REVIEW: Rambert: Death Trap at Newcastle Theatre Royal

Rambert: Death Trap

Newcastle Theatre Royal

Until Thursday 25 April 2024

A pair of dance pieces around the topic of death may not sound like a happy night at the theatre but both were black comedies that were accessible to both dance fans and those new to the format. Whilst they are both different, Cerberus and Goat bring together an interesting night at the Theatre Royal this week.

They said "A meta dance comedy, full of the turbulence of life and death. Darkly funny and packed with originality."

Normally with some dance shows you watch people frantically twisting and turning and wonder what on Earth is going on. It looks all very physical but is there a story there? Recently I have noticed a trend in which much more narrative is offered and the dance may be secondary to the story rather than the other way around. As someone who is in no way an expert in things "dance" I must admit preferring to knowing something behind the production without having to attend an after show talk!

So the show begins... The light are on and we think we are getting a regular message about mobile phones, but no - hang on - there is a joke in there. Then the lights drop - putting the whole venue in darkness - reducing our senses so all we hear is the voice. Cerberus is about life and death. They enter the stage on one side - birth - and die on the other side as they leave the stage. In between is a lifetime. We are asked to wait as the voice prepares for birth. She then appears tied to a rope - struggling across the stage. Romarna Campbell accompanies the movement on their drum kit. But this is a black comedy and, in an almost Play Goes Wrong Moment, a member of crew on the other end of the rope enters the stage.

What follows includes a wake and two really beautiful pieces of music with the dancing. I last heard the Hungarian folk song when Freddie Mercury sang it when his last tour with Queen visited that country. The other was a showcase for the beautifully pure voice of Caroline Jaya-Ratnam. It was lush.

Meanwhile various dancers dance across the stage as the original one had, sometimes attached to rope - others as free individuals. The cascading effect of the passing of people, along with the music is mesmerising.

But before too long (after just 30 minutes) it is over and the audience are given the chance to reflect at the interval.

There is a real chance in the second performance. The set has changed from the blackened floor surrounded by curtains to, what the Americans call, "Town Hall".

A video camera is pointed at first at the audience who react as they see themselves on a screen. This is more reminiscent of a baseball game - with one couple even deciding to kiss when they were in the spotlight. On stage stuff is being set up for a meeting.

I'm not always a fan when cameras are used but this one is different as a presenter appears to narrate the town hall proceedings on live television, thus given the camera a purpose. Quickly the presenter starts to get in the way of the action and this interference leads to a number of laughs for the audience. The camera also will give a different perspective without being intrusive.

So Goat, we are quickly told, is about a meeting taking place after something bad has happened. No longer is a goat sacrificed though - it will be a participant. This revelation seems to go over the presenters head as the group start to dance.

This section is inspired by the music of Nina Simone. We have a live band on stage which works well visually. Unfortunately the singer was ill on opening night - but in true "the show must go on" fashion, her voice was heard on a pre-recorded track.

No spoilers of course - but Goat was a piece that my companion and I chewing over silently as went went home - there's a fair bit to think about.

Ben Duke, who devised and directed the two stories has pulled together a show that is not afraid to talk. This gives greater meaning to the dancing as it has purpose. The ensemble is wonderfully tight and action flows in a thoughtful and entertaining way. 

Review: Stephen Oliver

Photo: Camilla Greenwell

Tickets:

Rambert: Death Trap plays Newcastle Theatre Royal Wednesday 24 & Thursday 25 April 2024. Tickets can be purchased at www.theatreroyal.co.uk or from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 0191 232 7010.

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Preview: Frankenstein at Newcastle Northern Stage

Exciting new production of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein set to thrill audiences in Newcastle

    

Frankenstein

Newcastle Northern Stage

Tuesday 30 April - Thursday 2 May 2024

“Remember, that I am thy creature; l ought to be thy Adam; but I am rather the fallen angel…”

Mary Shelley, Frankenstein

 

imitating the dog and Leeds Playhouse are set to bring a thrilling and moving new adaptation of Mary Shelley’s iconic Gothic tale, Frankenstein to Northern Stage from April 30-May 2.

A storm gathers outside. In an ordinary home, the lights flicker, a radio crackles, and an extraordinary tale begins. As a couple confront their own fears about impending parenthood, the story of Frankenstein erupts into life around them, as everyday objects are transformed into glaciers, a ship at sea, a dissecting room, a house on fire...

The latest adaptation in a series of Gothic texts, including the award-winning Dracula: The Untold Story (2021), imitating the dog’s and Leeds Playhouse’s multimedia exploration of Mary Shelley’s classic novel is a psychological thriller which dares to ask the question – what is it to be human?

