Mack & Mabel - at the Southwark Playhouse

FOR an evening of great musical theatre forget the West End and head instead to the Southwark Playhouse.

This two-auditorium theatre just off Tooley Street has a well-deserved reputation for putting on amazing productions that would rival any West End show, and at a fraction of the price.

The current offering in the atmospheric setting of its space the Vault is Mack & Mabel directed by Thom Southerland.

It tells the story of the tumultuous romantic relationship between Hollywood director Mack Sennett (played by Norman Bowman) and Mabel Normand (Laura Pitt-Pulford), a waitress from Brooklyn, New York, who he turned into one of his biggest stars.

The audience is taken back to their first meeting in the 1920s and then through the glory days of Sennett’s Keystone Studios with Mabel starring in dozens of his two-reelers, the creation of his Bathing Beauties and the Keystone Cops and finally to Mabel’s early death from a drug overdose.

We also see how the arrogant and tyrannical Sennett, with single-minded determination resists the winds of change which are happening in his industry, desperately clinging to his silent two-reelers while all the other Hollywood studios are embracing the talkies.

It is this resistance that costs him dear – losing him money, his reputation and ultimately his relationship with Mabel who is poached by a rival studio.

With a spectacular score including “Look What Happened To Mabel” and “I Won’t Send Roses” Mack & Mabel is a touching and ultimately heart-breaking story.

The whole cast is excellent and the dance routines of the Bathing Beauties and Keystone Cops are so energetic, fun and entertaining it was a real thrill to watch.

But it was Bowman and Pill-Pulford as the two stars who stood out, with tremendous voices and brilliantly showed off the tensions, hopes, expectations and sadness of their characters.

Mack and Mabel is on at the Southwark Playhouse until August 25.

Tickets from £10. Call the box office on 020 7407 0234

Jenny Eclair

Last week I was lucky enough to interview Jenny Eclair for a piece in the paper.... My chat coincided with the launch of her new novel "Life, Death and Vanilla Slices" (a good read and thoroughly recommended though don't expect it to be a comedy) which is published today. 

I MUST admit to being slightly nervous about the prospect of interviewing Jenny Eclair.

The self-confessed grumpy old woman with her trademark glasses is well known for her black humour, brilliantly sharp observations and devastating put downs.

However, it is clear when we speak that she is also full of joie de vivre with a predictably good line in filthy jokes and an infectious, if rather naughty, laugh.

Her CV is impressive by anyone's standards. She was the first woman to win the coveted Edinburgh Comedy Festival’s Perrier Award in 1995, has appeared in TV shows Holby City, The Bill, done a stint in panto and even competed in the 2010 UK series of I'm a celebrity... Get me Out Of Here coming third.

The 52-year-old author, writer, comedian, and more recently star of ITV1's Loose Women has seemingly done it all.

But it's her ruthless wit which has been at the forefront of her 30-year career.

She is currently promoting her new novel, Life, Death and Vanilla Slices which was published today (Thurs July 5).

Set in Lancashire and East Dulwich it is a compelling, funny, emotionally manipulative and heartbreaking drama which tells the story of mother and daughter, Jean and Anne, and how one fateful day changes their lives forever.

I tell her it was so absorbing I couldn’t put it down and read it from cover to cover in one day.

Laughing she says: "That was a bit greedy of you to devour it in one day! But thank you - I'm not that quick at coming up with ideas - I've only done three novels in 12 years which isn't very impressive is it! It took 18 months which is twice the length of time normal people write but I'm very pleased with it. It needed to be written."

When I ask her what she means by this she pauses before saying: “I explored a lot of subjects and relationships the characters have with each other that I relate to especially the relationship between a mother and daughter.

"There is a bit of me in all the main characters but especially Anne who is about the same age as me and going through all those hideous hormonal changes that happen to women.”

Beautifully observed, the book tackles dark and brutal subjects including rape and baby abandonment and features some quite awful characters.

She says: “I have always been quite graphic so it wasn't an issue for me to write those scenes and if you are a stand up you do have to deal with hecklers and rude comments.

“It's never been a problem for me to be rude or horrible - in fact, it's harder to be nice and funny!

"Also, I remember growing up reading about babies being found in telephone boxes. It's very much of my time and certainly wasn't unheard of.

“Back then it was very difficult to sort yourself out if it happened as people didn’t talk about these kinds of things.”

The fact it was set in places she knows well is also no co-incidence, hence Lancashire where she grew up and East Dulwich, which is “just down the road” from where she lives in Camberwell with her husband Geof Powell (who she affectionately calls St Geof) and their daughter Phoebe.

Unlike other celebrities who escape the city the minute they find fame, Jenny has embraced the area and has a deep fondness for it.

"It's great. I've been here 30 years and love it," she says emphatically.

"I moved from Lancashire to go to Camberwell Arts College and ended up in a council flat in Walworth Road before moving to Brunswick Villas, Camberwell Grove and now Grove Lane.

