REVIEWS Archives - Page 377 of 402

Janey Godley’s Big Burns Supper – Live Stream

27Jan

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

Scotland

Janey Godley’s Big Burns Supper – Live Stream

As Janey herself said at the end, ‘Ah’m knackert.’ This was as crammed a 90 minutes as one could wish for in celebration of Scotland’s famous poet. His global appeal was reflected in the comments box overflowing with a never-ending stream of greetings and toasts, viewers logging in from every conceivable time-zone. In this Covid-enforced YouTube version of the extravaganza - that usually takes place each year in the town of Dumfries - performances came in from far and wide. KT Tunstall beamed in a performance of ‘Everything Has Its Shape’ from Los Angeles, Donovan a rogue-ish version of ‘Sunshine Superman’ from Cork, Camille O’Sullivan’s rendition of Nick Cave’s ‘The Ship Song’ reached us from a beach near Dublin and Dervish performed ‘The Ploughman’ from a beautifully candle-lit room i...

24Jan

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

REVIEWS

Rock Musicals – The Theatre Channel

In another instalment of the Theatre Café Channels’ concerts, some of the best West End talent perform a catalogue of stagey rock tunes. The obvious and over-done songs were thankfully not chosen and the choices here were unpredictable and entertaining. We start off with Aquarius, where the “Theatre Café Four” welcome us into their space. The singers entice us in with pleasing harmonies and psychedelic editing. It’s great to see these guys pop up in the other performances and add some levels there too. Francesca Jackson (Million Dollar Quartet) gives a stellar performance of Forgiven, from Jagged Little Pill. The Broadway hit, that evolved from Alanis Morisette’s album of the same name, asks for raw and impassioned vocals that Jackson excels at. If it ever jumps over the pond then th...

All Together – The Living Record Festival

22Jan

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

REVIEWS

All Together – The Living Record Festival

All Together is an online improvised comedy show by the UK-based improv troupe The Noise Next Door which was performed live as part of The Living Record Festival 2021. Using suggestions from a live audience on Zoom, the ensemble devised a 60-minute performance on the spot with quickfire scenes and oddball characters that had us laughing without a break. The show relies on techniques and methods of improvisational theatre (or simply improv, as some better know it!) which is a form of spontaneous storytelling based on suggestions by the audience, making it an interactive and immersive experience for those watching. Whereas typically you’d find the quartet, consisting of Matt Grant, Tom Livingstone, Sam Pacelli and Robin Hatcher, playing at comedy clubs and fringe venu...

21Jan

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

REVIEWS

The 39 Steps – A Radio Drama

As a novel, John Buchan's The Thirty-Nine Steps (1915) is famous for being one of the inventors of the man-on-the-run thriller and for being the source of multiple film, TV and theatre versions which are often better regarded as their own work than as adaptations of the book. Most versions agree on the very basic premise: Richard Hannay, currently bored and living in London, comes home to find a strange person in his flat talking about a conspiracy that will have adverse side-effects to both his health and world peace and necessitates him staying with Hannay for a few days. The ultimate consequence of this is a dead body in Hannay's flat, which leaves the police with a few questions for Hannay and the murderers with a few theories as to how much Hannay now knows, forcing him to go on th...

Welcome to the Café – The Theatre Channel

20Jan

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

Welcome to the Café – The Theatre Channel

At the beginning of October in 2020, The Theatre Café released the first episode of their new series, The Theatre Channel, presented by Adam Blanshay Productions. Rallying together some of the West End’s top performers, viewers are treated to fantastically produced musical numbers directed by Bill Deamer. Each episode has its own unique theme, and so fittingly, the first one introduces and welcomes us to the café itself. Opening with ‘Coffee (In a Cardboard Cup)’ from And the World Goes Round, featuring series regulars ‘The Café Four’ (Alyn Hawke, Emily Langham, Sadie-Jean Shirley and Alex Woodward), we instantly get a taste for the energetic, perfected and stagey songs we’re in for. Deamer also lends his tight, upbeat choreography to the series, and it’s evident in this fun first numbe...

