Thursday, 3 February 2011
Temporary Pauses
Quite, quite often, I forget about this blog. I have seen many many shows since the last one and have forgotten to create anything about them. How irritating. Perhaps from now on I might remember, and even once of twice publish retrospectively...just in case the mood strikes anyone to read it :)
Monday, 8 March 2010
Singing Choruses in Public - Its G&S I think!
Hull University Gilbert and Sullivan Society have, for the last few years, prided themselves on being able to produce energetic, enthusiastic and enjoyable versions of the G&S Operettas with a different twist to each rendition. In the eagerly anticipated Tim Burton style production of Ruddigore, the cast of 2009/2010 have certainly not dropped the ball.
Ruddigore is Gilbert’s satire of Victorian Melodrama, and the gothic elements in the plot (witches, curses, dead ancestors) make a good marriage with Tim Burton’s dark, dingy style. Director Lucy Thomson-Smith excelled herself in bringing a large and diverse cast into line with this vision, resulting in an entertaining and light hearted production.
The set for Act I of Ruddigore tore away from the usual Cornish Village to see the characters in a minimalist, monotone space, not dissimilar to the empty village in Burton’s The Corpse Bride. Resplendent in pale rags, the female chorus worked well as an eerie unit, and in their contrasting rich black the male chorus more than compensated for their lack in number with their enthusiasm and ability. Of the capable principle line-up, Lisa McKinley’s crazed and flirtatious Zorah was always a pleasure to watch. Fiona Murray’s Mad Margaret defied some of the traditional stigma of the part by being identifiable; her madness was reasonable within her story and made the audience laugh without having to resort to pure absurdity. HUGSS veteran Rory Oliver’s booming entrance in Act II grabbed audience attention, well supported by the male chorus and fantastic life-size paintings of the Ruddigore ancestors.
Thomson-Smith’s direction was carried well by the cast; perhaps not to the tastes of a die-hard G&S traditionalist but carefully striking the balance between maintaining the integrity of Gilbert’s original intentions and bringing to life an exaggerated element of character and setting. Her direction for the usually dull penultimate number (‘There grew a little flower/Sing hey lack-a-day’) was beautifully sad, marrying Oliver’s strong bass with Rose Kirven’s sweetly emotional contralto to a poignant dance sequence. At several points the audience lost interest in the main action of the lead characters in favour of a humorous background interlude, which could be seen by some as a weakness – but when evaluating audience enjoyment versus audience understanding, G&S quite often proves too tangled for the latter and so here the former is a welcome relief.
Amateur productions are often hampered by a lack of financial resource or a very wooden and stuffy approach, but congratulations must be duly awarded to cast, committee and orchestra alike for an enjoyable evening, showcasing some genuine talent in many of the young performers, and bringing Gilbert’s ghosts and some of Sullivan’s most dramatic music alive once more.
Ruddigore is Gilbert’s satire of Victorian Melodrama, and the gothic elements in the plot (witches, curses, dead ancestors) make a good marriage with Tim Burton’s dark, dingy style. Director Lucy Thomson-Smith excelled herself in bringing a large and diverse cast into line with this vision, resulting in an entertaining and light hearted production.
The set for Act I of Ruddigore tore away from the usual Cornish Village to see the characters in a minimalist, monotone space, not dissimilar to the empty village in Burton’s The Corpse Bride. Resplendent in pale rags, the female chorus worked well as an eerie unit, and in their contrasting rich black the male chorus more than compensated for their lack in number with their enthusiasm and ability. Of the capable principle line-up, Lisa McKinley’s crazed and flirtatious Zorah was always a pleasure to watch. Fiona Murray’s Mad Margaret defied some of the traditional stigma of the part by being identifiable; her madness was reasonable within her story and made the audience laugh without having to resort to pure absurdity. HUGSS veteran Rory Oliver’s booming entrance in Act II grabbed audience attention, well supported by the male chorus and fantastic life-size paintings of the Ruddigore ancestors.
Thomson-Smith’s direction was carried well by the cast; perhaps not to the tastes of a die-hard G&S traditionalist but carefully striking the balance between maintaining the integrity of Gilbert’s original intentions and bringing to life an exaggerated element of character and setting. Her direction for the usually dull penultimate number (‘There grew a little flower/Sing hey lack-a-day’) was beautifully sad, marrying Oliver’s strong bass with Rose Kirven’s sweetly emotional contralto to a poignant dance sequence. At several points the audience lost interest in the main action of the lead characters in favour of a humorous background interlude, which could be seen by some as a weakness – but when evaluating audience enjoyment versus audience understanding, G&S quite often proves too tangled for the latter and so here the former is a welcome relief.
