A Small Mind At The Theatre

I have seen three previous circus performances over the last few years, following a gap of over thirty years, and Cirque Berserk was one of them, and their return two years later to Derngate is often remarkably similar to their previous show, but never less than remarkable in itself. The concluding act, the motorcyclists of the Globe of Death I have now seen four times, and while I have now become blasé about it, I can still revel in the delight of others seeing it for the first time, including my companion of the night, who often thought the whole evening was full of crazy. It is true really though that you must have to be more than a little crazy to be a circus performer and do some of these outlandish acts we witness. However, big them up and applaud all the crazy people, because through them, a really diverse audience (the most this side of a panto pretty much), was thrilled to beginning to end. Cirque Berzerk covers most things you can think of from a modern circus, from...

While Martin McDonagh is now making quite a name for himself as a screenwriter, director and producer of hit films like Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri , he started off a writer for the stage, like this play The Beauty Queen of Leenane , the first of a trilogy set in County Galway. And while McDonagh himself has said he has "respect for the whole history of films and a slight disrespect for theatre", it doesn't stop him writing pretty impressive plays like this one. Having previously seen McDonagh's The Pillowman at The Playhouse, and an excellent version of Hangmen via NT Live, I was well aware of McDonagh's dark humour. Beauty Queen maintains that edge, with its tale of spinster Maureen, and her relationship with her oppressive and demanding mother Mag, ill, but still outwardly manipulative of events. It's dark, not quite as dark as The Pillowman perhaps, but like that play, features one truly disturbing torture scene, so, it's not fo...

The 1992 film The Bodyguard starring Kevin Costner and the acting debut for singing megastar Whitney Houston, was a slightly average romantic thriller, which is really mostly remembered for its musical turns from Houston, so, it is perhaps surprising that it took a whole twenty years to make it's transition to the stage as a musical version. Premiering in London in December 2012, ten months after Houston's tragic death, the show has had great success around the world, and with this, it's second UK tour, has a recognisable face in the star role, of Alexandra Burke, former X-Factor winner (curiously not mentioned in her programme biog). The Bodyguard follows the story of former Secret Service agent turned bodyguard Frank Farmer (Benoît Maréchal) who is hired to protect multi-award-winning music star Rachel Marron, following her receiving threats from a stalker. It's clear from the bold opening performance that Alexandra Burke as Marron is not looking to imita...

Despite only having seen Abigail's Party performed on stage once before, it is without much question my favourite play, based mostly on the groundbreaking BBC recording in 1977 of the original Hampstead Theatre version. So, there was never going to be any question of enjoying Mike Leigh's fabulous lines and awkward social interaction, but what of this production itself? Beverly and husband Laurence have opened their house for a party, and new neighbour's Tony and Angela are invited, along with neighbour Sue, who due to her daughter Abigail's party, has found herself turned out of her own house. An evening of fun is set to occur, or not. The role of the domineering and generally unlikeable Beverly is so much ingrained in most people who have seen the original as being Alison Steadman's that any actor attempting to play the character must feel a controlling factor upon their shoulder, and as such this character more than any other in director Sarah Esdaile...