"It was more of a convenience thing as I do use the buses a lot and,” here she lowers her voice for added effect, “north London horrifies me and streets I don't know frighten me.

“Maybe I'm lazy but it's so convenient and I feel safe here. There are also some lovely independent and quirky shops and I prefer to be close to town.

“I travel a lot especially to Cornwall which I love but I’m always glad to be back in the thick of it. It suits us and it’s what I’m used to so I’ll never leave."

Her love of Camberwell meant she and Sir Geof were glued to the TV when the BBC showed its Secret Streets programme on Camberwell Grove last month.

"It coincided with our 30th anniversary so we sat on the sofa and got very nostalgic and sentimental!” she chuckles.

"It brought back a lot of memories and it was fascinating to see the social changes.

“It wasn't very nice back then and I don't remember it being quite so friendly and funky as they showed it to be - in fact I found it quite scary at times and somewhere you didn't go after dark but I was a punky girl and wouldn't let it scare me.

“I'm genuinely interested in the past and maybe I'll write something more historical one day.

“It might take me a while though. Books are more difficult to wrestle with than writing gags. It's like a great big octopus wriggling about on your lap and remembering what everyone does and is. But it’s what I do though and I'm not happy if I'm not writing.”

And with that she’s off to “write something for Radio 4” and for the new tour appropriately named Eclairious which starts in September.

"It's important I give my husband a break to be honest!" she laughs.

Life, Death and Vanilla Slices is out in paperback today published by Sphere and priced at £12.99

Visit www.jennyeclair.com for tour details.

Olympic fever

Olympic fever hit Myatt Garden Primary School this afternoon. Jay Osgerby, one half of Barber Osgerby, designers of the award-winning Olympic Torch, brought the torch to the school's summer fair. It was a chance for everyone to get up close and personal with this amazing piece of art - and hold it! The line of people who wanted to hold it and have their pic taken with it was never ending.
It was a real privilege and amazing - it's lightweight, quite long and heavier at the top than at the bottom. It has 8,000 holes perforated in the three sides. One hole for each mile and for each torch bearer. It's a work of art and absolutely stunning.

Interview with Joe Swift

TWO years ago the Horniman Museum embarked on an ambitious redevelopment programme – to totally revamp and transform its award winning gardens.

Last week they were formally re-opened to the public by garden designer, TV presenter and the museum's patron Joe Swift.
I took a stroll with him to check it out

Perched on the top of a hill just off the south circular the Horniman Museum is one of the jewels in south London's crown.

