Thriller LIVE – 10th Anniversary Performance – REVIEW

Thriller LIVE – 10th Anniversary Performance

Lyric Theatre, London

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Reviewed by Katie Middlebrook

Seen January 22nd, 2019

★★★★

On Tuesday 22nd January 2019, Thriller – Live celebrated a spectacular 10-year anniversary of the show being on the West End and Ginger in The Theatre was lucky enough to be invited to this fun filled event.

Thriller – Live is a two-and-a-half-hour concert show celebrating the music of The Jackson 5 and the solo work of Michael Jackson. The show had already been performed in the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands and Scandinavia before the Lyric Theatre opened its doors in London for the first time on 21st January 2009.

Adrian Grant is the writer and theatrical producer of Thriller – Live. He started a British fan club for Michael Jackson in 1988. Adrian worked closely alongside Michael during the time the ‘Dangerous’ album was being recorded. In 2006 Adrian developed the tribute show and it had its first preview at the Dominion Theatre in August that year. Later that year Adrian teamed Chris Brown up with the dancers of Thriller – Live to perform the show in front of Michael Jackson. The following year Thriller – Live became a touring show with raving success and reviews across the UK and Europe before opening at the Lyric Theatre in January 2009.

This was my first time seeing the show and I had such a fun evening. The performers interactions with the audience was amazing. They easily got everyone to dance and sing along and if you are on the front row you might be lucky enough to get a high five from a cast member or two!

There are four main singers in the show who are all very talented. I really enjoyed hearing their harmonies and renditions of popular Michael Jackson songs. One of my favourites was ‘She’s Out of My Life’ which was performed by David Julian who stood out throughout the show as a very gifted performer.

Florivaldo Mossi was a very convincing Michael with his looks and naturally flowing dance moves. I was a little confused for some of the numbers as it looked like he was lip syncing but, in the finale he could very clearly sing.

The show has a lot of content with lots of well-known Michael Jackson songs as well as Jackson 5 songs, but the show didn’t seem to be in any order or have a particular structure which sometimes was a little bit confusing. I found myself knowing and enjoying a lot more of the songs in Act Two, some of my favourites being ‘The Way You Make Me Feel’, ‘Man in the Mirror’, ‘Earth Song’ and of course ‘Thriller’.

There was obviously a lot of hard work put into the costumes and creative side of the show with the set design and lighting. It was all very colourful and bright and kept the show very exciting throughout the whole thing. Along with the audience interaction it was a very entertaining and enjoyable show.

If you are a fan of Michael Jackson and his music and want a fun filled evening of dancing and singing, then Thriller – Live is the place to go. It continues to play at the Lyric Theatre on Shaftsbury Avenue Tuesday to Sunday every week with matinees on Saturday and Sundays.

More information and tickets can be found here.

An Enemy of the People – REVIEW

An Enemy of the People

Union Theatre, London

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Reviewed by Jade Prince

Seen January 16th, 2019

★★★

The Union Theatre has opened their doors up once again to a fabulous series bringing focus on past great writers and their work in relation to today’s issues. The Phil Willmott Company have returned to The Union Theatre for their fourth season of “Essential Classics”. Between the months of January and March 2019, three shows are being presented in such a way that pulls the classic writing into the 21st century. On display is Arthur Miller’s adaptation of Henrick Ibsen’s ‘An Enemy of the People’, Offenbach’s ‘Can-Can!’ and William Shakespeare’s classic, ‘Othello’. 

To start the season off, we got to see ‘An Enemy of the People’ which sees the struggle of a small town scientist as he battles the mayor and local community after making a shocking discovery which could significantly impact the future of the town’s current project. It soon becomes clear that despite the town’s people believing the harsh truth of their actions, the ability to stand against the political body of the town is non-existent. Despite Ibsen writing this piece back in 1882, the context remains relatable in today’s political climate, especially in the US with Trumps’ regime. Arthur Miller’s adaptation of Henrick’s original work was brilliant and also hit the audience hard with the realisation that regardless of the century, the same issues prevail. 

An Enemy of the People definitely delivered the message intended however the lack of professionalism really detracted from the experience. This low budget performance definitely had an impact on how a great play was received by the audience. It was clear it had so much potential. In a way, it did reflect the current government state perfectly; it seemed so promising yet failed to deliver. 

The play definitely got better with time. It gradually built up momentum. This was helped by the passion delivered by David Mildon (Dr. Thomas Stockman) which was compelling to watch. This then reached the pinnacle towards the end of act two where the level of emotion displayed by Mildon was through the roof. I applaud him for the stunning performance. 

