Birmingham Stage Company are back at The Grand Opera House York with their latest Horrible Histories production, Barmy Britain! Unfortunately I couldn’t make this performance, but I’ve seen many of Birmingham Stage’s Roald Dahl adaptations and always enjoyed the company’s work – slick and polished children’s theatre with plenty of interaction!
In my absence, Mrs Hatter and the boys put on their review hats and went to York for a night of historical hilarity. Find out what they thought below!
History’s Mysteries
With a cast of just two performers, the audience is taken through Britain’s Barmy history with lots of gags, jokes, songs and silly skits. In this 1 hour 30 minute show, the terrible timeline stopped at Boudicca, Richard the Lionheart, Tudors, the Victorians, Dick Turpin, Guy Fawkes and many more. The latter few gave it a distinctly ‘York’ flavour, a local history lesson brought to life in the best possible way!
Another Dimension
The show is advertised as featuring BoggleVision 3D technology, often used in pantomimes and in previous Horrible Histories productions. Donning a pair of 3D glasses in the second act, this is your classic ‘things coming towards you’ special effect which the audience went wild for. The use of mixed media shows just how well Birmingham Stage innovate, I’ve always been impressed with their ideas and noticed that they even have a show on board a boat in London, Terrible Thames
Having a Blast!
There were many laugh-out-loud moments, and both Hatter boys loved the silly humour and slapstick! We’re all big fans of the popular CBBC series, and Birmingham Stage have done a great job of translating that humour to the stage, whilst also putting their own spin on it.
Favourite bits? A highlight for our eldest was a silly moment in which Henry VIII kept trying to kiss Anne Boleyn, who replied ‘Ah ah ah, social distancing!’ – a stark reminder of just how barmy Britain has been recently! He loved it when Richard the Lionheart repeatedly got the noises wrong when trying to roar too. Our youngest loved the 3D special effects, especially the bats. Both boys loved the toilet humour and fart noises, as expected!
There was one story in the second half which scared the boys (aged five and eight) a little – the tale of Burke and Hare murdering people in their beds. In an altogether light and funny show, this was presented in a much darker way and seemed to jar with the rest of the production. This aside though, the Hatters loved the show and lapped up the madcap comedy and gruesome facts.
And the rest, as they say, is history!
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Horrible Histories is showing at The Grand Opera House York until October 24th, then touring throughout the UK. For venue information and tickets visit www.barmybritain.com
Disclaimer: Tickets were kindly provided for this performance, however all opinions are honest and are our own.
I appreciate that theatre companies have had a long break from live shows, but last night’s performance was a disaster. Props broke, the set was a deathtrap, actors couldn’t remember their lines…everything that could go wrong, went wrong. But that is of course entirely the point!
The blurb reads, “The accident-prone thespians battle against all odds to make it through to their final curtain call, with hilarious consequences!” but what did we think? Find out below!
Wrong on so Many Levels
Themed around a 1920s murder mystery by The Cornley Drama Society, the play takes place in a grand house over several levels. The clever set design hides a myriad of traps and special effects, but to go into specifics would spoil the surprise. Let’s just say that if the fictional theatre company was real, they wouldn’t pass even a basic risk assessment.
Using the set over multiple floors, the actors are adept at feigning injury, prat falls, slips and trips, and there were many gasps and ‘oohs’ throughout.
Wrongdoers
The cast are full of energy and enthusiasm, and their comic timing is impeccable. For a play full of mistakes, there are moments that show just how in-tune with each other they really are – even seemingly simple things like catching a prop thrown from a long distance. Comparisons to the original team are perhaps inevitable, and yes there are similarities – particularly in Leonard Cook’s husky-voiced Robert (playing Thomas Colleymoore) – but each actor also makes the role their own.
Like a well-oiled theatrical machine, the performers bounce off each other and clearly relish being back on stage. On a minor technical note, we were only in the third row of the Dress Circle but we strained to hear at points. This may be that the performers couldn’t have individual microphones due to the physical nature of the show, water being thrown and so on, but the floor mics didn’t seem to pick everything up.
I can only imagine how busy the unseen crew must’ve been behind-the-scenes triggering all the effects. To overthink how a lot of it was done would be like spoiling a great magic trick! Speaking of spoilers, again there are many specific moments I would love to talk about here, but I don’t want to give the game away. I will say though that even the simple act of taking a phone call is a tall order.
Some sequences are absurd, and reminded me of classic clowning and even Laurel and Hardy or Chaplin, and the farce often echoes vaudevillian theatre.
