25-Nov-2011

Round the Twist, by Brendan Murray, presented by Eastern Angles, Sir John Mills Theatre, Ipswich, until January 7

Take the Concise English Dictionary of Dickensian Puns, multiply by double entendre and factor in innuendo and you get the unmissable Eastern Angles' Christmas show.

Add a bit of cross-dressing and some prime musical numbers and it amounts to an evening of great entertainment and merriment.

Most of Dickens' best known novels and characters get a mention while the cast of five romps through a plot that is best described by the title of the piece.

A theatre company enters the Old Curiosity Shop and puts on a play written by Oliver Nicklefield who himself takes the leading role of Tiny Tom.

Not a good judge of character, orphan Tom gets entangled with the large woman in white, heartless Dorabella and the evil Obadiah Snoop. Meanwhile the faithful Foggotty, madcap inventor Jammy Dodger and doting Little Mell are almost family.

The performances are splendid. Joel Sams, as the young hero, is hugely watchable. A fine actor with admirable enunciation he is also a strong singer, with a dashing stage presence... and a violin.

Sally Ann Burnett is a consummate Mrs Crumbles, Foggotty and occasional Dorabella, and Gabrielle Douglas as Joel's love interest Miss Moody, Little Mell and sometimes Dorabella is, by turns, endearing and capricious.

Zach Lee who, among others, is the villainous Snoop lurks the set with glee, full of malign intentions and a Wolverhampton accent.

And what can you say about the glorious sight of Greg Wagland in full sail as Miss Haversack? He is a great white galleon of a woman although his real gender is never in doubt.

He is also bekilted Scot McCaber who unaccountably lives in Ipswich.

The fun in this year's highly enjoyable Christmas show is more verbal than slapstick and you may well find yourself groaning as well as laughing at the jokes, which come thick and fast.

The songs and music, by Richard Taylor, are nicely delivered, showing off some good harmonies and skilled musicianship. The steampunk set is a delight to behold.

LYNNE MORTIMER

28-Nov-2011

Young Oliver Nicklefield has penned a piece for Mr Crumbles' troupe of Thespian Adventurers. Within its leather-bound pages are a cornucopia of characters with strangely familiar names: Little Mell, Old Sal, Miss Haversack, Obadiah Snoop, Foggotty and the Aged P. Plus some un-canonical gatecrashers like the sinister Scotsman Tosser McCaber.

Great fun is had catching the references as they fly by, dodging the puns, the local jokes, the double entendres and the naughty innuendos. Those old enough to remember I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again will get some idea of the style. Of course being roped in and humiliated in the intimate Gatacre Road auditorium, doubling here as a most convincing Old Curiosity Shop, is part of the fun.

It's not just Dickens either in for parody, Ernest's handbag plays a key role, and there are name checks for Sid and Nancy, as well as [Bob] Marley's Ghost. Panto is largely excluded, thank heavens, save for a passing reference to Ebenezer's Cave.

The five actors in the Crumbles company (we even see a little of their Hamlet from the wings) are kept very busy, dashing around the tiny acting area and changing costumes on the run. All busting a gut to win a coveted OTTA - the award for Over The Top Acting.

Joel Sams makes an appealingly innocent Tiny Tom (don't ask - the origin of his moniker was the subject of one of many marathon running gags) who seeks his benefactor as he waits for his testimonials to materialise. He also plays the fiddle beautifully - this must be the only Christmas show where the lovers duet sharing a violin.

His Dorabella is played by Gabrielle Douglas, her moody juvenile a close relative of the Infant Phenomenon. She vies for the role with the more mature Mrs Crumbles - the showdown where each strives to outdo the other's uppitiness is priceless. Sally Ann Burnett is Mrs Crumbles, as well as Suffolk Favourite Foggotty and many others, including the filthy Mrs Midden, flies buzzing around her head.

Greg Wagland is several possible benefactors - the convict Magpie, the old Gent, McCaber, and most impressively, the tragic Miss Haversack. Zach Lee is the inventive Jammy Dodger, as well the humble Snoop [from Wolverhampton]. He also got the biggest laugh of the matinée - playing some distant cousin of Mr Dick, I think - with an unrepeatable slur on neighbouring Norfolk.

