Antony N Britt (calls himself Nick, to be awkward) is the author of horror novels: Finding Jessica and Dead Girl Stalking, plus, short story collection: Ghost Stories. All page-turning tale that slaps you in the face when you least expect it. He lives in Walsall in a house full of CDs, videos, books and many unread pieces of paper which may hold the secret to eternal life, but are most probably pizza menus.
Finding Jessica
Finding Jessica
Jessica, Jessica, who were you? And what brought you to that bar last night?
Rob Devlin. Former TV investigative reporter, former alcoholic, formerly alive. The experience in an afterlife of near-death ends when Rob’s soul returns to the body. The wrong body.
Jessica Davies was the stranger Rob died trying to save; the reward is to live her life. But was it more than chance they met? Rob needs answers and unable to resume his old life, one option remains. She must become Jessica. First, Rob needs to know who Jessica was and in order to put things right, Rob must set about finding Jessica.
From the author of Dead Girl Stalking and Ghost Stories: Tales From The Dead of Night.
You just call out my name, and you know, wherever I am, I’ll come runnin’ to see you again.
Last year I saw Beautiful – The Carole King Musical for the first time and such was the enjoyment on that occasion, I had no hesitation in seeing the regional premier of the show by an amateur company. I say amateur for formality only, for this showing from West Bromwich Operatic Society (WBOS) was anything but amateur. I also must praise the choice of venue. I Know WBOS have filled larger theatres than The Mill but while I criticised another local company recently for playing to a half-full New Alexandar, this was exactly right for half a dozen performances of Beautiful.
Beautiful tells the story of songwriter/singer, Carole King from the origins of a partnership with husband Gerry Goffin to an even greater (in my opinion) solo career in the 70s and beyond. Writing songs for giants of music such as The Drifters, The Shirelles and Little Eva, King is best known for the 1971 solo release, Tapestry. Mixed in the tale, there is an interesting subplot featuring the friendly rivalry with fellow songwriters, Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann.
In the lead role we had a phenomenal performance from Kim Graystone, and I cannot stress enough the workload this part entails. Okay, not in every scene but near enough and with a vocal outing to rival the professionals twelve months ago. Supporting well, though, we had Dan Smith (Gerry Goffin), Emma Wetherall (Cynthia Weil), Callum Rogers (Barry Mann) and Greg Yates (Donny Kirschner). Beautiful also boasted a large company who are too many to mention but were all the highest quality.
And the songs themselves would make a great hits compilation including, Will You Love Me Tomorrow, Take Good Care of My Baby, On Broadway, We Gotta Get Out of This Place and The Locomotion. All from the catalogue of King/Goffin/Weil/Mann. And in the Tapestry era we had You’ve Got a Friend, It’s Too Late, I Feel the Earth Move, (You Make me Feel Like) A Natural Woman and the title of the show itself, Beautiful.
This was an excellent show and those in the thick of things in terms of production can be immensely proud of their cast and crew. Directing Beautiful was Simon Pugh with choreography by Claire Flavell and musical direction from Matthew Hall.
WBOS return May 2024 at The Wolverhampton Grand with Love Never Dies. Well worth a look.
Always willing to experience new music, I recently came across Dead Pony, downloaded all I could, and they have been my go-to listen ever since. With that fact when I saw they were also playing in Birmingham, I was in for tickets. I had never been to The Sunflower Lounge, either, which was the smallest room I have been at for a gig in over 40 years. But that’s cool, or at least I wish the room had been more so. Yes, also the hottest gig I have ever stood through (beating The Stranglers at KK’s Steel Mill last year), but there was still an intimacy within the euphoria.
Dead Pony hail from Glasgow and are full of catchy rock tunes and in lead singer, Anna Shields, boast a voice at the top with the best. On guitar we then had Blair Crichton who also writes the bulk of excellent compositions. Completing a classic rock band line-up are Liam Adams on bass and Euan Lyons with the drums.