Righting the Wrongs
Our experience of the show was slightly jaded, simply by the fact that we’ve seen a lot ‘go wrong’. We’re big fans and have watched all the television specials, the series and the Royal Variety performances. And just last week we saw another theatre company adopt a similar premise in which, you guessed it, things went wrong. Whilst it was great to see the Goes Wrong team live on stage, many of the gags rely on the element of surprise and we had seen them before so often saw them coming.
This is no fault of the fantastic the cast and crew though, but it was a show I wish I could have seen through fresh eyes! If it’s your first time, I can appreciate that it would be a groundbreaking one-of-a-kind experience. What I would suggest is that, if you haven’t seen the TV series yet, try and catch the stage show first – because of course it is so much better live! Put simply, The Play That Goes Wrong get things wrong, and does it so very right.
It is easy to see why the company have had television work, extensive tours, West End and Broadway runs and won many awards. The Play that Goes Wrong is a riot of farcical fun, packed with slapstick, wordplay and inventive ideas! My hat goes off to The Mischief Theatre Company for making ‘wrong’ look so effortless and slick, when in reality it is easy to do wrong…well, wrong!
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To find out where The Play that Goes Wrong is touring, and check out other shows from the team visit www.mischiefcomedy.com
Disclaimer: Tickets were kindly provided for this performance, however all opinions are honest and are our own.
The Hatter’s set sail by hot air balloon (no, not really – there isn’t even one in the book, as I learned today!) to see York Theatre Royal’ssummer show about a globetrotting eccentric’s worldly wager…
Photo Credit Charlotte Graham
Gone for now are the plush seats of the Theatre Royal in favour of the grassy fields of four primary schools around York. This suits the idea of a touring circus as a theme, and the school was well equipped with things like toilets and plenty of space for everyone to see.
On a logistical note, we don’t know Copmanthorpe well so struggled to find the school when the postcode took us elsewhere, and the school itself wasn’t signposted. We still arrived in plenty of time though!
School of Thought
On entering the school field, we saw a wooden set bedecked in red and yellow and complete with the trappings of a circus – including a cannon, trampoline and various colourful platforms and stands. As the show went on, the set was used in all manner of inventive ways.
Visually, two of our favourite moments were the creation of the steamer, and a teetering seesaw during a gin-guzzling scene. The transition from country to country is done simply, but very effectively too!
The design throughout is stunning. The costumes are richly detailed and all look the part, simultaneously capturing the essence of circus and the 1800s. Oh and the elephant is a treat, but I won’t spoil the theatrical magic!
A Motley Crew
Five performers band together as a troupe of circus performers to tell the classic Jules Verne tale. Each actor is full of energy, and they flit between characters (and sometimes genders!) with ease.
Photo Credit Charlotte Graham
Emilio Iannucci plays Phileas Fogg, and swaggers about as an eccentric ringmaster on his mission to circumnavigate the globe. Ali Azhar’s Passepartout is a Parisian clown who adds extra comic relief throughout. He clearly relishes playing alongside Phileas as the straight man, and Detective Fix (Eddie Mann) as the dramatic conflict. Mann plays the role with a slight menace, but never wanders into panto baddie territory.
Ulrika Krishnamurti plays Aouda not just as a damsel in distress, but as a feisty female role that can hold her own. Dora Rubinstein plays a whole host of characters, with a strong physicality and a flair for accents. Her ship’s Captain from Hull is a delight! It was interesting too to hear the story of Nellie Bly alongside the main plot.
Photo Credit Charlotte Graham
The whole cast are skilled in circus tricks, from juggling with balls, knives and fire to slapstick, poi, hoops and even contortion. As an ensemble they all work well together, and I especially enjoyed moments when they interacted with the audience. I was hoping for a rousing song to close the show though, in celebration of Fogg‘s accomplishment.
Flagging it Up
With some low sound levels, microphones cutting in and out and the windy rustle of twenty or so flags, it was difficult to focus on the action at points, even sat near the front. Such are the perils of outdoor theatre in the British summertime though, and the cast managed admirably as playing cards flew about and ribbons became tangled. On the plus side however, the wind enhanced some of the stormier scenes at sea – with realistic effects provided by Mother Nature!
The rain held off thankfully (yes, the show does go on in wet weather) and the novelty of outdoor touring theatre made a few technical hiccups excusable. A top tip too is to bring camping chairs; two hours and ten minutes is a fairly long time to sit out on the grass!
