PATRICK MARMION reviews Stereophonic at the Duke of York's Theatre: Sex, drugs, rock 'n' roll... all that's missing is Fleetwood Mac
Verdict: Goes its own way
Welcome to Stereophonic, the ' Fleetwood Mac ' play with music. Now in the West End after winning five Tony Awards on Broadway, it re-creates one of the most notorious episodes of sex, drugs 'n' rock and roll excess in all of pop history: the recording of the band's 1977 album Rumours.
In the studio back then, singing and squabbling and much more besides, were Americans Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham, alongside Brits Christine and John McVie and drummer Mick Fleetwood.
As you would expect, this gives us lots to get high on in this three-and-a-quarter hour, fly-on-the-wall, dysfunctional re-enactment.
But for all the slick, intoxicating staging and a jaunty rock score by Will Butler (formerly of Arcade Fire) played live by the multi-talented cast – there is one very big elephant in the studio. This is not actually Fleetwood Mac (and the name of the fictional band is never mentioned).
Lucy Karczewski makes a riveting West End debut as the not-Nicks character 'Diana', combining the innocence of Ariana Grande and the agonies of Adele.
She's insidiously controlled by a shady Jack Riddiford as the not-Buckingham character 'Peter' – an insecure 'covert rebel' who was the band's commercial whip-cracker.
Chris Stack brings Jeff Bridges vibes to the not-Fleetwood drummer 'Simon'. And as the not-McVies we have booze-sodden Reg (Zachary Hart, falling apart in front of our eyes) and exasperated Holly (Nia Towles).
There's also a terrific comic Beavis and Butthead-esque double act from Eli Gelb and Andrew R. Butler as the two sound mixers, Grover and Charlie.
David Adjmi's script gets as close to reality as he probably dared; and Daniel Aukin's production is nothing if not watchable, thanks to a remarkable set by David Zinn.
Butler is careful not to expose his score to much comparison, offering mostly musical riffs and snatches. And none of his full-length songs come close to matching the glorious internecine conflict of Go Your Own Way.
If only they'd had the rights to Rumours... this really could have been something stunning.
Stereophonic runs until October 11.
Anna Karenina (Festival Theatre, Chichester)
Verdict: Bookish
Rating:
In Chichester it's not quite Anna Karenina, either. What we want from Leo Tolstoy's 19th-century Russian door-stop is a mad-passionate love story set amid dramatic social upheaval.
What we get, in Phillip Breen's artfully experimental production, is academic analysis and fascinating stagecraft.
Game Of Thrones star Natalie Dormer lends steeliness and intelligence to the title role of the society woman who scandalises St Petersburg by leaving her husband and child for the catastrophic allure of Count Vronsky (Seamus Dillane, son of Stephen).
But their relationship feels bookishly inert. Dormer would have been better off with the man playing the novel's Tolstoy character Levin (David Oakes), who oozes charisma as a reticent man of the country. And Oakes also happens to be Dormer's real-life husband!
Mobilising 19 actors over three hours, Breen's script gives up on drama and has characters explain themselves in awkward soliloquies. But it's cleverly performed amid dolls' houses and rocking horses – as well as toy trains, foreshadowing Anna's eventual fate on the tracks.
Anna Karenina is on until June 28.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
23 minutes ago
- The Independent
Ewan McGregor harkens back to Trainspotting character with charity head shave
Actor Ewan McGregor has shaved his head to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support. A video shared by the charity shows his daughter Clara assisting him with the shave. McGregor, 54, stated he undertook the act to 'stand with people living with cancer' and to help raise critical funds, noting he knows many affected by the disease. He also referenced his character Renton from the 1996 film Trainspotting, who was known for his buzz cut. Watch the video in full above.
