Posts with the label craig revel horwood
Showing posts with label craig revel horwood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label craig revel horwood. Show all posts
Tuesday 11 June 2019
Annie (UK Tour), New Victoria Theatre | Review
Annie (UK Tour)
New Victoria Theatre
Reviewed on Monday 10th June 2019 by Olivia Mitchell
★★★
Annie is an absolute cult classic show, from it's various film incarnations and tours around the world, there's something wonderful about the story of a young orphan who overcomes adversity and finds the love she's always desired.
Nikolai Foster's current UK touring production of the show features a wonderful set, some thrilling choreography and a whole lot of foot stamping energy from both the children and the adults. Colin Richmond's set is reminiscent of Matilda, with fragments (in this case puzzle pieces) framing the stage and creating a backdrop which leaves a lot to the imagination but also seems to flow and transition. Richmond's costumes are perfect for the setting but also manage to put a refreshing spin on the styes which have become synonymous with the show such as Annie's red coat and Lily St Regis' flowing dress.
Nick Winston once again provides the goods with his sharp choreography that incorporates a number of dance styles and never waivers. Particularly impressive are the tap numbers and rousing NYC sequences. The cast are precise and clean as they bring Winston's vision to life in an entertaining and stylistic way.
The young cast do a great job of bringing the various personalities of the orphans to life, with stand outs at this performance including Chancé Quaye, Aliya Bashir and Francesca Robinson. Leading the way as Annie herself, Freya Yates gives a good, assured performance and is sure to grow and develop into a wonderful musical theatre performer.
Among the adult cast it's Carolyn Maitland who stands out as the caring Grace, who takes Annie under her wing and becomes the perfect mother figure. Maitland's voice is superb and she really does radiate warmth. Richard Meek is entertaining as the bad boy schmoozer Rooster, who cons his way through life but remains annoyingly charming. Alongside the talented Jenny Gayner as Lily, the pair give fiery performances, especially in the kick-line inducing Easy Street. Craig Revel Horwood is a clear audience favourite and does give a rounded performance. Whilst there are moments which lack in energy, others fizzle and excite. Overall there are times when the audience could have benefitted from Horwood having stronger diction within his strong New York accent but he does, mostly, do the iconic role justice.
Although the sun might not be coming out in Surrey tomorrow, there's no doubt that this show will bring light and joy to many children. The beaming faces and exclamations of "I want to see it again" prove how magical theatre can be; and whilst this show is not everyone's cup of tea, it certainly has the heart to inspire.
Wednesday 25 April 2018
Son of a Preacher Man (UK Tour), New Victoria Theatre | Review
Son of a Preacher Man (UK Tour)
New Victoria Theatre
Reviewed on Tuesday 24th April 2018 by Valerie Field
★★
Son of a Preacher Man is directed by Craig Revel Horwood. Based on the music of Dusty Springfield, I expected good things. Unfortunately the story is not very believable and times the production felt disjointed and rather amateurish.
As I have never seen any of Craig's work before it’s difficult to compare, but I wouldn’t have thought this was his best.
The three main characters are brought together because they are all looking for love. They decide to go to ‘Soho’ to find the record shop of the 60s named ‘The Preacher Man’ as they had heard the owner was someone who everyone went to for advice, especially when it came to ‘Love’. Unfortunately the owner had died and it was now a coffee shop run by his not so clever son, played by Nigel Richards.
Alison, a young widow played by Michelle Gayle had a very good singing voice. I felt she should have been more involved in the show as Alice Barlow who played Kat was definitely not such a good singer, although she came across as very confident in her acting. The reason she wanted to go to the record shop was because her gran who had just died told her the story of ‘The Preacher Man’
Paul played by Michael Howe remembers going to shop in the 60’s and was hoping to rekindle a lost love from those days.
I felt the show had been advertised around Dusty Springfield and I was disappointed that more was not mentioned about her as I thought the production was going to include some of her life. A photo of her on stage or as a backdrop I feel would have enhanced her songs and made some form of connection rather than being completely unrelated.
The singing by the ensemble was not the best and I don’t think it worked very well having the musicians on stage throughout. The girls playing the Cappuccino Sisters however, were very energetic and a gave a lively and uplifting performance throughout.
The second half of the show was so much better and more lively and ‘Dusty Springfield’ inspired although it still wasn't the best.
I do feel anyone going to see it because of Dusty Springfield could be a bit disappointed, but in saying that it was an entertaining and enjoyable evening and the audience seemed to appreciate it. Go along for fun but don't expect a masterpiece.
