Tony Christie 50th Anniversary Tour Assembly Hall Theatre Tunbridge Wells

Tony Christie

50th Anniversary Tour

Assembly Hall Theatre

Tunbridge Wells

26th June 2011

For a guy who thought his UK career was over about 7 years ago Tony Christie is doing pretty well for himself these days. OK it had to have a bit of a kick start back in 2005 when Peter Kay and he collaborated to re release Is This The Way To Amarillo for Comic Relief. This is one event in his life that Christie is very grateful for and he's not ashamed to admit this one record gave him a new lease of life in show business.

I have to admit that before this gig it really had been 'one of those days' for me. I really wasn't in the mood for theatre. It was going to take a great concert to make me feel like like I was glad we'd made the journey.

So thank you Tony Christie it was a fabulous gig.  With no support act he performs the whole approximate 2 and a half hour show accompanied by his excellent band.

This production is of course celebrating Christie's 50 years of performing and I have to say at 68 years young he looks incredibly fit. He really does look and sound like your typical smart, suave, vocally excellent, gentleman crooner!

With a new album out (which he cheekily refers to many times as it's on sale at the venues) the play list is a selection from this, some of his classic hits and a few cover versions.

It's a nice balance. There were a couple of tracks that didn't appeal to me but I am sure even the most ardent fans don't like the occasional track from their idol.

Interspersed with the music Tony recounts his biography covering the good times, the bad and even how his stage name came about.

As regards to the old favourites be belts out beautifully Las Vegas, I Did What I Did For Maria, Is This The Way To Amarillo and Walk Like A Panther. Artists included in the cover versions include one of his favourite 80's groups The Human League.

There's a nice touch that this 50th Anniversary Tour is covering 50 venues of various shapes, sizes and locations. Big cities, small towns there's lots of variety and Tony admits he's visiting plenty of new and interesting places as a result.

But with a sound system that has to cater for all those venues this leads to the only fault I can find with the whole show. Myself and others thought the sound system far too powerful and loud for the Assembly Hall Theatre. This was not much of an issue during ballads but boy it was horrendously loud in the more uptempo tracks. Loud to the extent that it detracted from the lyrics on several songs.

The programme at £10 may have seemed at face value to be expensive. However many didn't realise that Tony had actually autographed all of these making the publication much better value.

A marvellous, outstanding value, concert from a great entertainer. I just hope that sound levels can be tweaked for the remaining smaller venues.

Shaolin Warriors Assemby Hall Theatre Tunbridge Wells

Shaolin Warriors

Assembly Hall Theatre

Tunbridge Wells

7th June 2011

Word of mouth recommendation is always a great way to find out about a great show of any kind. We missed the Shaolin Warriors at Eastbourne's Congress Theatre thinking a martial arts show might not be our cup of tea.

Then a member of staff at the Congress asked if we'd seen it and said we'd missed a tremendous show.

Well with the Assembly Hall at Tunbridge Wells also on the tour list there was still an opportunity to right a wrong decision.

I think a packed house gave us a pretty good idea that we had made a good decision.

A good mix of ages in the crowd too. Plenty of kids amongst them and not just teens, many under 10's were taking a great interest in this. There was one thing I did notice with all the kids at this show. They were so incredibly well behaved. Whether that's down to respect for the martial art displays or that there is so much always going on to entertain them I don't know but it was nice to see so many youngsters appreciating a live show.

They get their reward too in the form of the chance to go on stage performing with the Shaolins in the first half. No they don't get to lay on razor sharp swords, have a bed of nails and great weights on their chests or have wooden bars cracked over their heads but they do get the chance to copy many impressive moves.

About 40-50 kids went up on stage for this experience, a few girls amongst them. Only a few of these had last minute nerves and decided to come off. I must say the Shaolins were amazing at spotting any children who were showing signs of stage fright.

The kids were keen, determined and yes, often hilarious. They all gave every move 100% including the grunts that went along with the actions. My wife spoke to one little girl in the interval who said she really enjoyed it. This must inspire a lot of kids to take up martial arts as a hobby.

In fact I have to say I thought the kids put a lot more energy into their attempts than the couple of adults did in the second half. It was a bit of a lacklustre effort to say the least.

But the Shaolins? Outstanding. Again they have all ages in their line-up with the 2 youngest children having just as much skill and dedication as their elders. An incredible display of strength, precision and stamina by all the Chinese masters of kung fu.

The beautiful music, always playing in the background, just adds to the tremendous atmosphere.

The other thing noticeable was the vocal appreciation these masters of their art received throughout the 1 hour 40 minute show (excludes interval). Martial arts is clearly hugely popular as a stage act if it is sufficiently entertaining and there is no doubt that this production is engrossing throughout.

A show of strength, of incredible physical stamina and of power yet at all times the Shaolin Warrior monks keep this a deeply humbling experience too.

Even if you thing martial arts is really not your thing give the Shaolin Warriors your consideration. You may just be surprised.

