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Royal & Derngate announces its Made in Northampton2019 Christmas Show

The World Premiere of
Pippi Longstocking
by Astrid Lindgren
A Musical Adventure

Adapted for the stage by Mike Akers
Original music by Stu Barker

Tuesday 10 to Tuesday 31 December 2019

Royal & Derngate announces another world premiere production, a musical staging of Pippi Longstocking, for the venue’s Made in Northampton 2019 Christmas show. Meanwhile, the venue’s 2018 Christmas production of The Worst Witch continues to tour the UK. Pippi Longstockingis adapted for the stage for the first time by Mike Akers from Astrid Lindgren’s much-loved books, with original music by Stu Barker. It will be directed by The Wardrobe Ensemble’s Jesse Jones andHelena Middleton who co-directed Education, Education, Education for Royal & Derngate in 2017.

Celebrating nearly 75 years since Astrid Lindgren first conceived Pippi Longstocking as “the strongest girl in the world”, this stage premiere of one of our best loved children’s books promises an epic musical adventure set against a Northamptonshire backdrop that will be created especially for Christmas audiences at Royal & Derngate.

Nine-year-old Pippi is strong, brave and fearless. When she comes to live in her new home with her monkey and horse but with no parents and no rules, she brings mischief, chaos and confusion to the folk of this ordinary Midlands town. Pippi takes charge of her own crazy adventures, with her two new friends, Tommy and Annika. What else would you expect from the daughter of a swashbuckling pirate captain?

Pippi Longstocking has been adapted for the stage by playwright Mike Akers whose numerous family shows include Treasure Island, Peter Pan and Jane Eyre for Bristol Old Vic and the National Theatre.

Composed by Stu Barker, whose West End and Broadway credits with Kneehigh Theatre Company include Brief Encounter and The Red Shoes, this energetic and joyful production will be directed by The Wardrobe Ensemble’s Jesse Jones and Helena Middleton, who together directed Royal & Derngate’s co-production of Education, Education, Education, which won The Stage Award for Best Ensemble and a Fringe First. Jesse’s other credits for Royal & Derngate include early years Christmas show Second Star to the Right, whilst Helena’s family production of The Star Seekersrecently played at the National Theatre.

This enchanting family show is co-produced by Wizard Presents and ABA International Touring (UK) as part of Royal & Derngate’s Made in Northampton season.

Pippi Longstocking takes to the Royal stage from Tuesday 10 to Tuesday 31 December 2019. For more information, call Royal & Derngate’s Box Office on 01604 624811 or visitwww.royalandderngate.co.uk. Pippi Longstocking is presented by arrangement with IPR Ltd in cooperation with Nordiska ApS., Copenhagen.

Other forthcoming Made in Northampton productions include a new version of Ibsen’s Ghosts by Mike Poulton directed by Lucy Bailey and starring Penny Downie, James Wilby and Declan Conlon, a co-production of Richard III starring Tom Mothersdale, the regional premiere of August Wilson’s Two Trains Running, directed by Nancy Medina, winner of the 2018 RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award, and a new romantic musical comedy by Jim Barne and Kit Buchan, The Season. Royal & Derngate’s Christmas 2018 co-production of Jill Murphy’s The Worst Witch, adapted by Emma Reeves and directed by Theresa Heskins, is currently touring the UK.

Made in Northampton is sponsored locally by Michael Jones Jeweller.

@RoyalDerngate / #MadeInNorthampton / #pippimusical

* A charge of £3 applies for all transactions of £15 and over. Does not apply to Groups, Friends or Disabled Patrons, and is per-transaction, not per-ticket.

Sonia Friedman Productions presents
ROSMERSHOLM
By Henrik Ibsen
In a new adaptation by Duncan Macmillan
Directed by Ian Rickson

• STRIKING NEW UNDERWATER IMAGE OF ROSMERSHOLM RELEASED TODAY 
   
• TOM BURKE, HAYLEY ATWELL AND GILES TERERA LEAD THE CAST
   
• ROSMERSHOLM BEGINS PREVIEWS ON WEDNESDAY 24 APRIL AT DUKE OF YORK’S THEATRE

Sonia Friedman Productions have today released a new show image for Rosmersholm which begins previews at the Duke of York’s Theatre on 24th April. 

Tom Burke (Strike, The Musketeers) will play the soulful John Rosmer haunted by history and tradition. Hayley Atwell (Howards End, Captain America) will be Rebecca West, an enigmatic and unpredictable, free-spirited heroine. Giles Terera (Hamilton, West End) will be Andreas Kroll, a powerful moral voice, who struggles to reconcile his friendship to Rosmer amidst the changing political tides.

