Review of Curtains at Royal & Derngate (Derngate), Northampton

Curtains comes with much to live up to, created by the legendary pairing of John Kander and Fred Ebb, no less than Cabaret and Chicago among their work, this was their final show working together before the death of Ebb in 2004. It also forms what on paper looks a brilliant concept, a "musical whodunnit". So, does it fill with intrigue and thrills, or does it end up being more of a whocares?

When Jessica Cranshaw, star of Robbin’ Hood!, a musical set for Broadway, is murdered onstage, detective and not shy of the stage himself, Frank Cioffi, arrives to solve the case. Can he solve it though without getting distracted by the cast and the thrill of the greasepaint?

First and foremost with Curtains is that it looks fabulous. The set from David Woodhead evokes the look of the theatre perfectly, simple and effective. Added to this costumes from Gabriella Slade look sublime as well, making it a visual delight, all creating the era extremely well.

Elsewhere perhaps the strongest part of the show, choreography from Alistair David thrills every number, from the simplicity of the work in What Kind of Man, to the big full-cast ensembles like Thataway, these numbers look brilliant, and perhaps end up being better than some of the numbers deserve at times.

Several performances save the show, the best of these being the best of the written characters like the cutting director Christopher Belling played with a glorious relish by the always more than reliable Samuel Holmes. He has such a presence on stage, I doubt there is any character he could fail to make interesting.

Also, tremendous is Rebecca Lock as the shows co-producer Carmen Bernstein. She creates an exceptional character, getting the total amount out of the often at times rather obvious script. So much in fact in this show is perhaps due to the cast and crew rather than the original material.

Jason Manford once again proves he is a talent in musical theatre, as he is good value in the role on the Lieutenant himself Frank Cioffi. His burgeoning relationship with one of the cast members is likeably played, as is his infectious love of the theatre. A final mention of the cast must go to Carley Stenson as co-writer Georgia Hendricks, who adds class to the show and has a delightfully strong voice for all her songs.

Technically it went reasonably well, although some music was too loud for the singers to project beyond and during Coffee Shop Nights the surprising occurrence of noises off from conversation could be heard. Also, it's best not to mention the shocking blackout lights back up again moment at the end of act one, except to say professionals shouldn't react to an error like some of them did. No names.

Curtains is a curious show, it should be so much better than it is, the sum of what it is looks brilliant on paper, but it just doesn't deliver as you hope. There is no question that any fan of musicals will get something from it due to its curious mix of concepts. Those casual theatre goers though might be best to seek their thrills elsewhere.

Brilliant concept and pedigree still fail to create an unforgettable show.⭐⭐⭐½

Performance reviewed: Tuesday 25th February 2020 at the Royal & Derngate (Derngate), Northampton.
Curtains runs at the Royal & Derngate until Saturday 29th February 2020

For further details about the Royal & Derngate see their website at http://www.royalandderngate.co.uk

Photos: Richard Davenport

Review of The All New Adventures of Peter Pan at Royal & Derngate (Derngate), Northampton

For theatres across the land, it's that time of year again. The time when the theatres fill with screaming children and a ridiculous amount of sugar intake and trips to the toilet. Yes, it is panto time, and before you say it, oh yes it is. This year, for the Royal & Derngate, it is time for a trip to Neverland (or Forever Land, that is, but more on that later) and a magical adventure with Peter Pan and the dastardly Captain Hook. Once again, following hugely successful previous runs, Evolution Productions brings this tale to the stage in 2025. And it has to be said, once again, they strike panto gold with The All New Adventures of Peter Pan , with a constantly lively, brilliantly colourful and awkwardly funny production that, as always with Evolution, is totally family friendly. Over the years here, Evolution and writer Paul Hendy have created the essence of pantomime (which just so happens to link to the tale within this story). Keeping all the traditions intact, a ghostly be...

Review of The Woman Who Cooked Her Husband at The Playhouse Theatre, Northampton

During the interval of The Woman Who Cooked Her Husband , last weeks production at The Playhouse Theatre Northampton, I got involved in a conversation between a couple sitting next to me. The lady was very much of the opinion that the play was a comedy, while the gentleman, had formed one that it was a tragedy. They were joking of course in the conversation, but it did highlight the differences that Debbie Isitt's dark comedy might have between the sexes. And also now perhaps the passing of time. When this was written in the nineties, Isitt's play was a forthright feminist play, heralding the championing over of the ladies over the man. One the ex-wife plotting to cook him, the other, the new lover, potentially already very tired of him after just three years. The husband, Kenneth (Jem Clack) elopes initially in pursuit of sex with Laura (Diane Wyman), after his nineteen years of marriage with Hilary (Corinna Leeder) has become tired and passionless. Then later, he elopes ...

Review of Benidorm Live at Milton Keynes Theatre, Milton Keynes

I arrived at Milton Keynes Theatre to see this touring stage version of ITV comedy hit Benidorm with a distinct lack of knowledge. Having never seen the show, my information stretched as far as knowing it was set in a holiday resort in Spain (the title helps there), and that the humour generally resorted to the cruder end of the spectrum. However, having graced the screens for ten years, it was clear that Derren Litten's show had garnered quite a following, and indeed it was clear from the reception of the audience on the night, that this following was pretty much filling the theatre. The plot, such as it is for this stage show, is very much drafted from an episode of Fawlty Towers , and made a great deal more adult with its humour. The hotel manager, Joyce Temple-Savage (a sharp performance by Sherrie Hewson) gets wind that a hotel inspector is in, and the scene is set for seeking them out and all the obvious cases of mistaken identity. It's thin and doesn't fill ...

A Small Mind At The Theatre

Search This Blog