Tag Archives: Jason Durr

  Writer: Alan Ayckbourne Director: Nadia Fall Reviewer: Bill Avenell If Chichester wanted to show off the much vaunted upgrade to The Festival Theatre then it is hard to find a better vehicle than this classic Ayckbourne black comedy based round that most English of institutions, ‘the boating holiday’. And indeed it is worth the trip if only to see ...

Writer: Agatha Christie Director: Joe Harmston Reviewer: Paul Downham   Now in ninthyear, the Agatha Christie Theatre Company are touring the UK with Black Coffee, Christie’s first stage play, and the only one to feature the revered detective Hercule Poirot. Written in 1929 the plot is possibly more relevant today than it was when first written and subsequently performed in ...

Writer: Jack Milner Director: Joe Harmston Reviewer: Nicole Evans What do you get if you cross Bram Stoker, A Carry On film and a stage show? Something close to Joe Harmston’s new production The Mummy which showcases itself at The Belgrade Theatre this evening. Billed as “The mother of all comedy horrors” and promising an “evening of insane adventure and ...

Writer: Mark Catley Director: Nikolai Foster Reviewer: Tracey Lowe [Rating:3.5] Interest in Arthur Conan Doyle’s world-famous detective Sherlock Holmes has soared in the past few years, thanks to Steven Moffat’s BBC drama starring Benedict Cumberbatch. So it makes sense that theatre companies are eager to resurrect such a complex and interesting character. ‘The Best Kept Secret’ is an original story ...

Writer: Mark Catley Director: Nikolai Foster Reviewer: Barbara Michaels [Rating:3] Once again, the exploits of the legendary occupant of 221b Baker Street are the basis of a stage production. This time it is BAFTA-nominated Mark Catley who presents his take on the character created by Sir Conan Doyle. It takes a brave author to bring back Sherlock Holmes in yet ...

Writer: Mark Catley Director: Nikolai Foster Designer: Michael Taylor Magic Consultant: Scott Penrose Music: Grant Olding Reviewer: S. E. Webster [rating:3] World-premiering at West Yorkshire Playhouse this summer is the latest wave of Sherlock Holmes revival, taking the form of a new and exciting production written by Mark Catley. The script and style of production has a highly authentic Conan ...

Writer: Noel Coward Director: Roy Marsden Reviewer: Jenni Dixon [Rating: 3]   Despite being written back in 1956, Volcano was never performed in Coward’s lifetime, until now. Adela Shelly (Jenny Seagrove) runs a banana plantation on the side of a volcano mountain on a Caribbean island. Her husband died some years ago and she is left to quietly tend her ...

Writer: Noel Coward Director: Roy Marsden Reviewer: Mary Tapper [Rating:3] Noel Coward wrote Volcano in 1956 but it has never been performed before this touring production. So, is Volcano a fiery play, full of passion and wit, worthy of its name or a rather damp squib of a play that disappoints? The play tells a tale of adultery and betrayal, ...