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It is difficult to acknowledge the end of something, whilst it becomes increasingly impending and then truly is upon you. I have reached my last week of work as the TheatreFix guest editor and it has been a fantastic and inspiring experience, packed from start to finish.

Constant challenges and a distinct learning curve have made up the thoroughly enjoyable six weeks, achieving the best combination of theatre and work.

An entirely new world has been opened up for me in the realisation that there is a never-ending stream of career paths that are available aside from the stage. Having the opportunity to work alongside different departments, first-hand experience has shown how much more the performing arts have to offer, while still fulfilling your passion for the stage.

It is no secret that there is simply no room for all the budding performers desperately aiming for stages all over England. This is why initiatives such as TheatreFix provide such a prime opportunity for young theatre lovers to gain experience and recognise the route they would like their lives to take. Upon my return to university in October, I feel prepared and confident that I now have a much clearer focus of what I aim to achieve after graduation.

I have had the ability to tailor the internship to my short and long-term aims and theatrical interests, enabling me to benefit to the highest extent from this extremely rewarding experience. Seeing my own work posted to TheatreFix’s online blog has been ultimately satisfying, especially with the comments and feedback I have received. Having the freedom to review shows and write about topical issues regarding the theatre has made it possible for me to acknowledge my own strengths and weaknesses in this environment, and develop my skills further.

I encourage anyone with theatrical enthusiasm to undertake the same. The success and personal results inspire even more and open many more windows of opportunity.

Jessica Wilson TheatreFix Guest Editor

Many may argue that Theatreland is the ultimate place for suspending belief amongst other audience members also preferring the stage to reality. Recently, the west end has been inundated with reality TV stars and celebrities, potentially forcing out home-grown talent whose skill would cause their success rather than vice versa.

Many stars have graced the stages of London’s west end and Broadway, some better received than others. Most recently is Whoopi Goldberg’s descent into the divine comedy musical Sister Act as Mother Superior, which she helped produce. With Sister Act already a huge hit, it is easy to see how the legendary Goldberg aids the production rather than carries or hides behind it. Others who have wowed audiences are Sheridan Smith in Legally Blonde, David Suchet and Zoë Wanamaker in All My Sons, and Tamzin Outhwaite in Sweet Charity. In particular, Chicago has seen many celebrities take on the lead roles, such as Ashlee Simpson, Jennifer Ellison David Hasselhoff, John Barrowman and Jerry Springer.

This perhaps marks the divide between reality programme winners and the celebrities. Some stars have proved extremely successful in the west end and have ensured bums on seats during an economic downturn, whereas others may leave more to be desired. Audiences are almost guaranteed when Hollywood actors are billed, with a huge hype being produced. But can these invasions continue to sweep audiences along? It is commonplace for audiences to book tickets as a result of the cast, to then be disappointed when certain members are absent, or when the expected performance is not received. Even if the magic atmosphere of theatre is still created, they may never return.

The same could be said for some of the stars of reality TV and where they are now –far from the stage unfortunately. It is an automatic presumption that this is because they are simply the favourites of the home viewers, basing decisions on only one part of what casting directors consider. It is sometimes difficult to comprehend the slog that has gone into an actor’s early life before they are finally pipped to the post by a celebrity status or TV show shortcut winner, worthy or otherwise.

Controversially, it appears that often true talent does not lie in winners or celebrities: many have gone on to be successful and praised in their own right, such as Diana Vickers in The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, Ray Quinn in Dirty Dancing (both runners up on separate series of The X Factor) and Rachel Tucker in Wicked (a semi-finalist on I’ll Do Anything). Such an ongoing and prominent debate will leave every entertainment lover guessing as to where it will dance next.

Jessica Wilson TheatreFix Guest Editor

As part of this year’s Kids Week, run by the Society of London Theatre, the scheme is offering dozens of theatre workshops and activities. I took part in a tour of the historic Old Vic theatre and gained access to lots of exciting information. Stealing a look backstage reminded everyone participating that being on stage is not the only interesting part of being involved in theatre.

