REVIEW: DREAMGIRLS (Savoy Theatre) ★★★★
The 1981, Tony Award winning Musical Dreamgirls is probably best known for the 2006 film adaption starring Beyonce and Jennifer Hudson. The show is based on the black girl groups of the sixties like The Supremes, trying to become mainstream artists, in a world dominated by men and white music. The Dreamettes (Effie White, Deena […]
REVIEW: 2 BECOME 1 (Kings Head Theatre) ★★
2 Become 1: The 90s Pop Musical was created by Kerrie Thomason and Natasha Granger based on the music they grew up with. A love letter to 90’s girl power, the musical features music from All Saints, B*Witched, Shania Twain, Cher, Alanis Morissette, Britney Spears and The Spice Girls among others. Following a sell-out run […]
REVIEW: ALADDIN (Waddon Leisure Centre, Croydon) ★★★
In this whole review of Aladdin you will not be bothered by any silly “look behind you” quotes or cheesy “Oh no he isn’t ” tomfoolery…… your humble reviewer is not so childish as to resort to these kind of tricks. (Oh yes he is). Oh no I’m, ……er’ I’m sorry, just defending my self. […]
REVIEW: HEDDA GABLER (National Theatre) ★★★
Today, it is more difficult to choose a play and perform it in its traditional setting, rather than taking a contemporary angle. Ivo van Hove, a true example of this, chooses to take Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler from 1891 for his National Theatre debut. Hedda is a female character in literature that readers and audiences have […]
REVIEW: PETER PAN (National Theatre) ★★★★
After a sell out run at the Bristol Old Vic, Sally Cookson bring her version of PETER PAN to the National Theatre this Christmas. This isn’t a pantomime, there are no pop songs or clipboard holding celebrities, but a serious retelling of this much loved JM Barrie childrens classic. In return for helping him find […]
REVIEW: ME… (Little Angel Theatre) ★★★★
Me… is a new production of the children’s story by Emma Dodd, adapted into a puppet show by the team at Little Angel Theatre. The theatre is a centre of excellence for puppetry, consistently offering high quality productions with beautiful puppets supporting wonderful story telling for a younger audience. Inspired by the love between parent […]
REVIEW: SINBAD THE SAILOR (Theatre Royal Stratford East) ★★★
This year, the intrepid panto crew of Stratford East’s Theatre Royal set sail for distant lands in search of adventure with their show, Sinbad the Sailor. As always, Director Kerry Michael gives us the best bits of this lovely old genre of theatre: real actors who can multi task, just enough audience participation and a […]
REVIEW: ALADDIN (The Lighthouse, Poole’s Centre for the Arts) ★★★
It’s coming up to Christmas so for many places such as The Lighthouse, Poole’s Centre for the Arts, that means it’s panto season.This year’s panto is ALADDIN: written, directed and starring Peter Dunan (Abanazer), alongside Max Bowden (Aladdin). Sapphire Elia (Princess XiaoXue) and Adam Price (Widow Twankey). Filled with upbeat songs such as Can’t Stop […]
REVIEW: SLEEPING BEAUTY (Sunderland Empire) ★★★
Empire Theatre Sunderland’s annual pantomime, this year, comes from the reliable UK Productions stable providing all the traditional ingredients such a glitzy show should offer. Sleeping Beauty was warmly received by a packed auditorium of excited youngsters on press night. Sleeping Beauty tells the well-known story of a Princess (Amy-Leigh Hickman) who is cursed by […]
REVIEW: BENIGHTED (Old Red Lion Theatre) ★★★★★
Almost 90 years after it was originally written, J. B. Priestley’s Benighted descends on London this winter for its world stage premiere. This story, adapted from the original novel, inspired countless other tales of stranded travellers, most notably The Rocky Horror Show and set a precedent for many B-movies. Nestled in the suitably shadowy attic […]