Union Theatre Archives - Page 6 of 15

★★★★

“It’s a delight to see such a young cast take on Herman’s music”

Tough week? Life getting you down? Then hurry along to the Union Theatre in Southwark for some musical therapy. Showtune, a two act tribute to the music and lyrics of the perennially upbeat Jerry Herman, will give you The Best of Times, and (I) Promise You A Happy Ending in this lively revival of Paul Gilger’s Jerry Herman fest. Produced by Sasha Regan, Showtune takes place in a charming auditorium underneath some railway arches. It is an intimate space that produces a surprisingly big Broadway sound, and you will be impressed by the skilful direction and choreography of Luke Byrne that permits a cast of ten to sing and dance without falling into the laps of the front row.

There is lots to like in this ninety minute medley of songs from Herman’s hit musicals. The music includes several from Mame, Hello Dolly!, Mack and Mabel, Dear World, and La Cage Aux Folles. The cast manage all these in a performing space that is crammed full of the flotsam and jetsam of a rehearsal room, complete with a suggestion of a dressing room, and of course, a grand piano. Somehow the cast work around these obstacles to keep the audience’s attention firmly focused on the singing, and yes, even a tap dancing number (Tap Your Troubles Away). In these endeavours they are ably supported by the talented Henry Brennan, pianist and musical director. It’s a delight to see such a young cast take on Herman’s music, and while the singing is at times a little uneven, special mention must be given to Aidan Cutler for his poignant sound; and to Alex Burns and Ella-Maria Danson for their spirited singing duel in Bosom Buddies. But the whole cast brought off the complicated ensemble numbers with verve and nerve — and was rewarded by an appreciative audience.

Showtune reminds us that Jerry Herman’s heartfelt songs are the perfect antidote for our stressed out modern lives —and if some of the lyrics hark back to a more old-fashioned age (It Takes A Woman from Hello, Dolly! for example) — it is also Herman’s inspiration to give us an opportunity to see two men sing a tender duet to each other (Song On The Sand from Cage Aux Folles). There is enough flexibility in Herman’s work to ensure that a compilation musical like Showtune has many years of successful revivals ahead of it. Enjoy this one.

Reviewed by Dominica Plummer

Photography by Jamie Scott-Smith

Daphne, Tommy, the Colonel and Phil

Union Theatre

Reviewed – 23rd July 2019

★

“The pacing is drudgingly slow, and the cast seem unsure about what’s supposed to be happening next”

I’m loathed to give anything one star, but unfortunately, this new comedy, written and directed by Edwin Ashcroft, is a bit of a mess. On the plus side, it straddles the “It’s So Bad It’s Good” boundary enough to make the evening itself fairly enjoyable – but for all the wrong reasons.

Tommy (David Henry) has been married to Daphne (Clifford Hume) for nearing 66 years. To his mild surprise, Daphne turns out to be none other than the titular Colonel, who narrowly escaped being assassinated in 1950s Korea. As Daphne reveals her secret and leaves, Tommy’s life becomes in danger. Enter Tesco delivery boy cum Korean assassin Phil (Edwin Ashcroft) who’s come to take care of the fallout.

Where to start? The script is littered with horrid jokes that leave a bad taste in the mouth and a confused look on the face. It’s like the worst kind of “Carry On…” film. Talking about trying to dismiss some out of work American Navy Seals, Tommy announces “it’s difficult to get rid of discharged seamen”. Phil’s attempts to bond with Tommy mean we hear lines along the lines of: “My wife died thirty seconds after I came out to her as gay”. Korea seems to be brought up just so Ashcroft can throw in some jokes about eating dogs. If that’s your bag, go for it. For me, I was left baffled.

It doesn’t help that the characters seem to be vessels for information (and “jokes”) rather than anything else. The pacing is drudgingly slow, and the cast seem unsure about what’s supposed to be happening next. This (at least) is a problem that will resolve itself as the run continues. It felt like Hume and Ashcroft were spending more time prompting Henry than saying their own lines. There are some yawningly long transitions that could be sped up. Pace is vital in comedy, and this had some excruciating awkward silences.

Henry Clarke’s lighting design is nicely effective but could be used to add more punch to scene-endings. Hume redeems proceedings with energy and liveliness, but even he is not enough to save this dire production. Convoluted, confusing, under-rehearsed, unfunny, and, at times, actually a bit offensive, this play needs a lot of re-drafting if it’s going to win over London audiences.

Reviewed by Joseph Prestwich

Photography by Digby St. John

We had some feedback about this review from the show’s writer and director Edwin Ashcroft:

Many thanks for making it along on Press Night to Daphne, Tommy, the Colonel and Phil at the Union Theatre, and for your review. We really appreciate it! Quite rightly, your review was quite devastating, and we fully expected that – as you may have detected, we were encountering some profound issues with various aspects of the production on the first night that were fatally undermining the strength of the show. Since then, we have cancelled a couple of shows and recast one of the parts. We are now receiving excellent feedback on the show. I don’t think what you saw, and the – very well-written – review that you produced, are accurate reflections of the show in its current state. Your piece is really a reflection of a collection of freak circumstances.

Union Theatre

Reviewed – 10th August 2019

★★★★

“It’s a delight to see such a young cast take on Herman’s music”

Reviewed by Dominica Plummer

Photography by Jamie Scott-Smith

Showtune

Union Theatre until 24th August

Last ten shows reviewed at this venue:

Union Theatre

Reviewed – 23rd July 2019

★

“The pacing is drudgingly slow, and the cast seem unsure about what’s supposed to be happening next”

I’m loathed to give anything one star, but unfortunately, this new comedy, written and directed by Edwin Ashcroft, is a bit of a mess. On the plus side, it straddles the “It’s So Bad It’s Good” boundary enough to make the evening itself fairly enjoyable – but for all the wrong reasons.

Reviewed by Joseph Prestwich

Photography by Digby St. John

We had some feedback about this review from the show’s writer and director Edwin Ashcroft:

Daphne, Tommy, the Colonel and Phil

Union Theatre until 3rd August

Previously reviewed at this venue: