“the energy with which Hartvigsen and Larsen throw into their ever-changing roles is a delight to watch”
Thankfully, for most of us, that whole period of lockdown is becoming a distant memory as life has resumed its normal, pre-pandemic routine. Occasionally we experience flashbacks, during which we might try and mitigate the whole experience by contemplating what good came out of it. It is interesting to look back to see how various people coped and it is heartening to catch glimpses of the positivity that can spring from adversity. As the months ticked by, a group of friends – with a desperate need to laugh – created a radio podcast devised and put together entirely on zoom. Picked up by Ealing Council it subsequently received a grant, was entered into the Summer Festival and eventually became a live, Offest Nominated theatre show at the Camden Fringe this summer.
That group of friends are the madcap, unconventional company “Other Mysteries”. The show is “The Midnight Snack” – an hour-long, whodunnit stage show that reveals its roots as a radio play throughout. There is no set, except for an assorted collection of costume and props used to create the many characters adopted by the three handed cast. Jonah Walsh is Harry, a wannabe crime reporter. In his head he is a Sam Spade character; hard and shifty, and able to get the better of anybody who crosses his path, whether criminal, suspect, victim, innocent or guilty. The reality is somewhat different as Harry spends his days in the darkness of his mother’s basement vicariously living his dream and trying to broadcast it via his podcast, continually interrupted by his meddling mother. Until, that is, a corpse turns up right before the day of the unnamed town’s annual baking competition.
Carolyn Hartvigsen and Mackenzie Larsen play every other character – all suspects under Harry’s over-zealous eye. A rival podcaster, the scatty chef of the eponymous ‘Midnight Snack’ food truck café, the police chief with his sidekick, the amnesiac, the femme fatale and love interest, the mysterious man spotted near the scene of the crime, the decoy the bartender and the mother. Among others. It’s a tall story and a tall order. And one that gets messy – but deliberately so, which is part of the attraction.
The comedy stems from parodying the exaggerated accents and rhythms of true crime dramas. However, that seems to be the one trick they have pulled out of the hat and even in just a short sixty-minute show the magic wears a bit thin. And the rule of three is all too often pushed beyond its limit. Nevertheless, the energy with which Hartvigsen and Larsen throw into their ever-changing roles is a delight to watch and sometimes leaves us as dumbfounded as Walsh’s hapless sleuth. In the end the mystery is solved for him (and us). No investigative skills are needed, but at the same time no real clues are offered. Which is just as well as we have long lost interest amidst the madness.
We may have lost interest in the ‘whodunnit’, but it is the performances, under Candice MacAllister’s slickly eccentric direction, that just about prevent us losing interest in the play itself. It’s perfect for the fringe and the next planned stop for this company is Edinburgh. Let’s hope they get there. The original podcast is still available online, and it will certainly put you in the mood during the journey up there.
“The production values are up there with the best”
On its release in 1935, the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers film of “Top Hat” was recognised for its flaws but generally it was received positively. The New York Times praised the film’s musical numbers, but criticized the storyline, describing it as “a little on the thin side”. In retrospect it was described as a “glamorous and enthralling depression-era diversion”. When the musical adaptation had its world premiere a decade ago, little, if anything, had been done to thicken out the story but six more songs by Irving Berlin were added to the eight that were featured in the film. Initially playing out of town it made its home at the Aldwych Theatre for the next year and a half.
The revival at the Mill at Sonning sees it scaled down; but only in terms of the intimacy of its playing space. The production values are up there with the best, and the feel-good spectacularity (yes, that is a word) is enhanced by being so up close to the action. Nearly a century on from the golden-age of musicals, we can still feel the glow that warms our hearts when we most need it. A “glamorous and enthralling depression-era diversion” has never been more apt a description.
Let’s get the one and only gripe out of the way. “A little on the thin side” is putting it politely. Good, that’s out of the way. The story is based on a singular comedy of error, and spun thinner, but director Jonathan O’Boyle has worked on it with an alchemist’s skill to create theatrical gold. The story follows Broadway star Jerry Travers (Jonny Labey) who arrives in London for his West End stage debut, and then promptly falls for socialite Dale Tremont (Billie-Kay). But being a screwball comedy, things do not go to plan of course. Tremont mistakes Travers for producer Horace Hardwick (Paul Kemble) – a married man – and is therefore horrified at his advances. The themes and wisecracks are pushing their sell by date, but there is nothing that can be done about that, so we are left to face the music and dance.
From the opening bar of the overture to the closing bar of the finale we are enchanted. Jonny Labey is in his element, letting his natural energy and joy wash over us in glorious waves of smooth charisma. Billie-Kay’s cool Dale Tremont counterbalances nicely, gradually warming to Travers’ irresistible charm while never letting herself boil over. Kemble gives a glorious portrayal of put-upon producer Hardwick, matched by Julia J Nagle’s crisp, classy and cool Madge – the wife who pulls the shots. A terrific ensemble fills out the space with West End pizzazz, and the smaller roles are beefed up with real comic flair: Brendan Cull is a constant delight as Bates – Hardwick’s eccentric valet. And Andy Rees hilariously hams it up as Dale’s personal dresser, Beddini.
Everyone is a triple-threat and with Ashley Nottingham’s creative, sharp, synchronistic choreography everyone shares the spotlight. Even the scene changes are choreographed into the action. Natalie Titchener’s costumes seem spun from the golden-age itself, while Jason Denvir’s ingeniously crafted Art Deco set transports us, by sheer sleight of hand, to each location – keeping up to speed with the costume changes.
Many of Irving Berlin’s best-known numbers are given the all-star treatment here. Arranged by Musical Director Francis Goodhand it is hard to believe that he is accompanied by just two other band members (Joe Atkin-Reeves on reeds and woodwind and Callum White on drums and percussion).
Ultimately, though, the show belongs to Labey. The original film was a vehicle for Fred Astaire and Labey comfortably steps into his shoes. His infectious and delightful (often cheeky) grin follows us all the way home. We also cannot shake off the froth and the feelgood factor. Entertainment dances with absurdity and it is the perfect combination. Throw in dinner as well, and the stunning setting of the Mill, you certainly feel like you’re puttin’ on the Ritz.
