I Met A Man Who Wasn't There , White Rock Theatre ,Hastings

I Met A Man Who Wasn't There 

Cast

Amanda Schilling (Journalist) - Cathy Shipton

Edgar Ryme (Clairvoyant) - Brian Capron

9-11 June 2011

performance seen 9th June

Or I could rename this I Sat In An Audience Who Weren't There

Now I have sat in some pitifully small audiences lately but this was small to the extent that I am surprised Brian and Cathy went ahead with this. There were 4 of us in the front row followed by row after row of empty seats with just an odd person dotted here and there and a couple of small groups at the back.

If there were as many as 50 people I'd be surprised. It really did seem truly weird sitting in such an empty, cold feeling, auditorium.

I guess it may not be helped that the White Rock Theatre haven't used Twitter for almost 2 months (Twitter ID @The_White_Rock) to keep their followers updated. I honestly don't know how much effect social networking has with putting a few bums on seats but, when it costs zero to do so, surely you try anything?

Other than the price of tickets, I honestly can't fathom why the figures were that appalling. Here are people who I consider to be very fine actors and who are performing for Bruce James Productions who have been respected over many years for staging many popular shows to suit all tastes.

OK there was one recently I didn't enjoy, OK hated actually, but people aren't going to rave over every show they see and to be fair I've still not found a soul who did like it.

I met a man who wasn't there is a totally different kettle of fish. Journalist Amanda Schilling is visiting clairvoyant Edgar Ryme to undertake an interview. Unsurprisingly it's not as simple as that and Schilling gets far more than she bargained for from the very mysterious Ryme. But does Cathy Shipton end up being a casualty? (I know terrible pun) Does she deserves what she gets?

It's a spooky tale with a good balance of humour and drama. The story is believable (especially if you believe in ghosts) and easy to follow. Capron and Shipton deliver the fine performances you would expect.

For me there were just two issues. One is something that happens in so many plays and I hasten to add not specific to James productions. That is that the first half leading the audience to the traditional interval cliffhanger seems very drawn out.

There are plays that can have you gripped from the off, you find yourself just absorbed in proceedings. Indeed my next review will be of a show that is just that. Then there are those, like this one, where it takes quite a while for the 'scene setting' to take place.

My second issue is lack of atmosphere but this was purely down to the lack of audience. I think any play suffers from a lack of viewers and this was no exception. No oooohs, no aaahs , nobody jumping at moments when they are meant to. Between sets you are never quite sure whether to applaud or not because there's a danger somebody might just throw you a fish for your efforts. Then there's laughter  - you laugh at a line and believe you're the only one that did - was it meant to be funny? Do I have a warped sense of humour? Or did the joke just go over the heads of everybody else?

Back to that first half and it showed that the initial build up was failing to hold the attention when from high above the stage a rectangular piece of paper about 2"x1" slowly descended into the auditorium. A slow decent it was indeed because being the shape it was it just rolled over and over and fluttered gently down. It caught my eye, but when it was about half way down I remembered it was not part of the show and looked around and everybody was doing the same. I thought I was bad getting distracted by such a small thing but by sheer fluke it landed at the feet of one of the few audience members. Clearly the temptation to look at it outweighed the onstage action as she bent down to pick it up and examined it.

I know I laughed at this point. Here we are watching a ghost story involving clairvoyancy and I had to wonder if she was expecting a message from the other side?

Anyway, the few of us that were there got back to reality. Once you know who's who and Schilling's and Ryme's backgrounds have been explained this is actually an extremely enjoyable drama. As with all similar tales things are never what they seem with the characters and there are the twists and turns you expect to keep you fascinated. This makes the second half very entertaining indeed.

These are really hard times for theatre and it was somewhat heartbreaking seeing two well known 'household' names such as Brian Capron and Cathy Shipton unable to attract even a moderate audience. Even describing it as a small audience seems an exaggeration.

It really is getting to a stage where whoever decides on ticket prices has to think about whether they can be justified to continue at current levels. Not just for this show but for all shows, everywhere. 

Audience levels are getting down to pathetic numbers. Take this production as an example. Prices ranged from £13.50 to £18.50. I'm no marketing or economics expert but if a price cut of approx 30% was set making tickets £9.50 to £13.50 I'm sure the under £10 tickets would have filled a darned site more of the auditorium then we experienced and I daresay net takings would have been much higher.

It's about supply and demand. When petrol prices reached their peak and people stopped filling tanks the oil companies reduced prices. Wake up theatre land the Government is slashing arts budgets enough and if you don't start getting folks enjoying live entertainment at a price they can afford they are not going to come and once they stop it's going to be harder than ever to get them back.

Don't people in the theatre industry get together to discuss audience numbers, prices and current issues? If they don't it's high time they started otherwise we will see theatres going the same way the Public Houses have - closed, sold off, demolished or converted into trendy wine bars or housing.

