I’m sure, by now, you’ve worked out that I have a huge passion for live theatre. Basically, that means anything that is performed on stage in front of a live audience.
This week, by the time you read this, I will have seen Derren Brown’s “Unbelievable”. He doesn’t appear on stage but he’s put this show together and it promises to be an evening of magic, illusion and Imagination. To be honest, in different ways, that’s pretty much what I expect to see whenever I’m in a theatre.
A few years ago, I saw the illusionist David Copperfield at the Manchester Arena. His magic was bewildering, but it was the way he told stories with his magic that really impressed me. Great story telling is the heart of everything that’s good about theatre, whether it’s the magic of Copperfield and Brown or the more traditional version within musical theatre.
There can be a combination of both of course, like when you see the magic carpet in Aladdin fly high above the stage, Doc Brown’s DeLorean above the audience at the end of Back to the Future or the chandelier dramatically drop during Phantom of the Opera. Just recently I was impressed by the effects in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but it’s still the story that draws you in as an audience member, the on-stage trickery only adds to the magnificence.
Stand-up comedy doesn’t generally have as much scope to use illusion, though the current Peter Kaye tour certainly has a dramatic ending, which is well worth seeing. Good comedy is about capturing the audience in a very different way, but when it’s done right, the laughter just continues in waves throughout the show.
The best comedy production I’ve seen in recent times has been the Play that Goes Wrong, the brain child of Ashton’s own theatre genius Jonathan Sayer, who’s also the joint Chairman of Ashton United Football club. Jonathan has just had a book published, Nowhere to Run, which perfectly illustrates his brilliant storytelling, even if you’re not a football fan.
The Play that Goes Wrong is a brilliant combination of great script but also the use of stage magic, illusion and wonderfully crafted props. His latest project, Peter Pan Goes Wrong, has been running on Broadway and is currently wooing audiences in Los Angeles. I sat down with Jonathan recently and chatted to him about his theatrical talents and you can hear the first part of that interview this Sunday from 7pm on Tameside Radio.
My other guests are Jan and Shelley, two of the creatives behind the upcoming Am/Dram production of The Wiz, by Dukinfield Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society. Jan is the director and Shelley plays the Royal Gatekeeper, the show will be on stage at the George Lawton Hall in Mossley from 17th to 21st October. To buy tickets check out their Facebook page.
There’s also a chance to hear the second part of my interview with Hannah Richardson, who’s playing Mary in the upcoming professional tour of Jesus Christ Superstar, which will be at the Opera House in Manchester from 11th to 23rd September. Hannah was recently involved in a musical in the USA written and starring Sting, best known from his time with the 80s pop group The Police. Sting is a Geordie, so writing a period piece about ship building would no doubt have been close to his heart. I’ll play a song from that show as well as music from Barry Manilow’s new musical Harmony, which is set to debut on Broadway next year.
Don’t miss Break-a-Leg, every Sunday on Tameside Radio 103.6FM, for all things theatrical including lots of musical magic.
