Theatre

Manchester ADP team up with The Oldham Coliseum

1 Comment

13092119_10154140474334886_5717601325594650054_n

Great news for budding Manchester actors as 2017 sees the  Manchester theatre scene more thriving and alive than ever. With the announcement of a Northern Rep, independent venues Hope Mill Theatre and 53two supporting new work, there’s never been a better time to be an artist in this city.

Now Manchester ADP (Actors, Directors & Producers) is making is making its mark on The Oldham Coliseum stage. The group was formed over a year ago by Diana Atkins, who wanted to create a forum where people met regularly to read scripts. She was shocked to find that nothing like this existed, so reached out to the Manchester theatre community to gather interest and was naturally inundated. Manchester-based Producer, Hannah Ellis Ryan came on board to help launch the group and, since then, there’s over 1000 creatives on their books.

16112953_1772383073025519_7935740973720631633_o

Manchester ADP produce script-reading performances twice a month at The Kings Arms in Salford and have performed at The Lowry, staging a “Next Steps” event, gathering over £2500 in donations from the community, including the screenwriter of Doctor Who and Queer As Folk, Russell T Davies.

Last year The Oldham Coliseum Theatre became a financial sponsor of ADP and partner, offering opportunities, advice and space for events. Their greatest partnership, however, is yet to come, with the staging of ‘What The Dickens?’ on the Coliseum main stage this May. ADP will stage four responses to ‘Hard Times’, the main stage production, commissioning four of their trusted writers to respond to the classic, under the mentorship of Associate Artistic Director Chris Lawson and professional directors.

Chris Lawson said:

 “The Oldham Coliseum Theatre are proud to continue to support the great work of Manchester ADP, ‘What the Dickens?’ is a unique opportunity to bring the ADP community to our main stage. We are committed to supporting new work and pieces in response to ‘Hard Times’ feels like the right way to do this, with themes and issues that continue to resonate today.”

The four writers are Naomi Sumner, of Brush Stroke Order, Alexandra Keelan, writer of Angel in the House, Kevin McMahon, prominent Irish writer, and Kenton Thomas, writer of ADP favourite: ‘My Man’. The writers will bring a distinct, diverse voice to the world of ‘Hard Times’ under the direction of Joyce Branagh, Martin Gibbons, Adam Quayle and Rose Van Leyenhorst.

‘Hard Times’ will be staged like never before under the direction of Lawson, to root its relevance to 2017 in this current economic and political climate. Alongside Manchester ADP’s responses, this partnership promises to be something special for the North West, offering an in-depth Q&A on the Monday evening.

Tickets are now on sale at: http://www.coliseum.org.uk/plays/what-the-dickens/

What The Dickens?

Monday 22nd May, 7:30pm

The Oldham Coliseum

Tickets: £5

Get involved with Manchester ADP here: www.manchesteradp.com

 

 

 

 

 

Hansel and Gretel

Leave a comment

Hansel and Gretel - Engelbert Humperdinck - Opera North - 2nd February 2017 Hansel - Katie Bray Gretel - Fflur Wyn Gertrud/Witch - Susan Bullock Peter - Stephen Gadd Sandman - Rachel J. Mosley Dew Fairy - Amy Freston Conductor - Christoph Altstaedt Dire

A STELLA Artois-swigging father, a confectionary house made of Nestlé Caramac and a witch with a Rupaul’s Drag Race-inspired wardrobe… It’s clear that Opera North’s production of Hansel and Gretel has two feet firmly planted in the 21st century rather than The Brothers Grimm’s latter-day Germany.

A scrumptious opera that totally satisfies our appetite for entertainment, Opera North are to be congratulated on a stupendously inventive production of the Engelbert Humperdinck classic. Hansel and Gretel, The Snow Maiden and Cinderella are part of a grand experiment that sees three ‘Deliciously Dark Fairy Tales’ from contrasting European traditions brought together in a single season – all of which are on at The Lowry this week.

