Theatre

A contemplation on immortality, Janáček’s The Makropulos Affair this month features in

Welsh National Opera’s Birmingham Hippodrome programme of shows. What’s On recently caught up with Spanish soprano Ángeles Blancas Gulín, who plays the lead role of Emilia Marty in the production, to find out what audiences can expect...

Emilia Marty seems to have it all. She is successful, beautiful and adored by everyone. And what’s more, she is immortal. Yet Emilia, the lead character in Leoš Janáček’s opera, The Makropulos Affair, is far from happy. After more than 300 years of living, she’s realised that she has nothing left to enjoy. Being immortal may seem like a dream come true, but, says Spanish soprano Ángeles Blancas Gulín, who plays Emilia in the new Welsh National Opera (WNO) version of the show, her character gradually learns that life without love is meaningless. “Emilia Marty does a lot of things,” says Ángeles. “She takes cocaine, and she is smoking and drinking because she doesn’t care. She does everything she wants and says everything she wants to say. “But for her, living 300 years has been hard because she has lost all kind of emotions and feelings. She doesn’t feel anything now because she has had so many huge experiences in her life that she doesn’t care anymore about it. She doesn’t feel love, she doesn’t feel pain, nothing. “Nobody knows what it would really be like to be immortal; what someone can do, really do, when they are living forever, but also the cost. It would be so tough.” Czech composer Janáček premiered The Makropulos Affair, which is based on a play of the same name by Czech dramatist Karel Čapek, in 1926. It was last performed by WNO in 1994, in a production by the company’s former artistic director, Sir David Pountney. Directed by Olivia Fuchs and conducted by WNO Music Director Tomáš Hanus, the new production is set in the 1920s and also features Nicky Spence, Gustáv Beláček, David Stout, Harriet Eyley and Mark Le Brocq in the cast. The Makropulos Affair is said to be partly inspired by Janáček’s unrequited passion for a married woman. Pouring his emotion into his work, Janáček created one of opera’s most dramatic and enigmatic female roles in Emilia Marty. “It is an absolutely amazing part,” says Ángeles. “Janáček’s music really gets inside the story, so you are always inside a real drama. Emilia is playing a role because she is the only one who really knows what’s happening. “Everyone is crazy about this woman, but she knows everything they don’t know, and they are all asking ‘How is this possible?’ This is what makes the story very interesting - she is a really mysterious woman. “When you play the part of someone who has a really deep life, a spiritual life, you can feel it. And with Emilia Marty, it’s like that. She is so strong; she’s had 300 years of living, so a lot of different experiences, and it is something that people can smell - the energy. When you find somebody who has a different energy inside like this, it’s irresistible.” Ángeles first played Emilia at La Fenice Opera House in Venice in 2013, and then again at Strasbourg Opera House in 2016. Each time she comes to the part, she learns more about her character. “I was a completely different woman the first time I played her. Now I am older, I’ve changed, I have so much more experience and different kinds of experience - so I am different. And that means I understand her so much better now than nine years ago and six years ago. “And it’s about how you play the role. So for example, sometimes in the opera you want to make a lot of movement. You don’t like the empty moments, so you do things to fill them - but actually, the less you do, the better it is.” Ángeles was born in Spain and made her debut in concert with Plácido Domingo. Since then she’s performed roles in operas including Mozart’s Magic Flute, Puccini’s Tosca, Verdi’s Aida and Monteverdi’s Coronation Of Poppea. And she has appeared in venues across the globe such as Liceu Opera in Barcelona, Carnegie Hall in New York and the Colón Theatre in Buenos Aires. The Makropulos Affair is her first engagement with Welsh National Opera. She is looking forward to touring with the company. “I’ve sung at Covent Garden and the Barbican Centre, but that is all for the UK, so everywhere I go, it will be for the first time. I’m very excited about this.” The production is also travelling to Brno in the Czech Republic, where it forms part of the line-up for the prestigious biennial Janáček Brno International Opera & Music Festival. The Makropulos Affair is the final part of a WNO Janáček trilogy which has also included The Cunning Little Vixen and Jenůfa. Under the baton of Brno-born Hanus, the company has gained an international reputation for its Janáček works. For Ángeles, the composer’s work is highly theatrical. “Janáček is very passionate; there is passion inside his music. This opera is very dramatic - the acting is very important because Emilia Marty is such an exhilarating woman that you don’t need to do extra things for the audience to understand her. If you do exactly what is written, it’s going to be wonderful.” One of the challenges of performing Janáček is mastering the Czech libretto, which is surtitled in Welsh and English on the tour. “This is a new production and has a wonderful conductor who is Czech, so I feel I am really inside the Czech mood. But learning the Czech language is hard work. “The first time I met with the Czech language was with the opera Rusalka in 2007. I began to work really hard to get inside the language - I write all the words, I translate, I memorise, I listen to the pronunciation, and I need to understand the music of the language. “The main thing is to make all the different words have a distinct beginning and end because even though the audience is going to listen just to a line, you must be saying each word separately, and you must feel each word individually. It must come from inside your soul. Only then will it make sense to anyone who understands the language.” The Makropulos Affair may be nearly 100 years old, but Ángeles believes it has a very current message. “I think the opera is saying that we need to go to the really important things in life. There is a phrase of Emilia Marty’s in which she says: ‘You are idiots because you don’t understand how important it is just to live one life, a normal life, with the really important things.’”

