Mama is Marilyn
Off the stage!
Ok sooooo actors have to hold it together and shine and entertain and captivate their audience but what about our antics away from the lights, the cameras and the action!? To be honest we have not been too wild!
There is a remix being created by Daniel Lloyd with lines from the show, Paul Matania has forgotten his keys and been locked outside his digs, a night was spent dancing in Revolution- rather loud, rather uncouth but with the odd Pretty Chitty Bang Bang cocktail thrown in and some Jaeger bombs- spiced up with dancing and a kebab- steam was let off and we had a giggle, and a stumble back to our abodes. Charlie ASM fell over a wall and our sound man Joe helped her up gallantly only to fall over himself. We laughed. I found a Guinness hat but it didn’t rival the glo stick headband I found in Eastbourne or the trolley we managed to fit Sophie into.
Patrick Bridgman, Charlie Archer and I have been staying in a darling chapel with a lovely vicar and his wife. No sinning for us! We have shared with two elderly cats Murphy and Molly. Murphy having one eye and little fangs was a cute, quirky addition to the household. Sophie Byrne and Andrew Venning shared their residence with Archie a French Bulldog- GORGEOUS! In Exeter I will be staying with Audrey The Labradoodle!
New Wolsey Theatre Ipswich
What a fabulous time we have had at The New Wolsey Ipswich. The audiences have been warm, receptive, busy and have made Some Like It Hotter’s time here a pleasure. Houses have been at their maximum and we have had whoops, wiggles and waves of laughter and giggles of wonderment at Marilyn Monroe shimmering in gold, Tony Curtis dressed as Josephine, and Daphne in frilly frocks.
The reviews have been coming in alongside the tweets and results are good! Great! Boop Boop Bee Doo!
Unlike, the New Wolsey’s recent musical Sugar, this isn’t a straight-forward re-working of the film. Instead it’s a celebration of the timeless appeal of Billy Wilder’s cross-dressing gangster comedy.
All the classic songs from the film, Running Wild, I’m Through With Love and I Wanna Be Loved By You are present but are re-worked into the new plot. There are sequences which recreate scenes from the film but the play works best when it has Charlie talking to Marilyn and the guys about his life.
Some Like It Hotter works thanks to a quartet of engaging performances from Patrick Bridgman as Charlie, Daniel Lloyd as Jack Lemmon and Paul Matania as Tony Curtis. But Sarah Applewood deserves special praise for not turning Marilyn into a caricature. She actually functions in the play as a believable person rather than a two-dimensional screen icon....it remains a wonderful celebration of a timeless film classic.
Andrew Clarke
MUSICAL THEATRE REVIEW
The witty script by Richard Hurford cleverly interweaves these scenes with the revealing of Charlie’s life and secrets. There is a Pirandello type twist as both Charlie and Curtis try to rewrite the script’s ending. The show, directed by Karen Simpson, is fast and funny but is more a musical play than a musical. The numbers are incidentals that entertain rather than advance the story. There are no original numbers – all are classics from the early part of the 20th century. The show opens with ‘Sweet Georgia Brown’ and ends with ‘I Wanna Be Loved By You’. As one would expect from a Watermill Theatre originated production (now also presented by Fresh Glory Productions in association with Eastbourne Theatres), the music is provided by the actors themselves.
Daniel Lloyd captures the essence of Jack Lemmon with snappy wisecracks and the characteristic laugh, while Paul Matania has all the swagger and conceit of Curtis. They do full justice to some wonderful bitchy exchanges and successfully drag up to re-create their alter egos – Daphne and Josephine.
But their fine performances are eclipsed by Sarah Applewood as Monroe – she has the looks, moves and voice to perfection. Her tender rendition of ‘I’m Through With Love’ is beautifully moving. Patrick Bridgman, originator of the part of Charlie at the Watermill, gives a solid performance of the nondescript outsider who slowly comes out of his shell and is able to move on. The principals are well supported by Sophie Byrne and Andrew Venning who play minor characters as well as various musical instruments.
