Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff

August 20, 2008 – 3:47 pm | by chooper

“There are children here somewhere… I can smell their blood… I can feel it in my bones…”

So you thought Ian ‘H’ Watkins was scary when he was in Steps? Just wait until you see him as the Child Catcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang! Whirling onto the stage on a caged wagon dragged by a nightmarish carousel steed, he flawlessly embodies those dark childhood terrors usually kept hidden in the void under the bed or in shadowed wardrobes. Children in the audience cringe and peek between their fingers while even the adults grip tight to their (very comfortable) seats and ensure they don’t look the Catcher in the eye…

The Child Catcher is only on stage for a relatively short period, but even so, he steals the show. But that’s not to deride the other excellent performances – it’s just that (as writer Ian Fleming and original screenwriter Roald Dahl both knew) such a truly scary character, when played well, would always loom large in the imaginations of the audience.
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4 stars (out of 5)
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Cast confirmed for Wig Out!

August 15, 2008 – 8:34 am | by Peekay
Leon Lopez

Leon Lopez

The Royal Court has confirmed the cast for Tarell Alvin McCraney’s “Wig Out!”, opening at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs on 28 November, with previews from 20 November.

The cast includes Danny Sapani, Leon Lopez, Kate Gillespie, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Kevin Harvey, Alex Lanipekun, Holly Quin-Ankrah, Craig Stein and Jessika Williams.

“Wig Out!” transforms the Royal Court into the legendary House of Light, a hyper-glamorous, über-competitive drag queen refuge where a daughter who was once a son can find a family. While the members of the House are primping and preening for a catwalk showdown with the other houses, drag queen Nina is wooing the delectable Eric under the guise of ‘Wilson’, a de-camped, make-up free ‘straight’ gay man.

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Actor Terence Rigby dies

August 13, 2008 – 8:23 am | by Peekay

Theatre, film and TV actor Terence Rigby has died at the age of 71. He was suffering from lung cancer and passed away on Sunday at his London home.

Born in Birmingham in 1937, Rigby developed an interest in the acting profession from his time in the Boy Scouts and at Grammar school.  He later auditioned to study at RADA after completing national service in the RAF.

Successfully gaining a place at the esteemed acting school, Rigby trained alongside Albert Finney, Tom Courtenay and the late John Thaw. After graduating, he quickly began a career in the theatre and found success in Peter Hall’s production of Harold Pinter’s The Homecoming at the National Theatre, where he fought to be cast as the slow-witted boxer Joey. He became good friends with the playwright and earned a reputation as the leading Pinter actor of the time, playing the manservant Briggs in the first production of No Man’s Land with Sir John Gielgud and Sir Ralph Richardson, and Davies in The Caretaker. He also continued to work extensively with writer and director Hall, taking the role of Pozzo in Hall’s production of Waiting For Godo in 2005.

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Young Vic goes to the Amazon

July 31, 2008 – 8:24 pm | by Peekay

The Young Vic’s biggest international collaboration yet, Amazônia, was launched this week at the Waterloo venue.

Amazônia has already featured a special Young Vic award at the Festa Junina Quadrilha dance competition in Brazil last month. The forthcoming British aspects include community project Festa! on 16 August and the Young Vic’s Christmas show, which shares the project’s name.

The high energy dance will be seen in Waterloo on 16 August, when it plays a key role in the Young Vic’s community project for 2008, Festa! A cast of 92 have been drawn from the local area, spanning a wide range of residents ranging from 14-81 years old. They will be joined by professional performers to create a Quadrilha that will start on The Cut, which will be closed off for the purposes of this performance, and take over the entirety of the Young Vic.
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