Sunday, 12 November 2017

My Favourite Theatre YouTube Channels


I’ve been slowly getting back into YouTube after a little break, and I’ve fallen in love with a handful of creators who inspire me, make me laugh, and feed my love for theatre. Some are stagey (theatre-obsessed, like me!) and some are just brilliant lifestyle or travel vloggers who brighten up my feed. (You can watch the video version of this post here)

These are in no particular order, and I’ll probably need to do a Part Two because I just know I’ll forget someone. But for now, here are some of my current favourites!

Sophia de Souza- Sophia is one of my absolute queens. You might remember her from the In the Heights tag or our Rent video together. She does a brilliant mix of lifestyle, theatre content, and all sorts of videos. Honestly, she’s just endlessly creative and fun. If you’re not already subscribed, go do it.

Rachel Zegler- I’ve recently become completely obsessed with Rachel Zegler. She’s American and posts singing videos, vlogs from shows she’s in, and chatty sit-downs that are so relatable. Her voice is absolutely incredible and she often covers Dodie Clark songs (which is iconic because Dodie's songs are just everything), and the first video I found of hers was her singing “Anyway” by Kerrigan and Lowdermilk which bleeeeeew me away. I’ve been hooked ever since. Deep chats, amazing voice, total spirit animal.

Shaun Nolan- Shaun is such a talent and mark my words, this boy is going to be famous. He’s currently airing his coming-of-age series Pickle, which is funny, heartfelt, and brilliantly written. Beyond that, he’s just an amazing person and creator. Subscribe now and you’ll be able to say you were there before he made it big.

Perry O’Bree- Perry has popped up on my channel before (we filmed a Hamilton video together), and he’s always around at theatre events! He vlogs about theatre, music, book signings, and more. Basically, if there’s something happening, Perry is there with his camera. He’s upbeat, funny, and always positive, which makes his videos such a joy to watch.

Lottie- Lottie is amazing at vlogging. She doesn’t hold back or have any shame filming in public; she just shares her real life, whether she’s at home, going to shows, visiting the Theatre Café, or heading to dance class. She even does a video series with her sister, sending videos back and forth. Her warmth and friendliness come through on screen, making you feel like you’re having a chat with a friend.

Damon and Jo- Okay, these two aren’t stagey at all but I had to include them. Damon and Jo are travel vloggers who are absolutely hilarious, inspirational, and somehow manage to speak about 10,000 languages. Their Instagram is also fire, but their YouTube channel is where the magic happens. Even if you don’t want to travel, you’ll want to subscribe just for the laughs.

Rukaya- Rukaya is another creator I adore. She makes beautifully edited, artsy vlogs and recently did a whole series from her trip to New York. Her videos are consistent, thoughtful, and really creative basically everything I aspire to be as a YouTuber. We even filmed a Halloween video together (keep an eye out for that if it’s not up already!)

That’s it for now, my favourite YouTubers at the moment. I know I’ll think of more, but if you’re not already subscribed to these incredible creators, go and show them some love.

And of course, subscribe to me too if you’d like!

Who are your favourite YouTubers? Drop their names in the comments, I’d love to discover more.

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Thursday, 9 November 2017

Rules For Living, Rose Theatre | Review


Rules For Living
Rose Theatre 
Reviewed on Wednesday 8th November 2017 by Jeanine Jones
★★★★★

You only have to observe the frozen, poker faces of London commuters to see that we have all developed certain survival mechanisms for everyday life. Our actions in certain situations, as well as our subconscious coping strategies, are our individual ‘Rules for Living’ which is both the premise and title of the intelligent and insightful play by Sam Holcroft. Premiered at National’s Dorfman Theatre in 2015, Rules For Living sees its revival at the Rose Theatre Kingston this month with a promise of hope for many.

Directed by Simon Godwin, the domestic comedy drama sets up an immediately recognisable scenario in which a repressed, dysfunctional family come together for the ritual of Christmas Day. We meet the archetypical home counties mother Edith (Jane Booker) who has organised her Christmas Day event programme with military precision, and has been cooking for a week - no stone has been left unturned and she even has a spare present ‘in case of emergencies’. We learn that Edith’s motive for desperately keeping everything together is to give her husband Francis (Paul Shelley), who is in hospital after cardiac surgery, the perfect family Christmas.

