Oh No She Didn't

I have read with interest Natasha Tripney's article for The Stage concerning the sexism that appears in pantomime. I have to say that I agree with her points for the most part although as she allows, "carping on about Christmas shows and gender politics makes me sound like I need to lighten up. But I do think these things matter." Indeed they do matter, Natasha as I believe that apart from pantomime being a youngsters introduction to theatre, it also offers an indicator as to the state of society in general.

Pantomime is a remarkably versatile medium that has evolved over the centuries and continues to change in our lifetime. Disney continues to have a major effect on British pantomimes despite various cease and desist orders. Dwarfs need to be renamed; the evil fairy Carabosse has been clumsily renamed Malevolence thanks to Ms Jolie and Cinderella is by far the most popular production this year, no doubt on the back of the movie release. There are other more subtle changes too, that are taking place.

Gender reversal has all but disappeared from the major pantomimes. The age of the thigh-slapping female principal boy has long gone and even the big shows make blunt references to the dames masculinity. Oddly, the only female principal boy I have seen this year was in Mirror, Mirror - King's Head and I thought she was rather good. Personally I've never subscribed to the idea that 'it will confuse the kids' if a girl plays a boy. Kids aren't stupid I don't expect for a moment that they imagine they are watching anything other than fantasy theatre. 

Natasha refers to Eric Potts' poor treatment of the female characters in his Peter Pan at Wimbledon. Is it lazy writing? Probably, especially when you begin to breakdown the structure of these big, 'mechanical pantomimes'.  They usually run at about 2 and a half hours including the interval. That's about 1hr 45mins of script when you have taken off the interval, song-sheet, call-outs and walk-down. Remove at least 30mins to account for regular routines - slop, ghost, 12 days of sodding Xmas, whatever - you are left with about 1hr 15mins of plot, including the song and dance numbers.

In fairness to Potts, who understandably responds on the defensive, the audience are indeed entertained by his work, but that probably says more about the audience than Potts as a writer. Over at the Theatre Royal Stratford East, they maintain a consistently diverse agenda for their excellent pantomimes but again this year, the hero is tidily put in his place by a much more sensible heroine. Is this sexism too? Will the children of Stratford grow to imagine that men are inherently flawed and need the guiding hand of a woman to put them on the right track. It's unlikely, but just as unlikely as any child seeing Potts' Wendy as a serious role model.

This year, I will have seen about 25 Christmas shows - a personal record. I enjoy the medium and am constantly amazed at its possibilities. I see the scope of work being produced from the largest arena production to the tiniest pub theatre. I've cried at the resolution of The Snow Queen in Northampton and thrilled at the breath-taking talent on show in Basildon. I've also despaired as five blokes corpse on stage over a knob gag while Cinderella is locked in the wardrobe and inwardly groaned at yet another recorded soundtrack.

It is the best of times, it is the worst of times. It is subject to budget, subject to talent and subject to taste but it should never be taken seriously as educational - except perhaps by other theatre creatives who seriously need to get out there and see what else is being done.

The Ghost Of Christmas Past

Well I've been tearing around with the usual Christmas madness and this year my Christmas shows have bumped up to 24! Probably a record and definitely an indictment to the excellent coverage The Stage give to theatres at this time of year. I've had some surprises - good and bad - and already I've been lucky enough to visit several theatres that are new to me. 

Tonight, I am visiting the Pleasance in Islington. I am no stranger to the venue and in fact, it was several (probably about 10) Christmas' ago that I first worked with Russell Labey there. Russell was directing Aladdin and appearing as Widow Twankey and I designed the make-up for the show. Since then, I have realised that in fact, Russell's musical version of Whistle Down The Wind premiered at the theatre I was managing in Gloucester. The theatre has long since gone but thankfully the musical was revived last year at the Union and - in my humble opinion - works so much better than Andrew Lloyd Webber's version. 

Tonight, I am at the Pleasance to review Nutcracker! The Musical but upon entering the venue I shall always think fondly of my Christmas there, laying on the slap and watching Anthony Alderson and his kids try and figure out how to make the magic carpet fly.  

