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Review: Band of Gold

Set in the 90’s and loosely based on the TV series Band of Gold, this play offers something more challenging than MK theatre’s normal but excellent fayre.

The play follows the story of one girl Gina’s (Sacha Parkinson) journey into the realms of prostitution and then the group of girls ‘down the lane’ that she teams up with. Various themes popped up from single motherhood to domestic violence and exploitation by men. Pretty gritty stuff but somehow not too overwhelming as a stage play. It certainly suited its times and would not have worked in today’s internet and smart phone era. 

Casting was tight with some well-known names from mostly the soaps. Some of the best names have got together to tread the boards. They were faultless, I must say. Look out for Shayne Ward, Gaynor Faye, Laurie Brett, Andrew Dunn, Emma Osman, Olwen May and new boy on stage Kieron Richardson.

It takes some doing to condense the series into a 2.5 hour play. Well done to the writer Kay Mellor for her adaptation. There was a lot to get in so the story was told in short sharp scenes. We just about get a basic understanding of the raison d’etre of each character before being quickly moved on to the next scene. I really liked the pace and didn’t feel I needed to know the full backstory of every character in any great depth which is just as well as there wasn’t time!

If you’re wondering, then yes there was some hope for these girls and there was some humour among the gritty storyline. I was engrossed by the story, it was fast paced and quite intense at times.

There is still time to see it: Band of Gold is on at MK Theatre until Saturday 14^th March 2020

For tickets: www.atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes or Box Office: 0844 871 7652

Review: The King and I

Absolutely enchanting! No expense has been spared on the stage musical The King and I. 

Set in the 1800s, the story tells of a widowed teacher who comes to teach the King of Siam’s children - of which there are many. She arrives to find a dogmatic king whose treatment of his wives and women in general is highly questionable. As a story, it could have seemed rather dated but somehow it still works. Revisiting classics can be fraught with problems re political correctness, but this performance just about gets away with it.

The music of Rodgers and Hammerstein is timeless, and the songs are buried in our consciousness for ever. We all know Shall we dance; I Whistle a Happy Tune and Hello Young Lovers. Annalene  Beechey who plays Anna the teacher sang beautifully. Her voice is like an angel with the most exquisite performance you’ll ever see on stage. Daren Lee who played the King of Siam had just the right sense of humour to endear himself to the audience despite his dubious treatment of women! Of course there were many other great performances from the cast.

Within the story is a small ballet called The Small House of Uncle Thomas. This small troupe put on an excellent ballet performance. This was most definitely a highlight of the show. The children were absolutely endearing and gained the biggest applause. Some of them will be the stage stars of the future. Look out for sumptuous costumes and the palatial stage set which creates an effective  backdrop to the story.

The King and I is on at MK theatre until 7^th March. Tickets from the Box Office 0844 871 7652 or online here www.atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes

Review: Peter Pan Goes Wrong

This hilarious show is on at MK Theatre this week – brought to you by Mischief Theatre, the same team behind The Play That Goes Wrong and A Comedy About A Bank Robbery.

It’s a fun, feel-good show suitable for the whole family. It’s not a children’s production, so don’t be fooled into thinking this show is childish or a panto…..unless you like that sort of thing, then that’s exactly what it is. 

The Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society are a haphazard bunch but they sure do their best to put on a jolly good show for the audience that dares or bothers to go and see them. Superb acting from the guys that play the Drama Society cast and crew and consequently the Peter Pan characters. We had the pleasure of interviewing Oliver Senton – who plays Assistant(co) Director Robert Grove and also the characters Nana the Dog, Peter Pan’s Shadow and Starkey - ahead of this show (featured in the January Phonebox Magazine). He set our expectations high with just how brilliant this show was going to be and we were most certainly not disappointed. Oliver along with the entire cast, was a joy to watch. Mischief Theatre have this really interesting way of making traditional silly British slapstick humour funny all over again – it’s like old-fashioned comedy reborn. 

In this particular show, you have the Cornley whatsit society, putting on a production of Peter Pan that goes rather wrong. Filled with all sorts of humour – some anticipated and some the audience doesn’t expect and possibly even some unplanned by the actors themselves. Broken props, dodgy flying, costume changes, forgotten lines, accidents and lots of silliness. You will laugh the whole way through. We heard some amazing cackling last night and lots of kids laughing their pants off. 

