RIDIN' THE NO 8: till 17 July
Birmingham
RIDIN' THE NO 8: Euan Rose and Laurie Hornsby
Birmingham Rep
Runs: 29 June to 17 July, 2h 45m, one interval
Review: Rod Dungate, 1 July 2004
A lot of talent riding on the No 8RIDIN' THE NO 8 is the sequel production to the Rep's highly successful production of WALLOP MRS COX in 2002. Much of the creative team's the same (writers and director), the central character's the same (Birmingham) and the quality of talent on show is also very much the same.
The No 8 in question is the Inner Circle bus route. Travelling round the route you pass many sites of almost iconographic importance Saltley Gates, site of a major industrial picket; the old BSA (Beeza') site, the Birmingham Balti Quarter where the Balti was invented. Rose and Hornsby create some lively stories and songs to celebrate this history. The tone is unashamedly Birmingham self-celebratory and why not!
The skills of this large company, which incorporates people from Birmingham's diverse communities, are huge. The cast are not impressive they're bloody impressive. In particular the younger people, who sing, act and dance marvellously through the event; they're a real thrill to watch. Alayna Warner and Maria Jukes are glorious as Cannon Hill Clara and Sherlock Street Sal from Birmingham's Varner Road red-light district. So too are Claire Farr and Richard Leeson in their touching number BILLIN' AND COO'IN' (I wonder what Rose and Hornsby have got against final gs'?) Leeson is a fine performer throughout good voice and a terrific dancer.
This is an ensemble show; it fires in the bigger numbers the synagogue POVERTY and VARNER ROAD are cases in point. In these Beverley Edmunds's witty choreography (would it be called fusion choreography?) comes excitingly to the fore.
Local radio star Malcolm Boyden heads up the crew friendly, easygoing, he drives all along. I particularly warmed to Sheila Palmer as his gran feisty, tough, Brummie good-humoured.
This is a wonderful way to celebrate the life and people of Birmingham. John Adams has again brought everything to life, with the team showing humour, energy and great discipline. The book, lyrics and music are fun but, particularly in the second half, it could be improved if writer and composer took a tighter hold of their material. There is a light plot-line to hold the episodes together in the second half this is given too much weight and it holds the play back.
There are many good numbers in the first half, but too few in the second. One of the best is in the representation of the Handsworth riots of '85 CHURCH WITHOUT WALLS marks the coming-together of the communities after the divisions of the riots. This is where the show should end, winding up the plot quickly and finishing on this beacon for our future. Instead it meanders towards a conclusion, finishing, not with a bang, but with an unfortunate whimper.
Company
Sabrina Barnett-Alexander, Michael Barry, Hugh Blackwood, Malcolm Boyden, Daniel Brisco, John Clay, Edna Cobley, Angel Daniels, Amy Dowd, Nicky Dowd, Jennifer Ellis, Laura Ellis, Claire Farr, Paul Forrest, Phil Hall, Dail Hutchinson, Marie Jukes, James Lee, Richard Leeson (Dance Captain), Sam Marriot, John Meredith, Vivienne Mills, Kate Owen, Nick Owenford, Sheila Palmer, John Partridge, Marie Pitchford, Laura Rollins, Euan AJ Rose, Qasim Shah, Hayley Shorthouse (Dance Captain), Amy Steel, Peter Walker, Alayna Warner, Kate Waterhouse, Andy Weeks, Ivor Williams
With Children
Candice Battick, Jade Chandler, Richard Clarke, Harpreet Garcha, Ewan Goddard, Kathryn Green, Alisha Harris, Rafaella Johnson, Chris Keating, Mikey Lighfoot, Stuart Lightfoot, Jacob Lloyd, Lauren McKay, Emily Wan Min-Kee, Gillian Peters, Amanda Poyner, Bradley Redden, Tegan Shea, Natalie Smith, Ellie Wakefield
Director: John Adams
Designer: Janet Bird
Musical Director/ Arranger: Alan Warner
Choreographer: Beverley Edmunds
Lighting Designer: Richard G Jones
Fight Director: Renny Krupinski
Assistant Director: Kate Varney
2004-07-04 19:15:25