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Wednesday 29 November 2017

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (UK Tour), Edinburgh Playhouse | Review

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (UK Tour)

Edinburgh Playhouse

Reviewed on Tuesday 28th November 2017 by Liv Ancell

★★★★★

Wasting no time in getting started, the Carole King musical opened with the protagonist (played by the talented Bronté Barbé) sitting behind a grand piano at the Carnegie Hall concert, a highlight of King’s solo singing career. During these first few moments of the show we see Carole at her pinnacle – a headline concert.

Some world-class singing, along with a quick comical address to the audience, and whoosh! The piano glides to the back of the stage, while the forefront is seamlessly transformed into a mid-century apartment in Brooklyn. In an astonishing demonstration of hurried backstage dressing, Carole emerges just moments later, transformed into the gawky 16-year old college student with big ambitions.

And so the show really begins, as we follow the peppy and promising teenager from the very beginnings of her musical ambitions. Throughout the show, we are to see several more versions of Carole. From naïve teenager to career-woman, mother, divorcée and reborn singer – Bronté’s unwavering Brooklyn accent and incredible acting talent carried the audience right the way through the character’s incredible journey.

From joy to dejection, every facet of emotion was expertly communicated by this veritable stage star; from gestures to posture and tone, the calibre of acting on show made the audience really get behind the character. When Carole suffered a set-back, the audience collectively mourned for her. When Carole rejoiced, the audience rejoiced. The connection between Bronté and the audience was pure and deep, emphasising the quality of talent possessed by the actress.

My favourite aspect of the show was the flashy transitions between song-writing and performance. Carole and her husband Gerry Goffin, who was her partner in a work sense, too had a believable on-stage chemistry. The very moment that our ingénues completed the writing of each song (her the melodies and him the words), the chosen artists suddenly appeared to perform Carole and Gerry’s works. These quick ‘cut-betweens’ intersected the story, providing moments of sheer joy, and often comedy, as the audience enjoyed upbeat, all-dancing, all-singing renditions by the likes of The Shirelles and The Drifters.

Carole and Jerry’s counterparts, songwriting duo Barry Mann and Cynthia Well – who were great friends of Carole and Jerry – are the subjects of a sideline love story. The ambitious go-getter Cynthia and hypochondriac musician Barry provide many moments of comedy, and are instantly likeable.

As Carole strikes out on her own in Act 2, the audience see even more of the endless talent possessed by this legendary artist. More confident, less naïve and wiser, the character doesn’t hold back and the real potential of her talent is unlocked. This show is a beautiful journey of talent and dreams, a journey who’s ending would not seem quite so special if the moments of sadness and despair had not appeared along the way.

A packed Edinburgh Playhouse rose to their feet to toast the young talents of the show. The main characters and the ensemble really seemed to understand the complexities of the relationships and the time period which the show spanned. The execution of this show was flawless; from staging to lighting, to the script and the arrangements.

I whole-heartedly recommend this show to anybody – even if the name Carole King is unknown to you prior to seeing the show, I can guarantee hits such as the Locomotion and Will You Love Me Tomorrow will jog your memory and give you a new found sense of appreciation of this song writing and singing legend.

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Tuesday 26 September 2017

West End Live Lounge: Woman, The Other Palace Studio | Review

West End Live Lounge: Woman

The Other Palace Studio

Reviewed on Sunday September 24th 2017 by Olivia Mitchell

★★★★★

If you're a frequent reader of Rewrite This Story (which I hope you are) then you will know that I have been to the previous two West End Live Lounges and raved about them to no end, so it's no surprise that last night's concert completely blew me away too. As always this will probably be a pretty long review because I want to praise as many people as I can, so go grab your drink of choice and get ready to relive an amazing night, or cry because you missed it!

Each West End Live Lounge raises money, with all proceeds from ticket sales and collections going to a specific charity, in last night's case, Women's Aid which helps women who are in/have been in abusive relationships; a cause which i'm sure we all agree is super important. So not only do you have an amazing night hearing some of the best the theatre world has to offer but you get to support a fantastic cause!

Last night's incredible line up was made up of: George Ure, Marcus Ayton, Brady Isaacs Pearce, Marisha Wallace, Liisi LaFontaine, Rob Houchen, Natalie Green, Matthew Harvey, Paul Wilkins, Rachel John, Kelly Agbowu, Sabrina Aloueche, Jodie Steele, Carolyn Maitland, Laura Tebbutt, Madalena Alberto, Emma Lindars, Lauren Ingram and Sapphire Soul.

Our compere for the evening was the ridiculously hilarious Samuel J Holmes who delivered gag after gag and was his own stand up act between performers.

