who are led by Strat (Glenn Adamson) who has caught the eye of Raven. Unfortunately another of the lost, Tink (Killian Thomas Lefevre) is jealous about the developing situation. Plus the Falcos don’t allow their daughter outside and they feed her a cocktail of sleeping pills and dream suppressants.

Raven asks her mother about the Lost and she says that poison used in events in the tunnels years ago has frozen the genes of the group so that they remain 18 forever. This leaves the familiar tale of forbidden love and the quest for happiness. Of course Raven is keen to explore outside as much as her father is keen that she doesn’t. 

Straddling both camps is Zahara (Joelle Moses) who is one of the Lost who has managed to get a job as a nurse for Falco. It is no surprise when she gets involved too.

This is a story by Jim Steinman, who is the man behind the music and lyrics of the three Bat Out of Hell albums from which the show’s music is drawn from. The guy was very creative and he has pulled together a story which matches the hits like Dead Ringer For Love, Paradise By The Dashboard Light and I’ll Do Anything For Love (But I WOn’t Do That). The cast put in some great vocal performances: Glenn Adamson owns Bat Out of Hell; Rob Fowler and Sharon Sexton show off their range and give an entertaining performance of Who Needs The Young.

The band, under Conductor Iestyn Griffiths, delivers the sound that you’d want. It is extremely close to the albums. Thus whilst the vocals may be different to Meatloaf, the band are pretty much reproducing the familiar noise for the big hits. This will help the fans of the music. It is a shame that the band were totally out of sight for the duration of the show, with just the conductor putting an appearance in for the curtain call.

Thus we had great performances from the cast and band, on a well designed stage full of great lighting, centered around music we love…so what is not to like…? 

It only happened a few times but I cannot help feeling the action could have moved around the stage more, personally I’d rather see the actors facing the audience rather than tucked away behind screens in a flat with their backs to the audience. A video link is not, for me an alternative, to live staging. Perhaps I am missing the point when the camera operative blocks my view of the couple in the car that have their backs to me? It wouldn't be the first time.

The cult musical Urinetown points out that nothing kills a show like too much exposition, however, this show could do with a little more explanation, early on, of the context of what is happening beyond the simple boy-meets-girl stuff.

The National Lottery's Big Night Of Musicals At Manchester's AO Arena

Those couple of points aside, Bat Out Of Hell The Musical faithfully delivers the Jim Steinman / Meatloaf hits to an appreciative audience without doing a Jersey Boys and simply turning the musical into a concert. As a fan of the music, it makes for a pleasing evening at the theatre. Though, as the notices read out at the start point out, please leave your Meatloaf impressions for the car journey home as the audience have paid to hear the cast.

Review by Stephen Oliver

Photos of the recent performance for the BBC’s “Saturday's Big Night of Musical“: Getty Images

 

Tickets:

 

Bat Out Of Hell

Tuesday 1 - Saturday 5 February 2022

Tickets from £13 (subject to a transaction fee of £3.65)

Box Office: 0844 871 7615

Online Tickets from official ticket agency ATG Tickets: https://tinyurl.com/STOCKTONbatoutofhell 

Tickets are now available from one of our affiliate ticket suppliers, ATG Tickets. The ticket company will also be the official supplier of tickets for the event. This means we receive a small share of the sale. Clicking on these links helps us to cover the costs of producing the NE Theatre Guide free of charge to both our readers and theatres.