theatre
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The Shark Is Broken At The Rep
The year is 1974. A young, exciting prospect is directing his latest film, a dramatisation of the popular Peter Benchley novel Jaws. But things are not going to plan. The shark, the real star of the film, is broken. This leaves his trio of lead actors, the reliable Roy Scheider, the young hotshot Richard Dreyfuss, and the legendary hellraiser Robert Shaw, with lots of time on their hands. And that is not a good thing. Left with nothing to do but play cards, gamble, drink and argue, the relationship between Shaw and Dreyfuss turns increasingly fractious, with Scheider forced to play referee. They need to finish this film, one way…
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Murder On The Nile At The Crescent Theatre
Murder on the Nile is almost Death on the Nile. Almost, but not quite. For a start, there’s no Poirot. Agatha Christie, fed up with the early film and theatre portrayals of her little Belgium detective as a strapping six footer in need of a love interest, replaced Poirot with the kindly but very astute Cannon Pennefather. Linnet, the beautiful, incredibly spoilt heiress, is now Kay, still married to Simon, but now a Mostyn rather than a Doyle. Other characters have disappeared altogether, and have been replaced/merged for a more streamline cast. So, Murder on the Nile is almost Death on the Nile, the same but somehow different. Yet, as…
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The Merchant Of Venice 1936
The incredible updated adaptation of The Merchant of Venice reached Birmingham last night, arriving at The Rep Theatre for a 4 day run. This retelling by Brigid Larmour and Tracy-Ann Oberman is set in the dark days of London 1936. Britain faced a rising risk from a growing Facist threat, led by Sir Oswald Moseley. The group most at risk from this threat were the Jewish community, and here, at the centre of that community, is the Jewish matriarch and money lender Shylock. Or Madame Shylock, as she has now become. Tracy-Ann Oberman is absolutely sensational as the money lender betrayed by her own daughter, and determined to get her…
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Dear Evan Hansen: Profound And Moving
The Tony Award winning musical Dear Evan Hansen is currently on it’s first UK Tour, and last night it stopped off in Wolverhampton, at the city’s Grand Theatre. It received a well deserved standing ovation for its portrayal of the death of a teenager, and how this is the catalyst for a misunderstanding that turns into an outright lie concerning another boy, the shy, mentally fragile Evan Hansen. The story takes in how a misfit can be almost canonised by early death, and how people can try to create new memories from fiction. It is smart, funny and devastatingly sad in equal terms, and doesn’t flinch from important questions. It…
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WBOS Presents Charlie And The Chocolate Factory
WBOS (West Bromwich Operatic Society) debuted their newest show at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre last night in some style. This was Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, possibly the most famous and iconic children’s story of them all, and one that has been immortalised in film in the classic 1971 Gene Wilder version. It is no mean feat to bring this to life, but WBOS have created a wonderful production that is stylishly staged and wonderfully acted. It is just flawless. The story is very close to the film versions in that Willy Wonka is the strange genius that owns a mythical chocolate factory, Charlie Bucket is the poor…
