JM Barrie's Quality Street - Northern Broadsides

[TallPaul]

Northern Broadsides news:

New Artistic Director, Laurie Sansom, today announced his first production for Northern Broadsides will be a revival of J.M. Barrie’s rarely performed farce Quality Street. The production will open in February 2020 in Halifax, the home of Quality Street™ the UK’s most popular brand of chocolates. Barrie’s play was so popular in its day that it gave the chocolates their name.

The things you learn!

Phoebe Throssel lives on Quality Street, the bustling hub of a quaint northern town where she runs a school for unruly children.



Ten years since a tearful goodbye, an old flame returns from fighting Napoleon. But the look of disappointment on Captain Valentine’s face when he greets a more mature, less glamorous Phoebe, spurs our determined heroine to action.



She becomes the wild and sparkling Miss Livy, a younger alter-ego who soon entraps the clueless Captain. As their romance is rekindled, can she juggle both personas? Or will her deception scandalise the town and wreck any future with the man she loves?

Nice new bit of theatrical terminology.

This show marks the beginning of a new producing model for Broadsides, with each production being co-created with “creation squads” formed from the local community. For this production, the actors will collaborate with workers from the Quality Street™ factory, developing contemporary tales of hapless love and a live commentary that will frame the action of Barrie’s regency rom-com.

Quality Street will tour to Salford, Lancaster, Bury St Edmunds, Liverpool, Newcastle upon Tyne, Guildford, Derby, Leeds, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Scarborough, Harrogate, Huddersfield, Hull and York.

I'm always slightly worried about seeing something that is "rarely performed".  There is often a reason!

[oxfordsimon]

There was an amateur production of this in Oxford earlier this year. I didn't catch it - but I heard good things.

Plus it is unique in being the only play to have had a chocolate range named after it.

I do wonder whether they will incorporate the Green Triangle, Big Purple and Golden Penny into the design...

[moelhywel]

“I’m always slightly worried about seeing something that is "rarely performed". There is often a reason!”

It is probably rarely performed because nearly all of Barrie is rarely performed today. Dear Brutus was at the Southwark Playhouse recently but apart from that I can’t remember seeing any Barrie advertised for years. I suppose he’s considered old fashioned these days but perhaps some revivals could be considered.The Admirable Crichton seems to be the only one of his plays which comes around occasionally. I remember seeing a production of Mary Rose in the eighties at the Shaw Theatre with Mia Farrow in the title role and she was ideally cast in that.

[NorthernAlien]

Saw this tonight at The Lowry in Salford. I think 'deliciously bonkers' is my immediate reaction.

And yes oxfordsimon - they do manage to incorporate some of the sweets into the design!

[maggiem]

Feb 25, 2020 23:54:16 GMT NorthernAlien said:

Saw this tonight at The Lowry in Salford. I think 'deliciously bonkers' is my immediate reaction.

And yes oxfordsimon - they do manage to incorporate some of the sweets into the design!

Oooh... now I'm really looking forward to this on Saturday!

[showgirl]

Doesn't sound the strongest work but I had my eye on this as I've always enjoyed both this company's work (though I know this is the first under the new AD) and plays of that type. I was hoping to postpone booking until after the first reviews but wanting to see it in Guildford, I ended up booking blind as the matinees were getting busy. R4's Front Row recently had an ineresting interview with the new AD, Laurie Samson, which was preceded by an explanation for the change of AD. I thought it reasonable for founder Barrie Rutter to have retired after a good run but hadn't realised that Northern Broadsides had also fallen foul of Arts Council England's targets.

[oxfordsimon]

Just home from opening night of the run in Northampton's lovely Royal Theatre. And I was utterly charmed by it.

Barrie's play, adapted by Laurie Sansom, is a romantic comedy with a lot of heart and a dash of silliness.

The production is elegantly delivered with some very well considered lighting and a brilliant costume design.

Cast is very able and engaged the audience throughout.

Not going to change your life. But it is entertaining and certain pays the occasional nod to Bridgerton which should broaden the appeal.

Keep an eye out if it is heading to a theatre near you

[mkb]

This did not even come close to working for me on any level. Only a determination to see it through kept me from leaving at the interval. I haven't been so bored in the theatre in quite a while.

If there is any merit or even logic to this bizarre and threadbare tale it escapes me. The Wikipedia synopsis makes it sound far more interesting than anything on display tonight in Northampton. Quite how much Laurie Sansom has changed or adapted, I've no clue, but it must surely be extensive.

Just because J. M. Barrie's story inspired Mackintosh to create the Quality Street confectionery (apparently), we have scenes book-ended by factory workers from the sweet factory in Halifax discussing something-and-nothing, which ironically provide the most interesting parts of the play. We also have characters dressed in gowns designed to look like foil sweet wrappers.

There's also the most weirdly choreographed dance routine shoe-horned in after the break. There are puppets too -- for the child characters -- a device I have never seen fail before, but here they are unconvincing and merely add to the absurdity.

The casting is gender-blind, colour-blind, age-blind and accent-deaf. I know this is the way of things now, but it's just becoming a tiresome gimmick. Oh for the days when directors made an effort to have characters look and sound credibly authentic.

To add to a plethora of staggeringly ill-judged creative choices, the minimalist set design includes a rear entrance comprising a factory-floor wall of heavy-duty, transparent, hanging strips.

Look, I have loved zany nonsense like Anyone Can Whistle or Salad Days; I've adored the charm of silly, satirical romances such as Arms and the Man; but Quality Street couldn't be farther removed. It's a romantic comedy without the comedy, without any satire, without any wit, without any characters to care about, and without any point.

One star.