All Change

Just when you imagined that you had everything sorted out with your work diary, the whole thing takes a tumble. On the plus side, the changes I had to make to my Christmas line up now feature two major shows including Oliver! at the Curve in Leicester and Funny Girl at the Menier Chococlate Factory - that latter having been sold-out within hours of being announced. So, thanks to Peter Bull and the team at Above The Stag for accommodating my reviewing mayhem, I shall sadly not be in Vauxhall on Wednesday night but in Southwark, watching Sheridan Smith's Fanny. Tinderella is itself sold out before Christmas but Peter has given me a house seat for Sunday, so that I can review the show then. As for today, I am hurtling toward Leicester as I type, to catch Peter Polycarpou's Fagin. Thankfully I still managed a swim before I left London!

3 Guys Naked From The Waist Down off the Fulham Road

I managed to get off my arse and cycle into town for the first time in a while yesterday, which may have been freezing cold but was certainly worth it. It's about a 40 min cycle to the Chelsea Sports Centre (just off the King's Road) from Kingston, which is a relatively short jaunt considering Crystal Palace to London Bridge was about that.  As it happens, I was heading that way for 3 Guys Naked From The Waist Down, which opened at the Finborough last night.

It's been a while since I've been to the Finborough and while this show was piggy-backing on the set of Flowering Cherry it soon over-powered the chintz to make its own mark. Thoughtful performances from the three guys in the cast - Simon Haines, Benedict Hastings, Guy Woolf - and a cracking band led by Josh Sood. I didn't know the score at all, but it's a thoroughly engaging story about the aspirations of three stand-up comics. Jerry Colker's book and lyrics glitter with touches of Kaufman, Williams, Belushi and Martin, complemented by a strident score from Michael Rupert.  

For whatever reason, there were no further collaborations, which is a shame as 3 Guys is a genuinely good piece. Catch it if you can. The performances may have been a little raw last night and the lighting all over the place but I have no doubt it will soon settle in. Hopefully my new gym regime might do the same at some point soon.

Out and About

Theatrically it was a fairly slow week for me, with a visit to only two theatres - Above The Stag and the Old Red Lion but each for very different reasons. The ATS was celebrating its second year at the Vauxhall venue with an informal cabaret and drinks party. Artistic Director Peter Bull was in fine form, dropping hints about the forthcoming year and thanking members for their continued support. The last year at ATS had thrown up some great plays including Encounter, Fanny & Stella and the acclaimed The Sum Of Us. The future year at the venue looks interesting including the usual mix of bawdy comedy and thoughtful drama including a new piece staring Andy Bell. There's not much out there about this self-penned piece from the Erasure front-man but as a big fan of the group, I can't wait to see what it's all about. In the meantime, I'm looking forward to Tinderella! Cinders Slips It In - this year's offering from Jon Bradfield and Martin Hooper for the ATS's now legendary adult pantomime.

Midweek, I popped over to the Old Red Lion, where Artistic Director Stewart Pringle had very kindly invited me to see Sparks, a new play by Simon Longman that had received good notices. An affecting play, it touched on the nature of family ties and how a trauma in our early years may affect the way we develop as adults. Longman's writing, consisting of many rambling, amusing monologues left me slightly unmoved personally but you couldn't fault commitment from either actor - Sally Hodgkiss and Sofie Steer - particularly as they were alternating roles throughout the run.  I may have had difficulties with Longman's dramatic style but the piece is definitely worth a trip to the ORL.

RVP 2015

For three years in a row now I have been lucky enough to get to review the Royal Variety Performance for The Stage. The last two years, the event has been held at the Palladium and the venue and team has provided both a sense of occasion and spectacle unparalleled in today's live entertainment market. It's a long old show but oh, the acts! In three years I have seen Robbie Williams, Bette Midler, Shirley Bassey, Kylie Minogue, Jack Whitehall, One Direction, McBusted....you get the picture.

The ticket price is hefty but it is important to remember that this event takes place to raise money for the Royal Variety Charity - previously known as the Entertainment Artists Benevolent Fund - a worthy cause if ever there was one. To be honest, the price of the ticket is irrelevant when you catch the line-up each year. Imagine the cost of buying a ticket to each of their live concerts? Also I need to point out that my ticket is free of charge, at the invitation of the producers.

This year the venue returned to the Royal Albert Hall, a venue with a huge capacity, ergo a much bigger money spinner for the RVC. It also means that more people get the chance to see the show live. The problem is that this style of venue compromises the theatrical element to such an extent that it becomes more of a 'posh live recording' than a theatrical highlight.

