Last night’s performance of The Carole King Songbook at Yeadon Town Hall reminded me of why I love the theatre. It also made me think that I may be desperately in need of therapy! First things first.
This is not a deep, meaningful piece of drama but a celebration of one of the best songwriters that the planet has produced. In fact, I would say that she is the best female songwriter ever, being able to write pop, rock’n’roll, folk and still going strong, having written One Small Voice in 2017, a protest song against Donald Trump. She has also inspired works by the likes of her first boyfriend, Neil Sedaka – remember Oh Carol?
Producer Jamie Hudson of Yeadon Town Hall and Fresh Aire Productions has put together a cast of four brilliantly talented performers and a superb four-piece band. They showcase not only the songs sung by Carole herself, but also those she wrote for other artists such as Bobby Vee and the Drifters. A great touch is that there are some lesser known numbers amidst the global hits and even one with which she had no connection, You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling, written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, rivals of Carole and her husband Gerry Goffin.
Thankfully, because there were so few people involved, I am able to name everyone without it sounding like a shopping list – hopefully. The band, comprising Darren Watson – keyboards, Alex Hogg – guitar, Hugh Vincent – bass guitar and Michael Turnbull – drums were tireless and only silent during a couple of numbers which were played on piano by Eve Rhianna Kitchingman. Given that the playlist runs to thirty eight numbers plus the introduction, that is no mean feat.
Their skill was really highlighted at the end when the audience just carried on applauding and almost staged a sit-in until they got an encore. I found out after the show that the normal encore is a reprieve of The Locomotion, but they added an impromptu three or four extra numbers totally seamlessly. They also provided the opening number Hooray for Hollywood, which had me baffled as the video in the background showed Times Square, New York, a continent away from Tinseltown but, as the film progressed there were shots of the Oscars and LA so all was explained.
The four performers, whose singing and dancing was also tireless, kept us entertained all night with their renditions of the numbers interspersed with touches of comedy. In addition to Eve Kitchingman, we had Kara Mottram, Danny Dixon and Thomas Lillywhite. The latter showed just how much of a professional he is when the sound from his microphone was lost during a solo but he kept on singing without missing a beat until the problem was solved, at one point singing to an empty mic stand as part of the backing group. He had put the offending equipment into a pocket whilst a replacement was eventually brought on to the stage.
At the next short break he quipped that although he was very excited to be appearing at Yeadon Town Hall, we could rest assured that it was just a microphone in his trouser pocket. Professionalism sums up the evening, but not in a robotic sense, as everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves thoroughly. The songs were delivered in their own way, rather than being impressions of the original artists, although the two girls’ voices at times were ringers for the subject of the show. The boys obviously handled the songs made famous by Bobby Vee and Neil Sedaka and added depth to those by the Drifters. The audience was more than happy to play their part by clapping along and joining in with the hits.
The creative team showed their skills, with Director and Choreographer Louise Dennison finding ways to interpret the songs without it being like a tribute act. She was helped in this by Musical Director, Marie Collins and Jason Odle, the Orchestral Arranger. The Lighting Designer, Peter Hargreaves, at times turned Yeadon Town Hall into a glitzy, glamorous cabaret bar and nightclub, whilst at others into a straight stage show and again an intimate club for the quieter songs. At the end, it was also a disco, as the more exuberant members of the audience strutted their stuff on a dance floor in front of the stage. Sadly, I was taking notes so could not regale those present with my terpsichorean talents. Finally, there was Tom Brancker, the Production Manager and Sound Designer who, apart from that one glitch I mentioned, did a great job of balancing the show.
As I said, this show reminded me of why I love the theatre. One week I will be at the Grand watching a big musical packed with stars, the next an Opera North production, then a gritty play at Leeds Playhouse or a pretentious arty farty event at a festival. This, however, was a night of good-time music, performed by people who are not household names, in an out of city theatre, and doing it brilliantly and with great enthusiasm. I highly recommend that you grab a ticket for the remaining Yeadon dates or one of the venues of the show’s tour until the end of September.
Finally, the reason for my wondering about how my mind works, and I am sure this is just me – I thought that there was an uncanny resemblance between Eve Rhianna Kitchingman and Jodie Comer, the actress who plays Villanelle, the psychopathic hit woman in the TV series Killing Eve. It isn’t apparent from her publicity photographs, but with her make-up and hairstyle last night I thought she was a double. Being a fan, I was wondering if the other cast members were in danger of being dispatched in a very novel way before the show was over. This meant that when Thomas Lillywhite’s microphone broke and he put it in his pocket I couldn’t help but fear the worst. It is just me, isn’t it?
UK tour dates
Howden Park Centre 28 June
Lanark Memorial Hall 29 June
Pitlochry Festival Theatre 30 June
Scarborough Spa 14 July
Alban Arena 15 July
Towngate Theatre 19 July
The Palace Theatre Paignton 20 July
The Brindley 24 July
Crewe Lyceum Theatre 25 July
Trinity Theatre 27 July
Princess Theatre Hunstanton 28 July
The Spa Pavilion 4 August
Wycombe Swan 30 August
Winding Wheel Theatre 20 September
Grimsby Auditorium 27 September
All photographs by John Waite Photography.
