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Waiting for Sandy: Milked @WhiteBearTheatre

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Two lads looking for meaning and lots of time on their hands are at the heart of Milked. Simon Longman's play first premiered in 2013. While it may not capture the latest malaises and anxieties affecting post-pandemic youth, it has enough of a familiar ring to it for anyone who has eavesdropped on the thoughts and musings of young people when out and about. And with some lively performances by the two young men, you feel drawn into their bizarre little world as the conversation runs from the routine to the ridiculous. It's currently having a short run at the White Bear Theatre in Kennington.  The premise is that Paul (Iwan Bond) is searching for a job that becomes increasingly desperate. He wants to find a job in media (whatever that is) but has neither the skills nor the experience to do it. And being based in Herefordshire rather than London makes it a stretch to be considered for anything. His mate, Snowy (Evan L. Barker), seems to be on a journey of self-discovery. His fat...

Sleight of hand: The Fabulist @charingcrossthr


Billed as a musical comedy, The Fabulist is actually a rare chance to see Giovanni Paisiello’s rarely performed light opera, The Imaginary Astrologers, translated and updated to Mussolini’s Italy. With sublime music, fine singing and a bit of additional silliness thrown in for good measure, it’s a welcome addition to the choices available on the West End. It’s currently playing at Charing Cross Theatre.

In this update, the action moved to Italy in 1929. A magician (or, as he prefers to be called, Fabulist), Julian is on the run from both the fascists and the Catholic Church. On the run, he stumbles on a film shoot and dazzles the screenwriter Clarice with his charm while her sister tries to complete a series of mildly subversive historical films. What will win in a battle of ideas between science and magic, the church and the Fabulist? It’s an evening of light operatic comedy, so there are no prizes for guessing. 


Experts in clerical fascism and fascist mysticism may find some of the plot points a bit suspect. And this update adds a few too many layers of complexity to the delicate music. But even with these labours, they don’t get too much in the way of high-spirited and fast-moving shows.

Watching the cast sing and add a dash of high jinks to the evening is a delight. I saw the alternate cast (not pictured), which had baritone Jack Holton as Julian and Marienella Phillips as Clarice, both in fine voice and comic timing. Holton could even show he had a few magical tricks up his sleeve. James Paterson is hilarious as Count Petronius, trying to get his daughter to marry someone better. Stuart Pendred makes a delightfully evil Cardinal Bandini.

It is a rare opportunity to see an informal staging of a rare operetta that takes the source material and gives it a new perspective. Hopefully, it won’t be the last. Directed by John Walton with music direction and orchestration by Bobby Goulder. Based on Giovanni Paisiello’s Gli astrologi immaginari, with new book and translations by James P. Farwell. The Fabulist is at Charing Cross Theatre until 21 September. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️




Photos by Mark Senior

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