For up-to-the-minute news and information entertainment...2013/03/22 · Dakota and a superb guitar...
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For up-to-the-minute news and information dailyecho.co.uk Monday, March 25, 2013 15 entertainment entertainment The ultimate guide to what’s on in the south: dailyecho.co.uk/leisure with Lorelei Reddin , Entertainments Editor [email protected] 023 8042 4877 . REVIEWS SPECIAL The Dublin Legends, The Anvil, Basingstoke THEY were still tapping their feet and attempting an Irish jig as they left their seats. It was not surprising because the Anvil audience had spent more than two hours in the company of an Irish band whose infectious music spreads like wildfire as soon as they step on stage. There is an old advertising slogan which says that Guinness Is Good For You. It is shame that the musical medicine prescribed by The Dublin Legends could not be put on tap because it is guaranteed to lift spirits on an ice cold rainy evening. Three of the band are former Dubliners, Sean Cannon, Eamonn Campbell and Patsy Watchorn. Last year The Dubliners marked their 50th anniversary but their celebrations were overshadowed by the sudden death of founding member, 73-year-old Barney McKenna. The band decided to come off the road. But The Dublin Legends were launched to continue The Dubliners’ rich musical legacy. Highly talented fiddler/banjo player Gerry O’Connor was added to the line- up as the successor to the late McKenna. O’Connor has made a major contribution to the musical dimension of the band who live up to the name of being truly legendary. The Dubliners’ musical roots were in Irish folk but they became an overnight pop sensation and a household name with stirring hits like the Seven Drunken Nights. Although that was not in the playlist there were plenty of other foot tapping, head swaying favourites. The first of their two sets started off at a gentle pace but then roared into full steam with I’ll Tell Me Ma, Spanish Lady, The Rocky Road to Dublin and Dirty Old Town. And The Irish Rover, which became a hit single when The Dubliners recorded it with The Pogues, really got them reeling in the aisles. With his razor sharp Irish wit Sean introduced the classic Irish folk anthem by saying: “We learned this today on Youtube!” Basingstoke was one of the first stops on a tour which is foot tapping across the nation. DUNCAN EATON Calendar Girls, Lee Players, The Crofton Hall Theatre, Crofton Community Centre, Stubbington A GROUP of extraordinary women in a very ordinary Yorkshire Women’s Institute challenge each other to produce a charity calendar with a difference. This was a valiant effort by Lee Players to bring the feel-good comedy to life and was performed with solid dialogue delivery at a reasonable pace, although it would have worked better played for honesty rather than laughs. Calendar Girls is famous for the nudity themes, but this is only actually a minor part of the play. The crux comes from the relationships of strong women, their love and admiration of John (whose death inspires the calendar) and the empathy that characters evoke in the audience. The humour develops from this. The photo-shoot was tastefully presented, genuine camaraderie between the women was displayed and the community theatre audience found much to entertain them. ANNE WAGGOTT A Double Bill, The Maskers Theatre, Company, Maskers Studio, Shirley Forward to the Right LILY Ann Green’s retelling of the Joan of Arc story is graced by two strong performances. George Moody looks perfect as the maid, but Eric Petterson excels as her English jailer. He evolves from ignorant hostility to a charming friendship with his charge, and makes us feel the true power of her tragedy. Debut director Jo Iacovou creates some powerful moments and promises to develop quickly. Contractions WITH less than a week to present a rehearsed reading – due to cast illneess – director Paul Green gets full value from Mike Bartlett’s satire on modern corporate mores. Samer Fugeira gives a beautifully poised debut as the employee who eventually succumbs to the unctuous, smiling concern and grotesque “suggestions” of nightmare HR Manager Sue Dashper, whose superbly suggestive performance keeps us hooked. HAM QUENTIN Summer Holiday, Fareham Musical Society, Ferneham Hall, Fareham FIFTYyears after the release of the film featuring Cliff Richard and The Shadows’ hits, we follow the romantic adventures of four London Transport bus mechanics as they drive a converted double-decker across Europe. Wezley Sebastian directs a very talented cast and the songs have survived the test of time very well. The audience of all ages was noticeably swaying and foot-tapping from first note to last, with musical director Rhys Scrivener’s keyboard a fair match for