Tag Archives: Colchester

Writer: Torben Betts Director: Alastair Whately Reviewer: Michael Gray Caroline Mortimer has it all. A lovely house in North London, a clever son at Cambridge, a successful, prosperous spouse. And her career: she’s the darling of Middle England, her books sell like hot cakes, and her cooking is the envy of the millions who tune in each week to Caroline’s ...

Writers: Murray Horwitz and Richard Maltby, Jr. Director: Tyrone Huntley Reviewer: Michael Gray “The Fats Waller Musical” trumpet the strapline and the lapel badge. And the spirit of Fats is certainly very much in evidence, his genius and his unique style infusing every number. But is it a musical? Not even a juke-box show, really, since it is just a ...

Writer: Malorie Blackman Adaptor: Sabrina Mahfouz Director: Esther Richardson Reviewer: Michael Gray This ambitious new adaptation by Sabrina Mahfouz of Malorie Blackman’s seminal Young Adult dystopian masterpiece has a tough job on its hands; It has to make the story accessible and immediate to those who’ve read the books and those who haven’t. A whole alternative society, divided, we quickly ...

Writer: Conor McPherson Director: Adele Thomas Reviewer: Michael Gray “It’s just people talking,” is how the playwright modestly sums up The Weir. And so it is. But Conor McPherson’s compelling chamber piece has proved popular at home and abroad over its 20-year life, picking up an Olivier for best new play along the way. The Weir is the name of ...

Writer: J M Barrie Directors: Daniel Buckroyd, Matthew Cullum Reviewer: Michael Gray A magical, enchanting Peter Pan to follow James and the Giant Peach and The Wind in the Willows onto the Mercury stage in the long vacation slot. Not just another attempt at the increasingly popular summertime panto, but an adaptation, by Daniel Buckroyd and Matthew Cullum (who also ...

Author: Michael Morpurgo Adaptor: Daniel Buckroyd Director: C P Hallam Composer: Ru Hamilton Reviewer: Michael Gray Farm Boy is the sequel to Michael Morpurgo’s phenomenal War Horse. It’s a very different animal – a couple of actors, a costumed musician, and, centre stage “an old green Fordson”, the tractor which turns out to be at the heart of this story. ...

Artistic Director: Christopher Marney Choreographers: Christopher Marney, Marius Petipa, Matthew Bourne, Liam Scarlett, Jenna Lee, Malgorzata Dzierzon, Christopher Bruce, Michael Pink, Christopher GableReviewer: Michael Gray Ballet Central’s annual tours offer lovers of dance a unique opportunity to see the performers of the future, their training ended, ready to enter the world of professional work. The touring schedule, constantly expanding, brings ...

Writer: David Greig Director: Dan Sherer Reviewer: Michael Gray First seen in 2013, and inspired at least in part by the Anders Breivik massacre of the year before, David Greig’s powerful piece has been revived many times since. Dan Sherer’s production in the Mercury Studio is intensely visceral, its impact enhanced by the intimacy of the staging. James Cotterill’s set ...