Welsh National Opera’s The Makropulos Affair shows at Birmingham Hippodrome on Tuesday 8 November. Other WNO productions showing at the venue include La bohème, from Wed 9 to Fri 11 November, and Migrations on Sat 12 November

Theatre previews from around the region

Strictly Ballroom The Musical

Birmingham Hippodrome, Mon 31 October - Sat 5 November; Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Mon 13 - Sat 18 February

Strictly Come Dancing favourites Kevin Clifton and Maisie Smith star in this brand-new Craig Revel Horwood-directed musical, based on Baz Lurhmann’s iconic 1992 film of the same name. “This show introduces people to the backstage world,” says Craig. “Everyone who watches Strictly Come Dancing is seeing the glossy side of it, but Strictly Ballroom delves into the hearts and minds of the people doing the dance - the trials and tribulations they have to go through in order to get to that competition standard. It’s about the fight and struggle, and all the animosity that’s involved in it to win the day and become a gold medallist. It’s about dancing with your heart rather than just dancing the steps.”

Saturday Night Fever

The Alexandra, Birmingham, Tues 22 - Sat 26 November

Tony Manero knows there’s more to life than he’s got: an unremarkable existence in New York City with family and friends who’ve accepted their lot and expect him to do the same... But there’s fat chance Tony will do that; he’s way too busy living his very own American Dream, hitting Manhattan’s nightspots with his dancing partner and strutting his funky stuff... The mother of all disco shows, the 1970s-set Saturday Night Fever pulsates to the music of the Bee Gees’ famous soundtrack. Classic hits like Stayin’ Alive, Jive Talkin’, Night Fever, If I Can’t Have You and Tragedy guarantee an evening of flares-flapping fun for anyone who’s ever enjoyed the pumping sounds of the disco dancefloor. In short, you can expect to find yourself well and truly, er, Lost In Music...

Six The Musical

Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Tues 15 - Sun 20 November; Birmingham Hippodrome, Tues 28 February - Sat 4 March

From Tudor queens to battling boss-women, the 2022 Tony Award-winning Six The Musical sees the wives of Henry VIII take to the stage to tell their own versions of their lives. The one-act production, which premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2017, was enjoying a runaway success until Covid put the brakes on - but being a show that sits somewhere between a Girls Aloud gig and a traditional musical, it’s having no trouble whatsoever re-gaining its momentum. A loud and colourful celebration of girl power, the production sees the cast being ably supported by allfemale band The Ladies In Waiting.

Theatre

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical

Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Tues 1 - Sat 5 November

Making another welcome return to the Midlands, the Olivier Award-winning Beautiful is a homage to the life and music of legendary singer-songwriter Carole King. Featured numbers include You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman, Take Good Care Of My Baby, You’ve Got A Friend, So Far Away, It Might As Well Rain Until September, Up On The Roof and Locomotion.

Agatha Christie’s The Mirror Crack’d

Malvern Theatres, Mon 14 - Sat 19 November; The Alexandra, Birmingham, Tues 14 - Sat 18 February

The sleepy village of St Mary Mead is changing. A new housing estate is causing disquiet among the residents, and a rich American film star has bought the Manor House. When a vicious crime takes place, the indomitable Miss Marple suddenly finds herself with yet another baffling murdermystery on her hands... Susie Blake - whose screen credits include Victoria Wood’s As Seen On TV, Coronation Street and Mrs Brown’s Boys - takes the starring role as Agatha Christie’s legendary spinster sleuth. The show is presented by the well-regarded Original Theatre company.