Photo Credit Charlotte Graham
Brave New World
Touring theatre is a new direction for York Theatre Royal, and follows The Travelling Panto last December that visited every ward in York. This is a personal preference but I feel that, overall, the production will be more enjoyable when it ends the run back at the theatre.
Having seen indoor summer shows such as Swallows and Amazons, this seemed more immersive on stage, largely down to being able to control the performing conditions more easily I imagine. Indoors it will benefit from better acoustics and theatrical lighting too. Saying that, touring open-air theatre makes a refreshing change and I applaud the theatre for continuing to get out into the communities.
The suggested age for the show is seven and up, and I would certainly say that our five-year-old became restless at points. He loved the circus sequence in the second act though, and being sniffed and observed under a magnifying glass by the quirky Detective Fix! Our seven-year-old fared better generally and really enjoyed the action-packed story and colourful characters.
Photo Credit Charlotte Graham
Inventive storytelling, slick circus skills and a timeless tale told with bundles of energy. So roll up, roll up to book for some family fun this summer!
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Around The World in 80 Days tours Archbishop Holgate’s School next then Joseph Rowntree, before a run at the Main House from August 25th. Tickets start from £15 and can be booked on the Theatre Royal website
Disclaimer: Tickets were kindly provided for this performance, however all opinions are honest and are our own.
There can’t be many families that don’t have at least one Julia Donaldson book on their shelves, I know that we certainly have most of them! Through engaging storytelling, relatable characters and the wonderful illustrations by Axel Scheffler, they’ve become classics loved by many.
Like Zog, The Gruffalo, Room on the Broom and many others, The Snail and the Whale has been adapted for the stage and is currently touring the UK. Founded in 1997, Tall Stories have brought the story to life, and we went to see it with our two boys aged four and seven.
We’re big fans of the book and animated adaptation here at the Hatter household, and I wondered how the team would develop the short story into a full production. Beyond the original narrative, the show focuses on a dad going off to sea, and the relationship with his daughter at home. The plot jumps between the joy of being able to play together at home, and video calls from overseas that helped moved the action along.
We had seen other Julia Donaldson adaptations which had only focused on the main story as written, so it was interesting to see this story told through the lens of another. It worked well, and led to some moments that really tugged on the heartstrings, including an unexpectedly poignant ending.
Fiddler on the Stage
A talented cast of three performers tell the tale through play, song and gentle comedy. The action is underscored with a violin throughout, used for music but also lots of clever sound effects and incidental moments. Seagulls, whale calls and the Skype music were particular highlights! This use of live music really helped to lift the show and draw the audience in.
Each performer knew how to connect with the young audience, and children will relate to all the childhood games, silliness and the desperation for a later bedtime!
Whale of a Time
The staging was particularly inventive; I won’t spoil how the whale took shape but let’s just say it was a clever surprise. The parts of the whale also became other things; from a bed and cave to the base of a volcano. In the girl’s bedroom, a round window became a porthole, message board and a screen for some shark shadow-play a la Jaws! This reminded me of the way that the children play imaginatively, turning everyday objects into wondrous things to explore new and exciting worlds.
Snails took the form of soft toys and wooden ornaments, accompanied with a satisfying squelch on the violin!
A Snail’s Pace
Generally, the show had a gentle pace which was ideal for younger audience members. That isn’t to say it was ever boring or dull, but rather that it felt crafted to develop slowly. There were occasional high-energy moments though, including a brilliant penguin sequence which involved the whole audience. A game of hide-and-seek between the girl and her dad had the children screaming and shouting.
Later, an interactive classroom scene encouraged children to shout out the answers too, which they enthusiastically did! Kids being kids, they would also call out at other less interactive points – and it was refreshing to see the actors still acknowledge them and thank them for the input.
At points there were songs to join in with, but it felt like there was some uncertainty about whether we could sing after all this time. For so long, we have been told we cannot sing at concerts and performances, and I was unsure of the current stance on this. On that note, the experience generally felt Covid-safe with masks required, track and trace details and temperatures taken and audiences still sat in separate bubbles.
At just under an hour, the running time was ideal for even the youngest audience members. At our 4.30pm performance, there were many toddlers and only the occasional moments of restlessness.
Our four-year-old was transfixed, and our seven-year-old didn’t seem too old for it but didn’t join in quite as readily. A moment of toilet-humour relating to ripped trousers and an exposed bottom (suggested, obviously not seen) was a highlight for our eldest!
