ACORN ANTIQUES, THE MUSICAL tours till 7 July
Tour.
ACORN ANTIQUES, THE MUSICAL
book, music, lyrics by Victoria Wood.
Tour to 17 July 2007.
Runs 2hr 35min.
Review: Rod Dungate 26 February at Birmingham Hippodrome.
It’s fun – give yourself a treat.
It’s all fabulously enjoyable nonsense – pacy, punchy and good for our health. And I suspect may do much to support the UK’s rubber industry.
Some of us are old enough to remember Acorn Antiques. A spoof soap (too close for comfort to Crossroads); it was a regular feature of the Victoria Wood show featuring a superbly up-tight Celia Imrie as Miss Babs, antique shop owner, and the inimitable and hilarious Julie Waters as the much put upon, 300 year old, never-without-a-tea-tray char, Mrs Overall.
This scenario is faithfully recreated in Victoria Woods’ musical. Story-lines are stretched well beyond breaking point, words are cruelly tortured, and Mrs Overall’s stockings wrinkle to order. In a nutshell . . . Acorn Antiques and its neighbouring shops (buckets and ironware, wool shop, men’s outfitters – specialising in beige-wear, ladies’ corsets et al) are about to be taken over. Body piercings, thongs, coffee shops are the thing of the moment. AA must be saved, even enlisting the help of two work experience teenagers. On the scene arrives bad-girl Bonnie, estranged sister of AA’s proprietors Babs and Berta. In the course of the action (never less than fast and furious) Babs loosens up and gets engaged (or vice versa), Berta eventually gets her man and Mrs Overall reveals a skeleton in her pantry.
Ria Jones is a terrific Mrs O; doubled up, face working nineteen to the dozen, she’s a joy to watch. Sara Crowe (Miss Babs) and Lisa Peace (Miss Berta) both effortlessly, it seems, drive the show along. All three echo the original, yet make these performances entirely their own. Kim Ismay makes a grand contrast in Miss Bonnie (the long-lost sister) and Michael Melmoe and Beverly Rudd are great fun as the work experience youngsters who become viable assets (Hugh and Mimi).
Woods has much shortened the original London show (reducing it from over 3 hours to 2 hours 35) and written, I understand, five new numbers. She directs with assurance and keeps the whole thing bubbling along – catchy tunes and witty lyrics.
The entire company would seem to be having a ball and it’s infectious. They make a fabulous chorus line – equal opportunities gloriously reigns. And I swear rubber gloves will become the next must-have fashion accessory.
Mrs Overall: Ria Jones.
Miss Babs: Sara Crowe.
Miss Berta: Lisa Peace.
Miss Bonnie: Kim Ismay.
Mr Clifford: Teddy Kempner.
Tony: Alistair Robins.
Hugh: Michael Melmoe.
Mimi: Beverly Rudd.
Christine: Sally Bankes.
Minchin’s Lad: Andy Brady.
Mr Furlong: Carl Sanderson.
Young Mrs O / Lucy / Credit Crony: Claire Winsper.
Mr Watkins: Phillip Sutton.
Derek: Ian Mowat.
Miss Willoughby: Suzanne Richardson.
Postman: Grant Anthony.
Miss Cuff / Credit Crony: Nova Kipp.
Miss Wellbelove / Credit Crony: Laura Medforth.
Swing / Dance Captain: Glen Conner.
Swing: Rachel Bingham.
Director: Victoria Wood.
Designer: Lez Brotherston.
Lighting: Alistair Grant.
Sound: Paul Groothuis.
Orchestrator: Chris Walker.
Musical Director / Keyboard: Nigel Lilley.
Choreographer: Stephen Mears.
Director/Assistant choreographer: Samantha Murray.
Costume: Stephen Brimson Lewis.
2007-02-27 17:49:33