Dreaming Under A Different Moon

 

 The Edge, Manchester

Written & directed by Janine Waters

Music & lyrics by Simon Waters

 

Review by Brian Gorman

 The Edge is a brand new arts centre housed in a Victorian Sunday school building, and ‘Dreaming Under A Different Moon’ is its first in-house production. And what a fantastic start! Janine Waters’ epic musical fantasy has something for everyone, telling the colourful tale of Edwardian teen-ager Cassie (a perky Paislie Reid) who falls into a coma which magically transports her to the far flung future where all artistic pursuits are banned. Here she finds herself aboard a ship occupied by a motley crew of actor-musicians seemingly doomed to certain death by starvation at sea, whilst regularly fending off attacks from airborne alien ‘spiders’. Onboard to ensure they do not escape is the bullying Stefano (Everal Walsh) who bears a striking resemblance to Cassie’s real-life father (deliberate shades of Peter Pan here). The unexpected arrival of the irrepressible and eternally optimistic Cassie brings hope to the outlaws, and from here on in the audience gets everything but the kitchen sink in a no-holds- barred, barnstorming, high-octane show that works hard to deliver on every conceivable level. If you can imagine a Doctor Who Christmas Special combined with Alice In Wonderland, then you’ll have a good idea of what was on offer here.

 Located behind Chorlton Methodist Church, The Edge has a 70 seater auditorium on the top floor of the building in a superbly atmospheric room with a high curved roof. The space is used intelligently by designer Kevin Freeman, whose marvellous set seems to be a natural extension of the room itself. Comprising inventive use of bare scaffolding and planks, augmented by multi-coloured sheets, the set doubles up perfectly as Cassie’s home and the outlaws’ ship.

The outlaw actors are a marvellous creation, and every theatrical cliché is    milked for all it’s worth in Janine Waters’ devilishly clever script. Threatening to steal every scene is the bitchy, camp ‘leading man’ Fausto (a fabulously over-the-top, yet often affecting, performance by Jos Vantyler). Jenny Platt is simply wonderful as Eliana, Fausto’s ill-tempered ex lover; forever ready, willing, and more than able to scratch his eyes out at a moment’s notice (Platt’s comic timing was pitch perfect). These two squabbling Prima Donnas are perfectly complimented by Craig Whittaker’s more restrained Claudio, who provides much of the pathos amid the hectic silliness onboard ship. Composer Simon Waters supplied some cracking compositions ranging from full-blown ensemble camp to downbeat heart-breaking solos. Live music from multi-instrumentalist Samuel Rowe (doubling up as sound operator) added enormously to the outrageously energetic musical performances. There are some lovely, witty, tongue-in-cheek lyrics which the entire cast deliver with obvious relish; the finale is especially delightful. The production is possibly a touch overlong  (a scene involving Claudio revealing his true feelings to Eliana threatens to outstay its welcome somewhat) , but this is a minor quibble when presented with such an embarrassment of riches.

Dreaming Under A Different Moon is a spell-binding celebration of live theatre, and has set the bar incredibly high for future productions at The Edge. The audience cheered and whooped during the curtain call, and the tremendously hard-working cast deserved every second of it.

 

Runs until Saturday 22^nd December.

 First published at http://www.thepublicreviews.com/dreaming-under-a-different-moon-the-edge-manchester/

Tags: Dreaming Under A Different Moon, The Edge, Janine Waters, Simon Waters, Chorlton, Manchester, Jenny Platt, Paislie Reid, Jos Vantyler, Everal Walsh, Craig Whittaker, Kevin Freeman, Samuel Rowe

The Good Life

(Photo: Jane Leadbetter and Mike Woodhead as Tom & Barbara Good)

The Lass O'Gowrie, Manchester

By John Esmonde and Bob Larbey

Review

Adapted from the much-loved BBC sit-com of the 1970s, ‘The Good Life’ is a cracking, feel-good, heart-warming and often hilarious piece of theatre. Lass O’Gowrie Productions continues to build on its reputation for bringing popular television shows to the stage, and proving that there’s nothing like the immediate thrill of a live action performance. Director Brainne Edge has a superb ensemble to work with, and delivers another triumph following on from successful adaptations of ‘The Likely lads’ and ‘Midnight’ (based on the Russell T Davies Dr Who story, and one of the best stage shows I’ve ever seen). Recreating iconic characters is never easy, and following in the footsteps of star-making tv performances from Richard Briers, Felicity Kendal, Paul Eddington and Penelope Keith must have been particularly daunting. Mike Woodhead and Jane Leadbetter as Tom and Barbara Good – a suburban couple seeking ‘the good life’ by turning their backs on the consumer society – make a superb double act, successfully making the characters their own, yet channelling the theatrical spirits of Briers and Kendal. Likewise, Matt Seber and Rachel Newton as neighbours Jerry and Margo make a beautiful team (with Ms Newton almost managing to steal every scene she’s in as the ridiculously posh Margo, forever battling to uphold traditional conservative standards). Three classic episodes were presented in the intimate space of the 35 seater upstairs theatre which works fantastically well for shows like this. First up was ‘Whose Fleas Are These?’ wherein an infestation of insects causes havoc, particularly with Margo’s social standing. Sean Mason’s energetic performance as the overzealous pest control man was inspired. Best of the lot was ‘Posh Frock’ which saw Jane Leadbetter take centre stage to steal our hearts as Barbara struggles to accept her new role as ‘one of the boys’.  This was a classic example of a canny script (matched with expert comic timing) eliciting tears and laughter in equal measure.  Finally we had ‘Silly, But It’s Fun’ (the 1977 Christmas special), a perfect mix of good-natured, homely comedy guaranteed to warm the cockles and beautifully illustrate what Christmas really means. Marcus McMillan as a cocky, surreally philosophical delivery man provided the second of the evening’s hilarious cameo roles. John Esmonde and Bob Larbey’s original scripts have certainly stood the test of time, and combined here with a first rate cast, and a sharp director, deliver a perfect reminder of the golden age of television comedy.

