EAST IS EAST - THEATRE REVIEW

EAST IS EAST AT THE NEW ALEXANDRA THEATRE, BIRMINGHAM

Theatre Run: Tuesday 13 - Saturday 17 January 2015
Performance Reviewed: Wednesday 14 January (Press Night)

Reviewed by Kyle Pedley

At the risk of going there, it’s something of a charged time to be experiencing a show like East is East, given the recent political and social bubbling over the Charlie Hebdo shootings in Paris. As every Tom, Dick and armchair Harry attempts to define and dictate what Islam is and Muslims are, the answer, it seems, lies in a show set in a British Muslim household in the early 1970’s, based on a 1990’s film of the same name. It’s startling, and in a strange way quite refreshing, seeing how timeless and cyclical some of the central issues and themes are.

Mercifully, East is East remains confidently self-contained, and whilst granted there are the odd throwaway inferences of a ‘them versus us’ mentality to the wider British population, generally this is a show predominantly centred on a Muslim, Pakistani family dealing with a slew of issues and problems both religious and familial within and of itself. It’s infinitely more focused and compelling as a result, as proud, principled business owner George Khan (Ayub Khan Din, writer of both the play and the film) struggles to accept the changing times, personified in his six spirited, wilful and frequently disobedient children. Regimented, stubborn and fiercely proud, Khan is a skilfully written and masterfully played character - at times an aggressive, blindly ignorant borderline-tyrant, at others a whimsical, charming family man evidently trying to do best by both his family and religion in the way he has been raised and taught to do so. Neither extremity is painted as absolute, and in many ways Khan’s plight is the shows most compelling and touching thread, especially in this production. As he sits transfixed in front of his TV following the ensuing Indian-Pakistan civil war crises, a reporter cites ‘Pakistan will never be the same again’, and the analogy couldn’t be clearer. It’s the Pakistan of Khan’s home, head and heart that are just as much under attack, by the modernity and will of his own children, as any affairs on foreign soils.

CINDERELLA - THEATRE REVIEW

CINDERELLA AT THE WOLVERHAMPTON GRAND THEATRE

Performance Run: Saturday 6 December 2014 - Sunday 18 January 2015
Performance Reviewed: Tuesday 9 December 2014 (Press Night)

Reviewed by Kyle Pedley

I will not be resorting to any cheap panto puns to open my review this year…

If you didn’t just mentally (or verbally!) shout ‘Oh yes you will’ then you may not be quite ready for panto season, but ready or not (here I come…), it is upon us, and the perfect remedy for that particular ill would be a timely visit to the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre’s Cinderella. Headlined by the master of innuendo and dry asides, Julian Clary, and featuring the signature glitz and spectacle that QDOS Pantomimes throw at all of their major productions, this festive staple is everything you’d expect and want from your Christmas/New Year pantomime, with all the trimmings and even a couple of very welcome surprises along the way. 

THE FULL MONTY - THEATRE REVIEW

THE FULL MONTY AT THE WOLVERHAMPTON GRAND THEATRE

Theatre Run: Monday 24 - Saturday 29 November 2014
Performance Reviewed: Monday 24 November (Press Night)

Reviewed by Kyle Pedley

Yes, you do.

Everything.

Well, that obligatory bit of housekeeping should placate the riff raff and nosey parkers, and leaves me with something approaching an intellectual and insightful review to write…. here goes nothing!

In truth, as was the case with Peter Cattaneo and Simon Beaufoy’s wildly successful 1997 Brit film on which this show is based, The Full Monty has a great deal more going for it than just the curiosity of it’s titular (titilating?) USP. Crowds will no doubt flock to the show for much the same reason as it’s in-universe audience mob the likes of the ‘Chippendales’ and likewise, and indeed on stage Monty has the added benefit of being able to do some particularly fitting fourth wall breaking and lay down the post-modern throughout. But behind the hen party hysterics and art-imitating-life cheekiness, the same fundamentally relatable and engaging, not to mention oft hilarious, script and storytelling is what really leaves an impression long after the memory of bum cheeks and beyond have faded.

JANE MCDONALD - THEATRE INTERVIEW

PANTOMIME INTERVIEWS 2014:
Jane McDonald - Jack and the Beanstalk (Birmingham Hippodrome)

Last week, we brought you a review of Loose Woman, Singer-Songwriter and all-round National Treasure Jane McDonald's latest UK Tour, Singer of Your Song, citing it as 'classy', 'tour-de-force' and 'supremely impressive'. This week, in the second part of our Jane triple-dip, Kyle caught up with her at the Birmingham Hippodrome to discuss her upcoming panto debut in Jack and the Beanstalk, the inspiration behind her first album in six years, and how it feels to be in greater demand than ever 16 years after first rising to success.