Jekyll and Hyde, Assembly Hall Theatre, Tunbridge Wells

Jekyll and Hyde

Assembly Hall Theatre

Tunbridge Wells

30 May - 4 June 2011

(show seen 1st June)

Cast

Dr Henry Jekyll & Mr Edward Hyde - Marti Pellow

Lucy - Sabrina Carter

Emma - Sarah Earnshaw

Sir Danvers - David Delve

Utterson - Mark McGee

Lady Beaconsfield - Amira Matthews

Simon Stride - Michael Taibi

General Glossop - Martin Dickinson

Sir Archibald Proops - Matt Stevens

Lord Savage/Spider - Jacob Chapman

Bishop Of Basingstoke - Jon De Ville

Poole - James Gant

Bisset - Daniel Robinson

Ensemble - Carolyn Maitland

Ensemble - Alexandra Grierson

Ensemble - Grace Gardner

Ensemble/Swing - Rob Copeland

Ensemble/Swing - Kerri Watt

The thing about having severe short term memory problems is that, in contrast, my long term memory is pretty vivid. I thought it was only a couple of years ago we thoroughly enjoyed Paul Nicholas starring in Jekyll and Hyde at the Congress Theatre in Eastbourne. I can still picture Nicholas on stage mixing his steaming colourful concoction to drink. It therefore came as a bit of a shock to find it was 7 years ago (August/Sept 2004).

Now I already know just how well Marti Pellow can act and sing having seen him star in the 2009 production of The Witches Of Eastwick but I still couldn't see that he could equal Paul Nicholas's amazing portrayal of the characters created by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Well, he didn't equal the performance given by Nicholas. No he exceeded it in every aspect. As Jekyll I found him to be a total believable doctor. Confident in his career yet disillusioned by those in power who put barriers in the way of his research. And as Hyde? Well what a transformation. A simple ruffle of the hair is all that was required to turn Pellow from gentleman to total monster. I've got to be honest but he was also great as Mr nasty, Darryl Van Horne, in The Witches Of Eastwick but J&H is a far superior production.

As for the vocals well Marti delivers nothing but power and perfection throughout the show, as you may expect. But what you may not anticipate is the two incredible leading ladies in this show. Sabrina Carter as 'lady of the night' Lucy and Sarah Earnshaw as the much more refined fiancee of Jekyll, Emma both perform impeccably.

I find it hard to recall a production with 3 so incredibly talented lead vocals heading the cast. Also how Sabrina manages to remain in her tight corset as Pellow slings her around stage and bed is anybodys guess.

My mentioning of those 3 leads does not detract from the fabulous performances given by all the other cast members all of whom are perfectly suited to their roles. I feel duty bound to give Jacob Chapman a mention for his brilliant undertaking of 2 characters, Lord Savage and Spider. It is he who provides the little humour which exists in this dark tale and he does it so well.

After the utter disappointment of The Wizard Of Oz at this same venue it was great to see a traditional musical performed so wonderfully.

The sad thing for this production in Tunbridge Wells was that it clashed with the TV semi finals and final of Britain's Got Talent. It was very evident, having seen which seats were prebooked, that not only was the audience relatively small but so many people who had paid for tickets did not turn up. I think its the only time we have been to a major production to find we were the only couple in the whole front row.

I have to say, especially in these days of digital recorders, I find that attitude a little sad. Also a little ironic that many are choosing to stay at home watching a show which is promoting acts which will hopefully go on to be successful theatre acts themselves but foregoing a stunning theatrical production they have paid good money to see. To quote an occasional Britain's Got Talent judge, Louis Walsh, "I really don't get it!".

Anyway for those of you around the country who are yet to see Jekyll and Hyde with Marti Pellow I would thoroughly recommend that you see it and record anything on TV that is so important.

Well done to all involved, including the band of course, Jekyll and Hyde is a fantastic musical!

(The photo was a signing Marti kindly provided for Great Ormond Street Hospital for children. Click the image for more details)

Julian Smith Assembly Hall Theatre Tunbridge Wells

Julian Smith

Assembly Hall Theatre

Tunbridge Wells

27th May 2011

No the Assembly Hall Theatre was nowhere near capacity but these days it's somewhat par for the course and not a reflection on the quality of the artist.

It was only 6 months ago that Julian Smith supported the Stylistics on their tour (review here) yet here he is in his own solo show. He performs for both halves of the production.

Although it's a solo tour Julian does have some superb band members giving him instrumental and vocal accompaniment on many of the tracks.

Geoff Ockenden is on bass whilst on keys and vocals is Martin Trotman. Julian has had drummer problems having recently lost his regular player. However at Tunbridge Wells he was lucky enough to have a well known, world class, drummer assisting him, the one and only Sticky Wicket.

Julian was, as always, phenomenal. There are few single instrument specialists I can imagine wanting to see perform in their own show. It needs something more than a gifted player to hold the attention for 90-120 minutes.

Whatever is required though Julian Smith has it in bucketloads. I think it helps that the Saxophone is such a beautiful, clean, even relaxing sounding instrument. His musical genres fit well, mainly themed around classical and jazz. However, for variety, he's not averse to deviating from these by tackling modern tracks such as George Michael's Careless Whisper. I should add that Martin Trotman's vocals on this track were excellent helped considerably by the fact he didn't try to be a George Michael impersonator, instead giving it his personal touch.

Julian remains the quietly spoken, charming, guy we all 'met' on Britain's Got Talent back in 2009. You may remember that Julian finished 3rd in the final only being beaten by Diversity and Susan Boyle. I think it's an incredible achievement for any musician to get that far in the competition.

Fame hasn't changed him though. He is still down to earth and is very humbled that many of the people going to his concerts are doing so on the strength of hearing just a couple of tracks on BGT.

Many of those who have heard more of his music are going to his concerts for a second or 3rd time. It is also clear he has begun to build up a core of very loyal fans who travel as far as they can to see him perform.

Julian may be one of the more quietly spoken artists but it doesn't stop him having more audience interaction than artists who have been around for much, much longer. The question and answers sessions worked incredibly well at Tunbridge Wells. In fact the clip you see below was the unscheduled result of one such question posed to Julian.

