Ian Cheeseman presents Break-a-Leg on Tameside Radio, which is packed with great guests and theatre music. Here's his latest column...
If you're a regular listener to my Tameside Radio show, Break-a-Leg every Sunday at 7pm, you’ll know that I interview many West End/Broadway performers.
For example, I chatted to Darren Lee about the "King and I" on last week’s show, which is still available on demand by clicking here. Darren starred on Broadway in Chicago and even appeared in the award-winning film.
This month his portrayal of the King of Siam will be on stage at the Palace Theatre in Manchester (9 to 13 May), so this man is a superstar of Theatre. I also spoke to Rachel Marwood, one of the stars of the Take That musical Greatest Days (16 to 27 May, Palace Theatre) and Polly Lister, who’s at the Lowry in Salford in the cast of Unexpected Twist (2 to 7 May). All my guests agree that the difference between professional theatre and AM/Dram is very small and it’s usually just about the money that can be spent on staging and the Theatre.
Last week I was in the audience at the George Lawton Theatre in Mossley to watch an Am/Dram performance of “The Bridges of Madison County”, a musical I had not seen before. It’s based on the 1995 film starring Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep.
I was stunned, as I sat watching the talented performers in front of me. The story is gripping and the seven main performers were amazing. Led by Laura Meredith-Hoyle and Gary Jones as Francesca and Robert Kincaid, who fall in love while her husband Bud (Jon Crebbin) is away with their son and daughter, the acting and singing was good enough to be in the West End. I don’t say that lightly. This production, by Mossley Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society, would not be out of place on any stage in the World.
The casting was perfect. Samantha Griffiths and David Noble as the neighbours Marge and Charlie, were clever, funny and totally believable. The son and daughter, played by Mary Barrett-Doyle and Ben Drane, never missed a note and acted beautifully. I could go through the whole cast, they all deserve praise. As a football commentator I’m used to paying attention to everything in front of me and I can say that the level of performance of all those on stage never dropped for a moment.
Director Neil Coe deserves praise for this. The attention to detail and the body language in every scene, meant the show was gripping from beginning to end. The music was excellent throughout, with the duet between the two lead characters (One second and a million miles) an absolute stand out, melodically, lyrically, emotionally and vocally; simply stunning. Simon Mercer Murray was the Musical Director and his orchestra never missed a beat and it felt like I was listening to a Hollywood soundtrack.
A few months ago, I saw Calendar Girls, at Stockport Plaza, by the Drama Dept Ltd, which was also brilliant. This week it won the award of Noda North West Best Show (quite rightly), and I have to say that Bridges of Madison County deserves to be a multi award winner too.
I can’t wait to see their next production, with School of Rock scheduled for late November. It’s just a shame you’re reading my column after the show has finished it’s run. I’d have happily gone to see it again, if the run had been longer.
My guests on my Tameside Radio show this week include Katie McGlynn, who played Sinead Tinker in Coronation Street, and will be at the Lowry in Salford from 23 to 27 May in the Peter James crime thriller “Wish you were Dead” and Ian Hallard, who wrote and stars in “The Way Old Friends Do”, a comedy about two friends who set up the World’s first Abba tribute band, in drag.
You can join Ian for Break-a-Leg on Tameside Radio 103.6FM every Sunday evening from 7pm to 9pm and Wednesdays from 9pm to 11pm. You can also catch up on previous episodes here.
