A Small Mind At The Theatre

Dodie Smith's novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians has been a staple for many a child's upbringing ever since it was first published back in 1956. Perhaps Disney's 1961 film 101 Dalmatians went the way of bringing the tale of Perdi and Pongo's adventure into even more family homes and here this musical adaptation brings the show to a new, highly appreciative audience, currently playing at Milton Keynes Theatre. For those unfamiliar with the tail, 101 Dalmatians tells the tale of a burgeoning relationship between Tom and Danielle, owners of dalmatians Pongo and Perdi, their puppies, and the devilish actions of a certain Cruella De Vil, interested in more than the work of fashion designer Tom. First staged at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre in 2022, this re-imagined touring version from director Bill Buckfast has taken the show on a UK tour since June and perhaps adds more of a touch of pantomime style to the production. Adapted by Johnny McKnight, with music and lyr

It is a truth universally acknowledged... No Stop! That is too obvious an opening line to a review of any Pride & Prejudice . Let us begin anew... Of all the classic regency novels from the 19th century, perhaps, one of the most famous is that of P ride & Prejudice by Jane Austen. The novel of manners telling the story of the Elizabeth Bennet her development and her family is maybe more famous now for the many adaptations the novel itself has had, including a certain wet-shirted Colin Firth edition from the nineties. Due to this, it is ripe for many a reworking and with a guaranteed audience waiting for it. Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of) is one of the more bold of those adaptations. However, for all its boldness, does this new version work, or in truth, is it one step too far? The answer is a clear yes, as this dynamic and brilliant reworking by writer and director Isobel McArthur has proven since first taking to the stage back in 2018 and now into this second UK tour, reachin

Nothing But Roaring was founded back in 2022 to create unique audio dramas and born from the need for creatives to be active during the Covid pandemic. Since then they have created audio versions of Shakespeare's Richard III and Much Ado About Nothing . However, now, created and due for release as part of Royal & Derngate's 2024 Genfest Festival, the company brings to the airwaves their very first original drama. Promises , written and directed by Nothing But Roaring founder Rebecca Cockcroft, tells the story of Amber, waking on the morning of her wedding day in a hotel room, worst for wear from a night out the evening before, and a very unexpected guest hiding in her room. Promises is a tightly packed 23 minutes of whimsical but highly entertaining comedy-drama performed by a talented cast who despite the short running time create fully realised characters. As Amber, Gemma Knight brings a suitably confused edge to the situation she wakes to and as the story evolves and t

Grease  is one of the most recognised and well-remembered musicals and has some of the catchiest and most familiar songs within any musical out there. However, that memory will, for many, simply come from the classic 1978 film that made stars of many, including John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. The stage show is a different beast though, missing a few parts key to the film including the very familiar car race and some of the songs. Also with this new touring version director Nikolai Foster has gone even more back to the original 1971 stage version by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, making for a grittier show in context, less of the sexist nature and fluff of the film and the T-Birds are also back to their original name of The Burger Palace Boys. What remains though is the tale of a group of kids at Rydell High School going through their teens, their early relationships and any conquests they may or may not have had. It is all very wafer-thin, even more than the film, but sure, it has

The Last Laugh from writer and director Paul Hendy and from producers Evolution Productions has taken a gradual path to the stage following an initial short film by the same name released back in 2017. The short told of a fictional meeting of three comedy legends, Tommy Cooper, Eric Morecambe and Bob Monkhouse in a theatre dressing room. Here they share memories, jokes and sentimental moments of their life and what made them what they are. The sheer simplicity of this one-location film and the whole world of comedy evolving on a theatre stage created an inevitability that this would eventually flesh out into what now is a 70-minute play. It is perhaps no surprise either that this show has previewed for three performances at The Eric Morecambe Centre. So, the question is, has a 20-minute film made a quality stage show, or do we get the token reply to Morecambe's classic quip question "What do you think of it so far"? Much like that was a false cry of "rubbish" i

The 2005 Dreamworks film Madagascar introduced us to a menagerie of colourful anthropomorphic animal characters shipped off to Africa after a very happy life in Central Park Zoo. This simple concept has managed to spawn three further franchise films and a musical of the same name, first performed in 2018. Designed very much for a younger audience, Madagascar the Musical lays everything on stage with broad strokes of colour and simple storytelling and from the perspective of that audience, it works really well, keeping the majority of its audience enthralled for its relatively brief one-hour 40 minutes, which includes the interval. The show is filled with energy from its performers, delivering everything in a manner suited to the animated background of the story and with a children's TV feeling. Alex the lion played by Joseph Hewlett is the friendliest lion you could imagine, happily getting on in the zoo with what would be his steak in the wild. Alex has a wonderful relationship w