Unfortunately, the rest of the show was rather bland. The full package was not there for me. This ranged from the lack of American accents (it appeared that this element was optional for the cast) to the mediocre set design. This really hindered the flow of the play. It was very difficult to distinguish changes in scenes which ultimately slowed the show down. The only way you could identify the scene changes were through the over exaggerated blackouts. It would have been great to see the scenes changes tackled in a different way instead of the simplest solution being selected. 

A lot of thought had been put into setting the scene and this typically came in the form of background noise. It was a very simple addition; birds chirping for when the scenes took place outside and cheering during the debate. It was a nice touch although there were some parts where the background noise was too loud and made it difficult to focus on the scene being played out infront of us. 

The Union theatre is a wonderfully intimate venue where this show could have been right at home however the space was not fully utilised and ended up coming across as very low budget. Overall it was enjoyable but very evident that there was so much more the show could have given to the audience. 

An Enemy of the People is playing at The Union Theatre until 2nd February 2019. For more information and tickets, head to  http://www.uniontheatre.biz/an-enemy-of-the-people.html

Brass – REVIEW

Brass

Union Theatre, London

 

Seen November 7th, 2018

Reviewed by Mark Sykes

★★★★

2018 marks the Armistice centenary, so it is fitting that the musical Brass is being performed at the Union Theatre in recognition of the commemorations marking the end of World War One.

Originally commissioned by the National Youth Music Theatre in 2014 and written by Benjamin Till (with additional lyrics by Nathan Taylor and Sir Arnold Wesker), it tells the story of an amateur brass band from Leeds who enlist to the Army and go to the front line in France to help their fellow countrymen in battle. But the story that is told is also as much about the women who are left behind, and their worries about loved ones and whether they’ll ever return.

Act one starts as the ‘band of brothers’ demonstrate their adept skills playing their brass instruments and it also sets the scene of their relationships with the ladies working in the local factory, the ‘Barnbow Lassies’. The lads are a cheerful bunch and their decision to enlist, whilst being a worthy one, is perhaps made without fully realising the full consequences of what they are letting themselves in for.

One of their brethren, Morrie (played by Lawrence Smith) is not yet old enough to enlist, but this doesn’t deter him from wanting to join his colleagues in battle. This decision will eventually have a huge impact upon them all, but it is the first loss of one of their own, Harry, that brings into sharp focus for the rest of the band the full horrors of war.

Brass, running at 2 hours 55 minutes (including interval), could easily have been nearly three hours of a desperately dark tone and you couldn’t have argued, given the topic, if that had been the case. But to give Benjamin Till (and his co-creators) credit, he has managed to integrate some good humour and light amongst all the darkness of war. One of my favourite lines of the evening was “Can I share your blanket tonight?”. It was done with deft humour but at the same time, highlighted the limited comforts that the guys had on the battlefield.

Titty’s poems (the wonderful Samantha Richards) was another case of being able to lighten the mood as the ladies dealt with being stuck in a factory and feeling pretty helpless for the lads at war in France, their main contribution being writing letters to those on the front line alongside, of course, creating the munitions for their war heroes. Tamsin Dowsett is one of many highlights within a magnificent ensemble cast and is almost matronly-like in her role of factory manager Miss Grimsby, a character who relishes keeping her ladies in check!

Photographer: Mark Senior

Photographer: Mark Senior

Photographer: Mark Senior

Act two features the ladies deciding to form their own brass band, notwithstanding their lack of playing experience! Again, this is another aspect that brings some comedic balance to the solemn proceedings happening elsewhere.

Morrie being underage eventually has devastating repercussions. His questioning by a commanding officer is one of the highlights of the evening, and Lawrence Smith shows incredible emotions as he struggles to deal with how to handle the situation under much duress.

Two of the prime characters in Brass are Eliza (Emma Harrold) and Wilfred (Maison Kelley), and one of the most heart-warming moments in the show is when they meet for the first time when Wilfred returns home on leave. Harrold is enthralling, she is captivating throughout and her performance of Could Have Been was stirring and heartfelt.

Brass draws to a close when the men begin their assault on the enemy’s front positions, or to put it more accurately they begin their suicide mission. To the echoes of their battle cry, “We do this together”, the results are stark in their brutality. The band of brothers fought as one, and they fell as one.

