Do I dare to suggest that ENB’s production of Le Corsaire
ushers in the season of good tidings and joy in Milton Keynes? This ballet is a
visual extravaganza with beautifully detailed sets, ravishing costumes, an
array of characters – pirates, slaves, pashas and concubines and jolly set
pieces. What is not to delight the audience? The story is somewhat weak. It is
loosely based on Byron’s 1814 poem The Corsair, which was then transformed into
a libretto by Saint-Georges and Mazillier, but the version we see is by
Anna-Maria Holmes. The music is also an adventure - a cocktail of music by nine
composers, notable among them Delibes, Drigo, Adam and Minkus.  Their atmospheric music played by the ENB orchestra
conducted by Gavin Sutherland is exceptional and forms a wonderful pairing with
the movement on stage. The choreography merges the music and the steps
magically.

What is the story? It is the adventure tale of a pirate,
Conrad (Francesco Gabriele Frola) and his sweetheart, Medora , beautifully
interpreted by Erina Takahashi. Medora is kidnapped by Lankendem the slave
trader but after many contretemps she is rescued by her dashing pirate. Finally
together the lovers sail away, not into the sunset but into a ship wreck!  But this is jumping the gun (or off the
plank!) The first act opens in the bazaar where Lankendem (Ken Saruhashi) – the
baddy – is selling slaves to the Pasha – a delightfully doddery comedic pasha portrayed
by Michael Coleman. His assistant (Shevelle Dynott) is an altogether captivating
character too. The scene is set in an unnamed foreign city very much like
Istanbul; the ‘foreignness’ of the set is thrilling with water sellers and shop
keepers and slave girls and  a myriad of
other characters. The dancing in this act is breath taking. Mention must be make
of Shiore Kase as Guinare but, for me the highlight here was the athletic flexible
dancing of Jeffrey Cirio in the role of Ali.

But all the dancers are exceptional ; Erina Takahashi and
Shioi Kase are lithe and seemingly weightless; both are delicate and Takahashi  expresses sweetly the love she feels for
Conrad.  Frola is a strong, athletic
dancer, performing the most amazing grands jétés and sauts de basque seemingly effortlessly
in his solo dance but the pas de deux with Medora  is the pièce de resistance of the ballet,
fairly traditional, but accomplished and
tender; theirs is an excellent partnering.

Act ll, the Pirates’ Cave and Act lll, the  Pasha’s Palace are both set in visually
stunning sets. Bob Ringwood is responsible for the design ondemf these and of
the exquisite costumes. It is in these acts we see the denouement of the story –
the fight between Birbanto (Erik Woolhouse) and Conrad, and Birbanto being  the escape of the lovers by boat in a violent
storm which although ends in their drowning they will be  together forever.

.

 

 ENB’s  Le Corsaire is at Milton Keynes Theatre until
26th November

www.atgtickets.com

0844 871 7653

Booking fee applies

 

           It is extremely rare to meet the
inspiration for a musical – or even a film – but on a damp Tuesday evening in November,
Steve Pateman, the man whose troubles, and successes, were the motivation
behind Kinky Boots was in Milton Keynes in full boot regalia!  However, his personal story has been eclipsed
by that of the hero, Charlie Price, in the 2005 film Kinky Boots and the musical
of the same name launched in the States in 2012.

          Kinky boots is an uplifting tale of
adversity overcome through hardwork, persistence, generosity and luck. Charlie had
tried to escape provincial shoe manufacturing Northampton and his father’s
factory - Price and Son - to make a new life with his domineering, ambitious girl
in London. His kind gesture to intervene in the assault of Lola, a drag queen, -
where poor Charlie came off badly – led to his fascination with her flimsy
shoes and Charlie proceeds – after much soul searching and design failure - to
produce niche market stiletto boots fit for ‘ladies, gentlemen and those yet to
decide’ and for man- size feet in the world of drag queens. He is a success.

Although the musical is based
on Charlie (Joel Harper- Jackson) the musical’s star is Lola, the drag queen,
played flawlessly by Kayi Ushe. Both characters are believable. Lola is complex
– tough when in the role of Lola, yet vulnerable as Simon. Charlie and Lola
have an unlikely relationship – provincial boy and stage entertainer – but it
is Charlie who is changed most by their relationship, growing into manhood
helped, in part, by the love and respect of Lola.