Henrik Ibsen’s classic examination of a country in state of political flux has been adapted byDuncan Macmillan and is directed by Ian Rickson.  The cast also includes Lucy Briers (Wolf Hall, West End/Broadway) as Mrs Helseth, Jake Fairbrother (Lady from the Sea, Donmar Warehouse) as Peter Mortensgaard and Peter Wight (The Birthday Party, West End) as Ulrik Brendel.

An election looming. A country on the brink. A rabid press baying for blood. At the centre of the storm is Rosmersholm, the grand house of an influential dynasty. This is where the future will be decided by John Rosmer – a man torn between the idealised hope of the future and the ghosts of his past.

Rosmersholm will play at the Duke of York’s Theatre from April 24th, with an opening night of May 2nd. The run will end on July 20th.

Produced by Sonia Friedman Productions
With Brenda Leff, Colin Callender, John Gore, 1001 Nights Productions, Burnt Umber Productions, Bradford W. Edgerton Living Trust, Tulchin Bartner Productions.

Fragen Theatre in association with Park Theatre present the World Premiere of

HELL YES I’M TOUGH ENOUGH

24Apr – 18 May 2019 | Park Theatre

Casting has been announced for the World Premiere production of Hell Yes I’m Tough Enough, a modern historical satire exposing the farcical pantomime behind the British 2015 election circuit. Informed by sources within the government, the production stars Ben Hood, Michael Edwards, Cassandra Hercules, Edward Halsted, Venice Van Someren, Mikhail Sen, Annie Tyson, James Bryant and Ben Alderton. The official press night will be Friday 26 April, 7pm at Park Theatre.

Political leaders Ned Contraband and David Carter ruthlessly battle it out to get into government. Whether it’s propaganda, ridicule, hacking, leaking, bullying, blackmail, coalition or negotiation – no tactic is too low. Which party has the best pitch? Who do we set up for failure? Why are we in this situation in the first place? And who is this peculiar janitor talking in riddles? One thing is clear: the system is very much broken. But who’s going to fix it?

Playwright Ben Alderton said of the play’s origins: “Hell Yes I’m Tough Enough took shape when, after years of our current political malaise, I began to explore what felt like the genesis for the personalities behind our current predicaments: the 2015 election. After years of research and working with inside sources to better understand the true personalities behind the podiums, I shared the script with contacts I’d made within the government. What I thought would be dismissed as a farcical and farfetched satire of debauchery was, I was told, uncannily and uncomfortably close to the truth. So much has come to pass since 2015, but this play serves as a worrying reminder of the pressures of political office, and the mechanisms that humans use to cope when the cameras are off.”

Playwright Ben Alderton will also play political leader David Carter, alongside Ben Hood (RANK – The Lowry;Faulty Towers The Dining Experience and The Wedding Reception – internationally touring) in the role of the opposition, Ned Contraband. In addition to being a playwright, Ben is an accomplished actor having appeared in productions for Secret Cinema (28 Days Later; Empire Strikes Back and Dr. Strangelove), and other recent work including You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown (Junction) and Planter’s Island (Black Box).

They are joined by Edward Halsted in the role of the mysterious janitor. Edward has performed extensively for Punchdrunk (Firebird Ball; The Yellow Wallpaper; The Drowned Man and the title role in Faust). His other credits include Twelve Angry Men (national tour); Lady Anna: All at Sea (Park Theatre and tour); Single Spies(National Theatre and West End) and Simon At Midnight (Young Vic).

The cast is completed by Michael Edwards (Counting Sheep – Vault Festival; The Fifth Column – Southwark Playhouse) as Will; Cassandra Hercules (One Hundred Trillion – Southwark Playhouse; Lest We Forget – Greenwich Theatre) as Sharon; Venice Van Someren (The Real Thing – Theatre Royal Bath/UK tour; Dear Brutus– Southwark Playhouse) as Poppy; Mikhail Sen (Troilus and Cressida – RSC; Taj Express – U.S tour and Sadler’s Wells London) as Patrick; Annie Tyson (King Lear – Old Vic; The Enemies Within – Young Vic) as Glyniss, andJames Bryant (PINKY – Feature Film; Street Magic – The Bunker Theatre) as Nick Clog.

