Blog Archives

As a Monty Python fan I was looking forward to the Brentwood Operatic Society's production of Spamalot with both excitement and trepidation.
I know BOS have the talent to put on an amazing show but did they have the right stuff to make a Python show work?
However, I needn't have worried because what I saw was a cacophany of python-esque slapstick, wordplay and silliness that made myself, and the whole audience, roar with laughter.

If my calculations are correct, there were no less than 35 cast members in the show which could have led to an over crowded and messy looking stage, especially at the intimate Brentwood Theatre venue. However this was not the case at all. Sarah Barton as the director placed and spaced her cast expertly and to maximum effect.
I can only imagine how cramped it must've been backstage at times, especially when the impressive castle structure was hidden from view.

There were lots of new faces in the cast alongside the longstanding members, which is always pleasing to see.
I could at this point go through the programme / show and simply list the name of every member of the cast who had a part as each and every person added something to the show ... I won't, even though I am tempted, but I could!
What I will do is mention the leads, groups and special moments:
King Arthur - Martin Harris once again giving a stalwart performance.
The Lady of the Lake - Juliet Thomas gave an impeccable performance. Excellent singing in a range of styles, with my favourite being What happened to my part.
Patsy - Emily Walker played this role brilliantly, she was consistently understated and a great contrast to the eccentricity of the knights. (I loved the dead parrot in the bag - it did make me smile).
The main knights (Allistair Smith, Jamie Fudge, Iain Johnson & Richard Orchard-Rowe) - each one had an individual character, their interactions were brilliant. I loved the Galahad/Lady duet, the Broadway song and the Lancelot scene/ song with Herbert (Ian Southgate).
The dancers - from cheerleaders to Carmen Miranda-esque spledour via showgirl glamour every dance was so in sync it was a joy to watch.
The minstrels - a great part with some very funny moments.
The French taunters - an iconic part played with such aplomb, so funny.
The Knight of Ni - great characterisation from each person. A gem of a scene.
I have to also mention a few individual cameos:
The mother was spot on, after all a Monty Python show without a man dressed as a woman speaking in a ridiculously high pitched voice isn't a Monty Python show. I kind of wanted him to say "He's not the Messiah"! The Black Knight, Tim the Enchanter (loved the use of a floating platform here - well done to set design/building team) and the rabbit, the guards, the 'alms/arms for the poor' person & the 'not dead' peasant all added to the show's overall feel.

I feel I have to mention the couple of mishaps - the bush and the Ni knight falling over. As a one time performer I know it can be devastating when this happens, and in some shows it can really impact the mood of the scene. However in both incidents it actually added to the scene and made it funnier.

Finally I have to talk about the music. Put simply, if it wasn't for the way there were times when the musicians / music directly interacted with the onstage cast I could quite easily have believed it to have been a recording. Well done to MD Andy Prideaux and his band for an outstanding job.

If I was to be picky, and I am a critic after all, I would say that ... actually I am struggling here which just goes to show the amazing job BOS did.
It is not often I come away from an amateur show with an aching face from smiling/laughing so much, but this was the situation last night. In fact it feels wrong to call it an amateur show to be honest

Well done BOS and good luck with the next, and very different show, Jesus Christ Superstar.

The Full Monty is a show that is not just about stripping, it is also about love, acceptance and body confidence but sadly it seems the majority of the audience were there to simply to see men strip!

To me The Full Monty is about out of work northern steel workers as in the film. The fact for the musical version the action moved to America I found initially annoying, however as the show progressed I noticed this less.

I cannot say I came away singing any of the songs, but this doesn't mean they weren't good and performed brilliantly.

