Tag Archives: Musical Theatre

The Bakewell Bake Off: A New Musical (C, 5 – 22 Aug : 17.00 : 1hr 10 mins)

Posted in 3*, C Venues, EdFestivals 2015, Musical Theatre, Rated: Nae Bad by

“A sweet, easy-to-watch crowd pleaser”

Editorial Rating: 3 Stars: Nae Bad

It was only a matter of time before a GBBO-themed show made it to the Fringe, and this one has all the necessary ingredients for a sweet, easy-to-watch crowd pleaser.

The plot is exactly what you would expect – an eclectic group of wannabe bakers pit their culinary skills against each other to please three ultra-competitive judges and be crowned Bakewell’s best baker. There are some interesting characters and relationships, including a cross-dresser, a nun, a woman obsessed with Christmas, an Asian doctor (who becomes the subject of some racist abuse), and it’s all hosted by the very talkative yet incredibly likeable hostess called Victoria Sponge.

The script is full of wonderful baking-related puns: from characters whose names include, Tina Tartan and Henrietta Apfelstrudel, to a nun’s “Desecrated Coconut” cake, which tickled me the most. Indeed the writing is clever throughout the piece with lots of quips and wordplay to keep the audience amused, even if the narrative itself is pretty thin.

For me Sophie Forster as catty judge Griselda Pratt-Dewhurst delivered the best comic performance with an array of scathing put downs, while rival judge Hugh Dripp, played George Rexstrew, commanded the stage with great presence and energy.

Overall the singing was good, but at its best in the choral numbers. One can’t be too critical of sound levels of a student production in the Fringe space – the soloists did as best they could and with a full band and microphones I am sure they would have dazzled. This was most evident in gospel number Bake Your Way to Heaven, where I was longing for Imogen Coutts’s vocals to soar above the rousing backing singers. Alas, a commendable effort.

The choreography was perhaps more impressive, with a great range of routines for the varied musical numbers, all delivered deftly and with great energy. My favourite was the tango to the cleverly named “The Original Bakewell Tart”, which was performed with great finesse.

At an hour and 10 minutes this show is a decent length, although I feel that one or two of the characters could have been sacrificed to allow us to get to know the others better and build up more tension between them. There was a lovely moment towards the end between Freddie Twist (Charlie Keable) and Susie Sunflower (Ros Bell), who formed a very believable romance throughout the competition, and more layers like this would help turn this show from being good into really great.

nae bad_blue

Star (blue)Star (blue)Star (blue)

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Reviewer: Steve Griffin (Seen 16 August)

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THIS REVIEW HAS NOT BEEN SUBEDITED

RENT (Greenside @ Nicolson Square, 7- 30 Aug : 22.00 : 2hr 30 mins)

Posted in 3*, EdFestivals 2015, Greenside, Musical Theatre, Rated: Nae Bad by

“A masterclass in simplicity and stunning individual performances”

Editorial Rating: 3 Stars: Nae Bad

RENT is one of my absolute favourite musicals, and I was very excited to see a full length version of it at the year’s Fringe. I’ve seen it many times in many guises, and this one offered a fresh approach, performed on a thrust stage for a more immersive experience. In some ways this interpretation packed real musical theatre punch, but unfortunately it fell flat in others.

In many ways this was a production of two halves. The first half, on the whole, was somewhat mediocre, with a few missed notes, some questionable staging (particularly in the support group scenes) and some rather “wooden” performances – Today 4 U in particular seemed a bit awkward and forced. Yet something completely flipped in the second half, and apart from the death scene that really should have been cut, it was a masterclass in both simplicity and stunning individual performances.

What I felt often held the show back was a real sense of grit and connection with the material – the opening number about the horrors of being made homeless seemed to be more mildly annoying to the actors rather than traumatic; while some of the dancing seemed clumsy and could have been sacrificed in favour of a simpler, stripped back approach. Perhaps I’m being harsh, but given how spectacular the second half was in comparison to the first, it’s clear that this company does have the ability to dazzle.

