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Alexandra Palace Theatre, London – until 15 January 2023, continues on UK tour until 19 February 2023

Reviewed by Celia Armand Smith

4****

Sean Holmes’ production of Bugsy Malone could not have come at a better time. Based on Alan Parker’s 1976 film of the same name, Bugsy Malone follows two sets of mini gangsters armed with attitude, ridiculous names, and splurge guns. Set in the dingy streets of prohibition era New York, singer Blousie Brown is trying to make it big and finds herself at the colourful Fat Sam’s speakeasy where she meets one time boxer and ‘nice guy’ Bugsy Malone. There are car chases, glittery dance numbers, and custard pies. What more could you want?

The iconic music and lyrics by Paul Williams are so familiar to all of the grown-ups in the audience that you can feel everyone trying not to sing along, instead quietly whispering “I love this song” and tapping their feet. The lead cast of 9-15 year olds is exceptional, supported by a fantastic older ensemble known as the “overs” that lead the showstopper dance numbers and provide some excellent moments of physical comedy. There are three different casts of “unders” (kids) in rotation on the tour, and we saw Team Doodles. Albie Snelson as Fat Sam is energetic and hilarious, and had real stage presence. Mia Lakha and Jasmine Sakyiama as Blousey and Tallulah respectively were perfect in their roles, belting out the classics, and Gabriel Payne as Bugsy really came into his own in the second half, in particular the car chase and the last number. We were really impressed with the entire cast.

The design of the production by Jon Bausor was beautiful and effortless in bringing together the grown up elements of the city with the playfulness of the kids. It was the perfect platform for Drew McOnie’s spectacular choreography. The best numbers in my opinion are the big ones where the cast are being flung about, utilising every part of the stage. My favourites were Fat Sam’s Grand Slam, Bad Guys, So You Wanna Be A Boxer, and Down and Out.

From the opening number right through to the curtain call, you couldn’t help but smile, clap, and whoop even when there were some fleeting technical difficulties. The energy and joy is completely contagious, and just what everyone needs at the end of 2022

Bristol Hippodrome – until 31st December 2022

Reviewed by Lucy Hitchcock

4****

The classic fairytale has hit Bristol Hippodrome for a night of fun, oh yes it has!!

With its classic pantomime setup full of slapstick, hilarity and audience participation, this this is not one to miss!

A sterling cast headed by Lauren Hampton as our protagonist have a brilliant connection and make for a feel good show. Craig Revel Horwood is Baroness Hardup, Cinderella’s evil stepmother and is fab-u-lous darling! He embodies the role well and really got the audience on side…or against him in fact! The children had a great time booing and hissing his character!!! Lauren Hampton and Andy Ford as Cinderella and Buttons were superb! Andy Ford is the quintessential pantomime actor-I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a picture of Andy in the dictionary under ‘pantomime’!!!

The costumes and set were incredibly sparkly and well thought out-creating a wonderful atmosphere from the get go! This really is the perfect way to start off your Christmas celebrations-there is something for all ages to enjoy!

The Rose Theatre, Kingston-Upon-Thames – until 2nd January 2023

Reviewed by Bobbi Fenton

5*****

As we dive headfirst into the festive season this year, there is nothing better to get into the Christmas spirit (no pun intended) than ‘A Christmas Carol’ at the Rose. Filled with wonderful music, festive joy, and a very fun story, this retelling of the famous story by Charles Dickens is genuine magic.