CREATIVE TEAM

Ben Alderton – Writer

Roland Reynolds – Director

Isabella Van Braeckel – Designer

Alex Hopkins – Lighting Designer

Julian Starr – Sound Designer

Lewis Daniel – Composer

Annie Tayler – Producer

www.parktheatre.co.uk

Box office: 020 7870 6876*

DINOSAUR WORLD LIVE ROARS INTO WEMBLEY PARKWITH A SUMMER SEASON AT THE NEW TROUBADOUR WEMBLEY PARK THEATRE

18 July – 1 September 2019

Direct from the West End, DINOSAUR WORLD LIVE, the interactive children’s theatre show that brings dinosaurs to life on stage, today announces a seven-week summer season at the brand-new Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre. DINOSAUR WORLD LIVE will be one of the first productions to run at the new fully-flexible performance space located in North West London’s newest cultural neighbourhood, playing from Thursday 18 July to Sunday 1 September 2019, tickets go on sale today.

DINOSAUR WORLD LIVE is currently touring the UK and returns to London due to popular demand. It follows a hugely successful national tour last year, including a smash-hit season at Regent’s Park Open-Air Theatre. 

Using stunning puppetry to bring remarkably life-like dinosaurs to the stage, DINOSAUR WORLD LIVE presents a host of impressive pre-historic creatures including every child’s favourite flesh-eating giant, the Tyrannosaurus Rex, along with a Giraffatitan, Microraptor, Segnosaurus and Triceratops. The show introduces Miranda, daughter of palaeontologists, who grew up surrounded by dinosaurs on a far-away island off the coast of South America. She has brought her pre-historic pals to Wembley Park and would love you to meet them. Warning: some of these dinosaurs aren’t as docile as they seem!

DINOSAUR WORLD LIVE delivers an entertaining and educational live show for all the family, suitable for all ages 3 and above. Each performance is followed by a post-show meet and greet where audience members have the opportunity to meet the dinosaurs up close and in person. Tickets are selling out fast on tour, so we urge all dino-lovers to book now for Wembley Park before tickets become extinct! 

Written and directed by Derek Bond (Sweet Charity, Manchester Theatre Awards 2017 winner, Little Shop of Horrors Manchester Royal Exchange), the creative team includes: Puppet Designer Max Humphries (National Theatre, Royal Opera House, Cirque de Soleil); Puppet Director Laura Cubitt (Running Wild, Chichester Festival Theatre; Don Quixote, RSC; War Horse NT Berlin); Puppetry Consultant Toby Olié (for the National Theatre: Elephantom, Peter Pan, The Light Princess, Hansel & Gretel, NT: 50 Years on Stage and also the original hind puppeteer of Joey in War Horse); Set & Costume Designer James Perkins; Lighting Designer John Maddox and Sound Designer Tom Mann. 

The cast includes: Lucy Varney (Miranda), Romina Hytten (Puppeteer / Understudy Miranda), Darcy Collins (Puppeteer / Puppet Captain), Gary Mitchinson (Puppeteer), Peter Twose (Puppeteer), Emily Cooper (Puppeteer / Puppet Technician). 

DINOSAUR WORLD LIVE is produced by Nicoll Entertainment.

Listings Information:

DINOSAUR WORLD LIVE 

Venue Address:Troubadour Wembley Park TheatreFulton Rd, Wembley HA9 8TS

Thu 18 July – Sun 1 September 2019Performance Times:18 – 19 Jul:-Thu 1.30pm & 4pmFri 1.30pm & 4pm
20 Jul – 1 Sep:-Wed 11amThu & Fri 11am & 2pmSat 10.30am & 12.30pmSun 11am & 2pm

Box Office:Telephone bookings: 0844 815 4865*

Website:www.dinosaurworldlive.com | www.troubadourtheatres.com/wembley-park *7p/min plus network access charge

Social Media: Twitter/Instagram: @dinoworldlive @troubadourWParkFacebook: /dinoworldlive /TroubadourWembleyParkTheatre

Prices: Tickets from £14School Groups 10+ £10.00 (plus 1 teacher free with every 10 tickets booked)Groups 10+ £14.50

Access Bookings: 0333 320 1663

Group and School’s Bookings: 0203 701 9370

Age Guidance: Suitable for ages 3+ 

Running Time: 50 minutes + 15 min post show meet and greet with the dinosaurs

ALMACK PRODUCTIONS PRESENT

Starring

DILLIE KEANE

Let there be light… applause and laughter. Actress and comedian Dillie Keane will lead the cast in new production of the original irreverent comedy musical Nunsense, as it makes a pilgrimage to London for a limited run at Union Chapel 18-20 July.