Amateur productions are often hampered by a lack of financial resource or a very wooden and stuffy approach, but congratulations must be duly awarded to cast, committee and orchestra alike for an enjoyable evening, showcasing some genuine talent in many of the young performers, and bringing Gilbert’s ghosts and some of Sullivan’s most dramatic music alive once more.
Sunday, 23 August 2009
A Facebook Don't
FACEBOOK THE MUSICAL
Edinburgh Fringe Festival 09
www.facebookthemusical.com
One could be forgiven for thinking that Facebook: The Musical would be about Facebook, that it would be a clever and insightful idea given Facebook’s current popularity, and that it would be an interesting show. Sadly, it did not quite fit this bill, due to falling far short of the marker.
Starting with a relay of ‘status updates’ about the five different characters to set the scene, the action did not take long to get going, but it was soon clear that the story didn’t have a lot of relevance to Facebook. In fact, it was almost possible to omit Facebook entirely from the show, and do it no real damage. The show was over long and tedious in places, and there was little real wit involved in the writing. More than one audience member resented paying £9.50 to be exposed to a plot which, though mildly interesting some of the time, was not the clever comedy the Fringe Programme seems to promise.
Despite the rapid deterioration of the Facebook element within the play, one could not truly declare the show to be a waste of time, and this merit entirely rests on the shoulders of the young cast. All five performers were accomplished actors and did amazingly well to maintain dwindling audience interest in the face of the rather shambolic plot. In particular, lead female ‘Rose’ and secondary female ‘Patience’ were both brilliant performers with very good vocal ability. The direction was executed well in places with some good ideas, and aside from the copious amount of samey ballads, the music was really very good, and suitably well received.
For an idea with such potential, it is a shame indeed that the Facebook part of the plot was merely a playground of concepts, with no real continuity. One might hope that the actors showcased here might look for a better outlet in next year’s Fringe, in order for their talents to thrive rather than be stifled, and perhaps a rewrite of the play would be beneficial.
Edinburgh Fringe Festival 09
www.facebookthemusical.com
One could be forgiven for thinking that Facebook: The Musical would be about Facebook, that it would be a clever and insightful idea given Facebook’s current popularity, and that it would be an interesting show. Sadly, it did not quite fit this bill, due to falling far short of the marker.
Starting with a relay of ‘status updates’ about the five different characters to set the scene, the action did not take long to get going, but it was soon clear that the story didn’t have a lot of relevance to Facebook. In fact, it was almost possible to omit Facebook entirely from the show, and do it no real damage. The show was over long and tedious in places, and there was little real wit involved in the writing. More than one audience member resented paying £9.50 to be exposed to a plot which, though mildly interesting some of the time, was not the clever comedy the Fringe Programme seems to promise.
Despite the rapid deterioration of the Facebook element within the play, one could not truly declare the show to be a waste of time, and this merit entirely rests on the shoulders of the young cast. All five performers were accomplished actors and did amazingly well to maintain dwindling audience interest in the face of the rather shambolic plot. In particular, lead female ‘Rose’ and secondary female ‘Patience’ were both brilliant performers with very good vocal ability. The direction was executed well in places with some good ideas, and aside from the copious amount of samey ballads, the music was really very good, and suitably well received.
For an idea with such potential, it is a shame indeed that the Facebook part of the plot was merely a playground of concepts, with no real continuity. One might hope that the actors showcased here might look for a better outlet in next year’s Fringe, in order for their talents to thrive rather than be stifled, and perhaps a rewrite of the play would be beneficial.
Big Band make a Big Impression
SWING IN THE CITY
Hull University Big Band
Edinburgh Fringe Festival 09
City Nightclub
Hull University Big Band have played at the Fringe for six years, and judging by their current success, continue to grow in popularity.
For the last three years at least H.U. Big Band have certainly upped the game, increasing audience and refining band talent, which produced a very entertaining gig indeed on Saturday August 15th. The musicians were full of energy and enthusiasm, and most were quite often ‘bopping along’ to the infectious tunes. All soloists impressed the audience with their ability, particularly drummer Dan England and sax player Matthew Newby. Both singers (Alex Haigh and Gemma Cross) were on top form - the rendition of ‘Bad, bad, Leroy Brown’ certainly had the crowd going. The set of famous favourites went down tremendously well, including old time classics like ‘In The Mood’ and ‘The Chicken’. The cheesy-yet-enjoyable highlight of the evening occurred in the pen-ultimate performance; during the sparkling rendition of ‘New York, New York’, the glitter disco ball was brilliantly lit right at the last chorus for a timeless big finish.
