Month: February 2019

Fantasies do come true – Avenue Q is back!
Alhambra Theatre, Bradford
Tuesday 26 – Saturday 30 March 2019
Signed performance: Thu 28 Mar, 7.30pm, Captioned performance: Fri 29 Mar, 5.30pm
Audio Described performance: Sat 30 Mar, 2.30pm
*Tickets: £36.50 – £15.50
Call the Box Office on 01274 432000 or visit bradford-theatres.co.uk
*All prices shown include booking fees but are subject to postage charge if applicable.
Bradford Theatres usual terms and conditions apply

Guess Q’s back! The naughtiest puppets in town are coming to the Alhambra Theatre, Bradford when comedy musical Avenue Q makes a welcome return with all of your favourite fuzzy friends

Following five years in the West End, sell-out runs worldwide and smash hit tours in 2014, 2015 and 2016 (packed with mischief, bad behaviour and political incorrectness!) Tony Award-winning Musical, created by Jeff Marx and Robert Lopez ,Co-creator of Book of Mormon and writer of the songs for Disney’s Frozen, is an irresistibly charming tale of the loveable characters on a downtown New York street trying to make sense of life’s burning issues.

Cast includes Megan Armstrong, Jasmine Beel, Ellis Dackombe, Chloe Gentles, Nicholas Mclean, Robbie Noonan, Saori Oda, Cecily Redman, Lawrence Smith, Oliver Stanley and Tom Steedon.

Meet Princeton, a bright-eyed graduate who comes to New York City with big dreams and a tiny bank account. Brian the out-of-work comedian and his therapist fiancée Christmas Eve; Nicky the good-hearted slacker and his closet gay Republican roommate Rod, an Internet ‘sexpert’ called Trekkie Monster, Lucy the Sl*t (the name says it all!) and a very cute kindergarten teacher named Kate Monster. Featuring hysterically funny songs including The Internet is for Porn and Everyone’s A Little Bit Racist, Avenue Q is a hilarious musical with a warm (and very fuzzy) heart.

Avenue Q first opened Off-Broadway at the Vineyard Theatre in 2003, before transferring to Broadway later that year where it won three Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book. In 2006 it transferred to the West End where it ran for five years before touring the UK. It has appeared in more than ten countries all over the world.

Hilarious, cheeky and uproariously entertaining, with a cast of 11 hugely talented performers and puppets, Avenue Q is the musical like no other. Suitable for audiences 14+

Please call the Box Office on 01274 432000 or visit bradford-theatres.co.uk for more information

CREATIVE TEAMS ANNOUNCED FOR 2019 SUMMER OF SHAKESPEARE

TICKETS NOW ON SALE

York: 25 June – 1 September

Blenheim Palace: 8 July – 7 September

The creative teams have been announced for SHAKESPEARE’S ROSE THEATRE Europe’s first ever pop-up Shakespearean Theatre, both for the return to its original site in York and at the new site at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire.

Both theatres will run simultaneously this summer, performing a total of eight Shakespeare plays.  The plays have been selected from across the genres, offering something for everyone, and will be performed in repertory by two companies of actors based at each location, with casting to be announced.

In York, the new repertoire of plays for 2019 will be Hamlet, Henry V, The Tempest and Twelfth Night.

Damian Cruden returns to SHAKESPEARE’S ROSE THEATRE, having directed Macbeth last year in York.  This year he will direct Hamlet and will serve as overall artistic director for both companies. Joyce Branagh will join the company to direct Twelfth Night, Philip Franks will direct The Tempest, and Gemma Fairlie will direct Henry V. Sara Perks will be overall season designer and will act as set and costume designer for Hamlet and costume designer for Twelfth Night. Adrian Linford will be set and costume designer for The Tempest and costume designer for Henry V. Max Dorey will be scenic designer for Twelfth Night and Henry V.

The Blenheim Palace companies will be reviving the productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Macbeth as experienced in York last year as well as creating exciting new productions of Romeo & Juliet and Richard III.

Tom Wright will be Associate Director for Macbeth and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Juliet Forster, who was the original director of A Midsummer Night’s Dream last year, will turn her skills to directing Romeo & Juliet this year. Amy Yardley will be associate scenic designer for both Macbeth and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and scenic designer for Romeo & Juliet. Sarah Mercade will be associate costume designer for Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Romeo & Juliet. Lucy Pitman-Wallace will direct Richard III, which will have scenic and costume design by Adam Nee.