Olivier award-nominated Dillie Keane is probably best known as one third of the comedy cabaret trio Fascinating Aïda with a prominent solo career. Theatre credits include Perrier Award-nominated showSingle Again and many additional one woman shows including Citizen Keane and Back With You. Keane wrote songs for Sandi Toksvig’s musical comedy Big Night Out which she also starred in and other theatre works, amongst many, include A Slice of Life, Dancing at Lughnasa, Charley’s Aunt,, Present Laughter ,The Vagina Monologues, Little Women, Grumpy Old Women Live, Me and My Girl,and  Frank and Dolly. Television includes Pie in the Sky and The Truth About Women.

Dillie tells us that ‘Taking the role of Sister Mary Regina seems like a natural step in my career following a convent education, a kind of aversion therapy, if you like.  I am particularly delighted to be playing the ‘Top Nun’.  It means I haven’t had to climb the ranks from Sister Floor-Washer to Sister Communion-Wine-Buyer, and I’ve jumped straight in at Reverend Mother level.  Brilliant.  I can’t wait to bring this hilarious show back to London after such a long time and in such a fabulously appropriate venue’

Winner of the Outer Critics’ Circle awards for the best Off-Broadway musical and praised by audiences the world over for more than 30 years, Nunsense is a true international triumph having been translated into over 25 languages and performed around the globe.

Nunsense see’s five survivors of the Little Sisters of Hoboken convent (following an unfortunate incident of unintended soup poisoning!) putting on benefit to make up the shortfall on funds for the burial of the remaining 4 of the 52 dead. The sisterhood come together at the Union Chapel for an all-singing, all-dancing revue – with a bit of circus thrown in for good measure! Meet Sister Mary ‘Amnesia’ and city slicking nun Sister Robert Anne as calamities unfold whilst Mother Superior tries in vain to maintain order, but mischievousness prevails!

Nunsense is directed and choreographed by Andrew Wright, with lighting design by Jack Weir, sound design by Calum Martin and casting from Debbie O’Brien and  Harry J Blumenau. It is produced by ALMACK Productions, which was founded in 2017 by Alan Mackintosh, and follows previous critically acclaimed sell-out productions of Nunsense and Little Shop of Horrors in his home town of Inverness.

Alan says; “Nunsense is a laugh out loud show which never grows old! Having previously produced the show in Inverness in 2018, I’m delighted to share this side-splitting musical at such a gorgeous – and fitting- venue. To bring this back to London after such a long time with the incomparable Dillie Keane in such a fabulous role is the perfect London debut for Almack productions’

Prepare for uproarious fun, classic sing along songs from the sisters and witness for yourself what makes this musical one of the longest-running off-Broadway shows in history. Book your tickets today at www.NunsenseLondon.com to revel in this divine comedy musical

Thanks to the lovely people at Bristol Hippodrome we have a fabulous competition

In order to win a pair of tickets to see Calendar Girls, at Bristol Hippodrome, on Tuesday July 9th at 7.30pm – just answer this simple question:

To what organisation do the Calendar Girls belong?

Competition closes on Thursday 4 April at 1pm

To enter email [email protected]

Richmond Theatre – until 23 March 2019

Reviewed by Prachya van de Gevel

5*****

Family Fun for all ages!

My friend text me saying he thinks Tom Gates may be designed for children, as I had no idea about the show before I arrived, and whilst there were indeed many children, there was also many adults of all ages.

I tell you something I had such a good time, characters from Liz Pichon’s imagination and inspired in small part I am sure by her own children. Tom is known for his talented gifts as an artist and when given the opportunity to draw on a council doodle wall, and gets caught by a lady drawing on the wrong wall, you can only imagine the chaos that ensues, especially with a mysterious lady (Ebony Wong) that seems to pop up at every turn causes many hilarious situations that even as an adult we can all relate to.

Tom Gates (Matthew Chase) along with his friends, Norman (Justin Davies), Amy (Amy Hargreaves) and best friend Derek (Matthew Gordon) are navigating through the haphazard of school life being thwarted by school tell tale Marcus (Ashley Cousins) whilst being in an awesome Rock Band “Dog Zombies”. When not in school Tom has a crazy home life of his mildly eccentric parents and grandparents. Mum and Dad (Alice Redmond and Daniel Harkin) are great as the parents they bring in just as many laughs as the main cast. Tom’s sister Delia, also played by Amy Hargreaves, is a typical sullen teenager all in black with a monstrous attitude, but it’s the special effects like the thunder that follows her around under her rain cloud that really steal the show.