Andrew Quick, Co-Director and Artistic Director of imitating the dog said:

“Mary Shelley’s novel has shaped storytelling since the 19^th Century and provided source material for films, novels, poems, and art. Having already adapted Heart of Darkness (2018) and Dracula (2021), we feel ready to take on this complex and moving tale, one which explores the consequences of refusing love, of playing at being God, of not taking responsibility. 

It will have all the hallmarks of an imitating the dog production, but we are renewing our interest in the physical and the visual that played out in our earlier work.  Our focus is to create something truly magical, that is both moving and disturbing. It will be Frankenstein, but perhaps not as you know it.”

imitating the dog have been making ground-breaking work for theatres and other spaces for 25 years. Their work, which fuses live performance with digital technology, has been seen by hundreds of thousands of people in venues, outdoor festivals, and events across the world. Past productions have included Hotel Methuselah, A Farewell to Arms, Heart of Darkness, Night of The Living Dead™ – Remix, Dr Blood’s Old Travelling Show, Dracula: The Untold Story and most recently Macbeth. In 2022 imitating the dog presented Cinema Inferno, a groundbreaking new show for Paris haute couture house Maison Margiela, based on an original concept by John Galliano.

Leeds Playhouse is one of the UK’s leading producing theatres; a cultural hub, a place where people gather to tell and share stories and to engage in world class theatre. It makes work which is pioneering and relevant, seeking out the best companies and artists to create inspirational theatre in the heart of Yorkshire.

Photos: Ed Waring

Tickets:

Tickets for Frankenstein at Northern Stage start at £12 and can be purchased in-person, over the phone on 0191 2305151 Monday-Friday, 12-4pm or online at https://northernstage.co.uk/whats-on/frankenstein/ 

For further information on the Frankenstein tour visit imitatingthedog.co.uk

REVIEW: I Should Be So Lucky: at Sunderland Empire

I Should Be So Lucky: The Stock Aitken Waterman Musical

Sunderland Empire 

Until Saturday 27 April 2024

Tickets: Https://Tinyurl.Com/Ishouldbesoluckysund *

This is perhaps the craziest musical of the year and it has landed in Wearside this week. 

It shouldn't work, but add some Stock, Aitken and Waterman magic, and a very funny script from writer and director Debbie Isitt,, and you end up with a delightful musical.

It is a well worn trope. Bride gets jilted at the altar but goes on honeymoon anyway but this time she flies with most of her wedding entourage. Look, an easy comparison is Mamma Mia on crack, and sure, this is genuinely a bat shit crazy production, but it works. It is as fun and carefree as the letters page of Smash Hits.

At the start we have Ella (Lucie-Mae Sumner) about to marry Nathan (Billy Roberts). However Nathan had doubts after his Grandad spoke to him. After leaving Ella at the altar, a decision is made to go on the Honeymoon in Turkey without him. There seems to be just a bridal suite booked but that doesn't stop half a dozen landing there. 

There are twists in the tale as hotel employee Nadeem (Matthew Croke) takes a shine to Ella and a whirlwind holiday romance begins. Of course Nathan is persuaded by best man Ash (Giovanni Spanò) to fly over and fix matters…

This is a jukebox musical that is filled with hits and talking of hits, every excuse to put the SAW lyrics in there and sing a few lines has been taken. 

Using melodies galore, no song over extends its welcome.  A live band executes a back catalogue that represents much of what was selling in the back end of the 80s, and the cast make the task of singing the songs look easy.

From the Team that gave us Kylie we get actual Kylie. Lifting a leaf out of the Snow White textbook,  Kylie appears in a mirror, offering advice and reflection.  

As the tale flies through the script, and the songs, there is real pace and energy. The set and light help keep the action flowing (the crew backstage must have been working hard!)  

The opening night Sunderland crowd lapped it up.

This is lightweight Mills and Boons stuff set to a familiar soundtrack. But… Do you know what? It is such a pleasure to leave a theatre with a crowd that is buzzing because they clearly enjoyed themselves.  

Flaws are there for anyone wanting to be a snob. Possibly too many characters to follow, possibly too much love at first sight. But Shakespeare got away with that too, and I'd much rather sit through this again. 

This is bonkers. But it left a smile on the audience's faces, and that's what a night at the theatre should do.

Review: Stephen Oliver 

Photos: Marc Brenner

Tickets:

I Should Be So Lucky: The Stock Aitken Waterman Musical will hit Sunderland Empire’s stage from Monday 22 – Saturday 27 April 2024. Tickets are available online now at https://tinyurl.com/IShouldbesoLuckySund *

*A £3.65 transaction fee applies to online bookings.

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Preview: The Olive Boy at South Shields Customs House

Smash Hit Sell Out Edinburgh Fringe Show The Olive Boy Comes To South Shields For One Night Only.

