"The Mad Ones" by BJW Productions

Streamed Online

This is a new musical to my eyes and ears and I feel enriched by having experienced this production, which is the UK Professional Premiere of this musical by Kait Kerrigan and Bree Lowdermilk.

Originally titled "The Unauthorized Autobiography of Samantha Brown", The Mad Ones is about Samantha Brown (Molly Hewitt-Richards) and her best friend, Kelly Manning (Emily Knight), who died just before graduation when she was hit by a speeding car. This isn't really a spoiler as Kelly tells us this about 20 minutes into the production. There is also a clue of this with the sets of headlights embedded in the set design.

Mainly told through flashbacks, the story is also about Sam's relationship with her overbearing mother, Beverly (Alice Imelda), a statistician who has written a book about road accidents. She has endowed her daughter with a deep fear of driving and a belief that mistakes have life-threatening consequences. I love the section where she is trying to bribe Sam's friends with cookies to try and find out what her daughter was thinking and possibly going to do with her life.

The musical has four characters and the fourth, and least important character to the musical is Adam (Aiden Carson), Sam's boyfriend. Adam isn't the sharpest knife in the draw but he has his moments as he attempts to seduce Sam into bed with the promises of scented candles, pancakes and Darjeeling tea. That said he is not pushy and is tuned in to Sam's feelings. His featured song "Run Away With Me" is a classic modern musical theatre song, a nod towards a Romeo & Juliet ending. I have seen Aiden quite a few times in musicals and know what a powerful and emotive voice he has which is highlighted here.

I loved this piece of theatre with its' reflections of "Spring Awakening" and "Ghost" in parts. It also reminds us to live life the way you want and cherish those you love as sometimes you don't get to say goodbye.

All four actors are perfectly cast and all have excellent voices. The relationships are totally believable across the board. The duets between Molly and Emily are stunning; it's like listening to one voice and the chemistry is amazing making you believe in the words that all four are singing.

Molly has one of those voices that has purity as well as strength and these songs in "The Mad Ones" are very well suited to her wonderful vocal range.

The same goes for Emily who sings with such ease. and after her first song just relaxed into drinking in her wonderful vocals.

Emily also gets to play several roles in the musical and at one stage jokes "Wow, I have to play everything around here". That is also one thing I really appreciated. The musical could be filed under "dark" but every now and again there are flashes of comedy in one liners like this. Another example is when Beverley is taking Sam for her first driving lesson and retorts "I've had a good life" when Sam asks "Are you ready for me to drive?"

Directed by Molly, the one hour and forty minutes straight through production at no time seemed to labour. The songs are well written and enable the singers to tell the story through the lyrics without need of too much of a script. The singing is almost non stop, a credit as well to the singing abilities of all four performers.

The songs sometimes reminded me of the works of Jason Robert Brown and with the beautiful musical delivery of the four musicians Ben Ward (Keyboards) who was also the MD, Owen Jones (guitar), Richie Dunn (violin) and Catrin Meek (harp), they didn't once over shadow the vocals and created a lovely, almost Celtic feel to the soundtrack.

Responsible for the Sound Design was Harry Greatorex and the Lighting Design was by Jamie Vella. The video design for this streamed show is thanks to Mason Chapman.

This production is streaming from today 29 May 2021 until Saturday 5 June 2021 and tickets, which are £12 can be bought via the website www.bjwproductions.co.uk and is well worth the money per ticket, so get one while you can.

Blonde The Musical

 "Blonde - The Musical"

by Kristian Thomas Company.

"Blonde" is a new musical written by Adam Howell and Paul Hurt and covers the last nine years of the life of Marilyn Monroe. She was everyone's wife, everyone's lover and everyone's fantasy, but what a dark side of her life was hidden from her adoring public. This musical brings out that darker side of her life.

The musical starts back in May of 1962 as she delivers her breathy rendition of "Happy Birthday To You" to President Kennedy, and straight away we get the sense of her not being as punctual as many would have liked, most of the time she was forgiven for her tardiness, but in the world of making movies, time is money and no Director wants to be losing money.

We discover her lovers, her husbands, her friends and family. Her frustration at her not being offered more serious roles, and the stress that she was under while making her films, as well as the way that the men in her life had seriously let her down. All of these composites to her spiral into drink and drugs, through to her final demise.

"Blonde", while being serious in it's story is not short of comic moments and there are some great upbeat numbers throughout.

So let's talk about the soundtrack. The big opening number, "It's Marilyn" is a big song and dance number which sets the tone for the quality we have to come. I loved the romantic "A Good Old Fashioned Love Affair", a duet between Marilyn and her then husband, baseball star, Joe DiMaggio. "Two Heads Are Better Than One" is reminiscent of the songs that Marilyn would have had written for her for her films, so feels completely at home here. "Blonde" is a well-matched duet between Marilyn and her former self as Norma Jeane (no I didn't realise that there was an "e" at the end either!). 

