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Theatre Royal, Windsor – until 16 September 2023

Reviewed by Kirsty Thomson

5*****

Calendar Girls is the musical version of a true story about a group of ladies from the Women’s Institute (WI) in the Yorkshire village of Knapely. The ladies set about creating a nude calendar in order to raise money for a hospital sofa in memory of Annie’s (Tanya Franks) husband who passed away from cancer.

This very powerful show, written by Gary Barlow and Tim Firth, makes you both laugh and cry, often within the same scene. It is so cleverly written and directed so that despite all of the laughter and light-hearted scenes, the show is constantly brought back to the reality of all of the emotional and serious topics involved. I found it particularly effective when Annie (Tanya Franks) sang the musical number ‘Very Slightly Almost’ creating so much emotion with the story of John (Colin R Campbell) being diagnosed and struggling with his cancer, while at the same time summoning soft laughter from the audience with the lines about shopping at Tesco and having a row while people ‘try to reach for cheese’.

Amy Robbins playing the part of Chris really stood out to me. Her energy, facial expressions, and ability to put a smile on people’s faces was outstanding, not to mention her powerful vocals. She created such a presence every time she entered the stage particularly with her bold entrance during the WI conference.

Maureen Nolan played Ruth, a woman who needed more persuasion than others to take part in the nude calendar. Some of this persuasion came from her bottle of vodka during the song ‘My Russian Friend and I’ which was another number to incorporate both laughter and sadness.

Marti Webb played Celia and her musical theatre background really stood out when singing ‘So I’ve Had a Little Work Done’ about her life, working as an air hostess. Lyn Paul as Jessie, Paula Tappenden as Marie, and Honeysuckle Weeks as Cora also did a sensational job, and each woman had their own personal struggle and story which they had the solo opportunity to express which was extremely compelling.

Graham Macduff who played Rod was particularly entertaining during the photographing of the women for the calendar, not knowing quite where to look and communicating with the women from backstage.

The highlight of the show has to be the finale where the women pose nude for the calendar photographs. The chaos, the support, the laughter and of course the famous line from Chris (Amy Robbins) ‘We’re going to need considerably bigger buns’ had the audience in fits of laughter and brought a warm sense of community and achievement to the room. The standing ovation was extremely deserved.

This show hosts a spectacular cast, excellent songs and powerful topics that guarantees laughter through the tears. A sensational show not to be missed.

WISE CHILDREN CELEBRATE THEIR FIRST FABULOUS FIVE YEARS

BY OPENING THEIR NEW HOME, THE LUCKY CHANCE, WITH A MAGICAL RETELLING OF

THE LITTLE MATCHGIRL AND HAPPIER TALES

Internationally acclaimed touring theatre company Wise Children celebrate five fabulous years since launching in 2018, by throwing open the doors of their new home to the public for the very first time this festive season. Based in Somerset, The Lucky Chance will be launched as Wise Children’s new base with a magical retelling of The Little Matchgirl and Happier Tales directed by the company’s Artistic Director Emma Rice to mark the occasion.

The production kicks off with an open dress rehearsal for local residents on 5 December and runs until 23 December.

In tandem with the new production, Wise Children has launched an access initiative for schools, with performances on 5, 6 and 7 December being offered free to local Frome primary schools.

Artistic Director of Wise Children, Emma Rice said, “These last astonishing 5 years have been a testament to all the dedicated artists, curious students, brave creatives and big hearted audiences that make up the wonderful community of Wise Children. My life has always been a glorious and joyful exploration of stories with the principles of ensemble and imagination at its heart. It is a privilege to still be able to dedicate myself to this work and I couldn’t be prouder of all we’ve achieved – and in such a short time! Like a child at Christmas, I am excited and thankful to finally be sharing our new home, The Lucky Chance, with the public. And what better way to welcome them in but with this with this poignant jewel of a show – The Little Matchgirl and Happier Tales.”

The Lucky Chance, based in Frome, Somerset, was originally a Methodist Church, built in 1910. Over the past year, Wise Children have refurbished and repurposed it into their creation space, and a temporary, 60-seat venue. This Christmas, the intimate space will come to life with a show full of warmth, wit and wonder.  

