A Small Mind At The Theatre

Annie was first performed now a remarkable fifty years ago at Goodspeed Opera House in Connecticut, and since then, the tale based on a 1920s comic strip and adapted for the stage by Thomas Meehan on book, with music by Charles Strouse, and lyrics provided by Martin Charnin, has become a perennial favourite across the world. Indeed, this version, directed by Nikolai Foster, last appeared at Milton Keynes Theatre in 2023. So, after all these years, does Annie still have that appeal? Set in  1930s New York during the Great Depression,  Annie  follows the life of an orphan abandoned to the care  of its evil matron, Miss Hannigan. Annie seeks escape, and after one failed attempt, she finds herself the chosen Christmas guest of billionaire Oliver Warbucks, and things slowly, hopefully begin to improve for the little but fiercely strong Annie. Leading the adult cast for this tour now as the cruel Miss Hannigan is Claire Sweeney. Sweeney clearly revels in the chance to embr...

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street first appeared in this musical form in 1979. Adapted from an original play by Christopher Bond, the work was set to music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, with a book by Hugh Wheeler. It quickly became a huge success, opening on both Broadway and the West End within a year. Following Tony and Olivier wins, the show has seen revival after revival over the years, as well as a musical film starring Johnny Depp. Now, Birmingham Rep presents its own pared-back version of the show, featuring some big stars of the theatre world. So, the question is, is Sweeney Todd as razor-sharp as it once was? What is clear to all at the outset is that director Joe Murphy, also artistic director at Birmingham Rep, has assembled a remarkable and bold cast for the show. Leading as Sweeney is Ramin Karimloo, whose bio speaks for itself and is the biggest draw for this show, especially for theatres outside London. His Sweeney is a perfectly brooding affair, broken...

The Spy Who Came in From the Cold is one of John Le Carré’s more well-known titles in his world of spy fiction, and having been adapted into a highly rated 1965 film with Richard Burton, it is perhaps surprising that it took until 2024 for this stage adaptation to appear, adapted by David Eldridge, and now at Milton Keynes Theatre. In many ways, it feels like a ripe story for a stage play, with locations and theatre folk often liking the cerebral storytelling it offers, so this should be perfect for the stage? The Spy Who Came in From the Cold depicts Alec Leamas, a British intelligence officer, being sent to East Germany as a faux defector to sow disinformation about Hans-Dieter Mundt, a powerful East German intelligence officer. However, as expected in the spy world, all is not as it seems, and with the lurking figure of the supposedly retired spy George Smiley in the background, Leamas finds things moving far from his control. It has to be said that Eldridge’s adaptation struggles...

Operation Mincemeat , in this musical incarnation, is the latest in the line of tellings of a true story that began back in 1943. During the Second World War, a secret operation took place, which was later revealed in print by Ewan Montagu, one of its initial instigators. Titled The Man Who Never Was , this true story then became a film of the same name. Fast forward to 2021, and a film titled Operation Mincemeat appeared. Then, taking the same title as the original operation, this musical was born and developed on either side of the film's release before hitting London in 2023, and now at the Royal & Derngate as part of an extensive tour. Operation Mincemeat's plan was to disguise the Allied invasion of Sicily. It saw two members of the British intelligence obtain a body, that of Glyndwr Michael, a homeless man who had died from eating rat poison, dress him as an officer of the Royal Marines and place personal items on him, identifying him as the fictitious Captain (Actin...

Matthew Bourne has been the accessible end of stage ballet and contemporary dance for decades now, and first imagined for the stage back in 2000, his interpretation and loose adaptation of Bizet’s Carmen , as The Car Man , is perhaps his most accessible to the general public. So, as it drives into Milton Keynes Theatre this week, is it still the masterly piece first seen 26 years ago? Luca is a man on the move; however, as he heads into Harmony, a town of 375 people, he sees a sign reading “Man Wanted” and decides to stop over to try to settle in and take some work at Dino’s Garage. After setting his eyes on the proprietor's wife, Lana, turmoil begins to infect the inhabitants of this harmonious town. The Car Man is a dazzling spectacle by Matthew Bourne and his New Adventures company, filled, as expected, with stunning dancing from the immensely dedicated and talented team of dancers. Led by Will Bozier as Luca, "The Car Man", his strength and confidence drive through h...

On what was so far the hottest day of the year, and the highest in many a record book, it feels a tad evil to watch as a group of extremely talented performers bring to the stage one of the most famous and most energetic dance shows to tour. However, arriving now at Milton Keynes Theatre, as part of what is now the still rather immodestly titled 30 Years of Standing Ovations tour, Lord of the Dance remains full of energy even on the hottest of evenings in Milton Keynes. I last and first saw Lord of the Dance as part of the 25 Years of Standing Ovations tour, four years ago (yes, the sums don’t quite work), and it was every bit as spectacular as you could imagine this world-famous dance show is. Born into the world from Michael Flatley and the Riverdance spectacular that preceded it, Lord of the Dance is a simple but effective battle between good and evil and the resolution of it through dance rather than fighting. The dancing here is, as expected, exceptional, led by the Lord of the...

The comedy of Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise is carved into the very essence of Britishness, and while the years may now be distant from their domination of TV comedy, the light still shines bright on their work. This is thanks mostly to generation after generation being introduced to the shows via that near-annual appearance on TV schedules at Christmas. This will perhaps one day pass, but for now, this brilliant little show, Eric & Ern , now at Royal & Derngate, continues to honour that comedy on stage. Created and performed by Ian Ashpitel and Jonty Stephens, Eric & Ern is a show bringing the duo's most famous sketches and jokes back to the stage. Having worked together now for over twenty years, Ashpitel and Stephens have created the comedy act to perfection. Stephens brings Morecambe’s edgy, frantic energy and combines it perfectly with his timing and mannerisms; everything from the flick of the glasses to the wipe of the nose is pure Eric. Ashpital, as Wise has pe...

There is no denying that the world of musical theatre is tremendously imaginative, and of all the films that could be adapted, perhaps the eighties teen drama The Karate Kid was not at the top of most people's lists for a musical adaptation. However, as our stage versions of Mr Miyagi and Daniel LaRusso arrive at Milton Keynes Theatre on a UK tour, I am happy to say that this is one of the most sensible film-to-musical decisions. Recently relocated from New Jersey to LA, Daniel becomes the target of a gang of Cobra Kai dojo students. However, unbeknownst to him, a quiet and unassuming maintenance man at his new home, Mr Miyagi, is on hand to offer a little more than some bonsai training. The first thing that ticks the box for a film-to-musical adaptation is having an original soundtrack, not an endless collection of awkwardly shoehorned music classics into the story. Here, alongside book writer Robert Mark Kamen, are some brilliantly crafted tunes by composer and lyricist Drew Gasp...

The musical The Choir of Man has had a remarkable journey since its first appearance at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2017. Via Adelaide, Covid, North America, the show finally became a fixture at The Arts Theatre in London, running between 2021 and 2025, on either side of a theatre renovation. The show finally closed to embark on an extensive UK & Ireland tour, which now reaches Milton Keynes Theatre. The Choir of Man offers an inventive theatre experience. Long before the show begins, audience members are welcomed upon stage, or more accurately, to The Jungle, the pub setting for the “story” of The Choir of Man . While within The Jungle, pre-show and interval, you are welcome to grab a pint at the functioning bar and have a chat with the cast, our characters for the evening. However, you may have noticed the quotes around the word story, and that is where, in many ways, this is a very different experience. The Choir of Man does not really feature a storyline; it is just a gathering o...