Originator of the project and CEO of international theatre company, Lunchbox Theatrical Productions, James Cundall MBE, said “We are thrilled that Damian Cruden is once again joining us at SHAKESPEARE’S ROSE THEATRE, this time as overall artistic director.  With him we are delighted to have found a first- class team of directors and designers for our eight productions.  We are looking forward to seeing their interpretations of these great plays.”

SHAKESPEARE’S ROSE THEATRE – a 13-sided Elizabethan-style playhouse, complete with an Elizabethan village – will be constructed over a three week period in the glorious grounds of ‘Britain’s Greatest Palace’ where it will run from 8 July until 7 September, whilst in York the theatre will return to the foot of 13^th century Clifford’s Tower, where it will open on 25 June and run until 1 September.

At both the York and Blenheim Palace sites, the Shakespearean theatres will be constructed using state-of-the-art scaffolding technology, corrugated iron and timber.  Inspired by the famous London Rose Playhouse built in 1587, 12 years prior to The Globe, SHAKESPEARE’S ROSE THEATRE will house an audience of 900, with 560 seated on three tiered balconies around an open-roofed courtyard with standing room for 340 ‘groundlings’.

Both theatres will be located within a Shakespearean village, bringing an authentic Elizabethan ambience and theatricality to the event, and will feature:

• ‘wagon’ performances of Elizabethan-style entertainment, including comic mini-plays, speeches and medieval musicians
• the best Yorkshire and Oxfordshire food and drinks, housed in the oak-framed and reed-thatched Bear Arms pub
• in York, an Elizabethan garden created by Yorkshire garden designer Sally Tierney, with ornate box-edged beds of roses, cottage flowers, herbs and vegetables.  Mrs Tierney is the winner of a Silver-Gilt medal at the Royal Horticultural Society’s renowned Chelsea Flower Show, and created the Elizabethan garden for SHAKESPEARE’S ROSE THEATRE in York last year to great acclaim.
• in Blenheim, a village pond, farm wagons and carts, and an array of vintage farming implements, evoking a rustic rural scene
• tables and benches around the village, enabling visitors to enjoy the medieval atmosphere.

Dominic Hare, Chief Executive of Blenheim Palace, said “When I visited SHAKESPEARE’S ROSE THEATRE in York last summer I was absolutely blown away, not only by the quality of the whole event, even down to the vintage carts and wagons, but by the extraordinary experience of seeing Shakespeare performed in such an intimate setting.  It created the most astonishing connection between audience and actors, and produced some truly spine-tingling moments. 

“I immediately thought it would be the ideal summer event for Blenheim Palace and am immensely excited at the prospect of bringing these outstanding Shakespeare productions, as well as the Elizabethan experience, to such a stunning setting. We believe that SHAKESPEARE’S ROSE THEATRE will bring many more visitors to the area for everyone’s benefit as well as being a marvellous cultural experience for local people.”

The Blenheim Palace season will be co-presented by Raymond Gubbay Ltd, who have a wealth of experience promoting events and concerts worldwide, including the popular ‘Christmas at Blenheim Palace’ illuminated trail and Cinderella experience.

Anthony Findlay, Chief Executive of Raymond Gubbay Ltd, said “We have had the pleasure of working closely with Blenheim Palace for the past three years and have also enjoyed successful partnerships with Lunchbox Theatrical Productions on their touring shows. It’s hugely exciting that all three companies have now joined forces to bring this fabulous Shakespearean experience to the beautiful grounds of Blenheim Palace and the audiences of Oxfordshire and beyond.”

SHAKESPEARE’S ROSE THEATRE and Shakespeare’s Village are produced by Yorkshire-based Lunchbox Theatrical Productions.  The Blenheim Palace season is presented in association with Raymond Gubbay Ltd and Blenheim Palace.

@ShakespearesRT

For more information on SHAKESPEARE’S ROSE THEATRE or to book tickets at York please visit:www.shakespearesrosetheatre.com

To book tickets at Blenheim Palace please visit :www.blenheimpalace.com/shakespearesRT

York Listing Information

SHAKESPEARE’S ROSE THEATRE – YORK

Clifford’s Tower, Tower St, York, YO1 9WD

Tuesday 25 June – Sunday 1 September 2019.

