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Screen icon is stage treat REVIEW: Tutti Frutti at the King's WHAT a challenge . . . take an iconic eighties television series and transform it into a piece of musical theatre. Then make it instantly recognisable so as to capture the nostalgia felt for the original work - but make it substantially different for the different medium. And, here's the really hard bit, keep your original characters, plots and sub-plots intact - then condense a series into two-and-a-half hours. It was a tall order - even for writer John Byrne. From the outset all looked well, however. The set is delightfully blinding, almost comic book like, and uses some clever black and white footage to remind the audience of what the play is all about- rock 'n'roll band the Majestics make a come back, but its lead singer dies to be replaced by lookalike young brother. Then the cast are unveiled, and all looked wonderful. Dawn Steele, as Suzy Kettles makes you realise how underused she was in Monarch of the Glen, Julie Wilson Nimmo was a great gallus besom in Miss Toner, and Helen Mallon, as Glenna convinces she has a great acting future. But Still Game's Gavin Mitchell was lucky not to find himself locked up for stealing the show with the comedy he brought to his role of Radio Buckie DJ - Here's Twa Steps Tae Heaven'. What gives the show pace is the lighting fast scene changes offering an American sit-com effect. That said, it wasn't perfect. Byrne's elongated writing style using wonderful description andnocommastospeakof' works incredibly well on close-up television. But tighter direction is needed on stage or some of the impact is lost. And the love affair - the essence of the story - between Suzy and Danny has to be worked up. Yet, it's a show that has to be seen. The National Theatre of Scotland has to be commended for taking Byrne's creation onto the stage; it's braver than Tonto. So if you can't get a ticket for the fast-selling Glasgow show take yourself down to Blackpool, check into a B&B run by a lippy landlady, slurp a tutti frutti on south beach and then enjoy the real thing. Publication date 13/04/07 From here
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