Sapphire Soul were flawless as usual when they opened with a medley of classic Bond songs- the ladies, as their name suggests are full of soul and are just powerhouse vocalists which they proved again in act 2 with Bang Bang. From then on the energy was high and the first act flew by with some dazzling performances. Lauren Ingram's version of Crazy in Love was slowed down and sexy; Marcus Ayton's I Who Have Nothing was heart-wrenchingly beautiful as was Matthew Harvey's, Gravity.

Brady Isaacs Pearce was stunning as always with her emotive and heartfelt rendition of Jessie J's Big White Room; her clear, smooth voice is just so stunning to listen to and as I always say, she needs to be in a West End show NOW! Natalie Green as usual was fantastic, with her performance of If I Ain't Got You giving me chills!

The final trio of act one could not have been better; Rob Houchen had the whole audience in the palm of his hand with his insanely brilliant performance of I'd Rather Go Blind. I knew he could sing but man he's good! Kelly Agbowu then owned the belter One Moment in Time before Rachel John sent the whole audience to church with her Take My Hand/You've Got a Friend mash up. Needless to say, by the interval everyone was truly on a music induced high.

Act 2 was equally as good, if not better with banger and banger being delivered flawlessly by each and every person. Emma Lindars delivered Rolling in the Deep perfectly, with some added audience harmonies. Rachel John again wowed with My Kind of Love followed by Carolyn Maitland exquisitely performing Sia's Chandelier which could only have been made better if Maddie Ziegler was there to perform her iconic dance routine.

This act featured two impeccable duets; firstly Sabrina Aloueche and Matt Harvey with Girl Just Wanna Have Fun and secondly Paul Wilkins and Rob Houchen with Field of Gold. Both of which featured perfect harmonies and left me breathless. Kelly Agbowu's Chains was perfect and Jodie Steele's scarily relevant cover of Dear Mr President was beautifully, sincerely and emotively performed.

Liisi LaFontaine and Marisha Wallace are the definition of powerhouses, their vocals, stage presence and overall auras are just impeccable. Marisha along with her own back up singers brought the audience to their feet with her faultless Whitney Houston medley as she sang her heart out to the gods and slayed the entire audience. Liisi slayed equally with her stunning performance of Uninvited but it was their closing number, Listen which absolutely blew the roof off of The Other Palace Studio. Now I've heard Listen several times when I've seen Dreamgirls but this performance was just mind blowing and proved why these ladies are getting all the hype and praise they are at the moment. Absolutely sensational!

So yes, this was an incredible concert. Shaun McCourt is a saint for putting so much time and energy into this impeccable concert for a wonderful cause and I hope the West End Live Lounges continue for a long time to come. If you want a night of hilarity, fun and vocal perfection then get yourself along to the next one and help out some wonderful charities!

Check out West End Live Lounge on Twitter for details of future concerts: https://twitter.com/WElivelounge17

Vlog of West End Live Lounge: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hClGUk1_Sxk

Previous West End Live Lounge reviews: http://www.rewritethisstory.com/search?q=West+End+Live+Lounge

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Tuesday 5 March 2019

Rocky Horror Show (UK Tour), New Victoria Theatre | Review

Rocky Horror Show (UK Tour)

New Victoria Theatre

Reviewed on Monday 4th March 2019 by Louise Jordan

★★★★★

Over 30 million people have watched the Rocky Horror Picture Show live. I was one of them, thirty years ago. Would this version capture the energy, naughtiness and sheer exuberance of my previous experience, or Richard O’Brien’s cult film? The answer is abso-jolly-lutely. What a treat!

I could explain the plot in detail, but frankly it doesn’t really matter. In a nutshell Brad (Ben Adams) and Janet (Joanne Clifton), American squeaky clean and newly engaged college students, break down one night and seek shelter. They stumble across Dr Frank-N-Furter’s (Stephen Webb) castle, where he is unveiling his newest creation, Rocky (Callum Evans). A certain amount of, ahem, intimacy occurs all round (the warnings of adult themes are justified – don’t take your granny unless she’s especially broad minded). Enter stage left Dr Everett Scott (Ross Chisari) looking for his son Eddie and tada, we discover that Frank is an alien transvestite from the planet Transsexual. Are you any wiser? Thought not. But you don’t go to the Rocky Horror Picture Show for the plot. You go for the experience and the singalong joy of it – the entire audience is on their feet for ‘Sweet Transvestite’. The show is clearly held in enormous affection by its devoted audience and Dom Joly as narrator interacts brilliantly with the barrage of comments that punctuate his every appearance on stage.

The acting, singing and dancing are flawless, and the staging slick in this ensemble production of all round strong performances. The chemistry and timing between actors ensures the pace never dips from start to finish.

If you live in or near Woking, you’ve got a week to catch this show and leave behind the pressures of real life for a night. And if – man, woman or non-binary – you want to dust down your bustier and fishnets for the night, who am I to judge?

