Tuesday, March 31

West Midlands

Heathers The Musical – The Alexandra, Birmingham
18May By Robert BartleyNo Comments
West Midlands

Heathers The Musical – The Alexandra, Birmingham

‘Heathers’ has become widely known as a “teen” show, but anyone expecting the light frothiness of ‘High School Musical’ or ‘Glee’ will be surprised by the show’s much darker tone and razor-sharp bite, with themes of suicide, depression, attempted rape and drug use, not to mention murder.  A scathing black comedy with a rock-infused edgy-pop score, the show brings the 1989 film to the stage and gives an exaggerated look at just how hellish teenaged life can be.  The show became an off-Broadway hit in 2014 before gaining a huge cult following in the UK in 2018 and is currently seeing great word of mouth on its UK tour, playing the Alexandra Birmingham this week. Veronica Sawyer (played by Jenna Innes) can’t wait for college and struggles to fit in to the social hierarchy of West...
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Unexpected Twist – Wolverhampton Grand
18May By Peter KinnockNo Comments
West Midlands

Unexpected Twist – Wolverhampton Grand

“Oliver Twist” has, over the intervening years since Charles Dickens first published it in 1837, been through many twists, turns, adaptations and revamps not least of which was Lionel Bart’s 1963 version picking the pockets of millions of cinema and theatre goers from that day to this. There have been TV series, animations and doubtless slews of associated merchandise for which poor Charlie never saw a penny. Yet another manifestation emerged from the soupy fog of Victorian London at the Grand Theatre in Wolverhampton last night as Roy Williams’ adaptation of Michael Rosen’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’ “Oliver Twist” was presented to us in the form of “Unexpected Twist.” This version attempts to draw parallels between an urban modern school locale and the novel. We have our school ch...
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Home, I’m Darling – Alexandra Theatre
26Apr By Peter KinnockNo Comments
West Midlands

Home, I’m Darling – Alexandra Theatre

Laura Wade has held her own as both a playwright and screenwriter with numerous successes to her name. “The Riot Club” was adapted from her play “Posh” offered early career chances to Freddie Fox and Tom Hollander and she soon has an adapted of agilely Cooper novel coming our from Disney. “Home, I’m Darling” opened at the National Theatre in 2019 followed by a season at the Duke of York’s and has proved itself a hit which left me wondering what I was missing. A small but keen audience arrived last night at the Alexandra and clearly enjoyed their evening. Tamara Harvey directs with attention to detail but creates scenes of such speed I was left a little bewildered. The tempo of each scene and pitch of so many of the voices is relentlessly similar and makes for a hard watch. Jessica Ranso...
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Titanic the Musical – Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent
25Apr By Angela KellyNo Comments
West Midlands

Titanic the Musical – Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent

Musical theatre based on a disaster of epic proportions would not initially seem to be a match made in heaven. With such a tragic well-known storyline, ‘Titanic the Musical’ is a brave undertaking. However, having won five Tony Awards, Titanic the Musical is currently celebrating its 10th anniversary of the London Premiere. With music and lyrics by Maury Yeston and directed by Thom Southerland the musical focuses on the individual passengers and their own personal stories on board this renowned Ship that set sail on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York in April 1912. Not to be confused with the cinema version, this is certainly a musical of two halves. The first and second act are polar opposites in how the story unravels. The first act demonstrates the frenzy and excitement o...
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Titanic the Musical – Birmingham Hippodrome
19Apr By Peter KinnockNo Comments
West Midlands

Titanic the Musical – Birmingham Hippodrome

Thom Southerland’s impeccably directed production dropped its anchor into harbour at the Birmingham Hippodrome tonight and took us on a fascinating voyage though, let’s admit it, well charted and much sailed waters. This story has been told many times before not least of which in the famous 1997 film from James Cameron. This incarnation tells the well-worn story not through the eyes of two lovers or, indeed, any single character, but from the point of view of multi-protagonists. Therein lies the flaw in its structure. Through Jack and Rose in the movie we empathise with them as they epitomise the struggle, the anguish and the loss of all the victims of the disaster. Here we have innumerable characters we meet only for moments before we are introduced to others, and it proves difficult to i...
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The Spongebob Musical – Birmingham Hippodrome
15Apr By Peter KinnockNo Comments
West Midlands

