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Darlington Hippodrome – until 31 December 2021

3.5***

There’s nothing quite like a good pantomime to get you in the festive mood (oh yes there is!) and with a great big dollop of comedy, a smattering of tunes and a sprinkling of fairy dust you’ve got all the ingredients for a successful show.

Fay Tozer leads the show as Fairy Godmother and pretty much steals the show, meaning that the rest of the cast have a much smaller role with all our focus on the Fairy Godmother.  Being a singer, Tozer is given plenty to sing about and lightens up the stage with shining talent.

The Ugly Sisters Hernia (Peter Peverley)) and Verruca (Phil Corbitt) were wonderfully over the top but woefully under used. Their garish costumes, outlandish make-up and wonderful wigs are incredibly colourful and they are the baddies of the show, but they needed more stage presence than what they had which was a shame. 

Jacob Leeson was charming as Charming and Spin was a delightful dancing Dandini.  Tanisha Butterfield was a perfect Cinderella in her first professional role. It was good to see a little girl dressed in her Princess finest get excited in the interval because, unlike the blonde haired, blued eyed Disney version, she was being represented on stage, inclusion at its finest

Patrick Monahan plays the lovable but dopey Buttons. He was at his best when he strayed from the script and began to ad lib. He worked well with Faye Tozer and the Ugly Sisters and their 12 Days of Christmas routine was ridiculously funny.

The first half covers most of the key traditional elements and introduces poor downtrodden Cinders, the cruel, spectacularly attired Ugly Sisters, the handsome prince, the nice but dim Buttons – and The Fairy Godmother. In the second act, we get the ball and the search for the owner of the glass slipper and the Happy Ever After

The hi-lights for me were the gorgeous, well-behaved  Shetland Ponies pulling Cinderella’s coach and the spectacular finale where we were treated to a medley of Steps songs from Tozer. 

Cinderella is a classic panto, fun for the whole family from 3 to 93, get to see it while you still can

Young Vic, London – until 22 January 2022

Reviewed by Claire Roderick

4****

James Graham takes aim at American politics in this acerbic and eye-opening play. The sea change caused by the TV coverage of the 1968 election is examined – the role of media and the public’s attitude for watching verbal dogfights rather than measured analysis is skewered and asks the audience to question just how much attitudes have changed in the past 50 years.

In 1968, protests against the war in Vietnam were on the rise, Malcolm X and Bobby Kennedy were assassinated, and the Democrat and Republican conventions were electing their presidential candidates. Desperate to win audiences from the larger networks, ABC come up with an unconventional convention coverage. They book two wealthy white men who have no idea what life is like outside their bubble of privilege with opposing views to comment on the conventions – the liberal Gore Vidal (Charles Edwards) and the conservative William F. Buckley Jr (David Harewood). Two. The two men are, as Buckley’s wife comments, two sides of the same coin – egocentric, stubborn and intellectual snobs. The series of programmes becomes a battle of quips and slurs until a devastating outburst that becomes a watershed moment in TV history. The scenes where the two men are planning strategies for the upcoming programme with their teams are a delight as they both convince themselves that they are the cleverest man in the room.

As Buckley, David Harewood recreates all of Buckley’s little ticks and is completely believable as an egotistical right-wing WASP. Charles Edwards is wonderful as Vidal, slick and slyly witty with all the charm that Buckley lacks. The rest of the cast all play multiple roles brilliantly, with the TV executives and politicians hilariously mercenary. Syrus Lowe is unmissable as straight-talking James Baldwin – acting as Vidal’s sounding board and advisor when things get too much.

For a play based on interviews, this is never static, and the audience’s attention is given no opportunity to stray. Director Jeremy Herrin intersperses demonstrations, famous speeches and music to maintain the energy and momentum of this fascinating story. Very funny, groan-inducingly relevant and superbly acted – Best Of Enemies is not to be missed.

Rose Theatre, Kingston-Upon-Thames – until 3rd January 2022

Reviewed by Bobbi Fenton

5*****

‘Beauty and the Beast’ follows the classic fairy tale story of Bella (Amelia Kinu Muus), whose father, Francesco (Oliver Senton) has been cursed with an illness. Bella sets out to find a cure, and in the process meets Beast (Stanton Wright) who saves her when she finds herself in danger. While staying as a guest in the palace, Bella uncovers the secret to her father’s illness, and how it relates to the beast. Francesco fearing Bella finding out the truth, sends a ‘rescue party’ led by the hilarious Felice (Amy Lawrence) to find her and bring her home before she learns about the past, and the truth about the magic rose bush. This story is being told by Florian (Jacob Towey) to his two younger siblings, teenager Jasmine (Amelie Abbott) who has some very funny comments about the story, and ten-year-old Rue (Alexander Forster) who is totally mesmerised by the story. The story is interrupted by the trio every so often, to add comments or to ask questions.