The Memory Of Water

Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Tues 8 - Sat 12 November

Childhood conflicts re-emerge, memories collide, and the secrets of three separate lives are revealed in Shelagh Stephenson’s Olivier Award-winning play. Bossy big-sister Teresa, over-achieving Mary and attention-seeking Catherine are siblings with little history of getting along. And when they return to the family home on the Yorkshire coast, it soon becomes evident that even more turmoil is on the cards...

Theatre previews from around the region

A Dead Body In Taos

Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Tues 15 - Sat 19 November

Part mystery, part sci-fi epic and part love story, David Farr’s new play contemplates the ways in which developments in artificial intelligence might impact the human understanding of death, consciousness and the soul. Set against the backdrop of modern America, the story follows Sam as she travels to a place of pilgrimage in the New Mexico desert, where her estranged 70-year-old mother, Kath, has died. But once arrived in Taos, she discovers that Kath has secretly exercised ‘the ultimate right as a consumer - the right to defy death’ - a fact which leaves Sam with a terrible decision to make... Co-commissioned by Warwick Arts Centre and Fuel Theatre, A Dead Body In Taos is loosely inspired by Adam Curtis’ The Century Of The Self, a 2002 documentary series which explored the ways in which governments and organisations have used psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud’s ground-breaking theories to try and control people in an age of mass democracy.

Julie: The Musical

The Old Joint Stock, Birmingham, Wed 16 - Fri 18 November

Tap-dancing sword fights, twerking nuns and kazoo choruses are not so much the order of the day as the order of the first 30 minutes of this brand-new musical. Talk about being fast out of the traps! The show is based on the life, times and outrageous adventures of 17th-century operasinging bisexual swordswoman and LGBTQ+ icon Julie D’Aubigny. Julie was most certainly one of a kind, seducing nuns, duelling multiple men all at once, burning down convents, taking bribes from princes and innovating opera - and all before she’d reached the age of 30! With all of that and plenty more going on, it’s fair to assume this will be no ordinary evening of musical theatre...

Circus Of Horrors: The Witch

Telford Theatre, Thurs 3 November; KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton, Thurs 17 November; Stratford Playhouse, Stratford-upon-Avon, Fri 25 November

An off-kilter affair that bears more resemblance to a freak show than any modern definition of a circus, the one-time Britain’s Got Talent finalists here present a world beyond political correctness and taste. With the performers dressed in a manner reminiscent of The Rocky Horror Show, there’s no denying the skill of those participating - or indeed the ensemble’s sheer ‘wow’ factor. Latest offering The Witch comes complete with an original rock score and is described as ‘a sensational new phantasmagoria which encompasses amazing & bizarre circus acts’.

Theatre previews from around the region

Theatre

The Shawshank Redemption

The Alexandra, Birmingham, Mon 7 - Sat 12 November

Given that film critics regard The Shawshank Redemption as one of the greatest movies of all time, it’s hardly surprising to find that its stage version is out on the road yet again and doing good business. Based on a 1982 Stephen King novella, the story revolves around the character of Andy Dufresne, a man serving a double life sentence at the notorious Shawshank facility. An unlikely friendship with prison fixer Red makes the experience a little more bearable. But when the warden decides to make Andy’s life a living hell, the nothing-to-lose lifer hatches a daring and ingenious plan to escape... Joe Absolom and Ben Onwukwe star.

Done To Death, By Jove!

The Core Theatre, Solihull, Wed 23 November

Fun-loving duo Gavin Robertson and Nicholas Collett blend humour, variety, theatre and dance in a show that pays spoof homage to the ‘great British detective’. Well reviewed in Edinburgh back in the summer, the show is based around the idea that a cast of six has become a cast of two due to an M6 breakdown of the van carrying the props, the set and four of the performers. The intrepid remaining cast members, Messers Robertson and Collett, are therefore left to present the show on their own - an endeavour which, not surprisingly, leads to all manner of mix-ups and mayhem.