The band name may raise an eyebrow or two, but I like the reasoning. It stands for the end of innocence and as Anna states in their bio, a pony is what many children aspire to own. But its death signals the end of that childhood.
“A horse – a pony – is one of the most beautiful, majestic creatures on the planet, and there’s something really tragic about the idea of it lying there dead.”
However, while Dead Pony might appeal in the main to younger generations with relevant messages, they also have the attention and love from this (near) 60-year-old.
Sirens signalled their arrival and opening number, Bullet Farm which shot the crowd into top gear from the off. This was soon followed by recent release, Cobra then thetitle track of their 2022 EP, War Boys. Now, I always say there should be a rule that if you are going to cover a famous track, you need to blow the original out the water. DP do just that to Nellie Furtado’s Maneater. Not an artist I have ever listened to and probably won’t when their songs can be so much better elsewhere.
A couple of new tracks, About Love and Rainbow (from the announced debut album next year) preceded one of my favourites in All Dressed Up for Nothing. To be honest, all the songs are bangers: Sharp Tongues, Mana and Zero simply didn’t let the atmosphere drop. And then you had MK Nothing with the audience lost in the rapture. Finally, 23, Never Me rounded off the set on a high. Fantastic night out. Do check out Dead Pony, you will not regret it.
This was a gig well-received by all in the burning, tight space, and so they should have been. Dead Pony are the business and now need the exposure to be deservedly recognised as something great.
Cheers.
Antony N Britt
Postscript: Opening for Dead Pony were Oxford’s, South Arcade. Formed in 2021 and fronted by Harmony Cavell, South Arcade ooze energy and rocking tunes. I had never heard of them before but once the evening was over, I downloaded all six tracks I found on Amazon. These included Bigger Than Anything, Danger and Unaware, all played on the night. Unfortunately, I was unable to be there for their quick return to The Sunflower Lounge three days later. But another band to add to the catalogue and one I will see and hear more of in the future.
The Stage Experience has been in existence for over 20 years. It’s aim, to change the lives of young people through the medium of Musical Theatre. In the space of two weeks, participants put on a show from scratch with involvement in all areas of production. This is a fantastic opportunity which leads many to successful careers in theatre following them taking part.
Bring it On is loosely based on the 2000 film of the same name with the music of Tom Kitt and Lin-Manuel Miranda, lyrics by Amanda Green and Miranda, plus a book from Jeff Whitty. The plot revolves around cheerleader captain Campbell Davis who is forced to move schools and set up a new crew with streetwise kids to compete in the Nationals’ competition.
I will say from the off, my only negatives of the show were with the original template itself. I found the songs uninteresting, forgettable, and only redeemed by the fantastic performances of the cast. It was the same with the script. Although enjoyable in the main, I found some characters underused and only there to fill gaps with others having a huge amount of work to do. That said, the story was fast paced with some innovations I liked, including the cell phone conversations. Very realistic and contemporary.
What the fabulous Stage Experience does go to show, however, is that even with a non-perfect starter, an amazing cast and crew can send the audience home happy. And that was the case.
In the lead role, Laura Bryan was amazing as Campbell in vocals and acting. A top performance throughout. Equally so as Danielle, we had Brittany Jarman-Watson delivering added sass in addition to all the other aspects of musical theatre. I also enjoyed the portrayal of Eva by Bessy Hingley with a character transformation that easily duped you into thinking she was sweet, only to find out she was, in fact, the villain of the piece. I then loved Bridget, the outsider who keeps on trying which was made special by the outstanding performance of Eden Wedgbrow.
Supporting well, though were Molly Ann Bache (La Cienega), Demi Mitchell (Nautica), Kieran Powell (Randall), Aiden Cooney (Cameron), Freddie Holt (Steven), Alexia Mouzakitis (Skylar), Holly Boden (Kylar) and K’Vae Brown (Twig).