Congratulations to all involved, Hull University Big Band should be able to enjoy many more years service in the Fringe Festival if this particular ‘Swing in the City’ Gig is anything to go by.
Hull University Big Band
Edinburgh Fringe Festival 09
City Nightclub
Hull University Big Band have played at the Fringe for six years, and judging by their current success, continue to grow in popularity.
For the last three years at least H.U. Big Band have certainly upped the game, increasing audience and refining band talent, which produced a very entertaining gig indeed on Saturday August 15th. The musicians were full of energy and enthusiasm, and most were quite often ‘bopping along’ to the infectious tunes. All soloists impressed the audience with their ability, particularly drummer Dan England and sax player Matthew Newby. Both singers (Alex Haigh and Gemma Cross) were on top form - the rendition of ‘Bad, bad, Leroy Brown’ certainly had the crowd going. The set of famous favourites went down tremendously well, including old time classics like ‘In The Mood’ and ‘The Chicken’. The cheesy-yet-enjoyable highlight of the evening occurred in the pen-ultimate performance; during the sparkling rendition of ‘New York, New York’, the glitter disco ball was brilliantly lit right at the last chorus for a timeless big finish.
Congratulations to all involved, Hull University Big Band should be able to enjoy many more years service in the Fringe Festival if this particular ‘Swing in the City’ Gig is anything to go by.
Peak Opera sigh for the love of Buxton
THE YEOMEN OF THE GUARD
Peak Opera
19th August 2009
Buxton Opera House
Peak Opera’s production of The Yeomen of the Guard was eagerly anticipated within the Buxton Festival camp. The show is a favourite of many, so Peak were under rather a lot of pressure when mounting their annual performance this year.
With any amateur production the audience must be willing to factor difficulties and restricted rehearsal time into their view of the show, and though Peak did well within their amateur confines, in the case of the chorus one could not help but feel even one extra day rehearsal of musical confidence would not have gone a miss. However, despite the odd worrying tendency to wander from Sullivan’s desired timing, the chorus did well to fill the stage with enthusiasm, and the Music Director was quick to reign the few musical discrepancies back in. Vocally the chorus were a little unbalanced, with a heavy tenor and soprano presence, but their acting efforts were well received.
The show went off well, sticking largely to the more traditional direction of G&S but slipping in new bits of business, which were (on the whole) easily detected and then largely accepted by the eagle-eyed audience. The direction was perhaps a little static in places, but was generally well executed and sometimes pleasingly effective, such as the sexual capers in ‘Were I Thy Bride’ and the quaint bunting-frilled dance to ‘Heighdy’.
The principal line-up was strong; a charismatic Phoebe (Lucy Appleyard) and an oddly likeable Shadbolt (Gareth Edwards) were well partnered, both demonstrating good vocal ability and delivering confident and enjoyable performances. David Lovell’s Sergeant Meryll was a kindlier version than sometimes found, who sported an impressive yeomanly beard, though not as intriguing as the beard sported by Kimmo Eriksson when he wasn’t playing Leonard Meryll. Angela Lowe provided a Dame Caruthers who was formidable in her way, but not entirely unlike able; whether deliberately or not, she gave the character an interesting dimension of slight nervousness in her over active arm movements. Elsie Maynard (Alexandra Saunders) was vocally pleasing, but a little less animated than she could have been; this had the interesting effect of complimenting Chris Diffey’s enthusiastic Fairfax, but faced with Jack Point’s avid devotion, seemed to hint at a bored acquiescence to their match on Elsie’s part. Liam Geoghegan played Point straight and with enough merry wit to warrant the Joker’s profession, but his aptitude lay in the very humane portrayal of Point as a man suffering the pangs of unrequited love; he coped well with the inherent difficulties of playing a character who must bounce from the one extreme to it’s opposite. The handful of smaller principal parts were equally well played; no actor could be targeted as a weak link.
The set was effective and the ambiguity of its doorways could be forgiven in the face of their ability to traffic large numbers. The use of traditional costume was good, especially for Point, Phoebe and the Yeomen, though one or two costuming decisions were a trifle dubious. The cast as a whole could not be faulted on their enthusiasm or effort, and looked to be enjoying themselves.
The most memorable part of the show was undoubtedly the rather controversial decision to have Point assassinated. The audience might indeed have been unsure what to make of it, but it was certainly a shocking ending and brave decision, the sadness of which left more than one member of the audience significantly moved.
