1984 Theatre Review

Source

I read George Orwell's Nineteen-Eighty-Four as part of my English A-level in college and I loved it. It seemed to eerily reflect our current society, a text which really was before it's time. I've re-read the book many times since I studied it and I enjoy it more and more every time. It also inspired me to read some of Orwell's other well know classics. Animal Farm is one of my all time favourite books, so depressing and clever. How someone can describe Britain's social state through animals so accurately is beyond me. George Orwell was such an impressive, brilliant writer.

When I saw that a stage version was coming to Richmond Theatre I was so excited and I booked tickets straight away. I couldn't imagine how the book could be transferred to the stage but I think they did it well.

Description from ATG's website :- April, 1984. 13:00. Comrade 6079, Winston Smith, thinks a thought, starts a diary, and falls in love. But Big Brother is watching him - and the door to Room 101 can swing open in the blink of an eye.
Its ideas have become our ideas, and Orwell's fiction is often said to be our reality. The definitive book of the 20th century is re-examined in a radical new staging exploring surveillance, identity and how thinking you can fly might actually be the first step to flying. 
This new major production explores the world inside Winston Smith's head, as well as the world without, and catches the euphoria and bliss buried deep underneath the cold face of Big Brother. In an age of mass surveillance, ‘total’ policing and GPS tracking, 1984 is as relevant now as it ever was.

Source

I really enjoyed how they had adapted it for the stage. The set changed very subtely, using mainly music and lighting, but you knew what was going on. Some of the actors would wheel pieces of scenery to a different position and that would mean that the stage was now a different place, the Ministry's cafeteria or the second hand shop. The actors also played two or three different characters but it wasn't as confusing as I would have imagined, I could follow the story. The back room of the second hand shop, Winston's secret room, was set off stage. We saw Winston and Julia via a large TV screen at the top of the set. The cameras were placed quite abstractly so it was quite difficult to see the whole room but the overall effect was interesting, very different.

Source

When Winston was taken to Room 101, he was on a chair in the middle of the stage with tarpaulin all around him. There were about eight surgeons around the stage and O'Brien. O'Brien would ask Winston a question and if his answer was 'wrong' the surgeons would descend upon Winston, the lights would strobe, then it would cut to blackout as all we could hear were Winston's screams. When the lights came back up, Winston would have blood on him, his fingers, his mouth, because he was being tortured. It was a really tense atmosphere.

If I hadn't read the book before-hand then I'm not sure how much of the play I would have understood. Because I already had a background knowledge of the story I could fill any gaps within the plot myself but I'm not sure how someone who hadn't already read it would fare. One of Orwell's best features in his writing, in my opinion, is his description. There's one part in the book which I have to skip because the description makes me feel so sick. I felt like there were a few details missed out of the play, details which make the book brilliant, but the play was only an hour and forty minutes long so there is only so much they can include I suppose.

Also, there was no interval. I know it's not a very long time but the story is extremely intense. I could have done with a break around an hour in.

Overall I really enjoyed it. It was interesting to see a different adaptation of a classic and well-loved book and it must have been hard to fit it onto a stage. A great night.

Twitter || Instagram || Facebook || Bloglovin'

Blood Brothers Review

Source

You may say that I'm a fan of this musical. Well, to tell you the truth I have now seen it four times! There have been a few musicals over the years which I've really enjoyed and wanted to see again but I always feel guilty buying a ticket for a show I've already seen rather than broadening my horizons a bit and trying something new. With Blood Brothers I feel absolutely no guilt whatsoever. Admittedly, I studied the text for my drama and English GCSEs so I went twice with school.

The first time I saw it was when I was about fourteen, in Cardiff with my Gran. Linda Nolan was playing Mrs Johnston and I was completely in love with the hilarious, often naughty and deeply sad musical. I saw that Blood Brothers, after spending 24 years in the West End and closing last November, was now touring and it was showing in the New Wimbledon Theatre. I persuaded a couple of my friends to join me and I eagerly booked the tickets.

