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Announcing the much-awaited London premiere of
‘Cruel Intentions: The ‘90s Musical’
at The Other Palace

The stage musical is based on the hit 1999 Hollywood movie (now celebrating its 25th anniversary) and is packed with ‘90s pop classics from Britney Spears, Boyz II Men, Christina Aguilera, TLC, Natalie Imbruglia, The Verve, *NSYNC, R.E.M and many more!

 OPENING 11 JANUARY 2024 for a 14-week season  Bill Kenwright Ltd is delighted to announce the London premiere of Cruel Intentions: The ‘90s Musical. Created by Jordan Ross, Lindsey Rosin and Roger Kumble, Cruel Intentions: The ‘90s Musical is based on the hit 1999 Hollywood film by Roger Kumble and will open at The Other Palace on January 11th 2024, for a 14-week season.

A must-see experience in New York and Los Angeles and following a sold-out, critically acclaimed production in the Assembly Palais du Variété spiegeltent at the 2019 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Cruel Intentions: The ’90s Musical, from the producers of Heathers the Musical, finally arrives in London.

Step-siblings Sebastian Valmont and Kathryn Merteuil, manipulative monsters flushed with their own sexual prowess, engage in a cruel bet: Kathryn goads Sebastian into attempting to seduce Annette Hargrove, the headmaster’s virtuous daughter.  

Weaving a web of secrets and temptation, as the two set out to destroy an innocent girl – and anyone who gets in their way – their vengeful crusade wreaks havoc on the students at their exclusive Manhattan high school and the diabolical duo become entangled in their own mesh of deception and unexpected romance, with explosive results…

On the 25th anniversary of the classic hit film Cruel Intentions starring Reese Witherspoon, Ryan Phillippe, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Selma Blair and inspired by the French novel, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Cruel Intentions: The ‘90s Musical is a raucous nostalgic throwback laced with a soundtrack of the greatest ‘90s pop classics, all performed live, including ‘Bittersweet Symphony’ by The Verve, R.E.M’s ‘Losing My Religion’, Natalie Imbruglia’s ‘Torn’, ‘I Saw the Sign’ by Ace of Base, Christina Aguilera’s ‘Genie in a Bottle’, TLC’s ‘No Scrubs’, Boyz II Men’s ‘I’ll Make Love to You’, *NSYNC’s ‘Bye Bye Bye’, Britney Spears’ ’Sometimes’ and many more.

Roger Kumble said: “The perfect 25th anniversary celebration of my 1999 film about a pair of hedonistic Manhattan step-siblings is seeing it re-imagined on the London stage as a musical. It’s an amazing show with a soundtrack loaded with all the greatest ‘90s guilty pleasures songs. Even people who hate musicals will love it!”

The creative team includes Director Jonathan O’Boyle (Hair, Rain Man, Pippin, Aspects of Love) and Choreographer & Associate Director Gary Lloyd (Heathers, Thriller Live, Carrie the Musical).

This London premiere is produced by Bill Kenwright, who recently produced the smash hit Heathers The Musical to great success in the West End, on UK tour and at The Other Palace.

Cast to be announced.

Cruel Intentions: The ‘90s Musical was originally produced by Eva Price. Critical praise in Edinburgh for Cruel Intentions: The ‘90s Musical

THE WORLDWIDE PHENOMENON THE HUNGER GAMES TO MAKE ITS GLOBAL STAGE PREMIERE

Play Based on Suzanne Collins’ Acclaimed Novel “The Hunger Games” and Lionsgate’s Blockbuster Film The Hunger Games To Premiere in London in Autumn 2024

Olivier Award-winning playwright CONOR McPHERSON

to adapt the first novel and film in the epic series which

took the world by storm

For priority booking information and to receive updates, register atwww.thehungergamesonstage.com

The first-ever live stage adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ internationally acclaimed novel “The Hunger Games” and Lionsgate’s worldwide box office phenomenon THE HUNGER GAMES will make its debut in London in Autumn 2024.

Heralded by the New York Times as the best playwright of his generation, the multi award-winning Conor McPherson has adapted the first book from Suzanne Collins’ epic series and the first film from Lionsgate’s iconic dystopian film franchise for this live theatrical production.

