A Small Mind At The Theatre

The 2006 movie Dreamgirls saw powerhouse performances from the likes of Beyoncé, Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy and made Jennifer Hudson an instant star in her first film role. However, Dreamgirls as a stage musical is much older, premiering on Broadway 25 years earlier. So, with the presence of those huge musical stars behind them, can the performers of this UK Tour of Tom Eyen's and Henry Krieger's show live up to that lofty history? The answer is a resounding yes, particularly at the end of the first act where Nicole Raquel Dennis gives a theatre-shaking performance of And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going in her role of Effie White. This moment alone gets many of the audience on their feet unexpectedly at the end of the first act. She is a fantastic presence on stage, brilliantly encapturing the distress in particular of having her lead singing role taken from her and her determination to gain fame. Dreamgirls is very loosely based on the story of The Supremes' rise to fame...

The comedy film Sister Act starring Whoopi Goldberg is thirty years old this year. During this anniversary year, a hugely successful production of this 2006 musical version of the story has been playing at the Eventim Apollo. This UK & Ireland tour is effectively the same production, however with a number of cast charges and the obvious adjustments needed for a tour. Therefore, with all these changes, does the magic of the London production continue on the road? Sadly at times, it doesn't. I have had the pleasure to see the Sister Act musical before, and know that it is an extremely good show, full of humour, brilliant upbeat tunes and some fabulously entertaining characters. However, while this production, directed by Bill Buckhurst, remains fun throughout, it never really sparkles as much as I know the show should. The first act, for instance, takes a long time to get going, at times, it feels like the cast is still finding their feet in the production and it fails to spark ...

Hitting the stage at Milton Keynes this week is the smash hit musical based on the iconic 1992 movie starring Whoopi Goldberg. Sister Act is a sparkling tribute to the universal power of friendship, sisterhood and music and tells the hilarious story of the disco diva whose life takes a surprising turn when she witnesses a murder. Under protective custody she is hidden in the one place she won’t be found – a convent!  Disguised as a nun and under the suspicious watch of Mother Superior, Deloris helps her fellow sisters find their voices as she unexpectedly rediscovers her own.  Sandra Marvin will play ‘Deloris Van Cartier’ alongside Lesley Joseph as ‘Mother Superior’ and Lizzie Bea as ‘Sister Mary Robert’. The cast also includes Jeremy Secomb, Graham McDuff, Tricia Deighton, Lori Haley Fox, Damian Buhagiar, Tom Hopcroft, Bradley Judge, Tanya Edwards, Catherine Millsom, Anne Smith, Emma Ralston, Jermaine Woods, Michael Ward and Caroline Bateson Sister Act is directed by Bill Bu...

There is something about Agatha Christie that still thrills audiences now over 100 years since she first saw a publication hit the shelves. This is evident from the absolutely packed theatre on the opening evening at Royal & Derngate for this new touring production of The Mirror Crack'd . So, was the mystery still thrilling and is the show worth you pondering over a ticket? The Mirror Crack'd sees Marina Gregg, an American movie star, moving to the area following her purchasing the home of a close friend of Miss Marple. She is here, it transpires to make a movie, however during a drinks gathering at her home, Heather Leigh, the local St John’s Ambulance Chair succumbs to the perils of a poisoned Strawberry Daquiri. However, was she the true target, or was that drink meant to be for someone far more famous? All of this intrigue is played out right in the opening minutes of the play and presented in perhaps the most intriguing part of this new dramatisation by Rachel Wagstaf...