The excellent casting of the main six men fit the differing body types as depicted in the film very well.
Chris Lidgard played the lead male, Jerry Lukowski (the Robert Carlisle character). His brashness was played well and was only softened by the love for his son. The song Breeze Off The River was a particular favourite of mine.
Julian Cottee played Jerry's friend and sidekick Dave Bukatinsky (the Mark Andy character) brilliantly. He had great comic timing, a spot on accent and great pathos when showing the vulnerable side of the character. Another musical highlight was Chris and Julian's song Big Ass Rock.
Completing the line up were Chris Higginson who danced up a comic storm, Jamie Redgate who played the formerly rich foreman well, Scott Michael Bourne who played 'Horse' whose dancing was very impressive - I also enjoyed his song Big Black Man - and finally Darren Harper as the not so bright guy who kept trying to run up the walls - his vocal entrance in You Walk With Me was very impressive.
A special mention has to go to Sally Lightfoot who played a character not seen in the film, Jeanette Burmeister, the pianist for the guys. She had excellent comic timing and her number Jeanette's Showbiz Number, which opened the second act, was brilliant.
A second special mention has to go to Sebastian Pushkitt-Richardson who acted and reacted his socks off every second he was on stage.
Finally to the female cast of wives and friends and others who made up the chorus. Each and every person who came on stage added to the feel of the show (except perhaps the random walk across parts to cover scene changes - I didn't really get those). I really liked the You Rule My World reprise sung by Sarah Pettican and Lianne Larthe.

With regards to the stripping itself, kudos to the guys who bared all (or almost all as in the case of Danny Deacon the Chippendale) - it was interesting to see guys who would obviously be nervous about stripping off on stage playing guys who were nervous about stripping off.
In a way it was sad that some of the audience (a few of whom couldn't stay in their seats it seemed) were there to see guys "get 'em off" as one person kept calling out rather than a theatrical experience!

Saying that, I'd like to say to the guys ... very nice ... I certainly would with each one of you!

Once again I found myself at the Palace Theatre to see a show I knew very little about simply because of the group that were performing.
Leigh Operatic and Dramatic Society, have produced some amazing shows over the years many of which I have had the good fortune to watch.
Copacabana as a show, as already said, I knew very little about apart from the Barry Manilow song of course, and a comedy drag cabaret version I saw at Funny Girls in Blackpool many years ago!
When I walked in I knew there was a showgirl, whose name was Lola ... and there was something about someone getting shot ... and that was about it, if truth be told!
Well there was a showgirl called Lola, played by the talented Laura Hurrell, but there was also a backstory and a whole host of other colourful characters who did an amazing job of portraying the story based on the Manilow song.
Laura's portrayal of Lola was superb - her acting was spot on and her singing throughout was brilliant. Playing alongside her as Tony was Jamie Sampson, who had a voice that was smooth and powerful at the same time. Their rendition of This Can't Be Real was superb because of the excellent singing and the chemistry between the two.
Playing alongside the two leads were Neil Lands as Rico - every bit the archetypal evil villain, Sarah Gallucci as Conchita, Rico's long suffering wife, who did an excellent job in Havannah/Caramba, Jo Whitenell as Gladys, an excellent comedy role whose lines were sadly lost at times due to the sound not being quite right (in my opinion) and Michael James as Sam who really came into his own in the second act in the Who Am I Kidding song / scene.
They were supported by a host of dancing girls / ladies and a small group of dancing men (who looked fine in the Spanish flamenco outfits!) all of whom did amazingly well. In fact for me the show began to really get going with the first big dance number.
A special mention to the band, it is a musical after all, who did an amazing job with the range of musical styles.

Overall I have to sat that the cast performed excellently in a show that isn't (in my opinion) fully rounded. The idea that ... spoiler alert ... the whole Lola story is just in the head of the character of Stephen, felt a bit weak to me, but I suppose that the original Copacabana song was just a story in Barry Manilow's head really!

Anyway, a huge congratulations to the cast, crew, production team and band for once again putting on a high quality show and I am glad that the Copacabana finale was, for the most part, the actual Manilow song as it was a great upbeat way to end the show, after the soppy lovey-dovey stuff!

Copacabana runs until 12th May and LODS' next outing will be Spring Awakening in October.

0 Comments

Spamalot - Brentwood Operatic

The Full Monty - LTC

Copacabana -LODS

Author

Archives

Categories