The production will be helmed by renowned director Matthew Dunster (2:22 – A Ghost Story, Hangmen, The Pillowman), with a world-class creative team who will bring the show to breathtaking life.

Suzanne Collins, best-selling author of “The Hunger Games” series, said: “I’m very excited to be collaborating with the amazing team of Conor McPherson and Matthew Dunster as they bring their dynamic and innovative interpretation of ‘The Hunger Games’ to the London stage.”

Conor McPherson said: “To receive Suzanne Collins’ blessing to adapt ‘The Hunger Games’ for the stage is both humbling and inspiring. She has created a classic story which continues to resonate now more than ever. In a world where the truth itself seems increasingly up for grabs, ‘The Hunger Games’ beautifully expresses values of resilience, self-reliance and independent moral inquiry for younger people especially. This is turbo charged storytelling of the highest order and I’m hugely excited to bring it to a new generation of theatre goers and to Suzanne Collins’ longstanding and devoted fans.” 

Jenefer Brown, EVP and Head of Global Products and Experiences at Lionsgate said: “The Hunger Games is one of the best book to movie adaptations of all time, inspiring audiences to think deeply about the world around them and the strength of the human spirit. We are honored to bring its powerful story, characters and world to the stage in this latest exciting chapter.”

Matthew Dunster said:“This might be the most exciting work call I’ve ever had. As soon as the producers said the title, I just said ‘Stop! I’m in’. I loved the Lionsgate film and the brutal and emotional power of this dystopian classic. My children had their heads in the books at the time (it’s definitely the ONLY work call of mine they’ve been excited about) so I stole them and I came to appreciate the beauty of Suzanne Collins’ storytelling. And then to add one of our greatest living playwrights, Conor McPherson, and experience him honouring the voice of Katniss Everdeen so rigorously has been a great privilege. This is theatre. It’s ‘The Hunger Games’ in the theatre. And with the world class team we have put together we aim to do something that is fully immersed in the novel and the film but is uniquely, thrillingly theatrical.”

Conor McPherson is amongst the world’s most revered playwrights. His plays include Girl from the North Country with Bob Dylan, (Old Vic, West End & Broadway), The Weir (Royal Court, West End & Broadway), The Seafarer (National Theatre & Broadway), Shining City (Royal Court & Broadway), The Night Alive (Donmar & Off Broadway), Port Authority (West End & Off Broadway), St Nicholas (Bush theatre & Off Broadway), and This Lime Tree Bower (Bush Theatre & Off Broadway). His West End adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya for Sonia Friedman Productions was filmed for the BBC and broadcast by PBS in the United States. Awards and nominations for McPherson’s work include the Laurence Olivier Award, Evening Standard Award, London Critics’ Circle Award, New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award, New York Outer Critics Circle Award, George Devine Award, five Tony Award® nominations, four Irish Film and Television Academy Best Screenplay Awards and the South Bank Show Sky Arts Theatre Award.

Matthew Dunster is a theatre and film director and writer. 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 in the West End, on Broadway and internationally.  He has been the Associate Director of The Young Vic and Shakespeare’s Globe. Dunster has been nominated for three Olivier Awards, and his Broadway production of Hangmen was nominated for five Tony Awards®. His recent work includes Martin McDonagh’s The Pillowman in the West End and the phenomenally successful 2:22 – A Ghost Story, also in the West End and now on a major tour of the UK.

Joining McPherson and Dunster on the creative team are Miriam Buether (set designer), Moi Tran (costume designer), Charlotte Broom (choreographer), Lucy Carter (lighting designer), Ian Dickinson for Autograph (sound designer), Tal Rosner (video designer), Kev McCurdy (fight director), John Maddox for Suspended Illusions(performer flying), Amy Ball (casting director), and Gary Beestone (production manager).

Based on the series of novels by Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games has become one of the highest-grossing movie franchises of all time, having grossed nearly $3 billion in box office sales worldwide. Lionsgate’s latest installment of the film franchise, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, will debut in theatres around the world on November 17^th, 2023.