Richard Taylor's music adds to the fun, particularly the operatic Betrayal aria and the opening number, reprised at the end, with just a splash of G&S.

Ivan Cutting's pacey direction keeps the momentum going, even through the often impenetrable plot, from the clever opening to the denouement at Newmarket, providing a witty, pretty seasonal entertainment for those who seek respite from sing-alongs, sparkle and soap-star vehicles.

Michael Gray

24-Nov-2011

Dear Santa, for Christmas I want every festive show to be this good.

The team behind Mansfield Park and Ride reunite for an anarchic romp through the works of Charles Dickens which ticks all the boxes.

Silly songs (pay attention during the opening number, you'll thank me later), a twisting-turning, coincidence-crammed plot worthy of the man himself and jokes and innuendo that'll make you roar with laughter and groan in equal measure.

Aspiring actor and playwright Oliver Nicklefield recruits the Crumbles family and friends to perform his life story; each taking on multiple roles with mounting hilarity. To go into any more detail would spoil the fun.

Performed in the round you really feel part of the action; during several scenes you actually are, but not in an intimidating way. The theatre space is used to great effect; I'll never look at horse-racing the same.

Dickens fans will love the show, spotting novel titles and in-jokes. Don't worry if you don't know who Dickens is, the story more than stands on its own two feet.

The cast were all fantastic but if I had to pick anybody out for particular praise Sally Ann Burnett would just edge it.

I imagine this review will be just the first of many glowing testimonials. Donkeys.

WAYNE SAVAGE

25-Nov-2011

Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without a sprinkling of Dickens... So what better than to take a whole heap of Dickens style plot lines and characters and put them into a giant blender, add some humourous songs and ridiculous story-lines and serve to a eager crowd. Result? Another masterpiece from one of the country's finest, and possibly smallest, theatre companies.

Round the Twist or Oliver Nicklefield's Bleak Little Tale of Two Mutual Expectations. And Son to give it it's full title is sheer delight from start to end. Based on a play by Brendan Murray and told by Oliver Nicklefield (Joel Sams), one thing you will notice about Oliver is his very posh voice and superior teeth (if you don't notice this fact then Oliver will point this out, repeatedly). Oliver is part of a traveling theatre company and tells his own lifestory through the trials and tribulations of Tiny Tom (also played by Joel) and a host of other characters who bear resemblance to the kind so often encountered in Dickens' novels.

Round the Twist is a play within a play. Tiny Tom, a strapping lad who earnt his "Tiny" nickname because of his small "testimonials" persues the affection of his heart Dorabella (played by Sally Ann Burnett and Gabrielle Douglas), the ward of Miss Haversack (Greg Wagland), throw in the schemeing Obadiah Snoop (superbly played by Zach Lee) who at one point morphs into a James Bond-style villain complete with cat! as well as Miss Moody Crumbles who secretly loves Tiny Tom, a motherly Foggotty, a doctor, a Jammy Dodger, a scotsman called Toss McCaber and a host of other characters (all superbly played by just a cast of five!).

The story is littered with references to Dickens style novels (you could play a game of "spot the novel" but I lost count as they came thick and fast). Some of the humour may go over the heads of really young audiences and while not being adult entertainment, it is aimed at a more older audience, that said it is safe and fun for all. The production is reminiscent of Michael Palin and Terry Jones "Ripping Yarns" of the mid-70s. However it goes beyond that and Ivan Cutting and the team at Eastern Angles have surpassed themselves once more.

Eastern Angles truly show the big boys how theatre can be a resounding success without fantastic multi-million pound special effects and all-star casts, that's not to say that the cast in Round The Twist are not stars as each and everyone gives "gold-star" performances.

Would I recommend you to go see it? You'd be round the twist not too! Will you be able to see it? Well I understand that tickets are selling fast so make sure you book now.

- Mark Keable - Ipswich24 Magazine -

24-Nov-2011

Eastern Angles' 2011 Christmas show is subtitled: Oliver Nicklefield's Bleak Little Tale of Two Mutual Expectations. And Son. Which says it all really. Brendan Murray's delightful comedy romps through a farcical mishmash of Dickens' plots and references and the company of five enjoys every moment as they ham shamelessly and involve the audience in their tortuous tale.