Go see this show! Running until 8th February 2020 at Milton Keynes Theatre.

For tickets, head to www.atgtickets.com

Review: The Red Shoes

This week, Matthew Bourne’s production of The Red Shoes is at Milton Keynes Theatre. It was a sell-out at the world premier in London in 2016 and won two Olivier Awards. Audiences have been dazzled across the world including right here in MK and now you’re in for a second chance to catch this superb ballet which is unlike any other you have seen or will see! The Red Shoes last arrived in MK three years ago back in February 2017.

Hans Christian Andersen wrote the original fairy tale, The Red Shoes in 1845 which inspired the 1948 Powell and Pressburger film. The fairy tale is much darker (as is to be expected!) with a plot that includes chopping off feet and bursting hearts! This ballet however is a brilliant contemporary reimagining of the film that starred Moira Shearer. The seemingly magical red shoes have a mind of their own and will not stop dancing, however the overall story follows a ballet company, their shows and tours and this particular performance with their rising star, Victoria Page (performed exquisitely by Cordelia Braithwaite) and is essentially a ballet within a ballet!

The Red Shoes is a tale of obsession, possession and one girl's dream to be the greatest dancer in the world - whatever the cost. Victoria Page meets Boris Lermontov, the director of an innovative ballet company who has a knack for talent spotting. Victoria lives to dance but her ambitions become a battleground between two very different men who inspire her passion. The impresario brings her to stardom, but she risks losing her career when she marries composer, Julian Craster. 

Set to the achingly romantic music of golden-age Hollywood composer Bernard Herrmann, you’ll be transported behind the scenes of the eccentric world of a ballet company and then into utterly surreal scenes as you’re introduced to the red shoes. The stage sets are so clever, as you’ll see in the images (I couldn’t choose just one!), from the dusty backstage rehearsals to glamourous parties and trips abroad when they’re on tour to the surreal set for the actual ballet of The Red Shoes. So with dazzling costumes and stage sets combined with some of the most wonderful dancing you will ever see, the show is completely hypnotic. 

Matthew Bourne is a magician in his own right bringing such beautiful and contemporary versions of classic stories to the modern stage and the modern audience. He has achieved something completely unique with the Red Shoes that would appeal to anybody. He said in an interview for the show’s brochure, “I have loved the film since I was a teenager with its depiction of a group of people all passionate about creating something magical and beautiful. It seemed to be saying that art was something worth fighting for, even dying for, if the rather melodramatic conclusion is to be believed? It was a world full of glamour, romance and creativity populated by larger-than-life personalities. In short, it was a world that I wanted to be a part of!”

For tickets, please head to www.atgtickets.com

Review: The Snowman at Milton Keynes Theatre

The cherished tale of The Snowman arrived at Milton Keynes Theatre this week, bringing with it a wonderful sense of nostalgia for all of us that have loved watching this classic on TV throughout our childhoods – and still do every year when it airs at Christmas time!

This stage adaptation is a ballet, there is no talking or singing, only dance and clever acting/movements to take you through each scene and set to the classic music we all know and love including ‘Walking in the Air’. It’s a wonderful introduction to ballet for those that haven’t been to one before, particularly for children. All children in the audience at last night’s performance were enthralled by the magic of the show; with many on the edge of their seats and dancing along with Father Christmas’ solo in Act 2.

It does feel an odd time of year for such a festive show, if only it could have been on in November instead, ahead of the Panto season. It did however provide a wonderful and magical evening to an otherwise dull, grey day in January! 

Birmingham Repertory Theatre’s production of The Snowman has been delighting audiences in the UK and abroad since 1993 when artistic director Bill Alexander approached Howard Blake to ask how he would feel about creating a full length stage version; and the show opened for Christmas that same year with immediate success. The story follows very closely to the original book by Raymond Briggs and the 1982 TV short with music composed by Howard Blake.

The full cast and orchestra were brilliant and I can highly recommend a trip to see this one, especially families with small children. The flying scene (set of course to Walking in the Air) was skilfully executed and performed as they flew across the skies, through the clouds, over the oceans and towards the moon before reaching their destination at the North Pole.

For tickets, visit: www.atgtickets.com/shows/the-snowman/milton-keynes-theatre

Review: The Glyndebourne Tour - L’Elisir D’Amore and Rigoletto at Milton Keynes Theatre

Glydebourne are back on tour and performing at Milton Keynes Theatre this week. We had the pleasure to attend the performance of L’Elisir D’Amore on Tuesday evening and Rigoletto last night. The Glyndebourne Tour is always a big hit and a highlight of the year at Milton Keynes Theatre, amongst their many dazzling shows.

