REVIEW - Dinner With Saddam, Menier Chocolate Factory

FOUR STARS

IN a bid to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak, the late dictator Saddam Hussein used to drop in unannounced at the homes of people living in Baghdad for dinner.

It was a way of not only visiting his people but it was also a way of evading the Americans and their attempts to assassinate him.

And it is this idea that has formed the basis of a blisteringly funny play, Dinner With Saddam now on at the Menier Chocolate Factory.

Written by Anthony Horrowitz it stars Steven Berkoff as Saddam with Sanjeev Baskhar and Shobu Kapoor as his host and hostess.

Saddam pitches up at the most inconvenient time for them. The toilet is blocked, the plumber can't find the problem quick enough to deal with it, the host is having problems controlling his articulate and intelligent daughter, not to mention the man to whom she has been betrothed from birth.

So to have their dear leader in their midst is all a bit much.

The comedy is ramped to the max with dead bodies, rat poison and a bag of turds in the fridge - yes really.

And while it is a fine line to tread between sending up the situation and revealing the true horrors of both the war and the help Saddam got from the Americans and us Brits in his war with Iran, it manages just about to do so.

It is at times hilarious and at times shocking in the facts it imparts. The cast is just terrific especially Sanjeev Baskhar whose comedic timing is spot on.

Dinner With Saddam is on at the Menier Chocolate Factory until November 14. Tickets from £35. Visit www.menierchocolatefactory.com or call the box office on 020 7378 1713.

Dance Umbrella festival

TAKING dance off the stage and into different environments including the great outdoors is the focus of a festival that celebrates dance in a variety of forms.

Dance Umbrella is a collection of 10 shows in 13 boroughs across the capital which is being staged in 19 different venues in a two week season this month.

Among the highlights are a show especially for babies aged from birth to 18 months at the Albany in Deptford, Walking Stories in four London parks including Greenwich and Brockwell Park, classes at Rambert on the South Bank and workshops at the Unicorn Theatre in Tooley Street.

International artists will mingle with home grown talent to provide a cross section of inspiration, content and styles.

It’s the 37th year the festival has run and for its artistic director Emma Gladstone it’s a chance to bring dance to people who might not otherwise have access to it or even think it’s for them.

“I’m really excited,” she says. “We are offering a range of work, a real mix, which I think is really important because we want as many people as possible to come along and see what’s out there.

“Part of what we do is to look at where else we can make dance work that is not in theatres. Sadlers Wells is hugely successful and lovely but it’s liberating to see where else we can take it.

“So we are presenting work in venues of all shapes and sizes, both big theatres and in smaller arts centres such as the Albany and also in local parks where the audience becomes the choreographer.

“I really feel part of my job is to be showing people that it’s inclusive and invite them to come and see something different. It’s not taught widely in schools so that makes my job more important.

“Not everyone will like everything we are putting on but there should be something for everyone.”

To prove the point the festival kicks off with folk dance on the roof of a car park followed by a range of performances, workshops and events including a DJ set and culminates in an audio stroll that takes the audience away from the every day chaos of life with an mp3 player and a set of headphones.

It will also be contemporary in nature, so rather than ballet or other classical forms, expect hip hop, Indian dance and an African and European mix amongst the genres on offer.

“I’m more interested in exploration rather than confirmation so it’s much more of a contemporary festival,” explains Emma.

“I’m asking audiences to come and explore what artists do. Our audiences tend to be quite exploratory and are pretty open minded whereas classical audiences know what they are going to see.

“I like the idea of flexibility and dance commentating on this modern world. For example we have a series of audio walking tours which take place in parks where the audience will become their own choreographer as they go off and explore the park.

“Although there will be about 20 people in each group, it’s also going to be a private experience because everyone will be wearing their own headphones.

“It's an hour long piece and everyone says it changes how they look at the place they are in and that it’s very reflective.

"You get a chance to look again at what are familiar surroundings and see something different. It shifts your mind which I think is a lovely thing.”

