My regular readers will know that I’m a huge fan of the West End show Jersey Boys. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve seen it, but I know it’s in triple figures. This week my favourite four red-jacketed boys returned to Southampton, which is sadly their last venue on this tour.
‘There is never a bad moment’: JERSEY BOYS – Touring ★★★★
Never mind your eyes, your ears will adore the tour of Jersey Boys which has arrived at the Edinburgh Playhouse for a fortnight turn.
‘Together they have a chemistry that is simply brilliant’: JERSEY BOYS – Touring ★★★★★
Jersey Boys is a perfect night’s entertainment performed by a superbly talented cast which will leave you wanting more.
‘Sure to continue thrilling audiences’: JERSEY BOYS – Touring ★★★★
Overall this is touring production of Jersey Boys is superbly slick and longtime fans and newbies are sure to enjoy it. For a night of carefree fun, join the Four Seasons and experience the happiness their music brings.
‘One trip to see this show isn’t enough’: JERSEY BOYS – Touring ★★★★★
This musical was adored by a late, great friend of mine so watching Jersey Boys for the first time, at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, was an emotional performance even before curtain up.
INTERVIEW: Spotlight On… Jersey Boys’ Simon Bailey
The second national tour of Jersey Boys is fully underway and it concludes at the Mayflower in March 2019. First up in my series of interviews is Tommy Devito played by Simon Bailey.
NEWS: The Barricade Boys announce a line-up of 20+ musical guest stars for Christmas Cabaret
West End musical theatre group, The Barricade Boys, have announced a massive line-up of guest stars for their limited Christmas Cabaret season, which runs at London’s The Other Palace Studio from 5 to 23 December.
NEWS: Full cast & extra dates announced for Jersey Boys UK tour
Due to popular demand, twelve additional dates have been added to the second UK tour of the Tony, Olivier and Grammy Award-winning Broadway musical Jersey Boys. Full casting – including four West End alumni in the lead roles – is also now announced.
THE WHISPER HOUSE – The Other Palace
I don’t suppose many of us have ever lived in a lighthouse. These sturdy structures, perched on cliff edges or clinging to rocky outcrops figure strongly in the imagination as places of isolation, mystery and danger. So, we feel for young Christopher as he clutches his small suitcase and meets his Aunt Lily, sensitively played by Dianne Pilkington.
NEWS: Simon Bailey, Dianne Pilkington & others join Sheik’s Whisper House premiere
The cast for the premiere of Duncan Sheik musical Whisper House features Simon Bailey, Nicholas Goh, Simon Lipkin, Niamh Perry and Dianne Pilkington.
NEWS: Jersey Boys closes after nine years in West End, 26 Mar
One of London’s best loved musicals, JERSEY BOYS, will close at the Piccadilly Theatre on Sunday 26 March 2017 following nine amazing years in London. JERSEY BOYS is currently the sixth longest-musical running in the West End.
NEWS: Jersey Boys extends West End booking until April 2017
JERSEY BOYS, the smash hit musical, has extended its booking period at the West End’s Piccadilly Theatre until 16 April 2017, with 250,000 tickets released today.
JERSEY BOYS – West End
Jersey Boys
For die-hard fans of a particular show, it is never easy when cast change happens. However, for the first time in the history of Jersey Boys eight-year run all four “boys” (five including alternate Frankie) changed. As a fan, you have to accept this and continue to support the old cast in their new ventures and learn to embrace the incoming new blood, which is sometimes easier said than done.
NEWS: New Four Seasons leads announced for Jersey Boys
From Tuesday 15 March, there will be four new Seasons joining the cast of JERSEY BOYS at the Piccadilly Theatre ahead of its 8th Anniversary on 18 March. This is the first time since the show opened in London that all four Seasons have changed.
JEST END – Waterloo East
How do you like your musical theatre? An occasional treat for your Nan’s birthday? A full-on Christmas outing to the latest Disney blockbuster via Pizza Express for mum, dad and the kids and not much change from a grand? Or 28 of them on a relentless conveyor belt with high impact performances and a battery of jokes?
THE THEORY OF RELATIVITY – Drayton Arms Theatre, London
Drayton Arms Theatre, London
***
Music & lyrics by Neil Bartram
Book by Brian Hill
Directed by Christopher Lane
Jodie Steele, Simon Bailey, Natasha Karp
It’s a brave conceit to fuse art with science and one that The RSC only recently pulled off with their stunning Oppenheimer, analysing the atomic bomb’s evolution. On a more modest level, The Theory of Relativity seeks to link Einstein’s eponymous theory with the human condition. That the show’s final monologue (delivered it must be said, via a brilliant performance from Jodie Steele) seeks to play on the rather tortuous wordplay of “the speed of light” vs “the speed of life” offers a hint at how shallow this show’s thesis turns out to be. As an exercise in modern metaphysics The Theory of Relativity turns out to be little more than a sometimes flawed song-cycle, albeit one that showcases some top notch performance work.
The always excellent Simon Bailey leads the company as a quirky geek, in a character who also offers the one strand of chuckle-worthy humour with a recurring motif that gradually takes the value of pi to an increasing number of decimals. Bailey brings a precision to both his vocal and physical presence that lifts the show – with a beautifully resonant tone.
Steele’s presence matches Bailey – with a vocal belt and a poignant lyric that also defines her as an actor of considerable merit.
Elsewhere, Natasha Karp is a strong neurotic and Ina Marie Smith has a pleasing presence too – though for the writers, in 2013 no less, to have been making fun of size 16 women and OCD is offensive. A number intriguingly titled Apples and Oranges hinted perhaps at a foray into Newtonian physics? Alas, it was merely a trite and patronising nod towards diversity.
Set above a pub and with a noisy air conditioning unit, the shallow raked audience placed end-on to the action demands a vocal strength in the company’s projected voice work that isn’t always achieved. More work is needed here, certainly in the show’s softer moments.
Musically, MD Barney Ashworth, occasionally accompanied by actor-muso Andrew Gallo on guitar, delivers an impressive shift on the keyboard.
Put together on what appears to be a micro-budget even for London’s fringe, The Theory of Relativity is a one act work that drags – and if you struggled with maths and physics at school, there are no easy answers here. That being said, it offers a hard working troupe in action and to catch a close up glimpse of some of our nation’s finest young performers, then fans, producers and casting directors should head to SW5.
Runs until 13th June
Picture credit: Poppy Carter Portraits at www.poppycarterportraits.com