February 2013 Reviews - London

[kport]

Here is a blog review from Maria Speight, with some photos of Kaine:

http://www.lifestyleplanet.org/onstage- ... ly-elliot/

[kport]

A blog review, from 'Everything Ella':

http://everythingaboutella.blogspot.com ... lliot.html

[patc]

Thursday Matinee 28th February

Redmand/Thomas M/Macy

Grandma: Gillian Elisa

The technician responsible for the electricity grid in the Victoria area had a tough time of it this afternoon what with all the fluctuations, spikes and surges thanks to the multitude of sparks flying at the VPT from a powerhouse performance by the BETM cast.

Circa 2.30pm the usual 240 volts were purring along nicely but Grandma (Gillian Elisa) soon started things buzzing in her opening Kitchen scene with her static reaching out and grabbing the audience. Things began to hot up a bit more when George and his motley boxing troupe showed up in an hilarious Boxing episode with Redmand and Thomas taking Sean Kearns to the cleaners with their own unique fun routines. We’re up to 500 volts already and the Grid Technician (GT) has put his coffee aside to keep a closer eye on things. Just as well because when Gillian Bevan and her bevy of bullish ballet girls invade the hall the gauge readings begin to rise further and by the end of Shine the 2,000 volts marker has been exceeded. The now-sweaty-palms GT breathes a sigh of relief moments later. Gillian Elisa has saved his bacon (for now) with a wonderful rendition of Grandma’s Song.

It’s time for the Law to come on and you’d think everything is under control now. Not so. As Solidarity progresses and heads towards its climax we are at 5,000 volts but this is nothing ‘cos when Deka arrives this jumps four-fold. The GT is on Orange Alert as the needle rises even higher following the altercation between Billy, Dad and Mrs. W. Time to call in the Grid Supervisor (GS) from his late lunch. The upward trend continues as Redmand and Gillian exchange views and opinions. What is badly needed now is someone to calm things down. Luckily, the right boy just happens to be in the building, Thomas Moore. Putting on the style he leads Redmand on a merry dance in a thoroughly entertaining Expressing full of nerve and verve. Brilliant stuff. The GS retreats back to his now cold platter.

A brief upward spike ensues as Killian and Deka come to blows but, as the Letter begins, the voltage stabilises. The GT relaxes and pours himself a fresh coffee.

Redmand’s Letter is so heartbreaking that a new phenomenon occurs. The needle on the wall-mounted Tear-ometer starts to move in an upward direction, slowly at first but soon is blasting its way towards the red. Dead Mum’s (Kay Milbourne) appearance ups the ante (and the needle) even further and before we know it, the gauge itself is shedding tears. This is high-class emotional acting. Luckily Simon Ray Harvey is still around and provides the perfect antidote. The now-quite-grown and brilliant Macy has her turn in the limelight but Redmand’s puking dismissal of her offer stops her in her tracks.

Meanwhile, the GT finishes his fresh coffee. Stress? What Stress? Easy. He thinks it’s all over. No such luck. Within a short space of time the dials are gone mental as the pre-Angry Dance row blows up in the Kitchen. As Redmand clears the stairs and takes on the Riot Squad the GS is rushing into the Control Room. Sparks from Redmand’s pounding feet fly across the stage at the VPT. Shadowy figures appear and disappear at high speed. The atmosphere crackles with static. The house mouse has fled the scene in absolute terror. He is quickly followed by the Coppers. The GT and the GS are twirling dials like crazy. Trains at Victoria station are losing power. The interior station lights are flickering. The underground is grinding to a halt. Is this Grid Armageddon? Then suddenly, all is quiet. Redmand has thrown himself, exhausted, to the floor. The dials begin to return to normal. The crisis is over – for now.

There’s been a clapper at the theatre today. Not the Happy Clapper. It is not his/her distinctive clap. I have a spy today in the Dress Circle. Nothing to report at half time, though. These clappers should be clapped in irons and chained to K57 in the Grand Circle at Wicked for 10 years. That’ll teach ‘em not to clap in the wrong places.

The GT and the GS are on their next coffee as Part 2 begins. After all that’s gone on they’d really prefer to be drinking something stronger but rules is rules.

After Maggie had been thatched it was time for Thomas to get down to serious business in the Winter scene. This he did as superbly as ever. From Sindy the Nurse, through “Why, I’d miss ya” to his very funny tutu routine we got it all. Hearts lifted then ripped apart in a few minutes of supreme mind manipulation. Such was his brilliance that he was even able to reduce the Clapper to solemn silence for his poignant exit.

Next up it was Barnaby and Redmand to perform the Scene of the Century. Poetry in Motion. On arrival back at Gatwick later on for my flight home, there was much talk about some UFO that had appeared on their radar round about 4.30pm. I didn’t let on that I knew what it was.