I must highlight this performance’s real triumphs. La Vie Boheme/I Should Tell you was a very powerful ensemble number and arrangement, with a genuine sense of life and passion that had been missing up until that point. In the second half, the duet Take Me or Leave Me was both incredibly staged and incredibly sung with intense grit and emotion, while the funeral scene was the stand out moment of the show. Performed with heart-wrenching rawness, it is one of the best versions of this section of the show that I have ever seen.

Rob Young as Collins was stunning throughout, with a smooth and souly voice, layered with emotion and depth. Hannah Simpson as Maureen was also very impressive, with an original take on the “drama queen”, making her cheeky and very likeable, while also delivering with a stunning vocal performance. Special mention should also go to Stephanie Marie Napier as Mimi, who struggled slightly on the higher notes in Take Me Out, but delivered all of her other songs with real gusto.

Overall, this is a very commendable effort from New Horizons Theatre Company, with some very exciting stand out moments. I hope to see them back at the Fringe next year with an even more impressive production.

nae bad_blue

Star (blue)Star (blue)Star (blue)

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Reviewer: Steve Griffin (Seen 14 August)

THIS REVIEW HAS NOT BEEN SUBEDITED

Ushers: The Front of House Musical (Momentum Venues @ St Stephens: 5 – 30 Aug. 21.30: 1hr 20mins)

Posted in 3*, EdFestivals 2015, Musical Theatre by

“Performed with real gusto and joy”

Editorial Rating: 3 Stars

I find it very hard to review this show as I had quite high expectations in going in to see it. And while in some ways it was truly fantastic, in other areas it unfortunately missed the mark, however much I willed it to wow me.

For the most part, and especially in all the group songs, Ushers is performed with real gusto and joy. The opening number is slick, energetic and sets exactly the tone one would expect from an off West End hit. The smiles and precise choreography indicate a company that’s well rehearsed and clearly love what they’re doing.

Rory Maguire as Ben impressed me the most vocally, with a deliciously sweet high register for the power notes. Ben Fenner as Gary came across as the most real, displaying great emotional depth, while Alexandra Parkes was infectiously hilarious as Rosie.

Essentially Ushers has everything you could want in a musical: big chorus dance numbers, full of pizazz; emotional ballads; a complex, multi-layered six part showpiece song midway through; a love story; bags of humour and a dash of homoeroticism. For the musical theatre geeks amongst us there were several other small treats, in the form of creative references to other well-known shows. From the casual name drop, to that riff from the end of Defying Gravity there was plenty to smile about. Yet while a lot of the constituent parts were there, it seemed to be everything holding it together let the show down somewhat.

This may be partly due to the stage being so vast that the more intimate scenes got somewhat lost in it. Also, while the writing had a fairly decent plot (packed with laughs), some of the individual storylines were quite difficult to believe, so even though the cast acting were their hearts out, it occasionally came across as somewhat disingenuous. I lost count of how many times a character left the stage to “count programmes”, while the Theatre Manager was so outrageous it formed too much of a dischord with the rest of the action.

Unfortunately the performance I saw was blighted with a few technical failures in the sound department, but to give the actors their credit they ploughed on regardless and by the end of the show all was forgotten. Indeed the cast’s overall demeanour – from the way they ushered us to our seats when the house was open, to selling their own merchandise, and everything in between – was slick, professional and vivacious.

Overall I think the company did the best they could with what they had to work with, and anyone who loves their musical theatre or has ever worked as an Usher will really enjoy this show.

Star (blue)Star (blue)Star (blue)

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Reviewer: Steve Griffin (Seen 10 August)

THIS REVIEW HAS NOT BEEN SUBEDITED

Doris, Dolly and the Dressing Room Divas (Assembly Hall: 6 – 30 Aug. 18.15 : 1hr 15 mins)

Posted in 5*, Assembly Hall, EdFestivals 2015, Rated: Outstanding, Theatre by

“This is the show I have been waiting for to blow me away. Wow, wow, WOW!”

Editorial Rating: 5 Stars: Outstanding

I’m sure I’ve heard it somewhere that while 13 is unlucky, 14 is incredibly lucky. And with this being my 14th review of this year’s Fringe I feel like I’ve stolen absolutely everyone’s luck and struck gold.

The queues outside and the desperate scramble for seats inside Assembly’s packed Rainy Hall should have been enough to convey that Doris and her friends are already becoming the runaway hit of this year’s Fringe.