Although Bring it On is musical theatre, it’s heavily stacked towards dance and under the direction of Pollyanna Tanner, who also co-choreographed with Olivia Wicks, the results were stunning from everyone and led well by Emily-Violet Haywood (Dance Captain). The show was produced by Hannah Whitfield and Victoria Ellery-Jones with musical direction from Chris Newton.
So, although I am not a fan of hip-hop/rap, I still had a wonderful time because when the talent is there, nothing else matters.
I can get in. I can get close to any woman. Even a nun. Watch and learn.
Those lines are a bit special to me because just over twelve months ago, I was a gangster, trying (hopelessly) to woo the nuns of the Queen of Angels Church, Philadelphia. Therefore, I really looked forward to Birmingham Youth Theatre’s production of Sister Act. As reviewed on several occasions now, I am a great fan of BYT, and they did not let me down.
Sister Act tells the story of Deloris Van Cartier who sees a murder at the hands of her gangster boyfriend, Curtis. Helped by cop, Eddie, who was at school with Deloris and had a crush on her, she takes refuge in a convent where the idea is for her to remain inconspicuous.
“Inconspicuous, how can she be inconspicuous? A neon sign blinking Wa-Wa Food Market is less conspicuous!” ~ Mother Superior (Act 1 Scene 5).
Sister Act is a great show with the music of Alan Menken, lyrics by Glenn Slater and a book from Chris and Bill Steinkellner. But to do it justice, you need a great cast and boy did BYT have that.
Zeena Abdalla was amazing as Deloris, excelling in Fabulous Baby (both versions) and especially, Sister Act (Title Number). But there was the right characterisation too and the chemistry between fellow cast members was superb. And there was none more so than Maddison Clarke as Mother Superior who gave a performance Dame Maggie Smith, the original Mother Superior in the 1992 film, would have been proud of. In musical theatre, Maddison ticks all the boxes. Fantastic acting skills on top of an incredible voice. I Haven’t Got a Prayer was out of this world.
In the role of (Sweaty) Eddie was Harrison Doherty who worked well as the luckless cop, giving a great rendition of I Could Be That Guy. Supporting well, though, and sharing some fine scenes with Mother Superior was Luke Griffiths in the role of Monsignor O’Hara (with a brief cameo as the drag queen).
We also had the villains. David Morrison shone as Curtis, including a perfect delivery of When I Find My Baby. Also in that number were Curtis’ henchmen. Joey, played by Charlie McRobert, was excellent, and had my seal of approval. Guess which role I had in the same show last year? Then Andrew Morrison as Pablo was spot on where most of his lines are in Spanish. So hard to do if you are originally unfamiliar but Andrew appeared natural doing so. And finally, Luke Holcroft as TJ. During the opening number, I could tell at once which of the three was TJ as Luke had got the personality from the start, jigging around and appearing, well, goofy. Brilliant.
And then there were nuns.
Where do I start? Daisy Wright (Sister Mary Robert) gave as great an outing of The Life I Never Led as I have ever witnessed. Marvelous for one so young. Last week in a review I commented that one young member of that cast should apply for the Voice Kids 2024. Make that another; Daisy, your voice was amazing. As Sister Mary Patrick we had Lily-Mae Nicholls with the oddball, scatty (for a nun) personality that Mary Patrick needs, making her stand out strong. Then as Mary Lazarus, was Kitty Smart, superb, rapping and delivering some of the best moments and one-liners of the show. Rounding off the main nuns were Marni Carroll giving us Mary Martin-of-Tours, perfect, in her own little world, and Sophie Terry as the oldest nun, Mary Theresa, reminding us that she was “In the room.”
