Tag Archives: Waterside Theatre

Writers: Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, Henry Shields Director: Mark Bell Reviewer: Scott Matthewman It is unusual enough for a fringe hit to transfer from an above-the-pub theatre to the West End. Far more exceptional for that production to go on to win an Olivier award, transfer to Broadway, inspire two stage spin-offs, two BBC specials and show no signs of ...

Book: Carol Harrison Music and Lyrics: The Small Faces Director: Carol Harrison Reviewer: Scott Matthewman Another month, another tour of a jukebox musical that explores the back catalogue of a famous artist or band. In the case of All or Nothing, it is the turn of the Small Faces, following in the footsteps of the Kinks (Sunday Afternoon), the Four Seasons ...

Writer: Simon Stephens from the book by Mark Haddon Director: Marianne Elliott Reviewer: Scott Matthewman The National Theatre’s adaptation of Mark Haddon’s novel may be out to bow out of the West End shortly, but the touring production – returning to Aylesbury after its first visit in 2015 – is still going strong, and continues to shine a light on ...

Writer: Patrick Hamilton Director: Anthony Banks Reviewer:  Scott Matthewman There aren't many plays whose names have become part of the dictionary. Patrick Hamilton's psychological melodrama is one of the few, with 'gaslighting' coming to mean the mental abuse that causes someone to doubt their own sanity in the manner that Gaslight's Jack Manningham inflicts on his wife Bella. Indeed, the ...

Book: Joe Penhall Music and Lyrics: Ray Davies Director: Edward Hall Reviewer: Pete Benson Ray Davies certainly wears his heart on his sleeve in this musical that tells the early history of his band, The Kinks. As well as being an icon of early Brit-Pop, Davies has some previous form as a writer of theatre musicals too and it shows. ...

Writer: Eleanor Bergstein Director: Federico Bellone Reviewer:Scott Matthewman It is a safe bet that the vast majority of the audience for Dirty Dancing, as hinted at by its subtitle of The Classic Story on Stage, is familiar with the original 1987 film. This is probably the reason for the stage version’s attempt to adhere so rigidly to the script and ...

Writer: Simon Beaufoy Director: Jack Ryder Reviewer: Pete Benson   The phrase the full Monty means “everything, the whole lot” and, in the context of this show, it teases the audience with the idea that six ordinary men will remove all of their clothes, everything, live on stage both in the fictional world of the play but also in the ...

Writer: Simon Stephens, based on the novel by Mark Haddon Director: Marianne Elliott Reviewer: Scott Matthewman There is a concern at times that when a West End show embarks on a national tour, that corners will be cut, budgets will be slashed, that audiences outside London will be expected to accept a cut price deal. Thankfully, the National Theatre’s tour ...