As one of the most famous theatres in England, the Old Vic has an incredible history dating back almost 200 years. Thousands of audience members are able to see a huge range of plays, often with two presented in parallel and rotating sets regularly. The tour organised through Kids Week offered 20 young people the chance to see a completely different side to the theatre, literally.

The Old Vic began life as the Royal Coburg theatre in 1818 promising the gentry ‘entirely new entertainment’. The variety of work shown at the Old Vic has been expansive, with the opening night alone including a melodrama, an Asiatic ballet and a harlequinade. The theatre has reopened twice under new management, most prominently under Emma Cons in 1880, who was a leading Victorian social reformer. Her niece, Lilian Baylis, became Acting Manager aged 23 in 1899 and took over completely in 1912, her management ending in 1937 with her death. Baylis is believed to still haunt the back stairs of the theatre, offering advice to actors.

Productions continued during the World War Two bombing raids but the theatre was badly damaged in 1941, only reopening in 1950 after many repairs and renovations to its former Victorian glory. The theatre was leased to visiting companies in 1977 after the Old Vic Theatre Company disbanded in 1963, and has had continued success since being regarded as one of London’s best theatres to work in, and is currently run by Hollywood film star Kevin Spacey.

Sitting in the auditorium, I was struck at how impressive the theatre was. Due to its horseshoe shape, the acoustics are apparently easy to manipulate and the projection of actors’ voices is said to be less challenging. A secret of the Old Vic stage is its legendary ‘Sweet Spot’. Few actors have ever located this, one being Laurence Olivier, in which you can simply whisper, and be heard anywhere in the auditorium. The Old Vic is also is home to one of the most raked stages in London: standing on stage after the tour showed first hand how sloped it really is.

During the tour, much controversy was also revealed, mainly regarding the theatre’s early life amongst very different cultural attitudes. The boxes one normally sees at the side of the stage were once positioned at the back of the dress circle, used by gentlemen to boldly entertain their mistresses! Additional to this was a pulley system once used to transport food between the hog roasts on the ground floor and the upper levels of the auditorium, which once seated 4500 people using only one entrance and exit.

Despite periods of decline, the Old Vic theatre has continued to survive triumphantly as a highly celebrated London theatre, raising the entire £25 million it requires to continue running each year and in nine years fulfilling Baylis’s aim to show the entirety of William Shakespeare’s works. Not a bad run at all!

Jessica Wilson TheatreFix Guest Editor

Based on the original play by Ben Jonson, a group of Hoxton Hall young people – Hoxton Select – have reworked The Alchemist to headline their new Urbanism season. Hoxton Select is a pilot project which hosts high-quality, professional work programmed by the panel of 14 to 26 year olds.

Firehouse Creative Productions and Hoxton Hall have collaborated in the production of this classic, using contemporary stories from the local community for this new version to make it entirely their own. The panel of young people have made regular visits to productions across London, and had discussions and workshops with artists in the process of choosing The Alchemist to become part of the diverse performance season, exploring urban culture and historical backgrounds.

Directed by Rachel Parish, the use of true stories within the creativity allows the  stories of individuals to provide an insight into universal truths, offering unique paths into creating these contemporary theatrical events. This historic piece takes a ruthless and hilarious look at the common tendency to believe the outlandish and unlikely in the pursuit of our dreams, and how much we are willing to believe. Disaster strikes and London is nearly deserted; for some this spells devastation, but for others, this is too good to be true.

The Alchemist runs from 24 August to 10 September. To book, visit www.hoxtonhall.co.uk or call 020 7684 0060 for further information.