It was lovely to meet some of those behind BYT during the interval who showed real appreciation for my past reviews. And the comment that the members were delighted last January in the Cinderella review where I named all the cast. I let myself in for it with that one, didn’t I? Christ … here goes …
Nuns were Livvy Owen (also Michelle), Emily Green (also Tina), Eva Phelan (also Susan), Tabitha Vlok, Lucy Jones, Beatrice Roberts, Megan Allsop, Sophia Chilton, Sophia Cupples, Amelia Jennings, Sarah Sambhi, Abigail Bell, Anna Simpson, Chyna Smyth, Breah Grimley, Edina Bilham-Moore, Ella Peirce, Ena Moreton, Maisie Cotterill, Oonagh Williamson, Lucy Holcroft, Ava Jones and Bella Hopner. Then Gethin Randerson played Ernie and many other roles, as did George Beckett. Phew!
This was an excellent production of Sister Act and Vivienne Morrison (Director) and Kennedy Glews (choreographer) can be extremely proud of the end results from their fabulous cast. And a very young one at that. But that’s the wonder of youth theatre. The ever-revolving door of talent from small acorns to the giant oaks of stage. Having done the show, I know how hard everybody (particularly the nuns) will have worked for the past six months. Plus, kudos must go to the exceptional set. I bet that wasn’t easy backstage, but well done all.
In charge of an excellent band and overseeing musical direction was one of the best in the Midlands in Chris Corcoran. Sister Act is full of tremendous numbers such as Take Me to Heaven, Here Within These Walls, Good to Be a Nun, Raise Your Voice, Sunday Morning Fever and Spread the Love Around. And of course, there is the one with a special (notorious) place in my heart — Lady in the Long Black Dress.
A fantastic evening. Brilliant show and well deserving of the standing ovation. I heard many saying afterwards that it was BYT’s best show ever. Impossible to disagree.
Rock the house and make a scene And crank the amps to 17 And scream until their ears are shot They all can kiss your you-know-what Do everything they ever tried to ban …
It’s my favorite musical. End of. Sure, Heathers is right up there but School of Rock has that extra oomph and feelgood factor. And holds the message that no matter what people say otherwise, you can do anything if you really want to.
School of Rock explores and fulfils the dreams of failing rock guitarist, Dewey Finn, who himself, poses as a teacher and reaches the kids in his (illegal) care. Wanting to take part in a rock band competition, Dewey dupes his pupils into forming a band but in truth, shows them the way to be themselves and make their parents listen.
Script Youth Musical Theatre Company are top quality, having seen them a few times now, and the friendliness and welcome of their Front of Houseis always second to none. Youth theatre is so important. These are the performers of tomorrow and many will go onto bigger things. Even if it’s simply amateur theatre, these beginnings are massive. Where would any company be without the talent nurtured in youth societies like Script? However, looking at the programme, many of those on stage here are already in the prestigious BOA Academy, meaning the quality was high indeed.
In the role of Dewey Finn was Harry Robbins who lived the part from start to finish. I’ve seen this show in both the West End and on tour and Harry was Dewey. Every mannerism, every turn of phrase, every reaction. Excellent. Then, co-starring as Rosalie Mullins was the brilliant Evie Rice. Where Did the Rock Go is such an emotional and poignant song and Evie nailed it completely. And supporting well were Finlay Laidlaw (Ned) and Erin Mooney (Patty) as Dewey’s long-suffering friends (Well, Ned is his friend, at least).
Then there are the kids Dewey tells, “You’re in the Band.”Ruby Edmonds (Zach — Guitar), Kadeena Glendon (Lawrence — Keys), Chloe Perkins (Katy — Bass) and Alex Brown (Freddie — Drums). Each equipped themselves excellently with some learning the instruments specifically for this show. It’s the stuff dreams are made of. Wonderful.
