Showing posts sorted by date for query Matt Terry. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by date for query Matt Terry. Sort by relevance Show all posts

Wednesday 1 May 2019

Madagascar the Musical (UK Tour), New Theatre Oxford | Review


Madagascar the Musical
New Theatre Oxford
Reviewed on Tuesday 30th April 2019 by Emma Gradwell
★★★★

Spotlights spiral around the auditorium, a crate flies open and a monkey threatens to throw poop at us if we use our mobile phones – the tone is immediately set for Madagascar the Musical

Set designer, Tom Rogers does a magnificent job. The stage is surrounded by packing crates that may contain some surprises, and moving pieces that instantly transform the set into a zoo, Grand Central Station and the jungles of Madagascar. The human ‘animals’ are visually engaging, with clever costumes from Robert Alsopp that help to give them an uncanny resemblance to their animated counterparts. 

Matt Terry is a nimble and energetic Alex the lion, who along with Antoine Murray Straughan as Marty the zebra, relentlessly bound about the stage with fun-filled choreography provided by Fabian Aloise. Terry’s vocals are great and he is engaging and likeable. Timmika Ramsay shines as the sassy Hippo, Gloria and her vocals stand out among the leads. 


Jo Parsons shuffles onto the stage after the interval as the ridiculous King Julien, a lemur with a crazy, indeterminate accent. This is when the production really comes alive. Aside from the leads, all of the creatures are represented by puppets and are voiced by a talented team. The penguins waddle out and are hilarious and endearing. Led by Shane McDaid as Skipper they deliver some cherished lines from the film: “Smile and wave boys, smile and wave”. The team switch seamlessly between characters, their voices providing much visual joy to the proceedings. Jessica Niles as Mort the tiny lemur is unbearably cute. 

While the musical numbers are not going to set the world alight, Madagascar the Musical makes up for it with charm and spectacle. There is enough to entertain the adults (rectal thermometers and a couple of drug-fuelled dream sequences), but it remains at heart a children’s show. It’s a ninety minute escape from technology and provides the innocence needed for an uncomplicated and fun evening. The faces of the young audience as they flossed and sang along with King Julien were an absolute joy, and that surely has to be a job well done.

Madagascar runs at the New Theatre Oxford until May 4th before continuing its tour

photo credit: Scott Rylander

Thursday 14 March 2019

Madagascar the Musical (UK Tour), New Victoria Theatre | Review


Madagascar the Musical (UK Tour)
New Victoria Theatre 

Reviewed on Tuesday 12th March 2019 by Glenys Balchin

★★★½ 


Madagascar the Musical was a perfect family night out, full of fun for the young audience as they tapped, cheered and danced their way through the story, against the backdrop of a damp and drizzly night outside the New Victoria Theatre. It has to be said, that many of the adults accompanying their young charges were enjoying the performance of the energetic cast just as much; with the cast bringing alive the animal inhabitants of New York Zoo and the story of their escape into the wilds of Madagascar.

Having seen other Dreamwork productions: The Lion King and Shrek on both film & stage, I was not sure what to expect of Madagascar and unfortunately for me this did not reach the same pinnacle as the others.  This was due to lack lustre look of some the main character costumes as well as having pre-recorded music rather than a live band. 

The puppetry was well executed and the presence of a human controlling them soon disappeared and captured the spirit of your imagination. A stand out for me was Melman the Giraffe, whose  characterisation by Jamie -Lee Morgan was thoroughly enjoyable and he delivered an excellent performance.


Although, the show was packed full of songs, none of them were very memorable. However, the dancing and abundance of energy displayed by all the cast members did not go unnoticed and I enjoyed the choreography, especially the exuberant 'Move It', but on the same note it was a little bit repetitive.

The plot itself is a little thin on the ground but the uncomplicated storyline makes it easy for small children to follow and remain enthralled by plenty of packed action fun and dazzle. Act two was more animated than the first, mainly thanks to the irrepressible, vigorously imaginative artistic style of Jo Parsons playing King Julien.

A little older than many of the children at the theatre, my companion's mane attraction for seeing the show was Matt Terry, so she was a little disappointed he was not playing Alex the Lion at this performance. However, I asked her verdict about the musical and she told me that whilst she had preferred The Lion King, she thought her younger sister (9) would love Madagascar. At the mature age of 14, she enjoyed it but was too cool to get up dance in the aisles with the other children and would certainly not have been happy if I had!



Her conclusion was that it is a song filled production, that features a set  that is inventive and all flows well. She loved how the characters were portrayed, in particular the Lion and the Hippo, and she thought that the voice of Marty was the same as the Zebra in the movie.

Overall the production went down well with the younger members of the audience and many of the adults that were there. For me, it lacked soul or a pinnacle to the production, due to repetitive choreography, unmemorable songs and basic costumes, however, the cast were pretty brilliant overall.

Whilst its a three and a half out of five stars for me, I'm sure many of the small children would disagree and give it a full five stars!

photo credit: Scott Rylander

Wednesday 25 July 2018

Madagascar The Musical (UK Tour), New Wimbledon Theatre | Review


Madagascar The Musical (UK Tour)
New Wimbledon Theatre
Reviewed on Wednesday 25th July 2018 by Olivia Mitchell 
★★★★

On a scorching summer night, the New Wimbledon Theatre played host to the opening of the high-energy, larger than life Madagascar The Musical. Based on the 2005 DreamWorks film of the same name, Madagascar follows a group of animals from the Central Park Zoo who find themselves in The Wild. 

Fabian Aloise's choreography is wonderfully modern whilst not being overly cheesy. The children accompanying me especially loved the flossing and it's evident that Fabian know's what the show's target audience want. The cast of humans and 'animals' fill the space brilliantly and create a sense of motion throughout. This movement works hand in hand with Tom Rodgers' sets which are simplistic but vibrant and transition us well from one location to another. Howard Hudson's lighting is warming and especially effective in the more high-intensity group numbers where it feels like a party in the theatre.


The cast are superb; even in the sweltering heat they don't falter and give us intensity and power from start to finish. Medically challenged giraffe, Melman is embodied perfectly by Jamie Lee-Morgan who wanders round the stage in a somber but truly lovable manner whilst Tammika Ramsay as Gloria is sassy and commanding. As the zebra who dreams of escaping the zoo, Antoine Murray-Straughan is humourous and eccentric and his many talents are showcased especially during his brief rap and dance sections. 

As the leader of the pack, Alex the lion, Matt Terry is impeccable. From his superb falsetto, riffs and generally beautiful tone, it's clear why he was voted the winner of X-Factor 2016. But, Matt's acting and dance performance is equally as strong as he owns the stage and draws the audience into the story. 


Watching the show you completely forget these are not the same characters from the film. The costumes and puppets are so cleverly done that you even forget there are real humans on stage! The ensemble do a stellar job of playing a number of characters and completely transform themselves right in front of our eyes. Mention must also go to Jo Parsons as King Julian who has the audience in the palm of his hand with his epic performance of Move It.

The music of Madagascar is genuinely catchy and it's a show that both adults and children will appreciate and enjoy. If you want some light-hearted fun with a host of crazy characters and stellar performances then Madagascar is the one for you. 

Madagascar runs at the New Wimbledon Theatre until July 28th before continuing it's tour.

photo credit: Scott Rylander

Wednesday 2 May 2018

Chess, London Coliseum | Review


Chess
London Coliseum
Reviewed on Tuesday 1st May 2018 by Olivia Mitchell 
★★★

Benny and Björn’s musical Chess is somewhat of a hidden gem in my mind. There are a number of ‘famous’ songs but other than that the show flies fairly under the radar in the grand scheme of musical theatre. Since seeing the 2008 concert version at the Albert Hall, I have been somewhat obsessively championing this musical so was thrilled to hear it was returning to the West End in the glorious London Coliseum. 

The production values of this show are outstanding. Matt Kinley's set design is minimalistic but striking, with simple set movements creating a whole change in mood and atmosphere. Patrick Woodroffe's lighting is suitably 80s-music-video-chic and Terry Scruby's video design and use of screens either side of the stage adds a unique element as well as a way for those further back in the massive Coliseum to feel a part of the action. However, the screens at times do feel overwhelming  and draw away from the drama rather than highlighting it. All technical aspects of the show work wonderfully though and tie the story and music together to create a cohesive mood. It's the cast which unfortunately lets the show down.

Michael Ball as the Russian, Anatoly, is vocally great but it feels as though he's coasting through and just singing the music note by note rather than bringing out the passion within it. Act 2 is certainly more convincing but there's a lack of compassion with the character and overall his performance is unfortunately underwhelming. 


Tim Howar growls his way through the show and at times is overly aggressive, even for the character. But his rendition of Pity the Child #2 is absolutely, breathtakingly brilliant and worth the ticket price alone. Cedric Neal as The Arbiter is shamefully underused as his smooth, riff-filled vocals are a highlight of the show. He's a sleek, expressive performer who deserves more stage time.

On the female side, the two leads work well together in their duet of I Know Him So Well and their love/resentment towards Anatoly is well acted but one is clearly better than the other. Alexandra Burke is strong at times but her varying accent and tendency to sing the songs as though she's performing in a pop concert take away from the heart-breaking story of Svetlana. Someone Else's Story falls flat for me but He is a Man, He is a Child was a look into what an emotive role this could be. I look forward to hopefully visiting the show again to see how Alexandra settles into the role and makes it her own. 

Cassidy Janson delivers a touching performance, especially during the finale and really works with what she's been given. Some moments seem as though Cassidy is toning down her vocals to fit with others which is a shame, but again something which will hopefully be remedied in future performances.

The ensemble are a tight knit, well-oiled machine who do a wonderful job of transporting us to various locations and do justice to the fantastically diverse score which includes operatic, rock, musical theatre styles and more. 


Despite the star names attached with Chess, it's really the music that steals the show. Benny and Björn's virtuosic score soars and stoops in the most stunning, moving way. The outstanding orchestra are faultless- you’d be hard pressed to hear the music played better than by the glorious musicians in the vast space of the Coliseum. 

There have been a number of cuts and changes to the show, most of which are welcome, however I particularly missed Commie Newspapers which sets up the political conflict between Anatoly and Freddie and provides a clear plot line for those unfamiliar with the show to follow. The character of Walter DeCourcey of Global Television is also noticeably absent which leads to the final confrontation between him and Florence never happening. The dialogue between the two where it’s revealed Florence’s father may not be alive after all and she decides she’s done with Chess, and games in life is particularly moving and just proves that truly Nobody is on Nobody’s Side. It’s a shame to see this cut and for me the new ending falls short. 

Some of the lyric changes also feel a little unnecessary. The change from “haven’t you noticed we are a protagonist short?” to “haven’t you noticed we are a lead short?” for example seems as though those adapting felt the audiences would be too silly to understand the original text. Of course this is a small thing and those unfamiliar with the show wouldn't even notice but as a fan of Chess, it feels like there have been needless changes just for the sake of it. 

Despite this review being somewhat negative, I genuinely did enjoy Chess. Perhaps it's because the first and only other production I've seen was of such a high standard that this current reincarnation falls flat. If you've never seen Chess before then I think you'll love it. I urge you to see the show regardless of its faults as it's got a beautiful score and a moving story that you can't help but fall in love with. 

Chess runs at the London Coliseum until June 2nd.

photo credit: Brinkhoff Mögenberg