Tag Archives: Mark Oxtoby

Back to the Future

Back to the Future

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Adelphi Theatre

Back to the Future

Back to the Future

Adelphi Theatre

Reviewed – 6th October 2021

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“It is sleek, well-oiled and will surely be burning bright for quite some time”

 

Even with the help of a 1.21 gigawatts flux capacitor and an unhealthy dose of radioactive plutonium, 88 mph seems a pretty modest speed required to propel a rear-engine β€˜DeLorean’ through time. But this piece of eighties iconography has no trouble landing on the stage of the Adelphi Theatre in the twenty-first century, swept along by the sheer force of a gravity-defying publicity machine and the collective, kick-starting power of a couple of thousand fans a night, adding to the lightning bolts of energy that burst throughout the auditorium. To say β€œBack to the Future: The Musical” is spectacular is an understatement. It showers us with special effects, jaw-dropping sets and transitions, blurs of neon, CGI magic and a hi-wattage, fifties/eighties mash up of a soundtrack. It is sleek, well-oiled and will surely be burning bright for quite some time.

But listen closely and you hear some troublesome knocking in the engine. Not enough to stall it and too quiet to worry the crowd, the flaws are invariably swamped by the energy of the performances. It’s a bizarre adaptation of the film; simultaneously faithful to the original but adding quirks and eccentricities that don’t always sit comfortably with the source material. Doc Brown attracts an ensemble of backing singers and dancers like flies. It’s a lot of fun, is wonderfully appealing to the ears and eyes and it breaks the fourth wall. But you wonder why. The music and lyrics of Alan Silvestri and Glan Ballard are crowd pleasing pastiches, with words and rhymes full of witty observation and humour; but sometimes side-stepping into banality. The almost relentless breaking into song takes away from the narrative and the characterisation; we barely have time to take a breath (so how do the cast cope?) and we miss those moments when we can absorb the concepts of space, time and history that the film allowed us to contemplate.

Yet despite being stripped of at least one dimension of their characters, the cast give impeccable performances. Olly Dobson, as Marty McFly, is a dead ringer for Michael J. Fox and is a fireball of energy. When he arrives back in 1955, the moments when his teenage mother (Rosanna Hyland) has β€˜the hots’ for him are played for real laughs. (It is bizarre to note that when the film was originally pitched to Disney, the appalled executives rejected it outright, declaring it to be a movie about incest). More emphasis is placed on Marty’s relationship with his dad, George. Hugh Coles gives one of the stand-out performances; lanky and geeky with angular awkwardness, and often hilarious in the way only a highly skilled mover can re-enact β€˜bad dancing’. Roger Bart’s Doc Brown is a contagious concoction of quirks, marred only by his over playing to the audience at times.

The special effects, sets and lighting are as much a lead role as the protagonists. Tim Lutkin’s lighting, Finn Ross’ video design, coupled with Chris Fisher’s illusion design, Gareth Owen’s sound and The Twins FX animatronics cannot fail to produce a breath-taking show. Add on the extra layers of Chris Bailey’s sleek, though sometimes excessive, choreography; and musical director Jim Henson’s thirteen-piece band and you have a display that defies the laws of physics. Like the well-worn bumblebee flight myth (it is a scientific and aerodynamic impossibility that bumblebees can fly – yet fly they do) the unconventional components that make up this vehicle should leave it grounded. It shouldn’t do – but it flies. It soars even. Although not timeless, it will stand the test of time and we’ll still be seeing this show in the West End way back to the future.

