Central Reviews

Reviewer:  George Attwell Gerhards Nobody likes the last episode in the series of Mock the Week. It is almost always a tawdry mix of highlights from previous episodes, best-of segments and ‘previously unseen’ (normally for a reason) material. Richard Herring’s current stand-up tour, The Best, is a long-form live version of this formula. Over the past fifteen years Herring has ...

Writer: Dougal Irvine from the book by Eric Idle Director: Hamish Glen Reviewer: Nicole Evans There is not many a child who won't be familiar with Edward Lear's charmingly nonsensical poem The Owl and The Pussycat and the echoes of those reciting it in the foyer of The Belgrade Theatre this evening is testament to that. Those familiar with Eric ...

Writer: Stephen Lowe Director: Matt Aston Reviewer: Dave Smith Forty years after its premiere at the same venue, Stephen Lowe’s Touched gets a welcome revival, with the added attraction of one of TV’s hottest properties, Vicky McClure (Line of Duty, This Is England, Broadchurch), taking on her first professional stage rôle in her home city. The play is set in ...

Music: Prokofiev Choreographers: Rachel Hester and Jenny Murphy Reviewer: John Kennedy In this enticing and judiciously nipped ‘n’ tucked adaptation of David Bintley’s acclaimed Cinderella, Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB) promises that ‘Everyone goes to the Ball’. That includes the swan-svelte, seventy-six years young Ilona Johnson-Gibbs featuring as The Fairy Godmother fulfilling a lifetime ambition. After exhaustive auditions, sixty-six students were cast ...

Director: Mick Barnfather Reviewer:  Selwyn Knight Ever wondered what Eastenders on crack might look like? Wolf Meat from Wildheart and Lyric answers that perennial question. Grandma lives with geeky grandson Wolfie and the unsettling Luna who seems to exist to serve. Together they are unlikely drug barons, running everything south of the river. But on their track is crack investigator, ...

Writer: William Shakespeare Director: Aileen Gonsalves Reviewer:  John Kennedy The Royal Shakespeare Company’s (RSC) First Encounters With Shakespeare series of productions for 8-13 year olds across the UK invites The Review Hub (TRH) to Springhead Primary School, Stoke-On-Trent, for an invigorating and youthfully dynamic afternoon’s thespian fun. Introducing the tour, Director, Aileen Gonsalves spoke of the RSC’s First Encounters project. ...

Book: Richard Morris &Dick Scanlan New Music: Jeanine Tesori New Lyrics: Dick Scanlan Director: Racky Plews Reviewer:  Selwyn Knight Originally conceived as a star vehicle for Julie Andrews, the film Thoroughly Modern Millie was released in 1967 to a generally positive reception, nominated for seven Academy Awards (winning one) and for five Golden Globes (winning one). So it was a ...

Music: Sergei Prokofiev Choreographer: David Bintley Reviewer:  Laura Jayne Bateman Premiering in 2010, and featuring recently retired star principal Elisha Willis in the title role, Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Cinderella takes inspiration from Charles Perrault’s 1697 fairy tale. Choreographed by company director David Bintley to Sergei Prokofiev’s score, the production enchantingly combines the grit of Cinderella’s abusive home life with the magic ...