L’Elisir D’Amore, a comic opera, is a light, playful affair set in a sunny 19^th century Italian village. Peasant Nemorino is hopelessly in love with beautiful land-owner Adina. He is not taken seriously by Adina or the provincials and is the butt of their jokes and teasing. Akin to the story of Tristan and Isolde, enchanted by a magical love potion; Nemorino is fooled by quack Dr Dulcamara into buying a potion to win Adina’s heart. Like all good opera tales, there’s a fair bit of drama, sneakiness, backstabbing and jealousy going on but overall this tale has a happy ending unlike some that are much more tragic – we’ll get to that next. L’Elisir D’Armore is a nice change from the traditional style of opera, performed skilfully, with impressive soloists and an incredibly talented chorus and orchestra as one would expect from the Glydebourne Tour.

Rigoletto was a refreshing take on an old classic, one of the most popular and frequently performed operas. Director Christiane Lutz took inspiration from 1920’s Hollywood movie studios and brought us a revamped Rigoletto in the form of ‘Charlie Chaplin’ instead of the original hunchbacked joker. It’s an opera of male power and sexual violence so considerably darker than the previous night’s performance. There are moments (certainly towards the end) when you really just want to give Gilda (Rigoletto’s lovesick daughter) a good shake and say snap out of it! She gives her life to save the man that does not love her, lied to her, is unfaithful and was even involved with her kidnapping. But that is what makes such an astounding and absurd opera with exceptionally talented music and singing working seamlessly with these farcical storylines. 

Masterful performances with a thoroughly engaged audience, I can highly recommend a trip to Milton Keynes Theatre this week. 

L’Elisir D’Amore will be performed this evening, Rinaldo will be performed on Friday 15^th and Rigoletto will be performed again on Saturday 16^th November. For tickets, go to: www.atgtickets.com/venues/milton-keynes-theatre

Review: Kinky Boots the Musical

Kinky Boots the Musical at MK Theatre – 29/10/19

Having seen the film Kinky Boots, I was very excited to go and see the musical that has arrived in Milton Keynes for the next couple of weeks.

Based on the true story of WJ Brookes, the musical follows the trials and tribulations of Charlie Price, a Northampton shoemaker, who has inherited a failing shoe factory from his father. To turn things around and stop the building being sold to property developers, Charlie decides that his company needs a niche market. Enter Lola! If you’ve seen the film, then you’ll know the casting of the character Lola is quite pivotal to the story, and the casting of Kayi Ushe as Lola in this stage version is perfect!

Lola is a drag queen that always has problems with the heel snapping on her (his) boots. Charlie sees this need and decides to do something about it. The audience is taken through the journey of Charlie’s up and downs as he produces ‘ladies footwear for men’.

Sometimes when a film is adapted for the stage it can cut out a lot of the detail and songs can be inserted for the sake of it – not necessarily adding anything. I don’t feel this was the case with Kinky Boots. The songs added to the story and engaged the audience with the mood of the scene, whether that be happy, sad or comical.

Giving the audience the complete immersive experience was the set. A backdrop of a shoe factory but with a central rotating ‘room’ that with a quick spin, transformed the stage to a bar, storeroom, a boxing ring or Lola’s stage. All very clever and allowed the action to flow effortlessly from one scene to the next.

On page 15 of the November Phonebox we spoke to Joel-Harper Jackson who plays Charlie. He said his favourite part is the big finale. Whilst watching it, you can really understand why he would say that as it was such a feel-good moment – and as he mentions, the audience really did go wild.

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

Tickets available from https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/kinky-boots/milton-keynes-theatre. I’d be quick though, as this is going to be a popular one.

Review: Saturday Night Fever

This week, seventies disco in all its hip-popping, strutting, grooving glory is in town at Milton Keynes Theatre. Based on the 1977 movie starring John Travolta. This story follows Tony Manalo, a 19 year old Italian American from Brooklyn who escapes the harsh reality of his bleak family life by dominating the dance floor at the local disco and dreams of making it big at Studio 54, New York. The show is filled with hits including Night Fever, Stayin’ Alive, More Than A Woman and Disco Inferno.