The children of the Ragged School, played by the members of the Rose Theatre Young Company (Blue Cast), takes the original story, and makes it even better. We see the magic of Charlie Dickens (Elexi Walker) as she encourages the children to create their own version of the story. Together they discover the reason why Scrooge (Penny Layden) is so miserable and greedy, even at Christmas. The Ghost of Christmas Past (Chloe Nichols), a creepy child ghost, takes Scrooge back to her youth and we witness the painful loss of young Scrooges (Penny Bennett) siblings, Edmund (Edmund) and Fan (Isla Griffiths), and Scrooge’s first experience as an apprentice under the cheerful and jolly Fezziwig (Killian Macardle). Then, the Ghost Of Christmas Present (Lizzie Winkler), who starts off as a clown but later transforms into a more eerie character along with the children ignorance (Silvia Shea) and want (Chloe Nichols), shows Scrooge the reality of Christmas that year. We see Bob Cratchit (Killian Macardle) and his family laughing at Scrooge and her greed and misery. Scrooge is bewildered, both by the Cratchit family’s generosity in giving away food to the food bank and that they do not like her. We finally see the Ghost of Christmas yet to come, brilliantly puppeteered by Jacob Towey, Ellie Searle, and Elliot Shepherd. Scrooge is forced to face the reality that she is not very popular, and if she carries on hoarding her money and being generally unpleasant to everybody, when she dies people will not care, and just take her belongings to sell.

Throughout the story, Robin (Amelie Abbott) one of the children of the ragged school becomes more and more annoyed at the other children, particularly Maud (Lily Rowell) who begin to pity Scrooge after seeing her past, present, and future. However, Robin soon stops feeling so angry when Scrooge decides to change her ways, and gives the children full control of all her money following the events of the previous night.

Overall, this show is filled with absolutely brilliant songs, and even has one or two jokes about our current political climate compared with the poor of Victorian England during Dickens’ time. This should definitely not be missed as it is absolutely fantastic.

Production Photos Released for MOTHER GOOSE Starring Ian McKellen and John Bishop

Production images have been released for the UK and Ireland tour of MOTHER GOOSE starring Ian McKellen and Josh Bishop.

The production also stars Anna-Jane Casey as Cilla The Goose, Oscar Conlon-Morrey as Jack, Simbi Akande as Jill, Sharon Ballard as Good Fairy Encanta and Karen Mavundukure as Evil Fairy Malignia. The cast is completed by Mairi Barclay, Adam Brown, Gabriel Fleary, Becca Francis, Shailan Gohil, Richard Leeming, Genevieve Nicole and Laura Tyrer.

MOTHER GOOSE is currently playing at Theatre Royal Brighton until 11 December 2022, before a season at the Duke of York’s Theatre in London’s West End (15 December 2022 – 29 January 2023). It will then play Chichester Festival Theatre (7 – 11 February 2023), Sheffield Lyceum (14 – 18 February 2023), Wolverhampton Grand (22 – 26 February 2023), Liverpool Empire (28 February – 4 March 2023), Oxford New Theatre (7 – 11 March 2023), Bord Gais Energy Theatre Dublin (22 – 26 March 2023), and Wales Millennium Centre Cardiff (28 March – 1 April 2023) with further venues to be announced soon. www.mothergooseshow.co.uk  

It is written by Jonathan Harvey (Coronation Street, Gimme Gimme Gimme) and directed by award-winning director Cal McCrystal. Set and Costume design is by Liz Ascroft, Choreography by Lizzi Gee, Lighting design by Prema Mehta, Sound design by Ben Harrison andPuppet Design and Creation by Chris Barlow. Casting is by Anne Vosser and the Production Manager is Ben Arkell.

Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester – until 14th January 2023

Reviewed by Peter Cockerill

5*****

I doubt any performer would not be familiar with rehearsing in a village hall. Even the stars of TV’s Strictly can often be seen honing their moves atop of a badminton court, preparing for the final show with all it’s sparkle and glamour. So ‘BETTY A Sort of Musical’ begins with the Dewsbury Amateur Players’ weekly meeting in this most minimal setting with just a Formica counter with an old tea urn.

Meredith Ankle (Maxine Peake) is the self assured ‘Director’ and steers the rest of the players to stage a play about the life of Dewsbury’s own Baroness Betty Boothroyd, from her humble up bringing to her outstanding career in politics (via a stint as a Tiller Girl).

The first half focuses on the strained relationships within the group; It can be said that directing am-dram can be like herding cats. But Meredith Ankle is a self-assured tour de force and appears to believe she must steamroller the group, including her own daughter Angela (Eva Scott). This is followed by a health and safety incident, which sets up a surprising act two, transporting the audience to a world away from the village hall.