The thrust stage provides much better control for the ITV cameras recording the show but this year much of the theatrical magic has been dissipated to serve the live recording. There are no tabs to hide the many scene changes and rather than have the wonderful host Jack Whitehall keep us entertained in between, we are shown video compilations of previous RVP highlights. Also sad to say that these pauses provide the perfect excuse for an audience to get-up for a pee, go for a walk or sadly go the bar for a top-up.

I should imagine the TV recording will be a very slick affair, with only advertising interrupting the viewers but it's a step backwards in terms of theatrical presentation. Also, the production design appears to lack creativity on the last two years, something made self evident simply by watching a few of those video compilations. These might seem like minor irritations but they all reflect on the live theatrical presentation. Audiences are of course changing. Perhaps the RVP should become a stadium event?  Either way, this year the RVP may be the best light entertainment programme on ITV but unlike the last couple of years, I'd have to hesitate before labelling it the best live show in town.

My Mind Is Clearer Now

Today the next year's season at the Open Air Theatre in Regent's Park was announced as including a new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's Jesus Christ Superstar. As it happens, JCS was the first West End production I ever saw, thanks to a church outing of 42 years ago - give or take a couple of years. The musical became one of my favourites and remains so to this day, despite arena productions and celebrity castings.

I remember catching up with the video of the Lyceum production starring an excellent Glenn Carter as Jesus some time ago and not really liking it. Aside from some of the vocal performances, I felt the filming of the show didn't do justice to the power of Lloyd Webber's unashamedly rock sensitive score.

Hopefully with Tim Sheader directing and the marvellous Drew McOnie choreographing in that fabulous open air venue, the production will live again - without the need for filling vast arenas, stunt casting or a television series to create interest.

Back In The Gym

Back in the gym again this morning for a Re-focus session with Salih Tahir, the gym manager who has been the most effective member of staff at Crystal Palace Sports Centre. When I say most effective, I probably mean most approachable as so many of the staff in gyms generally seem distracted by paperwork, cleaning or - more often than not - female gym members.

Anyway, Salih took me through some new movements to help me trim up before the holiday season including a regime called German Volume Training. GVT means that on one visit a week - I think - I will concentrate on only 2 exercises and perform 10 x 10 reps of each. Gulp! On top of this there is a challenge to master the Punch Ball. Now I can assure you that I am the last person to throw a punch and today pretty much showed why. However, as hopeless as I was at it today, I plan to look back on it in 6 week time and realise that I am now an expert.

What Punching Ball Should Look Like

Well, that's the plan anyway. Thankfully, the punch ball is in a small room off the main gym so nobody will either see my efforts or hear my sobs.

A Summer's Lease

It's been a summer of organised chaos - literally. Firstly, August was completely written off as I headed up to Scotland for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, as part of the reviewing team for The Stage. It was a real challenge but an exciting one, epitomised by some great theatre and a quality team. Bit by bit, the shows are trickling down to London and I am seriously looking forward to catching Penny Arcade again next week with her show Longing Lasts Longer.

After Edinburgh, I had a single rest day before heading into a new temp job, helping install the festive lighting at Canary Wharf. Hard work but again, working with a great team makes all the difference and Dave, Craig and Mark have been great fun. I even got to wear a high viz jaket and a harness, and I've not done that since the early 1990s - ahem.

Being in Edinburgh meant that I was out of town for my 50th birthday, which I celebrated at the Gilded Balloon's Loft Bar. I had a great time - from what I can remember - but the real surprise was when I got home and Sean had booked the two of us into a luxury room at the Asfiya Sea View Hotel in Kalkan. A week of sun, swimming and delicious food. Below is a picture of Mustapha, who spent much of the day posing for me by the pool. 

So as November hits and the clocks have well and truly gone back, I am finally back to 'normal'. My job at Canary Wharf is over, save for a few days later this month when the Christmas trees arrive and I have now pretty much tied every weekend before Christmas in events.

'Sober October' was a complete wash out and 'Mo-vember' seems fairly pointless when you have a beard. To prepare myself for the holiday season, I am off to a Gym Re-focus session tomorrow morning at Crystal Palace. I managed to swim in Edinburgh but the gym evaded me and has done throughout the whole of my time in Canary Wharf, so a Re-focus seems appropriate.

Holy Marys!

