Northampton Theatre Preview

Northampton Theatre Preview - September 2016

With the Summer downtime coming to an end for the theatres of Northampton, the curtain is ready to rise again on a new season of shows in the town.

Top pick at Royal & Derngate has to be the return of the hit adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Tale Of Two Cities. Adapted by Mike Poulton and directed by the R&D artistic directer James Dacre, this version first seen in 2014 plays for seven nights in the Royal before setting off on a national tour.
Dates in Northampton are Saturday 10th to Saturday 17th with matinees on Wednesday, Thursday and the second Saturday.

For those wanting to revisit the turbulant times of the 1989 political world, there is a chance to see Jonathan Maitland's touring Dead Sheep. Telling the story of the ramifications of Geoffrey Howe's sacking at the hands of PM Margaret Thatcher and her eventual downfall at the hands of this "dead sheep".
It stars Steve Nallon, Paul Bradley and Graham Seed and runs at the Royal & Derngate between Monday 19th and Saturday 24th with matinees on 22nd and 24th).

Those instead wanting to relive memories of their childhood or with offspring of their own to introduce to the world of a classic, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang lands at Royal & Derngate.
Starring Jason Manford, Phill Jupitus, Claire Sweeney and Carrie Hope Fletcher, Chitty is grounded at Derngate between Wednesday 21st and Sunday 2nd October (matinees on 22nd, 24th, 25th, 29th, 1st and 2nd).

On the amatuer dramatics front The Playhouse Theatre starts its 2016/2017 season with Ron Hutchinson's Moonlight And Magnolias running between Tuesday 20th and Saturday 24th. This tells in a farcical way the true story of the troublesome development of the classic movie Gone With The Wind.

If you are after some stand-up in September, Royal & Derngate have several opportunities. Visiting on their tours are Sean Lock, Sue Perkins and Miles Jupp, while the regular mainstay Screaming Blue Murder has two nights in September in the deepest Underground at R&D.

Monthly improv group The Same Faces has their evening of made up shananigans on Saturday 24th at The Black Prince. While if some lighthearted storytelling is for you, the monthly Feast Of Fools meets on Wednesday 7th with an Open Mic evening, venue NN Cafe.

Music nights in the month include Squeeze and Leo Green's Sounds Of The '50s, both at Royal & Derngate.

Finally this month's beyond Northampton pick goes to And Then There Were None at Leicester's The Little Theatre. Featuring Northampton Am-Dram regular Robin Armstrong, this version of the Agatha Christie classic from Leicester Drama Society runs between Monday 12th and Saturday 17th.

Full diary of events:

Wednesday 7th - Feast Of Fools Storytelling at NN Cafe, Guildhall Road
Wednesday 7th - Squeeze at Royal & Derngate, Guildhall Road
Thursday 8th - The Simon And Garfunkel Story at Royal & Derngate, Guildhall Road
Friday 9th - Joan Collins at Royal & Derngate, Guildhall Road
Saturday 10th-Saturday 17th - A Tale Of Two Cities at Royal & Derngate, Guildhall Road
Saturday 10th - Sounds Of Philadelphia & Motown at Royal & Derngate, Guildhall Road
Sunday 11th - Northampton Musical Theatre Company - Family Fun Day at Great Houghton Cricket Club
Sunday 11th - Chas & Dave at Royal & Derngate, Guildhall Road
Tuesday 13th - Sean Lock at Royal & Derngate, Guildhall Road
Thursday 15th - John Lodge
Friday 16th - Leo Green's Sounds Of The '50s Live at Royal & Derngate, Guildhall Road
Friday 16th - Screaming Blue Murder at Royal & Derngate, Guildhall Road
Saturday 17th - Sue Perkins Live! at Royal & Derngate, Guildhall Road
Monday 19th-Saturday 24th - Dead Sheep at Royal & Derngate, Guildhall Road
Tuesday 20th-Saturday 24th - The Playhouse Theatre: Moonlight And Magnolias at Playhouse Theatre, Clare Street
Wednesday 21st-Sunday 2nd (October) - Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at Royal & Derngate, Guildhall Road
Saturday 24th - The Same Faces at The Black Prince, Abington Square
Wednesday 28th - Miles Jupp at Royal & Derngate, Guildhall Road
Friday 30th - Lennon Through A Glass Onion at Royal & Derngate, Guildhall Road
Friday 30th - Screaming Blue Murder at Royal & Derngate, Guildhall Road

Review of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at Royal & Derngate (Derngate), Northampton

I have seen a few touring shows of extremely well known shows like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and a few have been quite a disappointment. Producers sitting back happy to sell the tickets on the name of a show, and deliver on stage not necessarily a terrible production, but one that sometimes never really leaves you feeling you have got value for your money. Music & Lyrics/West Yorkshire Playhouse's Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is far from one of them. An exemplary and large cast, costumes both in multitude and wonderful to look at, a set of infinite invention and a hidden but quality and large orchestra. Jason Manford as Caractacus Potts Perhaps more importantly this show also doesn't fail on its casting of "stars" over stage talent, for in the lead is Jason Manford as Caractacus Potts, an artist known for his comedy more than his acting history, and certainly little known for his singing ability, is a revelation. Likable, dominant on stage with clear chara...

Review of Annie at Milton Keynes Theatre

Annie was first performed now a remarkable fifty years ago at Goodspeed Opera House in Connecticut, and since then, the tale based on a 1920s comic strip and adapted for the stage by Thomas Meehan on book, with music by Charles Strouse, and lyrics provided by Martin Charnin, has become a perennial favourite across the world. Indeed, this version, directed by Nikolai Foster, last appeared at Milton Keynes Theatre in 2023. So, after all these years, does Annie still have that appeal? Set in 1930s New York during the Great Depression, Annie follows the life of an orphan abandoned to the care of its evil matron, Miss Hannigan. Annie seeks escape, and after one failed attempt, she finds herself the chosen Christmas guest of billionaire Oliver Warbucks, and things slowly, hopefully begin to improve for the little but fiercely strong Annie. Leading the adult cast for this tour now as the cruel Miss Hannigan is Claire Sweeney. Sweeney clearly revels in the chance to embr...

Review of Lord of the Dance at Milton Keynes Theatre

On what was so far the hottest day of the year, and the highest in many a record book, it feels a tad evil to watch as a group of extremely talented performers bring to the stage one of the most famous and most energetic dance shows to tour. However, arriving now at Milton Keynes Theatre, as part of what is now the still rather immodestly titled 30 Years of Standing Ovations tour, Lord of the Dance remains full of energy even on the hottest of evenings in Milton Keynes. I last and first saw Lord of the Dance as part of the 25 Years of Standing Ovations tour, four years ago (yes, the sums don’t quite work), and it was every bit as spectacular as you could imagine this world-famous dance show is. Born into the world from Michael Flatley and the Riverdance spectacular that preceded it, Lord of the Dance is a simple but effective battle between good and evil and the resolution of it through dance rather than fighting. The dancing here is, as expected, exceptional, led by the Lord of the...

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