 

Reviewed by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Sean Ebsworth Barnes

 


Back to the Future

Adelphi Theatre until July 2022

 

Shows we reviewed in September 2021:
Fever Pitch | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | Hope Theatre | September 2021
Myra Dubois: Dead Funny | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | Garrick Theatre | September 2021
Absurd Person Singular | β˜…β˜…β˜… | Cambridge Arts Theatre | September 2021
White Witch | β˜…β˜… | Bloomsbury Theatre | September 2021
Aaron And Julia | β˜…β˜…Β½ | The Space | September 2021
Catching Comets | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | Pleasance Theatre | September 2021
Ida Rubinstein: The Final Act | β˜…β˜… | Playground Theatre | September 2021
Witness For The Prosecution | β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… | London County Hall | September 2021
Tell me on a Sunday | β˜…β˜…β˜… | Cambridge Arts Theatre | September 2021

 

Click here to see our most recent reviews

 

Ben Forster extends his run as The Phantom

Ben Forster will extend his run as β€˜The Phantom’ until Saturday 2 September in the smash hit Andrew Lloyd Webber musical β€œTHE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA”. Now in its 31st year at Her Majesty’s Theatre in the West End, the show also stars Celinde Schoenmaker as β€˜Christine Daae’ and Nadim Naaman as β€˜Raoul’.

They are joined by SiΓ΄n Lloyd as β€˜Monsieur Firmin’; Mark Oxtoby as β€˜Monsieur Andre’; Paul Ettore Tabone as β€˜Piangi’ and Daisy Hulbert as β€˜Meg’. Also continuing their roles are: Lara Martins as β€˜Carlotta’ and Jacinta Mulcahy as β€˜Madame Giry’ and Harriet Jones as alternate β€˜Christine Daaé’.

Ben Forster is probably best known for winning the ITV1 show, β€˜Superstar’ – Andrew Lloyd Webber’s TV talent search for β€˜Jesus’ in β€œJesus Christ Superstar”. His other theatre credits include: β€˜Buddy’ in β€œElf The Musical” and β€˜Magaldi’ in β€œEvita” both at the Dominion Theatre.

Celinde Schoenmaker has played the role of β€˜Fantine’ in β€œLes MisΓ©rables” at The Queen’s Theatre, having made her West End debut in 2013. Previously she played β€˜Jenny’ in a production of β€œLove Story” which toured Holland.

Nadim Naaman most recently appeared as β€˜Charles Clarke’ in β€œTitanic” at the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto. His London theatre credits include β€˜Anthony Hope’ in β€œSweeney Todd” at Harrington’s Pie & Mash Shop; β€œOne Man, Two Guvnors” at The National Theatre and Theatre Royal Haymarket and β€œThe Sound of Music” at the London Palladium.

SiΓ΄n Lloyd most recently appeared in β€œTitanic” at the Charing Cross Theatre.Β  His other recent theatre credits include: β€œThe Bodyguard” on tour; β€œThe Pajama Game” at the Shaftesbury Theatre; β€œAvenue Q” at the Noel Coward Theatre and β€œThe Full Monty” at the Noel Coward Theatre and UK tour.

Mark Oxtoby most recently appeared in β€œCharlie and The Chocolate Factory” at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. His other theatre credits include: β€œJoseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” at the Adelphi Theatre; β€œA Model Girl” at the Greenwich Theatre; β€œBrighton Rock” at the Almeida Theatre and β€œOh, What a Lovely War!” at the National Theatre.

Paul Ettore Tabone’s previous theatre credits include β€œLove Never Dies” in Melbourne, Sydney and at the Hamburg Stage Operettenhaus. In 2013 Paul was accepted as a β€˜Young Artist’ in the prestigious Luciano Pavarotti Foundation of Modena; performing with Placido Domingo and Andrea Bocelli at the Arena in Verona, Italy. He made his professional operatic debut in 2014 in Verdi’s β€œRigoletto” at the Opera NaΘ›ionalΔƒ Bucureşti.

Daisy Hulbert made her West End debut in the corps de ballet in β€œThe Phantom of the Opera”. Previously as a company member of the National Moravian-Silesian Ballet in the Czech Republic she performed in β€œThe Nutcracker”, β€œSwan Lake” and β€œSnow White”.

Lara Martins has appeared in many operas around the world. Her credits include β€˜Queen of the Night’ in β€œThe Magic Flute”, β€˜Susanna’ in β€œThe Marriage of Figaro” and β€˜Despina’ in β€œCosi fan Tutte”.

