An appreciation fan site for the sensational Faye Brookes. We aim to follow one of the UK's most talented young performers in what is bound to be a fascinating and fast-moving career.
Check out the lovely picture above of Faye and her brother Jack. I can certainly see why she refers to them as TWINNIES, it was only the Clismas Kitten ears that helped me tell them apart.
Hopefully Faye and her family had a lovely Christmas. I'm sure Santa would have had a big sack of pressies for someone as wonderful as Faye. Hopefully she liked my gift. Obviously I don't know Faye that well so choosing the perfect present is always a little tricky but what I settled on in the end should at least bring back some happy memories of her summer in the park playing Liesl in The Sound of Music.
I hope everyone had a great day and remember it's only 364 days until we do it all again. A wise fairy once told me 'That's hardly any time at all.' HAPPY BOXING DAY.
The structure of the evening is rudimentary but effective. A 1969 TV
documentary covering the 40th anniversary reunion of the surviving members
of the choir acts as an opportunity for two diffident unfulfilled loners –
Tubby and Enid - to hook up, and intrudes the past upon the present. The
show offers a spot of romantic fairy-tale uplift while urging the virtues of
reconnecting with your younger self. Echoing Dean Andrews’ forlorn insurance
salesman, Anna Francolini’s pent-up secretary sings over a restless
undulation of piano music: “Did I sing? Where is that bright-eyed child?”
As you’d expect from Wood, there are chirpy jokes at the expense of passing
fads and social pretensions. An early scene features a marital spat about a
box of Matchmakers and there’s a whole song devoted to Berni Inn
steakhouses. Her turn of phrase remains a delight: “We don’t wear hobnail
boots to a party”, advises the choir-mistress Gertrude (Kelly Price),
insisting the children (brought to gambolling life by means of three
rotated, 25-strong choirs of locals) sing with an RP accent. “It’s not
exactly Roman Holiday, is it?” remark the awkward, almost-courting couple as
they meet in Piccadilly Gardens.
The humour reinforces the poignancy, though, rather than diminishing it. The
star of the night is a scampish lad called Jimmy, played at the opening
performance by the winning William Haresceugh (one of three to take the
juvenile-lead role). He dodges his furiously disapproving mother, cheeks the
conductor and generally brims over with boyish euphoria. Hold on to that
spirit, kid, you think with a sigh. Hold on to it.
Don't Panic, Faye hasn't given up performing to take up the job of a waitress. The above picture is taken from the fantastic Berni Inn scene of her current play 'That Day We Sang'.
Although Faye is busy performing in Manchester she used her day off on Sunday to travel down to St Albans to see her very own Prince Charming - Mr Gareth Gates - in Panto.
He is currently appearing in Cinderella at the 'Alban Arena' and if you're able to get there between now and January 5th I'd highly recommend you do so.
Missing Panto land already & I haven't even left London yet!...
Sad face Buster : (
I'm sure it's a great show and well worth seeing but I don't think they'll ever be another to compare with last years Sleeping Beauty at Canterbury where Gareth was joined by his very own Princess Faye in the best Panto EVER. Loved that show.
Anyway. Faye is currently performing in a very special play at The Royal Exchange and 5 star reviews continue to mount up for 'That Day We Sang'.
This next one was written by Alison of '4 Manchester Women':
Victoria Wood’s glorious comedy drama at The Royal Exchange Theatre
There’s probably only one person who could write about such a strong subject in such a gentle and endearing way!
That person is Victoria Wood.
Add an intimate understanding of northern humour, local references
and more than an occasional nod to American tan tights, The Berni Inn,
girdles, gussets and even a hostess trolley and you’ve got a piece of
theatre (and soon to be TV) that people will have no alternative but to
take to their hearts.
Initially commissioned for the Manchester International Festival in
2011, like any great piece of writing, it works on a number of different
levels. There’s the story and then how it makes you feel about your
life.
In 1929, 250 members of the Manchester School Children’s Choir
travelled from all parts of the city to record Henry Purcell’s setting
of Nymphs and Shepherds in the Free Trade Hall. With knocking knees, these children from industrial 1920′s
Manchester, many of whom had never even seen a sheep, let alone a nymph
or a shepherd, tried to invoke the spirit of green and pleasant lands.
That Day We Sang is based on a true story. Here’s the original 1929 recording which went on to become a top seller.
Forty years later in 1969 Granada TV bring together four members of
the original choir (Jimmy ‘Tubby’ Baker, Enid Sutcliffe and Dorothy
& Frank Brierley) to interview them as they listen to an original
recording of the performance.
What follows is a journey which moves seamlessly between the
innocence, enthusiasm and determination of childhood to the
disappointment and under achievement of middle age.