Act Two opens up with another big number "Running The Show" as Marilyn takes control of her life along with her business partner/photographer Georgie Gifford. A wonderful piece of accapella from the cast in "Hail To The Actor's Studio" with an excuse to name check some big names of the time. And then comes two big ballads, "Daddy  Please Come Home" and the wonderful "Be Wonderful".

I knew with Kristian Cunningham in charge of choreography and staging that this show would be as sharp as a pin when it comes to the dancing, and I was not disappointed.

The three-piece musical accompaniment sounded bigger than it was and created a big sound for a big production. Musical Director Tom Bond (drums), Josh Kemp (keys) and Marcus Cain (bass).

Produced by Kristian Thomas Company and Tom Hopcroft, who also directed the musical and also appeared as Monroe's first husband, Jimmy Dougherty.

Verity Power (Marilyn), didn't need to look exactly like Marilyn as she brought her characteristics alive, switching from doe-eyes to a harder business-like look. She filled Marilyn's shoes as well as Monroe's halter-neck dress perfectly. There was no attempt to sing like Marilyn, which I was really pleased about because Verity has a gorgeous voice, packed with power and emotion.

Anna Bond (Norma Jeane) is an actor I have seen several times and love her voice and in the duet, "Blonde", her voice blends so well with Verity's, and when she belts out the ballad "Daddy Please Come Home", you can feel every emotion the young Norma Jeane feels.

Photographer Georgie Gifford is played by Finlay Paul, another actor who can really turn in an emotive performance, just wait until the end to see how emotional he can get!

Natalia Brown (Hedda Hopper) plays the radio announcer who gets to present many nods to several of Marilyn's past films and song titles in her broadcasts.

Maison Kelley gets to play a dual role as Darryl Zanuck, who at one stage I was certain was going to burst a blood vessel with his angry tirades. He also plays the part of Laurence Olivier. Who'd have thought Sir Larry would have such a potty mouth!

Charlie Ellerton also got a dual role as Joe DiMaggio and also as Arthur Miller, and can I say what a great voice he has, which was highlighted on the duet "A Good Old-Fashioned Romance".

Louise Grantham played Monroe's acting coach Paula Strasberg, as well as a completely opposing character in Marilyn's mother who suffered from dementia. The scene with Marilyn and her mother was one of the most touching scenes of the musical.

A completely non-evasive ensemble of Tom Samuels, Chloe Hopcroft, Becky Wrench, Sam Holden, Chelsea Hawkins and Jinny Gould completed the excellent cast.

As with knowing that the choreography was in good hands, the same can be said for the lighting and sound. In the hands of Stephen Greatorex and Harry Greatorex respectively, it was a given that these areas were well executed and gave maximum effect.

I must also mention the wardrobe, under the guidance of Karen Millward, as every costume was spot on including the iconic Marilyn white dress.

One thing I also noticed were the props, sourced by Claire Collishaw as, yet again, they placed the musical in the era. I especially loved that phone.

The staging was sparse but as it was supposed to be set, probably, back stage, the rails of clothes, props etc were all that were needed. This is the kind of set that can be sparse as the characters themselves are what you are supposed to be buying into, and not the set or surrounding.

"Blonde" was filmed at The Duchess Theatre in Long Eaton and the filming (Stephen Greatorex and Rob Hill) and the video editing (Stephen Greatorex) give a feel of a well polished feature film production.

You can stream "Blonde" anytime from now up to 16 May 2021 by visiting Derby Live to get a ticket to stream. In the words of the final song, this whole production is "wonderful".

 "Marshmallow Sky" by

Alan Dawson

Zoom read through

Performed by members of "Under The Headstocks" and Spectrum Wasp (We Are Special People), who provide support for families with children and young people under the autistic spectrum, this is a play which follows the early life of Graham Smith, from a young lad to him becoming a husband and father. Graham has Asperger's Syndrome.

One of the themes that run through this play is communication. Where would we be without some form of communication? Understanding each other and knowing how to communicate with different people, it's vital for us all to get on, not only in life but with each other.

Asperger's people can come across as very honest, which can also be translated as blunt, some may even say, rude. At the start we see Graham in the car with his Dad, Maurice, forever stressed and in the car. Maurice runs a red light and is stopped by the police. Graham lets the policeman know that Maurice was going faster than he should have done and has even swore in the car. Even this little opener gives us an incite into, not only Graham's life, but the people who surround him.