There are some wonderful songs in Brass, including Keighley, Billy Whistle, the eponymously-titled Brass and Scared, which deals well in capturing issues with love both on the front-line as well as back home in Leeds. The size and scale of the Union Theatre stage can pose some issues with choreography, but Sasha Regan and her team have done a great job here. I also noticed during You’ll Always Have A Friend there was perhaps a doffing of the cap to Bob Fosse’s choreography of Chicago – whether that was the case or not, nice moves!

Brass tells a fascinating story of a bunch of amateurs deciding to become soldiers in an effort to help their country. Overall it strikes a fine balance between the brutality and horror of war, whilst trying to shine a light on the positive traits of those in battle and those left behind in Leeds. It also factors in some of the other issues that prevailed at the time, including homosexuality and societal hierarchies (not that, to some extent, they don’t remain an issue today).

An excellent ensemble cast does a tremendous job of portraying Benjamin Till’s story, with not a weak link amongst them. With expert direction and staging by Sasha Regan, Henry Brennan as Musical Director, and together with the rest of the creatives involved, Brass is a fine and respectful commemoration in this year of the Armistice centenary.

Brass is playing at the Union Theatre until November 24th. Tickets ad more information can be found at http://uniontheatre.biz/brass.html

The Wider Earth – REVIEW

The Wider Earth

Natural History Museum, London

 

Seen October 20th, 2018

Reviewed by Jade Prince

★★★★

We all know the name Charles Darwin and how his discoveries changed the world however what is less well-known is his very first voyage and the way this changed his own life.

Enter a world of adventure.

As an audience, you are taken onboard HMS Beagle and sail across the world, witnessing first hand the evolution of Darwin. This show provides a unique insight into the battles 22-year-old Charles Darwin (Bradley Foster) faced when reaching for his dream. Striving for acknowledgement in a prestigious community, acceptance from his father (Robert Darwin played by Ian Houghton) and mutual love from Emma Wedgwood (Melissa Vaughan).

The Wider Earth is London’s newest family show and has all the elements a parent would wish for. It’s entertaining, educational and a perfect way to round off a day of learning at the Natural History Museum. This was something I loved the most about the show, it’s setting. Tucked away down one of the grand corridors, the auditorium is situated right next to The Darwin Centre. A perfect pairing.

Lets get onto the show. There were many aspects I enjoyed. The story did exactly what it said it would do. It presented the buildup to Darwin’s first voyage, the voyage itself and then his return. Five years of someone’s life told in two hours. The script had a very comfortable pace. There were no moments that felt rushed and it was definitely presented at a level suitable for all ages. My only criticism would be that the characters were very bland. I didn’t feel much characterisation.

Left to Right: Ian Houghton, Andrew Bridgmont, Marcello Curz, Bradley Foster, Melissa Vaughan, Matt Tait

Bradley Foster

Marcello Cruz and Bradley Foster

Bradley Foster and Melissa Vaughan

The set was brilliant. It really helped to create an incredibly smooth transition from scene to scene. The rotation also helped to provide the feeling of traveling. There were a couple of transitions where the cast continued acting on the ‘rock’ during the rotation giving the impression they were exploring a new foreign land. It was brilliant, don’t get me wrong, however after a few scene changes the transitions felt a little repetitive and it definitely lost its wow factor.

My favourite element of the show had to be the puppets, I just wished they had more stage time. The design of the puppets was in the form of simplistic mechanisms.  You could see the structure of the inside of the puppet and route of movement. To incorporate the puppets didn’t require additional cast and crew, the cast members you saw onstage also evolved into puppeteers! Watching it on stage was beautiful. They became this extra limb for the puppet/animal displaying all the associated characteristics.

Sound and light was something which really added depth to the show. Throughout, there was an amazing backing track easing the plot through its own organic growth but also, when needed, heightened the intensity. One scene which really sticks out (without giving to much of the story away) was the moment HMS Beagle capsized. The stage and auditorium were a wash of rippling shades of blue. Completely submerged. In fact, replaying that vision whilst writing this, I can easily say that was my favourite scene in the show. So many actions perfectly executed; the sound, the light, the slow motion acting from the cast.

Looking at the whole package it is clear to see why the Natural History Museum was selected to play host to The Wider Earth. No other venue would do.

Be sure to see The Wider Earth which is calling the Natural History Museum home from now until February 24th 2019. Did I also mention that children go free when paired with a paying adult ticket? It’s true, they do! More information on the show and tickets can be found at: http://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit/exhibitions/the-wider-earth.html

Fame (UK tour) – REVIEW

Fame

New Theatre, Cardiff

 

Seen September 29th, 2018

Reviewed by Jade Prince

★★★★

To start off, I actually really enjoyed this show! This type of show isn’t normally my favourite however it managed to win me over!