Zach Lee, Greg Wagland, Gabrielle Douglas, Joel Sams and Sally Ann Burnett in Round the Twist at John Mills Theatre, Ipswich Photo: Mike Kwasniak Photography

Apart from a short while in the second half when the plot (such as it is) seems to stall and there's more concern for some very technical effects, we bound along from one hilarious encounter to the next. Ian Teague has packed a fascinating amount of Victorian "stuff" into his miniscule set and Faby Pym's costumes catch our perception of the period perfectly.

Joel Sams is a fine upright Oliver and Tiny Tom, speaks the lines mellifluously and plays a mean violin. Gabrielle Douglas joins him in accompanying their touching duet on the violin too and brings some moments of tenderness to an otherwise frantic race as Dorabella 1. Sally Ann Burnett has a lot of fun as Dorabella 2 and is a comely Mrs Crumbles. Greg Wagland wafts about divertingly in a long white dress as Miss Haversack while Zach Lee crouches obsequiously as Obadiah Snoop, who could presumably be heard down on the quayside, so commanding is his voice and presence. Ivan Cutting's company provides an entertaining alternative to more traditional Christmas fare and a welcome break from national doom and gloom.

28-Nov-2011

In case you didn't already know it, 2012 is Charles Dickens' birth bicentenary year. As it's Christmas time, there are a number of (more or less) straightforward adaptations of A Christmas Carol in particular doing the rounds.

And, of course, there's Round The Twist! Eastern Angles' seasonal shows have built up a tradition of spoof dramatisations of classic novels, Mansfield Park and Ride for one. This new show by Brendan Murray is a worthy successor, with characters loosely - very loosely - based on Dickens' own creations swirling around in a plot which has bits of Great Expectations and Nicholas Nickleby jostling with The Old Curiosity Shop.

It's surprising what director Ivan Cutting and designer Ian Teague can do with an acting area not much bigger than a living-room. Weird and wondrous things dangle from above, there's even an upper stage level crouching above a piano - Richard Taylor's music is particularly tuneful and has a couple of effective numbers. There are a neat pair of running jokes, one concerning young Oliver Nicklefield's "testimonials" (work that out for yourselves) and the other (cue audience participation) over Foggerty's name.

Four of the hard-working cast of five each assume many roles, Joel Sams is our upright dashing young hero, more or less bound to end up with Gabrielle Douglas' Little Mell. Douglas also has great fun with Dorabella. That's Dorabella number one, by the way, for Mrs Crumbles (Sally Ann Burnett) also covets - and on occasion plays - the part as well as being down-to-earth Foggerty, all mobcap and sensible apron.

Then there's the villainous Obadiah Snoop, a serpentine and oleaginous Zach Lee. Greg Wagland rushes around with a bewildering succession of quick costumes changes as thespian Mr Crumbles, convict Magpie, a dubious Scot called McCaber and even Miss Haversack herself. At one point in the second half a horse race at Newmarket takes centre stage; it's cleverly done - but you have to go to see the show to find out how.

Anne Morley-Priestman

24-Nov-2011

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, carollers singing, snow falling and Charles Dickens. Christmas wouldn't be the same without any of this traditional festive images but Dickens will never quite be the same again after Eastern Angles irreverent alternative to conventional panto fare.

Budding author Oliver Nicklefield has engaged a troupe of travelling actors to stage a play based loosely on his life. For any lawyers reading connected with the Dickens estate we should state that any resemblance to characters and plots of those familiar Dickensian tales is purely coincidental.

For non-lawyers, the pure joy of spotting those references to Dickens classics make this a literary feast, full of humour, wit and, of course, more than its fair share of cheesy jokes.

Nicklefield's tale (penned in fact by Brendan Murray) follows the tale of Tiny Tom (named apparently after his less than sizeable assets) - a strapping lad with an inexplicably posh accent and superior teeth - on his journey to find his benefactor and the much-vaunted set of glowing testimonials. En route from the Old Curiosity Shop to Creek House and Australia to seek out the mythical Bah Humbugs that could make his fortune, he meets a wealth of oddly familiar characters, the cobweb festooned Miss Haversack, her uppity ward, Dorabella, the Jammy Dodger - all the time missing his one true love Little Mel, always one step behind the dastardly Obadiah Snoop.