Enter Carrie (Carlyss Peer), every inch the exuberant and irrepressible actress, as the catalyst to set tensions simmering.  Carrie has been brought home by her boyfriend Matthew (Jolyon Coy), to celebrate their first Christmas together, however his tendency to people please has left her waiting for him to ‘put a ring on it’. Despite trying to shrink to fit, the charming but clumsy and innocently tactless Carrie has unknowingly failed to endear herself to Matthew’s family.

Matthew’s older brother Adam (Ed Hughes) and his ‘gluten, sugar and lactose free’ wife Nicole (Laura Rogers) are concealing their ailing marriage behind a united front, whilst trying to establish their daughter Emma's (Charlotte Coppellotti/Bonnie Kingston) ‘energy envelope’. Suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome and adrenal stress, Emma is staying in bed upstairs for Christmas day, much to the dismay and bewilderment of Edith who at only fourteen had raised her own siblings ‘can you imagine I didn’t want to crawl up on the sofa and have someone talk to me about my energy envelope?’ 


The clever device of displaying each characters’ ‘rules for living’ on projector screens adds the farcical element to the play, building the intensity of the piece as more and more layers are added. Whilst these rules are "rooted in real emotional impulses" by the playwright Holcroft, the physical comedy is reminiscent of the ‘sit up, stand up, lie down’ improvisation game immortalised by Whose Line Is It Anyway. It is hilarious to watch Matthew grapple with the props needed to carry out his ‘rules for living’: ‘Matthew must sit and eat to tell a lie’, and we see Carrie Irish dancing and doing the Thriller routine as she ‘must stand and dance around to tell a joke until she gets a laugh’. 

The characters begin to truly unravel when the Father, Francis (Paul Shelley) comes back from hospital – to great amusement as Edith lists the ‘out of bounds’ conversation topics to her family:  above all if they cannot say anything nice they must not say anything at all, and there are to be ‘no electronics’ at the table. Now wheelchair bound, Francis is a shadow of his former self with a breathing tube after a delayed, post-operative stroke. We learn that the former judge has not only had a philandering past but reigned terror upon his sons during their childhood, wreaking havoc with their self-esteem and resulting in neither son pursuing their true ambitions. As Francis is only able to remember his sons as children, the family members are thrust into the roles they once assumed, with all of dynamics of sibling rivalry. This also allows the issue of our ‘rules for living’ learned early in life to be addressed, through the two brothers whose own childhood issues remain unresolved. Edith’s perfected response to her husband’s numerous infidelities has been resolute denial and downing liquid aspirin, her ‘rule for living’ being to ‘clean and self-medicate to keep calm’. 

The obligatory Christmas Day board game that follows is an analogy of the premise of the play, each player having a secret rule, and the other players having to guess the rule and follow it.  The play hurtles along as a masterclass in farce, becoming increasingly complex with polished dexterity from the actors who do not miss a beat. The tension builds to an unexpected profession of love, and ultimately to a spectacular, explosively climatic meltdown on all fronts, descending into outright anarchy. Both insults and food are slung around, brilliantly choreographed by fight director Kev McCurdy, and Emma (Adam and Nicole’s daughter) finally emerges at the top of the stairs to the chaotic display. Even after the complete ruination of Christmas Day Edith insists her son use a coaster, and it’s back to business as usual.

Jane Booker plays the tightly wound, Hyacinth-Bucket-like Edith perfectly, master of her tight ship and asking familiar questions like ‘who’s shoes are these’, ‘who loaded the dishwasher?’- she even cleaning the tinsel and her playing cards to calm herself. Lines such as ‘they all turned out in their Christmas best to be with their old Mum’ will make her instantly recognisable to audiences. Her spectacular turkey fling and the line ‘if you have nothing nice to say go f*** yourself’ will make Edith the hero for put-upon mothers everywhere.