The set is wonderful, complex transitions from scene to scene that are overlaid with projections and animations, and like magic set pieces appear from no where. This alongside the music and soundtrack made for a wonderful evening of entertainment.

One of the best things about the show was the pure imagination and innocence of the story. A world where children are still drawing, playing music and actively socialising with their friends. There are no mobile phones, no games consoles just pure wholesome fun. For the shows targeted audience I am sure it will be a sure fire hit as it is entertaining on all levels that the parents will appreciate. The humour and the all new story line from a beloved character of over 15 books brought to life by a great cast and creates a fun night out for everyone.

York Theatre Royal – until 23 March 2019

Reviewed by Marcus Richardson

4****

Remains of the Day, a beloved and iconic novel has been adapted to the stage. At York Theatre Royal I got to experience the show that focuses on Mr. Stevens, a butler who works at Darlington Hall. A tale that could be described as the love story that never happened. Constantly switching between past and present we have a glimpse into life before World War II and after the war, the story hides important messages and subtly touches upon subjects regarding the war without being a war based play/novel.

The main character of Mr. Stevens is pretty much always present on stage, played by Steven Boxer. Constantly switching between the moment and his memories which is a task itself, Boxer does a tremendous job at giving the character a different ‘character’ in the different times; we see a cold butler only living to serve and although his persona is very British in the way he keeps his emotions hidden and is distant from both the audience and other characters we watch as he becomes friendlier and opens up to people and the audience. The Character of Ms Kenton, played by Niamh Cusack, is a breath of fresh air compared to Stevens, with a bubbly and lifting personality, the relationship between the two could be beautiful and loving, however he was never emotionally available towards anyone. Cusack does a lovely job of balancing the show out and creates both a playful and very reserved character at the same time, we as the audience want to fall in love with her, I would like to believe this is because we see the play through Steven’s eyes. One of the subtler points of the play is the character of Lord Darlington, a man who seems to wants peace and for Germany to be treated fairly, Miles Richardson creates a strong character on stage who is seen as a firm however yet kind master, it is only until later we learn how he views certain members in the German Government that we learn that maybe he isn’t as good as we want him to be. The whole cast does a good job of concealing and then revealing certain aspects that are hidden at first within the play. Mainly the acting style is naturalistic, however we do see actors change characters on stage, which is done incredibly well.

The stage, was simple yet manage to bring across the grandeur of Darlington Hall, with see through panels adorned with designs you would expect in a stately home. The design behind these were used very effectively with certain character being lit up behind them and them moving to show different places. Walking into the theatre we see a panel with a projection of rain, it seems this is another highlight on what is considered as British as a cup of tea,  a running theme throughout the play is the idea of what being British is.

I found this play to be interesting and hidden with important messages, it’s not really a story one could consider to be happy, nor that devastating, it’s about what could’ve been, the cast did a good job at keeping me engaged for sure, I wasn’t bored, and for me sometimes material like this doesn’t flick my switch, this was not the case. I enjoyed the show, and I would recommend this as it’s something to get engaged in.

Sheffield Crucible – until 6 April 2019

Reviewed by Lottie Davis-Browne

4****

Standing at The Sky’s Edge is an across-the-decades tribute to Sheffield’s concrete jungle block of a housing development – Park Hill. Written by Richard Hawley (music and lyrics) with book by Chris Bush – the title is also the title of Mercury Prize nominated 2012 album for Hawley (formerly a member Sheffield formed band Pulp), the stories of three different families all living within the housing development at different decades – from newly married couple Harry (Robert Lonsdale) and Rose (Rachael Wooding) – an optimistic working class couple who move into the newly built development in 1960 – carrying her over the threshold in excitement of what the future holds for the pair – “If I’m gonna do this I’m gonna do it properly” (Harry to Rose) as he carries her through the flat door for the first time.

In 1989 the flat becomes occupied by Grace (Deborah Tracey), and her niece and nephew George (Fela Lufadeju) and Joy (Faith Omole) – an academic teen who is quick to learn the Sheffield lingo – (the H in Hendersons’ relish is apparently silent – who knew?!), with the help of local Sheffield born lad Jimmy (Adam Hugill) – who rescues Joy from some bullies shortly after her arrival to the UK – with constant taunts of “Go Home!”, as she confides in her Aunt Grace over dinner about it one evening – who responds by telling her to ignore them and rise above it.