Since their inception in 2018, Wise Children have produced five critically acclaimed original productions – Wise Children, Malory Towers, Romantics Anonymous, Bagdad Cafe and Wuthering Heights – which have been seen by over 240,000 people in 20 cities in the UK and internationally. Over the past 5 years, they have partnered with leading arts organisations, such as the National Theatre and London’s Old Vic, and their work has also been commissioned by the BBC and Sky Arts, with films reaching an estimated 300,000. Wise Children are one of only a handful of companies touring ambitious, large-scale productions across the country, ensuring that audiences outside London have access to world-class theatre.

In addition to touring, the company created The School for Wise Children to address inequalities in the industry, particularly in backstage roles. Through talks, ‘taster’ workshops, intensive courses and Traineeships, the School offers a free, flexible training in alternative, ensemble theatre-making for adult practitioners of all disciplines. The School offers students clear routes into employment with Wise Children, and of more than 1,000 students who have trained through in-person and online courses, seven now regularly work with the company.

Wise Children present

THE LITTLE MATCHGIRL AND HAPPIER TALES

Based on the original production written and co-adapted by Joel Horwood and Emma Rice

DIRECTED BY EMMA RICE

Music by Ian Ross

5 – 23 December 2023

As the Little Matchgirl struggles to survive, she strikes her precious matches to keep warm. Each match conjures a new story, and we hold her hand as she tumbles down a rabbit hole of folk tales.

Inspired by the beautiful and poignant Hans Christian Andersen tale and interweaving it with The Princess and the Pea and The Emperor’s New Clothes, The Little Matchgirl and Happier Tales reveals a spellbinding world of magic and mystery.

Steeped in the metaphor and meaning that run through Andersen’s enduring stories, this will be an event to delight, transport, move and surprise. For adults and brave children alike, the show will feature music, puppetry, dark magic… and perhaps some modern truths that we all might rather remain hidden.

LISTINGS

THE LITTLE MATCHGIRL AND HAPPIER TALES

The Lucky Chance, Frome: Portway, Frome BA11 1QR 

5 – 23 December 2023

For adults and brave children (we recommend 8+)

Box Office: 0117 313 7636

Ticket prices

From £8.50

FULL PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

5/6/7 December at 10am and 1pm 

8/9/13/14/15/17/20/22 December at 7.30pm

16/21/23 December at 3pm and 7.30pm

The production launches new access initiative offering free tickets to local schools

ABOUT WISE CHILDREN

Created and led by Emma Rice, Wise Children launched in April 2018 and is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation. Based in the South West, we make ground-breaking work with exceptional artists, and tour across the world. Alongside our shows, we run a unique professional development programme, The School for Wise Children, training a new and more diverse generation of theatre practitioners. We have just bought a building, The Lucky Chance, in Frome, Somerset which we plan to use as our creation space, a home for the School and a tiny theatre in which to welcome audiences of all shapes and sizes.

The new access initiative for local Frome primary schools has been made possible by the generous support of Paul and Joanna Pearson.

www.wisechildren.co.uk

Instagram: @Wise_Children                       Facebook: @WiseChildrenCompany

GIRD YOUR LOINS
AND PREPARE FOR THAT CATWALK!

KEVIN McCOLLUM, DAVID FURNISH/ROCKET ENTERTAINMENT AND JAMIE WILSON PRESENT

WITH MUSIC BY ELTON JOHN, LYRICS BY SHAINA TAUB, AND BOOK BY KATE WETHERHEAD

DIRECTED & CHOREOGRAPHED BY
THE MULTI AWARD-WINNING JERRY MITCHELL

BASED ON THE NOVEL BY LAUREN WEISBERGER AND THE HIT TWENTIETH CENTURY STUDIOS MOTION PICTURE

STRUTTING INTO THE WEST END OCTOBER 2024 AT THE DOMINION THEATRE

FOLLOWING A LIMITED SEASON PREVIEW RUN FROM JULY 2024
AT THEATRE ROYAL PLYMOUTH

As London Fashion Week descends on the Capital, the catwalk is out for the launch of The Devil Wears Prada, a new musical, based on the blockbuster film and bestselling novel, that will strut into London’s Dominion Theatre in October 2024. Featuring an original score by music legend, Tony, Grammy and Academy Award winner Elton John, lyrics by singer-songwriter Shaina Taub, book by Kate Wetherhead with direction & choreography by three-time Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell.

The production will play an exclusive preview engagement in Summer 2024 at Theatre Royal Plymouth prior to opening in the West End in October.