It is a fairly simple plot of boy meets girl, girl isn’t interested, boy keeps trying anyway but it is a likable story and has so much good music and dancing. It does cover a lot of serious themes, including religion, women’s rights, abuse, abortion and suicide. Disco dominated the latter half of the seventies and found its place amongst the other strong music genres of the time such as rock, heavy metal and punk. This show is all about the music, having a little dance in your seat and singing along to some banging tunes! The “Bee Gees” are on stage throughout the show, the three brothers are played by Jake Byrom, James Kenneth Haughan and Danny Knott and they were amazing, sounding just like the original music.

Tony is played by Richard Winsor – he’s one of the few actors that completely convinced me with his American accent, in this case Italian-American Brooklyn New York, and is a fabulous dancer. Richard is supported by a talented and energetic cast including Olivia Fines as Stephanie Mangano and Natasha Firth as Annette.

The staging was a good mix of bleak and harsh for the scenes outside and on the bridge and then bright and colourful for the disco scenes complete with disco dancefloor, giant mirror to reflect it back out to the audience and disco balls which really brought the audience to life. Look out for DJ Monty up on the podium dancing, he was strutting his stuff and we couldn’t stop watching him – having so much fun up there!

Saturday Night Fever is well worth a watch and I promise you’ll be singing the music and trying to do the Night Fever dance routine when you get home! Running until 19th October, for tickets, head to www.atgtickets.com

Review: The Exorcist

Something rather unusual and chilling has arrived at Milton Keynes Theatre this week. Possibly the scariest movie of all time, at least when it was first in cinemas in 1973, has been adapted for the stage. The Exorcist play is actually based on the book by William Peter Blatty, published in 1971, which was very important to the show’s playwright John Pielmeier who said in an interview in the show’s programme, ‘I certainly want to stay true to the story that people know, but I also want to explore elements of the book that they may not be familiar with. I want to fulfil their expectations while at the same time surprising them’. It absolutely gave the audience what they wanted, bringing new life to this famous head-spinning horror.

As a bit of a scary movie buff, I’ve seen my fair share of all things spooky, chilling and downright terrifying and must say this show did not disappoint! From start to finish, the goosebumps just kept coming. One of the best show starts that I’ve experienced (across any genre) that plunged the audience straight into the dark and thick of the story. 

The potty-mouthed demon that possesses poor Regan is as spiteful and disgusting as ever and the actress portrayed both her characters brilliantly. On the one hand she is a sweet, innocent little girl that longs for love and attention from her family and on the other she is the possessed Latin-speaking, aggressive, spitting Devil himself.

The staging was simple yet remarkably clever with a few rooms of the house, the attic, the outdoors and the church scenes all playing out across one set with the use of some screens and clever lighting. They also use a very smart and effective screen as the background to Regan’s bedroom where we see spooky happenings alongside flashes and crashes of thunder throughout the theatre. 

The lead characters were skilfully played by the actors which include theatre veteran Paul Nicholas as Father Merrin, Sophie Ward as Chris MacNeil, Ben Caplan as Father Damien Karras and Tristram Wymark as Uncle Burke. To top it off, the Demon is voiced by Ian McKellen – what more do we need?

The show is indeed chilling, but I can highly recommend it to anyone, not just fans of this genre. It was certainly a different audience experience to plays from other categories or musicals of course and was a night I thoroughly enjoyed. As stage designer Anna Fleischle said in the programme, ‘I am hoping that the audience will leave having been shaken to their core. I would like them to feel a sense of relief in the knowledge that they are going back to their safe and protective homes where there are no demons lurking in the dark – or are there?’

The Exorcist is on until 12^th October, for tickets, go to www.atgtickets.com

Review: Priscilla Queen of the Desert

Having never seen this show but interviewing Jason Donovan twice about it (once back when he was Mitzi and more recently as a producer of the show), it was time to go see what all the fuss was about – boy (or ladies!) were we in for a treat! I had very high expectations for this musical to be up there as one of the best, though a small part of me was worried it was going to be a bit cheesy with a story that loosely wove together some of our favourite classics from the eighties. Well, that worry was a complete waste of time, the story is brilliant, the music is superb and the staging and costumes are dazzlingly classy. These queens are in for the ride of their lives – and so is the audience.

