West Midlands Archives - Page 2 of 14

10Aug

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

West Midlands

Pericles – Swan Theatre

We all have our off days and I think, amongst learned academics, we can safely agree Shakespeare was having one when he wrote “Pericles”. Not only is it a ramshackled, riotous romp of a plot with some unfathomable coincidences, it also seems Bill is not the only name on the poster. George Wilkins, who I’m sure I don't need to remind you, was a victualler, panderer (Google it), dramatist and pamphleteer, who dripped his quill in the ink pot, too. People better informed then I seem to think the Bard was responsible for the first half before handing over his parchment. Rarely is the play performed, so it’s a gamely director who’ll have a stab at it and the director on this occasion is new RSC co-AD, Tamara Harvey who, eighteen years after the previous production, clearly thought it was time t...

1Aug

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

West Midlands

The Wizard of Oz – Wolverhampton Grand

“There’s no place like Wolves!” Well, there certainly isn’t as Dorothy Gale and her little dog, too, land their wooden house on the stage of the Grand Theatre which they’re calling no place like home for the next few days. “The Wizard of Oz” is, undoubtedly, an iconic, kaleidoscopic, psychedelic trip into the mad and inventive mind of L. Frank Baum who, eager to create a new style fairy tale for a new, burgeoning nation, let his eyes drift to his library index cards one day where the letters O-Z jumped out and he was off down his yellow brick road to literary success. His unstoppable quill knocked out a dozen or so Oz titles within a few years with further volumes being penned by other authors. Baum, being no slack capitalist, exploited his work in all media - books, stage and film. Way...

24Jul

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

West Midlands

Cluedo 2 – The Alexandra, Birmingham

Based on the popular board game of the same name and the successful original Cluedo play, Cluedo 2 arrives in Birmingham in its mysterious glory. Fading rock star Rick Black is trying to relaunch his career. He’s invited his entourage (with very familiar names) to his multi roomed mansion for the first play of his new song. However, someone in the house has other ideas and chaos soon ensues. Is everything as it seems? Who did what to who where and with what? A “spoof” like this has a style of performance that is unlike a serious play, everything is exaggerated a little more than normal, overly dramatic poses and reactions, adding to the comedy. The whole cast (including the bear) worked together to bring the game and story to life with strong characterisations throughout. Ev...

1Jul

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

West Midlands

Hamilton – Birmingham Hippodrome

Battling over who becomes the next American president took place twice last week. Once as two white men - one stumbling inarticulately, the other lying shamelessly - battled on TV, the second as a vibrantly talented and culturally diverse cast of astonishing performers retold the tale of the early days of America and its constitution. The former making me weep for the future of our planet, the latter filling me with hope for the future of our species. “Hamilton” is Lin-Manuel Miranda’s barn-storming, hip-hop, rapping Broadway smash which has enchanted the world for nearly a decade. And though, the rapping occasionally narrows the bandwidth of what is possible in a musical, this is undoubtedly a writer aware of his theatrical heritage. Listen carefully and you’ll hear traces of Gilbert a...

28Jun

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

West Midlands

Twelfth Night – Stafford Gatehouse

For those of you not around for the premiere in 1601 you missed a belter. The Bard’s buoyant and feisty tale of shipwrecked twins rent asunder amidst a fearsome tempest (not to be confused with the other Tempest by the same writer) to be finally washed up on the shores of the lyrical land of Illyria has held audiences enthralled for decades and, if this production is anything to go by, will for many more. Music is, indeed, the food of love in this sparkling new production at the Stafford Gatehouse it’s a fulsome menu of tasty titbits served by kitchen full of Michelin-starred chefs. Sean Turner’s unique interpretation of the play fizzes with invention, joy and bright new ideas - though relocating the play to a Cornish fishing village in 1958 does strip it of its usual pastoral idyll it ...

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – The Alexandra, Birmingham

13Jun

By Annette NuttallNo Comments

West Midlands

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – The Alexandra, Birmingham

This loved family favourite bursts from the stage in a riot of colour and energy. BMOS are a well-established and respected amateur company. The fact that they have been chosen as one of only 11 companies nationwide to lead Les Misérables next year, should give you a clue to the quality of their performances and productions. This is the tale of poor Charlie Bucket, who dreams of chocolate. Will he ever get to see inside Wonka’s factory? If he does, what will he find there? Young Charlie (Theo Traat at this performance) seems rarely to leave the stage. His eternal hope and belief in his dream, and his kindness shine through and create a heartwarming performance. Robbie Love as Wonka is a many faceted character, cunning and a touch sinister but also full of wonder and childlike ...

6Jun

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

West Midlands

The 39 Steps – The Alexandra

“What are the 39 Steps?” is the key line on which the entire narrative pivots in Hitchcock’s 1935 adaptation (featuring the engaging Robert Donat) of John Buchan’s 1915 tale of daring-do, high-jinks and military secrets. Mr Memory, of whom the question is asked, happily reveals his answer before meeting a very unhappy end. (Ooops, plot spoiler. Though I think that only happens in that version.) It’s a story riddled with twists, turns and near misses making it ideal fodder for cinema where it’s evolved into no less than four incarnations plus innumerable TV versions and uncountable radio dramatisations. Clearly a hot title which has kept us intrigued for 90 years. I first saw Patrick Barlow’s version (which evasively credits Simon Corble & Nobby Dimon as “From an original concept by” - ...

28May

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

West Midlands

Mind Mangler – Alexandra Theatre

‘From the comedic minds behind “The Play That Goes Wrong” and “Peter Pan Goes Wrong”’ boasts the poster. Featuring two of the original “Play Goes Wrong” creators - Henry Lewis and Jonathan Sayer, both accomplished and veteran go-wrongers, with impressive CVs of chucklesome achievements and each with an enviable comedic reputation. The stakes and standards are high. Will the expectations and the boasts be met? Add into the alluring mix a couple of familiar names from the world of sleight of hand - Penn and Teller, though neither are present, their influence is felt. A perfunctory sniff around the branding and website would suggest a comedy magic show with a dollop of mind-reading leading to, as they used to say in the Radio Times, hilarious consequences. “The Play That Goes Wrong” was a daz...

22May

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

West Midlands

Come From Away – Birmingham Hippodrome

I’d never heard of Gander and I probably couldn’t put my finger on Newfoundland without Google Maps but in the week following the 911 in attacks in 2001 38 planes were redirected from their intended destination and landed there instead. 7000 passengers unexpectedly arrived on the island and this is their story. Not the most obvious subject for a musical or is it…? “Come From Away” opened in San Diego in 2015 and, after moving to Broadway, went on to win Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Book, Best Actress and Best Direction - quite clearly the ideal subject for a musical, then. In the safe hands of composer/lyricist Irene Sankoff and husband, David Hein, both of whom where in New York when the twin Towers fell, “Come From Away” has proved itself a heart-warming and humbling work whic...

15May

By Peter KinnockNo Comments

West Midlands

Withnail and I – Birmingham Rep

“We want the finest wines available to humanity, we want them here and we want them now!” You either know this cult film tottering on the brink of its fortieth anniversary or, like me, you’ve remained blissfully unaware of its merits over that period. But as the big 40 approaches perhaps it’s time to acquaint myself with it, doff my cap and say hi. It seems this version, ably helmed by Sean Foley, embellishes and only slightly strays off the beaten path of the film, but this is not a bad thing. In 1987 Richard E. Grant and Paul McGann, both unknowns tottering on the brink of stardom, undertook the roles of two unemployed actors in a tale loosely adapted from the life of writer/director Bruce Robinson. The film found a following which soon coalesced into a cult and has remained so ever s...