Tall Stories have taken a simple, short and endearing tale and turned it into a heartwarming and enjoyable show to delight young fans. With tickets from £13.50, it’s not too much to ‘shell’ out on!
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Visit the Tall Stories website at www.tallstories.org.uk to check tour dates for The Snail and the Whale, and details of their other productions.
Disclaimer: Tickets were kindly provided for this performance, however all opinions are honest and are our own.
Myself and Mrs Hatter took another welcome return to live theatre, to review Showstopper! – an improvised comedy musical theatre show which first started in 2008.
Alan Meggido and Dylan Emery have created an innovative production that changes every single night. Billed as no two shows ever being the same, unpredictability is key! Starting at the Edinburgh Fringe, the show has toured much of the UK and had a successful West End run, even winning an Olivier Award.
In for a Tweet
Apparently creating a new musical at short notice for Mr Cameron (Mackintosh, not David), the cast have around seventy minutes to create a coherent story with ballads, raps and showtunes along the way.
As with all live entertainment, the Showstopper! team have had to adapt to the Covid climate. Where once the audience would shout out suggestions, technology now replaces the hoots and hollers. We were encouraged to text in our ideas or tweet them before and during the performance, with a shortlist of ideas put forward for approval through applause. This worked well, although I can imagine it creates a different atmosphere having audience members able to shout out the silly, strange and surreal suggestions. I miss the buzz of truly interactive live theatre but understand the need to, well, improvise in the circumstances.
Showstopper ! Apollo Theatre CREDIT Geraint Lewis
We were keen to get involved and suggested words and ideas throughout. In an email before arriving at the theatre, we were encouraged to send in any ideas we had. However, on arrival it became clear that only very specific themes were needed – namely a setting and a musical style or composer. From the suggestions put forward from the audience, our show featured a distinctly local flavour and was based at Betty’s tearoom. References to York Dungeon, the Minster and other local hotspots were real crowd-pleasers.
Red is the New Black
A smart but simplistic set helped the audience focus on the action, and the cast looked sharp in their black and red ensembles…
Showstopper ! Apollo Theatre CREDIT Geraint Lewis
The performance ran like a well-oiled machine, and the laughs came thick and fast. Some previous runs have featured celebrity guests including Matt Lucas and Jim Bowen (of Bullseye fame!) No such cameos here, but the show didn’t suffer without them. The performers we saw all exude energy and have that razor-sharp wit and timing that makes for a frantically fun evening. Vocals don’t take a backseat either; every cast member could sing well and showed a range of styles.
Sticky Buns
On this blog I mainly review family attractions and shows. Showstopper! has won awards for best entertainment and best family show, although I wasn’t sure initially how suitable it would be for younger children. As we arrived at the theatre, a song was playing that regularly mentioned intercourse (presumably a word from the audience at a previous show) During the performance the cast sang I Want to do You!, spoke of sex in a York Dungeon cell, and there were more cake-themed innuendos than an episode of Bake-Off.
For this reason, I would advise caution with younger children – by it’s very nature the show is devised based on suggestions from the audience, and could go in any direction! Interestingly, the team do also have a children’s show, The Showstoppers’ Kids Show. We haven’t seen it but it is no doubt more suitable for younger family members.
Edit – I’ve since seen that the show is recommended for ages 12 and over which seems right for the possible themes and content. The ‘best family show’ award may well have been the Kids Show but I can’t find any further details on that.
Showstopper ! Apollo Theatre CREDIT Geraint Lewis
Freshly Baked?
If I’m being critical, we both felt that certain parts of the show seemed more manufactured than expected. Again, only two key areas of suggestions were actually invited – plus a title for the show – with the rest of the content shaped around those. It would be a tall order to fully improvise a musical from scratch, and we weren’t expecting that, but it felt like parts of the show were pre-planned and only took in a few very specific ideas and themes. The songs were snappy and well put together, but perhaps suffered from being too polished to actually seem genuinely improvised. I hope that we’re wrong though, and that the performers just excel at quick thinking!
Musical choices felt like safe bets too; with Hamilton and The Greatest Showman for example being popular but obvious. Yes, these apparently came from suggestions but I would’ve liked to see some more obscure and unusual words and ideas used. I can only compare this to improvised non-musical shows I’ve seen at comedy clubs, where comedians and actors can literally take any word or idea and craft it into a sketch, with the more surreal ideas getting the biggest laughs.
