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:What A Night 8211 from
the Nicola8217s School of Dance. A medley
from Sweet Charityand excerpts fromThe Nutcrackerin this extravaganza of
tap, modern and ballet. All proceeds
from this show go towards Great
Ormond Street Hospital 8211 1639.50 adults,
1638.50 children.MusicalF
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Showboat8211 by Green
Room. A musical with a great story and
moving songs. From the vibrant banks
of the Mississippi in the 1880s to the
music halls of Chicago 8211 tickets from
George Sudgen on 020 8360 1957.
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:The King and I8211
presented by Broxbourne Theatre
Company. This much-loved musical by
Rodgers and Hammerstein is based onAnna and the King of Siamby Margaret
Landon 8211 1638.50-16313.
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:We8217ll
Meet Again8211 takes you on a trip down
memory lane that evokes the
camaraderie and fighting spirit of
those caught up in the Blitz. With the
songs of Vera Lynn, Donald Peers,
Gracie Fields and many more 8211 16311 (1639
concs).SpecialF
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Let8217s Do Lunch 8211 Tudor Times. A fresh
and humorous look at life in 8216Merrie
England8217, from Henry VII to Elizabeth I
8211 1639.50, includes lunch and a drink.
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:Brainiac Live!8211 witness science8217s
greatest and most volatile show. Watch
as they delve fearlessly into the
mysteries of science and do all those
things you8217re not allowed to do at
home 8211 16318.50, 16315.50 under-16s and
NUS card holders.TheatreT
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:Art8211 presented by the
Global Theatre Company. An ultra-
minimalist modern art painting has
been bought for a huge 163200,000 by a
private collector and no sooner did he
show it to his friends than they started
arguing to the point of violence. Art
and friendships are yoked together in
a knot of humour, pathos and
aggression, with jokes becoming a
declaration of war 8211 16310 (1638 concs).www.hertfordshiremercury.co.uk
May 9, 2008 MERCURY M 31Sevendays
stageTom provides us with
an evening of delightHopes are high at youth drama festivalYoungsters from Stevenage8217s Lytton
Players Youth Group welcomed visitors
from afar to talk about how dance, drama
and music can transform their lives.
The guests came from a pioneering
performance arts centre in a South African
township and were able to visit the UK thanks
to Christian Aid.
Music producer Chris Majozi and
choreographer Lucky Cele are from the centre
in Kwa Mashu, a township of about 1.5
million people, 11m (18km) outside Durban.
During their visit to the Lytton Youth, Lucky
taught a group of 40 youngsters part of a
Zulu dance and a township dance.
Dave Slade from the youth group said: 8220The
youngsters, aged from 8 to 18, enjoyed the
experience and shared with Chris, Lucky and
Sarah 8211 the representative from Christian Aid
8211 a drama workshop, some improvised
sketches based on trust and a sample of their
forthcoming revue The Show With No Name
.8221African visit
tells of lives
transformedWhat a feast the Barn
Theatre gave us with
this version of Tom
Jones!
The long and
wordy 18th-century novel by
Henry Fielding had already been
adapted by John Osborne for the
outstanding 1963 film version,
and the Barn8217s director, Laura
Powell Eddy, bravely set herself
the daunting task of putting this
version on the stage.Her daring was entirely vindicated
by the result, which provided an
evening of delight in which the most
imaginative use was made of every
device which could be brought into
play on the Barn8217s small stage.
If a bed was needed, four of the cast
covered themselves with sheet and
quilt and disappeared under the
pillows. A grave consisted of the
corpse lying down under a green
cloth with a removable headstone,
and at the end of the scene getting up
and carrying everything off, with a
knowing look at the audience. Thus
illusions came and went with
amazing speed and the story was
carried along with never-flagging
momentum.
Sadly, there is nowhere near enough
space to do justice to some splendid
set-pieces and many more instances
where the director made us use our
imaginations to great effect. Sadly
also, there is no room to mention
every one of a cast numbering 25, all
of whom contributed to keeping up
the pace and consistency of style.
Sandy Underwood made a cheerful
and energetic Tom; he needed all his
energy to cope with the demands of
the number of wicked ladies he
encountered, all of whom were
played by Natalie Gordon in a
succession of astonishing wigs, and
on occasion little else. What a tour
de force this was! Lou Wallace was a
charmingly demure Sophie, and
Godfrey Marriot a wonderfully
blustering and bucolic Squire
Western, while Christine Mackinven
made Miss Western into a
formidable harridan, with her eye-
patch and her cane. But there were
many, many other performances both
brief and more substantial to admire;
alas, this production merits far more
space than we have.
The action was accompanied
throughout by a solo violinist playing
contemporary airs, a beautifully
musical performance by Natasha
Dawson; perhaps there was a little
more music than was necessary, but
it was delightfully done. All the
backstage departments worked hard
and well: costumes, properties and
lighting should have special mention.
But above all this was the director8217s
evening: to take such a huge and
complex story, teeming with
characters and full of action, and put
it onto a small stage in a way that
kept it both coherent and endlessly
entertaining was a real triumph.
Susan HitchBAWDY ROMP: Sandy Underwood in the titular role of Tom Jones, with Natalie
Gordon in the Barn Theatre8217s award-winning production(s)WARM WELCOME: Lytton Players Youth
Group with their South African visitors(s)Stage listingsKEY TO VENUESARENA8212Alban Arena, St Albans,
01727 844488
CASTLE8212 Castle Hall, Hertford,
(01992) 531500
CIVIC8212 Broxbourne Civic Hall,
Hoddesdon, (01992) 441946
GCT 8212 Gordon Craig Theatre,
Stevenage, 08700 131030
PLAYHOUSE8212 Playhouse Theatre,
Harlow, (01279) 431945
WYLLYOTTS8212 Wyllyotts Theatre,
Potters Bar, (01707) 645005Review Tom Jones, adapted by John
Osborne from the novel by
Henry Fielding,
Barn Theatre,
Welwyn Garden City,
Fri Apr 25-Sat May 3Young people are putting the
finishing touches to their plays
for the Welwyn Garden City
Youth Drama Festival this week.
The six-day event starts on Monday
and 18 schools and drama groups
are preparing pieces for the run.
All of the performances, which will
take place at the Barn Theatre, will
be judged and all the young people
are hoping to win a prize for their
work.qFor details and tickets (1634.50 per
session and 16315 for the season),
call the Campus West box office on
(01707) 357117 or visit
www.welhat.gov.uk/leisure/
campuswest
or
www.wgcydf.org.
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