REVIEWS Archives - Page 44 of 636

Ali in Wonder(Eng)Land – Jacksons Lane Theatre

15Jul

By Paul AckroydNo Comments

London

Ali in Wonder(Eng)Land – Jacksons Lane Theatre

This rather clumsily titled play is the “rabbit hole” to a rather fascinating 75 minutes of devised drama by the LegalAliens Theatre’s Tottenham Project which reimagines Lewis Carroll's famous Alice in Wonderland as the experience of an immigrant trying to negotiate the English immigration system and cultures. Directed by Lara Prlmiani the play was first created in 2023 and has now been updated for the current production at the Jacksons Lane Theatre. Each successive cast, all of whom are immigrants from a wide range of countries, bring their own perspectives of their challenges in settling in England to the text. The use of Lewis Carroll's famous story as a template was an inspired idea since nothing could be more English and yet it is very effectively and humorously used to illus...

The Ballad of Johnny & June – Hull New Theatre

15Jul

By Jackie FoottitNo Comments

Yorkshire & Humber

The Ballad of Johnny & June – Hull New Theatre

The applause started immediately after curtain up on Tuesday night when The Ballad of Johnny & June hit the Hull New Theatre stage. We were showing our appreciation for the fantastic music being played by on-stage musicians who were sometimes visible, yet mostly obscured, throughout the production - a production that would have been nothing without their amazing, tuneful contribution under Connagh Tonkinson’s direction. This new musical, from the book by Robert Cary and Des McAnuff (who also directed) being the story of country music legends Johnny Cash and his wife, June Carter Cash, was obviously going to be brimful of harmonies, yet behind those famous tunes - Jackson, I Walk the Line, A Boy Named Sue and Ring of Fire to name just a few hits - lay a world of drug-taking, trage...

15Jul

By Annette NuttallNo Comments

West Midlands

The Choir of Man – The Alexandra

From its early days starting at the Edinburgh fringe festival, this show has grown from strength to strength with runs in the West End and now a national tour. Set in a traditional style pub that could be anywhere, Choir of Man is more about a vibe and opening your hearts and minds to the archetypal characters on stage. From the moment you walk into the auditorium, you will realise immediately this is not a traditional show. The stage is already full with cast and members of the audience having a chat and a pint. Cast are also roaming through the stalls chatting and making friends for later. You are part of the show, the characters speak directly to you and a few of the audience get involved on stage. You are introduced to each man in turn by his real name and the personality type he...

14Jul

By Olivia CoxNo Comments

London

Tender – Bush Theatre

Haunted houses aren’t just the decaying, cobwebbed old mansions we’ve seen in popular culture for decades. In a similar vein (and even colour scheme) to A24’s hugely successful 2026 horror movie Backrooms, Eleanor Tindall’s Tender explores the fear that can lurk in the walls of even the most seemingly ordinary spaces. Part psychological thriller, part queer love story – with sprinkling of body horror for good measure – Tender tracks the lives of young women Ivy (Nadi Kemp-Sayfi) and Ash (Francesca Amewudah-Rivers) as they become intertwined after a chance encounter on a night out. Ivy’s existence looks perfect from the outside, admitting to herself that “everything is in place” – the nice flat, the stable boyfriend, the pleasant job running an overpriced cafe. But from the offset we kno...

14Jul

By Charlotte MansfieldNo Comments

London

Heathers – The Arts at Marble Arch

Based on the cult film from 1989, Heathers the Musical has returned to London ahead of a wider UK tour. Dealing with teen mental health and the pressures of high school, the show is billed as the ‘darker, dirtier cousin’ of High School Musical. However, it's much more of a precursor to Mean Girls, with three popular girls, all called Heather, transforming Veronica (Gerardine Sacdalan) from likeable nerd into a member of their clique, until she realises the mistake she’s made. In Heathers, however, her revenge takes the form of murder staged to look like suicide, encouraged by her angst-ridden boyfriend, JD (Louis Hearsey). Awash with examples of toxic males and females, the musical attempts to inject some humour into its gritty subject by turning the characters into caricatures. Fathers...