But a band isn’t just about those performing to the crowd. Maddie Howard (Marcy), Erin Phillips (Shonelle), Leo Stubbington (Mason), Isla Thorp (Sophie), Lexie Shaw (Amy), Darci Rice (Maddison), Zachary Duke (Billy) and Eddie Lawlor (James) were all tremendous being the band’s crew. As manager and class swot, we had Mya Cartwright who portrayed Summer to perfection. Last time I saw School of Rock the role was played by a Voice Kids finalist and Mya was more than equal for Script, particularly with Time to Play. Then finally from the kids, we had Gracie Reynolds as shy Tomika, a girl who doesn’t fit in until having the bravery to show what an outstanding voice she has. All about reaching for those dreams again. And Gracie proved what incredible vocals she has, especially during the reprise of If Only You Would Listen. Little nudge, Gracie — Voice Kids 2024. Apply now.
As the parents, teachers, and other ensemble parts we had the older Script students: Robin Lawlor, Corey Mayne, Sam McCormack, Aimie Whillis, Ella Gilson-Brookes, Ollie Roberts, Bethany Sall, Sam Williams, Molly Fitzpatrick and Zachariah Scrivens were all great in their roles.
School of Rock was directed by Louise Farmer with musical direction from Chris Corcoran and choreography shared between Molly Chamberlain and Maddie Fleming. I can’t praise production highly enough for bringing the original template alive. Brilliant show and great script from Julian Fellows. Then, if that isn’t the elite of theatre, you have music from Andrew Lloyd Webber and Glenn Slater. So many fantastic tunes: When You Climb to the Top of Mount Rock, If Only You Would Listen, Teachers Pet, all before you even consider the phenomenal Stick it to the Man.
My favourite musical and Script smashed it. You can tell when I’ve enjoyed a show. So much that I lose track of time writing the review, overrun by 200 words and end up burning my dinner.
Cheers,
Antony N Britt
* Photos blatantly lifted from Script’s social media.
** Apologies for the delay with this review. Personal issues have put me behind **
We light it up, we won’t come down, and the sun can’t stop us now. Watching it come true, it’s takin’ over you. Oh, this is the greatest show.
Never more truer words than those of Pasek and Paul from The Greatest Show which were also used in Starcross Youth Theatre’s opening number of 30 Years of Youth Theatre.
It is some achievement to still be performing stunning shows after the humble beginnings when Co-Founders, Phil and Belinda Cross agreed along with Mike Klymko to put on one show (Grease) in 1993 for the pupils of Manor School, Hadley, before it closed that year. However, that show led to another and 30 years later, here we are.
Interspersed between numbers was the history and celebration delivered by Phil Cross, recognising (including video clips) all those who have been part of the Starcross story. And the night not only included current youth members, but the recently formed juniors and returning students, many of whom have benefitted from the magnificent experience of youth theatre.
Numbers on the night represented past shows and continued with My Child and Tell Me It’s Not True from Blood Brothers, Where is Love? (Oliver) Secret Love from Calamity Jane (sung by April Kruszynski) before The Deadwood Stage from the same musical. Excellent voices and fabulous dance. The family future of Starcross was then shown to be in safe hands with a lovely rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Christine and Lily Cross.
The juniors took to the stage twice for a medley of songs from Oliver before returning with Bad Guys (Bugsy Malone). The main thing about taking part in youth is to enjoy yourself and there was one lad with glasses on the front line of juniors who looked to be having the time of his life. Brilliant.
Prior to the break, we had the main title song of Bugsy Malone before the awesome Simon Zealots from Jesus Christ Superstar. Rounding off Act One were numbers from Peter Pan, Mamma Mia, and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.
Act Two began with a segment devoted to the non-musical plays which Starcross have ventured into successfully in recent years. Then there was recognition for another recent development, the nationally recognised LAMDA qualifications, on the night displayed by a wonderful rendition of Burn (Hamilton) by Faith Whitehouse. A superb performance indeed. Up there with the professionals.
