David Porter » Entries tagged with "Norwich Theatre Royal"
The Analogues
The Analogues in Magical Mystery Tour at the Norwich Theatre Royal, as part of the Norwich and Norfolk Festival 2016 Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 25 May 2016 The Analogues are a musical wonder from Holland on a mission to bring the actuality of Beatles’ songs alive. The Norwich debut on their UK visit fairly rocked the Theatre Royal. To hear the Beatles’ studio songs starting with the 1967 ‘Magical Mystery Tour’ that they themselves never performed on stage played live and authentically was a truly magical experience. To have the multiple layers and arrangements of a variety of songs presented after painstaking research and acquisition of amazing vintage instruments was to discover a whole new dimension of the Beatles’ music and to appreciate in full just how innovative they were. And they … Read entire article »
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Handbagged
Handbagged at the Theatre Royal, Norwich Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 12 November 2015 Handbagged? Well, The Audience featuring the imaginary conversations between The Queen and her 12 Prime Ministers in their weekly meetings has already been a stage hit. Now it’s just Her Majesty and Mrs Thatcher. Liz versus Maggie, two powerful women born in the same year is a comedy that speculates what these two women, these icons of power in different ways actually talked about in private. Or they might have done. Critically acclaimed as witty, confident, mischievous and clever it’s ‘tea at four, handbags at dawn’ subtly moving from slapstick to the real stuffing of life as the women look back on their younger selves in what could have become a history lesson but is priceless theatre. Moira Buffini’s West … Read entire article »
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Jersey Boys
Jersey Boys at the Theatre Royal, Norwich Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 9 July 2015 It takes a special show to stand out from the crowd of contemporary musicals about great music and musicians of the 1960s and 70s. Well, multi-award winning Jersey Boys stands out big-time! Blessed with unique harmonies and the unforgettable lead falsetto vocals of Frankie Valli, The Four Seasons were big hit makers, popular both sides of the Atlantic. Their sound was the backdrop to many teenagers’ lives. From the streets of New Jersey these boys rose to the dizzy heights of the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame. This opens the can of worms that was their less harmonious offstage and behind the scenes lives; this show has real grit. As often in showbiz, fame comes at high cost … Read entire article »
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The Hollies
The Hollies at Theatre Royal, Norwich Review published in Eastern Daily Press, 14 October 2014 60s’ pop legends bring back memories One of those rare 60s’ bands that never officially broke up, The Hollies, named after Christmas and/or in memory of Buddy Holly, are celebrating half a century since their first album. Drawing from a rich back catalogue with two newer songs, they played hits like Just One Look and Stay as originally recorded – three guitars, drums and singer. Other classics were updated in interpretation to make a thumping good evening. It was impossible not to sing along with Here I Go Again, You Got Me Going, Sorry Suzanne, We’re Thru, Listen to Me and after an interval to change clothes, Jennifer Eccles, Bus Stop, I’m Alive, The Baby, Sandy (4th July), Stop Stop … Read entire article »
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The Imagined Village
The Imagined Village at Theatre Royal, Norwich,as part of Norfolk and Norwich Festival 2012 Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 25 May 2012. Musical collaboration project Imagined Village brought some of the freshest, most innovative intercultural fusion and evolution of traditional folk into alt-rock and morris-bhangra around. Folk legend Martin Carthy and his daughter Eliza led the 10-piece outfit who continuously push at the boundaries of folk. They work collectively, together tweaking and reinventing old songs and each others’ new material. They updated My Son John, an old war song, making it a political statement about today’s conflicts. Word-of-mouth narratives like The Captain’s Apprentice rubbed shoulders with new edgy material about ‘culture in crisis’ such as The Guvnor, Fisherman and The Sick Old Man. Their evolutionary technique was powerfully applied to Bjork’s Birthday, the ‘sinister … Read entire article »
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The Dubliners
The Dubliners in concert at Norwich Theatre Royal Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 14 March 2012 The world of fifty years ago was a foreign country when Ireland’s Dubliners began performing. Their celebratory tour recalls many changes of the decades. Original Barney McKenna is still playing, and while some have come and gone, all are long-serving. A certain magic binds them together, sharing their love of jigs and reels, instrumentals, ballads and folk songs, traditional and new. A packed house, many the same age as the band, others younger, was spellbound by quality Celtic folk tradition, guitar, banjo, whistle, fiddle, tapping along approvingly. 1967’s chart-topper Seven Drunken Nights was followed by songs, some poignant, others funny, about Ireland, mountains, alcohol and jobs long gone, like the ferrymen. Many lyrics were from the political-social commentary … Read entire article »
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Paul Carrack
Theatre Royal, Norwich Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 15 February 2010 Paul Carrack How Long Has This Been Going On? So sang one of those greats of the last 40 years, a performer in the same league as Van Morrison, Phil Collins and Jools Holland, as a packed house rocked along. From rock-jazz fusion in the early 70s, to hit groups Ace and Roxy Music, through Squeeze in the 80s and with Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters, to Mike Rutherford in Mike and the Mechanics, Carrack progressed to a solo career where his total eclectic background was given full rein. Wearing trademark dark glasses and backed by a 6-piece band and female singer who were impeccable, Carrack showed his versatility in singing and playing guitars and keyboards in numbers ranging from Loving You Tonight, … Read entire article »
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The Rat Pack
Theatre Royal, Norwich Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 5 July 2005 The Rat Pack I did it my way. A philosophy for the generation who grew up with the Rat Pack. Songs like That’s Life, That’s Amore, Fly Me to the Moon, Chicago, New York … are the soundtrack of the 1950s and much of the 60s too. In the company of talented performers, unmistakable music, cool dance moves, it wasn’t hard to imagine being at The Sands, Las Vegas. Individually and together Sammy Davis Jnr, Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra were a force in entertainment that is felt to this day. The show is a cabaret tribute and more. The luscious Berelli Sisters were the dancing chorus eye candy – It Don’t Mean A Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing. They swung. The 15-piece … Read entire article »
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Tamla Motown
Theatre Royal, Norwich Review published in the Eastern Daily Press, 27 June 2005 Tamla Motown Along with mini-skirts, long hair and flower-power, Tamla Motown is the 60s. Those of a certain age have only to catch the opening bars of Reach Out I’ll Be There, Baby Love or Get Ready, to start grooving all over again. To have a string of the greatest mighty Motown classics in 60’s costumes, hair-dos and dance routines as performed by The Supremes, The Four Tops, The Temptations, The Miracles and Stevie Wonder, was sheer joy. These were living funky artistes, re-creating the heyday of that unique sound from Detroit that gave a voice to black and white people, then as now. Story there was none – the music spoke for itself. Just to list the titles of the songs is to … Read entire article »
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