Julian Ovenden plays J. M. Barrie with a pure honesty and manages to catch the childlike attitude of the character without destroying his credibility. Rosalie Craig is Sylvia Llewelyn-Davies, a widow and mother of four boys who catches Barrie’s attention one day in a park. She gives her character such a warmth that it’s impossible not to love her. For me Rosalie is one of the most talented actresses in the UK these days who more than deserves all the praise she is getting.
Clare Foster plays Mary Barrie, the unhappy wife of J. M. Barrie. It’s fantastic to see how far Clare has come over the years and how much she has developed as an actress. She is perfectly cast in this show and gives Mary an almost aristocratic elegance without making her appear cold and unlikable.

Although not a lead part I have to mention Oliver Boot next who portrays Maximillian Blunt and Hook. Especially in the latter part he had me laughing out loud more than once with his spot on comic timing.
Stuart Neal as Elliot (the stage manager) is another highlight who has to be named. This is the fourth show I have seen him in and he once again manages to steal every scene he appears in.
Liz Robertson gives a solid performance as Sylvia’s mother who just wants what she thinks is the best for her daughter but loses sight of what makes Sylvia truly happy until it’s almost too late.

The rest of the cast does a marvellous job. The four boys I got to see were remarkably talented especially considering their age. The ensemble is spot on – a special mention for Norman Bowman and Ashley Hale who are once again a joy to watch on stage.
And let’s not forget the dog – he may be huge but he’s also the cutest thing I’ve seen on stage in a long time.

The staging of the show is stunning, simple as that. This is a production of West End standard – actually the whole set, props, lighting etc. are better than what you get to see in some West End shows these days. There’s a pirate ship, a proper car, some brilliant lighting effects – Finding Neverland just has it all.

So, is there anything I didn’t like? To be honest I’m not totally sure this show needs to be a musical. The songs were all lovely to listen to but they weren’t memorable for me. Personally I could see this do better as a proper play with a little more insight into the different characters. We didn’t really learn a lot about Sylvia’s illness for example so for someone who hasn’t seen the movie it might have been a bit difficult to understand what was happening.
It’s obvious the show has been changed a lot since the first preview and is basically still a work in progress. And although it’s not perfect, it has the potential to be huge. Finding Neverland takes the audience on a journey to discover their inner child and in the end it all comes down to one important question: Do you believe in fairies?

I do!

Finding Neverland is showing at The Curve in Leicester until 18th October.
For more info and to book tickets go to http://www.curveonline.co.uk .

I guess I don’t have to go into details when it comes to the storyline. Or are there still people out there who haven’t seen the movie? Well, to be honest – I haven’t. But I tried, I honestly did (never made it past the first 20 minutes though). So, very basic storyline: Fairlytale creatures are forced into Shrek’s swamp (that’s where Ogres live) by order of Lord Farquaard. Shrek wants to get rid of them and so goes on a journey to ask Lord Farquaard to allow the fairytale creatures to leave the swamp. On the way he meets Donkey. Farquaard sends Shrek out to rescure the fair Princess Fiona from the dragon. Shrek and Donkey succeed in their task. Shrek falls in love with Fiona who is under a terrible curse which makes her turn into an Ogre at night. Only a kiss from her true love will return her to her “love’s true form”. Lord Farquaard intends to marry Fiona but of course there’s the big happy ending and so on, and so on.

Now imagine all of this on a stage with songs and dance. It’s a pretty colourful experience and some of the songs are catchy and stay in your head (most of all the song used in the finale “I’m a believer” which is, as some may know, a cover – the original was composed by Neil Diamond and recorded by the Monkees back in the 60ties).