Peak Opera delivered an enjoyable performance, which housed some genuine talent.
Peak Opera
19th August 2009
Buxton Opera House
Peak Opera’s production of The Yeomen of the Guard was eagerly anticipated within the Buxton Festival camp. The show is a favourite of many, so Peak were under rather a lot of pressure when mounting their annual performance this year.
With any amateur production the audience must be willing to factor difficulties and restricted rehearsal time into their view of the show, and though Peak did well within their amateur confines, in the case of the chorus one could not help but feel even one extra day rehearsal of musical confidence would not have gone a miss. However, despite the odd worrying tendency to wander from Sullivan’s desired timing, the chorus did well to fill the stage with enthusiasm, and the Music Director was quick to reign the few musical discrepancies back in. Vocally the chorus were a little unbalanced, with a heavy tenor and soprano presence, but their acting efforts were well received.
The show went off well, sticking largely to the more traditional direction of G&S but slipping in new bits of business, which were (on the whole) easily detected and then largely accepted by the eagle-eyed audience. The direction was perhaps a little static in places, but was generally well executed and sometimes pleasingly effective, such as the sexual capers in ‘Were I Thy Bride’ and the quaint bunting-frilled dance to ‘Heighdy’.
The principal line-up was strong; a charismatic Phoebe (Lucy Appleyard) and an oddly likeable Shadbolt (Gareth Edwards) were well partnered, both demonstrating good vocal ability and delivering confident and enjoyable performances. David Lovell’s Sergeant Meryll was a kindlier version than sometimes found, who sported an impressive yeomanly beard, though not as intriguing as the beard sported by Kimmo Eriksson when he wasn’t playing Leonard Meryll. Angela Lowe provided a Dame Caruthers who was formidable in her way, but not entirely unlike able; whether deliberately or not, she gave the character an interesting dimension of slight nervousness in her over active arm movements. Elsie Maynard (Alexandra Saunders) was vocally pleasing, but a little less animated than she could have been; this had the interesting effect of complimenting Chris Diffey’s enthusiastic Fairfax, but faced with Jack Point’s avid devotion, seemed to hint at a bored acquiescence to their match on Elsie’s part. Liam Geoghegan played Point straight and with enough merry wit to warrant the Joker’s profession, but his aptitude lay in the very humane portrayal of Point as a man suffering the pangs of unrequited love; he coped well with the inherent difficulties of playing a character who must bounce from the one extreme to it’s opposite. The handful of smaller principal parts were equally well played; no actor could be targeted as a weak link.
The set was effective and the ambiguity of its doorways could be forgiven in the face of their ability to traffic large numbers. The use of traditional costume was good, especially for Point, Phoebe and the Yeomen, though one or two costuming decisions were a trifle dubious. The cast as a whole could not be faulted on their enthusiasm or effort, and looked to be enjoying themselves.
The most memorable part of the show was undoubtedly the rather controversial decision to have Point assassinated. The audience might indeed have been unsure what to make of it, but it was certainly a shocking ending and brave decision, the sadness of which left more than one member of the audience significantly moved.
Peak Opera delivered an enjoyable performance, which housed some genuine talent.
Friday, 24 July 2009
You've Got To Pick A Celebrity Or Two!
Cameron Mackintosh's 'Oliver!'
Drury Lane Theatre, London
Thurs 16th July 09
Rowan Atkinson’s role as Fagin was highly anticipated from the off. The audience on the 16th July at Drury Lane were certainly keen for Atkinson’s arrival; a hearty round of applause directly followed the actors opening line. London loves a celebrity novelty.
While Atkinson was more than adequate as Fagin, he didn’t rejuvenate the role as much as he certainly could have; his delivery was a confusion of Ron Moody’s Fagin (19XX film version) and Atkinson’s infamous character creation ‘Mr Bean’. However, his natural flair for comedic timing enabled the talented young cast to bounce easily from him, and despite an entertaining rendition of ‘You’ve got to Pick a Pocket’, the audience was left with the impression that Atkinson was not cast on the virtues of his singing voice.
The show was as entertaining and colourful an evening as a top West End Show should be. The cast breezed through the brash chorus numbers, and the majority of the company could not be faulted for their efforts. Tamsin Carroll played the role of Nancy, and her dubious rendition of the climax of Nancy’s ballad could be absolved in the face of her sterling performance. Wendy Ferguson and Julius D’Silva were impeccable as the brilliantly funny Mr Bumble and Widow Corney; the bawdy focus on Ferguson’s ‘kittens’ was interestingly and amusingly displaced by the ample assets of Little Sally (Lynne Wilmot) later in the show. Showstopper tune ‘Who Will Buy’ stole the imagination of the audience through the whole cast pitching in their all and loving every minute, and the interactions of the cast with the intricate moving scenery gave the show that certain West End shine.