We see young Jimmy Baker’s (William Haressceugh) fight to
get a place in the choir – and his battle to keep it as his mother
(abandoned by his musician father) tries to keep Jimmy on the straight
and narrow. But Jimmy knows this is a once in lifetime opportunity.
Nothing is going to stop him.
Forty years later we see a beige, unmarried insurance sales man who’s
spent a life living with his recently deceased mother. Somewhere along
the way Jimmy’s been lost and been replaced by ‘Tubby’ Baker (Dean Andrews).
Gone is the little boy who said what he thought and was single minded
about what he could do and how he was going to do it. Instead we see a
man who is shackled by his place in the world.
Gently he tries to woo Enid (Anna Francolini) who is also
disappointed with her beige life of a spinster. Never in the history of
theatre has there been such in depth exploration into yoghurt (the
height of 1969 packed lunch sophistication).
That Day We Sang is a beautifully put together piece of
theatre. Every line is packed full of the wonderful one liners we’ve
come to expect from Victoria Wood and her trademark songs are in
abundance. But in addition to the laughs there are moments that had
tears streaming down my face.
When ‘Tubby’ sings a duet with his nine year old self – Jimmy full of
hope and a life yet to be lived and middle aged ‘Tubby’ with such
regret that he’d let this little boy down – it’s an incredible moment.
It was hard not to think about my nine year old self and wonder if I’ve done that little girl justice.
Don’t think for a minute though that this is a gloomy production as
‘Tubby’ eventually grows a pair and triumphs in the ultimate feel good
way!
If ever there was a play which deserved a standing ovation, That Day We Sang
is it. Young Alison would have been the first one up and on her feet
shouting, whooping and clapping. Unfortunately grown up Alison looked
around waiting for someone else to stand up so she wouldn’t be the
first.
Very difficult to improve on perfection though because Faye always looks priddy.
With so many glittering reviews already appearing online I thought I better get started posting them on the blog.
The first I've chosen was written by Matthew Nichols for The Public Reviews website.
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Reviewer: Matthew Nichols
The Public Reviews Rating:
Having first encountered Victoria Wood’s nostalgic comedy drama two years ago at the Manchester International Festival. On a baking hot afternoon, and with an acid hangover (me, not the afternoon), it was the equivalent of collapsing in front of high quality Sunday night TV. Two years on, with some tweaking, and a bold reimagining for the Royal Exchange space, it’s the perfect feelgood festive show for all the family. Not a snowflake or a strand of tinsel in sight, this one wins through on charm, warmth, songs and jokes about the Berni Inn and Black Forest Gateau.
At the fag-end of the 1960s, Tubby Baker (Dean Andrews) is asked to film a documentary for Granada TV about the 40th anniversary of the recording of the legendary Nymphs And Shepherds song. On that day in 1929, Tubby, along with hordes of other Manchester School Children’s Choir attendees had taken the tram to the Free Trade Hall to capture what would become one of the best-selling recordings in history. Stirred by memories of that day he sang, and a reunion with fellow chorister Enid (Anna Francolini), he starts to reappraise his life, and looks to turn middle-aged despair into Mancunian triumph.
My word, this is a treat. Wood’s writing is as sharp as ever, and her refusal to patronise her characters is utterly delightful. Instead we get great gags, wonderful songs, and a sense of a gifted talent shining a light on two overlooked eras. This is, in essence, a memory play, and the dual narratives sit snugly together. Rarely given the credit for how playful she can be with form and structure, Wood’s writing is given room to breathe in Sarah Frankcom’s characteristically clean, witty production. Johanna Town’s lighting recalls the horror of Mancunian eateries and Piccadilly Gardens in 1969, while James Cotterill’s designs don’t cut any corners on period detailing.
The play’s in better shape than it was two years ago, and this is thanks to the children’s choir, and the performers. Jeff Borradaile’s work with the young voices is exemplary; they sing beautifully, and still sound (and look and act) like ordinary Mancunian kids. There’s not a hint of stage-school preening on display, and William Haresceugh (alternating in the role of Jimmy) is a revelation. There’s not a hint of self-awareness and showiness, and he surely has a bright future ahead.
The adults are a treat as well. Dean Andrews is all “aw, shucks” geniality, while Anna Francolini (so utterly brilliant in A View From The Bridge, and Caroline Or Change) pinpoints a particular kind of ordinary northern dowdiness, with an inner spirit. A flexible, multi-roling supporting cast includes a perky Faye Brookes, a wonderfully warm Kelly Price (as the children’s choir mistress) and Craige Els as a bone-dry chaperone. The standout is Sally Bankes (in two roles), who, to the howls of delight from the audience, steals every scene she is in with immaculate comic timing and an expert handling of Wood’s jokes.
