Alison Brinkworth
While the old favourites are still going strong, the past year's theatre has reinforced, in my mind, the healthy state of creativity for new exciting work.
Over the year, there's been new productions performed in the
Midlands from Kunene and the King to Six The Musical,
Admissions, Prism, The Boy In The Dress, Napoli Brooklyn and
many more - so plenty of new ideas to enthrall.
This is especially true as I cover many reviews at Malvern Theatres
- a small, historic theatre in the Midlands that is attracting big
shows, often before they go to the West End. Much of that is due to
the efforts of programming lead Nic Lloyd and there's more to come
in 2020 with Blithe Spirit starring Jennifer Saunders ahead
of its stint in London.
It means many of my highlights for 2019 have been at this charming
venue in the shadow of the beautiful Malvern hills. But there has
been other new work that has turned my head too including at The
Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) and smaller touring productions to
the intimate Patrick Studio in Birmingham Hippodrome. So, here's the
round-up of my awards for 2019.
Best Play - King John at The Royal Shakespeare Theatre
With 1960's influences, quirky dance sequences and even a food
fight, this exciting production was the RSC directorial debut by
Eleanor Rhode and had impressive performances by Rosie Sheehy as bad
King John and Katherine Pearce as an equally dastardly Cardinal.
Refreshing and hilarious, Six The Musical is finally on its first UK
tour. I caught it at Malvern Theatres and was left dazzled by its
creativity and comedy in reflecting the plight of the six wives of
Henry VIII through the form of a modern girl band concert. It
continues to Birmingham Hippodrome and Wolverhampton's Grand Theatre
in 2020 and is a must-see.
Best Small Production - Unfortunate at The Patrick Studio
Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula The Sea Witch turned The
Little Mermaid tale on its head for this hilarious, vivacious
musical parody of the Disney movie. This Fat Rascal Theatre
production starred the impressive Robyn Grant as a beguiling lead,
who also wrote the book and lyrics.
Best Comedy - Admissions at Malvern Theatres
Joshua Harmon’s latest sharp, uncomfortable comedy set in America,
starring Alex Kingston, is a thought-provoking, acerbic examination
of the college admissions process, diversity and white middle
classes. It's a provocative memorable comedy that is witty and
frank.
Best Actress - Samantha Womack in The Girl On The Train at
Alexandra Theatre and Malvern Theatres
Womack shone in this stage adaptation of the best-selling book.
Samantha Womack with Adam Jackson Smith in The Girl on the Train
She lifted the production by managing to give a realistic portrayal
of a drunk while also endearing the audience to her character
Rachel, which is no easy feat. It emphasised Womack's range beyond
the TV sitcoms she has become famous for.
Best Actor - Robert Lindsay in Prism at Birmingham Rep and
Malvern Theatres
Lindsay was superb as a dementia patient in this fine, well-scripted
play. Lindsay was also involved in helping bring this
multi-dimensional play to stage, which shows how families are
affected by dementia and also delves into the mind of the sufferer.
Best Character Acting - Sarah Parks in Murder, Margaret and
Me at Malvern Theatres
Recreating the eccentric mannerisms of actress Margaret Rutherford
perfectly was Sarah Parks in this fascinating drama about the
difficult relationship between Agatha Christie and Rutherford, when
she played Miss Marple. It was
Best Costumes - The King and I at The Alexandra Theatre
This
big Christmas musical at The Alexandra Theatre whisked the audience
away to the Far East with exquisite costumes that won a Tony Award
for Catherine Zuber. The lavish show included a stunning Victorian
ballgown for the romantic Shall We Dance? number.
Best Scenery - My Cousin Rachel at Malvern Theatres
Bringing the sweeping scenery and crashing waves of Cornwall to life
was this Theatre Royal Bath production of the Daphne Du Maurier
story. It included a revolving stage with a changing coastal
backdrop, crackling fireplace and a dramatic curved staircase.
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Prism's
innovative and interactive stage setting came a close second, which
transported the audience into the mind of a dementia patient.
Best Opera - Carmen at Birmingham Hippodrome
Transporting the drama to the flavelas of South America was a stroke
of genius in this riveting Welsh National Opera production.
Modernised to make this tragic story as revelant as ever it included
a fine performance from Virginie Verrez as a Carmen who is a fiesty
gun-wielding guerrilla for this century.
Best Dance - Pepperland at Birmingham Hippodrome
Mark Morris and his celebrated New York based Dance Group marked the
golden jubilee of The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
with this energetic and carefully choreographed work in 2017 for the
City of Liverpool.
Dance Consortium supported it to go on a UK tour in 2019 When it's
exhilarating dance influenced by the iconic album could be further
appreciated.
Best Dancer - Dada Masilo in Giselle at Birmingham
Hippodrome
The South African choreographer brought her vibrant modern
reinterpretation of Giselle with tribal dancing themes to the UK in
2019. Staring in the main role as Giselle, talented Masilo was
simply mesmerising on stage.