Friday, October 30

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Eireann: A Taste of Ireland – Peacock Theatre
London

Eireann: A Taste of Ireland – Peacock Theatre

Brent Pace's Eireann: A Taste of Ireland takes the audience on an exhilarating journey through the length and breadth of Irish history, from the arrival of the Vikings to the present day, while not avoiding the dark periods of Irish history, such as the Great Famine and the Easter Uprising. It's not all serious though, with a good deal of light-hearted and comedic moments and overall a feeling of warmth and joy.  The dancing can only be described as spectacular.  Led by principal dancers Gavin Shevlin and Brittany Pymm, the company's impressive energy and talent make every step look easy and light as air.  The footwork is so fast, the athleticism and precision so perfect, it's hard to believe that the performers are actually human.  There is the traditional, Riverdan...
Cbeebies House Party – The Lowry
North West

Cbeebies House Party – The Lowry

The moment you enter the theatre space at the Lowry, for the Cbeebies House Party, you are immersed in the world. The set is colourful, with huge jellies flanking the stage, an intriguing door and a screen playing fun party songs - the perfect way to keep wriggling children patiently waiting for the start. Our party was hosted by Cbeebies presenters Rhys Stephenson and Evie Pickerill who are two of my absolute favourites. I was worried that the magic might be lost on stage but actually they completely blew me away. The speed at which Rhys ran around the theatre, ensuring that he said hello to the children in the upper tiers as well as in the stalls, was incredible! Evie is an absolute delight to watch on stage - her energy and enthusiasm doesn’t waver for a second and it’s clear tha...
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Jr – Z-Arts
North West

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Jr – Z-Arts

Manchester Musical Youth once again proved why they have built such a strong reputation for delivering high-quality family entertainment with their latest production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Jr. With music and lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, and adapted for the stage by Jeremy Sams, this classic tale was given a fresh, imaginative twist by producers Dave and Kimberly Holden. The story follows eccentric inventor Caractacus Potts and his two children, Jeremy and Jemimah, who, with the help of the spirited Truly Scrumptious, transform an old racing car into the magical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Together, they embark on a fantastical adventure to the land of Vulgaria, ruled by the bumbling Baron and Baroness, encountering spies, danger, and laughter along the way. ...
West End hit The Last Laugh comes to the Liverpool Playhouse
NEWS

West End hit The Last Laugh comes to the Liverpool Playhouse

Direct from the West End, The Last Laugh comes to Liverpool from Tuesday 23rd to Saturday 27th September. This brand-new play reimagines the lives of three of Britain’s all-time greatest comedy heroes, Tommy Cooper, Eric Morecambe and Bob Monkhouse. Eric Morecambe is played by Bob Golding, whose acclaimed one-man show Morecambe won Best Entertainment at the Laurence Olivier Awards. Golding has also appeared in the West End productions of the musicals Only the Lonely and Elvis the Musical.   Damian Williams takes on the role of Tommy Cooper, having previously played the legendary comic in the tour of Being Tommy Cooper. His theatre credits include the musicals Hairspray, Ladykillers and Educating Rita. He was also named Best Pantomime Dame at The Great British Pantomime Awards fo...
New Cast Announced for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
NEWS

New Cast Announced for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

The producers of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Sonia Friedman Productions, Colin Callender and Harry Potter Theatrical Productions - are delighted to introduce the new cast who will join the Company from 15th October 2025, as booking for the original two-part multi award-winning London production extends to 26th July 2026 at the Palace Theatre. A combined total of 130,000 tickets have been released for Part 1 and Part 2 in the new booking period including 26,000 tickets priced at £15 per part. The West End production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the only version worldwide shown in two parts. Joining the cast are Joshua Sullivan as Albus Potter, Kai Spackman as Scorpius Malfoy, Oliver Boot as Draco Malfoy and Tamia-Renée Alexandra as Rose Granger-Weasley. David Ricard...
Electric Dreams – Shakespeare North Playhouse 
North West

