A Small Mind At The Theatre

So, did you hear the story of the Blood Brothers musical, the show that would live on and on? And, did you never hear of how it would thrill, entertain and make audiences cry for nearly forty years? And, did you never hear of how the show would pack out theatres night after night? And, come, judge for yourselves how good this show truly is, or maybe let me explain why it is here… Written by Willy Russell initially as a school play and first performed in 1983, Blood Brothers tells the story of the Johnstone twins, separated at birth with one given away in desperation by their mother, and on a journey through time to both their deaths on the very same day. This is a sad, funny and highly emotional masterpiece of theatre. This was the third time I have had the pleasure of seeing the show, and it loses none of its power from repeated viewing. Indeed, as the curtain call ended last night, I just wanted to sit right back down and watch it all over again. This show’s packed to the very brim...

Song of the Summer , a co-production between Cherwell Theatre Company and Northampton’s Royal & Derngate, is something a little different, and there is no problem with that. Part gig, part theatre, this creation has been a labour of love for several years of the writer and director Tristan Jackson-Pate. So, was it worth all those years in creation? Set in Northampton in 2006 and featuring a group of teens going through a mixture of highs and lows and set to the music of its time, this uplifting tale offers some poignant moments as Alex as his friends follow the age-old and challenging coming-of-age tale, via the medium of trying to create their own The Libertines beating music act. It is a curious piece to review, sometimes stunning and beautiful, sometimes chaotic and confusing. This is both a heroic failure and a heroic success of a show. However, with all of its strength in a blistering second act, this ends in triumph and much of the early issues forgotten. Much of the success...

Cher has been a global star for more than many of us have been around, and this show, aptly titled The Cher Show , which premiered in Chicago in 2018 written by Rick Elice attempts to tell that long and often turbulent story. The Cher Show takes an ingenuous and rather interesting approach to tell the life story of Cher, with three actresses playing her in three incarnations. In order, we have Babe, the young and edge of stardom version, and very much the “babe” of Sonny Bono and the classic I’ve Got You Babe . Next Star becomes Lady, as the more hungry and strong Cher emerges through the seventies. Finally, as we hit the eighties, we are introduced to the obviously named Star, the final incarnation we see who takes us through to Believe and the world of over-synthesized Cher. The format works really well, and this coupled with the relatively inventive constant appearances of the year via a constant flow of props, allows us to be grounded in the show’s timeline. This is very importan...

Next week at Milton Keynes Theatre the brand-new production of The Cher Show starring Debbie Kurup, Danielle Steers and Millie O’Connell hits the stage. Running at the theatre between Tuesday 9 and Saturday 13 August, the production features the three actresses portraying Cher in three different ways throughout her iconic career, with Debbie as ‘Star’, Danielle as ‘Lady’ and Millie as ‘Babe’. Arlene Phillips ( Saturday Night Fever, Starlight Express, Grease ) directs the show with choreography by Oti Mabuse (two-time Strictly Come Dancing champion) and costume design by Gabriella Slade ( Six, In The Heights, Spice World 2019 Tour), the UK & Ireland Tour opened at Leicester’s Curve on 15 April 2022 and will continue through to 1 April 2023. The Cher Show  begins with telling of a young child with big dreams, the shy daughter of an Armenian American truck driver, through to the dizzying heights of global stardom. Cher takes the audience by the hand and introduces them to the i...