 

The Olive Boy

South Shields Customs House

Thursday 16^th May 2024

The “brilliant and thought provoking” masterpiece The Olive Boy, written and performed by upcoming star Ollie Maddigan, will be performed at The Customs House South in May.

Let’s set the scene…You're 15 years old, struggling through school and coming to terms with the early stages of adolescence. Things are tricky when you're a teenager. You get dealt yet another devastating blow. But this time, it's worse. Your mum's passed away suddenly, and you’ve now got to move in with your, until that point, absent father. Now what? In a hopeless attempt to stay sane, you decide to pursue a girlfriend, but, shock, that doesn’t go to plan either. Surrounded by a great deal of olives, come on the journey of grief and hope through early adulthood.

Based on Ollie Maddigan’s real life story, The Olive Boy is a crude, but compelling comedy written and performed by Ollie Maddigan himself. Initially introduced at the Hope Theatre in 2021, the show quickly gained attention during its three-night run as part of the Camden Fringe and then in 2022 as part of its month-long sell out run at The Edinburgh Fringe. Renowned for its gripping narrative and Ollie’s remarkable onstage presence, The Olive Boy has received praise from both theatregoers and critics.

The Olive Boy explores the various facets of love and relationships, from awkward sexual encounters with a first love to family life and the challenges and complexities that arise within them. The Olive Boy delves into the search for identity and the profound transformations that individuals undergo as they navigate life's challenges and revelations.

Obviously, there is a large element of grief that is explored through the production; How do you cope with the loss of a loved one? Can you? Is there a coping mechanism that helps fill a sudden void in your life? The whole audience will go on a journey of self-discovery with The Olive Boy as we examine identity, society, and expectations. All sounds quite heavy, doesn’t it? Well, we can promise that with Ollie’s beautiful delivery, the darkness is wonderfully paired with breaths of fresh air and laughter.

Tickets:

The Olive Boy is at The Customs House on Thursday 16th May. Tickets are priced from £10 and available online at www.customshouse.co.uk, in person from the box office, or call: 0191 454 1234.

 

Preview: Rambert: Death Trap at Newcastle Theatre Royal

 Rambert Dance Company Return To Newcastle

 

Rambert: Death Trap

Newcastle Theatre Royal

Wednesday 24 & Thursday 25 April 2024

Rambert dancers in Death Trap
Photo - Camilla Greenwell

Following the popular success of their previous visits to Newcastle Theatre Royal, Rambert Dance Company returns to the stage this Spring with Death Trap, a brilliant evening of dance devised by Ben Duke (of Lost Dog).

Rambert dancer Naya Lovell in Ben Duke's Goat
Photo - Camilla Greenwell

Death Trap will conclude its European tour in which it visited a total of 10 theatres including a visit to Paris’ Théâtre de la Ville, at Newcastle Theatre Royal.

Rambert dancers in Ben Duke's Cerebus
 Photo - Camilla Greenwell 

Bringing together Goat (2017) and Cerberus (2022), Death Trap continues Rambert’s focus on storytelling and characters, and features awe inspiring performances by their diverse company of dancers, with live music by an on-stage band.

Rambert dancers Jonathan Wade, Naya Lovell and Angélique Blasco
in Ben Duke's Death Trap (Cerberus)
Photo - Camilla Greenwell 

Death Trap is infused with Ben Duke’s irresistible, stylish and accessible sense of dance theatre, is darkly funny, and packed with originality.

Rambert dancers Jonathan Wade and Angélique Blasco
in Ben Duke's Death Trap (Cerberus)
Photo - Camilla Greenwell

In Cerberus, first performed in 2022, we enter a world where dance is literally a matter of life or death. An ingenious adaptation of the Greek tale of Orpheus and Eurydice, it is a bittersweet musing on myth and mortality, complete with funeral couture. Goat is inspired by the spirit of Nina Simone, with iconic songs including Feelings, Feeling Good and Ain’t Got No / I Got, Life.

Rambert dancers Joseph Kudra Archie White Simone Damberg Würtz and
 Conor Kerrigan in Ben Duke's Death Trap (Cerberus) 
Photo - Camilla Greenwell

Both pieces have been recreated for this tour by Ben Duke and Rambert dancers Adél Bálint, Angélique Blasco, Simone Damberg Würtz, Max Day, Conor Kerrigan, Joseph Kudra, Naya Lovell, Musa Motha, Aishwarya Raut, Antonello Sangirardi, Alex Soulliere, Dylan Tedaldi, Jonathan Wade, Archie White and Seren Williams.