The GT and the GS put their feet up in the knowledge and expectation that all was now serene. What gave them that impression? Very soon afterwards the entire grid began to fade away as Killian and Deka dramatically and powerfully fought over the dancin’ bairn. This is truly an awesome scene to watch and especially from the front. It wasn’t just sparks that were flying. It was bodies as well. 500,000 volts were recorded on the grid. The dials went beresk (as “Rashers” Tierney commented in James Plunkett’s gutsy tale Strumpet City). But it was Redmand who finally got it up to 1m volts during the course of a magnificently controlled and superlative Electricity that beamed its laser-like pulses out to an adoring audience of young and old. You could feel the vibes going backwards and forwards. A moment of pure enjoyment – and smiles all round.

By this time the exhausted GT and GS were barely able to cope but, somehow, they kept everything just about going and the pressure finally came off. The poor old Tear-ometer didn’t fare as well. With all the various goodbyes that followed it couldn’t cope at all, at all. It was already into the red at Redmand’s very tearful goodbye to Dead Mum but, when Thomas cycled on and gave that long, lonesome stare as his best friend vanished down the aisle, it was all too much and it just gave up the ghost, fell off the wall and into its own pool of tears. I wasn’t far behind it.

It was a magnificent show. I have to say that Redmand’s acting as evidenced over the past while as well as today is something else. A very bright future awaits – if that’s what he wants to do. And what a man Deka is. He’s still doing those cartwheels after the Finale.

Pat

[dancingboy]

Pat, Thank you for pylon the agony, whilst reading that review. I take it there was no charge for watching the show though. However, you missed another electrifying display from Tade at the evening performance.

[KeefyM]

I see what you did there John Great review about Kaine's last night as well.

It certainly was an electricfying display from Tade in the evening. Brilliant and highly entertaining show from Tade and all the cast with the wonderful and hilarious Millie a particular highlight for me along with Tade's very strong and very high quality dancing, singing and acting. He really is a triple threat and his Ballet Electricity is honestly one of the best I've ever seen.
He has many brilliant and unique ways of pronouncing dialogue that in my view are how those lines should be pronounced and emphasised; i.e. lines like "me mam's dead" & "no, she was just me mam".

I love when he is sitting face to face with Grandma during 'Grandma's Song' as he uses his eyes and many facial expressions to react to every single line she sings and not just occasionally laughing or reacting to certain lines.
As John said to me, 'watch out for how Tade uses his eyes during the Finale', and funnily enough using my eyes(haha) I seen exactly what John meant about Tade's brilliant Finale. I'm not going to explain it here and will leave other Forum members to see if they can notice how Tade 'uses his eyes' during the Finale.
Although, I can tell you that he now wears the Light Blue Stripey Top in the Finale as the Red Top he had from his London debut and that he wore on Broadway is no more, leaving only Redmand as the Red Stripey Top Billy.

Tade can certainly scream - bloody hell, that constant scream running up the stairs to the bedroom is deafening as are his screams in Angry Dance. He makes the skipping in B2B look effortless, i.e. as if he is not even trying and doesn't really need to concentrate on it as he is smiling and looking at the audience all the time while skipping.
Looking forward to seeing him again sometime soon and I'm really pleased we have the opportunity to see Tade perform in London.


Another brilliant and very creative review Pat, really enjoyed reading it. Totally agree with everything you've said about Redmand, especially his acting, it is something else and he will definitely have a very bright future if that's what he wants to do.
BTW, have you been to the Keefy Long Review Writing School or did that Mick O'Leary sneak you in without paying the £50 course fee ? or has Mick started his own review writing school called the RRRC - the Ryanair Review 'Riting Course - only available at Dublin Airport and no food or drink included


Keep the reviews coming folks!


Cheers
Keefy

[dancingboy]

EDIT BE A SINGER ( anagram). No prizes for the answer.

[patc]

LOL, keefy. I've a bit to go before earning the right of admission to the K L R W S . If you wrote that review on a tablet I'm awarding you the DFOTY trophy. (Deftest Fingers of the Year).

John, I suspected that edit be a singer would be formreping at the ratel hows but couldn't make it this week

Pat

[Westletonion]

Wonderful that this battery of positive compliments eliminated any possibility of negative charges being metered out. There were many ohms and aars coming from an electrified audience who were really well plugged in to such first class entertainment. Really wired one could say, such was the current of applause. With all the mayhem going on around the VPT I am wondering if at some point there will have to be an underground lead-in. Thankfully no standbys or back-up power supplies were needed.

But it is doubtful if such alternators could have generated the same power as young mister Rance whose pirouettes could have produced gigabytes that only 1000 Jaffa cakes could have replenished. Nothing neutral about this performance and we only finally came back down to earth when we were discharged from the VPT. The perceptive will have noticed that even sparks flew off Cindy the Nurse’s dress.

[angelenroute]

Loving all the reviews!

When the Broadway show opened, many Aussies were thanking us for keeping the show alive for them with our reviews, and the turn is now ours here in New York and the states in general. Please keep them coming!!!

Always great hearing updates on Tade too, as so many of us reading along got to know him and his performances here, so thank you very much for those too! Would love to hear--as you continue to realize them--what changes Tade brought with him from New York.

Thanks again for taking the time to post!

Sean

[Westletonion]

Haven't seen Tade yet - but very much look forward to doing so, hopefully in the near future.