Evita at Venue Cymru Llandudno Review
Evita
Venue Cymru, Llandudno
28 April to 3 May 2014
Reviewed by Laura Fairbairn
I have been a theatre fan since a very young age and was delighted when asked to review Evita at Venue Cymru in Llandudno for two reasons – firstly, it was my first opportunity to watch something at the Venue since moving to the area and secondly, I have been a fan of Evita since the film was released in 1996 so I was interested to see to stage adaptation. OK… maybe, there was a third reason… like many of the people in there on Monday night, the chance to see Marti Pellow on stage was not to be missed! He has done so much more than what he achieved with Wet Wet Wet, but ‘Love Is All Around’ is an old favourite of mine with lots of memories attached to it and is probably when a lot of fans started following.
For those not local to the area, a visit to Venue Cymru may involve the use of a car so it is important to be aware of the parking facilities. There is free parking available on some of the surrounding roads, but when I arrived at about 6:50pm there were no spaces to be found, undoubtedly because Llandudno is a hub of North Wales tourism so there is always more than just locals looking to park. However, I had no trouble at all finding a space to park in the car park to the rear of the theatre and from 6pm – 9am it costs only £1.10 to park for any length of time – in my opinion, far more reasonable than other venues I have visited.
The Venue itself is quite modern with clean and contemporary décor throughout. The box office is immediately noticeable upon entry and it much larger than many other theatres which makes things so much easier if you have to collect your tickets on the night of the performance. The toilet facilities were very busy and not particularly spacious, but in my experience this is perfectly normal for a theatre and unlike other places I have visited the facilities here were very clean, so no complaints! There was a selection of snacks and drinks available to take into the performance with you – not particularly cheap, but in line with other theatres and it was nice to see a varied selection. The staff that I met we all very pleasant, friendly, helpful and (very importantly) well informed. I didn’t have the chance to sample the menu in the restaurant, but it looked very attractive and I would definitely be happy to go back in the future to try this out!
Now to the show, for those that do not know the story of Evita, it tells of Eva Peron’s extraordinary journey from very humble beginnings through to a truly iconic status as the ‘spiritual leader’ of the nation of Argentina. As you may expect, this was not always an easy journey and the story takes you on an emotional rollercoaster through all the highs and lows.
When the curtain was raised on this performance, I was immediately struck by the quality and beauty of the set – it was not only stunning but perfectly arranged and rearranged throughout the show. Occasionally, stage shows can be let down by the lack of care that appears to be put into the staging, but the tour of Evita is certainly not one of them – there is nothing that I could suggest to make improvements in this area as it was, simply, wonderful.
One thing you expect (or hope for) from a musical of this standing is good vocals and acting from the performers – the cast of Evita will not let you down. For someone who has not seen Marti Pellow perform on stage, it is a very different to his solo work (and that from his ‘Wet Wet Wet’ days), however, long-time fan or not you will not be let down. His interpretation of Che (a character that reflects the voice of the Argentine) is convincing, emotional, passionate and, at times, even comical. Although, personally, it took me just a little while to see him as ‘Che’ rather than ‘Marti Pellow’, I cannot fault his performance and (without ruining anything for people yet to see it) there is a particular part of his vocal performance that will completely take your breath away!
Madelena Alberto portrays Eva in a very convincing and emotional way, her vocals are fantastic and her interactions with the other performers like Marti Pellow, Mark Heenehan and others amongst the ensemble are flawless.
One part of the performance that stood out to myself and my guest was a solo piece from Sarah McNicholas (playing the Mistress of Peron) – her version of ‘Another Suitcase In Another Hall’ was mesmerizing, haunting, very emotional and truly convincing all at once. There are few words that can accurately describe this part of the performance to those who have not seen it, but it is, honestly, amazing.
There were no substandard performances from any of the cast at all and the children of Stagecoach Theatre Arts School in Chester made a substantial contribution – the solo performance given by one student in ‘Santa Evita’ brought tears to many eyes in the theatre and the young girl should be exceptionally proud of herself!
The opening night of Evita at Venue Cymru earned a standing ovation all round and without doubt deserves 5 stars! I would go again tomorrow if I could!
Rating: 5/5 
Tickets cost from £21 to £25 (plus £3 administration fee per order).
For more information or to book tickets click here or call the box office on 01492 872000.
Venue Cymru, The Promenade, Llandudno, Conwy, LL30 1BB | 01492 872000