Runs until Sat 8^th December

This review was first published at  http://www.thepublicreviews.com/the-good-life-the-lass-ogowrie-manchester/

Tags: John Esmonde, Bob Larbey, Lass O’Gowrie, The Good Life, Mike Woodhead, Jane Leadbetter, Rachel Newton, Matt Seber, Sean Mason, Marcus McMillan, Brainne Edge, Manchester

Bond at the Box Office - Why 'Skyfall' is Set to Make History

(Guest writer EVE PEARCE takes a look at the latest 007 epic)

Daniel Craig's third outing as James Bond in the upcoming film 'Skyfall' looks set to be his most successful yet. In fact, the film, which is the twenty-third film in Eon Productions' Bond series, has been tipped to be the most successful in the franchise's long history, with some experts predicting the film will amass in excess of $1 billion at the box office.

Initial critical reception to 'Skyfall' has been hugely positive, with most reviewers having been blown away by both the narrative and the performances of Craig and his co-stars. Some critics have even started discussing possible Oscar nominations. However, for a film to be a commercial success, it requires more than positive reviews and strong on-screen performances. So why have the stars seemingly aligned to guarantee that 'Skyfall' will draw huge crowds of cinema goers?

Long Delays and Bond's 50th Anniversary

Work on 'Skyfall' was suspended in 2010, as the film's studio, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, encountered huge financial difficulties. Although the original screenwriter, Peter Morgan, departed, the studio was eventually saved and, in a strange way, the delay in production of the film may have actually played into the studio's hands.

The period of time between 'Skyfall' and Bond's last outing, 2008's 'Quantum of Solace,' is the longest delay between two films in the franchise with the same actor playing the title role. Unintentionally, the delay has only added to the anticipation surrounding the movie and allowed time for those who were initially disappointed in 'Quantum of Solace' to rebuild their faith in the new direction the franchise has taken in a post-Bourne movie landscape.

Additionally, the delay in production of 'Skyfall' has handily allowed it to coincide with an important landmark in Bond history, the 50th anniversary of the release of 'Dr. No,' the first film in the Bond series. As a result, the film's promotional campaign has been aided by the year long celebrations that surround the achievement.

The anniversary has ensured that, fifty years on from Sean Connery's debut, 007 is still very much on people's minds and the appetite for a new addition to the Bond legacy is insatiable.

The Adele Factor

The theme song which accompanies Bond films has long been a crucial aspect of promoting the movies and promotion of 'Skyfall' has been no different. The role that worldwide superstar Adele has played in drawing attention to the film should not be overlooked.

Soundtracks have become increasingly important in the music industry, but the James Bond films are perhaps unique in that both film and music are often thought of and judged in tandem. Paul McCartney's theme for 'Live and Let Die,' recently voted the UK's favourite Bond track, is synonymous with the film's title; to this day, when the film is mentioned, many people instantly think of the accompanying song. The same applies to other films in the series, such as 'GoldenEye' and 'A View to a Kill.' Adele's critically acclaimed track, 'Skyfall' also fits this description.

Upon release, the track instantly garnered flattering comparisons to Shirley Bassey, who provided the themes for 'Goldfinger' and 'Diamonds are Forever.' Adele has been able to maintain the recent string of songs by credible musicians like Jack White and Chris Cornell, while also capturing mainstream attention, like Madonna and Tina Turner's efforts.

IMAX and New Inspirations

'Quantum of Solace' was perhaps overshadowed by 2008's biggest box office smash, 'The Dark Knight' and, as fate would have it, 'Skyfall' is set to be released in the wake of Christopher Nolan's successful follow-up, 'The Dark Knight Rises.'

This time around, Sam Mendes, the acclaimed director of 'Skyfall' has admitted that Christopher Nolan's recent Batman films served as "direct inspiration" for his darker take on the spy genre, calling the films "game changers." By adopting elements of Nolan's vision into the Bond franchise, Mendes is hoping to draw in the same demographic who bought tickets in their millions to see the Batman films.

Finally, this will be the first James Bond movie to be released in IMAX format, which could generate additional revenue from punters who wish to see Bond in a way they have never seen him before.

Although 'Skyfall,' should it match box office expectations, will become the first James Bond film to draw $1 billion, it may have another figure in its crosshair: $1,014,941,117.

That figure is the total grossed by 1965's Bond classic, 'Thunderball,' when its original gross total is adjusted to account for inflation, using the Consumer Price Index. If that total is surpassed, 'Skyfall' will officially become the most successful James Bond film of all time, by anyone's criteria.