Carlyss Peer is a force as the all-singing all-dancing, wonderfully childlike Carrie, whom those with big personalities will thoroughly relate to - ‘being myself I can be a bit much for some people’. Her presence in the play is a shining example of the importance being authentic - ‘if you wanted a wallflower for a girlfriend you shouldn’t have picked me’.  She is ultimately a hero also as she walks out on her boyfriend after his lies and stringing along.

Jolyon Coy is both solid and charismatic in the role of Matthew, and also gives an excellent rendition of A Modern Major General from the Pirates of Penzance– he is completely believable as the would-have-been actor, had drama school not been perceived as his Father as a far less worthy pursuit than law.

Ed Hughes brings plenty of charm and energy as the pedantic Adam and shows off a myriad of accent skills in delivering one of his ‘rules for living’: ‘Adam must affect an accent to mock.’

Laura Rogers gives a solid performance as the uptight Nicole, who has fought hard to save her marriage and just wants to be loved. Nicole introduces the central message of the play, explaining that CBT ‘helps change core beliefs - you create rules for living to help you get on with life. Her character is also a feminist voice, questioning the tradition of the man carving the turkey - ‘sometimes tradition is wrong, I don’t see why the man should be the one to carve.’

Paul Shelley gives a believable portrayal of the irreverent, wheelchair-bound Francis spouting expletives, true to form groping Carrie around the dinner table. In spite of his flaws Francis is likeable, which is the skill of Shelley in understanding his character motivation.


The characters written by Sam Holcroft are extremely well-defined, their motivations and psychology clear to the audience, and underlined by the director Simon Godwin– for actors this is a fine example of relentlessly pursuing an objective. The snappy dialogue and brilliantly written script include excellent ‘arguing couple’ writing with hilarious lines such as: ‘You don’t need to kill it you just need to carve it’, and ‘Is that what you’re wearing, Adam?– ‘apparently not’. 

Holcroft defuses the sensitive topic of the effects of a stroke with comedy - Carrie’s line ‘don’t get up’ to the wheelchair-bound Francis receives a huge laugh from the audience. 

The scene in which Francis gropes Carrie is also tricky territory, addressing the fact that women are often blamed for sexual harassment– ‘It’s not your Father’s fault when she puts them on display like that’. 

The set design with a dividing doll’s house by Lily Arnold, with Mark Melville’s accompanying music box theme, is the perfect backdrop for a play which highlights how childhood issues and belief systems affect our adult life. 

The projection of the ‘rules for living’ above the stage, with video design by Andrzej Goulding, gives us an important visual aid for the complex story. The family meltdown is mirrored by the screen image breaking up which is a clever device to add tension. Lighting design by Matt Daw includes beautiful snowflakes floating down, enhancing the Christmas setting of the play.  It is a particularly nice touch by wardrobe designer Hilda Sarah Greenwood that all the characters’ Christmas paper hats match their outfits.  

Rules for Living is a rollercoaster ride of a play with strong female characters, and a variety of food for thought.  It reminds us never to shrink to fit, not to tolerate lying and to follow our dreams. It is an honest portrayal of the pretences kept up among families, with familiar situations such as dating someone from a different family background, and sibling rivalry.  We are also reminded of the changing dynamics in a family as parents get older, and the prevalent issue of sexual harassment. The presence of Emma and her psychological state urges us to consider children being affected by the impact of divorce. 

With the increase in depression and mental health issues in the UK, the Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) component which is so central to the play - Holcroft was in therapy when she wrote it - will encourage audiences to think about their own ‘rules for living’, including negative thoughts and belief systems which prevent progress.  Through the character of Nicole the play voices the advantages of CBT, a talking therapy aimed at helping people with psychological, emotional and physical illnesses including depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, eating disorders and insomnia. The hope presented in the play is that CBT can help change core beliefs and create new ‘rules for living’ to help people get on with their lives.

I found Rules For Living to be an extremely cathartic experience, and could thoroughly relate to Carrie so keen to please and ‘entertain’ people, rather than just be herself.

