Book: Poppy Burton-Morgan Music: Pippa Cleary and Keiran Merrick Lyrics: Keiran Merrick and Poppy Burton-Morgan Director: Poppy Burton-Morgan Reviewer: Nicole Craft Kenneth Grahame’s Wind in the Willows, like it or loathe it, certainly fits the bill of ‘Classic Children’s Novel’. First published well over a hundred years ago yet still many-a-child’s bedtime story memory, a reimagining of any nature is ...

Writer: Alexis Michalik, translated by Jeremy Sams Director: Roxana Silbert Reviewer: Dave Smith Most people know the story of Cyrano de Bergerac, probably the most celebrated play in the French language. Written in rhyming couplets, it’s about how the physically unappealing Cyrano (he has a very big nose) helps a friend’s love life by writing his romantic letters for him, ...

Writer: William Shakespeare Director: Justin Audibert Reviewer: Katy Roberts William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew is a notoriously tricky play, and a bold choice for the second production in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s 2019 season, directed by Justin Audibert. Not least because of the decision to turn the play’s central conflict - between a fiery, headstrong woman, Katherine, and ...

Writers: Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel, based on the book by Paula Hawkins Director: Anthony Banks Reviewer: Selwyn Knight Rachel’s life is in ruins. Her once perfect marriage to Tom is over thanks to her alcoholism and her behaviour when drunk; indeed, she gets so drunk, she has blackouts and often can’t remember exactly what she has done. To add ...

Writer: Mike Leigh Director: Sarah Esdaile Reviewer: Pete Benson At the opening of Abigail's Party, we are outside a 1970s suburban house looking in through the window creating the feeling that we are voyeurs. The window flies out, the house opens up, revealing a sitting room with a blond wood and faux leather furniture décor. The larger than life Beverly is ...

Book: Harvey Fierstein Music & Lyrics: Cyndi Lauper Director & Choreographer: Jerry Mitchell Reviewer: Selwyn Knight Kinky Boots is bright, brash and brilliantly enjoyable. Based on the 2005 film of the same name, which was itself inspired by a 1999 BBC documentary, Trouble at the Top, Kinky Boots tells the story of how a traditional Northampton shoe factory reinvents itself ...

Writers: Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields Director: Kirsty Patrick Ward Reviewer: Pete Benson It seems like Mischief Theatre can do no wrong and with this current tour of The Comedy About A Bank Robbery that is not going to change anytime soon. If you saw The Play That Goes Wrong and were wondering if the latest show will just be more of ...

Writer: James Kettle Directors: Didi Hopkins and Selina Cadell Reviewer: Selwyn Knight When one thinks of David Tomlinson, one probably thinks of Mr Banks in Mary Poppins, for Tomlinson by then had already carved his niche playing, as he described them, ‘my dim-witted upper-class twit performances’. And when one hears that there’s to be a play celebrating the life of ...