Rambert in Ben Duke's Death Trap (Goat)
Photo - Camilla Greenwell

Helen Shute, CEO and Executive Producer of Rambert said: “We’re thrilled to take Rambert back on the road and this new evening in collaboration with Ben Duke is a great opportunity to connect with new and returning audiences across the country and beyond.”

Rambert in Ben Duke's Death Trap (Goat)
Photo -Camilla Greenwell

And of this new collaboration with Rambert, Choreographer Ben Duke says: “The work I make is always inspired by and made with the performers and it is a privilege to find myself in a room with these exceptional artists. Their diversity of background means that they bring such a richness of experience into the space, and it is their talent and generosity that really make this work.” 

Tickets:

Rambert: Death Trap plays Newcastle Theatre Royal Wednesday 24 & Thursday 25 April 2024. Tickets can be purchased at www.theatreroyal.co.uk or from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 0191 232 7010.

 

REVIEW: The Wizard of Oz at Newcastle Theatre Royal

The Wizard of Oz

Newcastle Theatre Royal 

Until Sunday 21 April 2024

This brash and breezy reboot brings some high energy glitz to the family favourite whilst the terrific cast bring all the heart and humour of the original, cleverly delivering a show that should delight both new audiences and traditionalists alike.

I’m very familiar with this show, both in its original incarnation and the Royal Shakespeare Company’s adaptation, but this is the first time I have seen Lloyd-Webber’s version. Understandably, given the age of the show, this makes a much bigger departure from the original. The changes include insertion of new numbers by Lloyd-Webber and Tim Rice, for instance, to flesh out the role of the Wicked Witch of the West and to add more of a big finish to the show, the original having a quiet sort of wind-down to the end that may be a little understated for modern audiences.

These songs stand out in their pop sensibilities amongst the gentler songs of Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg and they vary in their effectiveness, though I enjoyed the Red Shoes Blues, delivered very effectively by The Vivienne, stylishly statuesque and having a great time as the witch. Also, Already Home, though oddly reminiscent of an Abba song, delivers the required power to the finale.

Overall, though, this is an affectionate adaptation, keeping the spirit and much of the text of the original, though there are a few comic lines tailored to modern audiences. It is imaginatively staged, with Colin Richmond’s minimal but effective scenery augmented by Alex Clarke’s colourful video. Scene changes were slickly delivered by the talented ensemble, a comparatively small team who worked like trojans and delivered Shay Barclay’s engaging choreography with panache.

As to the principals, Aviva Tulley had just the right blend of spirit and sweetness for Dorothy, with real vocal power. Benjamin Yates, in the dual role of Hunk and the scarecrow, was excellent. Loose-limbed and athletic, he was charm personified, acting, singing and dancing with equal skill and doing a great job of keeping everything together in his pivotal role.

Femi Akinfolarin was a funny and affecting Tin Man, with some great body-popping moves as he gradually emerged from his rusted state. This seemed like one of the most effective modernisations, presumably resulting from the original casting of Ashley Banjo in the role, though I don’t know if Banjo could have matched Akinfolarin’s acting and singing chops.

In the role of the Cowardly Lion, Nic Greenshields was a delight. Towering over the other characters and solidly built, he naturally had great presence, but his characterisation was terrific. I can personally testify that the role is one of the most rewarding in musical theatre and Greenshields made the most of it. He didn’t miss a gag, verbal or visual, and sang splendidly. I was disappointed that he didn’t get the opportunity to sing King of The Forest but that was probably about balancing the three characters more evenly.

Emily Bull was a perky and strong-voiced Glinda, zipping about on a pink scooter that looked straight out of the Barbie movie, as well as a sympathetic Aunt Em. David Burrows gave solid support as a weary Uncle Henry and a chirpy Ozian major domo.

Touring productions usually need a famous name to get bums on seats and sometimes they turn out to be the weak link. Not this time. Allan Stewart, who you may remember as a comedy impressionist on TV, has had a solid career in musicals and gave a first-rate performance as the bumbling Wizard, all chuckles and warmth. The biggest name, The Vivienne, drag race legend and Dancing on Ice finalist, showed she is a musical theatre performer of real ability and, needless to say, she looked amazing!

So, if some of the musical interjections weren’t to my taste and if the heavily miked ensemble numbers, clearly augmented by vocal tracks, were a bit loud and brassy, these are small gripes. This is a warm-hearted, slick, funny and thoroughly enjoyable show that delivers everything a family audience could want. All credit to the director, Nikolai Foster - and this outstanding cast.

Review: Jonathan Cash

Tickets:

The Wizard of Oz plays Newcastle Theatre Royal Tuesday 16 – Sunday 21 April 2024. Tickets can be purchased at www.theatreroyal.co.uk or from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 0191 232 7010.