During Joy’s teen years, Park Hill has taken a rapid decline and is no longer a desirable place to live – it is rife with crime and violence. However the shy young teen soon blossoms as the years pass into the early 90’s and beyond – later becoming a Nurse, still in love with her childhood sweetheart Jimmy.

In 2016 middle-class Poppy (Alex Young) moves into the flat – having fled her troubled relationship with Nikki in Brixton. Having secured a job up North, Poppy is enthusiastic to finally be on the property ladder – by this point the once so-called purpose-built “affordable housing” was mainly privately owned – following the closing of the development in 2003, where the then mainly Social Housing tenants occupied the flats were moved out for a full refurbishment to take place, (by developers “Urban Splash”) apparently with the belief that once the works were completed they would be moving back into the newly refurbished flats – however, following the re-opening in 2013, the majority (257 flats) were put up for sale, whilst just 56 flats became rentals and 12 shared ownership), which at the time caused conflict and controversy. What was originally designed to bring affordable housing to the City Centre became a cash-cow for the developers.

When Poppy’s equally middle class parents come to visit the flat, they are less than impressed with the location and the development, urging her to come back to London, but Poppy states that for the first time in years she has actually got to know her neighbours – “I’ve even baked!”, she jokes as she tells her parents how she loves being part of a community.

As the three families stories develop over the decades (each living in the same flat at different times) we see each character go through various highs and lows – set to the stunning backdrop of Ben Stones set design – a perfect replica of the original complex – the bold concrete pillars and the typical decks above it (my companion for the evening had an Aunt live in Park Hill before the redevelopment took place – having never been to Park Hill myself I was clueless, however my companion stated that it brought memories flooding back from her youth when she would visit her Aunt). The live band is cleverly housed within the decks, the tunes are original and catchy – the group choreography being particularly mesmerising to watch with some superb solo vocalists – Maimuna Mermon as Nikki (“Open Up Your Door”), Alex Young as Poppy (“Lady Solitude”), Nicole Deon as Connie (title song), not forgetting the incredible voice of Faith Omole as Joy!

Whilst I am a very new Sheffield resident myself (less than three years), with little history of the Park Hill development other than passing it on the tram a few times in the last year or so, I was able to relate to the strong sense of community and pride of Sheffield as an ever developing city. Whilst tonight was the official opening night, the production has been running since Friday 15th March – achieving standing ovations from the word go – I can see this production selling out before the end of the run; following on from the success of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie its clear to say that Sheffield Theatres Productions have once again produced another smash hit!

Above the Stag – 18th March 2019

Reviewed by Prachya Van de Gevel

3.5***

Goodbye Norma Jeane, takes us through the aftermath of Norma Jeane, Marilyn Monroe’s, passing. Her old friend and choreographer Jack Cole, played by Tim English, is retelling the secrets of Hollywood Royalty and the truth from behind the camera and closed doors on some of the world’s first major actresses of the silver screen.

Many sought his talent and he helped them create their very on screen personas that catapulted them to fame. Everyone from Rita Hayworth, Betty Grable, and even Marilyn Monroe benefited from his tutelage these roles are played by Rachel Stanley, who is so captivating in the many faces she has to play. Tim English, retells the stories of the past in a wonderful manner, but I just felt at times I was just getting talked at, in many ways it was more a memoirs of Jack Cole. Which whilst I appreciated  this as his name has almost become lost in history it brings such a pivotal character to life.

Where I struggled was the over use of the term Baby Doll, to the point it just felt cringe worthy. I felt some of the longer monologues could have been a bit more punchy and this is not down to Tim’s abilities as an actor I think he did a great job, I felt at times a little bored and just was in anticipation of the next starlet to appear in his doorway.

Rachel Stanley has the most diverse role to play, singing, dancing and portraying all these different character roles and she really does a stunning job. I felt like I wanted at time to just fast forward to when she was back on the stage because I knew there would be a faster pace, and light heartened entertainment. Her presence broke up some of the monotony of the some of the longer stories Jack Cole regaled us with.

Overall I think it’s an important play by keeping the memory of Jack Cole’s stories alive and in may ways the real Hollywood truths, and I feel grateful to be able to witness and pass his stories on, I just needed more rather than feel like I was being read too and longed for another musical number, overall an enjoyable night out, with great acting, but just lacked a certain punchiness with it’s script.