Idol Pursuits

You watch them on stage. They glow with a blinding inner self assurance; they dance and sing with a grace and power only imagined in other worldly beings. Under that spotlight, they are untouchable, elevated and godlike. Sometimes, they are literally flying high above us. It's thrilling and exciting to be in their presence; these marvellous creatures we call 'performers'. 

We want to protect this idea of their grandeur - it feels good to have these icons to aspire to. What is it like to be them? How wonderful their lives are. How perfect. Maybe one day I can be like them.

Except, there’s one problem. This is all an illusion. The characters you see on stage are just creations.

"But I've seen them at gigs, doing their own music, being themselves" Yes, in this instance they may not be playing a character, but they are still performing. When they meet and greet later - still performing. It's all in the job description. After all, it is a job - just like the rest of us have. Theirs is just a little more public.

A confession - I don't really like to meet the people I admire. It always leaves a depressing sense of anti-climax. It feels scandalous to say so because 'stage-dooring' has become such a huge part of the experience for so many. For me, though, I like to remain remote and it's because I want to maintain the illusion - I'm not above admitting that. I want to cherish the idea that they are the larger than life characters I saw on stage.

I remember a time when I was a child - I was sitting in the bar area with my family after a show, when one by one the actors slid from a side door that led backstage and sat among us, just like regular people. And I was upset. I'd only just escaped into this grand and magical world and here was the reality and normality of actor "Dave" who lives in a small flat on the outskirts of London, trying to earn enough to give his kids a good education. I didn't want him to be "Dave", I wanted him to be "Buttons" (my theatre going was mostly panto back then), the happy-go-lucky village idiot predisposed to accidentally throwing pies at unfortunate audience members.

Obviously, the above situation is embellished. There's no way I could recall that kind of detail from 20 years ago. But you see my point - I don't need to know the details of the actor’s life. It's illusion shattering.

However, it is an intoxicating feeling to get an insight into the mind of revered idols and with social networking sites, like twitter, it's never been easier. You get an insight in a way that couldn't have been achieved even just 10 years ago.

But, wait, isn't this just an illusion too? You can make yourself out to be whoever you want to be on twitter. You can edit your personality by what you choose to reveal - or what not to reveal.

So what happens when our idols are caught making a poor decision or simply being grumpy on an off day? Everyone's horrified and inconsolable. Suddenly they seem weak and fragile, small and... Human?!

I think it is okay to get caught up in the illusion, though, because it's all part of the escapist fantasy - whether you want to be at the front of the stage door queue being recognised by all your favourite stars, or if you'd rather admire from afar. However you choose to enjoy the experience it's important to remember that it's all just razzle dazzle. Perhaps sometimes we ought to take a step back, squint against the glare of the bright lights and sequins and realise that these are simply human beings just doing a job.

The Woman in Black 25th Anniversary Tour - Swansea Grand Theatre - Saturday 23rd Feb

Now in its 25^th year, The Woman in Black is a play I’ve revisited a few times. Generally, I’m more drawn to musical theatre than straight plays but there’s something about this play that keeps on pulling me back.

 With a cast of only two – Arthur Kipps and ‘the Actor’ – many first timers wonder how the story can possibly be portrayed effectively with so few cast members. If there’s one thing you don’t need to fear, it’s this. If anything, the lack of people on stage heightens the feeling of isolation which only adds to the atmosphere.

Kipps has sought out ‘the Actor’ to help him tell his story – a story that has haunted him since he visited Eel Marsh house many years before. He feels it is time to share it, and as the audience we are privy to this first, tentative retelling. We are, essentially, watching a play within a play. From the moment Kipps steps onstage and mumbles his way through the first few sentences of his memoirs, we sense his reluctance to tell his tale and this sets us on edge – we know the story to come won’t be pleasant. The tone has been set. 

Since setting the atmosphere is so important to get right for this show to work, the pace at the start can seem a little plodding. There are a lot of pauses and re-starts and although it is done quite amusingly  (Kipps is no performer) it takes a good 20 minutes for the story of the haunted Eel Marsh House and its tortured resident to begin.

