Book, Music and Lyrics: Piers Chater Robinson, from the novel by J M Barrie Director: Alec Fellows-Bennett Do you believe in fairies? And pirates? And mermaids? And giant, man-eating crocodiles? What about children who never want to grow up? Peter Pan is flying into The Old Rep this month, bringing all these characters to life in a cheerful, upbeat musical all about the boy who won’t grow up and his adventures. With catchy songs, fun dances, and a little bit of fairy dust, this show is a great holiday season treat. If you’re not already familiar, Peter Pan is the…
Author: The Reviews Hub - Central
The Reviews Hub - Central
The Central team is under the editorship of Selwyn Knight. The Reviews Hub was set up in 2007. Our mission is to provide the most in-depth, nationwide arts coverage online.
Writer: James Shone Director: Ian Smith Ahoy there! This year’s festival family offering from Telford Theatre is a swashbuckling spectacle, loosely based on the 1882 novel by Robert Louis Stevenson. This adaptation of Treasure Island shares the same spirit of action and adventure but with an added panto injection of glitter, slapstick and silliness. X-Factor/Same Difference alumnus Sean Smith stars as Jim Hawkins, our strong lead and finder of his father’s long-lost treasure map. In search of hidden riches, Jim sets sail with his friends Captain Smollett and Silly Billy Bones, played by the inimitable comedy pair Ian Smith and…
Book: David Abbinanti Music and Lyrics: Patrick Greene Director: Roisin McCay-Hines It seems that every way one turns at Christmas, there’s someone exhorting you to see their take on the Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol, each promising its own USP – maybe the cast is made up of puppets or perhaps everything ‘goes wrong’. In The Old Joint Stock’s offering, we meet Harold and his daughter, Sylvie. Christmas this year is a struggle for Harold. He’s still coming to terms with being widowed and Christmas was a special time for Harold and his wife: enthusiastic actors, they performed in A…
Writer: Alison Spittle Director: Madelaine Moore In a season where theatres all too often fall back on reviving well-known stories and plays, it is wonderful that Oxford audiences continue to be treated to something new by the enterprising team at the Old Fire Station. This year, comedian and writer Alison Spittle is debuting Glacier – her new comedy about three women who meet up each Christmas Day for a spot of wild swimming in a local lake. Over fifteen years, we trace the development of their friendships, their relationships and their reasons for needing this escape on what is often…
Writers: Ian Adams and Tam Ryan Director: David Janson The Grand has certainly pulled out all the stops for this year’s panto. It’s been entirely produced in-house and it benefits from the single-minded vision of Grand Artistic Director Adrian Jackson – who also does a turn as musical director on the show. Designer David Shields has produced sumptuous sets and costumes and the whole is a feast for the eyes. And ears, as the entire cast has strong singing voices. We even have an ‘ice rink’ and skating routines directed by Olympian Robin Cousins. Before the show, producer Karl Steele…
Writer and director: Adam Penford It may be cold and wet outside but there’s a warm welcome and a lot of fun to be had inside Nottingham Playhouse and their production of Cinderella. This is a traditional family panto with everything you’d expect to find, based around a very funny script from Playhouse Artistic Director Adam Penford. It proves once again, if proof were needed, that you don’t need large casts, superstar names or expensive special effects to create a panto that all the family will enjoy and appreciate. There’s no adult dance ensemble here, just a principal cast of…
Book: Garry Marshall and J.F. Lawton Music and Lyrics: Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance Director: Jerry Mitchell There is nothing wrong, in principle with adapting films into stage musicals. In order to succeed they should seek to preserve the essence of the original whilst adding a memorable set of songs that will stay with audience members long after they leave the theatre. Pretty Woman, judging by the positive audience reaction, satisfies the first of these conditions but it fails as a piece of musical theatre due to the bland and instantly forgettable songs that make up the score. Bryan Adams…
Book: Alexander Dinelaris Director: Thea Sharrock Rachel Marron is an international multi-award-winning pop superstar, on the verge of winning an Oscar for a song she wrote with her sister and general factotum, Nicki. But her management has been keeping something from her – she has an obsessive stalker who has been sending threatening notes. And he’s obviously not just any crank as he seems able to slip past what passes for security around her. So her management hires Frank Farmer, a former Secret Service agent, to protect her and navigate the conflict between the artist being public property and her…