Review of Company by KW Productions at Leicester Little Theatre

On a transfer from Leicester's bijou Upstairs At The Western venue KW Productions take a second shot at their production of Stephen Sondheim's musical masterpiece Company. The Little Theatre Leicester venue allows for slightly more breathing space and an opportunity for the KW performers to let their souls sing out in the Haywood Studio space. This artistically freeing move proves to be a huge success on their (second) opening night, this time at The Little Theatre.

Company, with its brilliantly brisk energetic score and sophisticated wit, is largely regarded as a trail blazer of the modern concept musical genre and has been the winner of seven Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Score, Best Lyrics and Best Book. In 1995 the musical was revised and amongst other changes it was decided to drop the dance number “Tick Tock”. In 2007 the show was named Best Musical of the Year by New York Magazine for a production directed by John Doyle and starring Raúl Esparza as Robert. In this production the performers not only sang, danced and acted but also played the instruments as part of the show.

Updating the original 1970s concept of the story of fractured relationships to include a modern young lesbian couple and humorous acknowledgement of the current trend towards selfies the KW version of Company proves as relevant today as it did when Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's piece was first aired. Leigh White directs this simply staged and classy production of Company. It is a funny, sophisticated, exploration of love and commitment seen through the eyes of 35 year old charming perpetual bachelor Robert and KW Productions do it proud.

Robert (Keiran Whelan) is about to celebrate his 35^th birthday and all his friends rally round to give him a surprise birthday party. In this way we are introduced to all of Robert's (Bobby's) friends in the pulsating opening number “Company”. The KW rendition is sung with clarity and gusto by Robert and all the fourteen strong cast. Whelan as central character Robert does an exemplary job of holding the whole show together and has a fine singing voice and first rate American accent that is held nicely in check throughout.

Gradually throughout the first and second act we meet all of Robert's friends be they married or single. The highlights of this show's first act are the classy renditions of the following songs for both their witty and poignant aspects; “The Little Things We Do Together”, “Sorry-Grateful”, “Have I Got A Girl For You”, “Someone Is Waiting”, “Another Hundred People”, “Getting Married Today” and “Marry Me A Little”. There is not a weak link amongst the whole strong ensemble with professional standards throughout the piece.

The highlights of the first half are the cleverly put together staging of “Another Hundred People” and Amy's (Victoria Price) comically frantic “Getting Married Today”. Plus, Whelan and Nikky Leigh Brooks as Harriet add a whole depth of tenderness to the song “Sorry-Grateful” that is usually begun by the two male characters Robert and Harry.

As we reach the second act Robert and the company open with a rousing and inventive “Side by Side by Side” and “What Would We Do Without You”. As the piece takes on a more sombre tone the bitterness of some relationships takes over after the comical yet poignant number “Barcelona” between Robert and April (Liz Kavanagh). Kavanagh has a great talent for understated comic acting and is delightful as air hostess April. One of the highlights of any production of Company is the older character Joanne belting out “The Ladies Who Lunch”. This is a song with less of a smile and a whole lot of savage bile and Karen Gordon does a fantastic note perfect job of putting it over.

Optimism is the key to the ending of Sondheim's bitter sweet musical look at the complexity of relationships and both Robert and the company complete the evening with a stirring rendition of “Being Alive!” And that's what it's really about. Isn't it?

Directed by and live musical accompaniment by Leigh White - Company runs at Little Theatre Leicester from 2^nd to 5^th September.

Photographic credits and copyright Sally Evans.

Cast revealed for Twickenham Theatre production of Sweeney Todd.

Olivier Award winner David Bedella will play razor-wielding madman Sweeney Todd and Sarah Ingram his pie-making partner in crime, Mrs Lovett, in an intimate new production of the Tony Award and Olivier Award-winning musical, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
 

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by Hugh Wheeler, will kick-off the autumn season at Twickenham Theatre in West London. It will start previews on Wednesday 10 September and runs to Saturday 4 October.

The new venue’s first in-house show is a co-production with West End producer David Adkin.

David Bedella was a triple award winner, named Best Actor in a Musical at the 2004 Olivier Awards, the Evening Standard Awards, and The Critics Circle Awards, for creating the role of the warm-up man Jonathan Weiruss/Satan in Jerry Springer The Opera. He appeared in the role at the National Theatre, in the West End, the Sydney Opera House and in New York in a concert version at Carnegie Hall. On television David most notably played Dr Carlos Fashola in Holby City and more recently guest starred in By Any Means and Inside No. 9, all for BBC, and his film credits include Alexander and Batman Begins. His other West End starring roles include Frank n Furter in The Rocky Horror Show, Billy Flynn in Chicago, and Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch. He starred as Arnold in Torch Song Trilogy and Wilson Mizner in Sondheim’s Road Show, both at the Menier Chocolate Factory. In the past year he played Man 1 in the acclaimed production of Sondheim’s Putting It Together at St.James Theatre and Kevin in Into The Heights at Southwark Playhouse.

Sarah Ingram’s many West End musicals include Oklahoma!, South Pacific, Martin Guerre, Inherit The Wind, Flashdance, Imagine This, Murderous Instincts and Napoleon. She worked with David Bedella on Sondheim’s Road Show at the Menier Chocolate Factory. Most recently, Sarah played Josie in the revival of the Boy George musical Taboo at Brixton Clubhouse following her critically acclaimed performance as Miss Hannigan in Annie at West Yorkshire Playhouse.

Mark McKerracher (Judge Turpin). His West End starring roles include The Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera, Jean Valjean in Les Miserables, Sunday in the Park With George, Ragtime, Cats and The Bodyguard.

Zoe Curlett (Beggar Woman). Her West End starring roles include Christine in The Phantom of the Opera and Cosette in Les Miserables, and Cats and The Secret Garden on UK tour.

The rest of the cast includes: Shaun Chambers (Pirelli), Genevieve Kingsford (who makes her professional debut as Johanna), Mikaela Newton (Tobias), Josh Tevendale (Anthony).

Director Derek Anderson, Musical Supervisor Tim Jackson, Musical Director Ben Holder, Set Design Rachel Stone, Costume Design Olivia Ward , Sound Design Joel Price, Casting Anne Vosser, Producer David Adkin in association with Twickenham Theatre.