Oops!… I Streamed It Again – Thespie Online

19Jan

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

REVIEWS

Oops!… I Streamed It Again – Thespie Online

In this online concert launched by theatre streaming platform Thespie, the stars of hit West End musical &Juliet reunited for a truly memorable performance. From hit pop songs from the likes of Britney to legendary show tunes from musical favourites such as Wicked, the show was the perfect mix of pop, ballads and musical theatre. Five brilliant &Juliet cast members took centre stage – Oliver Tompsett, Grace Mouat, Jordan Luke Gage, Tim Mahendran and 2020 Olivier Award Winner Cassidy Janson. The concert began with a soulful short version of Britney classic “Oops!... I Did It Again” performed by Janson and Tompsett, rather fitting with the name of the show. With their beautiful harmonies that just blend so perfectly it was a solid opening and I was reminded of their great...

18Jan

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

REVIEWS

Girl Power – Thespie Online

In this new addition to the streaming website, Thespie, the SEVEN original cast-members of SIX, the West End musical, give some incredible FIVE-star performances. With FOUR glamourous costume changes, the audience is swept through the decades of classic THREE-minute pop songs by female collaborators. Surprisingly, the group has only put on TWO concerts, but it’s clear that this ONE is a hit. Yes, I enjoyed myself creating that countdown introduction. But not as much as I enjoyed watching this show. Starting off with the Andrews Sisters, (a surprising choice) the show pushes on to the likes of TLC and Little Mix. The concert aims to get the audience dancing along in their living rooms to some female anthems. And it succeeded. Their harmonies are ridiculously good. There’s not one song of...

16Jan

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

REVIEWS

Together Again – Thespie Online

During lockdown, like most, I’ve been desperately missing all things theatre. So, I took it upon myself to listen to as many new cast albums as I possibly could, and I frankly fell head over heels for the Heathers soundtrack. I love Laurence O’Keefe, as it is, as Legally Blonde reigns supreme in this theatre fans heart. But, during 2020 Heathers was my most played album on Spotify. I loved the UK cast recording; the setup, the voices and the raw emotion that came across in every song. So, when I saw that the UK’s iconic trio were reuniting for a concert, I jumped at the chance to watch it. The concert opens with the ladies singing ‘One Night Only’ from Dreamgirls and T’Shan took the lead on this. She has such a soulful and sublime voice. The vocal blend in this sound is just stunning. I...

16Jan

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

Rosegold – Online@TheSpaceUK

Donna Kay Yarborough’s monologue, Rosegold, is a startling story of alcohol addiction which starts as a regular testament at a Zoom meeting of what seems to be a religious group for those with some sort of baggage but takes a slowly disturbing turn as the story progresses. Jamie is speaking from her porch, outside her home. Other than briefly introducing “Carrie”, who doesn’t speak and wears a mask to remind us of our current pandemic, she is on her own, sharing a story so bleak and horrifying it toys with the tropes we recognise from both the traditional Christmas ghost story and the type of horror film that includes “found footage”. Far from being a simple tale of abusing the bottle, Jamie’s tightly wound personality takes us into a crime scene where she was the only survivor. A cr...

16Jan

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

London

Happily Ever After – Online@theSpaceUK

Better Day Productions’ Happily Ever After from @theSpaceUK’s new season of online shows explores the story of bride to be Jasmin as she plans her special day with the help of Wedding Planners Frank and Gary. Written in a mockumentary style, the show begins by focusing on couple Frank (James Coare) and Gary (Perry Pullman) who were inspired by their own dreamy Disney-themed wedding to create their own wedding planning company. The light-hearted banter between Frank and Gary is definitely a highlight of the show. Filled with plenty of energy and hilarious one-liners, Coare’s performance as Frank was a standout for me. My favourite line was when we first meet the couple. Frank describes Gary as “the missing part of my Polo mint”, simple but performed perfectly and it really made me laugh....