Little Shop Of Horrors, Mercury Theatre - 29/05/2015

Mushnik’s Flower Shop is open for business as the monster musical Little Shop of Horrors takes over the Mercury Theatre. Ellie Bannerman reviews. Read more theatre reviews at heylookitstheellie.wordpress.com.

A show about a man-eating, sassy-chatting plant really shouldn’t work half as well as Little Shop Of Horrors does. It follows the story of Seymour, an employee at Mushnik’s Flower Shop, who manages to raise a plant who takes a bit of a fancy to human blood. Oh, and it can talk. Sounds ridiculous, right? Well, yes, but therein lies the unique charm of this cult classic show.

This co-production of the Mercury and Salisbury Theatres bears an impressive cast without any real weak links. The stand-out cast members for me have to be Gbemisola Ikumelo, Karis Jack and Carole Stennett as a three piece soul band and residents of Skid Row who add a great deal of fun and brilliant vocal talent to this production. Frances McNamee also gives an assured performance as shop assistant Audrey, who’s impressive voice really shines in Somewhere That’s Green. A special mention must go to plant puppeteer Andrew London and voice Leon Craig who give Audrey II an incredibly lifelike presence, making it easy to be taken to a world in which we are all under threat from a man-eating plant.

One of the first things you notice about this production is James Button’s tall, overbearing set. Washing hangs between two windows, rubbish lines the street and graffiti covers the walls. It really reinforces the rundown setting of Skid Row, and helps to access Seymour’s reasoning in continuing to give in to the plant’s bloodthirsty demands; they’re a chance to escape from the dire surroundings in which he finds himself (though feeding 3 people to a talking plant might have been a bit extreme).

If there’s one thing you take away from this show, it’s definitely going to be its catchy and immensely enjoyable score, ensuring the plot doesn’t get too depressing which, let’s face it, was always going to be a risk with a show about a plant that’s intent on taking over the human race. 

Mixing musical theatre with motown, soul and rock and roll vibes makes for a score that’s interesting throughout; with most of the songs remaining in your head way after you leave the theatre. I enjoyed Act 1 opener Skid Row (Downtown) which cleverly introduced all the characters and set the scene for the rest of the show, but by far my favourite number was Suddenly, Seymour. Songs involving people belting about how much they love each other pretty much always gain a special place in my heart – and this is no exception!

A fun night out not to be taken too seriously, this production Little Shop Of Horrors is full of brilliant songs and a talented cast which make for a thoroughly enjoyable evening of theatre.

[4/5]

Little Shop Of Horrors is part of the Mercury Theatre’s ‘Made In Colchester’ season and is playing until 13th June. 

Noises Off theatre review, 05/05/2015

Photo by Robert Day

Ellie Bannerman reviews Noises Off, the next play in the Mercury Theatre’s Made In Colchester season. Read more at heylookitstheellie.wordpress.com.

Having spent the past couple of months stressing about my AS exams, I was pretty excited at the possibility of some light humorous relief in the form of Noises Off, the play about a play following the dysfunctional cast of Nothing On and their attempts to put on a successful tour. Prior to my evening of theatre I had been on a tour of Colchester’s libraries, trying to pick up at least some facts about Churchill’s international diplomacy during WWII and at which bar Mozart uses a diminished 7th chord in his piano sonata (bar 67… I think). It would be fair to say at this point I was mildly tired and perhaps not ready for the amount of humour I was about to be bombarded with.

From all the practise papers I’ve been taking over the last few weeks, I’ve learnt it’s often important to look at thinks objectively. So, looking at Noises Off in this light, it fares really rather well. Wikipedia describes it as a farce, ‘a comedy that aims to entertain the audience through situations that are highly exaggerated and extravagant’. This it succeeds in – there is a lot of falling over and overdramatic delivery of lines which had the audience in fits, and occasionally made me giggle too. 

Wikipedia also informs me that ‘farces are often highly incomprehensible plot-wise’. This is also another great success of the play – I had literally no idea what was happening, which was at times enjoyable, but at others completely overwhelming for me and my tired old brain. Perhaps I would have enjoyed it more had my head not been full up with random figures (Fun facts: Italy had 2million unemployed by 1919. The Labour party has 190,000 members), but for my current mental state I wasn’t ready to handle quite so many innuendos, people falling over and predictable jokes.