I'M FRANK MORGAN

The Bill Naughton Studio at Bolton Octagon Friday 14^th September 2012

Written by Joe O’Byrne. Directed by Ian Curley

 

Review

Bolton-based writer/actor/director Joe O’Byrne’s one man play, ‘I’m Frank Morgan’, was written a decade ago, and is the first in the ongoing series of plays located on the fictional northern England estate of Paradise Heights. You may have seen the subsequent works such as  ‘Rank’, ‘The Bench’, or his most recent ’Strawberry Jack’, but here we have something I  just wasn’t expecting. I’d seen the excellent short film version of ‘I’m Frank Morgan’ (directed by Paul Murphy), and was riveted by the story of a cold-bloodied Irish loan shark operating with ruthless amoral efficiency before being stung to the core by the results of his actions against a family in debt. Frank Morgan is a terrifying creation; a man without pity or remorse, yet O’Byrne infuses him with just enough of a hint of humanity that one simply can’t help falling for his crocodile charm. I’d been told, by O’Byrne himself, that this updated (in terms of character and tone, yet retaining the exact same dialogue as the original play) version would illuminate a side of Frank never seen before. I had no idea what we were in store for, but knowing Joe’s proven track record for hard-hitting, ultra realistic, yet constantly surprising writing, I was prepared to be shocked. And shocked I was. This was Frank Morgan in a hell of his own making. A cesspit of the mind. Director Ian Curley has turned the character inside out and delivered the flip side of the Paradise Heights hard man. The set is Frank’s miserable, litter-strewn bedsit with the man himself seemingly a ghost in his own life. Has he had a nervous breakdown or are we being shown the inside of his head? Indeed, the play begins and ends with Morgan asleep on his scummy single bed, and perhaps this is all a very clever take on the state of Frank’s soul. Rising ever so slowly from his slumber, Frank takes his time shuffling around like a man in a daze, taking forever to make a cup of coffee and staring blankly ahead whilst waiting for his toast to heat. O’Byrne delivers a low key, mesmeric, and utterly disturbing performance that contrasts magnificently with his earlier, and well-established, hard-nosed portrayal. This is a shadow of a man, mumbling and stuttering his way through a lifetime of rage, sorrow and soul-destroying guilt in around an hour of real time. Director Curley adds spine-tingling moments such as Frank beginning the same speech several times in subtly different vocal styles, as if trying desperately to summon up the spirit of the man he once was. Anyone who has seen Frank Morgan at his terrifying best in the original play and film, or in other Paradise Heights instalments, will be shocked to see how far the man has fallen here. It’s a brave brave move on the part of O’Byrne the writer, and O’Byrne the actor shows us just how skilled a performer he is - taking the exact same character he’s played a hundred times before and presenting the same man gutted and skinned to the bone. This is an animated corpse of a man; indeed perhaps a man who has never been truly alive. A shade. An unpleasant aftertaste. A creature suffering damnation for the unending pain he’s brought into the lives of so many innocent others. Or was it all just a dream? Watch this space, because you can’t keep a bad man down.

It has to be said that this production was not an easy one to sit through; this was an evening that wore its audience down gradually and without pity. One could ask should we have been shown a few more flashes of the old Frank? Would a more varied pace have helped? Joe O’Byrne does not compromise, and here we had a great talent stretching the boundaries; probing his audience, testing his own performance skills, and bravely gnawing at the patience of his audience. I can imagine this parallel universe version of Frank Morgan working well as a short film, where O’Byrne’s screwed-up creation could frighten the living daylights out of us in extreme close-up. As a live performance there seemed too much physical space, and I felt the need to peer more closely into those haunted eyes. In real life I’d stay a million miles away from the likes of Mr Frank Morgan, but in artistic terms I’d like to be nose-to-nose; Frank should be on the screen. Trapped in a bottle like a poisonous spider. Ironically, for so huge a creation less is increasingly more. Maybe O’Byrne and Curley have fashioned a whole new beast here – Homeopathic Hell?

As an extra bonus, O’Byrne’s short film ‘The Watcher’ was screened during the second half of the evening. This gave us a chance to see Frank Morgan as we’ve come to expect him – clean, sharply dressed, and as cold as the hole where a politician’s heart should be. I’d seen and reviewed the film a year ago, but loved seeing it again, especially in the context of following the harrowing experience of witnessing Frank Morgan’s disintegration. Here’s what I said about it:http://fictionmaker.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/watcher_5547.html

Another superb evening from The Bard of Bolton.

This review originally published (in a slightly edited format) at The Public Reviews http://www.thepublicreviews.com/im-frank-morgan-octagon-theatre-bolton/

THE YEAR OF THE SEX OLYMPICS

THE YEAR OF THE SEX OLYMPICS

By Nigel Kneale (adapted by Ross Kelly) Directed by Ross Kelly & Daniel Thackeray

The Lass O’Gowrie, Manchester

Review by Brian Gorman

Producer Gareth Kavanagh, in collaboration with Scytheplays, succeeds brilliantly in bringing  Quatermass creator Nigel Kneale’s provocative and visionary BBC tv play ‘The Year Of The Sex Olympics’ to the stage. I’ve been a big fan of Kneale’s for decades, and recently managed to catch up with the original television version, featuring the legendary Leonard Rossiter, but I can confidently say that this stage adaptation beats the beeb’s hands down. Performed in the small but superbly atmospheric upstairs theatre, The Salmon Rooms, I was mesmerised throughout. Set in a near future, the elite ‘Hi-Drives’ (the educated classes) live a sterile existence; all emotion blunted and human passions kept in check. The ‘Low-Drives’ (the working class) are pacified by an endless tv diet of hardcore pornography and barrel-scraping ‘entertainment’. The first half is set primarily in the television studios where our main protagonist Nat Mender (a compelling Alastair Gillies) beavers away to keep the ratings up on a series of dismal, morale sapping programmes that include a non-stop marathon of hardcore sex (the Olympics of the title). With such an intimate performing area the set is minimal, consisting only of a small control panel with its operators facing the audience. We (the actual audience) cleverly become part of the action as we stand in for the fictional audience. This caused quite a few laughs when disparaging comments from the Hi-Drive tv executives were aimed directly at us. Coordinator Ugo Priest (a relaxed and confident Howard Whittock) regularly reminds his team about ‘the old times’ when people were ruled by emotion, and ‘tension’ was the cause of much of society’s ills. A rebellious artist Kin Hodder (Will Hutchby giving an energetic  and commanding performance) outrages the tv audience during one live transmission with his disturbingly violent paintings, and it soon becomes obvious that what’s needed to boost the ratings is a large dose of unfettered reality. The order is given to create a brand new show, the likes of which today’s viewers of ‘Big Brother’ will be only too (painfully) aware of. ‘The Live-Life Show’, for which Nat Mender and his family volunteer, sees the three of them existing alone on a remote island. Forced to rely on half-remembered skills such as fire-lighting, hunting and cooking food, and attending to minor accidental injuries, all under the relentless 24 hour cameras, which soon takes its toll. The deeper the family sink into despair, the higher the audience ratings, which made for a particularly uncomfortable, yet thought-provoking experience for this particular theatre-goer.