By Kyle Pedley.

Interview conducted Friday 12 September 2014.

Jane as she will appear as 'The Enchantress'
in Jack and the Beanstalk

Jane, thank you so much for your time...

My Pleasure!

Now, you seem to be busier than ever at the moment, between your new album, touring with sold out live shows, and now the Panto. How are you finding it all?

Well to be quite honest I’m a bit shocked I’m that busy, because I’ve been doing this for quite some time now and I keep thinking it’s going to slow down, and every time I come out of something, I think ‘Right, I can put my feet up a little bit more now’, but actually the time just gets filled with something else. 

CATS - THEATRE REVIEW

CATS AT THE BIRMINGHAM HIPPODROME

Theatre Run: Tuesday 09 - Saturday 27 September 2014

Performance Reviewed: Wednesday 10 September (Press Night)

Reviewed by Kyle Pedley

'Memory' seems to be a very potent ingredient in the tastes and penchants of current theatre-going audiences. As noted in my review of London's highly successful and celebrated Miss Saigon revival last month, there is clearly a demand and yearning for the familiar both in the West End and beyond, as nostalgia and the proven seem to be edging out the original and unknown. By no means is this particularly unusual or new, we live in a creative climate where the industries' Olivier awards have an entire category dedicated to revivals in recognition of their number and popularity, but it does seem to have hit something of a boiling point in recent years. Fortunately, for all of the pedestrian, perfunctory cash-cow productions being rolled out to ride this particular wave of demand, it also is the perfect environment to witness the return of some true musical greats, amongst which Andrew Lloyd-Webber's cherished and prolific Cats undoubtedly deserves to be classed.

WICKED - THEATRE REVIEW

WICKED AT THE BIRMINGHAM HIPPODROME

Theatre Run: Wednesday 09 July - Saturday 06 September 2014

Performance Reviewed: Thursday 10 July (Press Night)

Reviewed by Kyle Pedley

Wicked will cast it's spell upon you... Wicked is wicked-ly good... Spellbinding!

With that obligatory bit of housekeeping out of the way, it's almost difficult to comprehend what to say about musical colossus Wicked that hasn't already been said countless times over. One of the most celebrated and successful musicals of the 21st Century, it is an internationally renowned mega-hit whose adoration (and ticket sales) show no sign of dwindling any time soon. Winnie Holzman's adapted tale that takes a canted look at the witches of Oz (taken from Gregory Maguire's more morbid book of the same name) combined with Stephen Schwartz's already-iconic music has leapt into our collective cultural consciousness and tapped into a generational zeitgeist in a way that most other musicals could only dream of.  And now, as the show takes off on its first ever UK and Ireland tour, the fervour and excitement in Birmingham and the surrounding area for the show's arrival at the city's Hippodrome theatre has been at fever pitch, showing that these witches are as 'popular' as ever and just as adept at defying expectations as they are gravity.

THEATRE INTERVIEW - Liam Doyle (Wicked)

WICKED INTERVIEWS:
Part Two - Liam Doyle (Fiyero)

Wicked flies in to the Birmingham Hippodrome this week as part of it's first ever UK and Ireland tour, and as part of our WICKED WEEK celebrations, we've brought you interviews with two of the show's leads.

Last week, Kyle chatted with leading lady Nikki-Davis Jones, who plays Elphaba on the tour, and this week we conclude our interviews by chatting to Midlands native Liam Doyle, who plays Fiyero in the show. We discuss his unusual path into performing professionally, returning to the Midlands with Wicked, and landing his dream role...

By Kyle Pedley.
Interview Conducted Thursday 24th April 2014.

Liam Doyle as Fiyero in Wicked

“I’m worried that I’m 23 and doing the part that I always wanted to do... it’s just downhill from here!”

Actor Liam Doyle is humbly, and jokily, assessing exactly what it means to him to have bagged his self-confessed dream role at such a relatively young age. The Coventry-born performer is of course speaking of Fiyero, the dashing, debonair leading man of musical colossus Wicked, which continues it’s first ever UK tour this week as it opens for a summer tenure at the Birmingham Hippodrome.

“It’s amazing. It is the part that I always wanted to play, it’s a part that I always kind of identified with.”