I must say all of the cast were perfect in their characters, each one delighted as they delivered this very funny script. Maxine Peake is outstanding, reminding me at times of her former work colleague Julie Walters, and Eva Scott’s performance was also brilliant.

The live band delivered a top-notch music score, again with excellently funny lyrics. Sometimes giving me a flavour of Tim Minchin’s theatre work.

The show may have started on a badminton court, but the finish very much sparkles!

EMPIRE THEATRE, LIVERPOOL – UNTIL SATURDAY 31ST DECEMBER 2022

REVIEWED BY MIA BOWEN

5*****

Last night the audience at the Empire could not help but feel the enchantment of nostalgic old school musical, theatre magic. A magic that did not feel dated but was a glorious representation of everything that is wonderful in theatre and movies. Theatre is so often an immersive experience and last night the audience were treated to a night of Hollywood glamour with a red carpet and snow falling, creating a festive atmosphere. White Christmas the musical, is originally based on the iconic 1954 American musical film, which is one of my all-time favourite festive films, starring Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye. This musical is still growing strong over two decades after it premiered and the theme song is inescapable, it can stir the heart of even the grouchiest Grinch.

Having narrowly escape with their lives from Europe in 1944, at the height of World War ll, veterans Bob Wallace (Jay McGuiness) and Phil Davis (Dan Burton) team up to become a successful double song and dance act, always on the lookout for the ‘million-dollar proposition’. Serendipitously their paths cross with the beautiful and talented Haynes sisters, Betty (Jessica Daley) and Judy (Monique Young). They find themselves in Pine Tree Vermont, at the ‘struggling to stay afloat’ Inn, owned by their former General Henry Waverly (Michael Starke).

This musical unfeignedly lives up to expectations and Irving Berlin’s score is brought to dazzling life by Ben Van Tienen’s band of talented musicians. Directed by Ian Talbot OBE and choreographed by two-time Oliver Award winner Stephen Mear, the stellar cast and ensemble delivers each routine with precision and slickness. The old school Hollywood glamour costumes, designed by Diego Pitarch immediately transports you back to a time of top hats, tailcoats and evening gowns.

Each number is like a glorious old school chorus but my favourite musical stand out performance was ‘Blue Skies’ by Bob (The Wanted’s Jay McGuiness) and company. I also thoroughly enjoyed ‘Count Your Blessings Instead Of Sheep’ and ‘Falling Out Of Love Can Be Fun’ as it makes you think more hopeful and positive, especially with all the doom and gloom of the this year.

White Christmas is a story of friendship, love and loyalty. It is a like a warm hug full of festive cheer and top drawer sing along music, I smiled the whole way through.

Birmingham Alexandra Theatre – until 31st December 2022

Reviewed by Joanne Hodge

5*****

SPECTACULAR!!!

A must see … Dreamgirls tells the story of three extremely talented singers and their journey into and through the world of show business, including the highs and lows, where honesty, integrity, friendships and relationships are tested to the maximum until the realisation hits that fame isn’t all it’s cracked up to be and that in all the glitz and glamour, personal values can be sidelined and / or diminished and it can be easy to lose sight of who you really are? And the question “What do I want?” grows until it can no longer be avoided.

Casey Nicholas (Director & Choreographer) brings this extraordinary story to life, leaving the audience mesmerised with set and lighting designs that make you believe that you are right there, in the 60’s experiencing musical performances that leave you feeling warm inside and wanting more.

Natalie Callagher does a fantastic job with a diverse cast who each bring something different (and special) ‘to the table’ including charm, ruthlessness, wit, love and unbelievable talent.

I have never experienced standing ovations like these, throughout the duration of the performance, sufficient applause that could fool you into thinking you were in a 10,000 seater arena.

Nicole Raquel Dennis’s performance of “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” gives the feeling that the entire audience are holding their breath, whilst witnessing a phenomenon, at the range and power of her vocals. The likes of Jennifer Hudson and Beyonce should be afraid to witness a young woman hit those highs so effortlessly and yet with so much passion.

