Reviews

Review author - Elaine Burns

The familiar opening music of Strictly Come Dancing has been resounding through the theatre this week as the participants in Play in a Week have been rehearsing their Shakespearean version. It opened with a married couple settling in front of the TV to watch, (David Hatton and Patsy O’Brien) with the husband repeatedly asking to watch the football instead. Then the whole cast appeared in Elizabethan costume doing the jive.

The four judges were gloriously over the top and very funny. Jamie Bensted as Len Goodman danced a few steps and made sure he gave someone ‘seven!’..Oliver Forsyth as Craig Revel-Horwood, was spot on with his tone of voice ‘a-ma-zing’. Naomi Brown as Darcy Bussell looked the part and was elegantly emotional at every opportunity. Andrew Marber dressed as a jester and going way over the top was born to play Bruno, leaping out of his seat and loving everything especially the fairies. Daniel Galliford as Brucie used all his catchphrases in a suitably creepy manner; everyone was his favourite.

The judges table

The script by Rachel Barnett was very clever at merging Shakespeare with ‘Strictly’, my favourite was when Henry V’s insults to Falstaff were taken personally by Craig. The TV show is ripe for being sent up and it certainly was, with the audience joining in by chanting all the catchphrases.

Romeo and Juliet (Yves Roudaut and Zena Rose)

Memorable couples included Romeo and Juliet (Yves Roudaut and Zena Rose) slowly dancing to ‘Kissing You’ from Baz Luhrmnn’s film, beautifully sung by Luke Tye. As the dance ended they died, of course along with all the other couples.

Richard Watson as Henry V danced solo to Mars from the Planet Suite while on video the cast spoke a line each from Henry’s Agincourt speech.

The Mechanicals from Midsummer Night’s Dream plus some very badly behaved fairies, partly on film for the special effects, were hilarious. The dance routine had it all, a wall, the lovers, a distraught Thisbe, a roaring lion and an ass. Mathew James sang a spirited version of ‘where the bee sucks’ as accompaniment.

Shakespeare himself (Giles Walker) and his Dark Lady danced while Luke Tye sang Rufus Wainwright’s ‘Sonnet 29’. A very difficult song but handled well by Luke. Meanwhile Annie Brennand Roper was a feisty and stroppy Dark Lady.

A final very moving moment came when Puck’s speech ‘if we shadows hath offended’ was presented with great intensity as single lines on a flip chart. The audience were asked to hold up their tea lights while the glitter ball was lit to send light spinning around the auditorium. Magical.

Congratulations to everyone from the director Brandon to the ladies making tea. There was so much in this show that I haven’t been able to mention everything or even every person on the stage. What came across so strongly was the sheer joy and energy of everyone involved in any way.

Elaine

Click to see a video of the rehearsal!

NODA representative, Jon Fox, reviews the recent production of the 1950’s musical “The Pajama Game” by The Nomads in association with Bookham Light Operatic Society, at The Nomad Theatre in Surrey (find us).

Bookham Light Operatic Society - “The Pajama Game” - 12th May 2016 by Jon Fox

This tuneful and popular musical premiered on Broadway in 1954 and is a regular on the amateur circuit. Set in a Pajama factory in the American Mid-West, the central plot is of the new factory superintendent Sid Sorokin falling out with the grievance committee leader Babe Williams over a pay increase demand whilst simultaneously falling in love with each other.

A mid-west American accent (or any American accent) is not easy for most British people and, in this production we had good and average among the various players. A very strong principal cast backed by a highly enthusiastic and energetic chorus made for a very high performance standard.

Vernon Hines inspects the workshop at the Sleep Tite pajama factory

The show opened with a most impressive factory scene with a row of real sewing machines being used, together with several ironing boards. The company were all busily going about their business, be it sewing, ironing, portering, supervising etc. A round of applause from the audience! In a show where time and motion study was a recurring theme, not even Vernon Hines the T&M study man could have criticised the pace of events as the story unfolded.

The two leading players were Helen Dixon as Babe Williams and Michael Ayres as Sid Sorokin. The love interest scenes were played with convincing chemistry and both played these forceful characters with passion, bringing stage presence and good singing - none better than the duet “There once was a Man”.

Simon Openshaw was a comical Vernon Hines. Though the butt of humour especially when told to remove his “pants” (trousers) in order to dress in pajamas, he played this jealous character with great truth and retained a likeability. Simon gave a most impressive performance, his two songs being put over really well. His duet “I’ll never be jealous again” with Mabel - played with vivacity by Dreen Legg was a show high spot’.

David Foord-Divers gave us a bombastic Old Man Hasler the pajama factory owner conspiring to cheat the workers out of their pay rise demand. He glowered and raged to good effect and was highly charismatic. Sophie Johnstone also shone with fine singing and strong acting as Gladys Hotchkiss (Mr Hasler’s Secretary)

Dreen Legg was Mabel - Sid’s secretary - and gave a very fine performance. Chris Poplett as Prez was a handsome, womanising union man and gave a very watchable performance despite being landed with the show’s least melodic song in “Her is”. To his great credit, he performed it skilfully, firstly with Gladys and then the reprise with Mae, played by Tracey Gillard, a grievance committee activist who clearly enjoyed herself in the role - as did I watching.