There are brushes with the law where the policeman doesn't understand Graham's condition and does not communicate the correct information in his questioning, and therefore does not get the required responses due to Graham not recognising the precise enquiry, so does not know the correct response to give.

We see how, in an interview situation, he is completely honest, which actually got him the job. His anxiety with a fellow interviewee and also how his new boss confesses that he had learned from the experience of having Graham working for him by re-thinking how he communicated to people. there is a lovely attitude change with the woman who he was trained up by from when she first met Graham up to his last day of the part time job. Graham changed lives and mind set, showing that the world is a better place for Grahams everywhere.

We see the affect that he has on his family and the stress that his mother, father and sister, Molly, experience and the isolation that family members experience with Graham having to be put first all the time. His father, Maurice even calling him a "nutcase", Molly despising him for his tantrum in the Asda car park which makes her late for her prom. And then there is the stress that Mum has to deal with from all corners. Mum is the juggler of the family.

I am so pleased that Alan created a happy ending to the play as we see Graham fall in love, get married and become a father.

Laura Scruggs

zoomed in from Chicago, and Marlow K Shaw zoomed in from Toronto to read the parts of the two Theorists, providing the facts of Asperger Syndrome.

Narrating the links for the play was done by Connor Talbot.

Kian Staley

, Emma and Amy read various parts.

Providing the facts behind the support for families who have children and young people were two ladies from Wasp, which was very informative to find out what role they play in real life.

Malcolm Seymour read the part of Maurice and really brought out the frustration of working long hours to pay for the family, holidays etc, or was there another reason that he stayed away from home so much!

Sandy Edwards-Walsh read Mum, and you could physically see the emotion that this play, and role brought out for Sandy.

Jack Liversidge

read Graham and what really impressed me was the vocal delivery of the character, showing that he really got under the skin of Graham.

Standing in at the last moment though was a young man, called Josh, from Wasp, as the passenger on the bus that Graham got into conversation with. Looks like Josh could have a future on stage as he came across really well, a natural performer.

Directed by Christopher Neil.

I did wonder why the play was called "Marshmallow Sky" but that was revealed near to the end, which I won't reveal where it comes from.

Wonderfully written with sections that will make you smile but equally will make you think about how you speak and communicate with others, and parts that will make you feel for Graham. It makes you want to give Graham a hug, but he wouldn't like you to do that.

There are not enough new(ish) plays around at the moment that will make you think. This one will.

 "A Virtual Vanya" based on "Uncle Vanya" by Anton Chekhov.

Lace Market "Virtual" Theatre.

I will start off by saying that I am not the biggest fan of Chekhov's plays, and while not looking to being converted, I was looking forward to seeing something different and something that I had not seen before.

Translated and adapted by Cynthia Marsh from Chekhov’s "Uncle Vanya", Cynthia also directed the play.

The relevance to today’s current experience is an interesting point. The constrictions, the remoteness of Russian rural life set in 1895 affected mental health, finances, ambitions and relationships. And this play is all about relationships, which I found the most interesting aspect, maybe because the relationships twisted and turned and affected every one of the characters.

Vanya and his niece Sonya manage the family estate to support Sonya’s father, a professor named Serebryakov, and his younger second wife, Elena in the capital. Vanya’s sole friend Astrov, a doctor, struggling against rural poverty and peasant ill-health.

The professor retires. He and his wife come ‘home’. We find out which characters have feelings for each other and many home truths are revealed throughout.

The family, holed up together, have their emotions stretched, and when the Professor gathers them all together for a family meeting about the future, the fragility of them all come to the surface with an explosive result.

I've never really seen Chekhov as a writer of comic scenes but I found quite a bit of this play to be quite funny. The part where Sonya tests the waters for the Doctor's affections is almost like a schoolgirl , asking for a friend. And then when Elena acts as a go between for Sonya, under the premise of showing interest in the good doctor's maps is a lovely pair of mirthful scenes.

The cast are wonderful and kept my interest throughout.

Chris Sims

- the doctor, Daniel Bryant - a wonderful Vanya,

Anne Mccarroll

- Sonya, Charlotte Thomas - Elena, Dot Barlow - Marina, the family Nanny - who reminded me so much of a young Thora Hird, and David Dunford as the Professor.

Being made for a virtual piece of theatre, the technical presentation was absolutely brilliant and Matt Alcock did an amazing job.

Production Manager was Phillip Hogarth.

Cynthia Marsh directed, translated and adapted the piece, and I think that along with the great cast, this excellent technical team may just have converted me to Chekhov as I really enjoyed this dysfunctional family that Chekhov created.

I will admit that the different backdrops within the Zoom presentation did make it difficult to imagine that all the members were supposed to be in the same room, but there's nothing you can do about that. This also makes continuity a tad difficult as well, again, there is not a lot that can be done about that either.

