As the audience took their seats last night, there was a palpable excitement in the atmosphere. And as the band struck up, under the sublime musical direction of Ben Van Tienen, we were transported to 1920s New York. For over two and a half hours our eyes were transfixed as Funny Girl graced the Hippodrome’s stage in all its wonderful glory.

An endearing tale of one young girl’s journey from stage-struck teenager to star of the Follies, Funny Girl is packed with boundless energy, yet tinged with sadness. Fanny Brice is a young Jewish girl, desperate for her chance in the spotlight, but with a slightly quirkier disposition to your typical chorus girl, her rise to fame comes out of her faultless talent for comedy. Who better to step into a role like this than the undeniably talented Sheridan Smith? She delivered an absolute masterclass in performance, and even in the larger Hippodrome auditorium you were sucked into her story. It was intimate and beautiful. Her comic timing is second to none and there was not one hilarious quirk, twitch or gurn missed. Not only that, coupled with vocals that soared through the theatre, her performances of some of the most iconic songs from this striking soundtrack were stunning. Particular highlights included People and Don’t Rain On My Parade, delivered with sheer vim and verve. Paired with Darius Campbell, as her love interest and eventual husband Nick Arnstein, their relationship on stage was tender and captivating. They complemented each other well and their rendition of You Are Woman, I Am Man was utterly brilliant.

There was an abundance of outstanding performances from the rest of the cast, notably Rachel Izen as Fanny’s mother and Joshua Lay as the haplessly lovelorn Eddie Ryan. Desperately seeking his chance with Fanny Brice, he never quite manages to ‘win the girl.’ Lay’s dancing is exceptional, and between him and Izen they create an unlikely, yet comical duo in Who Taught Her Everything She Knows? with Izen’s impressive vocal range shining.

Special mentions also to the Cornet Men (Peter Nash and Lloyd Davies), who, alongside Smith, created a fantastic trio in Cornet Man, Brice’s debut performance. It’s these little asides throughout that hold some of the funniest physical comedy. From a pregnant bride to a mustachioed bloke, Smith transitions through these characters faultlessly.

As the story moves along, the ingenious set from Michael Pavelka seamlessly transforms from train station, to theatre, to dressing room, with very simple touches. Heightened by the lighting from Mark Henderson and costumes from Matthew Wright, it is vibrant and colourful throughout. Under the direction of Michael Mayer and effective choreography from Lynne Page, the show is undeniably slick and glorious to watch.

Theatre that takes you from rolling with laughter to tears rolling down your cheek is something quite magical. And that was all epitomised in this exquisite performance. Smith has something special; she is undoubtedly one of ‘the greatest stars’ and with a closing scene that displays such glorious resilience, Funny Girl is a superlative show that must be seen. 

Questions of morals, life decisions, friendship and aspirations are what create Jonathon Larson’s classic and uniquely brilliant: RENT. In this 20th anniversary UK Tour, the cast and creative team bring to life the story of 7 artists in the wake of the American AIDS epidemic, Mark documents the whole show on his camera as he aspires to become a filmmaker, whilst his best friend Roger hopes for just one song in his pursuit of becoming a music artist. As the story turns into the darker side of Larson’s piece, this production deals with it through sheer maturity, respect and creative genius.


The whole cast is simply faultless, with highlights from Javar La’Trail Parker as the antagonist Benny in You’ll See. His aggression towards the bohemian life is heightened in the show’s classic La Vie Boheme in which Billy Cullum reaches a real high point as the filmmaker Mark and Lee Proud’s choreography really re-invents this number for the better. For the audience, colour and movement make this the most memorable end of act one.


The relationship between struggling and bereaved Roger (Josh Dever) and Mimi (Philippa Stefani) is full of energy and yet totally heartbreaking in act two. Dever’s vocal ability was clear in One Song Glory and much like Christina Modestou as Maureen, the two prove that you should never underestimate the understudy. Stefani is vocally strong throughout, particularly during Out Tonight and her heart-wrenching performance of Goodbye Love. One other performance that strikes a chord, is that of the selfless Angel, where actor Layton Williams’ dance ability is clear. Angels’ tragic downfall in the show from AIDS is depicted in the most creative and raw way, through movement and projection in Contact.

Larson’s showstealing number Take Me or Leave Me was exactly that: showstealing. Dramatizing the argument between Maureen (Christina Modestou) and Joanne (Shanay Holmes), it is a song that fully exploits two feisty female performers with vocals that soar across the auditorium. It leaves the audience in absolute awe and really is a high point in the production. One number, however, that does rival this is Ryan O’Gorman as the distraught and broken Collins in I’ll Cover You (Reprise). Vocally O’Gorman executes this number with sheer force and dexterity, bringing shivers to every member of the audience. Backed vocally by the ensemble, this number has a similar impact to the act two opener Seasons Of Love - an expositional number which really heightens the show’s morals, telling us what act two will bring.

On a design front, Anna Fleichle’s take on the classic raw, sparse and industrial RENT set really works, and the detailing of the neighborhood through spray paint, lampposts and street signs is what really sets this apart from being just a scaffolding structure. Aside from Proud’s stunningly slick, but rather abstract choreography, the set is probably the only other thing about the production that is not naturalistic, creating a false world on the stage for these naturalistic performances. Loren Elstein’s costume does not directly copy the cliché original Broadway costumes, but instead opts for a more realistic approach in what the characters are wearing, similarly in Rick Fisher’s lighting design it is not a rock show, and instead just a raw depiction of life in New York during the American AIDS epidemic.

