The Snow Child, Lowry Studio 30/12/15

The Lowry can usually be relied upon to provide a good mix of family festive entertainment to suit every age, budget and attention span. In particular, the Studio often has a lovely festive offering for the smallest members of the family, and now I have a niece and nephew I have a good excuse to go and check it out.

This year they have brought Tutti Frutti's production The Snow Child to us for our Christmas treat. Based on the traditional Russian folk tale where a couple's wish for a child comes true when the child they build of snow magically comes to life, this show looks at it from the point of view of the Snow Child having to adapt to the unfamiliar human world and the challenges that she and her new parents face in becoming a family.

This is a lovely production, full of music, movement and snowy sparkly magic that keeps young and 'not so young' engaged throughout. There are jolly songs (I particularly liked the one about 'other people's children') , clever but simple set design and scene transitions and a genuine tenderness to the work.

The cast of three wonderfully bring alive the characters, Paula James and Mark Pearce are great as the parents and various other parts, and Mei Mac as the Snow Child is simply delightful, so engaging with a real air of innocence, magic and energy as she whirls around the stage. 

The show kept the audience transfixed throughout, at just under an hour the running time was just right for the primary target age group ( although the 'not so young' were equally enthralled) My two youngest guests who are four and a half really enjoyed it and it had their full attention at all times. Their favourite bit was when the Snow Child made it snow, and they were a bit star struck to actually meet her as they left the auditorium.

All in all an excellent way to round off the festive season and a very good value piece of magical and touching entertainment.

Kneehigh Theatre's Rebecca, Lowry Salford 11/4/15

I was very excited to get a chance to see Kneehigh in action again as the previous two productions I have seen of theirs, Brief Encounter and Don John were remarkably crafted and very memorable experiences and I was intrigued as to how they would bring their unique touch to Daphne Du Maurier's well known tale.

From the moment the curtain went up I knew I was in for something very special. A gorgeous detailed and extremely clever set has been created which, with the help of the cast, magically transports you to the various settings of the play, from the beautiful but slightly faded glory of the Manderley house, to the wild lonely shores of the Cornish coast. There are even echos of the previous lady of the house built into the set, the wrought iron balustrades and vases containing Rebecca's initial representing the hold the first Mrs De Winter still has over the lives of the participants even from beyond the grave.

This being Kneehigh, you shouldn't expect a straight retelling of the book. Although the plot is well represented on stage, this 'play' is so much more than that, and actually quite risqué at times!  There is plenty of humour, especially with star turns from Katy Owen as Robert the servant ( who also does an excellent job of portraying the fragile young Ben waiting on the shoreline for his father to return from the sea) and Lizzie Winkler as Giles De Winter's sister Beatrice, who delivers some of the finest, and most death defying drunk acting I have seen. Cornish sea shanties provide an evocative element to proceedings as they are woven through the action. Puppetry is used to great effect and there's even a couple of fun dance numbers built into the narrative (tip - don't be tardy getting back to your seat after the interval)

Emily Raymond's sinister portrayal of the obsessive Mrs Danvers sent shivers down my spine, Imogen Sage as the current Mrs de Winter showed a nice journey from vulnerable innocent to something much stronger as the true nature of her 'love rival' and the manner of her death are revealed, and Kneehigh stalwart Tristan Sturrock is well cast as Maxim de Winter, still struggling with the ghosts of the past.

The whole ensemble cast are incredibly talented and hardworking, most appearing on stage throughout, providing music, cleverly creating scenes and expertly evoking the dark atmosphere of the story. 

I was totally captivated by this gorgeously atmospheric and beautifully crafted retelling of this well known tale. Kneehigh truly brought a little Cornish magic to the Lowry stage.

Oklahoma, Lowry Theatre Salford 21/3/15

Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma is one of those musicals where you will know most of the songs, even if, like me, you have never seen it all the way through on stage or screen before. This new production, currently on an extensive tour of the UK, had toes tapping and hands clapping throughout the Lowry's auditorium, and delivered a delightful slice of good old fashioned entertainment.

The cast is fabulous, Belinda Lang nails Aunt Emmer's spirited matriarch, the squabbling star crossed lovers Curley (Ashley Day) and Laurey ( Charlotte Wakefield) are an excellent pairing, national treasure Gary Wilmot brings perfect comic timing to the role of peddler Ali Hakim, Nic Greenshields adds a brooding menace as the loner Jud Fry and James O'Connell's exuberant lovestruck Will Parker is a treat. My favourite role though was Lucy May Baker as Ado Annie, the girl who just 'cain't say no'. Hilarious, endearing and such an amazing voice, she almost stole the show, although the whole cast are so good ( including yet another talented Strallen) and the production so slick it is impossible for any one performer to steal it.

