With John Hyde and Marina Thomaswww.docklands24.co.uk
THEATRE
Martina Cole's New Women
Stratford East, Gerry
Raffles Square, E15
1BN. February 19 to
March 20. Tickets �8-22,
concessions available,
on 020 8534 0310 or
www.stratfordeast.com
Knickerbocker Glory Show
The Space, 269 Westferry
Road, E14 3RS. February
12. Tickets �10/8 in
advance on 020 7515
7799 or go to
www.space.org.uk
Twelfth Night
Greenwich Playhouse, 189
Greenwich High Road,
SE10 8JA. February 16 to
March 14. Tickets �12,
concessions �10 on
020 8858 9256 or
www.galleontheatre.co.uk
Hamlet
Hamlet Greenwich
Theatre, Crooms Hill,
SE10 8ES. February
4-13. Tickets �15/12.
Call 020 8858 7755 or
see www.greenwich
theatre.org.uk
East End review
SSiiggnnss ooff aa SSttaarr SShhaappeedd DDiivvaa
Theatre Royal Stratford East
FFRROOMM TTHHEE
STALLS
Theatre
round-up
SEX and the City fans are gearing
up to see Kim Cattrall, below right, take
to the stage in Noel Coward's Private
Lives. The comedy of manners opens at
the Vaudeville Theatre on February 24.
Cattrall, best known for playing
Samantha in Sex and the City, will star
alongside Matthew Macfadyen.
GHOSTS, Henrik Ibsen's play about
19th century morality, previews this
week. The social commentary piece is a
new version by Frank McGuinness and
opens on February 23 at the Duchess
Theatre following previews from
Thursday this week. Iain Glen will play
Pastor Manders, starring alongside
Lesley Sharp as Mrs
Alving.
THRILLER
Live, the
Michael
Jackson
tribute,
has
enhanced the
show as it
moves into its
second year.
There are six
new songs as
well as new
choreography
and a different
opening to
the one which
started in
February 2009.
A
PPARENTLY a
mischievous cast is the
key to success of the
latest production of Twelfth
Night to play at Greenwich
Playhouse.
The cast of 12 from Sell a Door Theatre
Company have the "silly" factor, accord-
ing to director David Hutchinson.
It certainly helps when performing a
comedy about mistaken identity, cross-
dressing and love. To tie in with St
Valentine's Day, the play begins on
February 16, running until March 14.
We all know the story: Viola, ship-
wrecked in Illyria, disguises herself as a
man to enter the court of Duke Orsino as a
page. When she finds herself falling for
A night of
love and
sillinessthe Duke, Olivia �
who Orsino has been
pursuing � realises she
has strong feelings for Viola.
Cue major entanglement and confusion.
What is different about this version?
Hutchinson said: "Through comedy,
storytelling and poignant moments we try
to expose different elements of love.
"We let the audience come to their own
conclusions but love being a compromise
is a big theme.
"We bring out all sides of love � the
characters are truthful and revealing.
"We want to open up the forum for
discussion by exploring further into the
text. We think love is best when you can
joke and laugh about it and not take it too
seriously."
For tickets see www.galleontheatre.co.uk
for more information.
MMaarriinnaa TThhoommaass
BY DAY Susan Graves is, as
her name suggests, an
undertaker.
By night she is Tammy Frascati (her
favourite singer and favourite drink),
where she signs songs at a cabaret show.
She performed to the likes of Ella
Fitzgerald, Dolly Parton, Dusty
Springfield and Gloria Gaynor with
a deftness and comic touch that
benefitted from the visual stimulus
of sign language.
But this was by no means a
play just for deaf people, with a
decent script and performance
from solo actress Caroline Parker
that had laughs and sadness in
equal measure.
Graves is a quiet,
unassuming type from a
sleepy Northern town,
whose life transforms
when she is invited
to sign on stage.
Her headline-
grabbing perform-
ances attract the
attention of a
promoter, who
wants to take her
around the world.
But she's drawn back home by a
romance with a local man, who wants
nothing more than a pint at his local and
to settle down to family life.
The rather cruel way our diva eventu-
ally leaves him would usually garner lit-
tle sympathy, but Parker is a charming
performer who it's difficult not to like.
Under-stated and vulnerable but with a
naughty streak, her monologue
was largely well delivered
with a style reminiscent of
an Alan Bennett play.
Occasionally the pre-
recorded songs were a little
loud compared to Parker's
speaking voice, and they
punctuated the momentum
she'd built up. Perhaps a
live singer in the back-
ground would have
been a good option.
Two hours was
probably as long as
it could have got,
but there was much
to savour in this
enjoyable play.
JJoohhnn HHyyddee
RATING:
Amy
Buttersworth
plays Feste
in Twelfth
Night.
20

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