Review: Gary Barlow ‘A Different Stage’ at the Tyne Theatre
Review by Suzanne Whelan
Funny, heart-breaking and life affirming: A review of Gary Barlow – A Different Stage – Tyne Theatre Newcastle October 10th, 2022
From a member of one of the biggest bands of my lifetime Take That surrounded by troops of backing dancers and an entourage of people to JUST Gary. The one-man show, based on Barlow’s new autobiography of the same name takes us through this lad from Frodsham, Cheshire life.
Tonight, was a complete closed set – no photos or videos allowed, it might just be me, but I loved this. It made people be in the moment rather than looking through a screen during the evening.
A Different Stage is a theatre production rather than just a sing along, written alongside Tim Frith who Gary also co-wrote the award-winning Calendar Girls the musicalwith. This two-hour show took the audience on a journey.
It’s hard not to give too much away and I don’t want to give spoilers, well not too many.
He took us to his highest of highs and lowest of lows in both his personal and professional life. Self-doubt, self-loathing, the loss of a child and parent were hard to hear but so balanced with humour, love, and a bit of cockiness as he always has and always will see himself as the central person of TT (well he was informed that the band was based around him so it’s no doubt the reason why his cockiness was born).
Along with some very well-known TT songs one being rewritten for the show there were some surprises. Jack Daniels, Quality Street, his on off Robbie relationship and his longing for the ‘American Dream’ are heavily featured.
Simple staging and placement of props made the show run smoothly in the main. Gary wore a vintage adidas jacket and bottoms but there were two costume adaptions which I will leave undescribed.
The audience made up of a lot of ladies like me, the average attendee of this show is ladies in their 40s and older many with their parents and children in tow.
I would whole heartedly recommend the show. Despite being a bit of a cheese fest at times the vulnerability was palpable and whilst the cocky side of Gary was still there, I MAY have developed a soft spot.
5/5