Can Tiny Tom find his testimonials? Will Little Mel get her man? And will it all live up to the pair's great expectations? In the end, Oliver Nicklefield has in fact got himself in a bit of a twist and it seems old mutual friends may not be all they seem. As Tom flits between London and Ipswich, this tale of two cities becomes every more complex.

In these hard times, it is impressive to see Eastern Angles coming up with such an inventive show. Nicklefield/Murray's script is packed full of madcap humour that manages to send up the festive conventions without losing plot or character. Yes, the situation may have an irreverent quirkiness to it but it's played with total conviction by a compact but on-form company.

There are delightful performances throughout; Sally Ann Burnett's lusty Dorabella, Gabriella Douglas's more coquettish Dorabella, Greg Wagland's monstrous vision of Miss Haversack who turns out to be the perfect Christmas Carol in her bleak house and Zach Lee's creepy Wolverhampton Obadiah threatens to be the ultimate Scrooge. Joel Sams holds the whole madcap caper together as both Nickefield and Tiny Tom, ultimately revealing his glowing testimonials to all and sundry.

Ivan Cutting's snappy direction matches the fast and frenetic pace of the script, making full use of Ian Teague's imaginative and impressive staging. Richard Taylor's music gives echoes of G&S parody while also providing a touching duet for young Tom and Mel.

Eastern Angles can always be relied upon to provide a counterpoint to the saccharine-laden and formulaic traditional festive theatrical offerings and, in Round The Twist, Oliver Nicklefield's Bleak Little Tale of Two Mutual Expectations. And Son, they not only claim the reward for potentially the longest title of the season but also set the bar extremely high for other festive shows that follow. Always anarchic, this year they meld this anarchic comedy with a strong tale that is surely one of their finest Christmas creations and will surely live long after this (lengthy) three-location run.

A perfect start to the festive season and a demonstration that you don't need huge sets, C-list soap stars and ancient panto jokes to create theatrical Christmas magic. God bless us, every one!

Glen Pearce

25-Jan-2012

IT'S both a case of Spot The Dickens and What The Dickens with Eastern Angles' excellent Round The Twist.

After a seven-week run at Ipswich's John Mills Theatre - the home of Eastern Angles - Peterborough audiences will now get the chance to see the top-notch comedy at The Cresset at the end of this month.

The Bretton venue will be transformed into an intimate, two-tiered, theatre curiosity shop from January 24 to 28.

I was invited to see what's in store for Peterborough theatre-goers in this madcap spoof, which is filled with marvellous Dickensian characters, sharp humour, prim puns, novel audience interaction and a festive touch.

Eastern Angles' unique Christmas productions are now well established in Ipswich. After a failed attempt to catch it in December (the train was cancelled) I managed to make it to the final matinee show of the season. All 120 tickets had long gone despite it nearing the end of its mammoth run.

It's a comic melee of Charles Dickens' classics including Nicholas Nickleby and Great Expectations and the audience is made to feel part of the action from minute one.

Sat on the front row, I was just one metre away from the shop floor stage setting and the bustling comings and goings of the actors.

Five performers (Joel Sams, Gabrielle Douglas, Sally Ann Burnett, Greg Wagland and Zach Lee) bring to life a number of weird and wonderful characters centred around an aspiring young playwright called Oliver Nicklefield.

Those familiar with the works of Dickens will be kept amused notching up the references and if you're not, don't worry, as the cross-dressing, singing exploits of Miss Haversack, Dorabella and Jammy Dodger are unmissable.

Traditional pantomimes thrive on a bit of innuendo and there are a couple of running jokes, including reference to Tiny Tom's testimonials, which tickles the crowd.

With a buxom temptress, sneeringly crooked villain and marsh-dwelling fugitive in the line-up, the characters are vitally varied.

You really don't want to miss out on Round The Twist.

I've certainly never seen anything similar to it in Peterborough before.

It's easy to see why it's such an annual favourite in Ipswich.

Shows are at 7.30pm on January 24 and 25; 1.30pm and 7.30pm on January 26; 7.30pm on January 27 and 7pm and 7.30pm on January 28. Ticket prices range from £8 to £14.50 with concessions available and a discount for groups.

Book by calling 01733 265705 or 01473 218202 or online at www.cresset.co.uk or www.easternangles.co.uk

Mark Pearson