Press and Reviews

"In two hours six actresses present cameos of twenty women spanning the last hundred years using material drawn from their own speeches, writings and performances. It is a familiar format but here it is done very well and it gains enormously from the fact that the very different types of women presented range from the famous to the notorious, though people may not agree on which is which and they include some who will not be familiar to everyone in the audience.

Although most of these women are identified with a projected photograph and a caption giving their name and often the date of the moment that is being captured there is no explanatory wrapping; what information you get is contained in what they say which makes the whole thing very direct in its impact,

The six actresses do not attempt to impersonate the women they portray but rather to catch the spirit of their personalities, whether the upper class certainties of Georgia Miles as suffragette leader Mrs Pankhurst (with a speech delivered in the United States), the self-assured delivery of Debbie Yearsley's Margaret Roberts, preaching personal responsibility just after her failure to be elected an MP, or the straightforward simplicity with which Cleo Sylvestre presents Rosa Parks, the black woman whose refusal to give up her seat on a bus launched the civil rights movement . Renée Montemayor is Lady Astor making her maiden speech in the House of Commons, the first woman in Parliament, and also a moving Aung Sang Suu Kyi while Katy Federman is Christine Keeler, at the centre of a political scandal.

Sylvestre also gives us gentle but forceful Wangari Maathai, the first African woman to be a Nobel Prize winner, Miles is Edith Cavell and photographer Dorothea Lange who focused her camera on the Depression's down-and-outs and the victims of the Oklahoma Dust Bowl; she is also Marie Stopes and Federman is Germaine Greer and Marie Curie, but there are others who don't so obviously fit the political and women's movement pattern, until you hear what they actually have to say. Syvestre is a relaxed but tactful Josephine Baker, being interviewed on a return to the United States, Miles is Vivienne Westwood and Montemayor Yoko Ono and Audrey Hepburn, Yearsley both Marilyn Monroe .and Vera Lynn. Less expectedly perhaps are Federman's JK Rowling and sailor Ellen MacArthur.

With no less than ten musical numbers it is amazing that so much can be packed into just two hours, including an interval, but director Alison Mead has made if flow with ease, other members of the cast becoming nurses, Harvard academics, suffragettes or even male MPs - Sylvestre making a mute but very funny Winston Churchill.

It is simply staged but sumptuously dressed by Andrea Gambell and it makes a very entertaining show, the cast's performances see to that, without detracting from its serious content. With both together it makes a real celebration of some great women of the past hundred years."
~ Howard Loxton, The British Theatre Guide (2011)

"It is a splendid tribute to some magnificent women performed by splendid actresses" ~ Remotegoat (2011)

"...the show provides a kaleidoscope of famous women...touches on many important issues that have not lost their relevance over the years. The change in form and the songs make this production very lively. The cast is excellent." ~ UK Theatre network (2011)

"Renée Montemayor is a touching and beautiful Cinders, with a singing voice to match" ~ Western Gazette, 12th December 2008

"Renée Montemayor was a delightfully innocent Cinders..." ~John Lyon, Mid Devon Gazette, 23rd December 2008

"A CINDERS TO SEE...and Renée Montemayor elicits sympathy as downtrodden Cinder-ella-ella-ella one moment and rioutous approval the next as, first Cinders and the Prince then housemaid Ella and Bertie chastely kiss to seal two happy endings." ~Giles Whiting, Somerset County Gazette, 11th December 2008

"...while the beautiful voice of Renée Montemayor, as the princess, captured us all." ~ Vicky Sandison, Medway Today, 22nd Decmber 2000

" Ramin Karimloo and Renée Montemayor as Aladdin and Princess Balroubadour look suitably youthful and both sing beautifully with plenty of stage presence." ~Susan Eldin, The Stage, 29th Decemeber 2000

"PANTO IS A MAGICAL WORLD OF FUN AND FANTASY...Page three sensation Ebony and Briony from 'Grange Hill' (Renée Montemayor)-who play Soshy and the princess- proved themselves as actors, and the chorus complemented the stars and the acrobats were amazing. A panto not to be missed." ~Emma Harrington, Medway News, 22nd December 2000

"The stars of Aladdin brought plenty of smiles and cheer with them when they visited sick children at Medway Hopital, Gillingham...The stars are currently performing at the Central Theatre in Chatham and some of the famous faces appearing on stage include Grange Hill's Renée Montemayor, local hero Rob Forknall and CITV's Stephen Mulhern." ~ Medway Today, 2nd January 2001

"The stars of Central Theatre's pantomime 'Aladdin' took a little glitz and glamour to Medway Maritime Hospital with a visit to the children's ward...Younsgters were delighted to meet Stephen Mulhern as Master of Illusion, Renée Montemayor, from 'Grange Hill' as the princess....Our stars were very keen to speak to the children and cheer them up. They all enjoyed the visit and absolutely adored the children." ~ Medway News, 5th January 2001

"PANTO STARS DROP IN TO GIVE BLOOD... Children's ITV presenter Stephen Mulhern, Renée Montemayor, who plays Briony on 'Grange Hill' and glamour model Ebony were helping promote NBS Winter Campaign to encourage more people in the Medway area to help save lives by giving blood." ~ Medway Standard, 19th Decmeber 2000

"Aladdin billed as Medway's biggest ever Christmas pantomime, has been brought to the Central Theatre, Chatham by Paul Hammond. Renée Montemayor, better known as Briony in TV's 'Grange Hill', is playing the Princess. West end performer Ramin Karimloo plays Aladdin." ~ KM What's On, 22nd December 2000

"There are energetic performances and beautiful singing by Renée Montemayor as Alice Fitzwarren..." ~ Mandy Little, South London Press, 10th Decemeber 1999

"Kerry Michael's exciting version wonderfully designed by Jenny Tiramani, is full of iconic verve...a suitably heroic Dick Whittington (Enoch Frost), an endearing Tiddles (Rebecca Deren) a maidenly Alice (Renée Montemayor) and jolly Sarah (John Halstead)..." ~ Aleks Sierz, The Stage, 23rd December 1999