The New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham - Christmas with the Rat Pack - 04.12.14-06.12.14

The New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham

Presents

Christmas with The Rat Pack Live from Las Vegas

Thursday 4th - Saturday 6th December 2014

What better way to celebrate the coming of Christmas than to be transported back to a magical era of cabaret, booze, girls and gambling!

I'm not sure there is anyone who hasn't heard of the Rat Pack - Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. But did you know that there were actually 4 members of the Rat Pack? No, well there were! The forth member of this famous group was actor Peter Lawford (JKF's brother-in-law) - I digress but it is always a good one to know in those pub quizzes!

Christmas with The Rat Pack concentrates on the 3 singers Sinatra, Martin and Davis Jr. We open to a live band on stage 'The Rat Pack Big Band' which sets the mood wonderfully. As they play you feel as if you are in Las Vegas waiting for the acts to arrive. The stage is smokey with stairs going up to the band. There are presents in the corners of the stage and a large Christmas tree sparkling away giving you that warm, Christmassy feeling.

The whole show is set in the famous Sands Hotel and runs exactly how their cabarets would have in the late 50's, early 60's. Sinatra (Tam Ward), Davis Jr. (Jay Marsh) and Martin (Phil Barley) all do a few numbers and there is a lot of banter between the 3 on stage. We also have the Burelli Sisters, played by Leanne Howell, Chelsea Labadini & Emily Thomas who are poised, elegant, muli-talented with absolutely beautiful outfits.

Act 1 ends on a high with a wonderful rendition of New York, New York which really gets your toes tapping and looking forward Act 2 which does not disappoint with  some great Christmas medleys and more hilarious banter.

The performers are all pitch perfect and draw you into the atmosphere of the evening. Musical Director Matthew Freeman is masterful in her performance and quite rightly gets several mentions during the performance.

One of my favourite numbers has to be Jay Marsh's rendition of Mr Bojangles which was full of character, mood and reflection but with 38 songs all sang to perfection and with great style the audience were spoilt for choice.

This is a great watch and makes you leave the theatre with a warm, Christmassy feeling inside - a great show for a wintery night.

Review by Jayne Lunn

The Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham - The Perfect Murder - 10.11.14-15.11.14

The New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham

Presents

Monday 10th - Saturday 15th November 2014

Peter James is one of the best and most treasured UK crime and thriller novelists and his books are sold worldwide. He has also branched out and is an established film producer and scriptwriter so 'The Perfect Murder' was set to be a roller coaster ride from the start.                                                                                                                                                                                         Adapted by Shaun McKenna, it was been wonderfully plucked from the pages of a book and set on stage. It is never easy to adapt a classic novel, but he has managed it with great success.

We have Victor Smiley, played by Robert Daws who is best known for his performances in The Royal and Outside Edge. He is a middle aged man who has grown tired of his 20 year marriage to Joan, played by Monarch of the Glen, Wild at Heart Actress Dawn Steele. He is obsessed by British crime and loves nothing better than a good Agatha Christie or Sherlock Holmes, he even gets himself a tattoo saying WWSD, which stands for 'What would Sherlock Do?'

Three times a week he attends The Kitten Parlour, a brothel, where he sees Croatian prostitute Kamila Wakak, played by Simona Armstrong. There he spills out his plans to murder his wife and collect the life insurance which he has had on her life for 6 years. We all think that this is going to be the 'Perfect Murder', but unbeknown to Victor, Joan has also grown bored of their marriage and has started an affair with hunky Taxi Driver Don Kirk, played by Gary O'Brien, Tony in Coronation Street. What will happen now? We do not wish to spoil the plot but I can tell you that it is full of twists, turns, fun, laughter, jumps, frights and high energy which is the perfect entertainment for any evening.

I believe that every couple can relate to Victor and Joan, which makes this play extremely realistic in an 'over the top' way. The annoying humming, constant snoring, pretending to strangle one another behind their backs when they are being righteous - oh the list goes on and on!! You definitely got a lot of knowing nudges from wives to husbands during the action.

As the plot thickens we see the introduction of Detective Constable Roy Grace, played by Thomas Howes, best known for playing William in Downton Abbey. He is an up and coming detective who enlists the help of Prostitute Kamila to solve murders due to her ability to touch an object and be able to see what has happened to its owner. Can she help him solve the 'Murder' in the Smiley household?

The cast were flawless and each gave a believable, individual performance that drew us all deeper into the action.

Ian Talbot's direction was superb, with constant movement and fast pace. You were constantly moving your attention to different parts of the stage to keep you gripped and discover new pieces to the plot.

The set by Michael Holt was cleverly positioned on three levels. We had the Smiley's living room / kitchen, with upstairs bedroom and also Kimila's small room within the Brothel. It was not only a practical set but also full of intrigue and precision. The action could continue throughout without the interruption of scene changes.