The first act is relatively easy to follow, the idea of director Lloyd yelling at the actors to get them to cooperate is really clever and so funny. The set revolves for the second act to show the backstage antics of the Nothing On cast. This seemed really interesting when it first began, but by the end of this act I had unfortunately had enough of the same jokes over and over again. This backstage view of the performance ends in disaster again (what a surprise), and just when I thought the show was over… the fictional play (inside the play) begins again. Even explaining it is nigh on impossible! I felt like I’d effectively ended up watching the same thing three times, which although amusing and a definite intelligent idea for the play, was just not something I could fully get on board with. Judging by other audience members, however, I was in the overwhelming minority – it’s definitely very good at what it does, and if what you’re looking for is a good old fashioned comedy from a different stance then this is totally up your street.

The cast of the play, however, cannot be faulted. The intricacy of the plot takes a lot of keeping up with for the audience, let alone for the people actually trying to act it out! Louise Kempton is hilarious as Poppy and I loved all the small actions and movements that really added to the awkwardness of her character.

It would seem after all this then, that I’ve entirely missed the point of the play. Come on Ellie – it’s meant to be ridiculous and confusing! Well… Yes. Maybe, then, we can conclude that you shouldn’t try and watch a farce when your brain is full of revision. And perhaps also that I have found the first genre of play that I don’t like. 

[2/5]

Margaret Thatcher Queen of Soho review, 17/03/15

Ellie Bannerman reviews Margaret Thatcher Queen of Soho, a hilarious satirical look at the Iron Lady. Read more at heylookitsthellie.wordpress.com

Described as a ‘drag comedy musical extravaganza’, Margaret Thatcher Queen Of Soho is easily one of the most fun nights out I’ve had for a long time. It follows the story of our hero, Maggie, getting lost in Soho the day before Section 28 (the bill banning the promotion of homosexuality in schools) is debated in Parliament. Along the way she sings a multitude of hits, questions her decisions and eventually gives up her Parliamentary career to become a cabaret superstar (unfortunately, not entirely historically accurate, but the real story of Thatcher’s demise would make for a far less entertaining show).

Entering the Leicester Square theatre was an exciting event in itself; classic songs blared from the speakers (think Man, I Feel Like A Woman) and I was pleased to see I was not the only person singing/dancing along! The atmosphere was great and it seemed like everyone was ready for a glorious evening of camptastic fun (perhaps helped by the fact it was also St Patrick’s day!). I was intrigued to see what was in store – I’d watched some videos of Maggie on YouTube (her top 10 tips for being PM are a must see) but no amount of videos could have prepared me for witnessing the phenomenon in person. As she bursts onto stage with her somewhat unconventional rendition of the YMCA (with audience participation thoroughly encouraged), I knew I would be enjoying myself for the next 90 minutes.

Now I must mention the magic behind Maggie that is Matt Tedford.  His marvellous portrayal of the Iron Lady had me in stitches every time he opened his mouth, particularly the interesting pronunciation of ‘homosexuals’ that I unfortunately can’t portray through the written word (just trust me, it’s brilliant) and the complete sass with which he dealt with people in the audience. Maggie’s ‘helpers’ Hestle and Tine (100 points to whoever came up with those names), played by Ed Yelland and Nico Lennon pull off a multitude of different roles with equal humour and really help to move the show along. A highlight has to be the arrival of the Ghost of Winston Churchill who Maggie turns to in her time of need. This scene (though mostly scripted) had an improvisatory quality about it which only made it funnier and really let the talent of the actor/comedians involved shine. Two other highlights: the Queen of Soho’s unique rendition of I Need A Hero (which involved far better cape management than Madonna) and her ‘heartbreaking’ solo version of She’s Always A Woman.

A must see for anyone wanting a hilarious, clever and thoroughly entertaining night out, Margaret Thatcher Queen of Soho is playing at the Leicester Square theatre until 21st March. If you can’t get there then be sure to check out Margaret Thatcher Queen of Podcasts in which Maggie offers brilliant insight into the week’s news. There’s even an Ed Miliband impression!

[4/5]

Educating Rita at the Mercury Theatre, 27/02/2015

Educating Rita at the Mercury Theatre - Photo by Robert Day

Ellie Bannerman reviews Educating Rita, the first show in the Mercury Theatre’s new Made In Colchester season. Check out heylookitstheellie.wordpress.com for more theatre blog posts and reviews. 