Jessica Wilson TheatreFix Guest Editor

It is arguable that perhaps the most appropriate production in all of Theatreland is Into The Woods at Regents Park Open Air Theatre – woods in real woods! Some may even insist that it is not a production, rather an out-of-this-world experience, complete with fairy lights and foliage, echoing A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

James Lapine’s story intertwines the fairytales of the Brothers Grimm, mixing plots and adding dark humour and comic relief. Into The Woods premiered in 1987 with Lapine as the original director on Broadway. This 2010 London revival employs a truly innovative approach to set, with a simplistic staging of ladders, spiral staircases, swings and ropes. The cast emerge from the dark from the woods themselves, embodying the magic.

It is easy to become completely engrossed in such a scenic theatre, with the wind whispering softly, adding yet another dimension to the production. Prepare to be totally captivated by the seamless plot accompanied by the charming score and lyrics of Stephen Sondheim, which reveals the further conversing and thought trails of the characters. Featuring Rapunzel, Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood amongst others, nothing is wasted in the twisted tale, with the entire cast justified in their own right. They all bring enormous value to the plot, with every character equal, exploring the consequences of their own actions and the morality behind wish fulfilment.

Whilst not affecting the performance itself, it is always disappointing to see audience members leave before the finish. Understandably, Into The Woods was rather long at three hours, yet the uniqueness of the production still did not persuade them to remain. The finale was still well-received by the remaining audience: some had even left at the interval, presuming this was the end. The performance could have indeed finished there, but the second act provided even more questioning of ‘happily ever after’ – we are never satisfied.

Also featured within the night was the all-new BREEZE free membership scheme exclusively available for 18-25 year olds. An £8 ticket as part of the scheme included a show ticket, a free drink at the bar and 10% off the barbeque in Regents Park. Overall the evening was spectacular, when you consider all the aspects which contributed to the ultimate success of Into The Woods, in the woods!

Jessica Wilson TheatreFix Guest Editor

With an extremely limited run, Sadler’s Wells showcases the award winning hit Tanguera, which mixes both musical theatre and deeply rooted traditional tango dance in the story of a passionate fight for true love in a very real Argentinean underworld. Having run in its hometown Buenos Aires for 18 months, the brevity of its London stay questions whether Western audiences have the capacity for this love, in the acceptance of any Latin American dance that condones sequins and sparkle.

Since its opening, Tanguera has toured New York, Paris, Berlin, Madrid and Tokyo, entertains audiences far from Argentina with its furiously fast footwork performed by a company of over 50 dancers. The choreography, by Argentinean dance star Mora Godoy, combines both classical ballet techniques with a mix of traditional and modern forms of tango, relating the story of tango’s constant evolution from deep dance roots to high-shine and tourist-friendly show pieces.

In Tanguera, however, there is none of the Strictly Come Dancing commerciality and glitter; instead we receive raw talent, passion and individuality of the dancers bringing their love for tango to the stage. The show appears to follow musical theatre conventions, rather than predominantly being a showcase for dance, with the orchestral score performed live by one of Argentina’s most celebrated tango singers, Marianda, brightly illustrating the show and reminding the audience that this style of dance is still very much alive.

Dampening this slightly are the screens surrounding the stage, translating the Spanish lyrics to English, indicating that there is a prominent need for this. Without them, it would perhaps be even more difficult without these to convey the flat plot, which is weak and predictable, the show being carried totally by the technique and fervour of the dance. Yet, the screens are at the very least distracting from the enthusiasm of the compelling dancers, detracting from their performance but thankfully leaving their talent clear for the quick readers in the audience to see.

Still very much a part of the show, the extremely able musicians performed a fiery score, yet like many live shows, they are hidden away at the back of the stage. Their constant presence might add much value to the show, with the audience able to fully appreciate their talent too, especially as they work so closely with the dancers. This is, perhaps, where the true tango passion lies – in the relationship between the couples, the music and the dance. Tanguera implies that a more commercial audience hoping for the glitz of glamorous TV shows would be disappointed, as the true talent lies behind the sequins, with the performers in their feet.