My main problem with this shows was the casting and by this I mean the casting of the leads. First of all there’s Amanda Holden (Fiona) who is semi-well known for appearing on several UK tv shows. While her name might help to attract an audience I think she’s just not right for the part. Her singing is weak and in my opinion she lacks stage presence and has zero chemistry with her fellow cast members. Before anyone jumps on me: I’m sure she’s a nice person and she is reasonably talented but for me she just doesn’t have what it takes to play a lead part in a West End show (and I’ve seen her in Thoroughly Modern Millie in which I found her equally bland).
Next up Nigel Lindsay (Shrek) who is by all means an actor but no singer and who (to me) always looks slightly uncomfortable in his mask and costume.
And there’s Richard Blackwood (Donkey) who tries his best to impersonate Eddie Murphy on stage… and fails. His Donkey is simply not funny and his singing is not even close to average (some people just can’t sing, nothing wrong with that but don’t try and make them on a theatre stage!).
Only the fantastic Nigel Harman (Lord Farquaard) and the brilliant Landi Osinowo (Dragon) really managed to entertain me. Nigel Harman is just brilliantly funny (I won’t give anything away in case you haven’t seen the show) and Landi Oshinowo… well, what a voice!!
And I won’t forget the absolutely stunning ensemble! Special mention to Amy Beadel as Teen Fiona who makes her West End debut in this show and the lovely Ashley Hale who always manages to catch my eye in every show I’ve seen her in so far. Watching all those talented people give their all on stage was one of the few delightful moments during my preview visits.

VisitS you ask? Yes, I went to see the show twice simply because I wanted to catch a full cast on my first visit and return on a date where Amanda Holden was scheduled to be off. Need I say that her understudy, the fantastic Alice Fearn, stole the show on my second visit? Great vocals, great acting – I finally realised that this could be a proper and enjoyable show if only they had cast the right people in the lead roles.

After all that talk about past visits now on to visit number 3 which took place on September 3rd 2011 (matinee). This time the reason was simple: Dean Chisnall.

I have been following his career since I saw him play the lead role in Never Forget back in 2008 (the Take That musical – some might not even recall there was such a thing but I tell you it was a fun show full of energy). Call me biased but the guy is wasted in the ensemble so the chance to see his take on the big green Ogre was too tempting to resist.
And what can I say? It was like watching a new show!! I found myself taping my foot to the music and I even giggled briefly during the infamous “fart song” (don’t ask!). And I never imagined I’d actually start tearing up during ”When words fail”. I do cry at everything on tv but it takes quite something to make my eyes water in a theatre. Dean’s Shrek was funny and heart warming and he made me care for this “ugly Orgre”. And his voice – why oh why is that man stuck in the ensemble so often? Give the guy a proper lead part I say!!
After having seen Nigel play Shrek two times I was under the impression that it was simply not possible to show proper emotions whilst wearing this monster of a mask and costume. Well, Dean proved me wrong – Shrek was funny, Shrek was sad, Shrek was angry, Shrek was disappointed. Shrek’s feelings were visible and that made such a huge difference to me.

Richard Blackwood still didn’t quite convince me but since Alice Fearn was on as Fiona again I honestly couldn’t care less. I was in understudy heaven one could say. Her and Dean can easily be called the Shrek-Dreamteam. Amazing stage chemistry!

Shrek will never be one of my favourite shows, I can safely say that. But it is not as terrible as I first thought it was. It’s certainly not “Sondheim” but then it doesn’t pretend to be anything other than a fun and entertaining family show. And with the right cast that is exactly what it is. Having said that, a “fart song” is still questionable if you ask me.

So everyone, if you do get the chance please support the great understudies in this show and go see Dean as Shrek and Alice as Fiona. It’s worth it!

For more information visit www.shrekthemusical.co.uk

SHOCKOE BOTTOM,Va. – If you’re wondering through the Bottom and hear the sounds of a heart pulsing to tell the tale of a murder or a raven crying, “Nevermore,” there’s no need to worry. In the coming months, Shockoe Bottom could be flooded with countless ravens, Lenore’s, and Annabelle Lee’s, and beating hearts as it takes a leading role in the Poe 200th celebration hosted by the state of Virginia.

“It’s going to be quite the celebration,” said Debbie Phillips, education coordinator for the historical division of St. John’s Church, located on East Broad Street. “We’ve got some truly special things planned and are hoping to attract not only the Poe enthusiast, but many individuals who enjoy either literature or history.”