The live orchestra delivers the wonderful and well known score brilliantly and really adds to the show (take note War Horse on tour!) and a clever set is used to its full potential in the complex and lively dance numbers, which include some innovative haybale-ography! The costumes are also beautiful, although it must be exhausting dancing in all those layers!

Not knowing the show I was quite surprised by some of the darker elements in the story ( who knew that encouraging someone to contemplate suicide was quite so entertaining!) but they were executed well, and the Dream Ballet that rounded off the first Act was especially menacing and expertly delivered by a hard working company. Act Two contains the big crowd pleasers The Farmer and The Cowman, and of course the one we were all waiting for -  Oooooooooklahoma, which sent the audience out smiling and humming. 

I would definitely recommend this joyful energetic show to anyone who wants to chase away the blues. Tour dates can be found here.

All Photos : Pamela Raith

Wanted : Robin Hood, Library Theatre Company at The Lowry, 30/12/13

After being enchanted by last year’s Library Theatre Company production of Arabian Nights, it was decided another Christmas trip to the Lowry was required to visit Wanted: Robin Hood. I have to say after last year’s magical show, this wasn't quite what I was expecting!

The first act is quite slow in places, at times a bit disjointed, and a lot darker than I was anticipating. After someone is stabbed and killed at the front of the stage I did worry that we were going to scar the kids in our party for life, but in the interval the ten year old declared it great, although the 7 year old didn't seem quite so sure!

Thankfully, there is also plenty of exciting action and comedy, especially when the Merry Men are around, a very feisty Marion (Amelia Donkor) who I really wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of, and a good old baddie, Fitzwarren (Emilio Doorgasingh) who made the most of his evil reputation, eliciting good old fashioned boos and hisses in Act 2. And of course there is a dashing and daring Robin (Ciaran Kellgren), though occasionally this character (and his costume) did feel more like Robin the hoodie!

I much preferred the second half of the play. There was more action, more comedy, a very clever archery competition, better pace and quite a lot more audience engagement. The fight scenes throughout were excellently choreographed and exciting, and the most was made of the striking set that used the full height of the stage to excellent effect.

So not quite for me the magical experience of last year, but an enjoyable tale of ended on a high and engaged young and old alike. (As long as you ignore the childish audience members who kept muttering 'riding through the Glen' every time Robin Hood's name was repeated twice, which happened quite a few times in the script – sorry!)

Mother Courage and Her Children, Library Theatre Company at the Lowry, 22/2/13

The sum total of my knowledge about Bertolt Brecht before seeing his play Mother Courage and her Children, the latest Library Theatre Company production at the Lowry, was that he was ‘important’. And my companion for this visit had been told that this play was considered to be one of the greatest anti-war plays of all time. I did wonder whether this would actually mean it was heavy going, but this production was lively, accessible, with a lot more humour than I was expecting, whilst still containing some very strong messages.

The play was written in 1939 as a warning against wartime profiteering and its central message still holds true today. It is set in the in the Thirty Years War of 1618-1648 in Germany and Poland, and follows one woman’s journey, the Mother Courage of the title, a trader who follows the troops, seeking every opportunity to turn a profit. She travels with her three children products of varied (and in one case uncertain!) relationships, and is a devoted and fiercely protective mother. However, during the course of the play she makes choices, driven by her desire to maximise the trading opportunities that war brings, that, whilst she believes they are for the right reasons, have tragic consequences for each of her children. As the play progresses, and her circumstances become increasingly challenging, she remains determined to survive and prosper, even changing allegiances where this would aid her cause. However, ultimately we see the tragedy of her life and the consequences of her actions divorce her from the reality of her situation, and gradually surviving and blindly following her path takes over from living.

The Library Theatre Company and director Chris Honer have done an excellent job in bringing this epic tale to the stage. The tone is set from the outset, when Courage and her family enter the stage, with the matriarch perched on their wagon singing into a handheld microphone. The action is interspersed throughout with songs from various characters, many of them apocryphal tales that echo events on stage. 

The sparse but versatile set, incorporating a revolve that is used to good effect to illustrate the onward journey of the dwindling family, wonderful costume design and washed out lighting, combine to create a very clever effect on the stage, at times it’s almost like seeing a painting come to life on stage, which fits with the epic nature of the text.