If you ask anyone who goes to the theatre why they don't go so much the answer is always price of tickets. So powers that be in theatre wake up and smell the coffee because it's starting to get cold.

Pam Ayres Assembly Hall Theatre Tunbridge Wells

Pam Ayres

Assembly Hall Theatre

Tunbridge Wells

6th May 2011

I realize that many people would rather do just about anything else rather than go to the theatre to watch a poet for two hours. I would imagine that those who admit to friends they are going to see Pam Ayres may be greeted with a certain amount of ridicule.

However for those that feel this way it is Pam who has the last laugh as her successful tour of the UK continues. At Tunbridge Wells Assembly Hall she managed to do what so many others cannot and that is to fill the place.

I can remember at 10 years old watching Pam Ayres on Hughie Green's Opportunity Knocks in 1975 as week after week she beat so many other more traditional acts. Her distinctive 'country bumkin'  accent adding to the enjoyment of her humorous odes. An accent that some have even asked if she exaggerates - she doesn't.

In 2010 Pam passed 35 years in show business and she has made the current tour to be an event to celebrate this milestone.

She talks about her experiences during those 35 years including some fascinating details from those Opportunity Knocks days. She covers everything from the early auditions to whether that 'clapometer' was a genuine piece of equipment or whether it was all faked.

She includes some great and regularly very funny details of her appearances onboard cruise ships.Together with things that have happened to her and her family in various exotic countries as her career has taken her around the world. This is a very honest biographical presentation though and Pam has no qualms detailing how her family had a financial disaster at one point and practically lost everything.

All these details are cleverly interspersed in between her hilarious poems and they aren't just randomly inserted, they all seem to fit the script.

Talking of script she never has to look at any notes. I can imagine Pam as one of those people you'd invite round for elevenses and she'd still be chatting away at 5pm. She is just a natural talker, an interesting one at that, and that's why she fills theatres.

A true what-you-see-is-what-you-get personality. She is still hugely successful with her range of DVDs CDs, theatre appearances, cruises, numerous poetry books,  TV chat shows and a regular contributor to Radio 4's entertainment schedule.

What I also liked was the fact she said she makes notes after each venue as regards to the content used in that performance. This is so that she can endeavor not to use repeat material in the next visit to that theatre.

On top of this Pam is a huge lover of animals and has spent much of her life supporting animal charities and fostering needy animals. Her charity support even included us 'human animals' kindly helping me out with a Great Ormond Street Hospital signing on the night. (Click the image for further details on that)

All in all she just comes across as being a very pleasant entertaining lady and I look forward to some more hilarity of rhyme on her next tour.

Cinderella Pantomime, White Rock Theatre, Hastings, Review 2010/2011

Cinderella

White Rock Theatre

Hastings

Sat 11th Dec 2010 - Sun 2nd Jan 2011

Performance seen 31st December 2010

CAST

Buttons : Jimmy Osmond
Baron Hardup : Graham Sherman
Trinny : Ben Stock
Susannah : Gareth Wilde
Cinderella : Shinead Byrne
Dandini : Matt Dempsey

Prince Charming : Matt Wilman

Fairy Godmother : Amy Anzel
Lord Chamberlain : William Banyard

Churchill : As Himself

Ensemble : Aston Bradley, Kerry Histed, Matthew Holland, Charlotte Lee, Rebecca Tutt, Kane Verrall
Juveniles : The White Rock Babes

OK that's it Cinderella mania comes to an end for me,
 at least in 2010. Now that all 3 shows have been seen each panto now has a star rating.

Having seen the star studded Eastbourne production I honestly didn't think anything was going to equal it in entertainment quality but well done to QDOS entertainment, the White Rock Theatre and the cast and team behind Cinderella for what was a brilliant end to 2010.

I was already aware this production was the only of the 3 Cinderellas I was seeing not to have a live band.

Having seen shows before where the artists sing to prerecorded music with backing vocals I have witnessed the poor quality that can occur as a result.

However, whilst I love appreciating a live band, QDOS have proved that you can have a 5 star production without employing any musicians.

This was nowhere near a capacity crowd on New Years Eve. But those that weren't pub crawling or celebrating the New Year at home with family still made up a good size appreciative audience. I do know that this show has achieved excellent audience numbers and that the final shows on 2nd Jan are fully booked. It was only the fact it was New Years Eve that this show wasn't better booked.

Jimmy Osmond was quite a coup for Hastings as the star of their pantomime, probably one of the biggest names appearing in any UK panto.

I was never in any doubt as regards to this youngest Osmond brother's singing ability. What I couldn't get my head around was how they were going to build his own well known hits into such a traditional show.

