UK Theatre Network

Well, you made it to the weekend, Friend, so did I ! Only just. It's been 4 weeks of hard hard work which comes to an end tomorrow night with the final performance of K-PAX. My agent called me this morning, there's some comedy programmes in Scotland coming up which I'm up for....just quite how I'll fit it in I have no idea. I'm going back up to do Illustrious Corpse and South Pacific but perhaps there are a few hours spare I haven't accounted for :-) Time is precious, make sure you make the most of it this weekend and have a great one ! Douglas x ---------------------------- NOW BOOKING.......NOW BOOKING.......NOW BOOKING..... Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jim Steinman's hit West End musical opens at the King's Theatre, Glasgow on Monday 22nd March. Based on the much-loved film, Whistle Down the Wind is an extraordinary and uplifting tale about the transforming power of love. In America's deep South a 15-year-old girl discovers a mysterious man hiding out in a barn. When she asks his identity the first words he utters are "Jesus Christ"; it's as if all her prayers have been answered. The girl and the town's other children vow to protect the stranger from the world that waits outside; meanwhile the townspeople are determined to catch a fugitive. Whistle Down the Wind's powerful all-new staging combines epic storytelling with intimate emotion as the innocence of children collides with the cynicism of the adult world. Featuring multi-award-winning songs including 'The Vaults of Heaven', 'Whistle Down the Wind' and the Boyzone No 1 smash hit 'No Matter What'. Whistle Down the Wind is directed by Bill Kenwright, with choreography by Henry Metcalfe, design by Paul Farnsworth, musical direction by David Steadman and lighting by Nick Richings. Don't miss WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND at The King's Theatre, Glasgow from Monday 22nd March until Saturday 3rd April. Tickets can be booked on 0141 240 1111. Mid Surrey Theatre Company A Laughing Matter: a dazzling new comedy by April de Angeles May 18-22nd Epsom Playhouse, Ashley Avenue,Epsom,Surrey Box Office: 01372 372935 It's 1773 at the height of the Georgian age of elegance and improvement. But at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, the crowd is growing restless. The leading man's unconscious but the show must go on…….. Mid Surrey Theatre Company return to the Epsom Playhouse with a dazzling new backstage comedy charting the real life events of one of Britain’s greatest theatre impresarios, David Garrick. Joined by a host of intriguing characters, from the acclaimed man of letters Dr Johnson to a failing playwright Oliver Goldsmith, A Laughing Matter recreates a fascinating period of English theatre whose man at the helm is caught between financial pressure and artistic ambition. Adrian Washbourne 0207 557 3887 REVIEWS........REVIEWS...........REVIEWS......... LA TRAVIATA by Giuseppe Verdi Richmond Theatre 3-7 Mar Box Office 0208 940 0088 For all lovers of theatre and opera, La Traviata, based on Alexandre Dumas' La Dame aux Camellias (The Lady of the Camellias), a romance between the young author and a courtesan in 1846. The romance lasted a year before she died of consumption. Verdi then turned the story into an opera in 1852. Directed by Rob Kearly (Riverside Opera) and conducted by Simon Toyne, La Traviata resounds inside Richmond Theatre, with basic stage management and sophisticated costume that results in a beautiful combination with the interior design of the theatre. Romance, friendship, betrayal, illness, tragedy. All ingredients for a measured operatic effect, where sometimes it doesn't matter so much to fully understand the story but to feel the development of the relationships of the characters through their singing. Highly recommended. Review by Carlos Ramos THE HOLLY AND THE IVY. By Wynyard Browne Presented by the award winning Middle Ground Theatre Company Now playing at the Hawth, Crawley, until Saturday, 6th March. A cold, snowy Christmas Eve at a vicarage in Scotland, and the ageing Rev. Martin Gregory (Tony Britton) and his daughter, Jenny (Rachel Blenkiron) prepare for the arrival of the family - a son on leave from the army, a seemingly successful journalist daughter coming from London, and two elderly aunts, one well off and the other one poor. It could be a comedy, a drama, or a tragedy and – in fact – it is all of these. The comedy is mainly provided by the two aunts, who bicker happily together and disagree about everything – festive season or not. Well – sisters do that – I should know! Sounds like a typical family Christmas - a mixed bag of people