Royal & Derngate, Northampton
Sue Dixon Rating: * * * * *
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Radio Times is an utterly delightful and entertaining musical – a toe tapping frolic through a live broadcast variety show from the past. Anyone in the audience of the atmospheric Royal Theatre, Northampton must have felt like a time traveller, transported to a BBC theatre during the blitz whilst the Variety Bandwagon tried to stage a first performance to an American audience.
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Radio Times is homage to those who took to the airwaves during the dark days of the Blitz with the aim of keeping morale high. It might not be deep, dark and dramatic but it more than makes up with wit, corny but very funny innuendo, and a hugely talented cast. Songs by the talented Noel Gay, forgotten by some and introduced to younger members of the audience, provided a nostalgic glow and can’t help but bring smiles to anyone’s face. The fabulous and innovative arrangement of Run Rabbit Run is one that springs readily to mind but It’s a Lovely Day Tomorrow, I’ll be Seeing You and what must have become a new favourite for many –Who’s been Polishing the Sun.
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With half the cast missing and no script, Sammy Shaw, the star of the show, arrives just in time and the hopes to deliver a show to win the hearts of the American people are back on track. We are witness to the trials and tribulations surrounding this show through the uptight, rule- thumping producer, Heathcliffe Bultitude, played brilliantly by John Conroy and the love triangle played out between Sammy Shaw, Olive James and Gary Strong – played by Gary Wilmot, Sara Crowe and Michael Hobbs respectively. Gary Wilmot heads a cast that oozes talent – his own “cheeky chappy” one liners and quick fire gags keeping the audience in the palm of his hand. But all the cast deserve a mention of praise. Their timing was tight, performances suave, extremely funny and charming – with hints of pathos and wistfulness in some musical numbers.
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The simple yet authentic set designed by Tom Rogers works really well. It certainly makes you feel you are in the audience of a live broadcast one minute, then moving from dressing room, upstairs theatre areas and into the to live performance again with the simplicity of a stool being turned or a curtain coming down.
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The tremendous musicianship of the live band along with the best known Noel Gay songs enhances what is also a decent story line – not always the case with musicals – and slick and polished performance from every member of the cast. Indeed, the combination of music, dance, acting and fast moving choreography makes for a mesmerizing evening.
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This is a hidden gem in the work of musicals and deserves much accolade. A guaranteed great night out to give audiences a feel good factor – I would defy anyone not to come out of the theatre singing and grinning from ear to ear.
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Theatre Royal Plymouth
Derby Theatre
Radio Times is a happy, uplifting musical set in 1939 during the Blitz in London. I found the start of to be quite informal. Jeeps (Christian Edwards) just walks onto the stage and using a lever on the set, turns the house lights down and then we’re off into our first song. The set is a radio station, allowing the audience to be part of a live audience during the show. There is a sense of reality within the musical, the actors talking to one another and moving around on stage when it’s not their lines gives it a bit more life. The lack of the fourth wall within the ‘on air’ section allows interaction with the audience. As radio shows would normally have a live audience this one is no different, before they go ‘on air’, Wilfred (Ben Fox) warms us up. During the show, Jeeps whilst doing all the sound effects also holds up the ‘applause’ cards for our cues. The sense of reality became apparent for a couple sat behind us.
When the interval was announced, playing to the Blitz context with the bomb sirens going off, Heathcliffe (John Conroy) says that it would be safer for us to take an interval and go to the lower part of the theatre until it all dies down. To which I then heard gravely concerned voices about the structure of the theatre and that they hoped the musical would be able to continue soon.
It is easy to forgive the older couple behind me for forgetting where and what time period we’re in. When you walk in to take your seats across the sound system is old news bulletins about Nazi planes and areas that have been badly affected by the bombs. Whilst the context for the musical is a difficult and depressing time, the need to keep morale up is infectious. Using this as its background allows it to be full of happy songs and what I can only describe as ‘Dad’ jokes, regardless of your sense of humour you cannot help but laugh. It’s all tongue-in-cheek and harmless fun. If the aim of this musical is to leave it audience smiling and laughing then all I can say is mission accomplished.
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Derby Theatre
Carolin Kopplin 4 November 2012
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As I arrive at the Richmond Theatre, air wardens and soldiers dressed in 1940s uniforms warn me that enemy paratroopers have landed. They reassure me that I would be safe inside and rush me in. If they knew that my nationality is German! Anyway, welcome to the heart of London’s Blitz-torn West End where we find the cast of BBC’s light-entertainment radio show, Variety Bandwagon , working hard for the war effort. The show must go on!