He's also as cool as a cucumber when things don't quite go according to plan. At this show there was a technical issue that needed sorting out. Julian swiftly moved on to something else while it was rectified. He also remained apparently unfazed when the drummer went missing in the second half.

Yes that was something a little different. I've grown used to the occasional audience member failing to return after the interval but it's rare to see a performer go AWOL.

But Julian Smith didn't worry. No after asking the audience if they'd seen the drummer he Geoff and Martin performed one track without him. He then brought forward one of the Q&A sessions. Then, as if nothing had happened and to huge applause, Sticky Wicket wandered back on the stage with a bongo and what looked like a mug of tea. One of those wonderful  unforgettable theatrical moments that makes live theatre special.

Mr Smith also achieved something I have only ever seen Chas and Dave manage before. That is to have virtually ALL the members of the audience stay behind to buy CDs and other merchandise for signing. Yes the man who has made beanie hats his trademark shifted plenty of them in addition to personal pictures and, of course, CDs. Yes albums like his Christmas Songs and Lullabies, Somewhere and Ibiza Summer Sax were flying off the shelves table. I'm pleased to admit that we added two of those three albums to our collection on the night and the 3rd has been an iTunes purchase

That must be so rewarding for a performer. That you have the talent to impress so many people on the strength of one show that they have the confidence to buy your material.

An outstanding musical talent and I hope Julian tours down south again very soon.

The Good Old Days (of music hall and variety) Assembly Hall Theatre Tunbridge Wells

The Good Old Days
(of music hall and variety)

Assembly Hall Theatre

Tunbridge Wells

Top of the the bill

Stu Francis

24 May 2011

With the TV series ending in 1983 I guess there surely aren't many folks under 40 who would now remember The Good Old Days?

Although I love variety acts for some reason I never particularly enjoyed the series. Perhaps it was more of a case that I had parents who always decided what we were going to watch and this was always on the viewing list?

Anyway we decided to see this show, not because of the acts featured, but purely because we have an elderly friend who we thought may enjoy this touring recreation of the iconic programme.

We didn't go expecting to enjoy this very much by way of show satisfaction. But 2 hours and 20 minutes later (excluding interval) we left the Assembly Hall pleasantly surprised.

In true Good Old Days tradition the show had the on-stage chairman overseeing proceedings. This honour fell to Mr Ian Moore who rather brilliantly acted as compere, crowd-warm-up, accompanying singer and patriotic flag waver.

Topping the bill was Crackerjack legend and comedian Stu Francis. How utterly refreshing to have a comedian who does 2 long presentations without doing a single piece of comedy I have heard other comedians do time and time again. With jokes and funny stories which are never offensive he covers everything from Saga Holidays to the British immigration policy. He's still like a hyperactive child, unable to stand still, and I thought he was hilarious.

My next favourite was Mark Walsh - the most entertaining ukulele player and singer I have encountered in theatre land. As with all the artists Mark did a stint both in the first and second halves of this show and in each case I really enjoyed watching his hugely impressive skill on his instrument. The speeds this guy can achieve on the small strings is phenomenal. I think a lot of the female audience members had a bit of a soft spot for his cheeky face and manner too.

Talking of charmers, Singer Mark Andrews, winner of the 2011 Encore Theatre Magazine "Best Family Producer", is not only a big part of this show but he produced this show under his Mark Andrews Productions company name. Celebrating his birthday on the day of this show Mark covered a number of 'easy listening' tracks to a great reception from what was a very large audience for this one-off matinee show.

That leaves just 2 acts. A female singer who sang Vera Lynn style hits. In fact she covered Vera's White Cliffs Of Dover. She was very good with a terrific voice, stage presence and vocal range so I apologise that I can't find her name for this article.

Finally the juggler. A lad that never dropped anything delivering a faultless double bill of throwing various combinations of 3 or 4 objects in the air and catching them again. The trouble is juggling can only keep you entertained for so long.... and this was too long... especially having to deliver 2 routines. Balls, bigger balls, clubs, glowing clubs, 'knives', rings and a 'thing on a string' and probably something I've forgotten. Very good but also very boring when all that's actually happening is one item is being substituted for another.

As a quick act juggling is fine but perhaps in the second half a quick magic act would have been a good alternative?

However, for a show we didn't particularly see for our own pleasure, we came away from The Good Old Days feeling entertained. With 2 huge milestone birthdays being celebrated in the audience by a 90 and a 100 year old for once I felt incredibly young in the packed auditorium. We may have been a tad younger than most but I think we enjoyed this as much as the rest of the crowd.

Oh and our elderly friend?............ she loved it!

Solid Silver 60's Show Congress Theatre Eastbourne and Assembly Hall Tunbridge Wells

Solid Silver 60's Show

Congress Theatre Eastbourne (12th May)

and Assembly Hall Tunbridge Wells (15th May)

Artists in appearance order

Vanity Fare
Wayne Fontana

Chris Farlowe

Dave Berry

Terry Sylvester

The Merseybeats

I haven't completely lost the plot in seeing the same production twice within a few days. We decided to book the Tunbridge Wells show as a birthday celebration for my wife and despite a gap of only 72 hours we couldn't have picked a better repeat. You can't beat decent live music.

Both the Solid Silver and Sixties Gold productions have never failed to be fabulous shows and this one is no exception.

A few of the well known acts in this show are regulars on the 'Silver' and 'Gold' tours so I won't dwell on Vanity Fare, Wayne Fontana and Dave Berry. Although you can refer back to my previous Solid Silver review for greater details if required. So here's just a brief summary of those great acts.