Rules For Living is sure to affect change through the power of theatre to reach audiences, and through championing CBT will help give hope to and new purpose to the many suffering members of society. 
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Wednesday, 8 November 2017

Cilla (UK Tour), New Wimbledon Theatre | Review


Cilla (UK Tour)
New Wimbledon Theatre 
Reviewed on Tuesday 7th November 2017 by Olivia Mitchell 
★★★★★

I have to admit, unlike many, I didn't grow up with Cilla Black. I knew a few of her hit songs but until an hour before seeing the show, had never seen an episode of Blind Dates so despite having heard good things, I was a little dubious as to whether this would be the show for me. I'm pleased to report that my doubts were uncalled for, as the show is spectacular. 

This new production chronicles the Merseyside National Treasure's rise to fame accompanied by the hits of not only Cilla herself, but the other bands of the time. This is a unique take on the jukebox formula which instantly won over the audience of older people reliving the hits they grew up with and the younger generations alike. 

Whilst many jukebox musicals are an excuse to perform hit songs with little storytelling, Cilla has Jeff Pope's stellar book to accompany it. This allows us to become invested in the show and performances rather than just waiting for the next song. With moments of drama, light and shade, there's really something for everyone and the show provides a well rounded theatrical experience with a depth not often seen in jukebox musicals. 


As the lead, Kara Lily Hayworth becomes the Liverpool lady and heart of the show in a faultless performance from start to finish. Expertly embodying Cilla's iconic speaking voice as well as her vocally tough songs, Kara becomes Cilla and has the audience wrapped around her finger from start to finish. Her performance of the demanding role is certainly a memorable one and I can't commend her more highly for her stunning portrayal.

The Beatles and their manager Brian Epstein (Andrew Lancel) feature majorly in the show and give wonderful and iconic performances. The costumes, voices and mannerisms of each person are done to a T and you almost forget you're watching a tribute to these artists and not them live in the flesh!

As Cilla's devoted companion, Carl Au gives a charming performance throughout. His vocal performances are worth the wait when in act two he sings a delightful rendition of 'A Taste of Honey' overall he is endearing and a joy to watch.


The supporting cast are wonderful, especially Cilla's parents who deliver some hilarious one-liners throughout. Mention must also be made of the set design by Gary McCann which is striking and seamless in moving us from the Merseyside Club to Abbey Road to the London Palladium just to name a few. 

Cilla Black was a woman of the people's hearts and a National Treasure who will always be remembered for her stunning voice, wit and charm. This musical does the perfect job of remembering her  and chronicling her life in a glitzy and exciting but truthful way. Whether you're a massive Cilla fan or not, this show will certainly provide fantastic viewing!

Cilla runs at the New Wimbledon Theatre until November 11th before continuing its tour.

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Monday, 6 November 2017

Opera: Passion, Power and Politics, Victoria and Albert Museum | Review


Opera: Passion, Power and Politics (Exhibition)
Victoria and Albert Museum
Reviewed on Sunday 5th November 2017 by Olivia Mitchell 
★★★★★

Opera: Passion, Power and Politics is a vast and exhilarating exhibition which explores the complex and beautiful history of opera as well as its power to affect us all. In collaboration with the Royal Opera House, the exhibition examines seven operas both in the context of the composer's lives and the cities and countries they were originally performed in (the only exception is the 1861 Paris production of Wagner's Tannhäuser.) The final room takes us into  the modern day with a selection of operas premiered in the last seventy or so years. 

 The exhibition is extravagant and immersive; visitors are supplied with headsets which play pieces to accompany the route which evoke both intellectual and visceral feelings. Whilst I thoroughly enjoyed the entire exhibition and the accompanying music, I find it somewhat odd that the actual musical element is made optional, although there are so many factors which go into making an opera great, the music is certainly the most crucial. 

Wandering around the exhibition space it's amazing to see how opera changed so much whilst keeping its original roots. The displays become more and more lavish, with stunning costumes and other objects becoming grander as we get further in. The political climate and opera have always been thoroughly linked and it is particularly striking to see the sudden return to minimalism during the Soviet Modernism movement when Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk was suppressed in 1936 and to be taken literally to the battlefield when the music is replaced with the sound of distant gunfire as we move to study Verdi's Nabucco.