SHOW BOAT - THEATRE REVIEW

SHOW BOAT AT THE BIRMINGHAM HIPPODROME

Theatre Run: Wednesday 02 - Saturday 05 July 2014

Performance Reviewed: Wednesday 02 July (Press Night)

Reviewed by Kyle Pedley

Birmingham certainly seems to be getting into the 4th July spirit this year, serving up a double dose of all-American Classic Musical goodness as Cape Town Opera’s Show Boat rolls into town for the week at the Hippodrome, following Annie Get Your Gun which kicked off it’s run at the New Alex yesterday evening (and garnered a 3 star review from us). But whereas Annie Get Your Gun seemed to be a strangely muted and subdued affair that didn’t live up to it’s glimmers of potential and pedigree, Show Boat is undoubtedly the real deal; a big, grand, hugely impressive slice of classic musical theatre writ large and executed with scope and grandeur that nevertheless displays extraordinary attention to detail.

THIS MAY HURT A BIT - THEATRE REVIEW

THIS MAY HURT A BIT AT ST JAMES THEATRE, VICTORIA

Theatre Run: Wednesday 14 May - Saturday 21 June 2014
Performance Reviewed: Thursday 05 June 2014 (Matinee)

Reviewed by Kyle Pedley

Going into Stella Feehily’s satirical take on the NHS, This May Hurt A Bit, one would be forgiven for expecting an onslaught of left-wing sentimentality or political bulldozing. The shows marketing and poster colourfully depicts a caricatured David Cameron skulking into the labyrinthine ward of a sickly woman like some nightmarish imp and the programme itself begins with an impassioned plea by Jacky Davis of ‘Keep Our NHS Public’ to rally against the devilry and smoke-and-mirrors of the coalition's treatment of the National Health Service.

THE FAAABULOUS CERI DUPREE SHOW - THEATRE REVIEW

THE FAAABULOUS CERI DUPREE SHOW AT THE WOLVERHAMPTON GRAND THEATRE

Theatre Run: Sunday 06 April 2014
Performance Reviewed: Sunday 06 April 2014

Reviewed by Kyle Pedley

Having recently starred as pantomime dame Queen Passionella in their 2013/14 pantomime ‘Sleeping Beauty’, after making a side-splitting, headlining appearance at that shows launch party back in November of last year, the Wolverhampton Grand has been getting a fairly healthy helping of female impersonator extraordinare Ceri Dupree of late (or ‘international gender illusionist’ as he brilliant re-titles himself in a tightly-observed skit on political correctness). This week saw his return to the Grand in the form of his aptly-titled ‘Faaaabulous’ one man, twenty-one woman solo show, littered with a splendid myriad of impersonations and performances ranging all the way from iconic Hollywood divas of old such as Marlene Dietrich and Eartha Kitt, to musical stars such as the likes of Dame Shirley Bassey and the late Amy Winehouse, through to even the likes of supremely shoulder-padded multi-millionairess Hilary Devey of Dragon’s Den fame.

WOLVERHAMPTON GRAND AND FRIENDS GET 'BRASSED OFF' WITH BOSTIN' BLACK COUNTRY LAUNCH EVENT!

WOLVERHAMPTON GRAND AND FRIENDS GET ‘BRASSED OFF’ WITH A BOSTIN’ BLACK COUNTRY LAUNCH EVENT!

Wolverhampton’s premiere Theatre establishment is accompanied by show cast and creatives as they launch the Touring Consortium Theatre Company’s latest production at the West Midlands distinctive Black Country Living Museum.

Staff Director Richard Neale discusses 'Brassed Off'
with actors Luke Adamson and Andrew Dunn,
joining the Jackfield Band on stage.

A live brass band, complimentary trips down a reconstructed colliery mine, a question and answer session with some of the company’s cast and directors and a traditional fish ‘n’ chips lunch were the order of the day on Monday as the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre assembled press, patrons and affiliates to help launch the city’s leg of the ‘Brassed Off’ UK Tour, the Touring Consortium Theatre Company’s latest production, based on the 1996 film of the same name starring Pete Postlethwaite and Ewan Mcgregor, prior to it’s week-long engagement at the theatre this April. 