Hansel and Gretel - Engelbert Humperdinck - Opera North - 2nd February 2017 Hansel - Katie Bray Gretel - Fflur Wyn Gertrud/Witch - Susan Bullock Peter - Stephen Gadd Sandman - Rachel J. Mosley Dew Fairy - Amy Freston Conductor - Christoph Altstaedt Dire

The action begins in suitably ‘Grimm’ surroundings, a kitchen-sink high-rise occupied by an empty fridge, two hungry children, the eponymous Hansel (Katie Bray) and Gretel (Fflur Wyn) and their despairing mother, Gertrud. When their chaotic play sends the contents of a milk jug flying, Gertrud sends Hansel and Gretel out into the woods to pick wild berries for the family supper. Their father, Peter (Stephen Gadd, who plays a wonderfully reeling drunken broom seller), is aghast when he returns home – revealing that the forest is home to an evil witch with ‘Satan’s eye and a heart of stone’. The two children awake the following day to find a magical house has appeared in the woods, constructed from Bird’s Custard and BN Biscuits. While they gorge from the fridge, the witch returns and fires up her oven… ready for a very special bake!

Hansel and Gretel - Engelbert Humperdinck - Opera North - 2nd February 2017 Hansel - Katie Bray Gretel - Fflur Wyn Gertrud/Witch - Susan Bullock Peter - Stephen Gadd Sandman - Rachel J. Mosley Dew Fairy - Amy Freston Conductor - Christoph Altstaedt Dire

Opera North veteran Fflur Wyn, and Katie Bray, of the company’s Albert Herring and The Barber of Seville, are delightful together – playful, charming and utterly believable as children. Their deftness with a video camera adds to the production’s signature special effect: freestyle camera footage – captured by the actors in real-time – which is livestreamed and magnified onto the walls of Giles Cadle’s pared-down set (that also features in The Snow Maiden and Cinderella). A masterful stroke by video designer Ian William Galloway, the hand-held camera acts as a supporting cast member in its own right; it boasts two particular ‘wow’ moments: the children’s journey through the forest and the big reveal of the witch’s house, which solicited audible gasps of delight.

Hansel and Gretel - Engelbert Humperdinck - Opera North - 2nd February 2017 Hansel - Katie Bray Gretel - Fflur Wyn Gertrud/Witch - Susan Bullock Peter - Stephen Gadd Sandman - Rachel J. Mosley Dew Fairy - Amy Freston Conductor - Christoph Altstaedt Dire

When not doubling up as Gertrud, Susan Bullock plays the witch with a pantomime villain’s relish, brandishing her whisk as a wand and spooning her fattening concoction into Hansel, all with a wicked twinkle in her eye. Costume designer Christina Cunningham’s and wigs and makeup supervisor Kim Freeland’s choices for this role are perfect, complementing Bullock’s characterisation and adding to the overall comedic effect.

Both conductor Christoph Altstaedt and director Edward Dick have made their company debut this season; their energy, inventiveness and commitment to making opera more accessible to a modern audience shows. There is so much to love about this enchanting production, which marries a lively score, sparkling duets and trios, characterful performances and cutting-edge video technology with a well-loved, timeless fairy tale.

Tickets for Opera North’s productions of Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella and The Snow Maiden are available for purchase at http://www.thelowry.com/events/category/Opera

Reviewer: Michelle Ewen

Ali MacGraw & Ryan O’Neal back together in LOVE LETTERS

Leave a comment
Ali MacGraw, Ryan O'Neal

Photo credit: Austin Hargrave

Hollywood legends Ali MacGraw and Ryan O’Neal are back together once more to star in the upcoming UK tour of LOVE LETTERS, celebrated playwright A.R. Gurney’s enduring romance about first loves and second chances. Following a critically-acclaimed Broadway run and sell-out US Tour, the production comes to the UK for a twelve-week tour, opening on Monday 11 September 2017 at the Theatre Royal Bath.

Ryan O’Neal and Ali MacGraw are best known for their onscreen pairing in the well-known weepy, Love Story back in 1970 – where Ryan was chosen from more than 300 hopefuls to play the role of Oliver Barrett opposite Ali in the film, proving to be his big break.

47 years on they have another story to tell, in LOVE LETTERS…

Andrew Makepeace Ladd III (O’Neal) wrote his first letter to Melissa Gardner (MacGraw) to tell her she looked like a lost princess; they were both seven years old. For the next fifty years, through personal triumphs and despair, through wars and marriages and children and careers, they poured out their heartfelt secrets to each other. They defied a fate that schemed to keep them apart, and lived for the one most meaningful thing, their undying love for each other.