We all know the 1980s film, Fame. It’s a classic. If you haven’t seen it, where have you been?! Fame follows the development of students enrolled on a four-year programme at The High School Of Performing Arts in New York City. The highs and incredible lows of the performing industry and the agony which is trying to crack it. The show itself pretty much covers every topic imaginable: young love, self-discovery, ambitions, drugs and acceptance.

The overall performance was great! It was well put together and clean-cut, this is something which has to happen in a show heavily based around dance. The choreography was classic but sharp. Nick Winston did a fab job! It always make me beam when the choreography is neat. Everyone was on time and giving 100%. I have seen too many dance shows recently where this was not the case. Super job!

We need a real moment of appreciation for the set, please. It was very simple but did everything it needed to do whilst giving the personal touch. Not just the generic, run of the mill for Fame. Specifically crafted for this cast. The year book photos were brilliant. All in-keeping with the 80s (I wouldn’t expect anything else!). Although there were a couple of point during the show were I found myself attempting to figure out who was who, especially as I couldn’t read the names under each photo. They were great to look at during the interval.

The cast was great, top marks across the board. Singing and dancing is never easy but they were able to make it look like a walk in the park! I am going to have to give a shout out to Stephanie Rojas (Carmen) who, vocally, killed it! There were several places where she stole the show but very graciously gave it back to the others to shine as a whole.

I would say this is a feel good show, I mean, it is although it does take a dark turn. Only briefly. A beautiful way to depict the fall in that industry. You want to start the game fast, you’ll burn much faster. The music definitely gives it this feel good vibe and will leave you humming the iconic ‘Fame!’ as you leave.

Fame is still traveling the UK before taking up residence in London’s Peacock Theatre for a short run lasting a little over a month next September.

For more information of the remaining tour venues and tickets, head to http://fameuktour.co.uk/tour-dates

 

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof – REVIEW

Cat On A Hot Tin Roof

Apollo Theatre, London

 

Seen on August 25^th, 2017

Reviewed by Jade Prince

★

An elaborate dance around lies and sexual tension, a warm summer night of celebration in Mississippi sees Brick and Maggie’s marriage balancing on a knife edge. With the uncertainty of the family estate on everyone’s mind the battle of the lies continues but which one will come out top?

An honest review – for the duration I was effectively a cat on a hot tin roof metaphorically in my chair, fidgety and bored, unable to sit still. It is never a good sign when multiple people become restless from the beginning of the second act.

I do not want this review to slate the show because a lot of hard work has been put into it however I shall be expressing my honest opinions. There were some good elements of the show but the negatives certainly removed all enjoyment from it.

It did not start well with act 1. The whole act consisted of Sienna Millers (Maggie) and Jack O’Connell (Brick) setting the feel of the show. Throughout you could see drops in their momentum as if they were struggling with emotional stamina. The ‘regular’ dialogue was engaging however when an argument erupts between the two characters the acting became less believable. I did not believe it one bit. In fact I was cringing slightly. It is so difficult to watch something and get really into it when the acting is not believable. Underplayed falls, bad proximity to each other with lunges and pathetic screams. (SPOILER – I’m sorry but if someone were to lunge towards me aiming to hit me with their crutch I would bloody shriek and dive out of the way!) I also found that missed a lot of the build up with Brick during the arguments because I was focused on Miller’s performance. She seemed far more connected with her character however that have may been the way it was meant to be portrayed, Brick remaining very distant from life waiting for the ‘click’ every day in order to cope.

The start of act 2 was by far the most engaging part of the show. The whole company coming together really drew me in. Although during act one we, as the audience, were given the impression of the family being out of control. I was not given that impression when the five child actors were on stage. Everything seemed very calm!

When I walked into the auditorium I was very intrigued with the set choices. It was not until the show started I was able to appreciate the set. The set was simple but effective. The only issue I found was it did not really help set the scene/time setting. The layout and colour scheme was giving me an art deco vibe however the story is set on a cotton plantation but the cast also had modern electronic devices. I was confused as to whether they were trying to update a classic or just had complete disregard to the time period.

Another thing that was very evident in the second act was the accents. They were awful! I was spending far too much time concentrating on what was actually being said. Halfway through the second act I gave up because just as I started understanding what was happening, I was lost again.

I am going to wrap this up here as I think these are the main points that let the show down. I personally would not recommend this show but if you are looking for a quiet night at the theatre where nothing much happens and you can nod off slightly, this may be for you.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof runs until October 7^th at the Apollo Theatre.