who, if they weren’t related, certainly would not know each other, and yet they get together once a year to exchange news and gossip and then go their separate ways., thinking that they know all there is to know about the others……but how wrong they are! As the play proceeds we discover one by one the secrets that they have been keeping. As daughter Margaret (Joy Brook) explains ‘I am what has happened to me’ and what has happened is indeed a tragedy which she feels she cannot tell the family, although when she does finally tell her story to her father she is astonished at his unexpected reaction. Written in 1948, just after the war, the author (an ardent pacifist and socialist) seems to be searching for a meaning to life – a need to make sense of the world – and the Rev. Martin is looking back over his life wondering whether or not he has made a difference. The general theme is lack of communication and understanding – between the Rev. Martin and his parishioners – between him and his immediate family, and between the family members themselves. The universal search for truth – whatever that is! I wish he had found it! An interesting play – deeper than it at first appeared, giving much food for thought and well acted by the cast of eight - Nathan Hannan being the very excitable son, and Jenny’s sensible, down-to-earth Scots boyfriend is David Mara. Michael Lunney, as cousin Richard, gave a very relaxed, laid-back performance, especially considering that he was also producer, director and lighting designer. Perhaps he keeps a supply of Valium to hand. I was intrigued by the title – why Holly and Ivy, apart from the fact that the carol was played during much of the performance, – so I researched a little. Apparently these were primitive pagan symbols of male and female which, in the carol, are mixed with Christianity, and an old tradition says that whichever is brought into the house on Christmas Eve decides whether the man or woman will rule that year. Much was made of the holly (thorny and with a bitter bark) being brought in here. Is this significant? I’m not sure. See what you think - and - guess what’s coming first into my house next Christmas Eve! Reviewed by Sheila Connor. Box Office............01293 553636 Crazy For You - New Wimbledon Theatre Monday 1st March 2004 Crazy For You contains all the ingredients that are necessary for making a classical musical. Firstly, of course, there is the score. It's hard to believe these well known and well loved songs such as 'Someone To Watch Over Me' 'I Got Rhythm' and 'They Can't Take That Away From Me' we're composed by the remarkable George and Ira Gershwin almost 60 years ago. Regardless of their age they are still as refreshing and foot tappingly good today judging by the response of the audience. The songs were interpreted beautifully by the cast who performed each number with the requisite amount of razzle – dazzle or poignancy. Along with the singing has to come the dancing, which this production had in abundance. Crazy For You is set in the American jazz era of the 1940’s so this of course makes way for plenty of swinging tap numbers. My favorite routine being where the dancers ingeniously made use of the dustbin lids on set to tap dance on. All routines were performed with such energy and style. I can never get over the fact that these people can sing and dance at the same time!! Another component is the costumes which were absolutely dazzling some of them had so many sequins on they actually were! There were some stunning evening dresses and the chorus line costumes were remarkable, illustrating perfectly what an elegant era that particular time was. Finally of course there has to be love interest. This came in the shape of two characters, Polly Baker and Bobby Childs, played fabulously by Melanie Stace and Darren Bennet. Two people from ‘completely different sides of town’ who through pure coincidence stumble upon one another. Bobby, a struggling dancer trying to succeed in the bright lights of New York and Polly a simple small town mail girl from Nevada with attitude! Both extremely talented vocalists and dancers they gave spellbinding performances and had immense chemistry between them, which made for some riveting scenes. I also thought the set was excellent, as was the use of the stage as a whole. Considering the company was fairly large the set designers and the performers utilized every last inch of the space. Crazy For You is on at Wimbledon until Saturday 6th March. After that it will tour the rest of the country so try and catch it, as it’s a wonderful example of the magic of a musical. Box Office: 0870 060 6646 Review by Emma Pring