Directors Ross Kelly and Daniel Thackeray crafted a tight, superbly-acted, and often worryingly realistic production. With the characters speaking in a basic, staccato,  text-like style (language in the future being reduced in vocabulary so as to weed out any troublesome emotion), it is up to the actors to portray the simmering feelings beneath the surface. As Nat Mender, Alastair Gillies is tremendous, and gives a beautifully nuanced performance. Claire Dean partners him brilliantly as Deanie Webb (the mother of Mender’s child), with a scene-stealing Michelle Ashton completing the family as teen-age Keten. The three give heartbreaking performances as their terrifying experience (mentally, emotionally, and physically) on the island brings them gradually closer until tragedy strikes in a horrifying climax to the play. Watching the family’s struggles from the comfort of the television station are Mender’s colleagues, laughing at every painful mishap, and relishing the boost in ratings. Benjamin Patterson is as cold as ice portraying the back-stabbing Lasar Opie, while Louise Hamer matches him in throwaway callousness as the shallow Misch. Determined to boost the ratings ever higher, Opie reasons that Mender’s family must be put through absolute hell, and he introduces a psychotic killer onto the island (Phil Dennison – suitably unhinged and carved seemingly from rock itself) and his mistreated wife Betty (Leni Murphy, excelling as a living ragdoll, and almost unrecognisable in several other roles).

This fantastic production of The Year Of The Sex Olympics is terrifying, hilarious, disturbing, thought-provoking, unsettling, and yet another major triumph for The Lass O’Gowrie and Scytheplays. I cannot recommend it highly enough. In fact, this is now getting pretty ridiculous, as almost everything I see by these talented producers is so good that most other stuff I go to (no matter how high profile, expensive, or starrily-cast) often pales in comparison.

Unfortunately, this production ended on 31st July (I've had problems uploading the review, so many apologies for the delay!)

MASTERS ARE YOU MAD? - The Search For Malvolio

Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre, Chester   Until 19th August

Review

Following last week’s visit to a fabulous production of Twelfth Night, I was very intrigued to see this specially penned sequel by Glyn Maxwell. Some of the cast reprised their roles from the Shakespeare play while other actors, previously resigned to brave attempts at breathing life into relatively minor characters, were given a real chance to show what they can do with meatier parts. The conclusion of Twelfth Night saw curmudgeonly manservant Malvolio (a splendid Matthew Rixon) swearing revenge on the perpetrators of his ignominious fall from grace at the palace of the Lady Olivia (a regal Lorna Beckett ). The story is picked up twelve years later, and nobody has seen or heard from the man. Could he be the mysterious figure who rules the legendary land of Moai? Duke Orsino certainly thinks so, and sends a rag-tag band of clowns and assassins to ‘terminate’ him.

In one of the worst British summers on record it was, unfortunately, inevitable that the heavens would open up at some point during the evening, and so they did. The rattling of a heavy shower on the overhead canopy protecting our seats managed to drown out precious minutes of dialogue at one point, and it is to the actors’ credit that they soldiered on regardless as many of the audience began chattering and loudly opening their umbrellas. But the inclement weather could not dampen our spirits as director Robin Norton-Hale gave us a sparkling evening of wit, song, and rib-tickling tomfoolery. Haseeb Malik had previously been seen as Twelfth Night’s Sebastian, and excelled here as bumbling, sharp-suited killer-for-hire Adrian. Tom Radford reprising Orsino also seemed to relish a more expanded role, particularly in scenes where he has a whale of a time disguised as a woman. Sarah Lambie is cute as a button whilst scampering about as Coraline, an ‘actress’ who is also Orsino’s ‘boy’ (it’s complicated, so don’t ask!). There is a lot of running around in this production with several characters dashing in and out of the playing area, mingling with the audience and strumming ukeles and mandolins at the drop of a hat. The character of Malvolio is talked about a great deal, but doesn’t really have a lot to do this time around. He is rather like Marlon Brando’s crazed Colonel Kurtz in ‘Apocalypse Now’, in that his presence dominates the proceedings, and the rather long wait to see the man heightens audience anticipation. When we do meet him, he’s a mumbling, shuffling shadow of his former self, and has fallen so far that he now commands our full sympathy. Matthew Rixon is a fine actor, and skilfully plays Malvolio as a broken doll of a man before seemingly recovering his wits late on. A special mention also for Ellen O’Grady who plays the small role of Fabian in Twelfth Night, and here is rather splendid as the enigmatic ‘Songbird’; dressed in a long shimmering silver dress complete with Cleo Laine hairstyle, and charming the birds from the Grosvenor Park trees. Chris Vincent also shines as the comic harbourmaster, a right Northern jobsworth.  Masters Are You Mad is another triumph for Chester Performs in this their third summer season in Grosvenor Park, and is an exciting, imaginative, beautifully staged, and worthy successor to the bard’s original. 