Hamlet, Henry V, The Tempest and Twelfth Night

For full performance schedule please visit www.shakespearesrosetheatre.com/performance-schedule

York Booking Information

Book online www.ticketmaster.co.uk

By phone 0844 847 2483

For Groups 0844 844 2121 or email [email protected]

Calls cost up to 7p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge.

In Person SHAKESPEARE’S ROSE THEATRE, Tower St, York, YO1 9WD from 11am, Tues 25 June 2019

Tickets also available from

York Theatre Royal

Book online www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk

By phone 01904 623 568

In person St Leonard’s Pl, York YO1 7HD

Tickets

All seats in SHAKESPEARE’S ROSE THEATRE are the same – comfortably cushioned and backed, with plenty of leg room.  Groundling tickets in the courtyard are open-air, all other seats are under cover.  Visit www.shakespearesrosetheatre.com for seating plan and further details.

The York Experience £90.00*

Premium £65.95

A Reserve £54.95

B Reserve £43.95

C Reserve £32.95

D Reserve £27.45 (restricted view)

Groundlings £13.75

Wheelchairs – Courtyard £13.75, Premium £65.95.  Each wheelchair space includes carer seat free of charge.

Children (17 and under) £3 off all seats, £2 off Groundlings.

Groups of 10+ receive 10% off and groups of 20+ receive 20% off Premium, A and B Reserve tickets, with a further 5% off if booked and paid for by the end 28 February 2019.

Schools – Ten morning performances have been set aside for schools during July (see schedule), at £10 per ticket anywhere in the theatre, available by booking direct through Lunchbox Theatrical Productions on 01653 619650.  School tickets can be purchased for all other performances at the discounted price of £11.50 for Groundlings or £22 for best available B and C Reserve (limited to 50 tickets per performance). Teacher goes free with every 10 children.

Multi-Show Discounts: Buy tickets for 2 shows and enjoy 5% discount, 3 shows – 10% discount and all 4 shows – 15% discount. Only available through York Theatre Royal in Premium, A and B Reserve.

* The York Experience – 16 VIP seats are available for corporate entertainment or private parties, with an exclusive backstage experience and hospitality. Please contact Lunchbox Theatrical Productions on 01653 619650 for full details and to book tickets.

Prices inclusive of booking fee.  All transactions are subject to a single delivery charge, which varies by ticketing agent.

Blenheim Listing Information

SHAKESPEARE’S ROSE THEATRE – BLENHEIM PALACE

Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire, OX20 1UL

Monday 8 July – Saturday 7 September 2019.

Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Richard III, Romeo & Juliet

For full performance schedule please visit www.blenheimpalace.com/shakespearesRT

Blenheim Palace Booking Information

Book online www.blenheimpalace.com/shakespearesRT

By phone 0115 9129107 

Calls cost up to 13p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge.

In Person SHAKESPEARE’S ROSE THEATRE, Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire, OX20 1UL from 10am, Mon 8^th July 2019

Tickets

All seats in SHAKESPEARE’S ROSE THEATRE are the same – comfortably cushioned and backed, with plenty of leg room.  Groundling tickets in the courtyard are open-air, all other seats are under cover.  Visit blenheimpalace.com/shakespearesRT  for seating plan and further details.

Premium £70.00

A Reserve £55.00

B Reserve £45.00

C Reserve £35.00

D Reserve £25.00 (restricted view)

Groundlings £15.00

Wheelchairs – Courtyard £15.00, Premium £70.00.  Each wheelchair space includes carer seat free of charge.

Children (16 and under) £3 off all seats, £2 off Groundlings.

Groups of 16+ receive 10% off all ticket types (excluding groundlings). Contact SEE groups on 0844 412 4650 or by emailing [email protected]

Schools – Eight morning performances have been set aside exclusively for schools at £10 per ticket in the theatre. 1 teacher goes free with every 10 children. Tickets available through SEE Tickets on 0800 852 7244 or by emailing [email protected].

There is up to 15% off when purchasing ‘combined tickets’.

Prices inclusive of booking fee. All transactions are subject to a single charge of £2 for print at home tickets and collections or £2.50 for postal orders.

John Godber’s 
Scary Bikers to make London transfer

SCARY BIKERS, starring the BAFTA Award-winning duo of John Godber and Jane Thornton, makes its London debut in April 2019 at the famous Trafalgar Studios on Whitehall.