The idea is fairly simple – a dramatic and musical retelling of what the “stars” are like backstage, based on the experiences of their dressing rooms assistants. The dialogue is well written and delivered with great vitality by the three actors, while the harmonies in the group numbers are just exquisite. The plot is basic, but I don’t think anybody came for that.

For me, Gail Watson is absolutely the star of this show. To be able to pull off one impression with such style is hard enough, but she embodied Doris Day, Dolly Parton, and a wonderfully bitchy Julie Andrews. I honestly couldn’t tell you which was my favourite, but when Dolly sang I Will Always Love You at the end of the show I genuinely thought I was watching the real deal – it was superb. Watson is charismatic, emotive and a simply stunning singer, and I predict a very exciting future for her.

Perhaps the most surprisingly impressive turn of the night was Frances Thorburn as Joel Grey, as he appeared in Cabaret. Her (his) mannerisms were impeccably refined and she more than capably held her own in the duet, Money Makes the World Go Around. Her performance of Somewhere Over The Rainbow was also mesmerising, capturing every nuance of the original.

We’ve all seen the divas’ on-screen and on-stage personas. This show delivered the rip-roaring numbers, tantrums and idiosyncrasies that we all love, but also very moving glimpses into their backstage lives, their families and insecurities. In what managed to be a fantastically glitzy, giggly and gritty affair, this is, without doubt, the show I have been waiting for to blow me away. Wow, wow, WOW!

I’m notoriously tight-fisted when it comes to my five stars, but I have no choice than to throw them all at this spectacular performance.

outstanding

StarStarStarStarStar

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Reviewer: Steve Griffin  (Seen 10 August)

THIS REVIEW HAS NOT BEEN SUBEDITED

Nailed It! (Assembly Roxy, 7-11, 14-17 Aug : 20.15 : 1hr)

Posted in 4*, Assembly Roxy, Cabaret, EdFestivals 2015, Rated: Outstanding by

“They did indeed “nail it””

Editorial Rating: 4 Stars: Outstanding

To describe Nailed It! makes it sound quite basic: two guys; one singer; one pianist; a collection of gloriously lyrical tunes; and fabulous sparkly jacket. But for Fringe debut act Mackenzie-Spencer and Strano this was a masterclass in getting all the basics of cabaret spot in. They did indeed “nail it”.

Andrew Strano’s voice is uncompromisingly musical theatre, and the songs composed with partner in crime Loclan Mackenzie-Spencer more than complement his personality and style. While not a particularly unique voice, he has a fantastic range and used his instrument to bring a full spectrum of emotion and empathy to each number.

With comical tunes covering topics such as the “birds and bees” and having intimate relations with one’s twin sister(!), to a beautiful touching number about relationships, the pair’s songwriting talent is simply wonderful. Nailed It! is comprised exclusively of original songs, all of which could have featured in the latest off-Broadway hit musical.

What makes this show really special though, is the perfect blend of professionalism and fragility on display. It is clearly solid and well rehearsed musically, but with the anecdotes in between Strano showed a real vulnerability and honesty in his imperfections, which made him incredibly likeable.

Special mention should also go to Mackenzie-Spencer’s seemingly virtuosic keyboard playing, deftly belting out complex melodies, all the while making it seem inhumanly simple. His quieter persona delightfully balanced Strano’s more extroverted stage presence and they were clearly very at ease with each other.

One worry many of us face when attending cabaret shows is around audience interaction. Are they going to pick on me? Fortunately Strano makes the audience feel so comfortable that those fears are almost immediately allayed. Questions are asked of the audience in general, and both performers dealt well with the random responses they received (there’s always one…) and seamlessly wove them into the next song as if it were all planned without seeming overly choreographed.

If I had one criticism, and this is very much down to personal preference, it is that theatrically I would have liked to have seen a few more risks taken. While the songs covered some fairly close-to-the-line topics, what was missing to make this show really unforgettable was something a bit out of the box, a real wow factor. However, next year, when these guys come back (which they absolutely must), it will be with a sure-fire five star show.

 

outstanding

StarStarStarStar

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Reviewer: Steve Griffin  (Seen 7 August)

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THIS REVIEW HAS NOT BEEN SUBEDITED