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Little Voice brings Judy and Marilyn to life at the Birmingham Rep
One of the most memorable scenes in modern film is the one where a drunken, shambolic Ray Say, played by the magnificent Michael Caine, sings an expletive laden version of ‘It’s Over’ by Roy Orbison. This is, of course, a scene from Little Voice, the film version of the National theatre smash hit ‘The Rise and Fall of the Little Voice’, and it is one of my favourite films. So I had very high expectations of the new touring production starring ex Coronation Street stalwarts Vicky Entwhistle and Chris Gascoyne that opened at the Birmingham Rep last night. I’m pleased to say that the play and performances exceeded every single…
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Jeeves and Wooster – Supreme Lunacy rules at the Birmingham Rep
It is farce, it is slapstick, and it is absolutely the most fun you will have this month. I’m talking about ‘Jeeves and Wooster in Perfect Nonsense’, which opened at the Birmingham Rep last night. Starring Robert Webb as the eponymous upper class bumbler Bertie Wooster, Jason Thorpe as the sensible, clever manservant Jeeves, and Christopher Ryan as the old retainer Seppings, ‘Perfect Nonsense is a play within a play, the likes of which you won’t see anywhere else this year. It is sheer lunacy, and your funny bones may take some time to recover. The story, starts with Bertie introducing the events surrounding the solid silver cow creamer that…
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Harvey: The Pooka arrives at the Birmingham Rep
The comedic skills of Maureen Lipman and James Dreyfus were put to perfect use last night, when Harvey opened at the Birmingham Repertory theatre. Bringing laughs galore and a heart-warming story, Harvey ensured that the whole audience left the auditorium with a warm glow and a smile on its face. Harvey tells the story of Elwood P. Dowd, a gentle dipsomaniac with a rather special friend, a 6ft invisible rabbit called Harvey. Harvey accompanies Elwood everywhere, much to the dismay of his exasperated sister Veta Louise and his niece Myrtle Mae. Their social life, and indeed, social standing, is being impeded by Elwood’s pal, and after one embarrassing moment when…
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Turning a Dangerous Corner at Birmingham Rep
A chance remark about a musical cigarette box is the premise for a series of life changing revelations to be revealed in JB Priestley’s Dangerous Corner, which opened at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre last night. What then follows is an exciting, multi-layered drama that challenges the concept of whether it is always better to tell the truth, or whether you should sometimes let sleeping dogs lie. Dangerous Corner was Priestley’s first foray into the idea of time slips and deja vu as a plot device, something he later used to such amazing effect in the masterpiece ‘An Inspector Calls’. The play starts with a gunshot, which turns out to be…
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Charlie and Lola’s Extremely New Play
Half term is a time for family fun, but with the weather being a bit unfavourable (great weather for ducks – ahem), the best entertainment and fun is to be found indoors, with a lovely afternoon in the Birmingham Repertory theatre offering excitement, enchantment and fun. Charlie and Lola are in town, and Joe and I went along to see their newest show! ‘Charlie and Lola’s Extremely New Play’ is a magical trip through the four seasons through the eyes of two children. The Play starts in Autumn with the leaves falling from the trees and Lola learning about hibernation. She decides that she wants to ‘hidernate’ with her best…