Barrie Jerram
We are off to Windsor next and can’t wait!
The news off stage!
Well hopefully it won’t get me fired but we need to keep you reading right? Of course we are true professionals on stage and within the theatre but every actor likes a tipple to unwind from the smell of the grease paint and roar of the crowd. The first night we all trotted to Maxims for drinks, music and some of the cast and crew indulged in the odd shot of sambuca and tequila. We all let our hair down and chatted and let off steam after an intense rehearsal period learning all the numbers, the musical instrumentation, the words, the blocking! So, some of us carried on in Hollywood style and teetered to find a MacDonalds in the early hours of the morning. Instead we found glow sticks and a trolley. I say no more.
The following day Andrew Venning and I pitched ourselves on the lovely stony beach along Eastbourne’s coastline. It was a glorious cornflower blue sky day. We should have been bouncing along to Electric Light Orchestra’s Mr Blue Sky as it was indeed one of these days. To clear the cobwebs and try to keep up with an octogenarian who had done the same, we took a dip in the sea. I say dip. By this I mean I was in and out in about one minute. In true Marilyn style in a black halter neck swimming costume I ran in, I screamed and squealed lost all feeling in my feet and ran out again. Then I had trouble getting back into my clothes on the beach. Where is that screen from ‘Some Like It Hotter’ when you need it.
Opening Night Eastbourne Devonshire Park Theatre
Boop Boop bee doo Some Like it Hotter wiggled and shimmied and shone and boogied and brought Hollywood all the way to the absolutely GORGEOUS Devonshire Park Theatre. What a space to be in for our first night and with a great audience chortling their way through.
l feel we got off to a great start. There were no major dramas, no one tripped fell or died or worse than that…dried! As a result there were drinks all round with friends of the theatre in the bar and all the wonderful creatives were there too; writer Richard Hurford, Director Karen Simpson,
Designer Jane Linz Roberts, Lighting design Mark Dymock, MD Neil Mac Donald, Movement Director Alistair David, Costume Supervisor Becky Graham, Stage Manager Sam Craven, Sound Op Joe Price, Asst Stage Manager Charlie Archer and Fresh Glory’s Producer Rosalind and Emma who without them we would not have had the chance to get this show out on the road again. West End transfer would be the cherry on the bun for next Spring!
Show 2 was also a success and we almost came back on for a third encore with another round of Runnin Wild. Day 3 however saw Sophie Byrne topple with the glasses- a tricky moment to carry the three rainbow coloured cocktails on stage in the final scene. It was out of her hands. The theatre Gods that be were in the mood for mischief one wobbled taking the other two with it. Venning admirably chastised her on stage staying perfectly in charachter! I, Marilyn Monroe also managed to get tangled in my 1920s fringed dress and ended up with a hole in the derriere . That’s live theatre folks and it’s why we love it. Anything can happen
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BBC Radio London:Simon Lederman
The absolutely adorable Simon Lederman was kind enough to indulge myself Sarah Applewood, Paul Matania and Daniel Lloyd on his show last Thursday evening. he made us feel completely at home and we chatted away in the BBC studios as though we were nattering over a cuppa in our front living room. Hopefully the London audiences will be intrigued by Richard Hurford’s afterlife fantasy and add to the ticket sales when Some Like It Hotter hits Windsor, Croydon, Guildford and Borehamwood. Here’s some sneaky pics! 
Hotter Cast hit EASTBOURNE!
Opening night looms. Tech and dress rehearsal commence. Sorry its been a while folks but bedtime was beckoning at midnight and 1’0clock AM with early rehearsal starts and there has not been a moment to update the state of the biscuit tupperware box or the state of mind of the actors….. both are deteriorating- only to be expected. It has been far too long since the cast had an alcoholic beverage. (Tell a lie, I snuck in a cheeky couple of glasses of Sauvignon Blanc… I won’t divulge when…. keeping morale up and all that)
So today Paul Matania and I, dressed as the legendary Tony Curtis and Marilyn Monroe were up with the birdies to hit Eastbourne for a photo shoot for the local press. I stumbled across pebbles and shells in a fluffy white dressing gown with the trade mark platinum blonde hair ruffling in the breeze to join Curtis in playful poses and seaside shenanigans. The rest of the cast then joined us at the Devonshire Park Theatre to don costume and cravat for our sound check.
