Hola!

Well, it’s opened. Viva Forever! The Spice Girls musical has finally opened for reviews.

Here is what the Guardian said:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2012/dec/11/viva-forever-review

The Telegraph

“banal”, “fatuous”, “ghastly mistake”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/theatre-reviews/9737630/Viva-Forever-Piccadilly-Theatre-review.html

The Daily Express

“what happened to the oomph, pizzazz and sheer excitement of Girl Power?”

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/364253/First-night-review-Viva-Forever-Piccadilly-Theatre

The Daily Mail

“Spicy?, No it’s a prize christmas turkey”

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/reviews/article-2246712/Viva-Forever-review-Spicy-No-prize-Christmas-turkey.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

Here is what out first reviewer said:

http://wasthatgood.com/shows/viva-forever-80/review/joools

If you want to check it out for yourself…

Viva Forever! Tickets

Enjoy – I think…

Robbie

XXX

When Stephen Fry did a runner from the West End production of Simon Gray’s play “Cell Mates” in 1995 and dropped out of public view it was a mystery worthy of Agatha Christie’s disappearance.

Perhaps he even had Christie’s creation – Poirrot – in mind as he did in deed turn up in Belgium! Poirrot’s native land! Hmmmmm! Okay – it might just be my personal theory.

After his return – thank God he did! – he cited stage fright brought on by his much-documented and continued battle with BiPolar Disorder.

Well, he’s back on stage, and better than ever apparently.

He had a public dry run of previews when the critics were banned from reviewing the piece but he needn’t have worried. Having played the “Mal” myself in college I can truly say he was made for the role and is indeed inspired casting. This run at the Apollo on Shaftesbury Avenue is a most welcome and triumphant return to the stage.

The production is an all-male show with Fry playing Malvolio, the uptight manservant, to the Tony-Award-winning Rylance’s Olivia.

I am booking as we speak, if I can do such a thing.

I say – go see, go see, go see! I am!

Twelfth Night Tickets with Stephen Fry

Robbie

XXX

Bruce Norris has pulled the rights to a German production of Clybourne Park – his 2011 Pulitzer Award winning play – after the company planned to use a white woman “blacked up” to play a woman of African descent.

The practice used to be common here and elsewhere in Europe – Google The Black and White Minstrel Show for a recent historical eye-opener – but has since been largely discontinued as discriminatory against black actors – and roundly considered to be somewhat distasteful. Except in Germany apparently.

Norris discovered the proposal when he was contacted by the black actress who had previously played the role in a recent German production. He contacted them to confirm this and he was advised that the Deutsches Theatre in Berlin did indeed plan to “experiment with make-up” on a white actress. This was when Norris pulled the rights.

I totally agree with him, not least because the play actually highlights race issues. Not to cast according to race here would be idiocy.

He went further and asked playwrights to boycott the practice (of “blackface”). He asked them “to boycott productions of your own work by German theatres that continue this asinine tradition (The Deutsches Theatre and the Schlosspark are only two examples) ”

Hurrah for Bruce!

Unfortunately…

I must confess, however, that I once did this. In my defence it was a long time ago in an galaxy far, far away from such sensibilities and before they were so acknowledged. I played Abdul in an amateur production of Overheard by Peter Ustinov and I admit I wore brown make-up. There may even have been an accent. (Eurgh!) I didn’t have any idea I was inappropriate, it was all just part of the dress up and make-believe, and there was no other more appropriately-raced or perhaps naive member of the company to do it – It was my first part with them – I would have done it in a dress! I note, however that the role in the professional, West End production with Ian Carmichael and Deborah Kerr was played by an actor called William Thomas in 1981 – who I am guessing was not cast according to his ethnicity either – so I don’t feel so bad. Much. Honestly, I would rather now that I hadn’t done it, but there it is.

This production of Clybourne Park on the professional stage, in 2012, in a major city like Berlin, is, I tell myself, entirely another matter, and I believe Norris is right to withhold the rights to his play on this matter. I very much hope other playwrights do to.

Bonzer Bruce! Write us another!

Robbie

XXX

Sir Peter Hall went to the theatre on Friday night and nodded off. Well, he is nearly 82 and what he was dreaming of may have been more interesting than the production of Uncle Vanya he had been watching ’til the theatre fairy sprinkled some sleep dust in his eyes.

The problem arose when he awoke – loudly – during the final speech by Laura Carmichael. I am sure it wasn’t a comment on her or the production and I am pretty sure he wasn’t heckling, as some have suggested.

I think I have fallen asleep in the cinema but to my recollection never in the theatre. There are some interminable productions I would have liked to have slept through but that’s for another day…

Do you have any embarassing snoozing stories from theatreland?

Love to hear them…

The Arts Council in England have managed to incorporate the 50% admin cut imposed by the previous Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt – but at some cost. Instead of eight regions there will now be five and with 117.5 fewer staff.

The chief executive Alan Davey says there is a need for the ACE to be an investor in the arts so that it can lead growth and ambition. He also says  ”We’ll do less, and we’ll do it differently, but we’ll do it well. ”

I suppose he has to be upbeat but it must be debilitating to see your budget halved and your staff quartered especially since the last structure – just three years ago – saw the staff cut by 21%.

What is the next trick the ACE will have to attempt? To disappear entirely? Maybe…

The current Culture secretary – Maria Miller – is still singing the song started by Hunt while in office to the tune of philanthropy. The words go something like… the arts need to get better at “asking, not receiving”.

Get out the playing cards and the begging bowl – it might be up to us to come up with our own tricks if the ACE disappears entirely.