Book: Douglas Day Stewart and Sharleen Cooper Cohen Director: Nikolai Foster Reviewer: Victoria Bawtree This could be a show that splits its audience: those that know and love the film will likely be won over, but for those who don’t, the near-constant stream of 80s hits may or may not be enough to keep all onside. Douglas Day Stewart’s original ...

Writer: Peter Yates Adaptor: Michael Gyngell and Mark Haddigan Director: Racky Plews Reviewer: Cathy Swaby What better way to celebrate this belting hot summer in Brighton than to pop along to see the “feel good” 1963 musical Summer Holiday, which is playing to overheated audiences at the Theatre Royal this week. Performing to standing ovations and sing along crowds, this ...

Writer: William Shakespeare Director: Tom Littler Reviewer: Steve Turner Written towards the end of the sixteenth century Shakespeare’s comedy Love’s Labour’s Lost features the longest scene and the longest word in any of his works. There is also more than the usual helping of sophisticated wordplay and convoluted literary references, such that it might seem a little impenetrable. Thankfully the Guildford ...

Reviewer: Simon Topping  For the first time ever the mainstay and great love of British television, QI, comes to the stage. A rough and ready mix of Latitude festival guests, including Rachel Parris, Lou Sanders and Marcus Brigstocke join the panel, alongside stalwart Alan Davies and fabulous chairperson, Sandy Toksvig.  Highly anticipated by a bulging comedy tent and bounding onto ...

Reviewer: Robin Winters Arriving on stage and beginning to dance unannounced, Humanhood immediately both throw us completely and draw us straight into their mesmerising 15-minutes of contemporary infusions. The first of a dance double bill and part of Sadler’s Wells’ weekend offerings, Humanhood sees a pair of dancers intertwine in a short yet faced paced, perfectly controlled display of utter brilliance; seeming to never take their ...

Reviewer: Kris Hallett We’re in a room where it happens but it’s not THE room. In the years after a game-changing musical there are guaranteed years of imitators coming along to try to bask in some of the glory, and more importantly, box office bonanza’s of these works. It hasn’t taken long for Hamilton’s influence to take hold, SUFFRAGEDDONis so in thrall ...

Music: Noel Gay Revised Book: Stephen Fry and Mike Ockrent Director Daniel Evans Reviewer: Steve Turner Tension is running high at Hareford Hall, the Earl has died and the long search for an heir has finally borne fruit.  Imagine their horror then, when they find out that the heir is cockney costermonger Bill Snibson. The indignation of some of the ...

Book and Lyrics: David Lindsay-Abaire Music: Jeanine Tesori Director:  Nigel Harman Reviewer: Lu Greer Shrek the Musical, currently embarking on its second UK tour, brings to the stage the hugely successful 2001 Dreamworks animation.  The original film reinvented the fairytale, following the gruff ogre Shrek from his beloved swamp on an adventure that teaches us lessons about perceptions of beauty ...