BLACK COFFEE - THEATRE REVIEW

BLACK COFFEE AT THE WOLVERHAMPTON GRAND THEATRE

Theatre Run: Monday 3 - Saturday 8 February 2014
Performance Reviewed: Monday 3 February 2014 (Press Night)

Reviewed by Kyle Pedley

Black Coffee serves as a most welcome blending of the familiar with the fresh; the archetypal components of any Agatha Christie murder mystery of this ilk - the isolated country estate, an ensemble of questionable types amongst the well-to-do, more red herrings than you can twizzle a preened moustache at - are all present and accounted for, and yet in being the only stage work of Christie’s to feature her now seminal Belgian super sleuth Hercule Poirot, it feels a somewhat more distinct and special affair. Newcomer to the role yet established veteran of stage and screen Robert Powell channels David Suchet’s oft-imitated yet never bettered work in the role complimented with a charm and presence of his own, finding in both the character and play as a whole just enough bonhomie and bounce to keep the whole proceeding suitably entertaining and amusing without undermining the grizzly business of unravelling a typically obscure yet progressively accessible Christie plot of murder most foul.

EVITA - THEATRE REVIEW

EVITA AT THE WOLVERHAMPTON GRAND THEATRE

Theatre Run: Monday 19 - Saturday 31 August
Performance Reviewed: Tuesday 20 August (Press Night)

Reviewed by Kyle Pedley

Once again the theatrical juggernaut of Andrew Lloyd Webber comes to the Midlands as his musical biopic of Argentinian First Lady Eva Peron arrives in Wolverhampton in the form of the ever popular Evita. One of Lloyd Webber’s most prolific and celebrated shows and part of his select early trifecta of collaborations with lyricist Tim Rice, this latest UK tour, courtesy of the illustrious Bill Kenwright and company, is a bold, sweeping and ambitious treat that boasts tremendous staging and production design, a wealth of now ubiquitous and beloved musical numbers, and a truly astonishing central performance which all culminate in one of the most opulent, impressive and majestic touring productions of recent memory.

THE LION KING - THEATRE REVIEW

THE LION KING AT THE BIRMINGHAM HIPPODROME

Theatre Run: Friday 28 June - Saturday 28 September 2013

Performance Reviewed: Friday 28 June (Opening Night)

Reviewed by Kyle Pedley

Film to stage adaptations can be quite the challenge to get right. It may seem an obvious point that theatre and cinema are two wildly different mediums and creative forms, but it’s often overlooked in the hopes that merely replicating the images that we watched on-screen onto the stage will rekindle the same emotions, impact and fire in an audience. The opposite is a far easier and more liberating experience - the scope and breadth of film, the luxury of the edit and the canvas of cinematography can often open up a previously stage-bound tale to new sights and heights, yet so often film-to-theatre is a much bumpier process. Slavishly loyal adaptations fail to explore and utilise the unique strengths and opportunities of the medium or, sometimes worse, do so in horribly egregious and detrimental ways (see the recent Broadway failure of The Little Mermaid, another Disney offering). 

NOISES OFF - THEATRE REVIEW

NOISES OFF AT THE NEW ALEXANDRA THEATRE, BIRMINGHAM

Theatre Run: Monday 24 - Saturday 29 June 2013
Performance Reviewed: Monday 24 June (Press Night)

Reviewed by Kyle Pedley

It’s a truth that often escapes audiences yet is almost universally acknowledged by actors/directors and other theatre talent alike that comedy, and in particular comedy of the slapstick, physical and farcical variety, is one of the most difficult and disciplined of theatre forms to pull off convincingly and satisfyingly. Too broad and the lampooning leads to audience disconnect, too specific or regimented and it feels stilted, insincere and, well, staged. To marry the natural buoyancy and vim of comedy with the precision and practice of physical slapstick and farce in particular is so tricky a balancing act that rarely does it work as successfully in theatre as it would in other mediums such as film or television, which allow themselves the luxury and safety net of cutaways, close-ups and the edit to mask the joins. When and where it does work, however, results in the kind of energised, barnstorming frenzy of farcical funny and theatrical hijinks that is Noises Off.

THE MOUSETRAP - THEATRE REVIEW

THE MOUSETRAP AT THE WOLVERHAMPTON GRAND THEATRE

Theatre Run: Monday 27 May - Saturday 1 June 2013

Performance Reviewed: Tuesday 28 May

Reviewed by Kyle Pedley

As one of her most prolific and familiar works, The Mousetrap is quintessential Agatha Christie fare and for those few who are not already familiar with the production or its story, they should nonetheless have a good idea of what to expect going in. A group of assorted strangers stranded in a stately guest home, each bringing their own particular brand of suspicion and secrets to the fray, links to a tragedy of yesteryear and a much more recent strangling nearby, enough red herrings and twists to keep Marple or Poirot on their feet, it remains in many ways the archetypal and definitive murder mystery experience, and yet one that has defied the odds (Christie herself initially predicted the show would only last 8 months) and evolved into something of a curious, almost inexplicable paradox and enigma in and of itself - a murder mystery play with a single outcome that has nonetheless gone on to become the longest running show of any kind anywhere in the world. Ever. And now, as a further testimony to its longevity and success it is being celebrated with this diamond anniversary production, which itself is quite surprisingly the first time the show has toured the UK.