Son of a Preacher Man runs at the New Victoria Theatre until 28th April
Friday 24 November 2017
Son of a Preacher Man (UK Tour), Grand Opera House, Belfast | Review
Son of a Preacher Man (UK Tour)
Grand Opera House, Belfast
Reviewed on Tuesday 21st November 2017 by Damien Murray
★★★
With its combination of an all-star line-up of principals and the timeless music made famous by the late Dusty Springfield, this show looked and sounded promising as a good night out at the theatre and expectations were high.
However, incorrectly referred to by many as ‘the Dusty Springfield musical’ (totally not the fault of the producers), this show is neither the Dusty Springfield story nor a bio-musical about her, but rather a style of juke-box musical that features her many hits held together by an unnatural and most ridiculous of storylines.
The complex and convoluted plot revolves around a cross-generational trio of individuals with relationship issues, who, by coincidence, arrive at the same time at a Soho coffee shop (formerly The Preacher Man record shop) in search of an answer to their respective lonely heart problems.
The legendary record-shop owner, the long-dead Preacher Man, had been a sort of agony uncle with an ear and a solution for those with relationship problems back in the 60s and the coffee shop is now under the control of his less-confident son, Simon, played with great experience by Ian Reddington.
Representing the older generation, Michael Howe played Paul, the first of the three troubled individuals, with assurance, while Debra Stephenson’s middle-aged widowed teacher, Alison, was good, but the awkward script didn’t allow her the same opportunity to develop her character to the same extent as the others.
However, the undoubted star of this show was young Diana Vickers, as Kat from the mobile phone generation, who brought a nice balance of humour and great vocals to the show.
Indeed, due to her young age, Vickers was probably the least familiar with the music of Dusty, which makes it even more surprising that she was the one who did the greatest justice to her songs in this show.
The set’s authentic and realistic-looking Soho coffee shop, complete with scene identifying neon signs, was impressive and was, generally, well-used by the talented cast of multi-instrumentalists in the form of on-stage actor musicians, aided by other hidden musicians.
Musically, this was good, but the combination of dodgy vocals from some performers and a few new song arrangements may have disappointed die-hard Springfield fans.
However, it was the efforts of the majority of the cast and those great songs that saved this show, especially the already mentioned vocals of Vickers and the stand-out harmonies of the three Cappuccino Sisters, played by Michelle Long, Kate Hardisty and Cassiopeia Berkeley-Agyepong.
However, despite its attractive lighting plot, good cast of principals and creative team, this production was sadly let down by its overall slow pace, its weak narrative and Craig Revel Horwood’s unsubtle choreography.
I am led to believe that on-going changes are being made to improve on its weak points … we can only hope that such improvements are in place long before the end of the scheduled tour.
Tuesday 21 March 2017
Sister Act (UK Tour), New Victoria Theatre | Review
Sister Act
★★★★
Based on the 1992 hit film starring Whoopi Goldberg, Sister Act tells the tale of nightclub singer Deloris who witnesses her violent partner commit a murder. Forced to be a witness and then forced into hiding, she ends up staying a convent which is under threat of being closed down for not attracting enough people to it's Sunday services. The production is full of glitzy outfits and laugh out loud moments and despite falling slightly flat at times, it is full of great performances and leaves the audience feeling good.
Craig Revel-Horwood's choreography is exciting and full of funny moments. Namely a slow motion scene which worked wonderfully and was warmly received by the audience, as was the majority of the show. Craig's production captures the spirit of family and friendship wonderfully and ensures the audience has a fun night out but it's hard to miss the weakness of the plot. The story is just a little too silly and basic to be fully effective but for a lively girls night out that can be overlooked and enjoyed for the laugh that it is.
Overall there is a high standard of performance with Alexandra Burke's leading lady Doloris holding her own throughout. She is sassy, likeable, over the top and delivers her comic lines wonderfully. Personally I struggled to understand what she said a lot of the time due to under-annunciated consonants but her singing and comic performance was fabulous and she fits into the role perfectly.
Each of the nuns have their own personalities which shine through from beginning to end and each of the individual stand out moments really add to the production. It's wonderful to see such a strong cast with an ensemble that are tight and seem to genuinely be enjoying themselves.
Sister Act is full of solid performances, buckets full of laughs, fabulousness and a whole lot of joy. Even though the story is silly and simplistic, it works wonderfully as an exciting night out and I'm sure it will continue to thrill audiences around the country.
Sister Act continues to play at the New Victoria Theatre until March 25th before continuing on it's tour.
Photo by: Tristram Kenton
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