King Lear
September 30, 2007
Theatre Royal Newcastle
June 29th to July 7th
Playing in rep with The Seagull (check box office for details)
When the RSC first played the Theatre Royal the company included actor Ian McKellen and productions directed by Trevor Nunn. Now 30 years later Ian McKellen leads the company with two productions directed by Trevor Nunn. The opening night of this season must be most anticipated evening at the Theatre Royal for several years and there was buzz of excitement from the packed audience, which included Trevor Nunn.
As the lights in the auditorium dimmed and the cast swept on to the stage there was no doubting this was going to be a quality production.
Danny the Champion of the World
September 30, 2007
Theatre Royal
Roald Dahl understood children and therefore wrote books that held their attention. Certainly the subjects tackled had a dark or nasty sides that children love, such as the children in Charlie and the chocolate factory, Aunts Sponge and Spiker who are flattened in James and the Giant Peach and Miss Trunchball in Matilda.
In Danny he gives us Mr Hazell who is trying to evict Danny and his father from their home and take over their land. Despite having a great resemblance to Alan Turner from Emmerdale, this character is met with hiss and boos when he appears and remains Mr Nasty for the entire show, which runs just over two hours.
Fame
September 30, 2007
Reviewed at the Theatre Royal , Newcastle
As the audience was on its feet, with the cast singing and dancing to the title track “Fame” (centre stage was the obligatory yellow cab) you could feel the energy across the footlights. Unfortunately it had taken over two and a half hours to get to this point.
The action takes place in the New York High School for Performing Arts between 1980 and 84. Initially we meet the pupils as they audition for the school and then follow their trials and tribulations. We have a few stereotypes thrown in for good measure, as well as a pupil who is a brilliant dancer but fails his English exam, a dancer who is over weight, two pupils who are destined to fall in love, but he will not accept the fact, and finally the drug addict.
Flushed with success
September 30, 2007
The ladies toilets during the refurbishment of the Theatre Royal were in a portacabin ajoining the stalls. But the ladies had no problem in letting the management know these facilties were better than the toilets the Theatre had made them use for many years.
So now with new toilets, the booking office moved in to the foyer and easy disabled access to all parts there is no doubting the improvements made to the Theatre Royal.
Olivier return to the Theatre Royal
September 30, 2007
During the new refurbishment of the Theatre Royal in Newcastle, The Olivier Suite has been added. The Suite has magnificent glass doors showing Sir Laurence as Henry V and are worth having a look at even if you are just passing by the Theatre.
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