Review: Things We Do For Love at Newcastle Theatre Royal

Earl Grey Tea Takes On Workman’s Tea

Things We Do For Love by Alan Ayckbourn

Newcastle Theatre Royal

Until Saturday 21 June 2014.

Alan Ayckbourn’s fabulous comedy takes us to October 1996. Frequently the farce had the crowd in stitches as it explored the complex lives of four characters who live under the same roof.

 

Natalie Imbruglia & Claire Price

Claire Price is superb as the, sometimes outrageous, single Barbara. She used to be the Head Prefect at school and nick-named “Spike” as a reference to how she dealt with her peers. She has turned her childhood home into flats. Below her floor is the postman Gilbert who is gives the audience many opportunities to laugh thanks to Simon Gregor’s brilliant comic timing. Former school-mate Nikki, played by the wonderful Natalie Imbruglia in her stage debut, has agreed to take on the upstairs flat with her fiancé Hamish, a role which Edward Bennett obviously relishes.

 

Simon Gregor & Claire Price

The designer Giles Cadle has produced a proficient stage set which focuses on the middle floor but enables to audience to have a partial view of the other two floors. Laurence Boswell’s direction leaves some of the action to the imagination on these other two floors.

Edward Bennett & Natalie Imbruglia

As soon as Hamish enters the house the battle of wills ensues between the independent and strong minded Barbara and a man she immediately forms an opinion about, as he is vegetarian. As the interdependence of the housemates is explored, the natures of the various relationships are exposed.

Edward Bennett, Natalie Imbruglia & Claire Price

Natalie Imbruglia makes a confident start to her stage career and Simon Gregor is at the centre of many light hearted moments. Claire Price does an awesome job anchoring the story together and, along with Edward Bennett, she propels the audience through a range of emotions.

 Things we do for love is a fabulously funny treat.

Things we do for love is a fabulously funny treat.

Things We Do For Love continues at Newcastle Theatre Royal Mon 16 – Sat 21 Jun (Evenings: 7.30pm, Matinees: Thursday 2pm and Saturday 2.30pm). Tickets are available from £13.00 (a booking fee of 95p - £1.95 will apply to most tickets) and can be purchased from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 08448 11 21 21 or select your own seat and book online at www.theatreroyal.co.uk

Photo credits: Nobby Clark

This review was written by Stephen Oliver for Jowheretogo PR (www.jowheretogo.com). Follow Jo on twitter @jowheretogo, Stephen @panic_c_button or like Jowheretogo on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Jowheretogo 

Preview: Evita at Sunderland Empire

Marti Pellow to play Che

Evita

Sunderland Empire

16-21 June 2014

Bill Kenwright by special arrangement with the Really Useful Group presents Evita

 Lyrics by Tim Rice Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber

  

Marti Pellow, one of music’s most respected artists undertakes one of musical theatre’s most coveted roles, when he plays Che in Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Evita.

Following its critically acclaimed run in 2013 Evita will continue to tour the UK into 2014, and is set to return to the North East with a run at Sunderland Empire from 16-21 June 2014.

Telling the story of Eva Peron, wife of former Argentine dictator Juan Peron, Evita follows Eva’s journey from humble beginnings through to extraordinary wealth, power and iconic status which ultimately led her to be heralded as the ‘spiritual leader of the nation’ by the Argentine people. With more than 20 major awards to its credit, including the Oscar winning film version starring Madonna and Antonio Banderas, Evita features some of the most iconic songs in musical theatre, including Don’t Cry For Me Argentina, On This Night of a Thousand Stars, You Must Love Me, and Another Suitcase in Another Hall.

Marti Pellow plays Che, a character who reflects the voice of the Argentine people; linked to Eva by destiny he brings conflict to the story of Eva’s rise to fame.

As a solo-singer, recording artist, and at the beginning of his career with Wet Wet Wet, Marti Pellow has enjoyed virtually un-rivalled chart success, with over 25 hits and three of the UK’s biggest number one singles, including the seminal Love Is All Around. He has performed all over the world, and his West End and Musical Theatre appearances include The Witches of Eastwick, Chess, Jekyll & Hyde, Chicago and Blood Brothers. He rejoins the cast of Evitafresh from an arena tour with Wet Wet Wet.

Ticket Details

Evita

Sunderland Empire

16-21 June 2014

Tickets available in person at the Box Office from £10 or by from £12.90 when calling 0844 871 3022* or booking online at www.ATGtickets.com/Sunderland

* a transaction fee applies to online and telephone bookings.

Premium seats also available.

Review: Fame at Darlington Civic Theatre

Shining Stars

Fame

Darlington Civic Theatre 14^th June 2014.

If the Alan Parker film was dark and sometimes disturbing, Bill Kenwright’s 25^thanniversary production is a brightly shining star glittering away.