14Jul

By Luke StephensonNo Comments

North West

Waitress – Winter Gardens Blackpool

Tonight’s review comes from Blackpool Winter Gardens and viewing the tour of Waitress starring Les Dennis as Old Joe and Carrie Hope Fletcher as Jenna. Jenna is a waitress in Joe’s cafe that sells 27 pies, all of which are of Jenna’s creation influenced by her mother. She is the cog in so many people’s lives that people go to for advice and a slice of the daily special. However, behind closed doors Jenna is trapped in an abusive relationship with her husband Earl (Mark Willshire) who takes her money and mentally manipulates her. Jenna often day dreams of a better life and makes up pie names in the process. As the show develops she becomes sick and after a pregnancy test it becomes positive. She’s unsure what to do about the baby especially as home life isn’t the perfect place to bring u...

12Jul

By Alan Stuart MalinNo Comments

London

Princess Sparkles – Museum of Comedy

If Disney ever collided with a psychological breakdown, the result might look something like ‘Princess Sparkles’. Lily Maryon's debut solo show is gloriously unhinged, unapologetically absurd, and one of the most confidently bonkers princess character comedies I've seen in quite some time. The premise is deceptively simple, Princess Sparkles is a princess-for-hire expecting a room full of excited five-year-olds. Instead, the audience becomes those children, willingly swept into an increasingly chaotic birthday party as reality slowly unravels beneath the glitter. Her repeated insistence that she is "definitely not a Disney princess", something that is totally believable, only makes the comparison even funnier. Maryon demonstrates remarkable command of the room throughout the hour...

12Jul

By Carole GordonNo Comments

London

Shanay Holmes in Concert – Cadogan Hall

Shanay Holmes' first solo concert proved to be a considerable success, her powerful voice presenting a repertoire of well-known musical theatre classics and the songs that have formed part of her own theatrical story. From Oliver! which garnered her the Best Female Lead award in a Musical at the Black British Theatre Awards, to Rent, Annie, The Sound of Music, West Side Story, Miss Saigon and Sweeney Todd, Holmes' clear soprano created an entertaining evening. She hasn't appeared in all these shows, but has chosen songs which she loves and been moved by, as well as those she's performed. And mostly these are great choices which perfectly match her impressive range. Initially slightly nervous, she quickly settled into the roles and the emotional characters in the songs, interspe...

Spamalot – Portobello Town Hall, Edinburgh

12Jul

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Spamalot – Portobello Town Hall, Edinburgh

There are some shows where you spend your time analysing every directorial choice, every dramatic beat and every performance. Then there are shows like Spamalot, where after about ten minutes you simply surrender to the sheer joy of it all. Happy Sad Productions' latest musical is exactly that kind of evening. Based on the classic Monty Python and the Holy Grail, the musical lovingly embraces absurdity, gleefully mocking both the original film and the conventions of musical theatre itself. It's a show that positively encourages performers to throw caution to the wind, and this company responds with infectious enthusiasm. One of the production's greatest strengths is its scale. A large ensemble fills the stage with energy throughout, ensuring that even the smallest roles have ...

12Jul

By David S ClarkeNo Comments

North West

Grease – The Forum Theatre

Well, seeing as this is one of the most iconic shows ever produced, I don’t think there is much point in my writing a synopsis of this except to say, “Welcome to Rydell”! This is actually by way of a swansong for many of the seniors at NK as a large number will be leaving to go onto further education, whether in the musical theatre forum or in alternative areas of study. I am proud to say that I have followed the journey that many of these young performers have been on for the past 12 years plus and have seen them grow from little 5-year-olds to super confident performers who have developed into outstanding young men and women who all have an amazing stage presence. A nice touch was the section of the programme devoted to the memories of the leavers, where they could each come up wi...