Act 1: 19:32-20:36
Act 2: 20:56-21:53

[showgirl]

Fascinating to read 2 completely opposing reviews already as having seen the original Northern Broadsides production from 2020 (before the tour was cut short by Covid), I hesitated to book again and in the end did so, more from FOMO and because I'd be seeing it in Guildford once more and I like the theatre and the town - oh, and the Early Bird ticket offer!

So now I have no idea what to expect but am not due to see it for another 2 months so I'll await further reports with interest.

And mkb, I do know what you mean about the casting trend; I'm wary even of mentioning subjects like this which are so sensitive, for fear of saying the wrong thing and arousing a storm of protest - and I certainly don't want to put words into your mouth or misinterpret your comment. For me however some of these changes now threaten the balance of the production or risk attracting more attention than the play or show itself. If changes, possibly long overdue, are needed, surely its even more important for the audience to be able to accept and support the shift, rather than feeling that it's something which has been imposed on them and which they may therefore resist or reject?

[zahidf]

Apr 6, 2023 3:33:37 GMT showgirl said:

Fascinating to read 2 completely opposing reviews already as having seen the original Northern Broadsides production from 2020 (before the tour was cut short by Covid), I hesitated to book again and in the end did so, more from FOMO and because I'd be seeing it in Guildford once more and I like the theatre and the town - oh, and the Early Bird ticket offer!

So now I have no idea what to expect but am not due to see it for another 2 months so I'll await further reports with interest.

And mkb, I do know what you mean about the casting trend; I'm wary even of mentioning subjects like this which are so sensitive, for fear of saying the wrong thing and arousing a storm of protest - and I certainly don't want to put words into your mouth or misinterpret your comment. For me however some of these changes now threaten the balance of the production or risk attracting more attention than the play or show itself. If changes, possibly long overdue, are needed, surely its even more important for the audience to be able to accept and support the shift, rather than feeling that it's something which has been imposed on them and which they may therefore resist or reject?

Don't want to get too much into it, but we've had gender/colour blind casting for years now. I barely even notice most the time, and it's gotten so common most audiences don't anymore.

Unless the race/gender is a big part of the character/plot (like othello for example) it's barely even worth mentioning.

[oxfordsimon]

Complaining that Northern Broadsides use a range of Northern accents in their productions given that is a key part of their work seems unnecessary.

I very much enjoyed the relocation of the action to Halifax and hearing a range of accents that normally get smothered by drama school training.

[oxfordsimon]

The use of anachronisms such as the choreography and the nod to the factory setting element worked very well for me. I could see exactly why those choices were made and what they added to the production.

Bridgerton also doesn't stick strictly to period and millions accept and enjoy that.

Yes, the play is relatively slight but it is an entertaining confection with warmth and heart. It has engaging performances and I loved having sweet wrapper inspired costume colours. Indeed I would have felt cheated without them.

Chacun a son gout....

[maggiem]

I saw this in the Quays theatre at the Lowry just before the pandemic. The Quays is the smaller auditorium, and I'd be interested to know the size of the theatre in which other members see it. I'll be seeing it again in Bolton Octagon at the end of this month.

[foxa]

Well oxfordsimon you've convinced me to give this a whirl when it comes to Richmond next week. I liked Bridgerton so hoping I fall into the camp who enjoy this.

[Someone in a tree]

Interesting read here

www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-60912374

[TallPaul]

Threads merged.

[mkb]

I didn't have a problem with the Yorkshire accents, but I didn't understand why the male lead was scouse(-ish) and some characters accent-light. There did not seem to be a narrative consistency to choice of accent.

[oxfordsimon]

Apr 6, 2023 12:08:36 GMT mkb said:

I didn't have a problem with the Yorkshire accents, but I didn't understand why the male lead was scouse(-ish) and some characters accent-light. There did not seem to be a narrative consistency to choice of accent.

He was an outsider who had moved to Quality Street so there is nothing inconsistent with him having a different northern accent.

The factory workers had a range of accents to reflect their real life experiences.

There was nothing that jarred at all.

[marob]

This has the dubious honour of being the show I should have seen in Liverpool the week the theatres closed so it’s interesting to read the mixed reactions. This remount doesn’t play anywhere near me though, and while NB have always had solid productions, since Rutter left they’re not something I’d travel to see.

[foxa]

I was glad to have seen this, though it didn't entirely work.

On the plus side, Louisa-May Parker, as the sister gives a funny and touching performance,and some other performances were fine; the Quality Street gowns were fun and the plot surprising enough to maintain interest. I laughed out loud several times and enjoyed the bit of choreography.

Didn't think the framing device worked and the knock-on effect on the set design was a shame - the unsightly metal frame and heavy plastic curtain. The sound design was a bit annoying as well. In one scene the music worked against the dialogue so badly, it seemed like someone should shout 'turn that down.' The puppets for children was strange, agree with mkb above that it didn't work, even though it was interesting to see how poorly suited they were to running a school.

Audience was good. Very drunk person two over from me, but he was quiet and probably confused.

I would give it 3 stars - esp as I wasn't bored. My companion, who thought the plastic curtain looked like something from an abattoir, would give 2.

[Dr Tom]

I saw the matinee yesterday and thought this was very good. I wasn't completely sold on the additional framing, but I can see the need to add a bit more background. This is a little slow at the start, but the story picks up from that point on, is surprisingly varied, and I can see why this was very popular in its time.

Audience reactions were mixed. One chap next to me was clearly bored and kept checking his watch. Someone behind me kept laughing hysterically (most of the time, I wasn't even aware that there had been a joke). So I can see views here being rather varied. I think this is worth watching.

[emsworthian]

This is a play that schools regularly put on when I was a schoolgirl but I haven't heard of a production for ages. I have often thought I would like to see it out of curiousity. I'll look out for a production near me on the south coast.