Kayi Ushe as Lola,The Queen of Drag
is feisty and charismatic on stage and has a powerful voice. Yet Ushe, despite
his size and loudness, rarely dominates, but blends in with the ensemble. Lola
partners beautifully with Charlie in Not
My Father’s Son and another notable moment is the tango to What a Woman Wants with Don (Demitri
Lampra) and Pat (Lizzie Bea), where Ushe is in control. Both Lola and her all
male Angels are wonderful dancers - their timing is perfect, their energy indefatigable
and all is done in the highest of heels. Jerry Mitchell must be commended for
his wonderful choreography – especially the conveyor belt scene.

The music and lyrics for
Kinky Boots are by Cyndi Lauper , but regrettably there are no really memorable, catchy
tunes ; the musical is based on the book by Harvey Fierstein and film by Geoff
Diane and Tim Firth.  The result is a
sassy, sexy show, full of fun and frolics. The message – apart from high heels
are sex – is that community and family are important, as is the acceptance of
those who are ‘different’.

Kinky Boots is definitely worth
a viewing; it is optimism and escapism par excellence.

            

Kinky Boots is at Milton Keynes Theatre until Saturday 9th
November

www.atgtickets.com

0844 871 7652

Booking fee applies

 Reviewed by Alison Smith 25th September 2019

It is some 40 years since 9 to 5 The
Musical appeared, but its subject matter of gender inequality and sexual
harassment is still, unfortunately, as ubiquitous and as detrimental to women
as it was in the ‘80s. The redeeming features of treating this topic in a
frivolous musical however are the quality of the music, the acting and the
outcome – in this revenge fantasy it is the women who win!

         

Set in the offices of Consolidated
Industries the musical narrates the working lives of the ‘office girls’ – women
underrated and underpaid, and their sexist, predatory boss Mr Hart. Hart leers
at the young women and retches over the older women, makes offensive jokes and
treats all women as his servants. The dynamic team of three encapsulate the
situation of many women – Violet (Laura Tyler) widowed and overlooked for
promotion, Doralee (Georgina Castle) glamorous and misunderstood and Judy (Amber
Davies) a grieving divorcee of 21; they kidnap Hart, subject him to undignified
treatment and win their revenge by having him removed from his position of CEO
and replaced by Violet.

         

The success of the musical is not
only in the denouement, which rarely happens in ‘real’ life, but also in the comedic
treatment of the story. Franklin Hart Jnr is excellently portrayed by Brian
Conley. Conley uses gestures, one-liners and outrageous body language to appear
more of a pantomime baddie than a malevolent lecher. His rapport with the
audience almost neutralises the gravity of his behaviour. His faithful office
spy, Roz (Lucinda Lawrence) evokes laughter with her adoration of Hart, her
demure exterior and her sizzling interior; Judy Bernly makes us laugh with her
gauche behaviour; Doralee, -  I’m just a backwoods Barbie with push-up bra
and heels  -  is the  stereotypical relative of Dolly Parton par
excellence. With such excellent
comedy characters the edge is taken off this serious topic.

         

And of course the music is excellent.
Dolly Parton, who participates in the performance through pre-recorded images
at the beginning and end of the performance, wrote the music and lyrics. Two
numbers are outstanding - 9 to 5 and Backwoods Barbie, a reflection on Dolly Parton’s own looks and
worth. The ensemble are a talented group – slick in their dancing (and their
moving of the sets) and in tune vocally. The orchestra must also be praised for
its wonderful performance, although its volume occasionally drowned out the
singers.

9 to 5 The Musical is a
musical social commentary – far removed from the #MeToo movement in its depiction, but based
on the same premise – women must be treated equally to men.

9 to 5 The Musical  is at Milton Keynes Theatre until Saturday 28th
September

www.atgtickets.com

0844 871 7652

Booking fee applies

Reviewed by Alison Smith 
23rd July 2019

The audience of Motown The Musical is dazzled by the
clothes, the music, the choreography and the physicality and yet there is
something missing: a lack of emotion and feeling. I was wowed by the sheer
energy and talent of the cast, but the story line is thin, the dialogue poor -
and sometimes not audible. I wasn’t moved by Berry Gordy’s struggle to leave
the car production factory in Detroit, I didn’t care that the bands left BG for
better offers nor that Diana Ross left him. And when BG finally decided to go
to the 25 year celebration, it was no big deal – but did give another reason
for the full cast finale. The great triumph of Gordy – that he brought black
people and their music into the public consciousness at that time – cannot be
denied, and more needed to be made of his triumph in Motown The Musical.

