4 Theatre


Showhas plenty of elegance


THE classic Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers film musical Top Hat comes to life on the stage of Wales Millennium Centre next week. Packed full of Irving Ber-


lin’s greatest hits including, Cheek to Cheek, Top Hat, White Tie & Tails, Let’s Face the Music&Dance and Puttin’ on the Ritz, Top Hat tells the story of Broadway sensation Jerry Travers who dances his way across Europe to win the heart of society girl Dale Tremont. Stepping into the shoes of


Interview


Fred Astaire and Ginger Rog- ers, in the lead roles of Jerry Travers and Dale Tremont, are Alan Burkitt and Char- lotte Gooch who both return to Top Hat having previously performed these roles in the West End. Also part of the original West End cast is Bridgend-born Alyn Hawke, who returns to South Wales as part of the ensemble and dance captain for the show. “Top Hat as a show is very


lovely,” Alyn recently told me, “It’s escapist, easy watching and elegant. It’s such a lovely showto watch and be part of.” Alyn went to Brynteg Com- prehensive School in Brid- gend before going on to train at Arts Educational Schools in London for a BA (Hons) in musical theatre. Going into theatre work was a fulfilment of a lifelong passion for Alyn. “I grew up watching all the old movie musicals,” he says, “My gran was very keen on them. I always knew that’s what I wanted to be involved in, in some way.” On completion of the course


MUSICAL: The cast recreate a classic scene for the stage version of Top Hat


he joined the European tour of Evita before moving on to the


CLASSIC: The cast step up in Top Hat INSET: Dance Captain, Alyn Hawke In all, Top Hat features 29


West End production of Top Hat, three years ago. Alyn has continued with the produc- tion on its 42-week UK tour as dance captain. “In a nutshell, the dance captain is to be the choreogra- pher’s eyes on the show,” says Alyn, “because although they create the show they don’t come on tour with us. The dance captain has to uphold what the choreographer’s standard and expectation of the show is. We therefore have to make sure everyone is doing the right choreography as well as taking company warm ups, there’s lots of dif- ferent things we are involved with.”


Australian theatre group set to tour production of Hoods


Live Performances


Sessions -Open Mic and Bouique Market Friday 9January, from 7pm


Performance fills the air and unique crat and git stalls fill the foyer. Come and browse the wares of local sellers and have agoatOpen Mic. FREE


Hoods-Perth Youth Theatre Monday 12 January, 7pm


Join atouring youth theatre from Australia as they tell the story of agroup of children who encounter strange characters in acar park! FREE


SolidGold 70s Show Saturday24January, 7.30pm


Reviving the golden age of pop, this show features glamrock greats, disco hits, power balladsand party anthems from the greats! £20


Join The Riverfront’s email lists and book tickets by visiting...


www.newport.gov.uk/theriverfront or calling...


Booking Line: 01633 656757


THE Midnite Youth Thea- tre Company, from Perth, Australia,will present Hoods, by Angela Betzien, at The Riverfront Theatre at 7pm on January 12. Set in a deserted car


park, Hoods tells the story of three abandoned chil- dren waiting in vain for their mother to return. Kyle, Jessie and baby


Troy must now decide for themselveswhether to stay or leave, facing a universal challenge to reconcile with their past, take control of their present and change their future. Directed by Kalika Duck, Hoods is a story about choice and change. “It is about breaking from the blueprint laid down for your life and finding the courage and conviction to tread uncharted ground,” Kalika said. Playwright Angela Betz-


ien is a multi award-win- ning writer and a founding


cal theatre, fostering an adaptability, creativity and courage that should serve the young cast well, while on the road. “I hope we can share a sto-


member of independent theatre company Real TV; her work has toured wide- ly across Australia and in- ternationally. “Nomadic at heart, Hoods lends itself in plot and performance-style to touring,” Kalika said. “The thematic demands


of the show are equally matched by the challenges of a malleable set and the transformations of physi-


ry that is both unmistakably Australian and yet essential- ly universal.” TheMidnite Youth Theatre Company was established in 1987 following a collabora- tion between Perth’s Christ Church Grammar School and Methodist Ladies’ Col- lege on Randolph Stow’s Midnite, (adapted by Rich- ard Tulloch, with music by John Bates). From its early days, the company’s policy has been to extend its performers through musical theatre, experimental works, group devised pieces, professional commissions of new Aus- tralian works, the classics and contemporary drama. This will be the company’s


10th international tour since 1988. Tickets for the showare free.


cast members, 20 of which are dancers. The production features many iconic scenes that fans will be familiar with but something different too.


“There’s lots of iconic parts


our choreographer stuck to,” says Alyn, “It wasn’t until later on in the process he was given permission to choreo- graph his own original rou- tines rather than copy the film.


“There have been lots of variations as Top Hat has gone on. It has strayed fur- ther away from the filmwhile still keeping an authentic 1930s Fred Astaire feel to it.


As much as we’d like to, no- one could ever replicate ex- actly what Fred and Ginger created, so it’s nice it has those original touches with that in mind.” With the production main- taining that 1930s flair, does Top Hat still stand up as good entertainment today? Alyn seems to think so. Top Hat is at Wales Millen- nium Centre from January 14 to January 24. Tickets range between £18


to £46.50. Premium seats are available. For more information and


to book tickets visit wmc. org.uk or call the ticket of- fice on 02920 636464.


Davies scores a little victory


FOLLOWING the phenom- enal success of his 55-date UK tour of Little Victories in 2014, Alan Davies has an- nounced a further 14 dates this Spring, including one Welsh date at Swansea’s Grand Theatre on March 28. His previous show, Life Is


Pain – his first UK tour in over a decade – was criti- cally acclaimed in Austral- ia, New Zealand and across the UK and due to unprec- edented public demand, was extended twice – running for almost eighteen months – culminating in the release of aDVDof the show, filmed at London’s iconic Apollo Hammersmith. Alan recently starred in


a new series of Jonathan Creek this spring and is cur- rently recording a new se- ries of QI. Call 01792 475 715 or visit


swanseasgrand.co.uk for ticket details.


Follow us on Twitter @Argus_The Guide Friday, January 9, 2015


Dance Captain AlynHawke talks toANDYHOWELLS about TopHat which opens in Cardiff nextweek


RETURNING: Alan Davies


Music


Drama


Open Mic


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