Songs from Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Fiddler on the Roof, Footloose and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie preceded the returning alumni who after only one rehearsal delivered a magnificent Come So Far (Got So Far to Go) from Hairspray. Then, the most emotional part of the night, and an anthem for Starcross, was the inclusion of the full company singing Starmaker (Kids from Fame), Now, I never watched the TV show at the time, but obviously followed the charts as a teenager back then and even I had a tear or two. It just seemed to sum up and embrace all that is good about youth theatre.
Before we finished, Phil and Belinda Cross teamed up for (You’re) Timeless to Me and led the company in Master of the House. Ending the night on a real high, though, the cast gave us You Can’t Stop the Beat before a medley of songs from their most recent production from February this year (and reviewed by me here) — Grease. A rousing and wonderful way to round off a fantastic night. Here’s to the next 30 years.
Cheers.
Antony N Britt
**Photos of previous shows, blatantly taken from the internet**
**Apologies for the delay with this review. Personal issues have put me behind.**
Tumble out of bed and stumble to the kitchen. Pour myself a cup of ambition , and yawn and stretch and try to come to life.
In the Gods for this one and the Upper Circle as prices for the front stalls were outrageous for an amateur society. Over £40 a head, which is double what I have ever paid for a similar standard of company.
Got that major niggle out of the way. So, it’s 9 to 5, the Dolly Parton musical with tunes and lyrics by the legend and based on the 1980 film of the same name, plus, a book from Patricia Resnick, co-writer of that original film. It’s an excellent show which I’ve enjoyed previously at the same venue as this outing. Full of great numbers and excellent, funny dialogue. It should always be a winner. My only downside of the script is that male characters, bar one, are only there as plot devices.
The story is one of a fight for equality against a misogynistic regime and on this occasion, it was BMOS Musical Theatre Company delivering the message. And the first thing I experienced was the strength of the leads. Michelle Worthington (Violet), Jo Smith (Doralee) and Rachel Richards (Judy) were all excellent in characterisation and song. Numbers which impressed from these were Backwoods Barbie, One of the Boys and the top one for me, Get Out and Stay Out.
Having performed the song myself, Here for You will always have my attention, and James Gordanfair was on top form in his rendition. Strong performance with just the right amount of OTT sleaze. Another outstanding song was Heart to Hart, sung in this show by Beth Hunt as Roz. Not as visually risqué as I have seen in the past, but excellent all the same.
However, as I have mentioned, I was in the Upper Circle and for a lot of the time I did feel detached from proceedings. Probably due to the fact the Upper Circle was pretty much empty. The sound didn’t travel and while I like to feel as if I am part of the show in terms of experiencing it, it was like watching a bootleg upload on YouTube. Difficult to follow and if I didn’t already know the plot, I would have found it hard to understand what was going on. And then the show itself also lacked a bit of oomph! What would have improved things for me was having a faster pace as it did seem slow at times. Lessons to be learned maybe by watching more contemporary styles of production. It was the same with the orchestra where the tempo could have been racked up a notch. All the above contributed to a lower enjoyment rate than other company shows. And maybe BMOS should consider performing in a smaller venue if they can’t do justice to one such as The Alex.
Directing 9 to 5 was Stephen Duckham with musical direction from David Easto and Callum Thompson, plus choreography by Aaron Gibson and Shannon Lee.
Family and friends probably loved it in the prime seats but for some of us up in the cheapies, it was a struggle.
The proof of longevity with pop and rock bands is when they can still sell out arena tours after decades of doing so. Over 40 years in this case as Duran Duran blasted off in 1981 with Planet Earth and have been in orbit ever since.
I am fortunate to have seen them four times now, each at various stages and incarnations during their existence and with 15 studio albums behind them, the quality shows no sign of declining.
Billed as the Future Past Tour, only three songs (Invisible, Give it All Up and Anniversary) from the 2021 album of the same name were performed. The rest of the set, in contrast, drew heavily on the early 1980s and nothing else post 1995. But I guess it’s what many of the fans want and even some classics from the height of fame didn’t get a run including Union of the Snake. It goes to show, when you have such an enormous popular catalogue, you can’t fit it all in, even in two hours.