One of my favourite things about this production is the interaction between performer and scenic/technical elements. As ‘the Actor’ explains to Kipps – simply play a track of birds and light traffic and, suddenly, we are outside in the day time. No need for explanation. In one scene, a costume hamper may play the part of a table in a stuffy office. In the next, it becomes a pony & trap with no more than a soundtrack of hooves and whinnies and the choreographed action of motion. At no point, though, do we question the authenticity of the object – in our minds, the hamper is the table or trap.

I found the second act to have a much quicker pace than the first as this is where the mere suggestion of the woman in black turn into actual hauntings and we are kept permanently on the edge of our seats (unless you're my nan, who was "so lovely and warm" in the theatre that she fell asleep!! - with all the screaming, I'm really not sure how).

The roles of Arthur Kipps and ‘the Actor’ were played by Julian Forsyth and Antony Eden respectively.  Forsyth gets to show off his versatility as an actor in this role – he starts out as a nervous, bumbling man, who, under ‘the Actor’s’ encouragement, progresses into a more confident performer, taking on the characteristics of the many different residents of the ill fated village of Crythin Gifford. Eden, on the other hand, is almost a parody of his profession as ‘the Actor’ - at times seemingly over the top in his enthusiasm but nevertheless enabling and encouraging Kipps in the unfolding of the story. I’ve seen the roles performed more subtly with previous casts and I do think subtle works best; these performers were skirting a little too close to getting swept away in the high tension for me and this has the danger of it becoming a little ridiculous. Subtlety of performance lends itself to a more believable ghost story.

However, I can’t think of a more admirable demonstration of performance skill than when you find an audience scared for the fate of a dog who is nothing more substantial than suggestion and collective imagination. These two powerful components are expertly woven together throughout and the result is all the commendation this show and these performers need. Well, that, and it's a damn good ghost story that'll cause you to turn all the lights on when you get home.

Woman in Black is currently half way through its tour, so please check the official website http://www.thewomaninblack.com/tour/ for upcoming dates and venues.

Rock of Ages - Garrick Theatre - 4th Feb

What's going down home readers?

Rock may be dead as far as the charts are concerned, but inside the Garrick theatre it's alive and melting its audiences faces off.

It's strange that it's taken me this long to venture to the Sunset Strip considering my love for both musicals and 80s 'hair metal' or 'glam rock'. To rectify this I put it at the top of my shows to be seen in 2013 list and booked straight away as part of my birthday visit.

On a cold Monday evening in February the theatre was disappointingly empty but that didn't dampen the enthusiasm and spirit of the production. Sitting in my seat there was a sense that I was in a realm somewhere between victorian theatre and sleazy rock venue. Sure enough, I was sitting in the just-this-side-of-comfortable red plush seating with the politely ornate architecture delicately decorating the balconies and pillars. Yet pounding from the speakers was Def Leppard's 'Pour Some Sugar On Me' and headbanging ushers dressed in torn up clothing thrusted bottles of booze in an airpunch to the beat.

In front of me the interior of the Bourbon Room awaits it's occupants.

I'm not sure what the atmosphere of the show was like at its former home, the Shaftesbury Theatre, but I can't help but feel the intimate nature of the Garrick will only enhance the experience as it really does feel like you're there in the Bourbon Room waiting for the gig to begin.

The band walks on stage and kicks up a small offering of 'Welcome to the Jungle' before we are thrown straight into a busy shift at the club.

In this production many of the understudies were on including Tim Driesen as Drew and Cordelia Farnworth as Sherrie, who are the central characters in this story.

There's a lot to be said for the west end's understudies. So often people seem to think they're getting a second rate performance and this just isn't the case. The understudies are well rehearsed, equally talented and, often, better than the main cast (especially where stunt casting is employed). The understudies in this show are shining examples of how great they can be.

Driesen and Farnworth portray their characters with a degree of naivety, open heartedness and vulnerability while still having that steely rockers edge and sing with fantastically strong, unwavering voices.

Leanne Garretty played the feisty Regina in this performance and bounces hilariously off Sandy Moffat's Franz.

I wasn't entirely sure about Tim Howar as Stacee Jaxx but whether this is down to performer or character, I don't know. I watched the film version before seeing the show and I think I'd like to see a portrayal of the character that's somewhere in between these two very different versions. Tom Cruise's Jaxx has far more of the untouchable rock star about him but I like the confused and bewildered characteristic of the stage show incarnation. Perhaps it's Howar himself who doesn't give off that aura of elevated idol - which given that he actually belongs to real life rock band 'Mike and the Mechanics' should come naturally.