Hilariously fun and fabulously stylish, The Devil Wears Prada tells an inspiring story about discovering what kind of person you truly want to be. Choose your outfit carefully and get ready for a new musical that’s hautter than hell!

Fresh out of college, aspiring journalist Andy scores a job at the prestigious Runway magazine working for fashion’s most powerful and terrifying icon — editor-in-chief Miranda Priestly. Sacrificing her personal life to meet Miranda’s impossible demands, Andy finds herself seduced by the glamorous world she once despised. How far will she go to succeed… and will it be worth selling her soul to get what she’s always wanted?

The Devil Wears Prada, features an all-star, award-winning creative team led by Elton John (Tammy Faye, Billy Elliot: The Musical, The Lion King), new direction & choreography by Jerry Mitchell (Kinky Boots, Legally Blonde, Pretty Woman, Hairspray), lyrics by singer-songwriter Shaina Taub (Suffs), book by Kate Wetherhead (Ever After, Submissions Only), set design by Tim Hatley (Life of Pi, Back to the Future), costume design by Gregg Barnes (Some Like It Hot, Legally Blonde), lighting design by Bruno Poet (The Tina Turner Musical, Frankenstein), sound design by Gareth Owen (Come From Away, & Juliet) and casting by Jill Green CDG.

The musical is based on Lauren Weisberger‘s best-selling 2003 novel and the 2006 blockbuster film from Twentieth Century Studios which went on to gross $326 million worldwide and received two Academy Award nominations.

The Devil Wears Prada is produced by Tony Award winner Kevin McCollum/ Alchemation (In the Heights, Avenue Q, Rent, SIX and Mrs. Doubtfire), Rocket Entertainment/David Furnish (Tammy Faye, Billy Elliot: The Musical)
and Jamie Wilson (Mrs Doubtfire, Ain’t Too Proud, Sister Act The Musical) and presented by special arrangement with Buena Vista Theatrical.

Jerry Mitchell now steers this brand-new reimagined production of The Devil Wears Prada to new heights following a developmental run in Chicago in 2022.

FULL CAST ANNOUNCED FOR THE WORLD PREMIERE OF  

RICHARD BEAN’S TO HAVE AND TO HOLD 

AT HAMPSTEAD THEATRE 

Hampstead Theatre today announces the full cast for Richard Bean’s uproarious new comedy, To Have and To Hold, which opens on 20 October and runs until 25 November (press night Thursday 26 October). 

Alun Armstrong (New Tricks, BBC One; Sweeney Todd, National Theatre; Endgame, Donmar) will play Jack Kirk and is joined by Marlene Sidaway (Mum, BBC; The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, UK tour) as his wife Flo Kirk.  

Alongside Armstrong and Sidaway as Jack and Flo’s children are Christopher Fulford (Loot, Park Theatre; Screw, Channel 4) and Hermione Gulliford (The Southbury Child, Bridge Theatre; Romeo & Juliet, Globe). The cast is completed with Rachel Dale (The Hypocrite, RSC; The Bay, ITV) and Adrian Hood (Harvest, Royal Court; The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, West End). 

Directed by Richard Wilson, To Have and To Hold tackles the prickly problem of dealing with ageing parents who just don’t want to be dealt with.  

“He talks about going to Switzerland, to that place where you pay them to kill you… And I say “go!  It’ll do you good.  Broaden your horizons…you’ve never been abroad!” 

After sixty years of marriage, happily settled into their retirement village in Yorkshire, Jack and Florence have elevated bickering almost to the status of high art. That said, they’re otherwise getting along fine with the support of a cousin and the hilarious interventions of the man known locally as ‘Rhubarb Eddie’. But will their anxious son, shuttling between London and LA, and their errant daughter, who’s contemplating a move to Australia, leave them to live out their days in peace?  

Writer of the international smash-hit comedy One Man, Two Guvnors, Richard Bean returns to Hampstead after successes with Kiss Me and In the Club. His other work includes Jack Absolute Flies Again (National Theatre), Young Marx (Bridge) and Made in Dagenham, The Musical (Adelphi). 

Director Richard Wilson also returns to Hampstead after the success of his production of Peggy For You. He is reunited with Bean whose plays Toast, Under the Whaleback (both Royal Court) and The Nap (Sheffield Crucible) he also directed. 

The production will be designed by James Cotterill with lighting by Bethany Gupwell and sound by John Leonard. The casting director is Robert Sterne CDG and Assistant Director is Jos Vantyler.      