However, the show is joyful and great for nostalgic, soul
music fans- Hitsville itself. From the outset the male dancers, perfectly in
step in their patent shoes and slick suits, perfectly in harmony in their
voices, are highlighted against a vivid background. The choice of songs was
successful – although I would have liked to hear fewer, yet complete, songs –
and the male groups – The Temptations and The Four Tops, capture the 60s
completely. Of course The Jackson Five, with the endearing and talented Daniel
Cort as the young Michael, won over the hearts of the audience. The stars –
Smokey Robinson (Nathan Lewis), Diana Ross (Karis Anderson ) and the amazing
Daniel Haswell as Stevie Wonder – have wonderful voices ,timing and charisma.
And the seemingly tireless Edward Baruwa as Berry Gordy, almost continuously on
stage, has  a voice, an energy and a
stage presence which are unforgettable.

Mention must also be made of the wonderful band under the
direction of Griff Johnson; their interpretation of such exuberant songs as Dancing in the Street, ABC, Please Mr Postman and I heard it
through the Grapevine  symbolize the
essence of  the Legendary Motown
Catalogue.

The set (David Korins) and the lighting (Natasha Katz) are
excellent throughout the musical – atmospheric and redolent of that era.

 The
stage design is simple; the set is generally stark but with amazing
kaleidoscopic projection back drops and sliding panels, but the simple settings
offset the action and give the dancers plenty room to perform their precise
routines.

One lasting positive of Motown was the improvement of race
relations through the black music reaching a wide audience in the 60’s and 70’s
and, in a much smaller way, this musical showcases a talented group of young
black British singers and dancers. Let’s hope we see more of them more
frequently.

 

Motown The Musical is at MK Theatre until Saturday 3rd
August

www.atgtickets.com

0844 877 7652

Booking fee applies

The Bodyguard  - The Musical at Milton Keynes Theatre

The Bodyguard has more the
feel of a pop concert than a musical.  It
has spectacle, polish and incredible choreography. From the offset we are there
with the flames and flashing lights and backing singers and dancers and, of
course the wonderful music. Alexandra Burke, is well cast as diva Rachel; her
powerful voice and singing performance are impressive. Her spoken sections
where she needs to do a bit of acting are a little less impressive, but nonetheless
she gives it her all, bringing a more homely aspect to the character of Rachel
than appears in the film. Being on stage throughout almost the whole show and
having to perform sixteen numbers, including the iconic ‘I will always love
you’, requires unlimited energy and Burke delivers.

Without doubt the stage is
Alexandra Burke’s home and I can think of a number of other classic musical
theatre roles that she is perfect for and will grow into over her hopefully
long career. There’s no doubt she proved her mettle here tonight. In fact I
preferred her interpretation and the production of some of the usually more overblown
Houston numbers; Burke brought a subtle take to them. But whilst Burke is most
suited to the central role it is Micha Richardson (Nicki Marron) who perhaps
seems more confident on stage and perhaps more relaxed. With outstanding vocals
for all her work she matches Burke and at times puts her slightly in the
shadows.

The bodyguard, Frank Farmer,
is played with great charisma by Benoît Maréchal. He plays the role perfectly –
self-effacing, but efficient and strong. Of course in contrast to the energy of
Burke he appears somewhat wooden and emotionless at times – one wonders how
they end up in bed, but familiarity and all that….. The thin storyline remains;
famous singer’s management hire ex-secret service agent to protect said singer
from obsessed stalker. There is an immediate dislike of singer for bodyguard
and vice versa but this soon gives way to love and then to sadness. But the
narrative is of minor importance – it is the music that dominates and fills the
theatre.

 As for the rest of the musical - the staging
and lighting are complicated with dramatic cinematic projections and split
stages. No expense was spared on the décor including lavish boudoir and cosy
rural retreat. Karen Bruce has done  a
marvellous job with the choreography and the orchestra under Michael Riley
never misses a beat.

This is one of the best
musicals I have seen; go and see it if you can.