Once A Year Day - The Pajama Game, May 2016

Laura Thomson was a flirty and larger than life Poopsie, one of the factory workers, and really caught the eye, being clearly the best dancer on stage.

Nicole Perrier-Doe also did well as Brenda another grievance committee member. The shamming, work shy factory hand Gus “hurt” by Sid, who pushed him to get moving, was given a chip on the shoulder persona by Mark Leddin, who made much of this smaller role. Colin Barnard was a suitably angry salesman, Max, annoyed at the deliberately badly stitched pajamas.

Peter Hart made the amiable, stamp collecting, Pop (Babe’s father), really come to life. Clearly a highly experienced actor, he gave a polished performance of professional standard.

Among the ensemble were several names I have seen play lead and major roles in other productions and their well drilled acting, singing and dancing fully reflected this standard.

I’m Not At All In Love - The Pajama Game, May 2016

Musical Director James Marr achieved a good balance in the company singing and managed his three piece band with aplomb.

Choreographer Christina Harris, as top choreographers do had worked tirelessly with some innovative routines. I especially liked “Steam Heat” with the three elegant black suited and white gloved dancers, “Seven and a Half Cents”, the stonking “Hernando’s Hideaway” and “The Pajama Game” reprise in the Finale.

Andrew Hamel-Cooke, the experienced director, had his stamp all over this energetic, yet emotionally vulnerable show. The characters were all well cast and scenes ran seamlessly with clever use of lighting by Dee and Tony Bowdery and sound by Clive Vinall and Justin Cobb. Jenny Hasted’s costumes were spot on for the fifties era, as too were the hairstyles.

The “Once a Year Day” company outing with the extremely well enacted knife throwing act was a very special scene. In fact, a lady sitting next to Sue and myself would not believe the knives were not actually thrown!

This was a high energy show, but with well directed contrasts of emotion, pathos and all the characters, apart from the “Villain” Hasler retained a likeability. In my opinion this is an underrated show; catchy tunes abound, it has a strong story and much opportunity for dancing. BLOS made a wise choice to stage this show and did full justice to the show’s writers, and more importantly, to themselves.

Finale - The Pajama Game, May 2016

The Nomads are members of NODA, which has a membership of 2500 amateur theatre groups and 3000 individual enthusiasts throughout the UK, staging musicals, operas, plays, concerts and pantomimes in a wide variety of performing venues, ranging from the country’s leading professional theatres to tiny village halls.

Review author - Jon Fox, Noda

In true showbiz style Nomads brilliantly overcame, at least in performance, the dreadful blow of losing their inspirational and much loved director, Alan Wiseman, rather suddenly and barely a month before the performance. Jeff Wightwick, himself an experienced director stepped in under these awful circumstances and, as this review will reveal, both directors served up a special fare for the audience.

Aided by Elaine Burns, Alan’s partner, as production manager with a dedicated team backing them, Nomads did full justice to one of Coward’s most sparkling plays. Having, shamefully, seen this play only once before and that over 40 years ago, I was as excited as a child at Christmas upon arrival at this special and charming theatre.

The setting is the Bliss family’s country house at a summer weekend, where all four family members, separately, and unknown to the others, each invite a guest for the weekend. As the plot unravels each guest comes to regret accepting their own invitation and eventually conspire to escape, as discretely as they can, leaving the family on their own to comment “how very rude” some guests are.

Judith Bliss, a retired actress, is married to David, a novelist, and mother to two children Simon and Sorel. Judith is a peach of a role for an accomplished actress and Philippa Galloway gave this most theatrical of characters full reign to show her fine range of theatrical emotions. It was a classy performance, though somewhat marred by a number of prompts. However, to be fair, it was on the first night when I attended. I particularly liked her ludicrous over-reaction to her young admirer’s chaste kiss. Coward was a wonderful observer and chronicler of the foibles of others.

Nathan Farrell as that young admirer, besotted by Judith, endowed Sandy Tyrell with a deliciously stiff, oh so English, gaucheness. The bewilderment and passion behind the stiff facade though, came through beautifully.

As bickering sister and brother Sorel and Simon, Sarah Mullins and Daniel Shepherd were pure middle class delight. So right on and sophisticated! Each more so than the other, or so they think. This sibling relationship was as real as real could possibly be in the Bliss madhouse. Admirably acted!

Carol McGlone as Clara, a world weary housekeeper and former dresser to Judith gave a highly amusing cameo. Her half opening only of the front door and hurried disappearance to leave the befuddled guests, unwelcomed and left behind was a comic joy. This world weariness was an excellent foil to the theatricality of the family members.