The star of the show is undoubtedly the one who, by all other standards, would usually lurk in the shadows of the story - Simon Lipkin as Lonny/Narrator. His camp stage presence has the audience crying with laughter and anxiously awaiting his next appearance. Should the narrator character carry a show this much? in the context of this particular show - without a doubt. He's more than just a narrator, after all, he is a character in his own right with a love story of his own brewing in the sidelines.

The thing I love about Rock of Ages is that it knows that to work well, it can't take itself seriously and it completely embraces this. Chris D'Arienzo has written a book that's so tongue in cheek that it mocks it's own story.

A serious night at the theatre this ain't. It's a rip roaring night of fun and air guitars, so don your big hair wigs, put on lashings of eyeliner, tear up your theatre attire and start headbanging in the aisles - whether you were there in the 80s or not, this show'll transport you straight back to a simpler but by no means quieter time.

If you'd like more information or want to book tickets, please go to the official website www.rockofagesmusical.co.uk 

Sidetrack
While writing this review I got sidetracked by the song 'To Be With You' which had a strange resonance with me. I listened to the original on youtube and still had this weird feeling. Then it hit me - it was a song on one of the first albums I ever owned, 'Now 21' 21 years ago when I was 8! It was, obviously, on cassette and I had listened to it over and over. It just goes to show the power that music holds - so many years later it still managed to evoke a memory of the emotions I felt at the time. Suddenly, this feels like a very long time ago and I feel old - and nostalgic.

A Chorus Line : First Night Previews – 5th February – London Palladium

Having recently attended my very first closing performance, this was another first for me. The first night of previews; a new production, never before seen. It was also my first trip to the Palladium.

Lots of firsts going on there.

After a little trouble finding the theatre, I finally got there 10 mins before the start. No problem, though – it was so packed with people the show went up late anyway by the time everyone had been herded in.

A Chorus Line has the slightly later start time at 7.45pm and I must say this 15 minutes makes all the difference – I much prefer it to a 7.30pm start. It just feels more manageable.

The audience had a much higher percentage of ‘young’ people (20s & 30s) than older people which is quite unusual. I’m not sure if this was because the show appeals to a younger demographic or if it was because there were certainly a lot of performers in the audience supporting their friends (I didn’t recognise any, incidentally, except for a girl who used to be in Hollyoaks).

The best thing about so many performers in the audience? - the atmosphere. I don’t think I’ve ever been part of such a lively audience.

The really unique thing about this musical is the lack of set. It felt quite odd to see such a huge stage so empty and yet this is what the reality of the audition process would be. There is nothing but a wall of mirrors upstage and a white line along the front – the chorus line.

In a musical so lacking the spectacle of effects and technicality, it must go right back to basics – back to what every show should really be about – the story. Each character has their own story to tell; why they’re here, how they got there etc. Such focus on the characters to deliver that story means the actors must have every nuance down to perfection. I don’t think I’ve been to a musical where I’ve listened quite so intently and watched individuals quite so closely.

And I’m happy to say that they all deliver. The performance is incredibly polished and shines under the stage lights. I can’t pick out any one performer in particular because that really isn’t the point of ‘A Chorus Line’. They are all equal – there’s no star because the process isn’t looking for a star. Even at the end of the production there is no build up to any one performer. They all come onto the stage in random order in a line singing the iconic ‘One’.

I will, however, pick my show highlight and that has to be the whole of the ‘Montage’ right in the middle of the show – the pace is good and we learn a little about a lot about all the characters in that 20 minutes or so. I particularly enjoyed Part 4 ‘Gimme the Ball’ where the chorus join Richie’s story in a high energy dance sequence and Part 2 – Diana’s song ‘Nothing’ (mostly because that’s a long time favourite of mine).

In contrast, my other show highlight is the much more subdued contemplation sequence, after the director, Zach, asks them ‘If today were the day you had to stop dancing, how would you feel?’ a question that prompts the chorus line to analyse why they put themselves through it all, leading into the song ‘What I Did for Love’.