Priscilla is the queen of the dessert, she’s their temperamental tour bus and together Mitzi, Bernadette and Felicia travel across the Australian outback to put on the show of a lifetime. This show is about how they get there with lots of little stories woven in about their backgrounds, some surprises and some quirky or bigoted characters along the way. It’s about love, friendship, fatherhood, identity and acceptance with some fabulous musical numbers and raucously funny moments.

The three lead characters are played by Joe McFadden, Miles Western and Nick Hayes. Each of them stole the show in their own way, Miles plays the transgender character of Bernadette, whilst Nick plays the super flamboyant Adam (Drag name Felicia) and Joe is Tick (Drag name Felicia) finding his own way in this world. The main message of this show is about the acceptance of everyone for who they are without judgement or violence and to celebrate the diversity and kindness of people no matter who they are (or what they choose to wear). Priscilla takes on many stigmas that the LGBTQ+ community deal with on a daily basis, even in today’s modern world, and sticks it's finger up at them.

You also really cannot go wrong with so much colour, glitter, sequins, feathers, outrageous headpieces and smash hits such as It’s Raining Men, What’s Love Got to Do With It, I Will Survive and Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, each with perfectly choreographed dance routines. The stage set was really exciting too with lots of different scenes, the tour bus and one of my favourites was how they showed one of their performances from backstage – clever and funny.

Kings and Queens – go see this show!

Running until 5th October at Milton Keynes Theatre. For tickets, head to www.atgtickets.com

Review: 9 to 5 The Musical

9 to 5 is based on the film of the same name from 1978 and is about how three secretaries get their own back on their male chauvinistic boss. The story has been toned down a bit as they no longer want to kill him but more to punish and rehabilitate him.

The musical has Dolly Parton written all over it which is not surprising really as she has not just given her name to the show but had a massive input into it from the music to the story and the characters.

In some ways the story is dated and very much a story of its time being set in the 1980s. Its quirky, corny and daft at times but it seems to work as one forgets political correctness and the equality of men and women in the workplace that we take for granted (mostly) today. 

Apart from the song 9 to 5 the tunes and lyrics are unmemorable. No great hits here. Thankfully we had at least 2 renditions of 9 to 5 to get the audience up dancing and singing in their seats. 

The star of the show was Brian Conley who played Mr Hart the male chauvinistic boss from hell. It was amazing how he held the audience in the palm of his hand with perfect comedy timing. Let’s face it Brian can’t really sing or dance to any high level, but it didn’t really matter. Even with those limitations I can’t imagine anyone else could have done the part of Mr Hart so well.  What casting! The double act scene with Roz (Lucinda Lawrence) as she fantasised about her unrequited love for her boss was probably the best scene of all. 

It took a while to get used to the Dolly Parton character but Georgina Castle who played the role of Doralee soon began to bring the audience with her on this journey. Well done also to Laura Tyrer who ably stepped in to play Violet in this performance.  Also, a mention for Amber Davies who ably played Judy. What a great line up of actors.

The stage setting, the music and the lights were West End theatre at its best and all brought to MK Theatre.

This will be a sell out show so do try and see it. It’s on until Saturday 28^th September.  

Tickets from www.atgtickets.com/Miltonkeynes or telephone 0844 871 7652 (booking fee applies)

Review: Avenue Q at Milton Keynes Theatre

Review: Avenue Q at Milton Keynes Theatre – Tuesday 10^th September

Back for a second run at Milton Keynes Theatre this puppet show could initially be mistaken for the muppets. But this is certainly not the Sesame Street that you’d want your children to watch any time soon.

The story follows Princeton who is a fresh-faced English graduate growing up and trying to find his purpose in life – a life of humans, puppets and some rather offensive songs which you can’t help but start singing along with. Who knew there would be a five minute song about what the internet is actually used for?

Intermixing puppet characters and human characters together on stage as if they co-exist in the real world worked really well. Initially I thought I would pay more attention to the puppeteers instead of the puppets but as the show went on the puppets stole the show with their great facial expressions that portrayed their feelings and intricate movements progressing the story (although some of these movements are a bit more risqué than others).

The set remains pretty much the same throughout – the only changes coming from different ‘doors’ opening to indicate a different setting and changes in lighting to portray a change of mood or pace. I feel this had mixed success as when some of the doors opened, they were quite small and it was quite hard to see what was behind each door.

The small cast were fantastic – many of them operating more than one puppet and seamlessly switched between each character making it appear there were more cast members than there actually were. Stand out character for me had to be Trekkie Monster with his crude songs and matching actions.