MIDNIGHT TANGO - THEATRE REVIEW

MIDNIGHT TANGO AT THE NEW ALEXANDRA THEATRE, BIRMINGHAM

Theatre Run: Tuesday 7 - Saturday 11 May 2013
Performance Reviewed: Tuesday 7 May (Press Night)

Reviewed by Kyle Pedley

Whilst it may be loathed by dance aficionados and purists (though is there anything self-proclaimed ‘purists’ don’t loathe?), there’s no denying the impact Strictly Come Dancing has had in once again returning ballroom dancing and its ilk back onto the collective consciousness. The latest ripple of this cultural proliferation comes in the form of the rather brilliant Midnight Tango, a wonderfully confident and focused piece of dance theatre which shares more in common with the likes of silent cinema of the early 20th Century than it does the conventional musicals and dramas currently doing the rounds on the boards. It’s a deliciously vivid and distinctive piece, a wonderful night’s entertainment even for those such as myself who are not ardent dance enthusiasts or viewers of the show, and a real celebration of the technique, artistry and versatility of dance as a means to tell a story, convey character and evoke mood. And, of course, the Strictly ties are more than present, headlined as it is by the ever popular Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace, runner-up and winner of last years series of the show respectively, who more than demonstrate the merit behind their popularity.

BLOOD BROTHERS - THEATRE REVIEW

BLOOD BROTHERS AT THE WOLVERHAMPTON GRAND THEATRE

Theatre Run: Monday 29 April - Saturday 4 May 2013

Performanced Reviewed: Monday 29 April (Press Night)

Reviewed by Kyle Pedley

Despite perhaps not being as instantly synonymous as the likes of say Mamma Mia!, Les Miserables or much of Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s output, Blood Brothers is undoubtedly one of the big musical success stories of the past few decades both here and overseas, becoming the third longest-running musical production in West End history during it’s London run before embarking on a string of highly successful tours such as the one which this weeks arrives at the Wolverhampton Grand. Based very loosely on the ideas and themes of the Alexandre Dumas novella The Corsican Brothers but transposed to a distinctly English (see: Merseyside) setting and tale, Blood Brothers is a hearty, and indeed weighty, musical experience which brilliantly manages to be both somewhat epic yet also focused and intimate. It brushes upon melodrama, frequently plays with heightened foreboding and artistic ambiguity (in the form of a not altogether-detached narrator), dips into a broad spectrum of ideas and issues both social and psychological, and yet for all of this remains accessible, sincere and for the most part at least, a surprisingly jovial, good-natured and well-paced piece that feels it’s almost three hour running time for all the right reasons. This is heavy, investing yet undeniably entertaining musical theatre that seems to have come via the Les Miserables school of emotional hard knocks, taking you on the tour de force of highs and lows on a grand yet decidedly human yarn populated by believable characters and all-too familiar problems writ large. 

GOLDEN (A) AWARDS 2013 - THEATRE

Last week we announced the winners of our Golden (A) awards in Film and Television, with acclaimed independent critical darling Beasts of the Southern Wild taking home Best Film and CIA thriller Homeland being selected as Best Television Series.

We now turn our attention the very finest in theatre, taking into consideration the wealth of theatre productions both West End-based and touring in 2012. Any performances seen in early 2013 (for instance Book of Mormon, Priscilla: Queen of the Desert the Musical, Cats and The Rocky Horror Show) will all be in contention for next years awards and were too late to be considered for this years awards (2012 performances only!).

CATS - THEATRE REVIEW

CATS AT THE WOLVERHAMPTON GRAND THEATRE

Theatre Run: Tuesday 19 - Saturday 30 March 2013
Performance Reviewed: Tuesday 26 March

Reviewed by Kyle Pedley

For 21 years, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats graced the West End with its inimitable feline presence, setting a record at the time for longest-running production in the process. It bowed out with its final performance, on it’s 21st birthday to a sold-out house and broadcast live in Covent Garden, back in May 2002. However, 2013 sees the show, one of Lloyd Webber’s most enduring and prolific, return for a triumphant UK tour which until March 30th will see it housed at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre.