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    Feature: From TV to the Stage

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    David Fairs on adapting Up In Town from The TV to the stage

    Originally a BBC2 six-part series of shorts, Up In Town might not appear the most obvious programme to revive for the stage. But that is what David Fairs has decided to do with this 20 year old programme. So we asked David to tell us a little more about the show and why now? The show will play at The Hope Theatre for four performances in April. Tickets can be booked here.

    “And then I was up in town. And for the first time ever, I didn’t want to be somebody else. I just wanted to be me.”

    This thought, this feeling, this often all too elusive dream is at the centre of Up In Town – a new 20th anniversary stage adaption of the 2002 Joanna Lumley TV series, playing at Islington’s The Hope Theatre for a limited four-performance run in April. We all want to feel like ourselves or, more specifically, be allowed to feel like ourselves; but in reality this is far from simple for many groups, including, in the case of Up In Town, middle-aged and older women. Sadly, at twenty years old, this story is no less relevant, and this is what attracted the team behind this new adaptation to re-explore the story of Maddie Blakelock as a one-woman show.

    Beginning life in 2002 as a TV series written, produced and directed by Hugo Blick (Emmy-nominated for 2014’s The Honourable Woman), Up In Town tells the story of Maddie, a divorced woman in her fifties, navigating loneliness, invisibility and a feeling of irrelevance. Having workshopped the idea during the depths of the Covid-19 lockdowns, producer/performer Priti Colbeck and writer/director David Fairs are now thrilled, with the blessing of Hugo Blick, to be transforming this beautifully conceived portrait of a flawed, funny, resilient and very real person into a one-hour, one-woman show. 

    Immersing yourself in the intimacy of Maddie’s dressing room, Up In Town is an open yet guarded conversation, the pieces of which gradually reveal a life story that is joyful, ridiculous, hopeful, hilarious, uncomfortable and heartbreaking. From Acapulco to West London, marauding rats to dishy vets, ailing pets to estranged sons, unfaithful husbands to a haunting photograph of a truly happy young woman, your evening with Maddie will be relentless and intoxicating. Always living through the emotion and artifice of cinema, the one thing that has never let her down, is Maddie more Dirk Bogarde or Vivien Leigh? James Dean or Julie Christie? Falling on hard times, those cinematic fantasies might be more important than ever.

    “I’m going to have to make a few more economies… still, that’s all right. Scarlet O’Hara ended up digging her own potatoes.”

    For Priti Colbeck and David Fairs, this has been a labour of love. Priti is herself a trailblazer, having only begun her acting career at the age of fifty; she is passionate about telling the stories of older women who have so much more to offer and so much life to live. David’s work has always revolved around increasing representation and spotlighting the stories of the side-lined. His previous critically-acclaimed plays as a writer include Macbeths and I Know You Of Old (also Hope Theatre productions, the latter of which was then performed at the RSC’s Dell), both of which reconfigure Shakespeare plays to place the female stories of Lady Macbeth, Beatrice and Hero front and centre; his Vault Festival play Tomorrow Creeps interweaved the music and magical empowerment of Kate Bush into a Shakespearian narrative of Hecate and Bronte’s Cathy, while Is He Earnest? told the unapologetically queer story of Oscar Wilde’s gross indecency trial crossed with the 1980s raid of Gay’s The Word (the bookshop at the centre of the wonderful film Pride). While arguably more down-to-earth, this adaptation of Up In Town is a natural successor – a deeply human story about disenfranchisement. For David (a member of the LGBTQ+ community) and Priti (a middle-aged British-Asian woman), this production is very much a celebration and a personal statement.

    So, come down to The Hope Theatre to meet Maddie on 10/11/17/18 April – but remember, fasten you seatbelts… it’s going to be a bumpy night.

    Thanks to David for penning this feature about Up In Town. For further information and to book tickets, visit The Hope Theatre’s website here. More

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      The Reggies 2019: Deluxe Edition – Part Two

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      The tribute act was once looked upon with disdain: it was quietly restricted to holiday camps and cruise ships. Nowadays it has turned into an industry, with quality acts playing major theatre venues. This is a very different beast from the jukebox musical, which has a narrative built around the songs of a particular artist: it is a genuine impersonation featuring their greatest hits. I’ve seen half a dozen play this year, so it seems only right to introduce a new category of Best Tribute Act. In third place we have The Greatest Love of All; a Tribute to Whitney Houston at the London Palladium. Belinda Davids turned in a slick tuneful performance as one of the greatest divas in pop history. In the runner-up spot is The Bowie Experience: The Golden Years Tour at the Hackney Empire. Lawrence Knight on occasion looked and sounded spookily like David Bowie. But the winner by a country mile is George at the Eventim Apollo. Backed by members of his original band, Rob Lamberti pulls off a brilliant impersonation of George Michael.
      So ever onward to the works of William Shakespeare, a category we have dubbed Dear Old Will. No theatre reviewer can get through the year without the bard featuring at some point. In third place is Macbeth: The Musical at the White Bear Theatre, a refreshingly new approach to the story featuring Avenue Q style puppets. Second spot goes to Twelfth Night at the Rose Playhouse; an ultra-smart musical version set on a cruise liner in the 1920s. Great fun if you can stop shivering for long enough. This year, though, the fat cigar goes to the Iris Theatre for their brilliant production of Hamlet at St Paul’s Church. The masters of open air theatre just seem to get better and better.
      And now the fluffy, feel-good world of Best Musical. You know the type of show: switch your brain into neutral and have a good old sing song. In third place, winning its second nomination, is Ragtime at the Bridewell Theatre. Nothing more could be asked of cast and crew in this recreation of a Broadway classic. In second place is The Pirates of Penzance at Wilton’s Music Hall. Gilbert and Sullivan have always had a touch of Marmite about them, but there was no doubting the quality of this production. An all-male cast (some clad in basques!) were note perfect throughout. And the proud winner of this hotly competed category is Ain’t Misbehavin’ at the Southwark Playhouse. The Fats Waller musical has never sounded better than in this confident production featuring an excellent cast.
      I’ve saved the blue ribbon event for last. The award for Best Play is the most difficult category to cast with the volume, depth and quality of production in London theatre. My top three constantly changed even as I drafted. Finally I settled my troubled mind: in third place, The House of Yes at the Hope Theatre; a marvellously inventive play with strong characters and a tight script. In second place, Jesus Hopped The ‘A’ Train at the Young Vic; a great title, great script with cool acting in the coolest of venues. So why on earth didn’t it win? Death of a Salesman rose like a giant casting a shadow over everything in its wake. The play is a classic of 20th century theatre, but like so much of Arthur Miller’s work is still considered a writer’s play. Critics will love it but it will often garner a mixed reaction from the public. It may be long but in the hands of a great cast it becomes a moving, almost electric portrayal of life in all its pain and glory.
      I expect 2020 to be another outstanding year in the theatre.  We seem comfortable to continually raise the bar, and expect even greater things from our actors and creatives, but somehow you just know it’s going to get better. See you the other side of Brexmas! More

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      The Reggies 2019: Deluxe Edition – Part One

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      Well I really wasn’t sure what to call this latest instalment of the Reggies; I considered Roman numerals: The Reggies III in true Hollywood style, or maybe Reggification – the saga continues. But then I settled on The Deluxe Edition; simply because it’s now expanded to a sumptuous eight categories. It doesn’t seem possible that twelve months have passed since the Reggies were last awarded. As we hurtle towards 2020 I can happily report that London theatre has enjoyed another bumper year. But exactly who has done enough to earn a much coveted Reggie? Who will just have to make do with a runners-up spot? This task gets more difficult as the quality of shows moves inexorably into overdrive.
      Best Venue is always a loaded question especially as theatre has now morphed into four distinct tiers: West End, Off West End, Provincial and Fringe theatre. As before, I’ve excluded West End theatres from this category in the interests of a fair fight. So in third place, winning its third consecutive nomination, is the Old Red Lion in Islington. A lovely pub with a great atmosphere and rich history, its theatre has maintained consistency of output throughout the year. A brand new entry at number two is the Hope Theatre in Islington. With live bands playing in the basement and a brilliant theatre upstairs, the Hope & Anchor (as it’s popularly known) is now the complete entertainment venue. But the winner, another new entry, is Wilton’s Music Hall in Whitechapel. So cleverly concealed is Wilton’s that even Google Maps struggles to find it.  Once inside, the Music Hall, with its authentic Victorian decor, is a truly magical place.
      Best Actor is a devil to pin down as there are so many fine performers out there, and my field of vision is limited to the shows I’ve seen. Taking third place is David Schaal in the disturbing but compulsive Weatherman at the Park Theatre. Schaal delivered a chilling performance as the boss of a human trafficking operation. In second place is Miles Jupp in The Life I Lead at the Wyndhams Theatre, a delightful one man show charting the life of journeyman actor David Tomlinson. But the undoubted winner is Wendell Pierce in the turbo-charged Death of a Salesman at the Piccadilly Theatre. So good was Pierce’s performance as Willy Loman everyone else was bidding for second place; a performer of rare distinction and ability.
      Similarly Best Actress is difficult to call, but in third place is Fiona Skinner in The Sweet Science of Bruising at Wilton’s Music Hall. Playing tomboy Polly, Fiona stole every scene in which she appeared. In second place we have Sharon D Clarke as Linda in Death of a Salesman. It’s no easy task playing opposite a powerhouse like Wendell Pierce, but Sharon was in many respects his equal as family matriarch. Just pipping her for first place is Collette Eaton for her brilliant turn in House of Yes at the Hope Theatre. She was in dazzling form as the psychotic middle class girl with a fixation on her twin brother.
      Best Set Design/Special Effects was a category introduced last year to highlight ingenuity in small venues. So in third place we have Last Orders: the Haunting of the Old Red, strangely enough at the Old Red Lion. In a production that drew on the pub’s rich history to create a ghostly story of times past, by using a simple sound and lighting system they created a highly effective atmosphere. In second place is Dracula at London Library. Here the producers simply used what was already there: a beautifully designed reading room was transformed into a stage with carefully placed screens projecting images around the room. The effect was amazing.
      But taking gold is the excellent Ragtime at the Bridewell Theatre. It was a remarkable production, not only because Sedos are an amateur theatre company with a professional edge, but the set was a stroke of genius in a cramped performance area; a wooden facade stretched across the stage. With the addition of simple props it became the bow of a ship bringing immigrants into Ellis Island, then the suburban home of a wealthy New York family and finally the city library. It was brilliantly conceived and executed and even managed to conceal an orchestra behind the set.
      OK that’s the first half done. Stay in the moment and we’ll be back shortly to reveal the Best Tribute Act, best Shakespeare production, Best Musical and Best Play. More