The show opens with the auditions and the opening number Pray I Make which quickly shows how the show has been updated for 2014 as the leg warmers have been replaced with mobile phones.  One link with the original however is the clear stereotyping of the teachers. When they are introduced, Hermione Lynch as the driven dance teacher, Landi Oshinowo as the harsh English teacher, David Haydn as the emotionally connected drama teacher and John Canmore as the eccentric music teacher, they repeat the mantra of sweat and hard work.

Not a massive amount of characterisation is given and the storyline is simplified for the theatre version. “Nothing can kill a show like too much exposition” as it was once said and the action here is never slowed down for too much back story about any of the characters. Alex Jordan-Mills plays child star Nick Piazza, who obviously had pushy parents and wants to take very seriously. Omari Bernard’s Tyrone Jackson and Micha Richardson’s Carmen Diaz are from the rough part of town and have had a hard upbringing but we’re given no further details.  Having said that, the audience were sufficiently engaged to start booing when Nick ripped up the copy of his head shot that Serena had kept of him.

Under Gary Lloyd’s direction and choreography the pace of the show never slows and the cast work hard as they seem to effortlessly fling each other around in tight dance routines. The band, under the musical supervision of Tom De Keyser, remains on stage for the entire set which helps keep the energy levels high. 

David De Silva, one of the shows original producers, has conceived a new story that moves on from the film and the tv series with a fresh book from Jose Fernandez and, crucially new music by Steve Margoshes and lyrics by Jacques Levy. A sensible decision is to concentrate on the new music and leave the Dean Pitchford and Michael Gore title track mainly for a major grand finale.

The musical numbers support the story well. Sarah Harlington sings Serena Katz’s Let’s Play a Love Scene well and is the musical highlight of the first half.  The second act gives Molly Stewart a chance to show off her excellent set of pipes as she nails the gospel-styled number Mabel’s Prayer.  Landi Oshinowo has a fabulous voice and puts it to good use during These Are My Children.

Theatre can be fun and bubbly and this is a show to bring your friends along for a cracking night out.

This review was written by Stephen Oliverfor Jowheretogo PR (www.jowheretogo.com). Follow Jo on twitter @jowheretogo, Stephen @panic_c_button or like Jowheretogo on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Jowheretogo 

Preview: Pete Firman at Witham Hall in Barnard Castle

UK’S LEADING MAGICIAN LANDS IN TEESDALE

Pete Firman

Middlesbrough magician Pete Firman has a few tricks up his sleeves on his return to Teesdale this summer.

Widely regarded as the UK’s leading comedy magician (Time Out), Firman is back in the region to conjure up his brand new show, Trickster, ahead of its month-long run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

He will be performing at the recently-refurbished Witham Hall in Barnard Castle on Saturday 21 June for Funny Way To Be Comedy Club.
Peter Dixon, of Funny Way To Be, said: “I first met Pete Firman many years ago when I was in his audience and was brought on stage to have six eggs and a pint of milk poured into my shoe. 
“When the footwear was returned bone dry, many laughs later, I was first amazed and then realised this was a man with a fantastic talent.
“Pete has since gone on to appear on all the major comedy TV shows and is now seen as the best comedy magician we have in the UK.”
As one of the stars of BBC1’s The Magicians, the illusionist and comedian has also written and appeared on shows including Derren Brown’s 3D Magic Spectacular, Dirty Tricks and The Sarah Millican Television Programme.

Pete travels to Teesdale as part of a star-studded summer programme of comedy in Barnard Castle featuring the likes of Hebburn creator Jason Cook, Phoenix Nights star Justin Moorhouse, Jo Caulfield, Patrick Monahan and 2012 BBCNew Comedy Award winner Lucy Beaumont.

Support comes from Steve Shanyaski, who you might have seen on Jason Manford’s Comedy Rocksand The Comedy Store Presents… on Comedy Central.
Tickets for the show, priced £10, are on sale now via funnywaytobe.com.

Tickets for all Funny Way To Be shows are on general sale now from funnywaytobe.com.

The Important Info On Upcoming Shows

Shows and ticket prices

·         Imran Yusuf & Kai Humphries @ The Jersey Farm Hotel(Wednesday 11 June – £5/£8 on the door)

·         PeteFirman w/ Steve Shanyaski (Saturday 21 June - £10/£12 on the door)

·         Jason Cook: Broken& Justin Moorhouse (Tuesday 1 July - £6/£8 on the door)

·         JoCaulfield: Celebration of Anger(Saturday 19 July - £8/£10 on the door)

·         Lucy Beaumont & Patrick Monahan Edinburgh previews (Saturday 26 July - £8/£10 on the door)

·         Lee Nelson: Work-In-Progress (Wednesday 29 October, 7.30pm - £17.50)

Preview: The Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company at Darlington Civic Theatre

  The Very Model Of A Modern Opera

The Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company bring three top-drawer productions to

Darlington Civic Theatre

Tuesday 1 to Saturday 5 July

     

After twenty years headlining the world famous International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival, the acclaimed Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company visits the Civic Theatre with three brand-new and exciting productions of G&S favourites. They are the finest professional performers of G&S to be found anywhere in the world, featuring the most ‘in demand’ G&S specialists including Simon Butteriss, Richard Gauntlett, Bruce Graham, Sylvia Clarke, Vicky Byron, Oliver White and John Savournin.