Something I didn’t realise before writing this was ‘A Chorus Line’ was inspired by tapes of true stories straight from the actual audition rooms of frustrated dancers. Not taken verbatim, of course but used as a jumping board in the lengthy workshop period that followed. Perhaps that’s why there’s such a ‘real’, sometimes quite dark, sense to it.   

This is a musical that strips away all the modern additions to musicals as we know them nowadays, down to the bare bones, until we’re left with ‘the music & the mirror’ almost literally. If you want to see a show that’s genuinely funny with strong character development and some frantic, high energy dance numbers then this is the one for you.

A Chorus Line officially opens on 19^th February with previews up until that date. To find out more, or book tickets, please visit the official site http://www.achoruslinelondon.com/

Everybody's Doing It.....

.... Talking about Les Miserables & Musicals, that is. It can be a confusing time for a long standing, devout theatre follower. Suddenly, I’m not necessarily the one starting the discussions; Random people are listening to the songs, colleagues are overheard talking animatedly about the merits of vocal ability over acting ability, magazines are jammed packed with photos, quotes and interviews from the movie cast.

And I’m happy, I am. This exposure is brilliant. Ordinary people in their droves will be going to see something other than Viva Forever. Hooray – the West End is saved.

........ But, look! - over there. It lurks in the dark recesses of the mind, the part you occasionally glance directly at but snap away from, it hurts to look there for more than a few seconds. Well, In there lives a frantic eyed gollum-esque version of yourself and this creature is not happy with the current turn of events. He wails in a pained, desperate imitation “Who Am I?”

When your identity is rolled up with your passion, it feels important to have an ownership of it. It feels like you have a right to make a claim for it, run aways with it and hides it. Tell no one else about it. A tendency toward the dramatic also carries a warning of possessive and obsessive behaviour.

Now, it’s taken out of your hands. It’s being divided up and shared around. Your scared and confused – no longer are you an individual with a quirky love of musicals. No. Now you’re part of the crowd.  You’re getting shoved and pushed and crushed by said crowd. But do you leave? No, of course you don’t. Because though it’s part of your identity, it’s not the whole and the reason it became part of you in the first place is through love. So, instead of being the jealous wife of a polygamous husband who shares himself between many, be the loving wife who promotes and nurtures the growth of the family (while also having a few more loves herself). Attendance at shows is what keeps it going, after all.    

Talking of attendance, I’ll be off to see The Hobbit - errr sorry - Les Mis again sometime this week........ because it’s MY precious! 

Les Miserables – A Story That Unites Us All (Well, Almost)

*Warning - Post Contains SPOILERS*

This is going to be just one droplet in a flood of Les Mis Movie reviews, but considering the emotive nature of the film, I think the word “reaction” is more appropriate than “review”.

My first reaction is to how far the appeal of this movie has stretched – far beyond the very dedicated but narrow viewership of musical theatre fans alone.  In my local cinema, on the second night of its release, in a normally barren land for culture, it has sold out to a roomful of people from all walks of life. I think what has captured most people is simply the fact it’s a well made movie with an intricately beautiful tapestry of a story at its core, woven around generations of characters – more than a story about revolution or class or persecution, it’s a story about people. The fact that it’s a musical is secondary, but hopefully those who are enticed by the story or cinematography will fall in love with the music as much as we, the theatre fans, do.

I was pleasantly satisfied by Anne Hathaway’s Fantine. Reading back on my initial thoughts on the trailer back in June, she was one I had big reservations about. But it worked, thankfully. Fantine is such a desperately miserable character that Hathway’s sweet, raw voice added to the sense of her fragility and hopelessness and had me in tears for her pathetic lot in life.  

Unfortunately I can’t say the same for Russell Crowe , I just cannot get onboard with his Javert. I tried to have an open mind watching him but from the moment he sung his first line, I just knew his voice didn’t suit the character. His acting was fine but the vocals let it down and Javert is such an important part – perhaps the most interesting character of them all.

Nor was I impressed with Amanda Seyfried as Cosette – she sounds like a fragile little lamb and I think Cosette is stronger than that. Her voice is just not good enough for those high notes she has to sustain. But, her part is small enough not to have the same kind of impact on the movie that Crowe does.

