19,663 posts
|
Post by BurlyBeaR on Oct 14, 2018 4:46:51 GMT
The original original production (pre west end) only had five in the orchestra too.
Do they still drive the real van on?
|
|
4,779 posts
|
Post by Mark on Oct 14, 2018 9:51:02 GMT
The original original production (pre west end) only had five in the orchestra too. Do they still drive the real van on? There is no van sadly |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 14, 2018 10:24:48 GMT
I was planning to see this at the Festival Theatre last night but I couldn’t make it to Edinburgh on time sadly. I might go down to see it in Sunderland if they’ve played all the Scottish venues.
|
|
516 posts
|
Post by theatreliker on Oct 17, 2018 7:36:47 GMT
I saw this in Leicester last night, having not seen the play before... it was a good night out. Funny, unashamedly popular, a nice set, and some strong performances.
It has some good songs... a bit generic musical theatre, maybe. However, some are simply filler: plastic surgery song, the crowbarred Russian friend song (and alcoholic character twist).
I seem to remember the West End set having some cupboards on it from production photographs I saw. Where was the van?
|
|
1,132 posts
|
Post by Stephen on Oct 17, 2018 11:51:42 GMT
I saw this in Leicester last night, having not seen the play before... it was a good night out. Funny, unashamedly popular, a nice set, and some strong performances. It has some good songs... a bit generic musical theatre, maybe. However, some are simply filler: plastic surgery song, the crowbarred Russian friend song (and alcoholic character twist). I seem to remember the West End set having some cupboards on it from production photographs I saw. Where was the van? This set was much simpler, however, there were plenty of props on tour! Silent Night was more of a production number in the West End whereas on tour it almost felt like a background to other action on the stage. |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 18, 2018 10:41:22 GMT
Caught this in Edinburgh tonight. Unfortunately, for the most part, I wasn't very impressed. I really loved this in London but the tour was too different for me. The set was almost non-existent and the blocking and lighting made it look large and empty. It might just be because I liked the West End casting so much but apart from a more intimate performance of 'Kilimanjaro' Anna Jane Casey just didn't work for me as Annie. The whole production just felt like a big money saving venture. There is an 'orchestra' of five musicians with plenty of click going on too. Thankfully, after the interval, the cast thrived with the comedy of the photoshoot and by the end I was just as moved as I was seeing it for the first time in London. Saying all of this I think that it will be more enjoyable to those not spoiled by the original production. It did receive a standing ovation. Two stars pre-interval and three after. Saw the tour yesterday afternoon for the first time since it closed in London and this sums up my thoughts entirely. Most of the first Act is unrecognisable now as it has been chopped and rejigged, and the cast don’t shine in quite the same way as the original ladies. The set is dull and the changing of locations is very lazy. I know this is a tour so it can’t be exactly the same but the first half feels like a completely different one to the production I saw five times between Leeds and London. If you loved the show as much as I did, then resist revisiting it on tour, as it pales in comparison. As said upthread, the second half is more familiar, but I was very sad to discover the gem I once knew has lost its sparkle. |
|
19,663 posts
|
Post by BurlyBeaR on Nov 18, 2018 10:58:41 GMT
What’s Fern Britton like in it?,
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 18, 2018 11:35:56 GMT
What’s Fern Britton like in it?, Shes ok, but she’s pretty much playing Fern Britton. Ruth Madoc is lovely. |
|
3,304 posts
|
Post by david on Nov 28, 2018 0:25:04 GMT
After watching this tonight at the LIverpool Empire, overall I enjoyed it. I can’t compare it to the WE version as I never saw it, but in its current form, I thought it worked well and the musical score would be something I would listen to again in the future. Though “Kilimanjaro” really did bring a tear to my eye. A lovely emotionally charged well written number. For a little light relief, “I’ve had a little work done” and “What age expects” really did bring a lot of laughs. Denise Welch and Ruth Madoc really excelled in their respective songs,
Overall I thought the cast worked well and got plenty of cheers when they finally did the calendar shoot scene. The 2 lads who played Tommo and Dannny where a brilliant double act and brought a lot of comedy to the show to contrast against the more darker elements.