This is where a very good script comes into play. His numbers work well with the Buttons/Cinders love story and making Buttons the cabaret at the ball gives the perfect excuse for a Jimmy Osmond medley of hits.

Now I know that many Americans can't get their head around the UK love of our pantomime tradition. Jimmy Osmond is an exception having now been in large productions for the past 3 years.

Very good at panto he is too! Despite being older than me ,with his cheesy grin and seemingly permanent youthful looks he also ,rather irritatingly, looks much younger than his age.

The older members of the audience really appreciated the great vocals and nostalgic old hits. The younger audience members didn't seem to care they weren't familiar with the hits clapping along to the music and appreciating Jimmy's acting and comedy ability as well as his music.

A lady behind me explained to her daughter that Jimmy Osmond was the 60's equivalent of today's Lady GaGa or Katy Perry. Mmmmm maybe a same sex comparison may have made more sense for starters?

Jimmy coming down into the audience and singing and dancing with audience members was a part of the show that got a great reception. Although to the 3 miserable women in the front row who all passed up the chance to have a once in a lifetime experience having a quick twirl with Jimmy what were you thinking? It was well deserved that you subsequently got a ribbing from Baron Hardup (comedian Graham Sherman) for being '3 miseries'.

Like Tunbridge Wells we had to resort to the water pistols at one stage for a bit of humour. OK I do personally find this desperate, but I'm also not one of those wingers in the audience who is going to complain about a drop of water.

Besides, I found it somewhat surreal that Jimmy Osmond was standing down in the stalls right in front of me squirting me in the face. It's not something that happens every day that's for sure!

I've mentioned Graham Sherman already. I know in some reviews he has been described as the star of the show. I don't know about that as it is just a great overall production but there is absolutely no doubt he is a very funny man indeed and a real asset to this pantomime.

Comedians nearly always build a few local places into their routine. Graham is no exception but he had clearly done a lot of work into putting many familiar localities into the hilarious script. I found the vast majority of the material to be fresh, funny and yes even cringe worthy at times as many of the best jokes are.

Graham, as is tradition, undertakes the "audience call outs" and the childrens' goodie bag sections of the show which are equally professional and entertaining in delivery.

Cinders is played by a young lady with a beautiful voice, Shinead Byrne. It's a lovely, well played, role and I can't fault her performance at all. I couldn't help feeling that, unlike the other two shows, she starts off looking more like Snow White than Cinderella both in appearance and costume but that is a minor qualm.

A good moment here to mention Cinderella's coach and Shetland ponies. A beautiful way to end the first half. This is a beautifully lit coach and the cast did what Tunbridge Wells should learn. They led the lovely ponies pulling the coach on from the wings and then turned them to come towards the front of the stage so that the audience could fully appreciate them before the curtain came down.

Churchill (the well known insurance company mascot) makes an appearance in the second part of the show. The company sponsors the production and fortunately the "Oh Yes" and "Oh No" sequence is short lived.

The ugly sisters, Trinny and Susannah, are nothing short of superb. Ben Stock and Gareth Wilde look brilliant in their diverse range of wacky costumes and the rapport between these two fine actors works well throughout the show.

The great thing about this panto is that the cast ,when things don't go quite according to plan, know what to do to get even more laughs. Trinny and Susannah are masters of unscheduled mirth and Jimmy Osmond  proved why he would never have made it as a baseball pitcher as he threw props the wrong way.

Matt Dempsey and Matt Wilman are great as Dandini and Prince Charming and it made a change having an American actress, Amy Anzel, as a very glamorous Fairy Godmother.

Watching 3 versions of the same pantomime has actually been quite interesting in seeing different variations of the same theme. The Fairy Godmother role being one of the most differing. Eastbournes funny, scatty, heavily used version. Tunbridge Wells more refined 'posher' take on her with the emphasis more on vocals than on humour. Finally Hastings truly glamorous fairy, not heavily scripted, when she appears its always with a pyrotechnic flash in true fairy fashion.

Actually I think I also ought to praise here the pyrotechnics which were used on many occasions but not overused and which were very effective. Loved Jimmy Osmonds 'firework spraying' keyboard too !!

The dry ice control man at the White Rock also seemed to have better control of his 'fog' than the other theatres did.

There is also one further thing I liked about this show and that is that local kids are given the chance to have their moment of acting glory. Both the other productions use the very talented youngsters from the Deborah Lamb Theatre School. Nothing wrong with that, they are always excellent. However the local kids who had auditioned for the Hastings show did just as good as job and hopefully made many parents very proud.

This show was a pleasant surprise for us. Hastings with their 2010/2011 panto didn't just get a top quality celebrity performer. The town got a premium quality production which was well cast with a continuously entertaining script too.