Ray Wills’ Stratocaster guitar licks. Leads Gareth Daniel (Don) and Soraya Scrivener (Barbara) are both exceptional, with equally-strong support from Sarah Burrell and the ubiquitous Graeme Clements (agent Jerry) who you half-expect to be selling ice-creams in the interval! Choreographers Natalie and Kerry Cleave had the cast drilled to a very high standard and sets, costumes, sound and lighting were top-notch. Congratulations, as Cliff might say! ALAN JOHNS Stereophonics, Portsmouth Guildhall IT’S always a pleasure to experience Kelly Jones and co in action. I’ve seen Stereophonics live seven or eight times over the last 15 years or so and they are always the same – utterly bril- liant. The chance to see them in such an intimate setting, along with about 2,000 others, is a rare treat these days. Consummate professionals and without doubt one of the best live acts around, they know exactly what their audi- ence wants. That is plenty of the old anthems to sing their hearts out to. Getting the set under way with Indian Summer, hits like Maybe Tomorrow and The Bartender And The Thief went down a storm. Handbags And Gladrags was a definite omission from the nearly two-hour set but a rocking sold-out crowd loved every second of Have A Nice Day and A Thousand Trees, clapping, dancing, jumping, singing and even taking over the vocals at times. Tracks from new album Graffiti On The Train, which has a slower bluesy soul feel, also proved popular. There were heavy rock moments and an extremely varied set only served to show off the tremendous talent of Jones, whose distinctive voice was pitch perfect as ever. Closing the main set with an emotionally charged Local Boy In The Photograph, there was a near stampede before the band took to the stage again and performed Mr Writer as part of a stunning finale. As usual, the night ended with the band’s only No 1 Dakota and a superb guitar versus drums rock off. With Stereophonics you know what you are going to get – and it is always outstand- ing. The band return to the south coast for an arena date at Bournemouth in November. And I for one can hardly wait for the next time. LORELEI REDDIN ‘UTTERLY BRILLIANT’ PITCH PERFECT: Frontman Kelly Jones.
Transcript of For up-to-the-minute news and information entertainment...2013/03/22 · Dakota and a superb guitar...
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For up-to-the-minute news and information dailyecho.co.ukMonday, March 25, 2013 15
entertainmententertainmentTheultimateguide towhat’s on in the south:dailyecho.co.uk/leisure
with Lorelei Reddin, Entertainments [email protected] 023 8042 4877.
REVIEWS SPECIAL
The Dublin Legends,The Anvil, Basingstoke
THEY were still tapping their feet andattempting an Irish jig as they left theirseats.
It was not surprising because theAnvil audience had spent more thantwo hours in the company of an Irishband whose infectious music spreadslike wildfire as soon as they step onstage.
There is an old advertising sloganwhich says that Guinness Is Good ForYou.
It is shame that the musical medicineprescribed by The Dublin Legendscould not be put on tap because it isguaranteed to lift spirits on an ice coldrainy evening.
Three of the band are formerDubliners, Sean Cannon, Eamonn
Campbell and Patsy Watchorn.Last year The Dubliners marked
their 50th anniversary but theircelebrations were overshadowed bythe sudden death of founding member,73-year-old Barney McKenna.
The band decided to come off theroad. But The Dublin Legends werelaunched to continue The Dubliners’rich musical legacy.
Highly talented fiddler/banjo playerGerry O’Connor was added to the line-up as the successor to the lateMcKenna.
O’Connor has made a majorcontribution to the musical dimensionof the band who live up to the name ofbeing truly legendary.
The Dubliners’ musical roots were inIrish folk but they became an overnightpop sensation and a household name
with stirring hits like the SevenDrunken Nights. Although that was notin the playlist there were plenty ofother foot tapping, head swayingfavourites.
The first of their two sets started offat a gentle pace but then roared intofull steam with I’ll Tell Me Ma, SpanishLady, The Rocky Road to Dublin andDirty Old Town. And The Irish Rover,which became a hit single when TheDubliners recorded it with The Pogues,really got them reeling in the aisles.
With his razor sharp Irish wit Seanintroduced the classic Irish folk anthemby saying: “We learned this today onYoutube!”
Basingstoke was one of the firststops on a tour which is foot tappingacross the nation.
DUNCAN EATON
Calendar Girls,Lee Players,
The Crofton Hall Theatre, Crofton Community Centre,Stubbington
A GROUP of extraordinary women in a very ordinary YorkshireWomen’s Institute challenge each other to produce a charitycalendar with a difference.