Producer David Ian said: ‘I am absolutely thrilled to be bringing two such huge stars to the UK in this wonderful and moving play. Ali MacGraw and Ryan O’Neal ‎are true Hollywood legends and it will be very special indeed to see them live on stage together’.

LOVE LETTERS comes to Manchester’s Opera House from 20-25 November 2017.

Dark Hearts of Space – The Lowry

Leave a comment

dark_heart_of_space_main

Dark Hearts of Space, realised and perform by Dasha Rush & Stanislav Glazov explores offered visuals and sounds which filled the stage as the cinematic images were visualised through a double screen. Projectors filled the syc back stage and a huge gauze screen up stage giving a 3 dimensional effect which was was highly engaging. The 40 minute performance displayed a way to escape, a space to expand your mind, it was ever so cool.

The experience was a visual play of many different black hole creations which credits the visual Graphic Designer Stanislav Glazov the male part of this charming duo, as later in after show talk we hear that the technology and artistry is extremely advanced. To an untrained eye, it was a little disparate. The shift of ideas felt more of a scratch performance making the whole experience very open ended and non-directional and I didn’t feel a connectivity to couple that with a philosophical notion or spiritual notion, the abstract determined non attachment to the ideas that were playing out.

Dasha Rush played an electronic sound score that washed over the subconscious mind and supported the visual lead, I found this quite meditative. A unique piece in which the cosmic space created in this collaboration was at times spellbinding.

 Guest reviewer, Kate Jackson

 

Babe, The Sheep-Pig

Leave a comment

babe-3

It’s almost time to meet the lovable Babe in a heart-warming tale of friendship, adventure and bravery. Adapted from Dick King-Smith’s much-loved children’s novel which inspired the Oscar-winning 1995 film, Babe, The Sheep-Pig will be brought to life on stage in an enchanting new production. Featuring stunning puppetry, an original score and an utterly charming ‘baa-ber sheep’ quartet, Babe and the residents of Hogget’s Farm will visit The Lowry from Tue 11 to Sat 15 April as part of a major UK Tour.

babe-1

When Babe arrives at Hogget’s Farm he is taken in by the trusty sheep-dog Fly, and soon discovers a talent for herding. With the help of his adopted Mum, the polite piglet soon wins over the most suspicious of sheep. But can a small pig make it in a dog’s world, and when his farmyard friends are in trouble can Babe save the day?

Babe, The Sheep-Pig is adapted for the stage by Olivier Award-winning playwright David Wood OBE, who is best known for his adaptations of classic family titles including Goodnight Mister Tom, James and the Giant Peach, The BFG and The Tiger Who Came to Tea. It is directed by Michael Fentiman, whose productions include The Taming of the Shrew and Titus Andronicus (RSC), and The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (Kensington Gardens) which he co-directed with Rupert Goold.

babe-2

The residents of Hogget’s Farm will be brought to life by beautiful hand-crafted puppets, created by award-winning puppet designer Max Humphries (Chief Puppet Designer, Cirque de Soleil) and Dik Downey, with the ensemble cast delivering masterful puppetry by puppetry director Matthew Forbes (Associate Director in Puppetry & Movement, War Horse).

Book your tickets now for this delightful adventure for all the family, on at The Lowry from Tues 11th – Saturday 15th April.

http://www.thelowry.com/event/babe-the-sheep-pig

babe

 

 

The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time

Leave a comment

c1

Returning to The Lowry as part of a new 25 city tour, The National Theatre’s multi-award winning production The Curious Incident of the Dog in The Night-Time, is as spellbinding and incredibly moving as ever. Adapted by Stockport born Simon Stephens and directed by Manchester’s own Marianne Elliott, Curious introduces us to a very, very special person, the utterly extraordinary, Christopher Boone.