What’s not to like? With the increasing breadth of the Royal Exchange at the moment; new directors, new co-productions, and new faces on the stage. You can go to a panto or a monolithic musical any time you like, but this is a truly rare and specific treat for kids of absolutely all ages…up to about 90. Put it this way: in over two decades of seeing productions at the Royal Exchange, One has never heard an audience respond with cheers and applause in the way they did with this life-affirming show. Magic.
Victoria Woods 'That Day We Sang' is an absolute delight and works perfectly in the round theatre surroundings of the Royal Exchange.
We'll come back to the show in a minute but I promised you the story of my day in Manchester so lets start at the beginning.
I set off on the 180 mile trip from Bristol to Manchester at about 10am on Monday morning. Thankfully traffic was decent and I arrived at my destination at about 2:30pm, 5 hours before the show was due to start.
Although I had plenty of time I decided to head to the theatre to collect my tickets from the box office. WOW, what a venue.
The actual building is HUGE. The ceilings are amazingly high and the architecture is just incredible. I don't think I've ever been anywhere quite like The Royal Exchange. It's a one off and well worth a visit even if you're not seeing a show.
The actual theatre is set in the middle of the main hall inside a glass arena and as I was collecting my tickets I could hear voices and music coming from inside so I walked over to take a look.
I'm glad I did because I was able to watch Faye and the rest of the 'That Day We Sang' cast rehearsing ahead of that nights final preview show.
You don't get a perfect view from outside but as it has glass walls there were numerous places I could see at least some of what was going on.
Now I'm always in awe of Faye but I think in this instance my nerves were even worse than normal because I wasn't prepared. I hadn't of course expected to see her practicing when I went in to collect my ticket and the thought I may get chance to say hello earlier than expected had me heading to the bar for a stiff drink.
I'd liken my nerves to those you get before you go on your favourite
rollercoaster. You're buzzing with excitement and willing to queue for hours because you know you're
going to love it, even though you're scared to death of the loop de loop
or the vertical drop.
I'm not sure why I get so nervous because Faye really couldn't be nicer but to me she's a superstar and I guess fans of other celebrities feel much the same when they get to meet their idol.
Anyway, the stiff drink turned out to be a cup of tea, so I decided to get some fresh air by popping back to the car to pick up Faye's Christmas present which I'd left in the boot.
As it turned out I needn't have worried as I didn't get to speak to her
until after the show.
I returned to the theatre feeling a little better and went back to watching rehearsals. The opportunity to watch them practice was an excellent unexpected bonus.
The hour or so leading up to the show was fairly uneventful so I'll jump forward now to 7:30pm and the show itself.
Unfortunately I'm no theatre critic and my memory is not good enough to recall all the many magical moments from a truly wonderful play. However, I can assure you 'That Day We Sang' is a 5 STAR production and I'd highly recommend it to anyone who is visiting Manchester over the next 6 weeks.
Official press reviews are already appearing online echoing my opinion and I'll feature the first of these from the Manchester Evening News at the bottom of this write up.
This of course is Faye's Fan Blog so we're going to concentrate mainly on her performance as Edna, Ann and the waitress at the Berni Inn.
She may not have the lead role in this production but she is heavily involved. She not only gets to show off her superb acting - playing three different characters - but also has the opportunity to sing and dance. She even gets the chance to tickle the ivories. Is there no end to this girls talent?
Her main part is probably as Edna who assists at choir practice, joining in the songs and playing the piano. I can't remember too much about Ann if I'm honest but I think my favourite scene of the show was probably the Berni Inn song where Faye plays one of 4 waiters who dance and sing while delivering dinner.
Faye is such a versatile actress who manages to excel in every role she's given. Her parts in 'That Day We Sang' are very different to Miss Elle Woods or Princess Aurora but her star quality still shines through.
This play is blessed with some of the best actors I have had the good fortune to see perform and special mention should go to the the children and the two leads Dean Andrews and Anna Francolini who are superb throughout.
I wasn't sure what to expect from 'That Day We Sang' but I loved every minute. It's the sort of show you can't help but enjoy. A beautifully written Mancunian love story with plenty of humour, great songs and superb acting, which saw every member of the audience leave with a smile on their face. Many of which headed straight to the box office to book tickets for a return trip.
Afterwards I finally got to chat with Faye. My nerves hadn't completely gone as I'm sure she could tell but I was now able to speak which at least made conversation possible.
Faye was as lovely as ever and is really enjoying being part of this play and having the opportunity to perform at the Royal Exchange for the first time. Christmas at home in Manchester is also a notable bonus.