In a dystopian future, The Hunger Games ignite a thrilling battle for survival, where 24 young tributes are pitted against each other in a deadly arena. Katniss Everdeen, a fearless and resourceful heroine, emerges as a symbol of rebellion as she fights not only for her life but for the hope of a nation oppressed by a ruthless Capitol. In a brand-new epic stage production, The Hunger Games is a gripping tale of courage, defiance, and the unbreakable human spirit.

The Hunger Games is produced by Tristan Baker & Charlie Parsons for Runaway Entertainment, Oliver Royds for BOS Productions and Isobel David, by arrangement with Lionsgate.

FULL CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR THE

MENIER CHOCOLATE FACTORY’S REVIVAL OF

SONDHEIM AND WEIDMAN’S PACIFIC OVERTURES

The Menier Chocolate Factory today announces full casting for their co-production with the Umeda Arts Theater of Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman’s Pacific Overtures. Matthew White directs Jon Chew (Reciter), Kanako Nakano (Tamate), Saori Oda (Shogun/Madam), Takuro Ohno (Kayama), and Joaquin Pedro Valdes (Manjiro), with Luoran Ding, Masashi Fujimoto, Rachel Hayne Picar, Eu Jin Hwang, Abel Law, Ethan Le Phong, JoJo Meredith, Patrick Munday, Sario Solomon, Joy Tan, Lee V G, and Iverson Yabut. The productions opens on 4 December, with previews from 25 November, and runs until 24 February.

PACIFIC OVERTURES

MUSIC AND LYRICS STEPHEN SONDHEIM, BOOK BY JOHN WEIDMAN

A co-production with Umeda Arts Theater

25 November 2023 – 24 February 2024

Direction: Matthew White; Set Design: Paul Farnsworth; Costume Design: Ayako Maeda; Sound Design: Gregory Clarke; Choreography: Ashley Nottingham; Musical Supervision: Catherine Jayes; Musical Direction: Paul Bogaev; Orchestrations: Jonathan Tunick; Hair and Make-up Design: Wakana Yoshihara; Cultural Consultant: You-Ri Yamanaka

Nippon. The Floating Kingdom.  One of Stephen Sondheim’s most ambitious creations comes to the Chocolate Factory in a co-production with Umeda Arts Theater in Japan, where it has already been a huge success in Tokyo and Osaka.  The story of the arrival of the West in 1853 in isolated Japan is seen from a western perspective but played in an eastern style.  The score is filled with some of Sondheim’s most ravishing music, including “Someone in a Tree”, “Pretty Lady” and “A Bowler Hat”.   

Pacific Overtures completes the Menier’s trilogy of Weidman/Sondheim musicals following their productions of Assassins and Road Show.

Stephen Sondheim (1930 – 2021) was one of the world’s greatest composer and lyricists. His works include Saturday Night, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Anyone Can Whistle, Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Pacific Overtures, Sweeney Todd, Merrily We Roll Along, Sunday in the Park With George (Pulitzer Prize), Passion, Assassins and Road Show.  Sondheim also wrote the lyrics for West Side Story, Gypsy and Do I Hear a Waltz?. He was the recipient of multiple awards, including 8 Tony Awards – one of which was a Lifetime Achievement Award, 7 Grammys and an Academy Award for Best Song for Dick Tracy, and was elected to The American Academy of Arts and Letters (1983). His final musical Here We Are will be staged in New York this autumn.

John Weidman has written the books for many musicals, including Pacific Overtures (Tony Award nomination, Best Book), Assassins (Tony Award, Best Musical Revival) and Road Show (Lucille Lortel nomination, Best Musical), all with scores by Stephen Sondheim; Contact (Tony Award nomination, Best Book; Tony Award, Best Musical), co-created with director/choreographer Susan Stroman; Happiness, score by Scott Frankel and Michael Korie, directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman; Take Flight and Big (Tony nomination, Best Book), scores by Richard Maltby Jr. and David Shire; and the new book, co-authored with Timothy Crouse, for the Lincoln Center Theater/Roundabout Theatre revivals of Cole Porter’s Anything Goes (Tony Award, Best Musical Revival; Olivier Award, Best Musical Production). From 1999 to 2009 he served as President of the Dramatists Guild of America.