They may back most of the other performers but Vanity Fare are such a good band I'd gladly watch them perform a solo show given the opportunity.

Dave Berry may be the oldest performer on the current tour but he certainly looks the fittest and I have to say he got a rousing reception, especially at Tunbridge Wells where the audience got to their feet in appreciation.

Wayne Fontana may have a reputation as a bit of a naughty boy but I am convinced he gets more and more impressive every time we see him. Both audiences certainly seem to love a 'bad lad' and in both foyers he was certainly the act most people wanted an autograph from first.

I don't blame them either as he really comes across as a genuine friendly guy who always makes you laugh and smile (unless you are in law enforcement in which case your view may be slightly different).

Chris Farlowe was a new experience for me. However I did enjoy his hits especially Handbags and Gladrags and Out Of Time. I will admit I had never heard of Chris Farlowe and The Thunderbirds as his band was known in the 60's but at the time they were legendary with their R&B sound.

I think Chris went down well with both audiences too. Although I think his humour went down better at Eastbourne than Tunbridge Wells. His story about his nightmare requesting half a dozen chicken nuggets at McDonalds in Eastbourne got laughs aloud. However expressing that it was hotter on the Assembly Hall Stage than a "Japanese power station" resulted in what I can only describe as embarrassed groans rather than laughter. Adding a quip about 'Parkinson's disease' didn't help either. I did notice that as Wayne and Chris signed in the interval Wayne appeared to have far more demand from fans.

Former vocalist with The Hollies, Terry Sylvester ,was very popular in both venues especially as just about every Hollies track is a number you can sing along to. "Just one look" and the classic "He ain't heavy (he's my brother)" to name just a couple.

With vocals I could listen to any day Terry is a great addition to the Solid Silver tour and I hope he appears again in future productions.

That just leaves The Merseybeats with Tony Crane and Billy Kinsley still appearing together since they were first known as The Mavericks back in the early 60's. Accompanied by Bob Packham (bass guitar/vocals), Lou Rosenthal (drums) and Toni Baker (keys/vocals) 50 years on they remain one of Liverpool's greatest musical exports.

Back in the era of The Mavericks the hits of the Everly Brothers were the order of the day. It is therefore only appropriate that in this Solid Silver show those same hits are revisited together with the Merseybeats own hits such as "Sorrow" and Wishin' and Hopin'".

The Merseybeats are the ideal hand-clapping, arm swaying final act for this excellent touring 60's show and like all the other acts they joined in by staying behind to sign autographs for all who wanted them.

Best performance? Well you'd think it would naturally be a draw but it wasn't quite that simple because Tunbridge Wells got rewarded with a brilliant all-act-finale which Eastbourne missed out on as at least one act had to leave for home early. So Tunbridge Wells wins on this front as it was a fitting ending to a fantastic show.

Best venue? That one I'll give to Eastbourne because the larger foyer makes life far simpler when you have a number of acts made up of multiple members signing at the same time.

Best audience? For some strange reason the Tunbridge Wells audience were far more vocal and enthusiastic and more keen to get to their feet earlier. Although I don't really know why this should be as age wise both audiences were similar.

However whether you get an all act finale or not in the show you see it doesn't matter. This is still, as is always the case, a tremendous night out revisiting all those original 60's artists you love and their hits of the time.

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.

Midge Ure Trinity Theatre Royal Tunbridge Wells

Midge Ure

Trinity Theatre

Royal Tunbridge Wells

27th April 2011

Before I get on to Mr Ures performance I will give a mention to Midge's support act.

Like Midge singer Laura Kidd, who goes under the act named She Makes War, was performing acoustically. But that's just about where any similarity ends.

I don't know how to describe her type of music although some have described it as gloom-pop or punk-pop.

I have to be honest and say whatever this sound actually is it didn't exactly rock my boat. But then again I hadn't actually gone to see Laura in the first place.

That isn't to say she isn't extremely talented. In fact she is, as far as I know, pretty unique. Vocally and on the guitar she was excellent, even if I didn't particularly like the tracks. But her forte is the unique way she provides her own backing by recording her own lyrics at the time and building up a backing track.

I found this very clever and interesting because it's not as if she diverts away from the song to do this. It's a gradual build up to a multiple Laura Kidd vocal backing.

Laura was friendly and actually quite confident with crowd dialogue too. But the one thing we thought strange was that she never actually introduced herself. She said she had her CD's on sale in the interval but never said who she actually was. Whether this was an oversight I have no idea but I do think that as an artist you are probably more likely to shift your merchandise and get remembered if people know who you are.

So whilst I didn't like Laura's music I am sure many, especially those far younger than me, will appreciate her unique style. Why not give check her music out at http://www.shemakeswar.com/ ?


Midge Ure

Absolutely bloody brilliant - the end!

OK I suppose I'd better write a little more.

The ex-church building, The Trinity Theatre could have been purpose built for Midge's vocals. Everything seemed to have been fine tuned to give the best acoustics I have ever heard in any venue. I think it helps that Midge can deliver some of the best loud, never shouted and immaculately clear lyrics of any performer. Vocals that sounded perfect in a setting that once only got to appreciate churchgoers singing Sunday hymns!

With Midge performing a good variety of his solo tracks, cover versions and Ultravox hits this show had plenty of content.

Ultravox will always be the group with which he is associated with but in his solo show he proves that he does not need anybody else to entertain you 110%.

