be intrigued, be inspired
the passion8words
The passion8words is presented by Jeff Thomson.
on air - fun 8 word theatre reviews.
online - full reviews written by Jeff.
Click on the letters below for the show you're interested in.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
FANTASTIC MR FOX
ARCHIVE REVIEW
There was an air of excitement for the first matinee of ‘Fantastic Mr Fox’; I detected it last year too for ‘Babe the Sheep Pig’ – the anticipation of an adventure. The screams of delight at Peter Duncan capering around as Mr Fox was indicative to me this year’s production would again be touched by magic. Much of that magic can be traced to David Wood, who has Adapted and Directed the production with an enviable assurance and a sprinkling of ‘sparkle-dust’ (or something that propelled this adult to suspend disbelief and identify with the ‘Digger Folk’)!
The original script came from Roald Dahl but cannot be said to be a ‘modern morality tale’ because it involves three ‘psychotic’ farmers resorting to starving and digging-out the fox family (scary stuff for some!) along with a justification for sustained theft and the ‘murder’ of a fair few chickens. But David Wood points up ‘the adventure’ and doesn’t dwell overly long on the moral debate. From an audience aspect we additionally enjoy the sensory distraction of music, song, colour and a quality setting too.
It is the production values that made the afternoon a joy for me: there was nothing second rate or make-do about it. Costume and setting design was of the first order and the cast clearly ‘believed’ they were facing a rural crisis.
Fantastic fun – but not for moralising vegetarians!
42ND STREET
TOURING
With ‘Babes in Arms’ currently wowing audiences at the Chichester Festival Theatre one might suppose another helping of ‘I gonna make you a star!’ would be a toe-tapping step too far. Far from it: I was swept away by this show. It has style, energy and an innocent exuberance that delights.
OK, the storyline is clichéd and so unlikely it is cringe worthy. Peggy Sawyer (Jessica Punch) is a withdrawn, untried, unknown, untrained dancer “But so talented!” that during the course of two hours she finds romance and the lead in a multi-million dollar Broadway musical and hey, that’s moving some! The chorus girls around her are clearly thrilled for Peggy’s success. Oh gosh, what a generous decade the 1930s was!
Directed by Mark Bramble the company works well together, headed by West End leading man Dave Willetts. The musical score includes such classic numbers as ‘Lullaby of Broadway’ ‘Keep Young and Beautiful’ ‘I Only Have Eyes for You’ and of course - what becomes - a mesmerising ‘42nd Street.” The dance routines are frequent and exhausting with enough sequins, glitz, fake tan and feathers to keep that industry in business for the foreseeable future.
You guessed it: I liked it!
FIDDLER ON THE ROOF
THE SAVOY
I have seen ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ several times and have usually been left pondering about its cloying sentimentality. I didn’t seem to get it. The lead character’s comments to his God had seemed to me obtuse and impertinent. But no longer; the classic actor Henry Goodman and director, Lindsay Posner have altered my focus.
The storyline has an easy clarity; Tevye (Henry Goodman) is a small time village dairyman with five daughters to support until marriage beckons. It is Russia and in 1905 there is unrest and revolution in the air. The relaxed domesticity of his family life is contrasted with the wider persecution of the Jewish minority. Goodman brings both humour and gravitas to a central role that balances the controlling patriarchal attitude of Tevye, to his wayward girls – slowly offering a tenderness that is about to be denied his race. The dramatic dénouement of the production is the splitting of his family and the emigration of some.
The script and lyrics possess fun and winsome moments but the overall effect is dramatic. For me this production is no longer a cloying, light-weight musical but has been shifted into ‘a documentary with music.’
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
|
.gif){kind=small}
"passion is a genuinely new concept in radio"