Jon Chew plays the Reciter. His theare work includes The Good Person of Szechwan (Lyric Hammersmith /Sheffield Theatres), Anything Goes (Barbican), Unity (1918) (Actor’s Studio), Asian Pirate Musical (Vaults Festival), Wild Goose Dreams (Ustinov Theatre, Bath Theatre Royal), Forgotten (Arcola Theatre), The King and I (London Palladium), and The Bee (Theatresause). For television, his work includes EastEnders, Three-Body Problem, The Great, The First Team, and Anything Goes and The King and I: From the London Palladium; and for film, Robin and the Hood; and The Wayback.

Kanako Nakano plays Tamate. Her theatre work includes My Neighbour Totoro (RSC/Barbican), A Chorus Line (Curve Leicester), White Pearl (Royal Court Theatre), Miss Saigon (Prince Edward Theatre, UK tour), Kiki’s Delivery Service (Southwark Playhouse), West Side Story (Grange Park Opera), and Priscilla Queen of the Desert (UK tour). Her television work includes Secret Invasion and Peep Show; and for film, People Just Do Nothing.

Saori Oda plays Shogun/Madam. Her theatre work includes Galaxy Train (Théatre Lapis), The Phantom of the Opera, The King and I (West End, UK tour), Avenue Q (UK and Ireland tour), Carousel (ENO), Miss Saigon (Prince Edward Theatre), and The Lion King (Lyceum Theatre); and for film, The Bryanston.

Takuro Ohno plays Kayama. He will be making his UK stage debut in this production.  He has recently played the title role in The Phantom of the Opera in Japan and has appeared in many Japanese films and television shows.

Joaquin Pedro Valdes plays Manjiro. His theatre work includes Death Note (London Palladium), Then, Now & Next (Southwark Playhouse), Killing the Cat (Riverside Studios), The Lion King (UK and Ireland tour), Heathers the Musical (The Other Palace), Vanara the Legend (Hackney Empire), Miss Saigon, The King and I (UK and International tour), Fanny and Stella the Musical (The Garden Theatre), Matilda, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Red and The Last 5 Years (Manila Metropolitan Theatre).

Matthew White returns to the Menier having previously directed The Boy Friend, She Loves Me, Candide, Sweet Charity (also Theatre Royal, Haymarket), Little Shop of Horrors (also Duke of York’s Theatre and UK tour) and The Last Five Years. His other theatre work includes The Addams Family (Festival Theatre, Edinburgh and UK tour), Kiss Me Kate, West Side Story (Kilworth House), The Producers (UK tour), Top Hat (also adapted for the stage, UK tour and Aldwych Theatre – Olivier Award for Best New Musical), Maria Friedman – By Special Arrangement (Donmar Warehouse), Closer than Ever (Jermyn Street Theatre) and Mr Stink (also adapted, Curve and UK tour).

LISTINGS INFORMATION                                                                                MENIER CHOCOLATE FACTORY

53 Southwark Street, London, SE1 1RU

CLOSE UP – THE TWIGGY MUSICAL

Until 18 November

PACIFIC OVERTURES

25 November 2023 – 24 February 2024

Box Office:                         020 7378 1713 (£2.50 transaction fee per booking)

Website:                             www.menierchocolatefactory.com (£1.50 transaction fee per booking)

Tickets:                               Prices vary, as below from discounted preview tickets to premier seats. With the emphasis on ‘the sooner you book, the better the price’:

Please note at this time the restaurant is unable to open due to circumstances beyond the company’s control.

www.menierchocolatefactory.com

Twitter: @MenChocFactory

Instagram: @menierchocolatefactory

GEORGE DEVINE AWARD 2023 SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED

The George Devine Award today announces its 2023 Shortlist of nine playwrights. Formed in 1966 in memory of the Royal Court’s founding Artistic Director George Devine, the Award is recognised as one of the most prestigious in new writing and seeks to shine a light on a playwright of promise. The winner will receive a prize of £15,000 in support of their future as a playwright. Former winners include Tyrell Williams, Alice Birch, Lucy Prebble, Daniel Ward and Diana Nneka Atuona. 