This fresh, new naturalistic take on a classically Brechtian piece, comes directly from Bruce Guthrie’s direction which has done away with the ensemble standing behind mics in their musical interludes “Christmas bells are ringing…” and instead helps to tell the stories of these individuals through movement. It really is a production that places the storytelling of Larson’s work at its heart and this really helps those who do not know the show to understand its sometimes intangible plot.
What did let this production team down was the sound problems throughout act one with the cast being drowned out by the band and mics being lost, notably this was resolved in act two but was very distracting.

It is truly the most honest and clear depiction of Larson’s masterpiece you will ever see. Do not miss this production on its UK Tour, playing at the Belgrade until Saturday.

Review by Andrew Exeter.

La Strada (The Road) is based on the subject and script work by Federico Fellini, Ennio Flaiano and Tullio Pinell. It is a story about a young girl who is sold to a travelling performer and the journey she takes to get back home. Prior to its West End run at the Other Palace this summer, the show has embarked on a UK tour. Transporting its audience across post-war Italy through the struggles of the working performer, it’s a show that places the purpose of theatre boldly at its heart: storytelling. The prologue is spoken by the ensemble: “This is an old story” and from then on, Cookson’s Brechtian inspired direction takes the stage into its own and pulls it apart to its raw roots. Its devising comes from working with this ensemble and a ‘writer in the room’ – Mike Akers – to transform this Italian cinematic spectacle into a live action stage show, and it is in this devising that so much creativity is clear.
 
Audrey Brisson provides an innocent and enthralling Gelsomina throughout the story and, in direction with Sally Cookson, the two provide an immersive experience for the audience as we are captivated by her story with every inch she moves about the stage. Brisson is also vocally talented and it soothes through Benji Bower’s stunning original soundtrack. Likewise, the vocals of the actor musician ensemble soar through the score with delicacy and tact creating real scope for Bower’s music to be exploited throughout the piece.
 
It is in the transformation into act two that the strength in Bart Soroczynski as Il Matto (The Fool) really comes into play. His character evokes empathy from the audience and makes it all the more captivating as the show climaxes in Act Two – a truly striking moment in the show. Meanwhile, antagonist – Zampano (Stuart Goodwin) provides our empathy for Gelsomina through his harsh abuse and narcissistic deeds. With movement direction from Cameron Carver, the fight sequences between Goodwin and the rest of the cast are horrifyingly real, and reflect nicely Carver’s movement in transition sequences.
 
It is, however, the ensemble of actor-musicians who really emphasise the artistic integrity behind this storytelling. The ensemble personify the emotion behind what Gelsomina experiences throughout the story with movement, sound, instruments and particularly during the transition sequences where movement through tyres reflect the nature of Gelsomina and Zamphano’s travel across the country. It is raw, striking and yet delicately beautiful to watch and a real reflection on the state of post-war Italy. 
 
On a design front, this feeling of a bleak setting is further heightened in Katie Sykes’ stripped back and sparse wooden and metal-chained set. In collaboration with Aideen Malone’s lighting design there is scope for pure excellence across the show and some real moments of visual sensation are created. Sykes’ costuming is also unique in its approach, opting for a rather industrial and bleak look into the character’s appearances, allowing for a little colour in the circus character’s facades.
 
La Strada really places the audience on ‘The Road’ with the performers to experience a tale of hate, love and passion. It truly is one of the rawest depictions of storytelling across contemporary British musical theatre and you mustn’t miss it on its UK Tour this year.  
 
Review by Andrew Exeter

I will be the first too admit, I was sceptical walking into The Shop Front Theatre, Coventry. I had envisioned the intimate venue to be a hindrance to the performance of All is Well, but, if I learnt anything, it's to never judge a book by a cover... or a shop by its windows. The intimacy and absurdity of the venue was wonderful, and there was something deeply moving about hearing the ticking of a clock on a back wall whilst watching a show about somewhere lost to time.

All Is Well tells the story of four strangers exploring Chernobyl, each examining the lost town with their own reasons for being there. Mark Carey plays Aleks, a nuclear safety inspector with a tragic past. Carey was glorious to watch, his monologue about seeing his mother drunk was a personal highlight, he encapsulated the audience on his every word. Jack Richardson plays the sheepish Stefan (along with a rather gloriously designed puppet of a Blackbird), he provided some of the biggest laughs of the night with his nervous and pessimistic imagination. Aimee Powell plays Nina, the moral compass of the piece, Powell plays a strong character, and delivers a terrific performance throughout the piece, however I couldn't help but feel that playwright Vanessa Oakes somewhat underdeveloped her character. She appeared for most of the play to talk about several bad experiences, if this play is staged again, it would be interesting to see her character develop into the audiences eyes of Chernobyl, with her being the most unfamiliar with the area. Finally Janice McKenzie plays the mysterious Anna, McKenzie's turn of phrase was a delight to watch, her bleak and rather sadistic view on the world brought many a laugh to the audience, it is a shame we never got to understand her true character in the slightly muddled final scenes of the play, however her performance would leave the audience wondering for days after.

Director Mark Evans encapsulated the world of Chernobyl beautifully, having the characters describe the stage directions was an interesting approach which paid off, we were no longer looking at the constraints of a shop and instead the audience felt absorbed in the action. The simplicity of Nancy Surman's set design of Chernobyl was beautiful, fitting the conditions of the auditorium well and yet never feeling that the stage was bare at any moment.

All Is Well was an interesting and thought-provoking hour of theatre with bags of potential. The run continues at the mac in Birmingham this week. Catch it while you can. ​