By Victoria Marsden

A rags to riches (and back again) musical tale of love and self discovery

The curtain lifts and Kipps (our leading man) sets the scene beneath a dim blue glow. Bright light floods the stage and the cast sweep on, building the set as they sing and dance, beaming at the crowd as they scurry and twirl, skirts, top hats and canes flying. I sit up in my seat better to absorb the sheer magic that is a full-blown musical. My companion for the evening shrinks away from the noise and the glare, unsettled by the spontaneous singing and unnaturally animated faces. And therein lies the lesson… Half a Sixpence is a riot of sights, sounds and colours, but not for the musically faint of heart. Based on the 1905 novel Kipps by H G Wells and adapted from the 1963 stage production by Heneker and Cross, Half a Sixpence is set in the seaside town of Folkestone and boasts 25 musical numbers (that’s an extra seven songs added to the original score). But if you enter into the spirit of the proceedings, which the audience around me most certainly did, the excess of singing isn’t as cringeworthy as it may first appear.  The songs tell the story and are enhanced by wonderful diction from the cast, particularly Gary Wilmot in the role of Kipps himself. At first I thought that perhaps the enthusiasm of the audience was simply a result of the fact that they remembered the show from first time round. I would estimate the average age of the audience to be around 70, with blue rinses as far as the eye could see. However, I soon found myself drawn into the world being created before my eyes with the best, and the frailest, of them.           

Warner Brown, writer of the new stage version, said that he wanted the production to be “fluid, free-flowing and seamless”, in order to hold the short attention span of today’s society (for ‘society’, read ‘youth’). And I have to say that with the help of a talented set designer and choreographer, I believe he achieved this. Despite a variety of backdrops (from a deep blue ocean and sky, to a collage of Folkestone scenery) and stage sets (from shop, to pub, to building site, to pier, to cricket ground and more), there was not a moment of watching stagehands dashing about in the darkness. (Why is it apparently assumed that if the lights are dimmed we cannot see the men in headsets dashing back and forth with props?)  Instead, the backdrops glided swiftly up and down from the ceiling. So swiftly in fact, that I did not realise that it was happening until quite some way into the production. To solve the problem of props, the cast were put to work and set changes were incorporated into the dance routines. Far from jarring, it somehow began to seem natural that people should sweep on stage bearing mannequins or ladders and wheeling bunkbeds. I almost felt at a loss without a wardrobe or a mop when I left the theatre.      Half a Sixpence centres around the love story of Kipps and Ann, a pair of poor orphans separated as children. The play begins with this separation as we see Arthur Kipps (or ‘Arty’, as she calls him) giving Ann half a sixpence as they are torn apart (the other half of which he keeps, think a poor man’s locket).  From here we arrive directly in Kipps’ adult life to find him working as a shopboy, but his situation soon changes when he comes into an inheritance of £1200 a year. I shan’t ruin the entire storyline for you, but suffice to say that he soon abandons his working class roots (including Ann) in pursuit of life as a gentleman. His earlier dream of owning a banjo is replaced by that of a motorcar and a house with 11 bedrooms, ‘Kipps Towers’ (personally I’m still working towards the banjo).  

And so we are introduced to the not-so-underlying theme of class wars and class guilt – is it better to be upper class and wealthy, or working class and happy? Predictability it isn’t long before Kipps begins to see the light, ditching his newly acquired upper class lady in favour of the devoted Ann. I don’t think I’ve spoilt things too much for you there, as this is not the play for you if you’re hoping for any shocking twists – the plot is fairly formulaic.   Finally, the story comes full circle and Kipps is taught humility once more when he loses his wealth. In the final scene we see him living a comfortable family life with Ann and their children, running a bookshop together for a living. Admittedly there is a slight twist at the end which I shan’t divulge entirely, but let’s just say they don’t stay poor for long – after all, Kipps has learnt his lesson and we all like a happy ending.   Without such a strong cast, Half a Sixpence may well have fallen from charming to fairly dire, but there was barely a fault to be found in the performance of anyone on stage, be it a lead or a supporting role.  