To Have and To Hold is a Hampstead Theatre Next Decade commission – a joint Hampstead Theatre and AKO Foundation initiative. The production is also kindly supported by Lin and Ken Craig.  

To Have and To Hold opens on Friday 20 October and runs until Saturday 25 November.   

Tickets are on sale now at hampsteadtheatre.com. 

FULL CAST ANNOUNCED FOR
THE NATIONAL THEATRE’S PRODUCTION OF
DEAR ENGLAND,
BY JAMES GRAHAM,
PLAYING AT THE PRINCE EDWARD THEATRE
FROM 9 OCTOBER

The National Theatre announces today full casting for its highly acclaimed production of Dear England, transferring to the West End this Autumn. This new smash-hit play by James Graham, directed by Rupert Goold, tells the story of the England men’s football team under Gareth Southgate. It will play at the Prince Edward Theatre from 9 October 2023 for a strictly limited 14-week run.

Dervla Kirwan (Smother, Apple TV; Material Girl,BBC) will play the role of Pippa Grange, sports psychologist and Head of People and Team Development at The Football Association from 2017 until 2019, joining the previously announced Joseph Fiennes (The Handmaid’s Tale, Hulu; The Mother, Netflix) as Gareth Southgate.

The cast also includes Denzel Baidoo as Bukayo Saka, Josh Barrow as Jordan Pickford,  Gunnar Cauthery as Gary Lineker, Will Close as Harry Kane, Crystal Condie as Alex Scott, Will Fletcher as Jordan Henderson,  Darragh Hand as Marcus Rashford, John Hodgkinson as Greg Clarke,  Lloyd Hutchinson as Sam Allardyce, Albert Magashi as Jadon Sancho, Kel Matsena as Raheem Sterling, Lewis Shepherd as Dele Alli, Griffin Stevens as Harry Maguire, Paul Thornley as Mike Webster, Tony Turner as Greg Dyke, Ryan Whittle as Eric Dier.  Nick Barclay, Tashinga Bepete, Kate Kelly Flood, Will Harrison-Wallace, Miranda Heath, Tom Mahy and Tristan Waterson complete the company. The cast will also be playing additional roles as part of the ensemble.

Following their acclaimed productions of Tammy Faye and Ink at the Almeida Theatre, writer James Graham (Best of Enemies, Young Vic; Sherwood, BBC) has reunited with director Rupert Goold (Spring Awakening, Almeida Theatre; Judy, 20th Century Fox) for this gripping examination of both nation and game.

It’s time to change the game. The country that gave the world football has since delivered a painful pattern of loss. Why can’t England’s men win at their own game?

With the worst track record for penalties in the world, England manager Gareth Southgate knows he needs to open his mind and face up to the years of hurt to take team and country back to the promised land.

Rupert Goold is joined by set designer, Es Devlin; costume designer Evie Gurney; lighting designer, Jon Clark; movement directors, Ellen Kane and Hannes Langolf; sound designers, Dan Balfour and Tom Gibbons, with additional music by Max Perryment and video designer, Ash J Woodward.  Casting director is Bryony Jarvis Taylor; voice coach is Cathleen McCarron and dialect coach is Richard Ryder. Associate director is Elin Schofield, associate set designer is Will Brown, associate lighting designer is Ben Jacobs, associate sound designer is Alex Twiselton and resident director is Rasheka Christie-Carter.

Commissioned by the National Theatre, Dear England was developed with the theatre’s New Work department and had its world premiere in the Olivier theatre on 20 June 2023.

Tickets for Dear England are available from £20 at DearEnglandOnStage.com

Dear England in the West End is supported by American Express, the National Theatre’s Preferred Card Partner.

NATIONAL THEATRE CELEBRATES 60 YEARS
WITH 3,600 FREE TICKETS FOR 16–25-YEAR-OLDS AVAILABLE ACROSS 60 PERFORMANCES ON THE SOUTH BANKANDIN THE WEST END DURING OCTOBER

NEW INITIATIVE ‘TAKE YOUR SEATS’ OFFERS A FREE WORLDWIDE STREAM OF CLINT DYER’S OTHELLO ON YOUTUBE AND NATIONAL THEATRE AT HOME

As the National Theatre prepares to mark 60 years of entertaining and inspiring audiences around the world on 22 October, a birthday present of 3,600 free tickets, 60 tickets for 60 performances in October, will be available for 16–25-year-olds to book for productions on the South Bank and in the West End. Productions include The Father and the Assassin, Death of England: Closing Time, The Effect, The Confessions, The Ocean at the End of the Lane and Dear England.