 This is overall a remarkable exhibition, which like the Opera itself, really needs to be seen and heard to truly be appreciated. The amount of information displayed is overwhelming but exciting throughout and both Opera lovers and Opera newbies are sure to learn something interesting. Visually experiencing the humanity and social relevance of the seven pieces is moving and compelling and I highly recommend you go and experience it yourself.

 Opera: Passion, Power and Politics is on display at the Victoria and Albert museum until February 25th 2018.
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Friday, 3 November 2017

Macbeth, Bussey Building | Review



Macbeth
Bussey Building 
Reviewed on Thursday 2nd November 2017 by Alessandra Cenni 
★★★

Nothing screams ‘welcome to this production of Macbeth’ better than a lovely full-body skeleton comfortably sitting centre stage.

The charming gentleman was the first character I met last night at the CFL Art Cafe in the Bussey Building - a suggestive performing space, large enough to allow an interesting setting, but that nonetheless will give you the chills when the lights go out.

The premise of this post-apocalyptic retelling of the famous tragedy was clearly stated in the programme: civilisation had met its fall, and humanity is trying its best to survive through violence, living on the scraps of the previous world. The setting and costumes give justice to this new world, and I found myself wondering how military clothes and bullet belts could feel even more appropriate than traditional costumes. Because they really did. This new desperate-fallen-revolutionaries look just clicked with the characters better than I expected.

I found the visuals and sounds of the second act particularly beautiful - especially if you have a thing for dark and stormy nights, blood-thirsty characters, and violent actions, like I do. That was the part where the raw savagery of the plot found its perfect expression in this broken, hopeless imitation of humanity.

And yet, this backstory also becomes a downside to the production. It raised lots of expectations on the way this story was going to intertwine with the original and what it could add to it, but these were never fulfilled. The backstory was more of a background than a story, maybe also due to a pretty static stage. Since I love the idea, I would definitely love to see how this would play out in a larger production.

The cast gave a fierce, energetic performance that had its strongest moments during the second act. At points I was amazed at how I felt as though I was in the middle of a epic war with only six actors actually fighting on stage. 

The witches chose to go for a seriously creepy effect (borderline disturbing, I would say). Their movements had something feral, that belongs to wild beasts rather than humans. The main pair - Macbeth and his Lady - were just made for the part. Henry Proffit’s Macbeth starts off with a cheeky smile, almost playful, but his later torment seems genuine. Sadie Pepperrell (also one of the witches) plays a Lady Macbeth who looks extraordinarily young, charming, and ambitious.  Her mental breakdown in Act 2 was particularly strong and convincing.

My loyalty, however, goes to Macduff (Jared Fortune) and his family. Lady Macduff (Danielle Bond - again, one of the witches as well) fights like a tiger against four men, and so does her son, before being slaughtered. Macduff’s despair was so authentic I took his family's death as a personal offence, and I was really invested in their revenge.

A special mention goes to the kids - Quentin Debone as Macduff’s son, and Adam Nkomo as Fleance at this performance - who really made an impression on me and, from the high-pitched noises I heard, on the rest of the audience as well.

This Macbeth could be a starting point for something truly great; it is also a good way to get to know this venue, and definitely worth a trip to South London even if you're not local.

Macbeth plays until the 18th of November at the Bussey Building, Peckham

photo credit: Scott Rylander
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Monday, 30 October 2017

In Conversation With... Charlotte Cooper | The Night Pirates | Interview


Charlotte Cooper has had an extensive career and is currently starring in the swashbuckling family production, The Night Pirates. Charlotte sat down with Rewrite This Story to tell us about her career and why this production is perfect to take your little ones too!

 For anyone that doesn’t know, can you explain a little about your career and highlights so far?
I have worked extensively in children's theatre. I have been lucky enough to tour all over the world including Singapore, Malaysia and America as well as all over the UK and a stint in the West End. 


Have you always aspired to be a performer of did you have a different career path in mind when you were younger?
I discovered performing when I was 10 and knew instantly that I wanted to do it as my career. Prior to that I had wanted to be a farmer! I am still a big tractor fan and listen to The Archers daily.