The Hound Of The Baskervilles

Tamworth Assembly Rooms, Thurs 10 - Fri 11 November

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes is one of literature’s most enduring characters, The Hound Of The Baskervilles his most famous adventure. And no matter how many actors don the deerstalker and solve the mystery of the monstrous moorland beast, the story continues to be rehashed both for stage and screen. This latest incarnation, marking the story’s 120th anniversary, is being presented by Crime And Comedy Theatre Company as a radio play on stage. One-time Dr Who Colin Baker and Terry Molloy - who played the role of Mike Tucker in The Archers for 40 years star as Holmes and his faithful assistant Dr John Watson.

The Orphanage

Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham, Fri 11 - Sun 27 November

If Halloween got you in the mood for more spinetingling experiences, then bagging yourself a seat for this brand-new production would definitely be a good idea. When a young couple dare themselves to spend the night in a spooky old out-of-town building, they soon find that they’ve bitten off considerably more than they can chew... The show is presented by DR1 Theatricals Limited, who scored a hit last year with their adaptation of The Wicked Lady.

The Lavender Hill Mob

Malvern Theatres, Mon 7 - Sat 12 November

This stage version of the classic Ealing Comedy of the same name tells the story of an unassuming bank clerk and the team he puts together to steal the gold bullion that he drives across London every day. Miles Jupp and The Thick Of It’s Justin Edwards take the lead roles in this worldpremiere adaptation of the 1951 movie, which the British Film Institute ranked the 17th greatest Brit film of all time.

The Syrian Baker

Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton, Tues 8 November; SpArC Theatre, Bishops Castle, South Shropshire; Thurs 10 November; Welshampton Parish Hall, North Shropshire, Fri 11 November; Farlow and Oreton Village Hall, South Shropshire, Sat 12 November; Meole Brace Peace Memorial Hall, Shrewsbury, Sun 13 November

“Our shows are written for all to enjoy,” explains Farnham Maltings, the company behind this thought-provoking production. “There is nothing to offend, and we hope everyone will take something special home with them from the evening.” The Syrian Baker revolves around the experiences of two people who decide to return home despite the state of their country. Told ‘with affection, irrepressible humour and bread - because without bread nothing happens’, the show reflects on the way in which small actions can make the biggest difference. The production’s storytelling style and language is considered suitable for audience members aged 10-plus.

Theatre previews from around the region

Theatre

The Bear

Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham, Thurs 17 November - Fri 30 December

The late Raymond Briggs is best known, of course, for his story about a little boy who makes friends with a snowman. His picture book of The Bear has a similar child-meets-unusual-friend theme - except that in this case, it’s a little girl and an enormous polar bear who take centre stage. Adapted for the theatre by Pins And Needles and already the recipient of enormous critical acclaim, this heartwarming and decidedly wintry tale features puppetry, music, storytelling and plenty of humour. Highly recommended.

Alice In Wonderland

New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Fri 18 November - Sat 28 January

The New Vic theatre is reaching back into its past for this year’s Christmas production, revisiting - and, according to Artistic Director Theresa Heskins, ‘refreshing’ - its acclaimed version of Alice In Wonderland, which was first performed 11 years ago. “Alice is one of the shows we’re fondest of,” says Theresa. “It was nominated for awards, engaged the imaginations of so many young people who are now adults, and we saw that it had so much impact. We’re also fond of it because it has great music, and it’s very lively, funny and witty. It’s a much-loved story told in a very dramatic and exciting way.”

Tales From Acorn Wood At Christmas

Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa, Sat 12 & Sun 13 November; Birmingham Hippodrome, Tues 13 - Sat 31 December

Stage adaptations of books by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler invariably offer theatrical magic aplenty, so this is definitely a show that’s well worth catching. Presented by the team behind two other hit kids’ productions, Dear Zoo Live and Dear Santa, the show features puppetry, toetapping songs and, as a special festive treat, the chance to help Squirrel find everything she needs to build a snowman.

Cinderella

Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham, Wed 30 November - Sat 10 December

With its comical Ugly Sisters, matchmaking fairy godmother, drop-dead-gorgeous Prince Charming, super-cute mice and fits-one-footonly glass slipper, Cinderella can justifiably lay claim to being the most popular of all pantomimes. This Blue Orange Arts version brings together ‘romance, comedy, lots of magical songs, dances, sweets, sets, glorious costumes and buckets of audience participation’.

