The government has said they would like to see children in schools have five hours of culture a week. If you felt that politicians themselves absorbed anything like half an hour of culture a week this nannyish fantasy might mean something.

And I tend to think that more sports and less obesity should be a first priority. Still, the theatre industry is more than ready to help out the government, and the children, and has been for many years. James Campbell, whose stand-up show “Comedy 4 Kids” has been seen all round the world, has a lovely little play on at the Soho Theatre called Cutlery Wars.

These wars — “I am the king of the forks” — are played out by two short-trousered adult actors as boys on the brink of their passport to the secondary school level (”I’m looking forward to having hairy legs”).

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The Nancy mission this week was to kiss Ben James Ellis, an ex contender for the Joseph role, now a huge success in the hit show Hairspray. Jodie looked like she was going to eat him, as did Francesca. By the delight on their faces, Niamh and Samantha may have swapped numbers with the lad!

But, onto business. Following the Saturday show, Francesca cried and said: “I don’t know what I am going to do.” Well, try singing in tune, love! Jodie gushed at their comments and did her usual “I’m not worthy” face, which is beginning to wear thin, as the weeks progress. (more…)

Following Cleo’s surprise exit, were we going the get the result we actually wanted this week? Well, Andrew (left) certainly stepped up his comments this week, coming across as more honest then other member of the panel. This will, hopefully have an effect on the result later tonight.

But, before we speculate, who is going and who should stay; let’s have a look at the runners and riders from the third live show:

First up was Rachel and the theme was songs from the musicals. She did not have the best choice; “Oh! What A Night“ from The Jersey Boys. But this was an excuse to plug Cam Mack’s new London arrival, more than show off Rachel’s vocal prowess. But she delivered, nonetheless. She has the confidence and the emotional maturity to take this role. But she is being chased more furiously by some of the others this week.

Sarah was next and she sang “Maybe This Time“ from the hit Cabaret. Denise is yet to be convinced, but she totally convinced me. Yes, she needs to be a bit tougher but, she has that vulnerable side to her personality that is required to carry the role. I am sure that in future weeks, Sarah will impress even more, if she is kept in.

Francesca did not have the best song, “The Time Of My Life“ from Dirty Dancing. But she was so off key at times, it hurt my ears. (more…)

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On Thursday night Whatsonstage.com hosted an outing to see Maria Friedman’s critically acclaimed show Maria Friedman: Re-arranged at the Menier Chocolate Factory. After an evening of fantastic entertainment, we were treated to a post-show discussion with Maria and her long-standing musical collaborator Michael Haslam.

The show has received rave reviews (click here for Michael Coveney’s review) and based on last night’s performance it’s clear to see why. Maria was keen to emphasise early in the show that the songlist was not chosen on the basis of theme. Rather, she chose to celebrate the freedom of a concert format by “dipping into as many emotional spaces as possible” during the course of the evening. And she was certainly true to her word. From a poignant rendition of “You Are My Sunshine” to her seminal version of Sondheim’s “Broadway Baby”, she spanned genres and styles, remaining all the while utterly engaging.

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I had lunch yesterday with Polly Stenham at the Menier Chocolate Factory and very jolly it was, too. I knew her late father Cob Stenham, businessman and art collector, when he was chairman of the ICA and I find it ineffably touching that Polly developed her love of the theatre when he dragged her round the fringe as a teenager seven or eight years ago.

Cob, a dapper little brown nut of a man, was a true life-enhancer and nothing at all like the absentee financier father in Polly’s smash hit first play That Face. The dipsomaniac Martha played by Lindsay Duncan, however, is loosely based on her own mother, who is not in touch. The character’s called Martha as a nod towards Albee’s chaotic heroine in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf.

Polly nearly falls off her chair when I say that her mother’s second name really is Martha. She didn’t know! The revelation shakes her for about two minutes before she carries on enthusiastically attacking her splendid lunchtime breakfast platter.

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The great conductor Thomas Beecham said you should try everything once — except incest and folk dancing.

This injunction was evoked years later by the dance critic Clement Crisp who warned against the twin perils of puppets and mime, though I think he only really had the late Marcel Marceau in mind.