Rocky Horror runs at the New Victoria Theatre until 9th March before continuing its tour

photo credit: David Freeman

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Thursday 13 October 2016

Chicago (UK Tour), Churchill Theatre | Review

Chicago (UK Tour)

Churchill Theatre
Reviewed on Monday 10th October 2016 by Olivia Mitchell

★★★★★

Chicago is one of those classic musicals that everyone knows. It was one of the first ones I ever saw and it certainly holds a special place in my heart so I was thrilled when I heard about its UK tour. The overall production is fantastic and its one of the few shows I've given a five star rating!

The Churchill Theatre, Bromley provided a wonderful setting for this over the top, fabulous show. The music is of course fantastic and having the band on stage and involved in the action was wonderful and engaging. The staging is classic, elegant and sexy just like the show; with a simple tiered setting, a few extra chairs and two ladders coming in and out from the wings of the stage. Along with the faded mood lighting, the overall effect is simple but perfectly fitting for the show.

The whole cast is fantastic. Sophie Carmen-Jones embodies Velma Kelly to a T, giving a sultry, dramatic and slick portrayal and really shining in the production. Hayley Tamaddon gives Miss Roxie Hart a cheeky edge and truly manages to capture Roxie's development to a scheming seductress desperate for fame. I felt she really settled into the character as the show progressed and was extremely confident in her singing, dancing and acting- an all round great performance! John Partridge plays the sleazy Billy Flynn extremely well and you could tell from the audience reaction how engaged they were with his performance. Jessie Wallace also demonstrates her vocal abilities which I certainly didn't know she had and Mama Morton was wonderfully suited to her.

The 1920s setting of Chicago gives it a vintage feel which you can't help but feel attracted to. The swinging jazz numbers have you tapping your feet and make you feel as though you've been pulled into to a secretive speak-easy like environment. Chicago must be one of the sexiest shows around so if you're looking for inspiration to go to the gym just look at this cast! Everything about them is enviable, including the killer leg kicks and ridiculous figures!

I adore this show and if the full house was anything to go by then I think a lot of people do. If you can manage to snap up a ticket for the tour then you are guaranteed a sublime, sexy, sultry and sparkling night out!

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Thursday 6 April 2017

42nd Street, Theatre Royal, Drury Lane | Review

42nd Street

Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
Reviewed on Wednesday April 3rd 2017 by Olivia Mitchell

★★★★★

It seems that 2017 is the year of old Hollywood musicals coming back into fashion. The West End is getting a smattering of big budget, glitzy, over the top glamorous productions and I'm certainly not complaining about it!

42nd Street is a timeless, Classic, toe-tapping 'backstage-musical' which is sure to be a hit. Telling the story of struggling performers trying to get their big Broadway break we see their trials and tribulations and meet the young chorus girl Peggy Sawyer as she is thrown into the manic theatre world with the chance of getting her big break.

The choreography (by Randy Skinner) is key in this show so if you're not big on dance heavy performances then it's not for you. Personally though, there's not much that's more exhilarating than a beaming stage full of crystals, colours and thunderous feet pulling off steps with ease and grace.

The show runs seamlessly with smooth costume changes, especially when a seemingly unorganised array of dresses suddenly arrange themselves into a sensational rainbow. Douglas W. Schmidt's set design is ambitious, exciting and magical and certainly creates a spectacle. The silhouette work is slick and spectacular and the moment when the mirror rises to show impeccable synchronised company work, there were audible gasps of awe from the audience. Every moment of this show is a complete extravaganza of brilliance and it's full of moments which will leave you open-mouthed.

The stars of the show are wonderfully cast, with Clare Halse portaying Peggy Sawyer's energy and vigour extremely well. Sheena Easton's vocals as the fading star Dorothy Brock are impeccable and Tom Lister as Julian Marsh is strong but charming and hits each note with dexterity.

Of course, this show would be nowhere as brilliant without its unblemished ensemble work. There are beaming smiles all round, faultless feet and enough energy to power the underground! The stage is filled with colour and life and each moment just works. The show is certainly one of the biggest and flashiest I've seen recently but everything fits and nothing feels too over the top. Everything has a place, nothing is there just for the flashiness, it all works to give the show drama whilst still remaining cohesive- utterly faultless.

42nd Street earned the royal seal of approval from the Duchess of Cambridge herself and I'm sure it will continue to be loved and praised by everyone who steps into the huge Theatre Royal. The stage is large, the cast is large and the whole thing is bigger and brighter than you can imagine. If you want to step back to the decades of glitz and glamour, be blown away by talent, have your ears tapped off and escape the real world for a few hours then 42nd Street is the show for you! Go see it and be prepared to tap all your way home!

Watch my 42nd Street vlog: https://youtu.be/-7FksKHBGoc