The 2023 Shortlist is:

Georgia Bruce for TIME, LIKE THE SEA

Sami Ibrahim for NGO

Shahid Iqbal Khan for DJINNITY

Somebody Jones for HOW I LEARNED TO SWIM

Tife Kusoro for G

Cordelia Lynn for WITCH PLAY 

Ava Pickett for 1536

Bea Roberts for THOSE WHO (ARE/WERE) LEFT

Sam Ward for EVERYTHING I’M THINKING ALL OF THE TIME

The industry judging panel for 2023 is Nick Payne (also a former recipient of the Award), Justin Audibert, Johnny Flynn, Nimmo Ismail, Rebekah Murrell and Roxana Silbert. They will now decide upon the recipient of this year’s Award, who will be announced in late October.

Actor and 2023 Award judge Johnny Flynn said:

‘‘It has been an extraordinary privilege to read these plays and I have been bowled over by their inventiveness. Each one pushes the form in a totally unique way, and yet despite their extreme differences in style, it’s amazing to see common themes in many of them.

Entertaining worlds filled with artificial intelligence, witches, power imbalances and social media out-of-control spanning nearly 500 years have led us to reconsider what it is to be human in 2023, and beyond.

It makes me realise how lucky we are to have a culture of theatre in this country that is on the frontline of thought and ideas bringing us together as a society.”

Dock X, Canada Water – until 9 December 2023

Reviewer Alec Legge

4****

Off to London’s Dockland to see ‘Rumble in the Jungle‘! Not knowing what to expect, advertised as a trip back in time to the fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in 1974 Zaire and it being an immersive spectacle.

On entering what appeared to be a warehouse and a foyer type space where at one end there was a boxing ring set up which was open on two sides and surrounded by an array of of punch bags hanging from the roof. The audience members were encouraged to gather round the ring and treated to a lively intro to what was going to happen. It was stressed that we were no longer an audience but were active participants in the show.

Then a door opened and we were led into a large colourful space where there were bars, stages and stalls set up and at one end a reproduction of a hotel entertainment area complete with a bar, food counter, tables and chairs and a dais with a pianist,double bass player and then a singer.

We were treated too songs with the audience being encouraged to participate whilst drinking and dining. All this time there were actors playing the part of Congolese citizens and soldiers and also various characters involved in the boxing scene such as Don King and others including David Frost. Being an immersive show the audience were encouraged to connect and speak with the characters as though we were actually back in time at Zaire in 1974.

This was followed by press conferences with actors taking the parts of Ali and Foreman plus their entourage. The repartee between the fighters was brilliant with including Ali’s famous, ‘float like a butterfly, sting like a bee’

There was also a re-creation of the famous Zaire ’74 music festival with entertainers taking the parts of James Brown, BB King, Miriam Makeba and others. A feast for the eyes and ears!

Thus to the finale, the actual fight. This took place in an arena consisting of a semi circular seating area facing a boxing ring backed by a large screen on which film of the actual fight was shown whilst in the ring the two actors playing the participants and a referee acted out the fight in real time. This was a really enjoyable spectacle in its own right. Fantastic.

All in all the show was really immersive and spectacular with the audience engaging with the action in the various scenarios wholeheartedly.

The producers and directors of the show are to be commended for bringing to life this amazing sporting event and events surrounding it! It was a spectacular, colourful and enjoyable experience all round. Well worth a visit not just for fight fans but enjoyable for all.

Park Theatre – until Saturday 28 October 2023

Reviewed by Claire Roderick

4****

Sibling rivalry and silly spooky shenanigans are a real Halloween treat in this energetic and atmospheric new comedy from Make It Beautiful Theatre Company.

