Central Reviews

Book: Marsha Norman, based on the novel by Alice Walker Music and Lyrics: Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray Director: Tinuke Craig Reviewer: Tim Harding Based on Alice Walker’s 1982 novel, The Color Purple tells a story with an epic sweep spanning over forty years in the life of Celie and the community in Georgia where she lives. It may be ...

Book: Jeff Whitty Music and Lyrics: Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx Director: Cressida Carré Reviewer: Dave Smith Avenue Q, which first saw the light of day in 2003, has became notorious as the show with Sesame Street style puppets who swear a lot, have sex and sing songs like Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist and The Internet Is for Porn. Like Sesame ...

Book and Lyrics: Gerome Ragni and James Rado Music: Galt McDermot Director: Jonathan O’Boyle Reviewer: Maggie Constable Some 52 years after Hair the Musical first shocked and delighted audiences in equal measure, the 50th-anniversary tour arrives in Milton Keynes. Time to let your hair down, relive those halcyon days and sing/dance along to anthemic numbers such as Aquarius and Good ...

Writer: William Shakespeare Director: Gregory Doran Reviewer: James Garrington A powerful man offers help to a young woman in return for sexual favours. These days reading a headline like this may leave you feeling shocked, or maybe no longer surprised – for stories like this have been quite prominent in the news over the past several months as more and ...

Reviewer: Gemma Fincher Theatrical powerhouse and Broadway icon Lea Salonga is currently headlining her first set of UK concerts, bringing her one-woman show to the beautiful Birmingham Symphony Hall as part of her tour. The concert was rescheduled from February due to Salonga breaking her leg on a family skiing holiday; however, the postponement scarcely matters as she delivers a ...

For those of you already mourning the fact that Godiva Festival is over and done with for another year, fear not, for Coombe Weekender is just around the corner. Being housed in the backdrop of Coventry's historic Coombe Abbey, Coombe Weekender promises to "provide the musical build up to Coventry winning City of Culture for 2021"; and we think the ...

Writer: Willy Russell Director: Max Roberts Reviewer: Selwyn Knight Frank is a bitter failed poet and university lecturer. His life is spiralling downwards as his drinking threatens to get out of control. Indeed, in order to finance his drinking, he says, he signs up as a tutor with the Open University and is allocated Susan – or Rita as she ...

Writer: Laurence Peacock Director: Kyle Williams Reviewer: James Garrington The Blowfish Theatre production of Boris the Musical came about as a result of that now infamous referendum in 2016 – a satirical musical about Boris Johnson and Brexit. Three years on, and we’re still arguing about whether or not we should leave the EU – so out comes the sequel, Boris ...