Elsewhere there is a weekend of classes, short performances and talks at the Unicorn Theatre. Over the two days DU: Unplugged will be led by Lisbeth Gruwez and Depak Kurki Shivaswamy. Before each performance there will be a choice of workshops to take part in followed each afternoon by international companies sharing selected elements of their work and talking about why and how they create their choreography.

One of Emma’s highlights will be the 16 Singers London Orbital Tour at the Albany. It is a show aimed at babies up to the age of 18 months and their carers and will feature singing, dancing, sculpture and improvised sound.

“I have been programming for children and young people for 10 years,” says Emma. “I always wanted to include them in our festivals as they are fascinating.

“This show could be very strong and deep and seeing young children move when they hear music is pretty special.

“What’s great is that parents might not go to the big dance houses but might go to see something at a friendly local venue that they know. I also love the idea that the kids might take their parents to something and introduce them to dance that way.

“It’s a very exciting and vibrant time in dance,” she adds. “There’s so much going on and the quality is consistently brilliant.

“So I hope people, whether they have seen a dance performance before or not, will take a look at the programme and come and see something and be wowed.”

Dance Umbrella takes place at venues across London. Visit www.danceumbrella.co.uk or call the box office on 020 7257 9384 for full listings.

REVIEW - La Musica, Young Vic

FOUR stars

RELATIONSHIPS are fragile things and a play by Marguerite Duras now on at the Young Vic shows this beautifully.

La Musica features Michel and Anne-Marie, who meet four years after they split up to finalise their divorce.

They meet in a hotel in a French town where they used to live and the tension is all too palpable.

We first see the pair high above the audience, sitting next to each other on a bench, backs to the audience looking out of a window.

We see their faces on huge screens and listen to them as they talk about their relationship, from how they met through to how and when they parted company. Half way through their reminiscences, they come down and sit on chairs around which the audience sit or stand.

It gets more intense and not just because we are so close to them. As they move about within and amongst us, we hear about their hopes and dreams when they were in the relationship, how they couldn’t live together and seemingly can’t live apart either.

We find out about their affairs, how Michel wanted to kill Anne-Marie and how she has since met someone else. As the truth comes out, old wounds are re-opened, grievances once thought forgotten resurface and old feelings re-awaken.

They flirt, fight and spar verbally and dance around the subject of love. Were they ever in love or was it a destructive relationship, or one of convenience.

It is heartbreaking, claustrophobic, emotional, powerful, raw and ultimately very sad.

Sam Troughton and Emily Barclay are incredible as the former lovers in what is a fabulous piece.

La Musica is on at the Young Vic, The Cut, until October 17. Tickets from £10. Visit www.youngvic.org or call the box office on 020 7922 2922.

INTERVIEW - Mister Maker

THERE can’t be many children – or their parents – who haven’t heard of Mister Maker, the educational and fun arts and crafts TV show that is aired on BBC TV channel CBeebies.

The title character is played by Phil Gallagher whose job it is to encourage and inspire pre-schoolers to explore their creative sides – and with his trademark exuberance and enthusiasm he sprinkles his magic by painting, drawing, sticking, moulding and loads more besides to create art work from everyday items.

Since its first transmission in 2007, Mister Maker has become a worldwide hit and is shown in more than 100 countries around the globe.

Now, after six hugely successful TV series, with the next one due to air next year, the BAFTA-nominated show is heading out of the TV studio and on to the road for the first time.

The nationwide tour, in which Mister Maker will be joined by the Shapes and a whole host of other colourful characters, will take a pit stop at Croydon’s Fairfield Halls on Saturday, October 17.

Speaking to Phil ahead of the visit it’s clear he’s as pleased as punch to be on the road and as keen as mustard to impart his arty ideas to his young audiences.

“I’m really excited about the tour because it’s the first one we’ve done in the UK so it’s going to be fantastic,” he says warmly.

“It will be exciting to be doing the makes live on stage and get an instant reaction - I can't wait.

“And I’m looking forward to Croydon – it’s really good for me as it’s quite close to family so there will be a lot of Gallaghers in the house,” he laughs.

The show will be based on the TV version with all the makes we’ve come to expect but with a few surprises.