Sticking with the theme of Ultravox work is underway for a new album to be released in the next couple of years. It was refreshing to hear that  this is to be made up of new material rather than just rehashing the old hits. The group don't want to do what so many come-back acts have done and just resurrect what they left 25 odd years ago.

If you can impress somebody who wasn't even a fan of Ultravox in the first place it's a good sign. My wife was convinced she wasn't going to enjoy this but now can't wait for him to do a return visit. She assures me this is down to the vocal performance rather than the hug she got from Midge after the show.

One thing I did notice as Midge progressed from track to track was how his lyrics are mostly about the very negative things in life. As most artists get their lyrics from personal experiences I am sure there must be a Midge Ure track buried somewhere that reflects brighter times. Not that I care, as long as the music is good and the lyrics impressive that's all that's important.

In this case it wasn't good, it was all absolutely bloody incredible and all the better for being performed in such a wonderful building in an intimate atmosphere with the sell-out 350 strong crowd.

Come back down south soon Midge!

Incidentally if you are interested in what those autographed playing cards are all about click the image and look at the details on Flickr

The Wizard Of Oz Assembly Hall Tunbridge Wells

The Wizard Of Oz

 Assembly Hall

 Royal Tunbridge Wells

21-23 April 2011

Cast

Scarecrow - Bobby Davro

Glinda - Sarah-Jane Honeywell

Dorothy - Stephanie Fearon

Tinman - Ben Hanson

Lion - Jimmy Burton Iles

Wizard Of Oz - Robert Forknall

Wicked Witch Of The West - Kate Richards

Squeaker - Danny Mills

Dancers - Jane Tullett, Jessica Pease, Lauryn Campbell, Bruno da Silva, Conan Anton Nicholas, Sam Patrick

Performance seen 21st April

I honestly don't know where to start with this 'musical'. I find it very difficult reviewing a show that is so radically different than what is expected or advertised.

The Wizard Of Oz is one of the few musicals I hadn't seen (only on the TV) but I was really looking forward to seeing accomplished singer and  'Over the Rainbow' semi finalist Steph Fearon portraying Dorothy and singing all the traditional Oz songs especially "Somewhere Over The Rainbow".

It is therefore a crying shame that you get to see and hear absolutely none (yes zero) of the Wizard Of Oz songs performed because this is anything but The Wizard Of Oz.

Apparently for reasons of copyright and because Lloyd-Webber's Oz is currently in the West End they cannot perform any Oz tracks - not one. I don't quite 'get this' myself because Over The Rainbow is sung in numerous touring shows (for example regularly in Forever in Blue Jeans) so either they are all breaching copyright or this can't be the true reason.

'An Original Production' the official leaflet says. And this is where the problem lies with this show. It is with the deceit that has gone into the marketing of the production.

The programme states "The Wizard Of Oz - One of  the best loved stories ever told".

It's such a shame this isn't it.

So what is it?

Well if those behind the publicity for this production had been honest rather than deceitful a better description would have been "The Wizard Of Oz - A panto style take on an old time musical classic. Featuring your favourite characters, your favourite pop songs, slapstick comedy. A show that the kids will love and keep parents chuckling."

There being honest wouldn't have been that difficult would it? 

The trouble is this marketing and the show's 'surprising' content has led to so many complaints that it was all too late to do anything about it. But the number of people, particularly those without kids, who were saying "This isn't the Wizard Of Oz", "Harry Hill wasn't in Oz" or "This is awful" was unbelievable. Facts echoed by the number of empty seats which appeared after the interval.

Bobby Davro is still a very funny entertaining guy, there is no doubting that. He is hilarious in this show too but it doesn't fix the fact that most of us were sitting watching something totally different than we had anticipated.

Yes the Oz characters are all there and amongst the impressions of Harry Hill , Bruce Forsythe, Ozzy Osbourne and fighting bacon and eggs (no I'm not joking) there is a vague following of a story following the Yellow Brick Road. 

OK for a moment let's forget the fact this is not the show we expected and judge the cast.

Well that's the funniest part they are all excellent which is a great shame because you are always watching this farce thinking "I didn't book to see this".

Bobby Davro is at his funniest. In fact he's taken a bit of flack in the national press for some of the innuendo and tongue-in-cheek content. To be fair to him though, unless the show has been altered, whilst there are a few sexual connotations there's nothing offensive and that you wouldn't expect in a modern panto (I know this isn't one).

Steph Fearon has a beautiful voice but I didn't go to see her sing the latest pop hits that, for me at least, was particularly disappointing.

Cbeebies kids favourite Sarah-Jane Honeywell is a cute, bubbly, roller blading Glinda and is sweet, somewhat scatty and funny in the role.

Kate Richards is the best Wicked Witch of the West you could imagine and I can easily see her performing in Wicked in the West End. She looked incredible and sounded wonderful.

I can't fault the rest of the cast either.

For the panto-esque production this is it is actually a very good, very funny piece of family entertainment. In fact in the second half whilst Davro was riding his Kangaroo (no I don't remember this sport in Oz either) I spent a long time looking around at the kids in the auditorium. They were having a whale of a time. It equalled the kiddie hysteria that any decent pantomime can muster.

If it had been advertised with complete honesty as a pantomime style Easter production with none of the original tracks from Oz chances are we would have still gone for the laugh and come away feeling we had seen what we booked for.

But it wasn't and like somebody else muttered on the way out of the auditorium "What the heck was that?..... it certainly wasn't Oz" is the feeling you are left with.

Rating? How do you rate something you didn't expect to see?

Well if you were expecting nothing but an authentic Wizard of Oz experience and would settle for nothing less 2/5 would be reasonable, perhaps even generous. 