Electric Dreams – Shakespeare North Playhouse 

Welcome to the 1980s; to Athens, where four young lovers and a group of oddball actors come together in a fairy forest and find themselves at the mercy of mischievous spirits. Sound familiar? Well maybe not the 1980’s part, but the rest, of course, is that much loved comedy of Mr William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream presented to us at the beautiful Shakespeare North Playhouse. What unfolded over the next two hours I can only describe as a joy. As an 80’s child myself, and a massive Human League fan, I actually found myself quite giddy at the thought of the night ahead, and a little nervous that I could be very disappointed if my favourite Shakespeare play, studied and loved at O Level, and the music of my teenage years did not merge well. I was not disappointed. Not for one mo...
Chameleon – Greenside @ George Street
Scotland

Chameleon – Greenside @ George Street

This minimalist one-man drama traps the audience within the four walls of a psychiatric hospital room and forces you to confront the inner workings of Delaney’s mind. First of all, I want to give Ruben Sparks all the praise for diving headfirst into such an emotionally demanding role. The character of Delaney, who we follow throughout, opens up about his past while switching between a multitude of personalities, all demanding a high quality of physical vitality from Ruben. The switching between characters definitely pays off, as it not only provides great context for his life throughout the show, but you also just can’t help but fall into a trance-like state when watching. Ruben takes advantage of the small space in relation to his physical movements to create an almost animalistic ...
Guys & Dolls – Frinton Summer Theatre
South East

Guys & Dolls – Frinton Summer Theatre

The arrival of the big blue tent on Frinton Greensward can only mean one thing: it’s the finale of the Frinton Summer Theatre season! No big top by the beach would be complete without a West End musical and this year it’s ‘Guys & Dolls’. Set within the colourful and gritty New York gambling scene of the 1940s, this show is about the hustlers, the showgirls, the bid for salvation and love – in all its incarnations and complications. Nathan Detroit (Fabian Soto Pacheco) is a gambling man. He’s broke and in need of a place to host his craps game (a dice game where players bet on the outcomes of the roll of a pair of dice), but Lieutenant Brannigan (Barry O’Reilly) is hot on his tail. Also, his doll Miss Adelaide (Josephina Ortiz Lewis) is getting angsty after a 14-year engagement...
The Addams Family – Blackpool Winter Gardens
North West

The Addams Family – Blackpool Winter Gardens

The infamous family are back with a spooky spectacular show to delight audiences all over the UK. This musical comedy from Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice is guaranteed to have you howling with laughter, as the beloved kooky clan come to life on stage. Princess of doom and gloom, Wednesday Addams, is all grown up, and much to her own despair, is in love. With a plan to introduce the families and announce their engagement, Wednesday and her sweet-natured betrothed, Lucas, are asking for just “one normal night”. But an Addams Family dinner can’t go by without mischief, betrayal, and more twists and turns than Gomez and Morticia on the dancefloor. Join Pugsley, Lurch, Fester, Grandma and their ancestors, for an evening of freaky family fun.  With a score from Tony award winning co...
Reception: The Wedding Present Musical – Slung Low Warehouse, Leeds
Yorkshire & Humber

Reception: The Wedding Present Musical – Slung Low Warehouse, Leeds

If we could travel back to 1985 and tell David Gedge -the inspirational lead singer and songwriter of indie musical darlings The Wedding Present - that forty years later his songs would be used in a musical theatre production, he would have laughed in your face and maybe kicked you in the balls for good measure. Back then the worlds of musical theatre and guitar-based indie rock were so far apart musically as to be on different planets. Gedge freely admits to not even knowing whether he even liked the format when initially approached by Writer/Director Matt Aston. Thankfully his trademark curiosity won out and he engaged with the project, resulting in the World Premiere of ‘Reception - The Wedding Present musical’ at Slung Low Warehouse in the suitably gritty streets of Holbeck, Leeds, the...