Jacinta Mulcahy’s previous theatre credits include playing β€˜Baroness’ in the national tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s and David Ian’s production of β€œThe Sound of Music”. Her other theatre credits include β€˜Cosette’ in β€œLes MisΓ©rables” in the West End.

Harriet Jones returns to β€œThe Phantom of the Opera” having made her West End debut as β€˜Christine Daaé’ in 2013. Her opera credits include: β€˜Flora’ in β€œTurn of the Screw” at Grimeborn Opera Festival, β€˜Zerlina’ in Woodhouse Opera’s β€œDon Giovanni” and Classic FM’s 20th Birthday Celebration concert. She has recently finished filming the role of β€˜The Queen’ in the new Disney film of β€œBeauty and the Beast.”

Continuing until 2 September the full cast is: Matt Blaker; Bridget Costello; Maria Coyne; Scott Davies; Hadrian Delacey; Morven Douglas; Ben Forster; Lyndsey Gardiner; Lori Gilchrist; Ryan Goscinski; Philip Griffiths; Hettie Hobbs; Lily Howes; Daisy Hulbert; Ellen Jackson; Harriet Jones; Richard Kent; Tim Laurenti; Adam Robert Lewis; SiΓ΄n Lloyd; Lara Martins; Luke McCall; Leo Miles; Fiona Morley; Tim Morgan; Paul Morrissey; Jacinta Mulcahy; Nadim Naaman; Mark Oxtoby; Danielle Pullum; James Roxby-Brown; Celinde Schoenmaker; Tom Sterling; Joanna Strand; Paul Ettore Tabone; Claire Tilling, Charlotte Vaughan; Victoria Ward and Georgia Ware

β€œTHE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA” became the longest running show in Broadway history on 9 January 2006 when it celebrated its 7,486th performance, surpassing the previous record holder β€œCats”. This coincided with the Broadway company and the US national touring company celebrating an unprecedented 20,000 performances in the United States. On 26 January 2013 the Broadway production celebrated an amazing 25 years on Broadway. In October 2011 the London production celebrated its 25th Anniversary with a spectacular staging of β€œThe Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall” which was screened live in cinemas all over the world and subsequently released on DVD and in August 2015 the show celebrated 12,000 performances in the West End. On 9 October 2016 the London production celebrated 30 years in the West End with a very special charity gala performance in aid of The Music in Secondary Schools Trust. To celebrate this milestone, the current stellar cast were joined onstage by members of the original company and special guests for a spectacular finale. Footage from the evening including red carpet arrivals, interviews and the finale itself was streamed live on Facebook, gaining over 1 million views and reaching a global audience of 5 million people.
β€œTHE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA” has won over 70 major theatre awards, including seven Tony’s on Broadway and three Olivier Awards in the West End. It most recently won the β€˜Magic Radio Audience Award’, voted by the public, in the 2016 Laurence Olivier Awards. β€œTHE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA”, which opened at Her Majesty’s Theatre on 9 October 1986 starred Michael Crawford as ‘The Phantom’ and Sarah Brightman as ‘Christine.’ It is produced by Cameron Mackintosh and The Really Useful Theatre Company Limited.
β€œTHE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA” became the first stage production to reach worldwide grosses of $6 billion, which it did last summer. Revenues far surpass the world’s highest-grossing film β€œAvatar” (at $2.8 billion), as well as such other blockbusters as β€œTitanic”, β€œThe Lord of the Rings”, β€œJurassic Park” and β€œStar Wars”. Worldwide, a staggering 140 million people have seen β€œTHE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA” in 35 countries and 160 cities in 15 languages.
β€œTHE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA” is currently showing in London, New York, Budapest, Stockholm and on tour in the US.

Production photography – Johan Persson

 


Listing

 

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

Mondays to Saturdays at 7.30pm

Thursday and Saturday matinees at 2.30pm

 

Her Majesty’s Theatre

 

Tickets are priced from Β£23.00 – Β£72.50

 

0844 412 2707

 

www.thephantomoftheopera.com

 

 

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