Brandon Lee Spears as Jimmy Early is full of charisma and brings the character to life with his outstanding vocal, charm and wit. For me, these were the two stand out performers, but the entire cast delivered award winning performances.

Daniella Bryson (Head of Wardrobe) and Maria McLarnon (Head of Wigs) do an incredible job with costumes, appearances and wigs taking you through the 60’s and it’s evolving fashions and trends, as seen with The Supremes, The Rosettes, The Crystals and Martha Reeves and the Vandellas.

I could go on and on about this production, highlighting positives unable to identify any negatives, the best advice I can give is simply ‘Go see for yourself’, this sparkling sensation really is the thing of dreams!!

Malvern Festival Theatre – until 1st January 2023

Reviewed by Julie Bellerby

3***

Beauty and The Beast produced by Martin Dodd of UK Productions, are well known for their musicals and pantomimes. This script I thought was weak, the ‘current’ jokes were not very funny, with the audience barely raising a laugh at a couple of them. There were a lot of sexual innuendo, of course usually in pantomimes, but for me, it was too frequent.

The creative team of Lexie Ward – Director, Cameron MacDonald – Choreographer, Abigail Warne – Wardrobe Supervisor all deserve a mention for excellent designs, along with the many support staff, to many to list, making this pantomime look impressive.

The cast were excellent, a few first night nerves to begin, but quickly over, and funny recoveries from stage ‘mishaps’ all added to the production.

Belle played by Olivia Birchenough was strong and confident from the start with great stage presence and an equal match with Shaun Dalton as The Beast who’s voice was strong and clear. With a long list of credits for both musicals and pantomimes he played an amazing Beast. When the Beast was released from his spell, he gave an impressive change to become the Prince.

Phil Atkinson, playing Hugo Pompidou, the arrogant young man who considered he owned the Village of Camembert and the best person for Belle to marry, kept me laughing throughout by his movements and agility. Perfectly cast in this role, a very versatile actor in both Stage and Television.

Mark James is becoming a fixture in Pantomime at Malvern Theatre, this, his fifth and always playing the fool, bought his own style of humor with the memorable songs and catch phrases re Jigged each year. This year as Louis La Plonk, the son of Polly, the Beasts cook, he was on great form and much loved by the audience.

Polly, played by Leon Craig is an amazing Dame, carrying off the costumes with grace. He is well practiced as a Dame, with over 15 Pantomime Dames to his name.

Melanie Walters playing Fairy Bon Bon and David Alcock as Clement, Belle’s Father gave good performances, unfortunately, a little hard to hear the words of their songs as the music overpowered their voices.

Villagers were Olivia Ferro, Chris Gray, Kathy Bancroft, Lily Dyde, Beau Prance, Talia Webby, all beautifully rehearsed supported by the children from Cecilia Hall Dance Centre who’s younger dancers bought the cuteness to the pantomime, and the older children were amazing dancers, a joy to watch.

The scenery was designed by Jon Harris and Jason Bishop. The scene changes were completed using mainly backdrop curtains with the Castle having structures on stage which were impressive.

Overall, I was saddened by the weak script to give this three stars, the actors performance was five star quality, lets keep pantomimes traditional, the cries of “he’s behind you” “ there’s a ghost” and Mark’s own “where’s me mates” are all good old fashioned traditional fun. Oh yes it is!

Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre – until 16 April 2023

Reviewed by Alun Hood

3***

Newsies, although based on a 1992 Disney live action movie that initially bombed at the box office, belongs to that small coterie of musicals that defies criticism. Paying customers love this show and story: there is something about Alan Menken’s bouncy, catchy tunes and the sight of more than a dozen athletic, waistcoated newsboys leaping tirelessly and unfeasibly high above a stage, that audiences just cannot get enough of. The original 2012 Broadway production, with a heavily revisionist book by Harvey Fierstein and buoyed up by a swaggering, star-making turn from Jeremy Jordan as chief agitator Jack Kelly, was initially intended to be a limited season but wound up extending repeatedly until it achieved an impressive 1000 performances.