BBC News
24 minutes ago
- BBC News
Oasis blown away by comeback, Noel Gallagher says
Noel Gallagher has said he and his Oasis bandmates have been "completely blown away" by the response to their hit comeback tour after 16 years to talkSport's Andy Goldstein about the dates so far in the UK and Ireland, he went on to say he was "proud" of his younger brother, frontman Liam, adding "it's been great to be back" in a band with played at Croke Park, Dublin, last weekend and will head to North America next before returning to the UK for more Wembley Stadium dates in London next singer-songwriter admitted it was "difficult to put it into words" so far and added that his legs had "turned to jelly" at the start the first gig back in Cardiff, in July. "Every night is the crowd's first night," he noted. "So every night's got that same energy to it, but it's been truly amazing."I'm not usually short for words, but I can't really articulate it at the minute."After breaking the Internet last year when tickets were released, in controversial fashion due to dynamic pricing meaning many fans missed out or paid over the odds, the brothers first re-emerged on-stage together at the packed home of Welsh rugby with their arms both raised came after many years of solo releases and very public bickering from the estranged BBC's music correspondent Mark Savage noted how the band sounded the "best they've been since the '90s" on their return, which he wrote felt "like a reconciliation - or a sigh of relief - as the brothers buried the hatchet of a decades-long feud and reconnected with their fans". 'Grossly underestimated' Speaking on Tuesday, in what is thought to be the first time publicly about their comeback, which has since also rolled into their hometown Manchester and Edinburgh, Noel Gallagher said: "I grossly underestimated what I was getting into.""After about five minutes, I was like, alright can I just go back to the dressing room and start this again?"I've done stadiums before and all that but I don't mind telling you, my legs had turned to Jelly after about halfway through the second song [Acquiese, which sees the brothers duet together]. And I could have done with going back and taking a minute."But it's been an amazing thing." 'Proud' of Liam Asked how he had felt about his brother giving him a little hug on-stage at the end of the first gig, Gallagher noted: "We're not those kind of guys really, you know what I mean?"It's great just to be back with Bonehead [Oasis's founding guitarist] and Liam and just be doing it again."I guess when it's all said and done, we'll sit and reflect on it. But it's great being back in the band with Liam - I forgot how funny he was."He added that Liam was "smashing it" and that he was "proud of him", joking that his apparent return to singing form must be down to "AI".The 58-year-old, who has been singing five of the 23 songs each night throughout the tour, continued: "Having fronted a band [Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds] for 16 years. I know how difficult that is."I couldn't do the stadium thing like he does it; it's not in my nature. But I've got to say, I think, you know, good for you mate. He's been amazing."He brushed aside an attempt to ask what might happen with the band at the scheduled end of the tour in November. The Oasis Live '25 reunion tour has made the headlines since it Oasis fan died when he fell from a height at one of the band's Wembley Stadium concerts this Wembley's authorities said they were investigating allegations that hundreds of Oasis fans were able to sneak into one of the gigs at the venue without a gigs so far have also provided many memorable viral moments, including a marriage proposal at Murrayfield, where Liam also described the City of Edinburgh Council as "a bunch of snakes", following a report which had suggested the band's fans would be "rowdy" and "intoxicated".The band next play in Toronto on Sunday evening.
The Sun
24 minutes ago
- The Sun
BBC sports presenter reveals she's pregnant with sweet bump pic after getting engaged and buying new home
grand slam! She gave an insight into how her pregnancy has been so far BBC sports presenter Jenny Drummond has revealed she's pregnant with her first child. The 36-year-old shared her happy news after getting engaged and buying a brand new home. 3 3 Posting a picture cradling her baby bump, Jenny - who has not revealed who her partner is - told her followers: 'They say things sometimes come in threes - engagement, house, now baby G. Feeling very lucky indeed.' The former tennis player - who has covered everything from Wimbledon to the Women's Six Nations - was inundated with messages from her famous pals and fans. Fellow presenter Laura Woods Golfer Annabel Croft remarked: 'Congratulations, such wonderful news.' And Sky host Eleanor Roper added: 'Aww congratulations!!!' Jenny gave an insight into her pregnancy as she shared a video made during Wimbledon. She wrote alongside it: 'Always so proud to present and voice the women's preview to the Wimbledon final of @bbcsport coverage. 'Not going to lie, I puked my way through this shoot - morning sickness has not been my friend but we got there thanks to pick n mix and most importantly to Joe Bamonte, @bensmith_cam and the editing team in Salford.' Jenny, who hails from Scotland, is known for her work on BBC Sport and TNT Sports, where she specialises in tennis, rugby, and golf. She previously opened up about being a female in a male-dominated industry and told the Daily Mail: 'As a female you get commented on how you look and what you wear rather than how you perform as a presenter or reporter. 'Then people criticise the angle of your questions or how articulate you were in the way that you said something. That p****s me off, for sure. 'I use Twitter/X for work but am not active on it. I'm sensitive and can't hack that (abuse) side of it, so I don't even bother looking.' 3