Tickets for the productions on all three stages of the National Theatre and at the Noël Coward and Prince Edward theatres in the West End will be made available to book for free via the National Theatre website on Monday 2 October from 12 – 6pm or whilst tickets last.

From the powerful exploration of oppression and extremism in Anupama Chandrasekhar’sThe Father and the Assassin, to James Graham’s smash-hit new play Dear England, which tells the story of the England men’s football team under Gareth Southgate, there is a wealth of theatrical experience on offer for thousands of young people to experience for free.

On Thursday 19 October audiences across the UK and around the globe are invited to join the anniversary celebrations with a special free worldwide stream of Othello, directed by the National Theatre’s Deputy Artistic Director, Clint Dyer. The initiative, called Take Your Seats, will allow anyone, anywhere in the world, to enjoy this ground-breaking National Theatre production for free.

Olivier Award winner Giles Terera plays Othello and Rosy McEwen Desdemonain this critically acclaimed production of Othello. Filmed live on the Lyttelton stage, Othello will premiere on YouTube on Thursday 19 October at 7pm BST. The stream will be free to watch on YouTube until 22 October, after which it will be available for free on the National Theatre’s flagship streaming platform, National Theatre at Home, until 26 October. Othello will then join the catalogue of over 70 plays on the platform available to rent or watch via subscription. Audiences will also be able to watch the production with audio description and British Sign Language.

Created especially as a gift for audiences to celebrate the theatre’s 60th birthday, Take Your Seats brings audiences around the world together to enjoy the National Theatre for a one-night special watch-a-long in the comfort of their own homes. This release has been made possible by National Theatre at Home’s partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies, supporting the National Theatre’s mission of entertaining and inspiring global audiences with world class theatre.

Rufus Norris, Director, National Theatre, said ‘I’m thrilled to be celebrating 60 years of this extraordinary creative institution by giving audiences the chance to see our productions for free. Audiences are at the heart of everything we do and throwing open our physical doors to young people and our virtual doors to everyone, wherever they may be in the world with Take Your Seats, is the perfect way to celebrate. Clint Dyer’s Othello is an astonishing interpretation of a play that has seen five different productions throughout our history and encapsulates the progression of the National Theatre over the past six decades. With the generous support of Bloomberg Philanthropies, we continue to break down barriers to accessing theatre through our flagship National Theatre at Home platform reaching over 170 countries around the world. I hope you will join me in marking this historic moment in our history. Here’s to the next 60 years!‘

Alongside the digital innovation that has defined recent years in the National Theatre’s history, this autumn sees a wealth of activity encapsulating the range of work for which the National Theatre has come to be known over the past 60 years. Harriet Walter returns to the National Theatre for the first time in more than a decade in Alice Birch’s new adaptation of Lorca’s The House of Bernarda Alba, directed by Rebecca Frecknall and co-produced with Playful Productions. And the iconic building on the South Bank, which the National Theatre has called home since 1976, prepares to be filled with magic as Lucy Kirkwood and Dave Malloy’s rip-roaring fresh adaptation of Roald Dahl’s The Witches, a co-production with Roald Dahl Story Company, directed by Lyndsey Turner, comes to life on the Olivier stage. Out nationwide tour of The Ocean at the End of the Lane which has taken in 29 venues across the UK and Ireland returns to the West End alongside James Graham’s Dear England and Jack Thorne’s The Motive and the Cue, a co-production with Neal Street Productions.

The National Theatre Collection, which is free for state schools to stream productions in the classroom, launches ten new titles on the platform, including The Crucible, Othello and Kiln’s production of The Wife of Willesden, Zadie Smith‘s adaptation of Chaucer’s The Wife of Bath.  In November, rehearsals begin for Evan Placey‘s radical reimagining of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic tale Jekyll & Hyde which will tour directly to secondary schools across the country from January 2024. The tour will be seen by over 10,000 pupils in 12 Theatre Nation Partnership areas across England, including Doncaster, Leicester, North Devon, Outer East London and South Essex, Peterborough, Rochdale, Salford, Stoke, Sunderland, Wakefield, Wigan and Wolverhampton.

Kate Varah, Executive Director, National Theatre, said ‘In its 60th year, the National Theatre has transferred a record number of shows to the West End, ensuring our work reaches even more audiences. The expansion and reach of the National Theatre around the UK since its foundation in 1963 has resulted in 85% of all secondary schools across the UK accessing the National Theatre Collection, the free streaming platform for schools. Last year over 42,000 children and young people participated in National Theatre Learning activity. The National Theatre at 60 is a thriving and vital part of our cultural life.‘

The National Theatre’s commitment to developing skills and inspiring a creative workforce for the future has seen more than 60 apprentices training and developing their craft at the National Theatre in departments as varied as carpentry and scenic art to IT. The National Theatre is part of a Government pilot scheme of ‘portable’ apprentices working flexibly across organisations in collaboration with ATG, White Light and the Royal Opera House. Our network of former apprentices continues to enrich the cultural sector beyond the National Theatre with many going on to work in roles across the industry including English National Opera and Netflix.

As the National Theatre enters its seventh decade, the necessity for creating a sustainable future for theatre is paramount. The National Theatre is spearheading a new large-scale sustainability initiative, in collaboration with theatres across the industry including the Young Vic, Royal Court and Kiln. From 2024, it will bring together the theatres’ storage of costumes, props and recyclable scenery under one roof at a new site in central London to encourage reuse and reduce carbon impacts. With plans of this scale, the National Theatre looks to a future of exceptional sustainable creativity for the whole sector.

For 60 years the National Theatre has been entertaining and inspiring audiences around the world. Audiences are invited to consider making a donation to support the National Theatre to help keep theatre accessible to all, on stage and on screen for the next 60 years and beyond.  

Newcastle Theatre Royal – until Saturday 16 September 2023

5*****

Anyone who has ever worked in a theatre will tell you there is often more drama off stage than on.  But this is what inspired Michael Frayn to write Noises Off.  And thank goodness he did, this knicker-wettingly funny romp is an absolute masterclass in comedy timing and acting.

But we have to start this review with Simon Higlett’s outstanding set.  In the first act its the stage view of a beautiful country house, full of different doors, a staircase, and wide windows looking out over a beautiful garden.  In the second act, its reversed to see the back of the set, still full of doors but with emergency steps to get the cast up and down, the props by the various doors and the normal backstage things – a prompt desk, dressing rooms, uncomfortable chairs for the cast to wait.  When the set is turned back full circle in the last act to the front of stage view again, you can marvel at just how versatile the set is.  Together with Paul Pyants lighting and Gregory Clarkes sound, the set deserves a star billing all of its own

A play within a play, Noises Off follows the cast of the play “Nothing On” over its 12 weeks on the road.  Liza Goddard is Dotty Otley who plays Mrs Clackett the housekeeper.  An actress of some standing, this is her last tour and her nest egg.  At the start of the tour in Weston Super Mare, she is in a relationship with fellow actor Garry Lejeune (Dan Fredenburgh ) who plays Roger Tramplemain, an estate agent.  Roger is having an affair with Vicki, who works for the Inland Revenue.  Vicki is played by Brooke Ashton (Lisa Ambalavanar), and Brooke is having an affair with director Lloyd Dallas (Simon Shepherd).  However, Lloyd is also seeing stage manager Poppy (Nikhita Lesler). Eternally happy Belinda Blair (Lucy Robinson) plays Flavia Brent, the owner of the house who is supposed to be resident in Spain with husband Philip (Simon Coates), an author played by Frederick Fellows whose wife left him the day before the show started.  Add in Selsdon Mowbray (Matthew Kelly) who is constantly drunk and misses cues and Tim (Daniel Rainford), the stage hand who put the entire set together and also has to cover all the main roles.  Confused?  Don’t worry, it all makes perfect if not hysterical sense.

The farce “Nothing On”, is very much a whoops-there-go-my-trousers farce, but it’s the scenes backstage in act two that bring Noises Off to life.  I love a laugh out loud comedy, especially one that brings the laughs so fast, you struggle for breath.

At over 40 years old, this classic is well worth a watch.  In Newcastle until Saturday and on tour around the UK.  You’ll regret it if you miss it

Yvonne Arnaud – until Saturday 16^th September 2023

Reviewed by Heather Chalkley

4****

‘Be careful what you wish for’ definitely comes to mind in this tale of torment. Writer Torben Betts gives us a clever play revealing aspect of a broken mind, fuelled by prescription drugs, alcohol and a dying career in the limelight. This horror story unfolds itself with surprising twists and turns until all is revealed at the very end. Be prepared to jump out of your seat and laugh out loud at the turn of a penny!