The Spongebob Musical – Birmingham Hippodrome

I’m not too familiar with Mr Squarepant’s portfolio of work but it seems his previous incarnation was as a wildly successful children’s animated cartoon television series and that, it seems, was what a lot of today’s audience were expecting. Springing from the mind of marine biologist Stephen Hillenburg, Spongebob premiered on Nickelodeon way back in 1999 and, unlike a real person, hasn’t aged since. I’m not going to Google this, but I think we can safely assume he has also appeared as varying dolls, toys, games and nameless and endless merchandising tie-ins. Originally named SpongeBoy, and we can only imagine the days of sweat and toil put in at various board and focus meetings to revise that name, he has proved himself a nice little earner over the years. So, what are we to make of the l...
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Mother Goose – Wolverhampton Grand
23Feb By Peter KinnockNo Comments
West Midlands

Mother Goose – Wolverhampton Grand

Sir Ian, Sir Ian, Sir Ian is a game old dame bounding on stage in frock after frock of increasing absurdity with all the energy of a pro half his age in a pot pourri of panto panache. This is glorious, engaging, gormless, beguiling and simply joyous. Sir Ian, Sir Ian, Sir Ian nails the part, the panto and the people with all the precision of a seasoned pantomimer but this, it seems, is one of his first goes (He has Twankied for us before now, apparently). It is a masterclass in drollery, wit, timing, slapstick sprinkled with two poignant moments of deft and touching drama. For a moment he tells of his days as a child in Bolton visiting a theatre for the time and being entranced by, of course, pantomime and as he tells us the tale the frock and wig just seem to vanish and a gentle, nostalgi...
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Spitting Image Saves The World – Birmingham Rep
17Feb By Peter KinnockNo Comments
West Midlands

Spitting Image Saves The World – Birmingham Rep

A healthy dose of dissent blended with bucket fulls Hogarthian vulgarity has provided the basis of British satire for many a year and there is nothing more vulgar and satirical and, indeed, British than “Spitting Image” which has been speaking the truth to power without remorse, consideration and, as times, tact since its inception in 1984. Produced at Central TV Studios which used to exist almost exactly opposite the theatre which houses its current incarnation. In its time it was subversive, naughty and very, very controversial these days every other TV show seems to aim and achieve that - so reviving it on stage may seem a bit of a risk. And it is one which Sean Foley as director together with co-writers Al Murray and Matt Forde take to with elan. Photo: Mark Senior Twelve buoyant...
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The Mirror Crack’d – Alexandra Theatre Birmingham
16Feb By Peter KinnockNo Comments
West Midlands

The Mirror Crack’d – Alexandra Theatre Birmingham

Miss Marple first surreptitiously ambled onto the crime scene in 1927 and she was very old even then. Since her first appearance in “The Tuesday Night Club” she has solved more murders than is normal for one petite detective to encounter in a lifetime and all without forensic tools, magnifying glass or DNA. “A Murder at the Vicarage” saw her first appearance in a full length novel, which, suspiciously, is the very novel on which your current reviewer is embarked. Spooky and perhaps a tad revealing. But I mustn’t mix up my murders! Miss Marple would not approve. The first actress to play our erstwhile spinster was (interesting fact for detective fans) our very own Gracie Fields in a 1956 episode of “Goodyear TV Playhouse” and many notable actresses have followed in her tiny footsteps - A...
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Strictly Ballroom – Wolverhampton Grand Theatre
14Feb By Robert BartleyNo Comments
West Midlands

Strictly Ballroom – Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

Back in 1992, director Baz Luhrmann brought the world of competitive ballroom dancing into the cinematic spotlight with his hit film ‘Strictly Ballroom’.  Covered in fake tan and sprinkled with sparkles, the lovingly satirical Australian film offered an entertaining glimpse into a high-pressured world with its on-stage rules and off-stage dramas.  It half-inspired the title of ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ and has since gone on to inspire its own stage musical.  First seen in the UK in its Leeds tryout prior to a short-lived West End run, the production has been reworked and is now midway through a successful UK tour. Scott Hastings (played by ‘Strictly’ favourite Kevin Clifton) has grown up in a family of dancers, craving the freedom to dance his own steps and frustrated in be...
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