Originally published at www.thepublicreviews.com

http://www.thepublicreviews.com/masters-are-you-mad-grosvenor-park-open-air-theatre-chester/

ROBOTS OF DEATH

Lass O’Gowrie Productions and Fab Cafe July 22^nd to 24^th at The Fab Cafe, Manchester

Review

There appears to be a quiet revolution happening in the heart of Manchester. A drive to bring classic tv and film productions to life, and engage audiences in a manner that big budget 3D movies can never truly manage. Imagine your favourite tv shows and characters living and breathing before your very eyes. Well thanks to producer Gareth Kavanagh and his team at The Lass O’Gowrie pub, you can. A few months ago I saw their productions of Halo Jones (adapted from the acclaimed comic book series by Alan Moore), and Midnight (from a classic Dr Who story by Russell T Davies), and they blew me away. Now, in association with Manchester’s Fab Cafe, we have Robots Of Death adapted by Alan Stevens from the original 1977 Dr Who story by Chris Boucher. Considered a bona fide classic of the Tom Baker era, Robots mixes the archetypal murder mystery with hardcore sci-fi themes in a superbly satisfying blend.

On a distant alien world, Storm Mine Four (a large industrial mining vessel) makes its way through massive sandstorms with a motley crew assisted by servile humanoid robots. When mineralogist Chub (a nicely underplayed debut from Manchester comedian Chris Tavner) is murdered, the crew begin to suspect each other until two time travelling adventurers arrive and are immediately blamed for the death. As the characters of The Doctor and Leela (who appeared in the original tv story) are owned by the BBC, the two main protagonists in this production are the super cool Kaston Iago ( the sublimely brilliant Marlon Solomon) and his feisty kick ass assistant Elska Blayes ( steely-eyed Kate Millest). Our heroes soon guess that the murderer is a robot, and they must unmask whichever one of the crew is the notorious killer Taren Capel (who is controlling the killer robots from a secret workshop on the ship).

With a minimal set, it is the fast paced action, top notch acting, and fine direction by Kerry Ely that rivets the attention. In the dimly-lit confines of the Fab Cafe bar with its sci-fi decor, replica starship bridge and a vast array of tv monitors screening selected images from the original tv story, we have the perfect atmosphere. Add to this the unnerving presence of the robots moving with eerie calm amongst the audience, I felt fully immersed in the proceedings. Played with a slight tongue-in-cheek, Robots expertly mixed tension and thrills with belly laughs and good-natured camp. We gleefully relished every murder, and the ensemble cast played their parts to perfection. As the ship’s commander Uvanov, Jessica Hallows is a hard-assed no-nonsense leader, ably supported by the gobby, chav-like Borg (a snarling, scary-eyed Miranda Benjamin), the delicate and aristocratic Zilda (a charming Ellie Judge), and blonde bombshell Dask (sassy and dangerous Clara James). Gerard Thompson gives a full-bloodied and gritty performance as the nervy Poul, while Cliona Donohoe doubles up well as Cass and one of the dastardly robot killers. Daniel Thackeray dies a lovely death, struggling with a robot assassin while Iago and Blayes argue over whether they should interfere. And Jess Lee oozes charm as the vertically-challenged friendly robot D84. But it’s Leni Murphy who steals the show with a beautifully judged comic performance as the happy go lucky Toos. Faced with an ever increasing body count, and the threat of imminent violent death from the out of control sand miner or a selection of robot killers, she effortlessly deals with anything thrown at her in a manner that reminds one of a young Elsie Tanner or more sexy Hilda Ogden. In a radical change from the original tv story, we have a truly Shakespearean finale mixing comedy and tragedy reminiscent of the late Douglas Adams.

The story continues though with the sequel ‘Storm Mine’ at The Lass O’Gowrie pub from 28^th July to 30^th, featuring more murders and mayhem from the same talented company. Tickets £8 on the door or from www.quaytickets.com

Originally published at www.thepublicreviews.com
http://www.thepublicreviews.com/robots-of-death-the-fab-cafe-manchester/

TWELFTH NIGHT

Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre, Chester till 19th August

Review

This is a thoroughly enjoyable and infectiously energetic production, that benefits enormously from the glorious open air setting of Chester’s beautiful Grosvenor Park. A three sided playing area with a backdrop of towering trees, gently swaying in the summer breeze, provided the perfect stage for a triumphant piece of Shakespeare at his rib-tickling best. This is the story of shipwrecked siblings Sebastian and Viola, and their romantic entanglements with Duke Orsino and the lady Olivia. But ‘Twelfth Night’ really comes to life with the shenanigans of the drunken and uproarious Sir Toby Belch (Jack Lord channelling the spirit of the great Brian Blessed), his hapless sidekick Sir Andrew Aguecheek (an excellent physical performance by Scott Arthur), and Olivia’s puritanical sourpuss manservant Malvolio (Matthew Rixon).

