REVIEW: Out of This World at Newcastle Northern Stage

Stunning

 

Mark Murphy's V-Tol: Out of This World

Newcastle Northern Stage

Until Saturday 27^th May 2017

Mark Murphy returns to Northern Stage with the ambitious Out Of This World. With a production values, the likes of which we haven’t seen since The Curious Of The DogIn The Night Time, it is at times a real assault on the senses.

The set at the start is made up of three clinically white sides and a pair of sliding doors. Blood bags dangle from above and the floor is littered with chairs that have been knocked over.

The start of the show is deliberately chaotic. You have musician Ellen (Sarah Swire) and her husband Anthony (Scott Hudson) running around trying to remember everything before going on a trip. In addition you have a neurosurgeon (Catherine Cusack), a doctor in orange emergency uniform, a nurse (Anwar Russell) rushing around as there clearly has been an emergency. Whilst this is happening Anthony’s brother (Alex Palmer) sits poleaxed on a chair staring at the audience.

The show then keeps repeating a scene in which Anthony wishes Ellen luck before she goes on stage and the scene gets more surreal each time it is run through. Without giving the game away, we want no spoilers here, order is soon brought to the narrative. That is not to say the repeating scenes feel more and more like a weird nightmare complete with people in the wrong places - such as half way up the wall - and a phone that doesn’t co-operate (or is that just my dreams?)

Talking of people half up the wall, this is a good point to discuss the set. The white set is used as a giant projector screen however Mark Murphy’s projections are both impressive and well thought through. Be it a lift coming down on a single panel or glass exploding across the whole set, they helped with the narration.  The burning star which appears behind the building looked spectacular.

In addition to those projections there are the ropes and aerial work which literally lets the action take off. The rotating performers gives the show real kinetic energy.

The lighting design, by Lizzie Powell, is very well thought out as it not only picks out the action, it also conveys that sense of attack on the audiences senses. This includes that moment when the action stops and Ellen steps forward to address the audience.

The programme notes state that this show has been a long time in the making. There has been care taken to fully use the space available and produce a spectacular show. Whilst the premise of the story is fairly simple love story, the vivid interpretation, disorientating cinema and energetic movement set this production apart. Mark Murphy's V-Tol: Out of This World is the most visually stunning show we have seen this year and is worth seeking out just to see how a live show can be produced.

Review by Stephen Oliver.

Cast & creatives:

Conceived, written and directed by Mark Murphy

Devised with and Performed by Sarah Swire, Catherine Cusack, Itxaso Moreno, Anwar Russell & Scott Hoatson

Associate Director: EJ Boyle

Set Design: Becky Minto and Mark Murphy

Costume Design: Becky Minto

Music Composition and Sound Design: Nathaniel Reed

Lighting Design: Lizzie Powell

Projection Design: Pod Bluman / Bluman Associates

Projection Film Content: Mark Murphy

Rigging Design: Alex Palmer

Production Management: Chris Hay

Executive Producer (Scotland): Jon Clarke / BoldWorks

On The Web:

Website www.outofthisworldtour.co.uk

Twitter @OOTW_Tour

Instagram ootwtour

Youtube OOTW Tour

Soundcloud markmurphyvtol

Tickets:

Mark Murphy's V-Tol: Out of This World

FRI 26 – SAT 27 MAY, 7.30pm at Northern Stage, Newcastle

Tickets from £15.50

Recommended age: 14+ (Strong Language)

Box office 0191 230 5151 or online at www.northernstage.co.uk/whats-on/mark-murphys-v-tol-out-of-this-world

The tour then continues:

Tuesday 30^th& Wednesday 31^st May 2017

SALFORD QUAYS

The Lowry 8pm

08432 086000

Post show Q&A 30 May

Ticket Link

Friday 2^nd June 2017

GUILDFORD

G Live 8pm

01483 369350

Post show Q&A 2 June

Ticket Link

Tuesday 6^th& Wednesday 7^th June 2017

OXFORD

Playhouse 7.30pm

01865 305305

Post show Q&A 6 June

Ticket Link

Friday 9^th& Saturday 10^th June 2017

TRURO

Hall for Cornwall 7.30pm

01872 262466

Post show Q&A 9 June

Ticket Link

Running time 80 minutes with no interval

Suitable for ages 14+. Contains strobe lighting, smoke effects and strong language

REVIEW: Sweet Charity at Newcastle College

The Rhythm Of Life Hits Newcastle

Sweet Charity

Newcastle College Peter Sarah Theatre

Until Saturday 27^th May 2017

Playwright: Neil Simon

Lyricist: Dorothy Fields

Composer: Cy Coleman

The 1960’s musical about the dancehall hostess who struggles to find Mr Right hit the right note. Just like last year’s production Into The Woods, the Newcastle College musical theatre students presented a passionate and energetic show.

Charity Hope Valentine (Raynor Garside) has trouble in love. She is effectively robbed by the lad she is seeing. Charlie (Brandon Hadwin) has no plans to leave his wife and runs off with Charity’s money. Charity returns to her day job alongside the likes of Nickie (Grace Davison) and Helene (Katie Brace), her confidents at the Fandango Ballroom. Their boss Herman (Cal Plant) is only interested in the money the girls make but there appears to be no end to the dead-end job.

Things look up when she falls over the film star Vittorio Vidal (Cal Plant) arguing with his mistress Ursula (Beth Clarke) and he decides to take Charity into his lavish private club.

For this show to work Charity and her future partner Oscar (Stephen Robson) have to have an on-stage connection and the pair achieve this. Raynor is clearly a skilled and confident singer, Stephen has a natural comic timing which made his character very charming.

Charity’s work mates had the right level of bitchiness and support. Grace and Katie also did well in Baby, Dream Your Dream.

This ensemble piece relied on a strong cast of Fandango Girls and Ensemble dancers.  Director and choreographer Carly Woodhouse has done a fabulous job and the big dance routines were really well constructed.

The lighting design by Elliot Nelson did a fine job to highlight the action. However the sound on this opening night needed some adjustment as it struggled to cope with the stronger singing voices leading to some unfortunate distortion. Sometimes more volume is not always the best solution.

This show represents the final show at Newcastle College for a number of the students and they deserve every success in the future. They have talent and enthusiasm in something that they are clearly passionate with and we wish them all every success for the future.

Sweet Charity was a fun show, performed by talented students with real energy.

Review by Stephen Oliver

Tickets:

The show will be performed at 1:30 and 7pm on both Friday 26^thand Saturday 27^th May 2017. Tickets cost £8 (£5 conc). They can be obtained online from https://www.flowte.me/storefront/?v=425&c=4383

Preview: Hobson’s Choice at Newcastle People’s Theatre

 “Will Mossop, you take your orders from me in this shop.

I’ve told you, my lad – you’ll wed me!”

Hobson’s Choice

by Harold Brighouse

Newcastle People’s Theatre

Tuesday 30th May to Saturday 3rd June 2017

The People’s Theatre is delighted to invite audiences into Hobson’s Boot Shop next week for Harold Brighouse’s much-loved northern comedy Hobson’s Choice.

 

Photos: Paula Smart

In 1880s Salford, the prosperous bootmaker Henry Hobson (Steve Robertson, pictured, centre) is a widower with three “uppity” daughters on his hands.

Willie (Ian Willis) and Maggie (Alison Carr)

Photos: Paula Smart

The two youngest have beaus they’d like to marry, but Hobson’s too mean to stump up a dowry.

And when his eldest daughter Maggie sets her sights on Hobson’s best employee, hapless cobbler Willy Mossop, there’s nowt but trouble ahead for the blustery, boozy, patriarch.

Brighouse’s classic comedy is an established favourite. First staged in 1915 in New York, and produced the following year in London, it was adapted into a film in 1953 directed by David Lean and starring Charles Laughton as Hobson. The cast also included Prunella Scales in one of her first film roles as bumptious youngest daughter Vickey.

Mrs Hepworth (Barbara Johnson) 

and Willie (Ian Willis)

Photos: Paula Smart

The film won a British Film Academy Award for Best British Film and was hailed “delightful and rewarding” and “a gem” by critics.

At the time it was written, in the wake of the women’s suffrage movement, Hobson’s Choice was considered fairly progressive and these days its presentation of no-nonsense Maggie, who wears the trousers as well as the boots, remains an interesting topic of discussion and debate.

Dr MacFarlane (Michael Short) 

and Jim (Tony Neale)

Photos: Paula Smart

Think Shakespeare meets Coronation Street, as there’s more than a hint of King Lear in Brighouse’s portrayal of Hobson, a wilting domestic tyrant brought low by his daughters!

Hobson’s Choice may be more than a hundred years old, but it’s a comedy classic that has lost none of its relevance in taking a sly dig at enduring and entrenched British ideas of class, aspiration, and snobbery.

Tickets:

Tickets cost £13.50 (Concessions £11) and are available from the box office 0191 265 5020 or website: www.peoplestheatre.co.uk  

Preview: Crazy For You at Sunderland Empire

CRAZY FOR YOU COMES TO SUNDERLAND

STARRING TOM CHAMBERS AS ‘BOBBY’

AND CHARLOTTE WAKEFIELD AS ‘POPPY’

Crazy For You

Sunderland Empire

Tuesday 24^th - Saturday 28^th April 2018

Following rave reviews and a successful season at the Watermill Theatre, Jamie Wilson, Gavin Kalin and the Watermill Theatre are delighted to announce a national tour of the musical Crazy For You starring Tom Chambers as ‘Bobby’ and Charlotte Wakefield as ‘Polly’. The tour will open at the Theatre Royal, Plymouth on 17 August 2017 with a date at Sunderland Empire 24-28 April 2018.

CRAZY FOR YOU

Tom Chambers as 'Bobby' and company.

Photo: Richard Davenport

High energy, high kicking and gloriously glamorous Crazy For You is the ultimate feel-good musical with a fabulous score from the Gershwin brothers’ songbook. Mistaken identities, plot twists, heartbreak, happiness and a wealth of memorable tunes, including I Got Rhythm, They Can’t Take That Away From Me, Nice Work If You Can Get It and Embraceable You, all feature in this exhilarating celebration of the great Broadway musicals.

Crazy For You is directed by The Watermill’s Artistic and Executive Director, Paul Hart, with musical arrangements by Catherine Jayes. It is choreographed by Nathan M. Wright and is designed by Diego Pitarch. Lighting design is by Howard Hudson with sound design by Tom Marshall.

CRAZY FOR YOU

Tom Chambers as 'Bobby'.

Photo: Richard Davenport

Tom Chambers created the role of Jerry Travers in the West Endmusical “Top Hat”, for which he was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical. His other stage credits include a recent UK tour of “Private Lives” and “White Christmas” in the West End. Tom’s TV credits include the BBC dramas “Holby City” and “Waterloo Road”. He also won the 6^th season of “Strictly Come Dancing” in 2008.

Charlotte Wakefield made her West End debut as Wendla in “Spring Awakening”, for which she was nominated for an Olivier Award. She played ‘Maria’ in the critically acclaimed production of “The Sound of Music” at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre receiving nominations for Best Actress in a Musical at both the Evening Standard and Olivier Awards. Her other theatre credits include Sophie in “Mamma Mia!” in the West End, Truly Scrumptious in “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” and Laurey in “Oklahoma!”, both on national tour.

Crazy For You has Music and Lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin, Book by Ken Ludwig, co-conception by Ken Ludwig and Mike Ockrent. It is inspired by material by Guy Bolton and John McGowan. Crazy For You was originally produced on Broadway by Roger Horchow and Elizabeth Williams. Original Broadway Choreography by Susan Stroman.

Tickets are now on sale.

Tickets available in person at the Box Office on High Street West, from the Ticket Centre on 0844 871 3022* or online from our affiliate ATGtickets*

*Calls cost 7p per minute plus your plus your phone company's access charge. Booking and transaction fees may apply.

Group Bookings: 0330 1027531

Calls cost 7p per minute, plus your phone company's access charge.

Preview: Beautiful - The Carole King Musical at Sunderland Empire

THE NATONAL TOUR OF THE OLIVIER, TONY AND GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING BEAUTIFUL – THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL

Beautiful - The Carole King Musical

Sunderland Empire            

Tuesday 6^th -Saturday 10^th March 2018

Paul Blake, Sony/ATV Music Publishing and Mike Bosner in association with Michael Harrison are delighted to announce the national tour of the Olivier, Tony and Grammy award-winning Beautiful - The Carole King Musical opening at the Bradford Alhambra on 9 September 2017 with a date at Sunderland Empire 6 – 10 March 2018.

The London production continues to play at the Aldwych Theatre where Carole King attended the opening night in February 2015 and joined the cast on stage for the finale.

Photo by Birgit & Ralf Brinkhoff

The producers of the show said:  “We are truly thrilled that Beautiful will be touring the UK this year. The response from audiences in London has, and continues to be amazing. We know that the rest of the country will take this great show with the most wonderful songs to its heart”.

Long before she was Carole King, the chart-topping music legend, she was an ordinary girl with an extraordinary talent.

Beautiful - The Carole King Musical tells the inspiring true story of King’s remarkable rise to stardom, from being part of a hit songwriting team with her husband Gerry Goffin, to her relationship with fellow writers and best friends Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann, to becoming one of the most successful solo acts in popular music history.

Photo by Birgit & Ralf Brinkhoff

Along the way, she wrote the soundtrack to a generation, with countless classics such as You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman, Take Good Care of my Baby, You’ve Got a Friend, So Far Away, It Might As Well Rain Until September, Up on the Roof, Locomotion. The show also includes the Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann hit songs You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling, On Broadway and We Gotta Get Out Of This Place.

Beautiful - The Carole King Musical is based on the early life and career of legendary singer/ songwriter Carole King. It has a book by Douglas McGrath with words and music by Gerry Goffin, Carole King, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.

Tickets:

Tickets available from the Box Office on High Street West, via the ticket centre 0844 871 3022* or www.ATGtickets.com/Sunderland *calls cost up to 7p per minute plus standard network charges. Booking and transaction fees may apply to telephone and online bookings.

Preview: Son Of A Preacher Man at Sunderland Empire

FIRST EVER UK TOUR OF THE NEW MUSICAL SON OF A PREACHER MAN WILL COME TO SUNDERLAND

Son Of A Preacher Man

Sunderland Empire

Tuesday 19^th - Saturday 23^rdSeptember 2017

Son of a Preacher Man, a heart-warming new musical featuring the soulful music of Dusty Springfield, with a book by Warner Brown and directed and choreographed by Craig Revel Horwood, embarks on a national tour starting at Bromley’s Churchill Theatre from Monday 4 September 2017 with a date at Sunderland Empire 19-23 September 2017.

Three broken hearts, one Soho hang-out, and the only man who could ever help them…

Welcome to the Preacher Man, the swinging 1960s Soho joint where the kids danced the night away to the latest crazes and dared to dream of love, while the legendary owner, The Preacher Man himself, dispensed advice to cure the loneliest of hearts.

Only, that was a long time ago and all that remains are the memories, the stories and the myths. Until now, that is, when three random strangers, generations apart but all in need of help with their hopeless love lives, are inexplicably drawn to the site of the original venue. The Preacher Man is long gone, but his son, with help from the wonderful Cappuccino Sisters, might just find it in himself to channel the spirit of The Preacher Man and once more give these three lovesick strangers the look of love.

Featuring the greatest hits of Dusty Springfield, including "The Look Of Love", "I Only Want To Be With You", "Spooky" and of course, the classic "Son Of A Preacher Man", this sparklingly funny and sweetly touching new musical play by internationally renowned writer Warner Brown will have you laughing, crying and singing your heart out to some of the greatest songs ever written.

Directed and choreographed by Strictly Come Dancing’s Craig Revel Horwood, Son of a Preacher Man comes to Sunderland Empire for one week only - You only want to be with us!

Choreographer Craig Revel Horwood said:  “I am delighted to bring to life for the very first time this wonderful story created by Warner Brown, with soulful songs from the legendary Dusty Springfield's iconic music catalogue. I hope that audiences in Sunderland will come to love this warm-hearted and uplifting new musical as much as I do.”

Choreographer Craig Revel Horwood

Warner Brown works internationally and is well known for his work in musical theatre and straight plays, encompassing both traditional and avant-garde forms.

He wrote ‘the most popular family show of all time’, the arena production Walking With Dinosaurs, creating an entirely new genre of theatrical presentation and winning many international awards.  Currently playing in venues from Madison Square Garden to the Mercedes Benz Arena in Shanghai, an episode of CSI: Las Vegas has been based upon the show and it has even been parodied on The Simpsons.

Warner is currently working on multiple developing projects, including the Broadway musicals The Gold Room and The Thomas Crown Affair, both with composer Michael Feinstein; the opera Empty Spaces, with composer Joshua Schmidt, for Florentine Opera in the USA; the musical A Little Danger, with composer Michael Reed, for the St Petersburg Theatre in Russia; and the screenplay for the movie A Minute To Midnight for Bill Kenwright Films. He is part of the consortium, including choreographer Arlene Phillips and musical director Mike Dixon, for the new internet-based project Reality. 

Writing credits include Half A Sixpence (UK Tour), The Biograph Girl (Phoenix Theatre), Cinderella (London Palladium), The Black and White Ball, which opened in London and for which The Cole Porter Trusts granted Warner stage rights to the songs of Cole Porter, Flickers (Broadway’s Circle-In-The Square Theater), The House on the Corner (Edinburgh International Festival) and, in addition, Tallulah For A Day and Sleep With Friends. Plays include Laughing Dove, Wavelengthand The Prospero Suite, directed by John Doyle.

Warner has worked extensively in Europe, most recently writing the musical Garbo, with music by ‘Meatloaf’ rock legend Jim Steinman. He also has extensive writing credits for the BBCand was Script Associate of the BBCClassic Musicals Series, for which he adapted fourteen musicals featuring many international stars.  Warner was the subject of the BBCTwo TV documentary The Making Of A Musical. Warner is co-sponsor of the international music prize The S&S Award, named in honour of his late parents.

Book                                                                   Warner Brown

Director & Choreographer                             Craig Revel Horwood

Set & Costume Designer                                 Morgan Large

Musical Supervisor & Arrangements            Paul Herbert

Lighting Designer                                             Richard G Jones

Sound Designer                                                Richard Brooker

Associate Director & Choreographer          David James Hulston

Casting Director                                                Anne Vosser

Tickets:

Tickets available from the Box Office on High Street West, via the ticket centre 0844 871 3022* or www.ATGtickets.com/Sunderland *calls cost up to 7p per minute plus standard network charges. Booking and transaction fees may apply to telephone and online bookings.