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Arts & culture Tomorrow INUA ELLAMS on plays for our divided world Read the latest reviews online standard.co.uk/arts

Veteran star gets amantha Womack describes them up”, she says, going googly-eyed Ravishing sounds of a visit to the planets the role of Rachel, the unsta- and lurching forward, as if inebriated. the party started ble, alcoholic anti-heroine in Women are “I’ve got better at being the drunk as proms 2019 rhythmic tautness of the Bournemouth The Girl on the Train, as the I’ve became more free.” Bournemouth SO/Karabits Symphony Orchestra under Kirill jazz most challenging she has ever unruly, self- The one person whose opinion Wom- Royal Albert Hall, SW7 Karabits was notable both here and in George Benson Splayed. The theatrical adaptation of destructive, ack cares about is Hawkins, who came ★★★★✩ Holst’s Planets, especially the war- Eventim Apollo, W6 Paula Hawkins’s bestseller — about a vindictive. to rehearsals and the press night and heralding Mars. ★★★★✩ woman who thinks she has seen a shock- sat “very quietly and respectfully ... She’s Barry Millington Most impressive of all were the Full I like Paula ing incident from the window of her an observer but the eyes told me eve- ravishing celestial sonorities (strings, Jane Cornwell commuter service, and gets drawn into Hawkins’s rything. The novel is about coercive WITH his billowing locks and elegant harps, celesta, softly voiced wind and a murder story — sees her careening control and obsession, feeling isolated pastiche tail-coat, the Franco-Serbian brass) produced by the Bournemouth On to a stage on Broadway — across the stage drunk and slurring her recognition and broken. I really liked her recogni- violinist Nemanja Radulović cut a dash players in Venus, Saturn and Neptune. Hammersmith Broadway — words in an intense performance. of that’ tion of that ugliness in women.” The before playing a note. But his beguilingly The Trinity Boys Choir’s tuning in the ambled jazz legend George It comes to the West End next week steam actress would have liked to get to know sensuous tone and eloquent phrasing fiendishly challenging wordless chorus Benson, 76, snappily dressed in but has been on tour since January, and her better, by “getting her drunk in the were immediately apparent and that ends the work was admirable. white slacks, a black jacket and a since Womack — best known for playing pub”, but so far it hasn’t happened. perfectly attuned to the genial expressive The now apparently statutory applause gold medallion and waving to two Ronnie in EastEnders — is never off Womack is confident that this adapa- qualities of Samuel Barber’s late between movements at the Proms tiers’ worth of cheering fans, some stage for the entirety of its two hours, it’s tion, directed by Anthony Banks, is more Romantic Violin Concerto. destroys both the contemplative mood of whom dined cabaret-style at fair to say it’s been taking a toll on her. faithful to the book than the 2016 film The concert had opened with the and the unity of a work like The Planets. white-clothed tables positioned “It’s hardcore and stressful because ahead starring Emily Blunt and set in New exhilarating rollercoaster of John Adams’ ⬤ The BBC Proms (bbc.co.uk/proms) down the front. I’m being shouted at, I’m shouting a lot York. “You need to have these solilo- Short Ride in a Fast Machine. The continue until Sept 14 Fetching his signature bronze and I’m crying a lot, so I’m having to tap theatre quies to the audience, and that feels like Ibanez guitar, the 10-time into something deep inside me and my a more loyal interpretation.” There’s also Grammy winner eased into the body is releasing a lot of cortisol. Eve- the essential familiarity of English trains oh-so-smooth jazz instrumental ryone in rehearsals kept asking how I Samantha looking out on to suburban Victorian Breezin’, the tune’s chilled vibe was going to keep it up. At the begin- Womack’s role in terraces with extensions and conserva- quietening a crowd that was ning, just realising I could get through tories spilling out to the railway. clearly busting to party. Then, mic the dense dialogue was a relief. Rachel’s The Girl on the Womack was born in Brighton, and in hand, his guitar hanging free, thoughts are so incoherent that the lines her biggest regret is not going to univer- he was out of the gate with a string were much harder to learn than if it had Train takes her sity. She left school at 15 and went to of jazz-pop anthems — Love X been a smooth narrative, so I had to play theatre school for a year, leading a Love, Give Me The Night, Turn word games to memorise them.” right to the edge. nomadic life. “I was like a performing Your Love Around — that had When the play opened, the 46-year-old seal. I sometimes wonder how many people dancing, smooching and — who has two teenage children with Katie Law hears Bit of a barney: decisions in my life were conscious? hollering along, his voice rich and her husband, actor Mark Womack — what it’s like Womack with None. I was always surviving and low, his delivery impeccable. found herself heading straight to the pub Adam Jackson reacting to circumstances. I There were deviations: the afterwards, only to awake in the morning to play a woman Smith in The Girl took jobs that would pay for sound of bagpipes replicated on with “a slight hangover”, which took her on the Train. my keep and it’s only now, guitar, the vocally tricky, aurally to what she calls a “very melancholy on a dark trip Right, as Ronnie in my late forties, that I can pleasurable Moody’s Mood, Nat place”. After two months she started to in EastEnders ask myself, what do I want King Cole’s Unforgettable and Fats feel depressed and traumatised. “It was to do? I was always too busy

