Author: The Reviews Hub - East Anglia & South East

Writer : Peter James Director : Jonathan O’Boyle Stage adapter :  Shaun McKenna Reviewer : Steve Turner Transferring successful novels and TV series to the stage is not an easy task, especially when the author is as popular as Peter James the writer of tonight’s work, as this brings expectations of how things should be. A packed house is clear evidence of the interest in his work and this production will not disappoint the assembled fans of his character Roy Grace. The action is set in James’ home territory of Sussex, in the somewhat murky world of high art collectors,…

Director and Choreographer: Rhiannon Faith Lay Down Your Burdens promises an evening of dance theatre like no other, and from the outset, it’s clear that this is not going to be an ordinary  experience. Using a performance space designed as a local pub the cast welcome the audience to their seats, chatting as they arrive. Some of us are seated on stools at round tables, of the type peculiar to a proper boozer, no gastro pub this, immediately drawing the audience in. Audience participation is part of the key to appreciating the sentiment behind the work, but is not compulsory,…

Composer: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Director and Choreographer: Matthew Bourne Principal Conductor: Benjamin Pope Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake, now marking its 30th anniversary, remains a defiant celebration of reinvention. It is a production where classical ballet is unshackled and reborn with unabashed intensity. Bourne’s all-male swan ensemble continues to disrupt expectations, melding the mythic with the visceral in a way that is both timeless and contemporary. From the opening moments, the stage transforms under Lez Brotherston’s stark, minimalist designs. The set’s transitions from the oppressive confines of a royal court to the wild, moonlit expanse of the lake mirror Prince’s (Stephen…

Writer: Robert Bolt  Director: Jonathan Church The Tudors provide fascinating material for screen and stage, from the eye-popping The Tudors to the recent politically charged adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall. A Man For All Seasons is another Tudor tale, with this revival of acclaimed writer Robert Bolt’s work bringing to the fore besieged Sir Thomas More and his clash with divorce-seeking Henry VIII. Martin Shaw stars at the morally stubborn More, caught in the crossfire between the Papacy and the Crown in his role as Lord Chancellor. The production, full of lengthy conversations questioning morality, loyalty and deception, maintains…

Book and Lyrics: Bruce Joel Rubin Music and Lyrics: Dave Stewart and Glen Ballard Director: Bob Tomson Adding another name to the growing list of cult 90s movies turned musicals, Ghost The Musical brings its supernatural love story to the stage, pottery wheel and all, in this glitzy production. The musical largely follows its 1990 film predecessor, with Sam gunned down and left in a purgatorial state desperate to warn mourning girlfriend Molly about the mortal peril she finds herself in, in his absence. As Molly, Rebekah Lowings’ love struck portrayal, devastated by Sam’s murder, is well-pitched. Lowings’ delivery is…

Writer: Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel (based on the novel by Paula Hawkins) Director: Loveday Ingram Few psychological thrillers of the last decade have enjoyed the success of The Girl on the Train. Paula Hawkins’ novel raced to the top of bestseller lists, the Hollywood adaptation quickly followed, and now, Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel’s stage version continues its journey across the UK. Yet, for a story built on tension and fractured memory, this production struggles at times to maintain its grip. As the troubled Rachel Watson (Giovanna Fletcher), our unreliable narrator, drifts between obsession and blackout the audience is…

Writer: Charles Dickens Adaptor : Jake Smith Director : Callum Berridge Dickens’ “Ghost Story of Christmas” is a firm favourite on stage and screen at this season of the year. If you are inclined to suspect a surfeit of Scrooges, remember that in the months following the novella’s publication, you would have had a choice of no fewer than eight rival shows playing in London. Eastern Angles’ new production has original music and a party vibe (Fezziwig your genial host) .But the original author’s social message is not forgotten, and is every bit as relevant today as it was in…

Writer: Richard Gauntlett Director: Chris Cuming Flying into Norwich on its magic carpet, this year it’s the turn of Aladdin to bring a splash of colour and sparkle to the festive season. As usual, the theatre is overflowing with big costumes, cartoon sets, and plenty of laughs as Aladdin quests for fortune and love. Despite the glitz though this years show struggles to take flight, weighed down by some odd narrative choices and lacking a little in its signature chaotic charm. In true panto fashion the plot veers wildly away from the source material, but some of the deviations here…