One of my goals for the new year was to go and see more plays – ask me anything about musical theatre and I’ll probably know the answer but plays are a different story. I can really only think of two plays I’ve ever seen and based on that knowledge it’s hardly surprising I’d actually never heard of Educating Rita before I got my ticket to see it at Colchester’s Mercury Theatre. Educating Rita is the story of Rita, a hairdresser who is adamant she needs to break out of her working class lifestyle, learn about the world and ‘find herself’. This brings her into the path of Frank, an Open University tutor who survives on the multitude of bottles of whisky hidden behind his bookshelves and his constant desire to reject himself.

To begin with, I was fairly sceptical about the show – how on earth could it be interesting for two hours with only two cast members? I felt as if the show took quite a while to get going, the first part seemed fairly repetitive with Rita continuously demanding she wants to ‘know everything’ and Frank attempting to tell her this is far easier said than done. But in the second act the show really comes into its own; I felt far more emotionally connected to the characters, my sympathy switched between both Frank and Rita throughout and I found it very hard to try and pick who’s side I was on! I also loved how the language of the two characters was so contrasting – both between Frank and Rita in the first act and the way in which Rita’s language changes as she becomes more ‘educated’ in the second.

The two cast members carried the show with ease. Dougal Lee gives a solid performance as Frank; I loved how he portrayed the contrasting sides of his character and began to change as his friendship with Rita grew. But from the moment she enters Samantha Robinson shines as Rita, her performance is hilarious, heartfelt and incredibly moving in places. Again, I loved how the character’s personality changes to become more ‘educated’ in the second act and to see Frank’s reaction to this, and how Rita learns to accept herself. I definitely had a lump in my throat by the end!

Staging was simple but really lovely, consisting of a large bookshelf and a few light up pictures. There was also a big backdrop which changed colour to signify the different times of day. The simplicity of the staging was really nice and I was very impressed with a lot of Rita’s quick changes. Scenes were transitioned very cleverly with the sky backdrop (or a change in Rita’s outfit!) usually signifying a new day.

I left wondering one thing: does this count as revision? Though I’m not learning about Macbeth or William Blake, I did find myself being very interested about the meaning of assonance (getting the rhyme wrong, according to Rita). All in all a good, well produced local production – I can’t fault the cast but I just wasn’t overly fond of the story. 

Rating [3/5]

‘Fallen in Love’ performance review

Reviewer Lucy Neill swaps her usual music scene for a theatre performance of ‘Fallen in Love’.

A man dressed in tights and sprawled out across a bed in the centre of a room isn't exactly what I was expecting to see, but then again, it was a performance set in Tudor times. It was the Red Rose Chain's 'Fallen In Love' show at Gippeswyk Hall in Ipswich about the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn, starting Emma Connell as Anne, and Scott Ellis as her brother, George - it was one of their first performances when I came bundling in with my notepad and pen.

The audience of about three dozen sat down in a small square room with the four-post bed in the middle, and chairs around the outside. The bed was covered in red velvet sheets, and the man was writing a letter of sorts. Mumbles of the crowd died down, the lights focused in on the middle and the music became muffled; the audience instantly became engaged with the scene, which started with George attempting (and, woefully, failing) to sing, before his stage partner Anne leapt into the staging area. The brother and sister enjoyed gossiping, their performance, even in the beginning of the play, was strong and powerful, and they moved about as much as possible around the small pathway surrounding the edges of the bed.

As they playfully quarrel about marriage, and the vices and virtues that come with it, Anne and George discuss how 'the King has noticed her'. The sibling connection was portrayed strongly through their acting, and through the following scenes, not a line was stuttered or shaken, the emotions stood strong on their faces - humour, agony, sadness and joy were all shown with such passion.

Progressing through the performance, set over a fifteen-year period, what was once an idea which they lightly mocked, the character Anne gradually began to show feelings of love towards King Henry. Happiness and love from the two characters soon turned to despair and hatred, and as Anne's confidence crumbled, George became desperate to find contentment and to look after his sister; she became more and more engulfed in a Queen's life, and their relationship slowly fell apart as they grappled on to what was left of their family life before Anne's marriage. 

 Anne's affairs focused more on King Henry rather than her brother, and there was a lot of heartbreak shown throughout the play, mixed with sorrow and short-lived episodes of joy. The way they went from one extreme emotion to another was most extraordinary - Emma Connell's and Scott Ellis' talent never failed to seep through into the performance, and it was thoroughly entertaining. Their soliloquies of acceptance of death and sin at the end, which were aimed at the audience, were hauntingly and remarkably exuberant, as was the whole of the performance. An exciting and must-see show for fringe theatre enthusiasts. 

More info—http://www.redrosechain.com/page/falleninlove