Jessica Wilson TheatreFix Guest Editor

10 August  marks the 30th birthday of the half price ticket booth tkts in London’s Leicester Square, which has sold 10.9 million tickets to 1, 200 shows in these very successful years. tkts is a must for anyone with a passion for London theatre, offering a range of discounted tickets for a large number of shows every day, with the profits funding a huge range of activities in the theatre industry including supporting upcoming actors and producers, and audience development initiatives.

The ultra-friendly staff are willing to help with any theatre-related query and always strive to find the best seats in the house for great prices. When going to see Sweet Charity in late July through tkts, just £31.50 enabled me to bag a seat at the front of the auditorium, which I would not have been able to claim if booking conventionally. The spontaneity too of buying theatre tickets for the same day or week also adds to the extreme popularity of the service, for Londoners and tourists alike.

Anyone will agree that tkts is a massive success and deserves many more years of providing such a great service to theatregoers. To mark its 30th birthday, tkts will be giving away a free theatre ticket to the first 30 people in the queue on its birthday, as well as giving everyone the chance to win some fantastic theatrical prizes. Pick up one of the tkts scratchcards being handed out in Leicester Square on 10 and 11 August for a chance to win!

Visit www.tkts.co.uk for more information about tkts and for details of what’s on sale today.

Jessica Wilson TheatreFix Guest Editor

I have just spent the last 45 minutes trawling through extremely mixed reviews of Carlos Acosta’s Premieres; at 37 years old and inevitably heading towards the end of his dance career this is at the very least ironic, and has sparked a huge debate over the nature of ‘dance’ and what we are now expected to expect as an audience in the 21st century.

At £70 a ticket, many cite the show as a waste of money, because of its extreme contemporary style in a very traditional dance house. I cannot empathise completely; simply because it is pure logic that dance cannot remain stagnant. In the next decade perhaps, this particular style of contemporary – even this appears to be too narrow an adjective – will be the norm. It is a fact of life that the new and different is always rejected, for those reasons entirely. Furthermore, it seems a rapidly growing bandwagon for Acosta to be criticised for attempting to innovate, like many choreographers have done before him. Admittedly, they did not all begin as classical ballet dancers – there is no doubt that this helps however.

The show contained five works altogether, of what may be regarded by some as pure movement, with a general lack of ‘dancey dance’, but not without technique and talent. Performed as a mix of solos and duets from Acosta and Royal Ballet Principal Zenaida Yanowsky, dance here is pushed away from traditional clichés of elegance and turn out and instead embraces the natural emotions of despair and disillusionment of attachment.

Use of digital animation and 3D images throughout give a sense of separation from the pieces and although ambiguous, they definitely created another symbol of darkness aside from the static and sorrowful choreography. Acosta’s first appearance in trainers, jeans and a t-shirt receives the applause you would expect after his culmination of suspended leaps and dozens of turns we all know and love, whilst looking everything apart from a world-class ballet dancer. Despite this and a choreography that denied his ultimate talent, skill and strength are inevitably portrayed.

It seems to be sometimes forgotten that like everything in life, theatre and dance must evolve too. There were undoubtedly many disappointed audience members of perhaps the older generation, expecting the charismatic Acosta as he has always performed, perhaps with a good reason to. There will have been a number too who booked purely on the basis of his star studded name, and were not quite prepared for this astronomical change in approach. The question now is if an audience holds enough status to condemn someone who, like so many others, has reached for something new and unique in their profession.

Jessica Wilson TheatreFix Guest Editor

London’s best kept secret is not elementary

My night at the Duchess theatre did not progress as planned, and neither – I suppose – did my expectations of new play The Secret Of Sherlock Holmes, running there for just five weeks but seeming to take the plot in the wrong direction.