 

The story follows fifteen year old Christopher (Scott Reid) upon his alarming discovery of the murder of his neighbour’s dog Wellington, whom he has found speared with a garden fork. Christopher, wrongfully under suspicion makes it his mission to solve the mystery of the murder by documenting the facts he discovers through his thorough and detailed investigations. Christopher is a complex yet truly remarkable boy, like many autistic people Christopher sees the world very differently to perhaps you and I, for one he truly ‘sees’ the world, he notices each and everything around him, he observes and processes every physical detail in his environment, colours, sounds, textures, everything Christopher sees is in exact and minute detail. His brain is as complex as it is fascinating, metaphors don’t make sense and people are generally confusing.

c3

 

Scott Reid as Christopher is fantastic, he makes such a physically and emotionally challenging role appear effortless, he is hugely likeable and engages the audience from his very first scene, you quite literally fall in love with Reid’s Christopher, you want him desperately to succeed and to be happy, safe and secure. The relationship he has with Siobhan (Lucianne McEvoy) his teacher is beautiful; she calms and soothes Christopher when things get too much and he stops being able to process the endless information his brain is constantly receiving, more importantly she totally and utterly believes in him.

c2

As the story develops we soon realise that Christopher like many people on the Autistic Spectrum is uncomfortable with touch, the amount of physical contact he will engage in is minimal and must be on his terms, this is beautifully directed and makes for some of the most poignant and emotional scenes in whole production as we witness Christopher’s parents battle to simply comfort their child.

Director Marianne Elliot along with Movement Directors Scott Graham, Steven Hoggett and Adrian Sutton have created something truly unique with their cast, from weightlessly floating through space to the trauma of using the unwelcoming and chaotic underground the way the cast move is mesmerising. The organisation and exact movement of the cast is outstanding, their fluid movement so intricate.

c4

Complementing the brilliant cast is a truly stunning set, it is in effect part of the cast as it is so involved in every aspect of what happens on stage, the cast and the set at times almost become one, moving fluidly together to astonishing effect. Designer Bunny Christie, Lighting Designer Paule Constable, Video Designer Finn Ross and Sound Designer Ian Dickinson have created something truly magical here.

Curious is a production that leaves an huge impact, at times heart-warming and funny it is also through provoking and incredibly moving, without doubt an absolute must see.

On at The Lowry until Saturday 4th February

http://www.thelowry.com/event/the-curious-incident-of-the-dog-in-the-night-time

Sleepless

Leave a comment

sleepless

Fresh from last weekend’s Strictly Come Dancing final, it’s been announced that Danny Mac and his real-life leading lady Carley Stenson, will be playing the roles of Sam and Annie in the world premiere of Sleepless, the new romantic musical based on the Tristar Pictures Inc. film Sleepless in Seattle.

With a book by Michael Burdett, music by Robert Scott and lyrics by Brendan Cull, the production will run at The Lowry, Salford from 25th to 29th April prior to a West End run.

Like the much loved movie, Sleepless tells the heart-warming tale of Sam, who moves to Seattle with his eight year-old son, Jonah, following the tragic death of his wife. When Jonah phones a radio show, Sam is forced to talk about his broken heart and sleepless nights live on air, and he suddenly finds himself one of the most sought after single men in America and a great news story for feisty journalist Annie on the opposite side of the country.  A fresh and lively book alongside a brand-new musical score bring this most timeless of romantic comedies to life on stage.

Danny Mac is best known for playing the role of Mark ‘Dodger’ Savage in Channel 4’s Hollyoaks. He was given his first professional role as Gavroche in Cameron Mackintosh’s touring production of Les Misérables, a role he reprised in London’s West End at the Palace Theatre in 1999.  After graduating from drama school, he went straight into Wicked at the Apollo Victoria.  Most recently, he played Warner in Legally Blonde at the Leicester Curve.

Carley Stenson played the role of Steph Cunningham in Channel 4’s Hollyoaks for 10 years. West End credits include starring as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, Princess Fiona in Shrek The Musical and Lady of the Lake in Spamalot.  Carley also starred as Christine Colgate in the national tour of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

Danny Mac and Carley Stenson will be joined by Jennie Dale as Becky and Cory English as Rob. Jennie’s most recent theatre credits include Maggie Jones in 42nd Street (Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris) Deb in Elf (Dominion Theatre), Dora in Singin’ in the Rain (Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris) and Mae in The Pajama Game (Shaftesbury Theatre).  On television, Jennie has appeared in The Tracey Ullman Show and Victoria Wood’s Mid-life Christmas and What Larks.  Cory English can currently be seen in She Loves Me at the Menier Chocolate Factory.  His many previous musical theatre credits include Max Bialystock in the UK Tour of The Producers, Igor in Young Frankenstein and Max Bialystock in The Producers, both for Susan Stroman on Broadway, and Benny Southstreet in Michael Grandage’s West End production of Guys & Dolls.