The show begins as the singers and musicians arrive at the radio studio of the BBC Home Service. We learn that there will be a live broadcast to the US this night. Everybody is quite jittery, including producer Heathcliffe Bultitude, because the star of the show – Sammy Shaw – has not arrived yet. Eventually, Sammy enters the scene, with British born movie star Gary Strong in tow. Heartthrob Gary and Sammy’s girlfriend Olive used to work together and probably more than that… Meanwhile, producer Bultitude is causing problems because he keeps investigating for possible filth and smut in the show that might weaken morale. (Some of the numerous one-liners are quite suggestive.) Attractive Amy Chapman is talked into making a pass at Bultitude to distract him. Her attempts are so clumsy that Bultitude simply has to fall for her out of sympathy. The scene is absolutely hilarious. When the puppeteer does not appear, Bultitude’s so far undiscovered talents are unearthed and he finds himself in a far more active and enjoyable role in show business.
Radio Times is a very charming, nostalgic show including many great songs by the unforgotten Noel Gay (Me and My Girl), such as “You’ve Done Something to my Heart”, “Run, Rabbit, Run”, “Love Makes the World Go Round,” and “I Took My Harp To a Party”. The show is just so much fun!
And the cast is composed of actors who are dancers and musicians as well. All of them play at least one instrument. I was especially impressed by John Conroy as the dour Heathcliff Bultitude who changes into a whirlwind entertainer cracking his one-liners to great comic effect. Gary Wilmot is excellent as the charismatic showman Sammy Shaw who loves his girl but does not dare speak the words. Sara Crowe convinces as his long suffering girlfriend Olive. Michael Hobbs is very good as Gary Strong, the British actor turned Hollywood star who wants to do his bit for his country. Vivien Carter is very charming as the lovely Amy Chapman. The whole cast is outstanding. The stage design and the costumes (Designer: Tom Rogers) – the whole atmosphere – takes us back to the 1940s. I talked to a gentleman who was a child during the Blitz and he was amazed by the authenticity of the production.
If you love a bit of nostalgia and enjoy good entertainment, don’t miss this show!
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There is an unexpected poignant moment when Strong, just after trying to rescue a man from a burning building, delivers a heartfelt speech about the war in what is a sober reminder of the grim condition facing people at the time. But mostly this is a vehicle for non-stop merriment. Wilmot is immensely likeable, effortlessly dominating the stage with his energy, humour and charisma, while Sara Crowe stirs the heartstrings as Olive.This is the ultimate feelgood show – pure job from start to finish. Unmissable..
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Radio Times New Wolsey Theatre.
Suzanne Hawkes October 26th, 2012 * * * * *
Buggles once sang ‘Video killed the radio star’, and maybe that was true – the hey day of radio was really the war years when life was tough and moral needed a daily boost. Subsequent generations cannot imagine life without TV, and the plethora of communication devices that have become our daily bread. During the war there was only radio to keep the spirits up and make people feel less isolated. And radio spawned the great stars of the day – when the star of the most famous comedy show, Its That Man Again (ITMA), Tommy Handley, died in 1949 ten thousand flocked to his funeral.
Radio Times seeks to give us a glimpse into the wacky world that was the radio comedy show – cheesy jokes, scripted add libs, catch phrases, over the top sound effects and all. And it does it brilliantly. Using the songs of Noel Gay – famous for the hit musical Me and my Girl and some of the greatest wartime hits including Run Rabbit Run, this follows the fortunes of Sammy ‘I’m doing it I’m doing It’ Shaw and his cast as they try to produce their weekly show Variety Bandwagon in the face of BBC regulations, a missing ventriloquist, and the danger of air raids.
Gary Wilmot plays Sammy – a brilliant but feckless comic who flies the show by the seat of his pants, and his relationship with girlfriend Olive in the same fashion. With a new producer on board who is determined to follow the rules, Sammy and sidekick Wilf duck and weave their way through the regulations and the lack of performers as they persuade film star Gary Strong to get the yanks on board and save the show from being axed.
This is an incredible production. Although an obvious star – Wilmot never makes the part of Sammy Shaw a vehicle to outshine the rest of this superb cast whose versatility is breathtaking. Moving with lightning speed from costume change to instrument they sang, danced and played their way through two and a half hours of sheer pleasure.
John Conroy is particularly good as producer Heathcliffe Bultitude – a stickler for the rule book who discovers he is actually a talented voice over artist and hoofer and so saves the day. But the whole cast were faultless and amazing, playing a variety of instruments as well as parts and sometimes changing over half way through a number.
The songs come thick and fast – Turn on the Music, Hello to the Sun and You’ve done something to my Heart were interspersed with such classics as Ali Baba’s Camel and Hey little Hen – a brilliant routine culminating in a plethora of ukuleles.
Funny, touching, entertaining – this is the feel good show of the year for me. For anyone who was brought up in the war years this will be a trip of nostalgia to celebrate – for those of us too young to remember it was an education and a joy to make us wish we had been there.
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Abi Grant 