The creative team have darkened the set of an eerie farmhouse with flickering lights to intensify the atmosphere perfectly, using lighting and sound to accentuate the tension even further. Be prepared for the unexpected!

Tom Chambers (Danny) does a great job of drawing you into his messed-up world that is full of constant torture. Chambers sustains the intensity of craving for adoration and need to be loved, that is reflected in his addictions. Susie Blake (Mrs Bateman) is horrifyingly funny and scary all at once! Laura White (Sarah) switches swiftly from a needy 20 something to something unexpected. Jonny Green (Jake) gives us a believable grungy young adult, displaying an angry facade, that protects the wounded child inside. Mix this in with an ex-wife (Rebecca Charles) and estranged brother (Owen Oakeshott) and you have created one cocktail that will give you heartburn that’s for sure, definitely shaken, definitely stirred!

Nottingham Theatre Royal until Wednesday 13th September 2023

Reviewed by Amy V Gathercole

3***

“Catch this ride whilst you can if you enjoy seeing a different kind of theatre”

True ghost stories are rarely seen on stage, mainly because it’s challenging to successfully create the appropriate eerie atmosphere. The Signalman is tasked with bringing a Victorian-era story to the stage, and the Rumpus Theatre company does it convincingly with some clever uses of stark lighting and minimalistic stagecraft.

Rumpus Theatre Company have adapted the Charles Dickens creation; it’s been adapted by John Goodrum, who also plays one of the lead roles.

The dark and eerie atmosphere created by the impressive lighting (designed by Keith Tuttle) is chilling and haunting throughout the performance. There’s a memorable and quite exciting opening to the play, with clever use of lighting, sound and smoke to recreate the environment of an operational railway line late at night.

The play is historical and was written by Charles Dickens, based on his own personal harrowing and tragic experience, when he was a passenger on a derailed train that killed ten people and badly wounded another forty.

The Signalman was first published by the Mugby Junction collection (a set of short stories published in 1866). It was part of a Christmas edition of All the Year Round, which was Dickens’ and some fellow writers’ annual selection of ghost stories.

A play with predominantly only two actors is always impressive; the amount of script that they have to remember and recall throughout ninety minutes is astounding. Both actors are convincing in their roles, convey mystery well and give good performances.

The Signalman of the title is John Standcot (John Goodrum), a man who seemingly leads a solitary life, who finds himself working as a signalman in Derbyshire in a remote and deep railway cutting. It’s mundane but important work, and he’s well suited to it.

A signalman had a critical job in the 1800s; they were responsible for the lives of multiple passengers several times a day. Mr Standcot works and often sleeps by an isolated tunnel where he sees what he believes to be ghosts and visions. He’s a troubled individual, running and hiding from a complicated past, and one night, a young stranger appears and asks to visit him in his small office.

The young man, Richard Brightman ( Pavan Maru), arrives surprisingly and asks if he can come and visit the railway box. He’s sensitive and worldly, an Oxford student and a gentleman of means. The question is, is he just a curious chap who wants to know more about how railways work?, or does he have his own, more personal agenda to visit Mr Standcot late one night?

As an audience, we are interestingly left with some moral quandaries to address as the play unfolds and the men’s histories are revealed. Is John seeing a real ghost? Is the spectre trying to warn him of some danger? Or is it all just in his own head? The show is worth catching to find out.

The actors and director (Karen Henson) are no strangers to the Theatre Royal. They all performed here in Nottingham a few months ago as part of the Colin McIntyre theatre group in the Nottingham Classic Thriller Season and will no doubt be back in 2024. Catch this ride whilst you can if you enjoy seeing a different kind of theatre.

TRAINSPOTTING SEQUEL IRVINE WELSH’S PORNO HITS THE WEST END

New play runs Sunday nights at the Arts Theatre West End from October 29th to December 10th for seven shows only

London run follows a limited UK tour and a sell-out run at last year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Fifteen years after TRAINSPOTTING, what has become of Renton, Sickboy, Begbie & Spud? Disturbing, shocking & extremely funny. Contains swearing, sexual language, debauchery, drug use and even more swearing. As if you’d expect anything else…

Irvine Welsh’s PORNO is a full-length stage adaptation of the novel by the same name, which sold out one of the largest Pleasance venues for a month long run at Edinburgh Fringe in 2022, earning rave reviews from audiences and critics alike.