What drew you to The Night Pirates?
The Night Pirates is a great book and gender equality in the form of female pirates is what the world needs! The team behind it are brilliant, Miranda and Barrie work beautifully together and Rose Theatre Kingston produce such excellent stuff. As soon as I heard it was being done I was itching to be seen for it. I am really pleased and proud to be a part of it 
Did you have a favourite bedtime story growing up? 
I was a big fan of Each Peach Pear Plum and the Jane Hissey Old Bear stories. I still have a soft spot for those.


What would your pirate name be?
What WOULD it be?! I am already blessed with one! ChARRRlotte or Captain Cooper. Captain ChARRRlotte Cooper to give me my full name.


Can you sum up the show in five words?
Swashbuckling action-packed piratey fun!


How do you adapt to performing in front of groups of mainly children compared to mainly adults?
An audience of mainly children is not a forgiving one! With shows for younger audiences, you know immediately by their reaction if something has or hasn't worked. They become restless if not fully entertained and need to be given plenty of opportunities to interact. It is a high energy medium and you have to be thinking constantly. 



Younger audiences notice everything, it’s impossible to trick them or divert them, if something funny happens on stage they will have noticed and you can't gloss over the moment in the way you could with an adult audience. (I was once in a show where another character and I collided and he fell over. It was incredibly funny as he fell to the floor and into a spotlight centre stage, the whole audience saw it so I had to acknowledge it had happened which gave them permission to laugh and helped to explain my obvious guffaws!)

What’s a fun fact people may not know about you?
I have a keen interest in dinosaurs and am currently studying a paleobiology course. I find it fascinating!


What’s your best piece of advice for an aspiring performer?

Find your niche. The acting industry is vast and there are many different genres and mediums, the thing you may be best suited to you might not know about yet. Be open and receptive to trying new stuff and find what you enjoy.
A huge thank you to Charlotte for taking the time to do this interview. The Night Pirates is touring until November 19th, more information can be found here.

 Interview by Olivia Mitchell, Editor
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Thursday, 26 October 2017

Son of a Preacher Man (UK Tour), New Theatre Oxford | Review


Son of a Preacher Man (UK Tour) 
New Theatre Oxford 
Reviewed on Tuesday 24th October 2017 by Michelle and Aaron Pont
★★★★

The present meets the past in Son of a Preacher Man, where 3 lonely hearts go in search of an old record store in Soho, which, during the 1960’s, the legendary Preacher Man was famed for giving out his words of wisdom, a cure to everyone’s ills.  Our lonely-hearts are also in search of Love

Upon finding the old record store, and the son of the Preacher Man, they are heartbroken to see that it is now a rundown, sad café, with none of the spark or life they were expecting. The son of the Preacher Man (Simon) is still living above the café, and with pressure from the lonely-hearts trio, tries to channel his late father’s spirit to help them find true love.

I found myself whisked back to the 1960’s, with the wonderful music of Dusty Springfield performed so well in this cleverly crafted show. 

The Cappuccino Sisters are a delight, a trio of waitresses suitably attired in ‘over-the-top’ 60’s gear, tulle skirts, short-suits and flamboyant headdress, they conjured up images of roller-skating waitresses from 60’s milk bars, especially Cassiopeia Berkeley-Agyepong. They strut their stuff about the stage, playing a range of musical instruments, singing and dancing to the ambiance of the show and taking us back in time.


This is a very impressive addition to the show; rather than having the musicians in the pit, they are a part of the show. Showing off their musical and performance skills throughout.

On the night I was there, understudy Jess Baker took the role of Kat to a high point with an outstanding performance. All credit to Jess with her fabulous accent and beautiful, powerful voice. Michael Howe as Paul was also mesmerising, with his great dance moves and wonderful voice, not to mention his prowess on the guitar. Both were, for me, the standout performers.

Look out for the wonderful rendition of ‘I Don’t Know What To Do With Myself’ sung and danced with chairs.  Yes, chairs. The harmony and movement in this song was wonderful.  


