Sting's "The Last Ship" Bound for Broadway

I was watching the marvellous Tony Awards last week and saw Sting perform the title song from his musical. Stirring and very folksy, "The Last Ship" draws on memories of Mr Sumner's early life in Newcastle upon Tyne and its once booming shipyards.
In 2013 Sting released an album (2 CD's), followed by the PBS/BBC TV performance of his work. The book was co-written by John Logan ("The Aviator", "Skyfall" and the deliciously gothic TV "Penny Dreadful"). The shipyard foreman will be played by Sting's friend and also Tynside-born, Jimmy Nail ("Auf Wiedersehen, Pet"). The show is having a tryout in Chicago before coming to Broadway in late October. Perhaps the first Broadway musical to feature the haunting Northumbian pipes?

Images Copyright: BBC Nation On Film and Daily Mail, UK

I am now off to get another Geordie fix... watching another episode of ITV's "Vera". Is that orright, pet?"

"Penny Dreadful" Season 1, Episode 5, "Closer than sisters", Showtime, review

Half way through the series, we get a nifty flashback to explain the alliance between Vanessa and Sir Malcolm. Beautifully told, filmed and acted, the first half of the episode resembled a Henry James novel or Merchant/Ivory period film. Then, bammo, lust in the hedge maze, boffing among the taxidermy (guess who was doing the stuffing - poor Mina's randy fiance), gruelling asylum scenes (including a nasty primitive lobotomy), possession and demon sex back in Chez Ives).
Once again Eva Green puts in a bravura performance.
With the perfect casing, elegant production design and John Logan's stylish, evocative script, no wonder the show has been renewed for a second season.

"Penny Dreadful" Season 1, Episode 2, Showtime/Sky

Highlights

• Billie Piper's articulate Irish prostitute (Brona Croft)  meeting Dorian Gray (Reeve Carney). The Victorian version of a sex tape.
• The Madame Kali's kick ass seance (the glorious Helen McCrory* from "Peaky Blinders"). Eva Green's tour de force with heavy duty cussing. I haven't heard the c- word used with such abandon in a costume drama.
• Egyptologist Ferdinand Lyle's (Simon Russell Beale) theatrical hair and beard. He has some great lines, too. 
• The touching scene with Dr Frankenstein (Harry Treadaway) introducing "Mr Proteus" (Alex Price) to the outside world.
• The final unexpected scene. Hello Rory Kinnear (the creature). I'll miss the gentle Mr Proteus.
• So much plot (in two episodes we have had: vampires, jaded sharpshooters, wise prostitutes, debauched Dorian Gray, seances, reanimators, the ancient Book of the Dead and the threat of the apocalypse  - and they are all linked. Credit goes to creator/writer John Logan ("Skyfall")  This was the problem with NBC's "Dracula" (now cancelled), not enough plot.

* Damian Lewis's other half