Paul Asher, cast as David Bliss, the husband and father, seemed at first almost normal whilst deeply intent on finishing his latest novel. Bit by bit we became aware that he, too, was in his own way playing games and using his young guest, a most discomfitted young flapper, Jackie Coryton, played skilfully by Ellie Sayer with near hysteria upon being forced to play charades with the family and other guests. Both Paul and Ellie in their very different ways “suffered” wonderfully well and just when I thought Jackie was in distinct danger of being relatively normal, but happily, not so!

Moyra Brookes as the vampish older woman guest of Simon, Myra Arundel and caught kissing David by Judith, gave an assured performance of this marvellous character. She had some of the best lines and was well cast in this role, playing the vamp for all she was worth.

Richard Greatham, played by Graham Botterill was a diplomat invited by Sorel. Graham played the dumbfounded Richard who, upon kissing Judith, finds himself the victim of Judith’s acting game. I really felt sorry for poor old Richard, so cruelly used by the - shall we say unconventional - Judith.

There was a great deal to like in all the acting and though several cast members dried a time or two, the essential pace of the bizarre play and the truth of the characters shone through.

The set was a realistic portrayal of a comfortably furnished and well heeled family home belonging to theatrical folk. Coward’s marvellous words are of course a great advantage for any actor or actors worth their salt to speak. The cast took full advantage and made the play the great success it undoubtably was.

Jenny Hasted’s costumes were detailed, well fitted and most appropriate. Lighting by Tony and Dee Bowdery was handled with their usual skill.

Despite the unfortunate and difficult circumstances of Alan’s untimely passing, the company did him and Jeff proud. No wonder Nomads have such a good reputation in Mid-Surrey.

Jon Fox - Noda

The Nomads are members of NODA, which has a membership of 2500 amateur theatre groups and 3000 individual enthusiasts throughout the UK, staging musicals, operas, plays, concerts and pantomimes in a wide variety of performing venues, ranging from the country’s leading professional theatres to tiny village halls.

Review author - Ben

The writers of ‘Just So’, George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, have created a unique niche in British Theatre for a series of successful and entertaining musicals appealing to a mainly young cast and audiences with a string of successful award winning productions ’Honk’, ‘Mary Poppins’ , ‘Moll Flanders’ behind them. Lost For Words, an amateur Company established for only six years, have quickly established an excellent reputation (I was greatly impressed by their production of ‘Avenue Queue’ last year); once again, an enthusiastic audience was not disappointed. This adaption of Rudyard Kipling’s famous ‘Just So’ story of the Elephant Child and his ultimate triumph over the mischief creating Crab, Pau Amma, is a natural source for a kaleidoscopic presentation with a predominantly young cast of skilled and well trained performers. While few of the songs are ever likely to become classic ‘show tunes’, the piece provided many opportunities for the performers to display their acting, singing and dancing talents, the result providing a colourful, stimulating if not exactly enthralling panoply.

The cast of over 20, nearly all on the stage for most of the show, were quite superb either singing or dancing, solo or ensemble, with particular commendations to the experienced Tim Morley as the Eldest Magician, a true “Prospero”, master of all he surveyed, with special mention for the excellent voices of Hannah Simpson as the Kalokola Bird (complete with well manipulated puppet) and a newcomer to the Group, Adam Claydon in the pivotal role of the Elephant Child, and co-founder of the Group, Sean Lytle, with a cameo presentation as Parsee. Really, Lost for Words are brimming with talent. A special mention must be made of the impeccable, faultless band led by Harriet Oughton, well integrated choreography by Carla Fox and an ingenious collection of papier-mache props.

Director (and Co- Founder of ‘Lost for Words’), Katharine Williams, must be well satisfied with her production. If I have a criticism it was an excessive reliance on radio microphones which should not be needed in the compact but acoustically sound Nomad Theatre and some indistinct diction during spoken passages, not unnaturally when the Elephant Boy received his trunk. Nomads themselves played their parts in organisation of Front of House, Bar, Sound (Tim Williams and Clive Vinall) which, this time, was not allowed to overload us with a wall of sound, with Tony and Dee Bowdery’s impeccable lighting and the splendid costumes.

The programme, which could usefully have supplied a synopsis of the plot, stated “we hope you enjoy the ride”. We did! Come back again to the Nomad Theatre, Lost For Words—you will be welcome.

LFWTC Just So

NODA representative, Jon Fox, reviews the December 2015 production of Cinderella by The Nomads at The Nomad Theatre in Surrey (find us).

The NOMADS pantomime - “Cinderella” by Peter Denyer

Nomad Theatre - December, 2015

Ella Kay as Mona and Lisa Arnold as Grizelda, the two uglies, were a wonderful team as the evil stepsisters. Despite being females of course they were truly awful to poor Cinderella and readily won boos. I much liked their comic touches and their costumes were way over the top and therefore most effective, though I felt Ella was a little too “pretty” for my taste - a wart or spots would have added ugliness!

Young Sheree Paton at only 16 was a good all rounder as Cinderella. She sang, moved and acted with talent and presence well beyond her tender years. She was goodness personified in real contrast to her evil stepsisters.