Sleepless

The Lowry, Salford

Tue 25– Sat 29 April 2017

7.30pm (Wed & Sat 2pm)

Tickets: £24 – £53.50 (Including booking fees)

Box office: 0843 208 6000

http://www.thelowry.com/event/sleepless

 

Billy Elliot – The Musical

Leave a comment

'

Billy is from a place where the men don’t dance, end of story, but, with a gritty determination, and an undeniable charm plus more talent than most of us have in our little fingers, he sets out to prove his doubters wrong by breaking the mould and going all the way.

Billy Elliot the Musical is a total phenomenon which has been seen by almost 11 million people across five continents and has won over 80 awards internationally, including an almighty 10 Tony Awards and a hugely impressive 5 Olivier Awards. Based on Lee Hall’s 2000 film, set in a northern mining town against the background of the 1984/’85 miners’ strike, the story revolves around Billy, who trades his boxing gloves for ballet shoes and soon discovers a passion for dance that ultimately changes not just his but the lives of his family and community forever.

So ingrained was life in the pits that son’s followed in their father’s footsteps, proud to do so and loyal to their communities. The impact of Maggie Thatcher and her Conservative Government on these communities is something that will never be forgotten and for most certainly not forgiven. Billy Elliot tells the story of a boy with a talent who wants out of the hardships of life in a mining town but needs the support and the backing of the proud men he adores yet watches become more and more broken by the oppressions of the state.

Billy Elliot does not shy away from the reality of the hardship and ill-treatment of the working classes during the miners’ strike of ‘84/85 and this only makes it more powerful and spellbinding. The contrast of the softness and innocence of the children in tutu’s dancing amongst the striking miners and heavy handed baton-wielding Police is powerful and emotive, reminding me of days in the 80’s when my sisters and I would help my Father seal envelops to send for job after job after first striking then being made redundant, unsuccessful time after time, yet never giving up.

Billy Elliot Tour

Billy Elliot is a story of hope, with emotional highs and heart-breaking lows, it is utterly absorbing. it will make you laugh out loud as well as pause an take The talent on stage is simply mind-blowing. With four Billy’s cast on the tour, tonight is the turn of Lewis Smallman to show us he truly was born to boogie. I don’t think any words could do justice to just how incredibly talented this young actor is, the challenges of the role are immense, not only do the boys need to have excellent contemporary dance, tap and ballet skills, but they’ve got to be able to sing and act and all with a Geordie accent! Lewis is totally mesmerising, his sheer talent and commitment to the role brought me to tears as I watched him move, he made for the perfect Billy.

As well as Lewis all the children in the cast are magnificent, with special mention going to Samuel Torpey Billy’s cross-dressing best friend Michael, whose duet with Lewis Smallman on Expressing Yourself is just perfection, funny, fabulous and full of razzle-dazzle, no doubt we will be seeing much more of this incredible talent, a true star in the making, he has the x-factor in bucket loads! Evie Martin takes on the role of Debbie with all the cheeky wit you’d hope for, she is fantastic, sassy and witty with just the right amount of attitude. The adult cast are exceptional too, lump in the throat moments between Billy and his dead Mum are at juxtapose with the scenes of violence and intimidation on the picket line. Annette McLaughlin as Mrs Wilkinson is outstanding, firm and feisty she truly believes in Billy, the scenes between the two are incredibly powerful as she offers a little of the Mother’s touch missing from Billy’s life. Martin Walsh as Billy’s Dad and Scott Garnham as Tony, Billy’s brother are real and believable, hardened by life and the rough hand they have been dealt yet when it comes down to it their love for both Billy and each other shines through.

Billy Elliot Tour

Everything about this production for me was perfection, from Elton John’s sublime score, to the incredible lighting design from Rick Fisher, and as for Peter Darling’s choreography, wow! Totally awe-inspiring, complex and compelling, expressive and moving, I barely blinked for fear of missing anything it just is that good.

Billy Elliot is an absolute triumph of a show, heart-warming, inspiring and utterly mesmerising, it’s very rare you see a whole audience leap up in appreciation but I absolutely guarantee by the time the curtain falls you will be on your feet roaring for more!

On at the Palace Theatre until Saturday 28th January tickets available here;

http://www.atgtickets.com/shows/billy-elliot/palace-theatre-manchester/

The Peony Pavilion

Leave a comment

pp

In heading to The Lowry for The National Ballet of China’s production of The Peony Pavilion , I knew could expect excellence but had no other preconceived idea. I guess the introduction to the evening prepared for something different, the choreographer introducing his cast and the story was quite different, enigmatic and totally charming. I felt closer to the story already. Often described at the Chinese Romeo and Juliet, The Peony Pavilion tells the story of a young girl, Du Liniang who falls into a slumber and dreams of falling in love with a young scholar, Liu Mengmei.

The opening solo dance was effortless and quite beautifully abstract, stunning choreography from Fei Bo . A central square which changed throughout the play as dreamspace or prison or a solitary confinement was a minimalist design which made the lines across the stage so clean.

pp2

The set was stunning, for most of the play there was a huge branch which embodied the back half of the stage sitting on a high diagonal which gave a poetic presence of absence, confirming the nature of seasonal change when leaves leave before new buds can grow.

The costumes were stunning especially the chinese opera singer Jia Pengfei who moved like a geisha and gave the most interesting performance of the evening, she dressed and undressed seamlessly describing time or drawing a warning. They were jaw dropping with elaborate, finely detailed embroidery of classical chinese flowers at times she took shape of rose through the movement of her material. The tiny chiffon layers of the ensemble followed the whipping of pirouettes or lame duck sequenced complex choreography.

pp3

There’s a sense the company is moving with this piece into a modern classical style, a mixture of classical contemporary techniques interwoven into the ballet, the theme of marrying pointe work with bare feet wasn’t as interesting choreographically as it may have tried to be.

pp1

The second half gave rewarding performances in a lead male solo and ghost duets . The huge cast gave a warm performance, the stage rained with peony petals, changed into a forest environment where the ensemble played with trailing green neon light in a poi like chained ball which left resonance in the space as they moved.

It was a charming portrayal of the story, striking and utterly captivating.

 

Love’s Labour’s Lost

Leave a comment

2016_manuel-harlan-_c_rsc_cft_207788-tmb-gal-670

A wonderful additional to this years offerings celebrating 400 years since the death of William Shakespeare, The RSC bring not one but two of the Bard’s works to Manchester this Christmas time. Love’s Labour’s Lost and Much Ado About Nothing, argued by some that the latter is another name for Shakespeare’s missing play, Love’s Labour’s Won, the similarities between the two are plentiful, both being set on a large county estate, sparring couples, masked encounters, mistaken identities and of course hilarious high jinx including overheard and secretly observed sonnets. Playing back to back at Manchester’s Opera House before heading to the Theatre Royal Haymarket , both productions are an absolute triumph.

Opening with the King of Navarre (Sam Alexander) and his three Lords, Berowne (Edward Bennett), Longaville (William Belchambers), and Dumaine (Tunji Kasim), swearing an oath  which includes avoiding contact with women for a lengthy three years, shortly followed by the arrival of the beautiful Princess of France (Leah Whitaker) and her ladies Rosaline (Lisa Dillon), Katharine (Rebecca Collingworth) and Maria (Paige Carter) it soon becomes clear this was an oath that was never going to easily run it’s course. Cue much merriment and classic Shakespearean rhyme while completly against their oath the Lords fall in love with the ladies and of course the King with the Princess.

2016_manuel-harlan-_c_rsc_cft_207794-tmb-gal-670

Don Armado (John Hodgkinson), a Spaniard visiting the King’s court, is also hit by Cupid’s bow, but rather than with a Lady of the court he is taken by Jaquenetta, (Emma Manton) a local dairymaid who has recently been found cavorting with Costard (Nick Haverson) the gardner. So ensues the writing of love notes, delivered of course to the wrong recipient. The unconventional courtships continue with a wonderful scene where we see the King and his Lords disguising themselves as travelling Muscovites which leads to hilarious scenes of Russian dancing and the ladies switching identities themselves through the swapping of favours received by the Lords and the use of elegant masks.

Working with the same company of actors and setting both plays either side of the Great War adds real poignancy to the ending of Love’s Labour’s Lost, sometimes described at the ‘unfinished play’ the merriment and frivolity of the play comes to an abrupt end when the King and his Lord’s head off to war, much as life for many must have been as their young men suddenly headed off to the battlefields of Northern France.