                                      

After a fleeting visit to my home town earlier this month, i have returned to Gloucester, this time simply to enjoy the production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, which my friend Rowena has produced. An open air production, it has been hampered slightly by the dreadful weather to which Britain is prone in the summer. The opening performance on Saturday night was able to run as normal with the sun actually shining and the grass of the Blackfriar's courtyard pretty dry. 

I must say, the Tygers managed to pull it out of the bag and there were some lovely performances and thanks to Rowena some great costumes too. I laughed a lot and I couldn't help thinking how great it must be to be part of such a process. On Sunday however the rain may have turned to drizzle but it was insistent drizzle and the decision was made to perform in St Mary de Crypt church - the second church in Gloucester to see a performance this weekend!

On Saturday, at the request of a local church group, the Interlude of Pyramus and Thisbe was performed by the Tygers at St Mary de Lode on Archdeacon Street. It was quite nostalgic heading down to that side of the city, as I used to attend college there many, many years ago. The church is utterly enchanting and thankfully still in active use. Sad to say, St Mary de Crypt is no longer in use as a place of worship but the building is an astounding example of medieval mystery and Victoriana.

Rowena was handed the keys and allowed to use the space at will. Needless to say, both our minds were popping at the opportunity the atmospheric space affords but this was really a case of get in and get acting. Troupers that they are, the cast filled the space and the performance was a genuine delight - three babies in the audience and hardly a sound out of any of them. I am writing this piece up in the church between shows and it will be interesting to see how well the second performance goes.

My mind is already thinking of future projects and how St Mary de Crypt - in the heart of the city of Gloucester - could spring to life once more as a thriving venue in the community.   

The New Ambassadors

It was reported widely this week that the producer and theatre owner Cameron Mackintosh will be making big changes to the Ambassadors Theatre in the West End. Unless you are a devotee of Tap Dogs or Stomp, it's unlikely that many young theatre-goers will have any idea of what the Ambassadors is actually like inside. In fact, I only went in there for the first time last year for a show as part of the London Cabaret Festival and I was utterly surprised at how small it actually was. Three full coaches and you would probably have to put the All Seats Sold sign up!

Mackintosh's plan is to create a modern space with between 450 - 475 seats, able to house smaller shows in transfer from the subsidised sector. Runs would last 8 - 16 weeks only. It's a bold, philanthropic move and the plans are in the process of completion before they are handed over to be approved by Westminster authorities.

I, like many other theatre people are welcoming this move as a valuable step forward both practically and artistically. I do however have one gripe and that is the intended name for the converted space. Mackintosh plans to call it The Stephen Sondheim Theatre. As much as I admire Sondheim, I am not sure it is particularly appropriate to name a British theatre after a living, American composer. There are plenty of British musical theatre names, which would lend themselves admirably to the space - Vivian Ellis, Sandy Wilson or Lionel Bart for instance - I particularly like the idea of The Lionel Bart Theatre. Or if it has to be a living giant of the musical theatre stage, why not The Don Black?

In the end, I suppose it's up to Cameron Mackintosh to decide and lets face it, in 50 years time we are bound to be heading - quite rightly - for opening nights at The Cameron Mackintosh and The Lloyd Webber, but that is the future. All I am saying, is that there was a British musical theatre before Sondheim came along so let's commemorate that with this new space.

The Gloucester Arts Council

The other more pressing matter that arose while I was away was that of the Gloucester Arts scene. For several years Gloucester has been a city in crisis. Extended poverty in the urban areas and the gradual erosion of core arts groups combined with a general apathy from the City Council have finally led to a rallying of the troupes. A meeting was called for all interested parties to discuss the situation and suggest proposals for the raising of a Gloucester Arts Council.

The primary aim of the meeting was to bring together artists, directors, writers and venue managers and discover how things can be improved. The brainchild of local businessman Phil McCormack, this first meeting immediately established that pretty much every arts group - amateur and professional - had the same gripe, namely a lack of effective marketing facilities and a decent skills and resources data base.

In the arts, communication is power and this meeting exposed that a flaccid local council has fobbed the arts community off for long enough. Personally, I believe that moving forward, the rise of the Gloucester Arts Council is a tremendous idea. A genuine network of groups, organisations and individuals creating a valuable resource, offering support and advice which will enrich the community. It will not be easy, of that I am sure but it's early days and Phil McCormack's genuine interest and affection for the arts scene in his city is fairly infectious.