“It’s going to be a bit full on,” he laughs. “We’ve got so much in it it’s absolutely packed.

“I wanted it to have the heart of the TV show so there will be lots that children and their parents will recognise, such as the makes but I’ve brought in new things too that perhaps the audience won’t expect.

"It will be presented in a different and theatrical way with lots of singing and dancing and of course the Shapes will be there – when they run out on the stage it’s brilliant.

"They will be doing their traditional dance but there will be new songs for them and you get to see more of their comic side.

“I wanted to give them more of a voice and thought it would be fun if they could speak and have conversations with Mister Maker.

“I love them all but I relate to Rectangle most,” he admits when I ask which one is his favourite.

“He’s a funny character, loves to dance and is constantly bouncing around - just like me. He’s also quite tall, like me – I’m 6ft which sometimes children are surprised about when they see me.”

The core of the show will be the ‘makes’ although ensuring everyone in the audience can see them has been one of the challenges of bringing it to the stage.

“Applying what we do in the TV show to a live show has been a challenge and something I really had to think about,” he says.

“With the small scale makes we have a camera on me so people can see it all on the screen.

“I’m also doing a make against the clock while singing a song – it’ll be quite scary doing that one because I’ve written it so there’s even more time pressure to get it done and so it’s more challenging than the one I do on the TV.

“And I want to make sure that everyone feels part of the show so there will also be opportunities for mini makers to come up and help me with something and I’m doing a big make that everyone contributes to no matter how young or old they are.

“So it’s going to be busy, full of arty adventures and loads of fun!"

Throughout our chat it’s clear Phil is as enthusiastic about getting kids of all ages interested in art as his alter ego. And he says it’s ever been thus.

“I love it,” he says warmly. “As a child making and creating things was one of my favourite things to do. My parents’ house is full of things I made as a kid.

“My favourite is a googlie eyed bug that I did with my grandfather when I was very young. I still do a version on the show – it’s a real classic.”

And he says that he always knew he wanted to be a TV presenter when he grew up.

“When I was very young I used to go behind the sofa and put on puppet shows for family and friends,” he says.

“I used to do lots of impressions and had a real love of performing even then. Making things and performing was a big part of my life so to do it as a job now is a real privilege and I feel really honoured and so fortunate.

“I’m so lucky because I have the best job in the world and that’s why I put everything into it – I’ll write the script and then lock myself away and rehearse and rehearse and rehearse so I get it absolutely right.”

But in an age where technology plays an increasingly prominent part in our lives with the lure of smart phones, tablets and computers to entertain kids, what does the future hold for using paper, pens and paint?

“The Mister Maker TV show is at its heart a traditional arts and crafts show but it’s done in a modern, zany way,” he says.

“We launched a Mister Maker app recently which was a new venture for us but we try to inspire whoever is using it to go and do something real.

“I feel that doing it for real is something that’s important and lovely for children – and for them to do with their parents and grandparents.

“One of my all time favourite makes was one we did in the early days which was dipping a tennis ball in a gloopy mixture and then throwing it against a canvas. It was such a lot of fun, really messy but kids love getting messy.”

So will there be “messy fun” in Croydon I ask.

“You will have to wait and see,” he chuckles. “It will be fun – audience reactions so far have been amazing – but definitely expect the unexpected.”

Mister Maker comes to the Fairfield Halls in Croydon on Saturday, October 17. Tickets cost from £11.50. Visit www.fairfield.co.uk or www.mistermaker.com or call 020 8688 9291 for tickets.

Interview - Jason Donovan

"IT'S a great marriage, this show and me," muses Jason Donovan. The 47-year-old singer, actor and former Strictly Come Dancing finalist is referring to Priscilla Queen Of The Desert, the heart-warming, uplifting adventure of three friends who hop aboard a battered old bus in Australia searching for love and friendship and end up finding more than they could have ever dreamed of.

Jason has been part of the show since its original incarnation and hugely successful run in the West End and subsequent touring productions in 2013.

He is now back on board the bus and reprising his role of Tick in a new version of the show which comes to the New Wimbledon Theatre this week as part of a nationwide tour.