It's just great that we can get to see live theatre again, and I can only imagine that with this being presented live, it gave Cynthia, as Director, probably just a few more headaches than if it were set on stage in the theatre itself. I can honestly say, the headaches were well worth it, Cynthia.

I have been told that the translation has stripped down a lot of the play and if that is the case, I am all for it, as I grew to really enjoy this production the more the play progressed. So much so that I gave a virtual standing ovation at its' closure.

"A Virtual Vanya" is available to see until Sunday 28 March by visiting the Lace Market website to book your ticket. Any Chekhov sceptics or non fans, please take a look at this as I believe that you, like me, may just be converted. Chekhov fans will not be disappointed!

 "Dream" created by The Royal Shakespeare Company.

Online Presentation.

I saw the online, virtual, live performance of "Dream" this evening, a Valentine present from my wife. Very different and I was treated to being part of the immersive audience and became a "firefly" for the evening.

The setting is in a virtual Midsummer forest as we follow Puck within his/her dream to rebuild the forest before dawn breaks. Puck is also aided by Cobweb, Mustardseed, Peaseblossom and Moth through the virtual storm.

Cleverly envisaged with the most modern technology and performed by dancers, aerialists and actors to create the magic, with a hidden group of technical wizards. Think Avatar meets Shakespeare and that is the kind of feel you get here.

"Dream" uses real-time motion-capture technology to take you into the magical world of a midsummer forest – online but entirely live, with performers reacting and interacting with the online audience and a rousing soundtrack

Created by the Royal Shakespeare Company in collaboration with Marshmallow Laser Feast (MLF), Philharmonia Orchestra and Manchester International Festival (MIF), it’s the culmination of a major project exploring how the audiences of tomorrow will experience live performance. And can I say, if this was performed on stage, as we saw it online, it will blow any theatre goer away.

It may not be to everyone's liking, the traditional, staunch Shakespeare fan may not be a fan of this production, but I've seen so many different takes on "A Midsummer Night's Dream", this, although being very different to what I had expected, was different in a good way. It moves theatre to another level of technical ability.

Online theatre may not replace soaking up the atmosphere of being physically in a theatre, but it's keeping the blood flowing through the veins of theatre and feeding theatre hungry fans' need for theatre.

"Dream" runs from Friday 12 to Saturday 20 March. Tickets are strictly limited – book yours now through dream.online. Tickets are free or you can choose to pay £10 to interact as a firefly. Money to a good cause I am sure you will agree.

Like

Comment

Share

 "Punk Grandpa" by Laura Scruggs

Under the Headstocks read through.

The second transatlantic read through performed by Under The Headstocks, and this time we are introduced to the play "Punk Grandpa" written by a new writer to me, Laura Scruggs from Chicago.

The play is all about the wonderful relationship between 5 and 3/4 year old Laura Force and her Grandpa Bob.

In this story "punk" does not mean that Bob is covered in safety pins, in fact the only safety pins mentioned are the ones that Bob uses to keep his socks together in the wash. What a brilliant idea!

No! "punk" in this sense means that Grandpa Bob is fearless, fun, fiery and flirty. Loved by the kids in the neighbourhood as well as the ladies in the bank who he calls his "girlfriends", unbeknown to Granma Carol, or so he tells Laura.

We are introduced to family members and friends but this story is all about the lifelong friendship between Laura and her punk Grandpa.

From one weekend spent at Grandpa Bob's and Grandma Carol's, we flash forward in time to Laura's wedding and beyond when we discover that Bob has passed on due to Alzheimer's Disease, but he is never forgotten.

His love of jazz music, dancing and the film "The Wizard Of Oz" is passed on to his "Li'l Punk" Laura and she keeps his magical sense of humour alive throughout.

All through the reading I was visualising this play on stage and the music, especially in one later scene when, in what would be a dream sequence I imagine on stage where she gets to dance with her Grandpa again after he has passed.

I loved the inappropriateness of Grandpa as he describes his pride of his son who has his own business in the city as a pimp and his daughter works for him as well.

The writing is so good that it does not take much imagination to picture this on stage, or in your mind either. Writing is an art and Laura is a wonderful artist, painting pictures in your head.

Beautifully read by Sammi (Laura) and Kian Staley(Grandpa) and the supporting cast of Malcolm (narrator), and the ensemble of Sandi Edwards-Walsh, Toni, Amy,

Jack Liversidge

and

Vic Wilkinson

.

Musical accompaniment was also provided by Laura Scruggs as well as making an appearance as a fairy!

Thank you to

Alan Dawson

, Artistic Director of Under The Headstocks for putting this together on Zoom and inviting me along to experience the magic.

Punkforgettable in every way.