At times we had bit of electrical interference during Act 1, but thankfully this was resolved during the interval. In terms of its staging, i would agree with earlier posters who have seen this tour that it did look a bit on the cheap side. I was hoping for a little more on that front to be honest.
Although a good night out with plenty of tears and laughs, it’s probably not a show I’d go out and rush to get a ticket if it ever toured again.
|
|
1,102 posts
|
Post by zak97 on Jan 8, 2019 12:14:43 GMT
Booked for this when it’s in Dartford. Not too expensive so if I don’t like it as much as the West End version not all lost.
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 27, 2019 2:06:48 GMT
Saw the tour tonight for the first time, having previously seen the west end production a few times and I was shocked with what the show is now. Really not impressed. I understand this is a tour and the set had to be scaled back but I mean there is pretty much no set. Wasn't keen on the lyric changes and who thought it was a good idea for the men to sing Yorkshire and cut all the female vocals. The west end version of the individual women introducing themselves was so much better. Why are the men now doing it. The first act has been totally rewritten but it really doesn't flow very well and the comedy is lost.
What surprised me the most is how differently the characters are now portrayed. Most notably Annie & Cora. They are totally different portrayals. too different in my opinion and while I usually love Anna-Jane Casey she was actually the weak link for me. This was not a part that suited her at all. She had none of the emotion or subtlety Joanna Riding did. The shock of the night was Fern britton, she actually was pretty good. A small part granted but she did it well.
The change in order of the songs worked well. Ending act 1 after Dare rather than Sunflower worked too.
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 27, 2019 8:29:48 GMT
I agree with pretty much everything you say! Reminded me I meant to post a review on this. I went last week in Southampton (happened to be on a course there). Had seen the original run at the Lowry in Salford and then the West End run a couple of times.
So there is scaled back and there is scaled back. And the set for this was virtually non existent. Made worse I felt by a very dark and dingy lighting design. I mean this looked like a Kenwright tour quite frankly.
The cast I thought were great though and all did a good job. I thought A-JC was good (and has a great voice) and was fabulous to see Rebecca Storm again - last time I saw her was in Chess at the Bristol Hippodrome when I was a teenager.
My biggest gripe of all though - the new orchestration. The music sounded SO thin was so disappointing. Oddly they had gone for a 5 piece (keys, guitar, drums, trumpet and I think horn) but the brass were used very sparingly. Meaning most of the time it was just a three piece and you could tell. I am not a musician and I understand the economies of touring - but if you can only pay for a five piece, surely make it TWO keys, guitar, bass and drums and have it heavily synthesised. The quality of synthesised sound has come on leaps and bounds in last 30 years and you could have a MUCH fuller sound that was achieved here.
One thing I must mention despite my disappointment though - the midweek (full ish) Southampton audience LOVED it and there was of course the obligatory standing ovation at the end. They lapped it up.
So maybe (like Kenwright) the producers know exactly what they are doing for the audience they are aiming for.
Nonetheless it upsets me that so many tours do the minimum they can get away with. These people need to see more Cam Mack tours!
|
|
4,779 posts
|
Post by Mark on Feb 12, 2019 11:06:50 GMT
New casting from Mid April
Sarah Jane Buckley as Annie, Sue Devaney as Cora, Julia Hills as Ruth, Judy Holt as Marie and Lisa Maxwell as Celia.