If, like us, you thought you were seeing Oz but had a few unexpected laughs from 'The Bobby Davro and Friends' show then 3/5. If it had been marketed honestly it would probably be a 4/5 for good comedy mayhem.

For kids aged up to 12 and their parents (glad that something has kept them fully entertained for a while) who may have got an even better reaction from their kids compared the traditional musical it would probably be a 5/5

I don't feel it's right to totally trash a production, as most reviewers have done, without taking in to account that a vast number of people had a fab time. Those were the families with their kids in hysterics at Davro, loving their pretty and entertaining Cbeebies star, booing the Wicked Witch and enjoying Steph's vocals on their favourite pop songs.

For this the producers should be congratulated but I hope a lesson has been learned that theatre goers and the theatres themselves should be better advised when a show has been so substantially reworked from the original.

If this show had been promoted just a little differently I am sure some of those scathing national reviews would have been very, very different.

The Haunting Assembly Hall Theatre Royal Tunbridge Wells

The Haunting

Assembly Hall Theatre

Royal Tunbridge Wells

4-9 April 2011

Performance seen 7 April

Cast

Lord Gray : Paul Nicholas
David Filde : Charlie Clements
Mary : Emily Altneu

Understudies: Matthew Medhurst & Sophie Wilkins

As you may know I have already seen this show in Eastbourne. I do not intend doing a full review in this case so please refer to the original by clicking here

We enjoyed this so much the first time round that we thought it warranted a revisit to see how Charlie Clements fares in the role of David Filde. It would also be a good opportunity to see if he was willing to join Paul Nicholas and Sean Maguire (David Filde in previous production) in signing a 'Starcard' for Great Ormond Street.

As you can see from the picture achieving the latter was no problem with Charlie more than happy to oblige in the charity signing. So what about the show?

Well there is no doubt Charlie's willingness to really get into the soul of his Dickensian character by growing that marvellous moustache and magnificent sideburns was a fantastic idea.

It just added polish to his excellent portrayal of Filde's character. I found the former Eastenders star approached the role with a far more 'serious yet concerned' approach compared to Maguire's 'scared stiff' stance.

Who came out best? Neither. Both artists impressed equally in the spooky tale and Emily Altneu is great as the spook having taken over from Hannah Steele.

Having seen the production before I was determined not to jump - but failed - twice!

The Haunting is a Bill Kenwright production and everybody involved in this should be proud of a mighty fine play.

For me this is everything a staged ghost story should be. A fabulous set, a story that is interesting yet easy to follow, dialogue that does not become tedious, lots of surprises and things to make you jump ,a few laughs and above all well acted. To warrant going twice to see the same play it has to be something a little special, something which The Haunting is.

What did the Tunbridge Wells audience think? Well if anything the reception was longer , far louder and more enthusiastic than was achieved on that 1st night in Eastbourne.

Tunbridge Wells audiences don't give reactions like this to every show, believe me. In fact we have never heard screams of appreciation and demands for 'more' at any play to compare with the reaction achieved here.

Although I'm none too sure how one would do an encore with a horror play!

I do wonder one thing though. If there is a further tour of The Haunting if the ex-Eastenders casting continues for David Filde who's next for the role?

Joe Brown in Concert

Joe Brown

 in Concert

Assembly Hall Theatre

Royal Tunbridge Wells

27th March 2011

A theatrical virtual sell-out is hard for many shows to achieve these days but Mr Brown can still manage to fill an auditorium easily.

But it's not surprising because as a recording artist he is somewhat unique.

Who else could cover everything from an Italian Wedding Waltz from the 1930s to a U2 Cover (I still haven't found what I'm looking for) and get away with it?

The variety and quality of the material are factors which make Joe's shows special. The master of all stringed instruments, including ukulele and banjo, Joe can tackle any type of music and turn it into a string masterpiece. With his incredible collection of guitars, ukuleles, banjos and even a violin at hand you never know what to expect next.

What helps Joe's shows no end though is the quality of the people he surrounds himself with on stage. It's often a family thing with Joe. In the past his daughter and 80's star, Sam, has joined him on stage. This show is no exception as we have son Pete on vocals and strings. He also performs several solo numbers in this gig.

I certainly wasn't complaining about this either. Musical talent definitely runs in the Brown family. Whilst he reminded me of Noel Gallagher , both in looks and sound, I enjoyed Pete a darned site more than I like Oasis!

As for drummer, percussionist and vocalist Phil Capaldi Joe's shows just wouldn't be the same without him. He's been performing with Joe over 20 years now. With the ability to impersonate Elvis Presley brilliantly yet with a vocal range that can even stretch to a spot of yodelling he's a really multi-talented guy.

Completing Joe's current band members are talented vocalists and instrumentalists Roland Jones and Mike Nichols.

This is a good value for money show lasting over 2 and a half hours, including the 20 min interval. With those old hit's from decades long gone, modern cover versions and Joe's own classics including I'm Henry the Eighth I am and surprisingly his only #1 hit Picture of You there's plenty to enjoy.

With a show like this and the loyalty of thousands of fans Joe Brown remains one of the country's most popular regular performers.

The Naked Truth, Assembly Hall Theatre, Royal Tunbridge Wells

The Naked Truth

Assembly Hall Theatre

Royal Tunbridge Wells

21st March 2011

Cast (Programme listed order)

Claire King - Rita

Maureen Nolan - Sarah

Michelle Heaton - Gabby

Leanne Jones - Bev
Julie Buckfield - Tricia
Alison Young - Faith

"If you liked Calendar Girls & Stepping Out then you'll LOVE the Naked Truth"

Not my words but those of the Manchester Evening News and for me this quote is spot on.