Gary Wilmot as Kipps displayed a great sense of comic timing, pulling off some truly cheesy jokes with surprising panache. At one point he was ‘drunk’ and stumbled about the stage accordingly. This could have been an embarrassing moment for all concerned, but the audience bought into it entirely, cheering him on in his exaggerated silliness. I won’t admit to having laughed out loud, but I might have done…His shining moment had to be the big emotional number ‘What Should I Feel?’, which showed off his voice to new heights and was so powerful it was verging on operatic. Kristy Cullen took the lead role of Ann for the night, although she is usually understudy to Claire Marlowe. She displayed a fantastic musical theatre voice which was strong and emotive with perfect enunciation. Her stiff acting and slightly bizarre mock-Cockney accent (reminiscent of Frank Spencer in Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em) let her down a little, but it was generally a strong performance.     The rest of the cast were also strong, with exaggerated “I’m a baddy” facial expressions from Andrew Bolton as Mr Shalford (Kipps’ boss at the shop) and flamboyant eccentricity from David Delve as Mr Chitterlow, the playwright.    The supporting female roles of Flo, Victoria and Kate (played by Claire Parrish, Caroline Graham and Kelly Sims) deserve a special mention as they succeeded several times in outshining the female leads, so dazzling was their presence on stage.  Yes, Half a Sixpence is over the top and admittedly cheesy in places, but at the end of the day it is a musical - as long as you know what you’re signing up for, you won’t be disappointed.  

By Sarah Burbidge

Opening to a packed Lyceum audience, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) is a face paced romp through all of the Bard’s plays, as well as his sonnets (all presented on a single speech-card sized hand out).The three actors presenting the show, Simon Cole, Glenn Conroy and Ryan Ellsworth, maintain a high level of energy throughout the piece, remaining in their respective personae throughout as well as adopting the various characters of plays.Their modern takes on the classics are innovative, including the gory Titus Andronicus as a cookery show and Othello as a rap. The actors quick wits are evident, as in addition to the script they indulge in banter with the audience, leading to a more relaxed atmosphere. This climaxes in the second act, which is principally concerned with portrayal of Hamlet. I experienced this first hand, being called onto the stage as Ophelia in a portion devoted to a Freudian interpretation of her inner turmoil! Others were also called up and the audience was encouraged to chant phrases and sounds. This participation makes the play ideal for younger audiences who may be studying Shakespeare at school.The adjustments to the script made it relevant to a contemporary and even local audience, with reference to Victoria Beckham and Marks and Spencer. Basic props and costumes differentiate the roles, as well as the actors’ use of movement and accent, although Cole’s high pitched squeal and ‘barfing’ remained a stock portrayal of the female characters!Its greatest strength was the choreography. This was most apparent in the American football scene, a three-stooges style sequence. The immaculate polish with which this was presented demonstrated the focus of each actor and how in tune they are with one another. Even by the end of the show there was no sign of this flagging.The one weakness could be the type of humour; sometimes it became too silly and childish, perhaps not as appealing to an older English audience whose tastes may be drier and more subtle. Nonetheless, this ‘sillinesss’ was lapped up especially by the younger viewers, making it a great way to give them a taste for plays otherwise seen as old and irrelevant.Not for serious Shakespeare academics, but a great night of entertainment nonetheless regardless of your age.   

 Horse & Bamboo specialize in visual theatre and their latest offering Veil is no exception.The actors are hidden behind oversize masks, all expressions are done with the body occasionally complimented by sections of pre-recorded narrative.

Equus, the famous and controversial play about a disturbed boy with an obsession with horses comes to
Sheffield from the 14^th- 19^th April. Audiences will be able to see Lilly Allen’s brother, Alfie, in the lead role accompanied by Four Wedding’s and a Funeral star Simon Callow who plays the psychiatrist trying to help Allen’s character. Written by Peter Schaffer, who won an academy award for Amadeus, Equus has been dazzling audiences since 1973 but shot to fame again in 2007 when Daniel Radcliffe took the lead part. Tickets range from £9.50 to £23.50.

Firstly James Son of  James will be performed at the Lyceum. Michael Keegan-Dolan’s play tells the story of James, a man who returns home after eleven years for his father’s funeral. It is a tale of hero-worship, heroism, love and tragedy is told through art, dance and imagery by eleven extraordinary international performers.

Wednesday 8-9^th of April at the Lyceum. Tickets range from £7.50- £17 at 7.30pm.