Beauty And The Beast

Old Rep, Birmingham, Fri 18 November - Fri 16 December

“Beauty And The Beast is an inspiring tale, perfect for children and families,” says Old Rep Executive Director Michael Penn. “Our theatre is delighted to be teaming up with the Birmingham Ormiston Academy (BOA) Group, and the creative team behind last year’s wonderful Alice In Wonderland, to bring a fresh and exciting take on this classic story.” The seventh Christmas show that the Old Rep has produced alongside BOA, Beauty comes complete with ‘spectacular costumes, catchy original songs, creative choreography and plenty of fun’.

Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs

Lichfield Garrick, Fri 25 November - Sat 31 December

Everybody knows the story - the nasty old queen’s less than keen on her younger and more beautiful stepdaughter, who takes refuge from her royal evilness by holing up in the deep, dark forest with a household of small but splendidly friendly miners... The fact that Snow White’s a twenty-four carat classic of a fairytale means that a pantomime version is always a surefire winner. Expect all the usual panto elements, with the Garrick’s ever-popular Dame, Sam Rabone, taking top billing.

Snow White

Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Sat 26 November - Sat 31 December

The creators of the critically acclaimed King Arthur: The Panto! - that’s BAFTA-winning writer Maurice Gran (Birds Of A Feather) and local playwright Nick Wilkes (the Almost series) - this month return to Tewkesbury for another bite of the yuletide apple, this time with a famous fairytale that they’ve brought bang up to date.

Theatre previews from around the region

Nativity! The Musical

The Rep, Birmingham, Sat 19 November - Sat 7 January

Debbie Isitt’s 2009 movie, Nativity!, proved so popular that it spawned three further films. It also inspired the Birmingham-born writer & director to create this musical stage adaptation, here making a welcome return to The Rep complete with some brand-new songs. For those unfamiliar with the plot, it concerns the children of St Bernadette’s primary school and their ambition to present a musical version of the nativity. An already big challenge for the kids is made all the trickier by false promises, a complicated love interest and a rival school vying with St Bernadette’s for the critics’ award. Not surprisingly, chaos ensues! “I always believed that Nativity! would make a fantastic stage musical,” says Debbie. “It’s so full of joy, the children are so sweet and funny and the songs so catchy that it lends itself to being the perfect Christmas musical. The songs really do change the dynamic. It gives you much more insight into the characters and their backstories. And the emotions are more intense, like with the love story between Mr Maddens and Jennifer - it feels even bigger now because they’re singing duets.”

Disney On Ice: Dream Big

Resorts World Arena, Birmingham, 26 & 27 November & 30 November - 4 December

Disney On Ice makes a welcome return to Birmingham with a show that’s encouraging audiences to Dream Big. Featuring a host of the Mouse House’s most popular characters, including numerous Disney princesses, the production has enjoyed more than its fair share of positive reviews since debuting at the start of the millennium. For tickets, visit theticketfactory.com.

Theatre

Beauty And The Beast

Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Wed 30 November - Sun 8 January

“There are pantos that go a bit near the knuckle, but I don’t think we do really,” says Brad Fitt, who’s long been a much-loved fixture in Theatre Severn’s annual pantomime production. “I would never tell a joke that was offensive or rude. Sometimes you can use a double entendre - but then that’s in your mind, that’s not me. You have to blame yourself!” Brad this year takes on the role of Nurse Nelly and also directs the show, his 11th Theatre Severn panto. He’s joined in the cast by Britain’s Got Talent 2022 contestant Tommy J Rollason, who’ll play comedy character Jangles.

A Christmas Carol

Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-uponAvon, until Sun 1 January

Of all Dickens’ festive stories, A Christmas Carol reigns supreme. The covetous sinning of the miserly Scrooge, the eternal hope offered by Tiny Tim, and the eerie visions of redemption - visiting Ebenezer in the shape of three yuletide ghosts (four if you count the chain-clanking Jacob Marley) - all combine to give the tale a real olde worlde charm... Adrian Edmondson stars as Scrooge in this highly acclaimed David Edgar-penned adaptation, which debuted at the RSC five years ago.

Cinderella

Swan Theatre, Worcester, Tues 29 Nov - Mon 2 January

Worcester Repertory Company have an excellent reputation for producing quality family theatre, and they will no doubt be doing so again when they get their collective teeth into the ever-sparkling story of Cinders and her search for true love.

Dream time