It's a  very apt comparison to make. The cancer themed background story bears more than a striking resemblance to that of Calendar Girls (which was of course a true story). In addition the characters' desire to do something different to liven up their troubled lives, in this case pole-dancing, is very similar to the characters in Stepping Out wanting to be great dancers.

Stepping out I enjoyed. Calendar Girls was OK but it really didn't rock my boat.

The Naked Truth?

Absolutely brilliant! Very funny,  yet continually thought provoking and above all very well acted with an amazing cast.

What a line up Claire King (ex Emmerdale) Leanne Jones (West End Hairspray) Michelle Heaton (Liberty X) Julie Buckfield (Hollyoaks, Grange Hill) Maureen Nolan (The Nolan Sisters) and Alison Young.

Hold on.......... Alison who?

Well I doubt if many will have heard of Alison but believe me you will remember her after seeing The Naked Truth. I feel for her a little because she's not on the leaflet cover or the programme cover yet I think she is likely to be one of the main talking points when the show ends.

Her character, Faith, is the scatty, ditzy one of the group. In the low moments, as Sarah deals with her cancer diagnosis, clever writing ensures Faith is normally the one who lightens a sad time with her innocently naive misinterpretations of the English language and limited sexual knowledge.

On her CV Alison has actually done a lot of theatre and TV work and directed a play. She has also played Faith on 2 previous tours of the Naked Truth. I'm not surprised. This lovely young lady is perfectly suited to this most hilarious of roles. But come on producers if Alison does another tour stick her on the cover! She's just as important as the other 5 actresses! This does bug me slightly when they stick the better known names on a cover but leave off a central , important, character just because he or she doesn't have the same level of fame!

How about our more well known names?

Claire King - Playing Rita, the victim of a troubled marriage, Claire is great in this role as a "bit of a mouthy cow". Boy this fine and well known actress has kept herself fit!! You'll enjoy her performance throughout but when it comes to the finale with the pole-dance routine she is really impressive too.

Maureen Nolan - Sarah is our cancer victim. Let's be honest , although she is very modest about it, I think Maureen is very brave to play such a role with a subject so close to her heart for personal family reasons. But this personal experience of confronting cancer Maureen admits has helped her in this role and she is playing Sarah in her own determined way. The result is a very believable portrayal of how a middle aged woman may cope with breast cancer. She demonstrates effectively both the emotional lows yet maintaining a strong willpower to get through each and every day.

Leanne Jones - She's big, bubbly, warm and extremely lovable, both on stage and off. As the large lady, Bev, aspiring to pole dance she is clearly the obvious candidate for a spot of bitchy bullying and I'll come to this later. There are laughs throughout with her pole dance 'skills' but Bev is also a strong character with a complicated love life. Leanne delivers the great performance that would be expected from a West End star.

Michelle Heaton - "here we go...", many will say, "a singer trying her hand at acting". Often it doesn't work. But what many may not know though was that friendly Michelle was acting long before her Liberty X and Popstars days. With appearances on Heartbeat, Byker Grove and Crimewatch under her belt she had a good start in front of the camera.

Her desire was always to go back to her first love, acting, and here she is fulfilling that ambition. Gabby is the pole-dancing teacher, and of course Gabby has her own personal troubles. But whilst dealing with those she has to try and get 5 women with varying characters and physical abilities to pole-dance convincingly for a cancer fund raising performance. I thought she played the part really well and as one of the minority of blokes in a female dominated audience watching this very fit young lady do her finale pole-dance routine was just the icing on the cake.

Julie Buckfield. I've seen both Julie and her twin sister Claire so many times now it is often difficult to recall who was in which show. But here we have Julie who has a stack of theatrical credits to her name together with appearances in TV shows like Hollyoaks, Grange Hill, London's Burning, The Bill and Casualty. In her character as Tricia she is the insensitive bully, gloating on her perfect life, perfect man and picking on the apparent flaws she sees in others - including Bev and her weight. But is Tricia's life really so great? Julie tells Tricia's story flawlessly and like Michelle she is a pole-dancing diva! She is to the pole what her sister was to the ice, an expert! Perhaps a new combined venture for them beckons  pole-dancing-on-ice?

I should just point something out here. Ladies for goodness sake take your fella to this show! This is in no way a male-bashing-production. It is also not planned to have a female only audience. It is a very funny and very thought provoking play about a disease that affects the lives of all it touches. Women do not go through cancer on their own they need the support and love of those around them. So get your old man or partner off his backside and take him to a show which he will laugh at a lot and he may just learn something about the consequences of breast cancer! Besides aren't men supposed to appreciate pole-dancing? I certainly did, especially the performance the girls put on at the end.

All 6 actresses are extremely professional and this was demonstrated admirably in the second half whilst theatre staff ejected  rowdy audience members from the auditorium. I'm glad they stepped in quickly as eyes were beginning to deviate from the stage and as we all tried to spot the idiots who had drunk one too many in the interval and those around the group went "Shhhhhhhhh!" in a vain attempt to shut them up.

After the pole-dancing finale this Breast Cancer Care awareness/fund raising show received a massive loud reception from this Tunbridge Wells crowd. This was fully deserved for a fabulous show which deals with such a serious subject in such a light hearted, yet at the same time very sensitive, way.