The spoken sections certainly felt fresher and more spontaneous but the songs, at the very core of a musical, felt like they could all feature in every show with a few swapped words and phrases. However, in an interview in The Guardian, the cast claim that the show is completely improvised, and I truly hope this is the case. I guess we’d have to see the show again to make a fair judgement on that.
Minor quibbles aside, it was still a riot of fun and the one-hour and ten minutes flew by! The performers are no doubt immensely talented, and the show is heading back to the West End soon for what I’m sure will be another popular run.
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Tickets can be booked on the Showstoppers! website or at each respective theatre. Our performance was also livestreamed on YouTube, and another livestream is planned during their Taunton run in July (details on the website and social media channels) https://showstopperthemusical.com/
Showstopper ! Apollo Theatre CREDIT Geraint Lewis
Disclaimer: Tickets were provided for this event, however all opinions are honest and are our own.
William Shakespeare walks into a pub, the barman says…you’re Bard! Shakespeare also famously wrote that all the world’s a stage but, alas, pubs and stages have been long out of bounds due to the pox (whom I bite my thumb at)
And so, it was with much excitement that we could finally return to York Theatre Royal and The Handlebards touring production of Romeo and Juliet…
On ‘yer bike!
For those unfamiliar with The Handlebards, the company are a troupe of cycling actors who carry their sets, costumes and props on bikes up and down the country. With a bare-bones set of a simple stand (doubling as a backstage area) and colourful bunting, this is a production that would be at home at any festival or smaller venue.
However, the team also manage to fill the Theatre Royal stage, proving that sometimes less really is more. What the show lacks in a flashy set, it more than makes up for in inventive storytelling, versatile performances and daft wigs, props and gags by the bike-load!
That rings a bell!
The trio of performers (Lucy Green, Tom Dixon and Paul Moss) are clearly delighted to be back in the theatre, and open the show with a resounding cheer. Their energy and excitement is infectious, and they switch effortlessly between costumes, accents and the many familiar roles.
The ding of a bicycle bell cleverly marks each transition; one of several ways that bicycle-based ephemera features . Whether it’s Romeo’s lovestruck simpering, Juliet’s teenage strops or the friars spraying everything with Holy Water – the pace never lets up and the characters are all well-defined. Oh, and nurse’s buxom waddle is a particular treat!
Photo credit Rah Petheridge
Although written as a tragedy, the world needs more laughter right now and this is very much a comedy retelling of the tale of two star-crossed lovers. The story is familiar, but I would say it’s useful to have a good knowledge of the plot as it is mostly told in the original Shakespearean prose. That being said, the action is easy to follow and, although not billed as a family show per se, there were a number of children in the audience who loved all the slapstick and exaggerated expressions. Bordering on clowning, this is playful theatricality as it’s best!
Photo credit Rah Petheridge
I am conscious of not saying too much in this review as some of the gags rely on the element of surprise, and surprises there are many. What I will say though is look out for the ninja friars, expect a little audience participation, and that the balcony scenes are truly inspired!
It is more important than ever to support live theatre and, with tickets from just £15, The Handlebards offer great value for money with a night of fun, laughter and more silliness than you can Shake a Spear at!
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The Handlebards are currently touring the country with productions of Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth. Tickets can be booked via their website at https://www.handlebards.com/
If you go down to the park today, you’re sure of a big surprise!
“Every year Jo’s family used to have a big family gathering. A teddy bears’ picnic. It was brilliant. And then she got too old and too cool for that kind of thing. So she stopped going. But now she’s a grown up…kinda…she wishes she could have them all over again.”
Park Bench Theatre (via Engine House Theatre) have put performance back on the map with their production of Teddy Bears’ Picnic, inspired by the song and an original idea by Julian Butler. We took the mini Hatters along for some safe and socially distanced outdoor fun, after a five-month drought of live theatre…
Life’s a Picnic
Gone are the plush seats and interval ice-creams, replaced with spray-painted family ‘bubbles’ in a grassy clearing in York’s Rowntree Park. Headphones and wireless handsets ensure that everyone can hear, and these are available to purchase or families can bring their own.
We recommend the larger over-ear headphones for small children, who may find the in-ear buds a little uncomfortable and liable to pop out of tiny ears. The technology works well though, the sound is clear and works to draw the audience in.
Setting the Bench-mark
The set is little more than a real park bench, with props from several suitcases bringing the picnic scene to life.
