In my opinion, the only thing wrong with the Civic is what the Council did to it by cutting off its historic frontage. How ludicrous to make the entrance on Hanson Street. It took me months to find it.  

But as it turns out the Hanson Street entrance has become one of my favourite places. I've been attending events at the Civic since 1973 and after a long break it was a joy to start attending again last year. I think whoever is running it today is doing a superb job. I'm delighted that I've been able to see Shappi Korsandi, Chris Addison and Russell Kane performing in my home town. The building has been beautifully restored, the seating is excellent with great views from every seat. The prices are reasonable. The bar is a bit rudimentary 'summer gala' style but the service is friendly and the beer is good. The front of house staff are pleasant and helpful and It's a friendly relaxed atmosphere - though the air was excitingly tense the night Russell Kane's warm-up act tried out their somewhat brave, but not clever,feminist critique. There was quite a lot of tension in the house as it very much offended one angry, vocal couple. Quite exciting to witness a bit of political agitation. Fortunately most people behaved well and the dissenters left in a noisy huff. We went on to have a superb evening of stunningly intelligent comedy. Similarly Chris Addison had a lengthy exchange with a member of the audience who was deeply offended at his comments on universities. It's a great pleasure to go to see thought--proving comedians, treating the audience like grown ups. I hope the Civic keeps up its ambitious, intelligent booking policy. 

Karen Johnson

Dance in Yorkshire

The Civic has been featured in the Dance in Yorkshire Spring 2011 Programme showcasing our two fantastic Dance pieces in the first season of 2011 starting with:

Tavaziva Dance

Double Take  

There are two sides to every story...

Through adversity...there comes triumph

Through pain...there comes loves

After a storm...comes a calm

Double Take is an intensely courageous double bill surveying the impact of black dance and Bawren Tavaziva’s contribution to the contemporary dance landscape in Britain. 

Heavyweight choreographer and musician Bawren Tavaziva unravels an inspirational soundtrack accompanied by the sweet sounds of African vocalist Tsungai Tsikirai and his fantastically exuberant dancers, in this celebration of culture, hardship, agony and joy.

AND

Phoenix Dance Theatre: Reflected

Works by Ben Duke and Raquel Meseguer, Philip Taylor, Sharon Watson and Richard Wherlock

Internationally renowned contemporary dance company Phoenix Dance Theatre visit Barnsley for the first time under new Artistic Director Sharon Watson with Reflected.

Since her appointment in 2009 Watson has revitalised Phoenix, taking the company back to what it does best – compelling, entertaining and diverse mixed programmes – and reintroducing classic pieces from Phoenix’s rich history.

As Phoenix celebrates its 30^th birthday, Reflected offers the perfect opportunityWatson herself. Philip Taylor’s What It Is is a sultry, playful take on love and se

 to get reacquainted with this exciting company. The bill features two new dance works; Richard Wherlock’s sensual and vibrant Switch and the dynamic, innovative Melt by

xuality set to a mesmerising Amy Winehouse soundtrack, and there is also a welcome return for audience favourite Pave Up Paradise, Ben Duke and Raquel Meseguer’s tongue in cheek retelling of the story of Adam and Eve.

Feedback

I have nothing but positive things to say about The Civic. It is such a beautiful renovation. Barnsley should feel proud to have such a inspiring facility. I think the quality of the exhibitions and performances at The Civic combined with the positive steps which the culture department of BMBC are making will have only a positive affect on Barnsley, its community and its reptutation as a place to visit for arts and culture.

J. Harvey

The Lonely Giant - Review by Danielle Jeffers

“Baa, Baa” The first line of the show, funny from the start until the end.

My five-year-old cousin Jaeden giggles at many things, but ‘The Lonely Giant’ was good fun and had me giggling too.

This Babbling Vagabonds’ show is based on an old Scottish folk tale about a giant called Angus. It is performed by three very enthusiastic but very talented puppeteers who are like big children themselves finding it easy to get along with them. The voices they use for the puppets were hilarious.

The story follows Angus in search of a giantess because he is lonely. Angus is a one-of-a-kind giant. He is sensitive, lonely and is even a vegetarian. The audience follows his search as he faces difficult decisions whilst visiting many fun places along the way.

The performance is on a small set and the structure changes throughout the show making the area feel bigger as you move from a Scottish Hillside to a tropical island. It offers more than what you would expect from a puppet show.

The story of the play kicks in straight away, building suspense when waiting to see the giant. The giant was disappointing as he was played by a man in basic giant type clothing. Although he was a giant compared to the puppets, to the audience he was not a realistic giant.

The puppeteers worked well with the puppets, although sometimes it was obvious that they were holding them and caused some confusion with my cousin, distracted him from the play.

They are many colourful puppets in the show that grab your attention and it’s great that at the end of the show the puppeteers show you the puppets, how they were made and how they work them.

‘The Lonely Giant’ lasted for one hour, which may be too long for some children. My cousin’s attention span is short but he did manage to last throughout most.

Cabaret BOOM BOOM - Review by Milad Hatam

Cabaret BOOM BOOM provides a series of cabaret shows filled with music and comedy. Each show is introduced by Mr Herbert, Mr Flip Flap or Mr Lodge, who offer a few minutes of pre-act amusement.

While each act proved entertaining, some did drag on for too long, such as Lorraine Bowen’s wacky singing performance and The Cleaver Sisters’ double act.

Admittedly, I was by far the youngest attendee, with the audience populated by middle-aged couples. In light of this, students may not fully appreciate the entertainment each act offers. This was evident when Lorraine’s act mocked new media technology by joking: “www.www” and the current hype of mobile applications by asking the audience if one could do household chores, such as ironing.  

Anna Abrams’ tricks on a unicycle act, however, were incredibly fascinating, as she flirted with danger by attempting to take off her trousers whilst riding the unicycle. 

Other stand out acts in this three hour show includes tap dancing turkeys and jugglers.

 There was no doubt what the highlight of Cabaret BOOM BOOM was. Kevin Brooking’s "Comedy of Accidents" – a one-man clown act – was a hugely popular closing show with the audience, providing almost endless genuine laugh-out-loud moments with his precise comic timing.

The attraction of the variety in acts showcased from highly talented performers make Cabaret BOOM BOOM a popular show amongst the people of South Yorkshire.  An extremely entertaining experience may not be guaranteed, but a smile on your face after the show is.

Blood, Sweat and Tears - Ballet Lorent - Review by Charlotte Hunt

Blood, Sweat and Tears is the latest offering from contemporary dance company Ballet Lorent. The company, based in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, was founded in 1993 by Liv Lorent, who is an established dancer and choreographer. The company has enjoyed success with previous performances such as, The Ball and MaEternal. Liv Lorent holds many highly regarded awards for her work.

This powerful and emotional piece focuses on a young couple as they bring a child into the world and uncover the strains it will put on a relationship. Set to a beautiful original soundtrack, the two young lovers discover new feelings and emotions brought on by the birth of their first child. Protectiveness, fear and fragility are the theme of this piece as we are thrown into the world of unconditional love.

The choreography from artistic director Liv Lorent is breath taking. The acrobatic style had the audience gasping at the natural movement from the whole company.

By keeping the set minimal, the audience are completely focused on the passion and energy of the dancing, including the unbreakable chemistry between the lovers. The mood was set perfectly with spectacular use of lighting, complimenting the costumes and adding a different dimension to the whole experience.

Blood, Sweat and Tears is a remarkable piece of artwork that captures the true feelings of everyday life. Ballet Lorent are currently taking their performance around the UK, with shows running through to March 2011, landing in Manchester, Huddersfield and Blackpool in the near future. Through its captivating choreography this piece really grabs the audience and brings them into its complicated world.

Welcome To Rocksburg Review - Mark K

WELCOME TO ROCKSBURG is a gritty, deep, African action play which is based on the Township comic series of the same name. The play follows the main character ; a facially disfigured young man who is named “King Kong”. Upon being released from prison, “King Kong” falls in love with a young woman, who happens to be to partner of a notorious Township gangster, which pushes him into a life of crime and corruption, which “King Kong” had vowed to avoid.

The gang are keen for “King Kong” to be involved with them, due to his huge size and extreme strength, but before long, everything goes wrong. The police are soon onto the gang, and “King Kong”, and his life of being chased by the law continues again.

Epic action-packed gunfights, bar brawls and a “beauty and the beast” style plot all feature in this brilliant play by Mpumelelo Paul Grootboom.
This was the first play that I have personally watched, and all in all I really enjoyed it. I would definitely recommend this play, and it is a must see! The Civic itself is a great, new building located in the centre of Barnsley, with friendly staff and easy access from public transport.

Ugly Review by Milad Hatam

UGLY

UGLY is set in a grim post-apocalyptic world where hope looks all but lost. Rather than a world crammed with advanced technology we so often associate with the future, writer Emma Adams uses a steampunk industrial setting, enabling the audience to relate to this alien world. She establishes an ugly world where basic rations are in low supply. Humans are categorised as either ‘Non-specs’ - lower class - and ‘Specials’ - the preferred people - who must carry tags to identify their status in a harsh human hierarchy.

The story tracks two main characters; ‘Extra Super Special’ Ben (played by Peter Hinton) and safeguard ‘Woody’ (Rebecca Rogers). Banter between them immediately establishes their affection towards each other, despite the constant bickering. They travel through the savage scavenge-fest slums - overflowing with ‘Non-specs’ - and are rescued by Mrs Mason (Jo Mousley - also seen on Coronation Street), who introduces a touch of much-needed humour. 

Extremely intense blood filled graphic scenes guarantees awkward viewing, and certainly not suitable for kids. These unspeakable horrors are told with such clarity the audience become emotionally attached to the characters.

Gun pointing and knife-wielding require a certain level of trust between the cast of any show, and it is certainly present in this play.   

UGLY grabs the warzone in today’s society and, in an hour, presents the possible outcome at a time when hope is fading, not too dissimilar to Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, in which Scrooge is shown his miserable future in a bid to alter his “Bah! Humbug!” attitude. 

In a fascinating quote towards the latter part of the play, Mert (Anna-Marie Nabirye) asks Mrs Mason if she would like her to kneel to her, in a rebellion against the authorities’ order for them to kneel to them. Mrs Mason courageously answers, “No my dear, we shall stand”, a message to the audience from Emma Adams that there is a light shining in this dark comic tale - there is still time to discuss and therefore act against the increasing dangers climate change presents – a mutual interest between the audience and producers Red Ladder.

However, I did not feel the message was obvious, and, at times, a lot of concentration was needed to follow the plot. Admittedly, it was the first time I experienced a play at a theatre, finding it intensely moving; proving it is an effective form of empowering people.