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Review of The Time Machine at Royal & Derngate (Royal), Northampton

As the title suggests, Original Theatre’s The Time Machine , importantly subtitled “A Comedy”, takes the 1895 novella by classic science fiction writer H. G. Wells of the same name as its source material. However, while the name is on the show, those expecting a straight, or even, as suggested, comedic full version of the story, will be disappointed, as this often drifts, like the machine of the title, out of control from the source material. What we do have though is a tremendously thrilling couple of hours of entertainment, where the unexpected, is very much at every turn, and indeed at times, even unexpected for the actors on stage. Original Theatre’s  The Time Machine  takes the form of a play within a play, here all three of the actors in the production are pretending to be playing themselves playing several characters within the story. This allows for much of the staple of plays that go wrong to rear their head, including dysfunctional scenery and repeated sequences, here used in
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Review of I Should Be So Lucky at Milton Keynes Theatre

Even after so many years of attending theatre shows, it never ceases to amaze me how utterly varied the medium can be. Just this year on the Milton Keynes Theatre stage I have seen a ballet version of the quirky Edward Scissorhands , a truly absorbing stage version of classic thriller 12 Angry Men , and then, this week, a cheese overload in the form of I Should Be So Lucky - The Musical , and guess what, they were all totally brilliant. I Should Be So Lucky is, an extremely loosely plotted story, based around the musical productions of Stoke Aitken Waterman and while it is not high-brow theatre, it is pure joy from beginning to end. The story, such as it is, sees Ella jilted at the altar by Nathan, and her decision to go out on her honeymoon anyway with her friends and family, all passport-ready and in tow. Nathan however, quickly has second thoughts, as his reasoning is questioned following a chat with his dementia-addled granddad. And off we go on a world of bold colours, adventures

Review of Bert's House at Royal & Derngate (Royal), Northampton

Bert's House is a true Northampton homegrown production from On The Shore Productions, this piece has been written, cast, produced and opened on stage for a short tour at the beautiful Royal Theatre at the centre of Northampton, and while here for two nights it found a loving local audience to set it off on its adventures. Bert's House tells the tale of kindly guest house owner Bert and his trials and tribulations within his slightly ramshackle Dunedin Guest House residence in what appears to be an equally ramshackle seaside resort. The house, it seems, is also, a draw for the most quirky of visitors, and equally wacky staff. However, it seems, that a few of both the residents and staff have nefarious reasons for being there. Bert's House is an extremely quirky affair, floating in a surreal world, which both follows its own paths as well as paying endless tributes to British comedy through the years, including many nods to sitcoms of yesteryear. The script, from standup

Review of Twelve Angry Men at Milton Keynes Theatre

Twelve Angry Men was originally seen as a teleplay in 1954 and in the same year, its writer Reginald Rose adapted it for the stage. However, it is the Sidney Lumet-directed film starring Henry Fonda, released in 1957 that brought the powerful story showing the the complexities of the American judicial system to prominence. The film was rightly heralded as a classic of its time, and still, so many years later, the power of the story provides an incredible piece of cinema. So, can a stage production reaching Milton Keynes Theatre as part of a UK tour still have that power for British audiences? Fortunately, the verdict is a strong yes, and this reviewer is ever grateful for this as the original film Twelve Angry Men is a particular favorite. For anyone unfamiliar with it, Reginald Rose's play is such an incredibly structured work, crafting so much drama, from apparently so little physical material. Sure, it is a large cast, but, it never moves away from the juror's deliberation

Review of And Then There Were None at Milton Keynes Theatre

This new production of And Then There Were None , directed by Lucy Bailey in collaboration with Fiery Angel, Royal & Derngate, and ROYO, offers another interpretation of the often-told classic Agatha Christie story. Originally published in book form in 1939, the play adaptation saw its original staging in 1943 and tells the tale of ten strangers lured to a remote island under false pretenses. It is, beyond The Mousetrap , perhaps one of the most recognised, non-Poirot/Miss Marple stories by Christie, due to its having been adapted for the stage and screen several times. So, after over 80 years since its first appearance, can a new adaptation bring something new to an eager theatre and crime audience? In this new incarnation, perhaps not entirely, although it isn't without trying. The story, as ever, is excellent, perhaps indeed, one of Christie's cleverest and most intricate tales. However, director Lucy Bailey's interpretation here often feels stodgy and lacking in pac

Review of Edward Scissorhands at Milton Keynes Theatre

The 1990 Tim Burton movie Edward Scissorhands is a classic of its genre, somewhat in a genre of Burton's own creation it has to be said, but still a classic. The innovative director has made the dark, fantastical style with broad colours and dark atmosphere very much his thing, and the magnificent world and story of Edward was the perfect fodder for Sir Matthew Bourne, dance supremo, to create a stunning dance adaptation. Bourne's show was first staged in 2005 and is here at Milton Keynes Theatre as part of a new UK tour. This tour actually provides the first opportunity to see the show on stage for nine years, and is it well worth doing so. It has to be said, that it is very different at times from the Burton film, and not just because this is dance. The story has been dramatically altered and very much lightened as well, there is, much more humour at play in this production, especially thanks to a huge development of the townspeople of Hope Springs, where Edward finds himsel

Review of Spymonkey's The Frogs at Royal & Derngate (Royal), Northampton

I last saw Spymonkey on the Royal stage staggeringly in 2016, and the world and Spymonkey themselves have changed dramatically since then. The production then, The Complete Deaths (a staging of all Shakespeare's written deaths), was one of their finest moments, certainly the finest I had seen. However, here, returning to the Royal stage so many years later, with fifty percent of that company, their production of Aristophanes' The Frogs lacks much of the quality of that show and sadly dwells a little too much on life as a Spymonkey member. So, let's have a quick catch-up, Spymonkey, as it stands, now consists of the magnificent clown Aitor Basauri and his straight man Toby Park. Missing from the fab four of old are Petra Massey, gone to Las Vegas, we are told and, more tellingly, Stephan Kreiss, gone, sadly forever, following his untimely death in 2021. This is where the original story of The Frogs is delved into by Spymonkey as their mourning show, for Stephan, especiall