Nevertheless, this is another creditable creation from the production stables of Sasha Regan and underlines her continuing commitment to the development of new British musical theatre. Very much worth your serious consideration, which it will repay by pleasing and charming.
Cadogan Hall brought a lavish concert performance of the piece to its stage, and – once again – we saw and heard just why we should value this work amongst the highest achievements in the musical theatre. It is simply breath-taking. Indeed, freed of decor and costume, lighting and choreography, and of all the pageantry of the theatre, when exposed to the forensic inspection of the concert platform its virtues come across even more strongly.
It’s a little ironic that, in a time of cross gender, age and ethnic blind casting, multi-media work and when the theatre is trying to find the next big thing, a well-structured slice of naturalistic drama may yet be the best new play of 2016. Unmissable.
Director Douglas Rintoul places it in the hands of an exceptional ensemble of actor-musicians, and the result is a joyful and powerful evening celebrating equal rights. Based on the film of the same name, the musical charts the determination, humour, defiance and skills of the women at the Ford Dagenham car plant who strike for equal pay in 1968.
If anyone loves the music of Caro Emerald, then they’ll love this feast of her songs presented in a dramatic context. If anyone does not know her music, or has yet to be persuaded of its merits, then they will be enchanted by the delicious performances given by a cast of 10 in this production, supported by a smart 4-piece band and MD Iain Vince-Gatt.
This is pure, unadulterated escapism – and nobody does it better. We all need a little escapism every now and then, and in these crazy – even difficult – times it should not just be advised, it should be made mandatory. Whatever is next in store for this brilliant bunch, I for one, cannot wait to see it.
Sid Above The Arts 21 September 2016 5 Stars Book Tickets If the last you heard of Sid Vicious was seeing Gary Oldman gradually die of heroin addiction in Alex Cox’s 1986 biopic, ‘Sid ‘n’ Nancy’, you will be delighted to hear that he’s back – and every bit as corrosive and destructive as he was then. Well, nearly. This is all thanks to terrific new writer, Leon Fleming, who has rejuvenated the 62-year old mythic figure via the obsessive, manic, troublesome, 18-year-old’ish revolutionary-living-at-home-with-his-mum, Craig. Our hero in this one-act drama is not the taciturn, sneering, wincing guitarist of The Sex Pistols, but a despot only in his own bedroom, a tyrant merely to his lone parent and neighbours (whom he intermittently deafens with blasts of punk music from his personal music centre). Craig has a list – of course – of pet hates, and this forms the substance (ah, … Read more
Families are complicated and messy, nevertheless, family dramas when captured correctly can be hugely touching. No matter what our background, we all have emotive views about ‘family’, and those connections usually run deep. Brookman and Graham have made Bovell’s already vital story come to life in such a way that the actors’ performances truly soar. I defy you not to be moved. This, in short, is a blistering production with universal appeal. All I can say is; go! You will not be disappointed.
