• Review For Us
  • List Your Show
  • Advertising
  • Musicals
  • Plays
  • Ballet & Dance
  • Previews
  • First Look
Theatre Weekly
  • Home
  • News
    • West End
    • Off-West End
    • Regional & Tours
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • Digital Theatre
  • Tickets
    • Discounts
    • Musicals
    • Plays
    • Opera
    • Dance
    • Concerts
  • VAULT Festival 2023
    • VAULT Previews
    • VAULT Reviews
  • Contact Us
    • Join us as a Reviewer
No Result
View All Result
Theatre Weekly
  • Home
  • News
    • West End
    • Off-West End
    • Regional & Tours
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • Digital Theatre
  • Tickets
    • Discounts
    • Musicals
    • Plays
    • Opera
    • Dance
    • Concerts
  • VAULT Festival 2023
    • VAULT Previews
    • VAULT Reviews
  • Contact Us
    • Join us as a Reviewer
No Result
View All Result
Theatre Weekly
No Result
View All Result
Home Reviews
Peter Polycarpou and Sally Ann Triplett Falling Stars Credit Paul Nicholas Dyke

Peter Polycarpou and Sally Ann Triplett Falling Stars Credit Paul Nicholas Dyke

Review: Falling Stars Starring Peter Polycarpou and Sally Ann Triplett (Online)

by Greg Stewart
November 19, 2020
Reading Time: 3 mins read

If everything had gone to plan, Falling Stars, the new song cycle written and conceived by Peter Polycarpou, would have been preparing to open at London’s Union Theatre this weekend.  But 2020 is not a year for making plans, instead it’s been about reacting to whatever hand your dealt, and in this case the production team have managed, in just a few days, to convert the live production to a digital one, available on Stream.Theatre.

The songs that feature in Falling Stars were written at a time when the world was reeling from another global pandemic, and Polycarpou pays homage to an era that still showed the scars of the 1918 Spanish Flu outbreak, while bursting with optimistic revelry for the roaring twenties.

While we can’t be sure what exactly the staged version had in store for us, the transition to digital directed by Michael Strassen, works extremely well.  The set up lends itself well to the streaming concert style that has become so prolific in the absence of live performance, but what we see in this version could easily work as well in front of an audience.

       

The premise is that Peter Polycarpou finds a forgotten songbook tucked away at the back of an antique shop on the East Finchley High Road.  The songs it contains become the song cycle that we watch and listen to, as Polycarpou invites Sally Ann Triplett to join him in his gentle meander back in time.

Between the songs, Polycarpou and Triplett share some insightful knowledge about the numbers, or their composers along with some personal associations where appropriate.  Peter Polycarpou gives us an almost knowing wink as he introduces Irving Berlin’s ‘What’ll I Do’, a song that surely holds some very special memories for him.

You mightalso like

Berlusconi Cast

Casting Announced for Berlusconi at Southwark Playhouse

Cast of Roast Me Union Thetare

Cast and Creative Team Announced For World Premiere Of Dystopian Play ‘Roast Me’ at The Union Theatre

These are, of course, songs that are almost a century old, audiences may recognise the likes of ‘Tea For Two’ from No,No, Nannette or the wartime favourite ‘Yes! We Have No Bananas’, but others are likely to come as a complete surprise.  Didn’t know Charlie Chaplin was also a composer? Just listen to the wonderful ‘Eternally’ and you’ll realise the movie-star was even more talented than you first thought.

With beautiful arrangements by Mark Dickman, these old songs have been given a fantastic new lease of life.  Peter Polycarpou and Sally Ann Triplett have a sparking chemistry that comes across not only in the badinage, but also in the comforting duets that just seem to envelop you as you listen.

The team behind Falling Stars may not have planned for it to be a digital production, but fate means that this lovingly curated homage to a bygone era can be enjoyed by a much wider audience, who can be grateful that this lost songbook has once again been found.

Falling Stars is available on Stream.Theatre 22nd – 29th November 2020.

       

Main Image: Peter Polycarpou and Sally Ann Triplett Falling Stars: Credit Paul Nicholas Dyke

Greg Stewart

Greg Stewart

Greg is an award-winning writer with a huge passion for theatre. He has appeared on stage, as well as having directed several plays in his native Scotland. Greg is the founder and editor of Theatre Weekly

Related Articles

Berlusconi Cast
News

Casting Announced for Berlusconi at Southwark Playhouse

Cast of Roast Me Union Thetare
News

Cast and Creative Team Announced For World Premiere Of Dystopian Play ‘Roast Me’ at The Union Theatre

Cast of The Bands Visit
News

Donmar Warehouse Announces The Band’s Visit Cast

Ghosts on a Wire
News

The world premiere of Ghosts on a Wire by Linda Wilkinson to open at Union Theatre

Jaden Shentall Lee Billy and Joe Caffrey Jackie Photography by Marc Brenner
First Look

First Look: Billy Elliott at Curve, Leicester

For You Id Wait courtesy of the Company
News

New Musical For You I’d Wait transfers to Union Theatre to extend run by 3 weeks

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Twitter Facebook Youtube Instagram

At Theatre Weekly we give theatre a new audience. You'll find our theatre news, theatre reviews and theatre interviews are written from an audience point of view. Our great value London theatre tickets will get you the best deal for your theatre tickets.
Theatre Weekly, 124 City Road, London EC1V 2NX
  • Join Our Community
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Contact Us
  • Advertising

Recent News

Meaghan Martin Julie Oli Higginson John Credit Lucy Hayes

Review: Smoke at Southwark Playhouse

Heathers The Musical at The Other Palace credit PamelaRaith

Heathers The Musical Tour Cast Announced

© 2022 Theatre Weekly

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Tickets
  • Digital Theatre
  • News
    • West End
    • Off West End
    • Regional & Tours
    • Digital
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • VAULT Festival 2023
    • Vault Previews
    • VAULT Reviews
  • Contact Us
    • Join us as a Reviewer

© 2022 Theatre Weekly