Jo arrives with some tight and genuinely funny clowning, and soon the young audience are pointing and giggling away, clutching their own teddies with glee. What follows is thirty-minutes of the best kind of children’s theatre, creating magical moments with very little – engaging storytelling, minimal props and a highly expressive performance.
Cassie Vallance as Jo (also co-creator) is instantly likeable, warm and friendly. She has bags of energy and can illicit laughs with a single gurn or guffaw! She delivers some genuinely touching moments too, and I don’t mind saying that myself and Mrs Hatter became quite emotional. Perhaps this was in part through seeing live theatre again after all this time, or maybe it was how the text bravely and tactfully addresses the pandemic and the emotions it stirs up. Either way, the play tugs on the heartstrings…and a sequence about catching memories is especially touching. Director and co-creator Matt Aston gives the audience chance to ‘paws’ (sorry!) for thought between the laughs.
Our three-year-old and seven-year-old were entranced from start to finish, both hanging on Jo’s every word and willing the missing teddy to be found. It goes to show that there are ways around the government restrictions on live performance, and this innovative production felt safe and welcoming in uncertain times.
Soggy Sandwiches
Being an outdoor performance, the show is open to the unpredictability of The Great British Summer and will only be cancelled due to very extreme weather. A helpful hint from the Hatters is to bring waterproofs and wellies, be prepared! The heavens opened for us immediately after the show finished, during our post-show picnic.
It’s worth mentioning too that, as advised, we parked at Clifford’s Tower and found it a long walk for little legs to Rowntree Park. Pleasant by the river on a sunny day, but a wet and wild trundle back! The Tower car park can get very busy too, so allow extra time to find a spot and walk over. Once at Rowntree Park, the toilets and cafe are open and both are close to the action.
The show is well sign-posted, and volunteer stewards are on hand to help guide families to their bubbles, remind people when to put headphones in and explain how the technology works.
Bear with me…
There is something delightfully British and traditional about a teddy bear’s picnic, and this was a theatrical treat for all the family (especially little cubs!)
Never has supporting theatre been more crucial, so please do grab your teddies and a picnic and go down to the park this summer. We think you’ll enjoy it ‘beary’ much…
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Teddy Bears’ Picnic runs 11.30am & 1.30pm on 19-22, 27-29, 31 Aug & 1-5 Sept.
Tickets are £5 each and can be booked on the Theatre Royal website.
Park Bench theatre are also staging a range of other open-air plays and monologues as part of their summer program.
Images by Northedge Photography
Disclaimer: Tickets were kindly provided for this performance, however all opinions are honest and are our own.
There’s no denying that David Bowie was, and still is after his death, one of the seminal artists of our lifetime. My relationship with Bowie’s music started when I was around seven, when my mum gave me a cassette (remember those?!) of Space Oddity. I popped the tape in my bright white ghetto blaster, turned off the lights and absorbed the intergalactic hit. I played it so much I nearly wore the tape out, as I dreamt of space travel and imagined sitting in my tin can, far above the world…
I was excited to see the Bowie Experience at The Grand Opera House York, and took along a friend who is an even bigger Bowie fan than myself. Whilst this probably isn’t something you would take your children to (although there were one or two in the audience near us, aged around 9 or 10) I’m reviewing the show as an option for a grown-up night out. So is it worth putting on your red shoes for? Find out below…
Sound and Vision
Laurence Knight pays tribute to Bowie, changing costumes and wigs to help represent different eras of his career. These changes are relatively slick, and covered by extended riffs and the odd solo.
However, in a show reliant on the lead singer as the iconic Bowie, the levels weren’t balanced and the band all too frequently overwhelmed Knight’s vocals. This wasn’t such a problem in the more familiar songs that I knew well, but in the lesser known tracks I couldn’t make out the lyrics. We were seated near the front of the Dress Circle so it wasn’t a case of being too far from the action.
When he could be heard, Knight often sounded like Bowie, in some songs more than others. He could certainly sing, and imitated some of the swagger of the rock n’ roll legend well. It’s clear Bowie is one of his Heroes, and his enthusiasm for his life and work shows.
The band are undeniably talented and played the songs well, but I was willing them to show a little more of their own personality. The exception was Emily Westwood on backing vocals and saxophone who was the only member, except Bowie, who really seemed to be enjoying herself. Others barely looked up, barely rocked out, and seemed to be simply going through the motions.
Accompaniment was all in key and in time, but generally lacked showmanship. Despite this, it was great to hear Bowie’s catalogue played live, having never got to see the real deal during his lifetime. The sound was rich and toes were tapping.