Click to hear how Debbie Phillips, education coordinator at St. John’s Church, prepares to take on the role of Eliza Poe for the 200th celebration.

Poe 200th relics are being sold throughout Shockoe Bottom. Click the image to experience the Poe Graveyard Tour at St. John's Episcopal Church.

For the entirety of 2009, Virginia will be the home base for the Poe 200th celebration. Edgar Allan Poe was born on Jan. 19, 1809, and Virginia will be hosting many events throughout the year to celebrate, with many events happening in the Richmond area. Most events will headquarter at The Poe Museum, located in Shockoe Bottom.

Choosing a location for the celebration was a difficult decision, but according to Phillips, Virginia is a perfect choice.

“Virginia was very important in Poe’s life,” Phillips said. “Richmond is the place where Poe began his literary career, grew up, and fell in love. He also served in the military in the state and attended college at the University of Virginia. The choice, to me, was obvious.”

As part of the commemoration, St. John’s Church will be hosting several events throughout the entire year that highlight not only Poe’s life but the lives of those close to him and the time period.

Already this year, the church has held a candle lit walk to kick off the celebration with a path winding through Shockoe Bottom, stating at the church and ending at the Poe Museum. St. John’s Chuch will also be conducting cemetery tours at 11 a.m. every Wednesday.

A tour of the cemetery of St. John’s Church includes visits to the suggested grave site of Elizabeth Allen Poe, Edgar’s mother and once renowned actress. Thomas W. White, Poe’s employer and founder of the Southern Literary Messenger, is also buried in the cemetery. Directly across the street sits the home of Elmira Shelton, Poe’s childhood friend and believed fiancé at the time of his death.

“It’s purely a coincidence that these significant people were all connected to this one place,” Phillips said. “This was one of Richmond’s only public burial grounds, and Eliza (shortened for the stage) was buried here because she died with no money and no husband. We’re not sure how White came to be here. And Elmira’s house across the street completed the circle.”

With event going on throughout the Shockoe Bottom area, many are hoping to see a boost in tourism to the once tobacco area.

“We’re expecting to see plenty of traffic in the area as the weather gets nicer outside,” said David Napier, president of the Shockoe Bottom Neighborhood Association. “The Poe 200th is going to be huge for the Bottom and it’s unfortunate that the publishing of the event has been shadowed by the baseball stadium debates [of building one in Shockoe Bottom]. We are confident though that the word will get out about the events and people will come.”

Napier also believes that Virginia being chosen as the location for the celebration will be a beneficial move for business, especially those in the Bottom.

“There are many Poe fans out there, we know others will come for a visit as well,” Napier said. “We hope that those visitors will take a little extra time and visit some other points in Shockoe Bottom and experience the shops and restaurants we have to offer that are unique and wonderful.”

The Poe 200th celebration is already attracting the eye of those in the education field. Nichole Pagano, an English teacher at the Governor’s School of Southside Virginia, located in Keysville, Va., has already planned a field trip for the juniors she teaches.

“We’re planning to visit in late spring and go to the Poe Museum first,” Pagano said. “I feel this celebration will become a significant memory for my students as it is not only a part of our class study, but a part of literary history as well.”

Click to hear Nichole Pagano, high school English teacher, tell of student excitement for Poe.

Ashley Hale, an English major from Ferrum College, a 4-year private college south of Roanoke, Va., plans to spend her summer volunteering with the Poe Museum.

“I absolutely love Poe’s work and can’t think of a better way to spend my summer,” Hale said. “I’m especially excited to see what new exhibits the museum will unveil and how many people will turn out for the events.”

The Poe Museum is currently working on restoring the Poe family Bible as one of the new exhibits. Events for the celebration are still being finalized, but will revolve around the anniversaries of some of the major events in Poe’s life.

For a complete list of events and information on the celebration, visit http://www.poe200th.com/poe-why-virginia.php/.