2016_manuel-harlan-_c_rsc_cft_207793-tmb-gal-670

The cast are exceptional, the talent on stage an absolute joy to watch, from Edward Bennett’s brilliant Berowne to John Hodgkinson’s hilarious Don Armado the comic timing and delivering of the Bard’s script is just perfection. Special mention to Peter McGovern whose Moth was magnificent, not to mention his Hercules in the ‘Nine Worthies’ which had the audience in hysterics.

Visually stunning, Simon Higlet’s set is outstanding, with scene changes flowing beautifully due to the ingenious use of a large sliding truck and sub-stage trap. Where Much Ado is festive and twinkling, Love’s Labour’s Lost takes place in the summertime of 1914 when skies are blue and poppies, in a nod to the impending Great War are plentiful. Melody Wood’s luxurious costumes are delightful, perfectly encapsulating the period. The use of music by Nigel Hess, directed by Bob Broad, further enhances this production, filmically underscoring certain moments and offering some challenging vocal pieces which the cast embrace wonderfully.

2016_manuel-harlan-_c_rsc_cft_207789-tmb-gal-670

Love’s Labour’s Lost is an absolute joy, highly entertaining and wonderfully acted. Playing at Manchester’s Opera House until Saturday 3rd December.

http://www.atgtickets.com/shows/loves-labours-lost/opera-house-manchester/

Much Ado About Nothing – Opera House

Leave a comment
unnamed
Now that we have witnessed the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Edward Bennett electrocuted inside a giant Christmas tree, the festive season can officially begin!
What better way to mark the conclusion of 2016 – and the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death – than with two of the Bard’s best-loved comedies, played on consecutive nights at the Opera House Manchester, with the same cast?
Director Christopher Luscombe and production manager Paul Hennessey’s grand experiment examines the long-rumoured synergies between Love’s Labour’s Lost and Much Ado About Nothing – setting them in the same country estate (modelled on Charlecote Park, near Shakespeare’s Stratford-upon-Avon) and bookmarking them in summer and winter, before and after the Great War. 
Both deliver a witty, sparring couple; a supporting cast of characters that include a policeman, a curate and many domestic servants; masked encounters between lovers; and – one of Shakespeare’s favourite devices – endless cases of mistaken identity. 
ma
Associate director Guy Unsworth concludes that Shakespeare ‘deliberately shows us two sides of the same coin’ and ‘does indeed want us to view them as an extended double-bill’… Mark thee well!
Anon – immersing ourselves in Much Ado About Nothing’s wintry scenes on a cold Mancunian night – we encounter fast-talking, resolutely single bachelorette Beatrice (Lisa Dillon), who declares: ‘I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me’. The equally marriage-adverse Benedick (Edward Bennett) has just returned from the war, yet it is Beatrice’s quick-fire degradations of his character – spoken at a masked dance – that leave him mortally wounded. 
Their union seems doomed until their eavesdropping antics reveal a surprising fact… they are each madly in love with the other. These revelatory conversations – staged by Benedick and Beatrice’s family and friends, for their benefit – are some of the funniest scenes in the production. Bennett’s comedic antics inside the family Christmas tree solicit great guffaws of appreciation from the audience; it feels inevitable when he breaks the fourth wall – dissolving into barely suppressed laughter himself.  
In another plot, Beatrice’s cousin Hero (Rebecca Collingwood), who radiates chastity and goodness, is due to be married to besotted Claudio (Tunji Kasim); however, he jilts her at the altar when her name is sullied by an accusation of infidelity. With Beatrice and Benedict’s – and Hero and Claudio’s – unions both hanging in the balance, could it be that all hopes rest on hapless constable Dogberry (Nick Haverson) riding to the rescue?
Gripped in a fit of body spasms and crashing around the set, it feels as though he is perilously close to tumbling from the stage; Haverson gives every fibre of his being to the slapstick comedic stylings of Dogberry. Along with Lisa Dillon, his performance is a highlight among the sublime cast – assembled by Gabrielle Dawes and Helena Palmer.  
ma1
Designer Simon Higlett has created a sumptuous Christmas card-style stage – rich, festive and twinkling. His team seamlessly interchange between the house and its grounds by virtue of a large sliding truck and the sub-stage trap. It’s as ingenious as it is beautiful – complemented by Melody Wood’s sumptuous period costumes that brilliantly encapsulate fashion on the cusp of the 1920s. 
This is the second time that composer Nigel Hess has scored the two plays for the RSC, but with exception of a couple of affection quotes, he has revisited them again with completely new music. To further explore the cohesion between the comedies, he uses musical cross-references between the two productions. It’s a triumph, with nuances that complement the on-stage gusto and frivolity to perfection. 
Christmas is a season of laughter and good cheer – and you will find both in these sparkling, immaculate productions by one of our nation’s greatest treasures: the Royal Shakespeare Company. 
Love’s Labour’s Lost and Much Ado About Nothing are on at Opera House Manchester until Saturday, 3 December.