The 80s were additionally represented with banging tunes such as The Reflex, View to a Kill, Wild Boys, Notorious and Is There Something I Should Know? In contrast, the handful of 90s tunes were the amazing Ordinary World, Come Undone and one of the best cover versions ever — White Lines (Don’t Do It).
So, focusing on the origins, what was good for the ageing fans who were there at the very start was the inclusion of non-album classics from the first two albums, some of which may not have been played live for a long time. Opening with Night Boat from the debut 1981 Duran Duran (Which I bought at the time and still have on vinyl) before Friends of Mine in addition to the singles Planet Earth, Girls on Film and Careless Memories. Then from Rio,we had Lonely in Your Nightmare and Last Chance on the Stairway as well as hits, Hungry Like the Wolf, Save a Prayer, and of course, Rio itself.
42 years after first hearing it, Simon Le Bon’s voice is as good as ever and more controlled as well. The rest of the main lineup still retain charisma, despite advancing years. Roger Taylor has an abundance of energy; John Taylor is still the heartthrob and even Nick Rhodes has a certain … Je ne sais quoi. Also on stage was Dominic Brown on lead guitar, plus saxophonist, Andy Hamilton with backing singers, Anna Ross and Rachael O’Conner.
Duran Duran were supported by Lia Lia, who was excellent and Jake Shears … who wasn’t (Worst cover version in the history of music with Comfortably Numb). All in all, though, a great night, even if a faulty spotlight did blind the audience stage right for much of the evening and all through Jake (bloody) Shears. Despite that blip, there is still mileage in Duran Duran and they are well worth the money when they tour again.
Because of covid it has been four years since I saw musical theatre from Birmingham Ormiston Academy (BOA). In the past, a highlight of the year with productions up there with the professionals, and at a fraction of the price. Stars of the future. The best young talent around.
I had never seen Cry Baby – The Musical before and could barely recall the 1990 John Waters film of the same name, having only seen it on its release. However, BOA are the draw for me and with a musical score from David Javerbaum, plus the late great Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne fame, I was optimistic. Also, a book from the brilliant Thomas Meehan and Mark O’Donnell, it’s hard to know why Cry Baby hasn’t the high profile it deserves.
The show revolves around a group of delinquents in Baltimore who refer to themselves as The Drapes and their interaction with the rest of the town and another sub-group, The Squares. Centre to this are Wade ‘Cry Baby’ Walker (a Drape) and Alisson Vernon-Williams (a Square) who fall in love, despite their cultural differences. Yes, it’s Romeo and Juliet, without the death. A simple plot device that still works well.
This was BOAs Year 13 Production, and with a roll call of just under a hundred in Musical Theatre it is inevitable that this show was split into two casts. A shame for me on one part as I only got to see half the talent available (including missing some who I have seen in other Youth Productions). However, I know for certain both casts would have been as good as each other.
On my visit Fergus Edwards was in the title role as Wade, the second time in a few months I have experienced his enormous talent after watching him as Peter Pan last year. Phenomenal voice and stage presence, Edwards excelled throughout. In Allison, we had the equally wonderful Misty Griffin with the Wade/Alisson duet, I’m Infected a highlight.
It’s hard to comment on most of the numbers as I was not familiar, but I now have enough interest to get a cast recording soundtrack. From my notes, I particularly enjoyed A Whole Lot Worse, You Can’t Beat the System, Misery, Agony, Helplessness, Hopelessness, Heartache and Woe, All in My Head, Do That Again and Nothing Bad’s Ever Gonna Happen Again. However, all were decent so if I’ve missed some out, it’s because I was too engrossed at the time.