Each song featured video projection, and the show was peppered with animated images of Bowie, a few facts and life affirming quotes. The lighting design helped to create the atmosphere of a concert, even though this jarred a little with the elegant surroundings of the traditional theatre. On that note, a tribute show in a theatre is something of a (Space) oddity – with audiences often itching to dance but not wanting to obscure the view of those passively watching behind. Many settled for clapping along.
Dancing in the Seats
Despite a few issues, the audience generally seemed to enjoy the show. For whatever reason some people left early but others stayed for the duration, and many in the Stalls were on their feet dancing by the end. I was expecting a little more theatrical (Ziggy) stardust and polish, but of course no Bowie tribute is ever going to quite live up to the real thing so perhaps expectations were too high.
My friend felt the same, and thought the content jumped around too much chronologically and that some of the hits were missing. However, at 2 hours 30 minutes with an interval it’s a packed show and features many fan favourites.
If you fancy a ch-ch-change from the usual nights out, it’s worth a watch but would benefit from a few technical tweaks and extra direction.
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Tickets range from £13 to £44 and the show is currently touring into February 2021. More information can be found at www.bowieexperience.com
Disclaimer: Tickets were kindly provided for this performance, however all opinions are honest and are our own.
After all the muddy puddles left by the recent storms, I took my youngest junior Hatter to The Grand Opera House for some indoor entertainment with Peppa Pig, Best Day Ever, the latest licensed production from Fierylight.
Peppa Pig is excited to be going on a special day out with George, Mummy Pig and Daddy Pig – it’s going to be her best day ever! But was it our best day ever, or all a bit hammy? Find out below!
Before seeing the show, I wondered how the creative team would stay true to the cartoon that children know and love. Everything you’d expect is here though, from bright colours and catchy songs to high-pitched voices and plenty of oinking. And most of the familiar characters make an appearance too, although sadly no Mr Potato (I guess the chips are down!)
A combination of puppets and costumed characters help capture the TV magic well, and it’s as if someone applied a 3D filter to the hit cartoon. Characters bounce and bob around, arms flail, and the rotund Daddy Pig and Mr Bull look like they could topple over any second!
The puppeteers work hard and add plenty of expression to the animal antics. Lizzie Burder as Daisy pulls everything together with plenty of energy and enthusiasm, and addresses the young audience as her new friends. She often comments on how well they joined in with a song, or how clever they are for spotting the leak in the road for example. This gentle encouragement really spurs them on to join in all the more!
The Scenic Route
The action takes in roadworks, caves and a castle amongst other locations. Scene changes are slick and smooth with two-dimensional elements popping in and out, and even the odd inflatable! The banquet scene was especially detailed, and the castle on the hill was reminiscent of nearby Clifford’s Tower…a home from home?
Highlights for me were an inventive UV scene which sees food comes to life in the dark, mice scamper after cheese and lemonade whizz and whirl around. An impressive dragon towards the end also gets gasps although, due to it’s size, some young faces around me looked a little spooked! Still, I thought it was ROARsome…
Making a Splash
At the end of the show, Peppa and pals play in muddy puddles as water is sprayed over the excited audience. However, as is often the case, the higher tiers get missed out here which is a shame, and my son was itching to join in with the splashy fun like so many others. Perhaps arm Front of House staff with water pistols too to really include everyone?
At 35 years old (yes, really!) I’m clearly not the target demographic for Peppa Pig…although I am partial to a bit of GiggleBiz! However, my 3-year-old was absolutely gripped by seeing some of his favourite characters come to life on stage.
He excitedly joined in with the songs, often tweaked versions of classic nursery rhymes such as The Grand Old Duke of York (with a digger twist) and The Wheels on the Bus…or in this case, the car! And of course there are the Peppa hits too like Bing Bong Boo which is still stuck in my head many hours later.
At up to £35 a ticket, this isn’t a cheap treat. Merchandise was on sale including Peppa Pig flashing wands for the eye-watering price of £10 each (no, I’m not telling porkies) And if you want to PIG out on sweets or ice-cream then of course it all adds up. But of course this is an officially licensed show, and they need to bring home the bacon (yes, that was another pig pun!)
Children under 18 months don’t need a paid ticket though, and there are places to store pushchairs and buggies. A free Peppa Pig sticker for each child is a nice touch.
With plenty of colour, catchy songs, a simple story and lots of interaction, this show will have young fans squealing with delight! Oink!