She was able to tell me some SUPER exciting news regarding a possible future role but I'm afraid I can't release any details just yet. However, watch this space because as soon as I get the green light I'll tell you all about it and trust me, you won't be disappointed.
We talked about numerous things which of course included Christmas and she thanked me for her presents which have a link to her time as Liesl in 'The Sound of Music'.
I even got to meet the guy with the easiest job in the world, her agent. Seriously though, I think Waring & McKenna do a great job because although there is no doubt Faye is immensely talented, it is a highly competitive business and she has been lucky enough to have some fantastic roles.
All to soon it was time to say goodbye but I'm already looking forward to my next trip to The Royal Exchange to see the final show of 'That Day We Sang' on January 18th. Hopefully I'll get to have another chat with superwoman too.
Here is the Manchester Evening News review I promised you:
Review: That Day We Sang @ The Royal Exchange Theatre
THAT DAY WE SANG *****
Deanna Delamotta enjoys Victoria Wood's Christmas gift to Mancunians.
Victoria Wood smiled or laughed heartily throughout That Day We Sang, her Christmas gift to Mancunians; a play about them, for them.
But that was OK because her fellow audience members needed no encouragement from Bury's comedy queen who, together with the Royal Exchange's artistic director Sarah Frankcom, has sprinkled stardust over this big-hearted love story that premiered at the Manchester International Festival in 2011.
But it was good to see Wood in town to feast her eyes on her improved play with songs (rather than full on musical) that looks better and sounds better but that essential ingredient, that slice of life comedy remains the main draw.
The 'background music' is preparations for a concert in 1929 when 250 members of the Manchester School Children's Choir went to the Free Trade Hall to record Purcell's Nymphs and Shepherds with the Halle.
But proceedings are dominated by Wood's witty writing that has propelled her to the status of national treasure. And this play reminds you that this woman was making hilarious observations about northerners when Peter Kay was still in short trousers. Here she has some wonderful vessels from which to pour out her humour including Sally Bankes, who almost steals the show with her two roles.
First as the Hyacinth Bouquet-esque suburban housewife Dorothy Brierley, who thinks she's continental because she's got a continental quilt; who is appalled by the idea of serving ham and tomato sandwiches when she has promised nibbles as that would look 'very headscarf and curlers'.
Together with hubby Frank (excellent performance by James Quinn, who also has two roles) their idea of being bourgeois is plating up a box of mint Matchmakers for their guests, dining at the Berni Inn with three tier black forest gateau for pud.
Bankes is equally good at playing blousy buxom secretary, Pauline, who's jealous of PA Enid's superior job, she of the 'leatherette planner'.
Pauline's a hopeless slimmer who would rather eat double egg and chips at the Golden Egg than cottage cheese in stark contrast to Enid, slim uptight Enid, (another great performance from Anna Francolini).
Despite her buttoned up prim exterior, Enid has been having it away with her foul-mouthed (well just foul really) boss (played by James Quinn).
Decades of disappointment has forced her to settle for Bournvita and iced gems ...until she meets Tubby Baker (a sensitive portrayal by Life on Mars and Last Tango in Halifax's Dean Andrews).
Tubby, once an angel voiced choir boy, (superbly played by William Haresceugh, ably abetted by cute and tuneful choristers) is now a 50 year old insurance man, with a paunch, who Enid meets when Granada reunites choir members 40 years later in 1969.
This show will leave you yearning for a bowl of Angel Delight or a slice of Black Forest gateau as well as savouring a poignant love story stuffed with jokes, nostalgia and Manchester memories.
Faye struck lucky this year when she was handed the parts of Edna & Ann in Victoria Woods play 'That Day We Sang'.
Not only does this mean she'll have the opportunity to perform at the iconic Royal Exchange Theatre for the first time but it also means she'll be able to spend Christmas at her family home in Manchester.
Check out their beautiful tree.
And there appears to be no sign of that HUGE spider that had sneaked in for Holloween.
After a month of rehearsals they're ready to go and tonight they'll take to the stage for the first preview show.
I'd like to wish Faye and all the cast best wishes for a fantastic opening night. Break a leg guys.
Hopefully they remember to do the Penguin Warm Up.
Not sure I can spot Faye in that shot? Maybe she's taking the pic?
Below is a lovely interview / article about the play from the Manchester Evening News:
Victoria Wood: I’m making a song and dance of a Mancunian love story
The popular playwright, screen-writer, actor and director,
who began her career as a multi-talented entertainer, has won more
BAFTAs than anyone and is the first woman to be honoured by the Writer’s
Guild.