Director Alex Clifton mixes the slapstick elements with the more melancholic ones perfectly, and succeeds in creating a wonderfully satisfying, yet bitter sweet, evening of first rate entertainment. Krupa Pattani is a loveably perky Viola, and combines well with Tom Radford’s matinee idol Duke Orsino. Lorna Beckett creates a delightfully aloof Lady Olivia whose long legs turn to jelly when she falls for Viola (who is pretending to be a boy), and later (luckily for her!) easily transfers her feelings to Sebastian (a solid Haseeb Malik). As always in a Shakespeare comedy, it is the Fool who plays a pivotal part in the proceedings, and Chris Vincent camps it up gloriously as Feste the jester in the style of an understated Kenneth Williams. Easily the most enjoyable scenes are those featuring Sir Toby and Olivia’s servants; the permanently exasperated Maria (Victoria Gee), Ellen O’Grady’s Fabian (think Father Ted’s Mrs Doyle), and upper class twit Sir Andrew. Jack Lord is simply hysterical as Sir Toby, and threatens to steal the show with his unrestrained energy and moustache-twirling music hall theatrics. It is Matthew Rixon’s magnificent Malvolio who provides the icing on the cake however, with his towering presence, affected walk (he seems to glide across the ground as if on castors), and fruity delivery. Lord and Rixon are a beautiful double act, and their ongoing feud results in some hilarious face-offs.

As the daylight faded, and the temperature dropped, Grosvenor Park revealed itself to be a vital element of the production. Melancholia was in the air, and Feste’s heartbreaking final song against the rustling of the leaves on the trees was truly affecting. I loved it!

Originally published at www.thepublicreviews.com

http://www.thepublicreviews.com/twelfth-night-grosvenor-park-open-air-theatre-chester/

'ART' opens in Chester this week

My version of the original Times cartoon for the 1996 London production.

A bit of shameless self-plugging here, folks! I'm playing 'Serge' in Yasmina Reza's fantastic comedy/drama 'ART' at Chester Theatre Club all next week. We open this Saturday 30th, then we're on from Monday 2nd to Saturday 7th July.
Here's a bit from the club's website:

"What do you do when a friend you have known for years - a friend you thought you knew really well - buys a work of art that you consider to be ridiculous? This is the dilemma facing the three friends featured in Art. Serge thinks his painting of off-white marks on a white canvas is inspired. Marc thinks it is rubbish and Yvan can't quite make up his mind. Their friendships are tested to breaking point as a result in this tremendously entertaining and thought-provoking play by Yasmina Reza. "

It's my debut at the club, but I've been having a great time in rehearsals. Everyone's been very friendly and welcoming, and the place has a fantastic atmosphere.
Cassian Wheeler plays Yvan, Ray Bengree plays Marc, I play Serge, and Lisa Miller directs.

Tickets can be booked by telephoning 01244 322674 or contact info@chestertheatreclub.co.uk

The venue is Chester Little Theatre, Gloucester Street, Chester CH1 3HR

£7.50 (£6.00 Concessions Monday and Tuesday only)
£6.50 Saturday Preview

EVERYMAN - NEW PERFORMANCES

A little bit of self publicity here. My play about Patrick McGoohan is on at the wonderful Lass O'Gowrie in Manchester next Wed 25th and Thurs 26th Jan. I shall be performing a slightly re-written one man version running approx 50 minutes. Be seeing you!

EVERYMAN:

The Story Of Patrick McGoohan - The Prisoner

(Press Release 06.12.11)

The Lass O’Gowrie, Charles Street, Manchester.

8.30pm Wed/Thurs 25^th/26^th January 2012

http://www.lassfest.co.uk/

‘EVERYMAN: The Story Of Patrick McGoohan – The Prisoner’ written by BRIAN GORMAN, details the life of the theatre, television, and film star (who sadly died in 2009).

The play begins a mini tour of the UK, beginning with two performances at the ‘MidWinter LassFest’ at The Lass O’Gowrie pub, Charles Street, Manchester on Wed and Thurs 25^th & 26^th January. The play will be seen later in the year, across the UK, as part of a double bill with ‘A Passion For Evil’ by writer/actor John Burns (detailing the life of the infamous Aleister Crowley).

Manchester-based writer Brian Gorman, has played McGoohan and his character 'Number Six' on stage in Manchester, Chester, and Portmeirion (as a guest of Six Of One, The Prisoner appreciation society). A reading of the play by Gorman garnered a glowing review from Brian Watson for The Unmutual website (a major 'Prisoner' fan group):

"Brian achieved what no Number Two managed, that was to deconstruct the personality of the man and propose a very credible "what it's all about" of McGoohan's life and work.

The script of EVERYMAN is a joy: at turns witty, informative, dramatic, and wonderfully paced throughout. The author knows his subject thoroughly, tells the tale well and, while he refers to influences that surface later in The Prisoner, he never descends to quote-dropping for gratuitous effect”

Gorman believes that a theatrical tribute to the star of such cult tv favourites as ‘DANGER MAN’ and ‘THE PRISONER’ is long overdue:

"McGoohan was a brilliant actor. In common with the great Orson Welles, who he cited as a major influence, he was also a fiercely uncompromising individual who took real artistic chances, and divided the critics."

PATRICK McGOOHAN was born in New York, but spent less than a year there before his family relocated to their native Ireland. Several years later, they moved to England, where McGoohan caught the acting bug in Sheffield, and worked his way up to leading roles at the local professional repertory theatre. He was the first choice to play James Bond in 1962, but turned down the role of a lifetime due to his distaste for the depiction of gratuitous violence and casual sex. While Bond was smashing cinema box office records, McGoohan became an international television star as secret agent John Drake in ‘Danger Man’; who rarely used a gun and politely declined the numerous advances of beautiful women. After several hugely successful years, McGoohan tired of playing Drake, and persuaded legendary producer Lew Grade to back his new project, ‘The Prisoner’, and allow him full creative control. The series made McGoohan the highest paid actor on British tv when he played an un-named secret agent who attempts to resign his job, only to be kidnapped and imprisoned in a mysterious village from which there seems no escape. Everybody in The Village is assigned a number, and McGoohan is referred to as Number Six, but refuses to conform; spending each of the series’ seventeen episodes attempting to outwit his captors. The show became a massive cult hit with its flamboyant action, imaginative stories, and surreal style, and was recently remade for ITV with Sir Ian McKellen starring as the enigmatic and menacing ‘Number Two’. McGoohan also starred in a variety of successful films including ‘Silver Streak’, ‘Ice Station Zebra’, and Mel Gibson’s oscar-winning ‘Braveheart’. He won two Emmy awards for acting in the ‘Columbo’ tv series, and was even immortalised in an episode of ‘The Simpsons’.


