Posts with the label jonathan bailey
Showing posts with label jonathan bailey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jonathan bailey. Show all posts
Wednesday, 17 October 2018
Company, Gielgud Theatre | Review
Company
Gielgud Theatre
Reviewed on Tuesday 16th October 2018 by Olivia Mitchell
★★★★
Marriage is the order of the day with Marianne Elliot and Chris Harper's gender-switched version of Company. Bobbi (formerly Bobby) has reached aged 35 and is surrounded by an endless barrage of questions about why she's single and when she's gong to become 'whole' and partner up.
Bunny Christie's set design is artwork of its own in the way it reflects the isolation one can feel in life, especially when living in a city which can make you feel small. The set is make up of cool neon framed cubes which interconnect to make up the various parts of Bobbi's life. The set also works well as its own character to contrast Bobbi. The cold stage is perfectly balanced by Bobbi's vibrant red dress so she always stands out amongst the others.
The show avoids a formal linear structure and instead jumps from tableau to tableau, which are linked by a reoccurring surprise birthday party. The spitfire force that leads the show is Rosalie Craig who is humourous, enticing and charming in the lead role, Bobbi. On stage for pretty much the entire show, Rosalie performs with the stamina and vocal agility of a true star and will no doubt receive much acclaim for her portrayal.
Our leading lady's married friends are an amusing group who have been given a modern makeover and been switched up to be more fitting for a contemporary audience. As the loving but smothering Paul and neurotic Jamie, Alex Gaummond and Jonathan Bailey are outstanding. Bailey's performance of Not Getting Married is a stellar tutorial in how to perform a patter song and he's a complete revelation in the role. The scene is entirely heightened and wholly hilarious. As the couple who are always playing a game of push and pull Sarah and Harry, Mel Giedroyc and Gavin Spokes are witty and very well performed. Susan (Daisy Maywood) and Peter (Ashley Campbell) are questioning whether marriage was the right choice for them whilst Jenny (Jennifer Saayeng) and David (Richard Henders) are settling and changing to keep one another happy. Our final couple are Joanne and Larry who mirror Bobbi a huge amount. As Larry Ben Lewis is sweet and giving, whilst his partner Joanne, played by musical theatre veteran Patti LuPone warns Bobbi of the downfalls of falling into what society expects of you and how life can be empty if you simply become a wife and a lady who lunch. As expected, she is a scene stealer who brings earth shattering vocals.
Bobbi's three boyfriends are played uniquely and faultlessly to highlight some of Bobbi's issues and struggles, whilst bringing a realness to the show that is easily relatable. Matthew Seadon-Young plays Theo, who has a past with Bobbi but their snaps with each other quickly bring to light why they didn't work out. Richard Fleeshman plays the dim but kind flight attendant, Andy very well; and George Blagden is the most hisptery-hipster ever in his portrayal of PJ. All three men deliver some stellar vocals and well rounded characters despite not having a huge amount of solo stage time each. The moment they join forces in You Could Drive a Person Crazy, with sleek choreography and super sharp Barber Shop harmonies, is one of the stand out moments of the production.
Company is a show for a 2018 audience. Well directed with boat loads of humour and an equal amount of subtlety, its opens up the question of whether marriage is for everyone and prompts us to examine our own choices. Take yourself down to the Gielgud Theatre to see the musical which is sure to sweep the next Olivier Awards.
photo credit: Brinkhoff/Mögenburg
Saturday, 17 February 2018
The York Realist, Donmar Warehouse | Review
The York Realist
Donmar Warehouse
Reviewed on Wednesday 14th February 2018 by Olivia Mitchell
★★★★
Peter Gill's 2001 play is a beautifully moving and genuinely funny look at same-sex love. This glorious revival by Robert Hastie is natural and manages to say more in 130 minutes than many plays say in 3 hours. Nothing is force fed or overdramatic but by the end we genuinely care for the characters and believe what they're going through.