I always had high hopes for Hugh Jackman’s Valjean, as he comes from a background of musical theatre. I was nervous that he couldn’t cope with this iconic role at the start but as the character picks himself up, his voice gets stronger with it and I was relieved that it had been an acting choice to start weak. There were moments when I thought he was trying a bit too hard with his singing – perhaps having a bit too much of a warble and when he was singing ‘Bring Him Home’ I couldn’t help but think “They have Colm on set .... get him to do it” but that was unfair. While he’s no Colm when it comes to singing, he did a damn good job of a song he must’ve been nervous to put out there. As the central focus of the story, Jackman carried it well. 

Sacha Baron Cohen & Helena Bonham Carter as the Thenardiers – this was always going to be an excellent pairing, wasn’t it? Both have perfectly sinister, comedic stylings to suit these sneaky, scheming characters. Sacha’s little one liners are perfect mood lifters – the laughter was loud and almost hysterical (probably thanks to the momentary light relief) when he called Cosette ‘Courgette’.

I don’t think anyone will be surprised that I think Samantha Barks was just a perfect cast choice as Eponine. I wondered how she’d fare with the subtle on screen acting but she adapted with apparent ease and it’s a damn shame she hasn’t been nominated for an Oscar in best supporting actress. Shame on the academy.

The students were also all brilliant. Eddie Redmayne as Marius and Aaron Tveit as Enjolras flew the flag for these characters with confidence and vocal ability that shone. If you dropped either of them into the stage show now, I’d have no complaints.

I liked the nod to the stage show and theatre fans - after Enjolras is killed, he hangs from the window in exactly the same manner as he hangs from the barricade.

The first 15 minutes of the film were quite slow and the singing was weak, though this isn’t surprising given Hugh Jackman didn’t drink any water for 36 hours! I defy any singer to sound good with unnourished vocal chords.

Even so, I was nervous – was this going to be another disappointing rendition of a musical that has been “in my life” since I can remember? (*cough* Schumacher’s Phantom)

It quickly picked up, though – I’d say from the moment the factory scene begins – that’s not to put down Colm Wilkinson’s portrayal of the Bishop. As the original Valjean, I’m so pleased he was given a place in this film and he did an amazing job of what he was given. It’s just the story is still waiting to pick up at this point.

I think the nature of this musical is that the more lives that Valjean affects, the more paths he crosses, the richer the tale becomes.

From the factory scene onward, it became a fun game of ‘spot the westenders’ who make up a good majority of the ensemble cast. They may not have had the leading roles they’re used to (excluding Sam Barks of course) but at least they’ve been acknowledged and their presence is everywhere.

The linking scenes between times and/or places was often really beautifully done both visually and aurally. The one springing to mind right now is after Javert sings ‘Stars’ – the combined impact of that last note blending into ‘Look Down’ while the camera swoops across from Javert’s elevated platform overlooking the city, down, down into the streets where the beggars roam.

Talking of ‘Look Down’ - what a brilliant little actor Daniel Huttlestone is! And yet I’d heard nothing about him before watching the film. The focus with the children has been on young Cosette, Isabelle Allen; Probably because she is the “face” of the movie - Her image has been the one plastered over busses and billboards throughout the country and she has ‘shot’ to fame more dramatically than Huttlestone who has been grafting away in professional productions for a few years now. The moment he bounds onto the screen, challenging an upper class man travelling through the slums, this experience is obvious in just one sweep of his hand.

I couldn’t help thinking of walking dead when all the beggars were pummelling the window though - That’d be a twist we weren’t expecting.

There was a very poignant moment, after Gavroche has been shot and laid out with the other student’s bodies where Javert takes off his medal and places it on Gavroche’s lapel. This is a subtle moment that could only be portrayed through the medium of film. It signifies the start of Javerts spiral into doubting his world view and beliefs and I thought it was a touching moment.

Fans of the stage show will have noticed a few of the songs had been switched about. I was fine with this as logistically it worked out for the story in the way it had been done for the film. What I didn’t get is why they occasionally switched the lines around. For example, Valjean as the mayor:-

Stage show – “I run a business of repute, I am the mayor of this town”

Movie – “I am the mayor of this town, I run a business of repute”

Why? This didn’t seem necessary. It happened a few times, but this one really grated on my ear.  It didn’t flow as nicely.