After their father’s death Jack (Felix Grainger), Sarah (Cara Steele) and Connor (Gabriel Fogarty-Graveson) struggle to keep his pub running. Sarah (an entrepreneur with disastrously unfeasible ideas) and Connor (drifting from one mate’s sofa to another) return for the funeral and blame reliable Jack (the only one who stayed in town and visited their father in the care home) for the sorry state of business at The Nag’s Head. Behind her brother’s back, Sarah accepts a deal with an old uni friend who works for Greene King and tries to boost business so that they can get more money when they sell to that ubiquitous chain.

Sarah struggles to find The Nag’s Head’s USP, until she encounters Dr G Host and decides to market The Nag’s Head as the most haunted pub in Shireshire, helped by a front-page story about a mysterious painting that their father left them. Also thrown in are some ghostly romance, demonic possession, the cult of the Greene King, warnings from apparitions in the beer cellar and lessons about animal poo. Is this mysterious painting a tool of the devil or is it the family’s inability to deal openly with their grief that leads to the spiralling madness that leads to chaotic and explosive situations?

The bond between the siblings is portrayed beautifully – no matter the insults, apathy (no one remembers the name of Jack’s girlfriend of 15 years!) and jealously, the unbreakable love and affection always shines through in writers Grainger and Fogarty-Graveson’s script. The running jokes bed in well and the physical comedy from the cast is as strong as the dialogue. Steele embodies every horror film’s cliché portrayal of possession as Sarah becomes obsessed with consistency in a fantastically dynamic performance. Fogarty-Graveson is sweetly ridiculous as the snarky and hapless Connor he acts out his dates with the mysterious Mary, and hilarious as the insane characters who visit the pub. Grainger is madly OTT as Dr Host, and a bundle of frustration as Jack.

The simple yet effective set evokes the sticky floors and mismatched furniture of rundown village pubs, and Beril Yavuz’s lighting ramps up the tension and frames the scares brilliantly. Alice Chambers directs skilfully, allowing the humour, scares and pathos to mix seamlessly.

The Nag’s Head is a story of grief, sibling love and the nonsensical systems we develop to heal rifts, interweaved with paranormal phenomena and bonkers comedy – what’s not to like?

Leeds Grand Theatre – until Saturday 28 October 2023, then on tour until 17th November 2023

Reviewed by Dawn Smallwood

4****

Opera North’s new Green Season is underway at the Leeds Grand Theatre with its third production, a new one, Puccini’s La rondine . La rondine (means The swallow) is a lyrical comedy (operetta) written by Guiseppe Adami and based on Alfred Maria Willner and Heinz Riechert’s libretto. It is a three-act opera which is sung in Italian with English surtitles.

It is set in Parisienne 1930s where love is fashionable along with excessive indulgence and enchanting glamour being at the height of high society. It tells the story of Magda (Galina Averina) who is the mistress of Rambaldo (Philip Smith), a wealthy banker. She subsequently meets Ruggero (Sébastien Guéze) at a café and falls in love with him. From this point forward the romantic chaos and confusion begins between the three characters alongside Lisette (Claire Lees) whose happiness is sought with Prunier (Elgan Llŷr Thomas), a modern poet at the time.

Magda is guided by Prunier via a palm reading that she will be like a swallow looking for happiness, relocation and ultimately true love. The opera narrates through song Magda’s pursuit that leads to self-doubts thus making some crucial and uncertain decision making. Her self-sacrificing spirit is demonstrated with the moving heart wrenching duets between her and Ruggero in Act III. One wishes for the story to be continued when it ends and how Magda gets on with her pursuit of the above.

Under the direction of James Hurley, the opera has a musical feel with a mixture of song and dance and Opera North never disappoints with a stellar performance with excellent portrayals from Averina, Guéze, Lees and Thomas in the lead roles. The lead performers are well supported by the company and Chorus of Opera North under the choreographic direction of Lauren Poulton and musical direction of Kerem Hasan.

The recycled and reused sets, courtesy of Leslie Travers, work well with the narrative and the Parisienne scene it depicts. The space coincides so well with Paule Constable and Ben Pickersgill’s lighting which responsibly projects and is aesthetically pleasing both in the fore and back grounds.

Richard Mantle, Opera North’s General Director and Chief Executive Officer, at curtain call paid a tribute to the company and how much Opera North has grown and developed creatively and adaptively over the years under his lead. This is greeted with respect and rapturous applauses and the audience are now looking forward to future seasons.