This was a valiant effort by Lee Players to bring the feel-goodcomedy to life and was performed with solid dialogue deliveryat a reasonable pace, although it would have worked betterplayed for honesty rather than laughs.
Calendar Girls is famous for the nudity themes, but this isonly actually a minor part of the play. The crux comes from therelationships of strong women, their love and admiration ofJohn (whose death inspires the calendar) and the empathy thatcharacters evoke in the audience. The humour develops fromthis.
The photo-shoot was tastefully presented,genuine camaraderie between the women wasdisplayed and the community theatre audiencefound much to entertain them.
ANNE WAGGOTT
A Double Bill,The Maskers Theatre,
Company,Maskers Studio, Shirley
Forward to the RightLILY Ann Green’s retelling ofthe Joan of Arc story isgraced by two strongperformances. GeorgeMoody looks perfect as themaid, but Eric Pettersonexcels as her English jailer.
He evolves from ignoranthostility to a charmingfriendship with his charge,and makes us feel the true
power of her tragedy.Debut director JoIacovou creates somepowerful momentsand promises todevelop quickly.
ContractionsWITH less than aweek to present arehearsed reading –
due to cast illneess –director Paul Green gets fullvalue from Mike Bartlett’ssatire on modern corporatemores.
Samer Fugeira gives abeautifully poised debut asthe employee who eventuallysuccumbs to the unctuous,smiling concern andgrotesque “suggestions” ofnightmare HR Manager SueDashper, whose superblysuggestive performancekeeps us hooked.
HAM QUENTIN
Summer Holiday,Fareham Musical Society,Ferneham Hall, Fareham
FIFTYyears after the release of the film featuringCliff Richard and The Shadows’ hits, we follow the romanticadventures of four London Transport bus mechanics as theydrive a converted double-decker across Europe.
Wezley Sebastian directs a very talented cast and the songshave survived the test of time very well. The audience of allages was noticeably swaying and foot-tapping from first noteto last, with musical director Rhys Scrivener’s keyboard a fairmatch for Ray Wills’ Stratocaster guitar licks.
Leads Gareth Daniel (Don) and Soraya Scrivener (Barbara)are both exceptional, with equally-strong support from SarahBurrell and the ubiquitous Graeme Clements (agent Jerry) whoyou half-expect to be selling ice-creams in the interval!
Choreographers Natalie and Kerry Cleave had the cast drilledto a very high standard and sets, costumes, sound and lightingwere top-notch. Congratulations, as Cliff might say!
ALAN JOHNS
Stereophonics,Portsmouth Guildhall
IT’S always a pleasureto experience KellyJones and co inaction.
I’ve seen Stereophonics liveseven or eight times over thelast 15 years or so and they arealways the same – utterly bril-liant.
The chance to see them insuch an intimate setting,along with about 2,000 others,is a rare treat these days.
Consummate professionalsand without doubt one of thebest live acts around, theyknow exactly what their audi-ence wants.
That is plenty of the oldanthems to sing their hearts
out to. Getting the set underway with Indian Summer, hitslike Maybe Tomorrow and TheBartender And The Thief wentdown a storm.
Handbags And Gladragswas a definite omission fromthe nearly two-hour set but arocking sold-out crowd lovedevery second of Have A NiceDay and A Thousand Trees,clapping, dancing, jumping,singing and even taking overthe vocals at times.
Tracks from new albumGraffiti On The Train, whichhas a slower bluesy soul feel,also proved popular.
There were heavy rockmoments and an extremelyvaried set only served to showoff the tremendous talent ofJones, whose distinctive voice
was pitch perfect as ever.Closing the main set with an
emotionally charged LocalBoy In The Photograph, therewas a near stampede beforethe band took to the stageagain and performed MrWriter as part of a stunningfinale.
As usual, the night endedwith the band’s only No 1Dakota and a superb guitarversus drums rock off.
With Stereophonics youknow what you are going toget – and it is always outstand-ing.
The band return to the southcoast for an arena date atBournemouth in November.
And I for one can hardlywait for the next time.
LORELEI REDDIN
‘UTTERLY BRILLIANT’
PITCH PERFECT:Frontman
Kelly Jones.