Jeremy Paul’s 1988 drama propels the audience on a journey into the minds of two of the most famous characters in literary history. Paul is not lacking in adequate knowledge of the pair, having written episodes for the Granada TV series starring Jeremy Brett. The production almost begs the question of whether the wrong approach was taken in the deduction of Sherlock Holmes’s mindset and motives, with the plot mostly consisting of references to Holmes and Dr Watson’s earlier life together. Doubts began to set in my mind whilst watching, as I began to analyse the two characters and not appreciate the drama, which was lacking at times.

For an irregular play-goer such as myself, a mass of narration from the two characters seemed to be a substitute for any materialisation of plot: the majority was spoken in hindsight, and that in the present did not do justice to the original stories by Arthur Conan-Doyle. The reliance on the narrative did not however deduct from the convincing acting, which was perhaps more suited to older audience members who would be more likely to appreciate the Victorian melodramatic effect. Yet, some touching, sentimental moments amongst the dialogue were captivating, sometimes quoting directly from Conan-Doyle’s stories, and injecting some humour from Watson’s subtle asides to the audience.

The unchanging set gave almost no sense of time passing, only managing to successfully convey Watson’s increasing worry for Holmes and his health and mental state with the use of understated lighting effects and occasional sinister mood music. This sense of loyalty and firm friendship is offset by the conflict of Watson’s morality and empathy. The encounter between Holmes and his criminal enemy Professor Moriarty climaxes in the revelation of Moriarty’s form and Holmes’s own deduction of mind. Only then is order restored both personally and theatrically, with a new client arriving, completing the play’s cyclical motion.

Despite this, the production may have been better received if the suspense was held and the twist was in fact kept secret; the revelation appeared insignificant, buried and lost beneath the constant dialogue and choppy plot.

Jessica Wilson TheatreFix Guest Editor

Despite a delayed start by 15 minutes, you couldn’t miss this particular gum-chewing ensemble of men, in the constructed chaos of Australian steelworks. This fantastically intricate and fast paced 90 minutes is uninterrupted and impressive, but almost leaves you wondering what else they are able to achieve with taps on their shoes. Undeniably the Tap Dogs give everything, in a show that is ultimately very macho, full of fun and full of sweat.

It’s difficult to comprehend, at times, why shows sometimes replace their dancers with elaborate set and lighting effects. Set amongst sheet metal, ramps and ladders, the Dogs perform upside down, dodge between fiery metal sparks and even tap in water wearing Wellingtons, much to the horror of the first few rows of the mac clad audience. Their fun-loving attitudes carried the performance, lending itself to a high energy, high comedy performance captivating the audience who were swept along with their charisma.

Talent was undoubtedly present in the 30 extremely detailed tap ‘numbers’, leaving behind the top hat and tails of perhaps more traditional styles of tap, familiar to older audience members who were not present. The Dogs begin creating their own rhythm unaccompanied, to be later joined by female drummers, slamming their way into the males’ brotherly shouts of enjoyment and the constantly changing steel set.

Dein Perry’s original Tap Dogs eventually toured the world after his childhood tap studies pushed him to recreate his working life as a mechanic into an electrifying mix of dance ambition and tough training. The choreography itself is genius, initiating an unbelievable mix of complicated steps from a universally limited tap vocabulary, 16 years after Perry was first established in the West End.

Appealing to the audience becomes a well utilised habit, throwing main man Adam Garcia onto the stage first to pre-empt the show, generating huge cheers from the audience before he had moved even one toe. His recent appearance as a judge on Got To Dance, and previous West End experience no doubt set him apart from the rest of the cast on stage, despite the others’ very prominent flair and charm giving him a definite run for his taps.

Tap Dogs is without a doubt the best ‘pure dance’ show I have seen for a while, containing many elements designed to reel in the audience in a flurry of feet and amazing feats. As soon as the taps began to sound familiar, the team hurl in a new piece of set on stage for the very agile dancers, reinventing the clarity and brilliance of their supreme performance, finishing with a standing ovation and a can of Fosters – not bad for a day’s work!

Jessica Wilson TheatreFix Guest Editor