The changes were masterfully created using lighting which faded up and down perfectly throughout the performance. I thought that Mark Howett's subtle lighting interactions were wonderfully executed, from the evening light coming through the windows to the spooky shadows coming from the doors. The depiction of the television going on and off was cleverly thought out, with subtle flickers hitting the back of the walls.

Sound was also an important part of this production and Martin Hodgson created a feeling of tension, intrigue, wonder and terror at just the right moments with lovely timed fading's up and down of music. The sound queues were perfectly timed with the ringing of house phones and mobiles.

Overall, this was a well rounded, well structured piece of theatre which has you on your toes, laughing out load and relating to it. A wonderful nights entertainment and a definite 'must see' production with a fabulous cast and crew.

The Perfect Murder runs until Saturday 15th November so grab your tickets now.

Book over the Phone: 0844 871 3011

Book Online:

http://www.atgtickets.com/shows/the-perfect-murder/new-alexandra-theatre-birmingham/#showinfotabs=showtimes

Review by Jayne Lunn

New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham - Avenue Q - 16th - 20th September 2014

The New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham

Tuesday 16th - Saturday 20th September 2014

It's been ten years since Avenue Q first appeared on Broadway; created by Jeff Marx and Bobby Lopez, who never intended it to be a stage play let alone a musical. Now Sell A Door (2008) bring us the first major production in a few years, touring the UK.

The production follows Princeton; a recent graduate of English looking for his purpose in life, only for life to get in his way, which is relatable for many people my age (early 20s, just left university). After starting on Avenue A Princeton finds himself moving to Avenue Q, an affordable area in New York, renting from none other than superintendent Gary Coleman. Here Princeton meets some interesting characters, Kate Monster, his love interest, sweet but surprisingly feisty, Brian, an unemployed, failed comedian with his 'oriental' wife, Christmas Eve. Trekkie monster, Sesame Street's Cookie Monster gone dirty, obsessed with porn, who in no way is related to Kate Monster, because that's racist! Bert and Ernie's famous platonic relationship is reflected in the parody Nicky and Rod. Lucy The Slut, who's name says it all really and the Bad Idea Bears, the two furry red devils sitting on everyone's shoulder telling them to drink and have loud sex. 

Avenue Q's premise is producing hilarious songs that explore controversial, although often relatable, issues such as racism and sexuality, they approach these subjects bluntly, but these muppets gone wild do soften the blow. However, seeing a graphic puppet sex scene is something that I'll never forget! The production gives us catchy songs such as "Everyone's A Little Bit Racist", "The Internet Is For Porn", "You Can Be as Loud as the Hell You Want (When You're Makin' Love)" and "If You Were Gay".

The idea that the actor would be in full view of the audience on stage was revolutionary, this is without any attempt of ventriloquy, however the puppets are more of an extension of the actor controlling them. By the end of the production, the actors and their puppets had almost merged into one another, and the legs seen became the characters'. Another point that assists this illusion is the actors creating the same expressions and posture as the puppets on their hands, it was especially clever when two actors controlled the same puppet, as was often the case with Trekkie Monster. The entire cast focused their energy into their puppets making them come to life!

On this night, the character of Kate Monster and Lucy The Slut was played by the second cover Jessica Parker, although I haven't seen the usual actor, I honestly do not understand why she wasn't the first choice every night, she blew the roof off The Alex! Furthermore, her ability to switch between her two characters never disrupted the flow of the piece and was truly stunning. The same goes for Stephen Arden, who I did question whether he had a body double because he appeared on different sides of the stage as another character within seconds, as Nicky, Trekkie Monster and Bad Idea Bear. Tom Steedon stole the show with his superb character work and beautiful voice. Overall, a particular highlight of mine was the pure uproar of laughter at seeing Brian's (Richard Morse) wiggling around in his loose shorts in "I'm Not Wearing Underwear Today", again an image that I cannot erase from my memory. The whole ensemble deserves mention, for all their hard work in mastering their puppets, which I'm sure is no easy task, congratulations to all involved!

Review by Ellie Scandrett

Creative Team

Music and Lyrics  Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx                 

Book                          Jeff Whitty

Original Concept Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx    

Director                   Cressida Carré

Choreographer     Cressida Carré

Set Design               Richard Evans                                      

Lighting Design    Charlie Morgan Jones

Sound Design        Chris Bogg and DBS Solutions  

Puppet Designed Paul Jomain (www.Qpuppets.co.uk)

Orchestrations     Stephen Oremus

Arrangements       Stephen Oremus

Producers              Sell a Door Theatre Co and Richard Darbourne Ltd.

Running Time:    2hrs 30 mins | Suitable for 14+

Show Details

Avenue Q

New Alexandra Theatre

Tue 16 – Sat 20 September 2014

Tickets Prices: £17.90 - £39.40*

Book now on 0844 871 3011 or visit www.atgtickets.com/birmingham

*Booking fee included, an additional transaction fee will apply