PALACE THEATRE ARTICLE SEPT 2007
PALACE THEATRE ARTICLE – SEPT 2007
FROM BOMBSHELLS TO BRUM – SUMMER SHINES ON!
Despite the inclement weather bringing floods rather than Fahrenheit to warm to the summer season, the Palace has seen a sharp rise in members in contrast to the disappointing rise in temperature outside its listed walls. The membership numbers of the Palace Theatre Club has broken through the 400th barrier and, with the increased focus and publicity centered around this long surviving rep theatre, I can only hope that this number will accelerate in the future and the future is set to provide a productive and dedicated focus for this theatre to ensure its long term security. With the encasement of its own dedicated manageress, Georgie Holt, and the soon to be resident members of staff in the shape of Jenny Byne (Education and Community Officer) and Tracey Cooper (Business Development Manager), it looks set to become the focus once again of its immediate and wide reaching community. This is just one aspect of the new phase that the Palace is moving into and, hopefully, its most productive yet. With new management and proper funding, the focus on this treasure production house has generated its own excitement and there is also the prospect of the Palace having its facilities as an eating establishment restored as, in the past, it was highly popular as a charming drop in place for its lunches and light snacks. There are also plans to use the welcoming foyer space for art exhibitions, lunchtime recitals, music evenings and other specialized events. This will bring in the occasional and the regular venue goer and it is important to recognize this artistic institute as being accessible to all entertainment seekers – whether on a regular or casual basis.
For the punters, both regular and casual, I hope that these auditorium fillers have been able to catch some of the diverse and innovative productions that have graced the infamous rake in the past few months. It is important for the new managers to seek out an even more wide ranging and experimental choice of programming in order to satisfy the regular ticket payer as well as the curious who may not have crossed the foyer carpet in previous seasons. Innovative and original are the seminal adjectives that can be attributed to the hit West End creation of the life, times and ground breaking comedy that came from one of the truly great and original British double acts –Peter Cook and Dudley Moore. ‘Pete and Dud Come Again’ harnessed the juxtapositions of clips from their most famous creations with the biographical elements of their rise to comedy fortune. The play stood alone as a testament to new and dynamic writing as well as satisfying the cult like devotees of their unique style of humour. The simple set and saturated character study of these two British icons was a tribute to the brilliance of its two lead actors – Simon Lowe and Gareth Tunley - as they captured the essence of what inspired and destroyed the relationship of Pete and Dud in a compact and stunning show.
Character studies dominated the flavour of the summer season and no more starkly than in the hilarious and often painfully accurate production of ‘Mum’s The Word’ which brought satisfied smiles and nodding appreciation from its predominantly female audience. Five of our industry’s talented actresses bought to life the trials and tribulations of parents in modern times and the shocking, surprising and searing experiences of the arrival of the future generation in their lives. The often painful and baffling experiences of getting to grips with the intentions of their personalized rugrats brought much laughter and memories of nappy challenges to the empathetic voyeurs. The humorous strand of productions continued with the subsequent productions of ‘The Decorator’ and ‘Dead Funny’ which provided the amusement in domestic and colloquial settings that the great general public can associate with.
But the fire in the belly and the blow in the trumpet came from the sparkling saxophone syncopation that was the ‘Blonde Bombshells of 1943’ which brought wartime glamour and high octane energy to this seaside resort. A bevy of beautiful and talented young actresses brought the wartime style and music to the audiences of Essex. Sophisticated productions of romantic and political intrigue came in the shape of ‘Dead Lock’ and ‘Dead Guilty; which boasted high profile television actors such as Lorraine Chase and Simon Ward. It is always interesting to see well-established names of the small screen treading the boards and going back to the very traditional routes of their creative careers. Little ones could also have their fair share of entertainment during the school holidays with offers such as the dark and winning ‘The Gruffalo’s Child’ which bought a touch of the Roald Dahl to the live stage with songs, spooky creatures and scary shadows. In contrast to this stark and heavily characterized production, came ‘Brum’ which played to packed houses and had tiny tots cheering for the adventures of their favourite little motor car.
From our ever-surprising Dixon studio where creativity and experimental artistic endeavours can take flight came the fiery comedic double bill production from the fast rising comedy star Russell Kane. His pre Edinburgh display of stand up comedy and sharply scripted premiere of ‘Fakespeare – The Lamentable Tragedie of Yates Wine Lodge ‘, which was one of the most original and acutely observational creations I have seen at the Palace Theatre. If imitation is the sincerest from of flattery, then I am sure our most famous Bard will be basking quietly in his final resting place at the hideous and all too familiar caricatures of our beloved home county, as they seek their own brand of Friday night entertainment around the watering holes and night clubs of our immediate vicinity.
It is also important to highlight the artistic endeavours of those that are not just seen on the stage of the Palace Theatre but working in and around the venue itself. I was invited to attend the premiere of Ketchup Ken’s production of ‘What The World Needs’ written and starring Southend Theatres own front of house staff - Theo Rowswell and Stephen Frank Rae . This pre Edinburgh premiere was staged at ‘The Railway Tavern’ in Southend and fused an innovative mixture of film animation and live theatre within a non-traditional setting. Just a mention of the simply wonderful pub venue that could have massive potential as a really great fringe theatre venue and will be keeping an eye on this for as a potential talent centre for the future.
Southend Spyglass.
