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The Musical
That’s Sassy, Sultry & Dangerous To Know
Chicago
Newcastle Theatre Royal
Until Saturday
13th August 2016
Chicago is the musical that
likes to flaunt it. Beautiful people with great voices and fantastic dancing
ability entertain in the satire about corruption. No wonder the show has become
the longest running American musical in London’s West End.
 |
|
John Partridge as 'Billy
Flynn' and
Hayley Tamaddon as 'Roxie
Hart'.
Photo: Catherine Ashmore
|
Set
in prohibition-era America, the story is based upon
a 1926 play, that was written by newspaper reporter Maurine Dallas Watkins,
which looked at the actual crimes and criminals that they reported on. It shows
that the concept of fleeting celebratory status is both fickle and not a new
concept. The play is intended to be a satire of the system and how those with
money can beat it. The action comes in announced sketches – just like the
vaudeville theatre that was popular at the time.
 |
|
Sophie Carmen-Jones as
'Velma Kelly'.
Photo: Catherine Ashmore
|
Opening
with the classic All That Jazz, the
story follows 2 ladies that have murdered the men in their lives. Velma Kelly
(Sophie Carmen-Jones) is a star of the stage who killed her husband and her
sister when he found them in bed together. She is joined in prison by chorus
girl Roxie Hart (Hayey Tamaddon) who assassinated her lover Fred Casely
(Francis Foreman) after he declared he was going to leave her.
 |
|
Hayley Tamaddon as 'Roxie
Hart'
John Partridge as 'Billy
Flynn' and
Jessie Wallace 'Mama
Morton'
Photo: Dewynters
|
Vema and Roxy
find themselves in the same block in Cook County Jail being looked after by
Matron ‘Mama’ Morton (Jessie Wallace) who arranges, at a cost, legal
representation by Billy Flynn (John Partridge). He has the reputation to get
girls off the hook, after all, the county isn’t in the habit of hanging women.
He doesn’t come cheap and his methods are somewhat suspect. Roxie’s husband
Amos (Neil Ditt) seems to be a pawn rather than a player in the lawyer’s plans.
Chicago follows the cases and
desire, of the characters, to maintain their fame.
 |
|
John Partridge as 'Billy
Flynn'
Photo: Catherine Ashmore
|
The
staging of Chicago looks simple but is
highly effective. The back of the set has the band on a riser which goes up to
the top of the stage and features the 11 members of the orchestra. Under
musical director Ben Atkinson the musicians are a significant feature of the
show and get a couple of fabulous spotlights at the start and end of the second
act. Their tight delivery of the score is one of the highlights of the show.
The lighting design too, by Ken Billington, is deceptively simple but effective
– especially during numbers such as Cell Block
Tango. The songs are all sung well and show off the talents of the great
cast including the amazing single note held by John Partridge. The audience are literally exposed to the Razzle Dazzle.
 |
|
Hayley Tamaddon as 'Roxie
Hart' and
John Partridge as 'Billy
Flynn'.
Photo: Catherine Ashmore
|
From
the opening scene, as Emily Warner introduces the show, the stunning outfits,
designed by William Ivey Long, set the tone for the show. Walter Bobbie has directed a fun show which is
firmly tongue in cheek. Choreographer Ann Reinking has included some of the
original routines by Bob Fosse however the overall effect feels like fresh peices.
The tightness of the routines by the talented ensemble did not go unnoticed.
 |
Jessie Wallace 'Mama
Morton'
Photo: Dewynters
|
Wednesday’s
show marks Jessie Wallace’s debut in Chicago and the Eastender’s star
looked very comfortable as the prison leader Mama. Sophie Carmen Jones and
Emmerdale’s Hayley Tamaddon captured the two murderers well and have many
opportunities to show off their singing talents. Another former Eastenders
regular John Partridge has star quality as he demands attention whenever he is
on stage. Neil Ditt too manages a moment in the spotlight during Mister Cellophane as the routinely
manipulated husband.
Great
songs, great staging, plus a talented good looking cast and suitably tongue-in-cheek:
Chicago is seductive.
This review was written by Stephen
Oliver for Carliol
Photography (https://twitter.com/CarliolPhoto). Follow Jo on twitter @jowheretogo, Stephen
@panic_c_button or like Carliol Photography on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/carliolphotography
.
Read
the NETG Preview: http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/preview-chicago-at-newcastle-theatre.html
Tickets:
Chicago
comes to Newcastle Theatre Royal from Monday 1st – Saturday 13th
August 2016. Tickets are from
£19.50 and can be purchased at www.theatreroyal.co.uk
or from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 08448 11 21 21 (calls cost 7ppm
plus your phone company’s access charge).
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