The cast during 'Kids' Game' Source

Here is the description from their website - Blood Brothers Musical is, at first, a heart-warming story of Mickey and Edward, two brothers separated at birth, brought together again through friendship. However, their familial relationship is concealed by their guardians who strive to keep them apart because of superstitious beliefs.
      Despite relocating, their lives continue to intertwine, although the deep divisions between the privileged life of Edward and Mickey’s poverty-stricken existence are wholly apparent. As they try to conquer the social divisions which hinder their friendship, they must deal with the harsh realities of class consciousness; Edward goes on to study at Oxford whilst Mickey is forced into a life of crime through unemployment.
      As adults, they are caught up in a vicious love triangle with Mickey’s childhood sweetheart Linda. Mickey’s imprisonment and subsequent depression pushes Linda into the arms of the conciliatory Edward. A desperate Mickey takes drastic action against his fraternal twin which will ultimately expose their true identities.

Mrs Johnstone (Maureen Nolan) and Mickey (Sean Jones) Source

Even though I have seen it quite a few times, I was definitely not disappointed by this production of Blood Brothers. Maureen Nolan played Mrs Johnstone and her voice was beautiful, protraying so much emotion during 'Tell Me It's Not True' that I (and many other audience members) were reduced to tears. Sean Jones and Mark Hutchinson who played Mickey and Eddie were brilliant. I am always astounded at how two adult men can act so convincingly like children. It wasn't ridiculously over the top, as is so easily done with an adult playing a child. It's quite subtle, with body language and they way they talk. Pulling their jumper over their knees, an awkward wave or talking about an older sibling. I completely forgot that I was actually watching adults. I suppose it would be pretty hard to get children to swear like Mickey does too!

The music is wonderful. It's an album I frequently listen to, the songs are so funny and often rather rude. They are upbeat and jaunty with some real belting notes in there to give your vocal chords a good stretch in the shower! There is often an element of sadness and some of the songs are heart breaking, 'Easy Terms' is another song which is heartwrenching but still beautiful. The musical is based in 1960s Liverpool and there are a few cultural references throughout the show, giving it depth and making it part of the larger British story. I think it ticks all the 'musical soundtrack' boxes.

Sammy (Daniel Taylor) and Mickey (Sean Jones) Source

If you haven't yet seen this show then I thoroughly recommend that you do. I am absolutely in love with it. If you've already seen it before, go again! I'm not going to judge you ;)

Twitter || Instagram || Facebook || Bloglovin'

'Soul Sister' Review

Source

A musical inspired by the lives of Anna Mae Bullock (known as Tina Turner) and Ike Turner. The story line was simple, it didn't go into too much detail about the segregation which was going on at the time and later there are about two minutes dedicated to feminism so it skims over some important historical details. It was quite wooden and some of it seemed obviously written just to point out certain details rather than allowing you to come to the decisions yourself. I knew nothing about her life before watching this and I was really interested to find out more. There were moments which were incredibly sad. Tina seemed like such a strong, independent woman but at times she seemed miserable and resigned to the fact that she would be treated badly by Ike.

Source

The story was good but my God, the music was fantastic. Featuring hits like 'River Deep, Mountain High' and 'Proud Mary' they were definitely songs to get you singing along and dancing. The band on stage were absolutely flawless, playing their instruments very well and really bringing the songs to life. The Ikettes sang beautifully and had voices which really complimented Tina's.

Source

Jenny Fitzpatrick, who played Tina, was amazing. Her dance moves were so like Tina's that you could have mistaken her for the real thing, hip thrusts, fluttery arms and stiff legs in all the right places. It really was uncanny. Her voice was flawless, belting out a strong song one minute then the next caressing a gentle note. Ike, played by Chris Tummings, was also very believable. At times he seemed so vulnerable and you felt sorry for him but there were other times where you hated him for the things that he was doing.

At the end everyone was up on their feet dancing and having a great time. The sometimes weak story line was really supported by the great music and the sing-along soul songs were great.

I saw this musical in the New Wimbledon Theatre which was a great venue, old fashioned and ornate. I sat in the upper circle and it was almost empty which was such a shame. Surprising too because the show was on tour, only staying in each theatre for a few days, and I think the tickets cost about £12. I would have thought that the price would have enticed people but sadly not, There was only about five percent of the seats filled in the upper circle.