As well as what Jason describes as a "fantastic story" it features a dazzling array of outrageous costumes and dancefloor favourites such as It’s Raining Men, Say a Little Prayer, Go West, Hot Stuff and Always on My Mind.

We chat as Jason gears himself up for the gruelling eight shows a week regime he has let himself in for once more and says he's excited to be back in the thick of it.

"It's going good and last night the audiences were great - so it's lovely to be back," he tells me.

“I’m looking forward to coming back to Wimbledon. We were here for the last tour, they are a great crowd and it’s close to home so it’ll be fun.

"I have done other bits and pieces since the last Priscilla tour but I keep coming back as it's just a real audience winner and Tick is such a great character. I have a ball playing him.”

The other bits and pieces include performances in The King's Speech and Annie Get Your Gun, both of which he says he enjoyed.

"I loved doing The King's Speech," he says. "It was a real challenge but it was great to do straight, serious acting again - I'd love to do more of that in the future, especially film or TV although that's a tough nut to crack."

But the lure of getting dressed up in the glittery costumes and make up and strutting his stuff to those fabulous tunes has proved quite a draw for Jason though he admits the costume changes are "relentless".

"It's a big production and the bus looks the best it's ever been so there are a lot of reasons to come back to it and want to step back into these costumes," he says warmly.

"It's a tough show to do though, two hours of singing, dancing and acting, and it's relentless in terms of its costume changes.

"But it's a great story, a unique and modern tale about these three guys who go on a journey where they travel through the Australian desert to get to Alice Springs.

“It's also peppered with such wonderful songs, a real juke box musical but it works - I see at first hand how much people love it. There are very few shows you get to do that have that sort of impact.

"I think audiences want something that has substance and this is it."

For those who’ve not seen it, it tells the tale of Tick, a drag queen and his two friends who travel through the Australian desert in their lavender bus Priscilla, to get to Alice Springs to do a drag show.

Along the way they encounter a number of strange characters as well as incidents of homophobia.

"I think I'd describe Tick as confused," says Jason. "He’s a gay man with a wife and child and I think he’s just on a journey of discovery.

“The other two accept him for who he is but they are all really misfits and have been rejected by society because they are a bit different.

"It’s about diversity and the barriers these guys face and about triumph over adversity, which is really the moral of the story. I think it’s one we can all relate to in some way.”

And he says fortunately those barriers are coming down as people become more accepting.

"I think they are breaking down a bit especially with the gay marriage legislation,” he says. “People are more accepting and enlightened – we're living in a global village and people are more informed these days which is good."

And since he waltzed his way into the final of Strictly four years ago he says his confidence on the dance floor has grown.

“The fear of choreographers has gone now,” he laughs. “I am more at ease and in tune with it and it doesn’t stress me out although the dancing in the show has changed a bit with this tour which threw me a bit initially.

“It was a surprise to get to the final of Strictly though. It was quite an intense experience and I don’t want to do it again!

“It’s a great show though and my four year old daughter loves it – it’s like a panto leading up to the panto season!

“But it's all about working hard and that’s what I always try and do."

This work ethic has been at the centre of his working life and something that he's now keen to pass on to his three children.

"I tell my kids that if you work hard anything can happen," he says. "It worked for me. I've never really been naturally gifted at anything - I've had to work hard. But when you do get results it is quite satisfying."

And to prove the point, after his latest three month stint in Priscilla he will be going back on the road with his Ten Good Reasons tour.

"I haven't been on the road with it for about six years and it felt like it was overdue," he says.

"I think there is an appetite for 80s songs so it'll be fun to sing all the songs I did back then.

"They are all favourites but Too Many Broken Hearts is a great song."

And when I ask if there will be any special guest appearances he laughs.

"There may be but I've not dived into that area just yet," he says. "But you never know. There are a couple of people that could help me out!"

Priscilla Queen of the Desert The Musical is on at the New Wimbledon Theatre, The Broadway, between Monday, October 5 and Saturday, October 10. Tickets from £14. Visit www.atgtickets.com/wimbledon or call the box office on 0844 871 7646.