Avenue Q is at Milton Keynes Theatre until Saturday 14^th September.

Tickets available from https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/avenue-q/milton-keynes-theatre

An Interview with Richard Jones

This month Phonebox spoke with 2016 Britain’s Got Talent winner Richard Jones about his new show, his future ambitions and the proudest moment of his career so far.

“I think there’s something that all forms of magic have in common; the ability to make people smile”, Richard says. “It doesn’t matter what kind of day you’ve had or what’s on your mind, if you’re absorbed in a magic trick, it’ll always distract you from whatever you were thinking about”.

Having joined the Army in 2010 and spent three years in the parachute regiment, Richard got his big break in entertainment in 2016, when he became the first magician to ever win Britain’s Got Talent. Since then, he’s gone from strength to strength, becoming a highly sought out corporate entertainer, selling out tours across the UK and performing all around the world. He’s even a Gold Star member of the magic circle! He’s also had his own one off show on ITV, Operation Magic, which aired in 2017. But he’s never forgotten his roots and performed for troops in Afghanistan in 2018. 

He’ll be taking brand new tricks and some old classics across the country until the 13^thSeptember and going further into the future, he also has ambitions to take his show abroad someday. What has been the proudest moment of his career so far? Richard tells us affectionately, “I think the final of Britain’s Got Talent when I got to join my mentor, the veteran Fergus Anckorn, on stage is the time I’ve felt most pride. Fergus was the longest serving member of the Magic Circle and also an amazing soldier. I looked up to him so much. He passed away a few years ago and I miss him terribly but I’ll never forget that moment”. In Richard’s top two performances are the Royal Variety Show and performing for the troops in Afghanistan, as well as performing in his hometown of Braintree, in a show that all his family and friends were able to attend.

Richard tells us his favourite trick is one that Fergus taught him and is the only one where he’s willing to break the code of the magic circle to reveal how it’s done. You’ll have to watch the show to find out what that is!

Finally, we asked him about his desert island disc and he has a surprising response, “There’s one song in particular that I always play when I’m feeling a bit nervous and about to go on stage. It’ll make you laugh but it’s ‘Footloose’ by Kenny Loggins. It’s so upbeat that it always cheers me up and I feel totally psyched up to perform at the end of it!” We have to admit that sure is a good choice for a feel good song! 

Richard brings his nationwide tour to The Core at Corby on Friday 13th September. Tickets are available via: www.richardjonesmagic.co.uk/tour-dates

Review: Les Misérables at Milton Keynes Theatre

I’m not sure if this review needs much more than, ‘Wow! Go see this immediately!’…But I will try to be a little more descriptive as to why you should go, at least for those of you like me that do not know the story as well as you should, even if it has been packing out theatres worldwide since 1985!

The musical is based on Victor Hugo’s great 19^thCentury novel, Les Misérables and is set during a period of great social and political unrest in France and living conditions of the poor were grim. The musical begins with our hero, Jean Valjean, who was arrested for stealing some bread to feed his sister’s baby and imprisoned for 19 years. He is granted leave, breaks his parole and begins a new life. Fast forward 8 years and he is now the owner of a factory and finds himself indebted to one of his workers, Fantine, and will do whatever he can to take care of her young illegitimate daughter, Cosette, living with the terrible Monsieur and Madame Thénardier. Fast forward another 9 years, the revolution is on the rise, Cosette has grown up and a young rebel student Marius has fallen in love with her. His friend Eponine (the Thénardier’s grown up daughter) is secretly in love with him and a tricky love triangle begins. Act two sees the revolution continue, tragic deaths and a marriage all of which will keep you on the edge of your seat right until the end.

The story is dark, melancholy, helpless at times, funny at others and really transports you to life in early 1800’s France. The show moves so quickly, one enthralling song after another. Many of the songs have simple tunes that you find yourself humming along to by the second verse, especially Master of the House which is good fun! The acting and singing was absolutely superb and although the entire cast were completely perfect, I must give particular mention of course to Killian Donnelly (Jean Valjean), Nic Greensheilds (Javert), Katie Hall (Fantine), Martin Ball (Monsieur Thénardier) and Sophie-Louise Dann (Madame Thénardier. Lyrics were enunciated very clearly so you can easily follow what is happening. The live orchestra completes this show with beautiful music to set the scene and leaves you humming the tunes all the way home. 