This London premiere has already extended bookings until next spring and, if the ecstatic -verging on hysterical – first night reaction was any indication, it’ll be opening up ticket sales for beyond then fairly soon. One would imagine this was always the intention of principal producers Runaway Entertainment (in partnership with Disney Theatrical and a few others) who have clearly spared no expense in presenting this London Newsies. This is one of the largest casts you’ll see on any current stage, backed up a decent-sized band on an environmental set that turns the hangar-like Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre into an atmospherically grimy, iron-girders-and-dirty-glass vision of 1899s New York that recalls the all-encompassing scenic designs John Napier used to create for the Lloyd Webber blockbusters and the RSC in the 1980s. It’s a real eyeful.

Size isn’t everything however and the question is …. just how good actually IS Newsies? Well, I suspect your reaction to it may depend on what you want from a night of musical theatre. It was always a pretty simplistic take on actual historical events (a bunch of New York newspaper sellers declaring a strike after publishing magnate Joseph Pulitzer raised the price of their bundles of papers by ten cents in the summer of 1899) with a romantic subplot shoe-horned in …. and a ton of dance breaks. Owing to the sheer size of the venue, subtlety and nuance are pretty much non-existent, a problem exacerbated further in Matt Cole’s production by having many of the scenes performed so far upstage, mostly on a towering tenement block set piece, that it dwarfs the actors, making it impossible to connect with the characters.

The highly inconsistent sound design doesn’t help either, flattening all, save Simon Hale’s lush orchestrations, in it’s wake, and rendering most of the words unintelligible. During the dialogue scenes it’s often hard to tell who’s speaking yet still possible to note that some of the accents are a bit ropey, and during the choral sections the voices are frequently far too low in the mix. Mark Henderson’s lighting proves frustrating as well: while it’s often gloomily evocative of the mean streets of old New York, there are moments – particularly when the cast are racing all over the auditorium – that it feels over-chaotic and it’s hard to know where you should be looking.

Michael Ahomka-Lindsay captures hero Jack’s mixture of bravado and desperation, even projecting some vulnerability across the wide open spaces, and meets the rangy vocal demands of the role with assurance. Moya Angela, formerly one of the knockout replacements for Amber Riley in the West End Dreamgirls, has too little stage time as Medda, the vaudeville performer-manager who takes Jack and his rebellious crew under her wing, but exudes charisma and vocal firepower that hits right to the back of this massive venue. Bronté Barbé has a fabulous voice but, perhaps understandably, struggles to make coherent the poorly fleshed-out dramatic arc of the young journalist he falls for, being required to go from abrasive to yearning in a couple of indifferently written scenes.

If however, you’re here for the dance and prepared to look on this more as Newsies – The Arena Spectacular rather than a coherent musical, then Cole’s dance-driven extravaganza is a triumph. His choreography -sharp angles and clenched fists giving way to breathtakingly clean lines and acrobatic athleticism- may recall Christopher Gattelli’s Tony-winning contribution to the Broadway version which in turn homaged Kenny Ortega’s iconic work in the original film, but has a dynamism and vitality that sends an electric charge through the theatre. One could only wish that the old adage “less is more” had occasionally been applied to the staging though: filling every spare corner of the space at every available opportunity with a couple of twirling, somersaulting “newsies” threatens to the diminish of the genuinely heart-stopping ‘Seize The Day’ massed company number that comes late in the first act.

Still, as these superb dancers/acrobats slice through the air like human dynamos, albeit astonishingly graceful ones, or congregate into a phalanx of youthful exuberance and sheer muscle power, it’s pretty hard not to be won over. There are several moments where all the elements cohere into unforgettable stage pictures, and then this Newsies really soars.