Amelia Kinu Muus does a fantastic job of portraying Bella, with incredibly powerful vocals that had even the most restless children in the audience completely captivated. Also, let’s not forget about the fantastic performance by Daniel Goode and Paula James in playing Felice’s parents, who seem to use Felice for their own benefit, while bad mouthing her to others. They also play a couple who live at the Palace. The pair’s singing is incredible, and their two characters perfectly juxtapose one another.

The set, which has been made to look like a room in an attic, separates into two, to make the space slightly bigger, and show the ladders behind it, which light up different colours in different scenes. There are also two levels above the stage, which are littered with furniture and lamps, and lightbulbs hanging from the flight rig.

It is a perfect trip out for everyone, with amazing songs and a fantastic story. This show is made of pure magic, and will leave you absolutely amazed. Get to the Rose Theatre and buy a ticket, just remember to be careful what you wish for.

Leicester Square Theatre – until 15 January 2022

Reviewed by Claire Roderick

4****

Sh!t-Faced Showtime’s chaotic version of A Christmas Carol is simply hilarious.

Before each show, one member of the cast drinks as much as they can, and the rest have to cope with the aftermath on stage. Presided over by a sequinned Charles Dickens, who hands out props for audience members to decide when to give the actor another drink, the audience are encouraged to be loud and rowdy. On press night, the drunk was playing Scrooge, causing a swerve in the plot within minutes as he gave one clerk Christmas Day off, promised Bob Cratchit a Diwali break and arranged for Gavin to cover the office.

Christmas classics from Wham and, of course, Slade are scattered throughout the show, given new lyrics and are weirdly brilliant sung in Victorian costume. The production goes full adult panto with Mrs Fezziwig’s appearance, and the cast coped brilliantly improvising around drunk Scrooge’s actions and lines. As the ghosts appeared to show Scrooge the error of his ways, Scrooge got frisky with Marley, came out as gay and ended up providing a running commentary and a (thoroughly deserved) appreciation thread about the cast’s ability to make call-backs to his ridiculous earlier contributions. Press night’s ending was definitely not as Dickens wrote it!

Rude, silly and fantastically unpredictable, A Pissedmas Carol is the perfect night out with friends – Christmas entertainment that will make you sob with laughter.

Park Theatre – until 8 January 2022

Reviewed by Claire Roderick

4****

Alexander Knott’s atmospheric take on A Christmas Carol places Bob Cratchit centre stage as familiar events from Dickens’ story are related to the audience through his eyes. What begins as a seemingly straightforward retelling soon develops into something darker and more surreal as Bob is fleshed out and he becomes more 3 dimensional and much more interesting than the long-suffering character we know. Although Scrooge becomes a side character in the play, his influence is ever present as Bob details the events leading up to Christmas Eve.

It turns out that Threadneedle and Stoneworth are nasty thugs a la Bill Sykes, who take advantage of a drunk Bob to set up the con of collecting for charity and are not best pleased when they can’t get money out of Scrooge. Their retribution forces Bob into a downward spiral where he contemplates violence against Scrooge and himself until Marley’s ghost announces the visits of three ghosts.

John Dagleish is incredible as Cratchit – morphing between Bob, Threadneedle and the Master with wondrous ease. He gives a masterclass in physicality and characterisation during the scenes where he is basically beating himself up in the confrontations between Threadneedle and Bob. The darker, less likeable side of Bob that Knott creates are not glossed over, with Bob directing explanations and excuses to the audience in a matey way. This is still a very Victorian creation with attitudes of that period, and Dagleish manages to keep the audience’s sympathy throughout. Freya Sharp plays various members of the Cratchit family, as well as nephew Fred and John Stoneworth – broad and comic in the first act, but with a more sinister edge in the second. The pair work brilliantly together, with their contrasting styles complimenting each other and adding an extra layer to the discomfort and confusion Bob is feeling.

