Tag Archives: Cameron Blakely

Newsies

Newsies

★★★★

Troubador Wembley Park

NEWSIES at the Troubador Wembley Park

★★★★

Newsies

“What really gets the blood flowing is the showmanship and the staging.”

 

One cannot fail to see the serendipitous irony of Newsies: The Musical’s UK premiere. The official website, in sepia tones of old newsprint, has the format of a daily rag. “Newsies Go On Strike! Read More” is the headline splashed across the homepage. Similar headlines dominate the front pages of the evening tabloids that litter the street corners as we make our way to the theatre, negotiating the travel chaos caused by the current strike action. If nothing else, the timing of “Newsies” is spot on.

The struggles of the protagonists; the issues of homelessness, exploitation, security, solidarity and capitalism are going to resonate strongly, even though the plot, based on historical fact, is over a century old. As the dawn of the twentieth century approaches, the ubiquitous bands of teenage newspaper sellers dream of a better life away from the hardship of the streets of New York City. These young men, and women, come together to fight the exploitation of the wealthy publishing tycoons who are callously hiking up the prices they pay for the papers they sell.

The realism is spot on. Morgan Large’s impressive scaffold set immerses us right into the heart of Manhattan. The grim fire escapes and sidewalks soon burst into the cacophonous chorus as the ‘Newsies’ come scampering from all corners of the auditorium to explode onto the stage in a glorious, rush hour frenzy. It seems they are celebrating their misfortunes. Indeed, lead player Jack Kelly (Michael Ahomka-Lindsay) is portrayed as having chosen his fate. Consequently Ahomka-Lindsay lacks the fire of the real life ‘Kid Blink’ on which the character is based. Kid Blink was not yet a teenager when he addressed over two thousand strikers to lead them in the battle against the publishers. Jack Kelly’s character replaces fire with charm and courage with charisma, throwing in a roving eye for the daughter of the enemy.

If the plot is sweetened somewhat (this is based on a Disney film after all), the execution is a sharp, exhilarating and sometimes overwhelming spectacle. Director Matt Cole’s choreography is both bombastic and balletic. Not always in tune with the subject matter, it nevertheless thrills us and coaxes us into repeated standing ovations – even before interval. The space is as wide as it is high and at one point the dancers even occupy the airspace during the stunning number “King of New York” at the opening of Act Two. The more plaintive ballads do not fare so well, with the lyrics occasionally getting lost in the cavernous auditorium. Likewise, the subtleties and subplots lose their way amidst the sheer, larger-than-life displays.

Bronté Barbé, as Katherine Plumber, a young reporter eager for a story, shadows Kelly in his fight for justice, spreading the word, assuaging his doubts and eventually becoming his ally. A touch two-dimensional to totally believe in the passion that spurs her on, Barbé has the requisite defiance to win us over. Newspaper tycoon, Joseph Pulitzer, is unavoidably a caricature but Cameron Blakely makes the best of the Scrooge-like bad guy turned good(ish). But it is clear that we are not required to dig deep into character or plot. That vein is thin. What really gets the blood flowing is the showmanship and the staging.

“Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground” is a piece of advice given to the strikers, “and you will win”. It’s no spoiler to reveal that they did indeed win. But these stunning triple-threat performers won our standing ovation too – even though they rarely kept their feet on the ground. They are the stars that we, the audience, keep our eyes on.

 

 

Reviewed on 13th December 2022

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Johan Persson

 

 

 

 

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Addams Family – Rehearsals

Rehearsals are well under way for the UK & Ireland premiere of THE ADDAMS FAMILY, starring Samantha Womack as Morticia Addams, Les Dennis as Uncle Fester, Carrie Hope Fletcher as Wednesday Addams, Cameron Blakely as Gomez Addams, Valda Aviks as Grandma Addams, Charlotte Page as Alice Beineke, Dale Rapley as Mal Beineke, Grant McIntyre as Pugsley Addams, Dickon Gough as Lurch and Oliver Ormson as Lucas Beineke.

THE ADDAMS FAMILY will open at the Festival Theatre, Edinburgh on 20 April where it will run until 29 April before embarking on a UK & Ireland tour until 4 November 2017.

Directed by Matthew White, THE ADDAMS FAMILY is a musical comedy, with book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, the creators of multi award-winning Jersey Boys, and music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa, based on the characters created by Charles Addams.

THE ADDAMS FAMILY is produced by Aria Entertainment and Music & Lyrics Limited, in association with the Festival Theatre Edinburgh, and is presented through special arrangement with Theatrical Rights Worldwide.

 

 www.TheAddamsFamily.co.uk 

 

Rehearsal Photography by Craig Sugden

2017 TOUR SCHEDULE

 

20-29 April 2017 Festival Theatre, Edinburgh
www.edtheatres.com 0131 529 6000

9-13 May 2017 Royal & Derngate, Northampton
www.royalandderngate.co.uk 01604 624811

16-20 May 2017 New Wimbledon Theatre
www.atgtickets.com/venues/new-wimbledon-theatre 0844 871 7646

23-27 May 2017 Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury
www.marlowetheatre.com 01227 787787

30 May – 3 June 2017 Cliffs Pavilion, Southend
www.southendtheatres.org.uk 01702 351 135

6-10 June 2017 Birmingham Hippodrome www.birminghamhippodrome.com 0844 338 5000

13-17 June 2017 Theatre Royal, Bath
www.theatreroyal.org.uk 01225 448844

20-24 June 2017 Hall for Cornwall, Truro
www.hallforcornwall.co.uk 01872 262466

27 June – 1 July 2017 Nottingham Theatre Royal
www.trch.co.uk 0115 989 5555

4-8 July 2017 The Alhambra Theatre, Bradford
www.bradford-theatres.co.uk 01274 432000

18 – 29 July 2017 Mayflower Theatre, Southampton
www.mayflower.org.uk 02380 711811

1-12 August 2017 Cardiff, Wales Millennium Centre
www.wmc.org.uk 029 2063 6464

15-26 August 2017 Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Dublin
www.bordgaisenergytheatre.ie 0844 847 2455

29 August – 9 September 2017 The Lowry, Salford
www.thelowry.com 0843 208 6000

12-16 September 2017 Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield
www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk 0114 249 6000

19-23 September 2017 Bristol Hippodrome
www.atgtickets.com/venues/bristol-hippodrome 0844 871 3012

26-30 September 2017 New Victoria Theatre, Woking www.atgtickets.com/venues/new-victoria-theatre 0844 871 7645

3-7 October 2017 Grand Opera House, Belfast
www.roh.org.uk 028 9024 1919

10-14 October 2017 Glasgow King’s Theatre
www.atgtickets.com/venues/kings-theatre 0844 871 7648

17-21 October 2017 Wolverhampton Grand
www.grandtheatre.co.uk 01902 429 212

24-28 October 2017 Milton Keynes Theatre
www.atgtickets.com/venues/milton-keynes-theatre 0844 871 7652

31 October – 4 November 2017 Orchard Theatre, Dartford
www.orchardtheatre.co.uk 01322 220000