I would recommend this musical, the songs really made it for me, who can go wrong with a bit of Simply The Best??

'A Chorus Line' Review

For my birthday my boss bought me two tickets to see 'A Chorus Line' at the London Palladium. I chose to take my mum and you can see how the rest of our weekend went here. We went to the evening show which felt very glamorous. The London Palladium was beautiful, an old style, vintage theatre with lots of character.

When we got there we gave our tickets to the collector and he said 'Oh, the upper circle is closed tonight...' my stomach just dropped. If something is going to go wrong then it will happen to me, always. But that foreboding statement was followed by 'so you've been upgraded' yes! 'To the Royal circle' YES! We were really close to the stage but still raised up enough so that we could see the whole stage. I quite like sitting high because you get the effect of all the actors on stage, especially in a musical where there are often lots of dance routines.

 Around halfway through the show I realised that the whole show must be set like this, the whole thing focuses on the audition. I was a bit worried that it would be boring but the songs are so different, some fast-paced, some slower and more emotional, that it really mixed the whole thing up. The only things on stage are the auditionees. They each have a kit bag which they leave at the side of the stage and at some point in the show they have a hat to dance with. The only set change is the back wall of the stage which has rotating sections which show either black wall or mirror, like in a dance studio. There are no costume changes apart from the closing number. I honestly thought that I would be so bored but it was absolutely excellent. Its amazing how a mirror at the back of the stage can really change your whole perspective and shake things up a little bit.

The show is set in 1975 with an audition in for a Broadway show and shows the journey of a group of auditionees, the director (played by John Partridge) and his assistant. After the opening number, 'I Hope I Get It', a number of auditionees are cut, leaving the main characters which we see throughout the show. The director then asks each remaining person to tell him more about themselves, which they do reluctantly through funny, clever and sometimes heartbreaking songs. There are stories about growing up in a broken home, homosexuality and being unable to sing.

The Auditionees Source

There is also a personal story between the director, Zach, and one of the auditionees, Cassie, played by Scarlett Strallen.We learn that they used to be in a relationship but they split-up because he was having more of a relationship with his work. When the others go downstairs to learn another song Cassie stays to talk to Zach. Zach is angry with her because he thinks she's better than the chorus line. She sings a very passionate song, 'The Music and The Mirror' which tells all about her struggle in the theatre environment and her life in general.

Cassie and Zach Source

Zach calls another auditionee back who was reluctant to tell more about himself, Paul. He gives a very emotional account of his childhood, his homosexuality and his relationship with his parents. He breaks down and Zach comforts him. Later, during a tap sequence, Paul falls and hurts a recently operated on knee. He goes to hospital and the rest of the auditionees realise how precarious their careers are, they could end at any moment. They then sang (my personal favourite) 'What I Did For Love' which talks about how much they've enjoyed their careers and how they wouldn't change their experiences, mostly!

The final eight dancers are selected, four boys and four girls. I was genuinely sad. I had half hoped that we wouldn't see who was picked. Each person had different qualities which made them worthy of being in the chorus line. The main thing which I enjoyed about this musical was how relative the characters were, there would have been at least one person whom you could have related to. I saw many of my traits in a number of different characters and 'A Chorus Line' embraced these.

'One/Finale' Source

The closing number 'One' shows the auditionees coming out in identical outfits, they each take an individual bow then start to dance the routine. It is surprising how people, who had once looked and acted so individually, blended together and it was very difficult to tell who was who.

Leigh Zimmerman as Sheila Source

I absolutely loved the character of Sheila, played by Leigh Zimmerman. An ageing dancer who acts very provocatively and has some brilliant one-liners but she also has some heartfelt moments like in 'At The Ballet'. Leigh has won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical (which is a bit of a bloody mouthful!). I thought she was excellent.

When we came out we heard some screams from the side of the theatre and there was a group of fans waiting for the actors come out of their dressing rooms for their programmes to get signed. About ten actors signed my programme but it was really awkward because they looked so different in real life, I didn't recognise some of them!!

I would thorougly recommend this show, it has definitely been one of my favourite musicals to date, I've been listening to the soundtrack non-stop. Watch this space for more musical news!