A Small Mind At The Theatre

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...

Harper Lee’s 1960 novel To Kill a Mockingbird has been a staple on countless best-of lists since its publication and remains a book of immense power and relevance, despite being set nearly 100 years ago, in the early 1930s. Whether you have read the book or seen the groundbreaking film with Gregory Peck, most are familiar with the story. Here, in an extensive UK and Ireland tour, and arriving now at Milton Keynes Theatre, Aaron Sorkin’s adaptation takes to the stage with all the power and relevance of the original. Sorkin, famous for his ground-breaking TV series The West Wing , and also perhaps more relevant here, the legal film A Few Good Men , takes Lee’s classic and adapts the story to primarily be based around the court case of a certain Tom Robinson, charged with the assault and rape of local girl Mayella Ewell. Leading his defence is Atticus Finch, the kindly man who sees good in everyone. Lee’s book has Finch's daughter as the narrator; Sorkin cleverly develops this by add...

The 1990s movie Single White Female was a classic pulp fiction offering of the time, off the back of films such as Fatal Attraction and released in the same year as the legendary Basic Instinct , these were the ultimate times for erotic thrillers/bunny boiler films. So, the question is: is such a genre still relevant today, and, even more so, can a theatre play succeed in transferring the theme to a new medium altogether? Allie is a recently divorced mother trying to juggle single parenting with starting her own tech company. To help with expenses, she looks for a lodger and finds Hedy, who seems like the perfect solution. However, as they get to know each other, the lines between their lives start to blur, and what seemed like an ideal setup begins to fall apart. For those familiar with the original film, there will be immediate observations of changes that adaptor Rebecca Reid has made. While lifting the entire plot from the US to the UK is obvious, developing Allie into Bella's...

There is no question that Rifco Theatre Company, the producers of Frankie Goes To Bollywood , now running at Royal & Derngate as part of a UK Tour, have come up with a cracking title for their show. However, as Bollywood descends upon Northampton, the question is, is this a gimmick title attached to a shallow show, or are we heading for Bollywood dreams? The show, unsurprisingly, follows a character named Frankie and tells the story of her dream to become a Bollywood star, a dream she shares with her best friend, Goldy. Following an opportune encounter with a famous Bollywood director, Frankie is invited to audition for his next movie, and her adventures begin. However, will the dream be the one she truly imagined? What is evident with Frankie Goes To Bollywood on stage is the love for creating a big, bold production. The staging is colourful and tries very hard to be epic, just like the Bollywood movies that it tells its story through. Unfortunately for all the boldness on offer,...

The iconic 2004 teen movie Mean Girls has, despite 22 years passing, maintained relevance in modern youth culture; its “cautionary tale” still resonates. Therefore, back in 2017, original screenwriter Tina Fey created her musical adaptation of the story, maintaining the original's female empowerment and recognition of individuality while adding a little sprinkling of modernity, such as the arrival of mobile phones. It was such a success in London following a US debut that this UK Tour, now reaching Milton Keynes, was inevitable. Cady Heron, a teenager who has been home-schooled in Kenya, relocates to Chicago and confronts the fiercely competitive world at her new high school. Guided by the outcasts Janis and Damian, she strives for belonging but is soon drawn into the superficial "Plastics," ruled over by Regina George. Cady’s attempts to navigate both social circles spiral into rivalry, manipulation, and payback. While Mean Girls  may miss its target audience for this m...

Formed in 2011, the theatre group The Wardrobe Ensemble has created many shows for both adults and children. Over the years, they have established a rich connection with the Royal & Derngate, staging several productions here, including the recent Mog: The Forgetful Cat . With Party Season now opening at the venue, the focus returns to an adult-centred show. Party Season tells its story through three children’s parties over the course of one weekend. The usual social situations occur, awkwardness, one-upmanship, and the true chaos of such events as children descend on a single house. Though the setting is children’s parties, Party Season goes deeper. It explores what it means to be a parent, and in one amusing moment, what it is like not to be one. Party Season is a return to the triumphant balance that The Wardrobe Ensemble has between buffoonery and stark, human emotional storytelling. The simplicity of seeing a switch from the cast doing Gangnam Style to an emotional monologu...