Also in this excellent principal line up was Ella Holland who shone as Cordelia Vernon-Williams, especially during I Did Something Wrong … Once. Then we had Max Hall asDupree, giving an impressive performance during Jailyard Jubilee. The antagonists in Cry Baby are the Whiffles and Max Coleman (Baldwin), Jack Winstanley, Cameron Dews and Taylor Gibson were all outstanding. On the other side were the lead Drapes and Abi Pearce (Pepper), Georgia Williams (Wanda) and Jessie Wilson (Mona ‘Hatchet Face’ Malnorowski), each commanding in presence, song, and dance. And on the subject of dance, there was a tremendous troupe led well by Sam Reed.
There is one person I have saved till last and like many shows, a performance sometimes stands out to me and this time it was Anna Watkins as the psychotic Lenora. Always in character and I found it hard to take my eyes off her for fear of losing a moment of magic. Watkins particularly delivered during Screw Loose, which says it all about Lenora. Brilliant.
Direction for Cry Baby was in the hands of Georgie Meller with co-assistance from Alice Scott and Jack Broughton. Mellor also oversaw choreography with support from Lucy Lowe and Sam Reed. Musical Direction was by Daniel Summers and Tim Harding.
A superb production, up with the best out of the dozens I see each year. BOA is back on the menu, and I can’t wait for the next one.
Cheers.
Antony N Britt
*Photos blatantly taken from The Old Rep’s Facebook Page.
Being only 13 at the time of Marc Bolan’s death in 1977, I never got the chance to see T.Rex live, but I have always been a fan, which is strange because it has taken me until now to experience T.Rextasy.
Regular readers will know I have only recently entered the world of tribute bands, and even then, when the real thing is no longer accessible. However, I have often heard T.Rextasy being regarded as the best tribute band out there. Then finally, hearing a glowing recommendation a couple of years back from my favourite punk rock poet, Attila the Stockbroker, I decided now was the time.
Wearing my Bolan silhouette t-shirt, I was excited and not disappointed when the time travel journey began and I returned to my pre-teen years with Raw Ramp, followed at once by Electric Boogie. Then came the classic New York City and Token of My Love before one of my own personal favourites, Metal Guru.
Fronted by Danielz on vocals and Lead Guitar, it is a case of close your eyes and it’s the real T.Rex. However, as Danielz says on the website bio, “No-one can ever take Marc’s place, no-one could ever be that naive. Treat T.Rextasy as a band of today, playing Marc’s music as faithfully as possible and recreating that special energy and performance.” I can’t argue with that. Tremendous.The band has been in existence for over 30 years and completing the line-up were Neil Cross (Rhythm Guitar), Rob Butterfield (Bass) and Phil Wilson (Drums).
In an audience of predominately over 60s, it was hard to get everyone on their feet. Whether this was due to rock gigs being alien to them or just inability because of age (It will come to us all) is anybody’s guess. Still, enough did break into dance to create an appreciative response, although I did move a few feet to my left and stood on the auditorium steps so as not to get in peoples’ way.
The hits kept coming: Telegram Sam, Ride a White Swan, Children of the Revolution, Jeepster, 20th Century Boy, Deborah, I Love to Boogie, Get it On and many more (as it would say on a 1970s K-Tel advert). The night ended with a rousing and full of audience participation version of Hot Love. The fact I had lost my voice by then said job done.
The only criticism I would have of the night was The Prince of Wales enforcing a no photo/video rule. Come on, this is rock and roll, not a theatre company performing My Fair Lady. Bands don’t have a problem as it’s good publicity for social media. Fortunately, I ignored the rules as usual and got a few clandestine shots.
But what a fantastic gig. I highly recommend T.Rextasy and will catch them again sooner rather than later. The legacy of Bolan and T.Rex is immense. Over 50 years old and not dated a bit. If a contemporary band wrote and performed this set as new today, nobody would blink an eyelid. But for now, let’s give thanks to Danielz and T.Rextasy for keeping the magic alive.
Antony N Britt - Author 