Produced by The John Godber Company and Theatre Royal Wakefield, and written and directed by Godber, SCARY BIKERS is a new comedy that was commissioned by Sky Arts in 2018 as part of their ART 50 project which explored the idea of what it is to be British in a post-Brexit world.

When retired miner Don (Godber) and former private school teacher Carol (Thornton) meet by chance after both suffering a loss, they thought they’d found a new beginning. But a bike ride through Europe would test their budding romance, and the road to love is rocky when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object.

With themes of finding love after loss and the ongoing impact of the Brexit vote, Don and Carol travel across Europe as they reconcile the past, debate the present and worry about the future.

SCARY BIKERS opens for previews at Trafalgar Studios on Tuesday 2 April 2019 and runs until Saturday 27 April 2019. For more information or to book tickets go to atgtickets.com

TodayTix announces London Theatre Week:

tickets for major shows across London from £15 and the chance to win free theatre tickets for a year

www.todaytix.com

TodayTix, the global ticketing platform connecting audiences to live performances around the world, today announces London Theatre Week. Running from Monday 25th February until Sunday 10th March tickets at some of London’s hottest musicals and shows are now available at £15, £25 and £35. Tickets can be purchased for performances from 25th February through Spring 2019.

Offering access to the best-priced tickets to audiences across the capital, TodayTix has launched London Theatre Week in partnership with leading producers to ensure that theatregoers will have an annual opportunity to see top shows, such as Wicked, Aladdin and Book of Mormon, at accessible ticket prices.  

If London Theatre Week doesn’t cure the appetite for theatre, TodayTix are also offering a year’s worth of tickets (a pair a month) to one lucky winner through the competition: Free Theatre Tickets for a Year.

Brian Fenty, Co-Founder and CEO of TodayTix, says: “Our mission at TodayTix is to offer theatre goers flexibility and affordability to some of the top shows across Broadway and London’s West End. Through London Theatre Week, TodayTix takes this ambition a step further by bringing together an incredible group of these world-renowned productions to make this possible.”

Merritt Baer, Co-Founder and President, Head of Europe for TodayTix, says: “We’re so proud to be launching London Theatre Week with the the support and participation of so many of London’s superb productions. The West End is the theatrical epicenter of Europe, and hopefully this initiative reminds Londoners that theatre is accessible and affordable – and this is a perfect opportunity to see an exciting new production or revisit a classic – and ultimately have an incredible experience with one or more of the 30+ productions that we’ve partnered with for this initiative.

Sonia Friedman, Producer, Sonia Friedman Productions, says: “I’m thrilled that three shows from the Sonia Friedman Production family – Book of Mormon, Fiddler on the Roof and Rosmersholm – can be part of London Theatre Week. TodayTix has been a fantastic partner over the years on many of our hit productions  and we are delighted to embark on this new endeavour with them so that Londoners can easily see leading shows at prices for everyone.”   

Other shows taking part include the smash-hit musicals Come From Away, Waitress and Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5, all of which have transferred from Broadway to the West End in 2019. There will also be tickets available to buy for the National Theatre’s Home, I’m Darling, which has opened at the Duke of York’s, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time at the Piccadilly Theatre,  the critically acclaimed Company and the Old Vic’s production of Arthur Miller’s The American Clock, and many more.

For more information about London Theatre Week and to purchase tickets on TodayTix, visit londontheatreweek.com

Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England

Failing systems, budget cuts and privatisation of rapidly deteriorating prisons …

‘The Stretch’

6th – 15th March

53two, Manchester

Written by Joe Ainsworth

Directed by Simon Naylor

Following success in JB Shorts 19 this extended piece is set to launch in the arches in March. Follow Lee in this powerful and poignant piece as he finds his way through a ten year stretch inside, after just one terrible mistake. Experience the highs, and definitely the lows and witness just how it affects him and those nearest to him. A play that discusses an all too current issue and the support given to those incarcerated and those trying to rehabilitate and reinstate themselves into society.

