Writer: Jon Bradfield and Martin Hooper Composer: Jon Bradfield Director: Andrew Beckett Reviewer: Richard Maguire Despite the fun and jokes, pantomime is a serious business now. With so many pantos at this time of year, the market is competitive, and so to be successful the production must stand out from the others. This year’s offering from the Above the Stag ...
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Book, music and lyrics: Kevin Murphy and Laurence O’Keefe Director: Andy Fickman Reviewer: Stephen Bates When Veronica, the 17-year-old heroine of Heathers The Musical, gets trapped in a cow field, confronted by two threatening thugs, we feel inclined to ask why she does not pick up her mobile ‘phone. But this is 1989 and we quickly realise that curses can ...
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Music & Lyrics: Laurence O’Keefe & Nell Benjamin Book: Heather Hach Director: Anthony Williams Reviewer: John Roberts Legally Blonde is currently on week 40 of its current UK tour being produced by UK Productions. Overall this is a highly enjoyable and energetic version under the direction of Anthony Williams, which has plenty of original touches that separate it from past versions. It does, however, ...
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Book: Heather Hach Music and Lyrics: Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin Director: Anthony Williams Reviewer: Matthew Jackson Legally Blonde the Musical started its latest tour of the UK last year. Since the tour started, there has been a lot of negative attention in the press regarding the abuse of power by men, which adds an extra punch to this already ...
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Book: Tim Firth Music & Lyrics: Madness Director: James Tobias Reviewer: David Robinson The welcome at the house of fun is a warm and an extremely enthusiastic one, with the toe-tapping sounds of Madness favourites ringing loudly around the auditorium and no doubt being whistled long after the show. The melodious joy is infectious and the predominantly young cast throw themselves ...
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Writers: Daniel Buckroyd, Fine Time Fontayne Director: Daniel Buckroyd Musical Director: Richard Reeday Choreographer: Charlie Morgan Reviewer: Michael Gray Beneath the impressive 21st Century gloss, and despite the Trump gags, this is a warmly traditional panto, its appeal effortlessly spanning the generations. Director and co-writer Daniel Buckroyd has wisely re-hired many of last year's Aladdin company; they seem very much ...
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Writer: Peter Quilter Director: Daniel Buckroyd Reviewer: Selwyn Knight It’s December 1968 and Judy Garland has been booked to perform at London’s Talk of the Town for a five-week run. There can be little doubt that she needs this engagement – previous concerts in Australia have been a shambles thanks to her chaotic personal life and her finances have ...
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Writer: David Stevens Director: Gene David Kirk Reviewer: Stephen Bates Warm, cosy and old-fashioned, David Stevens’ 1990 comedy plays like a cross between an early episode of Neighbours and an American family sitcom from the same era. The great surprise is that it is only now getting its UK premiere. After a long run off-Broadway, the play was turned ...
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