Also, standout performances were Lewis Kidd’s rendition of ‘You don’t have to say you Love me’ and Ellie-Jane Goddard and Michael Howe’s rendition of ‘Spooky’, with Michael on guitar. How dare they all be so talented!

The whole show ‘Unleased the Monster of Love’. Great singing, choreography, stage setting, lighting and topping it all off with wonderful songs made so famous by Dusty, who was almost an Oxford local (lived in High Wycombe), so it is a fitting tribute to her. There were only one or two forgivable missed moments in the script, but that was nothing compared to the fabulous performances. How could you not want to see a show with Dusty’s fabulous hits as inspiration?!


Go and see it!  It’s brilliant!

Son of a Preacher Man runs at the New Theatre Oxford until October 28th before continuing its tour.
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Wednesday, 25 October 2017

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (UK Tour), Grand Opera House, Belfast | Review


Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (UK Tour)
Grand Opera House, Belfast
Reviewed on Tuesday 24th October 2017 by Damien Murray
★★★★

The major appeal of this extremely popular biographical musical is that its subject, Carole King, really is a cross-generational artist, performer, singer, songwriter … and her eventful – but not always successful or happy - life provided a human story that connects to many of its audience every bit as much as her commercial and popular songs.

As a jukebox musical, this show can’t fail to impress with a score composed of classic hit after classic hit from all periods of King’s phenomenal career as both a writer/co-writer and, eventually, as a performer.

While the bulk of the hits are from her younger days, this show is a particular crowd-pleaser for anyone born in the late 40s and early 60s, but – so commercial are the songs – it also manages to successfully cross the generations to engage even with the youth of today who may be hearing them for the first time.

However, there is a bit more depth to this musical than just the songs, as King’s story is that of a young and ambitious teenage girl, who never set out to be a singer and who was as surprised as everyone else by her own success.

According to music impresario, Donnie Kirshner – perfectly played by Adam Howden as a no-nonsense boss who knew the business and who demanded results– the key to her success as a writer was that she was a teen who wrote songs for teens and she was a girl who wrote songs for girls… and it was teen girls who were buying most records at that time.


Like a typical Brooklyn teen with no fear, King – played so well by understudy, Leigh Lothian, in the absence of Bronté Barbé (due to a family bereavement) – jumped head first into the competitive music game as a staff writer for Kirshner’s songwriting business, 1650 Broadway, where she met her perfect husband and co-writer, Gerry Goffin, plus life-long friends and fellow song-writing team, Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann, with each providing friendly rivalry measured in ‘hit’ scoring over one another. This, of course, was a great excuse to also feature many of this duo’s hit successes, too, including You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling, Walking In The Rain and We’ve Gotta Get Out Of This Place.

In the lead role, Leigh Lothian, captured all of King’s emotions, moods, weaknesses and strengths, from being an ambitious and fearless teen, to coping with a teenage pregnancy, an unfaithful husband, her husband’s nervous breakdown and the eventual breakdown of her marriage, displaying strength, patience, forgiveness and loss of confidence before re-inventing herself as one of the world’s most successful female singers. 

Kane Oliver Parry, as Gerry Goffin, didn’t quite convince me that he was so troubled by his domestic and work pressures that they drove him into the arms of other women, but he displayed the kind of charm that the character must have had to keep King by his side for so long after his first affair and to be able to initiate so many affairs in the first place. I loved the chemistry between Amy Ellen Richardson’s pushy, confident and patient Cynthia Weil and Matthew Gonsalves’ Barry Mann; the impatient and always ailing hypochondriac.


This was a well-dressed production with authentic fashions of the day stretching right down to the girls sporting ‘Alice Bands’ on their heads, while the well-used, dual-level set helped to keep the pace fast with slick and quick scene changes.

The performance of the actual songs throws up some interesting observations – firstly, some are just parts of songs, and, due to the nature of the story about songwriters (as opposed to performers), some are raw or early rough examples of the finished and more polished hits that we have grown up to love.

So, although you will enjoy the story, don't expect to hear the songs as you would know them from the records as they are often performed ‘in context’ and do not always sound like the hits – I feel if you are pre-warned about this, then you won't be disappointed!