BRIAN GORMAN is from Wigan, and is a writer, artist, and actor. He has designed posters and brochure illustrations for The Chester Gateway Theatre, and had work published in The Liverpool Daily Post, The Big Issue, and Green World (the magazine of The Green Party). His artwork has also been seen on television (ITV1’s ‘Martina Cole’s Lady Killers’), and he is currently working on a professional commission to produce a series of graphic novels on Manchester bands. As an actor he has played leading roles in corporate and educational dramas, music videos, and recently portrayed the notorious mass murderer Thomas Hamilton in television reconstruction of the 1996 Dunblane massacre. He has also played the main villain, Viktor Toxikoff, in award-winning director Chris Stone’s James Bond inspired music video ‘The Rebel’, for the band The Amateurs. Gorman also has an arts review blog at http://fictionmaker.blogspot.com/
Gorman first studied acting at Wigan College of Technology in the 1980s, and was fascinated to later discover that Sir Ian McKellen had grown up just yards from the college theatre:

"I wrote to Sir Ian several years ago when he agreed to allow me to use his likeness in my comic book, ‘Borderliners’ (as did another hero of mine, The Saint himself - Sir Roger Moore). He sent me a wonderful three page hand-written letter telling me about how he’d enjoyed his childhood in Wigan, and had even played on the same stage as I had. It’s a fascinating coincidence that he has recently starred in the remake of ‘The Prisoner’, and now here I am playing Patrick McGoohan! "

Onboard as the production’s official adviser is ROBERT FAIRCLOUGH. Robert is a freelance writer, designer and producer. His work on ‘The Prisoner’ includes the book ‘The Prisoner: The Official Companion to the Classic TV Series’, editing two volumes of ‘The Original Scripts’ for the classic series and graphic design work on the recent AMC remake. He is a broadcaster who has featured on BBC radio and ITV, written for the British Film Institute and 'SFX' magazine and produced documentaries for 2 Entertain's range of ‘Doctor Who’ DVDs.

There is a word of warning from Brian Gorman for anyone expecting a straight-forward story of McGoohan’s life:

"In keeping with McGoohan’s surreal work on ‘The Prisoner’, we will be playing around with time, as well as the character itself. ‘Patrick McGoohan’ will be a mix of the real man, and ‘Number Six’, and the whole piece will be presented in the style of an episode of ‘The Prisoner’."

Another Prisoner fan, STEPHEN FRY, has sent Brian his personal best wishes for the production.

Brian Gorman can be contacted at brianinchester@yahoo.co.uk  Tel. 07510 591444

MIDNIGHT

By Russell T Davies
The Lass O'Gowrie, Charles St., Manchester

Until Sunday 8th January 2012

‘Midnight’ was one of the darkest episodes of ‘Doctor Who’, and a personal triumph for Russell T Davies. The Manchester-based writer and creator of the controversial ‘Queer As Folk’ and ‘The Second Coming’ had revived the BBC’s classic sci-fi series rather spectacularly, and with David Tennant taking on the title role had managed to propel the show to new heights of popularity and critical acclaim. ‘Midnight’ was unusual for a Tennant episode, as we saw his normally unflappable and almost superhuman Doctor brought quite literally to his knees at the hands of a terrifying invisible enemy. Previous Davies stories had been hugely entertaining and thought-provoking, but had sometimes been criticised for being too upbeat, sentimental and overly optimistic about ‘the human condition’. ‘Midnight’ proved that RTD could take us into much darker and unsettling territory with a tale that reminded me of Nigel Kneale’s ‘Quatermass’ at its very best.

The story sees our hero join a small group of tourists on a giant space truck crossing a lifeless planet made of diamond. In no time at all, they find themselves in dire straits as the engines fail, the pilots are killed, and one of the passengers becomes possessed. To produce this story on the stage, rather than television, is a hell of a task, requiring a tight-knit group of top notch actors, and a director with a grip of steel. This production triumphs on every level, and is quite possibly the best thing I’ve ever seen in a theatre. Honestly, I am not exaggerating here. The tension was almost unbearable at times, and the whole experience was deeply unnerving. In fact, I had nightmares afterwards.

There is no mention of ‘The Doctor’ in this production, as the character remains the property of the BBC, and this is a not-for-profit presentation. Russell T Davies granted his permission for the project to go ahead, and so our title character is here named ‘Dr John Smith’. This works brilliantly, and proves that the story works perfectly well beyond the confines of a hugely familiar television series. 

Staged in a small room with space for around 30 audience members, the atmosphere was truly claustrophobic, with the actors just inches away from us. A white floor, black walls and a silver entrance door created our space truck, and gave us nowhere to hide. At just 50 minutes (the length of the original tv episode), there was no padding of the story; simply a tight, tense, nerve-jangling experience.

