Reviews

Sunderland Empire

May 13th 2009

The classic movie Singin’ in The Rain, was transformed in to a stage version starring Tommy Steele at the London Palladium several years ago, since then various stage versions have emerged and now we a new touring version of the classic tale.

The story revolves around Don Lockwood ( Tim Flavin) and Lina Lamont ( Amy Griffiths) who are Hollywood’s favourite couple, they seem to have it all, looks, talent and fame, they are the stars of the silent movie era. Lina adores Don, however her love is not reciprocated and then to cap it all Don meets and falls head over heels in love with Kathy Selden (Jessica Punch) an aspiring Broadway actress. Read more »

Reviewed: May 12th 2009

Venue: Theatre Royal, Newcastle

The Kneehigh Theatre production Noel Coward’s Brief Encounter enjoyed a very successful run in London before commencing a nationwide tour. Adapted for the stage by Emma Rice this play has lost none of its magic as it moves out of its intimate London venue to larger regional theatres.

From the moment you enter the auditorium the production takes hold, as the cast are all around playing instruments and singing songs from the 1930s era. Read more »

News

Popular BBC sitcom Dinnerladies takes to the stage with their first national tour from Monday 18th to Saturday 23rd May at Darlington Civic Theatre.

Starring Shobna Gulati and Andrew Dunn from the original cast, and with some great writing by Victoria Wood, the show revives this timeless and popular comedy classic. Based on the second TV series, Dinnerladies follows the reluctant love story of Bren and Tony, with a dose of all the favourite characters thrown in for good measure, including Anita, Dolly, Jean, Twinkle, and Stan. Read more »

Michael Praed will play Captain von Trapp to nun-turned-nanny Maria, played by Connie Fisher (pictured with Praed) in the new national tour of The Sound of Music, which arrives at the Sunderland Empire in November, where it is breaking box office records.

Best remembered from TV’s Robin of Sherwood and Dynasty, Praed’s West End musical credits include Aspects of Love, Contact and Beautiful and Damned.

Praed toured in the two handed Sleuth! last year, starring opposite Simon MacCorkindale, who joined the London Palladium production of the Sound of Music, also playing Captain von Trapp, once their tour had ended. Read more »

Interviews

Hannah Yelland plays Laura Brief Encounter which Kneehigh is currently touring, after a hit West End run. We wanted to catch up with Hannah and ask her about acting, the tour and her own love life

Question: What is it like working with your father David Yelland?

Answer: “When Chichester Festival Theatre decided to revive their very successful production of Nicholas Nickleby, with Hannah reprising her role as Kate, the hero’s feisty sister. They asked my father to play my uncle Ralph and before he gave them an answer, he came to me first. ‘Did I mind awfully if he were to accept the offer?’ - I told him to go ahead. We had a completely fantastic time acting together and I think he saw me in a different way. It was a little confusing at first to know what to call him. Was it Ralph? David? Or Dad? Mostly I kept it strictly professional but there was one point during rehearsals when I called him Dad before quickly adding David.”

Question: Before auditioning had you seen the West End version of the show?
 
 Answer: “I absolutely loved it” but without knowing much about Kneehigh’s history or ethos.”I was very green about the company but Emma [Rice} and I chatted very pleasantly and then Emma asked me very directly if I would do ‘a turn’. I had to think on my feet and I suggested singing a folk song that had been composed by a friend of mine. I thought that it had all gone horribly wrong and so I was caught completely off-guard when my agent rang me with the news that they wanted me to play Laura.”

Question: Brief Encounter is a classic British love story, but what about your private life?

Answer: “My other half’s an American lawyer and we met at a mutual friend’s wedding. I saw him across the proverbially crowded room and our eyes met. But he made the first move, coming over to me. Now he’s back in Washington DC so thank heavens for Skype. It’s wonderful, when it works!”
 
Question: What memories do you have of previous productions you have worked on?
 
Answer: “I was playing Vivie in Shaw’s Mrs. Warren’s Profession, and got on with 1960s icon Twiggy very well, who was playing my mother. One night before we were due to go up, Twiggy invited me to come to her dressing-room to meet a friend after the show. She particularly wanted me to meet her friend Paul who’d be in the house that night. I didn’t think that much about it and so I walked casually into Twiggy’s dressing-room and there was Paul McCartney.”

Brief Encounter plays the Theatre Royal Newcastle from May 12th to 16th

Ryan Molloy is the winner of the Whatsonstage Best Actor in a Musical Award for his portrayal of Frankie Valli in the multi award winning West End smash hit Jersey Boys. As Ryan is a fellow Geordie I thought it was time Whatsonstage North East caught up with him. I wanted to know how a “local lad” moved from the region, via way of Los Angeles, to become a multi award winning leading man, in a West End musical that is playing to packed houses night after night.

Ryan told me he is originally from North Shields and became a pupil of North Tyneside College (recently renamed TyneMet and a landmark on the regions Coast Road which leads from Newcastle to Tynemouth) before moving to London and studying at The Poor School. But being influenced by films such as St Elmos Fire and the Breakfast Club, he set off to America with two hundred and fifty pounds of travellers’ cheques in his pocket (a gift from his Mother) determined to further his career. Read more »