La rondine is an enjoyable as well as beautiful and reflecting opera. La rondine is a well-produced and recommended opera to see this season.

Omnibus Theatre, London – until 4th November 2023

Reviewed by Mitzi Luck

5*****

‘Invisible Animal’ written and performed by Tom Manning, is a glimpse into the mind of a young man with autism who has learnt to mask his true self. We meet Tom as he readies himself to leave his home environment and face the world – he tries, but he can’t face leaving yet. The audience is ushered into the inner battle that Tom faces in an intimate and raw portrayal as there is so much of himself that he must hide when outside.

Tom (played by Manning) is able to learn how to be a different person than himself in order to fit in with a neurotypical society. He does this by repetitively watching films and tv – we see his space littered with VHS boxes and Simpsons memorabilia. He finds his way in life by learning his lines and acting them out. Reels of classic films echo his own mind. The audience is even invited on stage to act out a Simpsons scene that Tom finds to be key to his own life.

The set design by Emma Wee creates an intimate and cosy home space with personal items – it is easy to see why Tom finds it his safe haven. Screens are used throughout the play to show Tom’s inner thoughts – the part of him that he has named the ‘invisible animal’ because he has learnt through society’s reactions to hide this essential part of him away, is portrayed on a screen behind him. On a television close by, a YouTube commentator engages Tom and provokes his journey. His inner true self creates the dialogue that Tom needs to discover whether he really does want to leave that part of him behind. All three parts are played excellently by Manning and work together so succinctly and convincingly, it is engaging to watch and creates a dynamic play.

The pressure builds as we see just how much strain Tom is putting himself under in order to fit in. As his inner monologue reveals his true past and the hardships he has endured – it becomes apparent that he needs to decide whether to continue forcing or allow his true self to emerge. Tom lifts weights and repeats lines and the lighting, by Rachel Sampley, wonderfully echoes the intensity building within Tom.

The writing is so revealing and confronting and yet Tom engages and brings a sense of togetherness. There is a lightness in amongst all the dialogue that breaks tension over a serious subject and brings Tom’s character to such vivid liveliness. I hope many people will take the opportunity to see this wonderful play – I highly recommend it to all.

Prince Edward Theatre – until 13th January 2024

Reviewed by Ben Jolly

4****

Entering the vast auditorium of the Prince Edward Theatre, we are greeted with a stark and formidable set; it is cold and menacing as though torn from the sound stages of a science-fiction movie, not something one would expect from a play chronicling England football manager Gareth Southgate and his journey with the team (where’s the turf?), yet still, entranced by the bright circle of penetrating light, we are drawn in and before we know it Dear England has kicked off into play. 

James Graham’s latest labour of love hits the ground running with its high energy, witty characters, and engaging narrative. Opening with a historic but poignant moment that plagues Gareth Southgate’s psyche, we are given a glimpse into the deeply rooted demonic battle that he is having to face after all these years, and this is before he’s even begun to dissect the team or even the nation’s inner conflict. Seamlessly jumping to 2016, Southgate is offered a temporary management position to manage the England football team and it’s from here the plot commences. 

We’re introduced to the ensemble of characters who make up the team and coaches – including Head of People and Team Development officer, Pippa Grange who is deliciously played on this outing by Dervla Kirwan winning the title, “woman of the match” for her performance. Kirwan embodies the behavioural characteristics without allowing the performance to lean into stereotype. Her performance is layered and crafted but is open to growth and impulse. The piece has been expertly cast with every detail and nuance clearly considered to the nth degree. There really is no weak link here. The entire ensemble work fluidly and consciously as a team to tell this story but there are still moments where each has the chance to shine with their vulnerable, raw emotional monologues and dangerously spot-on impersonations of media journalists and politicians alike. Without a doubt, our manager and principal cast member, Joseph Fiennes in the role of Gareth Southgate ultimately takes home the prize. Fiennes is commanding, sensitive and utterly charming in the role and he does so with an ease that can only come from a seasoned professional.  