Mike Woodhead had the unenviable task of playing John Smith, and proved to be an inspired bit of casting. This was no simple imitation of David Tennant, but a beautifully realised interpretation of an iconic character who we all think we know. Apart from brandishing the sonic screwdriver a couple of times, Woodhead never once fell into the trap of replicating the familiar tics and body language of Tennant’s Time Lord. Zoe Matthews as Sky Sylvestry was outstanding as the heartbroken woman possessed by the alien invader, and gave an utterly remarkable performance. I happened to be sitting right by her through the most terrifying scenes, and I can tell you I was astonished. This is a part that any actress would be hard pressed to pull off; requiring the performer to regularly repeat the other characters’ dialogue and speech patterns, then proceed to speak their lines a fraction of a second before they do. In simple terms this means the actress playing Sky must learn nearly every line in the play, and time her interactions with the other actors to the split second. As I said, astonishing.

Phil Dennison and Paida Noel made a terrific double act as the condescending Professor Hobbes and his mousey assistant Dee-Dee, while Natalie Husdan, Matt Aistrup, and Michael Loftus as the bickering and dysfunctional Cane family provided sterling support. The family’s strained relationships were evident from the start, and the fact that the characters only bonded when deciding to commit an act of stomach-churning violence was pretty damn chilling.

Jane Leadbetter as The Hostess provided the few comic moments, with a character whose brittle and artificial surface soon cracked when faced with any interruption to her work routine. Her finest moment will surprise anyone unfamiliar with the story from the television episode, but is still a fabulous emotional jolt for the audience.

Director Brainne Edge has done a fantastic job of marshalling her actors in a confined performance space, and should be congratulated on a wonderful adaptation of one of Dr Who’s best ever episodes. Produced by The Lass O’Gowrie’s Gareth Kavanagh and Lisa Connor, ‘Midnight’ is simply a breath-taking, audacious piece of theatre.

THE BALLAD OF HALO JONES

The Lass O'Gowrie, Charles St., Manchester
Until Saturday 7th January

Theatre Review

I had no idea what to expect from this production. After all, Alan Moore and Ian Gibson’s comic book space opera has a multitude of incredible characters, and an epic sweep. Well, The Lass O’Gowrie in association with Scytheplays has pulled it off. Comics genius Alan Moore, he of ‘Watchmen’ and ‘V For Vendetta’ fame, created ‘The Ballad Of Halo Jones’ for the 2000AD weekly comic in the 1980s and it became an instant cult success. Moore and artist Ian Gibson wanted to create a fully-rounded female character, as they were getting fed up of the dispiritingly one-dimensional presentations of women in comic books. Halo Jones would break the mould.

Set in the 50^th century, mass unemployment has resulted in the creation of The Hoop, a massive ghetto for no-hopers. These abandoned people are fed a daily diet of soap operas and celebrity gossip, and encouraged to simply accept their lot in life. Halo Jones is an ordinary young woman growing increasingly irritated by her friends’ inability to see anything beyond The Hoop, and through a series of bizarre events manages to see a way out.

There is little in the way of set in this production, and so we have only the actors to bring to life what at first seems unstageable. I admit I was a little lost for the first 10 minutes, as I have not read the original series of stories, and was completely unfamiliar with the confusing slang many of the characters speak in. But, I was soon mesmerised by the performances, and my ears adjusted accordingly.

Louise Hamer was simply perfect as Halo, and gave a genuinely affecting performance as the disadvantaged ‘everywoman’, battling against prejudice and hopelessness. A sweet mixture of innocence and steely determination, that had the audience taking her to their collective hearts. Superbly supported by the hyper active Claire Dean as the hard as nails Rodice, the two had great chemistry, and the characters’ deep friendship shone through. Paida Noel broke our hearts as the tragic Ludy, providing the catalyst for Halo’s escape. Benjamin Patterson was hilarious and terrifying as the robot dog, Toby; in this adaptation looking like a Cylon warrior in a hoodie (part man, part animal, part machine), and with a gruff Northern Irish accent adding an aura of contained menace. The scene where he rips a character to pieces was performed to perfection. Zoe Iqbal shone as the flamboyant tv presenter ‘Swifty Frisco’, providing regular updates on the relentless celebrity gossip, soap opera previews, and fashion tips; every brief appearance had the audience in stitches. An outstanding contribution came from Danny Wallace as ‘The Glyph’, a truly unsettling yet hilarious character revealed to be an actual non-entity due to an endless series of sex change operations that left him/her without a personality. There were so many weird and offbeat characters on display, that if one failed to amuse and entertain, there was another one along at any given moment. The wonderfully-named Marlon Solomon made me chuckle as the slimeball President, and again as the ineffectual Mix Ninegold. Gerard Thompson excelled as a fabulously leery Scotsman desperately trying to chat up Laura Cope’s icy sex kitten Toy Molto, and again eliciting belly laughs as a fashion conscious tosser. Michelle Ashton gave us a hard-faced and ridiculously amusing customs officer, and Alastair Gillies was brilliantly funny as an unintelligible workman, and slow-witted security guard. Terry Naylor’s Proximen and bartender stole every scene he was in with the minimum of dialogue. Phil Dennison’s weasel-like terrorist was a great character, and Will Hutchby had a lovely little scene waltzing with Halo as the enigmatic Lux.

Faced with performing in a very awkward space (the main bar area), the actors were remarkable in bringing to life a hugely ambitious story, and I was amazed at the atmosphere they created. I loved every minute, and felt as though I’d been in the company of some rather special friends.

Top marks to directors Daniel Thackeray and Ross Kelly (who also adapted the original comic strips), and producer Gareth Kavanagh. The Lass O’Gowrie is getting quite a reputation for adapting cult tv drama and comedy, and this fantastic production of a much-loved comic strip is yet another triumph.