SHERIDAN SMITH
RETURNS TO LONDON’S WEST END

IN

WILLY RUSSELL’S 

SHIRLEY VALENTINE

DIRECTED BY MATTHEW DUNSTER

AT THE DUKE OF YORK’S THEATRE

FROM FRIDAY 17 FEBRUARY 2023

FOR 12 WEEKS

Produced by David Pugh

TICKETS ON SALE TODAY

TICKET PRICES £20, £25, £45, £60, £75

With reduced price previews

David Pugh is delighted to announce a new production of WILLY RUSSELL’S classic comedy SHIRLEY VALENTINE starring Sheridan Smith and directed by Matthew Dunster at London’s Duke of York’s Theatre from Friday 17 February 2023 for 12 Weeks. shirleyvalentineonstage.com

Shirley Valentine is the joyous, life-affirming story of the woman who got lost in marriage and motherhood, the woman who wound up talking to the kitchen wall whilst cooking her husband’s chips and egg. But Shirley still has a secret dream. And in her bag, an airline ticket. One day she may just leave a note, saying: ‘Gone!  Gone to Greece.’

Shirley Valentine is the celebrated one-woman play written by Willy Russell, winning him his third Olivier Award. Sheridan Smith is a multi-award-winning actress with two Olivier Awards and a BAFTA. Matthew Dunster is a three-time Olivier Award nominated director whose work most recently has been seen on Broadway with Martin McDonagh’s Hangmen and in the West End with 2.22 by Danny Robins at the Criterion Theatre.  

David Pugh, the five-time Olivier Award winning and Two-time Tony Award winning Producer said: “Back in 1986 I was lucky enough to see the first ever production of Shirley Valentine in Liverpool. I have begged Willy to one day let me produce a revival of Shirley Valentine when the casting was right. That day is now and both Willy and I believe that Sheridan Smith is the perfect Shirley Valentine.”

Sheridan Smith said “As a mum now myself I’m delighted to be playing theatre’s best-loved mum and I am honoured to be entrusted by Willy Russell to bring his Shirley to life once again in the West End. Now, to practice cooking chips and egg!”

SHERIDAN SMITH is an award-winning stage and screen actress, whose acclaimed West End credits include playing Elle Woods in Legally Blonde at the Savoy Theatre and Doris in Flare Path at Theatre Royal Haymarket, both roles garnering her Olivier Awards, and the latter the Evening Standard Award as Best Actress. She received further Olivier nominations for her performance as Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors at the Menier Chocolate Factory and Duke of York’s Theatre, and Fanny Brice in Funny Girl at the Savoy Theatre. Other notable performances include Hedda Gabler at The Old Vic, Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Noel Coward Theatre, the Narrator in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the London Palladium, and her stage debut as Little Red Riding Hood in Into the Woods at the Donmar Warehouse. Amongst her prolific screen roles, Sheridan was Emmy-nominated and won a BAFTA as Mrs Biggs, and further BAFTA-nominated for The C Word and her titular role in Cilla, for which she was also Emmy-nominated. Big screen credits include Dustin Hoffman’s Quartet and most recently The Railway Children Return.  She has released two albums, titled Sheridan and A Northern Soul, resulting in two Classic BRIT Award nominations.

WILLY RUSSELL is the multi-award-winning writer whose career spans over five decades. His plays and screenplays include Educating Rita, Shirley Valentine and the musical phenomenon Blood Brothers. Never a day goes by when something written by Willy Russell is not being performed somewhere around the world. willyrussell.com 

MATTHEW DUNSTER is a theatre and film director and writer. He was born and raised in Oldham and now lives in South-east London. Previously an actor, he has directed or written over sixty shows, often with major national companies including RSC, NT, Royal Court, Young Vic, Royal Exchange, Shakespeare’s Globe, The Bridge, as well as directing on the West End, Broadway and internationally. He has been the Associate Director of The Young Vic and Shakespeare’s Globe. His most recent productions are 2:22 A Ghost Story which has been running in the West End since August 2021, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the inaugural Shakespeare production at the new Shakespeare North Playhouse.

SHIRLEY VALENTINE is written by Willy Russell, directed by Matthew Dunster, designed by Paul Wills, with lighting design by Lucy Carter, sound design by Ian Dickinson for Autograph and is produced by David Pugh.