IOLANTHE

Tue 1 July 7.30pm

A delightful story built around a fairy who was banished from Fairy Land for life for marrying a mortal: Gilbert’s incisive witty political satire is as relevant today as it was when it was first performed in 1882, and many consider the music among the best of Sullivan’s work. 

In this ‘fairy opera’ the House of Lords is lampooned as a bastion of ineffective, privileged dimwits! The political party system and other institutions also come in for a dose of satire.

THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE

Wed 2 July 7.30pm,
Thu 3 July 2pm & 7.30pm

This wonderful jolly romp complete with a brave(ish!) band of swash buckling pirates, a completely dotty Major General, his beautiful unwed daughters and a bumbling bunch of hopeless but hilarious British policemen has all the elements for outstanding entertainment.  Probably the best loved of all the Gilbert and Sullivan repertoire.

‘Perfect pirates on peak form’   Daily Mail ****

THE MIKADO

Fri 4 July 7.30pm,
Sat 5 July 2.30pm & 7.30pm

One of the most popular of the Savoy operas.  Set in the fictitious Japanese town of Titipu, this hilarious story exudes big, colourful characters and well known songs that you will be humming long after you have returned home.

‘A thoroughly entertaining and deliciously over the top evening’  Daily Express *****

Twitter 

Facebook

Tour Website

Tickets* Evenings £23, £25, £27, £31,

Sat 2.30pm £19, £21, £23, £27, Thu 2pm all seats £18

Discounts available including groups 10+ £2.50 off

Book for more than one performance save £5 off top price

Free pre-show talk Tuesday 5.45pm (ticket required)

Free post show talk Wednesday

To book contact the Box Office on 01325 486 555 or visit www.darlingtoncivic.co.uk

*plus £1 per ticket restoration levy

Preview: Scooby-Doo: The Mystery of the Pyramid at Newcastle Tyne Theatre

Scooby-Doo: The Mystery of the Pyramid

Newcastle Mill Volvo Tyne Theatre

Thursday 12^th June – Sunday 15^th June 2014

Scooby-Doo and the gang are back by popular demand and with even more Spooky Mystery and fun - this time in the Pyramids - Warner Bros.’ Cartoon Classic Comes to Life at the Mill Volvo Tyne Theatre!

Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, Fred, Velma and Daphne arrive in Egypt where they must solve the mystery of Pharaoh Hatchepsout’s Pyramid. Easy, you say?... 

Not if the gang has to deal with mysterious mummies plus the wrath of the Pharaoh who will transform anyone who dares to approach the pyramid... into stone!

With hilarious physical comedy, popular tunes and special effects, the whole family will enjoy this new episode live on stage. 

Show website: www.scoobydoo-live.com/ 
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ScoobyDooLiveUK  
Twitter: https://twitter.com/scoobydoolive

Details of other venues on the 32 venue tour can be found at www.scoobydoo-live.com/scoobydoo-buy-tickets.html

Ticket details:

£19.50 Adults 

£14.50 Under 16’s 

£58 Groups

The Mill Volvo Tyne Theatre Box Office (10am-3.30pmand event days)

Credit Card Booking and Information Line 0844 493 9999 (24 hour 7days)

The Metro Radio Arena Newcastle Box Office (Mon - Fri 10.00am-4.00pm& Sat 9.30am – 1.30pm)

Internet Site:- www.millvolvotynetheatre.co.uk

Group Bookers should call (0191) 260 6006

Special Needs bookings should call (0191) 260 6066 for further details

Preview:Black Coffee at Newcastle Theatre Royal

Poirot Returns to the Stage After 40 Years

Black Coffee  

Newcastle Theatre Royal 

Mon 14 – Sat 19 July 2014

Agatha Christie’s much celebrated Belgian detective Poirot will be appearing at Newcastle Theatre Royal this summer in the first major revival of the only play to feature him in 40 years.  Espionage classic Black Coffee appears Mon 14 – Sat 19 July.