How quaintly those words now ring in the wake of so much theatre in the past twenty years. But the echo returned at the end of last week when I visited Lyndie Wright, mother of film director Joe, in her workshop at the Little Angel Theatre in Islington.

Lyndie, with her late husband John, founded the Little Angel in a derelict temperance hall opposite the King’s Head off Upper Street in 1961. It’s still a magic place, and recently boosted by the gorgeous collaboration with the RSC on Venus and Adonis.

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Much of the humour which is evident in I’d Do Anything comes from the script. Graham said: “Andrew has a massive responsibility.” Not really, as if the show is critically derided, it will survive on its strong advance, alone. We next see a re-cap pf the performances.

The Nancy mission is very I’m A Celebrity …. Get Me Out Of Here. The girls have to face rats. What’s next? Eating a kangaroo’s penis, accompanied by Christopher Biggins? They also take part in a test of their acting ability, playing alongside Steve Hartley as Bill Sykes.

Sarah is very convincing, Rachel is strong, yet, Jodie, Sam and Jessie are disappointing. Tellingly, many of the others are not shown. Cut to Andrew sat stroking a rat like some sort of Bond villain, threatening to take over the West End! A group song follows, the classic disco hit “Enough Is Enough.”

RESULTS

When asked who was not Nancy, the panel picked the following:

John: Samantha (to which a relative shouted: “What?”)

Denise: Keisha

Barry: Keisha

Onto the results themselves; Ashley and Niamh are called and are clearly through, even though they look frightened when their names are called. (more…)

Following last week’s ’surprise’ with Francesca in the bottom two; the stakes were high which led to some really O.T.T performances to secure the votes. The usual: “I want this so badly. It’s everything I have worked for” footage was screened, just in case we didn’t realise. The Lord mentioned that Nancy had to have a sense of fun and the show opened with a hilarious version of “Oom Pah Pah.” Graham Norton had a ball as he really does not take this show too seriously!

It was funny to watch because each girl was trying to out-do the other in terms of the ‘Cockney Sparra’ accent and movement. It would be great one week, if one of them ‘accidentally’ knocked another one over! I am joking, of course but you can see how the show’s format whips these girls into a frenzy as they become more and more competitive each week. The bitchy comments will start soon. We really need a ‘Simona’ type character to mix it up a bit!

First up as a pair were Niamh & Cleo. Waif-like Niamh sang “Music In Me” and really gave it some welly. She did really well, showing another element to herself, singing an upbeat song. Technically it was fine but she tends to walk across the stage, hunched and there is not much else going on for me. She has a secure future though; I’m just not sure she is Nancy.

Cleo sang Nina Simone’s big and beautiful “Feeling Good.” I found it vocally underwhelming, although she acts really well. I would like to see her stay but again, at this stage, I do not see her as right for the role, yet. Of course, this can all change as I do not think there is an obvious winner in this show (whereas Maria & Joseph’s Connie & Lee were faves early on) which makes it more interesting to watch each week. (more…)

Stavaeus survived the marathon last month in Stratford-upon-Avon. London audiences can now see the plays in rep at the Roundhouse until 25 May. For those with enough stamina, there are two more opportunities to see all eight back-to-back (11-18 and 22-25 May).

Click here for more info

The critics’ circle annual award for distinguished service to the arts was given to Tom Stoppard at a convivial lunch in the National Theatre yesterday. Sir Tom, gracious to a fault, even revealed that he had followed Charles Spencer’s advice in writing a play about Syd Barrett, the fallen angel of Pink Floyd, who turns up in Rock ‘N’ Roll.       
   
Spencer, as drama section chairman, repaid the compliment by saying that he always went to work in honour of Stoppard’s shambolically attired critics in The Real Inspector Hound: “You’re not going to the theatre looking like that, are you?” his wife asks as he sets off from the suburbs.  

But Spencer also paid fine tribute, pointing out that for all his brilliance, Stoppard was fundamentally a humanitarian libertarian who was increasingly vociferous about human rights and freedom of speech.

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