Domino’s I Hear You Knocking — like a floodgate had opened.” Her GP h a rl n ma nuel working but now I can enjoy cherry-picked from Benson’s stepfather persuaded her to take up that aspect of my life.” current 45th album, Walking to meditation for five minutes before and Jones. We all talk about Bridget as being I can’t believe Rachel just said this, or channelled Rachel’s bad behaviour, the mottled blue-black when rubbed in. ⬤ The Girl on the Train is at New Orleans. To finish, Benson after each performance, which, together a ‘real’ woman but she’s not. We’re a lot did that. I’ve never had that before, more she could let go of her own inhibi- “Rachel is so petulant and rude that The Duke of York’s Theatre, gifted us his famed version of the with a health-and-exercise regime, darker and more dangerous than that. because normally as an actor you want tions, the more convincing her perform- even though she has a lot of victim self- WC2 (atgtickets.com), from Drifters’ On Broadway, reaching to seems to have calmed her down. “Women are unruly, vindictive and the audience to like you — there’s an ance became and the more the audience pity, she doesn’t need to be liked.” tomorrow until Aug 17. shake outstretched hands before Still, Womack insists she “absolutely self-destructive. Fleabag touched on it, ego attached — but Rachel’s the one at loved it. She stopped wearing make-up, She wears mismatched clothes — a Ambassador Theatre Group ambling off, his star power loves” the character of Rachel, “a very but again, it’s a twee, middle-class ver- the party who pees herself.” apart from theatrical “bruise” powder stained coat and trousers that are too was a partner for the Evening undiminished. unusual heroine, not like say Bridget sion. There are moments when I think Womack discovered that the more she — rust-coloured powder that turns a big “so I’m always having to hoist Standard Theatre Awards 2018

stars shelley von strunCkel Flute that magically spikes sexist perceptions March 20 – April 19 June 21 – July 21 September 23 – October 22 December 21 – January 19 Aries Cancer Libra Capricorn Monostatos is blackened by soot David Portillo and Sofia Fomina are For you, as an Aries, being forced to delay taking You’ve recognised that brooding over Recently, you were increasingly optimistic Having to make last-minute changes in certain opera If it’s your birthday The Magic Flute from a furnace rather than by race. excellent as the heroic couple action because of pointless rules is hugely unresolved issues achieves little. Mostly, that’s about one particularly tricky individual pivotal plans was bad enough. Mostly, this tomorrow... Glyndebourne Acknowledging the tradition of Tamino and Pamina. Brindley frustrating, and you feel that if you don’t true. However, you’ve resolved certain tricky beginning a more easygoing cycle. 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