However, one small criticism/observation about this show was the overly exaggerated choreographic moves that could best be described as ‘dodgy dancing’ by ‘the Drifters’ These were greeted with laughter leaving me confused as to whether this was a comical send-up of the ‘dancing’ of the male vocal groups of the era or simply questionable choreography that didn’t get the desired result.

It was genius to stage a bio musical of this chart-topping music legend who penned material for the likes of Aretha Franklin, The Monkees, The Drifters and The Shirelles as this totally hit-filled show features many of those songs, including Take Good Care Of My Baby, You’ve Got A Friend, So Far Away, It Might As Well Rain Until September, Up On The Roof and The Locomotion with ‘character’ performances by The Drifters, The Shirelles, Little Eva, The Righteous Brothers and even a Neil Sedaka cameo appearance.


It is true, Carole King wrote songs that girls, and women, can relate to and the final two in this show – (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman and Beautiful – proved to be popular and inspirational anthems for the mostly female audience.

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical runs at the Grand Opera House until October 28th before continuing its tour.
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Million Dollar Quartet (UK Tour), Edinburgh Playhouse | Review


Million Dollar Quartet (UK Tour)
Edinburgh Playhouse
Reviewed on Tuesday 24th October 2017 by Liv Ancell
★★★

Memorialising the famous jam session of 1956, where fate brought together legends Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and newcomer Jerry Lee Lewis, Million Dollar Quartet is an energetic show which rattles through instantly recognisable hits from the golden age of rock n’roll at a lightning-fast rate.

Martin Kemp plays the ‘ringmaster’ of the show, Southern music mogul Sam Phillips. The man who brought them all together under his grass-roots label Sun Records, he also provides commentary as to the back stories of the four stars, frequently breaking the fourth wall and treating the audience like an old friend. 

This is a fast-paced show with little time for dialogue; the first half is a mere 40 minutes of back-to-back tunes, with little time for talking. During this time, the characters share a little camaraderie, but the focus is on the hits. The spectacular array of voices as well as world class musicians in the tiny recording studio set turns the theatre show into a veritable live rock concert.


The leg-shaking, foot-tapping firecracker, Jerry Lee Lewis, is portrayed with limitless vitality by Martin Kaye - a role he has been playing since 2013, but astonishingly, not a single iota of his energetic and charismatic presence has waned in this time. He really stole the show and was an audience favourite - his cheeky and youthful, unpolished and unfiltered personality was both refreshing and infectious.

The other actors had clearly studied the iconic voices of their roles in great depth, with Robbie Durham (Cash), Matthew Wycliffe (Perkins) and Rhys Whitfield (Presley) all achieving near-perfect matches of their famous characters, even mimicking their stage presence and movements. Katie Ray played a supporting role of Dyanne, but when she did take to the microphone, the versatility and depth of her voice shone through. My only criticism of Katie Ray would be that her accent strayed from American to English at times, which was a little confusing.

The pace slows in the second half, as the session slowly winds down and reality sets in. It becomes clear that the session that we have witnessed was a remarkable and fleeting moment in history, where these four stars came together under one roof, united by the music they loved.


The ending was extremely ambiguous; for the last half an hour, it wasn’t clear quite when the show was going to end. The story ended, and the characters bowed. This was immediately followed by an impromptu seeming concert, allowing each of the 4 a solo to really showcase their talents, which whipped the audience into a frenzy. During this time, the lighting effects were amped up with extra rigging lowered, as we were no longer witnessing a performance in the confines of the recording studio.

In terms of staging and lighting throughout, it was relatively low key, with no transitions in staging. The singular static setting meant that a small recording studio was recreated on stage, which was a small place for such a big sound. This reinforced however how small-town Phillips’ recording studio really was though, making this encounter all the more unbelievable. 

Overall, the talents in this show were incredible - particularly Martin Kaye’s performance in which playing complex scores on the piano while jumping around animatedly somehow seemed effortless. More dialogue and more of a back story would have perhaps given the show a little more depth and narrative however, but if you simply want to see a performance which showcases these artists or this style of music, Million Dollar Quartet is guaranteed to rock your socks off!

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