Ruth Madoc and Rebecca Storm continuing.
|
|
421 posts
|
Post by Distant Dreamer... on Feb 12, 2019 11:49:57 GMT
Amazing that the hugely talented Rebecca Storm is staying. Will be great to see the new cast, especially Sarah Jane Buckley in a leading musical role.
|
|
|
|
Post by hannechalk on Feb 12, 2019 15:05:59 GMT
Amazing that the hugely talented Rebecca Storm is staying. Will be great to see the new cast, especially Sarah Jane Buckley in a leading musical role. Erm, she has played both Mrs Lyons and Mrs Johnstone in Blood Brothers in the last few years. |
|
421 posts
|
Post by Distant Dreamer... on Feb 12, 2019 16:00:39 GMT
Amazing that the hugely talented Rebecca Storm is staying. Will be great to see the new cast, especially Sarah Jane Buckley in a leading musical role. Erm, she has played both Mrs Lyons and Mrs Johnstone in Blood Brothers in the last few years. Indeed she has, although I don't class Mrs Lyons as a leading musical role and I believe Sarah was only understudy to Mrs Johnstone and only got to perform a handful of times? |
|
19,663 posts
|
Post by BurlyBeaR on Feb 12, 2019 16:09:58 GMT
You have to hand it to Ruth Madoc. 75 and still touring.
|
|
2,371 posts
|
Post by theatreian on Feb 12, 2019 16:57:23 GMT
Yes I am sure touring is not easy at any age, but at 75 deserves a special mention. From whenever I have seen Ruth being interviewed it is clear she still loves what she does. Not bad at 75!
|
|
3,304 posts
|
Post by david on Feb 12, 2019 17:43:31 GMT
Loved her in the recent Wedding Singer tour as well as in the current calendar girls tour. Loved listening to her sing in both productions.
|
|
5,139 posts
|
Post by TallPaul on Feb 12, 2019 18:21:59 GMT
And we should remember that this is proper touring, too, not four weeks in the Home Counties prior to a West End run.
|
|
|
|
Post by hannechalk on Feb 12, 2019 22:10:24 GMT
Erm, she has played both Mrs Lyons and Mrs Johnstone in Blood Brothers in the last few years. Indeed she has, although I don't class Mrs Lyons as a leading musical role and I believe Sarah was only understudy to Mrs Johnstone and only got to perform a handful of times? She got to perform as Mrs Johnstone quite a lot of times, when Lyn Paul was still in it. One time she performed for pretty much all of two weeks, and many shows besides. |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 19, 2019 17:41:00 GMT
Denise Welch said on Loose Women that when she was performing her song "So I've Had a Little Work Done" earlier this month during the show, an audience member yelled to her "well you should have gotten your money back"!
|
|
1,102 posts
|
Post by zak97 on Mar 5, 2019 20:27:43 GMT
Pauline Daniels playing Jessie until cast change, with Lesley Joseph taking and playing until 10 August when Ruth Madox will return. Seen online Ruth had a fall and has a broken hip/injured hip.
|
|
5,140 posts
|
Post by Being Alive on Apr 17, 2019 11:05:48 GMT
Saw this last night - and for the most part I've come away a little... disappointed?
I think this is largely the cast's fault if I'm honest. None of them are a patch on their London counterparts. Anna Jane Casey does her best to pull it through with her big numbers and she does ok with them, but nothing show stopping. Rebecca Storm, for me, was very hit and miss. I was never confident she was going to hit any of the money notes at all... Denise Welch cannot sing, which is problematic in a musical and I'll leave it there. The other three were alright I guess. Oh and Fern Britton just played Fern Britton and didn't act at all, which was weird.
It just felt incredibly stripped back and, lifeless? The London production had so much heart and warmth! The photo shoot is still the best part of the show and was quite funny and well done.
I don't know what I expected, but it just felt very forced and naff, which the London production didn't. 2 stars is probably accurate, maybe 3. It was a 5 star show originally, and now just... isnt.
|
|
2,371 posts
|
Post by theatreian on May 15, 2019 19:15:36 GMT
Saw this last night in Belfast and really enjoyed it. When I saw it in London several of the cast were not on due to holiday and sickness so was really pleased that all advertised cast were on last night. Sarah Jane Buckley was great as was Rebecca Storm. It was a great ensemble piece with great comic timing from Lesley Joseph and didn't know Lisa Maxwell could sing! It got a great response from the audience too which is always good to see.
|
|