MAP Productions are delighted to be bringing this piece back to the stage following rave reviews from the critically acclaimed JB Shorts Festival. Written with support from the pastoral team at HMP Forest Bank and based on true experiences, this extended version is set to be even more powerful than the first outing almost a year ago. TV writer Joe Ainsworth ‘The Stretch’ will continue to raise the bar for fringe theatre in Manchester and draw in a new and more diverse audience. A sensory journey using spoken word, movement & music to spark discussion about a subject all too present in the media; how one decision can change lives. The piece also looks at how people in this situation deal with the decision and its consequences in what some would consider a failing prison system.

‘The first time I directed this piece, in its shorter format, I knew Joe had written something special. James, our lead actor felt the same and this combined passion to discuss the problems that prisons and their inmates face, as well as highlighting to a younger audience that decisions last beyond the instant they are made in, was all we needed to move the piece forward. It’s an incredibly important piece of writing and now with ACE Funding, we get to really let fly.’

Simon Naylor – Director

MAP Productions

Alongside the production, MAP and the team will look to engage with companies such as Clinks, the National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance and Young Identity to run workshops with their members and have them perform alongside Manchester poet Argh Kid on a fundraiser night on Sunday 10th March. All proceeds going towards charities that support the rehabilitation of those convicted and/or offer support inside prisons.

Performances

53two, 8 Albion St, Manchester

6th – 15th March

7:30pm

£10 (£2 Unwaged tickets)

(No show Sunday 10th – Fundraiser Night)

We have a competition this week to win a pair of tickets to see Birmingham Royal Ballet: Beauty and The Beast on Wednesday 1st May at Bristol Hippodrome.

In order to win answer this very easy question:

In the original Disney animated film, who voiced the role of Mrs Potts?

Competition closes at 1pm on Monday 11 March

To enter either comment on the post on Facebook, on Twitter or by email to [email protected]

Jack Studio Theatre – 23 February 2019

Reviewed by Claire Roderick

3***

Italo Svevo’s brief period of fame as a writer came in his sixties, when Mussolini and his Blackshirts violently suppressed criticism and dissent. Howard Colyer’s monologue imagines Svevo waiting for the critics’ and the authorities’ reactions to his new play, As a Man Grows Younger, a thinly veiled parody of the fascists’ mission to rejuvenate Italy. Will the reviews denounce his work as anti-fascist or will the Blackshirts storm in and carry him to his death?

The play begins with a torpedo attack in the harbour of Trieste which cements Svevo’s pacifist views and signals the upcoming political complications of statehood after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, especially for a Jewish family with Italian, German and Hungarian roots.

As Svevo awaits his fate his emotions rattle back and forth between terror and anger, despair to joyful remembrance as he tells of his family and career. We learn of his repeated resolution to quit smoking and his almost childish, gleeful pride in his reviews and the fact that HE is James Joyce’s Leopold Bloom.

This is an impressive play visually, with William Ingham’s evocative lighting of Karl Swinyard’s detailed set. Kate Bannister’s assured direction and David Bromley’s energetic and compelling performance ensure the audience do not tire of Svevo’s quirks. Bromley puts just the right amount of OTT characterisation into Svevo’s impressions of his wife, mother-in-law and Mussolini, and you wish there were more anecdotes about James Joyce as Bromley’s take on him is delightful

Hopping (literally) rapidly between different trains of thought effectively demonstrates the struggle and fear in Svevo’s mind as the consequences of speaking out are weighed against the moral price of keeping your head down and weathering the storm, but Colyer’s script does occasionally leap from moments of piercing insight to forgettable filler that wouldn’t be missed.

A thoughtful, heartfelt and moving tribute to Svevo that is well worth seeing.

Pleasance Theatre – until 9th March 2019

Review by Heather Chalkley

3***

This is a hard hitting 90 minutes of real life in the 80’s, given to the writers by people who lived through it. A stark illustration of Soho backstreets in all its infamous glory. Playwrights are notorious for bending real life to suit dramatic ends – being faithful to actual events can be hard. As a debut piece from Nicola and Stacey Bland, this piece shows great potential for their writing careers.

Wendi Peters (Sylvie) came across as a very real person, channelling all the emotions of a caring mother, accepting her child’s decision to transition with the knowledge only she could have. Matt Greenwood gives Vicky all the sass of a drag queen, needed to front out the prejudice and outright hostility of 80’s society. Greenwood then shows the vulnerable, frightened underbelly of Vicky that so desperately wants to transition. Nicola Bland plays Debbie with love and understanding, showing how resilient true friendship can be. Stacey Bland (Gabby) carries off well the single mother who feels caught in a trap with only one way out. Ben Welch as Fat Pearl brings a good deal of humour
and a wealth of life experience that manipulates and loves the young people at the Golden Girl with equal measure.