Emily Bestow’s set is sparse but effective – universal enough to be evocative in every nightmare setting the ghosts show Bob. James Demaine and Samuel Heron’s sound and music is phenomenal, with the eerie soundscape during the interval enough to make your skin crawl and definite encouragement to escape to the bar.

Knott’s visions of the future that cause Bob to re-evaluate his life are both nightmarish and ridiculous, leaving the audience as disorientated as Bob as he is shown a soulless industrial revolution and the horrors of war before a seemingly idyllic late 20th century Soho reveals its bleak underside. Throughout the drama, there is always a sly aside from Bob to the audience to lighten the tone and relieve the tension, and Bob’s final realisation may not be earth shattering, but felt perfect for the character.

Disturbing and darkly funny, with two bravura performances, Cratchit is a must see for anyone who likes a chilling tale for Christmas.

First look at the National Theatre’s new musical Hex, based on Sleeping Beauty, as the first selection of production images are released

Friday 10 December 2021

The National Theatre has today released a first look at Hex, a new musical based on Sleeping Beauty which is currently open for previews in the Olivier theatre.

Rosalie Craig plays the fairy in this vividly original retelling of Sleeping Beauty: a mythic, big-hearted musical that goes beyond the waking kiss.

Deep in the wood, a lonely fairy longs for someone to bless. When she is summoned to the palace to help the princess sleep, her dream turns into a nightmare and her blessing becomes a curse. Soon, she is plunged into a frantic, hundred-year quest to somehow make everything right.

The cast is led by Tamsin Carroll as Queenie, Rosalie Craig as Fairy, Michael Elcock as Bert and Kat Ronney as Rose.   

Rufus Norris directs with music by Jim Fortune, book by Tanya Ronder, lyrics by Rufus Norris, designs by Katrina Lindsay and choreography by Jade Hackett.

The cast also includes Christopher Akrill, Delroy Atkinson, Esme Bacalla-Hayes, Natasha J Barnes, Madeline Charlemagne, Ebony Clarke, Sonya Cullingford, Hanna Dimtsu, Tamsin Dowsett, Joe Foster, Ben Goffe, Daisy Maywood, Kody Mortimer, Joseph Prouse, Sasha Shadid, Shaq Taylor and Sargon Yelda.

Orchestrations by Simon Hale, music supervision by Marc Tritschler, music direction by Tarek Merchant, lighting design by Paul Anderson, choreography by Jade Hackett with consultant choreography by Bill Deamer, sound design by Simon Baker and video design by Ash Woodward.

Hex will be in the Olivier theatre until 22 January 2022. It is recommended for ages 8+.

Hex will be broadcast to cinemas as a National Theatre Live from Thursday 17 March in the UK and Thursday 5 May internationally.

Salisbury Playhouse – until 31st December 2021

Reviewed by Lucy Hitchcock

4****

Panto is back in town-oh no it isn’t! Oh yes it is!!

Wiltshire creative brings their adaptation to Salisbury Playhouse and boy, is it a good one!

A twist on the well known and loved ‘Snow White’ sees Greg Barnett, Rebecca Cooper, Jake Mitchell, Martha Pothen and Consuela Rolle as the multitude of characters making up this brilliant performance. Set In a 1950’s hair salon, Snow is trying to make her aunt Trish proud by working her magic on the 3 Little Pigs, Big Bad Wolf and many other fairytale staples. She suddenly finds herself in peril when her Aunt Trish decides to kill her, so she goes to live with a group of 7 moles underground (puppets no less!). But will Snow escape her Aunt, or will she end up frazzled?

For me, the set was brilliantly utilised. James Button (designer) has done a sterling job with taking a small scale theatre and using it to its full potential. Together with Gareth Machin and Nicky Griffiths for direction and choreography, this is a true toe tapping extravaganza. A sparkling pink set dons the stage for the majority of the show, with a few changes here and there. It really does feel like you are within a salon!

Each and every member of this cast was superb and did an amazing job as changing their roles so quickly and making the audience believe this small cast of 5 was 15 people! The stand out performance of the night was certainly Greg Barnett. He has a stunning voice that was on show during the final number and embodied every character within an inch of their lives. Martha Polen was also exceptional as Trish-with a flair of hilarity mixed with the perfect amount of evil. I did feel as though there could have been more opportunities for the traditional boos and hiss that the evil queen demands, but this did not dampen this brilliant performance. Every member should be proud of their performances and you could see where they excelled, there was an issue with Consuela Rolle’s microphone which was swiftly sorted by backstage crew. However, I did find that Rolle’s singing voice was not as strong as her brilliantly endearing acting.