The play discusses the dramatical storytelling device of the three-act structure relating it to the England team’s six-year plan of victory. It is here that the playwright’s voice coming through the language is most prominent, and taking these dramatic forms and fusing them into a sports vernacular is a stroke of genius. In Act 2 we explore past the “road to success” and delve deeper into the psyche of the sport and pressures faced by the players both on and off the pitch. We investigate the racist attacks that players were targeted with following the loss of the Euro 2020 match. Packed with urgent subjects and intense confessions, this act was riddled with heightened emotion. These were unfortunately tied together and bandaged over with a little too much haste and thus prevented us from a satisfactory resolution. There was also a tendency for the play to meander with its narration and message as we were drawing to a close. It is, however, an impossible task to summarise a plot that is still an ongoing story today; I suppose trying to find some form of resolution in a world that continues to be in chaos would be a futile attempt. 

It has become transparent both through this play and in other recent forms of media how well sport and drama go hand in hand. This piece can and should be appreciated by all, both sports and theatre fans combined as there is a pick-and-mix of what one can take away from this play, and smartly it ultimately leaves the audience to decide for themselves. My hope for this production is that it will be witnessed by both the usual theatre attendees and by avid football fans who for some may have never stepped into a theatre before. May this play become a timely wake-up call of the challenges we face as a society and in this unification remind us that we are not all that different after all.

Forum Theatre, Malvern – 19th October 2023

Reviewed by Courie Amado Juneau

4.5****

Back in 1959 the world tragically lost one of the finest musicians that has ever lived, Buddy Holly. Since then his ouevre has lived on in the hearts of music lovers everywhere. His influence changed everything – he is the man who showed Lennon that rock ‘n’ rollers could be cool wearing glasses, who showed the next generation that you could write your own songs and who gave us the template for the modern group – singer, two guitars, bass and drums. Buddy Holly and the Cricketers (a very witty name) tonight gave us the chance to experience what a Holly concert would have been like, and to bask in his wondrous music.

“That’ll Be The Day”, “Rock Around With Ollie V” and “It’s So Easy” opened proceedings in style, providing all the uninitiated could need to know about Holly’s music – the greatest of hits, lesser known classics and melodious pop jewels. All killer, no filler, all night long.

Jamie Alexander as Buddy was a very personable front man, looking and sounding like the man himself, his guitar playing was joyous and effortless. In truth this is a band of frontmen rather than a frontman with a band. Apart from instrumental solos and being integral to the comedy they took lead vocals on many of the era’s non-Holly jukebox faves like “La Bamba” (Nik Barrell, guitar), Ray Charles’s “Hallelujah I Love Her So” (Alan Grice, piano), “Twist and Shout” (Malcolm Nilsson, bass – sorry if I got your name wrong, I couldn’t find it anywhere on the website) and Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues” (John McClaine, from the drum kit which included the rather witty lyric change to “..don’t ever play the drums”, tickling me greatly!).

There’s a lot of bonhomie in this show. From humorous one liners during the audience participation to jokes at the band’s own expense, this show is a mountain of fun! The band were masters at getting the crowd involved and keeping the party atmosphere going.

All the hits were present and very correct; from “Not Fade Away” and “Peggy Sue” to tracks the super-fan would appreciate like “Blue Days, Black Nights” and “Peggy Sue Got Married” alongside some genuine surprises like the pre-Crickets era Buddy n Bob’s

“Down The Line”. A lot of care and attention has obviously gone into the show to present an overview of the band’s catalogue and a very pleasing set in its own right.

The second half of the show really took off with the musicians turning it up to 11. The encore, especially, had that on the edge, dangerous abandon that any truly thrilling rock ‘n’ roll gig has and was everything that is good and fine about live music.

Rushing headlong into the finale, we had a trio of songs that would be enough on its own to relieve any box office of its tickets; “Oh Boy”, “Think It Over” and one of my personal Holly favourites “Rave On”. One last 50’s era medley at blistering pace to climax and we were all breathless, sporting massive grins and with a renewed enthusiasm for the original rock era. A Buddy great show – oh, I went there (and you should too, asap).