Billy Budd – Opera North

Leave a comment

bb3

The good ship Opera North has sailed into Salford Quays with its stellar performance of Benjamin Britten’s ‘Billy Budd’ – a tale of high drama on the high seas aboard The Indomitable.

Ensconced in the bowels of The Lowry, with a superb view of Leslie Travers’ ‘handsome’ set, you are immediately transported back to 1797 by Captain Edmund Fairfax Vere (Alan Oke) – reflecting on the arrival of Able Seaman Billy Budd (Roderick Williams), who has been pressganged into joining the fight against the ‘Frenchies’.

Uncommonly beautiful – and possessing a disarming goodness – Billy endears himself to all classes of men… except the dastardly Master-at-Arms John ‘Jemmy Legs’ Claggart (Alastair Miles). Recruiting the services of a reluctant Novice (Oliver Johnston), whose spirit he has broken by a brutal flogging, cruel Claggart plots Billy’s downfall with a maniacal zeal…

bb

The stage is set for a titanic clash of good and evil, as The Indomitable presses on into enemy territory through a cloak of mist – a fitting metaphor for Captain Vere’s clouded conscience as he presides over the climatic court hearing to determine Billy’s fate.

An immersive, dramatic tale with themes that are as enduring as the classics Captain Vere frequently calls to mind, ‘Billy Budd’ is stupendously entertaining – an affecting character study of the intrinsically good, the duplicitously evil and the tormented adjudicator.

London tenor Oliver Johnston’s depiction of the wretched Novice is worthy of individual praise for the haunting inflection he lends to every perfectly-pitched note. Crouched face-down, bloodied from flogging and shrouded by the threat of his own demise, he is mesmeric – offering a sensitive counterpoint to the frequent bluster of the ranking commanders he serves.

bb1

Stephen Richardson’s Dansker, Daniel Norman’s Red Whiskers and David Llewellyn’s Squeak all serve the production well, with characterful performances that add welcome touches of lightness and humour, while Alastair Miles’ Claggart skilfully delivers a contemptible villain without dipping into pantomime territory. (Boos at the final curtain aside!)

Roderick Williams, as the titular Billy Budd, is effused with the requisite air of unsullied innocence – boasting all the likeability of the character he inhabits. Sitting alone, illuminated by a sole spotlight, he is particularly memorable – taking the audience by the hand on his journey from sorrow through to noble acceptance of his fate.

Beautiful to look at, in the style of a Renaissance painting, the ensemble segments offer a wonderful opportunity to appreciate Leslie Travers’ costumes – a palette of muted greys and creams enlivened by the blues, golds and reds of the officers’ jackets – while the masterful lighting design of Thomas C. Hase brings the pared-back set dramatically to life with every developing plot twist.

bb4

Of course, the musical brilliance of the show is underpinned by the accomplished orchestra, conducted by Garry Walker and led by David Greed, who became (at that time) the youngest leader in the country when he joined the Orchestra of the Opera North in 1978; also, the chorus, which has been restored to its full complement of 36 full-time members (no small feat in the challenging financial climate the arts face). A much-deserved ovation as the curtain came down marked the audience’s appreciation.

Director Orpha Phelan last worked with Leslie Travers on Bellini’s ‘I Capuleti e i Montecchi’ in 2008. Together, they can feel very proud to have created a wonderfully entertaining and visually stunning rendition of ‘Billy Budd’ – a quarter of a century since it was last staged by Opera North.

bb2

Sang in English – with subtitles for the deaf, deafened and hard of hearing – this is an extremely accessible performance that both novice and veteran opera-goers can enjoy alike.

‘Billy Budd’ will next be staged at The Theatre Royal in Nottingham on 17 November at 7pm. Click to book: https://www.operanorth.co.uk/productions/billy-budd