MAGIC RATING
VALUE FOR MONEY
OVERALL
The show runs for 1 hour and 20 minutes with an interval, an ideal length for young children and fidgety bottoms.
There are seats available tomorrow (Thursday March 5th) in York before the tour moves on to Winchester.
A musical twist on the Charles Dickens’ classic is brought to life by York Light Opera, with a large cast of both children and adults. But is it a Fine, Fine Life for theatregoers this half-term, or will they feel like they’ve had their pockets picked?
Find out below…
From the opening number, Food Glorious Food, it’s clear this is a tight and polished amateur production. I hesitate to use the word amateur here, as it can suggest poor quality, rather than that the actors are unpaid and largely untrained. In reality though, the whole cast work well together to create something that may not be West End worthy, but certainly isn’t devoid of talent, high production values and honed vocals.
Generally the performers excel, with bags of enthusiasm and tight choreography. Matthew Warry as Oliver has the naivety and sombre tinge of an orphan down to a tea, and Sam Piercey plays cheeky-chappy Dodger well. Both boys can certainly hold a tune and act well, and I was especially impressed to read that these are their first roles for York Light Opera.
Neil Wood as Mr Bumble has some of the strongest vocals; he bellows Boy for Sale brilliantly and his interaction with Widow Corney, played by Pascha Turnbull, is a delight. Turnbull (intentionally!) shrieks her way through I Shall Scream, whilst fighting off the advances of a lust-struck Bumble.
Emma-Louise Dickinson’s Nancy nails the vocals too, and Fagin (Rory Mulvihill) clearly relishes playing the miserly misfit. His interaction with his gang of boys – and for the first time in any production of Oliver I’ve seen – girls too, is a joy to see. Moments of poignancy make Fagin more rounded and less of a caricature and, despite being a long-time thief, it is hard not to feel for the aging crook.
The children all did exceptionally well, especially balancing rehearsals and show nights with school and homework. Stand out numbers for us were Consider Yourself, Pick a Pocket or Two and Who Will Buy? The stage-filling ensemble songs really shine here.
Who’s a Good Boy?
Special mention too must go to canine cast member Roy as Bill Sykes dog Bullseye, obedient and well-trained with no little presents left on the stage! An animatronic cat in the first act though was a little clunky and unnecessary; one of the few effects we weren’t really…feline.
Rags to Riches
In terms of design, the production does well to capture the essence of Victorian London – from a workhouse, slums and bawdy bars to an upper-class street scene and even London Bridge. Costumes range from rags to resplendent finery, and more top hats than a Hatter’s hatstand! Fagin’s den, adorned with colourful handkerchiefs and stolen trinkets, stood out for us.
Live music under the musical direction of John Atkin adds a real richness to the production and made some of the catchier numbers all the more enjoyable. This audience were toe-tapping along, mouthing the words and even singing to some of the more familiar ditties!
Overall, the production wasn’t punchy enough for our three-year-old, nor did we really expect it to be at two and a half hours long (and starting past his bedtime) On hearing Mr Bumble he was excited at the prospect of seeing, as he thought he’d heard, Mr Tumble! The most junior Hatter was restless in the first half and fell asleep in the second, but has been talking about the parts he remembered since.
Our six-year-old however fared better and thoroughly enjoyed his first experience of a full live musical. Highlights for him were Fagin and gang’s frantically fun You’ve Got to Pick a Pocket or Two and Mr Bumble’s bumbling posturing. He now wants to use my magician’s silk handkerchiefs to practice pick-pocketing from my dressing gown at home!
Some of the songs that don’t make the movie cut are forgettable, and some scenes needed a little extra Oom Pah Pah but overall the energy is high, and the enthusiasm abundant. It’s worth remembering that this is not a professional production, and that the performers are in it for the enjoyment and experience alone. And supporting a show like this also means supporting burgeoning new talent.
On a practical note, we would suggest a slightly earlier start time, as the show finished close to 10pm; late for any children in the audience on a school night (although there are weekend performances too, and most of the upcoming dates fall in half-term)
If you’re looking for some theatrical fun this half-term, it’s definitely a show you should Consider Yourself…just the tonic for this gruel-ling winter!
MAGIC RATING
VALUE FOR MONEY
OVERALL
Oliver! runs at York Theatre Royal until February 22nd. Tickets range from £12 to £31, and family tickets are also available. To book online visit www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk/show/oliver/
Photos by Tom Arber
Disclaimer: Tickets were kindly provided for this performance, however all opinions are honest and are our own.
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