A Small Mind At The Theatre

Poor old Tommy and Tuppence, forever playing third fiddle to the might of Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. However maybe 2015 will be their breakthrough year some 93 years from their creation. There is not just this clever and fun play, but a certain David Walliams set to appear before the end of the year as Tommy Beresford to Jessica Raine's Tuppence. However first we have this gem of a little play to contend with. Adapted by Sarah Punshon (who also directs) and Johann Hari (an interesting history himself, have a Google), from the novel of the same name, it featured at first perhaps nothing you would expect of a play based on an Agatha Christie novel. We had singing, dancing and musical instrument playing from the outset and we may all have thought that we were at a cabaret show. It soon fell somewhat back into type once the usual multi-layered Christie tale (this time involving top secret papers in the hands of a lady survivor of a ship sinking) began to evolve. It did however...

Regeneration,  adapted for the stage by Nicholas Wright, forms the final and centrepiece of the Royal & Derngate's programme to commemorate the centenary of the First World War. Based on Pat Barker's 1991 novel, it tells the story of several characters experiences in Craiglockhart Hospital following being immobilised for various reasons from the trenches.  Among  these are notable real-life characters such as the highly decorated war poet Siegfried Sassoon, his doctor Captain Rivers and Sassoon's fellow poet Wilfred Owen. Of these three characters, Stephen Boxer as Rivers is by far the stronger performance, giving a sentimental and caring portrayal with more than a hint of humour in his delivery. As Sassoon and Owen, Tim Delap and Garmon Rhys respectively, they have less to do in their somewhat and surprising one dimensional characters on stage. They only really feel solid characters when they are together on stage,...