Of course, nothing went to plan at first! Always to be expected and a reminder that we do not just stick on a costume and perform. It’s a skill- it’s a thrill too, but mastering a steep raked stage in unsteady stilettos, sitting on a pretend piano and it nearly tumbling over, tangoing in a tight pencil dress, exquisitely made but clinging to every curve and negotiating steps and bumps, and drums and horns is a mission in itself- add the lines, music and making it all look effortless- well, it’s an effort! Bets are on as to who stacks it first!
Everyone looks HOT in Some Like It Hotter! Lovely Andrew Venning a dapper (ice cream seller) slick 1920s gangster complete with spats and a mascara-ed moustache (he has struggled with his baby blonde face fur), Sophie Byrne looking chic and streamlined in leather brogues crisp white shirt switching to delicate florals and a babeliscious bikini in Act Two. Matania, ever the hot stud in his tux, alongside the suave suited Daniel Lloyd and cosy Patrick Bridgman in his squiggly sweater. Without a doubt, Daphne and Josephine- our cross-dressing Hollywood legends steal the show in delicate pastel drop waist dresses, dainty shoes complete with handbags.
So, we open Wednesday night get your tickets now- sales are going well and we want you to be able to see this wonderful toe tapping theatrical extravaganza…. Gotta fly, Hollywood calling.
Marilyn loves Broccoli.
No biscuit update. Our lovely producer Rosalind brought fruit- fruit, not biscuits. This is what most actors require what with the waist line and all that. I have failed. I had fish n chips by the sea after moaning about my arm movement in my sexy black Runnin’ Wild Number and was busted by Becky our talented costume designer. No more indulgences for me. Jog by the sea tomorrow- as long as the red wine doesn’t speak to me this evening…. drink me, drink me. Maz might fall down the rabbit hole.
Billie & Diamond: The Undead?
The Lovely Sophie Byrne and Andrew Venning play the roles of Billie and Diamond and are Richard Hurford’s newest additions to the script. What they are, we are gradually discovering.
Who are these characters? Who and what are these eerie beings who watch the action and help it along? Are they demons? Are they angels? Why don’t Charlie and Marilyn have one if they are? We are in a state of limbo after all. The after-life, purgatory, a waiting room, the warm-up act, the B-Picture. Everyone is dead aren’t they? Are they representatives of head office- the big guy upstairs making sure Curtis, Lemmon and Monroe follow through with their film re-enactments for the sake of those passing through? ….. Are THEY the ones in control. If – or should I say WHEN you see the show I would love to hear your views.
Of course being actors, darling- hysteria is always very prevalent around 4pm biscuit time so we decided to find pictures of our version of Billie & Diamond. Probably not strictly correct but a giggle for us anyhow. Tim Burton would be proud.
NB I had no biscuits today. But Sophie brought in colourful cake.
Lemmon’s Lemons, Ghost Poo and Pendolino Poo.
I bring you ‘Lemmon’s Lemons’ today. We thought it was funny. Perhaps it isn’t. But as there is a lot of cross dressing in the show, for men and women, we got into the subject of hiding a man’s bits and pieces in various costumes. Lemmon had stories about his Lemons but some things are strictly for actor ears only.