An enjoyable evening despite birds-eye view, Atkinson and his fellows seem to pull out all the stops and throw themselves heart and soul into the production. The faint tarnish on the polished production is unlikely to cause anyone unquiet in the face of the sheer energy and enthusiasm exuded from the stage.
Drury Lane Theatre, London
Thurs 16th July 09
Rowan Atkinson’s role as Fagin was highly anticipated from the off. The audience on the 16th July at Drury Lane were certainly keen for Atkinson’s arrival; a hearty round of applause directly followed the actors opening line. London loves a celebrity novelty.
While Atkinson was more than adequate as Fagin, he didn’t rejuvenate the role as much as he certainly could have; his delivery was a confusion of Ron Moody’s Fagin (19XX film version) and Atkinson’s infamous character creation ‘Mr Bean’. However, his natural flair for comedic timing enabled the talented young cast to bounce easily from him, and despite an entertaining rendition of ‘You’ve got to Pick a Pocket’, the audience was left with the impression that Atkinson was not cast on the virtues of his singing voice.
The show was as entertaining and colourful an evening as a top West End Show should be. The cast breezed through the brash chorus numbers, and the majority of the company could not be faulted for their efforts. Tamsin Carroll played the role of Nancy, and her dubious rendition of the climax of Nancy’s ballad could be absolved in the face of her sterling performance. Wendy Ferguson and Julius D’Silva were impeccable as the brilliantly funny Mr Bumble and Widow Corney; the bawdy focus on Ferguson’s ‘kittens’ was interestingly and amusingly displaced by the ample assets of Little Sally (Lynne Wilmot) later in the show. Showstopper tune ‘Who Will Buy’ stole the imagination of the audience through the whole cast pitching in their all and loving every minute, and the interactions of the cast with the intricate moving scenery gave the show that certain West End shine.
An enjoyable evening despite birds-eye view, Atkinson and his fellows seem to pull out all the stops and throw themselves heart and soul into the production. The faint tarnish on the polished production is unlikely to cause anyone unquiet in the face of the sheer energy and enthusiasm exuded from the stage.
Monday, 20 April 2009
The Lee Tsang Show #1
Music Department Choir and Orchestra Concert
Hull University, City Hall
April 2009
City Hall is an impressive and distracting venue; there is always something to look at. Whether it is the performers, the ceiling or merely the bloke two rows in front eating sweets, it’s rare that an audience member would go without some menial visual entertainment. I’m not entirely convinced this should be the dominant feeling of someone attending a ‘Concert Series’.
The University Choir, conducted be Lee Tsang, were impressive in number but disappointing in volume; either more than two thirds were miming, or the acoustics in City Hall leave a lot to be desired. Various members of the choir (especially in the tenor section) could be singled out for their own personal volume and enthusiasm, but as a whole, the effect was unbalanced – perhaps the orchestral accompaniment was simply too loud. The Orchestra played well, both pianists (Eva Budniak and Fei Fan) were impressive (to watch as well as hear), and Nathaniel Seaman’s composition was enjoyable, if a little odd. Musically, the second half of the concert was pleasant, but lacked the entertainment value of Choir members yawning and fidgeting. Congratulations must be duly awarded to the Music Department for sustaining my fickle interest for as long as they did.
Hull University, City Hall
April 2009
City Hall is an impressive and distracting venue; there is always something to look at. Whether it is the performers, the ceiling or merely the bloke two rows in front eating sweets, it’s rare that an audience member would go without some menial visual entertainment. I’m not entirely convinced this should be the dominant feeling of someone attending a ‘Concert Series’.
The University Choir, conducted be Lee Tsang, were impressive in number but disappointing in volume; either more than two thirds were miming, or the acoustics in City Hall leave a lot to be desired. Various members of the choir (especially in the tenor section) could be singled out for their own personal volume and enthusiasm, but as a whole, the effect was unbalanced – perhaps the orchestral accompaniment was simply too loud. The Orchestra played well, both pianists (Eva Budniak and Fei Fan) were impressive (to watch as well as hear), and Nathaniel Seaman’s composition was enjoyable, if a little odd. Musically, the second half of the concert was pleasant, but lacked the entertainment value of Choir members yawning and fidgeting. Congratulations must be duly awarded to the Music Department for sustaining my fickle interest for as long as they did.
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