There were some timing issues on the night that I saw the play, but this was a first preview and I think a few minutes will be shaved off the three hour running time as the play progresses. And I did find the use of electronic captions to each side of the stage preceding scenes to be a little distracting as it took your eye away from the action on the stage. Although the use of the captions did highlight the bleak inevitability of the events as they unfold.

The production requires much from its cast who in the main deliver well. Many take on multiple roles, and also provide musical accompaniment throughout. Natalie Grady, as the prostitute Yvette, gives a particularly impressive performance, portraying the character at two contrasting stages of her life so well you have to do a double take to check it’s the same person. But the stand out performance is Eve Polycarpou, who gives an absolutely breath-taking performance as the indomitable Courage. On stage for virtually the full length of the play, her portrayal is totally engaging and very powerful, with a nice balance between the comedy, and the complexities of her character and motivation.

All in all, the staging of this epic play, in such an accomplished and accessible way, is an impressive achievement from the Library Theatre Company, and makes the most of the advantages that their temporary lodgings at the Lowry allow.

One Man Two Guvnors, 12/1/13, Lowry

Finally I got to see the much talked about One Man Two Guvnors when it visited the Lowry for the second time. I had tried and failed to get a ticket for its first visit to Salford, when James Corden was at the helm, so when I saw it was returning I was straight on the phone to snaffle myself a good ticket. ‘Good’ turned out to be second row stalls so I was well placed to see the action unfold, although it did make for slightly restricted views on occasion.

There has been so much hype about this show since its first outing at the National Theatre in 2011. It has since had two lengthy West End runs (one still ongoing), a Broadway transfer and this visit is part of its latest UK and international tour. Despite this, I had pretty much managed to avoid any detail of what the show was all about so arrived with no preconceptions, but expectations of some much needed fun, and it certainly didn’t disappoint in that respect.

The play is actually based on another piece , The Servant of Two Masters by Italian playwright Carlo Goldino from 1746, but writer Richard Bean, sets the action in 1960s Brighton. Frances Henshall, an out of work chancer, manages to secure jobs with two Guvnors, and there follows a series of hilarious and increasingly complex set pieces as Frances attempts to fulfil his responsibilities whilst hiding the existence of his dual role to each boss. 

This play doesn’t so much break the fourth wall, as do a pratfall onto it, send it crashing to the ground and then do a tap dance on it. The audience interaction is delivered to engaging and hilarious effect, however, I won’t expand on this aspect as, if, like me, you had managed to avoid all key details of the events of the play, the surprises are delightfully done.

At Salford Rufus Hound takes the central role of Frances Henshall, and does not disappoint. The character is on stage almost constantly, and his energy, timing and engagement with the audience is exemplary.  Edward Bennett, as the foppish ‘Guvnor’ Stanley Stubbers, also gives a wonderful comic performance. I last saw Bennett playing Hamlet in London, as understudy for David Tennant who was out of action with a back problem. He proved himself to be a fine classical lead actor there, and it is great to see he is just as fantastic in an all out comedy role. 

The other role that is worthy of a special mention, although the whole cast is excellent, is the character of Alfie, the ageing waiter. But here is where the programme lets me down as I’m not entirely sure who plays him! Whilst I was aware, due to a note on the Lowry website, that Amy Booth- Steele was taking the role of Dolly for the Saturday performances (rather than the heavily marketed casting of Jodie Prenger for the Salford run), I glimpsed as I was leaving one pinned up notice by the box office suggesting that the role of Alfie may have been covered by a member of the ensemble. So let’s just say that this portrayal, which may or may not have been by Peter Caulfield, was an hilarious highlight of the show, done with exemplary timing and skill. Poor show on the National Theatre though on being too stingy to photocopy a ‘cast for this performance’ insert for the pricey programmes.

There are excellent musical interludes from the start (in fact, don’t be too tardy taking your seats as this starts a good ten minutes before the play) from band ‘The Craze’, whose witty and lively songs, by Grant Olding, set the mood of the piece excellently, have the audience on board from the start. This element also ensures that no momentum or audience engagement is lost during scene changes. I especially loved the way the main characters were incorporated into some of these musical pieces to brilliant effect.

All in all, this is a show that definitely deserves the hype, and ensured the audience had a wonderful time. Whilst it was full of surprises for a first timer, I’m sure that it would take repeated viewings and I would definitely go and see it again.