⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
‘YOU’ll FREAKIN' LOVE IT!’
‘LAUGH. (Tuts)….. YOU MAY DIE FROM LAUGHING!’
‘YOU’LL LEAVE HOPEMILL HOWLING!’
‘MUSICAL-COMEDY-CASTING-PERFECTION!’
‘SCIENTIFICALLY BRILLIANT COMEDY!’
‘ORE & CURTIS PERFORM MUSICAL THEATRE COMEDY GOLD. IT’S NOT LIKE THEIR PERFORMING BRAIN SURGERY. OH. WAIT A MINUTE!’
‘YOU DIDNT LAUGH ALL NIGHT @ HOPEMILL?! YOU MAY NEED BRAIN SURGERY…. & WE KNOW JUST THE PERFECT DUO TO PERFORM YOU’RE MUCH NEEDED OPERATION!’
As part of HOPEMILL’S 10th Anniversary Celebrations we headed out to the Press Night of the long awaited Mel Brooks revival of the classic comedy - YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN!
The Gene Wilder film has always been celebrated for its comedy gold - & for good reason. I always saw it as a USA version of a Carry On film - full of innuendo, tongue in cheek, side eyes….. but never witnessed the show live. Boy am I glad we did tonight.
We are lucky to see many shows and it’s great when you enter a theatre & feel a real buzz of excitement….. that buzz was palpable this evening. The walls of Hopemill were ringing with joyous laughter all night long. We didn’t want it to end.
Casting was the key talking point among reviewers at the interval. Hopemill has excelled this time.
ORE ODUBA as Dr Frederick Frankenstein takes us on a curious journey of whimsy. His striking mad-eye-professor contact with the audience, side eyes to Igor (CURTIS PATRICK) his side kick are just perfectly timed. *Think Riff Raff from Rocky Horror but with a full oversized injection of hump-back madness! A real physical part must leave him exhausted after each show. My stomach hurt from laughing so much with these pair. Both are convincing and fully embody the roles…..*without the need of a lightning bolt to bring their characters to life!
PETE GALLAGHER as the Monster had an element of the late, great Tommy Cooper. Towering over his fellow cast mates with gurgling, blundering aplomb he creates a loveable rogue that the audience is rooting for - hanging on his every word.
JULIE YAMMANEE plays Inga as the flirty Transylvania local with a strong vocal range - that yodelling!
JESSICA MARTIN - Frau Blücher is outstanding. Her comedy timing was matched with the wit of the script from Mel Brooks. This was a stand-out performance worth every ovation given.
RHIANNON CHESTERMAN - Elizabeth Benning as the self absorbed blonde bombshell could really belt out her songs and has time to shine her comedic chops too throughout. She reminded us of the Will & Grace character - Karen. Shout out to wardrobe Lorraine Parry for the silver dress in Act 2 that made her shine like the Chrysler building - which was matched to the video designer Matt Powell. Stunning.
Every person on stage gets to shine throughout and you get the sense that this group of performers have gone through a mad professor laboratory to create the perfect stage-family-formula. Ofcourse this is actually created by a hugely talented group of creatives that are all at the top of their game.
William Shelton the exec producer along with Nick Winston - director and choreo have created a world where kooky-comedy dances along mad-cap creativity…. & it just works. It works amazingly well infact.
Hit songs abound with the hilarious PUTTIN’ ON THE RITZ, THE TRANSYLVANIA MANIA, HE VAS MY BOYFRIEND.
Manchester Theatrical has a simple message…..Go and see this show. Go and giggle all night long. Support this creative space. It’s MORE than a theatre. This is an institution of creativity and we are proud to support them.
Thanks Hopemill for an evening of lols we will not forget. The easiest 5***** review we have ever given.
For booking info follow below link:
Add comment
Comments