From10-12th April at the Lyceum the Complete Works of Shakespeare retells all 37 of the bard’s plays in a modern style in just 97 minutes. Tickets are priced from £8.50 to £18.50.

The studio will also host some interesting plays over the next few weeks. Over the 8^th and 9^th of April, Veil will tell the story of two best friends separated by different cultures who reunite after a journey of tragedy and betrayal. Tickets cost £10.

From 11^th-12^th April the culture of street crime and gang warfare is explore through dance by Hype Dance Company in their production, Routes. Tickets cost £10.

The University of Sheffield Light Entertainment Society performed their melodramatic take on the classic tale of Dracula on Friday and Saturday night.

The production, which was shown at the Library Theatre, followed the story and characters of Bram Stoker’s classic story fairly closely but with a self-written script and a light-hearted, pantomimic tone.

The story focuses on an estate-agent, Jonathan Harker (played, in true panto-style by a girl- Verity Ellis), who unwittingly brings a Vampire into his seemingly perfect home town. This production also had several sub-plots such as the suitors of rich-girl Lucy Westenra and the blossoming relationship between two unappreciated servants.

While it seems harsh to criticise the acting in a student production, the amount of times the performers burst out laughing on stage, talked whilst the audience were laughing and stood with their backs to the audience was extremely frustrating. Many of the main actors also failed to grab the attention of the audience and talk directly to them which is what is needed in a melodrama. Having said that the enthusiasm of the cast was impressive and their were some likable performances such as Hannah  Rapaport as Dr. Jack Seward, Arkady English as Dracula and Colin Whittle as Betty the maid.

Whilst the script was peppered with occasional moments of magic like great puns, overall it was far too in-jokey and corny for my liking. Considering my friend and I had been invited to watch the play and paid money to see it I expected to be included in the humour and enjoy myself. However, most of the jokes seemed designed for the friends that the cast seemed to know would be in the audience and left us feeling rather left-out.

The lack of props and any scenery was clearly a challenge and at some points it was met very well such as when four people squirted an actor holding a cardboard cut-out of a ship’s wheel to recreate being at sea. This was an amusing and charming moment but there should have been more of those as most of production was extremely static and non-descript.

Once again I find it difficult to be overly critical of a show performed by students for charity and I must praise the enthusiasm of the cast. However, I hope that next time they perform a play they will try to be a little more professional in their approach and remember that there may be some people in the audience who aren’t just there because they know members of the cast.

The Elephant Man, which was a huge success when originally staged on Broadway and was adapted into a BAFTA- winning film, makes a rare appearance at a British Theatre. It tells the story of the freakishly deformed John Merrick who, through the help of a young doctor, becomes a favourite in aristocratic circles but desperately wants the same life as everyone else around him. This play runs from 21st February to the 8th March.

 While the Lyceum is being used for the Elephant Man and the Crucible is still under construction, the Studio Theatre is the venue for some smaller but netherless intruiging and promising productions. Sailing to Paradise comes to the studio on the 25th and 26th of February and is the latest production from the In The Boat theatre company who use both disabled and able-bodied performers. They will look at views on death and paradise through songs, puppets, dances, films and paintings.

September in the Rain will run from the Wednesday 27th of February to Saturday 1st March and will also be at the Studio. This play focuses on a couple whose marriage is viewed through their experiences on holiday in Blackpool over the years. Local theatre company Reform Theatres bring us their interpretation of John Godber’s classic play.

 Tickets to all of these productions can be bought by calling 0114 249 6000. Visit sheffieldtheatres.co.uk for more information. All of the above-mentioned plays will be reviewed on this website in the coming weeks.

Wuthering Heights compressed into a two hour show and performed in the round? It was a tall order, but Heartbreak Productions somehow managed to carry it off with workmanlike efficiency, very much in keeping with the tradition of the hardworking Yorkshire-types they portrayed.

The story focuses on a young street-kid called Heathcliffe who is adopted by a rich family and becomes incredibly close to his adopted sister, Cathy. Over the years we see the characters deal with love, death and bitter feuds.

While Thomas Hayler and Gabrielle Meadows’ Heathcliff and Cathy didn’t exactly set the moors alight with passion, they were more than believable. Hayler’s ability to cope with the mysterious gypsy-come-gentleman’s wild moodswings and variety of personality transformations delivered the full package of downtrodden, vengeful and haunted madman with atmosphere and style.