Now the show transfers to London’s theatreland, playing a season of seven Sunday nights at the Arts Theatre West End from 29th October until 10^th December 2023, tickets are on sale now!

Prior to London, the show visits Beacon Arts Centre in Greenock on 13th September, King’s Theatre in Glasgow on 15th-16th September, then visits three Northwest venues, Liverpool Olympia on 5th October, Crewe Lyceum on 6th October and Sale Waterside (Manchester) on 7th October.

Mark Renton hasn’t been back to Leith since… well, since he robbed his pals and f*cked off to Amsterdam. Life has been… good? But there’s always been something missing. How will SICKBOY, BEGBIE & SPUD react to the return of RENTON? Have they all settled down and become respectable members of society? Did they CHOOSE LIFE? Of course, they f*cking didn’t!

The London run has an acclaimed cast of Liam Harkins (The Celtic Story, The Tommy Burns Story’ and Retreat) as Renton, Tony McGeever (Shetland, In Plain Sight, Doctors and Lord Of Rings : The Rings Of Power)as Sickboy, Jenni Duffy (River City and On The Edge)as Lizzie, Chris Gavin (Days That Shook The World, Starcaster) as Begbie, Kevin Murphy as Spud and Tom Carter (Coronation Street and Emmerdale) as Knox.

For the tour Scott Kyle (Outlander, Kilo Two Bravo, The Angel’s Share) takes the role of Renton, James McAnerney (Outlander, NEDs, Taggart, Rebus, Nightsleeper) is Sickboy, Jasmine Main (The Nest, Scot Squad, BAFTA Scotland Award Nominee) as Lizzie and Jim Brown as Knox.

PORNO is written and produced by the award-winning Davie Carswell and directed by Jonty Cameron.

Davie Carswell explained: “After a fantastic run at Edinburgh Fringe last year, it’s time to take the show on the road, stopping off at venues in Scotland, Northwest England and I am now excited to announce a run at London’s Arts Theatre West End for seven nights only across the autumn, bringing the show to Irvine Welsh fans. The adaptation follows the novel as closely as possible. We’ve used plenty of Irvine’s writing verbatim to give it a really authentic script. I loved T2, but it wasn’t Porno.

“The show deals with reaching a certain age and reflecting on what you’ve achieved, or not as the case may be. As you can expect from characters created by Irvine Welsh, the play will include sexual themes, drugs, and a lot of swearing. As if you’d expect anything else.

“I am really excited to see the reaction of the audiences across the country and on the West End run and I hope audiences will enjoy the ride.”

What the critics said…

“It’s difficult to imagine anyone but Robert Carlyle taking on the role of psychopath Begbie but Chris Gavin is a worthy successor.”

Natalie O’Donoghue – Broadway World

“Coarse, gutsy and funny. The pathos as real as the comedy.”

Mark Fisher – The Guardian

**** “Completely blown away by how great it was!”

Edinburgh Live

**** “This play is excellent. The characters fill the stage and own it.”

One4Review

**** “Everything that Trainspotting lovers wanted and more.”

Theatre Scotland

**** “A fantastic stage adaptation”

Theatre Weekly

**** “Forget Trainspotting 2, this is the real story”.

Sinners Review

Website:         www.daviecarswell.com/porno

Twitter:           @daviecar @FringePORNO

Facebook:       Irvine Welsh’s p0rn0

TOUR LISTING INFORMATION

IRVINE WELSH’S PORNO

GREENOCK – BEACON ARTS CENTRE

Wednesday 13 September 2023

www.beaconartscentre.co.uk 

GLASGOW – KINGS THEATRE

Friday 15 – Saturday 16 September 2023

www.atgtickets.com/venues/kings-theatre-glasgow

LIVERPOOL – THE OLYMPIA

Thursday 5 October 2023

www.liverpoololympia.co.uk

CREWE – LYCEUM

Friday 6 October 2023

www.crewelyceum.co.uk

SALE – WATERSIDE ARTS

Saturday 7 October 2023

www.watersidearts.org

LONDON – ARTS THEATRE WEST END

Sunday 29 October – Sunday 10 December 2023

www.artstheatrewestend.co.uk