Jason Durr (Heartbeat) stars as world famous Hercule Poirot. Having recently appeared on UK stages in the title role of Sherlock Holmes: The Best Kept Secret, Durr’s previous Poirot-training saw him emerge as a household name following starring roles in hit television series such as Lewis (ITV); Midsomer Murders(ITV) Miss Marple: The Blue Geranium (ITV); Inspector Morse (ITV); The Chief (ITV) and, of course, Heartbeat (ITV) where he consolidated his heartthrob status playing the role of PC Mike Bradley for six years. 

A quintessential English country estate is thrown into chaos following the murder of eccentric inventor Sir Claud Amory, and the theft of his new earth shattering formula. Arriving at the estate just moments too late, one man immediately senses a potent brew of despair, treachery, and deception amid the estate's occupants. That man is Hercule Poirot.

Black Coffee features a heavy-weight cast including Agatha Christie Company regulars: Liza Goddard, star of such TV hits as Bergeracand the long-running Give Us A Clue, Gary Mavers who is best known for playing heart-throb doctor Andrew Attwood in Peak Practice and Ben Nealon, perhaps best loved for his role as Capt. Forsythe in the ITV drama Soldier Soldier.

From the pen of the great Dame Christie – (who, having sold over 2 billion books worldwide is outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare) - Poirot debuted in Christie’s 1920 novel The Mysterious Affair at Styles, making his first - and only - stage outing in the mistress of murder’s debut play, Black Coffee.

The Belgian investigator went on to become one of world’s most cherished and long-lived fictional characters, appearing in 33 novels, one play and more than 50 short stories published between 1920 and 1975. To this day he remains the only fictitious character to receive a front-page obituary in the New York Times.

His legend has proved ripe for adaptation and Poirot has been portrayed in comics, on radio and on screen for films and television, by actors such as Albert Finney, Sir PeterUstinov, Sir Ian Holm, Alfred Molina and David Suchet who, of course, played the eponymous hero in the ITV series since 1989, through the entire catalogue of books and dozens of short stories. He recently bid audiences an emotional farewell as Series 13 of the classic series concluded with his demise in Christie’s dramatic farewell, Curtain.

Such is Poirot’s on-going popularity that the first official novel to continue Christie’s work will be published in September 2014. Written by crime writer and poet Sophie Howard, the title alone will be announced this Summer with the support of the Christie estate.

Intrigue and suspense form the back-bone of this classic spy-thriller which follows The Agatha Christie Theatre Company’s hugely successful; The Hollow, The Unexpected Guest, And Then There Were None, Spider’s Web (which played at Newcastle Theatre Royal in 2009) Witness for the Prosecution, Verdict, Murder on the Nile and Go Back For Murder.

Presented by Bill Kenwright by special arrangement with Agatha Christie Ltd.

Black Coffee appears at Newcastle Theatre Royal from Mon 14 – Sat 19 July 2014 (Evenings: 7.30pm, Matinees: Thursday 2pm and Saturday 2.30pm). Tickets are from £12.00 (a booking fee of 95p - £1.95 will apply to most tickets) and can be purchased from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 08448 11 21 21 or select your own seat and book online at www.theatreroyal.co.uk

UK Tour:

9-14 Jun 2014	Everyman Theatre	01242 572573
	Cheltenham
23-28 Jun 2014	Bord Gais Theatre	+353 (1) 677 7999
	Dublin
30 Jun-5 Jul 2014	Severn Theatre	01743 281 281
	Shrewsbury
7-12 Jul 2014	Alexandra Theatre	0844 871 3011
	Birmingham
14-19 Jul 2014	Theatre Royal	0844 811 2121
	Newcastle
18-23 Aug 2014	New Victoria Theatre	0844 871 7645
	Woking
26-30 Aug 2014	Oxford Playhouse	01865 305 305
	Oxford
1-6 Sep 2014	Wyvern Theatre	01793 524 481
	Swindon
8-13 Sep 2014	Grand Theatre	01792 475715
	Swansea
15-20 Sep 2014	Princess Theatre	0844 871 3023
	Torquay
22-27 Sep 2014	Civic Theatre	01325 486555
	Darlington
29 Sep-4 Oct 2014	Pomegranate	01246 345222
	Chesterfield
6-11 Oct 2014	Churchill Theatre	0844 871 7620
	Bromley
13-18 Oct 2014	Rose Theatre	08444 821 556
	Kingston
20-25 Oct 2014	His Majesty's Theatre	01224 641122
	Aberdeen
27 Oct-1 Nov 2014	Floral Pavilion	0151 666 0000
	New Brighton
3-8 Nov 2014	Theatre Royal	0844 871 7647
	Glasgow
10-11 Nov 2014	Lyceum Theatre	01270 368 242
	Crewe
17-22 Nov 2014	Opera House	0844 871 3018
	Manchester
24-29 Nov 2014	Derby Theatre	01332 59 39 39
	Derby