Witches - The Opera House, Manchester
October 13th - 18th
The Witches of Eastwick: Hot or not?
THINGS were getting a bit steamy at the
Opera House on Monday night, with the opening of new touring show The Witches of
Eastwick.
Starring Marti Pellow, and produced by
Kenny Wax Productions, the show is a revived and revamped version of the 2000
west end show, based on the Eighties novel by John Updike, which in turn spawned
a Hollywood movie starring Jack Nicholson.
And prudes beware this saucy show
includes (in no particular order): Rude pottery a la Ghost; erotic cello
playing; plenty of pelvic thrusts; a couple of bare bums and lots of innuendo.
The Witches of Eastwick is a story of a
trio of unhappy women, living in a small New England town, whose lives are
livened up by the arrival of their dream man – Darryl Van Horne – who they magic
up.
Wet Wet Wet frontman Marti Pellow plays
Darryl with devilish delight. His Darryl (pictured above with his witches, photo
by Robert Workman) was less leering Nicholson and more slinky, medallion-wearing
reptile – clearly a satin sheets and a mirrored ceiling kind of guy.
Pellow’s voice was perfect for the
role, deep and rich with a seductive Southern drawl.
While I admit to finding Pellow’s
overall characterisation of Darryl too cartoonish, I loved his antics in the
seduction scenes, and the moments when he mercilessly taunted the town busybody
Felicia (Rachel Izen) – who marches around Eastwick like a sergeant major in a
pillbox hat.
The coven of desperate housewives,
Sukie (Rebecca Thornhill), Alexandra (Ria Jones) and Jane (Poppy Tierney) were
first rate.
It was a real treat to sit back and
watch talented musical theatre professionals at work - and not a reality TV show
between 'em!
Another high point were the bright
Fifties costumes and storybook set that perfectly captured the clapboard houses
and picket fences so evocative of New England.
Sadly the main flaw of The Witches of
Eastwick is a biggie – the songs are simply not that memorable in my opinion.
The exceptions to this are the witches’
spell-casting number Make Him Mine, which does stick in the head, and the
fabulously bitchy company song Dirty Laundry, possibly the stand-out moment of
the show.
Review - Witches of Eastwick - It
doesn't get much better than this
10:32am Thursday 16th October 2008
MISCHIEVOUS and magical, sexy and full
of spectacle, The Witches of Eastwick is Manchester’s musical of the year.
I imagine many of the people who packed
the Opera House auditorium on Monday night were there to see Marti Pellow but
the three women who play the ‘witches’ of the title, were equally sensational.
When Ria Jones (Alexandra), Rebecca
Thornhill (Sukie) and Polly Tierney (Jane) sang the hairs on the back of my neck
stood on end and when they sang together, I tingled from head to foot.
So, what of Pellow? The Wet Wet Wet
front man plays Darryl Van Horne, a man with a raging libido who puts some much
needed spice into the lives of Alexandra, Sukie and Jane. They go from being
three bored suburban women lacking in confidence to sex kittens who take no
prisoners. But Darryl just happens to be the Devil in human form and, after
transforming the lives of Alexandra, Sukie and Jane, he wants something in
return.
Having seen the movie of Witches, which
starred the fabulous Jack Nicholson as Van Horne, I wondered if pop star Pellow
had the charisma to carry the role off. I needn’t have worried - Pellow is
perfect for the part. While I was never a Wet Wet Wet fan he has a singing voice
that has an unbelievable range and he delivers the script’s witty one liners
with deadly, delicious accuracy. If it’s charisma you’re after, this Scottish
pop survivor has it by the truck load and you never take your eyes off him when
he’s on stage. Watching him wind up the town’s self appointed moral guardian,
the horrendous Felicia Gabriel - an outstanding Rachel Izen - was pure comedy
gold.
Musicals don’t get much better than
this and The Witches of Eastwick is the complete package. You simply must not
miss this. Rick Bowen * Until Saturday. Star rating - *****