The York Realist is about an assistant director who's putting on an amateur production of the mystery plays. Ben Batt plays George who's starring in the play but hasn't been attending rehearsals so John (Jonathan Bailey) the young, well-spoken London director visits George's Yorkshire farmhouse to persuade him to return to rehearsals. There he meets George's family and the two form a relationship. This is a show all about detail; it's explores a gay relationship of course but there's an equal amount of exploration about class, family, identity and grief. It looks at the feeling of identity in terms of where you live and were brought up, with Gill's writing having it's own identity with it's glorious portrayal of Yorkshire and the community there.
The family kitchen feels truly authentic as we meet George's mother, sister, brother-in-law, nephew and family friend. The conversation flows and the intimacy of the Donmar Warehouse allows us to appreciate every moment and enjoy this understated piece of theatre.
Ben Batt is outstanding as the calm, buff Yorkshireman who struggles to leave his home and comforts behind; he manages to be strong but sensitive and gives a truly heart-warming performance. Jonathan Bailey is an extraordinary delight who perfectly gives off the big-city vibe without ever being over the top or annoying to watch. Both actors show off their vulnerabilities to devise an intricate, touching world.
The snug Donmar Warehouse transformed by Peter McKintosh's delightful cottage set provide a perfectly evocative setting. The detailed kitchen set is the perfect home for the cast of seven who seem as though they've spent their entire childhoods drinking tea in there.
This is a glorious show which creeps up on you slowly, naturally and beautifully. I couldn't think of a better way to spend 130 minutes.
photo credit: Johan Persson
Thursday, 3 November 2016
The Last Five Years, St James Theatre | Review
The Last Five Years is a heartbreakingly beautiful story of a failed marriage set to song
The Last Five Years
St James Theatre
Reviewed on Wednesday 2nd November 2016 by Olivia Mitchell
★★★★★Reviewed on Wednesday 2nd November 2016 by Olivia Mitchell
Jason Robert Brown's musical tells the story of Cathy and Jamie with her story running backwards from heartbreak to giddiness and his running forwards from the first moments of meeting to the disillusion at the end. Somehow this concept which could have been very confusing manages to work exquisitely and is carried out with professional style and ease by Samantha Barks and Jonathan Bailey.
The show runs for 90 minutes straight through and includes a number of musical styles which help to maintain the pace and make the whole relationship feel very realistic. Personal highlights were "See I'm Smiling", "The Schmuel Song" and "Moving Too Fast" all of which were total lessons in storytelling from Samantha and Jonathan. The simple staging works well to show scene changes without distracting from the intimacy of the show.
Jason Robert Brown's songs seem to get more beautiful every time I hear them and believe me I've heard them a lot! From watching the film version of The Last Five Years to listening to various youtube versions I have pretty high standards for it and this production smashed them all out of the park. This seems to be the musical exactly how it should be. Each moment seems so well thought out with each acting choice complementing the beautiful music and vice versa.
Jonathan Bailey brings humour and wit to the character of the up and coming writer Jamie who in his heart is really just a jerk; despite his love for Cathy at the start, his wandering eye and his self-absorbed personality become his downfall and the relationship fails. Jonathan's acting choices are dramatic whilst still being understated at points and he truly relates to the audience, especially when he picks out audience members to be his Cathy in certain songs.
Samantha Barks shows off her acting and singing chops once again in the role of Cathy. From the opening number of the iconic "I'm Still Hurting" Samantha embodies the character and gracefully rewinds from the bitter end of the relationship to the extreme joy she felt at the start. Samantha's star power glistens like a diamond as she commands the stage in this role and shows her versatility in moments of happiness, sadness and humour.
This is a positively admirable production which ticks every box on what makes a great musical. Its truly a lesson in acting through song and the two stars are faultless in their performances. The Last Five Years is a beautiful, bold and poignant depiction of a relationship, impeccably brought to life on stage by two wonderfully esteemed performers.
The Last Five Years is on at the St James theatre until December 3rd. You can book tickets on the website here.
photos by Scott Rylander
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