Jake Mitchell and Rebecca Cooper added so much more to the performance-Mitchell has an exquisite way with words and really made the performance his own. Cooper had one of the most demanding aspects of the show, with multiple quick changes that were seamlessly beautiful.

This is a brilliant performance, with exceptional actors and is really on par with any touring pantomime with headline actors. I thoroughly enjoyed the show and would urge you to join the salon and make sure you keep your wigs on when you find out Trish’s plan!

ACTING FOR OTHERS ANNOUNCES THEIR

ALTERNATIVE BUCKET COLLECTIONS CAMPAIGN

Today, theatrical charity Acting for Others announces their alternative bucket collections, marking the 18^th year of their post-show fundraising campaign. From now, until24 December, donations to Acting for Others can be made via text or by scanning QR codes at a range of venues across London, and via text at regional theatres, with 29 venues taking part.

Jenny Agutter, Ambassador of Acting for Others, said today “It has been a very difficult time for the industry and there are many people desperately in need of the help provided by Acting for Others member charities. We are incredibly grateful for the generous supporter we have received, but here is still a long way to go. As an Ambassador for A4O, I know how crucial their work is, the donations from audiences during this time really do make a difference to the lives of so many.”

Throughout the pandemic, Acting for Others has raised over £1.7 million, and through the network of member charities, over £8 million has been disbursed to workers across the theatre industry, including performers, front of house staff, technical staff, directors, writers and more.

Acting for Others is an umbrella organisation for a network of 14 theatrical charities which use the funds raised to offer emotional and financial support to all theatre workers in times of need. These theatre collections are supported by all the leading theatre groups including Ambassadors Theatre Group, Delfont Mackintosh Theatre, Nimax, LW Theatres, Bill Kenwright Ltd as well as virtually every major grant-aided company and commercial producers.

Initial Participating Venues:

Adelphi Theatre

Ambassadors Theatre

Apollo Theatre

Apollo Victoria Theatre

Charing Cross Theatre

Criterion Theatre

Duchess Theatre

Fortune Theatre

Garrick Theatre

Gielgud Theatre

Gillian Lynne Theatre

Her Majesty’s Theatre

Jermyn Street Theatre

London Palladium

Lyceum Theatre London

Lyric Theatre London

National Theatre

Noël Coward Theatre

Palace Theatre

Phoenix Theatre

Prince Edward Theatre

Prince of Wales Theatre

The Royal Opera House

Shaftesbury Theatre

Sondheim Theatre

Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Trafalgar Studios

Vaudeville Theatre

Victoria Palace Theatre

MADE AT CURVE’S PRODUCTION OF

IRVING BERLIN’S

WHITE CHRISTMAS

THE MUSICAL

RETURNS WINTER 2022

WITH NEW UK TOUR

COMING TO

NOTTINGHAM, SUNDERLAND AND LIVERPOOL

Jamie Wilson, Mark Goucher, Gavin Kalin and Kevin McCollum are thrilled to announce the welcome return of Made at Curve’s production of Irving Berlin’s WHITE CHRISTMAS for 2022. The much-loved stage adaptation of the timeless classic will embark on a brand-new UK tourfor the festive season,opening on Tuesday 22 November 2022 at Nottingham Theatre Royal, before visiting the Sunderland Empire and Liverpool Empire. Full casting will be announced in due course.

A romantic comedy to warm hearts of all ages, WHITE CHRISTMAS features the beloved songs “Blue Skies”, “Sisters”, “I Love A Piano”, “Count Your Blessings (Instead of Sheep)” and the most famous festive song of all… “White Christmas”.

Join veterans Bob Wallace and Phil Davis as – fuelled by love – the all-singing, all-dancing duo follow the stunning Haynes Sisters, Betty & Judy to a Vermont lodge for a special Christmas show. Their journey takes a misstep, and their rhythm is thrown off when they discover the lodge happens to be owned by Bob and Phil’s old Army General, who is in desperate need of their help.