Final thanks go to Jimmy Osmond for the unscheduled signing he did for Great Ormond Street Childrens Hospital. Despite not being prearranged, a crowd of people, poor lighting and his family waiting we still managed to achieve this for a worthy cause. Thanks Jimmy! If you are a fan of the Osmonds clicking my picture of Jimmy with the card will give you details of how you may wish to bid on a unique collector's item during 2011 and help sick children in the process.

The Haunting, Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne, Review

The Haunting

Devonshire Park Theatre

Eastbourne

22-27 November 2010

Performance seen 22 November

Cast

Lord Gray : Paul Nicholas
David Filde : Sean Maguire
Mary : Hannah Steele

Understudies: Matthew Medhurst & Hannah Warren-Green

The Haunting is without a shadow of a doubt the best ghost story I have ever seen at the Devonshire Park Theatre.

OK, let's be honest, its also the only ghost story I've ever seen at the theatre but it is excellent none the less.

This was opening night and the production was clearly already possessed by the paranormal as there was a short delay in curtain up while some spooks in the sound system were exorcised.

However to avoid overcrowding in the foyer the bar opened early for those who wanted to experience spirits before the show. (yes that pun went down about as well when I used it at the venue!)

In the event what looked initially as a potentially long delay turned out to be a mere 5 minutes after the scheduled start time.

But if any of this large, mainly elderly, Eastbourne audience thought they were in for a nice peaceful time watching a little play about a spectre they soon found themselves very much mistaken.

A friend of ours who was at the show with his wife said that before the show he was actually very tired, "But I soon woke up!" he continued.

Now I was absolutely determined that nothing was going to make me jump during this show no matter how good it was. Yes, I failed - twice. So much for strong willpower. The rest of this audience were no different with gasps often  followed by quiet guilty laughter occurring throughout.

I'm not going to mention Charles Dickens storyline at all for The Haunting because quite simply it will ruin it for those of you who have not yet had the pleasure of seeing it. Those of you in the South East who can't make Eastbourne this week may wish to note it is on at the Assembly Hall in Tunbridge Wells in the week commencing 4 April 2011.

The Dickensian language is delivered quite beautifully by 2 of our most well known actors and they both have monumental scripts to recite, which they did so without faltering.

Paul Nicholas will always be primarily remembered for the classic TV Series Just Good Friends but he has also appeared in multiple movies. He is also a true stalwart of the theatre and has played in venues all over the country in productions such as 42nd Street and Jekyll and Hyde. Somewhat unusually this was his first visit to the DPT but he is certainly no stranger to Eastbourne having appeared in both the aforementioned musicals at the nearby Congress Theatre. 

Sean Maguire is known primarily for his roles in Grange Hill in which he played "Tegs" Ratcliffe and for his year in Eastenders playing Aiden Brosnan. He then pursued his love of singing for a few years releasing 3 albums before returning to stage and screen. He is also one of a minority of actors who has proved he can be successful in the USA as well as in the UK.

The Haunting marks Hannah Steele's professional stage debut. Whilst her role is nowhere near as demanding as Paul and Sean's in terms of both time on stage and dialogue what she has to do she does brilliantly and really looks the part.

Lets go back to the shocks and surprises. Be ready for plenty of these. The set, which is the study of an ancient manor house, is quite magnificent complete with cobwebs (or maybe The DPT just decided not to pay the cleaners this week) and there is many a clever effect hidden in the set. Despite those critters in the sound system before the start there were no indication of any problems with sound during the performance and it appeared all the mechanical special effects worked perfectly

It was good to see that in addition to making the audience jump on many occasions that the cast aren't immune to shocking themselves either. Having just had one jumpy moment Sean Maguire caught a prop with his leg. When it fell to the floor you could see his genuine surprise with a "what the hell was that?" look at the object. There were a couple of similar occurrences.

I can't fault the Haunting really and judging from audience praise both in the interval and at the end neither could anybody else.

It's a fascinating story, it's superbly acted, it has twists, turns and yes lots of jumpy moments.

The only odd thing was when I left the theatre and wondered why there aren't more spooky mysteries like this? After all the theatre is the perfect setting for a good fright. Murder mysteries we have loads of but good ghost stories are scarce.

Thank goodness we've got this one!

Finally, once again our Devonshire Park Theatre stars have kindly supported Great Ormond Street Childrens' Hospital by signing specially printed official playing cards.

Please keep an eye on www.starcards.org/ and www.flickr.com/photos/starcards/ to see the mounted end products which will be auctioned on eBay to raise funds for the famous childrens' hospital .

If you are a fan you will have the opportunity to bid for a unique piece of memorabilia and to raise money for a very worthy cause at the same time.

Many thanks again to Paul and Sean for doing this with no notice and to the Friends Of The DPT who have allowed me to do these valuable signings during meet-the-cast events.