The staging was magnificent, it changed seamlessly from one scene to the next. One moment you’re in a factory, the next in the backstreets with the ladies and their clients and the next at the Thérnardier’s dodgey pub or the barricades, you hardly even notice the set changing. The show has been refreshed for the 21^stcentury and now includes a background screen with some digital moving images (based on paintings by Victor Hugo) that tie in flawlessly with the set without taking away from the forbidding atmosphere of the times. 

For tickets: Best availability Monday to Thursday performances. Call the theatre’s dedicated Les Misérables booking line on 01908 547669 (open Monday to Saturday, 12 – 6pm) or visit: https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/les-miserables/milton-keynes-theatre/. Check daily for returns and last minute ticket releases.

Review: Tom Gates Live On Stage

This week, the brilliant world of Tom Gates has been brought to life on stage at Milton Keynes Theatre. Translated into 43 languages and with over 8 million copies sold worldwide, this series is a huge hit. Tom Gates is a series of illustrated stories for older children by graphic designer-turned-author, Liz Pichon. 

This story, written specifically for the stage, is aimed at children although is fantastic fun for the whole family. I am told (by a couple of true Tom Gates experts) that the show is funny, energetic, lively, colourful and just what they expected Tom Gates to be if he was a real-life boy. Following Tom, his friends at school and his family at home (including the scary older sister Celia) we get to see the highs and lows of being a ‘smiley face’ or a ‘sad face’ student - Tom just has to make sure he makes it on the School Trip Of A Lifetime! Just don’t doodle on the wrong wall (face palm.)

The staging was ultra-modern and unlike anything I’ve seen before which included a large digital animated screen that changed to show different scenes or bring Tom’s doodles to life. It really was super clever and you will be fascinated by the screen as well as the fantastic actors that made this show so fun. 

The genre will appeal to most children and adults alike, with lots of silliness, a bit of rebellion and plenty of live music too. We love chips, when do we want them? Now!

Catch Tom and his friends this week at Milton Keynes Theatre until Saturday 11^thMay. www.atgtickets.com

Review: Greenday’s American Idiot

American Idiot is on its 10^th Anniversary Tour and is in town at Milton Keynes Theatre this week until Saturday. We went along to last night’s performance for the opening night of this Tony and Grammy award winning show.

The story follows three boyhood friends on their search for meaning in a post 9/11 world. They live in ‘suburbia’, bored and frustrated with life and so they head out on their own to try and make something of themselves with quite tragic consequences. The show is based around Greenday’s Grammy Award winning album American Idiot and is in the style of a punk-rock opera with minimal dialogue. Songs include American Idiot, Boulevard of Broken Dreams and Wake Me Up When September Ends.

The show is quite niche – perhaps not something your average musical fan would enjoy so I went in with an open mind, as a huge fan of Greenday (I saw the band perform this album live at The MK Bowl back in 2005). This isn’t your typical All-American-Dream, glitz and glam musical, in fact it is the complete opposite with a fair amount of hopelessness, dark and dreary settings, anarchy, sex, drugs and rock and roll. I couldn’t help but feel the show did lack a bit of ‘soul’. To see punk rock bands live (or any live music for that matter), is unlike any other experience, the sheer energy and emotional atmosphere on stage and in the crowd cannot be matched in a theatre production and acting rebellious certainly isn’t the same as actually being rebellious. However, that is where we must remember this is not meant to be a Greenday gig. This musical is its own entity, theatre productions have a whole host of their own excitements and this show has plenty of them, fans of Greenday can still thoroughly enjoy the music, lyrics and epic guitar riffs. Likewise, musical fans can enjoy something completely different and experience a taste of Greenday’s catchy songs. The cast were brilliant and all had a great stage presence for their own characters, there’s no lack of talent in this cast, great singers and performers and they all looked awesome in their costumes.

The stage set was great and it really transported you to the grubby homes and lifestyles of the characters. Having the band situated on the upper level of the set as a permanent feature throughout the show was really effective – especially as a punk-rock opera where musicians are just as important to the show as the cast. The show and music are as relevant today as they were 15 years ago when the album was first released.

The show contains lots of swearing, drug use and sexual references, so certainly not one for kids! But I would highly recommend seeing this one. Tickets available on www.atgtickets.com and the show runs until Saturday 27^th April.