Review of Back In Time For Breakfast by Munchkins & Monsters Theatre Company at The Umbrella Fair 2016, Northampton

Munchkins and Monsters Theatre Company had what I personally consider two of the toughest audiences to keep entertained; a bunch of four, five, six, and whatever year olds gathered in a constantly distracting and sweltering tent with rock music emanating from another nearby tent; and myself surrounded by aforementioned children and in that sweltering tent. They had much to do to keep us absorbed in their performance of Back In Time For Breakfast. I have to say though thats against my fears at the start, very surprisingly this lively show managed to do just that, and for the best part me included.

Trapped in a secluded lighthouse with her family, Millie (Laura Richardson) dreams of magical journeys and on one night with a little wish on a star, a mysterious traveler, Jasper (Dale Forder) crashes his flying ship on the island and that magical journey becomes a reality.

This little piece has been lovingly created to encapture perhaps everything required of a children's entertainment show. Its brings gurning faces, silly dancing, jolly music, bright colours and a nice collection of simple, but very effective puppets. Providing the adults who have accompanied the children to the show with entertainment is a surprising amount of intelligent storytelling of an environmental (but never ever preaching) nature. It provides the perfect balance with silly fun from those like Percy the Penguin, and onto actually quite powerful imagery of the restoration of the ocean, via the most simple of things an umbrella as a jellyfish. It all allows the children to be happily taken in by their waving of the handouts and the adults to have perhaps a few more contemplative moments.

Dale Forder and Laura Richardson

There are several really great scenes during the show, a couple of favourites being the reconstruction of the ship with all its dancing and nicely constructed rountine, and then the fabulous nit-picking monkey who happily travails the crowd to the delight of the children and some of the adults. The audience interaction pieces are perhaps the best way to gauge a success of a show like this, and pretty much most of them were loving it and eager to be the one to have the chance of tossing the old sock at the big cat (you had to be there).

Dale Forder and Laura Richardson

As performers Dale Forder and Laura Richardson do everything that you would want from a childrens show, full of highly expressive faces and lively motion, making everything deliberately bigger and bolder than it needs to be to keep those distracted eyes on them.

This likeable pairing of performers coupled with an apparently simple tale full of hidden depths provides a great little show, which when performed it a more accommodating location is absolutely sure to keep the kids thrilled. Couple that with the fact you can then get your picture taken with Percy the Penguin at the end, makes this a sure fire hit.

Performance reviewed: Sunday 21st August, 2016 at the Umbrella Fair 2016, Northampton.

Munchkins And Monsters have a website for details of upcoming shows at http://www.munchkinsandmonsterstheatre.co.uk/

Review of Frankenstein at Royal & Derngate (Royal), Northampton

Over 200 years since its first publication it is remarkable to think that what is, in essence, a scientific novel such as Frankenstein is still so relevant in content today. However, as science evolves endlessly, and now with AI becoming so dominant and controversial, the difference between right and wrong, good and evil in science, and what is too inhuman is as current as ever. Tilted Wig's production, now at the end of its UK tour at Royal & Derngate and written and directed by Sean Aydon takes the original story and sets it about halfway between the first publication and modern day, around the time leading up to the Second World War. Aydon's adaptation works really well in placing the story within this degenerating world, a place where true horror is around the corner, and veiled ideas of their (Germany's) interest in Frankenstein's work are gently developed. However, while Aydon clearly had this idea in his head and his pen when scripting this version, the polit

Review of Hacktivists by Ben Ockrent performed by R&D Youth Theatre at Royal & Derngate (Underground), Northampton

The National Theatres Connections series of plays had been one of my highlights of my trips to R&D during 2014. Their short and snappy single act style kept them all interesting and never overstaying their welcome. So I was more than ready for my first encounter with one of this years Connections plays ahead of the main week of performances at R&D later in the year. Hacktivists is written by Ben Ockrent, whose slightly wacky but socially relevant play Breeders I had seen at St James Theatre last year. Hacktivists is less surreal, but does have a fair selection of what some people would call odd. Myself of the other hand would very much be home with them. So we are presented with thirteen nerdy "friends" who meet to hack, very much in what is termed the white hat variety. This being for good, as we join them they appear to have done very little more than hacked and created some LED light device. Crashing in to spoil the party however comes Beth (Emma-Ann Cranston)

Review of Flashdance - The Musical at Milton Keynes Theatre, Milton Keynes

For the second week running, the Milton Keynes Theatre is overrun by a wave of eighties nostalgia as Selladoor's production of Flashdance The Musical follows hot on the heels of An Officer and a Gentlemen. However, is it nice to have more of that classic decade upon the stage? The answer mostly is yes, despite the fact that the story driving Flashdance is that light and flimsy at times, you just have to sit back and watch the dancing and the bright colours to get you through. Welding genius, Alex Owens, has her sights set for a bigger thing beyond this tired and struggling factory in Pittsburgh. Hoping to take her dancing beyond Harry's bar, she plans to make big, via Shipley Dance Academy. Then, also drifting into her life comes Nick Hurley, who initially unknown to her, happens to be the factory bosses son, the scene is set for romance. Flashdance has a generally excellent cast led with a tremendously good performance from Joanne Clifton as Alex Owens. Those famili

A Small Mind At The Theatre

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