A Small Mind At The Theatre

While settling down to write my third review of a ballet (only also the fourth I had seen), it strikes me that I am still limited in my understanding and slightly feel a fraud for attempting to even write a review of one. However, then I think what I always do at this stage, that I shall be here to offer advice to those potential new audience members who are thinking of challenging themselves with a bit of different art, advice as to whether to take the plunge. So, here as a bystander to proper ballet knowledge, I offer my thoughts of Sleeping Beauty by The Russian State Ballet of Siberia. The tale of Sleeping Beauty needs little introduction, and as my previous encounter with the Siberia ballet, Cinderella attested to, this can be the best way of getting into ballet as a layman. Knowing the story well, goes a long way to enjoying ballet, and who doesn't know about Sleeping Beauty and the knitting needles? This production immediately captivates with the colour and energy of...

For those of a certain age (me), Raymond Briggs' The Snowman formed quite a part of early Christmas childhood, despite at just 26 minutes, not featuring for a great deal of it, the song Walking in the Air especially lingers in the mind, and made a star of Aled Jones to boot. Seeing this extended stage show now reminds this, now a forty-plus year old, of the innocence of childhood that doesn't always exist as much now. Not to say the youngsters in attendance were virtually all captivated by the evening. The Snowman is a simple tale of a boy who makes a snowman and on that magical evening, it comes to life and takes The Boy on an enchanting journey of exploration, including seeing Father Christmas. It's loving and innocent and deserves the tenderness of telling that this production brings to it. No more telling how good this show is, is the brilliant moment all are waiting for, just before the interval as expected, when we are walking in the air. It is beautifully d...

While The Mousetrap continues to capture audiences in London, and the current run, also in London, of Witness for the Prosecution , continues to entertain, it seems the perfect time for a bit of regional Agatha Christie as well. Step forward the Middle Ground Theatre Company and their version of the Miss Marple tale, A Murder is Announced . Chipping Cleghorn residents are astonished when the announcement of murder appears in the local newspaper. Enter Miss Marple, here for some treatment to her rheumatism, and clutching flowers in an attempt to not look too eager, to help unravel events. A Murder is Announced is classic Christie, big characters, red herrings, knitting needles and twist, twist and another twist, and drawn out upon a gorgeously detailed set, filled with chair after chair, and I can't help but think director and designer Michael Lunney deliberately got character Julia Simmons to test ever chair (bar the chaise longue) in the first five minutes, just to say, he...

Watching the BA Actors perform Alan Ayckbourn's Christmas play Season's Greetings had quite a tinge of the very different about it. It all felt very traditional, and dare I say, safe, for the performers of the University of Northampton BA Actors to be offering. Over six years, I have got used to them bringing cutting, sharp, taxing, dynamic, brutal and controversial stuff to the stage, so to see James Bryan as Bernard performing a puppet show in the cosy world of Ayckbourn (admittedly with his trademark modern strife thrown in), it all seemed a little weird. However, over the last couple of years, this cosy, more traditional theatre has become the staple of the Christmas time offering, with the group also tackling pantomimes as well. It all makes a huge amount of sense, as so much of their potential future earnings may well come from this area. Here we have classic Ayckbourn, filled with diverse characters, and varied aged ones, performed by the staple early twenties per...

The Season , is a Christmas show of a different kind, a warm romantic feel, without pandering to the expectations of, a warm romantic show, set at Christmas. This lively, extremely funny, and musically clever show is perhaps everything you need for a bit of November Christmas. Dougal has come to New York to meet his father for the first time and as he lands at JFK, he is met by his soon to be auntie, Robin, and over two days, they form an unlikely partnership. This two-hander musical is an absolute cracker of a show, written by Jim Barne and Kit Buchan, it melds an old form of story-telling with very modern concepts. As ever of a show like this, Barne and Buchan have created two perfectly balanced characters, ones that play off one another as total opposites, but the audience knows really that by curtain down, these two with have a thing. Or do we...? What is particularly sharp about The Season , and already mentioned in my opening preamble, is that this breaks the no...

Back in 2015, the Northampton Musical Theatre Company performed Sister Act as their yearly show at the Royal & Derngate. It surpassed their own excellent South Pacific the year before, and set a benchmark for amateurs performances that have been difficult to beat, NMTC including. Over the last few years their choices of shows have been populist (bums on seats), but more than a little formulaic, and some of them sadly pretty average shows. So, with Made in Dagenham , can we now move on from talking just about Sister Act ? You know something, I reckon we can. Made in Dagenham - The Musical is based on the 2010 film which told the story of the 1968 Ford strike by the female machinists working towards an equal pay deal. Along the way, unexpected political activist, Rita, finds herself in the presence of Prime Minister Harold Wilson, and Barbara Castle among many other high flyers. Is it a battle she can win though? History already knows that answer. Made in Dagenham is an...

I feel that like at the start of an official meeting I need to make a declaration at the beginning of this review. I'm not a fan of the work generally of David Walliams, more specifically his adult humour, I find it crude and unfunny. However, Billionaire Boy was my first encounter with his work for children, long since having left that time behind. So, while I had some trepidation with what lay ahead, including of course being surrounded by sweet eating children (and adults) in the theatre, I went with an open mind. Joe Spud is rich, we are talking real rich. Heir to his father's wealth, created by the invention of Bumfresh , a brand new way of thinking in the loo roll world, he is happily tossed million-pound cheques on his birthday. However, can being rich and having it all bring you happiness? Or do you sometimes just want a friend and not a computer to play games against. Billionaire Boy is really rather fabulous, there I admit it. It is no coincidence actually that...