The Bodyguard the musical is
at Milton Keynes Theatre until Saturday 23rd March

 

www.atgtickets.com

0844 871 7652

The Rocky Horror Show

Milton Keynes Theatre

Reviewed by Alison Smith

Well, The Rocky Horror Show is a ‘mind flip’ to beat all mind flips, and the MK Theatre audience certainly flipped tonight!  Many in the audience were sexily clad in stilettos and suspenders, boas and basques to rival the on-stage guests at Frank N Furter’s party; the audience even had the dance moves and kept The Narrator (Dom Joly) on his toes with their heckling (dealt with by Joly with skilful aplomb and topical repartée,
although at times looking slightly embarrassed).

 In 1973, Richard O’Brian’s Rocky Horror Show challenged audiences with its portrayal of sexual fluidity; now over 40 years later transgender issues have become mainstream and this spectacular musical entertains more than shocks.  And it entertains impressively because of its enduring mixture of Sci-Fi, horror and rock and roll. The show is visually stunning - a great set, atmospheric lighting, spectacular choreography, weird
and wonderful costumes; it is raunchy and surreal, but mostly just hilarious.

The plot itself is weak. Brad (Ben Adams) and his fiancée Janet (Joanna Clifton), clean college kids, seek help at the mansion of Frank N Furter, a crazy, cross-dressing scientist. That evening he is hosting a party to unveil
his new creation, gold booted, skimpily dressed, Rocky Horror (Callum Evans), a man to surpass all men, if only physically. And into Frank’s alternative sexual world come the naïve, geeky pair, who are both quickly seduced by Frank and enticed into his alien, ghoul filled universe, rather like a pantomime for consenting adults.

Frank is portrayed convincingly by Steven Webb. Webb is
wonderful as Frank. He has a powerful voice with a great range, sharp comic timing, and his movements and gestures are outrageously camp but throughout the musical he also manages to maintain an undercurrent of malevolence. His entourage are also exceptional, Riff Raff, the swaggering servant (Kristina Lavercombe) and Columbia (Miracle Chance) are both weird and wonderful.  All the cast throw themselves into their
roles with enthusiasm and energy and convey the idea that to be different from mainstream society is perfectly acceptable.

This musical, produced by Christopher Luscombe, is a real theatrical experience.  Long may it continue to entertain.

The Rocky Horror Show is at Milton Keynes Theatre until Saturday 9th February

www.atgtickets.com

0844 871 7652

Booking fee applies

Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake

Reviewed by Alison Smith 30th January 2019

Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake, is far removed from
traditional performances of this world famous ballet. The modern yet dateless
décor and costumes – a mobile phone rings but the settings are redolent of
trappings of passé courtly distinctions – underline the theme that broken
beings are universal, that tragedy strikes universally. In this society, the
Queen has power and privilege, the young men are dashing, the young women
beautiful and independent. And yet one young man is   very troubled. The Prince, the main
protagonist (Liam Mower) suffers. The Queen, his mother (Katrina Lyndon) is
cold and uncaring and rejects any physical contact with him – although she has
no such qualms about being touched by, or touching. other young men. His goofy
girlfriend (Carrie Willis) is shallow and materialistic. Is it then surprising
that the Prince looks for contact from another being? His mental turmoil leads
him to drink and despair and ultimately into the arms of The Swan, a powerful,
dominating creature whose tragic death leads that of the broken-hearted Prince.

The performance is not bleak. There is much wit and
humour – the girlfriend’s gaffes, the corgi, the dancing in the Swank Bar, the
desperate antics of the Queen, the caricature that is the Private Secretary
(Jordon Packer). But it is the dancing which is intoxicating and above all else
that of The Swan and his human form, the Stranger (Max Westwell). Westwell’s
technical skill and athleticism are remarkable. As The Swan he swoops, stomps
and hisses; as the Stranger in Act 3 he oozes virility and aggression; he
stalks and disrupts, an attitude which ultimately results in tragedy. His flock
are of his ilk – menacing and vicious. In the final act they are rat-like in
their appearance from under the bed, inside the bed and from the wings - their
ferality frightening and tragic.

Bourne’s
Swan Lake is thrilling and mesmerising. The dancing is both beautiful and

sinister; the representation of love and its possible
aftermath is heartfelt. It is an inspirational, powerful, passionate ballet. It
is a must-see.

 

At MK Theatre until Saturday 2nd February