WC SEPTEMBER 3.
The week got off to a great start with an interview with top actor Ian Hogg at Chichester, where he is one of the stars in Antony and Cleopatra. Ian has been on our TV and movie screens since the mid 60s as well as appearing in plays all over the world. He is best known for playing the bullying Alan Rockcliffe in the briiliant 80s series Rockcliffe’s Babies. En route back I nipped into Havant to interview Michael Stickland to track his amazing story that began as a plate boy at Warner’s, Puckpool, and went on to famous names like Ben E King, the Ink Spots, the Crickets and the Stylistics. Listen out for him soon on JH Meets.
It so rare that I leave the Mayflower Theatre disappointed but it happened on Tuesday after Cabaret, which starred the equally disappointing Will Young. I loved him in Mrs Henderson but not in this one. The part of the MC is so key and he began well enough but, in my estimation, was not an overall success. They had extended the part to give him more to do and some of this was out of character – which really ruins the whole thing. Michelle Ryan just did not to get to grips with the role of Sally Bowles. I love Cabaret and have seen it so many times – but they have all been better than this one. To have wolf whistles from the audience during the sad finale was so embarrassing.