The Director Victoria Gimby, has made good use of costume, set and language to bring to life that era. She has used dark and light shades of the main characters to strengthen the intensity of the dialogue at the most poignant moments. This is heightened by the thrust stage, which increases the intimacy between actors and the audience. However, it does mean there can be prolonged periods when the players have their back on the audience, causing them to twist and turn to make eye contact. There were times when Vicky (Greenwood) spoke so softly you could barely hear her.

Having lived through the 80’s as a young person myself, all the characters are very believable and true to the times. This true story has been delivered with honesty and compassion, giving you an insight that, unless you had walked in their high heels, you would have no idea.

Leeds Playhouse – Saturday 23rd February 2019

Reviewed By Dawn Smallwood

4****

Members of both the Leeds Playhouse’s older people’s and young people’s programmes have come together to collaborate and bring Dinner 18:55. Leeds Playhouse is reputed for their creative and inclusive engagement for people of all ages and backgrounds to access the theatre. Over the six months this new community ensemble has put together Dinner 18:55 and this production consists a sharing of conversations and individual stories and over time they have formed a live theatrical piece.

Intergeneration certainly plays a big part in how the younger and older members interact and grow. Age is no longer an issue and common grounds are established. Life experiences between older and young people are different but not for any better or for any worse. What is explored on stage is why taking the time to sit down and share a meal can be such an effort?

Social isolation and loneliness are on the increase today especially when older people and young people are socially and politically polarised and marginalised by the media. Time is also a big issue as the modern world is much busier compared to past generations. Young people are faced with pressuring expectations, some acknowledge impossible, along with the never ending social media demands. There is certainly an emphasis of intergeneration and a must need across all communities.

This short heart-warming production brings two generations who make time to make and share their meals together. Dinner 18:55 gives a lot of food for thought and under the direction of Maggie de Ruyck and with the sounding of knives, forks and plates the ensemble brings alive a well done inter-generation experience on stage. This emphasises the utmost importance of spending time with people of all ages and backgrounds.

The Lowry, Salford – until Sunday 24th February.

Reviewed by Joseph Everton.

5*****

David Tomlinson. I didn’t know the name but I knew the face and the portrayal of Mr Banks in Mary Poppins, complete with bowler hat and that moustache. I wondered if having little to no knowledge of David Tomlinson would ruin this play for me, whether it would be fair to comment on the script. My fears were assuaged early on as Miles Jupp delivered a brilliantly written script, gifted to him by comedy writer, James Kettle. The Life I Lead, with its name taken from the song performed by Tomlinson in Mary Poppins, turned out to be a show full of laughs and learning.

A bit of research revealed that Jupp, who Kettle wrote the script specifically for, actually shares a strange number of characteristics with Tomlinson. But why Tomlinson? Well, to believe the classic actor’s story, you really have to watch the show. In a one-man performance, Miles Jupp tells the scarcely believable tale of Tomlinson’s life, beginning with his experiences as an airman in World War Two and then skilfully dancing forward and then backwards in time to address, among other things, Tomlinson’s relationship with his father, his wives, sons and his experiences creating the character of Mr Banks under the direction of Walt Disney himself.

Miles Jupp, arguably best known for his comedy and appearances on Mock the Week, beautifully portrays Tomlinson’s enthusiasm for life, wit and desire never to be taken seriously. However, many aspects of his life are incredibly thought provoking and sometimes desperately sad, meaning that Jupp is required to play a range of emotions. He manages this perfectly. One moment the audience is rapt, silent whilst listening to Tomlinson recall the loss of his first wife. The next, chuckling with laughter as he recalls his fabrication of fake agent, Harry Gunnell (not to be rhymed with funnel), who had a particular penchant for turning down roles as Tomlinson sought a quiet retirement.

I was moved by David Tomlinson’s story but this was not a tale full of sadness. In fact, it struck a perfect balance between tugging at your heart strings and inducing snorts of laughter. The Life I Lead, Tomlinson’s story, the neat production, the brilliant script and Miles Jupp’s performance were enthralling and the show deserves to be seen.