It has graced Forest Hill for more than 100 years and is set in 16 acres of gardens.
In the past these gardens have often been overlooked by visitors keen to see the artefacts in the museum which was established in 1901by Victorian philanthropist and tea trader Frederick Horniman.
But not any more. After a £2.3million refurb and 16 months hard graft by head gardener Gordon Lucas and his team, they have been extensively remodelled, re-landscaped and opened up, to reveal a stunning collection of interlinking spaces.
The gardens were formally re-opened on Thursday last week by garden designer, TV presenter and museum Patron, Joe Swift.
He arrived fresh from triumphing at the Chelsea Flower Show the previous week where he picked up a gold medal for his first show garden at the popular horticultural event.
Wearing his distinctive fedora hat, he is every bit as affable, chatty and down to earth as he appears on TV.
What is apparent from the off as I join him on a tour of the new and improved features is his passion and enthusiasm for the Horniman and its now "fantastic" gardens.
“I love this space,” he smiles enthusiastically, gesturing to the vast expanse before us.
“It’s fantastic. There is so much to see and it's like a celebration. Last time I came here was in the autumn. Just seeing it all finished and the way it frames the views across London is amazing.”
Joe was invited to be part of the project when the idea was first mooted two years ago but is very modest about his involvement.
"They asked me to be patron three years ago and then Gordon [Lucas] showed me the designs and it all made perfect sense.
"I was asked for my input and gave a few planting ideas but really they had everything pretty much spot on."
Looking around it's easy to see why Joe is so impressed.
Work done includes the refurbishment of the sunken garden,the display gardens, the restoration of the 100-year-old Bandstand and the creation of a new specialist plant area.
Other new additions include a Sound Garden with a musical play area and a Community Food Garden.
Later this year an open area for the animals will also be introduced.
The most significant development has been the introduction of a Gardens Pavilion, complete with a living sedum roof and ground source heat pump, which will be used by schools and other groups to learn more about the museum’s collections and how they link in with the gardens.
It is, Joe says, an amazing achievement.
"What has been recreated here is exactly what was inthe brief and Gordon and his team have done a brilliant job in bringing it to life.
"The quality of the planting is outstanding and the way it all links together and brings a sense of what's in the museum, outside, is incredible. I’m proud to be involved."
What makes him smile most is the many children clearly enjoying and exploring the new and improved space.
"Seeing them here today having fun in what is basically an enormous outdoor classroom – that’s what it’s all about – making a connection with nature.
“That’s why what has been achieved here is so great as it offers kids the chance to get out into the open air and learn about nature, plants, the environment and where food comes from."
It's this passion for educating the horticulturists of the future that fires him up.
"In times of austerity it's always horticulture and the arts which are the first to get their funds cut and it's so short sighted. We don't value them enough which is madness as we are supposed to be a nation of gardeners!
"We need more investment to train the horticulturists of the future. We need to grow more of our own plants, reclaim land for community spaces and invest in real gardeners.
“This redevelopment is so important as it shows the value of horticulture at a grassroots level. It should be an exemplar for others to follow. It's inspiring and I think Gordon is a legend for what he has achieved."
Pausing for breath, Joe is asked to give youngsters from Horniman Primary School a hand with some planting. Without a word, his jacket is off, sleeves are rolled up and he gets stuck in to the obvious delight of the kids and their teachers.
Afterwards he chuckles and says: "Actually they didn't need me - they seem to know what to do which is fantastic!"
I ask him which his favourite bit of the park is.
"Well that's a really tricky one,” he says. “I love the borders and the World Food Garden is very interesting. But the entire planting scheme is just so great, I love it all really. Just seeing plants growing and kids getting a kick out of it all is excellent!”
Before he goes off to explore the gardens properly, I ask him what his next project is now he's achieved his goal of designing a show garden for Chelsea.
"I'd like a bit of a rest to be honest," he laughs.
"I'd wanted to do Chelsea for such a long time but never got round to it as it takes a year of your life.
"I had been presenting the show for 10 years and this time last year I decided it was now or never and to make it happen. And I'm so pleased I did.
"I couldn't have made a better garden and the fact my gardening heroes Cleve (West), Dan (Pearson), Andy (Sturgeon) and Chris (Bradley-Hole) came and said they liked it was the icing on the cake. To win gold was like winning the World Cup though - it was just fantastic!
"However, it was a lot of hard work as it's all about the quality and the right plants and the spacing. The creative process was intense and the three weeks of construction were hard work
"I won't be doing it again though!"
I tell him this is a shame but he says he wants to concentrate on his presenting and his passion for creating urban community spaces.
Not bad for someone who didn't know what to do when he left school.
"I've been very lucky. I went to art college and was in a band and then went travelling and worked in a kibutz in Israel and realised I wanted to be outdoors. A job driving vans for a gardening company in north London followed before someone asked him to design a garden.
It was he said a pivotal moment. "I had no idea where to start but it was such an exciting thought that I decided to train as a gardener and I never looked back."
In between his TV commitments, presenting Gardener's World Live on the BBC each year and other gardening shows, he runs his own garden design company.
"This is my passion and in particular creating community spaces. We have so many areas crying out to be taken over and looked after by people who want to create little enclaves of tranquility and space in their communities."
He is currently filming a new series where he works with groups to create such areas.
"It's so satisfying because everyone is so enthusiastic. It's great to work with people who are so passionate and it's hugely rewarding for me."
And with that he's off to explore and inspire the next generation of gardeners.

Henry V

In a summer of national celebrations and patriotic fervour what could be better than to go and see a play about an English King giving his opponents a good trouncing.

What luck then that Shakespeare's Henry V kicks off the Globe Theatre's summer season with a bang, firing on all cylinders from the word go.

Jamie Parker fittingly reprises his role as Prince Hal from the theatre's production of Henry IV parts 1 and 2 in 2010.

When we saw him last, he was having a great time, boozing it up in the taverns of Eastcheap and cavorting with Falstaff and his mates, without a care in the world.

Now as the King he has assumed the mantle of the crown and has grown up considerably into a thoughtful, conscientious and no-nonsense monarch.

We see a young man for whom the burden of responsibility is taken very seriously and who wants to be seen and remembered as a fair and honourable King.

Jamie Parker is superb in the title role, appearing bloodied but unbowed as he takes charge of the stage, and addresses the audience as though we were his loyal subjects.

Indeed, so at one are we with him that when he gives us all his morale boosting and rousing speech before the siege of Harfleur, we willingly join his heartfelt and famous battle cry of "Follow your spirit, and upon this charge, Cry 'God for Harry, England and St George!'" followed by a cacophony of whoops, cheers and clapping.

However, Parker is not alone in making the production superb. The whole cast work well and hold our attention even though at the beginning they were competing with a police helicopter which buzzed loudly and persistently overhead, clearly keen to see the action below.

The battle scenes were inspired - complete with gunpowder, bows, arrows and enormous and frighteningly huge pikes - all beautifully choreographed, and there were some lovely comic moments which proved an antidote to the seriousness of the main action.

Much merriment was had in the opening scene of the Archbishop of Canterbury (Paul Rider) and Bishop of Ely (Brendan O’Hea) who discussed matters whilst on the privy, and Sam Cox as Pistol and Brendan O'Hea as Captain Fluellen who provided a glorious comedy double act.

For an evening of outstanding acting to lift the spirits, go and see this amazing production.