It’s only minor quibbles I have, really, with this film which I otherwise loved. The tell tale sign of the impact this movie was having on the audience was the perfect silence. I wondered whether there’d be popcorn rustling, awkward giggling and whispering, singing along. But no, silence. Wonderful silence – during Hathaway’s I Dreamed a Dream you could’ve heard a pin drop in that room and that makes me so happy. This is a sign of people engrossed in the world of characters that I’ve grown up with.

Tom Hooper has done a fantastic job from all angles and this is as near to perfect for a film adaption as I could have hoped. My sobbing during the finale was not just for the emotion of the culmination of the story but because as a theatre fan this is a film we can be proud of. Well done all involved. Let’s hope the new fans will be inspired to see the stage show now and keep this show, that means so much to so many, going for another 25 years (and more).

Book tickets to see the stage show that inspired the movie at http://www.lesmis.com/uk/

Read orginal Cosette Rebecca Caine’s blog post on what it feels like to be part of the original cast http://broadwayworld.com/article/LES-MISERABLES-The-View-From-The-Original-London-Cast-20130113

Shows to be Seen in Twenty Thirteen (and how to get affordable tickets)

It’s time to emerge from the Christmas cocoon, blink in the cold light of normality and get back to reality.

As 2013 begins, my wall planner from ‘The Stage’ paper goes up with lots of fresh, blank spaces yet to be filled. So my question to start the year off with is – what to see?

I have a couple of shows lined up already – Woman in Black at Swansea Grand Theatre (23^rd Feb), Ghost on Tour at the Wales Millennium Centre (20^th April) and Rent in Concert at St David’s Hall (29^th April).

As of yet, no West End shows.

There are quite a few shows I’m particularly keen to see though. Here are the top 5 that I hope to be able to tick off the list:-

1.  Rock of Ages – Garrick (opens 18^th Jan)
2.  A Chorus Line – Palladium (previews – 2^nd Feb; opens – 19^th Feb)
3. The Book of Mormon – Prince of Wales Theatre (previews – 25^th Feb ; opens – 21^st March)
4. Singing in the Rain – Palace Theatre
5. Once – Phoenix Theatre (from 16^th March)

Usually, my first trip to London is at the beginning of February to coincide with my birthday and usually I’d have this readily booked by now. However, I can’t help but notice the soaring cost of everything (particularly the recent rail fare inflation) while wages are going nowhere... except maybe down.

This, therefore, could be the year of going to London without pre-booking shows and, instead, getting tickets on the day. It can be risky business but I have actually discovered some shows this way that I may not have otherwise have seen; Shows that I’ve fallen in love with, like Lord of the Rings and Ghost. So, if you’re considering this method be open minded!

The way I usually get my last minute tickets is from the TKTs booth in Leicester square where you can purchase top price tickets for half price! So if you’re willing, this is an excellent way to save. Please only use this booth though. There are many unofficial ones set up by ticket touts all around London and you never know whether you’re being swindled from these – AVOID.

The other method is dayseating which has been recommended for me to try. I’ve never dayseated before so I wasn’t sure how to go about this but twitterer @steffi_g tells me if you turn up at the theatre’s box office at about 9.30am (earlier on a Saturday) there are usually tickets kept aside for this reason – this is a good method if there’s a particular show you want to see but haven’t booked in advance.

Another option is to use websites that do great offers and cheap tickets. I put the feelers out for some good ones on twitter earlier and fellow bloggers @steffi_g and @justsamssister came up with the following trustworthy, reliable websites:-

http://bargaintheatreland.com/

http://londonstagetickets.entstix.com/offers

http://www.lastminutetheatretickets.com/

http://www.londontheatredirect.com/

This way you have more control over what show to see as you’re not relying on what’s available on the day.

(Give both these lovely ladies a follow on twitter – they are avid theatre fans, full of useful information and lovely to chat with – and pay a visit to their blogs  http://confessionsofatheatregirl.wordpress.com/ and http://ignitedbyadream.wordpress.com/)

I’d love to know what shows you’re all excited for this year and if you have any recommendations of your own on how to grab some theatre bargains, please do let me know.