‘Lemmon’s Lemons…with me Jack Parky… murmur murmur murmur and Marilyn Monroe… murmur, murmur, boop boop bee doo, Parky theme tune, murmur murmur…” This was how it went, whilst sat eating our lunch,in the sunshine outside London Bubble rehearsal rooms. Paul has joined in the calorie counting with ‘My Fitness Pal’ and realised that two sandwiches and a packet of crisps (Yes, two pints of lager and a packet of crisps would have been more agreeable) was his entire calorie intake for the day. It then went and affected his clapping skills in ‘Clap Hands Charlie’ musical number. He recovered. Just.
Although we were eating our lunch Lloyd decided to discuss pre show poo’s. (Actors get them before they go on stage. The nerves kick in, the stomach does somersaults and there is a queue for the loo. It’s all fun and games in our industry. You’re either kissing someone you don’t know or discussing poo).
The poo’s in question were : The ‘Ghost Poo’ and the ‘Pendolino Poo’. The first being when you look in the loo and the poo in question- has vanished. The latter being a poo that goes round corners. I thought they meant the corners of your bowel. Apparantly not. It does have something to do with trains (see below) but nothing to do with Virgin, Richard Branson and the poo doesn’t have passengers.
Pendolino (from Italian pendolo [ˈpɛndolo] “pendulum“, and -ino, a diminutive suffix) is an Italian family of tilting trains used in Italy, Spain,Portugal, Slovenia, Finland, Russian Federation, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, Slovakia, Switzerland, China and shortly in Romania and Poland.
The idea of a tilting train became popular in the 1960s and 1970s when various rail operators, impressed by the high-speed rail services being introduced in France and Japan, wondered how they could similarly speed up travel without building a dedicated parallel rail network (as those two countries were doing). By tilting, the train could go around curves designed for slower trains at higher speeds without causing undue discomfort to passengers.
Daniel Lloyd has shared his skill of horn-sound making. He basically sounds like an old vintage car horn. Like something from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Sophie Byrne thought he sounds more like a demented monkey. Either way you get the idea! I, Sarah Applewood, gave him the task of getting it into every show… somehow. Will he do it?
Ok, enough of the random moments in rehearsal. We did actually do some great work with talented choreographer Alistair David
Theatre credits include:THE SOUND OF MUSIC (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre);PAPER DOLLS (Tricycle); MY FAIR LADY (Sheffield Crucible Theatre); THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE (Watermill); POSH (Duke of York’s); THE GOLDEN AGE OF BROADWAY with Bryn Terfel (Southbank Centre); THE WAY OF THE WORLD(Sheffield Crucible); ONCE UPON A TIME IN WIGAN (Hull Truck / Paines Plough); A BOWL OF CHERRIES (Charing Cross Theatre); RADIO TIMES (Watermil/UK Tourl);BELLS ARE RINGING (Union Theatre – for which Alistair won the 2011 ‘Best Choreographer’ Off West End Award); NICKED (HighTide Festival); SLEEPING BEAUTY(Sheffield Lyceum); CINDERELLA (Oxford Playhouse); FASCINATING AIDA (Theatre Royal Haymarket); MY DAD’S A BIRDMAN (Sheffield Crucible); ALADDIN, SLEEPING BEAUTY (Theatre Royal Bath); SNOW WHITE (Theatre Royal Hull); LITTLE WOMEN(Workshop); SNOW WHITE (Orchard Theatre, Dartford); A CHORUS LINE, WEST SIDE STORY, SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS (Bodywork Company, Cambridge) and BAT BOY, FOOTLOOSE, ROMEO & JULIET: THE ROCK OPERA, ANYTHING GOES (Arts Educational School).
He got us all ship shape and put some brilliant moves to Neil MacDonald;s musical arrangements.
Clapping rhythms, wiggles, jumping on stage props and suitcases, drumming on the bass (not not more Drum N Bass- though we love it) and a spot of Charleston has begun to give ‘Some Like It Hotter’ for Fresh Glory Productions in association with The Watermill Theatre, much more clarity and loose ends have begun to be tied up into perfectly funky fruity bows. This show is gonna be HOT.
No news to report on biscuits today.
Some Like It Hotter On Tour - by Marilyn Monroe 