Meadows, meanwhile, gave us a suitably wild, carefree Cathy, winding her way around the imaginatively designed sets and haunting her suitor that never was with chilling perseverance, even when only whispered from the wings.

Meanwhile, whoever decided also to cast the willowy Meadows as Heathcliff’s nebbish son Linton deserves some kind of award. Often compared to a girl by other characters in the book, the jokes worked with a delicious physical irony here.

Plaudits go to Maddy Kerr’s Nelly Dean, an all-singing, all-dancing, drum and keyboard playing megastar of a performer. With multimedia skills rivalling the likes of Bill Bailey, she was even able to provide a pitch-perfect aria for Cathy’s funeral, as well as narrating the story with ease while occasionally stepping outside the plot to quiz the audience on their enjoyment of the play, and the evening in general.

Lighting and sets were sparse but cleverly used, with a vaguely graveyard-like setting easily serving as Thrushcross Grange and the Heights themselves (iconically lit in powder blue and a looming rust respectively) as well as the wild, windy moors.

I had immediate concerns that abridging a book which derives such power from its depth and lingering emotion may have fared badly for audience comprehension of the plot. However, the friend I dragged along had had no previous contact with Brontë’s work save watching Kate Bush chuck herself round a field, and still came out of the theatre with a full, satisfied appreciation of the story.

All in all, hats off to Heartbreak Productions for tackling a tricky project, acquitting themselves well, and providing a popular and well-received two days at the Studio. Find out more about Heartbreak Productions and their outdoor theatre plans for the summer at http://www.heartbreakproductions.co.uk/.

It’s hard to imagine that the staging of South Pacific at the Sheffield Lyceum could live up to the legendary musical South Pacific we have come to know and love on our TV screen or the big stage productions of Broadway but the show at the Lyceum did a pretty good job. The result was over two hours of crowd pleasing music, dance and song that would keep your granny’s feet tapping away if nothing else.

The story is set in the 1940’s on a small South Pacific Island where Nellie Forbush, a US navy nurse and a self-described country hick from
Little Rock Arkansas, falls for mysterious French planter Emile De Becque during her wartime posting to the islands. However, after discovering that Emile is a widower with biracial children from his marriage to a Polynesian wife, Nellie’s hope of a future with him is thrown into turmoil because of her deep-seated ethnic prejudices.  Meanwhile, Lieutenant Joe Cable is caught in a similar dilemma as he grows increasingly fond of Liat, daughter of the Asian peddler Bloody Mary. He refuses to marry her because she is Polynesian. Though aware of and ashamed of their bigotry, Nellie and Joe are prisoners of their upbringings. Joe is later killed in battle but Nellie, after coming to terms with Emile’s past comes to accept it and rekindles their romance. 

Disappointingly both lead characters of Nellie and Emile were not played by the critically acclaimed Dave Willits or Helena Blackman – a finalist in the BBC production “How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria, through illness. Instead understudies Mostyn Lawrence and Sue Appleby took the leads and this is possibly why some of the great songs like “Some Enchanted Evening” and “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair” were not delivered with the impact that was expected. Instead we had pleasant if somewhat reserved performance from
Lawrence and an average performance from Appleby. The star of the show was undoubtedly Ian Mclarnon who played Lt Joe Cable. He provided a convincing performance as the “love torn” seaman. His interaction with the rest of the cast and his powerful deliverance of songs like “You’ve Got To Be Carefully Taught” were first rate. It is no wonder that he was picked to star in the recent Sweeny Todd film. 

Two other actors that shone on the night were Seabee Luther Billis played by Christopher Howell and Bloody Mary played by Natasha Lewis in place of Sheila Fransisco (also ill). They provided much needed light relief with their hilarious antics and loud animated performances. The staging this show was at times impressive with huge palm trees disappearing into the rafters and although the stage remained uncluttered, it often seemed a little sparse. However the atmospheric lighting, acrobatic choreography and fantastic orchestra more than made up for any shortfalls in the scene setting. In short it is a production well worth seeing, leaving you with a warm feeling and a smile on your face humming timeless tunes your parents will be more than familiar with.

South Pacific is at the Lycuem until Saturday. For more details go to sheffieldtheatres.co.uk.