The appreciation did not end there though. The charity buckets came out and I can honestly say that I have been to many a charity fundraiser at theatres and this is the most money I have ever seen going in to buckets as the audience leaves. Whether this was appreciation for a super show or simply a contribution for such a worthy cause who cares? As long as money keeps going in those buckets we may soon have the hope that a cure for breast cancer is imminent!

Finally the pictures on this review are possible because, with thanks to the Julie Buckfield and her agent for the arrangement, I was able to do one of my Starcards signing in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital for children before this show.

Clicking any image and viewing the image description will give you information on how you can support another worthy cause by bidding on future auctions of these autographed charity playing cards.

Thank you so much to Claire, Leanne, Michelle, Julie, Maureen and Alison for taking part in this especially when you are raising funds for Breast Cancer Care.

So people if you are wondering whether The Naked Truth is any good it's actually far better than good. So go and see it, take your other half and take some extra money to buy some fun fund raising souvenirs and to fill those all important buckets !!!

The sad death of former Shadows member Jet Harris

It was only 5 months ago we saw the very entertaining Jet Harris when he was part of Marty Wilde's touring show. The picture above was taken at that event (by my wife) at the Assembly Hall Theatre in Royal Tunbridge Wells.

When she asked the man who said "I never smile" if he would smile for a picture he replied "only if you give me a kiss". A master of bribery he got his wish.

We will always remember that he was the only artist that was missing from a tour poster which we had got autographed that evening. Then by sheer fluke as we got into our car he prepared to get into the car parked in front. So there we were late at night with Jet Harris signing a poster spread over the bonnet of our car!

A fond memory of the former Shadow indeed and we extend our sympathy to the friends and family of a very talented and friendly man.

My previous show review is here Marty Wilde Tour

Mary Wilson and the Chi-Lites Assembly Hall Theatre, Royal Tunbridge Wells

Mary Wilson

with Special Guests The Chi-Lites

Assemby Hall Theatre

Royal Tunbridge Wells

15th March 2011

The Chi-Lites

2011 must be the year of the great gig at the Assembly Hall Theatre in Royal Tunbridge Wells. Chas and Dave, Ben E King with Gary US Bonds and now Mary Wilson and the Chi-Lites all receiving massive standing ovations from appreciative Tunbridge Wells audiences.

OK lets be honest, unlike many of the soul loving Tunbridge Wells audience, I had never heard of the Chi-Lites and even when they sung their greatest hits I can't say I was familiar with them.

Marshall Thompson, Frank Reed and Fred Simon make up this super harmonious soul group with Marshall being the only original member in the line-up.

I have to be honest though but despite the fact I had never appreciated the tracks of the Chi-Lites like "Have You Seen Her" and "Oh Girl" before it didn't stop me thoroughly enjoying this initiation.

Fred has been with the group a couple of years whilst Frank who's vocal range is formidable as lead singer joined around 23 years ago. Marshall who has more energy than many a man 20 years his junior is the only original member of the Chi-Lites still performing. After an incredible 51 years with the group his energy and enthusiasm really is something to behold.

With a beautiful sound and Frank even coming down into the auditorium to sing they deserved every single moment of the massive ovation they received from the Tunbridge Wells crowd as we got to the interval.

On a footnote here the Chi-Lites signed albums and photos during the interval and they stayed behind after the show to provide autographs for any fans who missed them in the break. Marshall continuing to defy his age by being the only artist I have ever seen signing autographs standing on a table and chair. A quite amazing group with a remarkable founder member. 

Mary Wilson

The ex member of The Supremes got a loud, appreciate reception the moment she walked on the stage and this was an enthusiasm that was not to diminish for the rest of the show.

Mary's incredible, powerful vocals were accompanied by her wonderful backing singers Parnell Marcano and Lucy Shropshire. Her band were, perhaps inevitably, using some of the most impressive instruments I have seen on one stage in quite a while and as a result the sound was perfect.

It was actually refreshing to be able to see the whole of the magnificent, large, Assembly Hall stage in this show. It seems a shame that the council have plans to demolish this theatre and the adjoining buildings soon, although an alternative is planned.

Diva? Well yes and no. The traditional use of diva was applied to somebody with exceptional talent. If we are using this meaning of the word then Ms Wilson is indeed a worthy recipient of the diva title. However if we are looking at the now well used derogatory use of the word for an artist who is unreasonably demanding and full of themselves I don't think we can apply this to Mary. Not in the slightest.

I don't think the "derogatory diva" would be seen inviting the "commoners" of  Royal Tunbridge Wells on stage with her and letting them demonstrate their Stop in the name of love dancing 'skills'

Nor do I think such a diva would hang around in the theatre for as long as is required after the show to sign anything fans required and pose for photos too. Diva's certainly charge more than £6 for a programme and normally sneak out of a theatre via a side door to avoid meeting the 'ordinary' people (recollections of a certain artist from last year come to mind).

With a show in excess of 2 hours and a further 45 minutes getting autographs and photos done together with a signing for Great Ormond Street by Starcards.org (thank you so much Mary and Marshall) this was a very long day for all involved. Yet at no times did the artists show any signs of being frustrated by such a late finish. American artists always seem to be amongst the friendliest performers.

This was yet another huge night to remember in the current season at the Assembly Hall Theatre. Music fans have really been spoiled lately in Tunbridge Wells.

Tonight was the icing on the cake with classic hits from her group days of course being featured together with many other popular tracks. So every track went down incredibly well from the classic Floy Joy to the great 'singalong' track River Deep Mountain High.

This wasn't just a good gig at the Assembly Hall - it was SUPREME!

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