North East & Yorkshire

Writers:  Gary Barlow and Tim Firth Design: Robert Jones Musical Staging: Lucy Hind Director: Matt Ryan Orchestrations: Steve Parry Reviewer: Rob Atkinson To judge a musical theatre rendition of a story against its original movie production, or even against the in-between incarnation of a stage play, is to risk comparing chalk with cheese; they’re simply different animals with different types ...

Writer: Frances Hodgson Burnett Adapter: Jessica Swale Director: Liz Stevenson Designer: Lily Arnold Reviewer: Ron Simpson The Theatre by the Lake production of The Secret Garden, now settled into York Theatre Royal for a four-week run, does everything possible to make Frances Hodgson Burnett’s 1911 novel come vividly to life for a modern audience. Especially striking is the staging, Lily ...

Stage adaptation: Michael Gyngell and Mark Haddigan (based on the film Summer Holiday) Music: Bob Wicks Director and Choreographer: Racky Plews Assistant Director and Choreographer: Blair Anderson Reviewer: Janet Jepson It's summer 1963 and everyone is keen to get away from it all, escape the daily grind and the dreary weather, and go on a Summer Holiday “where the sun ...

Writer & Director: Alan Ayckbourn Designer: Michael Holt Reviewer: Ron Simpson As so often in recent years, the Summer season at Scarborough means two Ayckbourn plays: one new (Better Off Dead opens in September) and one revival. Joking Apart, initially performed 40 years ago, is variously described in the programme as one of Ayckbourn’s favourite plays and one of the ...

Writers: Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, Henry Shields Director: Mark Bell Reviewer: Jim Gillespie Since winning the Olivier Award for Best New Comedy in 2015, The Play That Goes Wrong has become an international juggernaut, overwhelming audiences on a global scale. Sheffield’s beautiful Lyceum Theatre hosts the latest outing of this phenomenon, affording a fitting traditional space for this venture. Even ...

Book: Peter Stone Music and Lyrics: Maury Yeston Director: Thom Southerland Reviewer: Richard Miller A bare-bones set, an eerie sea-mist and the clever use of chilly moon-blue lighting, conveys a sense of true horror in Titanic The Musical. That the audience already knows the outcome, adds to the feeling of gloomy, but gripping, foreboding. Despite the ominous undertone of tragic ...

Writer: John Hollingworth Music: Scott Gilmour and Claire Mckenzie Director: Emily Hutchinson Choreographer: Darragh O’ Leary Reviewer: Sophie Dodworth Songs from the Seven Hills is a Sheffield Peoples production, made by the people of Sheffield, about the people of Sheffield. This new musical takes you on a journey through some real-life, Sheffield experiences; told by 60 actors. Written by John ...

Writer: Jonathan Harvey Director: Maria Friedman Musical Supervisor: Tim Sutton Choreographer: Tim Jackson Set & Costume Designer: Tom Pye Reviewer: Sheila Stratford The world premiere of the new musical charting Dusty Springfield’s life and singing career, is at the Lyceum in Sheffield. Through 19 songs it follows her turbulent life and contains many of her pop hits including I Only ...