WHITE CHRISTMAS has Music and Lyrics by Irving Berlin and a Book by David Ives and Paul Blake. It is based on the original production by Curve Artistic Director Nikolai Foster (Annie, Breakfast at Tiffany’s). It is directed by Ian Talbot OBE (High Society, Anything Goes) and choreographed by two-time Olivier Award-winning choreographer Stephen Mear CBE (Mary Poppins, Gypsy). Set Design is by Michael Taylor and Costume Design is by Diego Pitarch. Musical Supervision is by Stephen Brooker, Lighting Design by Mark Henderson and Sound Design by Tom Marshall. Orchestrations are by Larry Blank with New Musical arrangements by Jason Carr.

Presented by special arrangement with Concord Theatricals Ltd. on behalf of R&H Theatricals.

WHITE CHRISTMAS is produced by Jamie Wilson, Mark Goucher, Gavin Kalin and Kevin McCollum with Hunter Arnold, Jason Haigh-Ellery, Laurence Myers, InTheatre, Curve and Carlos Candal.

ACCLAIMED NEW MUSICAL EXTENDS WEST END SEASON

THE DRIFTERS GIRL NOW BOOKING TO 2 JULY 2022

BEVERLEY KNIGHT

PLAYS FAYE TREADWELL, THE DRIFTERS’ LEGENDARY MANAGER

ALSO STARS

ADAM J BERNARD, TARINN CALLENDER,

MATT HENRY & TOSH WANOGHO-MAUD

Hit songs include Stand By Me, Saturday Night at the Movies,

Under The Boardwalk, Save The Last Dance For Me

and Kissin in the Back Row of the Movies

At Garrick Theatre, London

Michael Harrison and David Ian are thrilled to announce today that The Drifters Girl – the brand new musical which tells the remarkable story of one of the world’s greatest vocal groups and the woman who made them – is to extend its run at Garrick Theatre in London to Saturday 2 July 2022.

The Drifters Girl stars Beverley Knight as Faye Treadwell, the legendary manager of The Drifters, and Adam J Bernard, Tarinn Callender, Matt Henry and Tosh Wanogho-Maud as the iconic group.

Beverley Knight plays Faye Treadwell, who, alongside her husband, fought for three decades to turn Atlantic Records’ hottest vocal group into a global phenomenon.

From the highs of hit records and sell out tours to the lows of legal battles and personal tragedy, The Drifters Girl charts the trailblazing efforts of the world’s first African American, female music manager and how she refused to ever give up on the group she loved. Thirty years, and hundreds of hit songs later, there is no doubt that Faye Treadwell was and always will be, The Drifters Girl.

Adam J Bernard exploded into the West End limelight when he originated the role of Jimmy ‘Thunder’ Early in Dreamgirls, for which he was awarded an Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical.

Tarinn Callender originated the roles of Hercules Mulligan and James Madison in the West End production of the international musical phenomenon Hamilton. His other credits include the Olivier Award winning production of Come From Away.

Award-winning actor, singer, songwriter and artist Matt Henry won an Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his performance as Lola in Kinky Boots, for which he also received a Grammy Award nomination for the London cast recording.

As a finalist on the BBC’s The Voice, Matt’s performance of Ray LaMontagne’s ‘Trouble’ racked up over four million hits on YouTube and the original ‘Trouble’ re-entered the UK charts that week, testament to Matt’s performance.

Tosh Wanogho-Maud played Jimmy in the West End musical Dreamgirls. His other West End credits include Show Boat, The Book of Mormon and playing the role of Simba in The Lion King.

The Drifters Girl boasts an incredible soundtrack of some of the most famous songs in history, including Save The Last Dance For Me, Under The Boardwalk, Kissin In The Back Row Of The Movies, Stand By Me, Come On Over To My Place, Saturday Night At The Movies and many more.

The Drifters Girl, with abook by Ed Curtis, based on an idea by Tina Treadwell, and which is co-created by Beverley Knight, Adam J Bernard, Tarinn Callender, Matt Henry and Tosh Wanogho-Maud is directed by Jonathan Church, with set design by Anthony Ward, choreography by Karen Bruce, costume design by Fay Fullerton, orchestrations and musical supervision by Chris Egan lighting design by Ben Cracknell, sound design by Tom Marshall and video design by Andrzej Goulding. Associate Director is Tyrone Huntley and Associate Choreographer is Myles Brown with casting by Stuart Burt and children’s casting by Jo Hawes.

The Drifters Girl is produced by Michael Harrison and David Ian.